Silk Pillow Extravaganza!

Today was the second 'painted pillow' class I've taught at Bellevue Community College for their Art Zone program. The students used a pre-embroidered pillow cover as a template for a thread-resist painting technique. The technique works because silk fabric is stitched with silk thread over silk batting. This combination allows painting with the silk dyes to create a faux-applique effect.

Mostly I wanted to show the 'works in progress' that the students did - bearing in mind that they were even more impressive when they were completed! My camera battery ran out of juice so I had to quickly take them before the artists were finished.

Fiber Friday - Sewing Safely with Pets

It's Fiber Friday again - amazing how time flies when you are on a deadline!

Sadly, I'm not feeling very festive today, as my faithful sewing companion, Tyger, is not feeling well. At all. He started vomiting yesterday morning and is still not eating or drinking. A trip to the vet first thing this morning and he's pumped full of fluid (to combat dehydration) and that is making him feel pretty awful. My normally gregarious little buddy doesn't even want to be touched. We are hoping that it is simply a hairball problem that is causing the stomach irritation. Unfortunately it could be pancreatitis. Please send him your best wishes for a quick recovery.

At first I was worried that he had picked up something in the studio, hence the topic for today. I've heard all sorts of interesting stories about pets and sewing. One woman told me that her cat not only will pick up pins, but he delivers them to the feet of her Yorkshire Terrier! Make your own conclusions there. But in all seriousness, there are many threats to our animals' safety. Not only can they pick up (and potentially ingest) pins and needles, but thread poses a particular threat. Our vet checked him carefully to make sure there were no signs of intestinal problems due to thread but that doesn't rule out the possibility of a 'foreign object' being in there.

So please watch your pets carefully when they are in your sewing work area. And never give a ball of yarn or similar to a cat for a toy!

Oops.

Perhaps the first rule of sewing (or any craft, for that matter) should be: make sure your brain is fully engaged before operating machinery.

Sometimes I think my greatest talent lies in making really boneheaded mistakes, and I have to remind myself to cut myself some slack. In reality, the problem usually lies in my degree of focus on the task at hand. I tend to think a lot - about a lot of things - sometimes all at once. What this means is that while I'm sewing sometimes I'm thinking several steps ahead - or about an entirely different project - subconsciously assuming that I'm going to go through the motions on some sort of autopilot since what I'm doing (in many cases of stupid mistakes) is "easy".

Just the other day, I was trimming the binding around an armhole and nearly cut off the binding instead of the seam allowance. Doh! It's not a matter of skill, but of attention span.

So...if this happens to you, my recommendation is to get up and walk away for just a moment to clear your head and bring yourself back to the task at hand. Or at least get up and walk away so you don't throw your project out the window!

Cut yourself some slack. I'm sure it will turn out just fine when all is said and done.

Lipstick on the Pig

Happy Memorial Day - I hope everyone takes a moment to reflect and express your gratitude to those who have given their lives to defend us and protect our rights.

Just a little food for thought for today. I'm struggling under several converging deadlines at present (isn't that always how it works?) and found myself having to tell myself to 'quit putting lipstick on the pig". Now, in case you're wondering, I'm not truly making any 'pigs'. But I do think that as creative people (regardless of the medium - textile or otherwise) we sometimes have a very difficult time in recognizing when something is 'done' and it's time to move on. Normally the term to 'put lipstick on a pig' is a rural phrase meant to suggest something of less than attractive nature being dolled up superficially in hopes of making it look better. I think even when our projects aren't 'pigs' we still have this tendency to keep putting that lipstick on in case it's somehow going to become more perfect. Wouldn't it be great if we all had a friend on hand to gently but firmly tell it's time to move on!

Templates for Perfect Machine Embroidery

...or at least as close to perfect as machine embroidery can be. I have a super fabulous sewing/embroidery machine that does gorgeous work and is a joy to use. Its largest hoop is big enough to step through! But I've yet to see a machine embroidery project that doesn't lend itself to multiple 'learning opportunities' - which is what we in education call 'mistakes'.

The secret is templates - or more accurately, templates, outlines and placement stickers. Proper use of any and all of these make a big difference in the quality of your embroidery output. Especially when you are combining designs, creating large multi-hoop (or hoop turning) designs, or placing your design in very particular locations, such as matching collar points, pockets, etc. Or all of the above as I often find myself when I'm making stitch out samples for Sew Fun.

Embroidery design templates are easily created using most embroidery software. A full-sized picture of the design is printed with crosshairs that make it easier to align the design in the hoop. These are especially handy when printed onto semitransparent or special temporary adhesive paper. Use these not only to make sure your design is positioned correctly, but also for doing a design layout. I prefer to do my multiple design combinations using my software, but for many people it's much easier to use templates instead. With older software or smaller hoops it is necessary to stitch designs out using multiple hoopings, which makes templates essential.

Placement stickers are a great aid to use along with template to ensure that you really are placing your design where you intended it. Designs in Machine Embroidery (Eileen Roche) produces a large selection of placement stickers as well as handy tools such as special rulers and even an angle finder, for those times when you have accidentally hooped your fabric at a different angle than expected.

My personal favorite tool is using stitchout outlines. Nancy Zieman has a fantastic new product on the market called Place and Stitch. It's a very simple concept - it comes with a CD full of outlines of common embroidered objects - collar shapes, bibs, geometric shapes (which you can resize to fit various needs), etc. I would recommend it for anyone who likes to embroider on ready-made items, especially. Of all the various methods, so far I have the best success in creating mirror images on garment components (matching collars, button bands, etc.).

I've taken this same concept and put my own spin on it - when embroidering items prior to construction. Using a scanner, a .jpg file is made of the pattern piece, which can then be interpreted by embroidery software into an embroidery design. Combine that design with your decorative designs (keeping colors separate and the outline in the first stitch order) and you know your embroideries will be exactly where planned. You can't see it in this picture, but underneath the cutout front vest panel is an outline of the piece that showed me precisely where to place it on the stabilizer.

Here is a photo of the embroidered front sections of the vest showing the mirrored alignment on both sides:

Of course there is still thread, needle, stabilizer, tension - and other various potential mishaps. But if you use these tools wisely and accurately at least your placement won't be a nasty surprise!

Fiber Friday - Linen

I played hooky from my studio for a bit this afternoon to walk through my flower beds. Next to clothing and textiles, my biggest passion would be my roses. Being a bit of a geek, of course I don't just grow them, I collect them. I especially enjoy 'antique' roses.

So that started me thinking about plant fibers. I haven't really discussed cellulosic fibers yet, so it makes some sense to start with what is likely the oldest plant used to make textiles: Flax. The fabric woven from flax is called linen. According to my Textile Science textbook, remnants of linen were found amoung the remains of the Swiss Lake Dwellers, who lived in 8000 B.C. Linen curtains, still intact, were found in Tutankhamen's tomb (1200 B.C.).

As you might guess from the above, linen is tough stuff. Even its processing is a tough process. Flax is a tall plant grown both for the seeds (this is where linseed oil comes from) and the stem (fiber). When the flax plant is fully grown and sets seed it is harvested, often by pulled up by the roots to preserve the full length of the stalk. Once the seeds are combed away, the stalks may be processed for fiber.

The first step in flax fiber processing is called 'retting'. This is literally a rotting process to break down the bark and woody matter. This is done by either allowing the flax to lie in the fields for several weeks (called 'dew retting') or by placing the stems in heated, water-filled tanks for three days. Dew retting produces darker fiber, but with longer length.

Next the fiber must be 'scutched'. Scutching breaks away the rotted bark and woody matter, leaving coarse bundles of fibers ready to be hackled. Hackling means pulling the bundles through a series of progressively finer pins in order to separate the fibers into a finer bundle. Once the fibers are combed and aligned parallel through this process, they are ready to be spun and woven into linen cloth.

As with many aspects of textile making, there are some terms which have become part of common usage that have derived from flax processing. Two most common terms relate to hair color. People with blond hair are sometimes referred to as 'flaxen', in reference to the pale color. Similarly, a 'tow-head' refers to the 'tow' or pale, tangled fibers left in the last set of hackles when processing flax.

Sewers Aid

Since I'm busy with multiple machine embroidery projects at present, I thought I'd mention this handy tool. No, unfortunately it's not a fund set up to hire temporary (?) help to clean, cook and do other assorted tasks so we can spend more time sewing. Rather, it's a silicone lubricant which makes sewing with metallic threads much easier. There's a great article on tips for embroidering with metallic threads at the CraftStylish website.

I've been using Sewers Aid for years and I have to agree that it helps a lot. Just drizzle a little down the side of your metallic embroidery thread spool (use sparingly but as needed) and it will help it to go through the various tension discs, needle, etc. without shredding. Okay, I can't guarantee that it won't shred - my advice with thread is always buy the best possible quality. Always. Many home sewing enthusiasts will buy expensive machines and fabric and then try to economize by buying cheap thread. This is false economy, at best. You might get away with it some of the time but I guarantee you'll have better results by using good quality thread. Not to mention your machine will run much better (and require less maintenance) if it isn't clogged with lint - much of it comes from the thread! For metallics, I especially like Yenmet and YLI, although the main embroidery thread manufacturers all have good products as well.

I've found that machines have their own preferences, so you will have to see what your specific machine likes best. My machines are so spoiled - they are given silk thread! - so they likely have very particular tastes.

Sewing Companions

I'm going to take a small detour to recognize my sewing 'helpers'. Here was the scene the other night while I was working: Tyger, on the cutting table, helpfully holding down a piece of silk chiffon in case it might blow away. Mack, keeping a spot on the floor warm, just in case. Sometimes I get exasperated with them; it seems like they can be constantly in the way when I'm working on a project. But they always try to be helpful (I have plenty of pictures of Tyger "helping" when I'm trying to photograph something) and it's hard to stay irritated with them for long. I never thought I'd become one of those 'crazy ladies that sews with a cat/dog', but it seems I'm well on my way!

Note: Unfortunately, Blogger didn't want to insert my photos, but if you'd like to see the 'companions' in action, you can view a photo from the scene by clicking their names.

Fiber Friday - Lamboree

It's time for the Northwest Lamboree!

The Northwest Lamboree is an annual event that teaches youth and adults about various aspects of the sheep industry. This will be my third Lamboree; I help teach the - you guessed it - fiber portion of the weekend. Originally I attended to represent the national Make it With Wool contest; I was the national adult winner (the National Adult Ambassador for the American Sheep Industry) in 2004. I help the kids learn beginning knitting, spinning, and last year I introduced them to needle felting. I brought in some bags of old wool, and the kids made toy sheep from the wool. They had a great time. Even some 'big kids' were happily poking away at bits of wool. Of course they didn't want to be caught on camera.

There are lots of things to learn at the Lamboree. This year there are four tracks that participants can take: Commercial Sheep Production; Youth - showmanship, judging, quality assurance, etc.; Working with Wool/Fiber Arts; and Cooking Lamb. There's an amazing variety of classes and they bring in experts from around the Northwest.

This year, besides some of the more general fiber arts activities, I'll be teaching how to properly press wool for tailoring. I find that when I am judging clothing at fairs and similar events, pressing is often where the person sewing the garment has the most trouble. It's a huge factor in the difference between 'handmade' clothing (well tailored) and 'homemade' clothing. So hopefully my workshop will help the participants to have a better understanding of just how forgiving wool is when it is handled with the proper respect and care. Although sometimes that means beating a seam with a clapper! We will also have a wool fashion show during dinner, to highlight the incredible variety of wool fabrics and clothing that exist. So many people associate wool with itchy, coarse fabrics and unflattering clothes. Of course these do exist, unfortunately, but they are a galaxy away from the sophisticated fabrics and fashions that are created every day.

Wool was there first - to every pole and mountain explored by mankind. We couldn't have made it this far without it! Whether felted or finely spun, it has been part of our heritage for thousands of years. So let's celebrate the sheep - our humble and amazing partner in civilization. It's time to Lamboree!

Devore for Dummies

Among my many projects clamoring for attention are some silk devore scarves. Or more correctly, scarves to be made into silk devore.

What is devore? You might also know it as "burnout" - usually seen with a satin or velvet weave so that the backing fabric shows through where the floats or pile has been "burned" away. It produces amazingly beautiful effects, but like many surface design techniques, is relatively simple to do.
How it works:
A chemical gel or paste is used that 'eats' (devours) cellulosic fibers through a chemical/heat process. By using a blend of fibers, a web of fibers remains to create the effect. Similar process is used to produce cutwork, generally using a resist of protein or synthetic thread to create the outline of the cutout design.

What you need:

• A fabric that is a blend of cellulosic fiber (cotton, rayon, linen, bamboo, hemp, etc.) and either protein or synthetic fiber (wool or silk or polyester, etc.). I prefer to work with a silk/rayon blend woven as either a satin or velvet fabric but it's fun to experiment. I have some cotton/silk blend fabric that I picked up at Sew Expo that I'll likely try to use for this technique.
• A chemical gel or paste designed for this process. Fiber Etch is the most commonly available product.
• An easy to clean worksurface
• Painter's Tape (the blue stuff) - low adhesive or alternatively you can stretch in a silk painting frame
• Nitrile gloves (preferred)
• Hair dryer
• Iron
• Stamps, stencils, silkscreens, etc. and/or applicator bottles with small tips for drawing

Dharma Trading Co. is a good place to find these supplies. For designs, I like using the silkscreens from Ginny Eckley at photoezsilkscreen.com.

The process:

1. I tape my project down to a worksurface with low adhesive painter's tape. (There are different levels of adhesion available; for fabrics you want the "delicate" surface stuff). Or else I stretch it in a silk painting frame.
2. Put on your gloves. Fiber Etch is potentially highly irritating to skin, etc. Good ventilation is also a good idea. These should be automatic precautions anytime you're working with any sort of chemical, even if it's "non toxic".
• For silkscreens, I use painter's tape to hold the screen in place while I use a foam brush or plastic card to apply the gel evenly.
• For stamps, I put a little gel on a small plastic (not paper!) plate so I can get a thin amount onto the stamp. Or I paint it onto the stamp with a foam brush.
• Stencils - similar to stamping - put a little gel at a time onto a plastic plate and use that to load your stencil brush.
• Another application idea is simply writing or drawing on the fabric using an applicator bottle. I like to look up favorite poems or quotes.
3. Once your design is applied, dry the gel onto the fabric using a hair dryer.
4. Once the gel is dry, iron the project from the "wrong" side using silk setting on the iron. The chemical is heat-activated, so make sure you iron evenly and thoroughly without burning the fabric. You may notice your designs turning brown as you iron them - this is okay. Just don't make them too dark brown or you are risking eating holes in your base fabric.
5. If you are using a delicate fabric, you can tumble the project in the dryer for an extended time rather than ironing it directly.
6. Test as you go to see if the fibers in the treated area are becoming brittle - they should start coming off when rubbed gently.
7. Once the project has been thoroughly heat-treated, rinse well under running water. The design should appear as the "devoured" fibers wash away.

That's it! Your "devore" is finished - now it's ready to be dyed or used. The example scarf in the photo above was commercially made. I hand dyed it using Colorhue dyes.

The Big Dig

No, I'm not talking about the huge tunnel they built in Boston - unfortunately I'm referring to my studio!

Yes, the studio is in need of a major overhaul. I had many projects involving classes, competitions and even a magazine article that took place over about a 9 month period. The end result is that my studio looks like a hurricane (hurricane Katrina?) went through it. I'd post a photo but I'm too embarrassed. Perhaps the next time I'll host a "messiest studio" competition and I'll give away some choice yardage from my stash to the 'winner'.

I do have plans for improvement in the future. First of all, I have some custom-made furniture on order which hasn't materialized yet. I'm really looking forward to this - it's a new work surface. It will encompass the entire southern end of my west wall and part of the south wall as well. It will accommodate two embroidery/sewing machines, a serger (possibly two) and a needle felting machine. It will have two sets of drawers and will have 12" deep shelves running underneath the entire worksurface. Best of all, it will be high enough that I can either stand or sit (on a high stool) to work.

Secondly, I'm going to rip out the north wall which is basically a two-part closet and make it one big open closet with Ikea wardrobe organizer drawers in the bottom. For fabric storage, of course. I'll continue to use my large plastic bins on top of those - I'm tucked up in the eaves so I have sloping walls to contend with.

Lastly, I'll hire my friend and organizer supreme, Laura, of Clement Organizing, to come and figure out any remaining organizational glitches. She's already reformed a lot of chronic messes and I'm sure she'd be a huge help.

So off we go - to discover new treasures and old friends buried in the mess!

Fiber Friday - Needle Felting

Wow - here it is Fiber Friday again! This week the subject is needle felting, which is a new way to create a very old "fabric". In fact, felt is the oldest known type of fabric. Mankind learned very early on that the wool from sheep (or similar animal fibers) could be matted together using moisture and friction to create a dense, warm cloth. Wool felts because each wool fiber (or hair, if you will) consists of a structure that looks a little like a stack of clay pots nested together. These overlapping scales can be made to "open up" with some heat and moisture. When the fibers rub together, the scales interlock, forming a mat of tangled fibers - felt. Nearly anyone who has ever done laundry has done this by accident to favorite sweater. Human hair has similar properties - smooth in one direction, rough in the other. When we backcomb or create dreadlocks, we are using the scales of our own human hair to interlock and behave somewhat similarly to felt.

So - enter needle felting. Needle felting is a "dry" method of felting - you don't have to work with wet wool such as in the wet felting process. Instead, special barbed needles are used (there is a great description available here) to force the fibers to interlock, or in the case of non-scaled fibers, to embed them into a fabric or similar base. You can easily sculpt 3 dimensional objects by simply poking small pieces of wool to shape them, and then attach them to each other using the same process. For example, here is a picture of my fabulous grandmother modeling a needle felted wool hat with silk ribbon embroidery and beadwork. It's very warm!

It's a great technique for applique - even non-wool fabrics such as cotton flannel will easily felt into one another, as they have a lot of loose fibers. Or for embellishing anything ranging from denim (you can use the needles to "rough up" the fabric, creating a textured design) to silk. The background of my "Fiber Friday" graphic shows silk roving that has been needle felted into a backing of silk noil fabric and silk batting. If you're not comfortable creating your own designs, there are many books and patterns available to help you. So if you're interested in fiber arts - give needle felting a try! It's fast, easy and produces beautiful results.

Denim - From Frontier to Fashion

I have a lot of denim on the brain lately. Not just on the brain - on the cutting table, the ironing board, the embroidery hoop - you name it! I'm gearing up for Sew Fun in June at Quality Sewing. My teaching partner and I are featuring the book "Denim by Design" by Barb Chauncey along with the latest edition of "Vogue Sewing", which is a wonderful sewing reference.

Denim has a very interesting history as a textile. One of the most detailed histories I've read comes, appropriately enough, from Levi Straus & Co (read the full article here) - the company who undoubtedly fixed what we know as modern denim (there are many disputes about the origin of the name and even the origin of the textile) into the everyday lives of Americans. While the fabric definitely predated the gold rush, it was the need for rugged clothing for prospecting and pioneering the American West that gave our beloved blue jeans their birth. Originally the "overalls" were offered in canvas as well, but the comfort of well-washed denim gave it a decided preference as time went by.

The fabric we know as denim has evolved over the years; many denim fabrics now have other fibers, such as polyester or spandex added. And they come in a variety of weights and finishes. But in spite of many advances in dye technology and chemistry, indigo dyeing is still preferred. Why indigo? Because it wears off. Denim is traditionally woven from indigo dyed warp yarns, with undyed (white) weft or filling yarns. It is a warp-faced fabric, which means that the warp yarns - dyed indigo - is what we see. Indigo dyes coat the warp yarns but they do not penetrate all the way through. That is why our jeans lighten in areas of abrasion - the indigo dyed fibers on the surface of the yarn wear away and reveal the undyed core.

So, hooray for denim - our favorite symbol of the frontier spirit!

Fabric Binge!

It's a very rare occasion that I have the opportunity to shop in fabric stores until I really don't have the gumption anymore. Today was one of those days. Here in the Pacific Northwest we are truly blessed with some fabulous fabric stores. Normally I do some of my "supply runs" in the Seattle/Tacoma area. We are lucky to have a local chain, Pacific Fabrics, which does a great job of not only having stores in a relatively broad area, but also has "specialty" stores such as their bridal/evening department at the Northgate store. You can even buy corsetry supplies from them. Another amazing local store is Nancy's Sewing Basket, in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle. Not only do they carry a wide variety of gorgeous fabrics (designers and opera costumers shop here), but they also have the "ribbon room" - stocked full with amazing trims, ribbons and best of all - millinery supplies such as real silk flowers. Another favorite - for outdoor fabrics - is Seattle Fabrics, but I could go on from there - just getting warmed up!

However, it was a rare treat to have the opportunity to go to Portland with a group of fellow Washington State University Clothing and Textile Advisors. In past years a bus has been chartered for this occasion but given some of the diverse interests of the group and the cost of chartering we decided instead to carpool. I had the pleasure of driving down with Mary Collen, who in addition to being a lovely person is an amazingly talented designer and impeccable tailor. Our interests in fabric and related items tend to run similar courses, so it worked out very well for us. I called us the "fabric snobs". We're not really snobby (we both love to scour thrift shops for good deals) but we have great taste in fabric!

First stop was Billie's Designer Fabrics in Chehalis, Washington. If you're ever passing through the I-5 corridor between Portland and Seattle you must stop here. The selection isn't huge but it is very impressive - many designer bolt ends to choose from. They also carry independent pattern companies, Viking sewing machines and lots more. If apparel fabrics aren't your thing, there is a quilt shop (Sisters) just up the street 1 block.

Then we headed south for Rose City Textiles (RCT), specializing in performance and outdoor fabrics. Found some awesome reflective piping there as well as plenty of amazing fabrics of all kinds. I also was unable to resist some gorgeous swim fabric in brown with green gingko leaves on it. Think it's destined to be a cute tankini with matching skirt or something. Always wanted one of those. They have an amazing website for mail order so if you're looking to make, well, anything to do anything in, they're a great source.

Our next stop was Josephine's Dry Goods in downtown Portland. Wow - gorgeous fabrics everywhere. Obviously this is a hotspot for the locals in the know for Portland to buy fabric for either their own creations or else for their custom clothier to make up (there were women shopping for both while we were there). Beautiful fabrics, and the prices were reasonable. The staff was friendly and even gave us a good idea for lunch nearby.

After a pleasant lunch at Jake's Grill we headed for the Button Emporium. Needless to say they have tons of fabulous buttons, especially vintage and retro. What really excited us were the trims. Stretch foldover trim in velvet and satin, and velvet piping. I was lusting over a millinery trim - handmade silk calla lilies - but couldn't quite justify them at this time. Lots of buckles and frogs there, too. A great resource!

I was looking for good deals on wool fabrics for my upcoming classes, so we headed further south to the Pendleton Woolen Mills Store. If you are attracted to beautiful woolens, you might want to avoid this place. It's full of gorgeous fabrics, blankets, pillows - everything you can imagine. I was drooling over a Birchbark Blanket but managed to resist for now. I had the good fortune to tour and shop their mill in Washougal, Washington last summer. A definite must for the fiber enthusiast! Or even if you're not - it's fascinating to see a real fabric mill in production and in this day and age there are very, very few of them left in the United States.

We were getting tired by this point but still determined to hit one last spot - The Mill End Store. It's located just down the street from the Pendleton store and it's worth a visit. Very large selection of all kinds of fabric and trims - we found more great foldover elastic trim here, including some that looked like grosgrain. I found some good wool at a good price as well. Lots of bargains to be had in the "Annex" - tucked in the back corner of the store.

At this point we had to concede that we had finally had enough. If we'd had more strength we could have hit a few more fabric hot spots such as Ruthie's Rags, The Whole 9 Yards or the famous Fabric Depot. But that will have to wait for another day. Time to be home enjoying our treasures!

The best part? Even if you didn't have the opportunity to tag along - most, if not all of these stores are happy to do mail order and most will send swatches of potential fabrics for little or not cost. So you don't have to live in the Pacific Northwest to take advantage of our wonderful bounty. You'll just wish you did!

Fiber Friday!

Yes, indeed - it's Fiber Friday. Because we all need more fiber in our diet, right? I certainly do - I've been spending all my time lately working on the finishing touches on the new website while my studio hangs in suspended animation. That will soon change...

So, every Friday a different aspect of "fiber" will be explored - whether it's a little history, science, art appreciation or...whatever my fervent imagination can come up with. But we couldn't possibly live without fibers in their many manifestations, so hooray for fiber!

I've even created a little title graphic to celebrate. The background is some amazing silk roving of various colors that has been needle felted into silk noil, and then felted again into silk batting. It's very decadent - you just want to pet it. In fact, I have a very hard time keeping my cat off of the resulting fabric...