Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Meet my serger aka overlock machine

What is a serger? What is an overlock machine? Meet my serger. It's a faithful machine, of which I am very fond.

What does it do?
Think of it as a special sewing machine. It has needles, just like a sewing machine. But it also wraps and cuts the seam, with a few more threads and a blade.

Why is it so great?
It's fast! It also finishes the edge of the fabric, so instead of two pieces of fabric with a stitch line, it's right on the edge. And it looks cool, so you can use it on the outside, even make it part of your design. Some machines can do a rolled hem too.

For things like pants, you can serge the raw edge of the fabric, fold it over once and stitch it down. That's one less layer of fabric inside your waistband, so it's more comfortable and less bulky (what a funny word...).

What if I don't have one?
Good question. That all depends on what you want to do. Making a simple pair of drawstring or elastic waist pants? it's a piece of cake, just a few simple modifications.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

recycled wooly patches, new on etsy!

Here's a way for you to revamp your own clothes, or perhaps something that has been handed down to you. Wooly patches add a little homemade goodness to everything from clothes to jackets and bags. Great for covering up logos or characters! You stitch, either by machine or by hand onto anything!

More good news! My blog is being featured today on one of my favorite blogs, resweater!
Check it out at www.resweater.blogspot.com

Thursday, March 19, 2009

recycled baby boy sweater set

Since we still have snow on the ground here in Northern Michigan, it seemed appropriate to show you what we've been wearing to playgroup. A nice brown wool sweater was the start for the wool longies, which I made with an extra long "waistband" that can be rolled down or worn up (you can see it here b/c he's reaching).
The sweater is made from a few sweaters, but my favorite part is the stripe added to the sleeves. You can't see it, but there's a squirrel on the front!
The hat is made from T-shirts, made with a pattern that was traced from another hat that a friend brought over. I love how it has the little knots on top!
Shoes came from another etsian, baby bug designs, and were custom made in brown ultrasuede.
What will I do when Fyn wants to choose his own clothes??? I hope he thinks his mom's work is cool!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

revamped river coveralls

Clothes for little boys are so hard to find! Either they are way too "cutesy" or the colors don't work for me. One of my friends found these Guess coveralls and passed them along to me.
I added fabric to the collar and cuffs, with extra fabric inside the bottom 3" of the hem, so they show when turned up.
To cover up the wording on the back, I made a scenic patch from felted wool scraps on the back, showing our favorite spot at the river.