Fitting the Tee - Every Knit is Different - Duct Tape Dress Form

What do I love most?
 The embroidered hummingbirds?
The under-bust tucks?
The fringy bits I created from knit scraps?
The deconstructed neckline?

I've been squeezing in a little time here and a little time there on this simple rose pink tee with the embroidered hummingbirds. It's been one of those life-is-sometimes-like-that times. Bet you know how that goes :-)

It's a funny thing, I'm using a tee pattern I've altered in the past and sewn several times, but this time through the tee just didn't hang right on me. I'm so glad Lori addressed the variable character of knits so many times in different Sew Forth Now podcasts. Now I know it's not just me who has these challenges. You just never know with knits, they each have their own drape and stretch.

In this case, I admit that I was working with a very flimsy knit. I cut this shirt out of two rose pink commercial tee shirts. I keep them around more as muslins then for my regular wardrobe. But.... they were a pretty color and I just wanted a quick tee fix.

That's where the front detail came from. After doing the machine embroidery (I posted about those dragonflies last time) I just didn't love the way the shirt hung, so I added a little hang of my own.

Don't you love that elegant view of the
old newspapers coming out of the neckline of
my Duct Tape Dummy (DTD)?
It's not glamorous, but it helps her keep her shape for now
I'm not worried about filling her up properly, 'cuz
I'm actually taking a Dress Form Making class !
So, no, my little DTD is never going to be properly filled.

Hey, you knew I was going to show off the value of my Duct Tape Dummy again, right?

I first got out my lovely Dummy after I tried on the shirt and found I didn't like the typical fabric neckband. I did the slight stretch and fold over fabric neckband thing and no matter how much or how little I stretched the neckband/trim, the shirt  reminded me of something Beaver Cleaver wore. So I unpinned and unabasted (never commit the stitches till I'm sure!) and created this deconstructed neckband instead. It's simply a strip of black knit I cut off the bottom of another tee and then twisted and pinned, twisted and pinned all the way around. It's actually still pinned (as is the decorative bit in the front) waiting for sometime soon when I get a chance to sit and do a little hand stitching. The under bust strip is the original unsuccessful  neckband (which was shorter than the new deconstructed one), pinned in place over some tucks (or would you call them darts?) I just pulled in place by hand and safety pinned. I twisted that strip in the same way that I did the deconstructed neckband. 

I created the fringed bits in the front  from
- The ends of that strip hanging down
- Additional strips I added in and braided a little bit at the top
- Scraps of the rose pink I bound around that 
- Cutting each strip in half or thirds to make more and thinner pieces
Entonces... Finally I hung onto the top of each strip and pulled on the opposite end to get a longer, narrower rolled , dangly, fringy piece

Filling in the time gaps with my rose and  black tee shirt , adorned with hummingbirds and creative scrap embellishment really keeps me enchanted by sewing.

Neighborhood Life on the Fourth

It's still the glorious Fourth in my neighborhood.

We start out singing a patriotic song (only a couple of us knew the words to "God Bless America"), then we pledged to the flag, followed by a loop-around the block parade on bike, skateboard or foot. Then there's food (we all brought something), and games for the kids.

All the friendly dogs came.

Mine stayed home - she's not unfriendly, just poorly sighted so she doesn't know what's going on around her, and that scares her. I took her out on her familiar route when the party was over.

What's do you do on July 4'th where you live?

Technicos:Embellishing a Tee - Machine Embroidery and Stabalizer

Woven stabalizer below
Film stabalizer on top
Then the top part of the hoop nests in
The part that attaches to the machine is beneath the tee

As I've mentioned in a past Enchanted by Sewing podcast , my machine embroidery is not accomplished using the latest, snazziest machine model. I use a Husqvarna Iris, which I purchased as one of the lowest end embroidery models about nine years ago. I bought my machine in August, as I'd been told this was traditionally a time when sewing machines are discounted. True? Maybe! Well, I'd always wanted a machine with this kind of capability and the somewhere around one thousand dollar price tag on this machine was possible because I'd made a little extra money the previous year. Husqvarna may consider this a budget-oriented machine, but for us it was a big ticket item.

My machine uses cards - no digital downloads. Those cards are no longer available for purchase from the manufacturer (a nine year-old machine is practically an antique these days). I found that out when I finally decided to break down and buy an additional card (I had one that came with the machine, and one that I had purchased for $150 when I bought the machine.) Luckily I found a few cards on EBAY for $50. I bought three. Would even more designs be fun? Would I like to be able to download digital designs or maybe learn to digitize my own? You bet! 

But am I satisfied with what I have for the time being? Yes. I don't spend my life, or even most of my sewing time, embellishing. So I am satisfied with what I have, and enjoy doing a little machine embroidery. I've also found that I enjoy repetitively stitching out certain designs like this dragonfly.  I can turn it different directions and make a bigger or smaller version.

I've also learned how to do machine embroidery on my tee shirt projects without getting the knit fabric stuck and gummed up under the needle (though I seam to recall it makes a pretty neat noise when this happens!).  

Here's what I do....

1) I hoop the back of the project with traditional stabalizer. Sorry I don't known what kind that is. It's the regular somewhat stiff, heavy kind I use for a woven cotton or linen. 
2) I put my hoop bottom piece below that sheet of for-wovens stabilizer, 
3) then I add my tee shirt. 
4) On top of the tee - and before I fit the top of the hoop in- I lay a piece of film-type stabilizer. 
5) The smaller hoop piece (it nestles inside the back/bigger hoop part that fits onto the machine) goes on top of that. Then I screw it in place and away I stitch. No more stuck needles and gummed up projects.

I hope this will help me and others
Locate this film stabalizer that tops off my tee shirt/knits
machine embroidery projects

I found my stabalizers at a Sewing Expo, at a booth that specialized in only that kind of product. I've noticed that sometimes it's hard to locate stabilizers in fabric stores, and when I do the clerks, even those who are also sewists, may not know about these products. So I plan to start taking better notes about what I've purchased the next time I get a chance to talk to a knowledgable vendor. If you know of links that explain what to choose and when, please post them or email them to me EnchantedBySewing  AT gmail.com.

Taking a tee-shirt beyond the basics with embellishment like machine embroidery, is one of many things that keeps me....

Enchanted by Sewing!

SLO Travel Tips, San Luis Obispo

If you'll be visiting California this year, I highly recommend stopping off in San Luis Obispo (SLO) for a hike, meal and a nights rest. It's a great halfway spot if you're driving between Los Angeles and San Francisco and want to take some slow time to enjoy coastal and agricultural views. In addition to the lovely beaches just south of SLO, you can hike some of the different volcanic peaks right on the edge of town. The entrance is just off the 101 freeway. Ancient volcanic cones, like Mount Madonna and Bishop's Peak, are highly hikable destinations.

When I visited one spring weekend, the wildflowers were in full bloom and the weather was quite warm but not overly hot. Coastal breezes and fog keep the area pretty darn nice.

After our hike we went to taste wines and picnic at nearby Kelsey See Canyon Winery. It's a gorgeous setting, nestled in a lovely green valley. There are peacocks and tons of friendly dogs (local dogs and dogs who travel with their people)

There are lots of good restaurants in downtown SLO,just walk down Monterey or Higuera and take your pick (Natural Cafe is an easy good salad kind of place, Firestone has good pizza, and Big Sky Cafe is renowned for excellent food - salads, local meats, vegan and vegetarian ) also small local wine tasting shops and artisinal beer.

The local Farmer's Market is much more than a row of casual produce stalls. Folks drive from two or three hours distance to take in this happening weekly event.

Avoid just stopping off in SLO during high college times. Local state university Cal Poly Graduation is late June, and other significant college sporting and college spirit events can affect availability. The rest of the times you'll generally find lots of motels and hotels. Petit Soleil is a nice small B&B, within walking distance of downtown. It's just next door to fun little Splash Cafe, with easy meals and very tasty breads (you can buy those to go too). There are also more budget oriented motels in the same stretch. My husband is partial to "La Cuesta" which includes breakfast. Across the street, a little more expensive but fun, is Apple Farm Inn. It's a kitschy 70's kind of place. I'm partial to the very chintzy furniture, big soft beds and switch on fireplaces there, but if you don't like Disneyland it might not be your thing!

The stretch of Monterey where you find the motels, as you're walking downtown, and before you cross under the railroad trestle also has lots of fun little antique stores.

Many people stay in SLO before or after a trip to Hearst Castle. I've been to the castle, enjoyed it once, but I wouldn't probably go again. I like historic buildings but this one is a little overwhelming. Still, if you have time you might enjoy it a lot.

Finding Betty's (Fabric Shopping Field Trip San Luis Obispo)

On a recent trip to San Luis Obispo I couldn't wait to go back to visit Betty's! The crazy thing is that, though my daughter was a student at Cal Poly for several years (she graduated two weeks ago) I never stumbled across this wonderful emporium until last December. 

Here's my strange little story about this fabric lover's store.... I'd gone down to see my daughter between quarters. We set off for a nice day trip to Santa Barbara, and I checked on the web to see if there were any fabric stores close by. Sure enough Betty's showed up on the web. Except that when I went to the Santa Barbara State Street address that I'd found, there wasn't actually a fabric store. Oh rats! We all know the sad story of the disappearing independent fabric store. I chatted with an employee in the household supply store there, and she agreed that yes indeed, people often came in searching for Betty's and had been doing so for years. No, she didn't think the store had just moved or anything. She was a sewist herself. Well tough luck for me, right?

So back in San Luis Obispo I was fussing to my daughter about the missing Santa Barbara store. 

Gee sorry mom, there's some kind of fabric store right down the street. Why don't you try it?

Oh honey, I'm sure it's a home dec store. I'd know if there was a fabric store here besides Beverley's. 

But of course I walked down the street.

And I found Betty's. 

And guess what? It's THE Betty's. The same one that used to be in Santa Barbara! 

Betty is, I hear, a long, long time fabric store owner. Apparently she did indeed have a store in Santa Barbara for a long time, but real estate prices there made her decide to convert her property to rental and focus on sales in San Luis Obispo. 

This ruffly stuff makes a great deconstructed tee
I loved the result using this type of fabric in
my  pale green Fashion Forward Mermaid tee

I'm sure glad she did, because Betty

It's unusual to find these goods
in a local store

 has great stock, especially knits. 


It's stumbling onto great store's like Betty's that keep me Enchanted By Sewing.

~ ~ ~

You may also enjoy this hiking field trip to San Luis Obispo's Mount Madonna

SLO Down for Farmers (Slow Travel - San Luis Obispo)

Thursdays from 4:00 in the afternoon, through 'till about 9:00 p.m is the time to pull over and head for downtown San Luis Obispo (SLO)  for the Farmer's Market, known locally as Farmers. 

Barbecued locally raised meats galore, a huge variety of ethnic, artisinal and other local eats, live entertainment, alternative and mainstream vendors of every imaginable (and some I never thought of) products, oh and did I forget to mention agricultural produce , mostly local fruits and vegetables along with honey, dairy and meat? Part county fair, part traditional farmer's market this California agricultural tradition is a huge draw for folks all over southern and central CA, not to mention a few like me who live in the Bay Area with our own local markets.

What better excuse for SLOing down the next time you're tooling by on Highway 101?

Buttercup Purse inspired by London

Wouldn't this regale dame have enjoyed
carrying my latest buttercup purse creation?

Hey, check out that cool little purse the grand lady is sporting!

No, that little bag is not original to the poster, which advertised the exhibit I so enjoyed on my recent trip to London (I talk about creating this  project and London through a sewists eyes, in my June Enchanted by Sewing podcast *). I hand-sewed this buttercup purse while traveling to and within England. This simple pattern was great for stitching on plane and train.

Historic clothing
detail inspired my pearl and glass beading design on my buttercup purse

I went to the In Fine Style exhibit just about the time I got to the beading part of the project, and found inspiration for my pattern there in the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace.

I'll remember historic fashion inspiration from
my London trip, every time I slip this purse on,
pop in a mobile device and head out for a walk.

Back home now, I've been carrying this fun little purse on my daily walks. It's perfect for holding my coin purse, reading glasses and iPhone. I'm sure the regal lady in the poster, would have had enjoyed stowing her mobile devices  there as well:-)

Taking inspiration from historic designs keeps me, enchanted by sewing.

* Click here to look for pattern and exhibit links in the Show Notes for the June Enchanted by Sewing podcast