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| Crows are regular, though temporary ,neighbors in my hood |
Birds chatting on high,
Discuss other times and places.
Corvus - Stinking smart.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Crow Talk
Correct Me If I'm Wrong:-) Semi-Bilingual Sewing
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| I added a new spanish word* to my knowledge-base- while enjoying the historic pictorial street signs I encountered, walking through Madrid |
I may not be fluent in languages other than English, but it doesn't keep me from using them when I get the chance. Sometimes, of course, I mess up. But I can communicate with others, and often follow simple, or even more complicated, directions using pictures and words in context. For any of you who've ever helped a child learn to read, that's how you begin to read, or read things that are beyond your level. And, of course, it's how we can continue to learn as adults.
My spanish isn't fluent, but I use it whenever I get the chance. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, many people speak spanish, and it's just plain fun to make the world my language professor. Who knows when I'll get a chance to shop for material in a Latin American country or go back for another visit to Spain?
Here are a few words and phrases I find useful when it comes to chatting about sewing in spanish.
(la) costura(1): sewing, couture, fashion
costura, puntadas (2):seam
sin costura: seamless
sentar las costuras: press the seams
(el) bordado: embroidery
* bordadores: Embroiderers (profession)
alta costura: high fashion
la costura italiana: Italian fashion
At the Store
yarda: yard (of fabric)tejido,tela, fieltro: fabric
material de uso o de adorno: material/ material for use or adornment
Tools of the Trade
maquina de coser: sewing machine
las tijeras de costura: sewing scissors(el) hilo: thread
ua aguja e/y hilo: a needle and thread
hilo de algodón/nylon: cotton nylon thread
hilo de hebra: silk thread
hilo de bordar: embroidery thread/silk/floss
necesser de costura: sewing kit
el cesto de la costura: sewing basket
The Process
to sew or do needlework: hacer costura (also referred to simply as labor - as we might say in English when we say I'm taking my work to do while I'm listening at the meeting)
ester a punt de reventar pro las costuras: When a garment is bursting at the seams (hummmm.... how could that happen? :-)
Enctonces/ Then we need to.....
soitar una costura: let out the seams
Another nice sample from Collins Spanish English dictionary that puts a few words together
Una chaqueta con cordoncillo azul en las costar: A jacket piped with blue at the seams
(Náut) seam
Listening Practice
Mi Tiempo Entre Costuras/ My Time Between the Seams (a Video Log/Vlog) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b41HNA_E3b0
My Time Between The Seams - I'd love to find an episode of this show to watch!
~ ~ ~
Resources
http://dictionary.reverso.net/spanish-english/costura
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Ench By Sew-017 Gettin' Shirty (Previously Ench By Sew-007)
Listeners have requested that I re-publish this show, last published in
April 2013 (and removed for not-very-exciting technical challenges)
SEW now.... the February 2014 ReRun....
"Enchanted By Sewing" Podcast is, once more,
available in the pod-o-sphere!
This month we're getting' Shirty.
You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on this link. Or, download this podcast free from iTunes, to play on your favorite mobile device/mp3 player (like an iPhone or an Android), by clicking on this link to iTunes.
~~~
Is that garment you're sewing a shirt or a blouse? Is it the collar stand, or lack thereof that makes you decide one way or another? How about set-in sleeves versus dropped? Maybe it's your choice of fabric.... This month Laurel talks about her experiences creating her No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Shirt, with a Butterick pattern that sometimes says shirt and other times blouse. She also discusses sewing techniques that say shirt, and chats a little about the history of shirts and shirty language (with special attention to a scene from a Harry Potter book ).
This podcast is an extension of my on-web sewing life journal Me Encanta Coser, a blog that tells the story of an arty-romantic plain sewist in CA. My blog is written in English. The blogs name, and occasional references, pays tribute to the beautiful Spanish language which is a part of both the history and modern culture of the San Francisco Bay area, where I live.
 |
| Check out a free excerpt from My Heart Beats Faster in Past Times By clicking here |
The show is created, produced, and brought to you by Laurel Shimer author of the Time Travel e-book My Heart Beats Faster in Past Times. This historical romance, ebook-novella is available exclusively on amazon.com for your iPad, nook or kindle ebook reader, for only 99 cents (Only 99 cents? That's less than a cup of coffee!)
~~~
Resources
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/04/shirt-or-blouse-pattern-plays-important.html
• No. 1 Lady's Detective Agency Shirt
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/03/no-1-ladys-detective-agency-shirt-b5526.html
~~~This book has really helped me to learn how to sew different seam finishes. The illustrations and descriptions are spot on!
Ench By Sew-017 Gettin' Shirty (Previously Ench By Sew-007)
Listeners have requested that I re-publish this show, last published in
April 2013 (and removed for not-very-exciting technical challenges)
SEW now.... the February 2014 ReRun....
"Enchanted By Sewing" Podcast is, once more,
available in the pod-o-sphere!
This month we're getting' Shirty.
You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on this link. Or, download this podcast free from iTunes, to play on your favorite mobile device/mp3 player (like an iPhone or an Android), by clicking on this link to iTunes.
~~~
Is that garment you're sewing a shirt or a blouse? Is it the collar stand, or lack thereof that makes you decide one way or another? How about set-in sleeves versus dropped? Maybe it's your choice of fabric.... This month Laurel talks about her experiences creating her No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Shirt, with a Butterick pattern that sometimes says shirt and other times blouse. She also discusses sewing techniques that say shirt, and chats a little about the history of shirts and shirty language (with special attention to a scene from a Harry Potter book ).
This podcast is an extension of my on-web sewing life journal Me Encanta Coser, a blog that tells the story of an arty-romantic plain sewist in CA. My blog is written in English. The blogs name, and occasional references, pays tribute to the beautiful Spanish language which is a part of both the history and modern culture of the San Francisco Bay area, where I live.
|
| Check out a free excerpt from My Heart Beats Faster in Past Times By clicking here |
The show is created, produced, and brought to you by Laurel Shimer author of the Time Travel e-book My Heart Beats Faster in Past Times. This historical romance, ebook-novella is available exclusively on amazon.com for your iPad, nook or kindle ebook reader, for only 99 cents (Only 99 cents? That's less than a cup of coffee!)
~~~
Links
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/04/shirt-or-blouse-pattern-plays-important.html
• No. 1 Lady's Detective Agency Shirt
~~~Wednesday, February 26, 2014
The Perfect Machine - Dreaming
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| Sewing and Quilt Expo: My Land of Dreams! |
Then I went to the Brother dealer's booth. This particular vendor, AAA Vacuum and Sewing, had been recommended by a classmate, who's been a customer for several years. (Also a lot of their satisfied customers dropped by the booth.) There I fell in love with a new machine. It's a Brother Quattro 3 . I want a more up-to-date machine for both garment and machine embroidery* Of course, it's not actually in the budget now...... I just wanted to get an idea of what I'd like to have someday.
But it's like shopping for a car when you're not ready to buy one (I'm not actually into cars, but I get why people are tempted). I felt absolutely drunk reveling in all of the things this machine could do embroidery 'wise. It does a number of things I never imagined being able to do (like - for one thing- scanning a piece of printed fabric and digitizing it's own designs from the fabric - which you can then embroider over the fabric design, or recreate on another piece of fabric. And don't get me started on using the little monitor to re-place embroidery objects.) That's in addition to all the newer basic stuff - like downloading designs from the web, magically threading your needle, offering multiple sizes of different decorative stitches - I can't do with my now quite old, bottom of the line Viking (It still uses cards and can't download designs - but works well, and yes I always keep it serviced). In addition to the embroidery coolness, the Quattro handled my heavy weight denim like a dream. I hardly even played with the garment construction features, except for using the 'hump jumper' and going over old Levi seams. But there's a lot more to checkout when I get serious.
The challenge is, it's just not our family budget. It's about a third of the cost of the car we need to buy to replace one that's getting on in years.... Also for me sewing is a hobby. This is not a business expense..... I'll just have to wait for the day when a newer and even more imaginative machine comes out, and people start trading this gorgeous, capable machine in for that newer model!
Daydreaming about a new machine is definitely keeping me....
Enchanted By Sewing
* I used to be into quilting but for me I had to chose between garment and quilting - garment won
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Using up Scraps (Green Sewing)
In response to Ruth Ann's "Wee Scraps" posting
Things I do with scraps
1) I use selvage edges for seam stabilizers. Particularly to strengthen pants side seams just above, through and below in-seam pockets, where I like to use drill selvage edges for this particular garment. I use the drill fabric itself to create strong pants pockets bags.
Drill is often sold in mainstream fabric stores as a "utility fabric". You may need to ask where it is.
2) When I have leftover long strips of fabric, I hang them over a hook by my machine and use them - raw edges and all - as a) impromptu hair ties b) twist them in twos or braid them in threes- for deconstructed trimmings for tee shirt necklines. c) plain or twisted together, they make nice gift ties in place of ribbon
3) I use them for sample sewing. That's too obvious, right? Often I plan my sample sewing so that it can become an 18" doll's garment. Then the dollie can pose as a model in this blog!
For example, when I was practicing pintucking, Doll'ing Kaity Rose benefitted - acquiring a new Victorian 'esque nightie. http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-new-nightgown-for-winter-holidays.html
4) I'm starting to use them for scrapbooking - tiny dresses for paper dolls, backgrounds for pictures. I also cover spiral notebook covers, gluing them down. If there isn't enough of one scrap to cover the whole notebook, I collage them. I'm not sure this counts - it's not sewing.
5) I make spare patch pockets out of them when they are particularly pretty. A pocket doesn't have to be made out of the same fabric as the garment (or purse) it's used on.
6) I cover buttons with small scraps. Those kind of buttons that come in a little kit and are designed to be covered. (Also I use pieces of antique/vintage embroidered napkins that are partly spoiled but have a little embroidery left)
7) I make small purses that are almost like hanging pockets, for my cell phone and keys. Especially nice for walking and biking. I like the free buttercup purse pattern out on the way by Made-By-Rae. (I also upsize it for bigger purses)
A couple of postings about the buttercup purse pattern, including the free pattern link
http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/09/tit-fortatting-embellishing-my.html
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/09/do-you-love-butter-in-praise-of.html
8) Fabric flowers
Ideas and patterns, from books at my public library and also many I've pinned at http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/0-sewingfabricflowers/
9) Appliqué
10) Buttonhole facing squares. How do you describe that? Sew it down and pull it through to the back. It has to be the right kind of heavy duty/no fray material. I also use grosgrain ribbon for that. Those are often called Spanish Snap buttonholes.
11) As a diamond or square around a buttonhole. Like an embellishment.
 |
| Once a small stained vintage linen napkin Saved for a useful life as a button on my jacket |
1) I use selvage edges for seam stabilizers. Particularly to strengthen pants side seams just above, through and below in-seam pockets, where I like to use drill selvage edges for this particular garment. I use the drill fabric itself to create strong pants pockets bags.
Drill is often sold in mainstream fabric stores as a "utility fabric". You may need to ask where it is.
2) When I have leftover long strips of fabric, I hang them over a hook by my machine and use them - raw edges and all - as a) impromptu hair ties b) twist them in twos or braid them in threes- for deconstructed trimmings for tee shirt necklines. c) plain or twisted together, they make nice gift ties in place of ribbon
3) I use them for sample sewing. That's too obvious, right? Often I plan my sample sewing so that it can become an 18" doll's garment. Then the dollie can pose as a model in this blog!
For example, when I was practicing pintucking, Doll'ing Kaity Rose benefitted - acquiring a new Victorian 'esque nightie. http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-new-nightgown-for-winter-holidays.html
4) I'm starting to use them for scrapbooking - tiny dresses for paper dolls, backgrounds for pictures. I also cover spiral notebook covers, gluing them down. If there isn't enough of one scrap to cover the whole notebook, I collage them. I'm not sure this counts - it's not sewing.
5) I make spare patch pockets out of them when they are particularly pretty. A pocket doesn't have to be made out of the same fabric as the garment (or purse) it's used on.
6) I cover buttons with small scraps. Those kind of buttons that come in a little kit and are designed to be covered. (Also I use pieces of antique/vintage embroidered napkins that are partly spoiled but have a little embroidery left)
7) I make small purses that are almost like hanging pockets, for my cell phone and keys. Especially nice for walking and biking. I like the free buttercup purse pattern out on the way by Made-By-Rae. (I also upsize it for bigger purses)
A couple of postings about the buttercup purse pattern, including the free pattern link
http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/09/tit-fortatting-embellishing-my.html
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/09/do-you-love-butter-in-praise-of.html
8) Fabric flowers
Ideas and patterns, from books at my public library and also many I've pinned at http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/0-sewingfabricflowers/
9) Appliqué
10) Buttonhole facing squares. How do you describe that? Sew it down and pull it through to the back. It has to be the right kind of heavy duty/no fray material. I also use grosgrain ribbon for that. Those are often called Spanish Snap buttonholes.
11) As a diamond or square around a buttonhole. Like an embellishment.
Reusing snips and scraps is the kind of thing that keeps me....
Enchanted by Sewing!
Hiking Edgewood: Cottontail Brush Rabbit - If I sit really still....
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| Sylvilagus bachmani is the scientific name for the Western Brush Rabbit , a species of cottontail |
If I sit really
Still, then she won't know I'm here.
You smart cottontail!
~ ~ ~
Resources
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