Negroni Shirt - Part III

Here at Oil and Thread things hotting up with the Negroni shirt and I am beginning to feel the pressure!

The first job today was to pleat the back of the shirt...

... and baste [tack?] the pleats in place.  I used the longest stitch setting on the Singer 201K which runs to six stitches per inch or four millimetres in "new money"

Then I sewed the outer yoke to the back of the shirt.  I'm always sort of surprised as my projects begin to resemble the garments they are supposed to be but this really does look like the back of a shirt!

Adding the shirt fronts was fairly straight forward.  I couldn't resist draping this shirt-like item over my shoulders - just to see.

Then I waded straight in and added the collar to the back yoke.  So far everything is lining up pretty well, notches, circles etc.  The directions are to "Baste the collar in place, using a 3/8" seam allowance". This has been the hardest step so far.  I think the problem arises from the need to attach a curved edge (the neck line) to a straight edge (the collar) coupled to my inexperience.  My last job today was to baste a small loop for the top button onto the left shirt front.  You might be able to spot it under the mass of thread.

That's all for today.  The next step; Attaching the facing and inner yoke looks like a biggie and I think I need to come to it fresh.  We'll see how it goes.

Negroni Shirt - Part II

Today has been all about making the collar for my Negroni shirt.  I am echoing the pocket flaps with a contrasting under collar.

I wanted to be certain that the lighter coloured fabric would not be visible when the collar is turned down so I spent a bit of time boning up on "the turn of the cloth".  I trimmed about an eighth of an inch off three sides of the under collar in an attempt to ensure that it would not be visible from the "public" side.

I trimmed the seam allowances and  used a letter opener to gently shape the collar points.  They're not identical but very similar and probably as good as the points on some of my shop bought shirts.

Top stitching: Singer 201K, size 11 needle, 12 stitches per inch, Gütermann cotton thread.  This has to be one of the reasons why that model of machine is still so well thought of

I used the quarter inch side of the foot on my sewing machine to guide my top stitching.  One part is not as even as I would like but was too good to rip out.  Some things we live with right?

This piece of textile madness is the inner yoke and facing assembly.

I have interfaced both facings, stay stitched the curved edges of the yokes and facings, turned back and hemmed one edge of the facings and attached them to what will become the inner yoke.  The green linen look cotton might have been ok without the interfacing but I wanted to do things by the book (for the first shirt at least).  I have a feeling that the interfacing made it easier to turn and press the hem.  Something to remember for the future.

Well - so far so good?  Thank you all for looking at the blog.  A special thank you to those of you who have left comments, the encouragement is great and welcome to any new followers.  I hope you are all enjoying your sewing as much as I am at the moment!

Negroni Shirt - Part I

I have finally started my first shirt!

I am using Colette 1014 Negroni. I found out about this pattern over at Male Pattern Boldness a mere two years too late to participate in Peter's Men's Shirt Sew-Along.

I was going to make Vogue 8889, I had bought the pattern, I had read the instructions, I had examined the pattern pieces and I bottled it.  It just didn't feel like a first-timer's pattern.  I still intend to make Vogue 8889 because I think it is a great looking shirt but for the time being I have my ironing board full with Colette 1014!

So where have I got to?

Saturday

1. Pre-washed the green (aborted  quilt backing) fabric
2. Cut up and ironed the paper pattern pieces I need for the short sleeved version of Negroni
3. Traced size L of the pattern pieces onto some plain tissue I had lying around
4. Worried about how much the fabric had shrunk and how I would make the cutting layout work

Sunday

1. Stopped worrying
2. Fathomed an alternative cutting layout
3. Cut most of the pattern out of the green fabric

Monday

1. Bought green thread and fusible interfacing
2. Soaked interfacing in hottish water to pre-shrink it
3. Finished cutting
4. Started sewing!

Look! I made pocket flaps.  One of the things I really like about this pattern are the free pocket options which can be downloaded.  I chose the asymmetrical pocket flap in conference with The-Much-Belovéd.  We both liked the idea of the way they might look with the pointed pocket option.

This is how they look with the pockets.  I made a card template to press the pockets around.  This is a really neat technique that I have only just read about.  I wish I had known about it when I was making the apron for my sister back in December!

The green was not planned for this project so the yardage is a bit touch and go.  To help make it go further I have used some of the owl fabric left over from the fence rail quilt to make the pocket flap facings - cute?  I even remembered to match the bobbin thread to the contrast fabric.

My very first shirt pocket - ever!  How proud am I?

I just haven't been able to bring myself to sully that sleek pocket flap with a button hole.  Is it wearable left as is?

Pocket is edge stitched and the flap is top stitched

Tomorrow I need to make another one to match this and decide whether or not to add buttonholes to the pocket flaps before I go much further with the construction of the shirt.

I am enjoying sewing this pattern. I am going to take my time and savour it.

PJ Pants

Simplicity 0501 is a free download available here.  It's one of those patterns where you mess about printing it on 25 sheets of paper, match the sheets up, and stick them together with tape.

As this pattern only has two simple pattern pieces this is not too onerous a task but I don't think I'd be up for doing this with anything more complicated. Overlapping printer paper and tape make the pattern rather heavy but it all works.  I used shears to cut out.  I am not too good at curves with the rotary cutter.

The really great thing about this pattern are the lovely clear instructions. They really are written with the beginner in mind. I love the fact that they explain how to cut a double thickness of directional print by folding the fabric in half lengthways, cutting and then rotating one piece by 180 degrees - simple when you think about it right?

Those who have been following events here at Oil and Thread may remember that I wound a class 15 bobbin with navy thread ready for this project back in March! I remembered this and the as the Singer 15K was still out from making the tailor's ham the choice of machine for this project was automatic.


The first step, having cut out the fabric, is to make two button holes, near the waist, for the draw string. I usually like to make button holes with an automatic Singer buttonholer (the kind that takes a template) on my Singer 401G. This attachment (which is fab and I will show you someday) only fits Singer slant shank machines. I didn't want to drag out and set up another machine so I thought it better to try out this buttonholer, also made by Singer, which fits standard low shank sewing machines.

Add caption

As far as I know this model of buttonholer is more common in the UK and Australia.  It is the cream and red, face-lifted, version of the type where buttonhole length, width, bite and stitch length are all independantly adjustable.  This means that making sample buttonholes is a must!  It's a little scary but I work systematically. Get the lenth right first, then the width and the bite need to be adjusted in close conjunction with each other to produce an acceptable buttonhole. My aim, based on the pattern markings, was a half inch button hole that was wide enough for me to cut with my seam ripper and embroidery scissors.  It took me four goes to produce something I thought garment-worthy.

Button hole, bottom left passed the test!

I remembered to strengthen the button holes with interfacing saved from the cuffs of the white shirt I repurposed to make the log cabin quilt.  It's sew in rather than fusible.  I don't think that this will matter.

I am a happiest working with straight stitch machines and a real fan of flat felled and French seams so I deviated from the pattern instructions which suggested pinking and overcasting the seam allowances.  I sewed the inside leg seams, wrong sides together so that my flat felled seams would appear as a design detail on the outside of the garment.

This leaves the inside, which will be in contact with the wearer, as smooth and flush as possible.

The new tailors ham made pressing the seams so much easier.  I am a convert!

I am really happy with the way these have turned out.

Baby Fence Rail - Pt V

Well I think it is safe to say I have crossed the border with the Baby fence rail quilt top.

The first border finishes at two inches.  The pattern instructions are to make the border oversize (both width and length), sew it to the quilt and then trim it down to two and a quarter inches in width.  That's why I have the cutting mat and rotary cutter on the floor (mind the carpet!).  The eagle-eyed amongst you with notice that I added borders to the long sides first and then the shorter ones.  I feel that this makes for more pleasing proportions.

The outer border is made from the darker tone on tone leaf fabric.  The pattern instructions are to trim this down to four and a quarter inches so that when the quilt is bound in (yes you've guessed it) the yellow fabric four inches will be showing.  The effect of adding the darker petrel blue border quite startled me.  I don't think I've made the quilt top too gender specific by doing this?

My progress with project has ground to a halt this week because I have no suitable wadding [batting] or backing materials.

I bought 2.3 meters of plain green cotton which is not only the wrong colour but also slightly too little for the job [silly Mr G] and when I went to buy batting the shop didn't have enough of the cotton/poly blend I liked so much when I made the last quilt.

I am now on the look out for some cotton which is the rusty red colour of the little owls - unless someone can suggest a different (better) colour.

As for the green?  Well at the risk of ending up looking like a stout Robin Hood or a geriatric Peter Pan I may use it to make a shirt... ...or shorts... ...or something...

Baby Fence Rail - Pt IV

I cannot believe how quickly I am managing to piece this quilt.  

I read what I could find about blocking and decided not to get too bogged down in it in the end.  All of my squares had finished to within an eighth of an inch of the expected size.  I did trim some of the oversized squares down a bit but, in the event, I haven't agonised too much.

In this picture I have sewn the 12 units into 4 rows of three, laid them out and labelled them (A-D) so I know what order to sew them together in.

Here row A has been flipped over onto row B and pinned so that the seam lines match where they cross.

Here is the result, which I got The Much Belovéd to QA for me - it passed.

Here are all four rows after I have sewn them together.  I have already cut the fabric for the two borders.  The directions were to cut six strips of each fabric, cut two of each of those in half and to join the resulting four half-strips to the remaining four full strips.  I have already completed this so just a little more work will see this quilt top completed.  Then I will have to think about buying some  batting and how I will quilt the thing - more in the ditch work or any alternatives?

Baby Fence Rail - Pt III

I have been chain piecing the 48 squares into pairs and pressing them.  I had experimented with chain piecing when constructing the piano key border for the log-cabin quilt and I think it is the best thing since the invention of the lock-stitch machine!  It's hard to believe how much such a simple technique speeds up the piecing process.  I use a dry iron to set the seams and then I snip the units apart before "pressing to the dark side"

The 48 squares make 24 pairs which, in their turn, will be sewn together creating 12 four patch squares.

Here I have managed to sew together 12 of the pairs to produce six squares.  I stopped here because the light was starting to fail (to be fair it hardly got light today) and I wanted to get some pictures taken.  I used a couple or three pins to make sure that the seams all stayed matched at the centre of the blocks.  They've come out well so far and the 201K has behaved faultlessly.  The hinged presser foot has managed to glide over the pressed seams and pins beautifully.

I may carry on and sew the remaining pairs into squares this evening but I will need to spend some time reading up on "blocking".  The larger squares should measure approximately 12 and a half inches and finish at 12.  The ones I have completed aren't far out but I really want to be as accurate as possible.  From what I can tell blocking will help me establish the 'true' sewing line for when I piece the units together in rows.  One method advocates using a square ruler and a pencil to establish this line the other a rotary cutter to trim blocks down to size.  I think am leaning toward the drawing rather than the cutting method.  Less scope for disaster at this stage perhaps? 

Baby Fence Rail - Pt II

All eight strip sets have been sewn together and pressed.  Each one has been cut into six and a half inch squares.

The Radio is my constant companion in my sewing adventures

Each strip set yields six squares a total of 48.

Baby Fence Rail - Pt I

Last night I pre-washed the fabric I bought for this project back in March.  It was all dry by the time I got home this evening and ready to be ironed.

With the fabric ironed I got to work with the rotary cutter.  I didn't set out to do all my cutting in one go but I had no idea how quickly this would go when working with new yardage and a new cutting disc.  To date my patch work has all been put together from repurposed garments or left overs from other projects.  This has meant dealing with irregular shapes and a certain amount of patch by patch cutting.  New fabric is regular in shape, easy to fold and it took no time to cut eight, two and a half inch, cross-width strips from each fabric.  I then cut a further six wider strips from two of the fabrics.  These will form narrow and wider borders.  The binding will be made of the third (yellow) fabric.

Don't the cut fabrics look satisfying all laid out and ready to go?

The brand new spool of natural coloured Gutermann's sew all was too much for me to resist so I got to work filling a bobbin.  I have decided, as this project begins with sewing strip sets, to use the 201k to piece this project.  The large level working space provided by the cabinet will be useful.

Filling bobbins is a task I always enjoy and never more so than on my 201k.  The rubber tyre is nearly new so the winder fills bobbins a treat!  This is where I intended to stop for the evening but all that lovely cut fabric was just too tempting.

So here it is - the first strip set I have sewn and pressed.  The ironing board cover is new.  I bought it off the peg but had to do major surgery yesterday afternoon to make it fit my tiny ironing board.

The Log Cabin Quilt: Final!

Cast your minds back and you may remember that I used to write a blog here.  I didn't mean to stop writing but I didn't have anything to blog about as I seemed to have lost my sewing mojo.  I have read that this can happen.  Well my mojo has returned and I have some progress to report.

Remember my to do list?

Progress so far:

Machine baste around the outside of the quilt a quater of an inch from the edge of the quilt top

Trim away the excess backing and batting and square up

Cut two and a half inch strips of the red fabric for binding

Join strips using 45 degree seams

Attach binding

Wash, line dry and press

That's right!  Only a few minutes ago I put the final stitches into the binding on the quilt.  Thank you to follower Ken who explained how to make my hand stitching invisible.

Finished log cabin cot quilt (thank you to The-Much-Belovéd for holding it up so well)

Detail of quilting and binding back and front

I machined the binding to the front of the quilt and then hand stitched it to the back.  Yes, it took hours!  I am happy enough with the result to make it worth the investment of time.

How's that for a mitre?

I am particularly pleased with the way the mitred corners worked out.  I am indebted to Lizzie Lenard's tutorial on binding.  The finish on this quilt is about a hundred times better than on my first quilt at the end of last summer.

Well that's another project completed.  I will need to wash the quilt before I post it off to it's new owner.  I now have the excitement of starting a new project.  I wonder what's next...

The Log Cabin Quilt: Quilting in the Ditch

 Well where has the time gone?  Over two weeks since my last post.  The Log Cabin Quilt should probably be finished by now but alas it is not.  Here it is as of this morning.

And here are two more shots, of the backing, which I think show up the quilting slightly better.  I quilted in the ditch between each log cabin block and then the border.  My certainty left me at that point.  I then decided to to quilt in the ditch between each pair of piano keys in the border.  I think that overall the quilting feels quite balanced at this stage.  

I was toying with the idea of adding diagonal quilting across the centre log cabin section of the quilt but after some discussion with The-Much-Beloved I have decided not to.  We both agreed that additional diagonal lines might detract from the detailed patchwork of logs.

At the moment the quilt feels robust enough to stand up to wear and washing.  The batting suggested quilting up to ten inches apart.  The widest point between rows of quilting on this piece is seven inches so I am well within tolerances.  At the same time the quilt is still supple and flexible cuddly.  This is intended for a cot so I wouldn't want to over quilt and end up with something that felt too rigid.

In an attempt to focus on the finish line here are the next steps

1. Machine baste around the outside of the quilt a quater of an inch from the edge of the quilt top
2. Trim away the excess backing and batting and square up
3. Cut two and a half inch strips of the red fabric for binding
4. Join strips using 45 degree seams
5. Attach binding
6. Wash, line dry and press

The Log Cabin Quilt: Batting on the Matting

I can hardly believe it has been a week since I last wrote on the blog.  Busy times for me if not for Oil and Thread.  Anyway this evening I feel like I have had the space and the energy to get back to work (or back to play) on the quilt.

Since I last wrote I have been to see the lovely Angela at The Creative Sanctuary to buy some lovely Cotton/Polyester blend batting.  It's suitable for machine or hand quilting up to ten inches apart and I spent Saturday afternoon pre-washing it in the bath and then most of the rest of the weekend trying to get it dry.  Up until this evening I was wondering if it would have been worth the bother.  That was before I began to assemble the quilt sandwich.

In the following picture I have lightly pinned the backing fabric to the carpet using quilter's pins.  I have read about this method but I found it hard to imagine that it would work.  It seemed only marginally less futile than trying to stick masking tape to fabric and carpet.  I guess a lot will depend on the type of carpet and how it is laid but here I was pleased and surprised at how I got on.

In my second picture I have smoothed the batting out over the backing fabric.  See how lovely and fleecy the cotton mix batting is.  I have pinned the batting, making sure not to stretch it, but I have yet to trim it to size.  I did this with my shears.

The third picture shows the quilt top added to the sandwich.  I have used the same quilter's pins to baste the sandwich.  Each of the red squares at the centre of the log cabin blocks has a pin through it.  It is worth remarking on how easy it was to get the pins to go through the cotton batting.  Progress this evening felt much smoother than my experiences working with safety pins and polyester batting on a previous project.

My plan now is to start quilting in-the-ditch between the long cabin squares.  My hope is that this will stabilise the layers and then I am imagining some sort of diagonal grid of quilting covering the middle panel.  Have I the strength to quilt in the ditch between every one of those piano keys in the border?  Would that be too heavy a treatment?  Questions I will need to ask myself and answer but first I want to set up the Singer 401G properly for the task in hand.