Thursday, February 18, 2021

Sew a Quillow for your Car!


People in your backseat may get cold-keep a Quillow in your car



What is a Quillow?  Quilt that folds into a pillow

Go to :  


Blanket that folds into a pillow-BILLOW



Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Turtlenecks and Cardigans


I am doing a lot of things at once... BUT... I decided to blog about these turtlenecks I love.

I was cold  this week and I wandered into 'The Treasure Hunt Room'.  I work at G Street Fabrics-have a little Etsy store and make all my clothes.  I found 4 sweater style knits and just bought whatever yardage there was.  For a Turtleneck you really only need your body of your sweater length and the sleeve length. (1 1/2 yds)  that is 27 inches and 27 inches on a 60 inch wide knit for my sweater. There is usually enough to make whatever type of turtleneck you want unless it is really slouchy.


Our store is in Rockville, Md and if you have never experienced it, you must come some time if possible.  It is a big warehouse, with every kind of fabric casual knits to fancy dresswear and a Home Decorating Department where we do Custom Upholstery and Draperies and just about anything you want to ask for.  But, just looking at the fabric choices is a fabulous adventure.  DIYers are welcome.

I don't always use patterns, but I love to take things and mix and match like the body of one and the collar of another.  Exchange sleeves or necklines.

My three favorite Turtleneck patterns are vintage of course, but turtlenecks never go out of style.  And if they are not in a current pattern book, then you can probably find it on Etsy or Ebay or Pattern Review.


Butterick 6248 has a slouchy neck but the pockets are fun.

I love to put pockets in the garment.  You never know when you might want to walk the catwalk.  Come walk our ramp and announce if you made something from our fabric and are showing off.  We will be thrilled.

The Fuschia turtleneck in the blog before this one was one of the fabrics I found in the Treasure Hunt room.  I used the simple and fast pattern KWIK SEW K4069

It is Just a front and a back cut on the fold  and a sleeve piece cut 2
A one piece for the turtleneck that you just fold over and sew on the edge of the neck.  Once you cut it out you can sew it almost as fast as I can write about it, maybe faster.




I purposely make my clothes a little loose fitting, because I am rather shapely and I don't need enhancing.  I did turn the ends of the sleeves up on this and top stitched them as a small hem.  The bottom of the sweater I stitched twice.  I do not have a cover stitch machine, but I turned the hem up and top stitched and then stitched close to the folded up hem.-to give the effect of a cover stitch.  




It is not easy to see in the picture, but I thought it was a nice effect on this sweater.

Sometimes I don't do any hem at all because it is a sweaterknit that doesn't ravel.
Now as you see in this cardigan, which was made from left over scraps, I didn't really have a choice.  I made a small folded over trim down the front and I doubled the scraps over like the turtleneck piece itself and added it onto the sleeves..  The piece I added on the front as trim, I just did a seam folded it over to the front and topstitched on both edges.   Also on the bottom of the cardigan.

To make the cardigan, I used the jacket top basic pieces from this pattern McCalls Pattern 7076

Remember I was using leftover scraps, so I used the full back piece on the fold and then had to add on the the front pieces and the rib of the scraps went in the horizontal instead of the vertical direction


small handsewn snaps on the underside of the edges where you might want to attach fur trim

Doubled over scraps sewn onto the cardigan sleeves and banding on the front edges of the cardigan and bottom.... all from scrap pieces


Fur trim sewn in a circle folded over an elastic circle to slide over the cuff for trim that fits but is not truly attached.


Pants are my usual tubins.. wide enough to fit over boots, made like leggings but tube legs to look more professional, or in my case - more flattering than skin tight.


This is my favorite cowl neckline on a turtleneck.

Combo of this collar with the front with the pockets  would be one I would like best.


Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Madly Sewing Up My Stash

Many of my fabrics come from where I work part-time

Gstreetfabrics.com


Or 

Kittyscatscratches.com

Where I have fabric I have designed and many of my pillow fronts come from one or the other of these two sites... both have online selling of fabrics


the things that you can have made with my fabric designs

www.kittyscustomdesigns.com

The new wildlife series of pillows that I have made for sale will be on my Shop at


www.kittyscustomoutfits.com


 Looking at all the Scraps and Left Overs


Left Overs from pillow Back-- fur trim for detachable collar trim- clutch trim fun-Fur earrings




enough from this minky pillow back to make pockets on the end of my minky scarf to keep my hands warm when I am driving and walking to and from the car.




I just made 4 Turtleneck Tops because I was chilly at work.



Extras.. Removable cowel collar infinity scarves-earrings of course-braided bracelets and necklaces-if big enough pieces-cardigans-1.5 yds - on a turtleneck there is usually a big enough piece to do a removable cowel collar or infinity scarf from a side piece-always enough scraps for earrings and straight scarves or braided necklaces.



from the jacket there were little suede and skin and sherpa scraps good enough to crazy quilt a clutch and put pleather wrap pockets on the front of the clutch for cc case and phone case.










Always if there is enough scraps when you cut out a cardigan, you might want to add pockets in the side seams.


I managed to make cardigan to go with turtleneck and used scraps to make banding on sleeves and bottom of cardigan... narrow banding down the front  and then the fur trim I attached to a piece of black twill tape (1/2 inch wide).... folded the 2 inch strip of fur over and stitched to twill tape and added small handsewn snaps so I could attach by putting the small snaps on the under side of the cardigan banding and use the cardigan with our without fur strips..... but the feather fur is so soft I love it.   The cuff banding is just a circle of fur with a piece of elastic inside so I can just slide over the cuff to trim sleeve.