Cloth Pad Exchange - 1

Mila  and I decided to exchange cloth pads sewn by ourselves...  :)

She sent me this very nice cloth pad she sewn.   Thank you Mila...   I like it very much.

Did you see the curvy stitches in 8 shape in the centre?   Nice idea, right?

And...   she also sent me a small wet bag she sewn from her PUL scrap.   She is very creative!

I have been thinking making lots of small wetbag for only 1 cloth pad.   Make it easy when at work.   Could take a pad discretely to the wash room.  Find it  inconvenient having to fish out a pad from a big bag..

Now, I am inspired by this and will start making a few  bags from PUL scrap...

Enjoy your weekend,
Anic

Sewing Notions 17 - Tool to add Seam Allowance to Patterns

How do you add seam allowance to patterns?

I don't have any tool at the moment.. I do it manually... Not very clever...

When searching on internet, I found these ideas:
1) Tape 2 pencils together for 1/4" seam allowance! this is so clever..
http://fivegreenacres.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/tools-of-the-trade-add-a-seam-allowance/

Picture from five green acres

You could also pay for something called Seam Tracer which hold 2 pencils together:
http://www.clotilde.com/list.html?criteria=seam+tracer

2) Clover
There is also something like these which you could use to add seam allowance.

3) Seam Allowance Guide by Hollie
Adding seam allowance automatically while you cut...
http://sew-whats-new.com/video/how-to-use-a-seam-allowance?xg_source=activity

Anyone interested to get this tool?   It is sold at AUD15 (and add AUD3 for international postage), but if we have 10 people we could get it at better price.   Let me know if you are interested...  
( Please email me (anic dot khow at gmail dot com) if you would like to get one, special price is only for Malaysian customers.)

Sewing Notions 16 - Picot Foot

I bought a picot foot when I bought my Brother NV50 sewing machine.   Not sure why I bought it at such an early time of my sewing life..  :)

I have been wanting to learn how to use it and finally I managed  to use it 2 days ago to sew a Green bag inspired by Mila.  Will write about the green bag in another post.

What does a Picot Foot do?   It makes a narrow hem with the edge of fabric folded inside.    See the below:

Picture borrowed from Brother website

It is not so easy to use and I found a site which provide excellent information on how to use it:

1)  Learn about the Picot Foot -  http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3744/mastering-the-narrow-hemmer-part-one

2) How to sew using Picot Foot (Must read if you are new to Picot Foot and have one.. :) )  - http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3947/mastering-the-narrow-hemmer-part-two/page/all

--  Another way: http://www.berninausa.com/webautor-data/401/hemmer-feet-64-video.wmv
Sew a few stitches at the beginning without folding, and then use the thread to guide the fabric through the curl of the foot.

3) Additional techniques (corners, crossing over seam, etc) - http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3948/mastering-the-narrow-hemmer-part-three

Hope this help...

Bye,
Anic

Sewing Notions 15 - Rivet

I forgot to add button loop (or magnetic button) to the bag I made recently before I completed the sewing..

Have to add later and the material is too thick to sew a loop on the bag.

So, I used rivet instead..  so handy...  :)

Here is how to attached rivet:
1) http://www.howtohistory.com/2010/06/how-to-set-a-double-cap-or-jiffy-rivet/
2) http://sew4home.com/tips-resources/sewing-tips-tricks/635-how-to-attach-metal-rivets-on-sewing-projects

I bought mine rivet set from China online website but here is where to buy rivet tool locally:
1)  http://hong2lee.blogspot.com/2011/04/o28-o29-o30-tubular-rivet-tool.html - this does not include a base which I think it is fine, use some old newspaper and scrap as base...  try at your own risk.  :)

2)  http://sewinglife-shop.blogspot.com/2011/04/8mm-rivet-tools.html - this one come with a base

3) http://sewinglife-shop.blogspot.com/2011/04/rivet.html - revets,  look at the diameter of the rivet for the width of the handles and the length of the rivet (must be sufficient for the thickness of handle material & bag).

4) http://craftybuddy.blogspot.com/search/label/Rivet%20Button%20%E6%9F%B3%E9%92%89 - rivets

5) http://www.zilakasim.com/beg/stock-clearance-part-1/

Have a good weekend,
Anic

Sew Along - MyBotang Appliqué Project..5

I completed the bag I wanted to make using the flowers applique I made recently (with MyBotang Sew Along,  A big Thank You to Sue for organising this.)

It is a simple bag and similar technique could be seen here:
http://anic-lohas.blogspot.com/2010/07/bags-from-old-t-shirts.html

I added batting to the applique and quilted a bit using Nylon invisible thread (sample of how it looks.  I bought it locally in Ampang, about RM7 per spool of 200M).  It is almost stress free sewing with invisible thread..  Since it is designed to be invisible, it is not easy to see even if the sewing is bad..  :)

This is the back of the bag..   I finally have a chance to use this blue & flower laces which I think I got them as free gift from fabric suppliers.  

The bag was made from an old pair of jeans.  I probably have it for more than 15 years.   I have only used the leg parts of the jeans.

 I kept the top part, planning to turn it into another bag...

The lining is made from an old denim shirt.  I left the pocket intact..  I needed a pocket inside the bag anyway..  :)

The blue cotton strap came from http://loveandcraftsupply.blogspot.com/ (already out of stock), 1 meter RM3.6.

oh..  please meet my new friend, Jean-A-Ma-Jig.  Without it, sewing through the thick Jeans seam would be a night mare...

See here on how to use Jean-A-Ma-Jig:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-testing/from-the-lab-blog/denim-sewing-tool-review

The above link has better pictures and explanation of how the tool is used.  But here are 2 lousy pictures I took.   To sew over thick area, the presser foot is at an angle, we could slide the Jean-A-Ma-Jig behind the presser foot (or in front) to make the presser foot even, then sewing is easier...

Bought it from Joann, tumpang kawan beli....

Have a good weekend,

Anic

Sew Along - MyBotang Appliqué Project..4

Finally...   I completed the sewing...   I didn't use a black colour thread for the flowers as I didn't think that it will go well with the dark background.    But the yellow thread I used didn't show very well with the light colours flowers..  I should have used a slightly darker colour for the white flowers.  Oh well, I used a thicker thread (the shop person said it is for sewing jeans) and I am only willing to buy 2-3 spools.  I bought yellow because I like the Sun Flower as it is and didn't want my potential bad sewing to ruin it.   :)

Now, I just need to turn it into a bag.   :)

Some notes:
1)  My machine was skipping stitches..   and finally figured that I need to change my needle. Replacing the needle solved the problem.

Read more here for potential reasons why the machine may skip stitches:
http://www.pfaffmachines.co.uk/faq/sewing-machine-missing-skipping-stitches/

Another useful post on what to do when machine is not stitching properly:
http://www.fabrics.net/sarahmachinerepair.asp

2) Thread
I was trying to learn more about thread and found these links useful:

a) Sewing with the right thread - gives an overview of different type of threads available:

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/sewing/thread.shtml

b) This link has microscope view of various quality thread.    The low quality ones, the thread has lots of loose fibers:
http://sewing.about.com/library/weekly/aa102100a.htm

When I bought my sewing machine, the shop person said I should use good thread and they recommended Dolphin - buatan Malaysia (what they sold in the the shop).  I have never looked at what it is... until this morning..  lol.  The label said polyester and  "D" and a number  on the spool.  I guess the number is the colour number system of Dolphin.    What thread do you use?

Check out the various type of threads available on this site just for our knowledge.   Luckily I didn't know there are so many choices, otherwise, I would be so confused to start with so many..  :)
http://www.sewessential.co.uk/CategoryTree.asp?CategoryID=637

This one is interesting..  -  Water Soluble thread! http://www.sewessential.co.uk/Category.asp?CategoryID=1339&NumPerPage=5&page=1   It is for basting...  but if you use it accidentally to sew cloth...  the cloth will fall apart while you wash it..  :)

Bye now,
Anic

Cloth Pad Story 4 - Huru Kits in Kenya

I stumbled upon this website today,  The Huru International.


What do they do?   They provide Huru Kits free to girls leaving in poverty in Kenya.     It was founded in 2008 and by 2nd May 2011, Huru had distributed 15,299 Huru Kits to girls.

The Huru Kit is packaged in a drawstring bag that doubles as a backpack, and includes:
        -Eight reusable sanitary napkins
        -Three pairs of underwear
        -Soap to wash the sanitary napkins
        -Waterproof bag to safely store used sanitary napkins
        -Educational insert featuring information on proper sanitary napkin usage, and HIV/AIDS prevention
        -Various other items [as suitable]

Through this they help:
        - Keep girls in school
        - Educate girls on HIV/AIDS prevention
        - Encourage local, sustainable job development
-- Read more on their facebook:

This is recent news about them distributing 374 Huru Kits in Nairobi to displaced Kenyan girls:
   http://www.huruinternational.org/girls-living-in-internally-displaced-persons-camp-receive-huru-kits/

An excerpt from the post with a very touching poem:

 “AM ON THE BALANCE BEAM – ME AS A GIRL” 

Am on the balance beam, which side do I fall? I wish to be a person of integrity but sometimes my integrity is compromised. I wish to be a person of respect but sometimes my respect is stolen by circumstances. Please save this girl, to be able to know the good side of the balance beam. Every month I have to submit to nature and experience my monthly periods, sometimes I wish one was given choice, I would never choose to be a girl, because when I menstruate I have to be absent from school, I have to use unhygienic materials and even fall on the hands of hungry monsters, who ask for sex in exchange of pads.

I really love my life, but circumstances can’t allow me to prove this. My mother says she has no budget for pads and says I should know how to organize myself since I am mature. Please help me with the kind of organization my mother talks of or you should help me organize myself as nature takes its course.

Before I quit the stage, I have a request to make, please help me to know the side of the balance beam I should be on. Life is so harsh, please come to my rescue, it’s very dark, please shed some light and save me from dishonest sympathizers ready to tear my life. Allow me to be in school throughout to achieve good marks.  Let’s all join hands and keep girls in school.

How can we help?  Donate a Kit..  or buy pads from http://amysragbag.com/, she donates 10% sales from her non-discounted items to Huru International.

The Huru kit is US25.  It can change a girl's life forever..

Here is another way of helping..   Donating pads to 150 ladies in Uganda by 1 June 2011, USD5 per pad,  organised by another organisation:

http://www.gladrags.com/c-54-donate-pads.aspx