Puget Sound Sewing & Craft

Sew Expo is Coming - Are You Ready?

Can you believe it?  The Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup is just around the corner.  Those of you who are fortunate to be on the mailing list have received your show catalog.  Classes are filling fast, and the excitement is building daily!  If you haven't received an Expo brochure, you can print your own - click here for your own online copy.

That means it's time to start training.  You might laugh, but I am completely serious!  There is so much to see and do that it is a very good idea to have a "game plan" in place prior to arrival. 

First: Prepare yourself.  The Sewing and Stitchery Expo is very large and there are distances to cover.  It's all concrete and pavement which is hard on the feet.  Weather is typically fickle in February so it's smart to dress accordingly.  You are not allowed to use suitcases or rolling carts in the buildings (one look and you'll see why) BUT there is a Package Check on the Fairgrounds.  Park your cart/suitcase there and use it to store your goodies.

Second: Plan your visit carefully.  You will need time to eat and rest as well as learn.  There are so many seminars and so little time.  My first visit to Expo was a complete blur.  I signed up for tons of seminars without thinking about pacing myself or even allowing time to eat.  You may not eat or drink in the seminar/classrooms.  Plan accordingly.  Give your brain and body a rest occasionally.  Schedule time for snacks and meals to avoid a "crash".

Third:  Know the Fairgrounds.  Page 35 of the brochure has a map of the Expo, including restrooms, food and classrooms.  Just as important, the map shows where the Package Check is located.  Please use the Package Check!  The more purchases you are juggling, the more likely it is that you will lose one of them.  When planning your day, bear in mind what is taking place in the various buildings.  You will be much happier if you are not running back and forth all day.

Can't wait to have you all join us in Puyallup for this amazing event.  If you'd like to share your Expo plans or ask questions there is a great Puyallup Sew Expo group on Yahoo.  You can find out more here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PuyallupSewExpo/ .  Also, The Sewing and Stitchery Expo has a blog.  Rita Farro is the blog "hostess".  I guarantee you will be entertained.  http://www.sewingandstitcheryexpo.blogspot.com/

See you in Puyallup!  I'll be teaching a one-needle seminar on Friday morning and a 5 needle class on Sunday morning.  Come and say hello!

--Katrina

Knit Quick Last Minute Holiday Goodies

Photo copyright Rosemary Hill and Knitty.com

It's the time of year when I hear the most dreaded question ever:  "Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet?".  Obviously the answer is generally "No", so if you're a chronic shopping procrastinator like me, here's some fun stuff you can whip up in a relative hurry while giving yourself another excuse to buy luscious tidbits of beautiful yarn.

The new issue of Knitty has just arrived, and with it lots of fun project ideas.  It's amazing how many fun patterns are out there in the Internet ether for knitters and crocheters.  Of course there are lots of projects out there for hats and scarves - always a great gift idea.  But if you're looking for a bit of whimsy to liven up your dark winter evenings, why not try some of these fun projects?  You can find any of the supplies you need at your local Pacific Fabrics.

Venezia (shown in progress, above).  Knitted wire napkin rings.  Simply gorgeous!  Knitting with wire is definitely on my to-do list.  Why not make some for glamorous gifts?

Kitty Dim Sum.  Catnip filled toys for felines.  A great way to use up those bits and pieces.

Fairway Fair Isles.  Fair Isle golf club covers for the man (or woman) who has everything.  Suggested tip: incorporate color bands into the ribbing on the bottom to designate which club number it is.

Kureyon Tea Cozy.  A fun and fabulous design that leaves the spout and handle exposed so you can pour without taking the cozy off.  I'd love one of these...hint, hint.

Penny.  A dog sweater design that can be either sporty or luxe.  I don't know about your dog, but our black Lab absolutely loves to open his present on Christmas morning.  Thankfully he is polite and doesn't open ours as well.

Coffee Slingshot.  Finally, a way to carry a hot cup of coffee other than in your hand.  If you lengthened it and stitched the bottom closed, it would make a good water bottle carry pattern as well.

I'm off to work on some sewing projects now - many happy stitches to you all!

Preshrinking Wool Crepe

Don't ever underestimate the ability of a crepe fabric to shrink.
 
I should say - a true crepe fabric, as there are fabrics which are engineered to have a crepe appearance but are not actually made from crepe yarns. A crepe yarn is one that has been spun (or overspun) to the point where the yarn wants to double up on itself. Something I created quite readily as a beginning spinner! A fabric spun with these yarns has a wonderful texture, flattering dull surface and great recovery due to the springy nature of the yarn.

Unfortunately, this is also why true crepe fabrics are prone to shrinkage. Especially in the lengthwise direction. All fabrics are woven under tension and when that tension is relaxed - particularly in the presence of moisture - those springy yarns do what comes naturally and coil back up, causing the fabric to shrink. Add in the factor a naturally felting fiber such as wool and you have a preshrinking challenge on your hands.

There are various traditional ways to preshrink wool fabrics. It used to be common to send your wools to the dry cleaner to be preshrunk but this service is not always available at modern dry cleaners. So most of us are left to preshrink for ourselves. Here's a couple of the more common methods used:

London Shrink:
Thoroughly dampen a sheet and roll wool yardage up in the sheet. (Some dampen the wool rather than the sheet.)
Allow the damp wool to rest overnight or longer. The purpose of this is to use the moisture to encourage the wool to relax, and therefore shrink.
Steam the wool yardage thoroughly with a steam iron, allowing each section to dry before steaming a new section.

Towel and Dryer - from Pamela Erny at "Off the Cuff": 
Serge or zig-zag the raw edges of the fabric.
Next, wet some clean thick towels with HOT water until they are very wet but not quite dripping.
Now toss the hot wet towels and the fabric into your clothes dryer. 
Set the dryer on HIGH heat, and tumble the fabric and hot wet towels for 40 minutes.
Take the yardage out of the dryer and lay flat until cool.
 
For my latest wool crepe project, I decided to stick with steaming only as my preshrinking method. I put a couple of sturdy hooks in the ceiling so I could hang my yardage up by pants hangers and use a Jiffy commerical steamer. (Steamers are great - keep your eyes open for gently used models. I found mine at a swap meet for $20!) I steamed it very thoroughly, shifting the fabric several times to ensure I had steamed every inch. The crepe was allowed to cool and dry completely. Then I placed the wool on my ironing board and steamed it again, very thoroughly. A slight thickening of the fabric did occur, but nothing that detracted from the hand or drape of the fabric.
 
Although I was pleased with the results of steam shrinking, I lengthened the slacks by 2 inches over what I would normally cut and I was glad that I did so, as the slacks still managed to shrink a bit more during the tailoring process, all in the lengthwise direction.

For my next wool crepe project, I think I will try letting the wool soak in a tub of warm water (not hot) without agitation (this would cause it to felt rather than simply shrink). Basically, the same process used to preshrink fusible interfacing. Allow the wool to cool, and then spin the water out and hang to dry.

What's your favorite technique?  Please share with us!
--Katrina

Christmas Presents: Still two months to go and already I'm behind!

The joy of being crafty is that you can always make someone an amazing and personal present.  The curse of being crafty is that you always feel compelled to make everyone an amazing and personal present.  And sometimes, it feels like birthdays and holidays are just sneaking up on you and suddenly you can either be late or stay up all night.  And Christmas time is both the best and the worst: I love Christmas, since I get to see everyone and hug them and see their faces light up, but on the other hand, it's not like a birthday, which are staggered through the year, but instead, it's everyone all at once! 

I thought I had it down this time - I made my sweetie's mom a gift months ago, I took care of my dad during the summer, and I planned low-work gifts for my best friends.  But I started to make a list of the people I need to make something for/shop for the other day, and I felt the waves of panic setting in.  There are already over 20 people on this list, and I still owe some of them birthday/wedding presents from this year!  While I would love to knit everyone something or make them all a quilt, there is just no way, seeing as I still need to work and sleep and watch Glee, that I can make them such labor intensive gifts.  Even with two months left, I'm feeling really behind. 

Fortunately for me, I work at the PacFab offices, and I've been in on the list of amazing quick gift ideas we are going to show at our upcoming Handmade Holiday Open House, and when I read it again, I found myself mentally checking off gift after gift.  There's so much inspiration being planned for all of you, but I'm lucky enough to get to see it all first!

So if you are feeling a little pressured to get it all done in time, or you are just in the mood for a little inspiration, be sure not to miss this event - shows start at some stores next week, and for only $10, you get a ton of ideas, a fun seminar on making your quick gifts spectacular, a 20% off shopping discount, a coupon book good till the end of the year, two fun crafts to take home, and holiday themed snacks!  I will be there hosting the "Homebaked" section - all kinds of kitchen-themed prezzies - so come hug me and tell me it's all going to be ok,  I can get it all done and so can you. 

Historic Beauties Shine at Houston Quilt Festival

Detail from "Sunburst" by unknown quilter, circa 1850
(click on any photo in article to see a larger version)

This past weekend at the 35th Annual Houston International Quilt Festival was an overwhelming feast for the eyes, with eye-popping creations from all over the world.  Whether you were interested in traditional piecing and quilting or avant garde surface design, there was definitely something - and more - for everyone.

For me, as much as I was inspired and moved by the handiwork of modern quilters, a special place in my heart will always remain for the historic quilts.  During my childhood, the women of our church would meet weekly in the church basement to make quilts.  These creations were meant to keep people warm in more ways than one - the proceeds from the annual "Gift and Goodie" sale provided much needed funds to keep the church heated during the winter.  While often utilitarian in nature, and sometimes quite gaudy in design (remember, these were made solely from scraps and it was the 1970's!) each one symbolized a great deal of hard work and love for community by the local women.

The majority of quilts on display at the show (from the show's private collection) were from the latter 1800's.  Nevertheless, I was amazed at how contemporary many of the pieced designs appeared.  Seeing these historic interpretations of traditional pieced designs still in use today gave me a deep sense of continuity between ourselves in the modern day and our creative sewing ancestresses.

 One of my favorites of all the historic exhibits was the Courtyard Steps quilt created in silk satin around 1890 by an unknown quiltmaker.  This incredible piece not only featured gorgeous colors, but because the satin strips alternated between crosswise and lengthwise grains, the difference in light reflection created an illusion of color changes in the blocks for a multi-dimensional effect, as shown here in closer detail: View this photo

Of course the more typical cotton quilts were equally spectacular in their own way.  I loved this star quilt for its particularly interesting mixture of fabrics, especially its cupid border print.  Here is another detail shot of some of the fabrics used:  View this photo



  In addition to pieced tops, there were many applique and trapunto beauties to be seen as well.  I particularly liked this "Chips and Whetstones with Oak Leaves" quilt made by an unknown quilter in York, PA sometime between 1860-1880.  For a closer look at the border and part of a square: View this photo

I was also particularly enraptured by the many wonderful scraps of fabrics in this "tiny" Log Cabin quilt.  The pieces were folded and hand-sewn onto a cotton foundation fabric, and backed with a plaid fabric by an unknown quilter circa 1875-1885. A detail shot is available here: View this photo

 

There were too many wonderful quilts to possibly even begin to show here, but I hope you've enjoyed a peek at some of these historic beauties.  Be sure to visit the website for the Houston International Quilt Festival to see photos of the many incredible winning quilts and wearable art, as well as some of their special exhibits:

Quilt Festival At Home

--Katrina