This is going to be a hard one to write up, especially as I know I don’t have the photos to show some of it.
Clause 1
I have just finished adding my 2019 badges to my blanket, and I need to sort out my next one now. I’ve added plenty of badges, with different styles of adding. From my usual behaviour for badges, to blanket stitching on shaped ones, and just some stitches to hold on ones that were sticky backed. I was really annoyed by one sticky badge, it gunked the needle so quickly I could only do about 2 stitches before needing to clean it off. Luckily, the hand gel I used cleaned the needle quickly and easily. Although the photos are a mix of 2019 and 2018.
It’s been a while since I’ve sewn on any buttons to anything, but then, I had a habit of sewing 4-hole ones on so well that the button went instead of the thread. Eventually I learned to be looser in the stitching, and in my wrapping behind the button. Usually I go for about three or five iterations of going though holes and then wrapping, depending on he number of holes, quality of thread, position of the button etc. It’s been so long since I’ve seen or needed to sew on a button, I have no photos.
Clause 2
I now have two sewing machines, one decent singer, and one light and easily carried which will even run off batteries. Both are similar, but different, and similar to the ones I knew best in the past.
Both have the ability to wind a bobbin with a simple switch. For the decent one, the bobbin threaded into a holder and put under the foot from the front. The other loads down rather than from the front.
Needles are replaced by undoing the appropriate screw and changing it over, I’ve done this on the decent one, I’ve not used the portable one enough yet to need to do so. Feet these days are all generally easy change, and you just clip them in and out. It’s even more fun figuring out which foot to use for what…
Both have pedals to control the speed, and so I use the pedals (the portable one doesn’t have to use the pedal), and reversing is done at a touch of the appropriate button.
Tension and thread length are easily altered on both, by moving dials to the appropriate places. The available variations are far more limited on the portable one.
The one thing that is true for any sewing machine, is to read the manual, all this information is usually there.
Clause 3
The main difference is simply the source of the fibre, and the types of fibres available now are so varied. If you want something for warmth then wool is a good bet, with some natural wools being softer than others, and some synthetic wools being easier to work. Natural fibres tend to be woven, and less stretchy in the basic weave. Where weaves are looser, then heat (either for the water or drying temperature) can shrink an article, which is why you should prewash items such as cottons before using them. Synthetics are often stretchier. However, laundering is at least slightly nuanced based on the material and the weave, however, in a simple approach, natural fibres should be washed cool and dried in air, whilst manmade items can be washed hot and dried mechanically.
Theoretically you can use whatever you like to make anything, but that often isn’t a wise approach for practicality. Underwear made from Welsh wool would not strike me as a good idea, it was itchy enough as a school tie. However, a woven polyamide may be smooth and comfy against the skin, but it would make an awful coat. If making a dance costume, something with a lot of elastane is usually a good choice, especially if it stretches in both directions. Choosing the right fabric will always depend on the garment usage, as well as wether it needs to be waterproof, how it needs to drape or flow. It can also be useful to consider the needs of the person wearing it, as some people can react to some fabrics.
Thread and findings usually need to match in specific ways. It’s always good to match colours, but it is also important to match elasticity. Using a rigid thread with elastic fabric will lose the benefit of the elasticity to some extent, and the fabric will pull away from it potentially. An elastic thread will not hold a rigid fabric well enough, and again the seams will not behave correctly.
Optional Clauses
Clause 4
I used a pattern to make my campfire robe. I’ve started adding badges, but having cut it and sewn it (with arms, hood, and yoke), I then blanket stitched the edges, and added a clasp, and some ties that would allow me to keep the sleeves away from my hands if I need to.
Clause 10
I made a set of Christmas decorations and gave them to friends and family using English Paper Piecing patchwork techniques, the only thing I didn’t do was remove the ‘paper’ in the middle, in fact I used card to create something rigid as they were meant to be tree decorations. I did some ‘fussy’ cutting to get one patch as I wanted it, and got some definite compliments for the quality of my stitching from some folks.
Clause 12
I hope it counts, but I did make a number of masks in various patterns, which were very useful over the last few years, and a little more complicated than a cushion cover.
If anyone has any doubts about any of the optional clauses, then maybe the bunting I made for the Foxlease Centenary makes up for it. This was hand sewn, as that seemed the best bet with the electronics!
