Monday, December 9, 2013

Christmas Gift for a Sewist


Yes, that bow is made from a flexible plastic tape measure. :)

I actually made this project several weeks ago, but I couldn't post it until the gift exchange was complete. I made a gift for a sewist, though I wasn't sure which sewist it would go to.

After much cogitating, I found this pattern by CurryBungalow for a thread catcher, to keep by your sewing machine. It also includes a detachable pincushion.

Cute, isn't it?

I haven't been to FabMo in maybe a year, but I have loads of fabric samples from FabMo (a place that rescues supplies that would otherwise be dumped) and I always love an opportunity to use them. I have used them for making zippered pouches, tote bags, and my Koos bag, to name a few things. (You can see all the posts I've tagged with "FabMo" here.)

I decided to make two, since I could use one of these as well. (In fact, I could use two - one for the sewing machine and one for the serger station, but that will have to wait for another day.) As I dived into my bags of FabMo samples, I decided to focus on blue, as that is a color that appeals to many. The dimensions of my bags are slightly smaller than the pattern calls for (maybe half an inch in each dimension) and slightly different from each other. With the sample fabrics, you have to work with what you have and I used every inch of that lining fabric.

The pattern calls for quilting cottons and I used two kinds of fabrics. Mostly I used tapestry home dec fabrics which are much thicker than a quilting cotton, but they worked. The solid blue fabrics came from a jeans sample - several chopped off jeans legs, maybe 18" in length, were stapled together and suspended from a cardboard "hang tag". These samples demonstrated different washes/distressed finishes that were available from the vendor. The distressed fabrics were very soft. I used the denim as the trim on the bag, and to connect the bag to the weight.

I made some changes to the pattern. For the flat weight that stabilizes the thread catcher, the pattern calls for a "subway tile". When I went to the big box home dec store (my local indie hardware store did not carry these tiles), I found that the subway tiles were not heavy enough. I hunted up and down the aisles and I found some heavy steel plates. These things are much heavier than a subway tile and each one cost less than $2.

I cut a piece of non adhesive shelf liner and glued it to the bottom of the covered weight. Because of this, coupled with the heft of the plate, it doesn't slide at all.

Because the plate is square, I made the pincushion in a square shape.

The pincushion is filled with ground walnut shells.

I also bought some flower shaped head pins to decorate the pincushion.

The gift I brought home is also hand made: a beautiful smock-style apron, with lots of pockets:

Front

Back

Kathleen, my friend who made this apron, used a pattern called My Neighbor's Apron.

19 comments:

  1. I just love Christmas for all the sewing gifts that appear ~ your thread catcher is just too cute!!! ... J

    ReplyDelete
  2. I just love that thread catcher! I do think my carpet would appreciate one of those..... ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. How cute is that thread catcher. I must admit that one of my sewing pals - Sharon from Petite and Sewing - had one at our Sew Inn at Tessuti's and I had envy. I might just have to make one myself.

    ReplyDelete
  4. BTW - love the tape measure flower

    ReplyDelete
  5. They are just so cute. You did well too with the apron.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Now I want one. And a tape measure flower glued to a headband for my hair. ; )
    You're so clever, Shams.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wonderful! I think I NEED a thread catcher...and a new apron!

    ReplyDelete
  8. So pretty! I love those thread catchers and that apron is adorable!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Such pretty thread catchers for you and a friend. Love the smock apron that you got. It is adorable.

    ReplyDelete
  10. How pretty your thread catcher/pin cushions are! And you took the time and effort to make them perfect: trekking to the big box store to find just the right weight, then modifying the pattern to fit the new weight. The tape measure bow is a delightful fillip. And isn't it satisfying to use wonderful fabric bits to make something beautiful?

    ReplyDelete
  11. I don't even sew and I want everything?? Great gifts.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for sharing not only the source for the pattern, but your tips as to how you made yours. I have one of these that I bought years ago but it always slides off my sewing table. I absolutely love the fabric you used for yours. So beautiful. The tape measure bow is fabulous. Now if I could just find my pattern for the cute chicken pincushion............ where did I put it?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your thread catcher is such a thoughtful gift any sewist would appreciate. Love the tapestry used.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your version of the thread catcher is just adorable!

    ReplyDelete
  15. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love it, too, and was lucky enough to win it! It's beautifully and thoughtfully made (engineered), and it really works -- it stays perfectly at the edge of my Singer 201 -- thank you, Shams! (And my daughter loved all the chocolate kisses which were inside the thread catcher!)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sharon - thanks so much for sharing this pattern and your idea for the weights. I have been looking for something like this for my group of sewing family. Now off to find a variety of coordinating fat quarters.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Sharon, I just found this on PR and your review of it. Wow, I just love it!! The fabric from Fabmo is perfect.

    ReplyDelete