Sew What’s Up Presents
The Sew What’s New Archive
This archived content is from Mary Wilkins’ sewing and
quilting message board “Sew What’s New,” which was
retired in August 2007. It is being provided by
“Sew What’s Up,”
which serves as the new home for many members of “Sew What’s New.”
From: shirleyp
Date: 03-02-2005, 11:09 AM (1 of 23)
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If there was one person in the world which could of influenced me to have any artistic ability , I would be wrong. I come from a family that had a joy for making things come alive. When my father lived in Holland he was a drafting engineer. When he moved to Canada his papers were not excepted. The lack of the english language and the need to support his family never gave him the chance to take the required schooling. So, he ended up working in a lumber yard. It deflated him. Yet while growing up my father would entertain us with his drawing abilities. If we asked him to draw us a dog, there is was, or a kitten, a true likness of a kitten unfolded. Our amazement always came from the reality of his drawings. My grandmother crocheted and before she passed away all her daughters had a queen size croched coverlet. I am proud to say I now own my mothers. I cherish it constantly. My grandmother also had the most beautiful knitting stitches, perfect, without a flaw. When I knitted my first item the hightest praise I ever received was "she has an even stitch". My grandfather was a renovator of old homes. When the house was done it was truly transformed. It was a work of art to him. Perfection was a part of our upbringing. Gardening was also a favourite pastime for my grandfather. I always thought he had the most beautiful yard, but that ofcourse is because I only saw it from a childs perspective. I have knitted and crocheted, but found these were not my passion. I love quilting , painting, redecorating, creating things and have now started doing some designing. I have made old world santas, my christmas tree holds homemade ornaments, and my house is filled with crafts that I have made with my own hands. I have sewed my own wardrobe at one time and made all my childrens clothes. Every stitch, every item I make, reminds my of my grandparents and my father. Many times when I am crafting, I remember them. I always wondered why my grandmother could sit for hours and knit or crochet, now I know why. It is for the love of crafting. |
User: shirleyp
Member since: 02-12-2002 Total posts: 352 
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From: M & M's Mom
Date: 03-02-2005, 12:42 PM (2 of 23)
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What a beautiful essay. It's true. That's why we do it. I think everyone has some kind of creative ability in them, if only we all would have the chance to find and explore it. I think almost everything we do - from baking bread to hemming curtains to growing bulbs to typing a perfect term paper - is a "craft" of sorts. My old favorite? Crocheting My new favorite? Quilting My dream? A closet full of my quilts so I'll always have a special gift to give someone I love. |
User: M & M's Mom
Member since: 12-01-2004 Total posts: 102 |
From: shirleyp
Date: 03-03-2005, 06:07 PM (3 of 23)
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(Thank you. This is for the contest, but it is really much more) My mother also has crafting abilities. She knits and crochets. Most of the items she made or still makes are for babies. When my first child was born she knitted an outfit and when my first grandchild was born my mother again knitted an outfit. Of course with many more inbetween. Now the grandchildren are coming less often and soon some great grand children will be arriving. But now her items are for the poor. She knits some of the cutest hats and booties, we all admire them. She has crocheted Barbie doll cloths for christmas presents. She has crocheted afagans for fund raisers and for all of her daughters. Now she is making them for daughter-in-laws and for granddaughters. My mother hasn't had a very easy life and in her own way she has found a way to reach out and give. This is what crafting is also about. |
User: shirleyp
Member since: 02-12-2002 Total posts: 352
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From: shirleyp
Date: 03-04-2005, 12:57 PM (4 of 23)
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My family had crafting abilities, but the one thing about crafting that I love the much, is the giving. I do have some of my crafts, but from all that I have made, they are now in someone elses home, and I hope enjoying them. That is the real joy. When I am really inspired to make something it is usually for a gift. My mother has that too, and that is a part of me I cherish. My crafting started as necessity. Making clothes for myself and then my children. Remember the buffalo sweaters that were a rage, well my children each had one. The only time I knit. I found out pretty fast it was not my type of crafting. Then I started making quilts for them. I made a sampler quilt first and then a log cabin. That was 21 yrs ago and I am still quilting. But as I said before I make ornaments , old world santas and I paint. Have done stained glass making as well I have done stained glass with paints. I have a wonderful husband who is a wood worker. Now that the children are out of the house, we had a small spare room that he transformed into a beautiful craft room for me. I spend hrs in it. I also meet with six other ladies who quilt. That is also the part of crafting that I love. I have a hard time meeting people and thru crafting I have found some really good friends. We laugh and bug each other, but we also show concern and support when things go wrong. These ladies have helped me to get out of myself and actually to be myself. They have encouraged me and we encourage each other. So you see crafting is much more than making things. That is why I love crafting. I know there are many of you out there that have good experiences with your crafting. Would love to hear your story. Mary, would love to hear what made you start this site. Can I quess, and say it is because you love crafting. |
User: shirleyp
Member since: 02-12-2002 Total posts: 352
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From: shirleyp
Date: 03-04-2005, 01:29 PM (5 of 23)
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Here I rambled on about my family and I never did go into my actual favourite craft. Can you guess. Well its quilting. I love the challenge of putting a quilt together, by fabric or design. We have a neighbour who says that quilting must be the dumbest thing. Women buy fabric, cut it up and then sew it back together again. He just dosn't understand. I tend to choose different colours than most people I am told. The women in our group wonder how I choose. One of them say it seems to start out drab and then you manage to throw a colour in that just brightens it up. I really can't answer her. I just go with my instinct. I entered a fair once and the judge commented on the same thing. His exact words were "unusual choice of fabrics, but you made it work". I am at the moment making a feathered star quilt, always wanted to try this. Tried a couple of patterns from scraps and found that the pattern from Nancy Johnson is the best. Everything falls into place. I have't lost any of the points. Now the other ladies are trying this pattern also. The best part of quilting also is when all seams match up. This is my goal. To make a quilt that has every seam perfect. It's been 21 yrs, might get it yet. I also had a hard time with math. I really wish they had quilting lessons in school, because it sure helped with my math. Go figure. A craft helping with school, might not be a bad idea. |
User: shirleyp
Member since: 02-12-2002 Total posts: 352
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From: shirleyp
Date: 03-05-2005, 12:57 PM (6 of 23)
| I am always amazed when a new quilt design comes out. The women who can figure this out are truly amazing. I just make their patterns. In our group any quilt with stars are a real favourite. Colours also make a real difference. Yesterday I had to go to the fabric store and they have a series of new star blocks. At least they are ones I haven't seen yet. One is the mexican star. Very nice. Probably will try it some day. I would also like to make another rail fence, but this time for myself. This simple pattern is so versatile. Quick, simple and looks really nice. The log cabin is the same. I have a pattern from Jenny Beyer that is called the Monticello. It is a version of the log cabin and it is gorgeous. When put together it seems to have a 3-D effect. One of the ladies made it in our group from blues and burgundies. Really stunning. Her daughter is getting it, lucky girl. |
User: shirleyp
Member since: 02-12-2002 Total posts: 352
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From: shirleyp
Date: 03-06-2005, 12:06 PM (7 of 23)
| I made a stack and wack quilt a few yrs ago. It was amazing to see how the blocks all turned out so different. I then found somemore material that I wanted to buy just to see how the patterns would come out. It is an addictive type of quilt. You only need to find fabric that has a 12inch repeat and by the cutting method, you get your designs. I've been tempted to show this to my neighbour who thinks quilting is stupid. I would go up to him and say see what this piece of fabric does. I wonder if it would change his outlook about quilting. Quilting is truly a work of art. |
User: shirleyp
Member since: 02-12-2002 Total posts: 352
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From: shirleyp
Date: 03-07-2005, 10:05 PM (8 of 23)
| I could go on about quilting, but I would say painting comes just as close. I joined the decorative artist book club and have gotten some terrific ideas. I can teach myself this way. My husband makes wooden benches and I paint them. They all go for gifts. Something different and unique. That is also the part of crafting that I like. I would say I love to paint furniture the most. I bought a book from Ginger Edwards (decorative flower painting) and her work is really nice. She has an old chair she painted and other furniture. I also have wanted to try tile painting. I love the mosiac cafe tables we are seeing in this area. I know that it's mosiac, but I thought this would be a really nice idea if you painted the tiles and made a table as well. With all the great paints out there, there is not much you can't paint. They even have paint for plastic. Now we can paint the cheap outside chairs to match out decor. I only wish that they could make a wider range of colours. It probably will happen. |
User: shirleyp
Member since: 02-12-2002 Total posts: 352
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From: allie-oops
Date: 03-08-2005, 07:59 PM (9 of 23)
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Oh my, I love painting too - I have painted furniture all over my house. I also love combining quilting with fabric painting - I make lots of wallhangings like that. You can take any picture in the world [I have a friend that does lots of Picasso] and make a wall quilt out of it. I also like using fabric markers, but those things are costly! You can use ANY paint....latex, acrylic, etc. Allie "onward through the fog"
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User: allie-oops
Member since: 10-25-2002 Total posts: 282 
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From: shirleyp
Date: 03-08-2005, 09:02 PM (10 of 23)
| I'm interested in your fabric painting. I tried the crayon method on this site and liked it alot. Do you first treat your fabric before you paint? |
User: shirleyp
Member since: 02-12-2002 Total posts: 352
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From: allie-oops
Date: 03-09-2005, 01:38 AM (11 of 23)
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Hi Shirley, no, I don't pretreat the fabric, other than pre-washing it. I thin my paints with water, and sometimes I thin them too much, and it starts to bleed where I don't want it - you can get a product called resist which is also used in making batik, it keeps the paint where you want it. I like the paint thin, as it doesn't get as stiff. I have also kept a blow-dryer on where I'm painting, to keep the paint from bleeding. I love doing crayon too.  Here's some pics of my painted quilts: go to the project folder. http://community.webshots.com/user/allieoops101 "onward through the fog"
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User: allie-oops
Member since: 10-25-2002 Total posts: 282
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From: allie-oops
Date: 03-09-2005, 02:44 AM (12 of 23)
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Shirley, also, you quilt before you paint! Allie "onward through the fog"
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User: allie-oops
Member since: 10-25-2002 Total posts: 282
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From: allie-oops
Date: 03-09-2005, 02:46 AM (13 of 23)
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Oooh, just thought of another craft love - decoupage! I completely covered a file cabinet in tiny pictures cut from a Mary Englebreit calendar. I'm going to try my hand next at scanning pics onto fabric, sort of like decoupage with quilting, lol!
"onward through the fog"
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User: allie-oops
Member since: 10-25-2002 Total posts: 282
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From: shirleyp
Date: 03-09-2005, 11:50 AM (14 of 23)
| I have a friend who decoupaged her fridge with mary englbriet pictures. She loves them also. Boy you've done lots of crafts. I have done lots of fabric printing. It uses a lot of ink, so before you print check you ink printing level. To make your ink go further set you ink level a little lighter. Do use the rinse on your fabric or the print will wash out. Also the set. It holds the print really good this way. |
User: shirleyp
Member since: 02-12-2002 Total posts: 352
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From: allie-oops
Date: 03-09-2005, 10:23 PM (15 of 23)
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Thanks Shirley, I can't wait to try it. I'm going to get some Bubble Set or Rinse, whatever it is that you treat your fabric with prior to printing on it. I'd like to combine scrapbooking with fabric - make like scrapbook pages into a quilt. Not full-size quilts though. I don't really care what the craft is, the simple act of creating something is pure joy. Allie "onward through the fog"
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User: allie-oops
Member since: 10-25-2002 Total posts: 282
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From: DorothyL
Date: 03-10-2005, 07:53 AM (16 of 23)
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Shirley-- Do you use that fabric the sell for printing on or something else? How do you do it. I made a tote bag for my niece who loves old movies and printed out photos of old stars on the iron on stuff then put them on fabric and sewed them to the bag. That worked beautifully. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: shirleyp
Date: 03-10-2005, 12:05 PM (17 of 23)
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I have always bought the cotton that has no sizing in it. It is actually quite cheap. Then I don't have to do the rinse. But you do have to buy the set because this stops the print from washing out. Just follow the directions on the bottle, its real simple. I also have brown paper that has wax on one side. I cut the paper 1/2 inch bigger than the printer paper. I do the same for the fabric. Then I iron the fabric to the waxed side of the paper. Make sure it is attached good. Now I cut the paper with the fabric to the size of my printer paper. Mine is 8.5x11.5. This way of doing it prevents thread from unraveling which could get caught in the printer. Now you can print anything you want onto the fabric. Before you print, check your ink level. I have set mine a bit lighter and it still works good. I do this because you can use up your ink quite fast. I want to try to print on muslin. I will have to rinse it, but I like the idea of a creamy effect on the background. I don't know if the muslin will work, it't weave can be looser. The tighter the weave on the fabric the better for printing. I have a lot of fun with printing, but I have sometimes printed a piece on paper first to see if I like the picture or if I need to adjust my ink level. If I like it then I print on the fabric. |
User: shirleyp
Member since: 02-12-2002 Total posts: 352
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From: Sailorliz
Date: 03-10-2005, 12:43 PM (18 of 23)
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Shirley, I just printed on muslin last weekend. It works. I do the same, cut the freezer paper and muslin larger than 8.5 x 11. Once I ironed it on, then cut it to the correct size. I'm going to try printing on a thicker cotton duck material next. I want to make my DH a "boat bag" for his fishing boat. I'm going to print a picture of his boat on a piece and then use it for the outside pocket. Happy sewing/quilting/crafting
Liz Visit my photo page http://new.photos.yahoo.com/sailorlizmi/albums |
User: Sailorliz
Member since: 07-20-2004 Total posts: 386 
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From: DorothyL
Date: 03-10-2005, 02:14 PM (19 of 23)
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Does the print fade or run when you wash it? Can you use detailed pictures? Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: Sailorliz
Date: 03-10-2005, 02:20 PM (20 of 23)
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I used the Bubble Jet Set and Rinse on the muslin. I followed the instructions on the bottle. When I printed on the muslin, it looked just like when printing on paper. But, when I washed it with the rinse, it did fade somewhat. But I was still pleased with the results. When I get this project finished I'll take a pic and post it online.
Happy sewing/quilting/crafting
Liz Visit my photo page http://new.photos.yahoo.com/sailorlizmi/albums |
User: Sailorliz
Member since: 07-20-2004 Total posts: 386
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From: SummersEchos
Date: 03-10-2005, 04:33 PM (21 of 23)
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Allie, I have done the quilt scrapbooks for my GD's and they love them. It is a lot of fun too. Summer Summer
FREE FALLIN |
User: SummersEchos
Member since: 09-29-2004 Total posts: 884 |
From: shirleyp
Date: 03-10-2005, 09:16 PM (22 of 23)
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SailorLiz, I hope you didn't do the bubble jet first and then the rinse. I might be reading you post wrong. If you did that is why it faded. First rinse then bubble jet. I have never had trouble with any running of my prints. I set a timer for the rinse and do exactly what it says. Your ink level can also make a differnece. I have washed some of my prints twice and didn't notice any fading. If you want to do a whole picture I do suggest try printing it first on paper. This way you know if you need to adjust your ink level or if the picture just isn't what you thought. Anything goes. That's the fun of it. |
User: shirleyp
Member since: 02-12-2002 Total posts: 352
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From: Sailorliz
Date: 03-11-2005, 09:09 AM (23 of 23)
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[QUOTE=shirleyp]SailorLiz, I hope you didn't do the bubble jet first and then the rinse. I might be reading you post wrong. If you did that is why it faded. First rinse then bubble jet. /QUOTE] Shirley, That is exactly what I did! I thought you had to use the bubble jet first. Duh!  I will have to redo the pics for those blocks. Thanks for the tip. Happy sewing/quilting/crafting
Liz Visit my photo page http://new.photos.yahoo.com/sailorlizmi/albums |
User: Sailorliz
Member since: 07-20-2004 Total posts: 386
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