Embellished scarf – a finished project!

April 9, 2012Leave a comment

My second learning-how-to-sew project is finished!

Look at how nice it turned out:

Lessons learned and things I have to remember and get better at:

cut neater
sew in a nice straight line
finding and using a perfect matching thread colour
getting the thread tension just right

I used a chalk to trace the pattern on the other end of the scarf. It did not look nice when I used a ball point pen on the first end.

Here are a few more photos of the finished scarf:

The next project in the book is an apron!

Embellished scarf – almost done!

March 29, 2012March 29, 2012Leave a comment

I managed to get a little sewing done yesterday and today. I am so close to finishing it that I can almost smell the success in the air. 😉

Last time I blogged, I had had finished the actual scarf, but hadn’t started on the embellished part of it yet. Yesterday I traced the leafy pattern on to one end of the scarf. I probably should have been patient and gone to buy the proper carbon copy paper, but I in stead used a ball point pen to trace with. The result looked like this:

Next step was to cut out the leafs. That went fairly well, but again my cutting could be neater.

Then I pinned and basted around the leaves. This was as far as I got yesterday before the baby awoke from her nap.

Today I started sewing the pattern on the sewing machine. Before getting started on the actual sewing, I had to make sure the tension was right. This took a long time, and I was not completely happy with the result, but I think my machine is not any good, and I didn’t want to waste more time, so on I went with the sewing.

Here’s a close-up:

It was not easy, and the result could have been nicer, but for a first try, I am quite happy.

Now I just have to finish taking out the basting stitches and taking in the loose ends. Here is how the back looks:

And then there is of course also the other end of the scarf to embellish with the same pattern.

Getting closer to a finished scarf

March 28, 2012Leave a comment

The scarf that I am making has finally taking the shape of a scarf. Now all I need to do is put the finishing touch ob it: the embellishing, which is a leafy pattern on each end.

I didn’t have any major problems while sewing this time, but I do think my sewing could be a bit neater – I’m sure that part will come in time. Practice makes perfect, as they say.

Here’s how it looked before turning it right-side out:

And a close-up…

Here I had turned it – notice the gap in the middle that I had to slip-stitch closed.

Me slip-stitching it closed:

Here is the pressed and almost finished scarf:

Now I just have to figure out if I can transfer the leafy pattern without dressmakers carbon-copy paper. Otherwise I will have to go buy some before I can continue.

Learning how to sew: Scarf, continued

March 22, 2012Leave a comment

Baby took a long nap today so I thought I would see how far I could get with the scarf.

This is all about learning and first problem with the scarf project was that the fabric wasn’t wide enough. I had already noticed this when I was at the fabric store, so I had bought twice the amount and planned to sew two halves together. Time will tell if this was bad judgement on my side, or maybe my improvisation turn out okay.

Second thing I noticed today was that I apparently can’t cut in a nice straight line. I could blame it on the scissors, but I guess I just haven’t got the experience of cutting fabric yet. Also I probably shouldn’t have “cut corners” by doubling the fabric so I only had to cut once in stead of twice. Lesson learned: ‘Don’t cut corners when cutting fabric’.

Third probable mistake was that I thought I could get away with using the thread already sitting in the machine to sew the two halves together. I think I might get away with it, but am actually a bit disappointed in myself for not spooling the correct colour and threading the machine according to the fabric.

One thing I am proud of remembering is that I checked the thread tension on a scrap. And a good thing I did too, because it was way off. It actually took quite some tries before I got it right.

I’ve begun basting the two sides of the scarf together – this is how it looks so far:

And a close-up (look at how off my cutting is, and my basting stitches could be neater).

Learning how to sew – 2nd project: A scarf

March 21, 20122 Comments

The second project in my learning-how-to-sew book is called “Embellished scarf”. It’s a two colour scarf with a leaf detail on each end. It says to use felt, boiled wool or fleece – I’ve chosen felt and decided on a light lilac and a fresh cherise. I bought some extra of the lilac felt so that I would have enough for the 4th project which is a bag; I thought it would be nice if the scarf and bag could match.

Baby only took a short nap this afternoon, so I didn’t get very far on the sewing today. Here is how far I got:

Nefermiw Design

illustrations and repeat pattern surface designs

Tag: scarf