Sewing a Spinning Wheel Cover

Sunday, March 10, 2024

I've been randomly swathing my spinning wheels in this lovely JoAnn Fabrics pre-quilted fabric for a couple years now, to keep the dust and cats out. 'Seemed like high time to make the cover a little more formal. Now it looks like I have a little floral torso sitting in the craft room, lol.

Spinning Wheel Cover Spinning Wheel Cover

Having the little head piece on top makes the wheel easier to move while still covered, as the mother-of-all is easier to see and grab. I've been debating making a ripstop carrying bag for awhile, but realized I don't travel with my wheels that often, so a nicer cover for when they sit at home makes a lot more sense.

Spinning Wheel Cover Spinning Wheel Cover

I improvised by measuring the widest portion of each dimension, rounded up, and added an inch for seam allowance. This approach has made the cover reverseible, so I don't have to always have the wider end covering the wheel. Not sure how I feel about it. Sewed with a 3/8" seam allowance, and finished the raw edges with a zigzag stitch. Bottom edge is finished with bias binding from leftover quilting cotton.

Success: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake [omg]

Sunday, March 3, 2024

It's not the most beautiful cake, due to less-than-viscous-enough chocolate ganache, but it is absolutely delicious.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

This is SmittenKitchen's Peanut Butter Cake. It is very effortful (lots of refridgerating cycles) and very intense. We ended up getting 16 slices out of it, most of which are in the freezer. Individual slices thaw *beautifully*.

'Would make again, if I want to spend 4 hours on a delicious cake with weeks of cake leftovers!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

How To: Enclose All Raw Edges on a Double-Yoked Top

Sunday, February 25, 2024

The lastest Sew Liberated Nocturne pajama pattern kick typically references using the "burrito method" to enclose all seams. However, the instructions for this aren't readily available anywhere, I figured it out by adapting another set of instructions. The Sew Liberated Nocturne Top is a double-yoked top that typically has sleeves (although can be adapted to sleeveless with bias binding). If yopu combine this burrito method with French seams and [typical] folded hems, you can enclose all the raw edges of the top. This is great for fabrics that easily fray, increasing sturdiness of garments, and just generally looking nice.

Enlosing all the seams has the side effect, for this top, of making it difficult to tell which way is right side out! The photos of the three tops in this post are all the shirt inside out. It's a very clean finish for a handmade garment.

How To: Enclose all the seams in a double-faced, double-yoked top

Step 0: Cut out the two front yoke pieces, two back yoke pieces, and front and back

Step 0: The pieces

Step 1: Assemble Front Yoke

Step 1: Assemble the front yoke.

Right-sides together, sew front yoke pieces together along the neck line (not the shoulders!). Neckline may require smaller seam allowance than the shoulders.

Follow any instructions for finishing the front yoke neckline. (Grade seams, clip into notch, cut corners, snip toward seam, iron seam toward facing, flip right-side out, understitch neckline facing, iron, etc. etc. )

Step 2: Attach back to yoke pieces

Step 2: Assemble the back + back yoke

Follow any instructions for fitting the Back to the Back-yoke pieces. (Two sets of basting/gathering stitches along the top, between the notches. Pull threads until top of Back is same width as bottoms of Back-Yoke pieces, distribute gathers, etc. etc.)

Right-sides of Back-Yoke pieces facing either side of the Back (upside down), align notches & sew.

Grade seams & iron both Back-Yoke pieces upward, so they align at top.

Step 3: Baste the yoke shoulders

Step 3: Baste at the back & front yokes' shoulders

Letting the Back Yoke Facing fall down/away, place right-side of Front Yoke onto right-side of Back Yoke, aligning the shoulder edges.

Baste the shoulder seams at a seam allowance just under the final seam allowance amount.

Step 4: Make the burrito

Step 4: Burrito Method

With the Back-Yoke-Facing still down/out of the way, roll the Back piece up from the bottom into a tight “burrito.” Near the top, roll up the Front-Yoke as well.

Keep rolling the burrito until the shoulders of the Back-Yoke- Facing are accessible.

Wrap the Back-Yoke-Facing around the burrito, aligning its shoulder edges with the previously basted shoulder edges.

Step 5: Sew shoulders, neck

Step 5: Sew the shoulders and neck

Pin the shoulder edges together through all 4 layers of facing fabric, aligning notches as needed. Ensure no burrito gets in the way! Repeat for the neckline.

Sew, the shoulders and neckline, ensuring you’re catching only the 4 layers of facing fabric, not burrito! Pivot as you transition from shoulder<->neckline. Neckline may require smaller seam allowance than the shoulders!

Grade the inseams, snip around the neckline, and pull the burrito out through one of the armscye. Iron.

Step 6: Decide front style

Step 6: Decide which front styling to go with

We’re going to attach the Front, sandwiched between the Front-Yokes. We need to decide if we want to stitch-in-the-ditch on the visible side (attach Front to Front-Yoke-Facing first) or have a visible top-stitch across the front (attach Front to Front-Yoke first).

Let’s go with a visible top-stitch.
Follow pattern instructions for any gather stitches, pulling to get the Front piece the right width for the Front Yoke pieces.

Step 7: Assemble the front

Step 7: Assemble the front to front yoke faci ng

Fold & press the bottom 1/4” of the Front-Yoke, toward the wrong-side. Move the Front-Yoke out of the way.

Pin & sew the right-side of the Front-Yoke-Facing to the wrong-side of the Front. Iron.

Step 8: Attach front yoke

Step 8: Attach front yoke to front

Flip the Front-Yoke over that most recent seam, aligning its folded edge 1/8” past the seam.

Sew and iron into place.

Step 9: Finish side seams, hem, sleeves, etc.

Step 9: Finish the side seams, hem, sleeves, etc.

Finish side seams and hem as desired/pattern instructs. Add sleeves, etc. etc.

Done!

MeMade Clothing: Witch Nocturne Pajamas

Sunday, February 18, 2024

What, further continuation of the previous Nocturne pattern kick?! This should be the last one for awhile, a third gift set! I made this one first, you can tell because I forgot to take photos of it...

Sew Liberated - Nocturne Pajamas - Witch Set

Shirt is in pink bubble gauze from JoAnn Fabrics. Size 12 and likely an inch added to the length of body and sleeve. All raw edges enclosed via the burrito method and French seams...makes it tricky to determine which way is the right side out!

Pants are size 12 made in flannel from JoAnn Fabrics. 2 inches added to calf length, plus an inch added to the hem. Added buttonholes to the front waistline to have a drawstring. Seams [mostly] finished as French seams.

Sew Liberated - Nocturne Top Sew Liberated - Nocturne Top

Second shirt is flannel from JoAnn Fabrics. Size 10 (smaller than the first one, as the flannel is not as drapey as the gauze) with an inch of gathers removed from the front/back, and likely an inch added to the length. Sleeve is a custom-length, too. Whatever could fit on the fabric I had remaining. All raw edges enclosed via the burrito method and French seams.

MeMade: Nocturne Set in Fun Plaid

Sunday, February 11, 2024

Sew Liberated - Nocturne Pajama Set in Fun Plaid

Yes, a continuation of the previous Nocturne pattern kick. Holiday gift version! Meaning, I guesstimated the sizing, don't have photos on a body, and in some cases may not have photos at all!

Sew Liberated - Nocturne Top in Yellow Bubble Gauze Sew Liberated - Nocturne Top in Yellow Bubble Gauze

A bubble gauze Nocturne Top! One of my favorite daytime pajamas that can also definitely work as actual pajamas. Bubble gauze from JoAnn Fabrics. Size 12 and likely an inch added to the length of body and sleeve (should size down next time, forgot to on this one!). All raw edges enclosed via the burrito method and French seams...makes it tricky to determine which way is the right side out!

Sew Liberated - Nocturne Pajama Pants in Fun Plaid Sew Liberated - Nocturne Pajama Pants in Fun Plaid

Pants are size 12 made in flannel from JoAnn Fabrics with bubble gauze for the pockets and drawstring. 1-2 inches added to calf length,an then a hem that's likely much wider than the previous pair (needed it shorter than the previous pair as this recipient is a pinch shorter than the first one!). Added buttonholes to the front waistline to have a drawstring. Seams [mostly] finished as French seams, especially since this fabric really liked to fray.

Nocturne Top in Fun Plaid Nocturne Top in Fun Plaid

By some unexpected surprise I had enough leftover fabric from the pants to make this top! Flannel is from JoAnn Fabrics. Top is a size 10 with an inch of gathers removed from the front/back (remembered to use the sized down version this time!), and likely an inch added to the length. Sleeve is a custom-length, too. Whatever could fit on the fabric I had remaining. All raw edges enclosed via the burrito method and French seams.

MeMade Clothing: Dachsund Nocturne PJ Set as a Gift

Sunday, February 4, 2024

Sew Liberated - Nocturne PJ Set - Dachsund Print Sew Liberated - Nocturne PJ Set - Dachsund Print

Several months after being on the previous Nocturne pattern kick, I went back to make up this simple pattern as holiday gifts. This is, as before, the Sew Liberated Nocturne Pajama Set pattern with soem sizing modifications below. 'Had to do some guessing about sizes and modifications for the recipients, but I think it turned out alright. On the bright side, pajamas don't need to be a perfect fit, so long as you oversize a pinch.

Sew Liberated - Nocturne Top Sew Liberated - Nocturne Top

The top is made in Dachsund flannel from JoAnn Fabrics and sleeves in scrap bubble gauze also from JoAnn's, leftover from another portion of this recipient's gift. Size 10 with an inch of gathers removed from the front/back, and likely an inch added to the length of body and sleeves. All raw edges enclosed via the burrito method and French seams. Also, a little wrinkly from being packaged up in the box!

Sew Liberated - Nocturne Pajama Pants Sew Liberated - Nocturne Pajama Pants

The pants are a size 12 (recipient wanted a "large") made in dachsund flannel from JoAnn Fabrics. 2 inches added to calf length, plus an inch added to the hem. Added buttonholes to the front waistline to have a drawstring. Seams [mostly] finished as French seams. I accidnetally cut two of the same leg, so had to piece together scraps in order to convert the one leg to the correct orientation. C'est la vie!