The sewing thread

[Deleted User] · 6 June 2017 at 8:22AM

very good sellers on ebay. Quilting type firm cottons would be best

The rest of the vintage curtaining came yesterday so I am good to go on getting those reverseable throws made, I miscalculated on the first length, so had to get the other length. Just got to pin and cut out, then sew, turn and sew again and by then my needle will be blunt. Should be done by lunchtime

[Deleted User] · 6 June 2017 at 8:46AM

I cut the fleece in half and it is bigger than it looked, will make two single sized blankets. Suddenly got that `drat` thought when brushing my teeth. I need to wash all of it, I never did the fleece originally, so that is washing now on delicate and in two loads as I want plenty of movement in the machine. Later I will definitely need to do similar with the cotton, this vintage cotton always shrank. For that I will use non crease on 40 with a slightly shorter cycle and slower spin and again in two washes. Machine will be on all day but its very windy and not raining so all will dry fine. I bet the cotton was from a cs and I hope whoever donated it gets comfort from knowing that it is being used. I love it, one of those fabrics that gives me joy

fleece curls to the right side btw, in case anyone is ever unsure about which side is which. The r side on my fleece is slightly ribbed

[Deleted User] · 6 June 2017 at 10:47AM

It`s not acrylic fleece, it is wool

. I have washed one, fortunately on delicate with wool wash. I didn`t know it was wool but it smelt of wool after the wash and the texture now is lovely, slightly raised. No point in me washing the cotton any differently to that as I will always wash on the lowest common denominator, which is the wool fleece. Its going to make an awesome reversible blanket. It`ll be so good that I will be tacking first and will be using the walking foot as the fleece will travel easier than the cotton. It will be a longer stitch too. I am very excited. Cotton will be washed with powder and I have put both in together with a pre wash to get rid of any cotton coating

The wool is not pegged but draped over airers on the decking

moneyistooshorttomention · 6 June 2017 at 11:01AM

Think this could be an appropriate thread for my query:)

When I bought current house I just got cheapie "nearest possible" readymade curtains as a temporary measure.

I'm now looking to buy my "proper" curtains for my sitting room - and it's got those large 1970s picture windows. So I will need pretty wide curtains.

There is a very restricted indeed choice of places round here to go to get curtains made up for me. To date - one I've asked is telling me "Material we use for curtains comes in two widths" and I seem to recall them as being 48" and 54". For my enormous great picture windows - even the widest of those two widths just won't do - even if they sew together 2 strips of material for each curtain (which would make for each individual curtain being 9' wide).

That won't do - because I figure I need each individual curtain on one of those windows to be 12' wide. "Their" width would mean the curtain would be 1.5 width. I have curtains that are 2.0 width.

Quick google tells me this firm is trying to get customer to go along with them only stocking 2 widths of material - but there are actually quite a choice of widths and "my" width (which I think will be 2 x 60" width per individual curtain) does exist and so that is what I will be having then.

Any idea where I can get "my" width curtains made up please? Guess that's going to mean more shopping by post on the one hand or a daytrip off to somewhere "bigger" here (ie Newport, Swansea or Cardiff - as I'm in Wales).

[Deleted User] · 6 June 2017 at 11:20AM

custom made curtains are a massive expense and really they would need to be lined, to preserve them from fading for starters. You will need a very secure curtain pole or track fitting ie screwed onto wood which is screwed into the wall. The curtains that size are hugely heavy. I have a very large floor to ceiling window in my bedroom, I got a blackout lining and put it up myself but my husband had already fixed the sturdy track. It was so heavy that I had to drape it atop a stepladder as well as my shoulder. Cost for that was £700

You could do with looking for someone local to make them or try john lewis rather than a fabric shop online. You will need twice the width of the windows divided by two and normally if the fabric widths are too wide then one width is trimmed. There used to be a good and cheap fabric shop at culverhouse cross, they make curtains. You will need to take measurements with you and get a quote. I would go there

moneyistooshorttomention · 6 June 2017 at 11:30AM

1. Is Culverhouse Cross accessible by train (and then, presumably, short taxi ride)? - as I dont have a car.

2. Do you recall the name of the shop there?

Must admit - John Lewis would be my first thought normally. Thinks....off to google if there is one in Cardiff..

EDIT; have sent off for some swatches from John Lewis.

Chris25 · 6 June 2017 at 3:47PM

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

So I will need pretty wide curtains.

There is a very restricted indeed choice of places round here to go to get curtains made up for me. To date - one I've asked is telling me "Material we use for curtains comes in two widths" and I seem to recall them as being 48" and 54". For my enormous great picture windows - even the widest of those two widths just won't do - even if they sew together 2 strips of material for each curtain (which would make for each individual curtain being 9' wide).

That won't do - because I figure I need each individual curtain on one of those windows to be 12' wide. "Their" width would mean the curtain would be 1.5 width. I have curtains that are 2.0 width.

Quick google tells me this firm is trying to get customer to go along with them only stocking 2 widths of material - but there are actually quite a choice of widths and "my" width (which I think will be 2 x 60" width per individual curtain) does exist and so that is what I will be having then.

.

We have v wide windows at the front of the house & found some substancially reduced ones to use in son's bedroom but they didn't have the width so bought 3 pairs. I intended to get them sewn together but never bothered

I did the same for my mum - 2 pairs in her sitting room at her widest window. When they're closed or open, they look like just one pair.

PollyWollyDoodle · 7 June 2017 at 11:25PM

Goodness you've all been busy! I've just looked up the Craftsy class, Kittie - it's £28. I've never done anything like this, do you recommend them? I did a two day course about using an overlocker/serger and it made me feel much more confident but needless to say I haven't used it since...

I've been trying to work through some unfinished projects, one is a patchwork duvet cover I offered to make for a friend- won't bore you with the details but it's proved much more awkward than expected and I realised that I don't like handling large volumes of fabric. I've made my own curtains in the past but never again if I can avoid it! I haven't got anywhere large enough to lay out and measure big pieces of fabric and I lose patience easily.

LoveKnittingSocks · 8 June 2017 at 12:15PM

Good morning!

I hope you don't mind me joining in. Please can someone recommend a first sewing machine for a completely clueless wannabe sewist?

I've read this thread from start to finish and am in awe of all the things you can create. I went to school in the 80's and never learned to sew. I'm a competent knitter and crocheter but have always wanted to learn to sew.

Recently, the OS mindset has become very appealling and I love reading about other people's projects

PollyWollyDoodle · 8 June 2017 at 6:32PM

I started off with a J**n L*wis £99 machine, they are still selling them (in lovely colours, too!) and I think it's a good 'beginner' one. It is made, or so I am told, by Janome and so if you buy any extra 'feet' they will fit a Janome machine in future. Other brands are available, of course - the well-known large hobby emporium has got a Janome machine for £79 at the moment, looks as if it would do everything you need for starters. Don't get a 'mini' machine, though!

I highly, highly recommend buying a copy of 'Me and My Sewing Machine' by Kate Haxell - it explains all the different bits and shows you lovely clear examples of different seams and so on. Even though I had quite a bit of experience, I felt very rusty when I started sewing again and this was a good buy.

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

The sewing thread

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