Projects – Page 2

August 26, 2022

Suit-ability: Repurposing Suits for Other Projects

Not all fabric we use in our projects comes from the fabric store—some comes from our own closets or from the closets of others near and dear.

Have you noticed in the past few years that there are fewer and fewer men wearing suits? Blame it on the popular work-from-home phenomena or simply the trend toward more casual dressing. But, that trend can create a gold mine, as suit jackets are relegated to the back of the closet, or shipped off to the local thrift store for retrieval by savvy sewers.

Why, you might say? Suit jackets offer a lot of quality fabric that can be repurposed for other projects. In particular, some ready-made construction details that you may think are beyond your skill level to create, like welt pockets and keyhole buttonholes are already done. So why not “harvest” those niceties for another project or two, or three, or four, depending on the size of the jacket.

What to look for

If you’re shopping thrift stores for men’s suit jackets, look for the largest size to garner more fabric. Choose a worsted weight, as it’s not as bulky as the woolen cousins. Be sure to inspect the item for any stains, moth holes or other damage and look for name brand labels and quality fabrics. In many cases, the suit coat may be almost new and worn only on one or two occasions before discard.

Thrift stores often have sales, so shop smartly. If you qualify, check for senior discount day with savings up to 50%. Or for similar discounts, check the tag color of the day. If you’re shopping for suit coats at rummage sales, ask if there’s a half-off-the-tag-price day or a sale where everything you can fit into a bag is only $1. These usually happen on the last day of the sale and it’s a great time to go crazy for suits and sport jackets.

Deconstruction

Watching the news or listening to podcasts is a great time to disassemble a suit jacket. First, decide which parts you might like to keep for other projects—patch pockets, welt pockets, front buttons/buttonholes, lapels, sleeve plackets, labels, etc.–and take apart the seams leaving those areas intact. Lining can be separated or left with its original construction detail, depending on how the area will be reused. While you’re taking apart the suit, note the inner construction details—the process can be a major tailoring learning experience, especially on high-end jackets. If you’re into tailoring, you may even be able to harvest some of the jacket’s structural materials like sleeve heads, hair canvas chest pieces, shoulder pads, etc. for reuse.

Don’t forget that the inside of the suit jacket can offer some fun details, like bold labels, lining welt pockets and tabs, and accent stitching, so put those to work on the outside of your project.

Small projects, like bags, allow for utilizing many details from one jacket and it’s fun to figure out how to make them work to maximize the fun. Check out our featured bags using several different suit details.

Tie Tactics

Not far from suit jackets, you may also find some wonderful ties being discarded. Whether they’re silk, polyester or wool, there’s yardage to be garnered. If you’re thrifting or repurposing ties from a loved one, creative options abound.

One idea—this pieced tote made is not only a great project to reuse old or discarded ties, but also can be a wonderful way to remember a special person whose ties you may have inherited. Get the instructions and free pattern from Yarspirations.

Make a tote with ties — Image compliments of Coats & Clark

~Linda Griepentrog Linda is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and two dogs, Yohnuh and Abby. Contact her at .

August 5, 2022

Project: A Summer Hammock (preview)

Relax in your backyard with a book, enjoy a cup of coffee on the porch, or swing peacefully as you bond with nature at your favorite campsite in a colorful, decorative hammock. It’s said that hammocks guarantee an amazing sleep experience, whether it’s an afternoon nap, or a full night’s rest. Simple to sew, this hammock is made using decorator fabric for the hammock front and is lined with sturdy canvas. Closet-pole rods and nylon rope support the hammock.

Making the Hammock

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August 6, 2021

Hot Pad Helpers

Whether you call them hot pads or potholders, the purpose is the same—to protect hands and table surfaces from the heat of a pan just removed from the stove or oven.

Hot pads are an ideal beginner sewing project (perfect for kids), and they’re a fun way to use up scraps since they don’t take much fabric. Because of their size, they’re also ideal to experiment with new sewing techniques you may want to try out before using on a larger project.

Hot pads are so much fun, we bet you can’t make just one!

Size-wise

Hot pads can be made in many sizes and shapes, but one thing’s for certain, whatever shape you choose, be sure they’re large enough to keep your hands from getting burned when in use.

Many potholders are simple squares—from 5” to 10”, though the larger sizes offer better protection. Some are circular and of similar sizes, while others are rectangular and designed to be folded over a warm pot handle. There are also patterns for holiday themed shapes, like Easter eggs, Valentine hearts or Christmas trees.

In addition to their padded selves, most potholders offer an extended loop for hanging. The loop can be made of the same fabric as the holder or from the binding used around the shape’s edge. Loops can be along one side, or at a corner.

Layer Up

The anatomy of a potholder is simple—two layers of fabric with heat-resistant protective layers between. It’s important that the outer fabric layers are not synthetic, as they should be able to withstand heat up to 400° Fahrenheit. Cotton is a good choice for the outer layers as it’s heat resistant and readily washable.

Between the outer layers is the main source of heat protection. Some sewers like to use multiple layers of preshrunk wool for its insulative qualities, others use layers of cotton batting, and perhaps most effective is a batting with an insulative layer, like Insul-Bright®, made by the Warm Company or Pellon Insul-Fleece™. (Product links lead to Amazon and any purchases you make may make us a small commission at no additional cost to you). This specialized product has a metallicized polyester film needle-punched into batting. This heat-protective layer should then be sandwiched between two layers of cotton batting.

Artful Additions

Because of their small size, potholders are the perfect canvas to try a new sewing technique like appliqué, machine embroidery or decorative stitching (with cotton threads), strip piecing, scrappy piecing, etc.

Simply draw the shape of your potholder onto the right side of one fabric layer, do your embellishing and trim the piece to size. If you’re piecing the potholder front and/or back, do that sewing before cutting the shapes.

Back to Basics

To make a hot pad, layer the back and front pieces wrong sides together with your choice of the inside insulative layer(s). Pin the layers and quilt them together. Quilting can be done in straight lines, free-motion designs, or using an embroidery machine. If you choose not to quilt the layers together, baste around the perimeter about 1/8” from the cut edges.

Cut a 2 ¼”-wide strip of binding fabric to go around the potholder. Depending on the size, it may be necessary to piece together two width-of-fabric strips. Note: If your potholder has curved corners, cut the binding on the bias. Fold the binding in half wrong sides together and press.

Bind the potholder, mitering the binding at any corners. When you come back to the starting point, stop just before the original stitching, but do not trim of the extra binding length.

Turn the binding to the underside and hand- or machine-stitch the folded edge in place. At the original start point, fold the binding and extend it to form a hanging loop and stitch the edges together, tucking the raw end under the end of the binding portion. Finish the stitching to anchor the loop base.

Once you’ve mastered the basics of potholder making, consider adding a pocket to one side. Slide your hand inside for easier gripping with the padded portion of the hot pad.

~Linda Griepentrog
Linda is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and two dogs, Yohnuh and Abby. Contact her at .

July 16, 2021

Stabilizer Organizer

Tired of hunting for the right stabilizer every time you tackle an embroidery project? This project is a great way to keep them clearly identified and within easy reach. Carmen DePalma, a talented educator and ASG member, originally created the organizer for the Marathon Thread Company and has shared it with us.

Sturdy Home Dec, Denim, or Canvas Fabric*

1—28″ x 60″ rectangle for the base
7—20″ x 10″ rectangles for the pockets
1—12″ x 4″ strip for the hanging loops

Additional Supplies

77″ of 1″-wide ribbon
Fusible web, such as Steam-A-Seam (optional)
Glue stick (optional)
2 Over-the-door hooks if hanging on the back of a door

*If you prefer to use a lightweight fabric, you will also need:

1—14″ x 60″ piece of batting or fusible interfacing for the base
7—20″ x 10″ rectangles of fusible interfacing for the pockets
1—12″ x 14″ strip of batting for the hanging loops

Prepare the Pockets

For lightweight fabric, fuse interfacing to the pocket sections before you begin.

On each pocket section, machine embroider* the name or type of stabilizer you will store in this pocket, centering the lettering approximately 5″ below the top (10″) edge. If your machine doesn’t embroider letters, use a fabric pen to print the names.
Serge-finish the long edges of each pocket section or press under 1⁄4″ twice and fuse or topstitch in place.
Fold the pocket in half crosswise and stitch or serge the 10″ edges together. (Note: This edge will not show on the finished holder.) Do this for all seven pockets.

Construct the Hanging Loops

Fold the long edges of the loop strip 1⁄2″ under and press. With wrong sides together, fold lengthwise in half; topstitch close to the pressed edges.
Cut into two 6″ long sections.

If using lightweight fabric, insert a strip of batting into each loop. This will strengthen the loop and help support the weight of the holder.

Position the Loops

Working along one 28″ edge of the base, measure and mark 41⁄2″ in from one long edge. Measure and mark again, 51⁄2″ from the first mark.
Fold each strip crosswise in half to form the loop. Center one loop over each mark, matching the raw edges of the loop to the raw edge of the base. (The loops will be approximately 4″ apart.) Machine baste 1⁄2″ from the raw edges, through all layers.

Assemble the Base

Fold the base in half lengthwise, right sides together.
Note: For lightweight fabric, center batting over the folded base or fuse interfacing to one (wrong) side before proceeding.
Using a 1⁄2″ seam allowance, stitch around raw edges of the base, leaving a 10″ opening at the center of the lower edge for turning.
Clip the corners. Turn the base right side out; tuck the raw edges in at the lower edge and press. Slipstitch *or machine stitch the opening closed.
To reinforce where the loops are attached, topstitch across the upper edge of the holder.

Attach the Pockets

Pin the first pocket to the base so that its upper edge is 1″ above the lower edge of the base. Make sure the embroidered names are “right side up.” Machine baste.
Pin the next pocket in place so its lower edge overlaps the upper edge of the first pocket by about 1″. Repeat, until all seven pockets are pinned and basted in place.
Cut the ribbon into seven 11″ pieces. On each piece of ribbon, fold the cut ends under 1⁄2″ and press.
Center one piece of ribbon over the upper edge of one pocket; pin or glue-baste in place. Edge-stitch all around the ribbon, stitching through the pocket and the base.
Repeat for the upper edges of all the pockets.

~Carmen DePalma, ASG Tampa Chapter

June 11, 2021

Make Your Own Luggage Tote

After being cooped up at home for over a year, everyone is anxious to travel again, even homebodies like me. In anticipation of an in-person ASG conference, I decided to make a luggage tote that fits on the handle of my rolling suitcase. To get exactly what I wanted, I made my own pattern for this project which was quick and easy—just perfect for me. I especially like the boxed ends and the simplicity of how it could be achieved. I’m including my own instructions below, but if you prefer a commercial pattern, one of my favorite conference instructors, Linda McGehee from Ghee’s, has the L-Bag pattern with multiple sizing, helpful tips, and excellent instructions. While there, also check out the variety of novelty zippers she sells that make the bag really pop.

Luggage Tote Instructions (pdf)

Let’s Get Started

For this project, I used 4 sheets of 8.5 x 11 copy paper to make the pattern, and included a sleeve on one side to slide over the handle of my luggage. Although there is basic geometry involved in the design, making the pattern required no measuring or angles to calculate, just simple paper folding.

I chose a heavy-weight home-dec fabric that I had in my collection for the bag. The right side of the fabric felt like a medium-weight denim, and the wrong side had a rubberized backing. While it appeared strong and durable and did not require lining, it was also sturdy enough to support the contents of a packed bag while still remaining flexible to stuff under an airplane seat.

I added an embroidered pocket on one side of the bag that was held in place by the handle straps that go up the sides of the bag. The pocket design was a Monarch butterfly from Embroidery Library. For the sleeve that slips over the luggage handle, I included a zipper on the outside of the sleeve, with a solid piece of fabric for the back side. This created an additional zippered pocket for more security. Free standing 3D butterflies were used on the sleeve and were made with a butterfly design from my Brother embroidery machine that was stitched on using a double layer of mylar with a heavier cutaway stabilizer sandwiched between the layers of mylar. This provided enough stiffness that the butterflies could be bent slightly to give the 3D effect. The butterflies were cut close to the stitching, leaving an ever so slight margin of mylar, then were securely hand-stitched to the outside of the sleeve pocket by going around the stitches of the body (and not the wings). The technique would not withstand the abuse of luggage handlers, but is fine for a carry-on.

Webbing is the best choice for handles, but with none available at midnight when I wanted to sew, I made the handles from the bag fabric. It ended up a little too thick for my liking, so future bags will be made with the webbing. Sewing through the 4 layers of the handle, the double layers of the pocket, plus the side of the bag did not make my trusty old Singer happy. It plowed through, but not without a few complaints. I used webbing for the second tote.

Ready to Travel

I love the design of this bag! It is streamlined for getting those flat, squared ends of the bag perfect every time. Excluding the embroidery and the fabric handles, the entire bag can be constructed in about an hour. And while it makes for a great travel bag, it also works well for carrying sewing supplies to retreats, meetings, or anytime more space is needed than my trusty purse provides. I hope you will give this one a try.

~Rosemary Fajgier