Ollie the Cat...

Ollie worked out a new strategy for getting fed this morning.
His normal ways include jumping on the window sill, in our bedroom, and to yowl and meow at us.
Sometimes he jumps on the bed and for his efforts gets booted off.
These strategies don't always work as we are pretty good at throwing cushions at him and rolling over.
So Ollie has worked out how to get us up...
He now jumps into Michael's cot and annoys him.
Michael yells and screams until mum or dad gets up and takes Ollie out of the cot.
And to keep Ollie from jumping back in ..we fed him!
Now who's the pet and who's the owner?

Take one 23 month old, a fire screen and some pencils...

Lesson for today...
Look at the concentration on his face.
That pencil just has to go in the right spot.

Don't you love how their minds develop and grow,
how they aren't inhibited to try something new?
You can see, in his expression, the concentration and thinking behind how to get those pencil points to catch in the mesh.

Michael admires his Original ART work.
He has such joy in his creation.

Who could stay grumpy with such a wonderful family and magnificent friends?
Not me!

I'm so wonderfully blessed.

How I draft my patterns...

I start with what is known as a basic block.
It is drafted from measurements from a center line.
Once done you can file it away and use it over and over.
Many 'How to draft books' will give you directions on how to do this.
I have a lot of these books but I also did some study and have this:

My Certificate in Dressmaking and pattern Cutting.
There are many different systems for drafting patterns but most use a Basic Block.

These are the pattern pieces I drafted for the cross over back baby smock.
I often work in pencil and modify curves as I go.
I do have a french curve but it never seems to have the right curve for me!
Once I'm happy with my pencil draft I'll go over it with black pen and then add my seam allowances.
I usually do this free hand.
Saves playing around with rulers!

I'm going to draft a simple pinafore.
I start by tracing off my basic block, which is under my paper.
I just mark important points with dots.
Then I draw in my side seams from the underarm point and draw my arm holes and neckline with reference to the dots I made marking the shoulder line and neckline.

I make sure to check that the important fitting points are matching to the basic block.
With this design I want an over lap on the shoulder for the snaps.


I've cut this draft out to show you how the pieces fit into the basic block.
I've flared the side seams and added some length to create the skirt of the dress.
See how I've dotted the shoulder line?
Notice how I've dropped the neckline at the front and back?


I'm checking here my side seams are the same length.
Not bad! I got it right.


Now I've added my seam allowances.
Free hand as normal, I'm such a lazy drafts woman!
But then I'm not selling my designs, so I feel no compunction to be perfect with them.


I then often need to do some adjusting.
I make a trial garment.
I cut the front out and didn't like the shape of the neckline.
I made an adjustment on the pattern.


and cut it again.
I'm happier with this curve.


Now to make my baby pinafore.
I'm going to use an old pillowcase.


I used the frill on the hem. Waste not, want not!


Lilly's baby doll is about the size Michael was at 6 months, so here's the fit test..

I might go and have a little more of a play with the pattern.
I want to add a little to the back shoulder over lap.
I'd like to make another with just binding at the neckline, which will mean I remove the seam allowance at the neckline.
When I made this one I cut a facing.

So that is how I draft my original designs.
I don't use a commercial pattern and alter it, that is a breach of copyright, immoral and down right wrong!
I'm upset that someone would accuse me of doing so!
Just because YOU may lack the skills to draft your own original designs doesn't mean the rest of us do.

FREE Spinners Lap Mat / Cloth Tutorial

Mad Quilter's
Spinner's Lap Mat (cloth)


I made this mat a couple of months ago with some curtain fabric.
The BLOG post is here
I'm finding it very useful, but it did get dirty very quickly.
So this time I'm making it from oilcloth.
I bought the oilcloth in a Crafty Mama's Special Buy on the Crafty Mama Forum

I designed this mat to protect my clothes from the fiber I was spinning and to hold my tools close so I don't have to bend down to reach them.
The loops are for hanging a flicker, yarn gauge, scissors and orifice hook from.
The pockets on the side are for holding fiber.

I promised to make one for Jane over at Moseley Park.
I love Jane's fiber!

Requirements:
Oilcloth 120cm wide by 30cm
30cm by 80cm of Backing fabric.
Upholstery fabric, backed curtaining, fleece, etc. Something with a little body and texture to it. This will stop the mat slipping off your lap as you spin.
72 cm of 1 inch wide webbing or trim for the hanging loops.
18cm of fabric at least 80cm wide for the binding.
A medium weight woven cotton fabric works well.

Bull dog clips or pegs for holding things together.
A sharp sewing needle.
Matching thread.

A few hints on sewing oilcloth
It sticks, a walking foot or teflon foot on your machine would help. I used my normal foot, it's just a little harder to sew.
Use a sharp needle
Set your stitch length to 3.5.
Sew slowly.
Don't pin it, it leaves permanent holes!

Construction

Cut a strip of 120cm wide oilcloth 30cm and cut it into:
one 30cm by 80cm and that will leave a piece 30cm by 40cm for the pockets.

Turn the pocket piece and fold it to make a crease line
Cut it into two pieces each should measure 15cm by 40cms


Fold over one long side of each pocket piece and use a long stitch length of 3.5.
Stitch a hem. This is the top of the pocket.


Fit the pockets to each end of the long strip. You need to add two pleats to the pocket pieces. Refer to photo above. The folded edges of the pleats should be pointed to the outside.
I used bulldog clips to position my pocket pieces, you can use pegs. Don't pin as this will leave holes in the oilcloth.

Sew the pocket to the oilcloth around the three unfinished sides.



Cut a length of webbing 36 cms long.



Place the tape 4 cms from and parallel to the pocket opening. Sew across the ends. Then in the middle and lastly into quarters as in the photo above. Distribute the excess tape evenly between the four sections. Creating 4 loops for hanging tools. Do this on both ends of the mat.


Cut the backing the same size as the mat. 3ocm by 80cm.


Place the backing and mat wrong sides together.
Use clips or pegs to hold the pieces together and sew all the way around to join the two pieces.


Binding strips are cut:
Two 34 cm by 6cm
Two 80cm by 6cm
Fold binding strips in half lengthwise and press with the iron.


Sew the binding strips to the long sides first.
Sew them to the back, use a 1cm seam allowance.


Flip the mat over and fold the binding over the edge enclosing the raw seams.
Stitch the binding into place from the front, about 2mm from the folded edge of the binding.

The bindings for the short sides are longer than the side. this is deliberate.
Center the binding leaving a 2cm overhang at each end.
Sew the strips as you did for the long sides.


Flip the mat over. Fold the extra ends of the binding in, then over the seam allowance, to create a finished end. This can be tricky. Sew the binding down as with the long sides.

And that's it your done!

Copyright...
It's OK to share this tutorial.
It's OK to make them to sell.
It's not OK to say this is your design and it's not OK for you to sell my instructions.
And it's not OK to post the tutorial anywhere on the net, a link to here would be very welcome.

I love comments!!