For those who want to share their sewing projects

mandksima

Fri, Jan 02 2009, 12:49 am

Fox wrote:

avigailmiriam wrote:

Fox wrote:

Can I post a picture of all the fabric I've accumulated, instead?

Ah, fabric [filth], my favorite.!

One of my friends is the daughter of Holocaust survivors who spent several years in the DP camps before coming to the U.S. Of course, their experiences are not something they "chit-chat" about with acquaintances.

However, my friend's mother also sews, and we were discussing our fabric caches once when her husband wandered into the room. He heard the topic of the conversation, and came over to interject in his thick Polish Yiddish accent , "Can you believe it? Two years in the DP camps after the War, where people had nothing, nothing! And yet she left with two boxes of fabric! Who had fabric in the camps -- let alone two whole boxes. And you want to know something? She still has those boxes of fabric. 'Aren't you going to sew that into something?' I ask her. But no! She comes to America and buys more fabric! I don't understand -- is she taking it to Shemayim with her? What? They don't have enough fabric in shemayim?" And then he wandered off to another room.

The story always makes me smile, thinking that during some of darkest periods in Jewish history, women were still collecting fabric to make something "someday".

Fox, thanks for sharing! I'm glad to see input here!

I also collect fabric! We have a lot of old clothes from the kids that won't be worn again and I divide it into 2 groups - one that is in okay condition for the local gemach and the other that has stains but I can cut it up for pieces for baby/kid clothes or dollclothes or for a patchwork quilt or outfit. I do haunt fabric stores and buy little pieces here and there. I really do use them but sometime the season changes before I can make use of a certain weight fabric. There's always next year.

I really use those little pieces and create doll pillows (I stuff it with dryer lint) with ruffles and matching doll quilts. I can make those within minutes and I put them in my DD's room all set up (with cardboard box beds) and if she asks how they got there, I just shrug and say maybe the barbie went shopping. She knows I'm joking and hugs me.

My DD and DS want to be a king and princess for Purim so I plan on creating something. I think I'll copy her Barbie Rapunzel dress. I'll search online for a king costume picture. I've got to start soon as I only get sporadic times to sew.

I do make my own patterns but I copy existing clothes in their closets and just resize them. I really should take a course but I learn pretty quickly from just practicing. I wish I had more time to devote to it but that time is spent on Imamother mostly instead!

I will post my chanukiah picture soon as it is uploaded but on a different computer.

willow

Fri, Jan 02 2009, 1:55 am

mandksima or anyone else that sew would you show me how to make something simple for my dd for Purim/ I really want to make a challah dress, as she is obsessed with challahs since the wedding.
I don't have a machine but I can do it by hand. I don't really know how to sew but if its simple I want to try to learn

GAMZu

Fri, Jan 02 2009, 2:10 am

Quote:

I really use those little pieces and create doll pillows (I stuff it with dryer lint) with ruffles and matching doll quilts. I can make those within minutes and I put them in my DD's room all set up (with cardboard box beds) and if she asks how they got there, I just shrug and say maybe the barbie went shopping. She knows I'm joking and hugs me.

That is so cute! You sound like a really cool mother. Wink

And dryer lint- how ingenious!

Meema, that's a nice skirt! Looks comfy for active kids, too.

creativemommyto3

Fri, Jan 02 2009, 2:14 am

oohh, I love these things also.. I have to ask my husband to unblock those photo places so I can see the pics.. I am still a beginner sewer.. I even got my bobbin all tangled and then lost b/c we took it out to untangle and lost it.. so I ordered a new piece .. can't wait to get it.. I love to crochet and any other needlework.. I love to meet ppl who enjoy the same..

GAMZu

Fri, Jan 02 2009, 2:25 am

My mother knitted this hat for my baby.

Now, this doesn't really require any talent at all, but I just wanted to throw this idea out there in case someone can use it. I cut off the feet from a pair of socks and sewed the tube part onto the mittens to make them long enough to tuck into the kid's sleeves.

These little booties I made from a wool sweater that shrunk. It was a huge pity to throw it away, and it so happened to be that I was looking for warm pre-walker boots for my son, but they were all outrageously expensive. So, I took care of both problems with one idea. Smile

This are Purim costumes I made. The kids were celeries. Nothing complicated- just green sleepers with green jester hats- and I sewed green tunics to go over the sleepers, and earflaps onto the hats.

More costumes- a lion and a ram.

Barbara

Fri, Jan 02 2009, 2:30 am

I don't sew. I hope no one minds if I show off two of my favorite necklaces.

willow

Fri, Jan 02 2009, 2:30 am

ooh I always wanted to sew and these are great you are all so talented. Want to teach me??: Smile

)

willow

Fri, Jan 02 2009, 2:31 am

Ooh I always wanted to sew and these are great you are all so talented. Want to teach me??: Smile

)

Ilovechoumous

Fri, Jan 02 2009, 2:51 am

you guys are really talented!!
I love stuffing with dryer lint, thats true resourcefulness.

I am in love with american designer fabric - like amy butler and joel dewberry. I am working on making key chains and bandanas and other baby stuff. BH, I love sewing and all the fabric that is out there.

dh lost a bet a few years ago, I made him wear a chicken costume for purim. if I can find a pic of him in it, will upload it. it was seriously hilarious. I made it using big yellow fluffy fabric. and sewed it by hand. I measured him lying on the floor. perhaps I should go to school to really learn how to do it.

ive also made dd a few skirts. much cheaper than buying new stuff and she loves that I made it.

I know a lady that cuts up old clothing to use as patterns. thats also a good idea, but im too scared to do that.

mandksima

Fri, Jan 02 2009, 5:18 am

I absolutely love your creativity Gamzu! Awesome. You make everything look so high-end. My kids are too old to be animals and vegetables for Purim so I have to work a little harder to come up with stuff that is "cool"enough for them. You must get your talent from your mother, she made a great hat.

Barbara, I love the necklaces! I've made earrings too, they're so much fun.

Here's a pic of my menora/chanukiah that I made out of an existing wooden shelf. I turned it over, painted the Kotel walls and screwed on cups that I painted with scenes of Yerushalim. Problem is - I made it when I was in America and I wrote "nes gadol haiya sham" and now I live in Israel and they all say "po" here. We keep it in a glass case and the back glass broke so we stuck a piece of foil behind it. Too bad it was all crumpled for the photo.

Ilovechummous - I can't wait to see that chicken costume!

Willow- I only now got a machine and the white and blue striped suit I made was done by hand. It is easier in some ways, harder in others. Challah costume- hmmm. I'm not sure. How old is she? Gamzu could probably figure that one out.

Meema2kids- great skirt. I'm in the middle of a denim one for my dd with an elastic waist but I want to line it to be warmer for winter.

willow

Fri, Jan 02 2009, 6:34 am

re-reading my post I realize I meant callah like a bride not challah like bread.

mandksima

Fri, Jan 02 2009, 7:36 am

willow wrote:

re-reading my post I realize I meant callah like a bride not challah like bread.

That's so funny, I don't know why I didn't realize what you meant. I guess after GAMZu's celeries, challah wasn't that far off especially since those huge simcha challahs at weddings are something special!

A kallah dress is a big step for a beginner but not impossible. Acquire a lot of white satinny fabric and lace if you want extra uumph. I'd love to give you help but you'd need to come here. Over the computer is hard. Do you have a similar pouffy dress you could copy the sizing?

smilingmom

Fri, Jan 02 2009, 9:58 am

I have never sewed, but would love to start.
I have a Bernina sewing machine I won in a Chinese auction. It is still in the box, next to a professional knitting machine I was going to start using, now that my kids are older.
Anyone in the New York area interested in setting up and teaching me how to use the knitting machine?

GAMZu

Fri, Jan 02 2009, 10:25 am

Quote:

I'm in the middle of a denim one for my dd with an elastic waist but I want to line it to be warmer for winter.

Smart idea!

Barbara, those are nice!

shanie5

Sat, Jan 03 2009, 9:05 pm

I would post pictures of the clothing I made for my ds bar mitzvah, but I have no idea how to.

somewhere on imamother there is a photo of last years purim costumes I made-we were the 10 makos.

avigailmiriam

Sat, Jan 03 2009, 9:09 pm

Lining skirts is easy! There's two ways to do it. You either make a second skirt that is slightly shorter out of the linging material and attatch both skirts to the same waistband, or you stack the outer and inner fabrics, cut them out as one piece and sew/use each pice as a single piece of fabric.

Mimisinger

Sat, Jan 03 2009, 9:15 pm

Oh I wish I had your talents - you ladies are amazing.

avigailmiriam

Sat, Jan 03 2009, 9:18 pm

Mimisinger wrote:

Oh I wish I had your talents - you ladies are amazing.

Sewing is much easier than people make it out to be! You can pick up the basics in a couple of hours.

Beauty and the Beast

Sat, Jan 03 2009, 9:25 pm

gamzu- I love, love that idea with the socks and mittens! I think I'm gonna try it!

yo'ma

Sun, Jan 04 2009, 4:29 pm

Willow, if you have a white dress, no matter how plain it is pretty easy, but if not, just a white shirt and skirt and attach tulle by gathering it and adding trim and flowers. If you don't have a white skirt, use a slip.

Gamzu, the celery picture is adorable!!!