Sewing Tip-Gauging Tape

I consider myself a lazy seamstress, I hate to

measure & I don't like using a marker.  I want

 my sewing to be relaxing and enjoyable.

  My favorite tool is my eyes, I love to

"eyeball" things.  Once in a blue moon I run

across fabric that has a repeat pattern that's

too large for me to sew a straight line

and too swirly to keep focused on. 



This "icky" green and tan reproduction print is

a fine example of that type of fabric.  Yes, it's

"icky" but I think it's going to make a lovely

dress.  So, what do I do?  I dig to the bottom of

my sewing box and bring out my gauging tape! 

 I've had this roll several years but, I looked

online and found a similar tape at

Joanns (online only).

It's well worth every penny!

Especially if you want to sew a gauged

skirt but, perfectly straight synchronized

rows of stitching seems impossible!

http://www.joann.com/colonial-needle-self-adhesive-measuring-tape-25-/xprd357410/  

   

It's very similar to masking tape, it sticks well to

your fabric and all the measurements are

already there!!

I took these photos at night...the icky green

is now an icky blue green.

I can sew a perfectly straight line and

perfectly measured stitches.

 Move the tape down (you can use it several

times) and make your second and third row

exactly like the first row.

 I love it for tiny even pleats.

How lazy & easy is that???

Happy Sewing! 

Barbed Wire Wreath

I wanted a large wreath for the front

porch that would hold up to bad weather
and be a durable base for holiday decorating.
I was tired of continually replacing  wreaths.

So, I smashed chicken wire and formed a

large circle.  I then wrapped it with barbed
wire.  I hung horse shoes in it and spray
 painted it a hammered gun metal gray. 
It's about 35 inches in diameter and
quite heavy.

  It's very easy to insert greenery etc. into

the open spaces for seasonal and

holiday decorating.

Construction tips............ 

Wear jeans, boots & heavy gloves.  Have a few

band aids close by.  Oh.... a tetanus shot 

is highly recommended.

Cinder's Star Quilt

My girlfriends and I all live in different cities,

so a couple times a year we get together for

a "girls only" weekend.  There is always a little

gift exchange, something we make, bake,

grow, or find at a flea market or auction.  Nothing

expensive or new, just something that reminds us

of one another.  I have received several cookie

molds, baskets and dolly things over the years!

My girlfriends know me so well!  

Last year, Cindy (the quilter) was given this
hand pieced star, purchased at a farm auction
by Teresa for just a few dollars.  It was in
desperate need of some cleaning, repair and
of course finishing.  I remember we had a lively
discussion about the possible age of the star,
who had so loving hand pieced it, and wondered
 why it had been left unfinished.

Cinders set the star on a white background,

chose a red binding & spent endless hours

hand quilting it.  It is truly a beautiful quilt.

 We had a "girls" gathering in Kansas City 

a few weeks ago and Cinders gave the 

finished quilt back to Teresa.... 

Isn't that a great quilt story, and a

touching story of friendship!!!

Teresa and Cinders

Miss you, looking forward to next time!

Tutorial-Cora's Hair and Bonnet

I look forward to creating my dolls hair.  I try

very had to use period appropriate styles. 

  Whether the pioneer created hair similar to mine

 I couldn't say but, I did read an account from a pioneer

girls diary, that described the doll her mother had

made for her.  She describes her dolly's hair as wool

yarn pulled from an old sweater that was plaited

into beautiful braids. I have to think a doll's hair was as

important to the early doll makers, as it is to me.

Many of the early settlers that came to this

part of the Ozark mountains were Scotch Irish.

My sister has the most luxurious naturally

wavy auburn hair as proof.  Surely a home made

Ozark dolly or 2 had red wool hair!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cora's auburn hair is flattened over the ears and

pulled back into 2 coiled plaited buns on the back

of her head. Oh, so mid 1800's stylish!

 To create Cora's hair I used

hand dyed wool yarn,  

plaited

coiled & sewn

into a bun with doubled matching thread.

The interior.

I made two buns & 2 small balls of wool roving.

They will go underneath the coils to give

them some stability.

I started by sewing a single strand of

yarn at the front center of Cora's head.  The
yarn hung about 6 inches on each side. I sewed a
single stitch using the same yarn threaded onto a
large needle with a large eye.
 I continued sewing rows with a single stitch
(basically a back stitch)
 until I reached the mid way point at the back
of her head.

I then pulled it to the side and twisted it.  I made

a few stitches (with coordinating thread)
underneath and at the back to secure it.

The side front view.

I used a curved needle with double thread

to stitch the coils down.

I pinned them in place.

Stitching each coil until it was very secure.

This is Cora's simple straw spoon bonnet.

It's functionally lined with muslin & ties

with a green silk ribbon. Cora's doesn't want her

coiffed hair getting stuck in the straw plaiting. 

She has all the proper under garments,

pantalettes with pin tucks, a lace edged

petticoat, and chemise with flat felled

seams and gussets.

I also added a tiny hand crocheted lace collar to

Cora's dress.  I have a wonderful lady friend,

that crochets all the lace and shawls for my dolls.

She's in her seventies and still hand quilts, knits,

and crochets.  Her hand work is just beautiful.

 Much to my dolls delight & mine!

After many enjoyable hours of sewing and

taking photos she is finally done!

(I may do a touch more aging)

I hope in some small way

these "how to" posts have helped

 to make your hand sewing experience

 more pleasurable!

Happy Sewing!



MAIDA Dolls Group Storybook Challenge Featured In Prims Magazine 2012 Autumn Issue

MAIDA
"Making Antique Inspired Dolls & Accessories"

Storybook Challenge Featured In

PRIMS 2012 Autumn Issue

My great-great-great uncle, Barnett Farthing

was a boyhood friend of Samuel Clemens.

They attended school together in Hannibal, Missouri

and shared in the many adventures made so famous

in the book Tom Sawyer.  So, when Dixie

Redmond of MAIDA challenged us to make a doll

from a story we loved, I thought it only fitting I choose

Becky Thatcher.

Barnett Coffee Moran Farthing

Becky was really a "challenge" for me.

She is described in the book as having

blue eyes and yellow hair.

It was great fun to be a part of this challenge!

Be sure to pick up a copy!

http://www.stampington.com/prims/2012/pri_a12.html

Cora's Dress-How To Make The Gauged Skirt (cartridge pleating)

Gauging or cartridge pleating?

Many years ago I was in a historical

ladies group, and a civil war reenactor.

We made period clothing and often gave

fashion shows from different periods in

history.  When I began to make dolly clothing I

 came upon the term cartridge pleating and

frankly, I had no idea what that was.  After some

research I realized it was the same technique

 used in civil war clothing construction, it's

 just the more modern term.  The proper 1800's

term is gauged plaiting.  Gauged refers to even

 measurements, plaiting just means pleats.

Hence, even measured pleats. 

They are the same thing and both terms are

correct!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gauging is the perfect technique to incorporate a

large amount of fabric into a vary small space.
Bigger pleats, more fabric. Smaller pleats
less fabric.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ladies wanted to accentuate a small waistline but,

have the yards of fabric required to cover the

large hoop petticoats during the mid to

later 1800's. When the basting stitches are
removed the pleats literally fan out
to cover the hoop.

In the last post I showed how Cora's

bodice was made, here I will show the

process used to make her gauged skirt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I do iron periodically during the sewing
process, sometimes I finger press.  I
 just don't mention often it in the tutorials,
but, it's very beneficial to the look of
your finished garment.  I own a teeny
tiny ironing board purchased at CR's
crafts on the web for a few dollars. 
For me, it's a must.

Back to the skirt!

I had 1/2 yard of this 45 in wide fabric. I started at
 one selvage end and turned under about 1/4 in. all

along the top.  I turned under about 35 inches.
I make very few measurements, 
I fit to the doll.  Your doll will be a different size!

I then turned under about 5/8 inch.

Turn in about 1/4 in. on the side.

Turn again to about 3/8 or 1/2 inch.

For a gauged skirt you will need to make 2 or 3

rows of synchronized running stitches.

That means exactly the same,

 evenly spaced stitches. 
 Here's my cheat for making evenly
spaced stitches:
Gauging Tape 

 I have a striped fabric, I wanted the

top of my pleat to have the wheat colored stripe

showing.  This is how I spaced my stitches

to achieve that effect.  Play around with this, it can

make a big difference in the look of the skirt.
Iron well before gathering your pleats.

I used 3 rows.  It holds the pleats firmer & I find it

easier to work with.  If you want to leave your

basting stitches in the skirt when finished, use

a coordinating color thread.  I have seen the basting

stitches left in antique clothing & clothing with no

basting stitches.

This is the effect I wanted for Cora's skirt.

I put the skirt on Cora to make sure I would

have enough pleats, I allowed enough fabric for

the folds at the other end & added a bit extra.
 I can always squeeze in a few more pleats. 
This type of skirt looks best when it's full.
Then I cut it off.

NO MEASURING!

I placed the fabric on Cora to determine the

hem placement.  I folded up about 1/4 inch

all along the bottom, then folded where I

wanted her hem.
NO MEASURING!
IRON WELL. 

This is what I had left to cut out the bodice pieces.

Time to finish the end sections of the skirt.

I started on the left back side.

I turned toward the inside my 1/4 inch.

Then my next fold.

Butting it up against the first pleat.

Actually making another pleat.  I made sure

the stripe matched the other pleats.

On the back side, I took several stitches
firmly securing it to the next pleat.

(you can see a couple knot ends from the

running stitches hanging out)

I moved to the other end of the skirt. This side

will be overlapped by the left side, SO I didn't

want a lot of bulk here.

I made my 2 folds,

Secured it down with several stitches, but

I did not butt it against the first pleat on this

side.  I left it flat.

I then sewed the side seam.  Leaving
 an opening a the top, about 3 or
4 inches long.

I whip stitched the edges of the opening down.

I folded the edges of the back

seam under, and whip stitched the sides.

I then finished the hem.

 Notice the horizontal stitches at the bottom

 of the opening.  I did this to add strength at

 the top of my back seam.  A child can take

the dress off and on without busting out the

 stitching. 

I used double thread to attach the skirt.  I

  started at the left back side.  I inserted my needle
between the stitches of the waistband.  Coming
 out at the bottom corner edge.  I pulled my

thread until my knot was secured within the

fold of the waistband.  My knot was hidden.

I inserted my needle through the front of the

 first pleat fold,

drawing it securely.  I did a second stitch. I made

a tiny knot. (you can barely see it at the top of this

photo)  To hide my thread end, I inserted my

needle into the fabric right next to the knot

between the layers of fabric & came out a

 short distance away.  I scrunched the

 fabric and cut my thread.  No thread ends

showing.  I use this technique a lot to hide

knots and thread ends!

This end securely sewn.

I did the same thing to the other end, with the

addition of stitching along the flat inside

section.

This is what it looked like on the right side.

Again, you can see knots from the gathering

stitches.

Both ends firmly attached.
Knots & thread ends hidden!

Cora's skirt had 76 pleats.  I don't like to measue,
but I did need to count!  I marked the middle

front of the bodice and the half way point on the

skirt and pinned.

I continued marking half way points and counting

pleats and pinning until I had every pleat pinned. 

Sorry, I forgot to take a photo.

Do this on a ladies skirt a few times, this size

is easy!!

 

Starting at either end using double thread, hide

your knot within the waistband. Come out right

where you want to attach the first pleat.  Remove the

 pin, take a single whip stitch in the front edge fold 

of the pleat.  Remove the next pin, take the stitch

repeating until all pleats are attached. 

 Don't miss one!

I folded it like this to do my stitching.

These are the stitches from the front.  They are

very tiny.

Remove your basting stitches.

If you leave them in, secure the thread ends

neatly, hiding the knots within the folds.

 

Her dress is sewn!

Cora's waist is 5 1/2 inches around,

there are 35 inches of fabric in the skirt.
(FYI~I measured after I was finished!)

Imagine the amount of fabric & hand sewing

 required to make a civil war ladies skirt!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next post is Cora's hair and bonnet.

Stay tuned!

Thanks for all the positive comments Cora

and I have received on her tutorials.  I hope

these posts have helped to make your sewing

experience more pleasurable! 

Happy Sewing!