Needle Arts, Crafters, Doll Makers, and Such

Is there anyone else here (male and female) that enjoys any of the needle arts? I have been sewing, knitting, crocheting, crafting, and doll making (all in spurts) for years. I've even made a few quilts, embroidered or cross stitched a few pictures, and done a bit of needlepoint. Does anyone else share any of these hobbies?

I recently added scrapbooking to my list of hobbies and I find it a lovely way to save pictures and the stories that go with them.

If you have any of these hobbies, how do you use them? Do you ever make and donate anything for charitable purposes? Do you use them to save money or to supply what you can find in the store? Do you use them as gifts?

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For I know that my redeemer liveth,
and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.
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Linda

Linda
Please tell them about when you used to make Scripture Quilts & how you did it.

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Edward F Sutton

Linda,

I love to sew, and I used to knit a lot too, but have not done any of that for many years. I also have enjoyed counted cross stitch in the past, though I have not done any of that in a while either.

I have used all of these skills from time to time to make gifts for family members, and I have sewn a lot of the clothing for my family, especially when the kids were small and it saved money, not to mention the fact that I did not want my kids wearing pajamas made of synthetic fabrics, which was all you could legally buy. They had plenty of cotton pajama fabrics at the fabric store, although they all had printed on the selvage: "not suitable for children's sleepwear." I laughed about that with the fabric store employees, as we all knew what we were going to use it for!

Once the kids helped me select some fabric to make a quilt for the AIDS baby quilt project that was sponsored by some SDA organization, though I don't remember any more what it was, but I never had the time to make the quilt before the deadline. Unfortunately, any sewing project I take on cannot be an urgent need, as there is no guarantee when I will get it done, if ever.

If I could devote my full time to sewing from the start of any given project until it's finished, as I did with my daughter's wedding dress, then they would all get done, but most of the time I can't do that.

The wedding dress took 4 months, and the bridesmaid dress I made afterward took 2 more. I had to get other women to sew the other 3 bridesmaids' dresses, and I'll have to say, I was disappointed with all of them. None of them had the quality workmanship I was expecting & hoping for, and it was obvious, even from a distance. I guess it makes a difference in whether you know the cost of those very expensive materials or not as to whether you think it is worthy of your most painstaking work.

I made several muslin bodices of my daughter's dress before I had it fitted and altered well enough to satisfy myself. And I had to cut out more pieces of the actual dress and redo the bodice twice, since I had never sewn with satin before, and made mistakes in pressing seams (which could not be ironed back out), and in getting water spots on it. I sewed on all the lace and the buttons and button loop tape by hand, and also blind-stitched the hem and the facings by hand.

The one woman who I thought would do a very professional job on the maid of honor's dress, because she is a perfectionist, didn't think it was worth her time to be so careful on a dress that would only be worn once, took a lot of shortcuts. I felt that the bridesmaid dresses should be made as carefully as possible also, because the materials were expensive, and the girls had to pay for them themselves as we simply could not afford to buy it all, and the girls ought to be able to sell them at a second-hand clothing store if they wanted to, and recover some of their money. But none of the other dresses were good enough to resell - they all screamed "home-made."

I didn't mean to complain when I started this, but thought somebody else might possibly benefit from hearing the story, so as not to make the same mistake. We did what we had to do, and there is no way I could have made all of those dresses myself, and I don't think anybody but me really noticed. If I had to do it over, I guess I would have no choice but to do the same thing again. Thankfully, I have no other daughters to sew wedding dresses for, and it will be many years before I will have a granddaughter's wedding dress to sew.

I told my daughter at the time that if she had any daughters and they wanted me to sew their wedding dresses, I would do it, but I would not alter hers for them. I don't do alterations - ever! And I don't think anyone could alter that dress to fit someone else anyway. But I am very thankful that that wedding dress & veil survived the 2 fires that destroyed her home and possessions, as they are still hanging in my sewing room closet (formerly her bedroom). They are the only wedding keepsakes she has left, except for the photos, which I have the negatives to. Everything else burned in the first fire.

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The Lord is the strength of my life and my portion forever.

[This message has been edited by Cathy Sears (edited June 02, 2001).]

I have found that quilts especially carry a lot of memories and associations with them, especially when family handmade.

As a highschool teenager, I colored in the birds of the fifty states with a liquid embroidery set of paints that penetrated and sunk into the fabric. It was a set of fifty squares that years later was made into a quilt. Our son Joel was given it if I remember correctly. I ought to do one of cats for Suzanne, (don't tell on me, in case I should do it; it would spoil the surprise.)

I did not sew the quilt, just sent weeks each evening after homework painting the squares. Having lines & charts for proper colors helped.

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Edward F Sutton

Cathy, I'm glad that someone else on here besides me enjoys the needle arts.

Three years ago I was planning to make my daughter's wedding dress when she was planning to get married. I'm glad now that I hadn't gotten the fabric because the engagement was broken. Maybe someday I will get to sew one for her, but it doesn't look like it will be anytime soon.

One recent project I did was table runners for her college graduation party. I was zipping along on my serger doing a narrow overlock hem, when the serger went KA-CHUNK! I wound up having to take it to the repair shop last week. It's only a year and a half old, and it already needed work. I got my Kenmore sewing machine when my son was a baby 25 years ago and I've never had it in the shop. They really don't make things like they used to.

I know what you mean about alterations. I detest doing them. That's one reason why I don't like to sew to earn money. Most people want someone to alter their clothes. I don't even like to have to alter my own!

I'm glad that you daughter has at least got her wedding dress and her pictures.

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For I know that my redeemer liveth,
and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.
_________________________

Linda

Linda,

I have rejected any idea of sewing for money for the same reason you have. I especially can't stand having to repair zippers, but my least favorite part of sewing a garment is hemming, and that is most likely one of the most common alterations that would be wanted. And if I don't have the pleasure of sewing the rest of the garment, I certainly don't want to do only the hem! I don't think I could really do any other kind of alterations for an already-made garment that would look decent anyway. All of the alterations I did for my daughter's dress were done before I ever cut it out.

My love of sewing has come in very handy for me too, as it is very difficult to buy clothing for me. I cannot wear synthetic fabrics, and my long arms and legs require that I wear tall sizes. It is awfully hard to find tall size women's clothing in all-natural fabrics. In fact I have never found anyplace where I can buy 100% cotton longjohns in tall women's sizes. Whatever comes in natural fabrics comes several inches short of my ankles and wrists, and the few things that are available in talls are made with fabrics that feel so nasty against my very sensitive skin that I'm miserable all day in them! So I make my own, and I'm comfortable and warm all winter.

You are right that they don't make sewing machines like they used to. And even worse, getting them repaired if they do break down can be a real nightmare. Even Kenmore parts are unavailable for machines more than 4 or 5 years old any more! I have a friend who repairs sewing machines, and he recommended Singer when my not so old Montgomery Ward machine was unrepairable with only a minor problem, due to the part being unavailable. Singer puts the same quality into their lower priced machines as the top of line models, and repair parts are more readily available and available for much older models than any other manufacturer. I have been very happy with my Singer, and when it has needed some minor repairs, he has been able to get it done for me in only a day or two. The only real repair problem I've had is with the wind in place bobbin, which is more prone to problems than the conventional type, due to its design. But I like it, and feel it's worth the extra trouble.

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The Lord is the strength of my life and my portion forever.

I called about my serger today and found out that it has a broken looper that has to be replaced. When I told the woman at the repair shop that I would never again buy a Simplicity machine, she said, "That's what we sell!" I thought they sold Singer! She said that she has never seen one go bad before. Why did it happen to my machine? I sure have missed it as it makes several steps in sewing so much easier. I've been back to finishing seams with the good old zig zag stitch.

Oh well, it should be done by the time I get back from campmeeting. And I still won't ever buy another Simplicity. My Mom has had a Singer machine that is nearly as old as I am; I learned to sew on it. When she had it worked on a few years ago, there was no problem getting parts as far as I know. I'll take your advice, Cathy, the next time I need a machine. It's Singer for me.

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For I know that my redeemer liveth,
and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.
_________________________

Linda

[This message has been edited by Linda Sutton (edited June 12, 2001).]

My wife used to make the clothes for our daughters when they were younger.
She made the veils for the 2 that are married and did the flower arrangements as well, all with artificial flowers, though you couldn't tell unless you looked real close.
She doesn't do much in the way of sewing now, wish she did.

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Examine me, O LORD, and prove me: try my reins and my heart. Ps.26:2
It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in men.Ps.118:8

My daughter just asked me to sew some cotton nightgowns for my granddaughter, because the synthetic fabrics required by law to be used for children's sleepwear are especially uncomfortable in hot, humid summer weather. Thankfully, it does not take very much time, or fabric, to sew such small garments. Once I get the chance to work on them, I should be able to make several in no time at all.

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The Lord is the strength of my life and my portion forever.

Sounds like everyone likes to sew. Just ran across this thread.We had a hobby farm with sheep and angora goats. With all that fleece a spinning wheel came next. I didn't know how to knit so then bought a knitting machine. Angora sweaters for free. Of course my sewing machie ,serger,and embroidery machine are always in use. I have had my White serger for seven years and just had it serviced for the first time. The embroidery machine is fantastic. Am in the process of embroidering butterflies on satin squares for a quilt.

Just refinished two iron beds that were more rust than iron for my granddaughters and they are making their first patch work quilt for them.

I love to refinish old furniture and scrounge around for old barn wood to make picture frames for all of the family for our old pictures. They are a perfect backdrop for the old style clothes and hairdo's that are worn.

The scroll saw, router ,sanders etc are all mine as my husband hates all work like that. We have four sons that are not sure what a hammer is for and my DIL's get the power tools for xmas.

Needless to say, sometimes the dishes don't get done.

bonnie

Bonnie,

I'm glad to find someone else who shares the needlework-crafing love with the rest of us. Power tools for your sons' wives? Like you, I own the power tools here. The big problem I have is space. Until my daughter moves out this summer and takes half the stuff in the basement, I don't have room to use them. Then I want to work on some desperately needed book shelves for another passion of mine--books, especially old SDA books!

In the meantime, I will get my serger out of the shop and do some more sewing. If I don't start soon for winter sewing, I might not get it done by next summer!

I really want to get back into dollmaking. I have loved making dolls since I was a little girl. I remember making my first dolls when I was 8 from a pattern in a book from the library. They were wire armature wrapped in cotton cloth. I like to make dolls that can be played with. I would also like to make dolls that portray the fashions of the nineteenth century and already have books and patterns of it, just need to get started.

I'm even thinking of getting out my easel and oils and a canvas and start painting again. I keep saying I've got to use that art degree for something.

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For I know that my redeemer liveth,
and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.
_________________________

Linda

[This message has been edited by Linda Sutton (edited June 29, 2001).]

Linda,
Several years ago I made jama's and robes for all the grandchildren, then made teddy bears for each and dressed them in the same thing. They still all sleep with them including the fifteen year old grandson. He is quick to point out it is just sitting on the end of his bed. You really need a embroidery machine, they really add to your capabilitites.

Bonnie

I decided to forgo the embroidery machine and get a serger instead. I used to do hand embroidery, but am not really into it now.

I finally got my serger out of the shop which cost me more than I really wanted to pay, but considerably less that a new serger would have cost. The tip had broken off the upper looper. I hope it doesn't happen again.

I pulled out my doll making supplies last week, and started back in. I have some ideas for some new dolls and want to refine some that I was working on in the past. It's been so long since I used needle sculpting that I need to relearn. Guess I shouldn't stay away from it for so long.

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For I know that my redeemer liveth,
and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.
_________________________

Linda

When my daughter got married & moved out, I made her room into my sewing room. I have been doing some de-junking and reorganizing around the house over the past year, and have been storing the things I've removed from the rest of the house in the sewing room, until I can sort through them and find them a permanent place. Unfortunately, that has made it impossible to do any sewing until I finish the job, as there is now barely enough room to get through the room. I can't even set up my ironing board and do the ironing! But right now, I'm putting everything else aside while I spend as much of my time as possible getting the job finished once and for all! In fact, I already took all of the large apple boxes full of clothes and shoes to the Community Service Center. I had planned to saved them for a yard sale, but finally decided I'd rather just get them out of there.

Before my granddaughter was even born, I bough patterns for several different dolls and their wardrobes, and a variety of stuffed animals, including a Vogue teddy bear pattern with 2 or 3 sizes, the largest being much larger than my granddaughter is now! I'm hoping that once I get the sewing room cleaned out, and I get those nightgowns made, I can have a bit of fun making a doll or two for Aislyn.

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The Lord is the strength of my life and my portion forever.

Did you know that there are some sites online that have free doll patterns that you can download?

I downloaded a sumo wrestling doll this week and want to make it up. (I know, I'm a little weird in some ways, but I like sumo wrestling!) I've also found patterns for girl and baby dolls, and lots of places that offer patterns and supplies for sale.

For those who want crafting, knitting, crochet, quilting, needlepoint, etc., vist Free Patterns. All the patterns are free in PDF format. Just sign up, then choose what you want, download and print out.

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For I know that my redeemer liveth,
and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.
_________________________

Linda

Day before yesterday I finally took my knitting machine out of the box and tried it out. I had bought it over a year and a half ago, but didn't have any place to set it up until my daughter moved out.

It's a simple machine, a Bond Classic, completely manual. No electric, no computerized anything, but I find that I like it. If I hand knit now, it bothers my hands, so I will probably switch over to the machine. I still crochet, which doesn't bother me like knitting. It's so easy to use that I wonder why I waited so long to try it out. Family will probably get homemade gifts this Christmas.

Does anyone else have or use a knitting machine of any kind?

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Jesus is the joy of living
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Linda

[This message has been edited by Linda Sutton (edited September 04, 2001).]

Linda, I have a knitting machine. It's a Brother, which I bought 17 years ago. I used it a little back then, but haven't done much with it through the years. Unfortunately, never having had twins to raise before, I didn't realize that after their birth a few months later, I would not have time to even go take the free lessons which came with my purchase, for many years. Now it's too late - we live too far away, and I don't even know if the woman is still in business. So whatever I learn about its use, I'll have to learn on my own. I'm not working on that now, too busy with other things, but I may get it out and get some good instructional books some day. If I had known how things would work out, I would not have spent $600+ on it way back then, but that's the way life is sometimes.

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The Lord is the strength of my life and my portion forever.