Today, we tried some decorative stitches that the sewing machine can apparently do.
(Top to bottom: 1, 2, 3)
I love that the sewing machine can make such pretty looking stitches with virtually no work at all and I think that these stitches add a new decorative element to whatever is being sewn. Sasha was the one who guided the fabric (which is why the stitches are so straight) and we both love how they look. My personal favorite is the third one, with the leaves. She thinks the first one is really cool.
(Sasha's favorite stitch.)
This one, however, is her favorite. I think it looks really really pretty. but the leaves are still nicer. We both also like the second feather-like one as well.
We've been sort of messing around with the sewing machine to see what it can do. I think I'll probably try sewing with one hand one day soon and see if it's doable - I do have a senior project to complete!
(Different stitch options on the Brother CS6000i sewing machine)
Today's post is a bit different than the usual posts I've been doing - it's time for research post number one! The question today is...
When did the social features of quilting surpass the functional aspects, and why?
(A piece of one of the Tristan Quilts)
The definition of a quilt comes from the Latin root of its name: culcita, meaning "a stuffed sack." (1) That is, essentially, what a quilt is. A quilt is a cloth sandwich, with filling sandwiched between a quilt top and the quilt backing, with all three layers sewn together.
Quilting apparently dates back to Egyptian times (3400 B.C), as shown by a statue of an Egyptian pharaoh wearing what seems to a quilted piece of clothing. (5) However, no actual pieces of Egyptian quilting have ever been found, which brings the history of quilts up to the 12th century, when soldiers would wear quilted garments under their armor. This clothing would eventually evolve into doublets, a "man's buttoned snug fitting jacket" worn under armor to prevent chafing. However, the quilting was not for decoration; it was to ensure that the doublet stayed intact for a long time. (3)
One of the earliest known quilts were the Tristan quilts, made around 1360, and depicting scenes from the medieval tale of Tristan and Iseult. (3) Not much else is known about these quilts, but they are the only known examples of medieval quilts.
(A wholecloth quilt)
Quilts that came after the Tristan quilts, however, were not quite as decorative. Early American colonists, for example, did not have quilts that were as intricately stitched. Their quilts were made for warmth, and made out of necessity. Because early settlers could not afford to throw things out, all fabric scraps went into these quilts. When clothing was worn out, it would be stuffed between two sheets and sewn. Although not carefully constructed, their weight made them ideal for warm bed coverings, as well as for sealing doors to keep drafts out.
In 1794, the cotton gin was invented, which helped cotton works sort through the cotton more quickly. The invention of the cotton gin increased textile production. Because cloth was less expensive to buy, women began quilting for pleasure. (4) Most quilts made at the time were wholecloth quilts, or quilts made of just one piece of cloth as the quilt top. These quilts were prized for their beautiful stitching patterns. Because there was only one piece of cloth, however, these quilts were not worked on during social gatherings. (6) That would come a little later.
(Quilt made during the 1930s in Florida)
Many quilts today are products from the Great Depression. These quilts are recognizable from their pastel-like colors and many different fabric scraps. Old clothing, worn-out blankets, and food sack scraps were cut apart to make these quilts, and often, a group of women would come together to try and finish a quilt in one afternoon. (4) Quilting was extremely popular during this time because it was an inexpensive hobby and used up many of the small scraps left over from other projects. Because many families did not have much money, this was the source of entertainment for many women out there, of all ages. (3)
Since then, quilting has evolved into a very popular hobby. More than 21 million people in the United States quilt, predominately women with an average age of 62. Quilting groups and clubs are also very popular today, showing that this activity is much more social than it is functional. (1)
(Quilts can be made in many different designs and patterns.)
1. Brackman, Barbara. "The Quilt Index." The Quilt Index. N.p., 2011. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.
2. Breneman, Judy Anne. "Victorian Era Quilts From Silk to Cotton."Victorian Quilts: Redwork Charm, & Crazy Quilting. N.p., 2007. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
3. "History of Quilts." History of Quilts. Quilting in America, July 2006. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
4. "Quilting in America, the Fabric of Our Past, Present and Future."Quilting in America, the Fabric of Our Past, Present and Future. SBI, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
5. Solis-Cohen, Lita, and Sally Solis-Cohen. "Quilting's Story Started with the Pharaohs." Baltimore Sun. Baltimore Sun, 09 May 1993. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
6. Wulfert, Kimberly, PhD. "New Pathways Into Quilt History." New Pathways Into Quilt History. N.p. Dec. 2006. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.
So today was the first day since "it" happened I felt well enough to talk/type about it. You see, I may have gotten a bit overconfident about the not losing fingers thing because...
Well, I can no longer use my left arm. Whoops.
Fortunately, it isn't because I'm really thaaaat bad at this entire sewing business. I have a condition called osteochondroma, and although it sounds bad, it usually isn't. For me, it causes bone bumps (known as exostoses [singular: exostosis] or tumors) to grow. These exostoses can grow anywhere, but mine like growing on my growth plates (it's part of the reason why I'm so short) and right over my nerves.
Long story short, there's an exostosis in my shoulder, and it got a little bit annoyed. So ever since Monday night, it's been pressing quite enthusiastically on the nerve that controls my left hand, and now, my hand, and really my arm in general, is out of commission until the tumor comes out sometime in May. Because my arm isn't really doing much at the moment, my doctor prescribed me a really nice sling, which keeps my arm pretty much immobilized, which is cool, I guess! I just have to edit my game plan a bit to get everything done, so let's get started!
(Rearranging squares...)
-- Game Plan Revision --
I sewed my first strip on Tuesday, which was much much easier. However, even keeping the fabric aligned made my shoulder ache, my elbow complain, and my hand throb. I realized that if sewing was so difficult, then cutting would be a nightmare (not that it wasn't when both arms still worked!) So once I finished my first strip, my mentor and I sat down and revised my game plan. Instead of working on two quilts, we decided to just stick to one, but make it more decorative. To do this, I decided that I would cut one of the squares in half for strips two and four so those two rows could be shifted over by 4.25 inches. We also considered putting strips of white satin in between each row of blocks, which would make the pattern look a bit more complicated, and also bring the entire quilt together (as I had planned to use white satin fabric for the backing as well). As for the border, we had originally planned on using bias tape, but we decided to pierce together a border from my scraps of fabric, which would be easier on the arm and require less cutting.
Although I didn't intend on changing my project, I think that doing a quilt this way will be more beneficial, as it will allow me more time to heal. It's definitely frustrating, however, because I had a lot of high hopes for this project and now I won't be able to complete everything I wanted to do, and in a way, it feels like giving up on what I wanted to do.
Today, I sewed my first strip, To my delight, it was "sew" much easier than cutting... Well. Sort of. You see, I kind of forgot that I'm not that great at sewing.
(It's pretty much my height.)
But first, before sewing, I had to lay my pieces out today and sort them, which I did. Then, I grabbed my first stack, and sat down in front of the sewing machine that I am borrowing, the Brother 60-Stitch Computerized Sewing Machine, CS-6000i. Oof. That's a bit of a mouthful.
Immediately, I remembered that I'm really not that great at sewing. Hm. Well, I guess I can sort of fake my way through this, right? I knew I needed to have quarter inch seams, and Ms. Rushing told me to have the fronts/print side of the fabrics facing each other. Then, I was supposed to sew the edges together with a quarter inch seam. After a bit of fiddling, I realized that a quarter inch seam is when the thread is a quarter inch from the edge of the fabric. Who would have known?
(Walking myself through sewing another square)
When I first began sewing, I practiced on a scrap piece of fabric. I thought it would help if I pushed the fabric along, but well... it really didn't. The sewing machine jammed a bit (okay, so it jammed a lot), and produced what I called "sewing machine clouds." Basically, the machine bobbin got stuck because the fabric was moving too quickly, and tension was off or something like that. When Mrs. Rushing came over to take a look, she patted me on the back and told me not to push it along. And when I didn't try to force the fabric through, it was much much easier!
(Seam #1...doesn't it look good?)
Anyway, the sewing went very quickly once I knew what I was doing. It was really just guiding the fabric through the needle and keeping it straight. The first seam I did was wonderful. It was very nice and straight, and I thought, "Hm... maybe I am sort of good at this thing. I was super proud of myself, so I excitedly started seam #2.
Have you ever heard the phrase "pride goeth before a fall"?
(Seam #2)
Yeah, well. Here's seam #2. to the right. Unfortunately, it seems like my favorite fabric (the cream fabric with the little green leaves) always happens to be the one that I mess up on. But yeah. Because I wanted to get my seams done quickly, I didn't line up the fabric properly, and it just got worse the farther I went. So... I tried to go over the seam (see the video below) and messed up even farther. I had to use a seam ripper and resew the square. So I learned another maxim today...
Haste makes waste. Good thing Mrs. Rushing has plenty of thread!
Once I was able to sew the square correctly, I sewed the next square, more slowly this time. Then, I did the next, and the next, keeping the fabric squares rolled up neatly so they weren't just lying in a pile next to the sewing machine. And then, Before I knew it, I was done with my first strip!
The first strip was 7 squares, which I thought was a lot, but really wasn't all that bad. However, it had taken me almost half an hour to sew, mostly due to the fact that I spent fifteen minutes fixing the second and third squares.
(Warning: I was frustrated and the camera was right
next to my face... turn the volume down!)
However, when I finished the first strip, I realized that I needed to change my game plan. (Check out my next blog post for information on why...) I just spent the rest of class talking with my mentor and relaid out my squares, with the completed strip on the very top.
Before I begin, I really ought to introduce my buddy, my sidekick, one of my favorite freshmen, my photographer, and my comedic relief. Without her, I'd have a lot of trouble documenting my progress. Her name is Sasha Moseley. She sort of knows how to sew and is incredibly photogenic! She's also hilarious, and makes me laugh every single day.
Sasha will be taking photos and videos of me, as well as keeping me on my toes. She'll be making me laugh, correcting my mistakes, She's a little (read: a lot) more experienced than I am, so she's able to help me fix the sewing machines I'll inevitably screw up. Good thing too, because I'm sure that Mrs. Rushing would prefer me not wasting all her time just troubleshooting sewing machines! :) Most of the photos or videos you'll see on this blog will be taken by Sasha on either my phone or hers. Alright. So without further ado... let's begin with day 1 of my project.
Day 1 - Cutting Squares
I pulled out my five half-yards today in third period. My objective was to cut seven squares out of each half yard. Once I got my cutting mat, straight edge, and rotary cutter I was all set, I thought.
I realized pretty quickly on that I had no idea what I was doing. I started off by cutting the white edge off the edges of the fabric. I kept catching the edge of the rotary cutter on the straightedge I was using, which was sort of funny. Sasha caught a bit of that gem on video.
They never tell you how much the fabric sheds! Thread bits were everywhere. We found some in Sasha's hair, all over my pants, all over the cutting board, down my shirt (shh)... I realized that I ought to invest in a lint roller. Also, when I passed the rotary cutter over the fabric, it didn't always cut through on the first try. Or the second. Or maybe even the third. I guess I just had to press harder... though when I did, I'd accidentally click the blade back into the handle. I did that multiple times, so I just reverted to the "running over the edge 62 times" method... I think it worked pretty well.
(I had absolutely no idea what I was doing...but I love this fabric.)
Well, once we managed to remove all the white edges from the fabric, I began cutting the material into eight and a half inch squares. This proved to be easier said than done.
You see, a half yard is 18 inches long by 42.5 inches wide. The length, when divided by 8.5, makes five perfect squares. Usually, when people cut squares, they fold the fabric in half and, starting from the side that is NOT the fold, they cut two pairs of squares, and then unfold the last square, which makes five. I say usually, because then there's me.
I was careless and didn't bother to check which side was the folded side. Further more, I apparently don't know what a square is. (Hint: same length on all sides). I cut what I thought was a square that was 8.5 inches by 10.5... and once I trimmed some off the edges, I peeled the squares apart to find...that I had cut myself a rectangle that was 17 inches by 8.5 inches. (I found the rectangle mistake after the camera turned off, so I fixed that off camera.) Basically, I ended up with two 8.5 inch squares, a 17 by 8.5 rectangle, and two 8.5 by 4.25 rectangles. Skill.
All of that being said, I did learn a lot. This was my first time cutting fabric with a rotary cutter, so it was good practice. Now that I sort of know what I'm doing, I think that it may go a bit faster next time (tomorrow). I still have to finish cutting "squares" and then I can lay out my quilt design and begin practicing straight stitches. I also have to learn how to do things more neatly.
(The aftermath of Day 1)
Well... at least I had fun today, even if it did get messy. I still have all my fingers too, which is a bonus. I was worried I would have lost a couple by now.
Today, I made a trip to Jo-Anns in Alhambra, to find fabric prints that I wanted to use in a quilt. I wanted them to be similar to each other, yet be completely unique. I came up with five fabrics (half-yards) that I thought went together. The black and blue flowery fabric was a stretch, I admit. But the brown mandala fabric, simple blue fabric print, and the willowy fabric went with each other so well, I felt confident enough to choose some prints that weren't completely matchy. I thought the pops of color would be nice, and hoped that I wasn't doing too much.
(I hope I don't make crappy choices.)`
I also purchased two yards of a simple white cotton fabric and some fabric quarters in novelty prints depicting flowers, cats, butterflies, and owls. Although I'm not quite sure what I'll use that stuff for, at least I have it laying around, right?
Once I finished checking out Jo-Ann's, I went next door to Target to purchase a clear sterilite 6 quart bin to hold my supplies. Overall, I spent around $30 on all the different swatches of fabric I got. When I got home, I found an old flat sheet that I plan to use for the back of the quilt.
I've collected everything I need to make the top of my quilt, though I still need to get quilt batting and figure out what bias tape is. I'll be ready to begin my project this week!
My mentor is Mrs. Courtney Rushing, the fashion and merchandising teacher here at SMHS. Although I did not quite plan to have her as my mentor, having her would prove to be more beneficial than my other choice, for a multitude of reasons.
(My wonderful mentor :) )
First, Mrs. Rushing is my third period teacher (and perhaps one of my favorite teachers this year), and has been teaching me how to sew. Her patience is endless. I don't think I have enough fingers to count the number of times I've messed up. While learning how to sew, I've backed up the bobbin, dulled needles, broken thread, somehow made the machine rattle... let's just say it hasn't been too great.
But Mrs. Rushing encourages me to keep trying, and so I do. She's the reason why I think that I miiiiiiight have a shot at this. I just need to stop screwing up and self-doubting and just get to work!
She specializes in marketing and sales, and part of her fashion class is creating a new product to market to the general public. We learn how to choose or create patterns, choose fabric that complements, and create a finished product via sewing machine. She has made quilts before, and therefore has experience in that, and has also been sewing for over twenty years - longer than I've even been alive. She's a wealth of information for me, seeing how naive and clueless I am with this entire sewing endeavor.
(Mrs. Rushing with one of her t-shirt quilts.)
We've agreed to meet during lunch three or so times a week, but also during third period everyday. Because we tend to have a lot of free time in class, there's plenty of opportunities to work on quilting and sewing. Our first objective is to create a small lap quilt (I've spent around $50 on the supplies for the small quilt) - my current project. I think it's going to be a lot of fun and I'm really excited.
In all, we thought that the supplies shouldn't cost more than $100 (because I can borrow a sewing machine and rotary cutter and what not). The plan is for me to finish the mini quilt by next Tuesday or so (4/19) so I can do a bigger quilt and be done by the end of the quarter, when the senior project is due. My fingers are crossed that nothing goes too badly.
