SweaterHemming -tutorial

I bought this wonderful Devold 100 % wool sweater from Svalbard, Norway in 2018. That means 8 yrs ago. I also bought that Svalbard-Longyearbye -badge I sew on the sleeve. This sweater has been in "all year around" -use and very dear to me. Now the hems of its right sleeve has started to worn out. (I am right handed.) There are signs of it also in the left sleeve and trunk hem too. That's why I have been thinking how to fix it because otherwise the sweater is still in perfect fit.

Instead of patching I decided to use crocheting. I used simple crochet stitch. It is easy to make also for the beginners and it fades well into the knitting. If the hem has already broken yarns, make sure you make your crochet stitch far enough to make sure you catch everything. You get it very neat when you crochet each stitch equal distance, according to the deepest point your yarn has been broken.

At the end -like in my case- even the new yarn would be different shade, it fits in well. I could have used also white yarn, but I didn't want to. there are different shades of whites too and because the other shade is red I was afraid of the new white would not hide the red under the white so well. Make sure you choose as similar quality of yarn as possible compared to the original sweater. You can go seeking it wearing the sweater. 💕

On the tutorial video above you can see and learn how to make it. It really is FashionNOW. It also saves your personal time, energy and money... not to mention the PlanetEarth. I bet this makes your favorite sweater even dearer because now you fix it yourself and created a new memory!

FeltedSoap3 -tutorial

Previously I blogged about felted soaps I made after receiving one as a gift and more to learn more. This time I made more to try out more but also to write you a tutorial about it. So, here we go.

1. First you need to get the soap. Marseille soap is always mentioned when talking about the wet felting. The 1st thing to know is that the soap doesn't necessarily need to be Marseille soap. The soap should be suitable for wool. Suitable for wool means a gentle soap, which means that it is the one you could use to anyone who has a sensitive skin. Old times the Marseille soap used to be the most gentle one which was available everywhere. That's why Marseille is still always mentioned, but notice it is not something you must have. The only thing with the soap you must have is the gentle soap. That's the point. Your soap should also be plain. And the plain soap in this case means a soap that has no crumbs or anything extra in it because all that is vain in the felted soap, because it all stays inside the felt cover. So, there is no need to waste a special body scrub soap made of herbs for this use.

2. Then you need to wrap the wool around the soap. Do it tight and firm. All around, which means: 

• from right to left and around
• up to down and around
• diagonal from a corner to another and over all around (both ways)
• around the side edges (all 4)
• then again up to down  and all around
• and right to left and all around

Notice: do not use scissors, pull the wool when you need to "cut" it.

Notice: avoid lumps so make the starting points always on a different point/place.

Notice: it all stays on, just press the wool fibers against each other and the soap.

You don't need to use wool yarn or anything else to tie it all up. Just make sure the soap is wrap up firm and tight. If you want to make a figure (a heart for example), design and shape it, and then press it against the soap's woolly surface.

3. Then you need to get it all into a stocking. For me the best way to get it all in with the figure I want, is to wear the stocking over the soap when the stocking is upside down in my hand. 

So, first I wear the stocking upside down over my hand (the toe part seam won't be inside against the soap). I use my free  hand to get the soap on its place on my palm covered by the stocking. I crab the soap with the palm and fingers. Now I have the back side of the soap facing the stocking on my palm. 

Then I use my free hand to stretch the stocking over the soap (the stocking doesn't touch the front side of the soap) to make sure everything stays on it's place. I kind of lift and stretch the stocking. I still don't loose the holding of the soap. When I get it all over, I tighten the stocking package first by my free hand by lifting and stretching. When I tighten, I make sure the stocking doesn't touch the front side of the soap. When it is tight enough, I let the stocking land on the front side of the soap. Then I gently loose the hand holding the soap but still make sure the stocking doesn't get loose over the soap. This is quite fast process so get ready. It is kind of sliding the soap in but more with the help of lifting and stretching the stocking than just dropping the soap in.

If I need to tighten more the stocking (it needs to be tight but not over-strained) I do it by 1st stretching the stocking sideways and then instead of just pulling the mouth of the stocking I kind of lift it tight. I do this all by putting my fingers inside the stocking. Like when you dress up the stockings to your legs. If you just pull it tighter it makes the felt layers move towards the upper part of the soap. That is not what we want. We want the wool stay even around the soap.

And for the last you need to hold it firm and make a knot you can easily open no matter it's wet. Easiest way is to make a knot but don't pull it all through so you get a loop with the knot. When you pull the end the loop runs through the knot and it opens up. If you are not good with the knots, you can use a plastic back closer clip.

Notice: if you have already used all your toe parts you can make the knots to the both ends.

Notice: you can re-use one stocking many times.

Notice: if you have no experience about the stockings you can buy as small size as possible with about 40-60 DEN (it lasts better than 20 DEN), if you are donated bigger sizes for this, you just need to tighten it more around the soap.

Notice: you can do this without a stocking, but then it turns out a bit more challenging because first the wool wants to escape.

4. Then you need warm/hot water and start to felt. There is no need to burn your skin. It just needs to feel warm in your hands, otherwise the felting process doesn't start. Warm water opens the fibers. It doesn't get felt if the fibers are not open. You can put warm water into a bowl and sink the soap in. Squeeze the soap gently until it has got wet. Keep on squeezing despite you now lift the soap up from the water. If you have made a figure, squeeze and tap the figure so that it stays on its place. This should not take more than couple of minutes if your water is warm enough and the soap is all wet. If you have not made a figure or your figure stays on its place you can start to rub the soap in its stocking. The soap foam begins to form out. If needed, change the water so that it will be warm/hot again. If the water is warm enough and you keep on rubbing the soap constantly, this should not take more than 10-12 minutes. 

Notice: you need to take the stocking away in the half way (after 5-6 min) and continue the rubbing without it (otherwise the stocking gets stuck into the soap and when you take it off it pulls the fibers out).

Notice: you are done with this phase when you can pinch/nip a bit the wool without it all comes out.

5. Finally you begin the felting process itself. It is kind of funny because you have been felting all the time already. I rather call this phase as "spooking". You rinse (and rub) the soap under as warm water as you feel comfortable for a moment to make the soap to feel very war. This makes sure the fibers open. Then you put the soap fast into a very cold water and rub it for a moment there. This makes sure the fibers close up. You repeat this all together for 3 times. You start with the hot and end with the cold. This makes the fibers to open and squeeze which makes them to crab and stuck to each others. And that is actually felting. This phase takes just 1-2 minutes with one soap. It is very fast process is a small project like this.

6. Squeeze the extra water gently out of the soap and place it to dry. If you notice it is not proper felted you can do it again: the rubbing and spooking. 

Felted soaps are lovely hand made gifts which you can make budget also. For about 5-10% of the soap fades away during the process but that amount will be replaced by the felt. I had 100 g soap bar and roughly estimated 5-10 g wool. After the felting process the weight is about the same as the soap's original weight. I used Marseille soaps and I calculated that one soap cost 1,50 € with the wool. My working time doesn't count here, but I made these 5 soaps in 1½ hours when I include all the work.

Notice my Sámi colors and their symbols: 

• yellow for the sun
• red for the fire and warmth
• green for the forest and earth
• blue for the water

BobbinLacePillow -tutorial

Do you remember my bobbin lace base? It is made of Finnfoam frost insulation sheet. I have found it a bit too hard and thin in the use. Also, the white cover has turn out to be an bit too bright and white. That's why I have made some improvements to it.

I used an old YogaMat to create some more height to it. I used hot glue to fasten the YogaMat sheets under the Finnfoam. Just a little bit around the edges.

On the top I placed 1 cm foam mattress to create a bit softness. This was my only left over piece so I needed some jig saw puzzle method to complete it. But that is just ok be cause it comes so close the edge that it doesn't actually matter. I used again hot glue to fasten the foam. I pinned the edges to make sure the foam stays on until the glue dries up.

Then I cut much bigger round piece out of jersey. I sew the single fold and left it open for 2 cm to be able to take the elastic band in and trough it. Then I just tighten it all up and made a knot to the elastic band.

Ta-dah. Now I have self-made updated bobbin lace pillow and a cover for it. I saved about 120€. But I saved also the nature resources because all the other materials except the jersey fabric were recycled. This is FashionNOW.

ToePart -tutorial

AAW Fair Isle Socks No1 needed new toe parts. Instead of patching I decided to make the whole new toe parts. I could have just unravel it by seeking the end and pull it all out.

Unraveling is not always possible or it might be the most difficult solution. That's why I decided to show you another option.

First you pick up the stitches you want to keep. Then you cut off the part you are not going to keep. Cut as close as possible to ease your work but make sure you don't damage the stitches you want to keep.

The unravel the rest of the stitches you want to get rid of. Then you just knit the new toe parts -or what ever needed- for your knitting project. 

It is not difficult to save the materials and the planet Earth. It is not difficult to bring the FashionNOW into your lifestyle. It is more about the attitude and respecting the life.

ZipperEnd -tutorial

One of my long-term-projects is finished now. It is the new covers for the dog beds. Here you can see the old cover of this wooden bench the dogs use as one of their beds. The old covers were made of brand new furniture fabric over 15 years ago. Inside the covers I used an old mattress of old sofas we had received old and at the end recycled after over a decade use. The mattresses inside are still perfect.

Slowly the old covers arrived to the end of their lives. That's why I have collected old jeans in purpose for this project for years. I used my last collection of old jeans in June 2015 for the SeaSideOfficeChair. 

I used the leg parts of the jeans and one jeans jacket. Every now and then I had quite a puzzle of this on the floor of my sewing room. I could have made much more complicated patchwork quilt covers of the jeans. I decided not to and sew only as few seams as possible. Because the covers will face quite a pressure so there will be less seams to get broken.

The dogs sleep in the library where's also the SeaSideOfficeChair by my desk. Also the SummerOfficeChair is still in use.

I show you how to make the zipper ends in the way that it needs a bit more work but actually makes it all easier in sewing and in use in a covers like these. You can do this also without the fabric ends. If you are using the zippers bought by the meters they don't have the factory made ends. That means the critical place of the zippers to get broken are the ends if they are facing the strong pressure. That's why I make the fabric ends for example in these dog bed covers. Also, I made longer ends to get them over the corners. If the zipper ends in the corner, that creates the pressure too.

Once you've made the fabric ends for the zipper, sew the zipper from it's one side, but leave the 1 cm seam allowance without sewing at the end. 

Turn the other side and use scissors to make a small cut in this way. Cut only the basic fabric, not the zipper or its fabric end. Make the cut end 1-2mm before the sewing stitch end. Now you get a kind of triangle at the end of the sipper.

Turn again the right side up. Push the triangle in and pin.

Do the same for the both zipper ends.

Stitch the zipper's seam allowance first on the side you worked on. Then pin and sew the other side of the zipper. Ta-dah, you've done.

***

This is FashionNOW project. Almost all the materials used are recycled. The jeans are old ones which have got too small. One zipper is from the old cover and the other zipper is new because one old cover had already old re-used zipper and it finally needed to be changed. The mattress are from old sofas.

FireStarters -tutorial

I had the kettle on because I needed more fire starters. I made cotton pad fire starters 5 years ago. I still have few left. I do have made up a fire more often 240 times in five years but I don't always need to use fire starters. Since January 2019 I've been saving more candle ends and now it has came the time to melt them for the new project.

You need an old kettle which you use only for candle project. Notice: you can't use it or any other equipment you use in this for cooking anymore. 

Just mild heat is enough to melt the candle ends. If there will be even tiny mini-bubbles, it's getting dangerous hot. Make sure you have fire blanket next to you.

Trashes in the soup are ok. It is easy to avoid them and later on you can use some stick to get them out.

Before starting cover a tray by baking paper. If you want to make more decorative ones, use paper tissues. In that case take off the uppermost layer of a paper tissue. Place it upside down (print facing down) over the baking paper. Dip the cotton pads in the melt candle wax. Use a tool, not fingers!

When they are cool and set you can cut the pads off. It turns out zero waste if you use the left over paper tissues also as fire starters because for sure there are candle wax drops all around them.

When finished, you can make a small cut on each. You can fold the pad when lighting it on. It starts better when the fire faces the pad inside first.

It is an easy one evening project. I made 200 fire starters this time.

By choosing different kind of paper tissues you can create different kind of outfit.

They are suitable also for gifts too. Useful, low budget and eco friendly gifts. 

ToyHorseBlanket -tutorial

Especially little girls love toy horses. You can buy all kind of them and all sorts of extras and equipment too.

You don't need to buy all the extras. I made an easy blanket for this horse. I used turquoise piece of felt which I cut off by zig zag scissors. You can re-use the fastener of bras, for example (never throw them away!!!!), to fasten the blanket at front.

This is how I made the blanket to stay on better. For this I needed just two sequins and piece of embroidery thread with metallic effect. Notice that I used just 4 French Knots to fasten it all. 

• 1st on the front side of the left side sequin
• 2nd on the back side of the left side sequin to attach it to the blanket
• 3rd on the back side of the right side sequin (this I made before taking the needle through so it is kind of marker that I don't tighten too much the cord)
• 4th on the front side of the right side sequin to attach the right side sequin to the blanket

Very easy to make. If you need budget gift ideas for a child who loves and has toy horses you can easily make equipment for them and the kid will be happy forever! For the blanket you just need to take the measures of the horse's back and the side all the way to the point you plan the fastening. Measure also the needed width. Then draw it all on the paper, cut off the pattern from the paper and fit on the horse and make needed changes on the pattern. When you first use a paper or something like that you don't waste your valuable fabrics!

Remember to use all your imagination to create most fabulous designs! This is just a simple version to show how the base can be made!

Widen the dress lining -tutorial

Since 2011 when I started this blog I have made several dresses. One for me and three for YoungLady. YoungLady has got Turquoise Dress, TheMEKKO and DreamDress. I have also made Snow White Petticoat and CottonCandySkirts. YoungLady has got more because she has grown more.

Valentine's Day 2020 was special because of the high school ball YoungLady participated. This time my wish was to find a dress from a shop. I knew I'd have quite much work at the time and I also got injured in October 2019. So, YoungLady made a huge job seeking dresses from internet. We wanted a dress she could use later on despite most of the dresses at the ball are princess' dreams. You could always sell the dress but that is not very easy around here where people are fewer and most of them want brand new dress. Recycling is The Thing so we started from the idea she could use the dress many times at different occasions.

This is the first ever dress she found from a shop. In her life I have always made her "better dresses". I share this tutorial with you because you might find a dress for a ball or party from a charity shop and just by some fixing it will be unique and perfect for the needs. Old wedding dresses can be taken consideration too; especially if you add a bit this and that to dress off the wedding expression...

At the end we found this dress when visiting Turku in October 2019. It is an evening dress, not a high school ball dress. But we had an idea. As you can see the dress hem has a lot of fabric. At the shop we tested it with a petticoat and it turn out a ball dress. There was just one problem... The lining of the skirt was not wide enough.

To wide the dress lining you need to hang the dress somewhere...

...and clip up the skirt to make it to stay away and not to disturb your working.

Then you need the count how many seams you have and measure the length...

...all the way. Notice not to start too high. Make sure you start there where you still can work with your sewing machine. And remember to leave the pins on to mark the points!

Then cut as many triangles as you had the seams (you can draw a paper pattern if not sure will you do it right).

The height of the triangle is the same plus 3 cm seam allowance as the the height you just measured was.

The base width of the triangle is "as much as you need" MEANING that you need to estimate how much space you actually need at the end and share it even with the triangles. It's ok to have rather extra than to make it too small. (You need to measure the petticoat's width that needs to fit under the dress and the dress' lining width and see how much you are missing.)

After cutting off the triangles go back to the dress to unpick the seams all the way up to the pins.

Use some tape to clean the mess.

After neatening the triangle side edges and lining seam edges pin one triangle at time to the lining and fasten by sewing. (Neaten them separate so later on -in the future- if you need to unpick the triangles it will be easier and faster.)

Be careful at the upper corners but don't stress up too much about them. They are so hing that won't be seen. Just make sure they turn out "thin" so they don't form out lumps that can be seen through the dress.

This is just fine.

The triangles need to be shared even around the dress lining to form out steady and ordered outfit for the skirt. If your dress has not more than one seam just cut out one extra with scissors. If you make the widening only to one part it will make the result to twist and twine and the skirt won't land well over the lining.

The skirt fabric is not in order nor ironed in this pic but you can see how wide it actually is, the lining was just smaller. In this pic the petticoat is under the dress but the dress will be just fine without it too. And the triangles can be unpick when ever needed.

Later on you'll see proper pics of the dress and the hair I did myself...