Cajun Corner – Vol. 6, No. 19 – August 2, 2014

 

 

 

Cajun Corner – Vol. 6, No. 19 – August 2, 2014

Bon Jour!  Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.

 

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Don’t forget to visit us at www.cajunstitchery.com, www.flickr.com/photos/cajunstitchery, and, www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.   We are also on Twitter and Facebook. 

Visit our on-line catalogs at:

http://www.my-catalogs.com/cajunstitchery

and www.companycasuals.com/cajunstitchery.

Does size really matter?  Sometimes in embroidery it does matter.  With that said, I want to inform you it is my understanding Cajun Stitchery now owns the biggest hoop in the embroidery industry.  It is not so much the size of the outside of the hoop as it is the footprint of the hoop and machine.  Any machine has its limits.  On embroidery machines you can go just so far side-to-side and up and down.  That is known as the X and Y axis.  Flashback to algebra, huh?  Our new hoop has a stitching footprint of 16” wide and 14.75” tall.  That is very big.  Of course, if you turn the design sideways it can be 14.75 x 16.  Just to test the new hoop, I enlarged a fleur de lis to these dimension and stitched it out.  Of course, I don’t have any designs that large now but we can now make them that large.  You aren’t going to buy designs that size, either, unless they are custom designed.  That’s not to say that other machines and other hoops cannot complete a design that size.  They can but not in one hooping.

It is now August.  George and I will be celebrating our 44^th wedding anniversary on August 14^th.  George did a little research and found that the traditional wedding gift for a 44^th anniversary is groceries.  Yep, you read that right.  George said he’s going grocery shopping for our anniversary.  I’m still thinking about what to give him.  He’s not a big fan of sweets.  Maybe I’ll just take him out to dinner but that is just so blasé.  Any ideas?

We have added a new category to our Etsy store for Wedding Miscellaneous.  There are little and big corset bags, Just Married luggage tags, Mr. and Mrs. Luggage tags, and a few other items.  Hopefully, more items will be included as time goes by. 

The new category is because so many people want to purchase unique gifts for wedding and baby showers, as well as birthdays but unique items are either too expensive or not special enough.  I’m going to try to do some items to help out.  I know there are years when it is one wedding after another; then there are years with a multitude of baby showers (usually the year after the weddings).  The pocketbook tends to start shrinking after a few of these showers.  Practically speaking, I would think you can never go wrong with diapers for baby showers, but so many of the young people these days are going with the holistic and environmental thing and you don’t know what kind of diapers to get.  Monograms are always in vogue and appreciated.  They aren’t very expensive, either.  If I can hoop it; I can monogram it.  Yes, even diapers.  And, I have monogrammed disposable diapers.

A friend of mine suggested that I include the following, from a conversation we were having, in this week’s Cajun Corner:

Texture question:  Yes, different textures are digitized differently, not to mention there are different techniques in embroidering different textures.  For example:  if we are embroidering on light linen or cotton, like a sheet, heavy embroidery would be too much and look funky.  You want something light on a light fabric.  Heavy embroidery could tear a light fabric.  However, if you are working on a heavier fabric like the primitive linen, you would want a heavier design so that the embroidery would not look washed away.  Heavier fabric requires an underlay most of the time. 

 

Remember the pillowcases that I made?  Remember the embroidery on the edge compared to the embroidery as you had me change it.  It was the same design but adding the underlay made the embroidery stands out, have texture, and look more elegant.

 

If you are using toweling, velvet, corduroy, anything with a pile, you need to digitize to help the design stand above the pile and/or keep the pile down.  A lot of that is also in the embroidery technique used.

 

Leather, plastics, netting and card stock need the embroidery with longer spaces between the stitches so the fabric is not ripped.

 

So, in a lot of respects the fabric determines how a design is digitized.

 

Price-wise, more stitches = more cost.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK

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Cajun Stitchery

(850) 261-2462

cajunstitchery@yahoo.com

P.S.  You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

Cajun Corner - Vol. 4, No. 14

Cajun Corner – Vol. 4, No. 14 – April 14, 2012

Bon Jour!  Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Don’t forget to visit our blog at www.cajunstitchery.blogspot.com, and www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.   We are also on Twitter and Facebook. 

Visit our on-line catalogs at:

http://www.imprintit.biz/cgi-bin/cobrand/site.w?location=olc/catalog-home.w&top=catalog&frasmes=no&target=main&sponsor=000699

and www.companycasuals.com/cajunstitchery.

Easter was a wonderful day.  George and I dyed eggs the night before and when visiting our friends on Easter Sunday, we hid the eggs in their yard.  The eggs were located and we hid them, again, throughout the house.  It was a lot of fun.

It has been a sad week.  One of the attorneys I worked with many years ago passed away in a drowning accident.  What makes matters even worse is that one of his daughters passed away last Saturday.  My heart and prayers goes out to this family.  They were a very close knit family.   The ray of sunshine from this horrible situation is that I was able to reconnect with some very dear friends from the law firm.

The scalloping edges are coming along.  I did another shirt with a scalloped edge and a design which turned out okay.  There were problems along the way with thread and needle breaks, but that is just more of me learning the new machine, I think.  All of the scallops that I have done so far have been on jersey tee shirts.  The first attempt was on the pink tee shirt and the second attempt was on the navy tee shirt.  Wovens will be much easier.

Have I ever discussed puff embroidery?  Puff embroidery is made using foam.  The foam is the same foam that you see when you go to a craft store or department.  Sometimes they are cut in the shape of little animals.  Sometimes they are larger circles or squares.  They even have visors made from the foam.  Puff embroidery uses a satin stitch, so, it cannot be very wide or the satin stitches will loosen and get caught on things.  It is also difficult to take a photograph of an item using puff embroidery and actually showing the effect.  The effect is that the stitch covered foam heightens the embroidery.  It is a texture that you can feel.  The design must be digitized for puff embroidery by eliminating the underlay.  At the point in the embroidery where the foam is used, the machine will stop.  The foam is then placed in the area for the puff embroidery and the machine begins stitching a dense satin stitch, thus perforating the foam.  When the area of puff is completed, just lift off the remaining foam and it is done.  Sounds easy, huh?  There are some complications with foam.  One is that sometimes little pieces of the foam protrude through the stitches.  This is resolved by using a pin to push the foam under the stitching.  It is always a good idea to use the same colored foam as your thread.  Another method is a magic marker pen in the same color as the thread.

Puff embroidery is great for outlines or even something less than ½ inch wide or so, but what if you want a larger area raised in your embroidery?  How would that be accomplished?  It can be done, you know.  The method is trapunto.  According to Wikipedia:

“Trapunto, from the Italian for "to embroider," is a method of quilting that is also called "stuffed technique." A puffy, decorative feature, trapunto utilizes at least two layers, the underside of which is slit and padded, producing a raised surface on the quilt.”

The trapunto method can be used on modern embroidery machines.  I’ve never tried it but the instructions make sense and seem to be fairly easy. 

If you are not a subscriber and would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me know to put you on our email list. 

Found this at http://www.craftynest.com/2010/07/camp-craft-duct-tape-wallets/

How to make duct tape wallets

Supplies and tools

·                 duct tape (Duck brand is available at The Home Depot, Michaels, and many other stores. TapeBrothers.com carries the widest selection of duct tape I have seen, including Platypus Designer Duct Tape.)
·                 craft knife (X-Acto or other utility knife. We used these mini cutters)
·                 self-healing cutting mat or other cutting surface (we used sheets of Plexiglass from my salvaged window project)
·                 credit card/driver’s license
·                 3- by 4-inch piece of clear plastic for ID window (I cut up a roll of clear plastic I had on hand)
·                 12-inch ruler with metal edge

Main fabric:

1. Tear off four pieces of tape that are at least 9 inches long. (Don’t use scissors. Don’t use your knife. Rip it!) Place them sticky-side-up on your cutting surface. Stick them to each other (front-to-back), overlapping about 1/2 inch.

2. Tear off four more pieces the same length. Starting about 1/2 inch from the top, adhere one piece at a time (back-to-back). The last piece should overlap about 1/2 inch. (The reason you start 1/2-inch down is to stagger the thicker parts of the duct tape “fabric” you’re making. If you don’t, some parts of the fabric will be four layers thick, which is difficult to fold.)

3. Fold over the top and bottom edges. Your fabric should now be about 6 inches tall.

4. Using your ruler and knife, cut a clean edge on the left side. Always use your ruler when cutting with your knife.

5. Then measure 8-1/2 inches and trim the other edge. Set aside.

Credit card pockets:

6. Tear off two pieces of tape about 5 inches long. Overlap them the same as step 1.

7. Tear off two more 5-inch pieces and adhere the same as step 2.

8. Fold over the top and bottom edges the same as step 3. This large pocket should be about 3 inches tall.

9. Using your ruler and knife, cut a clean edge on the left side.

10. Then measure 4 inches and trim the other edge. Set aside.

11. Tear off two pieces these are about 9 inches long. Stick them directly back-to-back.

12. Cut this double-sided piece into two 4-inch long pieces. These are your smaller pockets.

13. Tear off a 5-inch piece of tape. Rip it lengthwise down the middle. (Yes, I said rip it. Fast. You can do it. Don’t worry if it’s not exactly down the middle.)

14. Use two of the ripped pieces to make a top border on each of the small pockets. Tape the top edge, then fold over. Trim the excess.

15. Tear off a 4-inch piece of tape. Rip it lengthwise down the middle.

16. Stack the pockets on top of each other. Stagger the height of the two smaller ones evenly.

17. Place a credit card on top of the stacked pockets to make sure you leave enough space for your cards. Using one of your ripped pieces, tape the left side of your pockets right up to the edge of the credit card. Fold it over to the back side and trim the excess with your ruler and knife. Do not tape the right side yet.

ID window:

18. Use another ripped piece to tape the right edge of your window. Fold it over and trim the excess. Do not tape any other edge yet. Set aside.

Final assembly:

19. Fold your main fabric in half lengthwise. Make sure the height of your pockets, window, and wallet are all the same height (3 inches). If not, trim them as necessary.

20. Unfold the main fabric. Place the window and pockets in opposite upper corners of your main fabric. Rip a 9-inch piece of tape lengthwise. Option 1: Use one piece to tape the top edge all the way across. Or option 2: Using your knife and ruler, cut one of the pieces in half endwise. Tape the window down, lining up the cut edge with the right side of the window. Then tape the pockets down, lining up the cut edge with the left side of the pockets. Trim off the excess.

21. Tear off another 4-inch piece of tape. Rip it lengthwise down the middle.

22. Refold your main fabric. Place a credit card on top of the pockets. Using one of the ripped pieces, tape the right side of your wallet right up against the edge of your credit card. Fold it over the entire wallet. Trim the excess with your knife.

23. Tape the left edge (window side) of your wallet the same way. Trim the excess.

24. Following either option 1 or 2 in step 20, tape the bottom edge the same way. This piece will show on the outside of your wallet, so follow option 1 if you want a contrasting border. (You can cut out a notch on the inside, if you prefer.)

25. Fold your wallet in half endwise, then press it flat.

26. Add decoration with duct tape as desired. You’re done!

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C’est tout, mes amis

Peggy Henshall

Cajun Stitchery

(850) 261-2462

cajunstitchery@yahoo.com

P.S.  You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day.  I hope everyone wore their green today.

The cute little fanny pack and the garden tool bag were a hit.  Look at our last post for photographs of these items.  One lady wanted the garden tool bag but wanted it in a different color.  It only comes in blue.  It is so cute that I'm seriously thinking about making some to sell on Etsy.  Keep an eye out at our etsy shop http://www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com/. 

This Exfoliating Bath Mitt comes in several colors, as seen in the photograph.  We are able to stitch a small design on these, including a name or initials.  I don't have one with embroidery to show you.  They have a rough texture for exfoliating.  The only way I know of describing it is a soft rough texture.  It is certainly not like a steel wool kind of rough.  The colors are all in pastels and would look lovely for a nice Spring or Easter gift of bath luxuries with some nice soaps, bubble bath, a pretty matching towel and the like.  In fact, I kept one for myself and plan to use it for all of our scrap soap pieces.  Just put the too small bars of soap in there (rather than tossing them in the garbage) and use this bath mitt to bathe or shower.  Perfect!

We've been working on a couple of dog harnesses for little dogs, Tatu and Smoochy.  The customer works at a local law firm, Michels & Booth, and provided the ready made harnesses.  I digitized the logo, names, and the motto "Don't Be A VictimTwice."  With the embroidery machine, we did the buttonholes and used the sewing machine to sew in the buttons and "D" ring.  Each harness took 6 hoopings.  I think they turned out cute.  Here is another item that appears simple to make and may appear in our Etsy store.

Until next time, cher.