GreenStitch Episode 20 - Bread and Roses

Haven't yet listened to the podcast? Click in here!

I wish I had old images to share with you from the Bread and Roses strike. There are quite a few on Google, but I don't have confidence that they're authentic. Here is, however, some more information.

Want a glimpse of the Brother PR-1000 embroidery machine? Here's the video from CES and a few images below.

In the photo above, the old car image at upper right is an original photo. The others are stitched renderings on lightweight canvas, straight from the Brother PR-1000. Pretty remarkable results!

Finally, I hope you enjoyed the recording of the Women's Chorale of 171. If you're in Western New York and want to get our performance schedule, just e-mail me!

Thanks very much for listening, and thanks for all your great notes and comments. See you soon.

GreenStitch Episode 13 - Be a Wrap Star

Haven't heard the episode yet? This click will take you there.

Here's a loaf of bread in all its dollar store tea-towel finery -- I just used large hand-basting stitches and the bag looks dandy. And the bag for the jelly jar will be a great size for someone else to use for a small gift.

Here's another tea towel dressing up a loaf of bread. I really can't believe I'm lured in dollar stores from time to time - the siren song of the inexpensive tea towel is powerful indeed.

Even a small box can look pretty good wrapped in a tea towel. I had this red lace in my stash from some eBay assortment of trims I got ages ago. Since I'm not needing to decorate a bordello anytime soon, the wide red lace lent itself nicely to some gift-wrapping.

Wine bags of various origins. I think I'll stick with the ones made from cloth napkins.

Meet the Morsbags! These are just a few of the batch that I've made. I smile when I look through this stack and remember how all these bags started out -- some pillow covers from the Salvation Army, my friend Beth's old curtains, some leftover upholstery fabric, and a cute but outdated jumper I picked up at my friend Peggy Jo's garage sale.

Other links from this episode:

The Sew Mama Sew/Green Bag Lady challenge

Hip To Be A Square podcast

Quilted Cupcake - Project Night Night

Spoonflower fabric printing

GreenStitch Episode 11 - Sew many solutions

Hope you got a few ideas for coming up with simple solutions to little everyday challenges with the creative use of recycled materials and your sewing machine. It was fun to revisit Episode 3, when our friend Ginger from Wienerdog Tricks put the idea into words!

Here's the sleeve for my new laptop, made out of a couple of thick placemats. For closure, I sewed a big flat button on either side and joined them with an elastic hair band. I must admit, I really enjoyed seeing this festive stripe poking out of my work bag last week. The little tiny bit of lateral stretch in this ribbed weave makes for a great fit.

Here's the fold-up charger/cord organizer. T-shirt scraps made the perfect stretchy pockets for various chargers and a flash drive or two. Clearly, this would not win any contests for design or craftsmanship. Did that matter to me when I could quickly and easily find all my gadgets during my recent trips? It did not!

Here's the scissors pouch, which hangs from the side of my sewing table, always at the ready. The thick ribbed weave of the placemat is easily tough enough for this task, and large knitting stitch markers make the pouch easy to hang. The lower photo shows how I boxed off the bottom. Easy!

The little camera pouch, made out of part of a hemline from an old wool skirt. I actually made several pouches out of this skirt. Those elastic hair bands come in so handy, too.

Make a very useful storage bag for your interfacing out of the plastic sheet of instructions that come with the yardage. Not rocket science, but it sure is practical.

I freely admit, the plastic-bag-dispensing shirt sleeve looks creepy -- like a dismembered Halloween scarecrow! However, if you're hanging it anywhere near your cat's "facilities," it will be a very functional addition and your cat will not complain! :)

I'm crazy about my new tote bag for my music folder, but can you imagine how this print looked when it was in its original skirt form?!

Have any useful sewing solutions you'd like to share? Just leave a comment. And as always, thank you so much for listening! See you soon.

GreenStitch Episode 1 - Hello, let's make a backpack!

Thanks for tuning in to the first GreenStitch podcast! Click on the title of this post to get to Episode 1 -- or, just click here.
Here are some photos and some additional instructions to go along with the audio recording.

For the backpack -- cut four rectangles, all the same size ...two from the T-shirt, two from the lining fabric (which can be another old shirt, or any sort of woven fabric.)

Size varies. Eyeball it!

If you're using corded loops on the lower sides of your bag to thread your arm straps through, "install" them when you stitch the side seams of your T-shirt rectangles. A bit of Scotch tape holds the cord in place until you stitch the seam. Avoid masking tape. Too sticky. Note how the "loop" portion goes toward the fabric. Once you stitch the seam, it'll be going the right way.

Sew your T-shirt rectangles together on three sides (leave one short side open); turn it inside out and press. Do the same with your woven lining, but don't turn inside out. Slip the lining in the T-shirt bag to form one double-thick bag...stitch the raw edges together.



Attach the casings -- two strips, each the width of your bag (when ends are finished and folded about an inch under.) Fold each strip wrong sides together. This shows you how they should meet up at the side seams when you stitch them in place, with all four raw edges together. Your finished ends of the casing strips give you some wiggle room. I fold them in about an inch on each end, but as you get to the meet-up place, you can fold them in more, or ease them out a little -- all with the goal of getting them to meet precisely (or at least reasonably!)


Your cording for the arm straps goes in one casing, and turns right around to go through the second one.

Here's the second strap in place.

Thread one cord through your grommets or loops, tie off at a comfortable place, and you're done.



If you try grommets and mess them up (like I did with this one!) don't worry. Just round off your seam on the inside of the bag (doesn't matter if it has a raw edge inside, nobody will care). When you re-stitch, insert a cord loop in the seam. Done.


You don't have to use T-shirts! Here's a backpack from a table runner I picked up at a neighborhood sale. Lining is ripstop nylon from an old windbreaker jacket.

Free Bird!!!!!!

Here's how to start the reverse applique. Trace your shape onto the right side of your fabric.


On the back side, layer your contrasting fabric and an old dryer sheet for stabilizing. (Some purists argue that the residue in the dryer sheet may deteriorate cotton fibers over time. These aren't likely to end up in museums for the ages, so I say: why worry?)

Stitch around on your tracing line.

Here's what the back will look like -- make sure you've gone through all three layers.


Trim off the excess stuff on the back, leaving a quarter-inch or so around your stitched outline.


From the right side, carefully cut out your shape to reveal the contrast fabric. This is a great technique for T-shirts, as the interlock knit won't ravel.

Be sure and leave comments or suggestions if you have them, and thanks so much for listening! I'll be back with another podcast in a couple of weeks.