The Banquet’s “Project: Inside Out”
On Thanksgiving morning I decided to participate in The Banquet’s Run For Food event. OK, I walked, but it was great to get out and exercise for of good cause before delving in all my holiday favorites of turkey, stuffing and pie at Cleo’s house.
About 400 people gathered inside The Banquet prior to heading out for either a one-mile, 5-K or 10-K walk/run. The event coordinators and the Banquet staff spoke briefly. One gentleman told a quick story of the generosity of the community this Thanksgiving – The Banquet had asked for donations of 40 turkeys, a number of pies and other items to fix for their guests for Thanksgiving dinner. He told us we all should walk over to the kitchen coolers, open them up to see for ourselves – there were over 400 turkeys!
Many of us have so much to be thankful for this holiday season. That is why I want to highlight The Banquet’s “Project: Inside Out” in today’s e-mail.
The Banquet is asking for donations of “Brand New Undergarments” to give to their guests as a Christmas gift. This includes underwear, socks, bras and undershirts. The undergarments will be given to the guests of The Banquet on December 17th & 18th, just in time for Christmas.
Please purchase undergarments in your own size so there will be a variety for the guests to choose from. Please do not wrap these items. The deadline for dropping off items is Friday, December 12th.
You may drop off donations at:
- Heirloom Creations, 3800 S Western Ave, Sioux Falls, SD, or
- The Banquet, 900 E 8th St, Sioux Falls, SD
If you receive this e-mail outside the South Dakota area, keep this idea in mind for your local church or community outreach center. There are plenty of people that would greatly appreciate this type of gift for themselves and their families.
Event organizers from the Run for Food Event said they collected 12 grocery bags full of undergarments for Project: Inside Out, and raised more than $6,000.
Everything Silk
Many of you know that I often select the monthly club topics for Sewtopia based on projects I want to complete, or it may be that my projects may need “help” being completed by giving myself a deadline. Such was the case for the November club meeting when the topic was silk.
My silk journey started last year when we started carrying a selection of silk dupioni. I was immediately drawn to the lime green silk which is one of my favorite colors. I had 2 yards professionally machine quilted in hopes to make a jacket from it. Since it took over a year to finally get my nerve up to cut into it, I concluded that it really just needed time to “age”.
After taking Judeen’s jacket fitting class this fall, I had in my hand a perfect jacket pattern adjusted slightly for the thickness of the quilted lime green silk. Since the back of the quilted silk was also silk, I did not have to plan for a lining. The jacket was finished with a black silk bias cut binding.
I also was inspired by the new silk fabric collections available for quilters at Heirloom Creations. The red quilt pictured was on display at a show and I knew we needed the same one sewn and displayed. This is the “In and Out” pattern.
Then I started wondering what I could do with silk scarves. When I was around 18, my mom and I hosted foreign exchange students for a couple years. Some brought us silk fabric or silk scarves from their country as gifts. They were beautiful pieces and much to pretty to cut up! But after many years, I wanted to do something with them. I decided that these silk gifts would make beautiful purse linings or purses themselves. I turned this one into a “Lazy Girl Wonder Wallet”.
It is small enough to hold a couple credit cards, cash and ID and is still light as a feather! If you need a quick holiday gift idea, the Wonder Wallets only take a 5” strip of fabric or make TWO from one fat quarter.
I also embroidered on a 5 1/2” x 6 1/2” silk rectangle to and turned it into an elegant purse-size tissue carrier!
Selecting the Right Tools
You will have the best results sewing with silk fabric by using sewing tools suited for working with this delicate fabric.
Sewing Machine Needles – Select a smaller needle such as a Schmetz Sharp 70/10 needle.
Pins – Use the finest pin which leaves a smaller hole or no hole. I love the Clover Quilters Pins (Fine) which are extra long with glass heads and sharp points.
Scissors and Rotary Cutters – When working with very fluid-like silk, be sure to use the Gingher serrated shears for accurate cutting which keeps the fabric from shifting as you cut. When using a rotary cutter, replace the blade with a new one before cutting. Also, if the rotary cutting mat has been used for many years, turn it over and use the back. This way the silk will not get pressed into the tiny grooves, which prevents it from cutting cleanly.
Thread – When sewing on silk fabric, select thinner thread such as silk thread, Isacord, or Aurifil thread for a finer stitch. A finer thread is required to use in conjunction in the finer size 70/10 sewing machine needle.
Interfacings – Silk is notorious for fraying. To keep silk from becoming just a pile of threads, use a fusible light weight woven interfacing such as Whisper Wift.
The Science of Silk
There is much to learn about how silk is made. Briefly, the average silk worm cocoon contains 300-400 meters of silk. It takes about 5500 silkworms to produce 1 kg (2.2lb) of raw silk! One ounce of silk worm eggs produces about 20,000 worms, which consume a ton of mulberry leaves during their lifetime.
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm. The shimmering appearance for which silk is prized comes from the fibers’ triangular prism-like structure which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles.
Silk is one of the strongest natural fibers but loses up to 20% of its strength when wet. It has a good moisture regain of 11%. Its elasticity is moderate to poor: if elongated even a small amount it remains stretched. It can be weakened if exposed to too much sunlight. It may also be attacked by insects, especially if left dirty.
Silk’s good absorbency makes it comfortable to wear in warm weather and while active. Its low conductivity keeps warm air close to the skin during cold weather. It is often used for clothing such as shirts, blouses, formal dresses, high fashion clothes, negligees, pajamas, robes, suits, sun dresses and underwear.
Silk has many other uses from bullet proof vests to non-absorbable surgical sutures.
Washing Silks
Hand wash silks the old fashioned way. Some silks should be dry cleaned (notably Dupioni) but most can be hand washed, especially if you wash the fabric before sewing. Dry cleaning gets more expensive every day, and the smell of perc (the dry cleaning fluid) in our clothes is not our favorite fragrance. And worst of all, silk begins to look dingy and dull after just a few trips to the dry cleaners. Many silks look better and last longer when hand washed.
But beware, many inexpensive and poorly woven silks may fade, become stiff, change texture or lose their sheen when hand washed. Try a test piece in a series of launderings before spending a lot of time and effort in any project.
Exceptions
Silk noil MAY shrink noticeably in hand washing (how much depends on the weave), and should absolutely be pre-shrunk before being sewn to minimize shrinkage in the final garment. Silk Noil may be machine dried, but this will increase shrinkage and should definitely be done before being cut and sewn.
Warning!
When hand washing a ready-to-wear silk garment, make a wash test on an inconspicuous part of the garment, the inside back of a hem, for example. Nothing in this document should be considered a recommendation or guarantee of success.
Why Silk Shrinks
Silk fiber is a protein, like your hair, and it does not itself shrink. The way the individual fibers are twisted together in the weaving process is what causes silk to shrink. Highly twisted yarns and loose weaves cause shrinking when water releases twisting energy in the fibers. It’s a bit like twisting a rubber band, reducing the length and seeing it bunch up. Ready to wear silk garments shrink because manufacturers don’t go to the trouble of washing the fabric first.
Do you want to sew something elegant? Select a piece of silk fabric instead of cotton for your next project. You will feel like a queen sewing it and royalty using it!
The Bernina 830 Arrived – And It’s BIG!
You have to see this new machine in person! The new Bernina 830 is the 8th wonder in the world – with technology so revolutionary and features so thoughtful that the experience of sewing on it is simply luxurious.
This past week Judeen and I attended a two-day training to learn how to use and teach new owners all the wonderful features of the new Bernina 830. Gary and Ryan also attended a two-day service training to learn and understand how the many new changes work and how easy it is to service this sewing/embroidery machine work of art.
It was fun to watch Judeen sit in front of the machine as she experienced the new features of the Bernina 830 first hand. She looked like the kid in a candy store that could have anything she wanted. There are so many new features that have never been seen in any sewing machine before.
A few of our favorite features include:
The new jumbo bobbin – up to 40% bigger than a standard bobbin.
It is a very smooth running machine, quieter than any other Bernina.
Of course with size comes plenty of room to maneuver large projects including quilts, and large embroideries.
The list goes on – All the beautiful new decorative stitches, built-in embroidery designs, numerous lettering options – it even comes with software to transform ALL your computer’s fonts into embroider-able alphabets!
The “needle minder” allows you to tell the Bernina 830 which needle is currently in the machine. Then each time the machine is turned on you are reminded of the size and type of needle that is in the machine.
The lighting on the new Bernina 830 is beyond what we would have even asked for. For anyone who has a hard time seeing, this machine makes it easy.
The new threading system with the 3-spool thread stand takes away any threading problems of the past. Just think – perfect threading every time.
And the new needle threader – WOW! Come in just see how it works!
This is only the start! Do come see this amazingly engineered machine to see where the future of the sewing world is going. Even if you have no desire for a new sewing machine, come see it for the marvel it is. It truly is in a class all its own.
Click here to visit Bernina’s website and learn more about the Bernina 830.
Sticky Build-Up on Your Needle?
As many of you are gearing up for your holiday sewing, this is a perfect time to take a needle inventory. Do you have the correct assortment for all your projects? One needle I would not want to be without EVER is a Stretch Needle.
There are times when some fusible webs, interfacing, or fabric sprays will start to build up a nasty, gummy wad at the top of a sewing machine needle. And before you know it, the thread starts breaking or the machine starts to skip stitches or even both! Stop – don’t blame the sewing machine!Sometimes it is hard to know how a new fusible web or spray will act when in contact with a metal needle. Many times you have already spent hours getting everything perfectly positioned and pressed in place and starting over is not one of your options. The solution can be a STRETCH NEEDLE! This specially coated needle cuts down the friction that often leads to the gummy build-up from these gooey fiends. Schmetz stretch needles are even color coated with a yellow top for quick visual reference.
I have often referred to these needles as a “911″ needle – a great needle to always have in the sewing room in case of a sewing emergency.Try stretch needles when sewing through rubbery items such as Lycra and elastic. And my most favorite use of a stretch needle would be for sewing through Velcro! Remember getting messy, uneven stitches the last time you sewed through a piece of Velco? A stretch needle will solve a host of unsightly stitching problems!
Until next week, may all your sewing be fun and all your stitches be straight!
© 2008 SewSara, Sioux Falls, SD. All Rights Reserved.
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Priority Quilt Update
Hi Sara,
I purchased your saddle shoe priority quilt at the Houston ;quilt show this past week and I love it!!!!
It was the first one I saw and immediately decided I had to have it. I grew up during saddle shoes and Dick and Jane so it is particularly up my alley. Thanks so much for donating. My Mother passed away a couple of years ago after a long decline with this awful disease. To have your Mother not remember you is so heartbreaking. So I buy one or two quilts every year and plan to donate a few myself. I hope the research goes on to defeat this. Thanks again so much. Your little quilt went to a good home!
Donna Mikesch
Kingwood, TX
PS Your blog was a lot of fun. I plan to visit often.
Click here to learn more about Priority Quilts.
Sitting Pretty
Lately, I have been “re-teaching” myself how to sit in a chair. Sound silly? It is the most natural thing to do right? Wrong!
When we “sew” we constantly move around our sewing room, from going to the cutting table, to the ironing board, back to lay out a pattern, read directions, and then sit to actually sew.
I have observed lately how many of us sit in the chair to sew. I’ve noticed we usually sit on the edge of the chair and lean forward. We might as well sit on a stool…we rarely use the BACK of the chair at all.
So lately, I have been making a conscious note of how I position my tush in my chair, before I step on the foot control. I am stopping, sliding all the way to the BACK of my chair, then rolling my chair toward my sewing machine before sewing. I can actually hear my back saying, “Thank you, thank you” as it is properly supported for how ever long I will be at the sewing machine.
Next time you sit down to sew, notice how you are sitting. Do you sit on the edge or only half way back in the chair?
Now if you are sitting on a hard kitchen chair with no back support, maybe its time to rethink your sewing set up. Come in and get professionally measured for a true Ergonomic Sewing Chair available in many sizes and colors from Heirloom Creations.
Make this winter and time to enjoy your sewing projects and don’t let your back or shoulder pain dictate how long you are able to sew.
Stop by and let me if this makes a difference for you!