Learning to hem dress pants
Hems! Bah! I could think of a million things I’d rather do.
But my husband has a nice, but weird, pair of dressy trousers from Country Road. The weird thing is the hem is not sewn on but ironed on using hem tape. So after a few washes, the hem comes loose and I iron on more hem tape. I’ve done this twice now. Fun eh?
I avoided the impulse to just machine sew a hem. I knew the stitching would just stick out like a sore thumb. So with the magic of Google, I came across this awesome tutorial (PDF) on how to hand sew the hem.
I carefully hand sew the “catch stitch” across the hem and I was quite surprised at how quick it was to sew.
Ten minutes later I was done hemming both legs. My stitches looked pretty even but the truth is on the other side – the right side.
Squeal! Look at that nothingness! I’m not joking. That’s already hemmed on the inside!
I also found that the same website with the tutorial – Sewing.org – has a huge list of tutorials. HUGE! Click here and be one with your sewing.
Oh before you go, do you know whether the iron-on hem is unusual or maybe I’m just clueless and it’s a standard sort of hem for dress trousers?
65 Roses Quilt
I crocheted rose petals to add to my block for the 65 Roses Quilt {tutorial}.
Look at the little tiny stitches.
Pattern: Rose Petal Satchet
Yarn: Milford Mercer 20
Hook: 1.3 mm
Mods: Only worked one side
And here is my completed quilt block. 
You can view more squares from other contributors in this Flickr group.
Related Post:
65 Roses Quilt WIP
65 Roses Quilt WIP
In my creative space this week, Cath and I worked on our blocks for Whipup’s 65 Roses Quilt. This charity quilt will be donated to the Australian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and it will be auctioned off at their annual gala next May.
I turned my little dining area into a sewing room for us to work in. Complete beginners in quilt making with zero quilts to our credit but we were willing to give it a go for charity. It was funny watching each other struggle with the most basic things like pressing fabric and cutting squares!
And my lack of focus and impulsive nature led me down a frustrating path. As you can see from the above picture, I had jumped out of my seat halfway through sewing to take this shot. Bad move. Look what happened to my first block:
My mushroom fabric is facing the wrong way! I know some of you might be thinking, just turn it around you silly girl. No can do. The cream, plain fabric has to be on the top left. So I had to resew another block. I guess I needed the practice anyway.
In the end, we both got there. This is my block:
It’s not finished yet. A rose design of some sort needs to embellish the cream square. I would like to crochet this rose motif {pattern} to sew onto it. Just need to get some red thread this weekend. I’ll be able to show you the completed block next week.
If you are interested in donating a completed rose block to this quilt, all the instructions are available at Whipup {tutorial}.
More creative spaces at Kootoyoo.
First Homemade Top
My dabbling with sewing has led me onto a new journey. It’s a scary path which I have avoided for a long time. But I’m glad I ventured on and explored the world of sewing my own clothes. *gasp* To many of you, I’m sure it’s no big deal. But me, it’s a huge deal! The last time I made something to wear, I was 14 and had my home economics teacher guide me step-by-step. What did happen to those culottes?
Anyway, what spurred me onward was this free sewing pattern – Tessuti’s Fave Top {link}. I had a look at it and thought that
Pinned them onto two metres of stretchy fabric which I bought at a warehouse for only $2/metre. Cut the front and back pieces out. Then sew. I made the sides narrower than what the pattern called for and it was fun to try out the ‘elastic overlock stitch’ on my sewing machine. It made the job a lot easier! But the hem and neck line were not so easy for me. I’ve never sewed with stretch fabric before. So the stitches were not so straight. 
I ended up with a giant tee shirt. You must be thinking that “How is Salihan gonna fit in that? It’s way too big!”
Well, what do you think?
It’s ooohhh so perfect for summer.
Psst… I have another two metres of stretch fabric. I am undecided whether to make another one of these or try a different one. I’ve been looking at sewing patterns on Burda Style and a few have caught my eye, especially the Cowl dress/top by Ichigogirl.
If you have any suggestions, please let me know!
My Craft Space
I have organized my craft space and I’ve kept it clean and tidy for a few weeks now. Hard to believe that my new system stood up against overly enthusiastic stash enhancement shopping sprees and even more yarn acquisition from a generous friend and the dabbling of yet another craft hobby and most importantly, “I’ve-got-a-great-idea-that-I-must-do-it-right-now!” moments!
Computer workspace
Ifa, my female cat, pretty much lives on the printer. The only time she gets up voluntarily is when I’m cooking or eating or when it’s her dinner time. I normally kick her out of the room halfway through the day so that she can get some exercise.
Craft workspace
It’s so good to have a table just for my sewing and crafting. The white board and stackable storage boxes helps keep me on track and in check. Cats have learned to keep off this area, otherwise, Mummy goes psycho!
Store related containers
Two of my 50 litre containers hold my store related materials, stock and yarn. My thinking is that if these boxes are overflowing, I’m not selling enough products quickly enough. Time to re-think a few things.
Yarn stash
The largest of the containers is 57 litres and it holds all my stash yarn. I really can’t afford to have any more than this much yarn. I don’t have the space or the money to let this grow any bigger. I have enough stash yarn to keep me knitting and crocheting for at least one year! Although, I will make allowances for free yarn. I’m not that silly!
ECO-FRIENDLY & ORGANIC YARN FOR SALE
I would like to talk more about this in detail next week. But if you can’t wait to enhance your yarn stash now, CLICK HERE to grab a one off deal from my shop. 35- 50% off!
Knitting WIP
I have Shawl Collar Vest [pattern] and Feather & Fan Comfort Shawl [pattern] on my needles now. I am almost finished with the vest and I’m obsessively knitting it every chance I get.
Crocheting WIP
These are hot off my crochet hooks. I’m just waiting on a delivery to put the finishing touches on them. Watch this space for my new Christmas crochet pattern. Coming very soon!
Did you like the voyeuristic peek into my craft room? I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours. 
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