Apparel: February 2008 Archives
There are certain events that get a crafter giddy from the creative possibility – weddings, birthdays, holidays, changes in season, etc. One event that has always seemed to inspire my family of seamstresses most is the birth of a child. Just think about it; all of those cute blankets, pillows, decorations and itty-bitty clothes just begging to be handmade. Sure, you can go to the store and buy any of that, but there’s something so special about a handmade baby item or gift. Whether the item in question is of better quality than a store counterpart, made to custom specifications (I’ll get to this later), or simply brimming with love and care that just can’t be replaced, there are so many reasons to spend the time and effort to welcome baby into the world with a one-of-a-kind, handmade gift.
Which brings me to my dilemma… As mentioned previously, I come
from a crafty family where baby-time meant“sewing time.” Well, it’s my turn now, and June 8th seems to be coming at me both excruciatingly slow and frighteningly fast. I want nothing more than to hold my little kick-boxer-in-training, but there’s still so much to do in preparation for his arrival. My sewing list for my little guy is so long, but there is only so much time (and energy!) that I can devote to it before showtime. What’s an expectant mom to do?
Before I start paring down my list to a more realistic size, I thought I would share it with you, our craft-minded readers. Whether you’re searching for ideas or can offer a few tips to help me narrow this down, I would love to hear your thoughts.
A Minky Blanket - I’ve seen these popping up in stores all over the place, and on my “Can IMake It?” scale they
fall somewhere between “Heck yes I can make that” and “Why wouldanyone pay that much for something so simple?!” When it comes to luxury and softness, minky is probably tops in my books. The only drawbacks I can see to making one would be the mess and possibly the price (I would certainly save money by making my own, but we’re tightening the purse strings at the moment and minky is on the costly side). On the other hand, I could make more of a throw with slightly larger dimensions and both of us could cuddle under it.
Oversized receiving blankets – I’ll admit it; I’m spoiled. My mom had my brother when I was 11 and my sister when I was 16, so I was exposed to the wonders of the oversized receiving blankets my aunt made for her and could truly appreciate them. Whether she laid them on the floor for tummy time or used them for a little extra privacy while breast feeding, the extra coverage made a great difference in their usefulness. It wouldn’t be hard for me to make this myself, but then again I could always put them on my wish list and hope my aunt loves me as much as she loves my mom.
Clothes – He’s not even here yet and he’s already got more clothes than I do, but it’s hard to resist the urge to make him a couple outfits when I work around temptations like the Sew Baby patterns. This will probably be the first thing to get cut from my list, but I’m still very tempted to make a replica of the adorable seersucker outfit I saw in a rather pricey catalog the other day.
Baby Sling – We recently started carrying a pattern for the Mei Tai baby carrier, and I can’t help but picture walking around with one in a cool Amy Butler fabric. My only concern is with entrusting my child’s safety to my sometimes shaky sewing skills. I might go sneak a peak at the pattern so see if it’s something I could handle or if I should just leave this one to the pros.
Sew Baby Snappy Wrap – Despite the teasing my Canadian friend throws my way, it does in fact get cold in Georgia. This cute little wrap just screams “useful” to me, and I am all about the functional along with the cute. Fleece is such a breeze to work with, this might become a standard baby gift if it’s as easy to make as it seems.
Baby’s First Quilt – Our lovely graphic artist, Moniqa, had a wonderful idea the other day. She suggested taking little hand and foot prints of our little guy, printing them onto fabric, and making a quilt out of the blocks. I always talk myself out of making a quilt because there are so many quilters in my family who are so much more talented than myself, but this idea might actually be one I could justify doing myself. I’m getting misty eyed just thinking about it.
That’s all I want to think about for now. I still need to get my sewing room cleaned and situated so that it can double as a nursery (I waited WAY too long for a sewing room to just give it up. He can share for now). All I can say is that part of me is glad I am not having a little girl – my sewing list went down by half once all the little dresses and baby doll clothes left the picture. If you can think of anything I should add to my list, please feel free to let me know. I’d love to hear your suggestions!
Which brings me to my dilemma… As mentioned previously, I come
from a crafty family where baby-time meant“sewing time.” Well, it’s my turn now, and June 8th seems to be coming at me both excruciatingly slow and frighteningly fast. I want nothing more than to hold my little kick-boxer-in-training, but there’s still so much to do in preparation for his arrival. My sewing list for my little guy is so long, but there is only so much time (and energy!) that I can devote to it before showtime. What’s an expectant mom to do?Before I start paring down my list to a more realistic size, I thought I would share it with you, our craft-minded readers. Whether you’re searching for ideas or can offer a few tips to help me narrow this down, I would love to hear your thoughts.
A Minky Blanket - I’ve seen these popping up in stores all over the place, and on my “Can IMake It?” scale they
fall somewhere between “Heck yes I can make that” and “Why wouldanyone pay that much for something so simple?!” When it comes to luxury and softness, minky is probably tops in my books. The only drawbacks I can see to making one would be the mess and possibly the price (I would certainly save money by making my own, but we’re tightening the purse strings at the moment and minky is on the costly side). On the other hand, I could make more of a throw with slightly larger dimensions and both of us could cuddle under it.Oversized receiving blankets – I’ll admit it; I’m spoiled. My mom had my brother when I was 11 and my sister when I was 16, so I was exposed to the wonders of the oversized receiving blankets my aunt made for her and could truly appreciate them. Whether she laid them on the floor for tummy time or used them for a little extra privacy while breast feeding, the extra coverage made a great difference in their usefulness. It wouldn’t be hard for me to make this myself, but then again I could always put them on my wish list and hope my aunt loves me as much as she loves my mom.
Clothes – He’s not even here yet and he’s already got more clothes than I do, but it’s hard to resist the urge to make him a couple outfits when I work around temptations like the Sew Baby patterns. This will probably be the first thing to get cut from my list, but I’m still very tempted to make a replica of the adorable seersucker outfit I saw in a rather pricey catalog the other day.Baby Sling – We recently started carrying a pattern for the Mei Tai baby carrier, and I can’t help but picture walking around with one in a cool Amy Butler fabric. My only concern is with entrusting my child’s safety to my sometimes shaky sewing skills. I might go sneak a peak at the pattern so see if it’s something I could handle or if I should just leave this one to the pros.
Sew Baby Snappy Wrap – Despite the teasing my Canadian friend throws my way, it does in fact get cold in Georgia. This cute little wrap just screams “useful” to me, and I am all about the functional along with the cute. Fleece is such a breeze to work with, this might become a standard baby gift if it’s as easy to make as it seems.Baby’s First Quilt – Our lovely graphic artist, Moniqa, had a wonderful idea the other day. She suggested taking little hand and foot prints of our little guy, printing them onto fabric, and making a quilt out of the blocks. I always talk myself out of making a quilt because there are so many quilters in my family who are so much more talented than myself, but this idea might actually be one I could justify doing myself. I’m getting misty eyed just thinking about it.
That’s all I want to think about for now. I still need to get my sewing room cleaned and situated so that it can double as a nursery (I waited WAY too long for a sewing room to just give it up. He can share for now). All I can say is that part of me is glad I am not having a little girl – my sewing list went down by half once all the little dresses and baby doll clothes left the picture. If you can think of anything I should add to my list, please feel free to let me know. I’d love to hear your suggestions!
Many people are hesitant to sew with minky because they are afraid it is difficult to work with. While minky projects can offer a new challenge to sewers, a few simple tips can make take the fear and difficulty out of the experience.- Minky is stable parallel to the selvage and stretches perpendicular to the selvage (along the width).
- Before you start a project, make sure to note the nap on the minky and cut pieces accordingly if you want the nap to lay a particular way.
- Minky, like fleece, will not shrink with washing. However, make sure to pre-wash all other fabrics you may be using in your project since they may.
- When cutting minky, be prepared for a cloud of fuzz! Try cutting pieces with a rotary cutter then taking them outside to shake them off, putting them in the dryer on the air dry cycle (NO heat), or keep a vacuum handy to cut back on some of the mess.
- Test, test, and test your stitch length, width and tension on a scrap piece before you start your project. Did we mention that you should test?
- Pins are your friends. Pin every 1” to 1.5” to ensure the minky stays in place. It may be time consuming, but you’ll thank yourself.
- Use a walking foot to help with slipping.
- To further prevent slipping, you can hand baste the layers before machine stitching.
- If you are working with one layer of minky and one layer of another fabric, stitch with the minky layer down and let the feed dogs guide the fabric.
- Give a generous seam allowance (about 1/2”) as minky tends to curl.
- DO NOT iron minky directly. Instead, place minky face down on a towel and press gently on low heat or steam it. Ironing and high heat will ruin the nap and any embossing in the fabric.
- Don’t forget to clean your machine’s throat plate, feed dogs and bobbin case often. All that fuzz can get messy and clog the works.
- If you are making a quilt, use only a low-loft polyester or pre-washed cotton batting. Even better – skip the batting altogether and save yourself the extra work. The minky is fluffy and offers a great deal of warmth.
Those are just a few tips. If you are an experienced Minky Master and have anything else to add, please feel free to leave your own tips and tricks in the comments section. Don’t forget to post pictures of your minky masterpieces on the gallery, too!
