Sew And Stow (sample Pages)

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SEW & STOW

31 Fun Sewing Projects to Carry, Hold, and Organize Your Stuff, Your Home, and Yourself!

BETTY OPPENHEIMER with step-by-step illustrations by the author

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Storey Publishing

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To those who taught me the needle arts, even when “women’s work” was unpopular, and to those who taught me math and science, even though they were considered “men’s work,” I thank you for sharing your knowledge with me. The practical arts are ageless and without gender bias. Let us never allow social mores to cause us to forget how to make things by hand. The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment. Edited by Deborah Balmuth and Nancy D. Wood Art direction, book design, and project styling by Alethea Morrison Text production by Liseann Karandisecky Photography by © Julie Toy, except cover, left, by Mars Vilaubi Photo styling by Jackie Crockett Step-by-step illustrations by Betty Oppenheimer Finished project illustrations by Brigita Fuhrmann Indexed by Nancy D. Wood © 2008 by Betty Oppenheimer A version of this book was originally published as Sewing Packs, Pouches, Seats & Sacks (Storey, 1998). All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other — without written permission from the publisher. The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. For additional information, please contact Storey Publishing, 210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247. Storey books are available for special premium and promotional uses and for customized editions. For further information, please call 1-800-793-9396. Printed in the United States by CJK 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Oppenheimer, Betty, 1957– Sew & stow / Betty Oppenheimer. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-60342-027-3 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Sewing. 2. Bags. I. Title. II. Title: Sew and stow. TT715.O66 2008 646.2'04—dc22 2008005655

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CONTENTS Preface, 3 Introduction, 34

1

SELECTING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT AND FABRIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

2

TECHNIQUES & TOOLS FOR CUTTING, SEWING, AND FINISHING . . . . . . . . 55

3

4

SEW SIMPLE . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Heavenly Hammock. . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Shower Curtain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Lumberjack Tote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Hobo Bandana Bundle . . . . . . . . . . 91 Cook’s Helper Apron . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 After-swim Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

5

6 7

POCKETS GALORE! . . . . 101 Pocket Packet Holder . . . . . . . . . . 102 Knitting Needle Tote . . . . . . . . . . .105 Tool Stow ’n Roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Nifty Visor Organizer . . . . . . . . . . .112 Travel-time Pouch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

8

BAG-A-THON . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Keeper-fresh Veggie Bag. . . . . . . .122 Jelly Belly Bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 Load-it-up Laundry Bag . . . . . . . . .126 Rolled Mat Stowaway Sack . . . . . .129 Bag-the-plastic Grocery Tote . . . . .132 Over-the-shoulder Bottle Sling . . .135 On-the-go Garment Bag . . . . . . . .140

STOW IT HANDILY . . . . 145 Shoe Hideaway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 Cleaning Caddy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Green Thumb Half-Apron . . . . . . . .153 Jewelry Tote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

PAD AND CARRY! . . . . . 161 Shoulder Relief Strap . . . . . . . . . . 162 Easy-hold Handle Pad . . . . . . . . . .165 Carry-along Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Cozy Cushion Cover . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Keep-it-cold Lunch Bag . . . . . . . . . 175

STOW IT YOUR WAY . . 179 Customized Hobby Tote . . . . . . . .182 Best Bedroll Ever. . . . . . . . . . . . . .184 Doggone Cozy Pad . . . . . . . . . . . .186 Fabric File Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Resources List, 189 Index, 190

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HEAVENLY HAMMOCK page

82

4

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7

HOBO BANDANA BUNDLE page

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8

COOK’S HELPER APRON page

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KNITTING NEEDLE TOTE page

105

VARIATION: COSMETIC CASE, page 107 1952_00_FM.indd 11

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82

HEAVENLY HAMMOCK Make this flat hammock out of practical or decorative fabric for a lovely addition to your deck or backyard. Use coated canvas or naturally water-repellent nylon to keep the hammock dry, so you can use it all spring and summer, and even shortly after a rain shower. MATERIALS 90 x 36" piece heavy fabric (such as canvas, pack cloth) Two 36" long x 1½" diameter dowels Two heavy-duty 2½" washers (available at a hardware store) Two 2–3 yard lengths rope (cotton rope at least ³⁄ 8" thick, nylon as small as ¼") See photo on page 4.

Heavy rope (for hanging)

°

Sewing thread (preferably nylon upholstery thread, for strength)

FINDING OR MAKING EXTRAWIDE FABRIC

of the selvage. To “fell” the seam for added

Extrawide cloth can be difficult to find in fabric

to ½". Fold the other side over and around the

stores. It is sometimes available through boat

shorter seam allowance, and stitch the seam

security, trim one side of the seam allowance

supply catalogs or specialty fabric houses. If you are unable to find what you are looking for, you can make a piece of fabric large enough for a tarp, by piecing together two widths of fabric. Cut

trim one-half of seam allowance {back}

a 6-yard length of 36" wide fabric into two 3-yard lengths. Lay the two lengths of fabric on top of each other, right sides together, and, using a 1" seam allowance, stitch them along the length

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fold larger seam allowance over smaller one and topstitch down

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HEAVENLY HAMMOCK

83

° MAKING THE HAMMOCK

To make a simple hammock, hem the sides of the fabric by turning under 1" twice along both 90" edges, and topstitch close to the inside turned edge.

4

Make a lark’s head knot over each washer with one of the 2- to 3-yard lengths of rope.

1

Turn and press under 1" at each end; make a 5" fold and stitch it down close to the turned-under edge and again ¾" in from that.

A: Hold loop behind metal ring

2

Drill holes 1" in from both ends of the two dowels, and insert them into the hammock casings created by the 5" folded ends.

B: Pull lower ends through loop

to dowel holes

3

C: Pull down

D: Tighten

allowances down at 1 ⁄8" from the edge, and

to make a reinforced hem. Of course, for even

again at 3 ⁄8" in from the edge. You have now

larger sizes, you can triple the width (taking into

created a double-needle, flat-felled seam and

account that there will be two seam allowances).

made a piece of fabric that is twice as wide as you had before. (See page 62 for more on felled

THE MATH EXPLAINED

seams.)

single width

double width

length needed tarp size for square tarp

36"

70"

4 yards

62 x 62"

The math. If you want a perfectly square tarp (see page 85), start with enough fabric so that when you cut it in half and double its width, it will be square (see chart). Note that 2" of the width is taken up in the 1" center seam allowance, and

45"

88"

5 yards

80 x 80"

54"

106"

6 yards

98 x 98"

60"

118"

7 yards

110 x 110"

that 8" of both the length and the width is used

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190

INDEX Page numbers in italic indicate photographs or illustrations; pages numbers in bold indicate charts or tables. A After-Swim Wrap, 9, 97, 97–99 apron(s), 8, 23, 93, 93–96, 153, 153–56 B Bag-the-Plastic Grocery Tote, 18, 132, 132–34 bag(s) defi ned, 144 projects, 121–43 barrel lock closures, 78, 78 Best Bedroll Ever, 31, 184, 184–85 bias binding tape, 66–70 binding corners, 69, 69 binding inside seams, 177–78, 178 continuous strip, 70, 70 double-fold, 68, 68 lapped fi nish, 68, 68 making, 69–70, 69–70 single-fold, 67, 67 Bottle Sling, Over-the-Shoulder, 19, 135, 135–39 buckle(s), 77, 77 and hooks, 163, 163 slider buckle, 162-63, 162-63 snap buckle, 153, 153-55,155 C Carry-Along Seat, 27, 167, 167–70 casing(s), 65 bandana, 91–92, 91–92 drawstring, 125, 125, 130, 130 slot, 126–28, 127–28

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with grommets, 131, 131 circles, how to mark, 89, 89 Cleaning Caddy, 22, 150, 150–52 Cook's Helper Apron, 8, 93, 93–96 corners binding, 69, 69 marking rounded, 59, 59 mitering, 64, 64, 85, 85 stitching around, 61, 61 Cosmetic Case, 11, 107, 107 Cozy Cushion Cover, 28, 171, 171–74 Customized Hobby Tote, 30, 182, 182–84 customizing bag sizes, 123 Bottle Sling, 137, 137 cushions, 172, 172 Nifty Visor Organizer, 113, 113 projects, 179–82 Shoe Hideaway, 149, 149 Stowaway Sack, 131 D D-rings, 77–78, 78 attaching, 96, 96, 138, 138–39, 152, 152 designing patterns, 179–82, 188 Doggone Cozy Pad, 31, 186, 186 E Easy-Hold Handle Pad, 26, 165, 165–66 equipment, 37–42

F Fabric File Box, 32, 187, 187 fabric(s), 42–54 caring for, 52–53 common fabrics by weight and weave, 51 decorating, 96, 96 fi bers and attributes, 43 knitted, 47, 47 making extrawide, 82, 82–83, 83 nonwoven, 47 novelty weaves, 48, 48–49 preparing for sewing, 53 recommended for practical sewing, 49–52 satin and sateen weaves, 48, 48 selvage, 54, 54 shopping for, 54 twill weaves, 48, 48 woven, 47, 47–49 fasteners, 73–78, 73–78 felled seam, 62, 63 fi llings, 79–80 G Garment Bag, On-the-Go, 20, 140, 140–43 gathers, making, 65, 65 Green Thumb Half-apron, 23, 153, 153–56 Grocery Tote, Bag-the-Plastic, 18, 132, 132–34

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INDEX grommets and eyelets, 74, 74, 85, 85, 87, 87

Over-the-Shoulder Bottle Sling, 19, 135, 135–39

H Half-Apron, Green Thumb, 23, 153, 153–56 Handle Pad, Easy-Hold, 26, 165, 165–66 Heavenly Hammock, 4, 82, 82–84 hemming, 63 Hobo Bandana Bundle, 7, 91, 91–92 hook and loop (velcro), 77

P padded projects, 161–78 padding, 161 patterns cutting out, 56–59 transferring, 58, 58 pick glass, 45, 45 pleats, 65–66, 66 making, 154, 154 Pocket Packet Holder, 10, 102, 102–4 pockets decorating, 104 history, 100 making pleated pockets, 114, 114 planning pocket dividers, 110, 110 pleated or billowed, 95, 95, 151, 151 projects with, 94–96, 101–120, 146–60

J Jelly Belly Bag, 16, 124, 124–25 Jewelry Tote, 24, 157, 157–60 K Keep-It-Cold Lunch Bag, 29, 175, 175–78 Keeper Fresh Veggie Bag, 15, 122, 122–23 Knitting Needle Tote, 11, 105, 105–7 L lark's head knot, 83, 83–84 Laundry Bag, Load-It-Up, 17, 126 Lumberjack Tote, 6, 88 Lunch Bag, Keep-it-cold, 29, 175, 175–78 M marking rounded corners, 59, 59 mitering corners, 64, 64, 85, 85 modifying patterns, 179–82 N needles, 40, 40 Nifty Visor Organizer, 13, 112, 112–16 O On-the-Go Garment Bag, 20, 140, 140–43

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R Rolled Mat Stowaway Sack, 17, 129, 129–31 S Sachet Bag, 123, 123 seam allowance(s), 59–60 seams types of, 62, 63 waterproofi ng, 87 sewing machine, 38–39 supplies, 40–43 terms, 59–66 Shoe Hideaway, 21, 146, 146–49 Shoulder Relief Strap, 25, 162, 162–64 Shower Curtain, 5, 86, 86–87 sling strap, 138–39, 138–39 snap hooks, spring hooks, 78, 78 snaps, 73–74, 73–74

191

°

stiffeners, 78–79 stitch(es) around corners, 61, 61 backstitching, 61, 61 box stitch, 62, 62 handstitching, 61, 61 length, 40 serge, 60–61 tension, 39 topstitching, 62 types and techniques, 60–62, 60–62 zigzag, 60–61 Stowaway Sack, Rolled Mat, 17, 129, 129–31 strap webbing, 71 attaching, 133–34, 133–34 T Tarp, 85, 85 thread, 40, 40–41 thread count, 45 Tool Stow ’N Roll, 12, 108, 108–111 Travel-time Pouch, 14, 117, 117–20 twill tape, 70 V Veggie Bag, Keeper Fresh, 15, 122, 122–23 W waterproofi ng seams, 87 welting, 71–73, 72–73, 142–43, 143 cushion cover, 173–74, 173–74 Z zipper(s), 75–76, 75–77 continuous, 173, 173 garment bag, 142, 142 pocket, 118–19, 118–19, 158, 158 strip in cushion, 173, 173

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OTHER STOREY TITLES YOU WILL ENJOY 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders, edited by Judith Durant. More patterns for every lonely skein in your stash, from America’s knitwear designers. 256 pages. Paper. ISBN 978-1-58017-688-0. Colorful Stitchery, by Kristin Nicolas. Dozens of embroidered projects to embellish and enhance any home. 208 pages. Paper. ISBN 978-1-58017-611-8. One-Skein Wonders: 101 Yarn Shop Favorites, edited by Judith Durant. One hundred and one projects for all those single skeins in your stash, collected from yarn shops across America. 240 pages. Paper. ISBN 978-1-58017-645-3. Sew What! Fleece, by Carol Jessop & Chaila Sekora. Thirty cozy projects in the perfect fabric choice for the Sew-What woman — fleece. 160 pages. Hardcover with concealed wire-o. ISBN 978-1-58017-626-2. Sew What! Skirts, by Francesca DenHartog & Carole Ann Camp. A fast, straightforward method to sewing a variety of inspired skirts, without relying on store-bought patterns. 128 pages. Hardcover with concealed wire-o. ISBN 978-1-58017-625-5. Uniquely Felt, by Christine White. The essential and complete primer on feltmaking, from fulling and shaping to nuno and cobweb. 320 pages. Paper. ISBN 978-1-58017-673-6. These and other books from Storey Publishing are available wherever quality books are sold or by calling 1-800-441-5700. Visit us at www.storey.com.

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