October Sewing Progress

 

Mr. In The Midwest ripped a button off of this shirt at the cuff and in the process the button was shattered. This shirt has a button halfway up the sleeve for a roll-y up tab. He never uses those roll-y up tabs, so I took the roll-y up button and sewed it onto the cuff.

I have a skirt that needed a little repair on the side zipper. It took a few minutes with needle and thread to fix.

These whale eyes have been holding me back from going on to projects that I would rather do. The white part of the eyes are so tedious. I just hate doing it, so I put it off. But, I finally buckled down and finished the last one this morning. Score for getting them finished before the next month began!

Now on to more enjoyable projects.......

I want to sew a couple doll dresses for my daughter. Her birthday is in December. So, let's see how many doll dress I can get done for her birthday present. :)

My great-aunt so generously sent me several doll dress patterns. I am looking forward to using them in November!

Stuffed Baby Whales Toy Tutorial Part 2: The Eyes

To sew the eyes:

I cut the eyes from a piece of tightly woven, white cotton. I use the back of a pen for a template.

I place the eye on the whale and use a pin to keep it in place.

I thread a needle a tie a secure knot at the end. I poke the needle into the whale a short distance from the eye. I am careful to put the point of the needle between the weft and warp of the weave.

Pull the needle up through the edge of the eye. And pull the knot through to the inside of the whale.

Make a small stitch around the edge of the eye and through the whale fabric.

Pull the stitch down to a small loop.

Using the tip of my needle I lay the stitch just where I want it as I pull the thread tight. 

Keep stitching around the edge of the eye.

Go all the way around.

And then stitch all the way around for a second time.

To tie my thread off, I tie a knot in the the thread.

I tie another knot right on top of the first knot.

I poke the tip of my needle, trying to place it between the weave. I have my needle come up a short distance from the eye.

I pull the knot through the hole, and down into the whale.

Clip the thread off. 

Next, the pupil of the eye has to be added.

I use a double threaded needle. I tie a knot and pull the knot to the inside of the whale.

I make the pupil with a padded satin stitch. Meaning; I make stitches in one direction and then stitch over top of the first stitches in the opposite direction.

To tie the thread off; I tie a single knot in the thread then poke the tip of my needle down, trying to place it between the weave of the eye fabric and the whale fabric beneath.

I put the needle up some distance away from the eye. I pull the knot through the fabrics. I help the knot go through by pushing down with the tip of my needle while keeping tension on the thread by pulling tightly with my fingers.

Clip the thread.

Tada! Finished!

Stuffed Baby Whale Toy Tutorial Part 1: The Body

I start by cutting the pieces out. I usually have some scraps or remnants. 

I use denim from jeans a lot of the time. 

It is fun to make the belly of the whales out of a contrasting printed fabric.

If I am not using a print material for the belly I will use the denim wrong side out.

Here are all the pieces for the upper whale laid out:

Step 1. With right sides together pin the center to one of the sides. Then stitch and zigzag the seam.

Step 2. Line up the other side to the center piece, pin, stitch, and zigzag.

Lining up the tail can be a little tricky. Make sure you fold open the first seam (from step 1.) Line the tail pieces up and pin in place. Pin it on the outside of the first seam. You want to be sure your stitching incompasses the first seam at the end of the pointed center piece so as not to leave any of the raw edge exposed.

You can check to see if your seam is deep enough by turning the tail over the second row of stitching should be a little wider seam that the first seam's stitching.

Step 3. Take the flipper pieces and pin them right sides together, stitch and clip curves. Flip right side out.

Step 5. Pin the flippers to the right side of the belly piece, baste.

Step 6. Zigzag stitch the raw edges of the belly piece and the upper assembly where the mouth opening will be. This will keep the edges from unraveling during the maneuvering of flipping the whale right side out and stuffing with polyfill.

Step 7. With right sides together, pin the belly piece to the upper assembly lining up the centers and tails. Stitch leaving and opening at the mouth, clip corners and zigzag to finish the raw edges.

Step 8. Turn whale right side out. A wooden skewer comes in handy with the corners of the tail.

Step 9. Stuff the whale with polyester filling. The wooden skewer is handy for this, too.

Step 10. Pin the opening closed.

Step 11. Using a ladder stitch, stitch the opening closed.

The body of the whale is done. All that remains is to sew on the eyes. 

Next week: How to sew on whale eyes.