Adventures in starch

The iPad holder got mailed out yesterday. Dad should get it within a week.

I started work on my May Project yesterday. Three renditions of basically the same thing. What's changing is the fabric used. In theory they should be the same thing, but three different shops going by three different names does actually give for fabric with three different feels. I'll see which I think sews best and subject MacMac's colleagues to a feel test? not sure on that part yet.

I finally got all three fabrics in. The last one came yesterday. Last week I washed the first two fabrics to get the starch/stabilizers out. I also washed the trim. Yesterday I went out in search to liquid starch. yes yes I know I just washed it out of the fabric, and now U'm adding it back it. It's so I know what kind of starch is in my fabric. Also because I wanted to pre-wash the fabric in hopes it would shrink all that it will shrink.

My adventures in finding liquid starch was not sucessful. I was hoping to find Sta-Flo but couldn't find it at Target, Alberstons or Save Right. Having gone to all three SqueekMoo was not in the mood to be out and about so home we went.

I ended up making a corn starch mixture instead. 1/2 cup corn starch and 1 cup cold water. Then add hot/boiling water. 2 quarts for a heavy mix, 6 for a light mix.

I did put it into a spray bottle, but quickly decided that dunking was the way to go. I took my first test fabric and cut it to slightly bigger than the pattern piece and into the start it went. I then wrung out the excess and hung it to dry for an hour or so.

I then ironed it. At first I couldn't tell a difference, but once I finished ironing and it was completely dry I could really tell a difference. Good think I did a very diluted light mix because it was rather stiff.

I then worked on the Swiss beading. No starch on this trim. I cut away the excess fabric on either side of the trim. Pined the trim in place and sewed it down. I then marked where I wanted my embroidery to go.

I had a little left over starch mixture and I decided that I'm going to experiment with my embroidery floss. Its just plain old white DMC floss, but pencil marks and it don't really get along too well. So I cut twenty inch lengths of floss and dunked it into the starch and ironed it. You can tell a difference in the feel. I'm hoping that by doing this the dowdy gray the floss picks up from the pencil will wash out.

I'm hoping to start the hand embroidery today. however the hoops/frames I have aren't long enough. I can probably go ahead and use the ones I have for now and stitch what I can, but I'll have to wait for a bigger hoop since placing a hoop on beading doesn't work.

One step back and two steps forward

I'm not sure how it happened but the top piece of my iPad pocket and the bottom piece ended up not being the same width. I decided to re-cut the bottom piece since its far less complicated than than the top piece.

Trial and error kicked in when I was sewing in the label. I tried making a label using some transfer paper I had on hand. Took me a while to figure out how to mirror the text only to find out when I set the printer to transfer paper it automatically flips the text. Oh the time I could have saved it I had known that. Luckily I only printed a small test so the sheet wasn't wasted.

I highly recommend if you do go the transfer sheet method and are first starting out do print in small sections so that you don't waste an entire sheet. Its economical if done right, however its mistakes care rather costly.

Second thing I encounter was I do not like the texture the transfer paper leaves. I had lovely double satin ribbon and the laminated feeling is not a happy one.

Third issue was when i went to put in my label I realized not only did it need to be printed mirrored but also needed to be upside down. It's a small cosmetic glitch not big enough for me to go and print another label. the label points in what I'd consider the wrong direction. Being that you can still see and read it when the pocket is face up its close enough for me.

Cutting the iron on adhesive went smoothly. I used heat and bond ultra. Took a little bit to figure out how much to cut out of the middle, but I think I guesstimated right. I took apart a diaper box to make myself a iPad text dummy to make sure the fit would be snug but not tedious. Ironing went well. I highly recommend using a pressing sheet. Don't think the vinyl likes heat too much.

The adhesive should be strong enough to last awhile without fear of it coming off. However he's planing on a road trip up here this summer so I'll sew it down at that point. But I honestly think it should adhere just fine.

iPad Backseat Entertainment Pocket

My dad has asked me to make him a pocket for his Airstream West to be able to use the iPad as backseat entertainment. He is so helpful with the process that he even included a pattern for what he wanted.

The pattern he provided is the Sprocket Pocket by Maya Designs. There is even a how-to video on youtube how easy is that!?

Being that all the information was provided it was rather simple. Okay minus the whole not having 14x17 paper to print the paper. I ended up having to look up the dimensions of an iPad and recreating the whole pattern from "scratch" my numbers and their numbers are exactly the same. I think it's a difference in seam allowance and borders. But overall its the same thing.

I forgot to pick up the iron on adhesive so the project is on stand by. Also the sewing machine is in the master bedroom. MacMac doesn't mind sleeping with lights on sewing machine humming (he can sleep through anything). However SqueekMoo has been sleeping with us in the master bedroom since MacMac has an awful work schedule for the next month. So not much late night crafting has been happening.