Doing the BACK STITCH

Feb21

Doing the BACK  STITCH is another method for joining seams as well as for adding decorative appliques or pockets to your crochet project.  This is also a great opportunity to use a contrasting color of yarn to make your applique or pocket designs really stand out.  

To do the Back Stitch for a seam, you will need to place your two pieces that need joining with the right sides together and hold it with one side (called the front) facing you and the other side (called the back) facing away from you.  Thread your yarning needle and pull the needle through both loops on both pieces leaving about a 4″ tail, I like to insert my needle again in that first stitch to help secure my thread.  Stitching from the front of your joining seam that would be facing you, insert your needle into the next stitch going through both loops on both pieces, pull snuggly. Skip the next stitch and insert from the back to the front through both loops on both pieces and pull your needle to the front.  Now, insert your needle from the front to the back through both loops on both pieces through the skipped stitch.  Continue this pattern until you have completed your joining seam.

Preparing your crochet project for a decorative applique or outer pocket remember to place your applique/pocket with the wrong side down onto the right side of your crochet project.   Figure out where you would like the applique/pocket to be placed or follow recommended directions from your pattern and pin your applique/pocket into place.  I use long-stemmed quilting pins with the round, glass ball ends (not with the flower end because the flower design will catch onto your yarn and maybe pull it).  Of course, if you have a very small item you are attaching to your piece, use smaller stemmed pins with the round ball tops.

Once you have your applique/pocket pinned to your project, you can begin doing the back stitch but this time you will need to insert from the back of your project leaving a 4″ tail, coming out the front of your applique/pocket.  Insert your needle from the front to the back in the very next stitch.  Now you will skip the next stitch, insert needle from the back to the front.  Now insert again from the front going through the stitch that you just skipped.  Continue with this process until you are done.  Don’t knot, leave a tail and weave both beginning tail and ending tail through your crochet stitches.

You can always attach your applique/pocket with a straight running stitch or whip stitch too.  It all depends upon the look you are achieving and how durable your item needs to be held in place.

 

 

 

 

*TIP:  Update an old sweater or hat with a funky crochet applique.  Teach a simple crochet motif to a youngster and let them update a piece of clothing or attach to a headband or barrette.  Adding your own personal touches to a store-bought item definitely makes it uniquely yours.

HAPPY CREATING!!!

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WHIP STITCH

Feb20

After completing your crochet piece, you have several options available as to how you want to join the seams of your project.  Probably the most common method of joining is the WHIP STITCH.   This joining method is not too bulky and creates a nice seam.

To begin, place your completed pieces right sides down and side by side.  Now you need to thread your tapestry/yarn needle.  I found this site that gives you a couple of different suggestions on how crafters thread a needle with yarn.  Myself, I fold my yarn in half and pinch that folded edge tight while holding the yarn very close to the edges of my index finger and thumb.  Now I  just slide or work the eye of the needle onto the yarn and pull through the edge of the loop.  You never knot the end of your yarn as you will just weave your tail through you stitches once you have completed your joining process.

Once your needle is threaded, leave about a 4″ tail for weaving and starting at one end, push the needle through both loops of your crochet stitches on both pieces that you are joining.  Some patterns might tell you to join by only going through one loop on each side of your seam.  Of course this is fine but take into consideration your finished project and if it needs to withstand heavy usage, I would recommend that you always insert through two loops on both pieces of your seam.  Pull the yarn snug but not too tight (you don’t want puckering) so that the two pieces fit closely against each other.  Draw your needle up and over and insert it into the next stitch. You will always be inserting your needle on the same side.  For example, if you begin joining by inserting your needle from the right side to the left (or vice versa) , that is how you would continue whip stitching until you reached the end of your seam.

*TIP:   Keep some practice swatches among your yarn stash so you can try out different joining stitches.  For a more dramatic look, you could use a contrasting color of yarn for your piece, just make sure your joining yarn is the same type and ply as your finished crochet project.

HAPPY CREATING!!

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Preparing Crochet Edges

Feb16

Depending upon my project, here’s a little crochet tip that I like to do which helps to prepare my piece for seaming or joining.

I like to finish off my crochet piece by bordering it with one row of single crochet stitches around the entire square or garment.  I even like to do this when not joining because it gives a nice, clean, professional look to your piece.

Basically, when you get to the end of your pattern, don’t fasten off, just continue around making a single crochet into every stitch within your project.  That border row of single crochet will be where you will place your joining stitches to form your seam.   Here are a few examples showing how to single crochet an edge.  Complete your single crochet on working edge, when you get to the corner,  complete three single crochet stitches in corner to keep edge from curling.  Continue with single crochet on next edge by inserting your needle along the edge stitches.  Keep them spaced fairly even so that your piece doesn’t curl and keep track of how many single crochet stitches you do so that you can do the same amount on the other side edge for a square, rectangle match the east/west sides with same number and the north/south sides with the same amount of stitches.  Next corner do your three single crochet and do one single crochet in each chain stitch so you have the same amount of single crochet stitches across the bottom edge as you do the top edge.  Continue with this pattern until you get back to the beginning corner of your top edge and fasten off.

Working sc along side edge

Showing how I insert hook along side edge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Showing 3 sc in corner stitch

How sc look along your finished piece

If making a garment, you might only want to single crochet along the places that need to be seamed; along sleeve and side seams.  Take into consideration the design and what works best for your particular pattern or design.

 

*TIP FOR JOINING:    Make sure that you use the same type of yarn as your project.  You can use a different color if you want contrast but if your project called for acrylic yarn, then use acrylic yarn for stitching seams or if you used merino wool yarn, then join using merino wool yarn, etc.  You get the picture.

 

HAPPY CREATING!!

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Crocheting “Extras”

Feb13

Now that you are sitting in your most comfortable chair and are surrounded by a pile of wonderful yarn just itching to be crochet into something special, take a moment to review the following items that I think will make your yarning experience much easier and more convenient.  These are some of my favorite crochet “extras”.

Having a crochet case to organize all your hooks by specific size will save you a lot of time and frustration.  When I first started crocheting, I would just place my hooks in a Ziploc bag and would have to rummage through them all to find the specific hook I needed for my pattern.  With the case, I just quickly slide my hooks into their own slot by number/letter size.   There are a wide variety of styles available.  I personally use a zippered style case because I can also enclose some of my other accessories with my hooks to keep them all in one place.

Another great accessory to have are some stitch markers.   I like the split lock markers that look like plastic safety pins.  They are light in weight, easy to use and colorful so you can select ones that will stand out when you are crocheting.  Budget constraints an issue, you can also use a different color of yarn and tie it in the stitch where the pattern calls for a marker to be placed. Works the same, just takes a little longer to tie and untie the yarn marker.

For me, a must have “extra” is a row counter.   I use to make pencil marks on a piece of paper to count my rows, which, believe me, is a very time-consuming way for counting.  Now with a counter sitting on the arm of my chair, one click and I’ve counted my completed row and can tell at a glance how many more rows I need to do.  I like the style that has a locking mechanism so my counter never loses its place, especially if I have to put my project away and all my rows haven’t been completed.

You’ll find that a necessary accessory is a tapestry/yarn needle.  They have a very large eye which makes quick work of threading your yarn through the needle.  There are different kinds of needles, ones with a straight tip or you can purchase a style with a curved tip.  It is nice to have both types of yarn needles in your crochet stash.

Of course, a small retractable tape measure and 4″ embroidery style scissors are needed too.  

A crochet tote or lovely basket is a great way to store your supplies and/or yarn.  Place it by your comfy chair and have everything right at hand when you decide to work on your project and looks great too.  *TIP:  one way to keep your working skein of yarn readily available is to seal it within a plastic Ziploc bag, cut a small hole in the corner of the bag itself and have your yarn come out of that opening.  Helps to keep the ball of yarn contained and tangle free.

An Ott Lamp or Daylight Lamp to work by is most helpful and helps reduce stress on your eyes.  Also, comfort grips which slide onto your hooks or comfort grip hooks themselves will help you with fatigued hands and wrists.

Of course, you will be able to locate some of these crocheting accessories at your big box sewing/craft stores.  But don’t forget to check out some websites like Knitting Warehouse and Yarn.com for a wide variety and unique crocheting “extras” too.

Hopefully, some of these suggestions will lend themselves to giving you a great crocheting experience!!!

 

HAPPY CREATING!!

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All About Ruffles

Feb8

Ruffles can be added to almost anything:  skirt or nightgown hems, decorate edges to a pillow, adding trim to a baby blanket, making a plain tee shirt into something extraordinary, the ideas are endless. Listed here you will find directions and tips on how I make my own ruffles or change up a ruffle within a pattern I already have.

CALCULATING THE SIZE

First, you need to determine the circumference (the distance around your item) of where you want to add the ruffle.  Next, decide how much gathering you want from your ruffle;  do you want a very full, fluffy ruffle or a more subdued, soft style ruffle.  A very full, fluffy ruffle would most likely be about 2.5 times your circumference, a little less full calculate 2 times your circumference and, even a less gathered ruffle would be 1.5 times your circumference.

Now figure how wide you want your finished ruffle.  You will double that width and add one inch for your seam (1/2″ for each side).  The reason I like to double the width of the finished ruffle is you will not have to hem your ruffle and it gives it a little more stability to help hold its shape and you have such a nice clean and professional look when completed.  This technique is called a double-layered ruffle.

For example, your circumference is 40 inches and you want your ruffle to be 2.5 times the circumference and finished at 4 inches wide.  Your ungathered, cut ruffle will measure 100 inches (40 x 2.5 = 100) by 9 inches.

Your yardage requirements based on a 42″ wide fabric would be 3 widths with each width measuring 9″ for a total of 3/4 yard of fabric needed to make that size ruffle.  Don’t forget to add a 1/2″ seam allowance to each width for sewing them together to make your 100 inch ungathered, cut ruffle.

PREPARING YOUR RUFFLE

Using the above example, cut two (2)  strips 42″ by 9″ and cut one (1) strip 19″ by 9″, this includes your 1/2″ seam allowance on each end of each strip.  Now sew these three (3) strips together to form  one long strip of fabric.

Take your two (2) short ends, right sides together and sew these in a 1/2″ seam allowance making a circle of fabric.  Press open all your seams.  Now fold your fabric circle in half wrong sides together and press.

At this point, you can either place some pins around to hold your fold in place or baste a 1/4″ seam around your fabric circle to hold it together.

SEWING YOUR GATHERS 

This is my favorite way to sew/baste my threads for a project requiring me to gather the fabric.  I use my regular sewing machine thread which matches the fabric and I also use a heavy, duty sewing thread.  You can use Coats and Clarks Dual Duty XP Heavy thread, which is a thicker, stronger thread and will not break when you begin your gathering.

Now, lay the heavy thread close to the raw edge of your fabric circle, leaving about a 4″ tail, and begin to baste over your heavy thread with a zigzag stitch making sure not to catch the heavy thread in your machine zigzag stitching.  Set your machine for a longer and wider zigzag stitch but make sure that the stitching size stays within your 1/2″ seam allowance.

Zigzag over your heavy thread around your entire circle, again leaving about a 4″ tail of your heavy thread, cut  your regular threads close to the fabric and remove your fabric circle from the sewing machine.  This method of making gathering stitches can be used for almost any project that requires you to have to gather something.

Hang in there, you are almost ready to gather and sew your completed ruffle.

MARKING, PINNING AND SEWING RUFFLE TO GARMENT

At this step, it is important to divide both the ruffle and your garment into quarters.  Pin/match your ruffle markings to the garment markings with right sides together.  Now you can begin to gather your ruffle by pulling on those 4″ heavy thread tails and pinning it in place all the way around.  Having your ruffle and garment marked into quarters will insure that your ruffle is gathered evenly around.

Once you have it pinned, you can begin sewing the right sides together in a 1/2″ seam allowance.  Depending upon your project and the weight of your materials, you might want to reinforce your seam by sewing around the ruffle a second time.

You have a couple of options next, you can finish your raw edge by serging it, if you own a serger machine or do an overlock stitch to finish your edge, if you have that stitch available on your machine.  If you don’t have either of the above stitch capabilities, you can finish your edge with a close zigzag stitch by shortening and narrowing the zigzag stitch on your machine.

Depending upon your project, you can now lightly press the ruffle down and the seam up towards the garment.

I make double-layered ruffles all the time no matter what the pattern directions call for.  The only time I would use a single-layered ruffle would probably be when using a very thick/heavy fabric say for drapery treatments.  Remember too, you can cut your fabric strips on the bias  for more give or stretch, which will help the ruffle lay nicely especially along a curvy neckline.   Continue to sew your strips following the directions above.

You can lengthen a skirt, top or pants by adding a coordinating/contrasting ruffle to the garment, a great way to expand the life of clothing for children.  If wanting to add a ruffle to a pair of jeans, because of the thickness of the jeans, I would sew the raw edge of the ruffle to the wrong side of the jean.  Then you can take a cute decorative ribbon and sew that over the stitching line or add funky/colorful buttons along the stitching line.   Always adding those little extra touches, definitely makes the garment your own!!

HAPPY CREATING!!

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