This isn't stitching related, but sewing related. I feel like sharing it here because my sewing hobby grew very naturally from starting stitching, thanks to being inspired by the projects here at Avlea. (I was finishing a pillow by hand and thought, "What if I had and learned to use a sewing machine...?") The weather has gotten chilly here in New Mexico, so I've started a new sewing project -- making an open jacket/cardigan. It is going to be made of heavyweight hot pink linen and the seams will be bound inside with bias tape. I've never used bias tape before, so this is the new thing I'm learning about with this project.
This week has been stressful, for reasons I won't go into. Just know that this morning I was feeling very frazzled and out of sorts. I decided to treat myself today by letting myself just work on my new sewing project. And then I decided to try my hand at making my own bias tape. And that's what I did. For around 5 hours, I cut strips of fabric at a 45 degree angle from a length of quilting cotton. At the end of that time, I had the pile of cloth strips that you see in the photo. I'm laughing at myself, because this seems like such a funny way to spend 5 hours of my day. But I'm also feeling relaxed and mellowed out in a way I recognize from stitching. Cutting fabric for bias tape is meditative, much like stitching a repeating pattern. I think stitching helped me to learn what that meditative state feels like, and so it is becoming easier to find other meditative practices. Today, that was cutting fabric up into little strips.
From a fellow tool geek and your scissor sister - I'm so impressed with your selection of tools! I'm swooning over those shears and am dying to know - what kind are they? They're so pretty and look like they're nice and hefty!
You made a great choice with that ruler. I have one like it and it's a constant companion. Those Omni Grids are a bit of an investment but so worth it.
You'll be glad you have the bias tape maker. Make sure to protect your fingers when you use it - the steam from your iron can be pretty painful. I find chopsticks and bamboo tongs are really good to have in the sewing studio. When you try to insert your fabric in the bias tape maker, don't be surprised if it gets hung up and doesn't want to come out the front end. Just stick a pin through the center slot to grab your fabric and push it through.
Since you're a fellow tool enthusiast, at some point you'll probably want a rotary cutter and mat. If you use a cutter and a mat, you can line up the grids on the mat with the lines on your spiffy ruler and the rotary cutting will take minutes! Get a great big mat. You'll thank yourself because you can cut garments on it. And you'll protect your lovely oak furniture. I use my rotary cutter for cutting out garments, though going around curves (for a sleeve head or an armscye) can take a bit of getting used to. It's super fast once you get the hang of it. I'm not a lover of the cutting part of making clothes, so any time I can save on that part is time I can spend on something more fun.
And to top it all off I have that same exact Kaffe Fassett fabric! It never occurred to me to make bias tape out of it, so you've inspired me. Hmmmmm. Lovely.
Sorry if I'm blathering on with unwanted advice. Feel free to ignore everything I just said. I just get so excited about tools!
I hope you have a better day tomorrow. I've had some big challenges lately myself and totally get how there are times you just need to tune everything out and make stuff.
That is a lovely material for bias tape. It will look super on the seams of your jacket and certainly make you happy when you catch a glance of it putting on or taking off your "coming soon" new jacket.