Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Adjusting an old chemise

I had major surgery a few months back and my recovery has been hampered by lingering chest infections so I haven't been able to do any major projects. I've been focused on maintaining a minimum of ten minutes of A&S activity a day.

One thing I did manage to do this week was to shorten an old chemise. I think I made it back in the early 2000s, and I rarely wear it because it is quite heavy fabric. I originally made it almost ankle length, which is a bit unmanageable. Any time I wear it I think 'I must alter this' and then I put it off or forget. 

It was only a very quick job because I hemmed it with the sewing machine, but I am really glad I managed to get this one small thing ticked off the to-do list after so long. Small wins!


The embroidery motif on this chemise is taken from Shorleyker's 'A Scholehouse for the Needle':



Saturday, August 10, 2024

Crayola Washable Marker Experiment

For some years I have been using Frixion heat removable markers to transfer embroidery designs onto light coloured fabric with some success. I have also regularly used them in place of Tailors' Chalk. I've only had a couple of instances where the marker has stained the fabric. But I have heard that very cold temperatures can make the ink come back, and I put an embroidery in the freezer to confirm that it is true. So, I needed to find an alternative marker.

Crayola washable textas were recommended to me, so I purchased a pack and did a test run on a poly cotton blend fabric. All the inks washed out in a cold machine wash, so the next trial will be on linen.

The test panel before washing.

The test panel after a cold machine wash.