Yesterday's Failed Image

And a note that, as the square is so much easier to set into a surround, that's what I did
Long day, short temper, bad internet.. Gribble, gribble..
More tomorrow

Crinkles continued...

As yesterday, so today...
Take two squares, the large one twice as big each way as the small
Gather the edges, like yesterday's circles, matching the corners...
Discover that the photo of the next stage has failed
Discover also that the sample is at work, but you are at home
Curse lightly in three languages
Defer that part till tomorrow

OK, try something else
Two squares as above
Pin the corners, pleat the sides in 3 places

Sew all around
Squish

Add stitch...
Rose Square


Same again, pleat twice

Sew, so...

Press... Squishy, squishy...

More, and the missing image, tomorrow

Crinkle, crinkle, little flower

This has got to be one of my favourite things...

Cut two circles, one twice as big across as the other (these are 5 and 10 inches) Oakshott cotton again

Cut a small slit in the centre of the smaller one, and crease to mark the quarters on both

Using a doubled thread, gather the quarters so that the larger circle matches the smaller, (use a matching thread, I have used a contrast for the sample)

All the way round... Pin between the quarters and distribute the gathers evenly

Sew all around by machine

Like so... (matchy, matchy, please...)

Turn out through the hole like so... Now go downstairs/to your armchair and sit in front of the fire, with a cup of tea and some chocolate (this is a very important part of the process)

With your doubled thread as before, start in the middle with a back-stitch or two to secure the start..

Turn the piece over and push the top fabric with your thumb to make a small pleat. Stitch up from the back, through the top layer and back down.

Turn a little and repeat..
And again..
And so on

Keep working round in a spiral, pushing the fabric inwards and working out towards the edge as you go. Make the top match the back for size

Back will look like this

Front... More stitches will mean a flatter result

Make 12 of these

Trim, turn out and press. Sew into a ring, then add the centre

Add beads if desired (do this last, or they disappear under the folds)

Nicely 3D

One in cream, also with beads

Rusted linen, silk, quilted ground...
Sleep well...

More Technology...

...my old sewing machines work so much better than the interwebs, which have been letting me down for two days.. I hope this one will post, if not I am going to shoot the Apple from the head of the www...

So, here are some interesting little gadgets - starting with Shirring feet

This is a typical Shirring foot, and it's very simple
Attach so

in place of your normal presser foot
And sew (note, straight-stitches only with this foot, but that's just what I have here)

This was a longish stitch (I am sewing one layer of fabric to start with)

And a shorter one. It takes practice to get a particular reduction

Rinse, and repeat

Crinkles!
(Hint, this is interesting if pressed, too) And on silk. And try it on jerseyish stuff...
Here we have a variation - a Slotted Foot


and here the result of using this "plain" - very similar to the shirring foot, if a little tighter

Now, the Slotted foot has a party-trick - it can sew a wrinkle to a plain piece - I've used a narrow purple bit for clarity. the narrow bit sits in the slot, and the green underneath the foot against the feed dogs

Result...

Sew another on the other side... Maybe it could be tidier..

Tomorrow, ruffling...