My personal aim being to find ways to integrate and include our local people with disabilities, their family and carers, with all aspects of our local community.
The main way I can do this, in a pay-it-forward aspect, is sharing my love and knowledge of sewing.
Recently speaking with a management worker from Ability Links,
('Ability Links NSW Coordinators, known as Linkers, work closely with people with disability, their families and carers to support them to fulfill their goals, hopes and dreams.'),
who was instrumental in supporting the work I do; assisting by providing grant funding to help provide some of the set-up incidentals to get our sewing/cooking/support groups off the ground.
While chatting together, we came up with the idea to share some of the sewing sessions I run, to promote the group and help others know how they too can create great projects we come up with.
So hopefully this will give you a closer insight into how we connect with everyone and how I help to bring out their inner-creativity.
-hopefully I'll work towards doing video tutorials, making it easier to follow along and understand.
Lesson 1 - patchwork placemats -
something we can all use and enjoy everyday are placemats.
Therefore the best place to start -
- note - you will need -
***a reel of thread to match your backing fabric.
***heavy weight interfacing
***backing fabric
***assorted strips for front of placemat
***about 2 x 10cm fabric - selvage to selvage long (I have used fabric matching the backing piece)
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| 1/-having fun with my ever-growing scrap pile |
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| 2/- heavy-weight interfacing used to give the placemat body |
- the first thing we need to do is choose the placemat size we want to make, then cut out some pieces of heavy-weight interfacing
see picture 2/-
this will be stitched inside the placemat giving it more body so it won't be too floppy.
The size can be a personal choice although a standard size would be approx 30cm x 40cm (12inches x 15inches).
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| 3/- pick a backing fabric |
- once the interfacing is cut to size, find a nice piece of fabric for the backing
I'm using a brushed cotton check, this will also help to give it body. see picture 3/-
Lay the interfacing on-top of the fabric and cut out slightly larger than the interfacing,
this will allow for movement when sewing,
then we can cut back to size when everything is stitched together.
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| 4/- choosing your fabric strips |
- after grabbing a small handful of fabric from my scrap pile, something I have an enormous range of,
I gathered together a few pieces that looked nice together, some bright and colourful strips, they need to be 30cm (12inches) long and any width you choose,
mine are about 2 to 3cm wide (1 to 1.5inches), a few are also wider, these will be joined together to make the top.
lay them down on-top of the interfacing to make sure they are long enough, placing in any order anything that catches your eye, remember we will need to cater enough for seam allowances, so the more strips the better, we can work it out as we sew them on.
- once you are happy with the layout carefully place them on your sewing table in order and get ready to start sewing, assuring you have your iron on and ready as you will be using this a lot
taking the interfacing and backing fabric, join together with right side of fabric showing and wrong side facing interfacing piece,
pin the corners together to keep in place,
press with iron on fabric side to help fuse a little till sewn down
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| 5/- placement of each fabric strip light green first, then darker on top |
next, take the first strip of your chosen fabric and place on edge of interfacing side, right side up, then take second piece and lay over first piece right side down, holding together and pin.
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| 6/- sew down fabric strips |
- take this to your sewing machine and stitch down inner edge of strips, as shown in picture 6/-
- once sewn down go to iron and press open the two pieces, carefully making sure both pieces are completely flat 7/-
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| 7/- press open with iron |
- now we will repeat this process for each additional strip
placing down one at a time over the last sewn piece sewn, with right sides together,
pin carefully in place making sure the lower fabric strip is completely flat preventing it from puckering,
stitch seam allowance in from edge far enough to catch both pieces securely.
you can place fabric into sewing machine any way so it comfortably sits without bunching on the inside area of your machine.
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| 8/- slowly add each strip and press |
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| 9/- adding piece-by-piece |
- remember to press each sewn strip open before pinning and stitching the next strip.
continue this process until strips have covered all the interfacing.
see pictures 8/- & 9/-
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| 10/- view of back |
- in picture 10/-
shows how the stitching will be seen on back of placemat,
this is the reason I suggested to use thread that matches the backing.
once all the strips are sewn on , go back to iron and press both sides of placemat assuring everything is pressed down in the right place.
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| 11/- finished strips, cut ready for binding |
- now take the placemat and carefully cut all edges neatly to match the size of interfacing and press down again if it is needed.
we will now prepare for binding all the edges.
there are different ways this can be done,
for this project I will show you the easier way.
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| 12/- making your binding strips |
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| 13/- pin onto edge of placemat |
-take your folded strip and pin to side edge of placemat with the raw sides to edge of placemat,
cut off additional length and sew down,
as seen in picture 13/- then repeat on other side of mat.
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| 14/- fold binding over to right side |
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| 15/- use pins or clips to secure |
as shown in picture 14/-
use pins or clips to hold in place for sewing as seen in picture 15/-
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| 16/- choosing a decorative stitch |
As your machine is possibly different to mine, you may have less stitch options, so find one you like from the choices you have.
I chose the stitch in picture 16/-
then carefully stitch down both side edges.
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| 17/- leave overhang |
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| 18/- tuck ends under |
repeat the process for top and bottom binding,
remember to change stitch back to straight stitch
this time leave 1cm overhang on both ends before pinning in place as seen in picture 17/-
then tuck ends under before sewing as shown in pictures 18/- & 19/-
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| 19/- tuck ends under |
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| 21/- decorative stitching |
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| 20/- tuck corner edge neatly |
-turning over and sewing with decorative stitch again on top and bottom
making sure you tuck in corner edges turnover neatly, see picture 20/-
picture 21/- showing the decorative stitching
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| finished placemat |
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| another finished placemat |
-once all this is done you have a lovely finished placemat to use or gift.
-here are a few of our students during 2017 lessons making their placemats
they are very proud of their work
note** these pictures are shared with full permission from our students
Lithgow Nanna's Touch
ASD Support
working for our community
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