Transcripts
1. Welcome: Hello. Welcome to my class. I do hope you will enjoy it. My name is Ruth, and I
love all types of sewing. Slow stitching in particular. Slow stitching is
a mindful way of creating a mending with
a needle and thread. It is, in essence, a process in which the act of sewing influences the stitches, the colors, the fabric, and therefore, the outcome of the piece we are working on. I try as much as
possible to reuse and repurpose fabric from clothes
and soft furnishings. I pick up from charity
shops and flea markets. We will be making a
needle case entirely hand sewn and embellished
with slow stitching, using different stitches
and creating layers and textures with upcycled
pieces of fabric, old buttons, beads, and lace. Not only is it pretty
but also very useful. For those of you who are
new to slow stitching, I have included a lesson
where we will make a sampler so that
we can practice the stitches we'll be
using in the class. The first lesson is about the materials and
equipment we will need.
2. Materials and Equipment: There's a full list
of equipment and materials included
in the description, but some things are optional. For example, you don't need both a rotary cutter
and scissors. Use what you're
comfortable with, and you also don't need
lots of colored threads. My sampler only uses two mult colored DMC threads are a good idea as they will provide different
colors on one thread. You would only need a couple. You will need needles. Choose a sharp point
with an eye wide enough for whatever thread
you decide to choose. Basics, such as pins, and measuring tape, and
snips are useful too. Your selection of fabric really
depends on what you have. Try and upcycle old clothes, bedding and soft
furnishing fabric, and I'm sure you will
find buttons and beds which are not
in use anymore. I have used felt for my pages, leftover from a project, but you could use linen,
cotton, and wool. Look for fabric that
doesn't fray easily. Otherwise, you may
have to stitch along the edges of your pages. You will also need
some ribbon or tape to close your needle case.
3. Sampler Part 1: The idea of creating a
sampler is to allow us to practice our stitches before
we make our needle case. If you research samplers, you will find lots of styles and stitches that women have
created throughout the ages. They're absolutely
amazing, displaying wonderful skill and a wide
range of stitches and styles. We will be keeping our simple concentrating on the stitches we'll be
using and practicing, adding layers and textures. I have kept mine to a limited
palette mainly for clarity, and I've used a size eight dark blue
pearly cotton thread and orange wool
felt as a contrast. There are a few stitches
where I have used a multiclored DMC cotton
thread three strands. You, of course, can make yours
as colorful as you like. I have named each stitch in the video which you can
put on repeat to help you. I have also added texture layers with small pieces of fabric, patterns, and beads,
similar to the needle case, and you can follow
how I do this. When we make our needle case, you will see how I put it together using these
stitches and textures. Oh. Oh. Oh. A. Oh. Oh. A. A.
4. Sampler Part 2 : In this section, I'm
demonstrating how we can create different effects using the same stitches
we have learned. Creating a sampler is
a great way to try things out before
embarking on a project. Oh. Pay attention to tying off your thread, especially if you have
attached buttons or beads. I like to make a loop and pull the needle,
creating a knot. I usually do this twice. Oh. Here, I'm creating a stem using backstitch
and leaves using lazy daisy stitch. Oh. Oh. I decided to add
more stitches to my sampler to make
it more interesting. Okay.
5. Project: A project, you'll be making
a needle case like this one, using where possible,
repurpose fabric. It will be totally hand sewn and embellished
with slow stitching, pieces of material,
buttons, and beads. It's very beginner friendly, but of course,
anyone can make it. I have divided the
lessons into three, cutting out, stitching,
and putting together. Remember that full
instructions and templates are included in
the description section. Take your time and
repeat sections, if you're not sure, remember
to relax and enjoy.
6. Cutting Out: I have included templates
for you to print off in the description section for
you to use, if you wish. You can, of course, make your needle case
any size you want. As you can see, I have used cotton shirts for the
outer and lining of my needle case and bits of scrap for the circles
textural layer. I would recommend using a woven fabric as it's
easier to handle. I have some felt left over
from a previous project, and I have used
this for my pages. Oh. Oh.
7. Stitching : Start by pinning your
circles onto the outside of your chosen piece of fabric for the front of
your needle case. It's a good idea here to
take a photograph because you may have to remove some of your circles before
you stitch them. Chosen to start
with whip stitch, as I think it's one of the
easiest ones to get me going. Sometimes you change
your mind or you may want to add
something else as I did, and you'll see that later on. Try and be aware of your tension and keep
it as even as possible. You can see me here adjusting a stitch because I've pulled
the thread too tight. To tie off my threads, I saw into the back
of the stitch, leaving a loop as
I pull the thread. I put the needle the loop and pull the thread
quite tightly. I usually do this twice. O. At this point, I
decided I didn't like the gap between the
sets of circles, so I decided to add two more. The first one, I
embroidered with running stitch and
some French knots. And on the second one, I slow stitched
with a lazy stitch. I like the effect of the
multicolred threads.
8. Putting Together : Right sides together, pin out of the fabric and the lining. Using backstitch,
sew the two pieces together with about an eighth
of an inch seam allowance. In the center of one
of the short sides, leave a two inch turning gap. In other words,
don't sew this area, as it's where we turn
the case the way round. Clip the corners to
reduce bulk and pull the case through the opening until you can see
the outer fabric, push out the corners. Position you ribbon or
tape about an inch or so inside the case at the center point of the
turning gap, pin it in place. You can press the
case at this point to ensure crisp
edges if you like. Using a running stitch, stitch along the edges of your case an eighth
of an inch allowance. Make sure you catch
the ribbon to hold it in place and the seams
of the turning gap. The last thing to be done
is to take the pieces of fabric you have
chosen for the pages, place them centrally in your
case and pin in position. Using a running stitch, so the pages to the
fabric of the case. Don't worry if the stitches
go to the outside. It's all adds to the texture of your
finished needle case. I have included step by
step instructions on how to assemble it case
in the description.
9. Thank You: Okay. Thank you so much for joining me in this class.
I hope you had fun. These are a few examples of
needle cases I have made, and I hope they give
you some inspiration. I would love to see the
needle cases that you make. Please post them to the
class on skill share, and you can also share
them with me on Instagram. See you in the next class.
10. Bonus Lesson...Adding a Pocket: In this bonus lesson, I'm demonstrating how to add a pocket to
your needle case. Pockets are handy
for buttons threads, needle threads, and more. Start with hemming the
pocket by folding over the fabric and stitching in
place with a running stitch. I used the template for the outer or lining fabric and adjusted it to
the size I wanted. Place the pocket on top
of the lining fabric, right sides facing out. From this point on the rest of the construction
is exactly the same as before. Oh.
Ruth Shanley, Creative, teacher, explorer
