Winceyette/Flannel ~ Cotton Poplin ~ Cotton Canvas ~ Christmas Fabrics
The time is flying and soon it will be time to cosy up as the night draws in. What can be nicer than snuggling under the blankets in a new pair of pajamas? We thought we would give you the heads up on some of our new fabrics suitable for the younger generation. A thought... as Christmas is sneaking up why not start making those homespun gifts which say so much, starting early will allow you to put your feet up and relax while others are still searching for that perfect gift. This blog is full of ideas and inspiration, internet links to wonderful sites offering free patterns. We have included a few ideas for making things with cotton canvas fabric. This is strong, durable and nice to sew on any home machine. It is great for anything which gets used a lot.
What is winceyette /flannel?
- It is a lightweight napped flannelette, used for pajamas and underwear.
- Having a soft brushed surface makes it warm and cosy.
- Flannel is a relatively stable, inexpensive and versatile fabric.
Washing and sewing flannel/winceyette
- Always buy more than you need for your project, FLANNEL SHRINKS A LOT when you wash it. Washing and drying the fabric before starting your project ensures that the fabric is not going to shrink further once made up.
- For optimal shrinkage, choose warm water. If you have dark, saturated colours, cooler water is better as it is gentler on dyes. Pre-washing flannel will also "snug up" the weave, soften the fabrics and allow the nap to rise.
- Press the flannel with a hot iron, do not iron the fabric to remove any creases as this will stretch it.
- Sew the fabric using a standard universal needle 14/90 using a straight stitch foot or a walking foot. Try sewing on a scrap of fabric first to check tension and feed through your machine.
- Sew using the straight stitch at stitch length 3.
- Overlock or zig-zag the edges. Use a narrow zig-zag for the best results if you do not have an overlock stitch.
BE INSPIRED
Winceyette/ Flannel, Jersey, Poly/cotton fabrics available from Croft Mill Fabric. Patterns available form online stockists.
Projects for Cotton Canvas Fabric
Making a cute snuggle sleeping bag for the children to use in an indoor-outdoor tent, allows you to sit and enjoy a cup of tea while you read through your favourite blog. : )
No teenager would say "no" to having a bean bag or two in their room, they make great gaming chairs for the PlayStation and also gives friends a nice place to chill out. Croft Mill has some lovely cotton canvas fabrics which are easy to sew, hard wearing without being too hard.
This is the perfect fabric for your indoor pet beds.
How do you sew Cotton Canvas?
- Wash your fabric prior to cutting, this prevents shrinkage later and also softens it a bit.
- Sew using a 14/90 or 16/100 universal needle.
- Top stitch seams to give added strength, I usually sew two rows of straight stitching for my normal seam and then top stitch that seam to one side.
- Use stitch length 3 for normal straight sewing of the seams and stitch length 3.5 to 4 for topstitching.
- Always sew on a scrap prior to sewing your project to check your machine tension, adjust the tension if need be.
- Multiple layers of thicker fabrics can be difficult to pin so I use long quilting pins and crocodile clamps to hold the fabric in place.
- To press out the wrinkles, dampen the fabric with a spray bottle first. Use a hot iron to press over the fabric.
- Roll the fabric to store rather than fold.
Don't Peek, Don't Sneak, Till Christmas!!
Croft Mill Fabrics has a large range of Christmas fabrics, all reasonably priced and ready to make those all-important gifts and home decorations. When I was young my grandmother gave me a special tree decoration each year. It was always handmade, and wrapped up with tissue paper and placed into a box made from a cut-down cat food box covered with wrapping paper. She gave it as an early Christmas present for when we decorated the tree. Each decoration came with a note from her, it was either a quote, a verse from a poem or a bit of a story. Now years have passed and she is no longer with us, but the stories of her make for a happy tree decorating time as my children put the decorations she made onto the tree. They have gotten to know her through the stories that go along with the decoration.
Doing a special layout for your Christmas table is always fun as you choose your colours and designs. Placemats are fun and easy to make for the whole family and are useful when you have messy eaters. We have included some pattern ideas to inspire your creativity, these are available from online outlets. Fabrics are available from Croft Mill Fabrics BUT when it's gone it's gone, so take a look.
And now what you have been waiting for...
Internet Links to some of the nicest blog and tutorials with free downloadable patterns.
- Make a pyjama pant from flannel by made by Marzipan. Nice tutorial.
- Tips for sewing with flannel from diy crush.
- Nice tutorial for little girls pj's from little quail created's blog spot.
- From whats mommy up to a tutorial on creating pyjamas from existing clothes. Very useful info.
- A baby flannel cap from this mommy makes stuff. Very cute.
- How to make a teepee reading den or playhouse.
- Love this one an easy play tent from loveit makeit.com.
- Tree decorations from sewing park.
- Angels for the tree from Wienblog.
- A lovely Christmas tree skirt from two crafty sisters.
- Christmas decoration patterns from spruce craft.
Why not make a new pair of trousers for yourself, take a look at our Sew Your Own Blog
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