Show off things you have sewn!

Hi Leila. They look really nice (and sellable). Your explanation how you made them is clear. But it seems like a lot of work to me. Do people who buy them value that work and pay the price the baskets are worth?

Haven't been here for a while, the baskets are beautiful! (as is Pearl's dress and all the other projects posted lately).

We are still not done with cleaning up the basement (after renovation) and a lot of my sewing supplies are hard to get at temporarily, but the sewing machine is upstairs and with some stretching and bending I got all my supplies.
As the days have turned hot suddenly I have made my son some linen trousers. It is quite fresh in the morning and come noon it starts to heat up. On those days I prefer long pants myself but those with a very light fabric and some ease (apart from the fact that I would not want to be seen in shorts these days, I think they are actually less comfortable in hot weather than flowy, breezy pants).

I had ordered the linen from Lithuania last year and so far have only made napkins and tea towels from one piece (there were three "surprise packets" with smaller sized fabrics in beautiful shades and very inexpensive).
So for his pants I have chosen one piece in grey (with black and white threads, not sure how you call that).
I have drafted a longer version of one model I had already sewn up previously - poor boy has grown and we have not gone clothes shopping more than once during all that pandemic.

Only thing that is missing is measuring the elastic for the waist. I had shortly considered making a flat front but if he is not here to see the fit (if I make the front too narrow) I was not going to take the risk and I wanted this to be a quick project. However, I have made hidden seams almost everywhere (but I forgot the crotch, well).
The pockets are a bit deeper by his request to fit his mobile.

I actually like sewing such projects but I would also like to be outside in the garden at the same time!
Next project will be another wide pants in blue linen for me.

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:Hi Leila. They look really nice (and sellable). Your explanation how you made them is clear. But it seems like a lot of work to me. Do people who buy them value that work and pay the price the baskets are worth?

thats a good question, some people do definitely value this kind of work, many do not and i dont think have any idea how much time goes into craftwork. you get hecklers who just want to say...they can get stuff like what you sell for cheaper at walmart...and its like...well i find its not worth it to even bother explaining it to them ! but maybe...i explain the hours that go into it as i have a good idea of how many hours a piece will take me...and these types of people are not going to get there's a significant quality different of one of a kind crafted pieces and mass produced stuff.

it's a difficult thing to market yourself as a creative person, to figure out pricing, and to work out how to make money doing anything like this.
on one hand as my own boss i want to pay myself what i am worth, what it should be worth, for my time...but on the other - i want to actually sell the work, have it be reasonable enough so people can afford it, and am competing with craftspeople who also have to undervalue their work, craftspeople who live in other countries...etc.. i do have some formulas i use sometimes...the materials cost times ten is one of them...and just forget about the hours that go into it. because even charging a decent price, more than what mass produced generic factory stuff would cost...still it is like...if i can pull off something close to even minimum wage for the hours, thats like a small miracle.

i try to think of selling the work as the final step in the creative process, like it isnt complete until it is with someone else, and for how things are that basically means through the medium of money exchanged. but yeah it is difficult, artists are not marketers... i tell myself that my work sells itself, and i am glad of that, because it does sell itself...you know i dont have to be good at selling things. but yeah thats been ...all big issues in my life, how to pull this off. its always been very clear to me what i wanted to do - to make art and to craft, and so i do, regardless of how difficult it is. i feel it is the only thing i really can do...like i have to do it...so i keep stumbling along

It fits! I thought the legs would be quite long but they fit exactly. I might save the scraps to make longer legs next summer.

Leila, I tried to sell my art/crafts products too, but I found it to be too difficult. So I decided only to make my products as gifts. But that is possible for me, I do not need the income (I get a payment, sort of retirement, from the government). In a country where you need to get your own income ... the 'customers' should understand the value of the work of a craftsperson (or artist).

I am deep in the rabbit hole of Japanese horn bag, or tsunami bukuno. It consists of a long rectangular fabric sewn with diagonal seams to create a tube shape on the bias. Typical bento bag is at 1:3 width/length ratio which I found a bit shallow. I made mine at 1:4. And the number doesn't need to be integer, but in the case of odd numbers like 1:3 or 1:5, the bottom seams will line up and the fabric doesn't need to be cut in two pieces.

I made mine bag out of linen jacquard so I can show both sides. Bag is also lined and have boxes corners.

In the picture I cut out paper so it is easier to understand. The bag can be made as is with one strap or the "horns" can be cut out to add two straps.

I like that it is versatile and good for scrap busting. Especially the two straps style, crocheters might see the similarity to the 13-granny square bag.

Also doesn't the bag look like a cami top? I tested the idea and made cami and slip dresses. The cutting layout is very economical for a bias garment and I am working on adding different necklines.

Thank you May, for this very interesting pattern!

May, your bag is both ingenious and beautiful!

May, what a great and stylish bag!
I have that pattern somewhere in my Pinterest pins but have not tried it out yet.

yeah love that bag pattern, might have to try it. love hobo bags in general, have done some "banana" style, making bags is the thing i have the most with sewing. love making messenger bags, hobo bags, whatever you call them, huge shopping bags and ideally cross bod style. i think that general pattern would work well for that.

anywho, still at it! doing lots of sewing and making rope baskets.
made a few dozen more rope baskets and bowls, got them organized and photographed and listed at etsy,---> leila hamaya at etsy

now working on photographing and listing the second batch another dozen pieces...finishing up a few more. i like to do them in small batches. like 3-4 that match...so i have a few more to make of this big second batch which is coming out really nice. =)

I sew socks out of damaged wool sweaters and small fabric scraps. 10 mins and I have a pair of free socks. They are not as comfortable as knitted one because of the seams but still warm and cozy for lounging around the house. As a pattern nerd, I also tested sewing tights (4 way stretch)and slipper boots(no stretch). They are fun to make too.

apologies if this is a bit redundant, still working on making rope baskets and bowls

...but have been doing some different things, fine tuning how to shape them, new shapes and also going back to working with cotton.
so enjoy some pics from my latest projects =)

got a bunch new rope and already dyed up some new ropes for another big batch...

leila hamaya wrote:apologies if this is a bit redundant, still working on making rope baskets and bowls

I love your creations, especially the embroidery, heart-shaped and braided ones. Keep them coming please.
Do you have an online source of rope for recommendation? I have been eyeballing the basket in the background here and would like to make one like that.
http://chainstitcher.blogspot.com/?m=1

May Lotito wrote:

leila hamaya wrote:apologies if this is a bit redundant, still working on making rope baskets and bowls

I love your creations, especially the embroidery, heart-shaped and braided ones. Keep them coming please.
Do you have an online source of rope for recommendation? I have been eyeballing the basket in the background here and would like to make one like that.
http://chainstitcher.blogspot.com/?m=1

that basket is gorgeous, love the huge ones like hampers.

but its not made the same way -that looks like a more traditional basket with reeds/sweetgrass/ i dont know what exactly but traditional basket making plants, and then maybe there is some fiber yarns or something added in to weave it together.
you can do something similar with the rope, but not quite the same and it will be more fabric like, rope like, and much more flexible...and not as traditional basket type materials where they are stiff and solid.

as far as where i get rope, i have been experimenting with lots of different rope types seeing which ones i like the best. so i have been shopping around all over. at first especially i shopped around for 100-200 feet of tons of different types, that only makes 1 - 2 pieces, but it gave me a feel for what different types were like.. amazon has been able to hook me up with good deals on 1000 feet spools...thats where i have been getting the synthetic ropes and the bulk nylon...theres a company on there "quality nylon ropes" and they have great deals on larger whole spools. well if you are curious ---> https://www.amazon.com/stores/Quality+Nylon+Rope/page/56165F8E-5413-4809-BDE4-D0AD051FFE61

i'm not opposed to synthetic fibers totally, and i do admit that i like them in this, they are very sturdy and give them a  firmness and feels more solid and longer lasting. its also easier to sew the firmer thicker ropes that are synthetic, like it is easier to make them flat where you want and the sharp angles. 1000 feet sounds like an enormous amount but especially as i like making them big, you go through a lot in one piece. even a small piece is 40 feet or so and a larger piece being 100 feet or more...so those thousand feet spools make 10-12 baskets...the 3/16 inch is probably best, but the 1/4 inch rope is even sturdier, thats what i used for the heart shaped baskets.

these ropes arent pretty by themselves really...but are good for the fabric wrap. theres the twist type nylon /poly type ropes and i also used amazon to source some of that twisted stuff. that looks better, its really soft and silky feel and has a nice shine and way about it...so that i have made some that use that.  thats what i used for the above dyed nylon bowls, the twisted silky stuff.
i worked through about 600 feet of that and just got another 600 foot spool...but it is weird that i bought from the same company and the rope is a bit different. i'm not sure about it yet i havent worked with it much. but i dyed some up just to make sure it would take dye...and its very similar just not the same. its ok i will use it anyway but now i want some more of that first stuff so i think i will eventually look around for more of that. the twist type...well it wants to twist apart really easily so it is a little trickier to work, you have to burn and melt the ends together to not have it fall apart, and its thick...1/4 inch thick, it gets trickier to sew once you get to the end of the walls and making them tall it gets harder and harder and the tension must be always the same.

as for cotton i have hunted around for really big bulk deals. a lot of the stuff i got at first was much too thin, making it difficult to shape. the thin stuff is from amazon and from another online crafty place...just 4mm "macrame rope" or cord. some of it that i got was flat, 5mm but flat. that adds another tricky thing in trying to shape them, you can let it twist up or it throws everything up and in general isnt good for me for this.
i went through various types of clothesline...some of which was supposed to be all 100% cotton...and not all of it was! that didnt surprise me that much but i did want just plain old regular cotton 100% - which really for whats available is not a great clothesline really, synthetics are definitely better for outside. but there were a few that were completely cotton.

i just got some more of this -- its cotton outside and poly core...which does make it nice and strong --> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002T44USI  and even though its not 100% cotton, at least they are clear on what exactly it is and its nice quality, no frays or weird spots, nice texture.

i also got a lot of this, theres several sellers with this basic same...i got from three different sellers but its all the same stuff now that i got it. --> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08T7MNB18
this stuff is nice i think its going to be great but i havent dug into it yet. i dyed some up so i will be trying it out soon, and its nice and thick and way sturdier than any other cotton ropes i have played with.

also i have a shop, so i buy and resell craft supplies, i am pretty small scale but i do big bulk orders from china every now and again. anywho some of the rope i just recently got was through getting a LOT of rope from the bulk orders through that. theres a whole string of companies that all are one source and all sell through various names...and then theres the one that only sells huge amount at lowest prices. so yeah the nicest 100% cotton i have gotten came from them-- this is the mega bulk deal..  --> https://www.pandawhole.com/p-wholesale-candle-making/2371-813665-2506118-twisted-cotton-cord-lamp-wick-round-cotton-rope-cotton-wick-4mm.html?from=14

in both the 4mm and 4.8mm so yeah i am awaiting more ...some 8,000 feet of rope !!! plus i then went and splurged on colored nylon...that soft silky twisted stuff but in dark purples, lavender blue a nice turquoise...from a similar related import from china. well not too bad...i got 5-6 colors...and its 100 meters each - so thats like 330 feet of each color. enough to make 4-5 baskets from each.
i maybe went a little overboard ! but then again i got so much once i really dove in and i am coming to the end of that...where i thought i really had enough for years. so if i keep on making these maybe its not as much as i thought. i think i figured out it was enough to make 100-150 baskets depending on size. that is actually possible i can work this fairly quickly. and also, its my birthday almost =) my birthday. the 8 thousand feet of rope was my big birthday present to myself =)

i also got this a while back in a big bulk order i did...
https://www.pandawhole.com/p-wholesale-cotton-thread/2283-841677-2924812-self-absorbent-cotton-rope-for-hyteardroponic-flower-pot-diy-self-watering-drip-irrigation-waterer-6mm.html?from=17
but i havent yet worked it. its much different than i thought, very soft...but too soft, not firm. i am getting better at shaping it and just got the feels for it now...i can maybe go back to these soft cottons, but they are harder...in some ways. it wants to make round parts, its easy to increase or decrease as you go...making the basket start toclose up and be really curvy. but...well now i am getting better, mostly its about tension on the rope or rather no tension at all on the rope. just keeping it perfectly even this non tension. i suppose i am somewhat ahead in picking this up i used to throw pottery so i know some stuff intuitively or subconciously or something =) about how to shape things.

and some more stuff...if you or anyone is curious to really try it out. i think its awesome and i think too these are very sellable. i havent actually sold that many myself, but i have gotten lots of interest and a few sales. i think as i am now getting my skills polished off here...i will start to sell more. but ? idk...if someone is looking for a new crafty project for fun or $$ maybe try it. i do think theres a market for it as a craft.

so yeah some more pics examples, the few i have that maybe show off how to details and other info

Thanks for the info. I plan on wrapping fabric strips over the cord/rope to make bulky fabric yarns, so the 4 mm cotton seems to be a good choice. Btw, you are getting very skillful with those bowls!

I'd done some basic garment sewing and a bit of knitting and crocheting lately.

those are really cool. really love the stuffed animals especially =)

and totally i want to do something similar. well i have a lot of ideas. but have been thinking to do some with yarns or thin fibers against the thicker plain rope (well 4-5mm not too thick)...something like that. i havent quite figured it out and already have a long list of things clogging up my to make list...most of it with dyeing the rope. i like that effect, comes out better some times than others with random colors. but i do see this way with using thin yarns and maybe even some wools or something like that fibers to add texture and color with plain rope as the base.

I love sewing, and it’s really cool to see what everyone is making. Machine sewing is not really one of my strengths; as several people have said, a straight seam isn’t as easy as it sounds. I prefer hand sewing because it’s easier and generally my projects are not very big. During the winter a couple years ago, my dogs got super shaggy and desperately needed grooming. Since they were going to be cold after, I made them jackets from old T-shrts. This project used both hand and machine sewing. Check out the Instructable about how I made them.

Before Grooming - They didn’t really need the jackets.

After Grooming -Stella being a good girl. She loves having her picture taken!

One of my latest projects, a flared skirt.

Some upcycling projects:

A cotton/linen oversized sweater was turned into a pillow. I unraveled the yarns in sleeves for crochet dish towels.

Another pair of wool socks from a shrunken wool sweater.

well, still at it. =)

have recently been taking a bit of a break from over working! and traveling a lot in the nice weather, but have made a few dozen baskets in the last couple of months.
started my own independent website, that was a lot of stuffs ! ---> https://www.leilahamaya.com/catalog/baskets-bowls

also i started doing some messy fluid art stuff, working with epoxy and trying my hand at that for something new. but now back to baskets =) and my break from the making work has given me time to process my recent work and photograph it all.

i have been trying out new handle styles, got some fun variegated thread to play with, and doing a lot with dyed rope rather than the wrap styles...maybe getting somewhere with good simple handles that work good. =)
actually just came up with a few different styles i am trying out that i like for simple handles.

May Lotito wrote:I got this remnant of home dec fabric for $1 and decided to make a pouf out of it. After some calculation, I was able to maximize the pouf size to 20" by 18". I inserted an invisible zipper at the bottom and reused bean bag pellets for filling. Aslo put a 2" foam at the bottom to keep it flat.

Extreme scrap busting! I made a makeup pouch out of the remaining material. Unlined, curvy top stays open when unzipped. All seams bound with silk taffeta bias strips to echo the fabric.

This website has free bag patterns and tutorials if you feel like making some bags.bag and pouch patterns

I hope all Permies friends in the northern hemisphere are staying safe and warm now. I made a custom goose down duvet a few years ago and didn't need it most of the time because it was too warm.

I bought 1lb bulk goose down with a filling power of 700 for about $50 The higher the number the more loft and insulation it gives. I also have some FP 850 goose down and the price was more than doubled but the quality is so much higher. I save that for a future down parka.

Sometimes the goose down comes in small 1oz packages which makes filling hassle free. If not, you can always wet it down and deal with the damp clumps.  The fabric for filling down needs to be very tightly woven, for example 800 thread count cotton or nylon ripstop lining. Use small needle and stitch length for sewing so the down won't escape from the seams. I cut two rectangle pieces of ripstop fabric and sewed up three sides with one side open. Then I ran parallel lines to create channels. Then I filled each channel with the same amount goose down and sewed the edge shut. I fluffed up the down evenly and stitched lines perpendicularly to form the grid pattern. The resulting insert would look smaller than the flat lining pieces because of the loft. I measured the finished size and made cover for it. For both insert and cover I had fabric straps around the corners and along the edges for tying them together.

The down duvet is my kids' favorite now they don't mind the funky color.

I made this "gathering apron" similar to the one she makes here: https://youtu.be/rDMF6oiFtZw

This is an apron that turns into a giant pocket/basket for foraging, harvesting, or egg collecting.

The key difference is that mine is double sided.

Edit: now that I'm not on my phone I'll give you the quick version on how I made this.... (Quick reminder, I'm trying the whole "no math" sewing thing)

determine the width you are from hip to hip (hold it up to your body), cut two layers of fabric to that width. trim the selvage off the top and bottom. fold them in half from hip to hip, round the outside corner, unfold
sew them together pattern to pattern, leave the flat top edge open. turn (inside out to right side out).
sew and turn 2 ties, they must each be half the length around your apron plus at least 5 inches.
make two loop hooks the same way.... they need to be about 4 inches long.

now that you know how wide your apron strings are, sew a channel inside the outside seam big enough to thread your strings through. cut a slit at the center bottom for your strings to come out, don't cut the inside seam.
thread them through and pin then at both the top and to the apron at the bottom for now.

cut a wide band at least twice the width of the top
(piece more than one piece together to make it.)
center it then use it like quilt binding along the top sewing down the hanging tabs and the top of the apron strings, then continue sewing down the length to make apron ties. finito

I sewed this Japanese inspired linen apron last year. It was a frugal dream, made from material that was sent to me for free (I'd bought some linen pants that wore through quickly and the company sent me a yard to patch them), on a sewing machine I'd found on the side of the road, thread that came from my grandmother's sewing kit that I inherited, and patterned off of a friend's that was exactly what I wanted. It's very comfortable, and fashionable enough that I am happy to answer the door in it. It  can also fit lots of veggies in it if I forget my basket.

.

Hi, I am not sure if I'm posting correctly, but this is fabric, string, all upcycled, including the frame in the background and the body, etc, and painted.
I hope the link works, I don't know

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wDYm5_4IWLrzGA520WW3FvlCmPJLaw-M/view?usp=sharing

art installation: Execution by Joanna Silva 2023

Here's some toolbox drawer liners that I sewed from felt. I had the toolbox project started, and knew I was using the sky blue paint for the interior, so when I saw the felt remnant at the fabric store, the idea to line the drawers was born. Instead of just a flat rectangle at the bottom, it is a shallow box, sewn up the corners and hemmed all around the top. I didn't want to lose tiny things that could roll or slide under a mat, and there's a slot in the top till for the drawer locking mechanism, that is a chute to the bowels of the case (behind/below the drawers, and a royal PITA to retrieve things). I didn't want to glue it down, since that makes it difficult to clean later. I also made a bumper for the hasp, so it makes a satisfying tiny *thump* when it drops.

That a lovely thread. So much talent here, which makes me happy.
I sew a lot of the clothes I wear, and some of what my adult children wear. My oldest daughter and I prefer dressing in historical inspired clothing, we both find that they protect our bodies better that modern clothes. I sew in wool, cotton and linen mostly, and started because I love sewing and it’s a lot cheaper than buying these types of clothes.
Here are some of the projects, that I am most proud of. Some because I used a historical original pattern, some because it was my own design, and some just because I love the result.

I sewed my own buckwheat hull and shredded natural latex mattress.  Took some time but it is modular so basically it's the same piece sewn multiple times.  

Fun project, no complicated zippers or closures so was a good fit for my very basic sewing skills. Here are more cushion type projects, some sewn but most are no-sew!  Instagram

I made myself a panel skirt recently. I am not sure how to post photos.

Joan Candalino wrote:18' tipi for a customer in Maggie Valley, NC

Woweeee! This is beautiful! I’d love to see it as we live fairly close by!

Here's a favorite skirt I made as a teenager, but could no longer wear once I started having children.  Luckily one of those children enjoys wearing it now!  

Hello everyone!  I'm a newbie here.  

Here's a few afghans I've made, mostly over my early years.  I haven't done projects like this in a long while, simply because other things have dominated my focus.

So here's a few more recent clothing styles I've tried post-pregnancy, in the effort to find styles that would be convenient and long lasting through everything I might possibly put them through (pregnancy, lactation, weight gain, hopeful weight loss)... so that what dresses I made would always remain available for me to wear...

As you might notice, I prefer all my dresses to have full skirts and in-seam pockets.  I've always liked dancing, and so every skirt I've made (with few exceptions) should be easily able to make at least a half-circle if I hold it out at the sides.

In the long term (in response to another thread I saw about long-wearing styles), the simple denim have worn best, only the crossed straps on sundresses have kept straps properly in place (so that's the way all of them are made now), and other than some of the stitching on my blind hems... the main things to really show wear (and also the only wear damage that I don't really know how to repair) is in the front where the elastic ruffling abrades against countertops I lean against and whatever.  With a loose enough elastic, shirred waists have proved quite nicely flexible over different clothing-size needs... but with the daily wear pattern I've run these styles through, the shortened lifespan from abrasion becomes a real problem.  Wearing a shirt over them (so I can enjoy them at all now), makes them no longer a sundress in effect... thereafter only suitable for cooler season wear.  Even that much is kind of problematic with shorter hem sundresses less suitable for cold climates.  This has been my favorite style, though.

leather pants I made 3 years ago, I was too innocent and didnt know leather pants were some kind of fetish thing. Wore them in public once or twice and that was enough staring for me!
before dying/finishing

after
Made via thrift store sewing machine with a nut epoxied to the wheel, and a ratchet to spin it by hand.


A piano tuner was at this point taped to the ratchet because im fancy like that




I was quite proud of that, because I had never made even a shirt or jacket or anything at that point.
hell of a project, it took like 2 weeks.

aurora sev wrote:
Made via thrift store sewing machine with a nut epoxied to the wheel, and a ratchet to spin it by hand.
A piano tuner was at this point taped to the ratchet because im fancy like that

I was quite proud of that, because I had never made even a shirt or jacket or anything at that point.
hell of a project, it took like 2 weeks.

Beautiful job! And I am totally amused by the sewing machine modifications, I'm like that too
You have every right to be proud