Baste - machine: the longest straight stitch on your sewing machine
hand: a 1/4" - 1/2" running stitch
USE: tack things together temporarily
Bias -
an imaginary line that runs at a 45 degree angle from the Selvedge edge. If the fabric is a perfect square, then folding it along the bias gives you a perfect triangle with all your edges lined up (sort of like folding an origami square into a triangle).
Grain of the Fabric -
This is the imaginary line that runs parallel to the selvedge edge and what weavers call the 'warp' of the fabric.
Seam Finish -
USE: stitching applied to the raw edges of a seam to prevent undue raveling & to give a neat appearance
COMMENT: There are many ways to do this. When it is called for in one of my patterns, I will give a suggested Technique as well.
Selvedge Edge -
The finished edges of the fabric that run the length of the bolt.
Straightening the grain -
Your fabric has the finished-looking Selvedge edge and the edges where they cut it off the bolt at the store. An inch from the cut edge, put a small slice in the fabric perpendicular to the Selvedge - try to follow the line of the woven threads and make it about an inch long. Grab one tiny thread and try to pull it out. The fabric will pucker. Smooth out the puckers & pull more. The thread is probably going to break, which is OK. as you smooth the puckers, you should be able to clearly see the thread you are displacing (this is usually very clear on printed fabrics). Cut carefully along this displaced thread 'line'. When it breaks, cut up to the break & try to grad the same thread again or one right next to it. Go from one selvedge edge to the other. If you do both cut ends of the fabric, you can fold it in half lengthwise & line up the straightened edges. The fabric is not going to fold perfectly along the middle until you pull the warp & weft back into their proper positions. Pull the fabric along the bias & re-fold. If the problem got worse, then you need to pull the opposite way next time. if it got better, you are going the right way - keep pulling the fabric along the bias until it will fold in half perfectly like a piece of paper. At this point, the fabric has been 'Straightened on the grain'.
Warp & Weft -
Warp threads are the first threads put on a loom. they are the ones that run the full length of the fabric to be woven. The Weft threads are the ones that go side to side (think left & right with a lisp - Weft & Wight) over & under the warp threads.
February 07, 2007
February 05, 2007
Of Moths & Mint
Everyone who does anything with any natural textile product will have concerns about hungry pests that regard woollens as a gourmet feast. I know that a tiny moth fluttering in my house brings me more terror than the latest horror flick.
Our family has moved around the world a great deal with my husband's work, so I have had the chance to experience established bug populations in rental properties worldwide [oh joy]. Prevention is the best way to keep your textile collections intact, but it is possible to overcome an infestation that is part & parcel of your rental agreement.
The effectiveness of the following ideas is greatly enhanced by the intense cleaning you have to do before implementation. In fact, regular cleaning of spaces, containers, & items contributes more to controlling insect damage than anything else.
First Things First
You will need to exercise your own discretion regarding the suitability of the following ideas for your own use. If you have a dog that eats soap, then grated soap is probably the wrong way to go. If there are any children, toddlers, babies in your house [ever] then please exercise the most extreme caution. Also, when packages use the words 'dangerous' or 'caution', then you need to follow their directions for usage.
The safer ideas offered below are the pheromone lure traps [which can be put out of reach of 95% of children] & the tea bags, but even they can be dangerous if mis-used.
The safest solution of all was just offered above... clean, clean, clean. I like to call this 'turning the closet over'. If you have any doubts about using any idea, don't. Just clean like a maniac person with a dirt & bug phobia on a regular basis.
Put the Bugs on Ice
Freezers are good for more than veggies. I use mine both as a moth death chamber & preventative maintenance. I try to cycle through our most precious sweaters, blankets, yarn & fabrics at least once a year. If anything is suspect, it goes into the freezer ASAP. Suspect things include items in the general vicinity of moth sightings, and anything I buy at antique stores or thrift shops.
The entire process looks like this:
- Get a plastic bag, preferably clear, big enough to fully contain the item[s]
- Put item in bag and seal shut with a clip or twist tie
- Re-arrange the entire freezer to accomodate the bundle you just made [this could involve doing the defrost job you've been putting off...]
- Leave the bundle in freezer for at least 24 hours [I usually forget it for a week]
- Take the bundle out & carefully shake it while still sealed shut - you are looking for any bugs that fall to the bottom of the bag
- If anything looks alive, put it back in the freezer [though I've never had this happen]!
- If everything looks good to you, take your stuff out & get it cleaned in the recommended way for the fiber content
Things can get a little difficult with antiques. I once bought an eight foot diameter woven wool rug. At least blankets fold into nice square shapes & are generally squishy. The rug was as stiff as a formal state dinner!
Cedar - The Traditional Choice
Hubby is a great believer in the power of cedar. My perfect house would have all cedar-lined closets [including floors & ceilings]. We are building right now, but there is no way I can afford this luxury. I am thinking about trying the closet lining sheets made of cedar chips, since this is a bit more cost effective, though not nearly as pretty [I'll report on these after some personal experience].
There is one drawback to cedar... it must be maintained with a gentle sanding to renew the surface on a yearly basis. The operative word is GENTLE. The beautiful aroma of cedar comes from the resin in the wood. The aroma disappears when this resin dries out on the surface of the wood, which seals the pores of the wood, which puts out the 'Welcome Bugs, Lodging Available' sign. If you sand cedar too hard, the heat you generate from the friction will help seal off the pores again almost immediately. I have had cedar chunks in my closets, and have tried sanding them to renew their effectiveness, but they never seem to be as wonderful as when new. Another way to remove the dried resin [which I have not tried] is rubbing a denatured alcohol solvent on the cedar. I think you are supposed to get the kind that is next to the lacquer thinnner at the home improvement stores & not rubbing alcohol from the drug store. Another option here would be to annoint the cedar with an essential oil. Be sure your textiles don't touch the oil & get oil stains.
There is a variety of cedar that is particular to the West Coast. My mother's cedar chest is made from this 'incense cedar'. All of her special things are in this chest. We open it from time to time to get something out to look at. In all of my life [I just turned 40], there has never been a need to renew the surface of this chest. On my last visit home, I finally noticed a huge decrease in the aroma of her chest when we opened it, so I guess it is finally in need of sanding.
Why Bugs Don't Take Showers...
{WARNING: The Following Suggestion Can Be Dangerous - DO NOT BREATHE SOAP DUST!}
Grated soap all the way around the baseboards in carpetless closets is one of the most effective things I have ever done to chase the bugs far away [if you have carpets, then this is probably not going to work for you - unless you want to rip out the carpet, of course]. This worked wonders in the buggiest house we ever lived in. Many organic pest solutions incorporate basic lye soap in their solutions because it eats away at the waxy coating on beetles causing dehydration & death.
You can make your own soap if you wish [find a book at the library & CAREFULLY follow the directions], but it is much easier to buy soap for this purpose. Be very sure you love the smell of the soap if you choose this method as your entire closet is going to smell like it, as well as anything you store in it [i.e. 'Rosy Bouquet' might not be the best choice for your man's closet...]. You could use up that stash of hotel soaps you've been collecting. This solution is labor-intensive, but it pays off as a long-lasting [over a year] deterrent that needs no maintenance meanwhile.
Get a used grater at a thrift shop [you won't enjoy soap-flavored cheese on your next pizza]. Take your soap and your grater to a well-ventilated space, preferably the great outdoors on a day with a very gentle breeze. Be sure to avoid breathing in soap dust by standing upwind of the grater & letting the zephyr breeze waft the tiny cloud of 'soap smoke' away from you. The last place on earth you want to do the grating is inside the closet you are protecting! Breathing soap dust is incredibly painful and especially so when it is highly perfumed [trust me].
Before you spread the soap dust, you must thoroughly clean, vacuum, mop [if appropriate for your flooring], & wax the floor in your closet. Pay careful attention to the baseboard area as you clean. While it looks like a solid wall to you, the baseboard is actually hiding a bug superhighway. The more suction you can get out of your vacuum the better. Use the crevice tools to suck all possible traffic off of that highway [pretend you're a tornado]. If there are gaps at the bottom, you should get some high quality paintable caulk & seal them up, denying closet fast food access to all those hungry critters! High quality caulk is cheap compared to your stash of woolen fabrics, suits, & handknit sweaters [in fact, take time to look for any pin holes in the wall surface as bugs can get out through them too - use the caulk or get some spackle for patching holes and seal them up]. You can shove soap dust into the wall cavity [use the edge of a piece of paper] if you wish, but this would be second best to caulking them out. You will probably want to wear a dust mask when you put the grated soap in your closet. Carefully take the soap dust and make a trail close to the baseboards about 1/4" [or 5 mm] high. A plastic spoon can be helpful. Using your fingers or the spoon, shove the soap dust to the edge of the baseboard. Leave that dusty smudge where it is. You have now created the equivalent of a razor wire barrier between the bugs and their breakfast.
When you can't smell the soap anymore it's time to change it out. DON'T use a broom to sweep it up when you replace it - VACUUM it up.
I haven't tried laundry detergent powders, but this might be effective & safer than grating your own soap.
What IS That Lovely Smell?
Gardens Alive! sells pheromone lure moth sticky traps. These are great. They use the bugs' own system of finding each other [to make baby bugs] to eliminate the breeding population. Be prepared for the horrible shock when you find it FULL of flying beasties that you saw two or three of! These are great as a monitoring device if you change them out regularly enough to be able to detect a rising trend in moth populations. Since lots of insects lay eggs that only hatch when conditions are ripe, then this could give you an all-important Early Warning Sign [sort of like that self-exam you should be doing every month, ladies!]. If your traps have been fairly empty & then start to get hits, you'll know it is time to go check all of your closets/storage for other signs of infestation.
Herbology 101 - the Easy Way
I have a great book, "A Weaver's Garden", that revolutionized my approach to bug banishment [by Rita Buchanan, Interweave Press, 1987, ISBN 0-934026-28-9]. Chapter 4 has 36 pages on textile protection. Most of us know about lavender, which is great, but there are many other effective options out there - Santolina, anything minty, the list goes on...
The easiest way to get sachets without gardening is in the tea section at the grocery store. Celestial Seasoning's teas are THE best -- no strings or tags to snag things & the bags are tightly woven and very durable. I've used peppermint tea, citrus flavors, & anything with cinnamon!! Put one in every drawer that needs protection. Tea bags are also one of the safest options for individual garment protection within a bigger closet space. Put tea bags in garment pockets. You should check them regularly for aroma & to make sure nothing is going wrong [sometimes tea can absorb moisture from the air & start to 'brew', which would be a total tragedy in your Chanel Jacket pocket - if this happens, then you probably have a moisture problem as well as a bug problem]. Sniff the bags once in awhile. If you can't smell it, then the bugs probably aren't bothered by it [be sure to remove the bags before you leave for that high-powered executive business meeting].
You can also get a huge container of Bay Leaves in the spice section at Warehouse-club stores or Oriental/Mexican grocers. Put several in with anything you want to protect. Bay leaves are leathery and don't crumble like other herbs. If they do get crumbly, then they need to be changed for fresh ones. They are potent & last a long time even in non-airtight containers.
Chemical Warfare
If you are having extreme bug problems, you will want to at least consider Boric Acid. It can be found in the laundry section at the grocery store in a low dose formula called 'Borax'. There are much stronger options available at the Pharmacy and at home improvement stores.
My favorite way to use Boric Acid is during remodeling. If you have pulled out all of your cabinetry, then you can put down acid snow before you close the toe-kick space in again. If you are going to do closet organizers then those dark places where bugs set up housekeeping underneath are also a target zone.
Of course, be sure you follow any package directions.
Our family has moved around the world a great deal with my husband's work, so I have had the chance to experience established bug populations in rental properties worldwide [oh joy]. Prevention is the best way to keep your textile collections intact, but it is possible to overcome an infestation that is part & parcel of your rental agreement.
The effectiveness of the following ideas is greatly enhanced by the intense cleaning you have to do before implementation. In fact, regular cleaning of spaces, containers, & items contributes more to controlling insect damage than anything else.
First Things First
You will need to exercise your own discretion regarding the suitability of the following ideas for your own use. If you have a dog that eats soap, then grated soap is probably the wrong way to go. If there are any children, toddlers, babies in your house [ever] then please exercise the most extreme caution. Also, when packages use the words 'dangerous' or 'caution', then you need to follow their directions for usage.
The safer ideas offered below are the pheromone lure traps [which can be put out of reach of 95% of children] & the tea bags, but even they can be dangerous if mis-used.
The safest solution of all was just offered above... clean, clean, clean. I like to call this 'turning the closet over'. If you have any doubts about using any idea, don't. Just clean like a maniac person with a dirt & bug phobia on a regular basis.
Put the Bugs on Ice
Freezers are good for more than veggies. I use mine both as a moth death chamber & preventative maintenance. I try to cycle through our most precious sweaters, blankets, yarn & fabrics at least once a year. If anything is suspect, it goes into the freezer ASAP. Suspect things include items in the general vicinity of moth sightings, and anything I buy at antique stores or thrift shops.
The entire process looks like this:
- Get a plastic bag, preferably clear, big enough to fully contain the item[s]
- Put item in bag and seal shut with a clip or twist tie
- Re-arrange the entire freezer to accomodate the bundle you just made [this could involve doing the defrost job you've been putting off...]
- Leave the bundle in freezer for at least 24 hours [I usually forget it for a week]
- Take the bundle out & carefully shake it while still sealed shut - you are looking for any bugs that fall to the bottom of the bag
- If anything looks alive, put it back in the freezer [though I've never had this happen]!
- If everything looks good to you, take your stuff out & get it cleaned in the recommended way for the fiber content
Things can get a little difficult with antiques. I once bought an eight foot diameter woven wool rug. At least blankets fold into nice square shapes & are generally squishy. The rug was as stiff as a formal state dinner!
Cedar - The Traditional Choice
Hubby is a great believer in the power of cedar. My perfect house would have all cedar-lined closets [including floors & ceilings]. We are building right now, but there is no way I can afford this luxury. I am thinking about trying the closet lining sheets made of cedar chips, since this is a bit more cost effective, though not nearly as pretty [I'll report on these after some personal experience].
There is one drawback to cedar... it must be maintained with a gentle sanding to renew the surface on a yearly basis. The operative word is GENTLE. The beautiful aroma of cedar comes from the resin in the wood. The aroma disappears when this resin dries out on the surface of the wood, which seals the pores of the wood, which puts out the 'Welcome Bugs, Lodging Available' sign. If you sand cedar too hard, the heat you generate from the friction will help seal off the pores again almost immediately. I have had cedar chunks in my closets, and have tried sanding them to renew their effectiveness, but they never seem to be as wonderful as when new. Another way to remove the dried resin [which I have not tried] is rubbing a denatured alcohol solvent on the cedar. I think you are supposed to get the kind that is next to the lacquer thinnner at the home improvement stores & not rubbing alcohol from the drug store. Another option here would be to annoint the cedar with an essential oil. Be sure your textiles don't touch the oil & get oil stains.
There is a variety of cedar that is particular to the West Coast. My mother's cedar chest is made from this 'incense cedar'. All of her special things are in this chest. We open it from time to time to get something out to look at. In all of my life [I just turned 40], there has never been a need to renew the surface of this chest. On my last visit home, I finally noticed a huge decrease in the aroma of her chest when we opened it, so I guess it is finally in need of sanding.
Why Bugs Don't Take Showers...
{WARNING: The Following Suggestion Can Be Dangerous - DO NOT BREATHE SOAP DUST!}
Grated soap all the way around the baseboards in carpetless closets is one of the most effective things I have ever done to chase the bugs far away [if you have carpets, then this is probably not going to work for you - unless you want to rip out the carpet, of course]. This worked wonders in the buggiest house we ever lived in. Many organic pest solutions incorporate basic lye soap in their solutions because it eats away at the waxy coating on beetles causing dehydration & death.
You can make your own soap if you wish [find a book at the library & CAREFULLY follow the directions], but it is much easier to buy soap for this purpose. Be very sure you love the smell of the soap if you choose this method as your entire closet is going to smell like it, as well as anything you store in it [i.e. 'Rosy Bouquet' might not be the best choice for your man's closet...]. You could use up that stash of hotel soaps you've been collecting. This solution is labor-intensive, but it pays off as a long-lasting [over a year] deterrent that needs no maintenance meanwhile.
Get a used grater at a thrift shop [you won't enjoy soap-flavored cheese on your next pizza]. Take your soap and your grater to a well-ventilated space, preferably the great outdoors on a day with a very gentle breeze. Be sure to avoid breathing in soap dust by standing upwind of the grater & letting the zephyr breeze waft the tiny cloud of 'soap smoke' away from you. The last place on earth you want to do the grating is inside the closet you are protecting! Breathing soap dust is incredibly painful and especially so when it is highly perfumed [trust me].
Before you spread the soap dust, you must thoroughly clean, vacuum, mop [if appropriate for your flooring], & wax the floor in your closet. Pay careful attention to the baseboard area as you clean. While it looks like a solid wall to you, the baseboard is actually hiding a bug superhighway. The more suction you can get out of your vacuum the better. Use the crevice tools to suck all possible traffic off of that highway [pretend you're a tornado]. If there are gaps at the bottom, you should get some high quality paintable caulk & seal them up, denying closet fast food access to all those hungry critters! High quality caulk is cheap compared to your stash of woolen fabrics, suits, & handknit sweaters [in fact, take time to look for any pin holes in the wall surface as bugs can get out through them too - use the caulk or get some spackle for patching holes and seal them up]. You can shove soap dust into the wall cavity [use the edge of a piece of paper] if you wish, but this would be second best to caulking them out. You will probably want to wear a dust mask when you put the grated soap in your closet. Carefully take the soap dust and make a trail close to the baseboards about 1/4" [or 5 mm] high. A plastic spoon can be helpful. Using your fingers or the spoon, shove the soap dust to the edge of the baseboard. Leave that dusty smudge where it is. You have now created the equivalent of a razor wire barrier between the bugs and their breakfast.
When you can't smell the soap anymore it's time to change it out. DON'T use a broom to sweep it up when you replace it - VACUUM it up.
I haven't tried laundry detergent powders, but this might be effective & safer than grating your own soap.
What IS That Lovely Smell?
Gardens Alive! sells pheromone lure moth sticky traps. These are great. They use the bugs' own system of finding each other [to make baby bugs] to eliminate the breeding population. Be prepared for the horrible shock when you find it FULL of flying beasties that you saw two or three of! These are great as a monitoring device if you change them out regularly enough to be able to detect a rising trend in moth populations. Since lots of insects lay eggs that only hatch when conditions are ripe, then this could give you an all-important Early Warning Sign [sort of like that self-exam you should be doing every month, ladies!]. If your traps have been fairly empty & then start to get hits, you'll know it is time to go check all of your closets/storage for other signs of infestation.
Herbology 101 - the Easy Way
I have a great book, "A Weaver's Garden", that revolutionized my approach to bug banishment [by Rita Buchanan, Interweave Press, 1987, ISBN 0-934026-28-9]. Chapter 4 has 36 pages on textile protection. Most of us know about lavender, which is great, but there are many other effective options out there - Santolina, anything minty, the list goes on...
The easiest way to get sachets without gardening is in the tea section at the grocery store. Celestial Seasoning's teas are THE best -- no strings or tags to snag things & the bags are tightly woven and very durable. I've used peppermint tea, citrus flavors, & anything with cinnamon!! Put one in every drawer that needs protection. Tea bags are also one of the safest options for individual garment protection within a bigger closet space. Put tea bags in garment pockets. You should check them regularly for aroma & to make sure nothing is going wrong [sometimes tea can absorb moisture from the air & start to 'brew', which would be a total tragedy in your Chanel Jacket pocket - if this happens, then you probably have a moisture problem as well as a bug problem]. Sniff the bags once in awhile. If you can't smell it, then the bugs probably aren't bothered by it [be sure to remove the bags before you leave for that high-powered executive business meeting].
You can also get a huge container of Bay Leaves in the spice section at Warehouse-club stores or Oriental/Mexican grocers. Put several in with anything you want to protect. Bay leaves are leathery and don't crumble like other herbs. If they do get crumbly, then they need to be changed for fresh ones. They are potent & last a long time even in non-airtight containers.
Chemical Warfare
If you are having extreme bug problems, you will want to at least consider Boric Acid. It can be found in the laundry section at the grocery store in a low dose formula called 'Borax'. There are much stronger options available at the Pharmacy and at home improvement stores.
My favorite way to use Boric Acid is during remodeling. If you have pulled out all of your cabinetry, then you can put down acid snow before you close the toe-kick space in again. If you are going to do closet organizers then those dark places where bugs set up housekeeping underneath are also a target zone.
Of course, be sure you follow any package directions.
January 30, 2007
Here is my bogus first blog entry. I don't really know what to say yet, but I need something on the page so I'll know how it looks. This is enough to say until I really HAVE something to say...
BTW, my favorite blog site is Mason-Dixon knitting.
BTW, my favorite blog site is Mason-Dixon knitting.
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