sewing

Progress and Finishes, Sort Of

by CZeitler

I did finish the first beaded kumihimo bracelet I tried, however I did not string enough beads on and the end is just kumihimo so I am not even going to add a photo here. Another bracelet, this one with embroidery thread, and smaller beads, has been started. There are 30 beads on each strand, I will add more if this is not enough for an 8″ bracelet. I may make it slightly smaller and add a chain and lobster clasp so it can be loosened or tightened as needed.

Onto a finish, I did finish weaving the main portion of my bog jacket, small panels were added to each side since I am a very large person and some more width was needed. I do have to re-sew up one of the side seams, which means I am going to re-sew all of them several times over, since the arm hole kept getting caught on a doorknob at work.

The front end has a simple tied fringe while the back adds in some braids to the fringe. It was all woven at 7.5 epi. with Knit Picks Dishie in whites and grays. When trying to bring my warps back together after the neck hole I had extreme difficulty. I wound up tightly tying 4 of the warp threads, two on either side of the hole, together so that the warp would rejoin after a few picks into a solid piece of cloth again. Even after finishing and washing the piece there were weft threads strung out through this rejoining of the warp. I first tried to crochet a lovely chain around the neck line to create stability, however this eliminated the stretch needed to actually get the piece over my head. To this end I wound up folding the neckline down toward the ‘wrong’ side of my piece and felling it down with what amounts to a rolled hem. I love how this looks. Admittedly the back is much longer than I thought it would be, and I am planning to use the rest of the warp I already have cut and chained to weave up pieces that I may use as sleeves. Since this is a 100% cotton piece it is not too warm, and if I were to make another piece I will likely use a slightly tighter epi to give this a bit more body to the entire piece. I do have some yarn that I believe is wool in black and rainbow that I may try to use as another version. I do also have a peach version of Dishie in a large quantity that I might use to make another version of this jacket, it was so much fun once I really got started.

There are a couple more projects I was going to mention but I think that this post is long enough already. I will mention an accidental project that I think is so funny. Friday when I was taking my braid out, this is the same day I modeled my new bog jacket, I ended up with a huge snarl at the end braided very tightly. I did try to get this matt out, however nothing was working. In the end I cut out the snarl, giving myself a small accidental trim. I then took the hair, and a glue stick, to make small pieces of ‘thread’ that I hope to use in some kind of a Victorian hair art.

Until next time Live Life A Little More Abstract!

Spooky Win

by CZeitler

This is just a small post, I haven’t had much energy to do larger things right now. Yesterday I was organizing some magazines to clear off my table so I can make progress on some other crafts. In between that I did a little bit of work on a beaded kumihimo bracelet I’m trying to practice with, as well as cutting out some fabric and stabilizer to finally get the gumption to try and make a ByAnnies pattern I purchased about a year ago.

Along with organizing some periodicals I was also getting some applique pieces cut out and organized. While doing this I ended up cutting out a cute ghost coaster pattern that is meant to be made with pinked, raw-edges, and some raw edge applique. I ended up hand stitching this little cutie and giving it to a friend at work.

He is just the cutest thing I ever saw, I am going to have to make one for my sister!

Until next time I hope that you live life A Little More Abstract!

Pattern Testing

by CZeitler

I had the privilege of pattern testing the Quiltlets Quilted Bracelet Cuff, whose pattern you can purchase here: https://authorkathrynmykel.com/store/quiltlets-quilted-bracelet-printed-pattern/

I am not an affiliate and do not make any money from this, though the kit was sent to me for free. This is a fun, scrappy, pattern that would be a great use for your scraps and as gifts for friends. I only did two of the simpler patterns available, and they both turned out amazing! I was using the Benartex fabric that was included in the test kit and the fabric is fabulous to work with. I did the flip and stitch method with the Foundation Paper Piecing, other than that I followed the lovely directions included.

Everything’s Going to Be All Rice

by CZeitler

About a month ago I purchased a great deal on frozen fish. Since then I have created a couple of amazing rice bowls to enjoy. Rice from the rice cooker, baked fish, Japanese BBQ sauce or Hoisin Sauce, and then sprinkled over with the ‘Everything’s Gonna be All Rice’ seasoning that was available at Walmart for a while. I have to go light on the seasoning since it does have salt which can then overwhelm everything. This has been a fun treat a few times a month to get me to eat more fish, eat at home more, and enjoy flavors that I do not always get to enjoy.

This is what happens when you are at work, as a librarian, and notice that the t-shirt you pulled from the clean laundry pile has a couple of grease stains that are now set in and do not come out with a shout stick. You sew a felt wizards tower to cover the stains. I think this turned out well!

I am also trying to sew a skirt for my cousin’s wedding this upcoming weekend, I lost the pattern until this past Saturday, so it isn’t just that I am procrastinating. The waistband is elasticated, my left hand had ligament repair surgery, so I improvised. I used a pair of table clamps to clamp down on the waistband while the elastic is slightly stretched, then I sewed the seam. This worked really well, though since the fabric is linen some of the fibers were slightly crushed leaving tiny shiny spots that are not noticeable at all.

I asked a cousin of mine if they would like a quilt. They readily agreed so I wanted to make some samples of different colored thread. I am looking at this sampler and even I can tell that the variegated is right out, the white just blends in too well with the background fabric. Fortunately I will be seeing this cousin at the wedding and various festivities around the wedding, so I am quite excited about that.

Other than some organizing and trying to put a shed up in my back yard that is all that I have been up to. Until next time remember to Live Life a Little More Abstract!

Progress and Learning

by CZeitler

I did manage to finish my Edwardian gown sewn by hand. I do see some changes that I would certainly make, especially if I knew what I was doing. I love how the front looks, I’m not as thrilled by the back. I think I am going to try to add some to the waist to get things to be a little more flattering. This is made of cotton muslin, dyed with Rit wine dye, and with sequins added for interest.

There are two free learning opportunities coming up this week, the Quilter’s Life Summit and the Eco-Creative Summit. The first can be found here: https://the-quilters-life-summit-spring-2026.heysummit.com/?ac=UVJEWwz8&sc=qTK9onZv

https://events.hobbyscool.com/2026-eco-creative-registration-page/?affiliate=byheidigrace

I do not have any affiliation with either of these events. I plan on attending both for free and not upgrading to the paid method. I do attempt to support the events by supporting the presenters when and where I am able to.

My bead weaving class went amazingly last weekend. Everyone was amazing, I love how their projects turned out. I did focus on making sure that the materials I brought are somewhat organized once I got them home. I ensured that I have my materials for the May 30th Tapestry weaving class are mostly in one place, along with the bead weaving materials for the September class.

I do have a shed for my gardening equipment, however, I have to put it up before I can store my supplies in there…that is not going to happen for a couple of weeks at least. I did get some clover and shade wildflowers seeds scattered, and they started to poke their first 2 leaves up, unfortunately it started snowing this morning so I hope that the little bit of peat I put down will cover them enough to survive.

Sorry for the short post, I am focused on other things this week. When I have some spare time I am working on cutting out some pattern pieces for a couple of projects I hope to work on later this spring and summer. I am hoping to make a couple of memorial banners for family members before Thursday, as well as one or two sample blocks for my cousin. I believe that I managed to finish most of my pattern cutting done and will put them away before I pull out my Embroidery Machine.

Remember to Live Life a Little More Abstract.

Tangled Threads

by CZeitler

*There is very little crafting content in this*

Sometimes you do ‘everything right’ and there is a tangled mess in the background. I spent quite a bit of time winding a very long warp, crocheting it into chains, and then warping the heddle. I am at the point of winding the warp onto the back beam so I can start tying onto the front beam and weaving my bog jacket. The threads have currently turned into a snarled mess that makes me want to cut the entire thing off and tie on the rest of the warp when I get time. I have had to take a break and leave things as they are until I get a little more time and patience so I can take the next step.

This is why, in my darker times, I wonder if making plans is even worth it. I had plans to do some traveling this summer, those have fallen through so I have attempted to pivot. For May I was going to have to miss my weaving guild meeting due to a conflict, that was fine, I was not that invested in the topic being discussed. I decided that I was going to miss my cousin’s bridal shower, I’m always single and didn’t want to deal with that, but I hoped to get some projects completed during that time. The bride’s mother (who had asked me to make the quilt) had been under a lot of stress attempting to help her oldest brother (my uncle) take care of his wife since she is an EMT. Unfortunately the morning of the bridal shower my aunt, my uncle’s wife, lost her battle. Instead of going to the April weaver’s guild meeting I will be attending a funeral. I am trying to be there for my cousin of that branch of the family, I will be working on making a quilt for her.

In the long run the pieces that I am having to pivot are small potatoes. I would rather be there for my family than worry about a chance to learn card weaving on an inkle loom. It looks like this year, similar to last, is going to be one of remembering what is truly important in life. Things are not all doom and gloom. I have made significant progress on sewing up my folkwear Edwardian gown. I am currently fighting with myself about adding the zipper onto the back, I would like to be able to add more authentic closures, however I am not double jointed so a Zipper is a must.

(Note, I started this post almost a week ago. I discovered that if I do not hit the ‘Save Draft’ button at the top then the draft is not saved for me to work on it on other devices. The rest of this post is from the 17th of April, while the first is from the 12 of April.)

I did manage to get the zipper added as well as remembering that I wanted to add pockets. It fits amazingly well, I am so pleased. I do plan on using Rit dye in the color Wine to add a pink to red color to this dress. I am hoping that it either turns out pink or burgundy-ish. I then hope to put some hot-fix rhinestones on to add a small amount of weight in the hem and decoration. I am hoping to ask one of my colleagues to take photos of me in the dress on Monday so I can send them in to the Folkwear contest.

I have made no progress on getting the rigid heddle loom warped up, I will in the near future, however it just seemed so daunting when I have this dress to finish and a funeral to attend. The funeral is next weekend so I have not dealt with that yet. Next week is going to be quite busy for me, I am planning on using a system of treats to allow me to get through the week in a relatively positive way. Every day is a chance for new adventures and new blessings. Often it is your attitude that gets you through each day, and sometimes bed rotting for a day or two is the only way to get through things.

Until next time remember to Live Life in a way that is A Little More Abstract.

Keeping the Flow Going

by CZeitler

I have been asked to teach two different craft classes for another library. One is a bead weaving craft class. I made a lovely piece with size 8 beads out of blue with a red heart and diamond. To ensure that I have some pieces in different sizes I used size 11/0 seed beads to create the moon wall hanging, the random forest colors are out of 8/0 and the various plus signs is out of 6/0 beads. I love how these turned out, they were so much fun to put together, I am very exciting to teach this class. It is fun to purchase the supplies knowing that people are going to love learning this skill. Apparently there were enough people that signed up so another class was requested. Unfortunately Saturday’s are very busy for me so I cannot teach another Saturday class (other than the 2 scheduled) until September. The second class is going to be weaving a tapestry pouch using cardboard and worsted weight yarn. Both of these are going to be a ton of fun, and easy to learn.

This is only part of what is going on in my life right now, this is the fun part really. I have some dental problems that I am getting treatment for, which is very expensive and anxiety inducing. Fortunately I have enough money to cover my bills and basic expenses.

At present I am working on making an Edwardian Gown using a Folkwear Pattern. There is a contest where Threads and Folkwear have teamed up to offer a prize, I hope to enter with this gown. I am making it out of Muslin cloth, dyed red with some trim. Hopefully this will turn out good enough that I can wear it to my cousin’s wedding.

Life is amazing, I am so lucky for everything that I have and can do. The weather is warming up so I hope to be able to work on my garden/yard soon.

I wrote this post several weeks ago, so the information is accurate, but a little out of date. I am going to post this today, and follow up early next week with updates to this post and what I was up to the last weekend in March. Until then, remember to Live Life a Little More Abstract!

Looking to the Future

by CZeitler

Every day brings something new and special to the world. I was able to spend time with my family, and will be able to spend another weekend with my family again soon. The weather is warming up in Western New York, though it will cool down again soon, and spring is just around the corner. March 3, there is an Embroidery Extravaganza happening through Creative Spark. This learning opportunity is a treat to myself, something that I can look forward to and that should spark my imagination for the rest of the year.

One of my cousin’s daughters is getting interested in embroidery and sewing, like me she enjoys using the proper terminology for different stitches. I gave her a choice of having the finished pouch or a kit to put together, and she chose a kit. I am really looking forward to seeing them soon.

I spent the past week having sleeping problems. The 21st was the anniversary of my dad’s passing, February has always sort of sucked since then. I suppose the weather taking a turn for the worse did not help me any. I did get around to spending a few hours stitching up some more circles for my larger project, though certainly not the one a day I was supposed to do.

That is about all for right now, I will post more as I get more finished. I’m trying to look on the bright side, even while not in the best of moods, and having sleeping problems. All of the gardening site I follow keep saying that it is time to start planting seedlings, however, it is not safe to plant outside until the end of May in my area, so spring is a little ways away right now.

Remember to Live Life a Little More Abstract!

Assistive Tools

by CZeitler

Yes, I am only in my early 40s. It could be commonly thought that I should not need any type of assistive tools since I do not have any major disabilities. However, I have been crafting ever since I was about 5 years old, so my joints see a lot of stress. Due to an incident at work, a previous job, I had to have ligament repair surgery in my left wrist…and according to the orthopedic surgeon my bones in that wrist are dissolving. Horrible things that the human body can do for 800 please Alex.

All of this means that if I want to keep crafting and maintain a good quality of life for myself I need to take care of the joints as best I can. In addition to physical concerns, I also have ADHD which means that organization is very difficult for me. I can put things ‘away’ and have a logic to my organization, however, I then forget where I put everything and cannot remember if I have something or not. The one that drives me insane is ‘I just saw that five times in the past week, but where did I see that?’

Due to these circumstances my assistive tools mostly revolve around keeping my joints supported and healthy, as well as basic organization, or advanced organization if you prefer. I will be mentioning some basic devices that work for overall maintenance of joint health and organization, but most of what I will be talking about is specific toward crafting.

Starting with organization, my favorite tool is this label maker. I can customize the size, font, tape, and even add some symbols to the labels using a simple and free app from my phone. The labels are not huge, however I can easily get two lines of text while still having them legible. I use these to label the clear boxes that I prefer to use for storage. I have also begun using what is sold as a photo storage container, that has smaller containers inside, for storing a wide variety of items. Each individual mini box is labelled inside of the larger container. To keep things in order I have set up a system where each item in the box is labelled on a sleeve, and the item name on the sleeve corresponds with the box label. I currently have 3 of these boxes, though they are not all full, so I have a sheet that corresponds to each box. It sounds complicated, however it is easier for me to pull the sheets, check which box has what I am looking for, then pull the box. Previously I had been pulling the boxes out, opening them, looking at what was in each compartment, and then putting things back willy-nilly. For me, organizing is often a trial-and-error method which is why I seem to be constantly rotating through different types of organizing supplies.

I also enjoy putting labels on several sides as well as the top of a box, that way no matter how I choose to store it I have an easily seen label. While I prefer clear containers, sometimes it is not possible such as in my Kallax Units. This is another way that my labelling system comes in handy. Not to mention my unfortunate tendency to put things on top of other things, labels come in handy then, though I hope that my final bookcase will help prevent that tendency by forcing a place for everything. This will probably mean a spate of attempting to use things up and de-stashing items, however I hope that the result is a productive workspace in 2026. Enough about organization, how about getting to items that help my hands, joints, and more?

The first three items are for holding items so I do not have to pinch things quite as often or tightly. The first and third pictures are items that are intended for people working on circuit boards, soldering, or similar. I can easily use them to hold a piece of embroidery I am working on, some fabric that I plan on stitching, wire for a piece of jewelry I am working on, or similar. The top middle is a clamp intended for woodworking. Since it is very adjustable I can use it with an embroidery hoop to hold things steady while I try to stitch. The larger picture on the bottom is of some ‘bead stoppers’ intended to be placed on wire/string/filament that you are putting beads on so they do not fall off of the end. I have not been beading much recently, though I have a couple of projects that might change that in the near future.

Just today I have been working with my embroidery machine, and so had to discover a new assistive device. I have a small flat head screwdriver that I use to tighten up the hoop so that my fabric does not slide around while the machine is running, this has happened a couple of times. I was very productive this morning and managed to get five motifs embroidered on the quilt this morning…and now I have to wear my wrist brace because my thumb joint is protesting. Of course, I have to wear the brace on my ‘good’ hand because that is the one that I have been using, lol. This caused me to see if there is any kind of screwdriver that I can use without having to create a pinching motion, there is! I T-Handled Screwdriver! I will order it when I next get paid.

There are a few more tools, such as the ones I mentioned in an earlier post, however I will have to get to those later. I did discover that the Crafteaze pillow by Valari is manufactured in India and their supportive gloves ship from China. I have not had an opportunity to test them yet, though each finger in the gloves is finished with a serger so they seem to be good quality.

Until next time remember to Live Life a Little More Abstract!

Wrist Concerns

by CZeitler

I like to pretend, most days, that my left wrist is just fine. I don’t twist it too much, make sure I don’t lean on it or carry anything super heavy with it, but the truth is that I had Ligament repair surgery in 2020. 90-95% of the time my wrist does not bother me, if I fall and try to catch myself then I go to the hospital for an x-ray, if I pinch with my left hand too much then it becomes sore or the joint locks up. Fortunately I do not fall that often, winter in the north east can be problematic, and I am aware of my limitations and try to keep to them. The last time I fell the x-ray showed a concern that the orthopedic surgeon explained to me. The little bones in my wrist are dissolving. Again, the vast majority of the time my wrist does not bother me, however this morning I woke up to a sore wrist. I cannot think of what I did to exacerbate the situation, so I decided I need to look into items that can assist me by decreasing the strain placed on my wrist, and other joints, while I am crafting.

The two closest parallels I can find would be crafting with arthritis or carpel tunnel syndrome. I highly recommend getting any surgeries or medications prescribed by a doctor as they have extended my healing and ability to craft for at least five years. I am not giving any sort of medical advice. The first step in ensuring that you are not causing lasting damage is to listen to your body. All too often I hear people saying, I crocheted/knitted until my hands hurt so much I could not hold the hook/needles. Please do not do this, if your wrists and shoulders are getting tight while you are crafting then take a break, stretch, do something else for 15-30 minutes, and see if your joints are feeling better. Again, this is not medical advice.

The rest of this post is just an FYI of what items I am going to be purchasing to assist my comfort and health while crafting. I am not in any way affiliated with any of the brands and I plan on giving a complete and honest review a week after purchase and then (hopefully) a month or so after purchase.

First I have purchased Furls size-G Crochet hooks. I can tell you right now, I love these hooks. I have purchased them in the past, and passed them onto a cousin that is crocheting more than I am. These are hard hooks, made from metal, acrylic, or wood. If gripping something softer would be more of an aid I would look into getting some pencil grips for arthritis.

Second, there is a website called Crafteaze.com where they sell pillows to offer support while engaging in crafting activities. While you are seated the pillow wraps around your torso so that you are able to rest your elbows and forearms on the pillow as well as allowing the pillow to take some of the weight of your project. This greatly decreases the strain on your shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints. I have tried a couple of other methods to make crafting on my chair more comfortable, hopefully this one will work. The pillow is currently on sale for $100, the crafting variety is about $109. This is going to be the most expensive of my ‘ergonomic’ purchases, hopefully it will make the greatest difference.

A pair of electric scissors. For little things like snipping off stray threads my regular scissors work just fine. When it comes to cutting out patterns, designs, etc. every step is more difficult. I realized writing this article that I do not sew as much as I would like because I need to lean on the ruler with my left and and use the rotary cutter with my right. However I am not supposed to be leaning on my left hand so it becomes very sore very quickly. Isn’t it fascinating how often we just work around problems without thinking them through? I am going to mark my pattern/fabric with chalk or erasable pen and use my new electric scissors to cut the pieces out. Hopefully this will help. The pair I will order are $18. If they work and hold up I will add a link if not I will keep trying until I find a pair that do work.

Stainless steel hemming clips. Yes, I am discussing my wrist pain, no that is not stopping me from trying to expand my crafting. I have been working on making my own Victorian Dress, since I am plus sized and don’t want to wear polyester unless I cannot help it. This means that I have been doing more long hems than I am used to. I can, and do, pin them then fight with the pins because I have inevitably placed the pin heads on the side of the fabric facing down on my sewing machine. I will be getting 40 for $12 and hope that this prevents my having to hold the entire piece in the air while I desperately pinch the hem in place trying to get the pin in.

Tube turner, these are a great way to turn long narrow pieces, like straps, inside right. Essentially they are a straw with a dowel of the correct size to push the fabric through. I am hoping that these are sturdier than the average straw but for $9 I do not know.

Magnetic Helping Hands Soldering Station for $24. This device is about 9″ long and 6″ wide with 4 magnetic alligator clips with rubberized tips. I am hoping that this will be able to hold some of my stitching in the air so that I can do the stitching hands free without worrying about the bulk of a hoop. I have a floor quilting frame out of PVC, however it is too big for me to use it to stitch smaller projects.

Finally, I am purchasing a High torque electric jar opener. Normally for $20 I would not risk this being junk, however Sorted Food (a YouTube Channel I love) reviewed a similar device a few years ago and they were shocked at how well it worked.

I already have a couple of wrist braces as well as similar devices that provide ergonomic support to my wrist and hand. I am considering ordering a pair of compression gloves as well to assist when I am not in active pain.

At present this is a minor inconvenience to me, however, it has given me a much greater appreciation for those that have constant pain, or very limited mobility. It is my fondest wish to find methods/aids that I can utilize to aid individuals with mobility concerns to discover/rediscover crafting.

Until next time please remember to Live Life a Little More Abstract and listen to your body.