Big or little squares/rectangles?

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GBov

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I finally have enough hides to do a lap throw but now I can't decide how to cut them. :oops: So a little help peoples...

Squares?
Rectangles?
Big?
Little?
 
hotzcatz":856wm0b1 said:
how about in a quilt pattern? Stars would be nice.

Noooooot so hard please! :lol: Basic sewing for the first one, perhaps the second will be fancier but I am using an 1880's treadle sewing machine without the treadle to stitch it so the more basic the better.
 
Those old hand or foot powered machines are great! I have an antique hand-crank Singer that I've used for many things, including teddy bears made from fur coats. You have a lot more control than with a motorized machine. I do recommend you buy some leather needles for it . . . they have three-faceted tips that pierce the skins with less danger of tearing. I always backed my pieces with identically cut pieces of strong muslin to help take the strain off the leather, sewing through both the leather and the muslin for strength. I don't know if it is necessary with a lap through.

I think squares would give you more flexibility since all the dimensions would be the same. Don't make them tooooo small or there will be a lot of seams and that might make it more fragile.

What colours will you be working with? Are some plain colours and some broken? And do you want a geometric look or a random patchwork look? It will help if we have a rough idea what kind of look you are going for.

Looking forward to hearing more about your project as you move forward with it!
 
Ghost":305t29zq said:
Do you have any pictures of your pelts?

Loades, but I have never managed to figure out posting them here. However, I can copy and past my blog where there is a picture of a pile of hides. :D

http://needsmustyardfarmer.blogspot.com ... tures.html

Crossing my fingers the link works. <br /><br /> __________ Tue Apr 24, 2018 8:46 am __________ <br /><br />
MaggieJ":305t29zq said:
Those old hand or foot powered machines are great! I have an antique hand-crank Singer that I've used for many things, including teddy bears made from fur coats. You have a lot more control than with a motorized machine. I do recommend you buy some leather needles for it . . . they have three-faceted tips that pierce the skins with less danger of tearing. I always backed my pieces with identically cut pieces of strong muslin to help take the strain off the leather, sewing through both the leather and the muslin for strength. I don't know if it is necessary with a lap through.

I think squares would give you more flexibility since all the dimensions would be the same. Don't make them tooooo small or there will be a lot of seams and that might make it more fragile.

What colours will you be working with? Are some plain colours and some broken? And do you want a geometric look or a random patchwork look? It will help if we have a rough idea what kind of look you are going for.

Looking forward to hearing more about your project as you move forward with it!

Random patchwork look with the least amount of work :oops: :lol: so I am thinking 6 inch squares? I should be able to get at least two from each hide that way. Mostly castor, blue and chestnut and broken of all three. Rex as the kids all INSIST their blanket be made of rex hides. :roll: The throws are going to be one yard wide and long so plenty big enough. I have a velvet fabric to back them with but was rather disappointed in it, the three colors are alright but it is NOT proper velvet, it is a velour so while soft and pretty, it is NOT the ultra luxury of proper velvet.

Still, it should wear well and when quilted onto the back of the throw it should give strength as well.

LOVE the sewing machine! If we lose our petition to relocate I will be looking for a treadle base for it and if we win, after we move I will be looking for a treadle base for it. Can you tell my arm gets tired? :lol: Someone THREW IT AWAY!!! on trash day over a year ago and I found it. Talk about thrilled?

Where would I find needles and bobbins for it MaggyJ? I have only just gotten it into working order so am still very new to the vintage sewing. My online searches turn up a date of 1880s for it and it is a Minnesota. Sadly whoever threw it away seems to have kept it in a shed in the sea air so most of its lovely decorations have corroded off but as it still had fabric dust on it, someone really used and loved it once.

Figuring out how to set the tension, both top and bottom, took me the longest but finally, just last month, the tweaking all worked.
 
You could try for bobbins and any other sewing machine accessories on eBay.com in the Antiques > Sewing Pre-1930 section.

Leather needles should be available in the sewing section of Crafts.

I bought my machine at a thrift shop of $15 -- almost as good as free. I did have it professionally cleaned and serviced, which wasn't cheap, maybe $75, but was worth every penny. But that was twenty-odd years ago in Toronto, so heaven knows what these things cost now.

Your pelts are beautiful and I agree, a random patchwork will make the most out of all the natural markings. If you had a lot of a plain colour such as black or white, a border of squares in one colour might make a nice edging.

Good luck with it . . . I'm eager to see the finished product!
:good-luck:
 
Have cut all the hides into 6 inch squares. At most I got two squares from a hide but many of them only gave me one so I took all the scraps and cut them into the largest squares or rectangles each piece would give me and it is turning into a random patchwork piece to give me practice on stitching hides.

The old Minnesota will NOT stitch the hides, something is wrong with its foot so the stitches are so close together that it is perforating the hide so it tears like a stamp. Not the best outcome ever but hand stitching is not a bad way to watch telly.

My mum has gotten me a wonderful surprise prezzie though, a vintage sewing machine, with treadle base, fully recommissioned and ready for use. How cool is that? Love me mum, I do!

And my one can be repaired properly once we get moved and a treadle base found to fit it.

Will for sure do pictures of the throw as it progresses, even just cut and placed it looks fantastic! :D
 
Wow, what a great update, GBov!

Have fun with the new machine, and I hope hand-sewing is more relaxing for you than it is me! :lol:

Can't wait to see the progress on the throws!
:popcorn:
 
Exciting project . . . looking forward to the pictures of the finished throw. :yes:

What a nice mom to get you the new-old sewing machine. :D

It's been a long time since I sewed fur, but as I mentioned, I backed each piece (pattern pieces for teddy bears) with muslin for strength. I used a glue stick to temporarily hold the two layers together while I sewed. I'm only mentioning this as a method I found helpful . . . and I realize it may not be applicable to this particular project.
 
So far I am enjoying the project but have decided to NOT do the proper throw until I use up all the patchwork pieces first. No idea where I saw it, some documentary or other but someone was stitching fur on hides and I saw where they would run their finger between the two pieces, as they stitched, which moved the fur out of the way.

It works great! So glad I noticed that.

Backing each piece was something I looked at MaggieJ but for the patchwork piece it won't work. I might do it with the proper throw though as I am struggling to figure out how to properly quilt a backing onto it without mussing up the fur.

I was wondering how a grommet puncher would work, if the grommets were small enough and punched through the edges of the backed hide pieces it would be really secure and I could then take a good yarn or soft string and do a zigzag to tie them all together, like sneakers are tied up.

Note to self, look at grommet-ers when next out. :lol:
 
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