HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: sbowen@gmuvax.gmu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles
Subject: Felting and Quilt Batts
Date: 8 Jan 93 09:49:36 -0500
Organization: George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.


There has been some discussion concerning the how-to's of felting and so
I thought this tidbit might be applicable.

When I took my felting class, my instructor stressed the need to have the
different layers of wool running at 90 degrees to each other. So if your
first layer has fibers running north to south, the next layer should be
going east to west.

We were using wool that had been processed for quilt batting and it's 
structure was delightful to work with. The wool could be peeled off the batt
in layers which could then be built up, in our case, to form a background
for a wall hanging. The layers were *very* thin, so using just one was
impractical.

Springwater, who offered the course, normally gets its wool processed from
Zeilingers (hope the spellings right, there) who normally advertise in
Spin-Off. Another company, which I haven't ordered from yet, offers 
processed wool as quilt batts, too, and you don't even need to send them
wool. You can buy it from them, it seems. They are:

Rastetter Woolen Mill
5802 S.R. 39
Millersburg, Ohio  44654

They even have colored wool they will card up into quilt batts. (Ron, this may
be the secret of how that felt evening gown turned out so well.) The manager
I spoke with seemed aware of fleece quality but unaware of sheep breeds. (They
also have other goodies for sale and a flyer that explains them.)

I am unconnected with either of these companies. I just know what it is like to
card wool for a felting project and prefer the alternatives.

Happy felting

Sue

P.S. My apologies for doing this but would Ron please contact me? I tried an
email to your postings' address and it bounced. Thanks.
From: cb522@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Cathy Atwood)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles
Subject: Threads
Date: 6 Jan 1993 04:40:33 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


Hi!  I've just gotten the newest issue of Threads magazine.  Have
subscribed to this from the first issue, and used to be completely
enthralled with the variety of topics they covered.  It must have
been two years ago that they asked their readers about the trend
they were taking--going to more sewing/clothes articles all the
time.  I, for one, suggested that Taunton Press keep Threads as
its old self, and start a new magazine to please the audience
they were obviously getting with all the sewing coverage.

So--how do other people feel about Threads in its current
incarnation?  If I wanted more information about surface decoration,
working with fibers of all types, and what innovative things
people are doing, is there another magazine I should be getting
instead?  What do you like to read/look at for inspiration and/
or technical information?

Cathy
-- 
Cathy Atwood
Lincoln, Nebraska
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles
From: dmiller@theory.lcs.mit.edu (Dick and Jill Miller)
Subject: Re:Hard-to-find Books
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 16:33:13 GMT

In article: <1993Jan7.142158.24768@hemlock.cray.com> 
            jill@cray.com (Jill McAllister) writes:

>I'm not affiliated with this woman, but I like her service when I want
>a needlework (or knitting) book I can't find elsewhere.
>
>I just wondered if people on this list know about Bette Feinstein in
>Newton, Mass.  She carries many, many needlework books, and I was just
>able to order _Labors of Love_ from her, as it's been out of print
>since last fall.  She doesn't give any discounts, but if you really
>want a book you can't find elsewhere, try her.
>
>Bette Feinstein
>96 Roundwood Road
>Newton, MA  02164
>
>1-617-969-0942
>
>p.s.  She doesn't take any credit cards, so you have to mail her checks.
>
>
>Jill McAllister
>                    *******************************************************
>*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*PRACTICE RANDOM KINDNESS AND SENSELESS ACTS OF BEAUTY*
>Programmer/Analyst  *******************************************************
>Cray Research, Inc.     (612) 683-5866
>Eagan, Minnesota        e-mail: jill@cray.com

I heartily recommend Bette's service.  She lives about 8 miles from me and 
I have visited several times.  She warehouses in her cellar and several 
downstairs rooms in her hous.  It's a great place to browse in if you are 
in the area.  (Just call her first to find out when would be convenient.)  
In addition to books, she has wonderful magazines from all over the world.

--Jill

--
A. Richard & Jill A. Miller            | Miller Microcomputer Services |
InterNet: dmiller@im.lcs.mit.edu       | 61 Lake Shore Road            |
Voice: 508/653-6136, 9am-9pm EasternTZ | Natick, MA 01760-2099, USA    | 

Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles
From: vusl@athena.cas.vanderbilt.edu (VU Science Library)
Subject: spending to save
Organization: Vanderbilt University
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 20:46:47 GMT

In article <1993Jan10.004436.9455@hemlock.cray.com> 
jill@cray.com (Jill McAllister) writes:
>I am amazed at how saving money entails spending more money! ...
>I got really depressed about how many sets of
>4-6 skeins of one type I had--you know, not enough to make a sweater, but
>too pretty to want to get rid of.  So I took my 5 skeins of beautiful
>variegated Pinguoin wool and went looking through old Knitter's magazines
>for a vest.  I figured 5 skeins would be enough.  Well, I found a WONDERFUL
>vest, so to be sure I had figured things right, I took it into my local
>shop.  She did some figuring and told me that I needed 7.18 skeins!  So
>we decided that I would buy some *more* yarn in a couple of colors found
>in the variegated stuff, and pull in a row here and there of the new
>non-variegated yarn.  Well, to make it look good, we decided that I needed
>three skeins with each one a different color (even though these new skeins
>are larger than the Pinguoin skeins), and of course the stuff I liked best
>was this 50-50 llama-sheep's wool blend (expensive!).  Okay, fine.  I'm
>ready to start.  But then today I'm shopping, browsing really, and what
>do I find?  A skirt AND a pair of slacks that just exactly match this
>new sweater-to-be!  And since they were both on January sale, I bought
>BOTH of them!!  BOY! Is this going to be an expensive sweater!!!
>
>Am I the only one who does things like this?
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Boy, I wish you were!  I found a beautiful piece of teal green wool on
the remnant table at Hancocks.  It was only five dollars and there was
enough to make myself a short jacket.  I was thrilled!  So I leave Hancock's
(which is, at least, reasonably cheap) and go over to the fancy fabric store
where I buy the most expensive rayon lining and some outrageously priced
buttons that will be beautiful on this short jacket!  My $5 piece of wool
has now turned into $60 in notions and trim!  I have my eye on a skirt at
the mall that would match this jacket perfectly ($90 pendelton wool) but at
least I told myself I could NOT buy it until the jacket actually came into 
existence. 

Carlin
--
	Carlin Sappenfield - vusl@athena.cas.vanderbilt.edu 
			     sappenc@vuctrvax.bitnet
From: hosken@spss.com (Bill Hosken)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles
Subject: making dye
Keywords: dye
Date: 5 Jan 93 19:29:33 GMT
Organization: SPSS, Inc.

I've got about 1/2 bushel of black walnuts in the 
husks.  The dye recipe says use 'green husks'.  The
husks I have are black and pretty moldy.  They stain
to the touch.  Is it still possible to proceed with the
recipe? i.e. soak and boil? or should I wait till next
year and pick the walnuts green?
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles
From: marcia@rap.ucar.edu (Marcia Politovich)
Subject: Re: Threads
Organization: NCAR, Research Application Program
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 16:18:51 GMT

In article <1idns1INN6u5@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> cb522@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Cathy Atwood) writes:
>
>Hi!  I've just gotten the newest issue of Threads magazine.  Have
>subscribed to this from the first issue, and used to be completely
>enthralled with the variety of topics they covered.  It must have
>been two years ago that they asked their readers about the trend
>they were taking--going to more sewing/clothes articles all the
>time.  I, for one, suggested that Taunton Press keep Threads as
>its old self, and start a new magazine to please the audience
>they were obviously getting with all the sewing coverage.
>
>So--how do other people feel about Threads in its current
>incarnation? 

I also just got the new issue - this one and most of the issues
in the last half year or so are overwhelmingly sewing-oriented.
Good articles on tailoring, technique, but where are the 
articles on fibers, spinning, weaving, dyeing? There was 
an article on knitting this issue but it was more or less 
focussed on knitting strips of fabric that can be easily
sewn together to construct garments....oh yes, and one 
on invisible repair of knit fabrics.  
Your idea on maintaining Threads as a fiber magazine, and 
starting a new one on sewing techniques, is a good one. 

>If I wanted more information about surface decoration,
>working with fibers of all types, and what innovative things
>people are doing, is there another magazine I should be getting
>instead? 
Spin-off is aimed toward spinners but has a good variety on 
fibers, dyes, and is now starting to highlight people in the 
fiber arts. 
>
>Cathy
>-- 
-- mkp


Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles,alt.sewing
From: aatresa@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (Teresa Kline)
Subject: Re: Patterns: How to Find Other Styles?
Summary: We don't necessarily want this year's fashion!
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Keywords: sewing patterns jacket
Organization: Yeah, *right* !
Date:  6 Jan 1993 08:38 EST  

In article <1ictgdINNmkt@life.ai.mit.edu>, botteron@pop-tarts.ai.mit.edu (Carol J. Botteron) writes...
> 
>Is there anything we can do about this?  Would letters to pattern
>companies ("I'd buy more patterns if you had more variety") get a
>response better than the standard patronizing "bedbug letter"?
>Are there any pattern-company people on the net?

You can take a pattern drafting class.  It will teach you how to make a 
pattern drafted *to your own measurements*.  No more alterations of 
patterns.
What you learn is how to make a fitted sleeve, a straight sleeve, a fitted 
bodice, a skirt, and a pants.  From those, the book shows you how to make 
every sleeve, bodice, skirt, and pant ever dreamed of.  I mean, it has 
*bell bottoms*!
I'm thoroughly enjoying taking the class, and would recommend it to anyone. 
If you can't find the class, the books are pretty easy to follow by 
themselves.  Anyone interested, post or e-mail.  I'll give you the address 
where my teacher got the books.

-- Teresa

		Life -- just for the FUN of it!!!!
Xref: sparky rec.crafts.textiles:2469 alt.sewing:3678
From: ctopp@cup.portal.com (Carol F Topp)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles,alt.sewing
Subject: Re: Patterns: How to Find Other Styles?
Date: Tue,  5 Jan 93 21:03:16 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
  <1993Jan5.180911@mccall.com>

In response to how the decision is made on how long a pattern
is carried, an instructor at The Sewing Workshop (San Francisco)
said it is based on sales. If a pattern is being purchased, they
, the company, continue to make it. The instructor suggested to
purchase patterns that you really like, even if you might not get
to them for a long time because the availability is fickle.

(the good news, for me, is that I am loyal to Burda patterns so
the upper limit for a pattern collector is not as high as it
could be)

To the original poster - I haven't lived in the Boston area since 1982,
but there were some stores that I would expect to have collections of
old patterns near Down Town. I don't have a map to tell you the street
names, but I think I headed around and behind Filene's, past where
Fidelity Investments is (they would be to the left). There were
several stores packed with fabric, some of it looking quite dusty.
I only remember buying buttons or something small, but I wasn't
so much of a sewer back then. I'd find a map and identify possible
street names and then look in the phone book. I'd probably bring a
friend if you go exploring.

In response to Diane's post, I want to put in a good word for Oakland.
It does have its problems, but there are a lot of nice neiborhoods
and I've heard lots of recommendations for Poppy Fabrics, but I haven't
made it there yet.

Carol
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles
From: jill@cray.com (Jill McAllister)
Subject: new knitting project
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 10 Jan 93 00:44:36 CST

I am amazed at how saving money entails spending more money!  I got some
new storage bins for my yarn and started pulling things out of paper bags
to put them in the bins.  I got really depressed about how many sets of
4-6 skeins of one type I had--you know, not enough to make a sweater, but
too pretty to want to get rid of.  So I took my 5 skeins of beautiful
variegated Pinguoin wool and went looking through old Knitter's magazines
for a vest.  I figured 5 skeins would be enough.  Well, I found a WONDERFUL
vest, so to be sure I had figured things right, I took it into my local
shop.  She did some figuring and told me that I needed 7.18 skeins!  So
we decided that I would buy some *more* yarn in a couple of colors found
in the variegated stuff, and pull in a row here and there of the new
non-variegated yarn.  Well, to make it look good, we decided that I needed
three skeins with each one a different color (even though these new skeins
are larger than the Pinguoin skeins), and of course the stuff I liked best
was this 50-50 llama-sheep's wool blend (expensive!).  Okay, fine.  I'm
ready to start.  But then today I'm shopping, browsing really, and what
do I find?  A skirt AND a pair of slacks that just exactly match this
new sweater-to-be!  And since they were both on January sale, I bought
BOTH of them!!  BOY! Is this going to be an expensive sweater!!!

Am I the only one who does things like this?


Jill McAllister
                    *******************************************************
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*PRACTICE RANDOM KINDNESS AND SENSELESS ACTS OF BEAUTY*
Programmer/Analyst  *******************************************************
Cray Research, Inc.     (612) 683-5866
Eagan, Minnesota        e-mail: jill@cray.com
From: chamberl@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Anne Chamberlain)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles
Subject: Re: Pre-shrinking was Re: Washing hanks of wool
Date: 4 Jan 93 14:07:57 GMT
Reply-To: chamberl@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Anne Chamberlain)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

I was always under the impression that it was the SUDDEN CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE
which caused wool to shrink, not the heat itself.  When dyeing wool,
some of my baths were simmered for long times---the heat did not cause
the wool to shrink.  But it was important to cool the wool slowly.

Am I mistaken?  Is it really the high heat which is the culprit?  I
thought not.

Anne
From: charleen@net.bio.net (Charleen Bunjiovianna)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles
Subject: Re: Threads
Date: 8 Jan 93 22:00:25 GMT
Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Biology

In article <1993Jan8.185937.21278@StarConn.com> sallyh@StarConn.com (Sally Holmes) writes:
>I'm interested in the discussion in this group of Threads... I am
>a sewer, and read this group for interest and background. I love
>Threads! It's the best magazine I've found for the home sewer who
>aspires to better things. SewNews is a little too concerned with
>fashion: Threads offers a good selections of tips for achieving classic
>effects. 

I subscribe to Threads; I'm a seamstress.  I like the "Basics" sections;
I think they're clear and well laid-out.

However, I'm appalled at the occasional feature article that promotes
poor technique.  The most recent one was the issue with the reversible
jacket on the cover.  If I'd made that, I certainly wouldn't want
anyone to know it was my handiwork; it hung badly, and the cut and
lines made the model look about 20 lbs. heavier than she really was.
Occasionally it's fun to break the rules and create something 
funky, like leaving unfinished edges to deliberately fray and that
sort of thing, but I think Threads glorifies shoddy technique in the
name of art much too often.

But I don't plan to stop reading it.  It shows me what's going on in
other crafts, and I found the recent discussion of quilts handmade in
China vs. quilts handmade in the U.S. interesting.

Charleen




From: cdfk@otter.hpl.hp.com (Caroline Knight)
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 13:42:41 GMT
Subject: Making felt
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol, UK.
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles


 I've just tried making felt. Has anyone else out there done this?

 For Christmas I made lots of felt animals, I also got a book on making
 hats which gave a method for making felt. Put the two of these together
 and I wanted to make my own felt to make stipey and spotted animals!

 My first difficulty was finding unspun wool. I ended up buying some
 expensive stuff from a craft shop but think I might be able to get
 wool for spinners mail order.

 Then came the actual process. The description I was following said to
 use a beach mat - I don't have one so I thought I'd do my first sample
 using a sushi mat - this was rather small! Now my sister's given me an
 old bamboo blind which is ridiculuously large but I'll try it anyway!

 The method given was:

 1. Lay out a towel
 2. Put the beach mat on top
 3. Create a layer of wool using blobs 
 4. Add the other colours on top to make the surface pattern
 5. Damp all down with water to which a generous squeeze of washing
    up liquid has been added. 
 6. Roll the beach mat and wrap the towel round
 7. Roll backwards and forwards for 3 mins - its friction not pressure 
    that causes the felting
 8. Unwind. Move felt round 90 degreess and do it again
 9. Complete 4 bouts of this rolling then turn the felt over and
    roll for longer, about 5 mins.
10. Remove felt - its ready if the fibres do not move from the surface
    though the edge may be fragile.
11. Dip into the water and detergent mixture and stretch over mould
    (this is if you want to make a hat - I flattened mine).

I probably didn't roll for quite long enough but the couple of pieces
I did convince me that I will be able to get the wool I bought to work.
I am really looking forward to making bigger pieces soon!

Anyone have any advice?

Caroline


-----------------------------------------------------------------
Caroline Knight   HPLabs Filton Rd Stoke Gifford Bristol BS12 6QZ

FAX: 0272 228796                         cdfk%hplb.uucp@ukc.ac.uk
Tel: 0272 228040                            cdfk@hplb.lb.hp.co.uk
Switchboard: 0272 799910                     cdfk@hplb.hpl.hp.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles
Subject: SOURCE: dye-ready textiles
From: kristen@telerama.pgh.pa.us (Kristen McQuillin)
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 16:44:03 GMT
Organization: Telerama
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]

I just received information about a great source for ready-to-dye
fabrics of all sorts. Testfabrics, Inc. lists 52 different cottons,
plus linens, silks, wools, blends (including cotton/wool) and man-made
fabrics among their products.

They also carry wide quilting cotton, sheeting and linen, plus napkins,
placemats, silk scarves, natural and synthetic yarns, natural dyes and
more.

They even sell pre-soiled fabrics for detergent testing!

I plan to buy some cotton/wool (only $13.50/yd!) and some cottons to
dye. They will sell as little as a yard, which is really great, since
I really don't need any more fabric...

Their catalogue/price list is free.

Testfabrics, Inc.
P.O. Box 420
Middlesex, NJ 08846
Phone 908/469-6446

(I am not affiliated with Testfabrics, Inc. Just got a catalogue and
thought I'd share with like minds.)
From: berninge@cs.purdue.edu (James Berninger)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles
Subject: Re: x-stitch kits
Date: 12 Jan 1993 14:04:12 -0500
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Purdue University
NNTP-Posting-Host: alice.cs.purdue.edu

jshekara@wisconsin.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Jennifer Shekaran) writes:
>ilaine@panix.com (Liz Stokes) writes:
>>Do they ever put enought thread in these kits? I've been working on 
>>this really large project. I'm only about 1/4 of the way through, and I'm
>>already out of 4 colors, it makes me so mad!...
>Oh, oh, oh, I HAAAATTTTTTTEEEEE when this happens.  I used a kit for something
>that I couldn't get otherwise and ran out of thread...

This must be a relatively new trend.  Back when my mother used kits,
they included significantly more thread than she could have ever
hoped to use.  I recently finished one of her projects (since she
died, she was unable to finish it herself), and I had thread left
over -- enough of some colors to fill *two* plastic bobbins to
capacity.  Naturally, not one of them matches DMC, so I'm holding on
to them for when I need that "off" color for a design-it-yourself
project.

I don't use kits anymore, either, because half the fun is finding
the floss (or finding a sale on floss).  Besides, most of the best
patterns aren't in kits anyway, and I've taken to designing some of
my own projects -- especially family trees and birth records.

  ______   Jim Berninger: berninge@cs.purdue.edu  |     Hate is not     ______
  \ \  /     Green Lantern Fan, Extraordinaire    |   a Family Value.   \ \  /
   \/\/   "I don't *wanna* play Leona Helmsley!"  | - - - - - - - - - -  \/\/
    \/        -- Elmyra Duff, Tiny Toons Xmas     |  Boycott Colorado.    \/
From: zkym02@hou.amoco.com (Keerthi Y. McIntosh)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles
Subject: Help needed to mail order yarn
Date: 4 Jan 93 21:13:50 GMT
Reply-To: zkym02@orl.amoco.com
Organization: Amoco



Friends,	

I was lucky this Christmas and received Kaffe Fassets Children Book (that's not the 
exact title)  He has done some beautiful things with squares and circles that kind of
overlap and go-into-and-out-of each other... I'm not very good with words.  Anyway,
I am interested in making some of these sweaters but I live in New Orleans and have
not found a good yarn store.  Plus since I am lazy to shop on the weekends I would
prefer a mail order source.  I am particularily fond of cotton and I would really like
to see a sampler of colors so that I may pick and choose.  Do any of you had any
favorite stores or any info that you would like to share?  You can e-mail me or send  
it through the net.  I will try and compile the results.

Thanks in advance

Keerthi
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles