Review: Crafter's Secret Yarn

I'm trying out a new worsted weight cotton yarn: "Crafter's Secret." This is the proprietary brand of yarn for Hobby Lobby. I know it isn't new to some of you. Hobby Lobby created this label three or four years ago. But each Hobby Lobby store is different in what they choose to carry. It appears to be up to the buyer for that store and they aren't required to carry their own brand of yarn exclusively. I didn't notice that my local Hobby Lobby stores were stocking "Crafter's Secret" yarn until recently. So this brand is new to my workbasket.

I'm liking it, generally, and will buy it again. It feels just a tad thinner that my usual "Sugar and Cream" by Lily or the "Peaches and Creme" that I often pick up at Walmart. It has a definite thinner feel than Lion Brand cotton. Of course it is still worsted weight, meaning that it is 4 ply. But it just seems a tiny bit thinner overall. Because of different fibers and spinning techniques, there can be a difference between one kind of worsted weight yarn and another, even though the ounces and yardage on the label say the same thing. I like the thinner feel in my hook and a slightly thinner fabric, but that is truly a subjective opinion.

I don't like not being able to count on colors being regularly available. It may be a local issue, but it seems that even online I am unable to count on a wide color selection. Right now, online at Hobby Lobby's website, there is no blue to be had. That's unfortunate.

The yarn is made in Turkey. I'm okay with that. The blog has a number of readers who are from Turkey. There is a long-standing fiber handcrafting tradition in that country as well as women who have a similar tradition to the hope chest. While I prefer to buy from companies who support our domestic product and manufacturing, I also admit that I don't understand all the reasons a company would choose not to. I recognize that it is a complicated issue. I can live with a product produced in Turkey. Just FYI, "Sugar and Cream" and "Peaches and Creme" are manufactured in Canada, which is a little closer to home, and Lion Brand "Kitchen Cotton" is made in the USA.

The color shown is #116, a variegated yarn called "Classic Print." The ball is 2 oz. (27gms) and measures 95 yards (86 meters). It is 100% cotton. Made in Turkey. The regular price is $2.29. And, just so you know, there is no complimentary pattern on the back of the label. What a shame.

Do any of you have a particular preference for kitchen cotton yarn?

Tiny Sewists: A Review

photo by Jenn at http://www.ajennuinelife.com/

I am so impressed with a blog sewing series that I recently stumbled on. It's called Tiny Sewists. This is a series of blog posts from a mom, Jenn at A Jennuine Life, teaching her young daughter, Arden, to sew. Arden is not yet 5 years old at the time of this series, so those of you who want to get started with very young children should appreciate the slow and steady pace of the series. I've linked to her first lesson which is about choosing a machine and getting started. Just look for the "Tiny Sewists" label on the sidebar of the blog for the rest of the series. The first three lessons help Arden get acquainted with the machine without a needle and progress to an actual pillowcase project in lesson 7 and on to curved seams and pins by lesson 11.

This series isn't a sewing curriculum. It is more of an outline of lessons, a report of how Jenn progressed with her teaching. If you need a script of what to say or detailed step-by-step beginning curriculum, you'll need to look for additional help. But her project lessons are posted as tutorials and they are very well done. Jenn's meaningful projects still require her adult help for some steps. Measuring and cutting, for example, are not completed by the child. So, simpler projects would need to be found for independent sewing, but overall, the series is a nice introduction for the youngest of our children. The series certainly brings a young child to the point of understanding and accessing the usual beginning instructional material. Well done, Jenn!

The series ends with a promise of more posts as Jenn and Arden sew together. Although she hasn't posted more in this series, there is plenty of other interesting sewing going on at Jenn's blog.

A New Resource - Clementine Patterns Co.

by Clementine Pattern Co.

I'm happy to add another great resource to my sidebar: Clementine Patterns Co. Because of her recent post at Raising Homemakers, I discovered Robin's etsy site and realized what a great new resource for beautiful hope chest embroidery projects. I love the fact that this is a mother-daughter endeavor! I love that the pattern comes already printed on the fabric and that there is an effort to accomodate both beginning and advanced skill level. I especially love that the patterns reflect home and family. Truly tailor-made as a project for the hope chest.

Each pattern comes pre-printed on 100% cotton fabric, with a second cotton panel for backing and stability. Accompanying instructions give a list of stitches and color suggestions for floss. You will need to provide your own floss, hoop, needle and finishing materials.

The lovely beginner sampler seems just perfect to learn basic stitches. If necessary, mamma could do the more difficult words in the sampler and daughter could practice the various stitches. I know you'll like it - follow the link quickly and tell me what you think!

My Favorite Craft Store

A trip back home to Idaho ALWAYS includes a trip to Porter's craft store. I just love going there. I look at all the demonstrations and samples. I wander and spend time dreaming of all the fun craft projects I could make. I love how Porter's feels so old-fashioned to me. Maybe that is because it is located in a very old building and I grew up with this store. It used to be a wonderful bookstore with toys in the basement. As a small child, I stalked the aisles of toys and made my Christmas wish-list. I was the "story lady" here for the children's hour when I was in high school, and I worked as a clerk for a short time before I was married. Sometime after I left home, Porter's discontinued the books completely and changed over to selling crafts. This store is not at all like the big chain craft stores. They carry all the same stuff, but there is still that old-fashioned feel, with creaking wooden floors and little side nooks and spaces. It is just the most wonderful place. I can find things here that I just can't find elsewhere and I love it. I took pictures on this trip, so that you could see my very favorite craft store, and see what I bought this time.

Porter's carries all the usual craft supplies, but they have things organized into sections based on projects, with everything you need to complete the project located nearby. I like being able to think about projects, and not just see random supplies.

Just look at this section devoted to hair bows, of all things! The little girls in Rexburg, Idaho must be the cutest and most bedecked of any on earth. There are also some pretty sophisticated hair accessories for big girls, as well.

Porter's has THE best selection of scrapbook supplies. The possibilities are just endless.  I have to be sooooo careful here.

My favorite part of the store is the fabric and fiber section. Many Mormon women are expert quilters and the selection of quilt patterns and fabric in this one fabulous place is marvelous. Plus, they have all the colors of Cebelia crochet cotton and beautiful hemstitched kits for baby blankets and burp cloths.

I always head for the display of Dunroven House tea towels. There are so many colors and patterns to choose from and cute project samples to view.

This is my pile of goods from this trip. It seems kind of small pile, considering how much I love this store. In the end I restrained myself. ;o) The brown and aqua tea towels are for a particular kitchen set for the hope chest, the red ones are for a Christmas project. I'm experimenting right now with old fashioned chicken scratch and gingham embroidery and these towels are the best. I found two sets of printed pillow cases to embroider and fun transfers for other embroidery projects. I couldn't pass up all the patterns in the apron nook and chose the classic "Church Ladies Apron." The two little Santa bear ornaments are for my sweet grandsons for their first Christmas and I loved that rusty doorknob hanger. The feathered owl is for a really great Christmas project I have imagined. You'll have to wait to see.

I just love places that inspire creativity and I especially love places that seem to speak to my own style. Porter's is that place for me. Visit them online here.

Miscellaneous Home Ec Resources

 Leisure Arts has published an excellent set of three leaflet books on knitting, crocheting and quilting. The lessons are written directly to girls ages 8 or 9 to about 14. The material is presented well and there are lots of pictures to illustrate the techniques. Each lesson builds on the previous lesson, so the skills are learned in progression. I’m including these lessons in our course outline, without any adjustment. You can find these books here on Amazon.com.

I also have a number (my husband would say this is an understatement) of miscellaneous books on other homemaking subjects that I want to include. We will probably run out of time because my outline is organized by lessons and subjects. It is hard to predict how much time Abigail will need to complete the projects, so we’ll just play it by ear. We can continue the lessons next year. These kinds of books are written for adults, so I will have to adapt the information and write lesson plans for these subjects. How much time I have to do this kind of organizing may end up limiting these extra topics anyway.

So, I have a plan. We’ve already started this year with some general devotional lessons on homemaking and a training lesson on organizing Home Ec materials and other information into a homemaking file. But I’ll let Miss Abigail tell you about that. She had a great time embellishing file folders and putting the file box together. Upcoming lessons are about using cleaning tools and making a tote, green cleaning and making recipes for natural cleaning products, and embellishing a cleaning apron. I certainly need to clean house soon, so these lessons should be particularly timely!

Home Ec Resources - "Future Christian Homemakers" Curriculum

Another core element in our Home Ec course is a cooking curriculum published by Future Christian Homemakers. This manual is really a great resource. The lessons are clearly outlined and easily followed. They are designed to be used with a number of girls in a homemaking group or club and I surely wish I had such a group for Miss Abigail! But, her friends are scattered and busy, busy with all sorts of other things. So we will just follow the lessons on our own. There is information about cleaning the house and recommendations for sewing resources, but the cooking lessons are the outstanding focus of this curriculum.

There are twelve cooking lessons beginning with eggs. Instruction in the egg lesson includes how to crack an egg, how to beat eggs, and how to measure liquids. There are recipes for two basic egg dishes and information on how to write a breakfast menu and working safely in the kitchen. Of course, Miss Abigail already knows some of this, but I like how the lessons are presented and just accept that some of it will be review. Additional topics are: introduction to baking with muffins, quick breads, yeast breads, cakes & decorating, ground beef meals, chicken meals, microwave meals, casseroles, fruit, vegetables, and cookies. Each lesson includes specific skills like measuring, using tools,  nutrition, handling the food and food safety. There are also suggestions and recipes for extending each lesson. I like the list of ingredients and supplies for each lesson, even down to whatever might be needed to serve the food after cooking it.

I’ve put these cooking lessons into my outline without adjusting them at all. You can find information and a sample lesson here. This guide is going to make cooking with Miss Abigail so much fun.

Home Ec Resources - "A Girls Guide to Home Skills" Curriculum

 

The Homemaker’s Mentor has published a marvelous curriculum called “A Girls Guide to Home Skills.” The instruction is organized around the various rooms in the house. The guide isn’t comprehensive, but has just the right amount of information to begin with. I think it is very useful for ages 8 or 9 through about 14 or 15. The author writes as if talking directly to a young girl and the whole thing has a kind of old-fashioned style.

 

Each section has a check list of skills to accomplish for that room.

 Each section has a list of daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning tasks to learn, along with helpful instruction for learning to do each job on the list.

 There is information and instruction for other skills, in addition to cleaning, in each section and at least one project to decorate or enhance that room.

There are eight sections in this Girl’s Guide. The last two are still in production. When these sections are completed, I would predict that they will be combined into a book. For now, each section is sold individually. The sections come punched for a binder.

I’ve been really pleased with how easy this guide is to follow. I simply read the information with Abigail and do any necessary demonstrating. Then, she can practice the skill or make the project and we can check it off the list.

Except for cooking lessons, this guide could stand alone, but it would be completed in a fairly short time. It could work really well for a lesson scheduled once a week or so. I’m including quite a few additional lessons and projects, but “The Girls Guide to Home Skills” provides a nice sort of structure for our Home Ec course this year. You can find more information and a sample here.

The Search for a Quality Dish Towel

In my youth, almost every girl, who had a hope chest, had a least one set of embroidered dish towels. If you are going to spend the effort to embroider on a dishtowel, I would strongly urge you to take a bit of trouble, before you begin, to find a worthy towel. Embroidery is much more difficult if the foundation fabric is poor.

Most of the flour sack dishtowels commonly found in stores are hardly worth the effort to embroider them. They are too often thin, and too loosely woven. They also don’t wash well and collect lint from other items in the wash. Compared to the towels I used for embroidery as a young woman, these are miserable imitations. They are white, and that is about all I can say for them.

As a result, I have been on an 8-year odyssey to find a reliable, reasonable source for suitable dishtowels. What do I look for? What do I recommend?

I first look for 100% cotton fiber with a good twist to the threads. Most of us know that, to be properly absorbent, a towel has to be 100% natural fiber. Of course, linen makes a wonderful dish towel, if you can afford it. But, cotton is pretty great as well, and much more reasonably priced. I try to buy fiber that is untreated by finishes. The twist in the threads also makes a difference. If the fiber twist is slack, the fabric is weaker and will wear out more quickly. It is less smooth in appearance and sometimes the fibers will pill. If the fiber twist is too tight, the towel will not be absorbent. Like Goldilocks, it has to be "just right."

I also look for a tight weave. Most flour sack towels have a plain, over-under weave. I gently stretch the fabric over the pad of my finger. If I can see any of my finger between the threads, I put the towel down and keep looking. Sometimes I can see the threads pull apart. Completely unsuitable. I often think of how glad I am not to have to carry flour in a bag made from that!

As I look at the fabric in a towel, I consider the embroidery stitches I commonly use. I know that, to be able to make an attractive satin stitch, I need the fabric to be tightly woven. Otherwise, the edges of the stitch will look ragged. When I make a french knot, I don’t want the knot to pull right through the fabric. Some embroidery designs have small elements and tight curves. These require small, or even tiny stitches. Such stitches are impossible on a loosely woven fabric.

I always check the local stores. Sometimes I come across a set of dish towels that are good enough, but not often. I once found a set of four towels under the Martha Stewart label at K-Mart. Sadly, they were not reliable from package to package or from store to store. Sometimes those you find at Sam’s Club are adequate, but sometimes they are like cheesecloth.You may have better luck at your local stores. I can make three good online recommendations.

The “fabric grade” flour sack towel at The Towel Place.com is a wonderful towel, perfect for embroidery. They are hemmed on all four sides and more on-grain than many others I’ve seen. They actually fold up squarely! These are like the towels I remember. However, these towels are largely beyond my purse. The towels themselves are a little pricey. A set of 6 is $19.99. But the shipping is so high that it essentially doubles the cost. You may consider the cost worth the quality, especially for a special set made for the hope chest. These are truly outstanding towels. You can buy a sample, if you wish, to compare them to lesser towels, but the shipping will kill you. ;o)

My second recommendation is the flour sack towels from Herrschners.com. I recently ordered another set and was pleased that the quality is still superior. The weave is tight and better than almost anything else out there. These towels are very suitable for embroidery. The price has just increased a bit recently, but the largest size is $15.99 for a set of 7. The towels are hemmed on all four sides, but like most other flour sack towels, they are not on-grain. This means that they don’t hang or fold straight. So, I buy the largest size, cut them to square them up and re-hem. This seems like a lot of work, but it makes a nicer set. Sometimes I add a colorful, calico border, as long as I’m going to the extra effort. Herrschners will also send you a print catalog, with all kinds of embroidery and yarn projects.

UPDATE - November 14, 2017: I have finally found the towel I LOVE! Mary's Kitchen Flour Sack Towels are my new go-to towel for hand embroidery and all other crafting for the hope chest. The quality is super! The fabric is tightly woven, sturdy - thick enough but not too thick. The towels are completely suitable for hand embroidery and all my other favorite methods of decorative treatments like stenciling, fabric painting and sewing. The quality weave is also absorbent, and the price is completely affordable! In fact, the price is lower than any other comparable towel that I can find on the market. The first 11 towels cost just $1.99 each, but buying a dozen (or more) will get each towel reduced to $1.69 each! And the best news is that the shipping is also very reasonable. Bonus - these towels are pre-washed and pre-shrunk so I can start crafting immediately! AND - they have that nice corner hanging strip. I am seriously happy to have access to these fabulous towels. Hooray!

Some people really don’t mind what towels they use, but I simply have to have a decent towel. If you have another reliable source for good, flour sack dish towels, please share that information in the comments. I’ll love you forever!