Wyoming Breezes

Zeke and his Pop Pop March 2022 My great-niece shared this photo of her dad and her little boy (Zeke) in a digital family album. I love the photo of Zeke, Dwight my nephew and his dog - Click.  Seeing Dwight's sweater made me enlarge the photo to see how the knit cuff I repaired is holding up. Long time readers may remember that in 2018, Dwight asked me to repair the cuff .    The original cuff was in rough shape. I am happy that the repaired cuff has been functional for over three years on the sweater that sees a lot of use. 

May 2021 Last week, I was notified that my sewing machine was repaired ready to pick up. Several weeks ago, the feed dogs refused to pull the fabric through, and the stitches bunched up and the thread knotted. Of course, my machine didn't act up when the technician ran it through its paces, but it was thoroughly cleaned and oiled and given a clean bill of health. Making Ritzy Cracker blocks with patriotic fabrics from the 5 inch square scrap bin seemed a good way to test the machine and also eliminate some scraps. The machine is running well, and my fingers are crossed that a good cleaning resolved the issues. 

a little repair needed Only one of the double churndash blocks required some TLC before it could be used in the quilt. Since the blocks were made from a variety of fabrics, I was not concerned about finding something that would match. A quick glance in my string bin revealed a piece of white on white fabric that would work well for the repair.  The seam ripper was put into action, and in no time the piece that was too short was replaced and pressed.  repair completed

outdoor flag repair August 2020 I spent some time on Monday repairing several of my outdoor flags. I have several and change them with the seasons. My apartment faces west, so the flags take a beating in the Fall and Winter. I've discovered that a small zig zag stitch protects the flags much better than the straight stitch the manufacturer uses. By repairing the hems this way, I am able to extend the life of the flags. I continue the stitches up the sides to the mid-way point. It's the bottom of the flapping flag that takes a beating.  Just like with every product, the older flags in my collection are made of a thicker and better quality fabric: the newer ones are flimsy and are damaged more easily. 

Oops - how did I miss that! Regan left a comment last Monday alerting me of two flipped blocks on the finished Lone Rider top. I had not noticed the error, even though it is very obvious now that I look at the photo. Thankfully, it was a relatively quick fix because it was on the outside edge. the flipped blocks were removed from the quilt top the blocks were flipped into the correct position  and sewn into place the lattice chain is complete now that the error has been corrected Thank you, Regan for spotting the flipped blocks and drawing it to my attention.

tattered cuff pink yarn identifies stitches in the knit ribbing December 2018 My nephew brought a favorite Filson wool and leather sweater to Colorado last week hoping his Mom could repair the tattered cuff. He thought she could repair it with her sewing machine. The sweater section of the jacket/coat is 100% wool, so I thought I could knit a new cuff on the sweater. I began by marking the stitches about a quarter of an inch from the edge of the leather sleeve covering the knitted wool sleeve. I didn't have my small needles with me, so Marilyn and I went to a yarn shop and purchased a small skein wool in a color close to the original color and some size two circular needles. The repair was not without some frustration: picking up the stitches was difficult because the stitchess were so tight, and just as I was beginning to knit the first row, a tip broke off one of the wooden needles. Thankfully, Marilyn's neighbor is a knitter and was willing to loan me a metal circu...

tools gathered for repair April 2017 My knitting chair is a club chair recliner, and I have a bad habit of bracing my feet on the elevated foot rest, and the edge has been gradually showing more and more wear. It was at the point where I had to do something to make the chair presentable and to lengthen its life. Several months ago, I purchased some heavy designer fabric and some cotton batting. Over the weekend, I gathered the necessary tools (heavy duty staple gun, pliers, screw driver, the fabric and batting), measured the foot rest and got to work. chair with worn edge  The fabric I found for the repair was darker than the chair, but I thought it would look better than the worn edge of the original fabric. I debated on whether to remove the row of studs at the bottom (which are very uncomfortable on my heels) but I decided that the new batting would cover them. recovered foot rest  The footrest repair is not professional by any means, but it will extend...

resistance band with some serious issues July 2016 Last week, my physical therapist asked if I would mind trying to repair a resistance band. As you can see in the photo above, it had some serious issues. She told me that the repair did not have to be "pretty" just secure, and that the resistance tubing could be cut if necessary. I took on the challenge and soon discovered that making any repairs with the tubing in place would be impossible. The strap bands had a lot of bulk because they were also heavily padded. Once the tubing was removed, the repair was more manageable. repaired straps July 2016 I broke the needle before switching to a heavier needle, and once that was in place, the repair was easier. I first used a zig-zag stitch to anchor the four layers - two layers of strapping (similar to a wide dog leash) and two layers of nylon that held the thick padding. The final step was to add a straight stitch to reinforce the zig-zag. The repair isn't pretty...