From My Hands to Yours

April1930: a great Featherweight site

2011-12-23T02:08:00.002-06:00

My hearts belongs to two very different machines: my beautiful Bernina 730 and, of course, my Featherweights. (In fact, I plan to sell all of my other antique and vintage sewing machines so I'll have more time to sew.) But sell the Featherweights???? I'd sooner have my heart ripped from my chest!

From time to time, as I come across them, I like giving a nod of the head and a big Thank You to other Featherweight-related sites I come across. Way up on that list is April1930 (http://www.april1930s.com/). Give her site a visit--she sells some Featherweights from time to time but mostly I've purchased attachments and specialty feet from her (and the customer service is TOP NOTCH!). So hop on over there and check it out--hope you enjoy the site as much as I do!

Aprons for Christmas, and yes, it's been a looonnngg time!

2011-12-23T01:57:00.000-06:00

WOW, a lot sure has happened since my last post, what, five, six months ago? To briefly summarize, I had more surgery, had a booth at a local craft fair (and did pretty good), fell down in the cafeteria at work (have been on Workman's Comp since 11/7/11), and got laid off. I broke part of my left scapula and tore the rotor cuff in the fall--and did something to my knees but haven't figured that out yet. So you see, it's been a rather busy fall (pun intended) for me!

I've been doing some sewing, but not nearly as much as before the latest round of surgery and the fall. I'd planned to sew lots of pretty Christmas presents on my wonderful Bernina, but life intervened. . . .you know how that goes! And now it's down to the wire. . . . .

So the universe provided (She does, if you'll just let Her) a wonderful, easy, fast apron pattern that's I know is going to be a big hit. I found it at April 1930's web site (http://www.april1930s.com/) and she found it on an old package of bias trim!

As you can see, there are ruffles around the waist and at the top of each pocket. . . .and since, we modern ladies don't exactly need any extra attention in those areas, I eliminated those ruffles. I also simplified the ties and instead of packaged bias tape, I'm using bias tape cut from many of my lovely Christmas fabrics. Here are a couple of photos from an apron in work:

This is the apron skirt, before adding the pockets and before gathering. The skirt is bound with the same bias tape as seen here.

This is one of the pockets that I plan to use.

As I work on it, I'll post more photos so you can see how I simplified the ties. This is really a quick, easy apron and MANY THANKS to April 1930 for providing the pattern.

Quilt Star Potholder Tutorial

2011-08-03T16:23:00.000-05:00

At last night's meeting of the You Sew Girl! Neighborhood Group of the Houston Chapter of the American Sewing Guild (tired, yet?) we learned how to make neat quilt star potholders! No cutting little triangles or little squares, either. Here's a picture:

Yep, no cutting triangles or squares!

How can that be, you say? There are obviously triangles and squares in this quilt block. . . .

but wait, here's the link to a pdf file I put together on how it's done!

Satisfied Customer

2011-07-27T10:27:00.001-05:00

One Satisfied Customer

Isn't she the sweetest?

I just have to share--that's one of my sock dolls she's playing with (Happy Thing) and her mom says it's one of her favorites.

Smiles all around

Sew From The Heart

2011-06-30T10:21:00.000-05:00

I arrived in Phoenix Tuesday and Wednesday I was on the prowl for a fabric shop. I found that--and so much more!--at Sew From the Heart in Scottsdale, Arizona. They are Bernina dealers (imagine that!) and some of the nicest, most helpful people you'd ever want to meet and do business with. I walked in, introduced myself, and instantly felt totally at home.

It's amazing the bonds that the shared love of sewing creates. Across generations, across genders, across geographic locations, this community of sewers finds itself.

What is it about the simple process of joining pieces of fabric with thread that creates such a bond? I'm not sure, but I certainly do thank my guardian spirits that I found it!

Bernina Baby

2011-06-30T10:03:00.000-05:00

Ok. I yield. Nothing sews like a Bernina. And now, nothing sews like MY Bernina! I'm the proud owner of a Bernina 730E and have to admit I love it! The machine really is a computer with a needle (it uses Windows OS!) but that's ok. The sewing machine part is easy and fun (and I LOVE all the decorative stitches) and the embroidery module is just super. I LOVE being able to use different size hoops and the on-screen editing is just super. SUPER!!!

I am glad I started into embroidery with the simpler Janome--the learning curve with the Bernina is steep enough that I appreciate having the basics under my belt.

I found my Bernina Baby at the Louise Cutting seminar in April.....a group of us were talking about machines and I mentioned that I was thinking of upgrading my machines. My friend Janelle then announced she had a Bernina 730E that she wanted to sell.....the rest, as they say, is history.

Photos of Bernina Baby will follow. Promise!

Would You Jump Into the River To Save Your Sewing Machine?

2011-06-10T13:28:00.000-05:00

I've seen this photo, but now comes the wonderful background story..............

Why you need to make a muslin FIRST

2011-06-10T13:02:00.000-05:00

I don't have the photos to post yet, but yesterday I learned (well, re-learned) WHY WE MAKE MUSLINS FIRST!!!   As you know, I plan to make Vogue 8504 to wear at my son's wedding in 25 days and have a beautiful burnout silk that will be perfect....so I bought the pattern day before last and carefully (oh, so carefully!) traced out the pattern for the top. I have a really pretty yellow print gauze that would work as a muslin and was really excited to put it together last night and wear it today.

HA

I pinned, I cut, I staystitched, I French-seamed the front.   I pinned, I cut, I staystitched, I French-seamed the back. I went to put the right sides together to do the shoulder seams....................

The back is reversed. Or the front is reversed. One of the two is reversed because the ONLY WAY the two pieces go together is the wrong side of the back to the right side of the front.   Or the wrong side of the front to the right side of the back. But right sides together, NOPE. And with this design it matters because the hem is asymetrical. (As is the neckline)

I have no idea what happened. Could I have traced the back pieces (or the front pieces) backwards? That's the only thing I can think of that could cause this (but I'm sure there are other possibilities) but last night I was just too disgusted to investigate. Instead I sewed it up, right side to wrong side--at least I'd get an idea of the fit, right? (It fit great, BTW) And now I have a new nightshirt and a great story.

I also have 25 days to the wedding.   Yikes!

My final choice (I hope!)

2011-06-08T15:29:00.001-05:00

After spending lots and lots of time looking at patterns and reviews on patternreview.com, I've finally decided to go with this Vogue pattern. (Vogue 8504) I like the overtop and the whole thing looks comfortable and stylish....well, at least the MODEL looks comfortable and stylish! The pattern does have a nice review on patternreview.com and doesn't seem to be overly difficult or complex (quite important given that today is June 8, the wedding is July 4, and I'm leaving here (League City, Texas) to drive there (Phoenix, Arizona) on June 25. Of course I'm taking all my machines--but would rather not be finishing my Mother Of The Groom outfit in my hotel room!

What do you think?

Mother of the Groom, continued

2011-05-30T20:10:00.000-05:00

My son's wedding is coming up fast (July 4) and I'm just a little bit excited about it! Except I still don't know what I'm going to wear. Yeah, I found that cute dress and I thought that would be just great. . . .but I forgot two very important things.

1. Dresses. Don't wear 'em. The occasional mu-mu around the house doesn't count.

2. Knits. Don't like sewing them....and certainly have no business wearing them.

I remembered these very important things after I made the muslin of that dress. Went together nicely; it's a cute pattern (I like Very Easy Vogue) but then I tried it on. No no no. Knits drape very nicely, it's true--but they drape right over each and every little bump. The ones I'd like to emphasize and the others I'd rather not draw any attention to.

So, if I don't wear dresses, is it acceptable for the mother of the groom to wear pants????????? Otherwise, I've got a BIG problem!

The Bra Lady

2011-04-26T12:05:00.000-05:00

I can't say enough good things about Anne St. Clair, The Bra Lady. Two years ago, at the ASG Convention in Albuquerque I bought her book Intimately Yours: Bras That Fit, a pattern, and a basic bra making kit. Now I want to make some bras that fit for a good friend of mine. I took her measurements and called Anne at her shop, the Needle Nook. We discussed what size pattern my friend would need and some fitting issues that I know are going to come into play. Anne was super nice and helpful on the phone and I know this project is going to work out well.

Now, understand I'm not a big fan of bras. Most days, unless I'm going somewhere, I don't bother with one. But when I do wear one, it's got to FIT. I don't want straps falling off my shoulders, or my ladies falling out, or getting squashed breathless--and I hate poky underwires more than anything!

So far, I've made three of Anne's bras and two fit great (don't know what happened to that other one; it's just flat. I intend to make more for myself and know they are going to get better and better.

But what I really want to talk about is the sense of control (or better, empowerment) I get from making my own bras. Sure, I could get in the car (well, if I could drive right now) and run to the mall and come home with three new bras in about the same time it would take me to cut out the fabric to make one. Yes, my time is worth something, and there are those who'd argue that making my own bras is a poor use of my time; I could spend that time working on something more 'important'. I think this is missing the point, tho.

When I buy a bra--or anything that I could make myself--I'm exchanging money (which I get through my labor) for a product of someone else's labor. In effect, I'm buying that other person's labor. Which, in some sense, sorta makes me responsible for that labor. Think of it as buying the labor of having a house painter paint your house. At a minimum, the person buying that labor should see that the painter has the proper tools and that the work is done in a safe manner. But what can I say about the labor that went into sewing my new bra? Was it made in a sweatshop in China, or Indonesia, or Mexico? Did the woman who sewed it sit in a comfortable chair while she worked? Have enough light? How old was she? And how much of the $40 my bra cost me at Macy's actually paid for the labor of the seamstress who made it? Ten cents? A penny?

It's been a while.......

2011-04-24T22:06:00.001-05:00

since I last posted....guess I'm not the most regular blogger and that really is something I should work on. A lot of things have happened since my last post, but the biggest is that I had surgery to fuse three vertebrae in my neck. That was March 31-- almost a month ago-- and I've been on short term disability since then. I'm very fortunate that my company has very generous disability insurance, but I can't help but wonder about what people who aren't as lucky do in similar situations. I should probably start a separate blog to write about health insurance and such cause I have a lot to say but THIS blog is about sewing. So, let's sew!

Actually, I have been doing quite a bit of it in the last month. I can't drive or lift anything or look up, so I've been spending quality time in my sewing room. My friend Lisa has been wonderful; she wanted to rearrange my cutting table and storage areas, and she has a green light to do whatever she wants, as long as I know where everything is and she doesn't mess up my sewing tables. Right now everything except my sewing tables is totally a disaster--- but since I can't do a thing about it, I don't care. Yet.

I pulled out Barbara Callahan's basic shell pattern a couple of weeks ago and fell in love with it all over again. So far, I've made four and have at least four more pieces of fabric I want to make up. I've been doing it in solid colored linen (I LOVE LOVE LOVE linen!) so they'll coordinate with my jackets. Of course, I also had to pick up some linen to make more jackets, too.. . . . . Pictures will be forthcoming.

I also made myself another bra using Anne St. Clair's (the Needle Nook) pattern and instructions. This is my third one, and by far it's the most comfortable. I'm ready to make more, but need more bra-making supplies. . .

I traced the pattern for the dress I plan to make for my son's wedding in July and plan to put it together in a trial muslin tomorrow. I also put together a new swim suit for Linnea but can't finish it since she's not here to try it on. She's tall and skinny, so I used a size 7 pattern from Kwik-Sew and lengthened the torso by four inches.

Another thing I'm able to do since I'm not working (and thanks to my wonderful friends who come and get me and load/unload all my stuff) is take advantage of some classes the Houston ASG chapter is offering (like a Sit N Sew with Louise Cutting on 5/21!!) and the new wearable art neighborhood group that meets two Mondays a month. Since I can't lift, pull, push, or tug anything heavier than 10-15 pounds, having mom's 11 pound Featherweight is a blessing! I keep it in a rolling cart so I'm ready to just add whatever I need and go. My friends roll the cart out, load it/unload it, and even help me set up the FW.......I would be lost without them.

Check this out! Harts Fabric

2011-03-16T13:50:00.002-05:00

Don't remember exactly where I was on the web, but I ran into this great on-line fabric store: Harts Fabric! (The have a bricks-and-mortar location, too, in Santa Cruz, California--but that's rather a long commute from League City, Texas!)

I've been slow to jump on the 'ordering-fabric-on-line-bandwagon' because, well, because I really like fondling fabrics. But let's face it, my local Hancock's and Joanne's just don't offer much variety of the high-end stuff--you know, the fabrics that are REALLY great to fondle. They do seem to have a nearly endless supply of cheap polyester and fleece, and lots of quilting cottons, but other than that? Not a whole lot. My local quilt shops have wonderful selections of great quilting cottons (Tip of the hat especially to Sew Contempo on Egret Bay Blvd in Webster, Texas, the Painted Pony in LaPorte, Texas, and Quakertown Quilts in Friendswood, Texas) but sometimes I want a really nice linen, or silk, or rayon batik and those are much harder to find locally.

So come payday--Hart's Fabric, here I come!!!

Mother of the Groom

2011-02-24T15:05:00.003-06:00

WELL, it's about time. FINALLY, I'm going to get to be an Official "Mother of the Groom". My son is getting married July 4 in Sierra Vista, Arizona to a super lady who is just the best! I couldn't be happier....

Here's the dress I'm thinking about making: http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m6264-products-13567.php?page_id=96

For an fairly informal, outdoor wedding in Arizona, in July--I'm thinking the long, sleeveless version with a pretty shawl. The pattern calls for a knit (like jersey), but I'm thinking rayon instead. At least I'll have time between now and then to make it in several versions.

Any ideas?

Adding to the Family

2011-02-21T10:08:00.001-06:00

Sock Doll Cat Boy

Happy Thing #2

Two more sock dolls joined my little family: Cat and Happy Thing #2....

Sock Dolls Part Deux

2011-02-16T09:01:00.000-06:00

Aren't my three sock dolls just adorable?!?!? I'm always on the lookout for fun and picked up Dan Ta's Stray Sock Sewing

because I just fell in love with the critter on the front cover. The book is full of photos of these wonderful creatures, posed and captioned, all super cute. Dan provides a good set of basic instructions to make several different sock dolls--enough, I think, to get your own creative juices flowing.

Happy Thing was my first attempt at a sock doll and I stayed pretty close to the instructions (which are well illustrated); Little Piggie was my second and, again, I stayed pretty close to the instructions (but not nearly as close as with Happy Thing). Little Babuska is entirely my own creation. I had the pink part and kept picturing it as a hood or helmet or something like that. Then I realized she wanted to be the kerchief on a babuska doll!

Another thing I did differently that I didn't use buttons or beads at all. All the details are embroidered on. If I decide to give my sock dolls away as baby gifts, not having buttons or beads the baby could bite off is a big plus.

Some of the reviewers on amazon.com knocked the book because he doesn't give instructions for every doll--but that didn't bother me. The purpose of the instructions, I think, are to give a basic understanding of what can be done with socks, but then it's up to the artist to bring the socks to life.

Attack of the Sock Dolls!

2011-02-16T08:07:00.000-06:00

The three amigos

Sock Dolls!
Sock Dolls in my bed
Sock Dolls over my head
Sock Dolls saying hi

Little Babuska Sock Doll

Sock Dolls winking an eye
Sock Dolls walking around
Sock Dolls going to town


Happy Thing Sock Doll

Threads (not the magazine)

2010-12-29T12:33:00.001-06:00

Sorry I've been so slow getting things posted--the holidays sort of got in the way. And I was in the hospital, but that's a story for another place and time.

Anyway, I found this neat book at the Houston International Quilt Festival by Debbie Bates and Liz Kettle. It's just full of wonderful exercises in exploring threads and how to use them on your sewing machine.

You don't need a fancy machine either (which is right up my alley), just one that has both a straight and a zigzag stitch. Their exercises take the form of a 'passport'--a little sewn book that you create doing the exercises. Here are some of my first pages:

I used my Kenmore computerized machine for this page and it was fun trying to get the lettering function to work properly so I could remember what I did! Each spiral is done with a different type of thread, from silk 100 to the very heaviest I had on hand, buttonhole twist.

This page has examples of the computerized Kenmore (on the left) and the mechanical Kenmore 158-1789 (on the right), both doing examples of satin stitches.

This page contains an applique of some fabric I made playing with textures. Basically, I took a layer of UNSHRUNK cotton batik, a layer of UNSHRUNK muslin, and a layer of UNSHRUNK solid yellow for the backing and free-motioned quilted the three layers together. The I washed everything in the hottest water I could. The shrinkage of the three fabrics gave the piece a delicious texture.

Finally, the fourth page I've done so far. Here, I'm playing around with different tension settings on the top thread as well as different threads. From left to right: poly weight 50 (brown top thread), buttonhole twist (blue top thread), silk 100 (white top thread), and metallic (red top thread). From top to bottom the tension increases and you can see what a difference that makes in the stitch and the amount of bobbin thread (gold in all cases) that shows on the top of the fabric. Kinda neat, huh? Playing around with the tension and thread weight gives me an unexpected range of new stitches.

These are only the first four pages of a passport that promises to be a good 4 or 5 inches thick by the time I really get it! Stay tuned for more........

You Never Know What Might Be Waiting In The Garage

2010-12-29T11:20:00.001-06:00

As anyone who reads this blog knows, I have a few sewing machines. (Which is kinda like saying the North Pole is a little cold.) The ones I'm not working on at any one time usually live in my garage; which is where I found my latest treasure:

She's a Kenmore model 158-1789 that my DH found on the side of the road a couple of years ago. The picture shows her all cleaned up and set up in my sewing room.

Poor baby had thread wound around her flywheel that had to be picked out by hand, strand by strand, as well as the usual lint packed into her feed dogs and bobbin case.

I like this machine because it's really simple. Here are her primary controls. You see she has a number of decorative stitches and utility stitches and I really like that stitch width selection is by dial rather than preset. Her on/off switch is also right in front, which I like.

That's about all the photos I have at the moment, but I know I'll have more soon. Oh, and there's this last shot, which shows Hannah-the-cat approves.

It's curtains for you, my friend!

2010-11-24T13:55:00.000-06:00

Another problem I had (notice the past tense) was that I hated my shower curtain. Solution: Make One!

So here it is:

I love the way the flowers start out just a few at the top and get thicker at the bottom. But see the horizontal seam in the first photo? The fabric wasn't wide enough for the curtain and I didn't have enough for a second strip of this lovely border print. So I found an old white cotton sheet and pieced that for the top half of the curtain. Then (and this is the part I love), I used some fabric paints I had on hand to paint the sheet part with pink and green and turquoise flowers so it looks like part of the same shower of flowers.

Old Made Quilts

2010-11-24T13:27:00.000-06:00

I forgot to tell you where I found my loom and instruction book! It was another case of fingers faster than the mind. . . .but here it is: Old Made Quilts! You've got to check them out!

Bev was at the Houston International Quilt Show and I made a point of going by to meet her. She's a wonderful lady and has some of the finest quilts I saw. Plus, of course, the rug looms, which I love!

Some of her quilts use vintage hankies as embellishment--so clever!

What to do with all those scraps?

2010-11-24T13:19:00.000-06:00

Sometimes it seems like my scrap bag is bigger than my stash! Well, not really--I have a HUGE stash--but I also have a couple of 40-gallon plastic boxes of scraps in the garage. And another 40-gallon box in my sewing room collecting scraps. . .and a bag of scraps......

Well, you get the picture..............

What to do with all the scraps? MAKE RUGS!!!!

While looking for Tiger Tape one day, I found Old Made Quilts and their easy-as-pie rug looms...and here is the first result:

This was made on their 15" x 15" loom, using a wide variety of fabric scraps. I used a bit of silk, some upholstery cottons, some flannel, some quilting cottons, and some cotton knit--just whatever I had on hand. I didn't always weave the strips in the 'right' way but I think it looks great!

For my second rug, I used strips cut from a set of flannel pajamas:

This one may be a little softer on the feet, just because it's flannel. Here are my first two rugs:

I honestly can't say which one I like better--and I suppose it doesn't matter anyway!

The Sew Box

2010-11-11T16:40:00.004-06:00

Check out this great site!! This is the wonderful lady who wrote THE book on sewing machine attachments (titled, appropriately, The Sewing Machine Attachment Handbook--scroll down to the bottom of the page for details). I ordered a few things from her website (http://thesewbox.com) and almost immediately received a thank you email from Charlene herself! How many times does that happen?

While I like browsing Joann's as much as anyone, it's much more important to support our 'local' retailers....and in the day of the internet, a 'local' retailer can be located anywhere in the world! Even Ohio.........So, check out Charlene's book, find out what to do with that funny thing that looks like a medieval torture device but is really a ruffler, and check out her great sites!

From across the pond

2010-11-11T16:30:00.000-06:00

Witte is a very little Scottish lady (born 1964 in Clydebank, Scotland) who lived in The Netherlands with a wonderful quilter named Ingrid and has just recently come to live with me! Here is a picture of Witte with her older sisters in the background.

Isn't she a lovely lady? Witte had several adventures coming across the pond. . . .which will soon be told.

There is another Scottish lady who lives at my house.

She was also born in Clydebank, Scotland, but way back in 1936. I'm not sure how this very stately lady arrived in the United States and ended up in East Texas, so I guess I'll just have to make up a story about a lovely Scottish lady who met a handsome Texas lad while he was over in England preparing for the Normandy invasion. . . . . . .

It's been THAT long??

2010-11-11T16:13:00.001-06:00

Since October 15? My only excuse is that a lot of things have been happening--and I've been doing a fair bit of sewing, too!

Last week was the Houston International Quilt Festival. I was there Wednesday night with my good friend Maggie, on Saturday with my good friends Carol and Cindy, and then decided to treat myself with going back on Sunday! And I'm NOT a quilter!! But oh, the art, the skill, the IMAGINATION!!

Look at the detail here:

And here:

Isn't that just spectacular?

My favorites, though, are the dolls. Like this one:

Or these happy ladies:

My sincere congratulations to everyone who took part in the Quilt Festival--and especially to those vendors who were on their feet 5, 6, 7 DAYS--and still managed to smile!

This is getting ridiculous. . . .

2010-10-15T13:02:00.000-05:00

My good friend Lisa just called me. She was on her way to pick up Linnea at school when she caught sight of a huge yard sale. Being a lot like me, she, of course, stopped to see what they had.

It's a turquoise Singer, in a maple cabinet. I'm not sure what the model is but Lisa has a pretty good eye for machines and she reported this one is in really good shape. REALLY good shape and will take $40.00 for her.

So, although there is NO place in my house for another sewing machine--especially one in a cabinet--Lisa has bought it on my behalf. Is this an obsession or what? I also recently bought a lovely white Featherweight (yes, a WHITE one--her name is Witte).....from a very nice lady in the Netherlands. Over there, across the pond. WAY across the pond. But, you know, everything turns out ok. Turns out a friend of mine from work is flying tomorrow to the Netherlands and she's agreed to bring Witte home with her. Don't I have wonderful friends?

Shelagh Folgate--you've GOT to see her wonderful stuff!

2010-10-14T16:04:00.000-05:00

If you like fabric art--and who of us doesn't?--you've just got to check out this great site! Shelagh is in England but she has ON LINE classes (Yah!) Not that I wouldn't mind going over there to take a class in person, but the folks here at work might not like it. I found Shelagh through a yahoo serger group I belong to--she commented that one of the things she does most with her serger was make string. String? Intriguing, no? So I checked out her site and just fell in love with what she does....... I guarantee you'll fall in love with it too......

Brassy Apple

2010-10-14T15:54:00.000-05:00

Check out this GREAT site!!! She has wonderful, wonderful tutorials and is just so happy! I love sites like this!

It's been a long time. . .

2010-10-14T15:49:00.000-05:00

It's been such a long time since I've posted anything. . .but I haven't been entirely idle! There are some great online classes over at Pattern Review, you know. I took Couture Hand Stitches from Susan Khalje--what a marvelous class that was! All hand sewing, which you know can get neglected. I learned (and relearned!) a number of new stitches--but one of the most important things I'll take away from the class is to question just how valuable fast sewing is. Susan said something about it in one of the chats and it's stuck with me. Everyone gets all hung up with sewing FAST, fast, faster....you read it all the time--"finish your seams fast with a serger"--and while I do love my serger, sometimes the fast way isn't the best way. It takes more time to tie thread ends together at the end of a seam than to backstitch, but what if the back stitch gets off-line? I know that happens to me and not once have I ripped the stitches out. After thinking about it, I've decided to concentrate on sewing slower and doing the absolute best job I can. For example, I made some hot pads as gifts (picture forthcoming) and for the first time I can remember, I hand stitched the bias tape on the back side instead of stitching in the ditch. It didn't take all that long, and I'm happier with the results. Much happier. So, friends, sew slow!!

Etsy Shop Peeled Bananas To Go

2010-08-27T15:08:00.000-05:00

Raves, raves, and more raves for Margarita's Etsy shop, Peeled Bananas To Go!!! Margarita is a great gal, the kind that goes out of her way to help, share, and inspire. She certainly has been an inspiration for me--after telling me about making her daughters' bathing suits, I got the courage to try it (see my post about Linnea's bathing suit). I'm so proud of her and her shop and wish her all the best luck in the world!!

You Sew Girl!!!!

Check out this fantastic site!!

2010-08-26T16:58:00.000-05:00

I just found SewingSupport.com and have to share it with all my friends! This site has free patterns, lots and lots of how-to's, and a bunch of articles on sewing machine maintenance. Check it out--I guarantee you'll want to bookmark it!

Wreaths By Toni

2010-07-22T13:01:00.000-05:00

You have to check out the wreaths my friend Toni makes! They are absolutely beautiful, all lush and full and, well, just beautiful! I got one last Christmas and it's a real knock-out.

California Coat

2010-07-18T09:22:00.000-05:00

Here's my version of Linda Thompson's (http://www.lindascreativecouture.com/) California coat:

Inspiration

2010-07-18T09:19:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday I went to Linda Thompson's Fashion Show at La Strata Restaurant up on the other side of Houston. Linda's a fabric artist (you MUST check out her creations!) and does the most wonderful things with fabric--painting, stamping, stenciling, applique. She works in silks and fine cottons and linens--at least that was what she had at her show. The garments themselves have simple, flowing lines, with a minimum of fussy details. Instead, the details were elegant and quite understated. The styles showcased the fabrics--and rightly so because they are absolutely stunning!!

Linda is a super nice, sweet lady in addition to being super talented, and readily shared her secrets. She knows that two artists can start with the same idea, the same fabric, the same style--and end up with two VERY DIFFERENT articles!

She had three garments that I want to recreate. One is the bias top from Threads magazine, July 2009, number 143, pages 43-46. Another is her "California coat" (a soft, flowing jacket made from a large rectange), and her long skirt. I haven't done the skirt yet, but did do both the bias top and the California coat.

Here's my version of the bias top:

I had absolutely no problem with the instructions and just love it!

My new labels

2010-07-18T08:57:00.000-05:00

It's nice to put a label on something. It's a nice finishing touch. It's also a mark of pride. "I made this." But, darn it, good labels are expensive! I've had printed labels in the past but they fade terribly, so I didn't want that. I could (and get) get some woven ones with my name, but that company only had about 6 basic styles and no color choices. Not what I wanted. I was looking for something special.

And now I think I found it.

It's neat, it's soft, and it stands out. Plus I can customize it to the item:

This one is a little harder to read, because it's done on black organza, and then a covered with black organza to help keep it soft on the neck.

I'm happy. What do you think?

How'd You Find Me?

2010-07-08T11:40:00.000-05:00

Hi Ladies/Followers!

Could you please let me know how you found me? I'd love to get your feedback on my site, my postings, my projects!

Thanks!!

Another version of my tunic

2010-07-08T10:45:00.000-05:00

My friend Carol saw these lovely blue, white, and red floral prints at Joann's a couple of weeks ago and I just had to add them to my stash. (The pictures do not do justice to the lovely colors!) I knew I wanted to make another tunic, with the blue for the main body and white for accents, but somehow, nothing actually 'gelled'.

Until about 1:00am (yes, this morning!) All of a sudden I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them. So I got up and did it. The red piping looks great on the sleeves and with the eyelet around the bib area--I'm super happy with how the top turned out. I'm going to wear it tomorrow with jeans. :-)

Which leads me to another thought--the importance of having a good stash. I had no idea when I bought the fabric that I would want to use eyelet and red piping. In fact, when I started to put the top together, all I knew for certain is that I wanted to use something around the bib area. So I dug into my stash and came up with several different possibilities, including various colors of grosgrain ribbon, a couple of different laces, and a couple of other trims. I pinned each possibility onto the top around the bib and tossed back the ones that didn't grab me. Two possibilities caught my eye--a white eyelet with a pale yellow ribbon and this red piping/white eyelet combination. The red piping/white eyelet is perfect and I had just enough of the white eyelet, with about 4 inches left over.

I seldom know for sure what I'll end up using, but having the materials available makes a world of creative difference!!

My Latest Ambition

2010-07-07T14:13:00.000-05:00

I've decided that my goal (one of my many goals, haha!) is not to buy any more new clothes. I want to make my own clothes. ALL of them. It won't happen overnight, of course, but gradually I want to replace all my store-bought clothes with pieces I either make or modify myself. The only pieces I'll modify are those I buy at a thrift store/garage sale.

WHY? Several reasons, really. First, it really gives me a kick to wear things I make. I enjoy telling people when they ask that, "yes, I made this."

I also think I dress better when I wear clothes I make, probably because I've become more aware of how things do (or don't!) go together. Instead of buying a yellow blouse because I like the cut or style, when I'm looking at fabric I pay more attention to color, and tend to buy fabric that goes together. I think more in terms of outfits rather than individual pieces.

The clothes I make fit better.

Making my own clothes also challenges my creativity and forces me to learn new techniques.

So that's my new goal....anyone care to join me in a challenge? Let's replace store-bought with our own creations and do it by December!!

Problem solving

2010-06-24T14:06:00.000-05:00

Exercise is a problem. I just plain don't like to do it. I don't enjoy going to the gym. Or walking on a treadmill. Or getting all hot and sweaty. But I have to do it.

It's a real problem--and I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem, but I'm solving it. . . .

Sewing.

Yep. Sewing isn't exercise (well, maybe I should get credit for lifting those heavy fabric bins!) but it can make a disagreeable task more bearable.

For one thing, the clothes. There is nothing pretty or stylish or creative about exercise clothes. What I found in my closet was pitiful. Shorts that were too tight, or falling off, or covered in paint stains. Tees that were either much too nice to sweat in--or ones that I wouldn't use to dry my dog. If I had a dog.

And having to take a shower (and I do have to take a shower after!) and walk around in a locker room with just a towel? Does that sound like great fun or what?

But I have to exercise. If I'm feeling miserable, though, there'll be a thousand excellent reasons why I'm too busy. Or too tired. And it won't get done. So here's where sewing is my problem solver. I had a beautiful turquoise cotton knit in my stash that perfectly matched a lovely rayon tropical flower print. So I made a pair of turquoise shorts and a matching tank top. This weekend I plan to make another matching set, so I'll always have something nice to wear.

For the shower part, I thought about taking my bathrobe to the gym--but then, what do I do for a robe at the house? Plus that means I'd have a robe AND a towel at the gym. Surely there was a better way. My solution was to make a terry-cloth cover up from my gym towels! It's pink and green and will be just perfect for my post-treadmill shower.

I still hate to exercise--but it's nice to be able to sew my way out of excuses not to go.

From My Hands to Yours: Pattern Rescue

2010-06-02T14:46:00.001-05:00

Here's the neat link to the Pattern Rescue site I told you about in my last post. I sent them a big box of patterns this morning--I could have listed them for sale but would much rather donate them to these folks. Patterns are expensive so whatever we can do to make them readily available is A Good Thing in my book.

From My Hands to Yours: Pattern Rescue

Pattern Rescue

2010-05-28T12:57:00.001-05:00

Check out this wonderful site--they collect patterns and send them to people who want them....for a donation to cover postage. Yep, you read that right. For a donation to cover postage. And what if you only have a part of a pattern? Or just the envelope? Donate it--because someone else might be looking for exactly that piece! Isn't that wonderful?

Which leads me to think about this entire community of sewists/sewers/seamstresses, whatever you want to call us. It consists of quilters, embroiderers, folks who love to repair old machines, folks who collect old patterns, folks who collect instruction manuals, people who are just getting into sewing, people who've been sewing since what seems like the dawn of time. . . . . .

It's the little girl who picks up a scrap of bright cotton to make a dress for her doll. It's the woman who sits up all night hemming bridal dresses. It's hand-embroidered tea towels passed down from my grandmother. It's the jar of buttons on the shelf, lovingly collected for years. It's the mother showing off the first dress she sewed for her daughter.

It's mostly women. We teach each other. We pass on what we've learned. We keep our families warm with the skills our great-grandmothers learned at their grandmothers' knees. We keep our families warm with the skills a woman on the other side of the world taught us, thanks to the miracle of the internet. We keep the machines humming, the wheels turning, and think about seams and zippers. We sew, we rip, and we sew again.

And we share. Oh, do we ever share!!!

Patterns, stories, hugs, cookies, tips, hints, fabrics, tears, laughter, jokes, thread............

You are all wonderful--the greatest women in the world (and not only women)--and I'm humbled and honored at the small part I play in all this.................

Tunics

2010-05-25T08:39:00.002-05:00

I love tunics! This is Butterick 4684, with six versions (mostly neckline variations). I made view B, which is the white one, but mine (of course) is different). I used a contrasting fabric for the bib and the sleeve cuffs (which the original doesn't have) and left the neck round.

There is a more complete review on Pattern Review (http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/readreview.pl?readreview=1&reviewnum=51811)

First time for everything!

2010-05-19T13:36:00.000-05:00

I've never tried a swimsuit before--they're pretty scary with that slippery fabric, but am really happy with how this one turned out! It's for Linnea--and since she's got the height of a size 7 but the waist, hips, and chest of a size 4 there were some pattern adjustments to do.

I just Kwik Sew 2605, a multi-size pattern (sizes 4 througth 7, just the ones I needed). First, I traced the pattern onto pattern paper, using the length of the size 7 but the waist, hips, and chest lines of the size 4. (Guess I just could have used the size 4 and lengthened it but I didn't think of that at the time.) For the muslin I used some very light-weight, very stretchy fabric from my stash. It went together in a couple of hours. The main fabric for the actual swimsuit is from Hancock's and I just love this happy, sunny print. I used more of that light-weight stretchy fabric for the lining.

To sew it together, I used Wooly Nylon in both the upper and lower loopers of my serger (gosh, I love my serger!). I then restitched the seams on my Miss Sophia, added the elastic, she's done! The suit fits great--it doesn't bind and most importantly, it covers everything it needs to.

Not hard, not hard at all.......Why was I afraid of making a swimsuit again?

(And why, oh why, did I ever think I didn't need a serger?!?!?!?!)

A Fun Blog!

2010-05-12T13:14:00.000-05:00

If you're surfing around, looking for fabric and other neat stuff, head over to I Sew! (http://isewblog.blogspot.com).... Ginny's got a great attitude and lots of cool ideas....PLUS she just got one of her creations published!!!

WAY TO GO, GIRL!!!

Instructions: Mug Huggies

2010-05-04T07:59:00.000-05:00

FINALLY ! Here are the instructions to make a mug huggie, with drawings and photos.

They were inspired by something I first saw in the Duluth Traders catalog and determined to make for myself. So there’s no copyright confusion, I’ve since seen patterns for them, but these instructions are based on my original design.

I’m posting these instructions so you can make your own huggie and improve on the design. Enjoy—have fun—create!!!

Just about any mug will do, but ones with wide bases are more stable. The first one I made was wider at the mouth then at the base:

This next one is more straight sided:

To make your paper pattern, you'll need to know the height of the mug and the circumference (distance around) the mug both at the rim and at the base. Take these measurements and write them down.

Draw your pattern for the exterior of the huggie like this:

Line AB is the circumference at the rim

Line CD is the circumference at the base

Lines AC and BD are the height

(If your mug has a smaller base than rim, the shape will be smaller on the bottom (a trapezoid), not a rectangle.)

Now comes the confusing part: for the interior of the mug, draw a second rectangle (or trapezoid)

on top of the first one, making sure that the line for the measurement of the rim circumference is

together. From about 1/2" below the rim on the interior, you'll cut out a triangle. A picture might

help:

(You're still working in paper, but your pattern should look something like this.) Cut out the paper

pattern and fit it to your mug. Mark the paper pattern up, cut it up and tape it together until it fits

your mug. When it fits right, take it off the mug and draw it again, with all the adjustments you

made, on a second piece of paper and repeat the process. Or go ahead and lay it out on your main

fabric--depending on how confident you feel.

Cut two from the main fabric and one from interfacing. I only use sew-in so that's how my

instructions are written. Make a fabric 'sandwich', with the fabric pieces right side together and the

interfacing on the right side of one of the pieces of main fabric.

Make sure all the edges are even. Mark off a 3 to 4 " section on the long side that you'll leave OPEN

then sew around the piece with an 1/2" seam allowance. D

Do another fit check. You see that mine needs more adjustment. Mark that needs to be taken in and restitch. Here, my blue marker is pointing to the new stitch line.

Resew.

Trim away the excess fabric.

And turn the piece right side out. Press Isn't that neat?

Time for the pocket strips. I used scraps from a green napkin I'd cut down to make a bedspread. I use three strips, one on each of the two interior flaps and one long one on the outside.

Finish the raw edges (I like bias tape), then pin in place and sew the strips down. REMEMBER that the open side of the pockets is in the middle of the piece.

Divide the strips into smaller sections (see my chalk lines) and sew from hem to opening. The individual pockets on my first huggie were quite narrow so for this one I'm going to make them wider. It really depends on what you plan to put in them!

Now for the strap. I'd originally thought to do three straps on this huggie, but decided one would be plenty. 1" wide is a good width. I made mine from scraps of my main fabric, but ribbon or webbing also work just fine. Pin in place until you feel the placement is right, then sew down one end to the back side of the huggie.

You can use velcro, a snap, or even a button to secure the strap on the other side. I think a button would look really neat, but since it was late last night when I put this together, I just used velcro.

Put it on your mug and fill with all those tools you need to have within your reach! I'd love to see pictures of the mug huggies you make and please let me know how you changed the pattern. Creativity is best when shared.

My latest toy: Emma

2010-04-30T12:12:00.000-05:00

Here she is: Emma the Embroidery Machine!! I've wanted one for several years now, and finally decided to take the plunge. I wanted an embroidery-only machine (like I need another sewing machine!) and only Janome and Brother make them. I liked the Brother machine, but it has a few too many bells and whistles for me (an automatic thread cutter?) and was quite a bit more expensive than this Janome Memory Craft 200E. So I went with the Janome, and boy, can you ever tell that Janome and Brother are made by the same people!
I wanted a machine to learn on, basically, and this one fits the bill--at least so far. I had it up and running within 30 minutes of taking it out of the box and was embroidering in under an hour. Here are a few examples:

(The RLB is me, and the RDW is my DH, as is the Capt Randy.) Here's one more photo of Emma:

Isn't she sweet?

More on Miss Sophia's 'problem'

2010-04-28T15:28:00.000-05:00

Monday I wanted to work on a jeans-to-bag project so I rethreaded Miss Sophia with denim thread and inserted a needle for denim (size 16). Then, when I went to pull up the bobbin thread, the needle banged straight into the bobbin case. WHOA! I'd just been through this problem--didn't I get the needle in all the way? I checked that, I inserted different needles, I played with the needle bar, I packed Miss Sophia up to go back to the shop.

Took her back the next day and, since she'd just been in the shop for the same problem, they took her right back to the workroom. I went off to look at their fabrics. It wasn't ten minutes when the lady came to get me. Turned out the problem all this time has been:

WRONG BOBBIN CASE

Can you believe it? They showed me the bobbin case that I got (at the pawnshop, remember?) with the machine and the proper bobbin case for a Necchi 536FB. They look alike, and fit into the machine the same, but the slot on the bobbin case where the needle goes in is much longer on the proper bobbin case than on the one I'd been using--the one that was in Miss Sophia when I bought her. Turns out that size 12 needles are just the tiniest bit shorter than size 14 and on up, and I've used size 11 (even the tiniest bit shorter) or 12s with her and these needles just barely cleared the edge of the slot. I have no idea how this could have happened, but I'm sure glad Miss Sophia now has the right bobbin case.

And now I have an extra bobbin case with no idea what machine it belongs to!

Recycle, reuse, repurpose

2010-04-20T15:45:00.001-05:00

Lisa and Linnea gave me a set of napkins and three little tablecloths that they'd picked up at a local Thrift Store (yeah for thrift stores!). As soon as I saw them, this is what I wanted to make:

Isn't it beautiful?
I cut the napkins to 15" square and the three tablecloths to 15" wide x 30" long then pieced them together. I could make a quilt out of it, but quilts are usually too hot for me to sleep under, so I'll probably leave it as one layer. I just love the colors (and the girls like it, too!) :-)

Since I figured I'd probably not quilt it, I used a serger to finish the seams and the edge, too. The whole thing went together in about 3 hours.

Serger Lessons at Sew Crafty

2010-04-18T13:21:00.000-05:00

I've had my Janome serger for a while now and have to wonder why I waited! She's great! I use her nearly every time I make anything, as well as serging all the raw edges of any new fabric I get before I wash it. But I knew sergers could do a whole lot more than that--which means CLASS TIME!

I signed up for a Decorative Serger class at one of Houston's best-kept secrets: Sew Crafty. I'll tell you about that place in a minute; first I want to talk about the class.

It was wonderful!!! Jenny, the instructor, was so patient and just great at explaining things to we neophytes. There were five of us and I was the only one who had actually used her serger before--and all five sergers were different brands and models (just to keep things interesting). Jenny explained the parts of the machine, a bit about how to maintain them (OIL!), and then spent some time talking about the various kinds of thread commonly used in a serger:

Polyarn (aka Woolly Nylon): great for soft, full seams. This thread expands as it's stitched, so it tends to fill up the seam area nicely.

Designer 6: a really nice, shiny rayon. Thicker than Sulky rayons.

Candlelight Metallics: Again, thicker than other metallics so better suited to serging

Pearl Crown Rayon: This rayon has a twist to it.

I sewed with the Polyarn and Designer 6 threads and bought a few spools of the others to bring home and try. Jenny has a great class workbook with sections on tension problems (and places to tape in samples so you'll know what the problem actually LOOKS like!), threading methods, and then a page for each of the decorative techniques (again, with a place for the sample). There are also places to write down the tension settings for each technique since several of them require different settings.

We covered Four thread overlock (the basic serger stitch); serging inside curves; serging V-necks, inside corners and slits; attaching ribbing; band hem or casing; outside corners; narrow rolled hems; lettuce edge w/rolled hem; and 3-thread flat-lock seam. The workbook also has the instructions (very clearly written, BTW, on doing rolled hems w/floral wire or fishline; flat-lock for lingerie sewing; and flat-lock ladder seams.

So what's going to be my first project with all my new skills? Yep, serging the edges of the fabric I bought at Sew Crafty so I can wash it! (But after that. . . . .)

Now about Sew Crafty. WHAT A GREAT PLACE! It's located in The Heights, Houston (sorta northwest of downtown) which is about an hour from where I live in League City. The drive is well worth it, and if you live in or around Houston, you get used to long drives.

Sew Crafty advertises itself as a craft studio. It's in a small, 2-story building on 19th Street Not a big place, it doesn't have a lot of products to sell (but what they do have is really nice) on the first floor. The second floor is all worksplace. ALL WORKSPACE. Tables for your machine (or theirs), ironing boards and irons, tables to cut out and work, lots of great light--it's what any dream sewing room would look like. You can take group classes or arrange for private lessons or bring your own projects to work on for a few bucks an hour. The staff is extremely helpful. And when I say 'crafts', I mean all kinds of crafts, not just sewing. They offer classes in knitting, embroidery, paper crafts, felt crafts--if it can be crafted, you can probably learn how to do it at Sew Crafty!!!

2010-04-15T15:34:00.000-05:00

This is my muslin for Vogue 8534 (Very Easy Vogue). I saw the top and liked it, although I don't usually do knits. I really like the little bow detail at the neckline! My version turned out to be short-sleeved (I was short on fabric, imagine that!) but the original has long sleeves. Mine also sits a little far forward on the shoulders.

The top is easy to make, although the instructions could be a bit clearer about the loop.

Shapes High-Five Jacket

2010-04-06T13:47:00.000-05:00

My latest project--and I just love how it came out! This is a Shapes design called High Five Jacket. It's a very boxy, unlined jacket with mitered corners and top-stitching. I found the button in my stash and instead of making a buttonhole, I used a soft pony-tail holder.

I found the fabric (100% linen) at Louise Cutting's booth at last year's ASG Conference and bought this print plus two lengths each of green and brown solid color linen to make coordinated outfits. This fabric, plus another silk-cotton piece in blue (for the top) cost about $120 (I wrote about it last year, about how sewing your own clothes is STILL cheaper than buying RTW).

I'm going to write a review of the pattern on Pattern Review (shameless plug) and fully intend to make this pattern again! I love it!!

My Elgin Treadle

2010-04-06T12:51:00.001-05:00

Isn't she lovely? This is Eleanor, my first treadle machine and I think she's just the dictionary-definition of elegant! (Ellie was just too informal!) Not that a lady tells her age, but the latest patent date on her needle cover is 1913. The Egyptian-Art Deco style of her decoration reminds me of the 1920s, so that's where I'm placing her birthday.

Eleanor is a vibrating shuttle machine so she uses those long bobbins. The bobbin winder works just great--although I'm not the best at getting the bobbin case threaded.

Another view of Eleanor. See that wooden enlaid piece right in front of her? It's a ruler. Neat, huh?

I think this is her original cabinet and Eleanor came with a big box of accessories (that I haven't tried yet), the instruction manual, and a copy of the original guarantee. She uses regular SM needles with the flat side to the right and threads from left to right.

Eleanor's so quiet when she stitches and the motion of the treadle somehow very relaxing. I can imagine doing it for several hours and not getting tired. It is a good workout for my legs--an added bonus.

To get the treadle going, you need to pull the hand wheel toward you--hard--and start treadling. There's no reverse on this machine but if you don't pull the hand wheel hard enough she will start stitching backwards! The stitches are nice, too, perfectly balanced.

I'm making a doll body on Eleanor now; here are two of the pieces.

Lesson Learned

2010-04-05T13:12:00.001-05:00

Well, ok, I'll tell you anyway. The needle wasn't inserted all the way in.

Because it wasn't all the way up there, it couldn't clear the bobbin case. Change the needle, problem disappeared.

Miss Sophia was in the shop for two weeks because I hadn't inserted the needle in all the way.

Lesson Learned.

(And this one only cost me $27.00.)

Miss Sophia's home!

2010-04-05T13:06:00.000-05:00

(But please don't ask me what the problem was.)

Dolls and more dolls

2010-04-05T13:05:00.000-05:00

So, what did you do last night? I cut out, stitched, and stuffed parts of my first doll. So far she consists of a rather ambiguous head, two stuffed legs, two stitched and turned (but not stuffed) hands, two stitched and turned arms, and the three body pieces, just cut out. I call the head ambiguous because it's kinda hard to tell which bump is supposed to be her nose and which bump is just a funny stitch!

Funny stitching because I did the head by hand. . .

and then I said to myself, "Self, why are you doing this by hand when you have three (count them!) three fully functional sewing machines in the living room? (I was working while watching tv and that doesn't count the four sewing machines in the same room that need a bit of work.)

I did the rest of the stitching on my Elgin treadle. . .

More on the Elgin treadle and doll making later. . .

Dolls, dolls, dolls--wonderful dolls

2010-03-25T10:20:00.003-05:00

You'd think a grown woman of my age (which I'm NOT telling!) would be beyond playing with dolls. Well, THINK AGAIN! I see the wonderful dolls Janet Bodin makes and just want to run home and make some too. . . .check out her great blog and website and tell me you aren't just as inspired by her work as I am.

(She's in this book! Isn't that just neat?)

Serious stuff--NOT sewing related

2010-03-24T10:42:00.000-05:00

This is a production by a local high school (Friendswood High School) that should be mandatory watching by all drivers (not just teenagers). It's not easy to watch--the production is very graphic--so be forewarned.

The link is to part 1; be sure to watch part 2 also.

Timing Problems (and Miss Sophia is in the shop)

2010-03-19T14:48:00.000-05:00

It's a blow to my pride that I had to take my lovely Miss Sophia Necchi to the shop. But I couldn't figure out how to fix her, no matter what I tried, so in she went.

The problem is her timing is off. The needle goes down--and as long as the bobbin carrier isn't in the machine--comes back up as right as rain. But when I put the bobbin/bobbin carrier in, the needle goes down and stops. Dead stop, needle on the bobbin. Not good. Definitely not good.

She was sewing perfectly, so what would have caused this to happen? In one of my repair manuals, it says that older machines are less prone to timing issues than the newer ones (another reason to love old machines!) but that hitting a pin or something like that could cause the timing to get off. I don't remember hitting a pin, but was sewing some thick fabric when I heard a big 'clunk' and Sophia came to a stop.

Sewing machines are precision machines. The needle has to come down at the right time to pick up the bobbin thread from the shuttle as it rotates at the same time that the feed dogs are moving the fabric forward at exactly the right speed so the next stitch will be in the right place. All this happens about 14 times a second. So have anything get off by just a tiny fraction, and the whole endeavor stops.

It is possible to reset the timing yourself. . . . .but it's not a job for the fainthearted--and while all sewing machines work on the same principal, not all the parts are in the same place. There's this little set screw that has to come out and I never could be sure that I'd found it. I found several set screws--but not the one I needed. So she's in the shop and I miss her. My other babies will have to keep me company.

FW Care and Maintenance: Checking the Carbon Brushes

2010-03-13T21:32:00.000-06:00

Kudos to Dave McCallum, author of The Featherweight 221 and I, for all his wonderful advice on FW Maintenance. Anyone seriously interested in taking the best possible care of their FW (and all FW deserve to be well taken care of!) needs a copy of Dave's book. Contact him at FeatherweightRx.com or email him at featherweight221andI@msn.com to get a copy.

Anyway, he recommends checking the condition of the carbon brushes in the motor from time to time (they wear down quite slowly, so it's a yearly task, or even an every-other-year task. Still, I had never done it (sorry to admit) until recently, when one of my FW was running sluggishly. Here are some photos that will help when you do the job:

The brushes (one of top of the motor and one on the underside) are located under black plastic screw caps. Here is the one on the top of the motor (photo above) and the one on the bottom (photo to the right).

In this photo (above), I've unscrewed the top cap (it's laying on the motor) and you can see the copper coil/spring that attaches to the carbon brushes.

In the photo at the right, you can see the carbon brushes (which DO NOT look anything like brushes!) attached to the copper coil/spring.

The brushes on my machine measure about 1/2 ", but Dave says you don't need to worry about replacing them until they get down toward 1/4" long.

In the photo on the right, above, I'm putting the brush back in. They will only go in one way, so if they don't slip back in fairly easily, rotate them 90 deg. Replace the caps and you're done!

If you need to order parts, I highly recommend 221parts.com.

Happy Sewing!

.

Another great Featherweight site

2010-03-12T13:46:00.000-06:00

This is a picture of my mother's 1953 Featherweight. She's such a great machine and I love showing pictures of her.

Anyway, I found another great Featherweight site, Featherweights, Inc and decided to use mom's FW as a lead-in for their site. They have parts, attachments, cases, and even a neat extension table (which is #1 on my wish list right now!) for sale on their site, in addition to Featherweight machines. So, check out Featherweights Inc and say you saw their link on my site. It won't get you any discounts, but it's always good to know.

Happy Sewing!

Singer 128

2010-03-11T11:36:00.000-06:00

This is my Singer model 128 hand crank. It's the first antique machine I restored. When I first saw her, the hand crank would hardly move and the needle would move at best only a few inches. I put some sewing machine oil in a few places and let her sit in the back of my truck (locked in my camper top, of course!) the rest of the afternoon. When I got her home, the oil had loosen everything up enough that the hand crank moved the needle through a full rotation. What a huge difference a few drops of oil made! After cleaning, oiling, and polishing, this is what she looks like now.

Singer model 128s are vibrating shuttle machines. The bobbin is a long spool that fits inside a case that looks rather like a bullet. It goes back and forth under the needle area. (Thus, 'vibrating' rather than 'rotary'.) The bobbin winding mecanism is located in the front of the machine.

I've never actually sewed with this machine because I haven't been able to get the technique down of winding the bobbin using a hand crank. But I recently restored a treadle machine that also is a vibrating shuttle machine and had no trouble winding bobbins using the treadle. So I'll wind this beauty's bobbins on the treadle machine and take her for a spin!

The last photo is of her case. So beautiful, so beautiful........................

Singer model 66 machines

2010-03-11T11:22:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pictures of two of my Singer model 66 machines. (Please ignore the half-painted walls, ok?) The first one is a model 66-1 that I bought on ebay cause I feel in love with her decals. Isn't her face plate pretty too? She'd been electrified when I bought her; the motor is powerful enough to sew through anything. Plus--and this is an important aspect of heavy-duty machines--the distance between the pressure foot and the feed dogs is high enough to actually get multiple layers of fabric in there.

The is another model 66-1 that I got from a lady in the area who frequents estate sales and auctions over in East Texas. She doesn't sew, but always keeps an eye out for me. Anyway, she found this really pretty Singer and I bought it from her. When I bought it, the machine had a motor--its original 220v motor and wiring. Since the machine was made at Clydesbank, Scotland in 1936, I decided to convert her to a hand crank instead of messing with the motor. The conversion was super-simple--I had just to get the hand crank and bolt.

I've always wondered how this lovely Scottish lady ended up in East Texas. . . . . .

Where to oil a sewing machine

2010-03-09T18:03:00.001-06:00

Here's a photo of an oil port. Put ONE DROP of sewing machine oil in the port. Look for these ports everywhere you're able to access your machine. If you don't see oil ports (older machines don't necessarily have them), the rule of thumb is to put ONE DROP of sewing machine oil wherever one metal piece moves against another.

Pressure Feet: Snap-Ons

2010-03-06T08:10:00.000-06:00

Here are some photos of the snap-on pressure foot on my Kenmore. I'm posting them in response to a question from fixya.com, but I've wanted to do a bit on pressure feet for a few days now.

This is a side view, showing the thumbscrew that holds the snap-on adapter to the pressure bar. The red button releases the foot.

Here I've pushed the button and the claw that holds the foot on has released.

Here my seam ripper (well, it was handy) is pointing to the 'claw'

And here it's pointing to the bar on the pressure foot that the claw attaches to

Here the bar of the foot is below the claw. I'm ready to lower the pressure foot and re-attach the foot.

Best Laid Plans

2010-03-05T15:33:00.000-06:00

(or. . . .for want of a battery)

Last night I started working on a new tip for Fixya.com--this one about the different types of pressure feet (meaning low shank/high shank/snap-on/slant shank.) And this time, instead of drawings, I wanted to use photographs. Put some of my many, many feet to good use. (Except I don't have any slant feet on hand--but they're pretty obvious....and I don't have any high shank machine, but I do have high shank feet. Explain that one!)

So I pulled out a low shank zipper foot, a high shank zipper foot, and a snap-on zipper foot. I worried them into a standing position (zipper feet do NOT want to stand up on their own!) and even put a ruler by the low and high shank ones to clearly show the difference.

Turned on my camera to take the first shot. . . . . . .

Nothing.

(Actually, I turned it on and it turned itself off.)

After the third time I turned it on (and it turned itself off). . . .it dawned on me that I'd been getting "low battery" signs the last few times I'd used it.

Guess my batteries were a little low also. . . . . . .

Happy Scrappy Instructions

2010-03-02T11:21:00.001-06:00

Easy Tube Turning

2010-03-02T11:12:00.004-06:00

Some fun projects

2010-03-01T00:28:00.002-06:00

This is Scrappie #2, made of odds and ends of fleece. He's sitting in my Kenmore, waiting to get started on another Scrappie to keep #2 company!

And here's his bubby Scrappie, this time sitting on the Brother. Aren't they just so cute????? I'll post instructions so you can make your own Scrappies!

I saw these in the Duluth Traders Catalog and then ran across a pattern for them, but I made my own. It's an insert with lots of divisions, that fits inside a mug. It's more organized than just dumping tools into a mug and I think it's a great idea. I made a pattern that I plan to post here for anyone who wants it, and used scraps of flannel and denim. There are two straps that secure the mug huggie to the mug, and I attached a little pin cushion to one of them. Here's another picture that shows the pin chsuion better. :

My new toy

2010-03-01T00:08:00.001-06:00

Yes, I know I have a lot of sewing machines. But the Necchi 536 FB was so dirty and looked so sad in that pawn shop.. . . .(A bit of anthropomorphizing there, huh?)

Besides, I'd been reading about Necchi machines for my postings on Fixya.com and was very impressed by what their users had to say.....It was almost as if Necchites knew something I didn't .. . . .so I just had to bring that sad, dirty machine home.

And I LOVE it!!! It's built solid, and is nearly all metal. She has straight, zigzag, and a few utility stitches (10, to be exact), and that's all. She has an adapter for snap-on feet, so she can use all the feet I have for my Kenmore and my Brother, plus I can take off the adapter and she'll use all my FW feet too! She uses a metal class 66 bobbin, which holds an inordinate amount of thread.

After cleaning and oiling (she was amazingly clean, inside), she runs like a champ. Goes through multiple thickness of fabric without hesitating.

I reviewed 'Sophia' on zigzaggers, so you can pull that link from my Great and Useful Links, and check out what I had to say there, but I also wanted to get my thoughts down on my blog, too. What else are sewing blogs for, if not to write about sewing? (machines, projects, rooms, storage, patterns, etc etc etc)

Here are some photos:

Fixya Sewing Machine Repair #2

2010-02-22T00:35:00.000-06:00

I forgot to mention that my name on fixya is lookingpast. Also, their website is http://www.fixya.com/.

Fixya Sewing Machine Repair

2010-02-22T00:32:00.000-06:00

For a while now, I've been helping people with their sewing machine problems. The website is Fixya.com and I'm one of several 'experts' on sewing machine repair. I tend to deal with the older machines (what a surprise!) and stay away from problems with embroidery machines or sergers. I've posted two 'Tips and Hints": one is a general guide to threading your sewing machine (http://www.fixya.com/support/r4105379-thread_sewing_machine ) and the other is some tips on threading your needle (http://www.fixya.com/support/r4185240-tips_threading_needle).

Besides the pleasure I get from helping people, this is part of what I see as the American Sewing Guild's Mission Statement: Advancing Sewing as an art and life skill. It's part of serving the community. It's my way of passing knowledge along.

The other day in Jo-ann's I was in the notions aisle where I overheard a mother and daughter talking about which bobbins to buy. They had a new Singer in their cart, and some fabric, and from their conversation, I knew they didn't know a thing about bobbins. I said hi and asked if I could help. What fun! The girl, age 9, had just signed up for sewing lessons and was so excited about it! She told me that she'd been handsewing for years, making doll clothes, and patching stuff, and now Mom was getting her her first sewing machine and lessons......Mom was really proud of her daughter, too, and it showed. I helped them with bobbins and needles, and explained the difference in types of needles. We talked a bit more, then parted. I was so happy to have been able to help. It made my heart sing to see the excitement in that young girl's eyes about learning to sew.

Lutterloh

2010-02-16T02:05:00.000-06:00

Back to my Lutterloh experience---overall, it's not as foolproof as they make it seem. But it does work (at least so far) and I'm quite happy with the system.

I drafted out the pants pattern and added the seam allowance to the drafted pattern. The muslin had a number of problems:

the waist was huge
the center back was about 3 inches below my waist
the upper part of the legs was too snug for my liking

So for pants #2 (out of red corderoy from my stash), I added more darts to the front (so now there's four) and took the waist in about 6 inches (yes, it was huge). I also added three inches to the pattern at center back, sloping down to the side seam. Pants #2 came out great. Very comfy.

Today I made pants #3 (black corderoy). With the changes to the pattern, they fit great from the beginning.

Not that my drafted pattern is perfect. By taking out so much from the center back, the side seams are shifted backwards. But that I can correct easily enough.

I think what I like most about the Lutterloh system is the control I have over the pattern and how it fits. So I'm happy. Pictures next time, tho.

Vintage Sewing Reference Library

2010-02-12T16:11:00.001-06:00

Ok, so in my last post I promised an update on my Lutterloh trousers--but that's going to have to wait because I have to tell you about this GREAT site I found. To quote their site, it's a "nonprofit public benefit corporation which publishes public domain vintage sewing, fashion, and lifestyle books and images, rescuing primary source reference material from obscurity to freely share with anyone who searches for it."

That's got just about all the great keywords in it: nonprofit, sewing, reference material, freely share--who could ask for more, huh?

I found them via Art for Housewives (http://www.housewife.splinder.com/) when I clicked on a link that read, "The methods used for cutting skirts are being presented at this point, because after having studied cutting principles applying to other portions of the garment, you will have acquired a deep appreciation of the artistry required to produce a pattern for a well hung skirt.---"

Doesn't that sound intriguing?

Check out Vintage Sewing Resource Library for yourself--who knows, you might learn something (another of my favorite keywords!)

Lutterloh Patterns

2010-02-11T12:36:00.001-06:00

I first heard of the Lutterloh System for drafting patterns at a sewing retreat my neightborhood group of the American Sewing Guild, Houston Chapter, put together (that's a whole nother post!). After the retreat, and more talk about Lutterloh at our next meeting, I was getting more and more curiouser-er. What's this about using two (and ONLY two!) measurements to draft out a pattern? Nonsense, says I.

Well, you'll have to check out the Lutterloh System for yourself, but you do, in fact, only need two measurements (bust and hips) to draft patterns. The patterns in their books anyway--which are some pretty basic styles that you can then fancy up as your heart desires.

This is the basic system. You get that Very Special Tape Measure, a couple of pins, a cardboard curve (in case you don't yet have one), an instruction book, and a pattern book. The heart of the system are the patterns and that V.S. tape measure.

The basic pattern book consists of some 80 patterns. On one side of the sheet are artists' rendering of the item(s), and on the back side are very tiny patterns, with lots of numbers and codes. This is basically how it works: You take your bust and hip measurements in metric, and then use that number (here, the bust measurement) to pin the V. S. T. M. to their drafted pattern. Then, see all those lines and numbers outside the pattern in this picture?

You lay the tape measure along the line and go out that particular number and then put a dot on your drafting paper. (I did say all this is done on top of drafting paper, right?)

After you've done this for each and every line and number on the pattern, you're ready to connect the dots and transfer all the markings. And there you are, a pattern drafted to YOUR size, because it's based on YOUR measurements!

In theory.

How did it work in reality? That's the subject of my next post.

Sewing Room, round two

2010-02-11T12:06:00.000-06:00

I've been at it again. (Sigh) I spent all day Sunday moving furniture into and out of my sewing room, shifting sewing tables from this side to that side, moving supplies, finding more space for my buttons. . . .you know the routine. Anyway, I think this arrangement will work. I've got one of my Featherweights on one table, with my serger (don't you like the fancy cover I made for it?) on the side table.

I've got my Brother set up on the table under the window (and yes, I still have to paint the walls). One advantage of 'ad hoc' sewing tables is all the extra storage places you can find. The table under the window I put together from two old night stands, each topped by a brick, with a hefty piece of plywood forming the tabletop. The plywood table top extending quite a bit out in front, so I can use the space between the night stands for more storage!

The third side of the U is made by a folding table I got at Lowe's. That's my computer desk.
Finally, on the long wall I put two huge metal bookshelves--the first one has all my plastic shoe boxes full of notions (most of them anyhow), my patterns, and my unorganized stash (on the shelf below the pattern envelopes). My organized stash is on the second bookshelf.

Now, isn't that better?

How To Thread Your Sewing Machine

2010-02-11T11:49:00.000-06:00

For a while now I've been on fixya.com, providing solutions to sewing machine problems. (Check it out--I'm Lookingpast) One of the biggest problems people seem to have is that they don't know how to thread their machines. So I wrote a pretty generic how-to and used drawings in PowerPoint to illustrate it. Check it out and let me know what you think: Did I cover all the basic points? Did I leave something out? Are the wording and drawings as clear as could be?

Polar Notions

2010-01-21T07:06:00.003-06:00

I discovered Polar Notions at the Houston Quilt Show and am sure glad I did! It's a funny name for a company, isn't it? But their product (although a bit on the pricey side) is WONDERFUL! Look at the picture of my fabric there on the left and you can see the "I'm not quite sure what to call them" that each cut of fabric is so neatly wrapped around.

Polar Notions makes a 11 3/4" x 7 1/2" acid-free plastic 'sheet' that are just great for fabric storage. They have two little notches to catch one end of the neatly folded fabric and hold yards and yards of material. They're also available in fat-quarter size. (top shelf, on the left)

I'm a fan.

2010-01-21T06:49:00.005-06:00

Sewing Room Finished!

(well, sorta)

My new sewing room is set up and ready to go! My sewing machine is under the window, with the serger off to one side and my laptop on the other side. (The computer part of the setup is the problem, but I'm working on it.) I've got two great big shelving units down one wall, with my patterns in plastic boxes and my beloved bias tapes and trims in more plastic boxes so I don't have to hunt for them! The second shelving unit has my fabric, all nicely organized (Thank you, Polar Notions!) On the far wall are wall-mounted shelves with my books (and stuff) plus my big gray cabinet. The cutting table is in the middle of the room, so I can walk around it and get at my work from all sides.

There are still a couple of things to be worked out: I need more light in here, for one, and the painting isn't finished (so the walls are two-toned), and there's still a lot of 'stuff' that needs to find a home--but the important thing is that I have a great place to work. The muse is happy here.

Holiday Market

2009-12-06T22:59:00.002-06:00

Friday, 12/4/09, the Bay Area Turning Point held their annual Christmas luncheon and fundraiser. For the second year in a row my friend Carrie asked me to be one of their vendors. Last year Carol and I went together and we sold exactly ONE tote bag (Carol's). So I guess I didn't know if I should get all excited about this year's but I couldn't help myself, I guess. I made seven Christmas stockings and 8 bibs from Christmas fabric, plus took several other things (a couple of makeup bags, pinchushions, etc). And this year (maybe it was the snow?) things were completely different! I sold two of the stockings and five of the bibs!! Haven't downloaded any of the pictures yet but as soon as I do, they'll get posted.

It felt really good to finally deposit some money I'd made myself!

Redoing the Sewing Room

2009-11-01T22:37:00.005-06:00

In spite of being able to sew (like finishing Linnea's Halloween's costume), the sewing room remains a disaster. This shows what one end of the room looked like a few days ago. It's the same corner where I used to have my sewing machine, where Linnea and I made Barbie clothes (with Kitty Hannah's help!)

The other end of the room still needs to be painted, and you can see I have the first set of metal shelving up. Will it ever be my retreat again?

Indian Princess

2009-11-01T22:31:00.003-06:00

Looks good, doesn't it? The costume turned out ok, I think, and Linnea loved it--which is the important thing. I used Simplicity 5448 and made it in a tan faux suede. I added dangling shells and coins, so everytime she moved, the dress sang.

Linnea's Halloween costume

2009-10-21T15:36:00.003-05:00

Linnea has decided she wants to be Pocahontas for Halloween. I've got the pattern and the fabric, and lots of neat trim to put on it. Only thing I DON'T have is a functional sewing room where I can put it all together. And, with everything all torn up and moved around, right now I don't know where that pattern and fabric went.

I hate being so disorganized. It's frustrating and I get cranky when I'm frustrated. Last weekend, with the Houston International Quilt Festival, I couldn't do a thing about my sewing room. (Had to spend all day Saturday and then again Sunday at the Quilt show, you understand.) Then I was so exhausted from the show I couldn't do much of anything after work. (Except I did play around with my new serger--more about that later.)

This evening I'm off to Home Depot for more shelving........................

Redoing the Sewing Room

2009-10-20T18:03:00.002-05:00

When I could hardly move for all the fabric and patterns stashed everywhere, it was time to make a move. Unfortunately, that means no sewing for a while while everything is discombobulated. And, since I really never liked that color green on the walls, let's repaint while we're at it. (Notice the change from "I" to "we")

At the moment, I'm maybe halfway done. Still need more shelving. Still need to decide where to put my cutting table. Still need to decide where to put my computer. Still need to decide what books have to go to Half Price Books. Still painting. Still not sewing. :-(

Teach another generation

2009-10-09T13:42:00.002-05:00

Linnea and I making Barbie clothes.

Linnea's new dress

2009-10-09T13:38:00.003-05:00

This pretty pink linen dress started out as a misses' small skirt. I added the cap sleeves with ruffles and the button back. Cute, cute, cute!!

Ok, I surrender (or, my new toy)

2009-10-09T13:10:00.003-05:00

Yes, I always said I didn't know why I would need a serger. That anything I could do on the serger I could also do on my sewing machine. Besides, they were expensive.

But, after watching the nice lady at Jo-ann's demonstrate a couple of Babylocks, I changed my mind. Anyway, I took the plunge and bought this nice Janome 11577 serger on E-bay. (Actually, this picture is from Overstock, but it's the same model.) Overstock had some really positive reviews of the machine (like 4 1/2 starts out of 5. It's not a current year model, but that's ok. It was also less than $175.00.

I'll have to let you know if I was right or not.

You Sew, Girl Jacket Project

2009-08-06T01:05:00.004-05:00

My ASG neighborhood group, You Sew Girl, has this on-going project. A jacket. Not just any jacket, but a lined, fitted, jacket with all the classic touches. I choose this one, Vogue 7022. It's one our group leader, Sondra, made and showed the first time we discussed the project. It's got neat, clean lines, very non-fussy, and I really like the princess seams front and back.

But so far, it's been a bitch. First I couldn't find the pattern anywhere. Then, because it's out of print, Sondra lent me hers to copy. I traced it, but half-way through, ran out of the good tracing paper and finished with some of the heavy white paper I have on hand. The pattern fitting session went ok--except that the heavy paper was really hard to work with. Then I put it aside to work on other things and the little notes on the pattern slipped my mind. Then, when I made the muslin for our fittings yesterday, I rushed and did a sloppy job. "It's just a muslin." HA.

So this evening I took the bad muslin apart and recut every piece. Using my dress form, I put the pieces back together--and discovered that my bust point is about 5" lower than the one on the dress form! Got the paper pieces to fit ok (not great, but ok), then used those paper pieces to recut the muslin pieces. Pinned those on the dress form, and maybe--just maybe-- I've got something that will work. Didn't get them sewed together again, but that's the easy part.

If this doesn't work, and the muslin doesn't fit, then it's back to the drawing board. I've made so many alterations to the original traced pattern that I really don't have much left--so I can't go back to the pattern and start again. I'll have to pick another pattern and start over.

It's all just a learning experience, right? (But darn, I'm already good at seam ripping!)

Do I really want my clothes to look like RTW?

2009-07-29T12:12:00.003-05:00

One thing I heard a lot at the ASG Conference is that we want to make our clothing look like RTW. I heard a lot about 'professionally-finished serged seams' as an example of how our goal in sewing for ourselves (and others) should be making the items look like Ready-to-Wear.

Well, I don't want my clothes to look like RTW and think as home sewers we're setting our sights too low if that's our goal.

RTW clothes are:

1. all alike
2. created using the easiest, cheapest techniques
3. don't fit
4. look and feel mass-produced

If that was what I wanted to wear, I wouldn't sew my own! I want clothes that are unique and that make me look good. I don't want mass-produced clothes, whether mass-produced in China, Mexico, or even Ft Worth, Texas--I don't want my clothes to look like cookie-cutter stamp outs. I want my clothes to look like someone took some time making them. Quick and easy is ok for some things--like tee shirts--but isn't ok for most things. Serged seams are quick and easy and are supposed to 'look professionally done'. Well, to me they look 'quick and easy" and it's hard for me to think of something as both 'quick and easy' and 'professionally done."

Not that everything I make is fantastic--but my GOAL is that everything I make be fantastic. And by fantastic, I mean: unique, with interesting details, and that looks like someone (me!) took time to care about they were doing.

Maybe I don't hate bras as much as I thought I did

2009-07-29T11:44:00.002-05:00

Maybe it was just finding the right fit.

At the ASG Conference (membership in the ASG is as necessary as a sewing machine to anybody who sews!) I found Needle Nook Fabrics and THE BRA LADY, Anne St. Clair. Such a unique niche--custom made, custom fitted bras. I wasn't sure I believed the ladies in the booth--after all, I HATE bras and have never found one that was comfortable--but went to get measured anyway. After getting my measurements (Anne is super efficient and down to earth--a great combination), I went back to the booth and picked up a pattern, basic kit, and her book.

Two days ago I finished the first bra (the kit makes three) and today is the second day I've worn it. Dang if it isn't comfortable. No slipping straps, no poking me in the armpits (but I did leave out the underwires), no feeling like I'm being cut in two, no falling out--all in all, I can wear this!

Not that it's perfect. In her book, Anne explains (and the ladies in the booth told me) that the first bra will be the worst and then numbers 2 and 3 will get better and better as fitting problems are identified and fixed. If this is the worst--well, I'll just say it's WAAAAAY better than the $40 and $50 bras I bought last year, thinking that my problem with bras was buying cheap one.

If you're thinking about getting a pattern and making your own bras, I sure recommend you get Anne's book too. It's much more complete then the pattern instructions--which I thought were a bit confusing--and lists the various fitting problems and their solutions.

Check out Anne's Needle Nook Fabric site (ndlnookfab.blogspot.com) for more information about Anne and making your own bras. Maybe you'll find you don't hate them either!

Sew to save money?

2009-07-22T16:34:00.000-05:00

One thing I heard a lot at the ASG Conference was how women used to sew to save money, but that's no longer true. Women, they said, sew for self-expression and other reasons, but a sewist can't save money by sewing her own clothes anymore.

Well, in my grand tradition of contradarian--I don't think that's right. I think women CAN save money by sewing their own clothes. Of course, if you pick up fabric at Thrift Stores whenever possible like I do there's no question about how much you can save. BUT even buying new, first class fabrics, it's still cheaper to sew your own.

Here's how I figure: At the conference I picked up linen for a pair of pants and a boxy jacket, plus a silk-cotton blend for a puzzle top. Total: $116.00. Zippers, thread, buttons--all on hand already. Now, go into Macy's or Dillard's or another decent clothing store and price a well-made pair of linen pants that fit. Plus a coordinating linen jacket and a silk-cotton blend top. Think you'll come in under $116?

This weekend I plan to take a look at what's available in the stores, but I'm confident RTW would cost me much more than what I spent on this fabric.

Number 15 (but who's counting?)

2009-07-22T16:30:00.002-05:00

Got home from the ASG Conference and had to check out the 'for sale' ads on our local swap shop. (Like I hadn't already spent enough!) Found an ad for 'sewing stuff' for sale. Well, this sewing stuff consists of a Brother CS8060 70 stitch machine, a cabinet/craft table, and lots of miscellaneous notions, sewing tools, fabric, and, well, stuff. This machine is a good step up from my 9 year-old Kenmore and. . . . .

I'll post pictures.

Poodle Skirts--Sequel Part 2

2009-07-22T16:23:00.004-05:00

Here are the photos of the successful poodle skirts. The first one is Haley and the 'not a morning person' is big sister Sara. Aren't they just little dolls? I'll sew for these two ANYTIME!

July Head Count

2009-07-15T23:18:00.002-05:00

As of today, I own:

1. Singer 66-1, Red Eye, treadle
2. Singer 66-1, "Red Eye," electric
3. Singer 66-16, hand crank
4. Singer 128, hand crank
5. Singer 221 (my mother's)
6. Singer 221 (the one I bought on eBay)
7. Singer 66-X (for spare parts)
8. Free Westinghouse, electric, in cabinet
9. Free, treadle
10. Read's Sailmaker
11. Kenmore (youngest of the family)
12. ?? hand crank
13. ?? hand crank
14. White zigzig

(I have a funny feeling I'm forgetting one or two, but am drawing a total blank.)

Next step--photos of all of them.

Second Season

2009-07-15T23:10:00.004-05:00

Carol and I have been talking for ages about selling our things on Etsy. She's already got a small shop there but we figured the best thing to do was to set up a joint shop to showcase our individual styles. E viola! Second Season! Not that either of us has done anything with it yet--we don't have anything listed, for one thing--but it IS a start.

Along those lines--I made a checkbook cover a couple of weeks ago and really like it. Checkbook covers would make a quick, easy item to make up and list. ("Yes, and" I hear you say. "Come on, girl, get to the POINT!) The point is that yesterday in Joann's I found the cutest fabric for my checkbook covers--a novelty print of DOLLAR BILLS! Won't that be fun? Don't have time to do anything now, but after I get back from Albuquerque. . . .

American Sewing Guild Conference

2009-07-15T23:03:00.002-05:00

Last year sometime I joined the American Sewing Guild (mostly for the discounts, I have to admit). But then in February I went to the Sewing Retreat my chapter put on and had a ball. Now I'm packing for the annual conference in Albuquerque. It is going to be such fun! I'm staying with a lady who's flying in from London (the one in England) and plan to really relax, enjoy my classes, and learn as much as I can. My Seamstress Muse is going to feast, feast, FEAST!

Poodle Skirts: a sequel

2009-07-15T22:55:00.002-05:00

The beautiful, historically accurate poodle skirts I made for Carrie's little girls? Nope, didn't fly. No go. No way, no how, no joy. And I shoulda known--after all, I've experienced a Houston summer or two. What was I thinking? Felt skirts in July? In Houston?

So, back to the drawing board and this time (I think) it came up a winner! I made the skirts from a light weight pink cotton. Elastic waist instead of zippers. Short skirts, not ankle-length. With cute little white poodles appliqued on the front and sequined leash. They turned out really nice--and this time Carrie was very happy! (Which makes me very happy too!)

Photos? Carrie promised to have some for me when I go back to work on Monday.

2009-06-29T22:36:00.002-05:00

Sigh.....what's that they say about the best laid plans?

The poodle skirts flopped, and rightly so. I was so intent on making them historically accurate that I forgot this is TEXAS and the event is planned for mid-July. Mid-July on the upper Texas coast is most definitely not the time for felt skirts. What was I thinking? What was I thinking WITH?!?!?!

So, on to Plan B. New poodle skirts, from a light pink cotton, with a light petticoat underneath for the girls and sell the original skirts on Etsy.

Aren't Plan Bs wonderful?

2009-06-29T21:36:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I spent the day at a client's house, making kitchen and breakfast nook curtains. This is a single guy (recently divorced) who is redoing his house to make his more masculine, more "his" and it looks really great (even before my curtains go up!). He's chosen a safari theme with lots of dark gold, deep burgundy, and black. The kitchen, which opens out to the Great Room, has black appliances and light gray granite countertops that are flecked with black. The massive, round breakfast table is stained black. It's a very imposing piece that wouldn't be most people's choice for a breakfast table, but it works great.

The fabric Kevin chose for the kitchen/breakfast nook is a wonderful ornate paisley in shades of gold, burgundy, black, and a bit of olive green. For hardware, he is using large black wooden tie-back knobs that echo the curves of the table and installing them 5 to a window, with the center knob at the highest point, the two on either side lower and farther out from the center, and the final two at the lowest and farthest out point. The curtains, which are more like valences, will hang by tabs from these knobs. I don't have a photo, but here's a quick sketch:

I've been promised a photo and as soon as I have it in my hands, you'll be able to see it here. It's great fabric!

2009-06-15T08:11:00.005-05:00

Poodle Skirts

Nothing screams "the fifties" like a poodle skirt. So, if you were going to celebrate the fifties, nothing would be finer than a poodle skirt.

And every year the on-site day care celebrates the 50's with a sock hop. So every little girl wants a pretty skirt with a poodle on the front. Here are two poodle skirts I made for Haley and Sara. The first picture is Sara's skirt and the second one is Haley's. I used Simplicity pattern 5401; size 3 for Haley and 6 for Sara. The poodle are Wright's iron-on, but I sewed them on instead. Th leash is made of glittery sequins and I added a black French knot for the eyes and a white fluffy ball for the tail. The applique was the most time-consuming part of making the skirt. Anyway, the skirts were great fun to make and I'm hoping Carrie (the girls' mom) will share the photos and other moms will want poodle skirts for their daughters.

2009-05-29T15:27:00.003-05:00

This is a 'just gotta share' post cause I found something on the web that I think is really neat!

Ever download a pattern or instructions and then have to sit and wonder just what the author meant? Or you're only able to figure it out after spening hours deep in your how-to-sew books trying to find illustrations of the particular technique the pattern's author assumed you already knew? Or perhaps you're trying to teach someone how to sew and wished you had some really clear instructions to show them?

What I found is a great website that really takes the time to illustrate--CLEARLY illustrate--the projects it offers. Check out http://www.karleefuchs.com/ and look under patterns for the free ones. She hs one for a Quick Pillow Case but the one I really like is for the Beanbag. She's got great photos of how to hand-sew the bag closed. While you're at Karlee's site, check out her other patterns--she's got great ones!!