Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Well I'd like to know where, you keep the notions?

I got a great deal on some sewing machine feet for my machine from a local eBay retailer and wanted to have a home for them. I've been looking for something functional yet pretty to keep my sewing machine, embroidery machine and serger accessories in but couldn't find anything that I liked in the store. I have a few compartmentalized tackle boxes but they loose functionality when the things that I need to store just don't all fit into the same size case. I took a couple of ideas from things that I saw and made this up: It's a book style case, with 4 pages, and 86 vinyl pockets of varying sizes. I'm not currently planning to take this anywhere so it's not as though it needs to be super secure, but if I travel with my sewing accessories I will do it in style!
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Here's a shot of inside the first two pages.
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And here are the back two pages.
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It's hard to tell that the accessories are in vinyl pockets, I guess I did a great job eliminating glare with my camera, but if you look closely you can see that there is stitching outlining the accessories.
Here's a matching zippered pocket for things like my pencil other marking instruments, and a few notions/accessories that I don't mind rubbing together. Now if I could just figure out how to make a sewing machine tote that was as sturdy as the commercial ones I'd have a matching set!
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Friday, January 27, 2006

The new bike

Rocky and I decided to get Charmie a dirt bike when he was old enough to balance on a two wheel bike. . . Well that lasted less than a year until we found this one.  Here's Charmie's new/used dirt bike.  He's so excited about it, he was helping Rocky wash it.  Mardie was excited too, but he is too little to get the whole "washing" concept.  We decided he could come out and play after the washing was done.
Image hosting by PhotobucketImage hosting by PhotobucketHe would have been smiling more, but he's really cold. Rocky ended up finishing up the washing and sending Charmie in to get dry.

Mickey Mouse

I was in the office either checking email, or sewing or on the phone. . . I can't remember when Charmie comes running in asking for his pants.  I explained that he didn't need them, but I would get up and get them in a minute. . .
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Here's his solution for the getting of the pants.  He showed up literally 3 seconds later wearing his undies on his head.  He'll hate me later for taking this picture, but I couldn't resist.  He's just too cute!

Quilting, my next new thing!

Well after getting my new sewing machine and being tempted by friends (you know who you are) to quilt by seeing their creations I decided to try my hand at making a thing or two.  I've tried quilting before, once or twice when I was much younger and never took it up as a hobby to continue.  That may have been because I was doing it all by hand.  From the looks of my house as I type this post I can't be taking this up now, I've got some major cleaning to do today when I wake up!
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But here it is.  My first wall hanging quilt.  I made the design myself.  From the size of the over all piece and interior components to the bead work.  I'm very fond of beads :D.  It measures 39"x21.5".  I used metalic thread to quilt with though you can't see that from this picture.  I used decorative stitches in two areas though once again you cannot see that from this picture.  I guess I should have taken closeups but it's so late at night.  I just wanted to get it posted.  Blog pressure.



I've got a few lessons learned from this second/first quilting venture. 





  • Try decorative stitching out on a sample quilt, or small area, it's a bear to rip out of a large area if you decide it's to fussy.


  • Beads left uncapped will find a way to spill EVERYWHERE! So put the cap on when not in use.


  • You can never pin enough for quilting.


  • What looks good on paper, doesn't always look good in fabric, especially when the paper is black and white pencil drawing and the fabric is full color.


  •   Finally, quilting is much more fun when you can share.  Thanks J and K for all your tips, hints, and encouragement.  I couldn't have done it without you guys!

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

My new trash can

Now you see it!
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Now you don't


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I know it's simple. . . basically a muslin bag with a binder clip to attach it to my sewing table. No rocket science here, but I needed something for all of those little bits of fabric and thread I generate while sewing. I didn't want a large trash can I am trying to REDUCE clutter! And since I won't be putting any food or liquids inside a fabric bag is perfect. I have this thing for my serger that catches the clippings that's a fabric bag and it gave me the idea. This one is about 5 times the size of that one though and it's accessable whether or not I'm using my serger. I used the rest of the muslin scraps from making my serger cover. I didn't see a need to embelish it. It's invisible most of the time when the door is shut. It's just what I needed. :D


 

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Mardie is still a messy eater

So I decided to use some flannel that I had to sew them some bibs.  The fabric was sitting in my stash, unused, I originally intended it for diapers.  I sewed a few dipes, but decided I'd rather buy them than sew them.  Maybe now that I'm liking sewing again that will change.  I used fold over elastic for the binding on most of them (black), one has fleece binding (red) and three are serged on the edge with wooly nylon (blue and green).  I really like that method and will have to find some other things to apply it to.  I used my metal snaps. . . I'm wishing I had a snap press.  I may have to do some research or buy a snap setter for my metal snaps. cuz this was way too hard!
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Thursday, January 12, 2006

Mitts for Charm

Here Charmie wears his mitts.  The colors in these photos is correct. He couldn't wait for me to finish.  He was so excited to watch me sew and kept asking me about everything in the sewing room.    I asked if he wanted his name or stars and he said stars so that's what is running around his mittens. I did have a selfish motive, Someday Mardie may grow into them and if they say Charmie. . .I finished them about 30 minutes ago and he's still wearing them, LOL.  He is trying all these things like opening doors and picking up stuff with them on, it's hilarious. 
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Here's M wearing his mitts.  He just woke up so he's not his usual smiling self. And though he let me put them on, and seemed fascinated with them, he quickly managed to take them off. Both pair fit perfectly deformities and all!


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Mitts for M

Ok, I'm not sure what's going on with the funky color, other than the fact that I don't have very good lighting in my office and the sewing machine light was shining from the side, these are really a much brighter green, and the stitching is much brighter too, and of course the cover for my embroidery machine is not pink!



They are slightly deformed.  I'm still learning this variable speed control thingie and stop and start button, and I don't pin, LOL.  Also something funky happened when I was monograming Mardie's name.  I think I should have used stabilizer due to the fact that the fleece is so bulky.  But Here are some little mittens for my sweet sweet kitten.  I need to make a pair for Charmie too. 
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Wednesday, January 11, 2006

It came today!

Here's my new Sewing Machine, Kenmore 19606.  It's similar to the Janome MC 4900 QC. . . Janome makes Kenmore.  My 20 year old New Home machine, also in the Janome family was sewing strong. . . and loud, and somewhat finicky so I decided it was time to upgrade from it's 11 stitch functions. 



I love how quiet this machine is.  I need to go to the library to figure out how to use some of the decorative stitches and specialty feet.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it had more accessories and warranty coverage than what I could find on the Sears website.  I have read some reviews that are more indicative to what I received.  Sears would sell more of these first of all if they had them in the store for demonstration purposes and secondly if they represented them truly online.  I bought it sight unseen from my Sears store.  After the rep assured me that I would have 30 days to try it out and still receive a 100% like tender refund if I was not satisfied I figured I didn't have anything to loose.  Sears was also running a sale and then some rebates and financing offers that really made it a good time for me to buy.



I've been selling on eBay and Amazon.com to earn the money to pay for it and I'm almost 1/2 way there.  I'm hoping by the end of the month I will be all the way!  Worse case I'm planning to be there by the end of February.  So after a break for the last 2 days and tonight from listing and listing and listing, it's back to the grind tomorrow!!!



This khaki piece of canvas was the only scrap I could find that was solid and not a print in my stash during nap time so that I could try out some of my stitches and see them.  It's not very good.  It's rather heavy for the speed and adjustments I was using but it gave me a rough idea of how much I was going to love my machine.
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OK, so much can happen. Freaky huge photos, baby getting woke up and refusing to return to sleep for hours. Many many things. . . I'm back for a minute to finish this post.
Yes K, I've got letters :D Here are two close ups of the available stitch menus. The first 13 stitch functions are on the keypad of the machine in the pic above. Then the rest are selected in either mode 2 or 3 or monogram mode.
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And finally here's a little bit of playing with some plain muslin. My serger was so dusty without being covered. . . I know that the stitching is not perfect. I was just playing. No pattern, no plan, just messing around.
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I think I'll be posting more and more sewing posts because it's much more fun with my new machine. I have a few projects in mind, and with my office clean I've got the room to work and do some things. I'm still knitting, and occasionally crocheting so I will be still posting those types of projects too, and the usual sprinkling in of an odd craft here and there like jewelry making, or painting or something.

Friday, January 06, 2006

New Year's Resolution. . .

Just kidding. I used to try to do them, but they don't resolve me to do anything. A week after I compose them I've forgotten not only what I wrote down, but where I wrote it. I won't do that to myself. It's so depressing to look back at that piece of paper and think of all of the things I wanted to do but didn't for whatever reason.
Nah, No New Year's Resolution. But I am going to make a goal for January 2006, just like I did for the last 2 months.
This month my goal is to have listed all of my eBay and Amazon stuff to sell. With Amazon it sells, when it sells, so I can't say that all of that stuff wil be gone by February, but I will have at least listed it by then. I have 2 reasons: First I need to continue to declutter and simplify and some of this stuff I've been holding on to for too long. It's just collecting dust and I need it to be either sold and making me money or given away and used by someone who will use it. The 2nd reason is that I want to buy something and need the $$.
So here I go. I have a lot ahead of me for this goal, but I think it's attainalble if I stay focused.