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…which seems to put a damper on my ability to write entertaining slush. So, instead, you get pictures of more clothes I plan on making but, in reality, will never have time to complete. (Hey, I’m just being honest. I will try and try, but there are only so many hours in a day and too many of them have to be filled with homework.)
I should mention that these are all knit/jerseys. Every last one of them. And most of them were around $2-6/yard (fabric.com).
 Just a yard and a half of each of these, to make the knit shirt (View A, yellow). Hopefully a simple way to practice working with knits before tackling some of the more difficult pieces below.
 I love this pattern so much that I bought it twice (accidentally), in both a size 12 and size 14. I'll be modifying this pattern to have something between mini and mid length (I would prefer just above my knees, as that is most flattering).
 I'm loving the wrap dress, but haven't committed to it. I'm not really a dresses-with-sleeves kind of girl. In fact, I own zero dresses with sleeves. And yes, this fabric really is as bright as it looks. I may not be brave enough to wear a magenta dress. I'll have to ruminate on this further.
 How cute is this dress! Again, I don't really do sleeves on dresses, but the temptation to own something with 3/4 sleeves that are actually 3/4 (apparently I have very long arms, because 3/4 sleeves usually hit just below my elbow, which is an incredibly annoying place) is strong.
 This blue fabric is ever-so-dreamy. It feels like butter, and drapes oh-so-well. Getting View A (the red one) made up with this fabric would be enough to motivate me to shrink those love handles, because as fabulous as this fabric is, I don't think it performs magic or any sort of visual illusions.
 Just one yard of these two prints (I was a bit unsure of them), so I can only make up the sleeveless version (View E, actually, with the less-slutty neckline). They should be cute for layering under a jacket this summer (or next summer, or four summers from now).
 I cannot tell you how much I am in love with this fabric. It is not only gorgeous, but it feels divine. I actually have View B (the print dress) cut out and waiting for me. It could get finished by the end of this week. If nothing else, I have a few hours on Friday between coats of primer. (Though this may be obvious to you, it was not to me, and so I'll share with you what I learned - French seams with knits are totally redundant and not necessary. Duh. Knits don't unravel. I only made that mistake once.)
I was cleaning and reorganizing my office this weekend (that I’d love to tell you about, but still don’t have pictures because I didn’t get home until after 9 last night), and have stored together all of the apparel fabrics with the patterns that I intend to use them with. There’s a smaller pile of apparel fabrics that I can’t seem to match up to a pattern, and those got stored elsewhere.
My hope is that having some of the decisions made will make it easier to start a project. Were I really ambitious, I’d cut out the pattern pieces (just the tissue, not the fabric) and get them ironed too. No cutting out of fabric until I’m ready to go, though, just in case my measurements change, or I change my mind about the match-up, or… whatever. Life happens.
Really, I would love to leave work early (I won’t) and go work on that grey floral dress. Or at least touch the fabric some more, because it is yummy.
As always, feel free to weigh-in on the match-ups of pattern and fabric. I know it’s hard to make judgments based on a picture of fabric, but don’t let that stop you.
I have an order from Fabric.com that is supposed to arrive on Monday. In said package will be several samples of potential curtain fabrics, including one that, if perfect, will be especially awesome because it is uber cheap right now. But, they barely had enough left in stock when I made the order, and that was on Monday. Let’s just say I’m not holding my breath on that. There’s also the tiny detail that the home dec fabrics on Fabric.com are mostly 54″ wide, while the ones I can get at JoAnn and Michaels are 118″ wide. Huge difference. 118″ wide means no seaming of panels, since I need each panel to be around 100″ wide, give or take (the door is 100″ wide, and since fullness is supposed to be 2-3 times the width, 200″ is the bare minimum).
So I’m sitting here at work being impatient.
Want some cool ways to spend time if you’re feeling particularly impatient? Check out these links (I’m still figuring out Tumblr, but I’m liking it – similar to the “Note this in Google Reader” function, but different).
… that summer is coming. I think that was wishful thinking on someone’s part. The snow, while not growing in quantity, is not shrinking either.
Last night, after getting all of my homework done that wasn’t lesson plan writing (which is all I have to do this weekend – one week of lesson plans for two classes, which is not easy if you’re thinking it sounds that way), I braved the tape measure and had  do my measurements, again (the last ones were more than a year old). Then I pulled out my Pattern Fitting with Confidence book (by Nancy Zieman) and figured out how to best augment Simplicity 7641. On modern patterns, pattern fitting is a bit easier than with vintage. I’d already traced out the pattern pieces onto Swedish Tracing Paper (which is lovely, btw), at which point I’d learned that someone had not only used every single piece of the pattern, but that they had not cared one whit for it and just shoved everything back into the envelope. Tape and a not-too-hot iron were required, and it still wasn’t pretty.
The problem with vintage patterns is that they’re one size, not the beauty of multi-sizing like modern patterns. For those I just draw a line between one size and the other (because my shirt size is smaller than my skirt size). I used Nancy’s pivot technique, after doing the math on how much I needed to add to the waist and hips (I’m hoping that I added more than I needed to and will be able to take the pattern in slightly). It worked wonderfully, and I used the new pattern to cut out a “muslin.” That’s in quotes because the fabric I used was not muslin but was, in fact, this bright pink floral that I’ve owned since the beginning of this century. I have five yards of it, so still more than a yard left. I figure if it turns out OK, I’ve got a second bonus dress, and if not, I won’t cry over having to turn all that fabric into charm squares.
Since I can’t spend all weekend long writing lesson plans and will need to take a break (to foster creativity, of course), I’m hoping that I’ll be able to sew up a majority of this dress. Unfortunately, most of the seams will end up being sewn at least twice, since I’ll baste first and check the fit, but I’m going to do French seams on the real version later, which also means every seam is sewn twice. It takes a lot more time, but I do love the end product. I’ll use my narrow hem foot again, and maybe I’ll get around to writing up my tutorial on it (because it is so fabulous and I can’t believe I didn’t know it existed until recently).
Tonight is the last meeting of my half-semester class, and I’m hoping that I have all of my work done for it. We’ll see in class if any of the instructions for our final project are clarified, requiring me to do some rewriting. Other than that, I’m done, and it will be nice to be down to two classes. It is also nice because it means Spring Break is one week away. Ah, one blissful week without homework. The luxury of it!
Did you know that the more I talk about school, the more comment spam I get? Term paper writing is apparently a big thing in the spam world. Sewing? Not so much. Thankfully, there’s a plugin that catches all of the spam, so you’re not subjected to it. Last month I was getting long paragraphs in Russian as spam. This month it’s tons of links and term papers. What are you going to do. (Do the spammers not know that I have less than 25 readers on an average day? Really not worth their time and effort, methinks.)
Here’s hoping your weekend is lovely, and that my lunch lasts me until 8 pm tonight!
More match-ups of fabric with patterns for you to mull about. You can see in these photos why I usually use my ironing board, and not the cutting table (that nice shadow across all of them? that’s my arm).
I’m starting out easy, but it gets harder…
 View C - the long pants (I'm pretty sure they're ankle length but fold/button-up. The fabric is your basic bottomweight khaki, with just a bit of stretch in it.
 I bought this fabric at SR Harris last year to make a shirt. It has some spandex or Lycra in it, so it should be great for this. Long sleeved? Short sleeved? (Not no-sleeved.)
 This is some fabric from my stash that's so old, I'm not sure when I bought it. Probably this century, but that's as specific as I can get. It's a bit see-through, but silky and smooth. I think I have enough for View A, but might have enough for View B. (I have no idea what fabric I'd use to complement it for View C, so I think that's out.) Thoughts on embellishments? I'm not so much a sparkly/glittery kind of girl, especially for work attire (I may have to either wear a camisole or adjust that neckline to make it work appropriate, but a camisole will probably be necessary anyway, given the fabric).
 It's hard to tell, but that fabric is dark grey (charcoal), and like the two above, has a nice stretch to it. I think I have enough to make the short version of this dress, which would be a nice basic wardrobe piece.
 Sorry for the blurry photo. The fabric is a bright pink (not hot pink, but pretty bold), and is a bit heavier than I'd really prefer for a shirt, but I think it will be OK. Not one of the versions with embellishments (not A or C). I'm more likely to do a version without buttons, but my new sewing machine handles buttonholes well, so I'd be willing to attempt it.
(Here’s a clearer version of the pattern.)
 I have 2 yards of this moleskin in "Slate," which is a dark grey-blue. The moleskin has great drape and is a bit heavy, so it would make a great skirt, or a suit, but I don't wear suits. I think it would complement this pattern nicely. View A, probably, but if someone had a suggestion for lace or something, I'd be willing to go View B.
 This one I do have doubts on. The fabric, which is difficult to see, is "Sueded Cord" in "Loden Green," which is a very dark sagey-piney green. It is a super-micro cord, and is pretty thin, unlike most corduroys. It drapes quite well, and I'm not sure if it's perhaps too thin for this skirt, and instead would make a good dress. With 3 yards of it, I can make any of the versions pictured here. I like B best, but not sure if this fabric is best for that. I would like to make A at some point, but am not sure what fabric I would use for that.
 I'm a bit fuzzy on the fabric, but I'm pretty sure it's a lightweight (but not too lightweight) muted-sage green. I'd make up View B, the jumper. Too boring? (It gets more boring in a pic or two.)
 Technically, I have no idea how much I have of this fabric. It's an oddly shaped remnant, but nice and lightweight (think summer shirting). I have wanted to make a shirtdress with it forever, and think that this pattern might be right for it (View A, with short sleeves). I've actually tried on shirtdresses at the store to see if they look OK, and surprisingly, they do, if they're fitted enough. Does that mean I need a belt? Or maybe a bit of elastic across the back?
 It was really difficult to find something for this purple fabric. It's a bottomweight, so too heavy for a shirt. Would I wear a purple skirt? I really don't know. I have made up this pattern before and really liked it (link below).
(Here is View B, though it photographed quite poorly. It looks cute when worn. I get compliments.)
 Another solid to contend with, and a lightweight brown at that. I think View 3 would be cute - no collar, no sleeves. This fabric would flare nicely for the skirt, I think, but it might need something special to make it look... less boring. Would jewelry work, or do I need to do something with the dress itself?
 And here we get to the ultimate in boring, this paler grey fabric. It's not as lightweight as the above, but not a bottomweight either. I was drawn to this pattern because View C is in a solid dark grey, and it looks OK. I'm really not a dresses-with-sleeves girl, so it might be View A that I'd do.
Part of what made this task hard (matching up fabrics with patterns) was trying to not make more than one item from a pattern, spreading the love around, so to speak. I have several other patterns set aside for projects that are in progress or are otherwise reserved. The other thing was that several of the patterns I would have liked to make took more than 3 yards of fabric, which I didn’t have of any of these.
What I’m really looking for are answers to these questions:
- Does it work for you, the match up of fabric and pattern?
- Do you absolutely hate one (or more) of the patterns and think it would look ridiculous?
- For those that are solids, and there are quite a few, what can I do to avoid the boringness? Basic and classic are OK. Nondescript is not. Feel free to tell me that a dress out of medium grey cotton is just not allowed. I won’t cry. I’ll be much happier with criticism now, before going to all the effort of making something and finding out it was a bad idea (though I’ve done plenty of that, like this sundress that is impeccably sewn but is actually a mumu, and this dress that was too hideous to finish).
- Which one would you make first? Just curious.
Thanks for your thoughts. I’d like to be ready to go when I get the time to sew, and this helps a lot. Once I’m decided, I can cut out pattern pieces and start that process, which takes much longer than it really should. Thankfully, all the fabric is washed and ironed, so I have that going for me.
Alright, I know that at least a few of you out there reading this have years, if not decades, more sewing experience than I do. So, I’m asking for your help. Yesterday I was cleaning in my office (in an attempt to actually be able to use it for something other than homework and ironing), and decided to match up all the clothing fabric I have with patterns. I was… mostly successful. I still have a stack that I just don’t know what to do with. And most of what I matched up yesterday I don’t have pictures of yet, so I’ll have to save that for another day. But, I do have these two to share with you.
 Well, this one is kind of a no-brainer. I had been in love with this fabric ("West Hill by Heather Ross - Floral Stripe") for such a long time that I finally broke down and bought it (I swear I've been watching it in ebay for over a year - the seller just kept relisting it). I bought all 4 yards that she had. It's a fabulous cotton with a very smooth touch, almost like high quality sheets, and is just begging to be pajamas. I was thinking pajama pants, but while looking through my patterns I saw this one and thought I might be able to do the short-sleeved top as well. I don't really have a question about this pairing, just wanted to share.
 This one, however, I have questions on. I bought the blue fabric, technically shirting, at JoAnn on clearance for something ridiculous like $2 a yard. I stood there in the store looking through my patterns on Flickr (aren't iPhones great?) and finally settled on something that I was sure I'd remember. I bought the 3 yards the pattern said I'd need. Of course, after getting the fabric home and washing it, I no longer remember exactly which dress it was that I wanted to make. The fabric is pretty lightweight, but not see-through (though I'd need a slip - not a big hassle). There's white stitching that's a bit shiny just above each of the pintucks, which would run vertically on most patterns. Thoughts? I have tons of other dress patterns, but just couldn't figure out exactly which one to use. (Note that this pattern is only partially my size, and I'll have to make some adjustments to accommodate my hips.)
(More dress patterns here.)
As a side note, perhaps I should get myself an ironing board cover that’s a bit more… neutral?  made this one ( picked out the fabric), and it’s great, but a bit distracting when used as a backdrop, and it is the best surface I have to take pictures on (height, relationship to light, size, etc).
Hopefully I’ll have enough time at home while the sun is still shining to take pictures of my other pairings, and y’all can weigh-in. Sewing expertise not necessary – just an eye for fashion. I tend to make mistakes when matching up fabric with patterns, or even in picking patterns that will look good on me. I know enough to steer clear of certain colors (for instance, I will probably not wear a bright red shirt, so why make one), but then I’m sort of crippled. My mind has trouble making the necessary connections between the fabric, pattern, and my body type. You’d be happy to help me out, right? You know I’d do the same thing for you (and have, for some of you, several times).
This weekend, I finally got around to taking pictures of a pillowcase I embroidered. I worked on it down in Chicago, and it started a lot of conversations. While technically completed in December, I didn’t throw it in the wash until January, so I’m considering it my first finished embroidery project of 2010.
 I think it's a vintage Vogart pattern that I bought on ebay.
 I'm not sure my color choices for the deer were perfect, but they turned out OK.
 I do so love the flowers!
And, I’m happy to announce that our cats have finally figured out the art of snuggling together.
 Dirty laundry makes the best cushy nap spot, don't you think?
That’s all for me. The weekend was spent doing homework and cleaning and… other boring activities.
OK, I have to admit that as I did each mosaic/collage, I thought to myself, I must have done more than this, but I can’t find any pictures of it! Now that I see them all in one place, it seems crazy to have thought that. With a few [noted] exceptions, I only included finished projects. There are a few projects that I have no pictures of, which is a bummer, but that’s life.
Embroidery
 Sunbonnet Sue "Chores" - there are actually 10 of these, but one of my Flickr pictures is broken. These are all approximately 6x6. I plan on putting them with the ones below and making a quilt.
 Sunbonnet Sue "Seasons" - much larger pieces, each the size of a sheet of paper. I like how they turned out.
 Made for the Ornament Swap
 Made for the Ornament Swap
 Made for the Ornament Swap
 L to R: Christmas pillowcase for me, animal napkins, pillows for the living room, "Normal is boring" kitchen towel, embroidery on a swapped quilt, "china free home" piece for Craftster Challenge, sweetheart Valentine's Day piece, and Love Birds (Sublime Stitching).
Quilts
 Mini Quilt in a Bag Swaps 1-4: red and blue (from my sashiko book), minature pinwheels, gigantic log cabins, and a colorful floral.
 Doll Quilt Swaps 6 & 7: turquoise bricks, diamonds.
 L to R: finally finished the black and white quilt, made this up for Robert Kaufman Fabrics (as a pattern tester), and my pile of 96 (!) nine patch blocks. I know the nine patches aren't technically finished, since they're not in a quilt, but the quantity demanded that I note them here.
Clothing
 L to R: the horrible (now cut up to be repurposed) dress that should have been much cuter, the very lovely (and impeccably stitched) mumu (sadly, stylistically it is not so flattering), and a skirt made with some Japanese fabric I'd been saving for just such a project.
Home Decor
 L to R: shower curtain and window treatment in bathroom, one pair of curtains (still need a second) in my office.
 L to R (back sides are shown below the front sides): monogram and sashiko floral, stripes/weave and blocks. All are made from Joel Dewberry's Aviary line.  A few pillowcases. L to R: for Susan's kids, for Prince Charming this Christmas, and an embroidered one for myself this Christmas (with fabulous velvet ric rac that is *ahem* not iron-safe).
Knitting
I completed exactly one knitting project this year, a purple “tomato” (eggplant?) baby hat. I have no pictures of it, and finishing it up (it was at least 1/3rd done when I picked it up) spawned a particularly bad tendinitis episode. I don’t see much knitting in 2010.
Miscellaneous Projects
 L to R: a new messenger bag (which was a poorly designed pattern in that the strap started to tear away after just one week) and a laptop case (which I still use), a cover for my planner, and my new sewing machine (OK, not a project, but definitely noteworthy). I hope 2010 can be just as fun (without the mishaps and poor stylistic choices)! I also hope that I will be able to report on having finished those unfinished items mentioned, as well as all of the unfinished pieces that are lingering in my office.
I was hard at work last weekend and Monday through Wednesday evenings working on the ornaments for a swap (that should have been in the mail on Monday, of which I am not proud). They went off in the mail yesterday, and should be arriving at their destinations early next week (except for the two that went to Australia and New Zealand – those might take longer).
From top to bottom: Bell with garland, two bells, candy cane, and trumpet (or horn?)
From left to right: boy singing in choir, snowman, and girl angel
From left to right: stocking, holly and berries, and Christmas tree
That last one there is mine. I had to make up ten, and accidentally made up 11. (Yes, I know if you count up the pictures, there are only ten. I forgot to take a picture of one of them before sealing up the envelope. You’ll have to trust me.) The last one, the tree, was my favorite, and was much more detailed (and therefor took a lot more time) than any of the others.
I used some fabric that I’d salvaged from a pair of pants made me back when I worked in San Francisco (in 1999). I used 1 section, out of four, so I have lots left. The backing (a green Christmas print with horns, quite similar to #4 above) came from a stash of Christmas fabric I bought ages ago, before I knew that fabric could be cool. Maybe one of these days I’ll share my bad taste in fabric of the past. The ribbon, floss, and stuffing (bamboo filler) all came from stash, so I actually didn’t have to spend any money, just time. And time, they took.
My favorite part? The ones with white floss? It glows in the dark! So much fun!
Once I’ve received my ten I’ll have to share pictures of what I received in exchange.
I really did finish this Sunbonnet Sue during the appropriate season (I know that Winter doesn’t officially start for two more weeks, but it started snowing yesterday, so it certainly doesn’t feel autumn-ish).
 Sunbonnet Sue - Seasons - Fall
 Closeup on the details - I loved doing the leaves!
I was going to recap for you, since I’ve been working on these for nearly a year, but, well, apparently I didn’t take any pictures of Spring. I’ll have to remedy that this weekend.
It was probably closer to 5, but whatever. Yesterday after lunch I went over to JoAnn to buy the zipper that had me stalled on the Amazing Fit Pants (Simplicity 0569). The pattern includes a lot of couture tips, which means that the pants are turning out really well, but they’re taking forever to complete. As of last night, I have the front partially sewn together, front pockets sewn in, and the zipper installed. Let me tell you about that zipper. It’s a fly-front (like jeans or many dress pants), which means there are about a zillion additional steps to follow, as if installing a zipper isn’t hard enough. And, to state the obvious, the fly is right there in the front for everyone to see, so every single little mistake is clearly visible.
This led to the ripping out of the left side of the zipper about 6 times (I don’t exaggerate here). The right side went in fine, but that left side, man oh man. It is now installed, as well as the flap that sits behind it (to protect your delicate skin from those mean zipper teeth), and it looks good. Darn good. And I’m sure that if I were to make these pants a second time (I’m really hoping they turn out well so that I can), it won’t take me nearly as long. But gee whiz! Several episodes of Stargate SG-1 (currently on Hulu) kept me entertained (and from losing my sanity).
The next step in the pattern was to start in with the back side, so instead of getting consumed by that (it was now 7:30), I went downstairs to watch football and attempt to knit. I haven’t knit in… many months, but I’m feeling the desire to start back up (I think it’s fall – it has that affect on many people). I have to be cautious, because knitting aggravates my tendinitis, which is no fun. I was trying to find a wip (work in progress) to complete, but the one I was looking for was nowhere to be found, so I settled on a infant hat that I started for  ’s daughter (who is now 2 1/2 – clearly the hat is no longer for her). Much to my surprise, I finished the hat last night! It was about half done, and baby hats are a fairly quick knit. It’s like the tomato hat I knit for  , but I made it in purple instead of red, so it’s an eggplant hat. Quite cute. The next baby born is getting it. (I hope to take pictures soon – I have no pictures of the tomato hat, and it was kind of ruined by a growing boy and his love for his hat.)
So that was Sunday. Saturday was spent making Cinnamon Rolls with  (or for her, actually), napping, and then going out to a birthday celebration for a friend of ’s. Busy weekend, but nice, and made possible by fall break, which is now over, and I have to start doing homework again. Boo.
I have received (via swaps) several awesome quilts in the past few months that I have failed to blog about, mostly because I didn’t have pictures. I have now remedied the picture situation, so here are the beauties (details about who made them, etc are available if you click-through to Flickr):
 What I sent for the Mini Quilt in a Bag 2 swap.
 What I received for the Mini Quilt in a Bag Swap 2
 What I sent for the Mini Quilt in a Bag 3 swap.
 What I received for the Mini Quilt in a Bag Swap 3
 What I sent for Doll Quilt Swap 6.
 What I received for Doll Quilt Swap 6.
 What I sent for the Mini Quilt in a Bag swap 4.
 What I received for the Mini Quilt in a Bag Swap 4
Lastly, I want to show off my most recently finished quilt (about five days after the one above). This was a test pattern and I hope to talk about it more soon, but for now I’ll just show it off:
 Test quilt for Robert Kaufman Fabrics
Now I just have to work on a [better] system to display all my lovely mini quilts. I have an idea, but I’m not sure about it yet….
Last night, we drove down to Creative Sewing Center to buy a new sewing machine. I was prepared to spend $590 on the Brother Innov’is 80 (which is actually on the low end of sewing machines you can purchase that won’t turn out to be crap), but when we got there, we were informed that prices had changed since I’d been there last (24 hours ago). The Innov’is 80 was now $580, but it’s big sister, the NX-250, was now $599 (instead of $799). For that extra $10, I got a full-size machine (the Innov’is 80 is a 3/4), a more powerful motor, more arm space (important when thinking about quilting), and a dust cover. OK, there are lots of other things too, but I don’t want to bore you with details. I did lose the slightly nicer button interface, but after using the NX-250 for 3 or 4 minutes, found that it was a non-issue.
 Brother NX-250
Beautiful, no? I picked up a walking foot while we were there, because I knew I’d need it right away. I’ve since browsed eBay for additional feet and have found much better prices, so if I’m interested in a ruffler or cut-away foot, I know where to go. (The ruffler part was a joke. I wouldn’t really make things with ruffles.) That’s a bit of a bummer only because I get a 10% off discount on accessories for the next year at CSC.
It took a bit of time to get thread in there correctly (it is not actually all that hard, it just seems that way at first, especially when you’re supposed to be holding part of the thread in one hand, moving it about with the other hand, and looking at the instruction booklet which is being held open by the third hand that you don’t have), and then we took her for a test drive (aren’t all sewing machines girls?).
 I realize it's hard to see the white stitching on such a bright and boldly patterned fabric, but it was the scrap I grabbed. Lovely, and so easy. So I just dove in and got to work.
 Finished a large part of my new shower curtain (still needs grommets, side hems, and a gathering-type-something at the bottom).
 My new shower curtain will look just lovely on that new shower curtain rod that I keep forgetting to show you.
 I also got to work on my project for the Mini Quilt in a Bag Swap 4. Here's a sneak peak for my partner, who lives in Germany!
 While I was taking pictures, I decided to get a shot that proves I really have completed 60 nine patches.
I haven’t had the right setting / lighting to take individual pictures yet, but this is the stack of #s 38-60.
And, lastly, I finally remembered to take a picture of the finished paint job in my office. Of course, my office is a bit messy still, so it’s just a small glimpse, but I think it adequately represents what it looks like.
 Finished paint job in my office.
The fabric / project arrived yesterday from Robert Kaufman Fabrics, so I have that to dive into, as well as getting that mini quilt done (the deadline is coming up quickly). Maybe after those two deadlines I can think about doing the artwork on the walls.
I cannot tell you how happy I am that I could just sit down and sew with my machine last night and not have to worry about what my stitches looked like! I kept checking the back of my work, just to be sure, but there was no need. Perfect stitches! Much better than the “this will have to do” stitches my old machine makes.
So last night, after mowing the lawn (which totally makes up for not going to the gym in the last few months – it was so hot, and the quantity of sweat and the length of time it took me to recover… who needs a gym membership?) and finally cooling down, I got back to work on my shower curtain. Tuesday I had sewn the two pieces of fabric together and pinked the edges, but that’s all I had time for. I’m doing French/Princess seams (can’t remember which is which at the moment), so there are no exposed raw edges (it was either that or fully line it, and that didn’t sound like fun), so I’m only halfway done with the one (and only) seam.
So I set to work last night to prep the seam for a second trip through my machine, ironing it appropriately and so forth. After three attempts to sew a plain, straight line with my [insert explicative here] machine, I gave up. Tension was off and my attempts to fix it were not working. Since I was dealing with $40 worth of fabric, I decided to give up on sewing for the moment, and that as soon as I had a chance (Sunday afternoon), I would drive down to Creative Sewing Center and start shopping for a new machine. Because it should not take that long, and should not be that hard, to sew a straight line.
Instead, I ironed the top hem down and then again for reinforcement where the grommets are going. That (trying to sew the seam, ripping out stiches, repeat ad nauseum, and then some ironing) took an hour and a half. So you can see why I might have been frustrated.
Then, this morning, as I was lamenting this situation, I realized the potential urgency of the situation. You see, there’s a mini quilt I need to make for a swap (due… July 10th – yikes!), and then the quilt project I haven’t had time to mention yet but am super excited for (more in a bit) that is due July 20th or so. Hrm. I am definitely not able to keep dragging my feet on picking out a new machine. That’s OK – motivation is good, right?
The cool quilting project that I haven’t had time to mention yet? Well, let’s just talk about the benefits of using Twitter (etc), shall we? I’m not a huge Twitterer, but (follow carefully now) I do use a Twitter plug-in on my iGoogle homepage to tweet each morning, which in turn updates my Facebook status. The iGoogle plug-in also shows me the recent posts of everyone I’m following (the other week I passed a surprising line – I have more followers than people I am following! how did that happen?), which includes a few business websites, including Sew Mama Sew [Twitter] and Robert Kaufman Fabrics [Twitter] (you should really follow those two if you’re a crafter and like free things, because they both announce giveaways frequently via Twitter and no where else; if you’re interested, I have several more crafty sites I follow on Twitter – just ask). RK happens to be the manufacturer of a good 1/3rd of my fabric stash, so apparently I’m a fan.
Last week, RK announced that they were looking for someone to test out a beginner quilt pattern for them. I contacted them and traded emails. They announced again on Monday that they were still looking for someone, so I assumed they did not love me enough, and that they wanted to pick someone by the 24th. Just before leaving work on Monday, I got an email telling me they had selected me! They will be sending me the fabric necessary to make the pattern, and of course the pattern. I will make the quilt and send them feedback about difficulties I had, and I get to keep the quilt, and get some additional fabric in return. How cool is that?
The really frustrating thing about this is that my machine is just so tempermental. Last weekend I got 38 9-patches sewn up for the quilt-along with absolutely no problems. Same thread, same type of fabric, and now for the shower curtain it’s completely incapable. That’s just not right. (It’s also not right that the tension dial must be turned up to the highest point in order to sew, and that the stitches have to be super-small in order to sew, and that I can’t use any of the decorative stitches on my machine because of the tension issues.)
So, Sunday afternoon, I’m driving to Apple Valley! (But not buying anything, because Sew Mama Sew told me to go do my shopping, evaluate my options, and then go home without making a purchase. Do some further thinking, and then you can spend the several hundred dollars on a machine. Good advice. A sewing machine should not be an impulse purchase. Nor should it be one on which you cheap out, as evidenced by my current machine woes.)
For the One a day quilt-along, I took care of 18 more last night (well, between Monday and Tuesday nights).
 Nine Patches
 Nine Patches
Cute, no? I also picked out fabric for most of the rest of the [70] squares. Tonight, cutting strips…. Or, perhaps, going to look at sewing machines.
Man, I wish I looked good in hats. Sure would make summer more bearable. Alas, I do not. Someone does, though:
 Sunbonnet Sue - Seasons - Summer
A week or two ago I managed to finish the Summer block of Sunbonnet Sue’s “Seasons.” Those dots on the hat were really much more difficult than I wish they’d been.
This means I only have Fall left to go.
Since I’ve done so very many redwork pieces lately (check out my embroidery photoset on Flickr to see proof), I find it much more difficult to work with multiple colors. I really like the simplicity of one color of thread on fabric, and I’m wondering what I can do next to capitalize on this. I have some new transfers from Sublime Stitching (as well as tons of others). My recent purchase included the gardening set and the camping set. I was thinking white thread on white fabric (easily bleachable), but neither gardening nor camping seem appropriate for that sort of fanciness.
I might do some embroidery on my new shower curtain (for which I finally have decided on fabrics – very exciting), or the curtains in my office (for which I am undecided), but neither of those are small, portable projects. Maybe my partner’s charms for the next Mini Quilt in a Bag swap will arrive, and I’ll be inspired….
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thankful
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