Next project has been decided

I've finally decided on my next project. It's going to be a skirt for me from New Look 6410. I have had this pattern for a while and it's now OOP. Here's the envelope front and the line drawing:













I will be making Version A without the extra trim around the waist. I don't want or need that type of attention in the area. Here is the fabric which is from the stash:

This is a linen fabric that I found a couple of years ago at the local JoAnn's. They do from time to time have nice fabrics. I guess you have to go often to find it.

Hopefully, I will have a little bit of time this afternoon to start tracing the pattern and seeing where it needs to be altered. I did a little bit of research on PR and there were a couple of mentions of the pattern appearing to run big. However, this pattern is designed to sit a little below the waistline. So, we'll what happens. I do know that I will be using an invisible zipper instead of a centered or lapped zipper. I will be using the zipper tutorial at Sewing Divas by Els. I have tried a lot of methods of applying an invisible zipper and this one is the best.

Not sure what type of top. Any suggestions?

Happy Sewing!

Yeah! I sewed today!

Yes, the machines are finally plugged in and everything works. I did have a moment of panic when I couldn't find the power cord for my newest machine and thought that I had left it behind at the last all day sewing class, but it was found.

I had accumulated several items that needed mending - buttons sewn back on, hems put back in, etc, etc. Nothing exciting. However, I did get some new feet for my machines and one of them just happen to be a button foot. Nothing like making mending fun than playing with new toys. Here it is:

I was unhappy to find out that this new toy only fits one of my machines. The ankle on my older machine is just a wee bit too wide. Ooops! This meant that I would have to find the manual for the new machine. I had no idea how to get the feed dogs down. Well, I got it all figured out and two buttons sewn on. Not sure that I like this foot. I think that I will need to play with it some more but first impression is that it's not worth the money that was spent on it. Here's a pic of the back of the second button that was done:

Sorry for the bad pic but you can see that it turned out very messy. I suppose it could have been something with the machine not being threaded correctly but I really don't think so. Since I had the new machine up and going I finished the mending using that machine. Let me tell you, if felt really strange to have to look up everything that I wanted to do and have to figure out how to do it. However, I can use the blindstitch on the machine now. Hopefully, I will remember how when it comes time to do it next time.

Now, it's on to some real sewing but I don't know what it will be. Maybe a skirt for me or a pullover for my son with embroidery. The item for my son would probably make me use more functions on the machine and even get out the embroidery unit which has only been out two times since I got the machine. I'm afraid that I will have forgotten everything that I knew about machine embroidery. I'll make the decision in the next couple of days. In a week, we will be heading to Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. So, I really don't have a lot of time to sew anything before we leave.

Happy Sewing!

New Sewing Area....Almost there!

After what seems like months, here's a view of the new sewing area / study area: This is the view from the hallway. There is a storage cabinet with a bookshelf behind it. You can see a glimpse of the chair for the small study area for my son. Hopefully, this will help with focusing instead looking to see who/what is coming down the hallway.
This is the view from the doorway. You can see my small "L" desk is loaded with machines. It may turn out that the serger will need to move to the cutting table. I haven't set up the embroidery unit yet to see if there is enough room for all the machines. I will be adding a small bookshelf under the corner for machine manuals and such.

Here's a view standing in front of the storage unit looking back at the desk. The machine on the left is the sewing / embroidery machine. This is my primary sewing machine and has lots of light (the main reason I purchased it). The machine on the right is my secondary sewing machine. The serger is in the middle. On the right under the table is the rolling cabinet that I primary keep the polyester embroidery thread, bobbin thread, and small machine accessories. On the left under the table is a small cabinet that is stationary, the cabinet also keeps specialty embroidery thread, and specialty sewing threads with storage on top.

Here's my rolling cutting table. I have had this for years. It was originally purchase to store my sewing machine on one side with lots of storage for fabric. Yes, at one point all of my "stash" was in the bottom half of this table. Later, I stored my serger inside also reducing the amount of room for fabric. I also used this as my sewing table. It is still a perfect little table even if it can no longer store my machines.

Here's the view of the sewing area from the closet. I can hardly wait to get started. The mending has already been piling up (4 items and counting). DH found me a new power strip with a 10' foot cord. With that length, I may be able to plug everything in on one strip. I'm a little leary of plugging stuff in yet as the cord cover hasn't arrived yet and I really don't need a tripping hazard.

Now for a little bit of spring (we're all ready, right?):

Aren't the crocus lovely? I also have snow drops blooming and this is the first time since I've lived in this house that I can remember the snow drops blooming without a layer of snow under them. It is also the first time that I've had the snow drops and crocus bloom at the same time.

Happy Sewing!

Unpacking, unpacking...is it ever going to end?

Several hours today was spent walking up and down two flights of stairs carrying box after box of fabric. All of my storage cabinets are packed and unfortunately there is still more boxes of fabric. I think I need to rethink a little bit. Maybe move some of the more obvious winter stuff back into a plastic container. I know that I mentioned yesterday that I have a lot of black stuff but there is also a lot of gray and navy blue. It has been lots of fun seeing fabric that I had forgotten that I had purchased. Amazingly, there has been very little of "What was I thinking when I bought that!". I did purchase the majority of the fabric when I was working in an office and it doesn't really apply to my lifestyle now but I don't know how I can part of all that lovely fabric.

One thing is for sure. I can see an end and I will be sewing again shortly. I'm ready. After handling almost every piece of fabric I own, I already dreaming about what I can do with this piece of fabric or that piece of fabric. I hope I find time to do it. My son was looking through the fabric and asking about some of it. I tried to talk him into learning to sew but he told me that was for girls. Wonder what he's going to do in home ec next year when he has to make a draw string bag? Although, he has agreed to help with a quilt. We'll see how that goes.

Happy Sewing!

The sewing room is coming together!

I've been working hard the past week. The cabinets are built and in place. The sewing table, sewing machines, and table are in place. My son's study area is set-up. My store inventory has moved back in. The office area and the pattern cabinet are still waiting to be moved. I have been going through boxes of fabric and storing inside the new cabinets.

I finally located the missing tools for my serger and I can now change the needles again. That was a very exciting moment. I have also found lots of fabric that I had forgotten about - fabric for table clothes, outside cushions, etc. Judging from the quantity of black fabric, I like black, too. Who knows what I was thinking? I did take myself off of all the yahoo groups that sell fabric. So, that I could no longer join in the buying frenzies. I have so much fabric that I could open my own mini fabric store. Oh, not only to l like black fabric but it looks like I generally purchase in a quantity of 5 yards. So, I really do have mini bolts of fabric.

I do need to purchase a second plug-in strip for the sewing area. With the sewing table in the middle of the room, I really don't have a long enough cord going to either of the new plugs to plug all three machines in. Maybe, I can get them attached to the table somehow to help with the messy cable syndrome that is going to happen. Then I will need to purchase the plastic cord covers to cover the cable running across the floor. I really don't need any additional tripping hazards.

Off to work for a bit. Then, I will attempt to empty another box of fabric. I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with all of the boxes of projects.

Happy Sewing

Room is finished!

The new "sewing" area is finished! We are now working on putting the new cabinets together. So far, one book shelve and one storage cabinet have been completed. Here's a look at the finish room:

This is a view from the closet. Doesn't the white trim look lovely? DH worked really hard on it. Notice the ceiling fans have installed also. DH did a wonderful job cleaning these. The blades and globes had remained in the room during the sanding and they were completely covered in dust. I love the results of this room. I hope that it has a calming effect on everyone.

Here's a view of from the corner across from the door. I did not spend a lot of money on the closet redo. I had originally wanted to purchase a closet organizer but quickly realized that many of them would cover up the cedar. We ended up with a 2 1/2' section for long hanging items and 2 sections with that are about 5 1/2'. Each side of the closet already had shelving installed. I will also be installed a small room divider in the midsection of the closet to add a little more storage space. This closet will be used for storing sewing proects, out of season clothing, and office supplies.

Here's the project that we worked on in the sewing class that I took a couple of weeks ago. This was using the largest embroidery hoop on my machine. The hoop had to be turned half way through the embroidery and then we used some of the new functions to line it up. The fabric is silk duponi and I used a medium blue color. This will be a pillow in the guest room / reading room. Hopefully, the black cat will not decide that this pillow was meant for him.

Happy Sewing!