Been a Long Time

Hello Friends! Yes, I'm still here. I've been in a very complicated escrow this summer and coupled with work, I've been extremely busy. I'm hoping that escrow will close this month and I will be able to get my home sorted out. Living in an apartment for the past seven months has been difficult at best. So, keep your fingers crossed for me.

Sergers

Hello, readers.

I was reading some of my favorite sewing blogs today and I came across Gertie’s post about her Bernina 1008.  I started to think about the machines I’ve had throughout my life and it reminded me of the difficulty I always seem to have with my little Brother 1034 serger.

I really like having the serger because I love the way it makes my garments look so finished.  It isn’t an overlock, sad to say, but it has served its purpose, for the most part.  It does have the tendency to jam though, and I’ve posted about this problem a few times in the past.

This last week as I was making the jacket for my boy, my serger once again jammed and no matter how many times I rethreaded all four threads, it still jammed up.  I really don’t want to take it to be repaired because that’s going to cost $100+.  Not only that, I’m finding that I really only use it to finish my seam edges and nothing else.

So, my question to you is this:  should I put the serger away for a while and experiment with other seam finishes (as I’ve been doing anyways) or should I fork out the greenbacks to get it serviced?

Decisions, decisions.

The Boy's Jacket

I’m using Simplicity 2292 for my son’s jacket.  It’s a very easy pattern but I can’t say that the directions are very good.  Things were going along swimmingly until I hit the sleeves.

The directions for the sleeves must be incorrect.  Stay with me here.  I followed the pattern to the letter.  I stitched up the sleeve seam, prepared the cuff, and just as I was going to attach the cuff, I realized that the sleeve opening was too small to fit in my machine.  I then realized that I should have attached the cuff prior to stitching the sleeve.  It would have made far more sense to do it this way as children’s clothing generally will not fit over the sewing machine.

Needless to say, I was frustrated because I attached twill tape to the outside of the sleeve which took some time and then spent more time trying to fix my serger that had decided to make trouble once again.  As a result, I made no progress on the jacket last night.  Tonight, I will be recutting the sleeves and attaching the twill tape once again.  Before I stitch up the seams, I will attach the cuffs, then the seams and then attach the sleeves to the body.

Whew!

Sounds of Silence

Sorry for the silence, folks.  Been busy at work and at home.  We have put an offer on some property in wine country out here in Temecula and since it’s a short sale, it is dragging on forever.  We are tempted to begin looking again, as we haven’t heard much on it but it meets all our  wants so we are waiting for it.  It’s been two months.  Hopefully, it won’t be much longer.

In sewing news, I’ve been working on a jacket for my boy made out of some lovely gray flannel (I will post pictures later).  It has turned out to be a very easy pattern and I can easily see myself making more of these.  I’ve also cut out the quilting fabric into 5” squares.  Next on that list is to cut white fabric sashing.

In addition to being busy at work, I’ve been busy changing my diet and exercising.  I’ve lost four pounds in about 3 weeks.  Not bad.  Of course, those blue Collette pants I made don’t fit anymore.  They are too loose around the hips.  Oh, drat!  Maybe I will just take them apart and re-fit them to my new measurements.  I’m not posting pictures yet because I personally don’t see any change although my husband says he does.

Have a great day!

I finally got my quilt back and it’s gorgeous!  I found rose-colored quilt binding at Joann’s and used it.  My first binding and its ok.  Lot’s of flaws in this first quilt but I love, love, love the stippling! 

While I was in Joann’s, I ran into a lady who was purchasing some quilting fabric and this is what she bought.

Yes, it was so gorgeous that I just had to get some, too. This will be my next quilt.

The next project will be working on a jacket for my little guy.  He’s growing out of all his jackets and in California, we have these cool morning that require something light weight.  This is a lovely charcoal flannel fabric that I think will work well.

That’s all for now, dear readers.  What  projects are you working on?

The Story of the Never-Ending Clover Pants

….can finally end!  I got my sewing machine back and finished them up and I love them!!

Don’t they look great?

With very little adjustment, the pants fit like a dream.

In fact, they were so easy to make and I’m so enthralled with my blue pair that I thought I would make a red pair, too!

If you haven't made a pair of Colette Patterns Clover Pants, I highly recommend you do.  They are fabulous!

Clover pants - now the REAL never-ending story!

Hello, readers.  Well, it happened.  I was finishing up my clover pants, re-attaching the new waistband, feeling the love of finally being able to wear them when my sewing machine started making really funny noises.  No warning, no problems.  Just suddenly, as if it was revolting against my using it.  So, I focused on trying to fix it, thinking there was a jam somewhere.  The bobbin kept on getting knotted up and I couldn't figure it out. 

Yesterday, I took it into the repair shop and they discovered that my bobbin casing kept shifting.  No explanation as to why.  But, the bad news is that my machine will be in the repair shop for at least a week.

So, my Clover pants, all pinned and ready to be finished lay on my sewing desk.

My frustration knew no bounds!

So, not wanting to waste any time, I decided I could prep future patterns.  I got some new fabric from Fashion Fabrics Club.  The red I want to use to make another pair of Clover pants.  The other is more of a winter fabric that I won't be using yet.

I've decided I want to make Colette Jasmine top with some printed aqua rayon blend and I have some nice printed cotton to make another Sorbetto (sorry, I didn't take any pictures of them).  I also have some white bull denim fabric for Simplicity 2562  that Erica Bunker inspired to me make.  She made a pair using yellow bull denim.  They look great!

So, for the most part, I'm in a holding pattern until I get my machine back.  I'm hoping it doesn't cost too much nor take too long.

Do some sewing for me, ok?