for the frustrated sewer...

Over the weekend I received an email from a sewer frustrated with her machine. She wrote that it would work okay for a bit, and then the thread would get all bunched and tangled underneath. I wanted to help her, but it's so hard to do that when you're not standing there to see what's actually happening.

But I didn't want to ignore her request, since I don't know how many times I've been helped by strangers answering my message board screams (usually about website issues).

So I gave her some basic things to do and sent off my response crossing my fingers and hoping that I would hear back that she was able to fix the problem. Yay, she was!

Then I started thinking about it, and the things I advised her to do are the same steps that I automatically follow every time my machine stops working the way I want it to (except for the last one since I refuse to buy cheap thread anymore).

So here they are, just in case someone else feels frustrated with her machine:

1. Check that your thread is properly run through the right channel(s) and then the needle. It's a simple thing, but it can come undone sometimes and cause problems.

2. Open the bottom part of the machine (down where your bobbin goes) and clean out all of the lint and thread pieces. This needs to be done pretty often to ensure smooth sewing. It is especially true if you don't have the drop-in style bobbin. If you are unsure how all the parts come out and go back together again, check your manual. It should show you how to do a proper cleaning.

3. Check to see if your bobbin tension might need adjusting. When I had a drop-in style bobbin, I never had to do this. But since I bought a machine with the little bobbin case that you have to take out and put back in yourself, I have had to use a tiny screwdriver (included with the machine) to fix the bobbin tension occasionally. Your manual should tell you about this if it ever needs to be done.

4. Lastly, what kind of thread are you using? My singer was so finicky that I ended up switching to Gutterman thread exclusively. The finer quality thread made a huge difference, and it isn't really all that more expensive.

These steps will solve 95% of your sewing machine problems (unless your machine is really broken).

Good luck!

from my brain to her body...

A couple weeks ago I had this idea that maybe I could take two rectangular pieces of knit, stitch around the sides and top leaving holes for arms and a head, and add some elastic to the sides for interest. Kind of like a bag shirt - cutified.

On the first try, what I had intended for Chloe turned out only big enough for Cadie - talk about trying to make a size 7 and getting a size 2! 

What I also learned from that version is that it needed sloped shoulders to get rid of that extra material. So much for a perfect rectangle... but I didn't want to quit yet.

The next one I stitched up actually turned out too big on Chloe for what I intended. That aggravated me quite a bit until I tested the 'stretchiness' of my knits and figured out that this pink rib knit has about 70% stretch - way more than usual. So I decided not to mess with the size of my pattern again (just stay away from the rib knits), but I did change my mind about the straight neckline. It was just too plain.

So here's my finished one. 

Hemming the neckline and armholes was actually easier than I thought it would be.

I really love the ruching made by the stretched elastic at the sides. 

This white fabric is a bamboo/cotton jersey that I ordered from fabric.com. I absolutely love it. It is so soft and drapey. I asked my friend at Joanns if they had anything like it and she just laughed. And the color (optic white) is so clean and bright. 

Have fun sewing today! Don't be afraid to try new ideas...

Classic 1980's romper

This morning as I got Cadie dressed, I was reminded of those little bubble rompers that my sisters and I were all wearing circa 1980. I  was 5 and I remember having about 10 of them. So after the kids went out to play I started messing around to see if I could make one. Of course it only has one pattern piece because that is my obsession right now. Add a little bit of bias trim and elastic and viola...

 

What I did was take my go-to baby bloomer pattern and extend the top about 10 inches. 

I put a 'V' in the top for the armhole 

and since the seam would be right up the middle of her I took the chance to put in a small dart.

 The pink is some seersucker I had in my stash. Perfect for summer. And I never get over what cute bias tape you get from gingham!

for a cleaner car…

A month or so ago we finally had to trade in our first mini-van. The kids were sad to lose Ruby  until they saw what we were trading her for (and named him Niko).
My first thought was that I don’t want this “new” (used, but okay – new to us) van to become the trash mobile that the other one was. It seemed that every time I looked back there, the kids had thrown wrappers, water bottles, chicken nugget cartons (and gross… chicken nuggets) all over the place. That’s not to mention the shoes, socks, crayons, coloring books, school papers, and toys that got left in there.
Seriously, I was always embarrassed dropping the kids off at school because I knew those dressed-up ladies holding little stop signs were looking in my car and seeing all the junk.
So, to put an end to it I started with a sewing project…



First I searched for some ideas online. I really liked the look of this one with bias trim edges (yes, and I have a huge stash because I always make extra).



(to give proper credit, I’m posting this link to her blog:http://finnyknits.blogspot.com/2008/06/it-lives-outside-my-brain-now.html)

But I also really liked this idea: http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2009/04/trash-bag.html to use boning to keep it open. Keeping them open was actually the most important part (I made two because four kids have a lot of trash).

I think it was a good mix. The bias trim made a perfect little casing for the boning. Plus I found some leftover ribbon somewhere :) for velcro straps.



And now I can happily report that the trash in our car is generally in it’s place. Of course I have to do a lot of reminding. And I’m sooo glad that I put in the boning to make them stay open. If it took two hands to throw trash away our new car might be just as embarrassing as our old car was.