Wonder Pockets

 This is my practice buttonhole. #34 on my pfaff. 
Notes for next time. There's a hinged place on my pfaff for the IDT buttonholer which also has room for some sample buttonholes. This one is rounded at one end which reminds me of the Singer buttonhole cams that I grew up with.

 I love the buttonholes on this machine. So easy and quick plus they look nice. I can get up to a 9mm width with this machine - reason #5 for buying this machine.  I went around twice for durability.

 These are work shorts, very utilitarian.
Elastic knit waist band for comfort with repeated bending.

I definitely will not be entering these into my county fair (two weeks!).
Nice sewing but I'm not going to waste time with my seam ripper getting it perfect.

 Pocket flaps. 

I serge the top edge. I sew them to the shorts upside down with that serged edge just above the pocket. Flip the flap down and give it a quick press, then top-stitch down - which conveniently hides the serged edge. Not couture sewing - just down and dirty quick sewing.

What did we do before WONDER CLIPS and Sewline Chalk pencils?
That's my top-stitching lines above, done with the Sewline Chalk Pencil. Pencil Girl made me buy one - hence her screen name. One of my favorite notions.

All the seams have double top-stitching as well as down the middle of the pockets which are then sewn on with double top stitching.

Note the use of the mini-clapper, aka Wonder Clip. This 45' angle on the pocket has more bulk and it's difficult to make it stay flat after ironing. I remember the last time I sewed these shorts, I had to use more pins to make the edges lie flat ('cuz wonder clips weren't invented yet). This time - right after ironing, I used a wonder clip and it eliminated the fiddly nature on this angled pocket.

I've finished the first pair except for sewing on the buttons. Cutting out the second pair is next on my sewing agenda. Possibly someone can snap some photos tomorrow.

 I had my son over yesterday for baby back ribs. We sat out on the patio in 100+ degree weather with the clematis shading the top of the pergola and the misters on. It was very comfortable with those misters on. Probably in the 80's under the pergola??   And - oddly enough - the fine mist kept the flies and yellow jackets away from the baby back ribs and fresh corn on the cob and Hermiston Watermelon.

Daughter is home from Ketchikan for a quick wedding weekend. I'll try to grab her to take pretty photos.  Still gonna be hot tomorrow.

Blessed am I to see  both my kids in one weekend.

Formula 1 Sewing

I have a long time friend who lives in Gothenberg, Sweden, who is mad about Formula 1 racing.
As someone who also loves her hobby (airplanesairplanesairplanes), I can totally get on board about her obsession.

Even though she had to explain, patiently, the extreme difference between Formula 1 and Nascar.


It's been two years since I discovered Tuike's obsession.
 It's taken two years to find Formula 1 fabric.

I thought I'd have to print my own.
Which is problematic, since all of her favorite Formula 1 race drivers have their photos super copyrighted.


I discovered this Formula 1 fabric in Ireland (of all places!) on Etsy and the shop owner was happy to post some my way. 

Ironic? Fabric travels West 6000 miles to be cut up and reassembled and then posted East 6000 miles. And it might have come from the USA originally.   Well traveled fabric.

I made her the key fob straight away. Very easy project if you have the hardware. I bought mine on Etsy and then the key fob hardware sat in my hardware drawer for the better part of a year.

Then I sewed her this little wallet/purse with my Formula 1 fabric. I made one a week or so ago off a long-ago-posted tutorial.
A little small for Smarty pants phones of 2014, I slightly enlarged the dimensions by 1/2" longer and 1/4" wider. This allowed me to put my phone in the back pocket.

My fabric is home dec weight and worked just as well as quilting cottons in this wee little ID purse.
I made several changes to the original pattern. Number one was losing the double fold bias binding to cover the raw edges inside. I changed it to single fold  for less 'density' at the corners. In fact, I might even just serge the raw edges and leave off the binding next time.

I actually have, somewhere, in my sewing room another fabric I  bought to make pillow cases for Tuike. It wasn't totally Formula 1 but I had plans. It's now lost in the invisible special place. However, the good news is, while tossing the sewing room this time, I found my pink chalk pencil marker I had misplaced a good while ago. As in, I bought another one because it is one of my favorite notions.