Rusty & Spring Fever

Worked all day.
Spring Fever raging.
This weekend - we spring ahead.



Does this mean there is another hour of daylight when I get home from work?

Pencil Girl Made Me Do It

Pfaff Quilter's Expression 4.0


I had been thinking about a Bernina 450 - mainly because of the 9mm stitch width and the stitch regulator.
I came to SewExpo to check other brands out. I am 30 minutes from dealers who may -or may not - stock all the different machines.
For instance, the Bernina 450 is an older machine -came out five years ago. Difficult to see one in action as the dealers all want to sell their 500 series now.

Anyway--- the Pfaff did one up on that 450 with the dual feed, aka, the walking foot -- permanently attached to engage or disengage without tossing the notion drawer in my sewing room looking for this attachment.

And, even though the overtime money is plentiful right now, I am super pleased to have spent way less than half of what the Bernina would have cost.
Show special - brand new in the box.

Oh --- Why did I fall in love with the 9mm stitch?

The buttonholes look amazing at that width.

SewExpo Inspiration

Pencil Girl's mom and I are sewing this knit jacket ---by next years sewexpo time. Lol. Lot of LOL.....

Pamela's pattern --Banded Cardigan.




Playing with resin. For creative friend.
Two-part epoxy only heats up to 120' to harden with no fumes and limited air bubbles. Great surface tension.



Art quilt for my craftytokyomama friend. I wanted to buy several Japanese fabrics for you ---but I restrained myself.

haha.

Off to buy a sewing machine .

Pfaff Quilters 4.0

Computer Case

I was excited to learn how to serge a zipper on.
In my class we made a laptop case with a zippered compartment for the computer and another zippered pocket for "important papers".



Easier than you think. You need to use a polyester zipper that is longer than needed. We had a diagonal pocket on the front. Start with a rectangle and slice diagonally.
Open your zipper about 6". Align edge of zipper along diagonal line of material - RST. Serge about 4", then serge off the edge. Close the zipper and serge the remainder.



Flip fabric over and press zipper & fabric flat. Align small diagonal piece along other side of zipper- making sure when it is flipped up that you still have a rectangle of fabric.
Repeat serging technique: open zip ~6", serge part, serge off, close zip, serge remainder.

Press flat. Bar tack zip ends at edge of fabric.
The end of the case also has a zipper. This one is easier because you don't need to open/close the zipper.

Basically, you need to think thru the construction steps to find out if you can use your serger more.



We got to use new Huskylock servers from Viking/Huskavarna.

Caution: go slow thru the layers. Watch your pins and the metal zipper stops.

Sewing Party

 I saw these Clothworks by Karen Roti fabrics on a blog post and spent quite awhile searching for just the right price.
Online fabric websites can suck up a bunch of time unless you have the exact title of what you are looking for.

 Iris's are from last weekend. Instead of starting my taxes, I pruned my roses & my raspberries. A little more sun today and these miniature iris's are full-blown.

 Sasanqua Camellia by the front door is loaded with blooms.

I am headed to the big sewing party next weekend in Puyallup. After many hiccups at work trying to keep it's grip on me, I have persevered to leave town for three days starting at 5:30am this Friday.

Sheesh - all the work that went into taking two days off work. Not even a question of me being indispensable. Not sure what's gonna happen during five days in May or, gasp!, two weeks in August!

I am taking classes;
 # 3029b Classy & Clever Computer Case, aka; how to use my serger inserting a zipper (!),
#1046C designer handbag details
#1087C  new tee necklines
#1088B Adding stay tape to make knits look professional
#1094c creating texture the easy way
#1096c making resin buttons

I am also looking at a Bernina 450 sewing machine and may buy one. What else is terminal overtime good for??

 Spring Heather blooming it up for the bumble bees.

 Close-up of sasanqua Camellia.

 Christmas Cheer Rhododendron

 Can't resist these tone-on-tone airplane prints. On sale too!

 Not sure what these will become - still dreaming. . . .

 Found some race car fabric for my girlfriend in Sweden. She likes Formula 1 racing.
Might make some pillowcases - except I have to get her pillow dimensions as swedish pillows are smaller than american ones.

It was cold last weekend. Crocuses are emerging like rockets but are closed up tight.
This weekend - tad warmer - opening up.

Some of my favorite iris's....until the next type of iris's start blooming.

Sewing Tool Organizer

#3029 Classy and Clever Computer Case
Gail Kellogg, SVP Worldwide
VIKING CLASSROOM, SHOWPLEX
Thu. (#3029A) 8:00 – 10:30 am, Thu. (#3029E)
11:00 am – 1:30 pm, Fri.(#3029B) 2:00 – 4:30 pm
Experience the fantastic Husqvarna Viking Huskylock S25
Serger to create this stunning and useful case for your laptop
computer. You will learn how to apply zippers with the serger,
use accessory feet to embellish with decorative trim and leave
class with a sophisticated and finished project.
$25 KIT FEE INCLUDES: Two 13" × 18" double sided quilted
cotton, lining fabric, light weight batting, clear vinyl, two 18"
zippers, thread
STUDENT SUPPLIES: General sewing supplies

Description is from the SewExpo brochure.
 I am going to learn how to apply zippers with a serger (?).
All I need to provide is a kit fee and "general sewing supplies".

I don't take a lot of classes so I usually scramble  sewing notions together from my sewing room into a ziploc bag.
Yes.
A ziploc.

But this is SewExpo. I kinda need to look like I sew.

Bernina

VeryKerryBerry

JustSomethingIMade

I explored online and found some inspiration. I wanted to use some Pendleton Wool and make it big enough for a small cutting mat. While a roll would be nice and secure and smaller, the pesky cutting mat wanted to be in on the action.

"Q: I am planning on taking a 3 & 4 needle class and under student supplies, it lists 'basic sewing supplies'. What do I really need to bring?
A: Basic sewing supplies means to bring: Scissors (fabric & paper) pins, seam ripper, chalk, seam gauge, ruler, measuring tape, sewing needles, rotary cutter and mat. Optional: mini iron and ironing pad. And anything else you use that will make your sewing experience pleasurable."

 I laid my basic sewing tools out, figuring out some math numbers on paper.
Then I selected my fabrics.

A vintage Pendleton Wool Wrap Skirt was sacrificed for it's plaid properties (and possibly a chance to win something at the Pendleton Booth).

A nice coordinating airplane print and a neutral off-white.

Airplanes & Pendleton

I made the side-facing pockets with the airplane print. Re-enforcing the cotton by doubling up and sewing a grosgrain ribbon down the edge.
The pockets were custom fitted to the  notion with sewing lines 1 3/4" apart.

Basically, I started with an extra-long blue panel, using up inches as I needed to and trimming the excess at the lower end. Another way to handle this is with an elastic casing, easing in room where you need it.

 You can see where I sewed the pockets flat on the right-hand edge - couple of pleats.

 This is the smooth white fabric on top of the off-white textured fabric. This will become a pocket to store the small cutting mat.

On the left-hand side, I wanted two clear vinyl pockets to hold my small clear ruler and some pins and what-have-you. I edged my vinyl with some bias tape and the vinyl sewed much better this go around. You may remember some vivid cussing with my last experience with vinyl.

 The scissors rest in the pendleton fabric pocket with a piece of that gorgeous ribbon snapped in place across the handles.

So now we have the scissors secured and all pockets done.
I was thinking of embroidering an airplane on the front but decided to head back to simple and just zigzag on the up-cycled Pendelton Label.

I've misplaced my finished product photo but by that time the light had gone except for the Ott light at my sewing table.

Basically, I have a notebook with handles that will lay flat when opened.
Should be easy to take along.

I can tell I am feeling better because the different design elements went easily together with a minimum of hand-sewing (Scissor securement had to be hand-sewn because I forgot to do it before I sewed the pocket together.)

I'm ready to figure out zippers and sergers.






Sewing tool organizer tutorial images.

How To Take Time Off To Sew

First of all, work for a place with no one to spell you the first three days of the flu. Nevermind the fever and the coughing back at the same customers who coughed at you in the first place.

 After someone took your place at work, you go home. Only on the sixth day, do you even have energy to think about sewing.

 For this year's SewExpo, I wanted to make two pillowcases for the Mary Bridges Children's Hospital. I believe they collected over 4500 pillowcases last year. These pillowcases are for children who stay at the hospital for an extended time to take home with them.

I could tell I wasn't at my usual "make it more difficult than it has to be" status, when I followed directions - as written.

However, I was feeling just enough better to make sure of french seams throughout. --Because pillowcases get washed. No fraying edges exposed.

I used the first fabric on the pile. This is one of the fabrics I received as a WINNER in SewMama Sew's Giveaway Day last December. I paired it with the striped fat quarter that came with and added plain white cotton for the end. I did not overthink this - which should tell you how sick I have been.

I have to go back to work tomorrow but I think I will not work all day as my guy is still there.
But if I want to pay myself (Friday chore - lol), I should go in and make sure I give myself  enough money for SewExpo - coming up in three weeks!

I am going March 1,2,& 3rd. Three whole days.  Pencil Girl and her mom are going all four days! We are staying at the same hotel. I have all my classes arranged except one - but I can go put myself on the waiting list when I arrive. That's the class on ETSY Selling. Very popular.


***And the seventh day, there were pillowcases.