Lots of Pink Quilt

A couple of months ago I was sorting through my quilting fabrics and rearranging them when I noticed I have a lot of pink fabric.  Perfect for some string piecing -- one of my favorite piecing methods.

I laid the fabric on the back of the sewing table and used son #2's papers he brings home on Fridays to cut some squares to piece on to.  Every once in a while or in the evenings when I can only manage to sew a straight line, I stitched the blocks together.

Now I have a really pink baby quilt and a lot less pink fabric.

To contain all that crazy pink I'm going to border it in hot pink mitered strips about three inches wide.  That should be enough.

Singer 99K

I was given this Singer 99K.  Honestly, I don't want another sewing machine...I've run out of room.  When Peter once remarked about not having the room mentally for more machines, I knew exactly what he meant.  No room there either.  Yet, the 99 is a nice little machine - but with some flaws on this particular one.

I think this 99 was kept in one of those rickety wooden garages that sits out by itself.  Dampness crept in.  The enamel on the upper machine is bubbly looking --that's not good from an aesthetic point of view.  The bed is undamaged though.  Also the enamel has been chipped off in a couple of spots.  I gave it a basic cleaning and the light rust came off the plates and other metal parts.

I'm not even bothering with this foot controller.  I have some that are in much better shape that will replace it.

I have the 99 in running condition and it sounds nice but I can't sew with it yet because the tension spring is broken.  Those are easily available.  I probably won't do anything with it until summer though.  I found the 99 (and 66's) are unlike other Singers which can be set down on a table and used.  The 99's mechanisms underneath have to be up off the table to move; therefore, it must have a case or box.

Despite the flaws and not needing another machine I rather like this little 3/4 size heavyweight.  I think if I had more room for the 99 I would put the buttonholer on it and leave it as a buttonhole machine -- maybe someday.  At the moment it's sitting on the bottoms shelf in my sewing area with a dust cover on (at least it's not a damp garage).

Here's something interesting:

There is a repossessed tag on the underside edge of this sewing machine.  Which leads to all sorts of questions!  What happened?  Did someone not have the money to pay for their sewing machine?  How sad!  Was it taken away?  Even sadder.

Middle Age and New Muslins

I'm 45.  I don't have a problem with it.  (Except for maybe that shoulder pain issue.)  But last spring I noticed something  -- skirts I had worn for years, like my denim pencil skirt and the khaki one, were a little snug.  Just enough to be uncomfortable and get pulled out of the closet.  My favorite short sleeve fitted white shirt was snug too.  For the first time in two decades (other than those pregnancies) my size changed.  I found a scale -which I rarely use - and, yes, five new pounds.  Enough to make me get rid of several outfits.  Not really a problem...

...until it came to sewing.  I didn't make many tops last year if you noticed.  I did make two blouses - but I usually wear them unbuttoned over a tank top.  I can wear them buttoned, but...just a smidgen too tight in the armhole area.  Remember that green flowered 60's dress I made that I took the sleeves out of last spring so I could have more room to move?  It was too tight in the arm area.  It bound in the front and pulled in the back plus I couldn't lift my arms without the whole thing riding up on my boobs.  Quite uncomfortable and unflattering -- since when I put my arms down my dress was still sitting up above my boobs and I had to pull it down!  I made a shirtwaist dress I never showed you that had short sleeves that again I had to take the sleeves out of to salvage it since it was too binding and uncomfortable with them. 

Yes, I basted a zipper into my muslin

But I want to wear sleeves!!!  So I've been measuring and making muslins and getting confused/frustrated.  The sloper I worked on last winter isn't quite right anymore.  I have broad shoulders...I knew that.  They're also more forward than I realized.  Ok.  I have a low bust -- again, not news to me.  But then the dreadful realization...I might be looking at doing some FBA's.  Oh, no.  Not that.  I should have known; especially after buying all new bras last year.  My overly full B somewhat C cup has become an overly full C somewhat D.

I decided to find out if an FBA is my solution.  I have S2648 which is one of those patterns with A-D cup sizes included.  I made it with the C cup.  Not quite an amazing fit.  I made it with the D cup.  Better.  Using Fit For Real People,  I also learned how to move the fullness in the bust on a princess seam down.  A better fit but it still pulls some in the back under the back of the armhole when I put my arms out in front.  The wrinkles all point to the back armpit area.

I make notes on my muslins -esp. since I'll keep this for reference

At the moment I'm quite tired of reading about the armscye.  Add to the back, remove from the front.  Don't have it too high or too low under the arm.

Sigh...I'm working on it.  I'm getting closer.  I will soon be able to make clothes with sleeves that I can move comfortably in.

The Fabric Stash

How about a peek at the fabric stash?  Personally, I love seeing people's sewing rooms or areas -- I'm nosy like that.  I don't have a whole sewing room for myself - more like a side of a room. 

An old chifferobe contains my fabrics.  Here on the right side are my clothes making fabrics.  The ones in the middle are neatly rolled and easy to see and get to.  On the bottom shelf is a bit of mess with knits on the left and odds and ends between and on the right. (I'll straighten it up one of these days!  Maybe this week even.) The top shelf has muslin, quilting cottons I use for facings, and scraps.  The Blue's Clues sheets sitting there are for muslins - the kids outgrew them and they weren't good enough to send to the thrift store.  White paper lines the insides of the chifferobe so the fabric isn't touching wood and is easier to see.  The paper taped to the inside of the door is an inventory of what's in there along with the yardage of each piece.  A lot of fabric fits in there but if it ever starts to exceed the space I know to get sewing and stop buying!

Behind the smaller door on the left are quilting fabrics.  This isn't all of them -- there's a big bin in the hall closet too...and maybe a bag under the bed.

Here's the chifferobe closed.  The drawers hold sewing stuff -- threads, accessories, tracing paper, etc.  Underneath is a bin stuffed with batiste I inherited from my mother which I use a lot for underlinings and linings.  You can see the edge of my sewing table in the mirror.  I can easily open the chifferobe door and peruse my fabrics while sitting in my sewing chair.  Close the door and my fabric is neatly kept away from light and dust.  Works beautifully for me!

Oh, Thrift Store Smell...Gag

A recent thrift store purchase

If you've bought clothes in a thrift store you know the smell I'm talking about.  And it doesn't come out of some things very easily!  I've had luck using white vinegar to remove the offending stink.  I read to use it in the rinse cycle but that wasn't always enough so I use it in the wash cycle with the detergent and do a double rinse - sometimes putting a little in the first rinse too.  How much?  I don't really measure -- about a cup for a large load.

I've heard people have had success with Borax and baking soda -- and also a water/vodka mix that's sprayed on but I've never tried those.  I will not use Febreeze on anything!  I can't even put into words how much I hate that stuff!  It actually bothers my breathing!

I normally never buy anything that can't be thrown in the washer, but I admit I took my chances with the above jacket.  I washed it...in the vinegar  -- for the $3 it cost I thought it was a risk worth taking.  And it worked!  No smell and a perfect fit.

Have you tried anything else?  Any suggestions?

Edit:  2/3/12 - I tried the Borax on a couple of things and it worked very well for me.

You Don't Need a Vintage Pattern

... when it comes to many skirts.  After all there are only so many ways to make a skirt.  A lot of it depends on the fabric and the many details added onto the basic pattern.

Some of the same styles just keep coming back - or never even go away.

It's that hemline that keeps moving.  So easy to change to suit oneself!

Other than the fit at the hips (narrower on vintage patterns for those slimmed girdled hips), the only noticeable change in modern skirts to vintage ones, that I've noticed, is the waistband.

Instead of the waistband that's on nearly all vintage skirts (sitting up on the waistline) modern ones mostly either don't have one (and use waist facings) or the waistband sits down lower - I've seen this called a waistband but it resembles a small yoke. 

If you want the vintage style waist using a modern pattern, it's so easy to pop a waistband on it.

Still...sometimes it's just fun to use vintage!

Note:  all the top photos are from the Vintage Sewing Patterns Wiki;  the Butterick 3042 is mine; the New Look 6079 is currently available.

Sci Fi Knitting To Date

I don't know if you remember my mentioning knitting a Dr Who scarf for son #1 ages ago, but just so you know, I did finish it.  Not last winter but in time for this one!  There it is - although in this photo it hasn't been stretched out yet.  At full lenth the scarf is supposed to be approximately twelve and a half feet long.  Apparently I'm a tight knitter - mine only ended up about eleven and a half feet.  Oh, well.  I have some leftover yarn and might make a half size one; it'd be a little easier to wear on an everyday basis.

If you want to knit one for yourself I used this pattern.

Keeping with the Dr Who theme I knit these Daleks about three or four years ago:

The pattern for them used to be on Knitting Pattern Central but disappeared - I think it's still out there somewhere if you search for it.

I also made not one but two R2D2 hats:

Two patterns for R2D2 hats are on Knitting Pattern Central.  I took elements of both patterns and sort of did my own thing.  One of them has duplicate stitch for some of the details - in which I found out I hate doing duplicate stitch.  The other was my first attempt at intarsia knitting - in which I found out it was really not difficult and kind of fun.

Somewhere around here is a little green alien I knit too.  Do I knit normal things like sweaters?  Nah, boring.