Clio & Phineas

Irons. Am I wrong in thinking they are the bane of many a sewist's existence?

I used my iron on fusible vinyl, cottons and fusible hair canvas for this one project.

I have a sticky little problem that I'm hoping some of you can help with.

My applique scissors: they're sticky. And not because of any gunk.

Duck bill trimmers

They are Gingher 6" knife edge applique scissors that were a gift. I've had them for 2 and 1/2 years and they are still "sticky". The snipping action doesn't glide easily and smoothly, and I end up using them less because my hand gets tired and whatever I'm snipping looks jagged/choppy instead of straight and even. I don't think it's a matter of hand strength; I can open a jar of pickles with no problem.

I thought they'd be broken in by now, if you know what I mean, but they're still tight.

I considered oiling the hinge or loosening it, but I'm not sure either wouldn't create more problems.  Oil + fabric?  I dunno.

Any thoughts on the best way to loosen or break in these tight snippers?  

One of the things that has been on my mind over the last year is sewing and ergonomics. There seems to be no good way to mash that into one word, but if you do the first, you ought to think about the second. True?

I tend to sew in sessions rather than every day. But since my 2012 back injury, I get stiff and uncomfy after a few hours of sewing. In fact, after a few long sessions, I inexplicably would have a back ache at night that I tried to attribute to other things. Not sewing!!  But when I took a good hard look and thought about things, I realized that sewing was probably to blame.  My chair - originally part of a breakfast set - was probably the chief culprit. It predates the idea of "lumbar support".

I'm thinking about a Craft Lounge overhaul in the next year and don't want to invest large sums right now. But it is important to have a comfortable work station. So, I decided that it was time to try sitting on a physio ball instead of a chair. I'm pleased to report that my back is much happier.  Seriously, the change was immediate and marked.

Eventually I'll replace the desk, too.

I realize this is not for everyone. It takes practice to sit on a ball; I already use one for core training and so am very comfy with it. The gist is that the ball encourages you to sit straight, supported by your core muscles. But maintaining proper posture while sitting - whether in a chair that does have some lumbar support or on a ball - is the most important factor for back comfort and health.  For "beginners" 20 minutes at a stretch on the ball is what I've seen recommended, and standing at least every 40 min is suggested no matter what it is you sit on. This is pretty ideal for sewing; even if I do things in a very efficient order, frequent switching between sitting at the sewing machine and standing at the ironing board is the norm.

Sitting tall instead of slumping

An unintended consequence is that a physioball is fun. You can bounce when you get excited or a good song comes on the radio. And you can stop and do some stretches, like a supported bridge. 




Anyway, eventually, I'm going to buy sewing specific furniture so that I have a dedicated cutting area (not the dining room table), a better table for sewing and an ergonomic chair.  I'm actually thinking more and more about a sit-stand work station. But in the interim, whether I use it all the time or alternate between a ball and chair, my back is thanking me.

What about you? Are you aware of ergonomics in your sewing space? What are some of your solutions?

It's been a hectic holiday week, but today we paused to finally draw two winners for our sock yarn giveaway and show off our holiday prezzies.

Dragon and Milkshake were our impartial name pullers, since we do things analog here at Trample Herd HQ.  Our winners, who most definitely were on the nice list this year, are...

In their Christmas scarves.

(* T.Sedai had meant to leave a comment, and not to enter, so I re-drew for a new winner.)

Ladies, please email me your deets at Clio(dot)Phineas(at)gmail(dot)com and I will get two balls of navy Stroll sock yarn off to each of you asap.

Speaking of the nice list, there was much celebrating on Christmas day when Dragon, Milkshake and the Tramples awoke to find that Santa had indeed come and left them each a new knit scarf. Nothing is more exciting to knit critters than more knits. 

Tramples with scarves that match their ear frills.

I must have been on the super nice list this year, since I received a load of goodies including drape drape, Pattern Magic, a June Tailor pressing board and this...



... a tower of Belding Corticelli silk thread. (See here if you don't know why I'm so psyched about this.)

I also received some excellent cookbooks, including Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese. Yes, it is a cookbook entirely devoted to one thing: the pursuit of mac + cheese.  So, I think another round of my search for the perfect mac and cheese recipe will be taking off in the next week or two. For those of you new to it, here is the most recent version.  Stay tuned!

If you didn't know that I was in the market for a treadle sewing machine, you're in good company. It wasn't until Saturday morning - when I received an email from the ever amazing Claudine saying there was a beautiful one at a charity shop in my neck of the woods for just $50 - that I knew it myself.

Lucky for me, opportunity favors those who have a father-in-law with a station wagon. Two hours later, I was the giddy owner of this beauty...

Queen!!!! How perfect is that?

The Queen's Cabinet

Look at all the attachments! Plus a bobbin of a later era.

I've already looked at Treadle On, ISMACS and some other forums and websites to see if I could learn more about this machine. I'm learning all about treadles! At one point, I called Husqvarna Viking on the suspicion that the machine might have been produced by White for Sears Roebuck. No luck. They had a treadle with the same serial number dating to 1876, but since the throat plate clearly says Patented June 29, 1897 it can't be that machine.

It needs a new belt and, um, bobbins. But the moving parts seem to be working freely and pretty smoothly. Anyone know where to buy bobbins circa 1897? Oy. More on this new machine when I start to figure it out... 

PS - Despite many attempts at procrastination throughout the weekend (including but not limited to baking blondies, going on a run, baking chocolate chip cookies, catching up on the blogosphere, going on another run, making stuffed shells, buying a treadle, and researching it's origins and how to clean it) I did finish my skirt. The ducklings are starting to look more ducky, too. Now let's see how long it takes to photograph everything...

I'm a little pouty. I didn't finish my skirt over the weekend which means I'm not taking it on the business trip I'm currently on and not wearing it to the fabulous place that I am going to while on said trip.

Yeah. Oh well.

This is mostly because I  made the slit on the wrong side of the lining. Naturally, I realized this only after finishing trimming the slit with this lace. 

D'oh!!

So, I had to spend some quality time with my seam ripper. Oh well. So, instead of showing you the final results, let's geek out some more about the details.

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah: Hand Picked Zipper
I was really enjoying the hand sewing, so I decided to hand pick my skirt's zipper. Also, because this zipper needs to zip a snug corselette, I decided to use a metal toothed Excella instead of an invisible zipper for extra strength. Combined with the hand stitches, this should be a very secure closure.

I did a hand picked zipper once before, when I sewed a silk dress to wear to the wedding of a dear friend. I had a great recap of the skill in Susan Khalje's Craftsy class. But if you are not taking it, you can find the tutorial that she did for Threads magazine here. In truth, I think it's easier to master a hand picked zipper than a machine sewn one. The slower pace of sewing by hand means you have much more control of the fabric.

Hand picked zipper

I have a confession. I used bees wax which I pressed into the thread before stitching. You may remember that I once said something along the lines of "pressing beeswax into thread is not something that I ever foresee myself doing. Honestly, I think it would be just one thing too many - the straw that breaks the camel's back".  Yeah. What can I say? I drank the Khalje KoolAid on this one. It was delicious, btw. There are many things that I have not foreseen; I'm glad I have the flexibility of nature to allow for a change of mind.

Have a Seat: Boned Waist
Gail asked a very astute question about whether I would be able to sit in a skirt that had boning through the waist area. The short answer is yes, I plan to sit in this skirt. But I thought we should have a chat since it's an excellent question and was a consideration. Here's how I know that I can sit...

First, this was not an original idea. Marina of Frabjous Couture sewed a beautiful high waisted pencil skirt with boning that she documented for Burdastyle, and which I had the pleasure of actually examining in person. So, others have done it before.

Next, choice of materials is one of the most important in sewing, right?  Most RTW boning that I've experienced has been the horrible plastic variety that is rigid and when you sit or bend tends to dent inward poking you mercilessly in the ribs. It warps easily and, once bent, will forever jab you in that same place.

Top Rigilene; Bottom Spiral Steel

Thankfully, not all boning is created equal, and what is available to those of us who sew is light years ahead of the RTW junk. The two that I have tried are spiral steel and rigilene. Both are much more flexible than plastic bones and bend with your body as you move and then bounce back instead of jabbing you. I chose the rigilene, which is so flexible it comes on a roll.

Incredibly flexible spiral steel boning.

Lastly - and here's where I've got a question for all of you - after I sewed the boning to the corselette, I basted on a zipper and wore it around the house. So, I know that it is wearable. When I sew a muslin, once I think the fit is good, I wear it for more than a perfunctory try on. I walk down the stairs, sit on the couch, rummage in the fridge, head back upstairs, sit on the bed, pick things up off the floor... Am I alone in doing this sort of roving try on?

Anyway, as I hinted, I'm currently in London, crazy busy with work and not wearing my skirt. London friends, if you happen to be free on Saturday morning/early afternoon I will be around - just holler. I know, I am terrible for giving no notice.

SCIATICA

It's a very sweet day to be a sewist!


Just to sweeten up your Valentine's Day, first M&J Trimming in NY's Garment District is offering a $30-worth-of-trimming-for-$15 deal over at Living Social (a Groupon competitor). You know I bought one!

Just click here if you want to do the same! The deal runs for 2 more days. It doesn't seem to specify whether or not you can use it on-line, so buyer beware.



Next, Mood is offering 15% off fashion fabrics today and tomorrow when you shop on-line! Just use the coupon code: V-Day2012.




Wishing you all sequin-studded, be-ribboned and feather-fringed love this Valentine's Day! It may be a Hallmark holiday, but is there really ever a bad time for letting the people in your life know how loved and appreciated they are?  I think not. My fantastic Phin is making cassoulet for dinner and I'll be serving up fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies for dessert.  I hope your plans are equally gooey!

in·ter·fac·ing

noun \-ˌfā-siŋ\

fabric sewn between the facing and the outside of a garment (as in a collar or cuff) for stiffening and shape retention

You've probably noticed that I've been giving a lot of thought to the underpinnings of my sewing lately - the hardware and unseen inner workings of things.

Back in August when I was struggling to insert the zipper in my jumpsuit, someone suggested that I interface the zipper area. I did, and the zipper went in like a dream. This is now my standard operating procedure. Around that same point in time, I came across this post at Fashion Incubator. The gist is that home sewists don't utilize interfacing in their garments nearly enough. It changed my thinking on interfacing entirely.

Upper back piece of my color block dress, interfaced at the shoulders and sleeve seam.

Earlier in my sewing life, I interfaced only when and where a pattern called for it. And my earlier experiences were not very positive. I didn't know the benefits of interfacing or what good interfacing was. Needless to say  I had trouble fusing and working with the cheap stuff that was sold to me at the local craft store, and the results were not good.

But, the first time I used really nice quality interfacing, the difference was marked and I was sold. Good quality interfacing fuses smoothly and quickly (none of this holding the iron on it for 10-20 seconds nonsense that can leave you with scorched fabric), doesn't distort the fabric or drape, and adds strength and stability to the garment. For me, good interfacing is worth the extra money. I've also come to appreciate how much interfacing makes things like zipper insertion easier, how it extends the life of a garment at the areas that tend to wear, like hems, buttonholes, zippers, hooks-and-eyes, etc. I also like how it can keep a knit garment from stretching and distorting over time, particularly at the neckline.

So, I finished sewing up my second version of the Burda Cover Dress last night (reveal of this color-blocked dress on Thurday). I used two different interfacings - weft strips for the shoulders and where the sleeves would attached (ie: where the garment should not stretch) and tricot for the facings, for the sleeve bands and at the hem.

Re-doing the hem of version 1

I was so pleased with how the hem came out - how stable and basically invisible it was that I ripped out the hem of my first version of the dress, which I had been unhappy with. I interfaced it and re-sewed it by hand last night. It's so much better now!  Much less visible.

Anyway, are you a fan of interfacing or do you use it only as a pattern calls for it? Do you have a preferred brand or supplier?  What are your thoughts?

Update: After puu's comment - feel free to weigh in on sew-in interfacing and organza used as underlining or interfacing. I used organza as a sew-in underling for the fabulous red dress I finished in September. And for a fancy dress I think it is the way to go. I loved it.  And I've also used sew-in interfacing. Sew in hair canvas was fantastic for interfacing my Lady Grey coat, but I tend to have a rough time with the sew-in stuff in general because it tends to shift while you machine baste it in and I don't always have time for hand basting.

First, a big thanks to all of you who chimed in on Friday's technology post. It seems like, to a greater or lesser degree we're all in the same boat. So, here's my take on things.

Hardware
Well, I decided to put my tax return toward a few upgrades. My phone and camera were nearing the ends of their lifespans; both have been repaired more than once. So, I'm now the owner of a very clever phone. Really, this makes a lot of sense given how much I travel for work. I'll be able to get email on the go and also blog from the road. And if yesterday's post is any indication, it takes very not bad pictures! That said, I'll be replacing my camera, too. Phin has narrowed it down to 2 or 3 choices and will be buying shortly.




Software
Sigh. I am not a Mac user, and there are days when I feel like Apple has all the cool toys (Skitch, GIMP...). My next computer will be a Mac. But for now I'm going to have to figure out which photo editor I want to use and also sort out my Flickr situation. I'll let you know how it goes with the photo editors. Once I 1-have a new camera and 2-figure out what photo editor to use, I'll try to add a pretty banner to my blog.

That www thing 
PR vs BS - Sometimes it's nice to know that we agree, in general.  It seems like we all think PatternReview is a great resource. I visit PR whenever I'm planning a project and want to get the low-down on a pattern I'm considering. We also seem to agree on BurdaStyle being, um, frustrating. Honestly, the two things that really kill me are that people don't say what pattern they used and that people sell clothing. In both cases, I find myself clicking on a project to see what pattern was used only to get either no answer or learn that it's basically an advertisement for their clothing/sewing business. Moving forward I think I'll only add Burda projects there, and mostly stick with PR. 

Pinterest. Ah, Pinterest. We're all addicted, it seems. Here's where you can find me: http://pinterest.com/cliobklyn

Tumblr. Some of us thought we needed it, but no one seems to know why. Nuf said. LOL

And some Sew-y tThings
Did anyone else catch that McCall's has acquired KwikSew Patterns? You can now buy KS patterns on the BMV website. I haven't really used very many KS patterns so don't really have an opinion, although my very first garment - an elastic waist a-line skirt - was KwikSew.   Do you have any thoughts or experience with KS patterns?

Also, I wanted to sing the praises of Fashion Sewing Supply. After reading the tip that Pam posted on her blog about using fusible weft interfacing as stay tape, I decided to give it a try.  So, I ordered a bunch of weft which arrived on Friday.  Not only does the tip work out beautifully and easily, but in my order there was a note saying that, since the interfacing would be going on sale soon, they had cut my order extra generously. How's that for customer service?

OK, I'm done with the housekeeping posts. Next up will be the finished diaper bag reveal, my colorblock dress and new knit socks! Stay tuned!

(PS - Update at 4:25pm - Would you believe that about 30 minutes after posting this, my computer was infected with something called a blaster worm? Technology. Sheesh. Clearly my desk ninja did not do his job.)

And it's got a camera. And a Blogger App.

Ninjas guard my desk

Well, it's Monday and I did not burn down the house or burn myself. Phew! 

Me in the garage sealing the seams of the ripstop over a candle.

The ripstop needed just the slightest kiss of flame to melt. So, now it's sealed and not raveling.

Besided working with ripstop, the other thing I'm liking about this project and that's changed about my sewing over the years is how much I've come to embrace hardware.

Hardware for the diaper bag

When I first made this diaper bag pattern, I was still at a point in my sewing where I followed the directions to the letter. So, I made the strap out of fabric. It looked nice, but once sewn in, the strap length was fixed. And I used velcro for the closures, as instructed, which I was never really happy with. 

In the intervening years, I've learned that there are loads of good hardware solutions available that give a project a much more professional look and finish. So, on this bag, I'm using webbing and hardware to make a fully adjustable and incredibly strong strap. And I'm using magnetic snaps, which are probably my very favorite closure for bags.
 
Really, this project has excited my inner sewing nerd - the geek that ponders whether it would be better to use sew-in or fusible hair canvas to stabilize the bag (sew-in). It's the kind of project where the technical does make a big difference. What I'm pondering now is which needle to use for the webbing. I'm a bit of a stickler in this department - I'm using a microtech needle and a topstitching needle for the ripstop and have been switching between several different threads depending on the task (basting, seaming, topstitching).     

What about you? Do you like to use hardware when you sew? Or do you prefer to sew every feature of a project? How much do you think about the insides or bones of a project? 

Apparently, I was nice this year! Santa was very generous and left some fantastic sewy gifts under the tree for me!

I received a copy of The Basics of Corset Building, a book I've been wanting for some time. It's an outstandingly practical guide to the tools, materials and process of building a corset. I like that it is practical rather than inspirational, since I have a greater thirst for skills and knowledge at this point in my sewing. Even when my sewing mojo flags, it isn't because I've run out of ideas or can't find inspiration. In fact, more often I'm paralyzed by indecision over what to sew next because there's just so much I'd like to do and such limited time. What about you?



I also received some fun art for the Craft Lounge and applique scissors. I really need more scissors for different jobs.

And Phin gave me a rolling foot for my sewing machine. He noticed that I've been drooling over admiring the leather tops that other sewists have been making recently. And I've been nattering on about making a leather jacket for myself. (Apparently, he does listen when I talk about sewing! Score one for crafty gals everywhere!) So, that is definitely on the to do list this winter!

It looks greenish because I had to lighten the pic so you could see the button holes.

Who am I to argue with Kenneth King and Lindsay T? So, yesterday I marched myself over to Jonathan's and had my buttonholes made while I waited.  Quite frankly, it took less time to walk there, wait for the buttonholes to be made and walk back to my office, stopping to pick up lunch on the way, then it would have taken to make the buttonholes myself. And look at how nice they are! Much better than the nicest buttonhole I could manage with either of my sewing machines. (Jonathan, you are officially on my Christmas card list.)

Thanks to all of you who suggested that this was the smart way to go and was not cheating. In the end, I agree. I'm really pleased with everything about this skirt, and these buttonholes are befitting all the work I put into it. So, score one for the good guys. Skirt reveal and review to come as soon as I sew on the buttons and take some pictures!

Have a great weekend!

After the Columbus Day holiday, today feels like a Monday. So, it's a good time to get to some "to do list" items.

Give Away Winners
The competition for these patterns was not so fierce; I guess the need for party dresses is not as great as my pattern collection would have me believe. But the winners are:

Debi - Vogue 1162 Belleville Sassoon dress  

Rachel - Vogue 8280 Galaxy Dress knock off pattern

Ladies, let me know where to send 'em - email me at Clio[dot]Phineas[at]gmail[dot]com - and have fun sewing them up!   

Mailbag
Just to answer a few questions that came my way in comments:

ThreadHeaven - What is it? What's it for?  - Essentially, you are supposed to use it to coat your thread for handsewing, as you would use bees wax. It reduces drag and tangles, and conditions the thread against fraying. Unlike beeswax it is non-organic, and it is also non-toxic, UV repellent, retards mold and mildew, and a host of other things you can read about here

Thimble - Did I cosy up to mine with all the hand sewing? - In a word, no. Sewing on silk fabric with silk thread coated in ThreadHeaven really was easy - the needle just glided on thru. Using a thimble actually became cumbersome. So, I am still a thimble deadbeat. C'est la vie. 

Scattered thoughts
Finally, it was really great to have a weekend that was completely free - no sewing for a deadline! It was a weekend of dabbling - very scattered. I worked a bit on boxer shorts for Phineas and a single seam skirt for me. Neither is done. I baked peach coffee cake and apple cinnamon muffins, which are half eaten now. I went for a long run, since I signed up for the Vegas Half Marathon (Dec 4) last week and have some serious training ahead.


(OK, the embedded video was starting to drive me bonkers every time I visited my blog. So, I've changed it to a link. CLICK HERE to see how cool the Vegas Half Marathon is.)


Seriously, how fun does this look?? And all I have to do is run 13.1 miles. It almost makes me think this was a good idea. Ha!

Oh and I took a knitting class, which is a first for me. So there are lots of balls in the air at the moment but nothing finished to show just yet. Stay tuned.

By "the show" I mean the Project Dress, of course. Here are the two sleeves, which I stitched up while traveling.


It's hard to believe that this and this, turned into something that looks so beautiful.  I need to amend my earlier complaint about bias cut georgette. It definitely is difficult to work with on a sewing machine. BUT for sewing by hand, it was fine. And I'm thrilled with how it looks and how it handled.
  
That said, it took many hours of stitching away diligently. I spent most of both flights (12 hours or so of actual sewing) plus 2 hours a night, 3-4 nights while I was in London, usually between midnight and 2am when insomnia struck.  So, these sleeves represent about 20 hours of sewing.

For sewing on the airplane, I was nervous that even if I had scissors that were TSA approved (ie: less than 4 inches), they might be confiscated anyway. This happened to me flying home from Canada once since I hadn't considered that their standard might be different (in the UK it is 6cm or 2.36 inches). So, I bought this:

A yarn cutter pendant

Inside those notches are razor blades which you can't get out or cut yourself on. I just put it on a chain and into my jewelry bag in my carry on. It worked beautifully.

My other tools were silk thread (LOVE it for hand sewing), John James sharps (the best needles for hand sewing IMHO), and Thread Heaven.

Heaven for your thread

We have to have a little talk about Thread Heaven. For quite some time, it's been my dirty little sewing secret. You see, I've done other projects which have required rather extensive hand sewing. And other sewists who have done the same have touted the benefit of using beeswax to coat the thread. This would mean running individual strands through beeswax, then pressing the threads with an iron between paper towels or paper and then getting to the sewing. I think that you'll agree when I say that I'm not the kind of sewista who shies away from labor intensive sewing projects. But pressing beeswax into thread is not something that I ever forsee myself doing. Honestly, I think it would be just one thing too many - the straw that breaks the camel's back for me. And Thread Heaven does the same job, but I've never heard it mentioned in the sewing blogosphere as a suitable substitute.  So, my question is: have you heard of or used Thread Heaven or is it, like I suspect, my dirty little cheat? Will I now be branded a heretic? I hope not, but c'est la vie!

Fianlly, there was zero direction in the pattern instructions on what kind of stitch to use to attach the strips of bias to the sleeves. I experimented with a few stitches and then settled on the pickstitch. The decorative side (the picks side) is on the underside, so lost. But because it's a mini backstitch, it's a strong stitch and allowed me to keep the stitching completely invisible. So, I think it was a good call on my part.

Anyway, I'm in full-on crunch mode. Tomorrow I hope to have nothing left to do but hemming.  Ladies and gents, cross your fingers and toes for me, please!

Yes, that is a glass of red wine. That's just how I roll on a Sunday night sew-a-thon....

Back in the Fall, I posted about my grandmother's sewing machine, which, after more than a decade in purgatory (ie: my parents's un-air conditioned attic), was given to me. I recently had it serviced, despite my local sewing machine repair store warning me that it might be more expensive than it was worth. But they did a fantastic job and now it's humming right along!

I decided to play around with it this weekend. It's definitely more tricky to thread, adjust and operate than my primary SM. And it has a much more limited range of stitches and features. But just look at the stitching! So beautiful! (Hi, my name is Clio and I am a sewing geek.)

Look at how beautiful the stitches are!

Spurred on by this discovery, I decided to see how it operated in real world use on my Burda knit top, which I keep mentioning, but haven't shown you. It's this pattern from Burda (2/2011- 102) in the blue fabric in this photo. This is my second version - the first was too big, so this top is two sizes smaller. I basted and tested the fit, and now I'm sewing it up with a narrow zig zag stitch. Honestly, Granny is doing a better job on knit than my expensive, modern machine. How sad is that? I've never been one to collect machines and, up until a few months ago, I just had one machine. But now I have a serger too, and once I'm done with this top, I think I'll leave this machine set up for knits and topstitching. (Sigh. I fear that this is how a habit/collection begins.)


Speaking of things that are old, look what I won on ebay!


A circa 1940 McCall's slip pattern - my first vintage pattern! Princess seams are a curvy girl's best friend - and sorely lacking in most current lingerie patterns. My "Unmentionables" project has been on hold since I... um... had a minor hissy fit at KwikSew. Anyway, when I shift back to cool weather sewing, I'll get back to it.

Wow, it was really a productive sewing weekend! And I have more to tell, but it will have to wait until tomorrow.  Ta for now.

So, this year I am getting a tax return. And I've decided to use it to buy my first serger. Woo-hoo! Thank you Uncle Sam. I am so excited by this, I can't even tell you.



I haven't really scratched the surface of the various sergers and their features. But I did read a few threads on PatternReview on buying a first serger. Based on that, plus my own personality quirks, I'd have to rank ease of threading/using as my #1 priority. At first, at least, I plan on using a serger primarily for finishing seams. But, I'd like a machine that has features that I can grow into. Most of all, I don't want to end up with a machine that I don't use because it is too difficult or fussy for me to master.

Anyway, as luck would have it, this weekend, Phineas and I visited family out of town, and it happened that the route to get there took us past Pocono Sew and Vac, which is where Phin bought my fabulous sewing machine. So, I had to pop in.  

Project Clio? - The Brother 5234

At Pocono S&V they showed me the Brother 5234 serger, which is part of their Project Runway limited edition line of machines. I am usually skeptical of special editions or celebrity sponsors, but right now this is the machine to beat. I had a very good experience with my first sewing machine, which was also a Brother. And several other sewists seem to like their Brother 1034 sergers, which I will also consider. The other machines that seem popular for first time buyers are the Juki 654 and Janome 634D.I'll also check those out.

Anyway, any of you who have sergers and opinions, please do feel free to chime in with suggestions or tips for me.  Thanks so much!

Last week my Pop called to say he was evicting me and my sisters. Or rather, all of our accumulated junk from high school, college and childhood was being evicted from the attic. So, on Sunday, the Muses assembled at family headquarters to go through all our old toys, clothes, science fair projects and memorabilia.

There wasn't all that much that belonged to me: one box from high school and one from college, both of which contained some real gems - speech and debate awards (I was a nerd), yearbooks, notes from friends, concert ticket stubs, etc. And I did come home with one outstanding new-to-me item.

My Grandma's Sewing Machine

My Pop gave me my Grandmother's sewing machine. It's a Sears Kenmore 1320 "Zig Zag Sewing Machine" and it boasts of having 4 different types of stitches. I am going to guess from the funky avocado colored accessories and the instruction manual that starts with a letter to "Dear Homemaker" that it is circa 1975 or earlier. It has been in my parents' (un-air conditioned) attic for ten years, but it still had the tag on it from the last time it was serviced.  So, I was optimistic that it would be in working order.

There are a bunch of mysterious presser feet. How cool is this button hole attachment?

I took out and started the machine up last night - it weighs a ton!  The machine was still threaded and there were bobbins still wound.  The motor protested when I tried to wind another bobbin, a sign that it definitely did not like my parent's attic or is showing it's age. And there is something funky happening with the part where you load the bobbin. You actually have to take the throat plate off in order to load it, which is very neat.  But something isn't catching or clicking on the inside to hold the bobbin in, but I'm not sure what. So, I have some work cut out for me in figuring out how to operate my new toy.


My Pop also sent me home with my Grandma's tin of buttons.  I don't think any of the buttons are particularly noteworthy, but the tin is excellent. It says "Ward's Fruit Cake" on it. I'm sure it was kicking around my grandma's house since the '50's.

Anyway, I am probably going to have to get the machine serviced or repaired, so stay tuned for more as I investigate further. I can't wait to get it into working order so I can take it for a spin.