Ps. I'm aware one of the pictures in this post might suggest I am about to sew over a pin and risk further mishap...don't worry, that kind of dare-devilishness is so far beyond my limits and the pin was about to whipped out just a stitch before reaching it (because I can now I have my new speed-limited foot pedal! Horay!).
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Velvet spaghetti and a breaking sort of day
Friday, 11 July 2008
Beauty and the Beast (I mean Bug)...
It took me a long time to decide not to go for a computerised machine and to stick with a mechanical one...but ultimately I couldn't bear the idea that if I was unlucky the computer could be fiddly or temperamental and need expensive repairs...and for me that outweighed all the extra bits of loveliness that a computerised machine would have to offer. When I thought about what I actually do with my machine I realised that I didn't feel limited by not having extra stitches (which is good as the stitch package is about as basic as they come), it had more to do with having an add-on walking foot that as it aged was increasingly failing to solve my differential feed problems, a presser foot that didn't lift high enough to accommodate all the layers of fabric that I wanted to put under it and so many other practical problems.
- The built in walking foot is amazing.
- It has a thread cutter so I don't have to root around for my scissors any longer.
- I can wind the bobbin through the needle, which makes everything so much quicker.
- I can set the machine to not go above a certain speed (this will be fantastic for when my children use it too).
- I can shift the needle over into 13 different positions which means I can get my top stitching exactly where I want it (I have used this function so many times that I now can't imagine how I managed without it).
- The presser foot raises so much higher than my old one.
- The lovely man in the sewing shop swapped over some of my old feet for new ones that will fit this machine...and they are quite wonderful and have a much better design than the ones for my Baby Lock.
Thank you so much for all the advice that you left here and emailed me with - it was really, really useful and I am so pleased with my final decision.
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Manly prints, two Lauras and a question
I find it so hard to find manly fabric, but in the absence of anything that overtly says 'I am MAN' (what would that fabric be like, I wonder...I'm thinking of a print that encompasses Ferraris, tiny Speedos, pumped muscles, with a few dead puppies thrown in for good measure...thank goodness I haven't found it!) I chose some natural linen and a black woven material that I had in my stash, along with some black silk for the lining. I embroidered his initials on the top of the case, which goes some way to making up for him not having the actual ipod engraved.
Each evening Ian puts it on the bedside table on top of one of the books that I bought him for Christmas. I chose Musicophilia ~ Tales of Music and the Brain for him as we'd both so enjoyed reading Oliver Sacks' The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat many years ago as part of our degree courses...but I'm wondering if this book is a little less riveting, as despite its presence on the bedside for the last six months he seems no wiser as to its content, but deceptively, it looks very well-read for the front cover is now even complete with coffee stain....perhaps he's The Man Who Mistook His Book for a Coaster?
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Fun with a staple gun...
Oh, and a little research question...if buying new would you go for a computerised or mechanical sewing machine? What do you think are the pros & cons of both? I would love your opinions. x
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