Robot Theme...

A request for clothing to wear to a robot themed party gave me the chance to use one of my recent pattern purchases: Dapper Dillinger Trousers from Patterns by Figgy's. Unlike patterns I used when my kids were little, the pattern pieces come on thick paper, instead of that awful tissue paper which tears so easily. Even so, I still traced the size I needed onto my paper.

The instructions were clear and easy to follow. I did find that the inside of the front waistband was a little tricky and wasn't quite as neat as I would have liked. No one can tell from the outside and this will not affect how it wears. I used a dark navy pincord, with royal blue and light blue robot material for the cuffs and pockets. Pincord is nice and warm, but at the same time is very soft.

To match the pants, I made a hat from one of those tissue paper patterns.  I found the hat very fiddly, but it came together in the end. As you can see from the picture, it's nowhere near perfect: there's a little gather where there shouldn't be and the top doesn't line up as it should. The crown is a little too short, so it won't last as long as I would have liked. I still need to add a little velcro to the straps.

In keeping with the theme, I also made a robot wall hanging. I used an existing store bought wall hanging to gauge the size, but created the design myself. As I've repaired the existing wall hanging a couple of times, I knew how not to make it.

The backing is made from cotton drill, quilting cotton and thick, woven interfacing. Three ties were sewn into the backing. The backing is reasonably weighty and so it hangs well.

The pockets are lined with the quilting cotton the same as the backing material, so there are no seams showing. I was very pleased with how the Bernina sewed through the corners and edges of the pockets. I did change to a jean's needle for this part.

This is the first wall hanging I've attempted and I'm chuffed with how it turned out.

Sewing Machine Maintenance...

I don't like oiling sewing machines. When it says one drop, I invariably use more and I find it hard to work out from the diagrams, just where the oil is supposed to go. The first time I oiled this machine, I wasn't convinced I had done it properly.

This time when the oil light came up, I thought I'd better clean the stitch plate and the hook. Initially, I couldn't follow the diagram and thought I'd have to ask Mr TMW to help when he came home from doing the shopping. However, I persevered and was able to successfully remove and clean them both, with no help.

With the hook removed and a strong light directed at the sewing machine, I was able to see where that one drop of oil should go. I know I put it in the correct place, because I could hear the difference, which means I didn't do it properly last time.

I'm not at all mechanically minded, so I was very pleased with myself for not needing help!

My New Toy...

When I was first married, with the help of my father, I purchased a Lemair Helvetia sewing machine for the princely sum of $100. It was a lot of money for us at the time. It was very basic and could only do a straight stitch and zig zag, but I certainly got my money's worth out of that machine. 

A few years ago, I inherited my mother-in-law's Janome. My mother-in-law was a talented sewer, who used to draft her own clothes' patterns; something I can only dream of. The Janome was certainly a step up from my old Lemair and much lighter to carry, too. This machine now resides at my daughter's place, waiting to be used. She is quick to tell me that I haven't spent the time to teach her how to sew and this is very true. It always seemed easier to do it myself, rather than spend the time to impart the skills. I am hoping to rectify this situation and I know my mother-in-law would have been chuffed to know that her grand-daughter was using her old machine.

A few months ago, I spent some money and upgraded to a Bernina Aurora 440QE and am so pleased I did. It is a dream to sew with! Over time I will learn to use all the features. Initially I thought it was just wonderful that there was a button to make the needle go to the up and down position. How cool is that! When I press the wrong button and am not sure what I have done, all I need to do is turn it off and on again and the machine is reset. The oil light appeared last night. This is the second time since purchased, which means that I've done 360,000 stitches.

My first project with the new toy, was to sew some bandanas for a group providing hats, bandanas and beanies, to children who have undergone chemotherapy. This was a really easy task, but one I enjoyed. As the bandanas are for kids, they only require a 19" x 19' square of fabric. Hem the sides and they're done. As time permits, I'm hoping to sew more of these.

The Bernina performed as I expected: beautiful stitches, no tangled thread and lovely neat corners.

A New Beginning...

For quite some time now, I've been wanting to start my own blog. However, I'm a great procrastinator, if I'm unsure about something. I like to get things just right the first time and there's SO much I don't know about blogging. Not to mention, my doubts:
- Will anyone read my blog?
- Do I want to put myself out there?
- Will I measure up?

I learn a lot by reading other peoples' blogs; mainly sewing and craft related. It's a world I'd like to be part of, so I'm entering this new world with next to no knowledge... finding my way, so to speak.

When my children were little, I made the majority of their clothes. In the main, I enjoyed doing so, but it was also done out of necessity, to save money. It was also usually done in a rush, whilst working full time. As the children grew older, the need to sew became less as we established ourselves. Life became busy with other things and sewing faded into the past.

Fast forward many years, enter grandchildren and extended long service leave and I have a renewed enthusiasm for sewing. This time I can sew at my leisure and I find I am REALLY enjoying it.

Yesterday I signed and posted my retirement papers, effective as of next month. It's time to redefine myself and learn new things. Perhaps entering the blogging world of sewing and crafting can help me to do that. Here goes...