TAST 2012 - Week 3 - Feather Stitch

Done! I've added the feather stitch to the mini crazy quilt that I've been stitching on, finished the work into a fabric postcard and am ready to move onto the Cretan stitch. And, I'm having a lot of fun! 

It's amazing how learning new skills or brushing up on rusty ones has a childlike quality to it. The discovery, the "do-overs", using the imagination - it's all part of the journey. Head on over to Pintangle to see what stitchers all over the world are working on every Tuesday and join in! 

Get Going ... Playing! How do you play? Common wisdom says that "play is the work of a child". Bridging work and play, The Official Site of the Nobel Prize has lots of games and simulations to help all of us understand the achievements of Nobel Laureates. So, go play and learn a bit about astrophysics, immunology or diabetes at the same time!

That's my bobbin!

Well, it will be. I have 6 on the way. I hope they fit. This a long shuttle bobbin, also known as a vibrating shuttle bobbin. 

It's for my Kenmore 117.36 - a very heavy, very old sewing machine that I bought from an "antique store" that was a bit like the "antique store" on Sanford and Son. 

It only came with one and I'm going to spend a good chunk of time this long week getting comfortable sewing with it. I bought a box of Sunbrella and other canvas remnants. I also bought some 40 gauge vinyl and a video called "Make Your Own Dodger" from Sailrite. It's time to test the plan. I'm going to try to repair and replace the canvas coverings and vinyl windows on The Boat. Kind of exciting, actually!

I'm also going to be doing some research online. Marine Fabricator's how-to articles should get me going! Don't you love the Internet? 

Get Going ... Slowing! I'm going to take it slow this weekend. I'm not saying I'm going to take it easy, but I want to use the weekend time better. To recharge, refresh and be ready to face the new week anew - not just feeling like the weekend was too short.

TAST 2012 - Week 2 - Buttonhole Stitch

I can't believe that January 2012 is almost half over! I must either be very busy or having a lot of fun - time sure goes quickly! (Actually, both are true!)

It's Week 2 in the Take a Stitch Tuesday 2012 Challenge. This is fun! The Internet is such a great place to find super creative people who are incredibly generous with their time and talents. This is a great example.

I've done the fly stitch and have started working the buttonhole stitch - both are shown below. Such a great antidote for the holiday slowdown that is so often part of January. I'm lovin' it!

Get Going ... Looking! As 2011 came to a close, news sources around the globe posted their pictoral summary of the year. Take a look at the Wall Street Journal's Year in Photos and the incredible array of trials and successes we humans have experienced this year.

Rescued from a haywire buttonhole

My plan for my recent Kwik Sew project, absolutely included button holes at the neckline. It made the difference between a t-shirt and a cute top. Since I don't know the girl I was sewing for, and because she's the kind of girl that doesn't get a new outfit very often, I wanted it to be well, more than just a t-shirt. 


So I practiced and I got one done pretty well, but the second one was a disaster. A huge bird's nest on the inside of the neckline would have been itchy and unsightly. Fortunately, I didn't cut the first one before trying the second one. After carefully pulling it out, almost one thread at a time, I knew I couldn't try again.


Plan B. I sewed the buttons on where the buttonholes should have been - and one still is! Then I sewed plastic snaps behind the buttons. Depending on how fast she likes to get dressed, the top might just pullover her head and she may never know the snaps are there!

Turned out to be a pretty good save and the outfit is ready to be worn! I'll say a prayer for her when I turn the outfit in. There are so many children who get by with so little. I hope this little girl feels the love sewn in.

Get Going ... Economy! Sewing was, for a very long time, kind of a solitary endeavor. The Internet, blogs, forums and other things cyber have provided some community that was a little harder to find years ago. But technology isn't the only thing driving a growing sewing sector. The recession, a desire to "go green" and the need to find a creative outlet are all combining to get sewing going.

How many tools does it take to.... ???

I approached a recent project - the Kwik Sew children's outfit - with a little more care than might be guessed. 

It wasn't a difficult project, but the top was sewn in a stretch terry knit and I'd followed the directions for a Front Placket and Faced Neckline. It's instructions like these that make the pattern book such a treasure. Step-by-step instructions to create unlimited variations on very simple styles.

Good. The instructions are excellent and I took great care to make a sample before I started the buttonholes. Once I was ready to do the real buttonholes (3 of them), I started with the one in the middle and waited to cut it until I'd done the one at the neckline. Good thing. 

Between the neckline and the placket edge, the buttonholer lost it's mind and I had a massive bird's nest. So, the question. How many tools does it take to rip out a buttonhole? A buttonhole made with white thread on white stretch terry?

5, evidently:

1. scissors
2. stiletto (amazing tool)
3. snippers
4. tweezers
5. seam ripper

Each one, indispensable and kept within arm's reach of my sewing machine. Just goes to show you that a good set of tools is critical - each one played it's own special role. And the top was saved - more on the recovery in a couple of days.

Sew... what tools do you keep in arm's reach? 

Get Going ... Smiling! The Royals of the United Kingdom are a little bit of a mystery to this American, but they have always held a certain charm for me. Representatives of a life more civilized, perhaps. News of Prince Philip's recent health scare certainly hit our airwaves and I was happy to hear that he'd been able to return home to Her Majesty so quickly and with a big smile on his face. 

Little Girl Sewing, the Kwik Sew Way

Several years ago, I bought several Kwik Sew books, including Sewing For Children. I think it's entirely possible to outfit your kids with these books alone - not other patterns needed. There's flexibility and so much inspiration packed inside this book. I wanted to sew for a little girl and I got my inspiration from this picture in the book:

I still need to get the buttons sewn on and I had a terrible fit with the buttonholes, but other than that, the outfit is complete. I don't know who will be the recipient of this little top and skirt, but I hope she enjoys it and feels the love and joy of the Christmas Spirit when she receives it. I know I did as I was making it. 

And, isn't that what Christmas is all about?


Christmas blessings and peace to all.


Get Going ... Decorating: Never ones to let a holiday or important anniversary go by without comment, Google is decked out for the season again this year. Be sure to click around to see the animation and hear the music. You can also check out the Christmas Google Doodles from years gone by.

Already? My 2nd FNSI!

Seems like I just participated in my first Friday Night Sew-in and now, I'm signed up for another one! Sponsored by Heidi and her cousin Bobbi, my first FNSI was successful - it helped me get my DD's Dorothy costume ready in time.


So, I'm signed up for the second one to be held in December. I think they are typically once a month, but double up in December because the average quilter/sewist/crafter has such a long to-do list this time of year. I'm no exception to that rule!


Tonight, I'm going to work on the header for the master berth. That's boat-speak for   the headboard on the bed in the boat's master bedroom.


Hoping to get "after" pics posted to the Flickr board tomorrow, they'll be fun to compare to the "before":

I don't have a "before" photo of the berth header installed, but these pics give an idea of the sections and the colors that I'm replacing. 

Most of the project is fabric cutting and stapling in place, but I'm sewing the finishing touches, so I think it counts for a FNSI. Whether it counts or not doesn't matter so much to me. I'll just be happy to have it done! The plan: 

 Plan ahead – plan's in place.

 Cut fabrics ahead of time. Done!

 Use plastic bins or boxes to separate your projects. Done!

 Quick dinner - pick-up during after work Costco run!

 Bribes.. No need for bribes - DH wants these headers done as much as I do!

 Work? Come home, get comfy and … Get Going Sewing!

UPDATE 12/23/2011: A couple of quick "after" shots... A huge improvement and a very satisfying project, indeed!

Get Going ... Surfing? The Beach Boys brought the sport of surfing into every American teenager's home during the 60's - no matter how far they lived from the sea. Their music is still played on radio stations and their sound evokes a feeling of a simpler time. They announced today that they'll be touring! Whether you remember or you're among a new generation of fans - Everybody's learning how, come on and safari with me...!