Sewing – Fabric, Patterns, Vintage – Page 8

The Studio

I’ve had a room I call “The Studio” for years now – but somehow it has never felt especially complete until yesterday. Why? I bought a sewing table. For the last 30 years I have had to clear off the drafting table or take over the dining table to sew. It’s a nuisance for someone who really enjoys sewing but hates clutter. Take things out. Put things away. Hate the mess of clutter. Hate the urgency to put things away. Thus, on a whim, when I saw this table, I bought it. Because it was a floor model, it was marked down, but even better, it was already assembled! At last, my sewing urges can be allowed to stay out in the open, at my whim and will.

Sewing has its corner.

Painting has its own corner.

Computer has its own corner.

Cameras and supplies are on the shelves, as are books and paper and paint and thread.

All is right with the world.

Thread

This next year I want to explore film photography more. This picture is not really exciting, but it is a jpg produced on a professional scanner by a professional film developing company. I haven’t gotten the negatives back yet, but I suspect it is a 400 iso film; I hope the negs will tell me which film is what!

I like the grain, and I like the colors – not what I would normally get in a SOOC image on any of my digital cameras. In LR, I can really manipulate the noise / grain to make it nearly disappear – but is that what I really want to do?

Looking at the scans, I see there is a lot to consider in film photography, especially since it really does look different than digital, even in a jpg!

I Needed a Change!

I have just written about how I am disgusted by becoming obsessed with photography. What that means is that I don’t like getting so focused on one thing that everything else I like to do takes second, third, or some place down the road. Life then becomes – for me – rather dull and quite uninteresting. And way too focused. It becomes a trap.

I don’t like thinking of only one thing at a time. I like being in different areas of interest in my head, and in my daily life. It keeps everything in balance. Creativity is an energy which can become quite wonky if not properly directed. It becomes a chore, and downright unpleasant when decisions are not being able to be made. Stagnation then sets in. And frustration. And so on.

To break this up, this is what I have been doing these last few days:

Other Things to Do (5 of 11) Other Things to Do (3 of 11) Other Things to Do (10 of 11)

Other Things to Do (9 of 11) Other Things to Do (7 of 11)

Janome Coverpro 1000 CPX

Do I really need another new toy? I guess so, cuz I bought it. And I got a good deal on it from my favorite sewing machine store, too. It really pays off to support your local businesses, and it feels good, too.

Anyhow, the video . . . it shows the model prior to the CPX, the CP. I am not quite sure why the CP was discontinued – I think I read it had some feed issues. The reason the video is posted here is to show some of the attachments and how to use them. I like information like that. I am watching the video before I play with the machine, and probably others, too, to learn what it can do. Then, sit down and read the manual, and get around to playing.

A Bag for the Lady

I got a new-to-me sewing machine the other day, a Kenmore 158.19802, but that is a story for another day. However, it needed to be used, and I needed something fun to do that wouldn’t make me nuts. My sewing student likes to make stuff, like pillow cases and stuffed felt tomatoes, and me, I have never done anything with my sewing except make clothes. Because her thinking patterns aren’t mine, I decided to think outside of my box, and looked for something free, and useful. Voila! The Pleated Tote by Artsy Crafty Babe.

This is a free pattern, and it is really well-designed. It looks good, has great directions, and with sale material, didn’t cost me more than $10.00 and some time. And, I got to see how the new-to-me-machine works (very nicely!). The pattern is all in the PDF file, ready to be cut out!

What I did differently from the original pattern is to double the length of the straps – I like long ones, so I can wear the bag diagonally if necessary, or knot up the straps if I want shorter handles.

A few other things I did was to interface the material and the lining with fusible lightweight pellon, clip the corners and curves, and made sure the darts of the lining and the outside of the bag were sewn to lay in opposite directions to keep the thickness of the material as minimal as possible. Nice details, such as inside pockets, a button loop, and gentle curves, make this bag a winner.

Construction directions were clear – and if I had not read them I would not have done it right. You sew the lining and body together, right sides together, and get this.

Through an opening left in the lining, you pull the bag right side out!

The material itself is a bit heavier than calico-weight cotton, sort of a lightweight upholstery, but not a duck. It is 100% cotton, and although dry cleaning is recommended, I washed the material in hot water and dried it on hot – I like to shrink anything I know is going to go into the washing machine. (I don’t know anyone who would dry clean a purse!) I needed about 2 yards of material, and the stuff I used was 60 inches wide. The body of the purse and the lining match, as do the pockets. Because I wanted a bit of body to the overall purse, I decided on the interfacing for the lining and external part of the purse, and am glad I did – lightweight, but not shapeless.