Early Christmas

I recently had the opportunity to buy a slightly used Bernina 710, so I'm considering it an early Christmas present to myself. It has way more bells and whistles than the Activa 140 I've been using, and I'm enjoying it a lot. So far, I've made the sweater set that I recently showed you, a pair of pajama pants, and another sweater knit shell (from the Loes Hinse pattern, but it goes with this cardigan that I made a few years ago).

In addition to the machine, a lot of accessories--a table, knee lift, extra bobbins, accessory case, cover, and some feet.

I'm keeping the Activa as a back-up and class machine, while this one will mostly live in the Sewing Cave. It's portable but kind of big to be hauling around.

Labor Day Weekend

This weekend has been relaxing and enjoyable so far, particularly since the weather has cooled a bit.  I recall seeing 100 degrees on the car thermometer last weekend while running around. This weekend, it's in the 80s and much more moderate after all the heat we've been having.

No sewing this weekend, although I stopped back at the liquidating JoAnn's Friday afternoon. What a difference a week makes! The place looks like locusts have been through it. No Coats and Clark threads left (although a good bit of Gutermann, figure that one out!). The pattern cabinets are empty, except for a few Burda and Simplicity patterns. They'll go fast at $2 each, now that the 4/$1 patterns are gone. As for me, I bought zippers. I want to make a TSW Quincy Top for fall and it requires a separating zipper for the closure. It seems that I never have the right one when I want to make a zippered project, so why not stock up now? The cashier called me the Zipper Queen. Oh honey, if you only knew...

I also took some time out to do some clearing in the Girl Cave. It had become something of a dumping ground with all the free fabric acquisitions and other flotsam that found its way in there. I guess I was in the right mood, because it was actually kind of enjoyable.

I have been working on jewelry this weekend. Not anything wildly creative, mostly just repairs and refashioning. Working on stuff like that is a good way to see how things are put together in case I decide to create from scratch. Plus, it's like getting new stuff! I can definitely see jewelry-making becoming another crafty activity. I like wearing baubles, and it's almost instant gratification. These are some that I worked on, using some jewelry I had and some stash items that I uncovered during my cleaning.

Alas, not very good detail, but the one on the left is a carved monkey bead that I kept very simple. A small bead on the bottom to hold a wire in place, loop at the top of the wire, then a thin leather cord. The earrings are a re-styling job, just the carved bone beads on wires. The original pair was way over the top--beads, plus a woven knot and tassel. Step away from the chinoiserie! The necklace on the right is a fancy reverse-painted bead that has dragons on each side. I used a discarded knot and tassel from the earrings at the bottom to secure the wire, a spacer at the top, and made a loop to attached the silk cord. This one is still a work in process; I'm not totally happy with how the spacer sits at the top of the bead. I'll wear it until I figure out how I want to change it.

Making a Mood Board

I'm always tearing things out of magazines and catalogs, often images of garments that I like. Usually I keep them in the back of whatever sewing journal I'm currently using. But this morning I was inspired to make a "mood board", using one of the closet doors in the Sewing Cave. It's nice to be able to arrange them--they tell more of a story as a grouping than as a sheaf of papers in the back of a notebook.

Right now, tunics and leggings are interesting to me. So are coats, now that the weather has finally cooled off. And details--the fabric roses on several garments, the origami trim on the t-shirt, the ruching on the gray blazer, and Ralph Lauren's chiffon top layered over a lacy sweater.

It took very little time to do, and the door was one of the few blank areas in the room. I see it evolving and changing over time, and it'll be interesting to see how it will influence what I buy, wear and sew.

Virtual Studio Tour: Past Posts

Here are some links to my previous posts about the Sewing Cave.

First Post, 2007

Sewing Room, 2008

Guest Room Storage

Downsizing and Reorganizing

More Downsizing

Machines

Now, maybe (probably) nobody is that interested in seeing old posts of my sewing space. But if you are, take a look.

Virtual Studio Tour

Cloth Paper Scissors is sponsoring a Spooky Studios Virtual Tour October 15-17. Since I haven't posted any studio pictures in a while and the Blue Gardenia hasn't contacted me (yet), I thought I'd participate with this post.

What I do: I've been sewing since I was in 7th grade and have tried a lot of different types of projects over the years. However, I keep coming back to garment sewing. Mostly I sew for myself.

Why I chose this space: My studio (aka the Sewing Cave) is located in one of the extra bedrooms in my 3 bedroom home. I had a sewing room set up in my last house too, and it got relocated here when I moved in the fall of 2004. It's right next to the master bedroom, which I felt was a little too close for a guest room. Interestingly, the previous owner also used this space as his studio.

You can see a sliver of the master bedroom from the Cave door in the next photo:


This space allows me to contain my equipment, tools, books and materials in one place. In theory, I can also close the door and hide all the clutter away, although that never happens. I used to use the third bedroom as overflow storage for fabric, but I was forced to consolidate it all in one room when my husband moved in last summer and wanted a room of his own for this things. So the third bedroom became his Man Cave and the fabrics moved into the Sewing Cave. Actually, that's been a good thing for me, as I became more organized in my storage and purchasing habits. Without getting rid of all that much, I now have it all in one room.

I have many, many portable plastic drawers that hold much of my fabric collection. This photo shows the Wall of Sterlite as I call it:


Of course, the closet is packed to the gills, but that's part of the challenge we all have, isn't it? More plastic in there:


Why it works for me: It's great to have a space where I can work on a project without having to put it away. I can be a lot more productive when I don't have to worry about setting up and taking down. No space is perfect, and my "someday" room includes a lounging area, more storage, and a larger cutting table.

Some of my favorite things in it or about it: I like having my machines set up so that I can look out the window.



This corner features a metal file cabinet that's used for storage of articles on sewing techniques, vintage patterns, and binders used to organize my pattern collection. A mini stereo sits on top. I keep my iPod docked there and listen to Pandora while I sew.


I like having the large bookcase for my reference materials--I enjoy having my books, patterns and magazines within easy reach. I'm gradually moving fabrics out of the bookcase. Because it's located directly across from the windows, there is a potential of fading. Eventually, I'd like almost everything to fit into the closet.


Most patterns are stored in the light blue boxes. The pink zebra striped bins are recent acquisitions from Hancock Fabrics that I use to store pattern overflow and other supplies.


The ones on top of the Wall of Sterlite are used for work in process. There's a separate project in each bin. The cutting table has leaves, one I leave up all the time for a work space. The other side comes up when cutting out projects, giving more than 5 running feet to work with.


A lot in a small space! My room is something like 10x11. I'm looking forward to transforming the raw elements into clothing that I'll enjoy wearing.

90% Off Sale

No, I don't need more fabric and I should be saving my pennies. But it's still hard to resist a 90% sale, even if it's at JoAnn's. I picked up the first 3 the day before I lost my job and the tweed a couple of days later. In all, I spent $14.90 on 13.5 yards of fabric. That's $1.10 per yard!

4 pieces, clockwise from lower left: chiffon print, black eyelet, turquoise tweed, and heavy rayon twill print.


One week out and I'm still a bit discombobulated. I haven't really done any sewing yet, but I've been doing a lot of sewing organization. I've gathered a couple of bags and a box of patterns, fabric, and old magazines to take to the next ASG meeting. I also found some more cotton remnants that I ripped into napkin squares.

I've also been clearing the closet in preparation for a charity pickup Friday morning. It gave me a lot of joy to bundle up the logo-embellished work clothes. Some of the garments are really nice, but I don't see myself wanting to advertise my former employer anytime in the future. So off they go! There are still some pieces in the bureau--I need to make sure to add them to the bag.

Sewing Equipment

Recently I received a question about what serger I used, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to talk about my sewing equipment.

Catherine asked:

"Do you use a serger? What brand and are you happy with it? I am very unhappy and discouraged with my Pfaff Hobbylock 756. Just won't hold the tension. Repair person can't even help me in Santa Fe."

I'm on my second serger. My current one is a BabyLock Evolve, and I love it. I bought it from Ann Silva's in Albuquerque, which has an excellent repair department. This model was recently replaced by the Evolution, which I haven't tried yet because I'm not much of a trader. I tend to hang on to my machines. It's true that the BabyLocks are pricey, but since I use my serger a lot, it's been worth it.

My first serger was also a BabyLock, a Protege model that I had for 14-15 years. Finally, the stitch quality deteriorated, and it was too difficult to keep it adjusted. I sewed a lot with it but it was time to let it go.

BTW Catherine, the Pfaff dealer in Albuquerque is Bob's Discount. I think they have a pretty good reputation. I don't know if they can fix your Hobbylock but that's another possible repair resource for you.


My primary sewing machine is a Bernina Activa 140 that I've had for a couple of years. It's a basic, but well made machine that mostly suits my needs.



I bought this BabyLock Audrey last year as a secondary machine to use for travel, classes, etc. I have to admit I haven't used her as much as anticipated. It's a nice little machine, though.

ASG Conference: Insiders' Tour of Santa Fe

I'm a little hesitant to make yet another blog post showing "stuff" that I got. Yes, I'm feeling a bit guilty because I did go off the deep end during the Conference. On the other hand, I can afford it, it brings me joy, and I will use these things in the furtherance of my sewing skills. I expect that things will even out, and I will step away from the credit card machine for a while.

At any rate, shopping isn't all I did on this tour.

There were things to see and do as well. After taking the buses from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, the first item on our agenda was a tour of the Santa Fe Opera, with our docent David. Even if you're not into opera, it's a cool place to see. It was founded in the 1950s with the goal of giving American opera singers an opportunity to learn and perform new roles in a setting that allowed ample time to rehearse and prepare each production. The Santa Fe Opera is a highly regarded opera festival that takes place in July and August of each year. Its mission is to present productions meeting the highest artistic standards in a repertory of new, rarely performed, and standard works.

In addition to the theater, we got to see the scenery, prop and costume shops. And the piece de resistance: costume storage! Up until that point, we were unable to take pictures because people were busy working on the next opening but the costume meister gave us a special opportunity to touch and photograph the costumes. Apparently this is not something that normally happens on the tour. Here are some pictures from that portion of our visit:



The smiling redhead in the green shirt is the costume meister. Thank you!!


We also had lunch there. The opera is located on the site of a former dude ranch and some of the original buildings are still there, near the cafe where we ate. Here are some photos of the pool area and plants around the cafe.



I wish I could make my xeriscape look so good!

Next, our bus went to Fred Bloebaum's home for a Trunk Show. Fred is the creative force behind the La Fred pattern line. Somehow we managed to get an entire busload of sewing ladies into the house for some shopping (after my preamble you knew there'd be shopping, right?).


In addition to her pattern line and some fabrics, there were vintage buttons by Sarah Lee Chavez and jewelry by Terry Wrobel. Here's what I got:


Our next stop was the Museum of International Folk Art. Our docent was the delightful Toby, a tiny little lady who was able to express much knowlege and delight throughout our tour. We visited two galleries: the first had the textiles of SW China's minority people and second had the shadow puppet theaters of Indonesia. I previously visited the museum in the fall, and it's one of my favorite activities in Santa Fe.

Our last stop was Santa Fe Plaza for more shopping. By this time I was about done in, and we didn't have a lot of time. I did get a very inexpensive tiered black skirt at a little "hole in the wall" Guatemalan shop. It cost all of $20. It needs a little work to remove a dopey ruffle at the bottom, but it'll be a fun piece for the summer. It has unruffled tiers of bias cotton, the edge of each tier left raw. I didn't take a picture of this; it's black and the details don't show well.

I also got a little sewing inpiration from Fred. After almost of week of wearing only her own line, she wanted to wear something different. So she sewed up an interesting green linen skirt that was based on one owned by a friend. LJ Designs has a very similar pattern, the Asymmetrical Skirt, which I hope I still own. It will look great in a solid; all of the previous ones I've made were in prints.

ASG Conference Vendors: Miscellaneous

More items purchased from vendors at the Conference:


4 hanks of hand dyed ribbons and stone donuts for jewelry. From Bohemian Element in Washington.


Raggy cat pincushion. I can't help it, I like kitty things. From Cat Brysch Studio in Magdelena, NM.


Fabric flower pin from Stitch in Time in Texas. This booth had lots of Asian silks as well as a few accessories like this one.

More...

The responses to my last post needed more attention than a quick reply on the comment page.

First, thanks to Karen, Marji, and Duchesse for the birthday wishes. I had a lovely time even if the day was lower key than last year. The crew at work brought in a Key Lime pie for me, and my BFF at work took me to Pei-Wei for lunch--yum!

The iPod interface is a great addition to the car. Not as practical as the snow tires I got for Christmas, but a heck of a lot more enjoyable. The interface DF bought for me was a BMW one, so it's not strictly an aftermarket accessory. I'm sure they exist though. What's especially nice is that it can use the existing playlists from the iPod; some of these gizmos require the user to set up a limited number of special "car" playlists. Mine also allows podcasts and audio books to be played, a nice plus if you like the spoken word as I do. Negotiating the menus is a little confusing so I've been sitting in the garage and fooling around with it when I arrive at home. That way I'm less of a danger to other drivers!! Depending on the make and model year, there may be ones specifically manufactured for your car. That seems to be the easiest way to go since it's designed to work with the other audio that's already in place.

Duchesse, a pattern! Good for you! If you're willing to eventually pull out the sewing machine, here's what you might want to do. Get the seamstress to make a muslin of the dress first, before she sews your garment from the good fabric. Let her know you want to have the muslin as well as the actual dress. Then use that muslin as a fit guide should you later decide to make another version yourself. Depending on the style, it could even be your sloper for other projects. I agree that sewing something special after a long hiatus is not for the faint-hearted, and it can be worth hiring a professional. Even though I sew, I'm thinking about doing this for the wedding dress (no, still no firm date yet).

The Sterilite I wanted is pretty simple--they're boxes with a separate lid, no fasteners. They used to be available in all kinds of sizes, but recently disappeared from WalMart and Target. I ended up getting a similar product from Rubbermaid that has the locking mechanism. They might be better, but the size is slightly different, of course. And no, I don't want to re-buy everything so it matches. Even I am not that obsessive. Someday I'll have that serene magazine storage look, alas, not now. It should be enough that I've made a simple bedroom closet hold more than it was ever designed to, but no! it has to look "perfect" as well. Like I said, I need to let it go and just enjoy having the storage.

Musings on Stash

It's time for me to chime in on this topic. Since Marji posted her thoughts, several of us sewing bloggers have joined the discussion. Since I have a load of "stuff", I just couldn't let this one go by.

I'm in the process of getting a bit more organized with my fabric collection. Not necessarily because I want to, but because I have to. DF is in the process of moving in, and he's getting the guest bedroom for his dressing room and Man Cave. That means I need to give up the auxiliary storage space (aka the guest room closet, bureau and under the bed). It all has to fit in my sewing room now, more stuff in less space.

I've already given a good bit away, having taken several unloved pieces to the ASG Trading Post. I still have some bags of upholstery velvets, brocades, etc. underneath the ironing board. I have a friend who teaches in the theater department at UNM, so one of these days I'll give her the first right of refusal on all of that.

Once again, Sterilite to the rescue! I discovered that I could stack Sterilite covered boxes 2 deep and 6 high in the sewing room closet. Great! That gave me a lot more storage, but I can't root around like I could when I had the closet and bureau.

So I've numbered all the swatch cards (um, there are 314 of them!!!!). I plan to get some stickers, number them, and stick them onto the side of the boxes so I have some idea of what's in there.

I always think it's funny when people tell me how organized I am. I don't think so. For me, doing organizational stuff is a means to an end. I don't organize for organization's sake, but to make my life easier and simpler.

But before all of that, I'm going to rearrange things so I'm making the best use of the Wall of Sterilite and the open shelves. Like with like and consolidating what I've got so there's room for future acquisitions (I know how I am) And yes, there may be another round of purging fabric that no longer speaks to me. That's ok, life moves on, tastes change.

For the most part though, I enjoy my fabric, so let me make clear that I'm not getting rid of any of it out of guilt. Why should I feel bad about having a collection? I enjoy my fabric and the possiblities it represents. If I want to start a project in the middle of the night or on Christmas Day, well, I can.

When I read the inevitable threads on PR and Stitcher's Guild about stashes, there are always comments along the following lines:

• I feel guilty that I have a supply of fabric.
• I feel guilty if I don't use every square inch of fabric that's left over; what do I do with it?
• I feel guility that I have fabric that's "too nice" to use.
• I feel guilty that I have fabric that's "too cheap/ugly/off register/off grain" to use.
• Having fabric is a burden.
• I have to sew up x number of yards before I can buy y number of yards.

With all due respect, I can't hardly read these comments anymore! Honestly, sometimes I think sewing is the last refuge of the obsessive-compulsive. The guilt and shame really get to me. Am I at a stage where I need to divest? Yes! Do I feel guilty about it? No! It just a fact of life. Folks, let go of the guilt. Collect, don't collect. Whatever. Your hobby should reflect you and your needs. For most of us, sewing is a hobby. That means it's supposed to be enjoyable, not a burden. Don't feel bad about having a hobby you enjoy. And if you don't enjoy sewing, find another hobby. Please. Life is too short for your hobby to be yet another burden in your life.

Deja Vu All Over Again

Like many of you, I planned on writing a New Year's Resolution post. I even went back to last year's entry. Well. Let's just say that I can state the same resolutions this year. So I will. As I said last year, this is more a listing of intent. It's not that I didn't accomplish anything in 2008, it's just that I need to keep going in these areas.

• At work, focus. In 2008, my rationale was because of a management change. The new manager has been place since February, and it's worked out very well. He really does a great job! But as we all know, the economy isn't doing so well right now. Although my company is doing pretty well, performance will be key. For another year, gotta bring the "A" game.
• Sewing, more of it. I continued to spend for RTW, stash, patterns, and sewing books. I'm not entirely disappointed in the sewing I did in 2008, but I want to continue to have this one on the list. Sewing is a good outlet for me, and since I enjoy it, I need to do it. Plus, I'm running out of space, so I have to reduce the stashes.
• Health and Fitness. I continued to maintain. However, still lackng in the fitness area. I'm moving the fitness intention into 2009.
• Financial. Doing better here, too. I'm making use of BillPay to schedule payments, etc. This year will be more about making better financial decisions instead of spending money because I'm bored or whatever.

So there you have it. 2009's intentions. Have a great New Year!

Downsizing and Reorganization, Part 2

I had the day off from work today and the weather was iffy this morning, so I worked on reorganizing all the fabric I pulled out Friday night. The discards are bagged and ready for giving away:

Then, I cleared out the sewing room closet and discovered that the Sterilite 20 quart containers fit perfectly into the space I had made. All the loose fabric in the picture below will eventually wind up in containers. I had several on hand but still need more.


The picture below shows some of the fabrics that I'm planning to sew soon.

From the top of the pile:

• The stuff in the plastic bag is rolls of Pendleton wool binding (more on that later).
• Cream and red toile will become pillow case covers for the master bedroom. DONE
• Green bacon and egg print is flannel that will become a nightgown. DONE
• Upholstery fabric remnant that will become a table runner DONE
• Royal blue solid is rayon doubleknit for the Michelle Obama dress.
• Taupe plaid wool, skirt.
• Tan and brown plaid wool, skirt.
• Black faux suede, skirt.
• Cream and blue windowpane plaid wool, skirt.
• Gray and black mottled looking fabric is actually an animal print sweater knit that will become a twin set.
• Beige and plum fabrics below are coordinating knits. Another twin set.
• Gold and black mottled fabric is stretch velvet that I'll use for a holiday top.
• Blue geometric print is Pendleton blanket yardage. I've had it for years but it's bulky because it's a heavy weight wool. Time to become something! The binding will trim the edges of the coat, this is a typical finish for Southwestern blanket coats. Any leftover fabric will become accessories for DF's future Man Cave, which will have a Southwestern theme. Hopefully, there'll be enough for a throw, but if not, then accent pillows.

I know it seems pretty ambitious, and it is, but several of the items I've planned will be made from TNT patterns. I've made several of the pillow case covers, I have a pencil skirt and narrow A-line patterns for the skirts, and the twin set pattern is an old Kwik Sew. The velvet top is an untried Simplicity pattern (3536) that looks pretty simple, the coat is likely to be the Sewing Workshop's Soho Coat, and the nightgown is the tunic view from a Simplicity pattern (9505) I've already made.

Downsizing and Reorganizing

DF is finally talking seriously about moving in with me. He's finally figured out that now isn't the right time to be selling my house. It's going to be a bit of a process though, as he'll gradually be moving in over the next 6 months, the term of his current lease. This is what happens when you're both older and have been on your own for years and years. We have to ease into changes.

As a result, I need to start making room for his things. While DF is a minimalist, he does have some stuff! Phase I is clearing out the closet and bureau in the guest bedroom so he'll have someplace to keep his clothes. As you all know, the guest room can easily become a haven for all kinds of "extra" storage and mine is no exception!! Among other things, my guest room is the auxiliary fabric spot. OMG!! I have so much fabric!! I mean, it's not like I didn't know all the yardage was in there, but this exercise has really forced me to face it.

So, last night, with the assistance of a glass of wine, I started pulling fabrics. So far, this is the discard pile:


I included fabrics from the main fabric room (I mean sewing room) as well, so I was able to create some extra space in the Wall of Sterilite and bookcase. However, this is what's left to be put away:


Looks like I'll need to get cracking on my sewing! Of course, that could lead to overflow in my clothes closets, but that's not such a bad thing... is it?

Honestly, I suspect that sewing will only be a part of it. I've been meaning for months to start auctioning on eBay, some items will go to the ASG Trading Post, Friends of the Library always seems to appreciate old books, and maybe I'll even do some giveaways here.

Catching Up

ETA: a photo of the completed pj's and a slight modification to the accompanying paragraph, since I obviously completed both of them.

The month is over half done and this is the first blog post I've done for September. Ugh!!! That's what happens when you have three major closings in three weeks after returning from vacation (was that already a month ago?). Today I had a pre-scheduled day off, so I'm home. I needed a little hiatus since I've been going to the office on weekends to try and keep up with the work load.


The plumbers should be here in a little while, we're still trying to figure out why the swamp cooler is leaking into the guest bathroom when it runs. The weather is cooler now, so I don't really need it, but we need to get this solved so the hole in the bathroom ceiling can be fixed.


This is one of many projects that need to be done around Casa Flan before I can even think about putting my house on the market. DF continues to negotiate for a move to his side of town (Far NE Heights), even though the real estate market continues to be stagnant around here. Mind you, DF is a renter so he really has no stake in the matter. It would be so much easier if he'd move in with me when his lease runs out, at least for a while. My house is nice and the neighborhood is too, even if it's not his favorite. IMO, if he loves his neighborhood so much, he should have bought a house up there, you know!?!





On the sewing front, I've done a little bit this month. This is the 3rd month in a row that I've made at least one garment for myself, in accordance with PR's garment-a-month challenge. This time I've made yet another couple of pairs of pj pants from that TNT, McCall's 2476. I do them assembly line on the serger, so both are fun prints in shades of yellow. This is where I can play with goofy fun prints that I'd never wear otherwise. I have 2 more cut out but will hold off on them for now. I've got very many pairs already made in cotton and flannel, so I'm set until some wear out.


I also bought another set of Sterilite drawers for the sewing room. I'd really like one more, but Walmart only had 4 on the shelf. I need to see if I can find another one when I'm out and about later today.


I'm not one for fabric moratoriums and such, but I really need to stop for a while. I'm running out of space and it's getting ridiculous. I don't want my sewing room to be a monument to my stash, I want it to be a work room where I can be creative and step away from my professional life for a time. With too much stuff and no place to put it, there's less room for that to happen, in both a mental and physical sense.


Oh, I also want to make sure I give some credit where it's due. A couple of blogger friends have had giveaways on their sites, and I've won stuff! First up, Materfamilias had a book giveaway and I won Simon Doonan's new fashion/style book, Eccentric Glamour. I also liked the card, a pretty abstract of koi? I'd like to hear more about the artist.





Raesha of My Love also had a giveaway, in which she shared a collection of vintage souvenir patches she scored while thrifting. I got this cool Yellowstone Park patch, complete with Old Faithful and a bear! Isn't it great? Another nice card too. Also, thanks for sending along your business card! Since we're both in ABQ, we really should meet up sometime.

My New Toy

Well folks, DF decided to buy a motorcycle. The 2006 version of this one:

BMW F 650 GS Dakar

Of course, I needed a toy as well. I went to Ann Silva's at lunch yesterday to buy some Do-Sew (pattern tracing paper for my non-sewing friends), and saw a sewing machine that seemed to have the features I needed. Although I have sewing machines (yes, plural), I'm not a big fan of the Brother I'm using now as my primary. The New Home 5000 is a nice machine, but it may have a bad touch screen on it and probably not worth fixing since it's a 1993 model. The Janome Gem is a nice little machine, but a bit too small and basic for a primary. As you might suppose, I was open to the idea of a new machine.

I went back after work, played with it for a while, pulled out the plastic, and brought it home:

Yep, my very own Bernina 140. You'll note that it's a "Patchwork Edition." I don't quilt, but no matter. Manny, Ann Silva's resident sewing machine wizard, says it's just the regular 140 packaged with an assortment of stitches that quilters like to have. In other words, it doesn't mind if you make clothes on it. Not a new machine, but new to me. And not cheap, but a lot less pricy than the brand new comparable models.

So there you are. I've gone over to the Dark Side.

DF was even pleased that I'd bought it, although he found my comment that it was "a BMW of sewing machines" a little silly. However, it's nice that he realizes that price and value are not the same.

Following Up

Time to respond to comments and follow up on some posts.


Diane is a fellow Louisvillian and asked where I went to high school, as she is a Durrett graduate. I went to Iroquois HS, located in the South End.


Carolyn and Faye Lewis: thank you for your comments on my sewing room. It's a pleasant place to spend time. I can't find the comment right now, but somebody asked me how large the room is. Not that big, really. According to the house's floor plan, the room is 11 feet 4 inches by 10 feet 8 inches.


Also be sure to take a look at Annika's shelves for fabric storage. I'm quite impressed!


The day after I posted my rant about the postal service, I received a call from one of the supervisors on the day shift. She was also helpful and she promised that it would be corrected that day. And it was! Since it was resolved so well, I thought I should give a compliment.


The Calvin Hunt is Officially Over: a couple of days after I wrote that post, the Size 10 I ordered from eBay arrived. I also got a different Calvin pattern yesterday, a circa 1990 anorak:





I had planned on using it to make this J.Jill jacket:





However, I noticed it was on sale for a good price on the website yesterday so I went ahead and bought it. But I definitely see myself making the anorak at some point.


Carolyn and Marji: I don't see either one of you advocating not having a stash! I hope I didn't give that impression. Personally, I think having a minimal stash is vastly overrated, especially if you live in a fabric wasteland like I do. True, there's the internet. But that involves a slight wait, doesn't it? (wink wink nod nod)

Organizational Tricks Part Two

I was going through old posts looking for some information, and came across this post about organizational tools I use to maintain control over my sewing stuff. In it, I mentioned that I'd talk about patterns at a future date, but I haven't done it yet.


I've collected numerous patterns over the years, both independents and the "Bigs" (the McCall's group, Simplicity and Kwik Sew). I keep them in boxes that fit into the shelving unit in my sewing room. The boxes are repurposed beverage cases. I covered them with contact paper so they'd look nicer. The patterns in each box are sorted by number. Ideally each brand would have its own box, but some brands have to share.

I make a copy of the front and back of each pattern envelope. These are kept in binders, and are sorted by pattern type--categories include Dresses, Jackets, Loungewear, Bottoms, Tops, Knitwear, Ensembles, and Miscellaneous. Within each category, the copies are sorted by pattern company, then by number. In essence, these are my own individual pattern catalogs.

Here's a sample page from the black binder. It was the first one and still has different categories in it.




This is a system that's developed and evolved over time, but it works for me. If I know the brand I'm looking for, I can easily go to a box and look for them. Or, if I know the type of garment I want to make, I can look through the binders.


However, I'm having a space problem lately. I'm running out of room in the boxes. I only have 7 boxes, they're just about full, and I'm also running out of room to put boxes on the shelves even if I got more. I've been culling patterns from the collection, which helps some. I'm less successful at avoiding the acquisition of new patterns. Working on it though, even though eBay and the ASG Trading Post continue to call out to me.


On a tangent, I took Monday off this week and spent a couple of hours working on the yard. The cacti are starting to bloom, and this little barrel cactus was the first:




This plant is already starting to fade a bit, but others are gearing up. I'm looking forward to seeing flowers on the big cacti. The cholla has vibrant fuschia ones and the prickly pear has yellow.

Stash and the Spring Shift

I hope Carolyn doesn't mind if I use her latest post to riff on the topic of stash. I don't think she will, as she's a generous soul and shares in so many ways with all of us in Sewing Blog Land. Anyway, I figure it would only give her credit for the inspiration...also Marji, who's been struggling with this issue lately. I admit, sometimes I worry about this a little too, especially since DF (the Minimalist) and I plan to combine households in the near future. He's going to be shocked when he realizes exactly how much stuff I have...and he thinks 1700 SF will work? Umm, no. I think not. I don't require a ginormous house, but I don't like being cramped either.

Anyway, to the topic of stash...

I know how I am. If I cleared all my stash out, I'd just start all over again. It's my nature. I do better having a supply on hand. What I really need to work on is doing actual instead of virtual sewing. However, no guilt! It's counterproductive. I'd prefer to focus on moving forward instead of the shortcomings of the past.

I'm in a bit of a spring cleaning mood today. I'm doing some fabric shifting. Most of my fabric is stored in the sewing room but there's some overflow into the guest bedroom. That room can stay vacant for months at a time. Therefore, the closet,

the bureau,





and under the bed are fair game. Most of the off-season fabric ends up in there.

But back to the sewing room. I keep some of my fabrics in the bookcase. It's a compromise. In my old house, I had a walk-in closet in the sewing room so I could just hang the stash and get visual inspiration by looking around. Now I have a bigger house but a smaller sewing room closet, so some of the shelves are used for fabric.



However, it's a compromise that's worked well. It's inspiring to have seasonal fabrics out where I can see them. Mind you, it doesn't mean I'll actually use them, but the visual cues help inspire me to sew for the new season.

And seeing fabric also helps me to remember the fabric in the bins.



PS. Since starting this post earlier, I noticed that the Slapdash Sewist and sewl sista #1 also posted entries on this topic today. Something's in the air, I guess!