Wednesday 6 January 2010

Janome 4618 hard at work!

Well I finally mastered the (well ok tamed it a bit) beast. I have made a couple of things off my list. I have also finished something I started AGES ago (so much for being able to do it in the time it takes to watch a movie...5 months is one hell of a film!).

I made the girl's winter bags for keeping their scarves, hats and gloves in. I even made the labels via embroidery! Woo go me! I bought a ring to do it and everything and I am quite pleased with the result. The label edge still needs Pinking but my shears are on holibobs for the moment and it can wait.




The project I finished was the Nine Patch Doorstop by Oh Fransson. It has taken me so long because I didn't have a zipper foot until recently so I couldn't do the zip, simple really! I also had such an arse of a time trying to track down fusible fleece that I gave up (the haberdashers around me are pretty limited sadly) and bought some nice thick felt and wonderweb (necessity is the mother of invention eh?!). I got that today and I have finally almost finished, I am just missing the jaunty button but I am feeling uninspired in the button department (and my collection is rather dowdy). I just need to get some beans or something to go in it and I can bin the manky old cat post that has been used until now!





Oh and this also happens to be the first bit of quilting I have ever done, I am quite pleased with myself!

I have been a busy bee this evening and now I am going to go to bed and listen to more Jane Eyre and quietly pray for a miraculous heatwave over night to melt all the snow so Paul go to work and the girls can go to preschool tomorrow morning! Although we stayed with very helpful family over Christmas I confess I am looking forward to 3 hours of my own company more than I would like to admit!

7 comments:

l'optimiste said...

yay!!! quilting! next stop, kids bedclothes...
x

Muddling Along said...

That's adorable

Can I pick your brains on sewing machines? I'm really tempted to ask Mr for one for my Christmas and birthday (he is holding my Christmas present until I decide what I want ...) and I'd love to be able to do something like this

Vix said...

Of course you can. I would skip the "beginner stage" one and go straight for this if I could have my time over. This one has a range of feet so loads of options and an automatic buttonholer (bliss as button holes are an arseache). I have found it pretty easy to pick up sewing and believe me I have come from nothing in 6 months. I just try to think of everything in terms of seams and once you can sew a straight seam you are away. A basic "how to sew book" will take you through everything you need to know and there are some fabulous tutorials out there to learn to make things with.

Does that help at all? Failing that hit John Lewis and see what they suggest to you, I think they do a free lesson when you buy it in store but I could be very much mistaken!

Muddling Along said...

Ooooh thank you ! Any suggestions for a book ? I really want to make some things for the girls and the house and can't remember anything from my school home ec classes

Vix said...

this is good for technical terms:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sewing-Book-Alison-Smith/dp/1405335556/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262812663&sr=8-1

and these are what I have in my collection for "making!"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sew-Cath-Kidston/dp/1844007561/ref=sr_1_45?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262812739&sr=8-45

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Childrens-Clothes-Emma-Hardy/dp/190652579X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262812798&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quilting-No-Time-Step-step/dp/1906525293/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262812835&sr=1-2

And my friend swears by this book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/S-E-W-Everything-Workshop-Diana-Rupp/dp/0761139737/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262812872&sr=1-3

(if you are getting this all as a gift, don't forget to ask for vouchers to spunk on pretty fabrics!)

Muddling Along said...

Thank you !!! Hadn't even thought about fabrics - live in a bit of an oasis of shopping so need to think ahead for that

Vix said...

Ebay rocks for fabrics. And Ikea... I love Ikea fabrics (and I live 5 mins from one so if you need a run I can do that and post).