Oh happy day!

In between meetings and work, etc, I got to pick up my Wazoodle Fabric order at the Post Office.  Oh happy day!  While supper was cooking, J and I opened up the box.  It's vacuum packed so once you poke the plastic, the fabric pops out.   Now don't look too closely because the makings of your Christmas gift may be here!  Joel said at supper 'are you really going to be able to get all that sewing done?'  Well, some of the material is for post Christmas projects.  But still, I'm probably partly insane since this is a busy time at work.  

Trying to Stitch Away Grinchness

Life is gearing up for the annual holiday. I admit it. I'm a Grinch! But in between these preparations has been a bit of sewing-related fun. J loved wearing one of N's old summer nightgowns but as the weather got colder I decided to make her a flannelette one. She's learning -- as soon as she heard I was getting a pattern ready to make her something -- she started heading downstairs to choose the fabric from my stash! More on the nightgown sewing in the pattern review, below right.



Thought I'd learn a bit about sewing machine repairs and maintenance. I get a bit weary of the cost of having my machine tuned up ($115 for the serger tune-up and small repair last month and that's about 1/4 of what a new one costs)and relying on some man in a backroom I can't talk to to do the job. Plus, the machine usually sits in their shop for three weeks until they get around to it. So I purchased an e-book online and began reading. Then went hunting in our local antique and treasure shop for an older machine to practise on. The owner actually gave this one to me. Said that by the time she pays to have it serviced she can't make a profit and someone can go to Walmart and buy a new machine for about the same price. (There's a lot wrong with that -- the cheap new machine will be flimsy, made with plastic parts and this old machine is a strong workhorse that just needs a tune-up)
I thanked her and brought this Piedmont Sewing machine home. Joel also got interested and so we spent part of one evening working on the machine, learning as we went. Within a short time, the machine was working fine. We're looking forward to spending more time learning how it works and to repair timing, etc.
I've also learned that these little machines can have a lot of history piled into them, thanks for some informative folks on Pattern Review. This machine was made in Japan for the Hudson's Bay Company, probably in the late 1950s. It's called a badged machine because the Japanese factories would make the sewing machines and then various department stores would 'badge' them as their own. These machines actually had improvements on them that Singer didn't have and would later copy (such as the way the foot pressure is designed and incorporating the light into the machine body). Hmm....sounds like the auto industry.

Meditative Crafting

Just added this gem to the Church library. While I don't knit, I still enjoyed this book. It fits in with some recent books that knitting can be a prayerful, meditative act. Reminds me also that my sewing can be prayerful also if I'm intentional.
The Prayer Shawl ministry is one where people knit/crochet shawls to be given to people going through special events such as cancer treatment, a loss or even the joy of a new child. The prayers said while making the shawl enfold the recipient of the gift. Often a shawl is prayed over in a congregation prior to being given away. It may seem strange but I think those prayers make a difference. I remember going to visit a woman after she'd received a quilt made by church quilters that had also been prayed over during Sunday worship. As she rested between cancer treatments she'd sleep underneath the quilt. "It feels damn good," she told me.
Interspersed between the patterns in this book, are personal stories of women who knit these shawls -- personal stories of faith, crafting and caring for others. The stories actually made me think I don't do anything similar with my sewing but then I remembered Helen. When my friend Helen was dying, I was far away and unable to be with her. So I sewed her a cheery red, fleece pullover. It made me feel good to be able to do something tangible for her. After she died, her daughter told me her mother enjoyed wearing it but seemed particularly happy about the label I'd sewn into into a lower side seam, "Made with love." This being able to work with our hands is a blessing in itself.

Setting up House

My parents found this doll house for J at the Fairfield United Church Garage Sale. As you can see, she's likes it very much. From looking on eBay, I think it's a Fisher Price Loving Family Doll House, circa 1993. We're planning on getting her a few of the small dolls and a bit more furniture on eBay for Christmas. The decal decorations are quite faded so I'm hoping on my SIL Nancy's scrapbooking expertise to brighten it up. This is a big hint here!
J particularly liked the cradle that came with it since she enjoys playing with babies. However, one end was missing. Last night she and I made a 'new' one. I traced the one end on cardboard, cut it out, punched some holes in and then J painted. This morning, we put the cradle together and she was quite pleased with the results -- except she tells me the cradle now needs a blanket! I do like this age. Kids have such wonderful imaginations and it doesn't have to be new or fancy, in fact, fixing it up becomes part of the fun.

Winter Jumper in balmy AB

This weekend I finished up J's jumper as well as a dress of the same material for her favorite baby. Quite amazing that it's the first of November and we could take these photos outside.

Here's a photo of the length. J was very intent that her doll be fully seen in the photo.




I added buttons onto the pockets which she was delighted to discover. She saw the cat right away. Because the pigs -- there's another on the other pocket -- blend into the material, she didn't notice these until she'd been wearing it for an hour. She was excited about that. But it seemed the best surprise came a few hours later when she discovered the button I'd used to support the stem of the pig button
I'd used a flat, heart-shaped button on the inside of the pocket to support the pig button. This has been referred to as her 'hidden' button.

Talking Pumpkin

The trick or treating is over and it was time to cook up the pumpkin to make Pumpkin Spice Cake So I put it in the oven as my Mom taught me to soften it before trying to peel it. When I went to pull it out, steam was pouring out of its eyes and mouth and that bubbling moisture was making the pumpkin gurgle and sputter. The 'talking' reminded me of various folks decorations last night as we walked through the neighbourhood. Unfortunately it's difficult to see the steam in this photo and there's no sound!

Refurbished buttons

I found J this jean jumper at a thrift store for $3. It was easy to repair the lace on the bottom But the dull buttons (with yellowish petals and white centre) just didn't reflect the colourful embroidery on the sides. So I dug into my stash and came up with some brighter colours -- flowers, music notes and a roller skate. J loves them. I was going to throw the old buttons into recycling but decided to see if I could re-paint them with nail polish. The centres of the buttons all popped out so that made it easier to paint. The lighter pink wasn't going on well at all compared to the darker one. So I put on a coat of white polish followed by the light pink. I also put a coat of white onto the centres to brighten them. I think the lighter pink actually looks better than the darker one.
I've repainted buttons with nail polish before and find it's a great way to re-use buttons or use what you have in your stash. They don't seem to chip in the wash but I let them dry over night before being handled.