Hoards

Overlocker Virgin No More. Just.

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So I finally sat myself down and read through the Bernina 1150MDA overlocker manual. It’s only been 7 months since I got it as a present.

Truth be told I was scared of that beast. Compared to a sewing machine it just seems so complicated, so daunting. So many parts. So many thread paths. So many thread spools. So big a spool of thread!

Join a class you say? Easier said then done I say. For an introvert type. Who live in part of London without any sewing machine shop near by. And who doesn’t drive. Not even bike.

So it was with trepidation that I finally put the spool guide on and turned to page 1. Now I never read manuals. But I read this one cover to cover. Almost.

And actually it wasn’t that bad – serging my first practice swatch. But you won’t find me whipping up a wrap dress like the Selfish Seamstress on her first date with her Babylock.

No, I’ll be taking baby steps.

Next stop, figuring out how to live without pinning. And how to guide the fabric so that I’m sewing on the seam line with the 5/8″ pre-trimmed seam allowance.

Any tips and advice from all you overlocker old timers?

In which I contribute to Her Majesty’s Coffer

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So the patterns arrived. Unfortunately I always forget about import charges – a whopping £11 on goods worth only £15.30. Actually most of it is Royal Mail’s handling charges.

The guy at the post office told me I had just missed the threshold for free import by 30p. Turns out that on goods worth less than £15 there is no charge. So one less pattern and I would have saved some money. Bummer.

In the end these patterns worked out to be £6.04 per pattern. How I wish I still live in the States sometimes.

So what do rest of you UK folks do? Where do you get dirt cheap Big 4 patterns from? Or do you stick to Burda magazines for affordable patterns?

What do you do when you can’t sew?

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Why go shopping of course!

This time it’s patterns, not fabrics. I had seen this Donna Karan Vogue Pattern for a cowl neck top (v1282) and lusted after it. But not at $19.20.

So I waited. And waited. And waited for that spam mail about $4.99 sale. But nothing came. I must have been blacklisted. Or my spam filter gotten too diligent.

As luck would have it, while investigating the problem I checked the Vogue Pattern site a couple of days ago and it was…wait for it…$3.99 a pop! And McCalls Patterns at $1.99 a pop. OK, add on international shipping and it’s no longer dirt cheap, but it’s still the cheapest I’ve ever paid for Vogue Patterns. So I popped for 7 – the cut off point at which shipping cost jumps a whopping 120%.

V1282 I hope will work for this non-spandex cotton knit I have in a lovely turquoise leopard print.

I think I’ll also make one with the gold fabric I salvaged from this Victoria Secrets convertible dress that’s just too tarty for my taste. As you see though, it drapes quite nicely, so should be a good fit for this pattern.

So apart from v1282, I also got:

Vogue Pattern 1258

The pattern photo actually doesn’t do much for me. I got this on account of Erika B’s and Allison C’s versions. It’s good to know that models don’t always wear it better! Hurrah for real women.

Having said that, the Vena Cava – Fall 2010 original does look quite good on the model.

Vogue Pattern 1233

because it’s just too cute…and…

Vogue Pattern 8774

because I haven’t got any jeans pattern and this one doesn’t look not too momsy.

Vogue Pattern 8701

Again the photos don’t do much for me. But the drawings reveal a jacket with potential, and a raglan dress that can be a classic block.

Maybe the jacket in a gray denim? Tailored denim – I like that: Somewhat unexpected combinations. Just like a jean made from a more formal fabric that I saw in agnès b homme ages ago

McCall Pattern 2718

Yes, another fitting pattern – I seem to be forever fiddling with fitting! I’m already on my second Vogue fitting pattern. The first one was when I was size 8 too many decades ago. The second a fatter size 12.

But having read Palmer/Pletsch’s Fit For Real People book, I’m persuaded that I had gotten the wrong size based on full bust measurement as instructed by Vogue Pattern instead of high bust measurement recommended in the book.

If I was going to get a new fitting pattern I might as well get Palmer/Pletsch’s latest – McCall’s version. They had designed the original Vogue version in 1975, but have since refined the technique. This new McCall version supposedly has more fitting guidance built in. We shall see if anything come out of this nth fitting attempt!

McCall Pattern 6464

While I was at it, I thought I might as well try one of Palmer/Pletsch’s patterns for McCall and see if they are easier to fit properly.

This shift dress, while nothing special, does look rather elegant with an empire waist in the front dropping to natural waist in the back. Another classic block me thinks.

Now I just need to finish painting my sewing room without fainting or getting too high from the fumes!

Oh boy! A present. A Very Big Present!

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Yeah! My Horn Eclipse sewing cabinet is here. Unfortunately my sewing room is not ready to welcome it.

Six coats of paint on the ceiling & four on the walls later and I’m still not finish with the decorating. My arm is not exactly happy either. Probably should have tested the colors & techniques first. But I just didn’t have the patience.

Bright but boring after coat 2:

Hmmm… Looking rather Lemony after coat 3:

Ceiling looking like a cheesy Italian restaurant after coat 6:

Then I ran out of glaze medium, so couldn’t finish the walls,
even if the arm were willing – which it wasn’t.

So the Eclipse is now waiting in the hallway:

Hopefully I’ll get the painting done this weekend. So no sewing for a while 🙁

All change in the sewing room

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Nope, no sewing show & tell yet. But I’ve been replanning my sewing room.

I had originally wanted to move into a bigger place so I can leave sewing mess around like the Other Half does with his dirty laundry. But we’ve given up. London is just too expensive. And I’m frightened by news story about people going on holiday, or even visiting family for the weekend, and coming back to find their house broken into by squatters, their belongs strewn all over the garden. I can’t bear the thought of anyone doing that to my fabric piles.

So we’re making do with our small place and decent neighbours. And that means rejigging things around, and clawing more space from the Other Half.

The fabric piles have moved into the bigger bedroom. Sewing gadgets & books are staying put. I’ll need access to fabrics less frequently than gadgets at the rate I sew.

I’m also taking the opportunity to repaint the room. I got patches of test paint on the wall: white, white, & off-white. Tempting. Especially as the room doesn’t get strong sun-light. But too boring for a hopefully creative space.

So I’m debating between sticking with the same colour as now (top 2 Dulux paint chips: Coral Canyon 2 & Pharaohs Gold 1) or going crazy (bottom 2 Dulux paint chips: Moroccan Sands 1 & Grecian Spa 3).

I chose the latter. Sod resale value. I’ll only live once & I want my sewing space to be a happy space. So bright orange & turquoise it is then! 🙂

The inspiration came from this picture in my Paint Recipe Book:

Oh yes I am. I’m so sticking to my so 90’s paint effect tricks. Sod the modern trend for matt flat colours. I think in a small space like mine, matt flat colour is going to be too claustrophobic.

Maybe not quite as runny & ready-worn as the picture above, but a glaze of transparent colour over white I think will make the walls feel deeper, more interesting, jewel like.

My current colour is a 3 layer colour wash: cream base + yellow, peach, cream washes. It was inspired by this Shaker style decor from my Decorative Style book – yes, another paint effect book, this one by Kevin McCloud of Grand Design fame, who used to do theatre set designs.

And it can be used on ceilings for that sunny blue sky effect. Mmmm… Holidays!

That was inspired by this Grecian style decor from Decorative Style:

Back to sewing room…

I’ve also taken the plunge & ordered an ugly Horn sewing cabinet.

I’m hoping the medium oak colour will at least match the fake oak laminate flooring. In reality, I would like to paint both. But I’m not sure if you can paint either.

So my Eclipse should arrive in 3 weeks. Then my sewing machine & overlocker will both have a home to hide in.

What about you?

What does your sewing space look like? Is it a happy place full of engery? A calm & orderly place? Am I totally mad with my colour scheme?