Pause.
I'm taking time to research machines. I do want to start sewing again. I just don't have the energy to plan and start a hand sewn project. I also don't have extra time to learn to treadle right now. So, I'm giving myself permission to pause. No guilt. I'll figure this problem out then hit play again. Thank you for your patience with me.
Laura
Hello.
My name is Laura.
I am a squirrel.
I have been saving my nuts (money gifts)
for years.
I saved each Christmas gift from my dad until I knew what I wanted to use it for.
Apparently, I have done this for a few years now.
I thought I had a couple of hundred dollars.
I counted tonight.
I have enough to buy a sewing machine!
God knew I'd need this money now.
I simply forgot it was stashed away.
I called my dad and told him as soon as I found it.
Thank you, Dad! Most of it was from you.
Thank you past Laura for saving for current Laura so that future Laura can enjoy sewing for many more years!
No sewing yesterday or today. I've spent some time researching.
I've also been thinking about the old 1913 singer sitting on the other side of the room. It's a treadle machine. It was my husband's grandmother's machine. She sewed feed sack dresses for his mom on it back in the 1940's. We had it reconditioned a few years ago. I tried treadling and found it very hard. I think it would help if I had someone to show me.
Now I'm thinking about whether that's a skill that I want to try to build.
I'm going to think on that a bit more.
I'm not giving up on Sewing Through September. I just need to decide on my next step.
Thank you to all of you wonderful ladies who shared bits of advice with me. Sending every one of you a hug!
Laura
Who is thankful for being a squirrel
No photos tonight, because my old computer didn't cooperate.
I don't even want to think about that!
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| First project completed! Candy Corn Bag Project Bag |
Today, September 7, is my momma's birthday. She's been in Heaven for 27 years now. I still miss her very much. She taught me to sew when I was quite young. I learned by helping her. She used to make clothes for me and for herself. She also sewed many things for the home. She didn't even need a pattern for lots of things. I didn't inherit that from her. I did inherit a deep enjoyment of sewing. So much so, that I used the money I received for high school graduation to buy a Kenmore sewing machine that I used for many years. I couldn't imagine moving out of my mom's house and not having a sewing machine!
That old machine finally gave out after many years. I've replaced it twice since then. My current machine, a Singer One, has served me since 2012. I actually thought it was newer than that. I looked back and found the blog post sharing the purchase.
While sewing the candy corn bag this weekend, I spent most of the "sewing" time fighting with the machine. I took it to the repairman last winter due to issues with the tension. It wasn't much better when I got it back. I haven't sewn since I started working full-time at the clinic back in February. Now I remember why. It's just so frustrating!
What? The one activity that has always felt like I was born to do it—frustrating? How can that be? I'll tell you.
Sewing is frustrating when your machine skips stitches, has poor tension that cannot be fixed no matter what videos, the manual and even Chat GPT tell me. The computer part seems to be messed up, too. The last time I tried to use it, the zigzag wouldn't work. Now, I have to put the needle all the way to the right to be near the center.
So, here I am at the beginning of Sewing Through September with a malfunctioning machine. I'm just not sure what I'm going to do.
I know that I need to replace it. I need something that is going to last. I need something that I'm not going to need to replace. What that is going to be or what it's going to cost, I don't know. I want something with metal parts that can stitch straight and do zigzag. I don't need anything fancy just functional.
I finished the first project, my candy corn bag today. I'm not sure what I'm going to do tomorrow since the machine is on the blink.
Any suggestions for a good machine that's going to last me many years?
Any suggestions for a sewing project that doesn't need a machine?
Help wanted.
~smile~
Be blessed,
Laura
Still determined to sew through September!
Related posts:
Sewing Challenge Month at Harvest Lane Cottage
Thrifty Things Lately at Harvest Lane Cottage #151
I am shocked!
Maybe I live under a rock, but I had no idea that the breads sold in the grocery store nearly all have unsafe levels of glyphosate. Any is unsafe, actually. This includes those that are labeled organic. Glyphosate is in Round Up weed killer by Monsanto.
Please watch this video. My bread habit is going to change. I'm going to research flours and grains next. Then, I'm going to make my own bread when we want it. I'm shocked.
According to this video, Bayer, owner of Monsanto, has paid out nearly 100,000 lawsuits to people who developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Gasp!
My son received that diagnosis earlier this year. He has had radiation treatment and is currently in remission.
Please watch this video or look into for yourselves.
Concerned,
Laura
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| Tiger and Penny Yes, Tiger outweighs Penny! |
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| The chaos I call sewing. |
Here I am. Day four. Once again, it was hard to come and get started. I knew that I needed this challenge. I also needed the accountability that you ladies so sweetly give me. Tonight, I started tired and with a headache. But. I. Shall.
I read the pattern again and noticed that I needed two more pieces of fusible woven interfacing. I cut those first. Then, I began fusing the interfacing. Well, I would have if I had not just plugged in the iron but turned it on! Did I mention that I don't think well with a headache?
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| The pretty cutting picture |
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| Keeping it real in the cottage. This is thrifty. Someday, maybe God will provide a new one. For now, this still works. Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without! |
I've been making little tiny bits of progress this week. I'm using my minutes. I get a three day weekend for Labor Day. Thank you, Jesus! I plan to finish this bag by Monday evening. I cannot wait to show you (and me) the finished bag! I may need to check my yarn stash for something fallish!
Tonight, I finished cutting the fusible interfacings and applied them. I used fusible fleece for the outer fabric and woven fusible interfacing for the lining.
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| I'm a barefoot sewist. I like to feel the pedal to have better control of my stitching. |
I now have the casing for the cord basted on the top. It's way past my bedtime. I'm done for now. I'll be back with my Saturday progress.
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| I'm getting excited. |
I had helpers tonight. Here's Paco. He likes to sit in his basket on my desk. He's my son's dog, but he comes to visit often. He is like velcro with his grammy.
Oh my, if not for y'all, I would not have made progress with my project bag tonight. I woke up really early—about 4:15 this morning. I had to get up by 5:00, so I went ahead and climbed out of bed. It's 8:41 now. I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open.
This is what I'm using for the drawstring. I was going to cut it tonight, but I couldn't decide if I wanted to use black or white. I'll wait until the rest of the bag is finished. It's a set of replacement drawstrings for hoodies or pants. It was $6.99 on Amazon, and I've already used it for some projects. It works great. It has a bit of stretch. It came with a marvelous threader. I'll show it in one of my future posts. Best of all, I had it on hand. Everything has been from my stash of sewing supplies.
I didn't do much tonight, but I did something. I'm going to count that as a win.
A couple of final thoughts...
And as you can see, I didn't give up chocolate today!
Day three down. I'm getting ready for bed!
Blessings,
Laura
Sewing Through September
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I love learning! I love learning new things. Over the years, I've learned to quilt, bake bread, can, sew, crochet, knit, cross-stit...
