My $200 Sweatshirt

You're probably wondering why this simple velour top costs $200. You see...when I finished sewing the main pieces, I decided I wanted some bias binding for the neck, and I was too impatient to make my own using the same fabric, especially since it curled like no one's business. This meant I would need to use fusible interfacing to control the curl before I could measure and create the binding. It was entirely too much work for a little neckline. Soooo....long story short, I set out to order some binding online. In case you're wondering, I have not been able to find a source for velour or velvet binding in the US.

After a couple of Google searches, McCulloch and Wallis, a fabric store from the UK popped up. They were having a blowout sale on trim because they're moving shop, and I went a little nuts when I realized the sale binding was about 25 cents a meter. Six Kilos later, I forgot how much shipping could run after the exchange rate. I think the shipping was actually more than the cost of the binding. Shush...don't tell my husband. I could have NOT ordered it, but they didn't quote my shipping cost at checkout. So I was clueless. (Yoda voice), emailed they did...two days later. Shocked by the cost was I.

The irony of course is that the binding was not even a close match. But it's passable I guess.

I know...after looking at all this money spent, I could have gone out and bought all kinds of fabric to make this binding. Well...yes and no. Yes...yes...yes...I could have. But in reality, no...no...no...I probably wouldn't have unless I was under some major sewing pressure. It's not my favorite project. I rather cut corners here than in the actual sewing. So what did I get for all that money (mostly the cost of shipping)? Here's my smorgasbord of trim...satins, linens, cottons, velvets, velour, polyester, organza, and other stuff mixed in for good measure... There are several hundred meters of delectable trim here.

A mixture of bias binding, zippers, and lacy elastics (for future knickers project).

Pretty binding from China...not silk, but it's okay. 

Close-up of my grab-bag binding. 

Oh...I almost forgot. I used a McCall's Pattern for the sweatshirt, which was really a t-shirt with narrow sleeves, and fairly fitted. Of course I butchered the pattern, because I wanted shorter true raglan sleeves, and a looser fit. See the pattern...

Even though my rendition looks nothing like it...I made the model's version E, sans the cuff and neck trim. 

Onto other stuff...

You know that bit that Ellen Degeneres does on her show about Epic or Fail home videos? Today I'm showing two sewing room gadgets...

EPIC

Handi-BOB

My bobbins always run amuck...no matter how much time I spend winding up the threads back and popping them into the bobbin box, nothing helps. This little bobbin gadget solves two problems...matching my thread and keeping these little guys intact. I bought them from Sewing Machine Plus Online when I picked up some extra feet for my new Juki F600. They are very reasonably priced. You can also get a pack of 18 for $7.95 from Amazon on Prime (free shipping if you're a Prime member). See them HERE.

FAIL 

Sidewinder

This is the Sidewinder...another bobbin-related gadget. The spring broke off after one use. I repaired it, and then it snapped off at record speed across the room. It's hard to believe the whole machine's usability is based on a wire the size of a paper clip. This piece of plastic costs $30 at Joann's. I got it cheaper with a coupon, and lost the receipt so I couldn't return it. I could have gotten four spools of thread for what I wasted on this. Someone recommend me one that works...please! Don't write me and say..."I have a SideWinder and it works great." That will just make me hate this one more. Maybe it was produced on a Friday or a Monday...whatever day, it was junk.

Happy sewing!

Winter Into Spring Wear Tunic

Fabric from FABMO. An unknown taupe wool-tweed blend, with tiny pastel specks.
I picked up this five-yard piece at a sale last year for $20. Bargain.

After weeks of sitting close to 70-degrees (fahrenheit), we suddenly dropped down to freezing and even had a day of blessed rain. The cold spell incentified me into sewing something warm.

At a quick glance, this Vogue pattern looked like any standard tunic. But it is far from a Plain Jane top. I was originally attracted to its design because it had a similar smock feel that I fancy so much from my Japanese pattern books. As I moved through the sewing steps, I started to realize this tunic was filled with many design details seldom found in Very Easy labeled sewing patterns. Don't let the few pattern pieces fool you. I wouldn't recommend this project to a beginner.

I morphed the short sleeve with the collar because I wanted to wear it over blouses and shirts, almost like a light wool jacket.

Wool tweed is often itchy, and this blend was no exception. To combat this, I added some really soft polyester charmeuse that I picked up ages ago at Stone Mountain onto the collar facing, and part of the neck opening. It's a nice contrast if I decide to open the collar.




The fabric was extremely thin and slippery. I used Colette's recommendation by spraying some Sullivan's Fabric Stabilizer to stiffen the facing. You can read her article HERE.

I bought three bottles of Sullivan's for silk projects but have been too scared to use it. I am glad I tested it out on the polyester silk. It worked like a charm. I also fused woven interfacing to add more bulk.

Here's the tunic with an open collar...

The pockets were a bit of a pain to sew, not because they're tricky, but because the fabric was difficult to pre-crease. Creating a mitered corner was challenging. I almost gave up, but glad that I persevered, because the pockets are super cute and useful. The other two design details include the back dart, and the curved hem.

The dart looks so basic, but after it was stitched, I thought it was elegant on such a simple design.

The curved hem could be tricky, and since the front pockets were such a bear to tackle, I feared a smooth hem. The instructions said to do a double fold narrow hem. Instead, I used a technique I learned while sewing the curved Kimono sleeve on my Satsuki Dress from Victory Patterns.

To accomplish a smooth curved hem, it's best to stitch a longer straight stitch halfway between the final hem mark and the edge of the fabric. So if your hem is one inch, then stitch a straight stitch around the curve at half an inch. I tied one end of the stitch and then created a gentle ruffle around the curve. This allowed me to ease the fabric into the curve without any bulk, similar to easing a sleeve into the armhole. It's really a lot faster this way, especially with unruly fabric.

The last bit were the closures for the collar. I think adding a bold decorative button could be used here, but the snap (which were recommended in the instructions) left a cleaner look. I don't know about other sewists but I've always had difficulty making sure the second half of the snap matched up to the first stitched half. I figured out a quick-and-easy method by using tailor's chalk.

1. Stitch the first half of the snap at your preferred location.
2. Then snap the second half of the snap onto your stitched half.
3. Rub some chalk on the second half of the snap, and then carefully close the opening. The chalk mark should now be on the other side of where your other half of the snap should be sewn. See pics...

Rub the chalk generously over the second half of the snap.

Make sure you push down with some pressure to transfer the chalk to the fabric. 

It's not a strong chalk mark, but good enough for placement. It might not work with all fabrics,
so consider using different colors as well. 

Voila! All snapped in for the rest of Winter and hopefully into a lovely wet Spring! Happy sewing!

New Sewing Machine for 2015

Due to the Bernina buttonhole debacle, I decided to take it in for service at another repair place (not my local Bernina dealer). This is when I found out there was nothing wrong with the electrical board, and that the buttonhole issue is most likely in the sensor foot. It was supposedly repaired by my local Bernina dealer...so he said. I called another Bernina dealer and asked about a replacement foot. This was over a week ago, and I heard nothing from them. So much for customer service. I did find that it was available on Bernina's main website, and the cost was about $200. Wow.

The real question I faced was, how happy am I with my Bernina these days? Not very I guess... After sewing with my Juki for the past few years, I have become to rely on my Bernina less and less. I know it's 25+ years old...but I never expected to be disappointed with its sewing quality. Maybe I just sewed that machine to the ground...or did I just outgrow it? Maybe more of the later. I will tell you one thing though, had the other Bernina dealer called me back with ANY information whatsoever, I would have hightailed it down to their store, and probably would have bought a new Bernina. The idea of owning a new machine was burning a hole in my pocket. But they lost that sale.

I decided it was time...but I had a few questions. Did I need to spend a lot to get all the features I wanted? Do I really need a machine to last another 25 years? It might have been true back then when Swiss machines were made in Switzerland, but most of the quality machines are no longer made at their headquartered countries. I found out that Pfaff is made in Shanghai, Bernina's are made in Thailand, and Viking and Singer are both owned by the same "holding" company as Pfaff. Janome bought Elna, which is probably a good thing for Elna. Juki home machines are mainly made in China. If this is the case for sewing machines, then does it really matter if I'm paying $6,000 or $1,000 for a machine with similar features? I think not. I know I would feel a lot better about being disappointed in a less expensive machine than one that cost as much as a car.

Enter...the new addition to my sewing room...the Juki Exceed F600, and also made in China. For $1100 out-the-door, it was a fair price, and money spent at a local dealer. I will admit that if I actually liked my local Bernina dealer, the final outcome might have been different and $2,000 more out of my pocket.  Several machines could have fit the bill here...Babylock, Janome, Pfaff, and Bernina all had models that had more or less of everything I wanted. After narrowing down features, I just went for the best price. BTW, Bernina was the most expensive for the least amount of features. But it doesn't mean I won't ever get another Bernina. Just not right now.

Since opening this machine and setting it up (where my Bernina used to be), I have played with the computerized stitch functions, made some buttonholes, and learned to use the auto thread, and wind a bobbin. I've also ordered a rolled hem and invisible feet, which I was surprised did not come with the machine. But a smooth foot (similar to teflon presser foot) did. I also ordered a set of 50 additional bobbins, to add to the measly four that came standard.

Everything about this machine feels a bit flimsy. Everything is plastic. But the big plastic case looks sturdy, and I do love the gigantic extension table as a standard accessory. Basically, this machine is well thought out, and has everything on my wishlist. The only thing missing is a bobbin sensor...a feature I liked on the Pfaff machines. But I'm not a quilter, and rarely run out of thread with a full bobbin for garment sewing. It helps that the door to the drop in bobbin is clear plastic. But I also don't like that the door is plastic and breakable? I basically can't drop or step on anything without risk.

The built-in embroidery stitches are not bad for machine stitched. Because there are a couple hundred stitches, it takes time to learn how to set them. But it's not impossible. Whew! I found a video tutorial on Youtube put out by Juki with some specific features and stitching options. It was helpful as an introduction, but I really want some good examples on how to apply some of the unique stitches to clothing construction. Most of the examples were designed for quilting. But if anyone is thinking of purchasing a Juki F600, viewing the video in advance might be helpful. You can view it HERE.  

Unfortunately, my local Juki dealer does not offer any training or support. They don't have anyone in-house to help. But they matched the cheapest online price I could find. I wouldn't have gotten support if I had bought the machine online either. At least they'll take it back for repair if needed. I want to encourage other sewists in my area to support this shop. I think they could have a real market for Juki machines for quilters if they updated their marketing. This is the shop website HERE.

Besides a new sewing machine, my 15+ year-old Rowenta iron finally died. I was surprised to find an upgraded Professional line still made in Germany. The new model is just like mine except this new one has a lot more steam and heats up faster. It's on sale at Target.com for $74.99, and more expensive at the actual Target store. I showed the cashier, and received a price adjustment and took it home for immediate use. Score! Happy Sewing!