My new sewing machine is a menace to my mental health and well-being. I swear that the gods of all things related to needles, thread and tension have been frowning upon me as of late.
All I wanted to do was make a Ring Sling for baby Bean. What should have taken me mere moments to cut, hem, pleat and finish has taken me days. DAYS!!!! (and it's still not done!). Between four needles breaking, the tread breaking, fraying and otherwise being a pain in the arse and the machine not being able to function when confronted with two layers of pleated mid-weight linen, I'm ready to toss the whole kit and kaboodle out the window.
So I have given up for now. The Ring Sling will have to wait - at least until I can go buy some more heavy duty thread (different brand - who knows, maybe my machine is just stupidly picky, and heavy duty needles - no needles left that will sew anything beyond the weight of a light weight cotton.)
I did manage to sew a dress for myself - no pics yet, sorry. Haven't quite decided if I look decent in it enough to post any - I think I look enormous in it, but then again these days I feel like I look enormous in just about everything I wear.
I have also done the second muslin for G's new highland jacket. First one did not fit at all. Second one turns out doesn't either, but I think I need to add some darts for shaping and then all should be good with it. I've pinned the darts in - now just to take those pinned darts on the muslin and make them re-appear as darts on the actual velvet. Oh, velvet you strike terror into my heart and make my blood run to ice. I've got to get the bloody thing done. Provincials are on Sunday and she can't wear the same old ratty jacket she's been wearing - last competition not only was she bursting out of it, but a button did manage to fly off during the sword, causing her to land on the button, (it was that or land on the hilt of the sword to avoid the button - I think she chose the better option), twist her ankle and be very, very upset with her seamstress (me).
Anyways - so that's my tale of sewing woe. Knitting is going somewhat better! I've finished a couple of pairs of baby booties and a ball, (will post pics eventually), started a chevron scarf using Knit Picks, Imagination in Frog Prince and Looking Glass, and started a new pair of socks for me last night. I frogged back my first attempt at my Fireside socks that I'd started back in the fall in Claudia Handpainted Buckeye, and am now trying them in Estelle Arequipa in Scarlet. Of course (BF)G's socks are still on the go, but man alive they are boring me to death with their plain old ribbing and stocking stitch.
So that's all that's new for me. Hopefully next time I can report some much better news on the sewing machine versus Ring Sling front!
Where did you get the rings for the sling? Somewhere local? Or did you have to order online?
ReplyDeleteOh man, my machine would have a stroke if it had to sew thru all of that! I wouldn't trust my machine anyway--I'd end up with a baby on the floor!
ReplyDeleteI ordered the rings online from Slingrings.com. They're awesome and weight tested specifically for the purpose. They are recommended by alot of the different companies that make slings.
ReplyDeleteGood news Bezzie, I conquered the machine last night. I too have been worried about the lack of strength in my stitches on the beast, but once I got it working I went over each seam twice with a small stitch, then between the two lines of stitching I did a row of zigzag and then yet another row of zigzag on top of the first row. I do not want this poor child falling on it's head because I have a crappy beast of a machine!!!