Sewing!

I've been sewing lately! I gave it up about six years ago - I couldn't make anything fit and my cheap sewing machine had had it. I was able to purchase a new machine recently (Viking's Scandinavia 400, which is the latest incarnation of the belovèd Rose and which soon will no longer be made in Sweden). It sews and embroiders!

I also still have the wonderful black Singer Model 301 my dmil gave me when we moved to Arizona 21 years ago and it still works great! The small Kenmore machine we bought Judith for Christmas isn't working. It would cost as much to fix it as it originally cost, so instead we bought the girls a low-end Singer. It has lots more stitches than the Kenmore, but not as much precision as the Scandinavia in being able to recreate specific combinations of stitch-length and width. Fortunately, all the specialty presser feet that I used with the old Brother machine fit on the new Singer, expanding its capabilities quite a bit. It'll be a good learning machine, along with the 301.

I'll try to load pictures of everything listed, but for now, descriptions will have to do. Here's what I've been able to complete so far:

1. A bathrobe, originally meant for sale on Etsy, but instead given to Melody and Eliza's friend, Rylie, for her 8th birthday. She just loved it - pale pink with darker pink roses and buds, coordinating pink facings (on the outside) that I ran through a couple of the fancy stitches on my machine.

2. A bathrobe for Melody - pink with a musical score printed all over it. Perfect for this little girl.

3. A purse, complete with specially-measured, inside pockets for the items I carry most.

4. A beautiful, small backpack that I'm looking forward to filling with books and journals!

5. I finished my part of Eliza's blue dolphin bathrobe - she sewed a few of the easier seams; we had to put the foot pedal on a thick book so she could reach it! She's been begging me to teach her to hand sew and so she's hemming the sleeves by hand. She's doing an excellent job for an almost 7 yo who hasn't really sewn before. She wore out about 3/4 through the first sleeve and asked me to finish it, but I'm not going to. I'm not so mean as to make her do it all in one sitting, but I am mean enough to make her complete the job she started. Besides, it gets easier with practice.

I'm currently working on a blouse that I hope to get done by Gileskirk on Friday, and a set of Regency short stays from Sensibility Patterns. I'm almost out of muslin, but once I get some more we'll begin working on dresses for everyone for Jared's graduation.

Judith, Rebekah, and Benjamin are also making summer bathrobes (Ben wanted a camo robe and is going to change the pocket style so it's more manly), but haven't been very diligent and so they're not finished yet, but I hope to get on them about it this afternoon.

I've been learning lots and will post a list of the books that have been most helpful.

Well, it's time to go exercise!

SDG!