Zippedy do dah!

Some time ago (almost a year!) I went on a journey to the Land of Cardigan.  I might have told you that my journey was ended, but really, I had yet to scale the highest peak of Mt Putting-in-a-Zipper.  It was a daunting daunting journey, hence my need to have a good long think about it over the summer.  Who needs a thick cardi in summer anyway, right?

Well, summer came and went.  And so did autumn.  And when winter hit, husby's plaintive question "have you put the zipper in my cardi yet?" got to me and I decided it was time to put on my protective gear, get out the ropes and crampons (all that is scaling mountain talk, right?) and tackle that peak.

I had husby take Connor out for the day, because I knew it was going to be an all day task.  At the very least.  And I needed some space to spread things out, and some time to percolate the various tutorials I'd read about putting zippers into garments.  And make sure I could find the cardi, and the zip and the thread (both the zip and thread I'd purchased some time ago.  Maybe during that summer of thinking...)

I started by pinning the zip into the opening.  I put the pins in wrong, I know.  I realised that about half way through.  But my back was already sore from the kneeling and bending, so I figured it'd be ok.

And then I started sewing - by hand!  I was maybe 1/3 of the way done on the first side when I realised I was doing my backstitch wrong.  There was no way I was going to unpull what I'd already done (sewing in zippers is slow going!!) so I just did it the right way after that.  And you know what, you can't tell anyway!  (But I did feel better doing it correctly, I must say!!)

It took AGES!  AGES I tell you.  At least 4 hours I think.  Possibly more, I think I have blocked it out of my head.  I was a bit worried it would bubble when the zipper was done up on the body.  But I was most pleased when husby put it on and (a) the zipper worked and (b) it didn't bubble! 

If I were to do it again, I'd put the edge of the garment over the zipper closure (it is knit with an edging for this purpose).  I was worried I'd get the edging caught in the zipper and wouldn't do it evenly, so I just lined it up with the outside edge of the zip. 

But apart from that, I'm quite pleased with how it went.  And let's face it, there is unlikely to be an again.  If I'm faced with another visit to Mt Putting-in-a-Zipper, I'm pretty sure I'm going to pay someone else to do it!

A few of my favourite things

Well, apart from raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, of course.

Can't believe the song doesn't mention an apron made of red apron-printed fabric and a shrine of yarn. Because those are two of my favourite things, and honestly, what's not to love?

As you know, Miss J had a 50s/retro themed Tupperware party last week. So she had to have a frilly apron (yes, Amy, she did, didn't she!). But you know the aprons you can buy these days are somewhat lacking in the frilly department (no idea why!) and since I have a sewing machine, I figured I'd make her one. It's just a strip of gathered fabric with a waistband, right?

Well, yeah, it is, but I didn't realise how much pinning would be involved. And a bit of thread ripping as I ran out of bobbin thread halfway through the basting stitches for the gathering (that always happens to me - grrrr). But the pinning was worth it, it made the sewing so much easier! It's not perfect, not by any length, but for a first attempt with no pattern, I'm pretty darn pleased with it!

Sorry the chair has no waist - it looks better on a person with a waist, as it flares out so nicely (see modelled pic at end of post!).And check out the pocket. Can't have an apron without a pocket! Although, apart from your hand, I'm not sure what you put in the pocket of an apron?

And yes, for the attentive among you, I did mention a shrine of yarn. Here 'tis, in all it's Rowany glory:

Miss J went to visit her family in the UK for Christmas. And she bought me back all of this (thanks SO much Miss J, you are too too good and kind). Lovely Rowan Calmer in Cocoa Bean, Kidsilk Haze in (I think) midnight (gosh this is a fabulous fabulous colour) and 4ply soft in a green which looks better in real life! Now to decide what to make with it all...

Perhaps I'd better have a cocktail...

Sewing rocks!

Sewing rocks! Or, at least, it would for me if I actually knew how to do it, beyond the most basic of basics! Thank goodness for a clever machine with fancy do-dads (omg, did I really just use the term "do-dads"??!!)

My first sewing aim was to see if I could make a sock project bag, like the ones I'd been previously gifted by Jody. Even though I started out with a piece of fabric about the same size as the bags I have, I didn't quite end up with a bag the same size (seam allowances, who needs 'em hey!!).

But still, an end product which is freestanding: Fits yarn and sock in progress quite neatly:And best of all, has a buttonhole:A buttonhole - an automatic buttonhole! The only thing the buttonhole foot doesn't do is cut the actual hole for the button. OMG I love my sewing machine!!

Finally!

So last year husby kept asking me what I wanted for my birthday. "A sewing machine", I told him. And since it was an expensive purchase (man, did you know you can get a $10,000 sewing machine - you can buy things for less than that that you need a licence to drive!!!), I got a sewing machine for my birthday and Christmas, plus a couple of other bits and pieces, so I would have something to open on my birthday (as the sewing machine arrived at Christmas time).

I do have a confession. Today, this was what the sewing machine looked like (ps: this is most emphatically not the $10k one - if I'm not going to use it every day for the rest of my life, a nice basic one is good for me!!):

Yep, still in the box. Not even opened. I am a bad bad RoseRed. (And no, I didn't buy it because the box was red. Husby's mother picked it, as she knows her way around a sewing machine). Here's what it's like out of the box:
And more:Check out the warning on the foot pedal - well duh!

And apolgies now, for those who have seen a sewing machine in the last few years - mum's machine is almost as old as me, so opening this box was pretty much a squeeee moment after squeeeee moment. I mean, look at this:
A little drawer for the accessories - spare bobbins, needles, spool holder, unpicker, screwdriver (!!), cute little cleaning brush and so on.

And this - a flappy lid thing with instructions for filling the bobbin, threading, and the settings for all the fancy stitches.
And this - built in holder for all the different feet - including an automatic buttonholer! OMG, it was all I could do to stop hyperventilating the whole time!!

After all the excitement, I even did some sewing...but I'll save that for another day!