...never happens when I sew by hand. But sewing by hand takes so long, and as it happens, the Gift Police are hard upon my heels so I have to make haste, but with results as these I'm taking twice as long, because, obviously, I can't send this to anyone (what would you all think of me if I went about sending you this tripe?) and I have to start all over again, with the stitching, and the fussing and the finishing and the swearing. My house is filled with failed finishing attempts, and I don't even want them!What I do want is spend some more time with Isabella, who is lovely and addictive.
I hope your week is filled with successful finishing and satisfying stitching. And cool weather.
Yours fretfully,
Annemarie.
18 comments:
The Red Cow is Enchanting, surely.
As for the other, well, I distrust my sewing machine. I try to get along with it, but... I'm more comfortable letting it (me) mess up its own works rather than my hand-stitching. I still want to try making some pillow cases with it, for example.
BuliBuliwusiwasa--lol!
I thought of you last night while watching the end of the world cup (well we were invited over to watch but I moved on to observing the grilling outside in short order.) I think I remember you saying that you were following these matches--why such an Orange? It was quite amazing. lol
I hope the heat and finishing stop pestering you--I'm sure the Gift Police will overlook any infractions after you've been suffering like this. :D
I tend to have the same predicament! Hand sewing is just so much more reliable, but it takes sooooo long! Good luck fixing the problem. I love your Isabella! So pretty!
Would so love to help with loads of useful and wonderful advice, but I got nothin'. In fact, your pic looks suspiciously like some of my past sewing projects (i.e., it looks fine!), and I am not currently on speaking terms with my sewing machine.
Perhaps the SAL Police would be willing to put in a good word for you with the Gift Police. . . . oh, umm, . . . then again, maybe not.
P.S. I'm likin' that red cow!
Now I know why the sewing machine I purchased two months ago is still sitting in its box - unopened. LOL
Isabelle looks great and will make a lovely addition to your sampler wall.
Do you really want sewing hints? I'd be happy to share but I totally understand your frustration and don't want to cause further anxiety. Anyhow, first, Vonna at www.thetwistedstitcher.blogspot.com has a nice stocking tutorial. Fusing some lightweight fusible to the back of the fabric helps hold the linen steady. Also, a small stitch length and clipping the inside curves helps them turn nicely. Also, your iron is your friend... fiddling with the seams after they're turned and pressing them makes them nice and crisp. Having said all that, we all get crappy finishes sometimes. The fabric just doesn't do what we want. Darn it all.....
Love your blog. Good luck with the redo.....
Pam
Sewing machines are fiddley things.....
But Isabella is a gorgeous thing!
You do make me laugh Annemarie, trowitawaynow LOL, but I sympathise with you, mine is a bit of the same.
Your sampler is lovely, only saw it a couple of weeks ago in s&an, I am so slow...
How's Sarah?
I"m so sorry your finish isn't to you liking, Annemarie. What if you handtacked some cording around it - would that help at all?
Love your Isabella!!!
Dear Annemarie and others,
I don't want this to sound snobbish so please take this with the spirit it is intended....as we know sometimes typing can be mis-interpreted.
I have been sewing for over 30 years on all types of machines and also by hand. I think that the reason you all love finishing by hand sewing is due to the ability to vary stitch length and pinpoint where we want the thread to go. On a sewing machine when it is difficult to get your small finishing project under the pressure foot and all smoothed out to see what you are doing the key I have found in percission and mastery is to adjust your stitch length to a higher number of stitches per inch. In this scale a 20 stitches per inch is considered tighter than a 18 stitches per inch seam. This allows the machine to cover less distance per inch an it makes turns tighter and curves smoother. It also gives you more control to manuever the fabric under the pressure foot. The other key is to slow you machine down in speed. This can be done by not depressing your foot petal as much or if your model of machine allows it to hand turn your machine stitch by stitch through the area you need and then once on the other side to open up the stitch lenght and speed to cover the distance you want. Also doing careful and I mean careful clipping of the sewn seam whether it is a convex or concave seam is also key to getting it to turn and lay smoothly after the item is turned rightside out again. Just remember within life there is more than one way to do something and both can be right at the sametime.
I would be happy to help anyone that wants to learn more about sewing so you don't hate your machines. Please feel free to email me with your questions and just put something in the subject line about sewing help and blogging so I know what it is referencing. You can contact me at mrebec4@q.com.
Hope this helps.
Oh, those sewing machine blues! I empathize completely! Pam has some good suggestions. I don't think I can add anymore that would help!
Isabella is looking great. Yes it's on my to stitch list too!
Watched the World Cup finals yesterday. Too bad the Netherlands lost - the octopus was right!
Love the cow. And frankly, my sewing machine scares me.
A sewing machine can be an intimidating instrument but it can also be your best friend. I have several BFSM which I am grateful for. Each one of them has their own knack and as anything in life, you have to be comfortable with a machine for it to do what you want it to do. Just find what works best for you and make sure the bobbin thread is pulling the correct way or it will not be a friendly task.
Be always in stitches.
Now I know why I've never used a sewing machine :-)
The sampler is lovely!
My DH is still depressed about Holland losing - sigh...
Oh that looks so much like my own sewing machine attempts that I could just laugh (or cry) for you. Curves are so hard! I know about the shorter stitch length, etc. but somehow whenever I try to put it into practice, it never comes out right. Sigh. Go stitch and relax.
Hate it when the sewing machine bites :-(. Love your Isabella!!!
I don't blame you for wanting to spend more time with Isabella - what a beautiful sampler!
The problem I have had with the sewing machine is that the needle pulls the linen threads which is so frustrating when the stitching is already finished. I've started doing my small finishes by hand, but I just hold my breath on the larger ones!
If not for the red circle I would not have guessed there was an error at all. Most of my attempts look similar. The stocking shape is not one of my strong points. Neither is the star, the heart or even the circle for that matter!! Go and relax with the red cow and then come back to the stocking later.
Isabella is gorgeous!! I really want to start this one. And I know what you mean - trying to do finishing on the sewing machine on anything smaller than a chair is impossible. I end up ruining my piece rather than finishing it. So frustrating!!!
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