sing low, sweet sewing machine....

my beloved sewing machine arrived via UPS on friday. it was a little shining bright spot in an otherwise bleak end of a week.  i hid out for much of the weekend in my pajamas and bathrobe with my two pups and cranky old cat. 

saturday i got my new Singer 1507 sewing machine out of the packaging and set up. following breakfast i made a trip to joann's for supplies. i picked out a few swatches of fabric from the bargain bin for my maiden sewing voyage.

it's a pretty basic model. seven built in stitch patterns, nothing digital, nothing fancy.  it has been many many years since i have spent much time with a sewing machine. i went through the directions step by step to get as familiar as possible with this machine. i loaded a bobbin with thread, loaded the bobbin into the machine, threaded the needle, and sat down with my fabric to sew.  i decided to make a little accent pillows with the fabrics i had purchased. they were the perfect size. 

my first sewing project on my very own Singer being stuffed with cotton fill!

pillow #1 complete, this one is a gift for my dearest BFF kim

pillow #2 is a gift to myself for my own darned sofa!

pillow #3 was delivered to one of my favorite gals at starbucks this morning

i definitely got a little more decorative on the second pillow & third pillows and a little more confident by sewing tabs on either side. upcoming pillow adventures will include piping, square/cube shapes, and maybe even zippers.  i hear those are important to learn how to sew....

happy wednesday my loves,

xo

coin purse - version two

ah, the coin purse revisited.

my second stab at knitting a coin purse turned out interesting. mostly because i was either drinking, watching tv, or up way past my bedtime while working on this little gem. the result was me repeatedly forgetting what type of stitch i was supposed to knit. this type of thing results in erratic and sometimes interesting patterns...and holes, when you mess up and don't fix it correctly, you end up with holes. i did manage to make this one bigger than the last (it really was quite tiny). i'm working towards a 'one size hopefully fits most'...

i'll let the pictures tell the story:

knit to the approximate length you deem appropriate. 

stitches in order by row: knit, ribbing, knit, stockinette, reversed stockinette, stockinette, knit. this photo shows a pause in the 'threading' process along the knitting kneedle, where you create a loop at the bottom of the coin purse.

like so, then pull it as tight as you can.  

 

see, pulled tight and knotted. then turn inside out and sew down the sides.

viola! coin purse version two!

coming up: adventures with the new sewing machine...

xo

coin purse - version one

i'm sure there has been tons (read: probably none) of speculation on what exactly this 'coin purse' is, if not an actual coin purse. in the midst of our coldest days of winter, kim and i were visiting with kim's husband and our friend dustin. the boys were musing about the cold weather...appendages that should be specifically protected from the cold, and our knitting projects. they started asking why we had yet to (read: demanding that we) knit them some 'snuggies' to keep their balls warm. thus ensued a spirited debate about the best, most comfortable way to fashion such a thing. the item was officially dubbed 'a coin purse' and a challenge was made. so, the following, is my first 'stab' at knitting a coin purse.   

*beware, the following will include my completely inexperienced knitting jargon. you might very well be bored...but this is a craft blog...so....tough. 

for version one i based my approach on a great little hat pattern. it doesn't require circular needles, dropping stitches, or adding stitches. perfect for a beginner knitter!

• i cast on 48 stitches on to my tiniest knitting needles and used yarn for baby stuff, extra soft, smooth, and thin.
• the first 5 rows were knit in the ribbed pattern (knit 2, purl 2, etc. - if you plan to incorporate the ribbed pattern, always cast on in numbers divisible by 4).  the ribbing pattern was to create a little bit of a 'pinch' at the top of the 'coin purse'
  
• the next pattern was stockinette (knit one row, purl one row, etc.). the stockinette has a less bulky product...it tends to knit the rows in to each other. i didn't count how many rows i knit in stockinette (a row counter would likely be a wise purchase for me), but merely eyeballed the length and stopped when i thought it was appropriate. 

• from here, you pull out a good bit of feed yarn, and snip snip! use a yarn needle to thread the feed yarn around through the open stitch, along your knitting needle. this will make a 'loop' with itself to be pulled tight, creating the 'bottom' of the coin purse. 
• i knotted the loop to maintain the tension, and sewed the feeder yarn all the way down the side. 

• viola! a 'coin purse' or a knit hat for a doll...i'm not quite sure how this one will fit. seems a little narrow and a little long. version two will be wider and shorter. i'm thinking the test fitting of my 'prototypes' will be frustrating...as i won't be wanting to handle post ball contact...maybe we need a ball stocking for coin purse fittings.
  

version two is well underway...i used different knitting patterns and like to thing of version two as the 'even colder weather' model. it will be bulkier, and hopefully a little more decorative. 

anna loves you, 

 xo 

p.s. my sewing machine is expected to be delivered on friday and construction of the 'manster' will commence! i promise to document it carefully....and maybe even make a picture video of the process.

hark! let the crafting begin!

hello friends, 

it has been a little while, dear readers. your thirst for craft must be almost UNbearable. 

there are a few (exciting) crafts in the works: 

• the coin purse - via knitting: kim and i are facing off in bit of a CHALL-ONGE, if you will. going to see who can make the better/more functional/most decorative/comfortable coin purse. i started mine this weekend. the initial 'prototype' should be finished today. i wonder how kim's is coming along?
  
• 'manster' costume: i am going to build a 'manster' head & pelted shirt for my friend connor's art show. we went browsing for materials yesterday. this one will be fun to see come together - i LOVE making costumes.
  
• plush angel hot dogs: for the same art show, should time permit, i intend to also crank out some plush stuffed hot dogs with angel wings to be dangled from the ceiling. 

with all of these projects about to kick off and time restraints, hand sewing just won't do anymore. today i will order a sewing machine! for practice i plan to sew amazing men's shirts from the bargain fabric at joanns. there are some real winners there. pictures soon!

ciao for now, 

anna

xo