I Did It. My Way.

We’ve already established that reading pattern directions is my kryptonite. Even when I was making dresses and blouses for Home Ec I needed help translating arrows and darts. The fact that my mother was a pretty accomplished “sewist” didn’t help matters because she was left-handed and (to me) did everything upside down and backwards.

Finished purse front w/strap

Stippled snap-in interior pocket trio

Other snap-in double pocket

I wanted a purse made from my treasured stash of Japanese fabrics.  I knew how I wanted it to look, and I knew I had all the hardware and fabric and fusible fleece to do it.  I even had the right size hexagons to paper piece the top part so I dove right in and then spent an inordinate amount of time ripping it apart.  Ironically – I understand purse construction SO much better that now I might actually be able to tackle reading a pattern!

When I made this I tended to put pieces together and then say, “Hmm, I should have put those snaps in before I joined the 2 pieces together.”  I honestly think I made a purse upside down and backwards.  While I don’t think Mom would be proud,  it is finished.  I might need to remake one of the snap-in inserts, I got so caught up in stippling that the finished insert might be too heavy for the purse.  I was always so afraid to stipple but I’m finding it can be very Zen-like.  (It’s also quite a workout for your upper arms, let me tell you!)  I have no explanation for my obsession with pockets other than to admit I have a fantasy of presiding over a completely organized purse. I bought a special zipper for the topmost closure – just in case those pockets get overstuffed and unseemly, I can zip the whole thing shut and no one will know.

I’d say it came out about 85% like what I wanted, and I might up that percentage after using it for a while. Think I’ll move into it and give it a test drive next week.  But YAY, I finally (after years of waiting) did it!

Christmas in the Garment District

We were given the most wonderful Christmas gift from a dear friend – 3 days in Manhattan (last week) to do the Christmas “thing” in the Big Apple.  I have not been to New York in ages and I must say things were different, but mostly in a good way.  It was much cleaner, much more polite (I know!) and had a much heavier police presence.  We had unseasonably warm weather, the kind that continues today and reaaaally harshes my Christmas buzz.  I like snow and at this time of year I want a little frosty.  We won’t be able to use the fireplace on Christmas because it will be too warm. How messed up is that?

As for the trip we did the usual touristy things (and a few OMG things) and had a ball.  Joe had never been to the Empire State Building so we timed a late-afternoon visit to avoid the lines. SCORE.  We went right up and had a good look at the most amazing city on earth.  The lobby of the ESB was just restored to it’s breathtaking art deco magnificence; it  was like being in a movie.  Rockefeller Center was decked to the 9′s and full of skaters, shoppers and tourists. All good things led to lunches and we went full throttle on a few places, including the Stage Deli.  There is nothing like a great NY deli. Bonus – you aren’t hungry for a full week afterward. Oy.

For Madame’s Dressing Gown

Liberty of Loveliness – 2 Designs

The highlight of my trip was breaking my Garment District cherry.  I’ve wanted to go forever and decided this was the trip. (Note to self – leave the guys at a deli & Lionel Train store while I do my thing.)  I was only able to get to 2 places, B&J Fabrics and Mood Fabrics, but both were fantastic.  I found the most beautiful selection of Liberty of London tana lawns and I treated myself to two of them to be used in a future project that must be found UTTERLY worthy.  The big score came when my good buddy (whose name I can’t remember) dove through piles of rolled bolts and helped me secure just the thing for my long-unfulfilled fantasy.  I’ve always wanted a dressing gown – a circa 1920′s fabu thing that you see in movies. (Ashley Judd wore one in DeLovely and it was stunning.)   I have looked for one for years in every brick and mortar and online store I could find.  Even the fabric was impossible to obtain. The closest I came was a place that had a good embroidered faux silk Shantung done in a very passable… polyester. (I’m a champagne girl on a beer budget.)  I’d pretty much given up hope when I found a silk Shantung that was swweeeeet. It is light as air and has the most beautiful (tho impossible to accurately photograph) Nile green color, and since I needed a lot I  managed to negotiate a price I could live with. (I knew being married to a Sicilian would pay off someday. ) Likewise for the satin, which will be used to trim sleeves, pockets and a wide, lovely collar.  Oh sigh.  It really is Christmas! It will probably be next Christmas before I’m swishing around the house wearing it, but by then Joe will have found a proper chaise lounge for Madame to recline upon while she plays upon her iPad.  It could happen.

The Mystery of the Bernina Walking Foot

HELP!  I’ve got this thingie that has another thingie and I can’t for the life of me figure out how this should fit on my Bernina 1090 and operate as a walking foot.  Even the good people at @berninausa can’t seem to fathom how this thing works.  They said it fits the same way the new one does, but mine doesn’t have a….um…..”receptacle” for the machine to poke into. (Think male/female parts.)  Here are a couple of pictures I shot with my iPod touch (my digi camera is MIA….)

Anyone have a clue?  ANYONE?  It has a little arm that should go up and down if it were somehow connected to something, but it doesn’t have the little “claw” at the end of it to hook on to your needle bar.  It also has a long, l-shaped arm thingie that somehow hooks in to it and lets you use that to measure the distance between your quilting lines so you don’t have to mark up your fabric.  I really want to use a walking foot in my quilting SOMEDAY, but I have no idea how this thing works.  I know my mom used it, but alas – that is one part of the enormous cargo of information that sailed when she did.  I’ve tried using my MOMStar but that doesn’t work either. Maybe I’ll make a vodka and Squirt and see if I can channel her.  (That reference was for my sisters. xxxx)

ANYONE?