Dress Like Your Grandma Challenge Participant

My Aunt Ellen

Tanya Maile Hughes blogs at tanyamaile.com and she recently hosted a wonderful sewing challenge called Dress Like Your Grandma.  She encouraged readers to find a photo of their grandmother, aunt, cousin, any relative really, and then to create an outfit similar to the one shown in the photo.  The time frame for the contest was originally March 6th to April 17th and anyone who wanted to sew could participate.  I did not see read about the contest until April 15th, but Tanya ended up extending the challenge through April 24th and I was able to get an entry submitted.

While going through family pictures with my mom, we landed upon a picture of my aunt wearing her bridesmaid's dress from my mother and father's wedding.  I had made a dress very similar to that one and I decided to recreate that picture.

Here is a link to Tanya's blog where she has some fantastic photos and descriptions for all of the entries she received for the challenge.  Thank you for hosting, Tanya.  This was a fun project!

Blue Shirt Refashion

This was a quick, no machine needed, shirt refashion. I was drawn to the lightweight fabric in this shirt and the statement zipper on the back. The shirt was originally a large and it felt very roomy when I first tried it on. There was too much fabric under the arms and the neckline was a bit low.

Front view

Great zipper

Fabric pooling in lower back

Instead of taking in the sides and arms, I tried pulling the shirt forwards a bit at the shoulders. This brought the neckline down inappropriately low, but it did fix the fabric pooling in back and it took out some of the extra fabric under the arms. I pinned the new neckline into a v-neck.

New neckline

By hand, I tacked the new neckline in and then folded the extra loop back on itself. That created a bit of a gathered look across the chest. I hand stitched the loop flat at the bottom of the neckline and then the shirt was complete.

I think I like the v-neck better on this one

Here are a few pics of how the finished shirt looks.

Neckline not as low

Less bunching in the back

Side view

New Bag, Old Pattern

I have a bag that my sister made for me years ago that is the perfect size for my laptop, folders of papers to grade, or books to return to the library. I have used the bag on car trips, to store knitting projects, and to stuff seed packets into at the annual seed swap.  For a couple years now I knew I wanted another bag, but this time I was going to have to learn how to make it myself.  A couple weekends ago I was in MN visiting my sister and family and we took a quick trip to a quilt store that was closing. While my sister perused fabrics for new bedroom curtains, I wandered the aisles trying not to think up 100 new projects that I wanted to start immediately. As we were getting ready to leave, we saw a sample bag hanging near the front desk and my sister recognized it as the same one she had made me years ago. When we got back to her house, she was able to find the original pattern/directions and I knew I had my next project. 

Upon returning to Chicago, I checked the fabric stash for remnants and this floral upholstery fabric called out to become a bag.  Another bright red fabric would work well for the lining. Both fabrics came from estate or garage sales.

"Hitchcock Stencil" pattern by Waverly Fabrics

Floral pattern looks smaller here than on finished bag

I used the kitchen floor to lay out fabric for cutting. Sometimes it's a bit difficult to work on my knees, but it does give me a nice clear work surface. My Bernina 830 was sitting on the table calling for a project, so I decided to see what she would do with the thicker fabric. For the most part she sewed effortlessly, but there were a couple hiccups when I was sewing through the bag, lining, and straps at the end. That did get to be a pretty thick pile of fabric.

Starting to sew the bag

Three sides sewn with bottom corners cut out

The process was repeated for the lining.

Bag and lining inside out

Next I made the straps.  The pattern suggested using webbing for handles, but I had just enough of the floral fabric to make fabric handles to match the bag so I went with that.

I like that the red stitching shows

The lining was then sewn into the bag and the handles were secured between the bag and the lining.

Everything has to be pinned into place accurately

The finished bag:

Inside the bag

My original bag my sister made is still a step up from mine because she put in an interior pocket and a magnetic closer for the top.  I'll have to add those improvements next time. 

Singer 403A and 401A

It was a cold and rainy day and a not-so-perfect day to drive down from Benton Harbor, MI to pick up a sewing machine. D didn't want to waste any time though, he was excited to pick up the 403A he has just purchased. Rain and traffic managed to delay D by about 30 minutes from our meeting time, but he was still very enthusiastic when he arrived.

Machine D purchased

As we were talking, D mentioned that his wife had found the listing for the 401A on ebay and was quick to purchase it.  I heard him say 401A and I had to clarify .  The machine we were looking at was a 403A in a table.  That was the machine that was listed and purchased.  D said that he had not read the listing closely, and asked what the difference was between a 403A and a 401A.  A fellow sewing friend had recommended the 401A to him for sewing clothes and that's what he thought he wanted. I happened to have a 401 in a case that I brought out and we compared the machines.

401A that D thought he was buying

The 403A has separate pattern cams that were included and the 401 has built-in decorative stitches.

Built-in stitches for the 401A

D said he was also hoping to use the double needle in the 401. He also preferred the portable case to the table so he was definitely interested in changing his original purchase. We discussed a price as the 40A had not even been listed for sale and I think both walked away happy with the new sale.

I told my husband how lucky it was that we happened to have D's desired 401A in the collection and could make the switch, but I'm not sure that was enough to sell him on why we still have some many machines. There are so many sewers and collectors who are looking for a treasured machine or machines and I love playing matchmaker.  I hope I get to do this for a long time.

Two Machines Find Their New Home

J contacted me about a machine I had listed on Craigslist.  She was interested in the Dressmaker SWA-2000 to replace her machine that had recently been in for repair.  J had been using her machine regularly to make bags and now rag rugs and her Brother could not keep up.  When she took the machine in for repair, the repair man suggested she look for an older machine that was all metal and would be able to handle the extra thick fabric.  I think she got good advice there.

Everything is blue, even the foot control

When J came to look at the machine, she brought along her current project so that she could see how each machine worked with it. It's always a good idea to bring along a swatch or two of material that you like to sew on so you can get a feel for how a machine handles the fabric. J was finishing putting together a rag rug and she was looking for something that could handle sewing through very thick braids. I had four machines out to look at and we worked our way through each one.  Originally, it looked like none of the feet would lift high enough to clear the braid. That was a disappointing start. While we were talking though, I tried out the darning foot on one of my Berninas and saw that it provided more clearance between the foot and feed dogs. When I tried pushing up on the foot bar, I found that there was another 1/4 to 1/2 inch of play in the bar too, so this would definitely clear the braid. We went back and tried lifting the foot bar on each machine and 3 of the 4 gave us enough room to get the rug braid under the presser foot. Fortunately, the Dressmaker was one of the three and J was happy it could be her top choice again. She didn't want to pass up all that lovely blue and the notable chrome dials.
After she had decided on the Dressmaker, J mentioned that she would also be in the market for a free-arm machine.  I brought out a couple and the first one she tried worked well. It was a New Home machine that came with its own manual and its own suitcase.  It has a few decorative stitches and a built-in buttonholer.  J was planning to use the free arm for sewing bags and linings.

Packed snuggly away

So, when J left we carried two machines out to her car.  I asked her to let me know how things work out with the machines.  I always like to hear what projects people are working on with their new toys. Later that afternoon, J sent a pic of the Dressmaker at home in its new cabinet.  I think it looks very pleased with its new surroundings.

Already hard at work on that rag rug

Happy sewing to you J!  I hope you enjoy both machines.

Purple Flower Shirt Refashion

It was the purple flowers that caught my eye on this fabric. Originally sewn into pajamas, this fabric was looking for a bit of an update to take it from lonely item on the sale rack to new item in my wardrobe. It was priced at 70 cents and there was a lot of fabric to play around with, so the pajamas came home.

Front view

From the back

The tag said made in India and there was no size label, but it was too big on me so I'm guessing XL or XXL. I started by taking in the sides and sleeves to get a better fit and plan A was to make a tunic or dress. A t-shirt that fit me well helped me see how much to take in on each side. I basted the sides and then tried the pajamas on my dress form.

There was quite a bit to take in on the sides

After the sides were basted in, I tried playing with the length. If it went below my knees, it still looked like pajamas. If I shortened it a bit to wear with tights or jeans, it still felt like too much fabric. I settled on plan B and made it about the same length as a t-shirt.

Inside out before sides are finished

The side seams on this shirt are finished with my new-to-me serger. This is the third serger I have bought and it's the first one that has worked. It's a Brother 1034D and it seems to have finished the seams pretty well. I look forward to learning more about how to use the serger, but this was a good first project.

Serged seams, is the thread sticking out too far from the edge of the fabric?

Oops, I sewed a pucker into the side.  That will have to come out

Pucker eliminated

With the side seams done, I pinned the hem and sleeve lengths and used my Bernina 830 to sew those in. The fit well now, but I thought it still needed some embellishment on the front. The shirt definitely has a vintage look, so I searched my odds and ends box for buttons, snaps, etc. that would liven things up. I found some embroidered flowers that came from an estate sale a couple summers ago. I stitched three of these on to the front panel by hand. Lastly, I added some purple centers to the flowers to coordinate with the purple flowers in the fabric.

Flowers stitched on

Adding purple centers

The weather around here isn't going to call for a short sleeve shirt any time soon, but I'll have this shirt ready in my closet when the time comes. Here it is finished on the dress form.

I think the white flowers were a great addition

Loose fitting, but not several sizes too big

Kept the pleats in the back

Freeing Up A Bernina 830 Presser Foot Bar

From the very beginning, when I got this Bernina 830 thirdhand, it was clear that the original owner had taken pride in her machine and had done regular maintenance on the machine. The second owner may not have ever even used the machine and it had sat in storage for several years. After a good cleaning and oiling, the machine sewed a great straight, reverse, and zig-zag stitch. My first indication that something was wrong was when I tried changing the foot to try out an embroidery stitch.  I lifted the foot lever to the top position and switched out the feet. When I went to release the foot lever the lever went down easily, but the presser foot bar did not move.  It was stuck in the raised position.  I cleaned again, lubricated with Tri-Flow, and now it moved only slightly and would not return all the way to the lowest position.  I tried applying heat with a hairdryer and that did loosen things up, but it was temporary and when the machine cooled down again it went right back to not releasing.  After triple-checking my work, I was a bit puzzled and tried to understand what could possibly be sticking.  I ended up taking the screw out from the top of the presser foot bar.

Presser foot bar screw

There is a large spring under this screw and it popped out before I was ready. I had to listen for the small screw to land after flying through the air. Next time, I'll keep my fingers over the screw as I'm loosening it.

Large spring with small screw on the end

 Looking down into the bar, I could see some discoloration that was probably dried lubricant. Using q-tips and alcohol, I cleaned as far down into the hole as I could reach.

Definitely removing something that was causing the bar to stick

Foot lever in the back always moved with ease

As I worked, I would keep trying to move the foot lever up and down. It moved smoothly from the start, but eventually the bar itself was also moving up and down freely. I know that the spring applies pressure to push the foot down but, I keep cleaning until the bar moved without any added pressure.

Looking down into the presser foot bar after it was cleaned

Here's a short clip that shows the movement inside the cleaned presser foot bar when the lever is adjusted.

Eventually, when I raised and lowered the foot lever, the presser foot bar moved in unison. I put the spring and screw back in and put the top back down. Good news, unlike the heat application that was a temporary fix, cleaning the presser foot bar has proved to provide long term results. Now we're ready to sew.

Here She Comes, Ms. Universal

In the spotlight

When she came home from a garage sale in October, Ms. Universal was in need of some work before she would be ready to compete in any pageant competitions. Since then, she has had her chrome polished, paint shined, motor cleaned, belt changed, insides cleaned and lubricated, wiring checked, and foot controller cleaned.  Now she is ready to take her place on stage with all the other contestants.

Her facial treatments didn't eliminate all the age spots, but as a senior competitor in the pageant she looks fantastic for her age. 

She has a slim and angular body with a distinctive stitch-length selector surrounding the reverse lever.  The feed dog release knob is on the right, below the made in Japan badge.  

The upper thread tension wheel is on the back of the machine

The teal motor matches Ms. Universal's outfit

You can see a bit of Ms. Universal's built-in sewing light peeking out below her nameplate on the back.  There is also a well-polished access panel above the motor and an adjustable-height spool pin located on the top of the machine.

Hand wheel and bobbin-winder all shined up

For the talent portion of the competition, Ms. Universal executes flawless stitches in a variety of lengths moving both forwards and backwards.  She is careful not to miss a stitch and keeps consistent tension at all times.

Flipped back on her hinges

A quick glance at Ms. Universal's undercarriage reveals inner workings that are clean, strong, and efficient.  

Attachments and foot controller

Ms. Universal comes with her own entourage.  A color-coordinated foot controller and accessory box with extra feet, attachments, and unused bobbins are included.

Ms. Universal insists on using her own private travel service.  And while she is not a dainty lady with a featherweight physique, Ms. Universal is often conveyed about town in her own personalized teal case.  She travels in style.

I have had fun getting to know Ms. Universal.  The judges are still counting the final votes, but I really do think she has a chance at the crown.  After all, in the interview when asked what she thinks our society needs Ms. Universal answered "more people who enjoy sewing." Yes, that and world peace.