My New Bernina 880 Sterling Edition

Every Christmas since I met GeoDad my Dad has given us some cash with instructions to spend it on something we wouldn't otherwise be able to buy ourselves and something that will last. One year we bought a new washer and dryer and another year we found a gorgeous new dining room set.
After his passing in October I knew he would want my brother and I to be mostly responsible with our inheritance but he would have still wanted each of us to do something we wouldn't have been able to otherwise.
GeoDad and I talked and we decided that while it was great that I had been able to borrow my Grandma's extra sewing machine for nearly 3 years it was probably time to get one of my own. 

This little fairly basic Husqvarna has sewn a ton and it still is lovely.

Since moving to Calgary and working at a quilt shop I have learned a ton about both Brother and Bernina sewing machines and have had a chance to use both brands newest and most advanced machines. Over the last few months my choice on favourite machine in the store would vary between the Brother XV-8500D and the Bernina 880 Sterling Edition. 

In the end my final decision was made by realizing that at this point in my sewing life I really enjoy piecing quilts, sewing clothes for my kids and being able to use a stitch regulator for free motion quilting.  I wanted the option of embroidery and Bernina has some very cool feet for decorative sewing. So the Bernina won out. Plus the 880 Sterling Edition is a very pretty sewing machine.

Bernina doesn't include a huge number of feet in most of their machines but the basics you would need are there and I picked up a couple I know I will use. Such as the #10 edge stitch foot and #97 1/4 inch piecing foot and the 3 sole walking foot.

I am very excited to get to try the Needle Punch Tool which is included with Sterling Edition Accessory pack along with the tools for Cutwork, Crystalwork and Paintwork. 

Anyway, right now I am trying to find homes for all the new things and make some order in the sewing area. I have a baby quilt ready to baste and might give the BSR (Bernina Stitch Regulator) a run for its money to break the machine in.

Birthday Skirt: Part 2

In part 1 I told you I had cut various widths of striped green and pink fabric. I had a cunning plan to sew them together in a simple 2 color bargello style pattern. I executed the cunning plan without thinking through all the math that I should have. Here is the result:

It was at about 11 last night when I got to this point. I was ready to jump into making a simple lining, sewing the ends together, hemming and putting elastic in the waist. I was thinking woohoo, I am going to get this done before bed.

Then LB woke up and needed me for a few minutes. As I sat with him I got to thinking about the actual dimensions of this great green and pink thing. It is 23 inches long and about 18 wide. Plenty long enough for a waist band and hem for a toddler skirt, but Monkey's waist is about 19 or 20 inches around. Sure if I sew the ends together it will fit around her, but it will fit like a straight jacket and she won't be able to walk (which may be very funny for a few minutes, but not a good long term idea). 

My first reaction included words that I shouldn't say or type. My second reaction was that I needed to find a quick and easy solution. Perhaps just adding a solid section that would make it wide enough for her to move in. Or perhaps I needed this piece to be a skirt front and I would just need to make a back panel. Quick and easy way would be a single piece either pink or green. Or I should just put in the time to make what I originally had planned and make more strips, sew them together, and cut them into various widths. 

Any sewers reading this your comments would be greatly helpful in finding a solution to my lack of planning.

GeoMama

Monkey's Birthday Skirt

A while back I ended up at a charity fabric sale at a local church. All fabric was $1/meter. I picked up way more than I probably needed to and GeoDad asked what I was going to do with all of it.

First I made a dress for my niece.

Monkey trying on her cousin's dress

Then I made a skirt that I hope would fit Monkey, but it was a bit too small so I gave it to a friend who has a daughter Monkey's age as well a newborn girl. It was a bit of trial and error, but it has given me the confidence to tackle something a little more complicated.

The skirt barely covers Monkey's bum, and I had to really fight to get in onto her.

After the last couple crazy weeks I thought I should ease myself back into sewing so I made a couple new soother clips for LB.

I am a big fan of the train ribbon that I used.

Then I got to work on the next project out of the almost free fabric is going to be a birthday skirt for Monkey. I picked the green and pink broadcloth and set to work cutting strips, and sewing them together to make a set of stripes. Then I cut all set of the stripes into 7 different widths. 3/4 inch to 2 1/4 inch.

The end of the set of the stripes, forgot to take a picture earlier.

Nice variety of widths. 

Next I am going to sew all those strips back into a useable length of fabric and it will be a skirt that fits Monkey (I hope). I probably could have made progress on that tonight, but instead I searched for fabric online and procrastinated. I probably could have got some stain on the Ugly Hutchling too... but I didn't. Oh well I have lots more weekend to work on both projects.

Enjoy May Long Weekend. Hopefully the weather stays nice for everyone. 

GeoMama

Fishy Peasant Dress

As I was sewing last night I remembered why I haven't sewn any clothes since taking Fashion Studies in high school. I don't enjoy how accurate you have to be with your seam allowances/pressing/heming/etc, or how much pinning is required. I don't really like pinning. But anyway, I got through it, and I am sure I will make more skirts and dresses for Monkey because I have a few more ideas and lots more fabric.

Anyway, here is the completed Fishy Peasant Dress for my niece L. It is a little late for her birthday, but it will get to her later this week. I can't wait to see how it looks with a cute little 2 year old in it (and I sure hope it fits, maybe Monkey will have to try it on for me, but then I run the risk of not getting her out of it and it getting dirty).

No more sewing days for me until the weekend. I am headed back north to pack our house/move out/find a tenant so that we can get organized to live in the big city down south. 

Have a great week and hopefully spring will come while I am gone and we can be done with the miserable wet snow we keep getting.

GeoMama

Works in Progress April 17

On the weekend I went to a local church that was hosting a charity fabric sale. It was amazing how much was there that had been donated from people's stashes. There was everything from quilting cotton to drapery fabric to fleece and jersey (and more but I didn't look through most of it). Everything was priced at $1/m (a steal if you ask me). I came home with $27 of fabric mostly in 1 m and 2 m cuts (however, there was some that was 4 or 5m). That is when GeoDad asked me what I was going to do with all of it.

Hmm... some of it is destined to go into my quilting stash. Some of it is too lightweight for quilting, some is too heavy. The lightweight cotton broadcloth is going to be used for some summery clothes for Monkey and my niece L who turns 2 at the end of the week. Her clothes won't get up to her on time because I am slow, but here  is what I have started:

A peasant dress for L with this bright fabric. I am using this tutorial and so far it seems very do able. Monkey will also get a dress out of this fabric because I have 4 or 5m of it. I think they will both get matching sun hats too.

Peasant dress using fish patterned broadcloth. 

I have these broadcloth colors picked out for skirts for both girls:

The other sewing the kids I have completed and still have in progress are the PUL diaper covers, I hate sewing them. 9 are done, 1 more is in the works, then I have to cut more out. I made 2 more PUL bibs over the weekend, I don't mind sewing them because they go together really quick and I can put them on the kids the next morning.

I bought a 14 x 14 inch pillow form and I am going to figure out borders on the Y = X block to get it up to 14 inches square.

And I might as well update on my hexie project (last updated here). I have basted 222 hexies (13 completed strips from the jelly roll I am using). So almost half way to the magical number I think I need for the placemat set I hope to make with them (480-ish).  If anyone has tips on starching these before I get to sewing them that would be greatly appreciated. I am nervous about wrecking my iron/ironing board cover with too much starch.

I am linking up with Freshly Pieced, so go check out what others have on the go this week.

Thanks for reading. Have a good week.

GeoMama

Another PUL Project: Monkey's Bib

Since we started feeding LB solids just over a month ago Monkey has been way more interested in wearing a bib again when she is eating. I have a few cloth bibs that she has been soaking with yogurt/soup/etc. while LB uses a nice,  easy to wipe clean taffeta bib (Kushies brand). I was getting tired of having to keep the few cloth bibs in rotation for her and thought 'Hey, I have a Babyville Boutique Pattern for PUL bibs'. Turns out I have actually misplaced the pattern, but I still have the instructions.

I started by tracing the bib LB is uses onto a sheet of mylar (this way I can make lots more all the same). Then I cut 2 full bibs (a front and back) and one piece for a pocket. I folded the top of the pocket  over and stitched it down.

I sewed the pocket onto the front piece, then I stitched the front (with pocket) and back together wrong sides together, leaving a 2 inch gap at the bottom so it could be turned inside out.

I snipped the seam allowances on the curves to help them turn, then turned it right side out. I gave it a light press with low heat to help the seams to lay flat.

I top stitched all around the edge to hold the layers together and flat. Then added hook tape to one flap and loop tape to the other.

Voila! A bib for Monkey that is easy to wipe clean.

I'm thinking I should probably make a few more of these, but first I need a decent sized stash of diapers. 

GeoMama

Work in Progress Wednesday

Happy Wednesday
It has been a busy week so far. Both kids have stuffy noses and have rosy cheeks. Monkey is working on getting her 2 -year molars, and LB might be on his way to his first tooth. Neither has been sleeping well (so neither have GeoDad and I) which is cutting into my energy and motivation to get out of the house to exercise. On a plus side I have found a few new interesting times to sew.

Sunday I started tutoring math again for the first time in about 6 years. GeoDad and I were discussing that a bit more income would be good, and since we are staying with my mom for now, it would be possible for me to head out for an hour or two and do this. I was a math tutor in high school, and a bit during university (when my schedule allowed for it). I have always been a strong math student, and I enjoyed helping my friends with their homework, which is why I started tutoring way back then. Anyway, I was a bit rusty on Sunday and it was good that the student had a textbook. I definitely didn't remember all the formulas used in basic sequences and series, but we got through it and he was thankful.

The 2 sewing projects I have been doing are coming along very slowly. I have now basted 171 hexagons (see Hexagons in previous posts). I basted 8 at 3am a few nights ago while LB was wide awake and needing to poop. I also managed to basted 12 or 15 while he napped in my arms on Monday (this was much more tiring because I had to keep my right hand up in the air above him).

As for the cloth diaper project. It turns out I don't really enjoy sewing the elastic onto the PUL fabric. I like all the other steps and I like the outcome, but after I sew the elastic onto one cover I want to work on something else for the rest of the night. So one diaper a night seems to be my limit. I have completed 4 now. I am going to start using them, and until I have enough for a 2 day rotation, they will get washed everyday. From the looks it of it, they should fit Monkey too, I'm just not sure Monkey will lay still enough for me to do up the snaps on the front. I could also make some pull-up style ones for her, but I will get LB's done first.

In the mean time I am going to watch Monkey and LB learn to play 'together' with the tunnel in the living room.

GeoMama

Contest and Cloth Diaper Project

Hello Faithful Readers
I have entered LB's Quilt in a online Show & Tell Contest, you can see it and the other entries here at the Quilting Gallery. It would be great if you could put in a vote before Monday. If I win I get more fabric to sew with!

In other news, I finished one cloth diaper. It was a big learning curve because I have never sewn with elastic before, and PUL is very slippery so it doesn't like to stay in the fold over elastic. Anyway, it is done and the more I make the faster they will get.

Finished diaper

Multiple waist snaps allow him to grow

Pocket in the back (has elastic now)

Disposable LB is wearing right now... looks like the cloth will fit

Maybe I will get more sewing in tonight... LB isn't sleeping well so I have been going to bed early so I can be up with him in the wee hours. 

Have a good weekend.

GeoMama

The Cloth Diaper Project

When I was pregnant with Monkey I swore that I would be faithful cloth diaper user. The reasons I want to do were pretty standard: It is better for the environment, large up front cost, but minimal cost afterwards, they look cute on babies bums, less diaper rash with natural fibers, yada, yada, yada. I spent hours and hours reading reviews trying to decide on the best style: One-sized, multiple sizes, All-in-ones, pocket diapers, prefolds and covers, snaps, pins, velcro... the options are endless.

Anyway, I finally settled and pick Bummis with the covers and prefolds. I got GeoDad to pick up a newborn starter kit when he was traveling in BC for work. Then we waited rather impatiently for Monkey to arrive so we could use them.

When Monkey did arrive her legs were too skinny for the leg elastic no matter how much I tightened the waistband. I was also way too exhausted too try and figure out anything better, so I used disposables. By the time she was about 2 months old her legs had thickened enough to use the cloth diapers, but I went on a 6 week vacation to see my Mom/Grandma/etc. I was not up to using cloth while I traveled, nor was I organized enough to figure it out while visiting and staying different places.

After my long vacation I was eager to get home and get using the cloth more consistently; and that is when my dryer started to die. It would take me 3 hours to dry a regular load of wash, never mind the thick prefolds that came with the Bummis diapers. I got a fancy new dryer for Christmas, but by then she had out grown the newborn sized cloth diapers.

Cloth diapering was a complete fail with Monkey, she is now potty training and hopefully will be out of diapers completely soon.

I thought I would give it a shot when LB was born. I waited a few days for him to get the very first tar like poo out of his system then I went for it. LB was in cloth 2.5 days out of 3 (I had to wash the diapers and it seemed easiest to do them all and the bag I kept the dirty ones in at once). The Bummis newborn sized covers worked really well with him until he was just over 3 months old. Then he got too long and they wouldn't wrap around his waist to close.

Since then we have been using disposables for both kids. It is costing us big time. So I am going to solve the issue by making some new covers that should fit LB for quite sometime and maybe even fit Monkey until she is done potty training.

BabyVille Boutique makes a line of super cute PUL fabrics that are great for making diaper covers. Now you may be wondering what PUL is:

"PUL is a polyurethane laminated fabric that is waterproof yet breathable. Because of its leak proof properties, it is perfect when sewing for babies and toddlers. PUL has a fabric side and a laminated side. Either side is suitable as the “right” side; it just depends on the project." - BabyvilleBoutique FAQs

Babyvilly Boutique makes it even easier by having a book of cloth diaper patterns: Cloth Diapers Made Easy. I ordered both the books and PUL fabric from Joann's Fabrics and ordered fold over elastic and snaps from www.wazoodle.com. I have had all this sitting around for a while now, and was waiting for LB's quilt to be done. I will be making pocket diapers so that I can continue to use the prefolds from my Bummis stash. I started cutting the first 2 last night, here take a peak:

Fancy mylar template that I made from the pattern in the book

Outer PUL layer with dinosaurs

Inner flannel - won't that be nice and soft on LB's bum!

Better get to it tonight. Snaps to add, then get inner and outer layers sewn together. Hopefully tomorrow LB can try one on so I can see that the pattern will work for him.

GeoMama

International Quilting Day & LB's Quilt Finish

Happy International Quilting Day (March 16th) from Canada
It seems to be the perfect day to finish up the project I am working on, and for those just reading my blog for the first time I will give you a quick summary of what that is.

My son was born early September, and being the second child in the family he got very few gifts, whereas his sister recieved 7 homemade blankets. Feeling like he needed something special I set out looking for fabric. 3 months of searching finally landed me Northcott's Reptile Rumpus Collection. I am making a big raggy blanket that he should be able to fit under for a couple years. You can check out the progress on it here (part 1, part 2 or part 3).

Today I am finishing the snipping the seam allowances, here take a peak:

My Dad got me these little scissors, they turned out to be great for snipping the seam allowances

I got all the snipping done with a couple hours left in day, the quilt is headed into wash as soon as my other load is done. I will post photos of LB and his blanket tomorrow.

Looking forward to seeing this rag up

All snipped. Time to wash

Feels good to finally finish.

GeoMama

Weekend Wrap-Up

I thought I should do an end of the weekend update on my projects.
Here is the project list in no particular order:

1. LB's raggy quilt - SOOO close to done. It is all pieced together and I am working on snipping the seam allowances. There are 24 blocks with 36 inches of seams to cut (864 inches total), 24 blocks with 29 inches of seams (696 inches) and 48 blocks with 22 inches of seams (1056 inches)....so lets just say there are lots of seams to cut and it is slow going.

2. The Hexie project - 140 hexagons basted. This project is on the back burner while I finish LB's quilt.

3. Next on the list of things to sew is some more cloth diapers for LB (more about that in another post). I have the pattern traced onto mylar sheets so that I can use it repeatedly. I need to get the flannel I am using for the lining into the wash to pre-shrink it.

4. The GeoMama get in Shape Project: Sticking to my goal of exercising everyday. Finding that I am not ready to cut way back on calories because I am still nursing LB, but I am trying to eat more veggies and almost no chocolate. I have one pair of pants that are not staying up well... I hope that isn't just because they need to be washed. I am also remembering about muscles I forgot I had. I learned this week that I am not very good at skipping, oh well, I guess I will have to practice. I have been trying to get to bed at more reasonable hour, which is helping my energy levels in the morning. I sleep about 1/2 the night in bed, and then LB gets grumpy and NOISY, so we move to couch. Sleeping on the couch is not helping me recover from exercising, but I am not going to let it stop it from getting to the gym.

I was going to post this last night, but didn't. So Happy Monday Morning.

GeoMama

Work in Progress: LB's quilt part 3

I am pretty excited. I got a special delivery from my Brother who was just down to see my Grandma. I had been using Grandma's Elna sewing machine but as I said here, Elna needed some repairs (which is understandable because she is 57 years old). Brother delivered me another sewing machine! (Turns out Grandma has 3 in total, plus a serger).

I get to play/sew with a Husqvarna Viking. So far I think it is a pretty sweet little machine. It has automatic needle up/down settings for when you stop stitching. It has 3 speed settings depending what type of sewing you are doing.

The Viking (should I name it Odin or Thor or  Kvasir (God of inspiration)?)

Anyway, this was going to be an update on LB's raggy quilt (see part 1 and part 2 if you have no clue what I am talking about). It is so close to done. I got all the rows stitched together last night which leaves just joining the rows together, stitching around the whole exterior of the quilt and then making it rag, by snipping into the seam allowances about every 1/4 inch. 

Row8 - backside (not raggy)

Row8 - frontside (raggy)

Can't wait to be done and see LB wrapped in his blanket.

GeoMama

A silly little project: 102 hexagons basted

A couple weeks ago when my sewing machine broke I decided I needed a hand sewing project. I decided to make something out of 1 inch hexagons. I cut paper templates and squares of fabric to baste to them (as shown here). The first one I made was super slow. But since my speed has improved drastically and I have made 102 of these silly little things.

Fabric folded over and basted at the corners

102 Hexagons Basted

I have been thinking about what to make once I have more of these made. My initial thought is to make a set of placemats (roughly 12"x18" or 12"x16") which according this fancy paper piecing calculator will require about 80 hexagons for each placemat. This website shows how to do all the math yourself as well, which if I was feeling more inclined I could do.

Using the fancy calculator

I have been thinking about possible ways to arrange the hexagons. Here are some ideas:

Left to right: Diamonds, flowers (with matching centers), flowers (contrasting centers) and stripes.

If I make 6 placemats I will need roughly 480 hexagons, so I am 21% done the first part of this project.

I am definitely enjoying it so far.

GeoMama

A silly little project: hexagons

Since the sewing machine is out for repair I think it is time to start a hand sewing project. I enjoy hand sewing, but don't do much of it. I have been thinking that it would be nice to have something small to work on when I have a few minutes while kiddos nap or while I am watching TV.

I want vibrant colors, which I think this set of fabric will cover (Artisan Batiks: Elementals Collection-Geos by Lunn Studios) . This is a set of 40 2.5inch wide strips of fabric. Should be easy to work with for my project.

So many fun colors... maybe I will started with the yellow.

All set and ready to get started cutting

I am going to be doing some English Paper Piecing. You can't just easily sew hexagons together with the sewing machine, so to start you make some paper hexagons to fold the fabric over. I found some great tips here, here, here and here. Then got to cutting my paper templates (1 inch hexagons) and my fabric (2.5 inch squares). 

I only cut 60 paper templates and 34 fabric squares, but it should be enough to get me started. I basted one together just to see how long it might take me. First one was super slow.

Stack of fabric squares, stack of paper hexagons and one basted fabric hexagon!!

I doubt I will update often on this, I think it is going to take a long time before anything noteworthy is produced from these little guys.

GeoMama

Work in Progress: LB's Quilt Part 2

When I left off in part 1 I had told you I had found the pattern to start working with. To summarize the pattern:

My quilt will be 6 columns by 8 rows, broken down into alternating large squares and blocks with 2 small squares and a rectangle. For those math geeks in my audience... that equals 48 total blocks, 24 large squares, 24 rectangles and 48 small squares. Now each block has both a front and a back, as well as batting in the middle.. 96 fabric squares + 48 batting squares. Lets just say it was lots of cutting and it took me a couple evenings. 

Next was making the fabric 'sandwichs'. Two of the fabric pieces with a layer of batting in between with a X sewn through the corners. Again.. 96 of these.. it took a bit of time, but it was worth it.

After all this it was time to decide on layout. I had 7 different fabrics and no end of options of how to lay everything out (Mathmatically speaking there is a finite number of arrangements, but I am not about to calculate that today). The only criteria I wanted to follow was to have a random arrangement and not have any blocks that are touching be the same. 

I made myself a temporary 'design wall' with a twin bed sheet hung from paperclips screwed into the unfinished opening between the living room and dining room at my Mom's. Then started designing the layout by placing the big squares randomly into the 6x8 grid. Next was the rectangles. 

Big squares and rectangles up

 I was going to start with the small squares that same night, but ran out of pins. I only brought some of my sewing stuff with me from home, so it was off to the store to get some more.

Once I had all the small blocks in place I took some pictures and played with the color settings to see if I had a fairly even distribution of values and patterns. The first one here in black and white made it really obvious that I had hardly any of the darkest fabric at the top

All the blocks up - Notice that the bottom of the quilt looks like it has more dark squares... thats not quite right

Closer to how I want it

After I was happy with the arrangement, it was on to sewing the small blocks into pairs and then attaching them to the rectangles. I made labels for each block showing their position and orientation (ie: R1C2, dragonflies and blue over waves)

Label block all sewn together... not pretty on the edge... but it is a raggy blanket and the edges will fray

A few of the blocks together back in the grid on the design wall

All small square/rectangle blocks back on the wall.  

Now its time to sew the rows together, and then join the rows together... almost done.

GeoMama