A Little Cleaning Out

We are on a waiting list for a home in a local retirement community and waiting is certainly descriptive since we have been doing that for nearly 3 years!  At least with no hurry, it gives me a chance to take a very close look at what will go with us and what won't.

While I have a wonderful sewing room in this house and I have loved being able to close the door when necessary, it will not translate to the new place when it finally happens.  I do happen to be the messiest sewer around, with projects everywhere in various stages of completion.  More than likely, when we finally move, my sewing will consist of mending and maybe an occasional project which will require the machine to disappear when it isn't actually being used.

So, I am posting pictures of some of my favorite sewing things I have collected over the years - an antique sewing bird, complete with both original pincushions.



This sweet pincushion/thread holder with what looks to be the original pincushion.
  

An old child sewing machine
  

If you would have an interest in any of these or would like better pictures (especially of the sewing machine, just let me know  (mamurray1120@gmail.com)  The price on the sewing bird is $100, the thread holder/pincushion and sewing machine are each $50.  Shipping would be extra on each of them but probably wouldn't be much.

Utilitarian things are already going away but I'm not seeing much space cleared yet!

New year, new post

A good blogger I'm not - obviously!  About 1 post a year seems to be all I can come with.  It's a shame that I know so little - I started a post about this robe and saved it (so I thought) but it doesn't seem to be here anymore!  So this is a start over!

I'm determined to sew up some of the fabric I have accumulated - not a lot by any means - but we are going to go to a retirement community, hopefully in the not too distant future.  I have made a decision to give up my sewing room and all the wonderful things in it.  Any fabric I haven't been able to use will go to someone who would appreciate it - I hope.  I will take my sewing machine - there is always mending of some sort to do - and thread, odds and ends.  I actually like buying clothes and I can usually buy a better fit than I can sew.

The Robe!  No, not the movie!  Pattern called for about 4 yards of 45" - I made it last year but made it too big so this was a second attempt.  I only had 2/1/2 yards of a black & white print purchased in Hawaii 15+ years ago so I was definitely setting myself up for frustration.  I ended up cutting 6" off the length, about 3" off the sleeve length then cutting a solid black to add back to the bottoms.  I ended up having to piece the front facings to get the length.  I added inseam pockets - also out of plain black and got them a little too low but they will work.

The robe I made last year went together to easily - I think I did most of it in an afternoon - but this one has been a multi-day nightmare.  If anything could go wrong it did!  But - it is done and I'm not sure I would ever do it again.
So, in all its glory, I present my new robe:

With a closeup of the pieced facing.

 

I'm actually sort of pleased with it after all - the buttons are a little small for the '"rat tail" loops and may have to be changed at some point but for now they are staying.

Next project will be finishing a green linen dress I cut out last spring and never got around to it!