Sewing Machine Fever

It's kind of like new car fever without the tv commercials. It started last week when I was telling Hubby that my mom mentioned that she might give me her sewing machine, a Pfaff which she bought about the same time I bought my New Home (now Janome) about 22 years ago. Only while mine has sewed miles of fabric, she has probably used hers ten times. Hubby asked if that is the kind of machine I wanted, and I told him I didn't know because I've only seen it a few times, I just knew it was nicer than mine 22 years ago. Then Hubby spoke these magical words "Why don't you just go buy the machine you really want instead?"

Excited? I'll say! "Get outta here!" I cried. And he did - keeping up with the lingo is so hard at our age.

"No honey, come back. Get outta here doesn't mean 'leave the room', it means something like 'far out' or 'unreal'.

"So why didn't you say that?" he asked.

"Because no one says that anymore, they say 'Get outta here' or something about bonkers. Never mind that. About the sewing machine, you were saying?"

It's true. He thinks I should finally get the machine of my dreams rather than settling for something that just has basic functions or is a hand-me-down. Wow. I think I'm going to caress some machines tomorrow.

Oh, and in all fairness, we were driving down the highway the other day, and we saw a license plate on an old car, completely tricked out, that said 69 HO, and I thought... well, I thought the worst. Hubby explained that it was a 1969 Hurst Oldsmobile. Oh.

Until next time, may you have blessings and a groovin' vocabulary,
Marti

Tablecloths Finished

As you can see in the above photo, I also found some lampshades I like. Thanks to all who participated in the poll. It was enough for me to see that while everyone has different tastes, the shade options I found locally just weren't right for the lamp (or for me). The original barrel shades may look good with the lamps, but after disliking them for over thirty years, they just weren't an option for me either.

When I showed these shades to a friend (while they still had the plastic and price tags on them), she gasped and said "I thought you were supposed to be frugal!" I had been feeling a bit guilty over the price even though I knew these were the shades and at first I started to agree with her. But being frugal isn't necessarily being cheap. Often it's cutting back in some areas so you can spend in other areas, and that's exactly what I've done in this bedroom.

Ok, with that out of the way, let me show you what I started with and why I really needed to get these tablecloths made. Hubby made these tables years ago out of an old bookshelf, and when we got the new bed, they were too short. Since they weren't anything special to begin with, Hubby made them taller the easiest way possible, but not the most attractive way.


I found sheets the same color as the coverlet and made round tablecloths out of them. Then I used extra curtain panels to make square cloths to layer over them. I may make them a big smaller but will live with them this size for awhile.

To soften the hard edge and prevent snags on finer fabric tablecloths, I used an old mattress pad and the elastic from the fitted sheet to cover the tables.


We had the glass cut years ago and I have no idea why we got smoked glass instead of clear. I guess we liked it better at the time. The table tops and glass were cut so I could use these crocheted table toppers made by my great aunt.


The finished tablecloths (with excess fabric wrapped around pillows to see what it looks like).



Remember what I started with?


Until next time, may you have blessings and happy sewing,
Marti

P.S.2. I've got a sewing tip too. After I made the first tablecloth, I realized that the sheets were a little on the limp side, and since I didn't have any spray sizing I mixed up a batch of liquid starch, the heavy formula. I only had one table cloth hemmed, but I starched both tablecloths. When I began hemming the second tablecloth I didn't have to use any pins, the starched fabric stayed firmly flat after pressing. Cut my hemming time in half or less for the second tablecloth.

Quilt Blocks for Fort Hood Families

I heard about this project from a quilting friend and just had to pass it along. Gina at Splinters & Threads is heading up a project to make signature quilts for each family of soldiers lost at Fort Hood, and the police officer who took down the shooter. I contacted Gina and asked if they would give quilts to the living shooting victims as well, and she said they would, and if there aren't enough quilts or blocks before Christmas, they will continue afterward. I think this is a great project and would like all the families who suffered loss, injury, or trauma to have a quilt. Please join me if you can. It's not just for those who quilt, anyone who can embroider or sign their name on a plain piece of fabric can participate. I love it when everyone can be included.

I'm making a few to send to my mother so she can pass them out to her friends for siggies also. She was happy to do it and happier not to have to make them herself.

I've just turned into a real linkity-link blogger lately, haven't I?

Until next time, may you have blessings and nimble fingers,
Marti

Dust Ruffle Finished

When I told Hubby I was going to make a dust ruffle for the bed, he grimaced and said he didn't like dust ruffles because they made the bed so hard to make. Puh-lease, like he ever makes the bed. But I told him not to worry his pretty little head about it, because I had already thought of that. When I had it pinned this afternoon, he saw it and commented on the "scrunchie part". I told him the word he was looking for was ruffle, and technically this was a gathered skirt rather than a ruffle. Hubby doesn't like ruffles. (Or pink.) Early in our marriage when I was less temperate than I am now, I bought a set of pink striped sheets with a lace ruffle on the top edge. (This was after an argument.) I regretted it later, but didn't have the funds to buy anything else for a long time. But after that, Hubby was a lot more tolerant of ruffles, and eventually, I just became more tolerant.

When I started this project, he asked if I had a pattern, to which I quoted Gold Hat: "Pattern? I don't need no stinkin' pattern." After I had ripped out stitches for the umpteenth time where the platform sheet got caught in the seam, I was thinking I should have had my stinkin' head examined though. But finally, I got 'er done. Instead of going between the mattress and boxsprings, the platform fabric goes on top of the mattress - on top of the blankets. No need to tuck the blankets between the box springs to keep them out of sight, they can hang down, as well as the sheets. We'll just fold back the dust ruffle with the comforter every night.


Shown over the dust ruffle is an old quilt turned over with the cream backing showing to give an idea what it will look like with a quilt. Eventually I'll get that quick quilt made. However, next on the to do list are the tablecloths for our bedside tables.


Until next time, may you have blessings and smooth sewing,
Marti

p.s. I used a king size flat sheet to make the platform, with darts in the two corners to make it fit close to the mattress. The "ruffle" is a green and red plaid homespun.

p.s.2   I thought I'd add a photo of the finished master bedroom too - long after this post was made