Entry for July 29, 2006 - Home Alone

(Continuing reposting....)

I have wondered how the Pfaffs with the pressure-foot lifter handle that seems oriented for us righties works for lefties. Today I discovered – better than expected.

I’m trying to avoid the “poor me, I’ve got a broken arm”. I decided that I needed some sort if a top that I could pull up w/out shoulder straps so I had my DH take me to Fabric Depot two days ago. I just wanted something simple. I found a piece of t-shirt knit – white with green and blue geckos, hoping to appeal to the DGKs. (They didn’t notice.)

I ‘let’ my husband go off to help someone for the day and decided to sew. I’m one who ends up with a mess but hates starting out that way so I spent some time throwing and stacking stuff. I had already preshrunk the stuff.

I started with the idea of making straps (that I didn’t end up using) and decided that using the serger would be easier than the scissors to cut them out so I folded the stuff about 2.5” wide, the length of some white t-shirt knit and serged away cutting & stitching at the same time. Of course the upper looper thread broke and the serger is almost 25 years old so there is no easy threading but I did it single - left-handed. Finished with that I matched the width of the fabric ends, pinned and stitched it up then serged-finished the ends.

I pinned both a hem on the bottom and an opening for elastic on top. I changed my 21140’s needle to a double 2.0, threaded them with a stick threader and stitched the seams. One thread did break once because I separated them in the threading but that was it. I was just getting the elastic out when my DH came home so I let him measure it and thread it through the opening. I stitched the ends and the opening and it was done. It was not gorgeous especially since I didn’t taper it in the back but I actually did it

The automatic foot raising was wonderful. I didn’t have my knee-lift in and that would have been better. It was doable. Now I’m very tired but feel a bit successful even though it definitely looked home-made.

Of course I forgot something to warm my shoulders on this cool low-to-mid-70’s day so I ended up at the birthday luau spending part of the time wearing a Mexican blanket over my brand new top - a chilly granddaughter thought that was great.

Kathleen out in Portland, Oregon – who physically cannot get to her stash so had to shop

Saturday July 29, 2006 - 10:36pm (PDT)