An Amazing Day

Today was the first day in 3 months that I felt able to get out of bed and actually do things.  Even my eyesight cleared and I could see really well.  So I got out the sewing machine and worked on several projects.  People who know me are probably shuddering right now.  I am a very clumsy person and my track record with sewing machines is quite bad.  In fact I have injured someone when the bobbin flew out of the machine and hit them.

At first when I got the machine out I was struggling to figure out how to even thread it.  But luck was with me and it worked wonderfully.  I used both a zigzag and straight stitch and sewed a tablecloth.  About half way through the sewing the bobbin ran out.  So then I couldn't get the bobbin rewound.  The truth is I couldn't get the first one wound either without moving the thread up and down while the thread spun around.  But with a little work I found the gadget that supported the thread and the bobbin wound evenly.  Then I tried threading the machine the same way and it made an awful noise.  Somehow I got the machine working earlier missing two gadgets and threading the needle backward!  This time I did it right and it worked great and I got 3/4 of the tablecloth finished.

 

Tablecloth of Japanese print and white satin.

 

Since the machine was working so well I also sewed a reticule using some heavy drapery type fabric.  I had tried to hand sew it but the fabric was to thick.  The fabric was from an old sample book that Lee's mom bought and shared with me.  I've wanted to make it for ages but I knew it would have to wait until I got the sewing machine working.  I am thinking of getting out the Kumihimo stand and making a matching cording for the seams and ties.  The lining was made from the leftovers of the table cloth.

 

 

Reticule pattern from about 1850's the fabric is beautiful.

 

Next I took some of leftover satin and made a Kippah.  The pattern was from "The Needle Worker" magazine August/September 1999.  It was a ribbon work project.  I haven't decided how to decorate it or what kind of fabric to line it, but then designing is half the fun!

 

 

Satin Kippah.

 

After all the sewing I decided to finish the Romanian Point Lace project.  While doing the needle weaving I saw where I didn't line up the braids so it looks wonky.  I love it!  It was a great experience and I hope to make another once I get the size 20 braid finished.  I wonder if a Kumihimo braid would work instead of the crocheted braid.  Well then it wouldn't be Romanian point lace anymore.  There are lace making techniques that use machine made braids.  I just don't know what they were called.  Part of the needle weaving problems I had was how thick the size 10 braid was.  It was so thick that it left little room for needle weaving inside the loops.

 

 

Finished Romanian Point Lace project.

 

I hope to have more productive days soon!