status report!

[yhlee]

I practiced with my sewing machine for the first time since my lesson last week. I had to download the manual for my Janome Magnolia 7318 (guess who cannot remember where the print one went) but it's still magic that it winds the bobbin for you. I wound SO MANY bobbins (probably very badly) for my mom. :)

Today's report is:
Me: Huh, I was great at sewing accurately and straight as a beginner, but right now it's ALL OVER THE PLACE and the tension feels weird?

Also me, five minutes later: OH. THE PRESSER FOOT WAS UP. :facepalm: :p

I'm hoping to practice some more and then book a "reading patterns, how do??" lesson Fair Fit Studio (Baton Rouge, Louisiana, local to me) as I loved the instructor's "baby steps n00b sewing machine 101, how do??" lesson. :D And then maybe I can destroy some innocent cheap muslin trying to sew a thing. :D

What are y'all working on, or hoping to try in January?

Comments

featuring: [other] bobbin winding

[rugessnome]

yes, presser feet will do that. :)

(...I missed that this was in the comm at first and so was going to mention that I started winding lace bobbins for another beginner sample/bookmark.)

I began a simple baby quilt (still piecing the top, and by hand) for a family friend in late November/December, and given the nature of babies I'd probably better finish it sooner than later.

I uh. also have a somewhat oversized shirt, for purposes of sun and/or bramble protection in summer, that has been cut out and a couple seams sewn for ...probably 18 months or something. It would be considerably more useful if I actually finished it for the summer. (I am likely not strictly at the 101 level in sewing but I haven't done much machine sewing in years and my confidence has slipped a lot.)

Re: featuring: [other] bobbin winding

[nou]

What fabric is your summer shirt made from? I have a lightweight linen summer top and a double gauze summer top, but it seems hard to get sufficiently lightweight linen in a colour I like (this one is light green, which is acceptable but not optimal) and the double gauze was a pain and a half to sew.

Would love to see a photo of your quilt if you have one handy.

I am also not a 101-level sewer but I love talking about sewing so I’m glad sewers of other levels are also welcome here.

Re: featuring: [other] bobbin winding

[yhlee]

I mean. (a) As a 001-level sewer, I'm not sure I-the-mod could tell the difference between "beginner with some experience vs. 1337 SKILZ!!!" ;) (b) WE NEED Y'ALL'S HELP ;)

For example, my friend storme is probably busy/lurking but they're an expert tailor. :p

Honestly if it's sewing-related at all (or even allied things like bobbin lace!) and you're not spamming the comm 200 times a day with different individual top-level posts, it's fine. :)

Re: featuring: [other] bobbin winding

[rugessnome]

It's just basic cotton fabric; I'm pretty sure it's from what Joann markets as their "Keepsake Calico" line. Not necessarily the optimal selection for summer wear, or very fashionable, just something sort of lightweight to offer protection while doing yard work or gardening.

(I don't have a photo of the quilt currently; I might take one when I either have all the rows together or the top entirely together.)

Re: featuring: [other] bobbin winding

[yhlee]

Tbh, I should poll the comm as to whether allied topics are welcome. Speaking for a me, since my lace bobbin beginner kit (THE PILLOW!!!) arrived yesterday and I am dying to give it a whirl.

(In real life, the pillow will instantly be sat on by my catten and full of catten hairs...)

My mother used to love quilting, although she no longer sews due to arthritis, and my husband's Tante is an expert quilter as well. I don't have quilting ambitions (yet) but it's extremely cool! I should possibly cross-post pics from the book of traditional Korean quilts here? It's wild - the style is completely different from the Western-style quilts that my mom was doing. I have no idea about the sewing techniques but one of my Korean quilting books in English or French probably does discuss that.

Re: featuring: [other] bobbin winding

[nou]

I’m interested in hearing about Korean quilting! I’ve done a bit of patchwork to use up fabric scraps from sewing (it’s not a new hobby, it’s a way of using waste from an existing hobby) and am keen to learn new ways of doing it. I found out about crumb quilting recently, which looks like it’ll be useful.

Re: featuring: [other] bobbin winding

[yhlee]

Oh, how cool! :D Crumb quilting is new to me (via you!); I think quilting is very pretty but have never attempted it and don't really follow it. There are some Korean styles of quilting that have a similar look (and I bet it comes from the same general philosophy of waste not, want not, cf. that one barely edible pickled tree leaf dish my mom fed me once so she could tell me that its name in Korean translate, roughly, as "we ate it and lived").

Anyway, I'll try to post some of the Korean quilting stuff this week when time permits.

Re: featuring: [other] bobbin winding

[nou]

That sounds very much like when I tried to make a pickle from carrot greens. It was just about edible, but most of it went into the compost, which is where I should have put the greens in the first place.