Interfacing Troubles

"Interfacing is one of the steps that can leave the most confident of sewer worried and the novice terrified." -Sew News. All of a sudden, I am having the worst luck with fusible interfacing. On my last couple of projects, once I have applied the interfacing, the fabric side has bubbled. Each project used a different type of interfacing, so I have decided it is not just a bad piece of interfacing. I have researched the problem so I am currently trying to solve whatever it is that I am doing wrong. I bought most of my interfacing off the bolt, so I really did not get any directions included. My first try is going to be to decrease the heat on my iron with steam and without steam. I am also going to try pre-shrinking by both soaking the interfacing in hot water and air drying, and steaming it with a hot iron. I guess my fusible interfacing has just decided it is time to test my problem solving skills. As my mother always says, "If you want to learn patience, sew."

Nothing To Do With Sewing

This has nothing to do with my sewing. I just want to show off a couple of purchases I have made recently. Thanks for letting me share.

Internet Fabric

The first picture is of a piece of fabric that is my first purchase of fabric via the internet. I purchased it from Hancock Fabrics. I am not sure I would have bought this fabric if I had seen it in the store. I will, of course, still make something from it. I would have like to have felt the fabric before I purchased it.

The second picture is my second try at purchasing fabric from an internet source, e-bay this time. All I will say is fool me once shame on you, fool me twice... Although I love the Snoopy fabric, it was not what I was excepting. It is very thin, and I am afraid to wash it. It will not work for what I wanted to make with it, unless I get really creative. So, I guess that ends my career of purchasing fabric from an internet source. This makes my husband quite happy. Wal-mart is my only source of fabric for 100 miles, so it limits my ability to increase my stash.

Simple Teddy Bear Pattern

This is a simple little bear pattern I thought I would try. For only 3 seams, he is kind of cute, but to me he looks more like a dog toy then a child's stuff toy. As seen in the picture, I still have some finish work on the bear, some more stuffing and to stitch up the back. I don't think I will make another one. I think I will go ahead and look for a little more complicated pattern to get a better looking teddy bear.

Stupid Sock Creatures

Stupid Sock Creatures is a great book. I have made 2 monsters, as I like to call them, so far. Stretch lives at my sister's house. He is made of knee high sock so came out a little long. Norbit is pictured below. He is made of anklets so a little shorter. Norbit was named for his teeth, get it Nor(bit), big teeth. I will have to admit that these guys do take some time and work to create. The thinner sock fabric is not that easy to work with, watch for runs and fraying, and there are some seams that are probably better off being hand stitched, but it is amazingly fun to let your imagination run wild and see them come to life as you sew. I am excited to make a whole clan of monsters. The instructions in the book are easy to follow, and the ideas are endless.

Batman Shirts for the Nephews

These shirts were made from McCall's pattern M4849, size 3-4 & 5-6. This is a good pattern with good instructions. The size 5-6 shirt fit my older nephew better than the 3-4 size fit the younger one, so only a little alteration was needed, mostly in the length which of course meant the buttons had to be adjusted up a little. (So FYI, if you're making this pattern, I put the first button down 1 & 1/4 " from the top on the size 3-4.) The material was bought to make something else, so there was not quite enough for both shirts, so I used black on the sleeves, which turned out ok because it gave me a place to embroidery. Embroidering has changed the way I buy fabric. I now look closer at solid colors and smaller, less cluttered prints.

My Sewing Room and Me

Hi! My name is Lanita and I just love to sew.

Sewing is just a hobby for me, no professional sewing here. I have three machines. I have a Brother ULT 2001 that I use for my sewing machine, and a Brother Innov-is 4000D that I use for my embroidery machine. Both machines are usable as sewing and embroidery machines, but each has features that I like better for either sewing or embroidering. My third machine is my serger, a Viking Huskylock 1001L. It is an older serger, but it does a great job, so I have seen no need to upgrade.

My sewing table is new, and I am totally enjoying it. I got the cabinets and counter top from Home Depot. My custom made table was a little expensive, but it was still less expensive than the manufactured sewing tables that come in sizes and shapes that you cannot choose.

My machines are protected by Norbit, the sock monster. He keeps the dust bunnies away.