Friday, July 07, 2006

A slow death


Arrggg my sewing machine is dying a slow death. I have had it for 30 years. 20 of them were in Hawaii where heat,humidity and salt air are constant. I didn't use it much when I was there, mainly for alterations,repairs and Halloween costumes. When you own a clothing store and your best friend is a seamstress extrodinare why sew? I don't think it would have lasted this long if my current husband wasn't such a wiz at repairs. Since I've started sewing with ernest he has repaired the needle tension mechanism, the feedogs, the flywheel and the electric cord. I knew it wouldn't last much longer and with some assistance from my vintage singer featherweight I've managed to put out a couple of large orders. But the end is near, very near. Tonight I looked at some new machines and faced not only sticker shock but techno shock as well. Even though my husband is an electronic engineer capable of building some seriously complicated shit, I don't want an electronic machine. In the past few months a host of electronic equipment in my household has died. These were not cheap goods. Some were top of the line and I researched each and everyone before I laid out the bucks for them . I don't want to spend a thousand dollars and have to take a week of classes for a machine that is going to break down in a few years. I don't want to, but that is what I may end up doing. I finally made something with some of the Japanese fabrics I bought several months ago. I'm keeping one of these for myself.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

unfinished business



I finished a few projects that have been cluttering up my desk. One the prototype design for the vintage fabric I found at the dump. I'm glad I didn't cut into the fabric. The bag is very cute but not for me.. The other is another bag made from men's pants. This one is simpler than most but the colors are really beautiful. Now I have a large order to fill and must buckle down and sew sew sew. My son is recovering from his surgery and my husband took this week off so I've been up late sewing every night. Here are two pics for now.