Mystery Project-Week Two

I embroidered the second installment of the mystery stitch project.  Looks like a tropical fern.  The clue says my destination isn't as exotic as the embroidery for this week.

Again, this stitched out wonderfully.  San Francisco Stitch Co. sure knows how to program embroidery designs.

I wonder what I am making?

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Mystery Project-Week One

I have started a new embroidery project.  It is called the Mystery Stitch Project.  I found this intriguing project on San Francisco Stitch Co. . There are some beautiful embroidery projects on this site, so I am sure this "Mystery Project" will be something I will enjoy.

How this works is a new part of the project will be available on this site Mystery Stitch Projects every Friday for eight weeks.  However, a person only has the one week to download the installment for free, then it will cost a $1.49.  So if you want to do this, be sure to download every week.  The site promises scraps of fabric are all that will be needed.

I did the first installment today.  My Janome 200 was ready for the challenge.  The project took 12 different colors and stitched out quite nicely.  The people at San Francisco Stitch Co. seem to know what they are doing with programming embroidery designs.

Mystery Week 1

Looks like a little suit case.  Hmmm...  It will be fun to see what the project will turn out to be.

Just seven more weeks to find out.

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Coupon Clipper Clutch

I made a wallet for my coupons this weekend.  It was a project I found on the Janome project page here.

It took a few hours using a scrap piece of fabric, fusible interfacing, and fusible fleece.  The instructions call for an embroidered initial on the front.  However, I decided to write "COUPONS" with my Viking 980 since I was doing the project with it.  I also wrote different category names on the pockets.

Because of the thickness of the project, it was hard to keep square under the machine's foot and a few corners aren't square.  If I did the project again, I would probably use my Bernina 707 to plow through all those layers.  

What it is supposed to look like:

What mine looks like:

Side View

Open 

It was a fun little project.  I think more fun will be unfolding it in front of the cashier to find the coupons I need.

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My "Fun Shirt"

Embroidery and embellishment are fun.  I embroidered some napkins a while ago, and decided an embroidered  shirt would be fun to make and wear.  Silly me,  I was going to use a Vogue pattern for this shirt, but it simply disappeared.  I don't know what I did with it.  Luckily, I had a McCalls 6613 in my stash.  This would be the perfect pattern for this shirt.  A little more "fitted" than my old stand by pattern.  Actually this worked out well because I can compare shirts made from the same fabric with McCalls patterns nearly 70 years different in age.

If you remember, I made a shirt from a 1945 McCalls pattern # 5863 back in September.  I like this shirt, and wear it on a regular basis.

The 6613 has a collar stand and a separate button placket.  So just a little more time to put together than the 5863 which has a notched collar and an attached button placket.  This pattern is from 2012.

First, I cut the fabric out and embroidered the pieces before sewing together.

Pocket

Pocket

Left Sleeve

Right Sleeve

Yoke

My Singer 6268 from 1985 did the embroidery and the fancy stitching on the button plackets.

Singer 6268 with Embroidery Attachment

I sewed the shirt together and did some fancy stitching on the collar and stand with my Bernina 707 Minimatic.  This is a 3/4 size Bernina with just a few stitch selections.  I like the slow/fast speed selection.  The slow speed  helped when edge stitching.

Bernina 707

My Viking 980 was used to sew the buttonholes and buttons.  It also wrote "thinman sewing" on the sleeve.

And finally, the finished product:

This shirt fits well. It is the first shirt I have made with one middle pleat in back, instead of two pleats.  The only thing I did not like about this shirt is the instructions.  I put it together my own way.  I did put interfacing on both parts of the collar stand.  It makes the collar stand up nice.  I don't remember where I read this tip, but I will certainly use it from now on.

I wore the shirt wine-tasting yesterday.  It was a big hit.  Coincidentally there was a Duck Race happening in town, so some people thought I made it for that event because of the ducks on the back.

I call this my "Fun Shirt" because I had fun embroidering, using different machines, and this is the shirt to wear when doing fun things.

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Embroidery Fun

I haven't used my embroidery machines for a while and I had the need to use them.  I embroidered some Dollar Store napkins with my Singer 6268 and a kitchen towel with my Memory Craft 200.  I like the Singer for its simplistic designs.  Being it was made around 1985, it was very advanced then.  The Memory Craft is great for getting free designs from embroiderydesigns.com.  That is where I found the design I used on the towel.

Singer 6268 with embroidery attachment

Janome Memory Craft 200

Flowers by Singer 6268

Picnic basket by Memory Craft 200

Then I really had the need to embroider some more.  So I decided to make what will be the subject of my next blog, my "fun shirt".

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Kenmore Sensor Sew 100 AKA Necchi Logica

I picked up a cool sewing machine from the mid 80s. It is a Kenmore Sensor Sew 100.  This is a Necchi Logica with the Kenmore name.  It was made in Italy.

Sewing Machine under this Cover?

Kenmore Sensor Sew 100 with manual

Accessory Compartment

Installing Bobbin and Case

Yes, Case goes in backwards when compared to other Machines

Switches to free-arm

It does 100 stitches, including the alphabet, hence the name.

 I think Sears might have tried to forget this machine, because they released another machine a few years later with the same name.  I don't understand the reissuing of model numbers.  Lincoln made a Continental Mark 3 in 1958 and 1969.  Bernina made the 730 we all think of and now a computerized 730.  Are model numbers in that short of supply?

This other machine was made by Janome.  I have it pictured here with a Kenmore Sensor Sew 70, also made by Janome.  These are both wonderful machines.  The Necchi made one sews beautiful stitches also.  However, I think this machine will be more of a conversation piece for me instead of a regularly used machine.

Sensor Sew 100, Sensor Sew 100, and Sensor Sew 70

To see my new machine in action, go to Kenmore Sensor Sew 100 / Necchi Logica

To get a copy of the manual go to Kenmore Sensor Sew 100 Manual

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Vogue 8842 Coat

The Vogue 8842 coat is ready to wear.  I actually had to wait a few days until the morning temperature was 46 degrees, instead of the usual 60 degrees it has been this last week to wear it.

This coat was fun to make, even though I strayed from the pattern quite a bit.  This pattern is really for a raincoat, but after reading how other reviewers had reported they picked this pattern for the general form, and altered it for their use.  I did the same.

I used a 50 percent blend of wool and polyester for the shell and a lightweight polyester with insulation for the lining. I made a size 38 to allow some room for the insulation.  I usually wear a 36.  I lengthened the body 4 inches and the sleeves two inches.  I  made welt pockets instead of the big patch pockets.  I added cuffs.  I made the collar more traditonal.  I also put a zipper in and snaps on.  It turned out just what I had pictured.

The biggest hurdle on this project was the thickness of the material.  Two layers fine, but 6 layers plus interfacing on top of a zipper was too thick to put under the foot of several of my machines.  Then I remembered my Necchi BU.  This thing is a beast!  I think I would break the scale if I weighed it.  It fit all that material under the foot and sewed through it like butter.

One slight hurdle was the snaps.  More of a learning experience.  Most snap attaching is done with a hammer. I have never been good with a hammer so when I saw the Dritz plier-style snap attacher, I thought this would be perfect.  It did work fine.  However, I am glad I paid $10 for it and not the listed $30.  It did the job, but even for $10 it should have been better made.  I think after a few coats worth of snaps it would be toast.  That is unless I lose the rubber adapter needed to put in half the snap first.

I ended up using 6 machines for this project.  One by necessity.(Necchi BU) The others for different aspects of the project.  My Kenmore 70 and 100.  My Bernina 530.  My Singer 6268.  And don"t forget I needed a label.  So my Janome 200E embroidery machine was also necessary.


What it is supposed to look like:

Vogue 8842 

What mine looks like:

Cuff with snap

Dritz 24P snap pliers

Label

Liner trimmed with bias tape and attached to shell 

Zipped up

Comparing to coats in store window

I should get a lot of use out of this coat this winter and hopefully many more.

Thanks for stopping.