I can't remember whether I showed you this beautiful gray cotton lawn I picked up last month at Elliot Berman.
I love the delicate floral print. Yesterday I bought matching thread.
I was taught at FIT to always opt for thread a shade darker than my fabric (the background color if that's what I'm trying to match), since it shows up on the fabric lighter than it appears on the spool.
I used to not care so much about my thread matching perfectly, but I find that for the $1.75 or so these large spools cost (at Sil thread), I can always use what's left in my serger, where color matching isn't so important to me. But for topstitching on a shirt -- and I expect this to be a very nice shirt -- it's worth the extra price of the thread.
In other news, a new pattern just arrived in the mail: Jalie 2912.
No, I haven't started taking gymnastics; I thought it would be comfy to sleep in. (Think, onesie.) But you never know when you might be asked to perform on the uneven parallel bars!
Finally, I am deep into the book, Organizing for the Creative Person, which I purchased a number of years ago, I believe on the recommendation of a blog commenter. I'd flipped through it initially and picked up a few tips here and there, but I'd never read it cover-to-cover. I think it's an excellent book and, as a creative (i.e., right-brain oriented) person, I find it really addresses my challenges around organizing -- not just my stuff, but other areas of my life as well.
Are you a fan of organization books?
And that's it!
I have a lot of sewing projects in the pipeline so it's just a question of which to choose (a very "right brain" challenge, according to Organizing for the Creative Person).
Have a great day, everybody!
Posts
I should read that book but then it might become another thing I need to organize!
ReplyDeleteI do find smartphones annoying but I am addicted. Last night after the kiddos where in bed I looked over at hubby and he was on his and I on mine. No talking and I was annoyed with myself... pinteresting stuff to sew instead of sewing!
ReplyDeleteYes, I know exactly what you mean! I recently started using Pinterest and now I am pinning sewing ideas in the morning, a sneaky pin at work, again in the evening....
DeleteIf only I showed my sewing machine the same love I show my phone!
Let's both resolve to ignore our phones at bedtime for a month!!!
So...have ya ever sewn with spandex, Peter???
ReplyDeleteJust for swimsuits.
DeleteI'm more a visual person so seeing photos. Pinterest has some really good ideas. I can end up spending too much time on it. lol Some organizing ideas might not be for the sewing room, however, they can be adapted to work.
ReplyDeleteHere is an interesting book on organizing and tidying that I found fascinating. It is truly a different perspective since the focus is decidedly on culling your possessions more than on organizing them. I have been in a quandry since both of my parents passed away and I inherited a lot of things that I wasn't sure how to deal with. I admit this book has helped me to move forward.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/The-Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering/dp/1607747308
ReplyDeleteDecluttering is always a good thing. I go thru my sewing area frequently to reorganize. I have all my thread sorted by color, serger thread in another group. All things are stored by group, patterns, notions, sewing machine feet accessories and put into clear plastic containers for easy visual access. Everything is put on shelves. My fabric and wool fills up the large cold room, much tougher to keep it organized.
ReplyDeleteSince following this blog, I accumulated too many vintage machines and now have to pick and chose which ones to keep and which ones to bless and send off into the universe. As I have used various ones, I keep coming back to my favorites and most reliable ones.
Peter, how many sewing machines do you have now? I know you use your Kenmore the most, which ones have you kept and use the most? Are you planning on retiring anymore?
DeleteLike Lynn, I've been dipping into Marie Kondo's decluttering book; her approach is more drastic than I'm ready for, but her idea of only keeping those things that immediately bring you joy when you pick them up is inspiring. So far I've cleared out about two shelves of books and expect to keep thinning!
ReplyDeleteOh I am such a sucker for self-help and organizing books.
ReplyDeleteI live with a neat freak, so my closet becomes my slush pile, and there's a lotta things that have to go. Fortunately, by concentrating on sewing vintage/luxury items, my urge to shop has pretty much gone away. Now I just need to purge the old stuff. As for the Jalie pattern, didn't Borat wear something like that?
ReplyDeleteHow did you know I needed such a book?! I just put a request for it from my library. I too was reminded of Borat when I saw that pattern :)
ReplyDeleteBorat! Of course, that's where I saw that suit before! But where oh where is the necessary opening to go potty? Looks infinitely uncomfortable to sleep it, it does.
ReplyDeleteSo, after 15 years of being part of the gymnastics industry, I can say sleeping in your leotard gets the nod when you're 6 (and in your first one), or if you've just won your first major competition. Otherwise, those things in traditional lycra/spandex/stretch velvet/holographic polyester blends are killer hot and uber un-hygienic if you get sweaty. (Gymnastics leotards are rarely made of cotton lycra, unlike ballet which commonly are).
ReplyDeleteFrom a sewing point of view, 4 thread overlock with woolly nylon threads for major seams, insert elastic where it is needed (i.e. more at the back than the front of the leg holes - assume it's the same for guys?), turnover and coverstitch with wolly nylon thread.
But to each their own!
1.75 for thread! around here a much smaller spool runs 3 dollars and something!
ReplyDeleteWhen choosing thread I always keep your advice in mind now. I'm terribly concerned that you might be contemplating the Peter pattern from Closet Case Files!
ReplyDelete