WE INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM...

 So, this is my sewing machine: 

Don't get me wrong, I love it.  It's 26 years old (1994), and it's been a workhorse, and it's my baby.  It's made everything you see on this blog, and much, much more.  It's yellowed with age and a lot of the markings have rubbed off over the years.  But it still sews - even does buttonholes and all twelve fancy stitches.  

The problem is it's also developing age-related issues.  It's slow.  The dials and switches are hard to operate.  The thread catches all the time.  I've had it serviced, and I take great care of it, it's just showing its age.  

I also have a "new" machine, as of about six years ago - a Singer Curvy - that has been nothing but a problem since I got it. It ran well for a year before it needed a new pedal.  Then the needle shank fell out of alignment.  I had it fixed.  Then something else broke.  I had it fixed.  Then the needle shank went off again.  I had it fixed.  It did it again - and this time I wasn't willing to just keep sinking money into this thing.  I had already spent more than the machine was worth in repairs, and I just wasn't going to do it anymore.  

Enter my friends Chris and Franchesca.  Chris texted me yesterday morning and said, "Hey, did you ever get that sewing machine issue sorted out?"  A conversation about my two machines ensued.  Long story short, the pair of them showed up at my house last night with this: 

That's a Husqvarna Viking Tribute 140C - Franchesca's old machine.  She got a new one recently and decided she needed to loan this one to me so I could work on something nice.  Holy crap! I think I said "thank you" about a thousand times.  (If you're reading this, Franchesca, THANK YOU!!!)  

I took it for a short drive this morning - I ran a little sampler just to familiarize myself with basic operations, changed the thread and the bobbin, and then repaired a mask that needed longer elastic.  I can't WAIT to get going on big projects with this thing!  It runs so smoothly and quietly, and practically does everything for you.  I'm about to download the manual so I can learn how to do all nine million stitches that this thing does (especially buttonholes, I'm going to need to make a lot of buttonholes in the near future).  

So anyway, I just wanted to show off my new toy.  I can't wait to really get into it!  

TO WAR!!!

That sounded spirited and enthusiastic, right?  Good, because really I'm just stressed as hell and anxious about getting everything done and the packing and there's still stuff to buy and dogsitters and a guest room to get ready and OMG THERE'S ONLY TWO WEEKS LEFT  *FAINT*


Mkay, I'm done.

Look, sleeves!

Just something quick to fill an hour that I had left while chained to my sewing machine after I finished the stuff on my to-do list tonight and still had a bit of time.

Just some old red polyester microfiber ("wool"? I think it's convincing, lol), lined with some white cotton eyelet-print I had lying around.  The buttons are left over from the blue velvet gown project.

Of which I still don't have good pictures.  But by now, I assume you expect this.  (Fail).

One of the sleeves' lining had to be pieced.

But hey, I used up all the white eyelet-print scraps! :D  Less junk taking up space in my nice, organized craft room shelves.

Speaking of which, I moved the sewing table in there, from the wall with the window on it to the adjacent wall on the left, so that I have a better place to set up my ironing board that's not out in the middle of the room. :D

Have I mentioned how much I heart these buttons?

Something else I did recently:  got my Singer machine fixed!!!  It wasn't broken, really, but the foot control had gone out, and a very nice man at a very nice shop very close to my house wired a new one onto the cord (of my 17 year old Singer) for me, for only $25.  Now I have functional two machines again!

And I'm teaching Vasilii to sew!  Tonight while I worked on these sleeves, Vasillii sat next to me and made himself a linen hood to wear under his helmet.  He's doing a fantastic job.  :)


News on the war preparations later this week...



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