I’m Leaving You, Janome MyExcel 18W.

It’s been almost twelve years, Janome MyExcel.

Mum bought you for me when I was sixteen.  You could do zig zag stitch and make buttonholes.  You were easy to thread and everything in your clearly designed guide book made sense.

You were the Ford sedan of sewing machines.

I made hippie skirts and simple patchwork and I passed VCE Studio Art with you.  I made costumes for student productions in Uni.  We have good memories.  Thank you for that.

But twelve years is a long time, Janome MyExcel, and you were the basic model even in 1997.

It’s not about you.  Well it is about you, a bit.  I hate the way you panic in moments of high tension (ha!  sewing joke).  And you make so much noise.  I can’t talk to anybody or watch TV when you’re sewing.  You’re a little — well, I won’t say selfish, but you don’t like to share my attention, now, do you?

But I’ll be honest.  I owe you that.  It’s mostly me.  What can I say?  Twelve years is a long time and I’m not the same girl I was then.  I want to sew denim and leather.  I want hundreds of pre-programmed decorative stitches.  And I really want a shiny little push-button that makes the needle go up and down.

Call me superficial.

[I just bought the Bernina Aurora 440QE, a heart-stoppingly expensive computerised machine which seems able to do just about anything.  It will probably take me months to figure it out.  Have any of you used this machine, or own it?  I'd love to know what you think.]

 

The Mystery Solved: Wrist Cuff Wallets!

Remember this post?  I read your helpful comments and even took it to the good people at Craftster.  I tried about ten versions, but all of them were different shades of meh.

Velcro was a great idea but in the end it turned out to be slightly too bulky.  Also, the stud closure on the outer edge of the wallet would lift up and stick out.  Functionally these things were OK, but it was important to me that these look good as well as being practical.  After all, you want a ’secret pocket’ to stay secret, most of the time.  The best way to do that is to make it look like jewellery or clothing.  Besides, if you’re wearing something out, it should be comfortable and make you look good.  Basic principles, ladies!

It’s so often the case that what a design needs is time.  I came back to the wallets a few weeks ago and have added a buttonhole, a vintage button, double lining in silk dupioni or Kona cotton, and a slim invisible zip for the pocket.

I’ve been wearing them around, and people have been sweet enough to suggest other uses for them.  Walking the dog (who wants to take a handbag?), and kids’ lunch money or house keys were the most common suggestions.

How would you use one?  Would you use one?  Would you suggest another design change?

As it is, I will be opening an Etsy shop sometime in the next two weeks, something I haven’t done before.  I plan to make new versions of the wallets in this picture with a neater, handwrought buttonhole.  I’m busy matching fabrics to my button collection.  Then I think they’ll be closer to perfect. And if you’d like one, you can have one!

 

Plans and Schemes

I’ve been working on an idea I had last year and couldn’t quite figure out… you know the kind?

But now I think I’ve finally got it.  Can you guess what it is?

 

Happy Easter, Greek Orthodox Stylie

Did you know that many Greek people celebrate Good Friday today?  Their Easter eggs are yet to come.

The very best Easter for me was a special one I spent with a Greek friend and her family.  Many moons ago now.  We went to Midnight Mass (a big deal when you’re seven), we baked Tsoureki, and best of all, we made red eggs and then held an Egg-Off, trying to crack each others’ eggs with a spoon.

This Easter, Mum and I decided to make them again. From the top: finished eggs, eggs wrapped in onion skins and (clean!) pantihose, and eggs boiling in food dye.

Chroniá Pollá! – Have a wonderful Easter.

 

Beach Dog!

I hope your Easter was as happy as ours.

 

Block 24: Tulips

It may be autumn here in Oz but this tulip pattern seemed like a lovely one for Easter.  Plus, I got to practise my applique.

Happy Easter to you all, unless you’re Greek Orthodox (Hi, Aspasia!), in which case I will save my felicitations for next week.

Also, apologies for the magical disappearing photograph in the bushfire quilts post.  I changed the Flickr settings so as not to look like I was showing off (hey! look at my donation!) but didn’t realise making it private in Flickr would make it private everywhere else.

Patches in this block: 18 (yes, I AM counting the background)

Patches so far: 873

 

Owls

This fussy cutting business is a lot of fun.

 

Bushfire Quilts

Thank you so, so much to all of you who bid and commented on my quilt auction for the Victorian bushfires.  The response was really humbling: so many of you, from such disparate places, made such generous bids.  Nettie was successful with a bid of $380 plus postage for a vintage sheet cot quilt.  It’s made to order in blues, purples, and pinks.

Extra surprises came from Josie, who threw in $50 just because she’s a sweetheart, and Dan’s aunt Ange, who offered to donate $200 for a tiny scrap quilt she could use as a wall hanging or on the table.  How could I say no?

And that’s how I managed to donate more than I earn in the average week — certainly not something I’d be in a position to do without your help.

Nettie and Ange’s quilts will be in the mail today, along with copies of the thank you letter sent by the Red Cross. Thanks again to all of you for your kindness.

 

They Grow Up So Fast…

A lucky shot I caught of my not-so-little brother, caught in the almighty rush at his graduation ceremony.  He’s the one looking at the camera.

Evan is two weeks in to his first full time job as a radiation engineer, a job he found through a great deal of hard work and awesomeness in a less than awesome market for new graduates.  Go Evan!

 

More Hexagon Goodness

I’m pretty sure this is my favourite.