communing with my sewing machine

Well, my finger is healing...but, tragically, I can't seem to knit. I'm a right-hand 'thrower' and the yarn rides right over the damaged part of the nail. It hurts, even with a band-aid. Hubs will not be getting his socks on time for his birthday this week.

But, it works out, because I am now forced to get back to the unfinished sewing. First up, a project I started for Christmas. In 2004. Yikes! So many projects went off the deep end when morning sickness set in with Daughter. And so I end up making Advent calendars in July.

This was a panel (from Makower, I think), with strips that you cut to make the pockets. The directions call for you to press each square towards the next to create a box pleat...hard to explain, but easy to do. You then press up the sides and bottom edge to lock in the pleat, and top stitch each row to the panel. The directions then say to stitch in the 'valley' of each pleat to secure each day's pocket to the panel, but I quilted that part instead, killing two birds with one stone. Hey, I am sometimes lazy. I then quilted several rectangles around the pre-printed borders, and sewed on a double-fold binding. Now it needs some sort of hanger, and it's set to go for Christmas '07. Daughter has been checking it for presents several times each day...I'd better hide it away until the holidays.

Next in the queue...denim overalls I cut out weeks ago. These are the softest denim in the universe (from Joann's), and the buttons are shiny quarters. They look pretty Free-To-Be-You-And-Me, but are adorable on Daughter. You can't really see it, but I did the topstitching and buttonholes with variegated thread in bright primary colors. It's super cute.


And even though I can't knit, I can crochet - the thread comes from the left, so no stress on my wounded nail. Here's the ringbearer pillow drying on my blocking board. Hmmm...someone seems to have pulled out the pins and stuffing from one of the wee bells that will adorn the finished pillow...who could it have been? I will have to teach her not to leave a trail of little clues behind.

Today I starched the bejeebers out of the bells so they won't crush, and then lightly, lightly starched just the outside lace edging of the pillow with very diluted fabric stiffener and a paintbrush. I got some ivory satin yesterday and sewed up the inside pillow. I put it all together to check the stuffing level, and threaded ivory ribbon through the eyelet holes to see what it would look like.

It's so purdy. I can't wait to show the finished product. I hope the bride-to-be likes it as much as I do. I plan to give it to her at her shower next weekend, in a nice sturdy box lined with acid-free tissue for storage.

Well, the coming week holds lots of events...it is our busiest week of the year. Tomorrow is my dad's 60th birthday party (the actual day is Monday), then comes Hubs' birthday, then our anniversary. The week is capped off by a wedding shower. And then I will collapse. We are not used to so much activity around here. Not to worry, I'll be sneaking in some sewing throughout.