Published on
May 24, 2008 in
Tips.
Is everyone as frustrated with the button selection at Joann’s as I am? If so, it’s easy to imagine how pleased I was to find this promising button at Joann’s. Unfortunately, it was stocked only in a larger size than the one I needed. I bought it anyway, took it home and hit the Internet.
This is a JHB button, so I went to the JHB site, and typed in the style number on the back of the card. That gave me the name of the button — Hanauma (which turns out to be a beach in Hawaii). Searching on Google using the style number was hopeless, but using the name turned up DanaMarie.com. Dana Marie didn’t have the larger size button, but she did have my size.
She also has an absolutely fantastic collection of buttons for sale — everything you’ll never see at your local Joann’s. Better yet, if my experience is any example, her customer service is amazing: She must have mailed my buttons the minute I got off the phone. West coast to east coast = three days!
The website offers a huge assortment of independent patterns (Dana Marie was formerly Purrfection) from several designers, and lots and lots of craft/artist ideas and products.
Using Dana Marie’s search box is frustrating. Instead, try this neat trick: in your Google search box, type “danamarie.com: your button name here”. (Make sure there’s a space after the “.com” colon.) That will take you right where you want to go. (This trick works for any website, so you don’t ever have to be at the mercy of a poor search program again.)
Published on
May 10, 2008 in
Home and Tips.
. . . than the space where my much-loved Pfaff used to be? Thursday night, as I attempted to sew the last eight inches of the hem on a Kwik Sew top, the tension went all wonky. Irretrievably, unfixably wonky.
I’ve owned my Synchrotronic 1229 for 25 years, having acquired it new shortly after it was manufactured in April of 1983. (Shown here as the disaster multiplied. How about that tangle of thread on the left, eh?) I bought it because it did four things beautifully: the needle stops the minute instant power is cut; the walking foot feeds tricky fabric beautifully; it has a hands-free reverse stitching feature; and the machine edge-stitches with a precision that is amazing. For all these years, it’s done these things, and more, perfectly. Predictably. Wonderfully. I love this baby! So Thursday night was a bit devastating. A quick Internet search revealed a Pfaff dealer only 45 minutes away, which helped. After I called Friday morning, I felt even better — the technician was trained by Pfaff 22 years ago, and periodically since. That’s my era! My baby won’t leave the shop, and I should have it back in two weeks.
Not that it’s going to be a good two weeks. On the plus side, I do have a couple of options, at least for sewing wovens. The Singer Fashion Mate 237 that I picked up in California a few years ago will pinch hit, and, if I want, my 60-year-old Singer Featherweight is available, too. But nothing is quite as versatile as my trusty Pfaff; I’ll be feeling a bit of pain, even though I’ll still be able to sew. My spouse was sympathetic, but not really dismayed. He pointed out that I’ve been wanting to re-make my duct tape dummy, and that this could be the right moment. That’s a pretty good idea, especially since I keep putting it off in favor of actual sewing. We’ll see. Two weeks? I can probably survive two weeks, right?
Update: It’s fixed!
Published on
March 26, 2008 in
Tips.
I sew a tag into everything I make. I bought several spools of this ribbon, printed to look like a measuring tape — perfect for someone who sews.
This is my ’signature,’ an easy, quick way to identify the clothing I’ve made, without using an expensive custom label. My choice wasn’t very imaginative, but you could do just about anything; check out the ribbon selections at different times of the year and see what you can turn up to reflect your personality.
This little tag is also very helpful when pulling on simple shirts or pants — it’s the quickest way to be sure I’m wearing the front at the front.
Published on
March 19, 2008 in
Tips.
To make a continuous loop for a chin string, slip a bead onto the string before attaching it to your hat. Holding the bead at the center point of the string, slip both cut ends through a spring toggle. Attach the cut ends to either side of your hat. The bead will keep the toggle from falling off the end of the string, and you have no messy knots hanging in front.
Published on
March 17, 2008 in
Tips.
They were just about perfect, but they needed one small modification.
I bought these Mary Jane shoes the other day because they’re exactly what I want for tromping around this summer, and they’re made by Merrell. Merrells fit me very nicely.
I didn’t mind the decorative trim on the strap, though I don’t plan to wear them much with blue clothing, but the zigzag trim, solid blue, bothered me. (The strap trim could be replaced, but I don’t think I’ll do that.)
So I took a permanent black ink laundry pen and carefully dyed all the blue thread (trust me, not my photography — that trim looks black, just like the shoes, in real life):
It took about ten minutes, and now I love the shoes. (I was careful not to touch the pen to the body of the shoe; I’m not sure what the solvents might do to the tech fabric, but I knew from experience that the ink wouldn’t harm the thread.)
I’ve used this trick on my favorite knock-around Bagallini bag, too, when something white scuffed up the nylon a bit.
I bought my Mary Janes at REI, but LL Bean sells them online. (And probably a hundred other places do, too.)
