September Recap

September was National Sewing Month. . . 

And I did my best to participate by sewing, embroidering, serging and shopping. Here's a quick recap:

• Customized a freebie sports bag with machine embroidery
• Made 2 blouses - Simplicity 7086 View C and View B
• Completed the hand stitching on Bent Creek's Scared Crow? kit and finished it as a standing figure
• Made a fleece vest - McCall's 3402
• Made a hat - McCall's 3400
• Made over 20 Reusable Grocery Bag/Totes
• Sewed a Sassy Bag for Nikole's birthday
• Repaired a fleece blanket for nephew Richie
• Made 6 more Sleeve Saver Bibs
• Made a quilt block at the Quilt Pink event at The Cozy Quilt Shoppe on September 22 - Denise took photos of our completed blocks.

About half way through the month, my sewing machine started having tension problems, so I had to stop using it until I could get it in for repairs this week. That didn't stop me from stitching -- I seized it as an opportunity to spend time with my serger. I learned how to:

• Thread the machine for a 5-thread overlock stitch
• Convert the machine for coverstitching and back to serging
• Thread the machine for chain stitching and coverstitching
• Tried all the feet that came with the Coverstitch Kit: piping, binding, hemming, etc.
• Experimented with woolly nylon thread and edgings on knits

I also spent some time shopping at my local JoAnn Fabrics and ETC during the recent sale on Red Tag fabrics. I purchased:

• about 15+ yards of knits (average cost about $2/yd) in various colors to use as "muslins" for the pajama and t-shirt patterns in my collection
• twill fabric for a couple of jackets I would like to sew this fall
• shirtings for more blouse patterns

Overall, I'd have to say it was quite a productive sewing month -- and there were about 10 days I didn't sew at all! I finally got around to doing some major housework and catching up on my bills those days. I even made time for a bath and haircut for Keli. If I'd had to wait any longer for my machine to be repaired, I might have started my fall clean-up of the garden . . . but I got the machine back yesterday, so the garden will have to wait.