Pacifier Clip

Yesterday I went to Joann's for supplies and today I went to Hobby Lobby. At HL, I found a set of fat quarters that had material featuring stars and planets and space travel. I thought it was cute and decided to buy it to make pacifier clips. I use one of the Soothie pacifiers for my son and it doesn't have a handle to put one of the traditional pacifier clips with a snap around it. I saw people on Etsy selling clips for my type of pacifier that had a ribbon at the end to loop around the small hole in the pacifier and I decided to try my hand at making one of those. And I found suspender clips at Hobby Lobby and some ribbon so I was all set.

I started by cutting a 4" wide piece of material because I wanted it to be 1" total. Following the instructions for making a bag strap, I folded it in half, pressed it, then unfolded it and folded the two sides in toward the center (pressing them). Then I refolded it in half, with the two sides folded in (pressing it). I cut the two short sides with pinking shears. Then to the sewing machine where I carefully stitched down each long side. It was a bit of a challenge to sew very close to the edge on a small piece of material. I'm sure there are some tricks to doing it that I should learn, so I'm going to see what I can find. But I was able to get it sewn (mostly straight).

I then folded over one end and put it around the clip. I did not press this fold and that's something that I will change for future clips. When I sewed the end closed, it didn't line up quite right so it's not as neat as it really should have been. I definitely understand the importance of pressing even something seemingly small.

I wasn't sure at first how to attach the loop at the other end. I didn't want the ends of the ribbon on the outside. Then I realized that the fabric was not closed up at that end, so I inserted the ends of the loop into the inside of the fabric and then just sewed a line closed over it. I went over it twice to really make sure the ribbon was secured.

I think that it turned out quite nicely for my first attempt and I look forward to working out the details on more attempts. For example, I think I'll try a zig zag stitch for securing the short ends to the clip and loop to give it a little decorative flair. I definitely think these pacifier clips are going to be something that I make quite a lot of in the future.

Sewing Machine and First Hem

So which sewing machine to get? At first I thought that I'd just get a cheap little machine just in case I didn't really get into sewing. Then I'd still have something for small projects here and there including whenever I want to do a knitting project that involves steeking.

But then I started reading reviews of the cheap machines. And it's definitely true that you get what you pay for. And why would I want to see if I enjoy this new hobby by using an inferior machine that will probably just end up leaving me frustrated? So I started looking at slightly more expensive machines.

There was one that seemed to get really good reviews on amazon: Brother CS6000i. Most people seemed to be happy with it overall, and it offers a number of nice options as well as additional presser feet. And I don't know how close to the list price it usually sells for, but amazon had a really good deal on it. So my husband agreed that it would be my Christmas present. And he said I didn't have to wait until Christmas to open it. Yay!

So today my machine arrived. I had gotten a couple of books from the library yesterday and had read through the beginning sections of each book. When the machine arrived, I read through the instruction manual. I then decided to give it a try.

I started by winding a bobbin. It was quite easy and the drop-in bobbin system on the machine made it even easier to get the bobbin set up for sewing. Then I threaded the machine itself. At first I didn't realize that I had a needle threader on the machine so I threaded it by hand. It wasn't difficult, but on subsequent threadings, I did figure out the needle threader.

I started with a scrap of material and just tried to get the feel for the different speeds available (I can sew by using either the foot pedal or by pressing a button on the machine). After I went up and down that piece of material a few times, I tried out a couple of different stitches. I haven't yet changed presser feet, so there were some stitches I didn't try since they required a different foot. But even with just the basic foot on there, I had quite a few options and it was fun to see the different stitches that were available.

I then decided to try my first hem. I want to take some receiving blankets that I have never used for my son and cut them down to use as burp cloths. I had cut one the week before but after washing, the cut edge was fraying quite badly. So I cut the edge again to give it a fresh start. Then I got out the iron and followed the instructions in one of the books to fold over the hem at 3/8" and press then fold again at 1" and press. It was a really long edge and I had a hard time keeping it extremely straight. I used some pins for the second fold, which helped, but it still wasn't perfectly straight. That's something that I'll need to practice on.

Then I put it under the machine and sewed an almost straight line. But after I finished, I realized that I hadn't sewn close enough to the folded under part (I was too close to the edge), so I went back and made sure I was closer. There are now two lines of stitches, but I figured that it just looks decorative. And although it's not perfectly straight (again, more practice is needed), I'm quite proud of what I was able to do. And now my son has another burp cloth.

Sewing as a New Hobby

I've had several crafting hobbies over the years. When I was younger I did do a little sewing, but I really didn't know much of what I was doing. I remember sewing clothes for my Cabbage Patch dolls (with help from my mom) and simple dresses for my Barbie dolls. We used my grandma's sewing machine, which I think was a Singer. I can still clearly remember threading it and putting in the bobbin and reinforcing the stitches at beginning and end by going backwards.

I also did a lot of cross stitching and kept that up for a number of years. I gave away lots of my cross stitching as gifts. The only thing that I have that I still display is one of my more recent cross stitching projects, an image of Harry Potter.

Then, of course, there is the knitting. I started knitting when I was in graduate school as a way of giving me something else to do to take a little break from all the work I was doing. Knitting is the hobby that I know will not fade with time. It is definitely my passion and I so very much love seeing what I can do with yarn and two sticks.

I told myself that I wouldn't get into spinning because I didn't really have time for another hobby and it didn't really appeal to me. Then last summer (2010), I went to a knitting retreat and one of our classes was an introduction to spinning with a spindle. All my past thoughts about spinning went out the window and I was hooked. And I got two spinning wheels and started spending a lot of time spinning. Again, the process of seeing what happens with a bunch of fiber turning into yarn is just amazing.

So why, if I have two wonderful crafting hobbies already, do I want to pick up another, especially since it will be time taken away from the other two hobbies? I think that part of it is because I am currently a stay-at-home mom and I feel the need for something to keep my mind active (and with so much to learn in sewing, I think my mind--and fingers--will be active for a long time). But I also look around on Etsy and even some on Ravelry and see some of the amazing projects that people are completing and I want to make them, too (and yes, selling them is something that I would like to do in the future).

And so here I am, about to embark upon a new hobby. A friend had suggested that I start a blog about my learning how to spin, but I just never got around to it. So this time I'm determined to get this blog started from the beginning of my sewing escapades so that I can reflect upon what I'm learning and in the future look back at where it all began.