Inspired Saturday. Frustrated Sunday.

Long before this weekend was on the calendar it was destined to be a pyjama day. Amelia LOVES these days. We usually sew and have a yummy lunch, do some more sewing, watch a movie maybe or read a story together. But most importatnly we sew. At our old house, this was usually always a Sunday and always when Stef was between night shifts, such as today was.

Stef has had some major changes happen at work and as a result he is no longer working night shifts. This is devastating really and as much as I bitch and moan about them, night shifts are what makes our world go around, in a big way! I love them and I hate them, but that is a blog post on its own and not here. I have previously moaned here...

So, in preparation for what I wanted to achieve today I spent 2 hours yesterday ironing fabric that had been purchased and washed during the week. One of my suppliers is almost permanently out of stock of one product in pink and I am fed up with loosing sales. Not a fan of disposable products I decided I could make a fabric reusable version and with  my colour consultant in tow,  we hit Spotlight after pick up one day last week.

What started as just making a pink version has ended up with 4 colourways... pink with polka dots and stripes, Purple with stars and polka dots, and black and white and red and white with spots and stripes. I think it is quite interesting Amelia didn't choose the same size dot and stripes for each colourway...

These will be table runners for parties, for present tables or buffets or what ever. I am not sure what the end size will be but I am looking forward to (eventually) making them.

I left these ironed and went off to a baby shower yesterday excited that a day of playing with fabric, designing these runners and using my rotarty cutter lay ahead of me today. That was until I started with the overlocker...

So many little overlocking jobs to do. Edge the Sari I have been loaned for the Bollywood ball this Friday night, put some bibs together for a friend at school for her disabled son, and edge the fabrics for the runners and play with some fancy thread for one of the colourways. Having recently done an overlocking course I was confident this machine wasn't going to get the better of me so set about making a dent in the pile of fabric!

I managed somehow to edge the Sari with little and limited problems which is a blessing as the owner of this Sari hasn't worn this at all yet! I was very nervous about edging it and I am very very nervous about wearing it and spilling a curry down it!

I set about cutting the runner fabrics with the offcuts and selvege edges being snaffled by madam who was armed with a long cardboard tube and a roll of sticky tape. She made quite the 'puppet' and entertained me through my frustrations with a puppet show involving 'the rain cloud'.

Sitting at the overlocker, first strip of fabric in hand I set off... 3 hours later, I had rethreaded the machine 30 or so times, been on You Tube, read the instruction manual AGAIN, rethreaded the machine AGAIN, I got the machine to work but one of the looper threads kept coming unthreaded from the looper arm. We decided to break for lunch and attack it again after a breath of fresh air.

Then I discovered another hole at the other end of the looper arm, thinking 'Eureka!' I thought I had cracked it. And I had, cracked the unthreading part but not the stitch. I couldn't get the loops right. I played with the stitch length, the diferential feed, the cutting width, everything I could think of. Then I gave up and got the sewing machine out!

Amelia chose a pattern by Little Red Jug Designs at a craft fair in February (I think!!) we went to. She cracked me up when she saw the pattern because she gushed like the best of them and declared she had to have it and had seen the perfect fabric a few stands ago. This kid amazes me with her colour carrying in her head, and the attention and retention of detail. So Gracie Mermaid Doll was added to the bag and off we went to the previous stand, passed the $3.50/$4 and $5 fat quarters, straight to the $6 fat quarters! She has style this kid! We chose a bright blue/turquoise for her tail and a flesh for her body. Paid for that then off we dashed back to the main hall for 'the PERFECT' hair (and she is right, it's pretty perfect) and to a ribbon man to spend the last of my $50 on a ribbon scrap bag.

Today Gracie doll was made a reality. Last weekend I cut her out and stitched her face and today she was Vlisoflixed, stitched, stuffed and came to life!

At least I achieved something today and Amelia went to bed (quite late) but very happy! Happy kid = happy mummy.

Now to tackle conquor the overlocker. Might have to have a trip back to Chatswood on Tuesday! But we do need some more Nespresso pods so it won't be a totally pointless journey...