Something to Be Thankful For...I Found a Job!

This Thanksgiving will be a special one for me. I have a lot to be thankful for this year. Staying healthy, celebrating 25 years with DH, having a part-time job, knitting up a storm, making new friends, and enjoying life. After so many months (8 to be exact) of researching, sending out resumes, and filling out applications...I finally landed a full-time position.

I'm sad to be leaving a fun job at my LYS (local yarn shop) and leaving my co-workers/friends. Can I share something with you? That was the best job I've ever had. Even DH thinks I should stick around and help when I can. We'll see what my new work schedule looks like.

In my neck of the woods, there are many corporations/companies who are still in lay-off mode. I am very fortunate to have found something and close to home.

The commute to my new job will be 7.5 miles and take roughly 15 minutes to get there. Just like everyone around me, I had to take a cut in pay. Folks, this is reality. Can I tell you how many times I've been humbled over the last 8 months? I don't have enough fingers to count. Let's just say, I'm very thankful for this job and many prayers have been answered.

I start my new job in early December. Sounds weird, huh? I never thought anyone would be hiring around the holidays. Let alone start a new job in December. Again, I am thankful.

I think it's time to start sewing again as another door has opened for me. I mean, I need to look a bit more professional than what I've been wearing to the yarn shop. Sounds like a couple of new knit tops and twinsets are in order.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Sewing!

I Like BWOF-December Issue

This year, time has slipped by quickly for me. I've been keeping busy and working part-time at my LYS. I've taken over 10k pictures with my DSLR. I have knitted 18 garments plus various accessories. Yes, I've reached a burn out period with knitting. I don't have much to show on the sewing front as I haven't had a real need to sew more clothes for myself. That my change, as I have some news that I will share with you in the next day or two. Now, on to some sewing news.

Sewing Lessons

Today, I will be giving private sewing lessons for a friend of mine and her daughter. I plan on covering the basics of the sewing machine, the different stitches and sewing a perfect straight stitch. Yes, I make the students adjust their machines to produce a beautiful straight stitch. I will also go over the basics of a pattern. More lessons will follow.

BWOF

I received my BWOF yesterday. I am very happy with this issue as I've found some interesting garments that I would love to tackle in early 2010. 2010??? Yes, it's right around the corner.

I absolutely love this coat. It's simple and very classic. I'm in need of a dressy coat. If you look in my closet, I have a lot of casual coats and jackets. When I try on RTW coats at the stores, I typically have problems with the sleeves not fitting correctly and always an issue with the sleeve length. Sounds like I need to sew one for myself.




Another great find is for my DH...a hooded jacket. He would actually wear this and it looks well, comfy.




I love the style of this pants and the pockets. There is a reason. When I'm doing a photo shoot/session, I can't seem to have enough pockets on me. These pants would enable me to carry my wallet, store my lens cap, carry extra battery, remote control, and lens cloth. Okay, not the typical stuff a lady would carry. I would call these my Photog Pants.




For a quick and dressy sewing project, why not a lacy topper? Like some of you, I have a few sheer and lacy fabric that's been sitting in my stash for years. I may end up sewing one of these. This would be pretty over a dark colored camisole and slender pants.




I'm not a cape fan, but I really like this design. If anything, I would get a lot of experience installing zippers.




Stay tuned as I will be back soon to post my really big news.

Pants Muslin #1

I'm not so sure about the "Fit Nice Sew Slim Pants" system. I guess I was expecting perfect fitting pants right out of the pants pattern package. BUT then what is a perfect pair of pants? What should it look like on me? Maybe I need to remain flexible. After all, I should go ahead and sew in the drawstring elastic waistband and see what the pants looks like when finished. So, here's my pants muslin #1 still in the works...front view.



I need to cut the excess fabric off the top of the pants and then sew in the elastic. Here's a side view.



Here's the back view. Wow...where did all that padding come from???? I rarely look at my backside and I'm noticing pictures don't lie!!! I really need to lay off the dark chocolates and do some running.



There appears to be a lot of gathers around the waistline. I could take in the sides a bit, but I need to make sure I have enough room for the pants to go over my hips when I pull them on. ;)

These "Fit Nice Sew Slim Pants" are initially sewn with the draw string elastic waistband. They can be modified to add front pockets, a zipper, and a waistband.

What do you think? Do you see something I don't see? Should I give up on this pattern and try a Burda pattern? Comments and suggestions are are wholeheartedly welcomed here.

Pants Status

I'm still working on my pants. I sewed up the seams and tried them on and I like what I see so far. That is, "no smiles" under my rear smiling back at me. Of course, dark brown fabric wasn't the best choice to use as I have a hard time seeing any real problem areas. I really like the front and especially the side view of my pants...very slimming. BTW, I love this twill fabric with a bit of lycra. I could get used to seeing this fabric in my stash. So, this first pair of pants is on temporary hold.

In the meantime, I have cut out another pair in real muslin fabric. I'll be sewing this pair soon. Working with a light colored fabric will definitely help me see any fitting issue I might have. I figure any initial adjustments that I need to make will be made to the side seams and then see if I need to add any darts in the back. Then I'll check to see what my crotch area (front and back) looks like on me.

It's soooo cool to be in front of my SM again. Kind of like riding a bike. Once you learn, you never forget. ;)

Pants in the Making

As you know I'm on a personal quest to sew a decent pair of pants for myself. It's been two weeks since my pants class and I thought I would start over and retrace another pants pattern. Could I remember all the steps from class? That would be my first clue if the class was well taught. The results? It was a very good class. ;)

The only changes I made to this 2nd version was to draw a smaller waist and then draw a narrower pants leg towards the bottom. My first version would have had the leg width around 20 inches. That would have definitely looked funny on my 5 ft frame. My 2nd version has the pants leg width around 16-1/2 inches.

I dusted off my scissors (paper and fabric) and cut out my pants.



The fabric I'm using is a brown twill with some lycra. At $3/yard, it turned out to be cheaper than using muslin and it was sitting in my stash. (Must make a note to buy some muslin when it goes on sale)

I need to put aside my knitting projects for a few hours this morning and sew my pants. I'm really anxious to see how much tweaking I'll need to do. Ahhhh...the joys of sewing.

Back to the Basics

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to teach a friend of mine how to sew. Actually, it was more of a refresher course on how to use her sewing machine and then onto the basics of sewing. Within that small amount of time, I'm reminded of the passion I had for sewing. It gave me great pleasure to see straight and consistent stitches sewn. My friend even sewed samples of all the stitches her machine could produce. I really enjoy seeing the surprised reactions and pleasure that a simple sewing machine produces.

I had another door/opportunity open for me. I will be teaching again at a local fabric store. This time I hope to teach two of my favorite hobbies. One is in the works and I hope to start in another week (as long as folks sign up). The other class...I need to figure out student availability. You know that feeling. There's never enough time to take a class...morning, afternoon, or evening?

I'm still working part-time at my LYS. Still enjoying my fun adventure there and still giving their yarns a good squeeze.

So, maybe I've found the beginnings of a nice balance between my two favorite hobbies.

As always, I'm enjoying life.

Out of Habit

OMG! I can't believe I've let one of my good sewing habits turn bad. I've let non-prewashed fabric enter my sewing room and mingle with other fabrics. It must have happened months ago when my yarn stash grew and my "piles of stuff" were moved around. It must be a woven-thing, because all of my knits have been prewashed. Or maybe I was thinking if I was going to sew again it would be another knit top since that's all I seem to know how to do.

Well, that mentality will be changing. I was ready to cut out a pair of pants, when I couldn't find any pants fabric or enough yardage. I'm talking prewashed fabrics. So, I spent a few hours with my washer and dryer. I know I have some other wovens stashed away in one of my fabric bins. It's that time of year when I should take inventory and let the fabric breathe for a few days. I should also sort through my fabrics and let go those I've lost interest in.

Later this morning, I'm meeting a friend who is interested in learning to sew again. We're heading to a fabric store to look at patterns and fabrics. I hope to spend some time with her later this week and go through the basics of sewing. Thank goodness I have my sewing outline/notes from my teaching days.

Speaking of sewing, I better get going and start focusing on my pants...brush the dust off my fabric shears and say "hello" to my cutting table.

Day 3 at the Sewing Expo

On the last day of this Expo, I attended my last class "Industrial Shortcuts" with Mickey Hudson-Sandoval. I learned a lot about sewing efficiently and learning to control my sewing machine. Sewing with no basting, no trimming, and no pinning. Let the SM dog feed do all the work. It was a fascinating class.

Mickey did a demo using her SM and showed us how to sew and hold the fabric. She sewed curved edges (e.g. princess seams), curved pockets, applying zippers (centered & lapped), installing a waistband, and sewing a flat felled seam. No pins were used! I'm definitely going to try out these techniques before the weekend ends. Next year, I'll be sure to sign up for Mickey's classes.

I did find some light charcoal/purple colored silk dupioni to underline a black lace shell I plan on making in the future. As the fabric was being cut, some of the ladies were mesmerized at my choice of color. It's really beautiful!

Now, I need to finish some knitting today so I can spend a few hours tomorrow getting reacquainted with my sewing machine.

Attending this Sewing Expo and taking the classes was definitely what I needed to get back into sewing mode again.

Happy Sewing!

Day 1 and 2 at the Sewing Expo

After spending two days at the Sewing Expo, I have to say that there were many more vendors this year than last and there were more sewing classes being offered. This is a good thing. Some of the regular vendors have cut back on what they brought with them. Some vendors that I used to see every year were not present. There were many new vendors from other states that came to Virginia. A few of them travelled hundreds and even thousands of miles by car and trailer. There was a variety of vendors representing quilting, sewing, various sewing machine dealers (Viking, Pfaff, & Brother), etc. One thing I did notice was a lot of fabrics were displayed in bolts, rolls, and pieces and ranged from quilting cottons to fancy fabrics to high end wools.

I stopped in at Vogue Fabrics and found a beautiful black and gray knit fabric destined to be a twinset. That was the only fabric purchase I made, so far. I was on a mission in search of unusual buttons for future jackets and hand knit garments. I did spend time at a wonderful "dry goods" booth that had lots of buttons, trims, ribbons, beads, etc. Here's what I purchased over two days, most of them were on sale for 50% off.





Day 1 @Sewing Expo Class: Lose 10 pounds in a Day-Make Pants That Fit with Judy Kessinger

This 3 hour class was held in a meeting room at a hotel next door to the Dulles Expo center. The minute I arrived into the room, Judy was armed with a measuring tape and my goodie bag and proceeded to take my measurements. I had a feeling that this was going to be a fun class.


Here's what came in my bag:

Yard stick, Dritz tape measure, 6 inch clear ruler, 1 yard of elastic, Master Pants Pattern, and Pattern Ease tracing paper


Judy gave us instructions and steps to follow in tracing our own pattern from the master pants pattern (based on our measurements) each of us received. As you can imagine, everyone's measurements were different and so were our shapes. It was interesting to listen to other sewists and their pants sewing experiences. I felt so comfortable in this class.

Here's the results from the class, my first drafted pants pattern:

My personalized pants pattern, drawn my moi


My pants pattern is long for a very good reason. I will be tweaking them over the next few days


My Goodie Bag from class

I plan on re-taking my measurements and retracing and cutting out another pants pattern. This will reinforce what I learned in class. Plus, you don't get "real" measurements when you are wearing street clothes, if you know what I mean. I can't wait to get started.


Day 2 @Sewing Expo Class: Lining Alternatives by Barb Callahan

I enjoyed this hour long class. I learned about Hong Kong seams and single seam finishes and how beautiful the inside of a garment can look with these techniques. I learned about Silk Dupioni and pre-washing and the many beautiful colors available. I learned that the inside of a garment can be just as pretty as the finished garment is on the outside. I can't wait to sew a jacket and apply these techniques.

Guess what? My sewing mojo came back! I am motivated. I am energized. I can't wait to sew!

Going to the Sewing Expo

Tomorrow, I will be heading to the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo after work. I have signed up for a pants fitting class tomorrow evening and two other classes for Friday (Lining Alternatives) and Saturday (Industrial Shortcuts). It will be a great time for me to be surrounded by fellow sewists and to share and learn new sewing techniques. I'm hoping my sewing mojo will graciously reappear within the next few days.

I do plan on taking a knitting project with me and knit when I have a chance. As you know, knitting has become my main focus this year and it's very portable. I'm currently knitting a cute cardi called Alpine.

Alpine by Berroco Design

Here's what the back of my cardi looks like so far. This yarn is fabulous to knit with.

Alpaca With a Twist Highlander in Ochre color

I recently finished a sweater called My Lil Black Sweater:

Sirdar Denim Chunky in Vintage color

I'm still busy with my hobbies and have enjoyed reading about hand knit fashions. Just as I did in the sewing world, I dream about garments (sweaters & cardigans) and fibers.

Happy September...It's Sewing Month!

As the weather in our neck of the woods is getting a bit cooler, I thought it would be a great time to get back into sewing. It's been 4 months since I've sewn a garment and I miss my buddy, my sewing machine. Also, this month happens to be National Sewing Month.



There is a new logo for 2009...sporting a new theme:




I thought I would get back into sewing, by making something to complement what I've been knitting and also to complement my future hand knit garments. What a plan!

My dear friend, Tricia, was so kind to give me a sewing gift back in July. I've been lurking and waiting for a fab fabric to appear at EmmaOneSock's site. Thank you Tricia...for giving me inspiration and the push that I needed. ;)

In the meantime, I need to start back into sewing with a simple pattern. Maybe a KwikSew knit top? Or a TNT Butterick top? I really need to use what's in my stash (pattern & fabric) and be resourceful.

Also, a Sewing Expo is heading to my area in October. I've had the brochure in my hands for a month, contemplating which class(es) to take. I've circled a pants fitting class (3 hour workshop) as well as a lining alternatives class, and an embroidery essentials class. I better get my rear in gear and sign up. I've signed up for the 3 hour "Lose 10 Pounds in a Day-Make Pants That Fit" class. This class has 20 seats and I took the 19th seat. Good sign. Should be an enjoyable class. I also signed up for the Lining Alternatives class as well as an Industrial Shortcuts class. I'm all set and ready to get back into sewing/learning mode.

I was planning a trip to G-Street later this week (Labor Day Sale) to purchase buttons for my hand knitted denim vest that I'm still working on. It turns out that I won't need to make a trip. I forgot to knit the buttonholes in my vest! Yes, I'm shaking my head at this major operator error.

My plan is to start sewing again and actively post about my sewing adventures. Stay tuned! :)

Happy Sewing!

A Year Older and So Much Wiser

I want to take a minute and thank those of you who visit my blog, even when I don't keep up with my posts or my sewing activities. I know you pass through to see what others are up to or check out some of the resources.

Today, I'm celebrating my birthday and I must say that I'm feeling fine right now. I've got a few more white hairs and more spots on my skin. I'm happy and healthy. I'm enjoying life.

To help me celebrate my day, I would like for each of you to take 30 minutes to an hour sometime today (and/or the remainder of the week) and enjoy one of your favorite hobbies. Make time for yourself. Create something for yourself. Let me know what you are going to do to help me celebrate.

Isn't this better than chocolates? And no calories, too! lol!

So, what am I going to be doing for a few hours today? Knitting at my LYS.

A Little Gardening

It looks like I won't be planting any annuals this year. No lovely Impatiens to brighten our walkway. Instead, I've been thinking of resourceful and practical plantings. Yesterday, I went to visit DH at the nursery to pick out some herbs for my mini garden. I quickly planted these before the sun went down.

I just love the variegated Basil that my DH picked out for me.

Lemon Thyme, Cilantro, and variegated Basil

As you can imagine the scents were absolutely devine when I freed them from their growing pots. In my planter, I mixed some Soil Moist into the soil then added a final 2"-3" layer of soil on top of that. I planted my herbs and sprinkled some Osmocote on top of the soil. I watered the planter thoroughly.

Parsley, Basil, and Thyme

This year, I've been cooking mostly Italian and Mexican dishes. Yes, we eat a lot of pasta (wheat) and beans around here. Fiber is good. I can't wait to start using these herbs in my dishes.


On the sewing front: I have to admit. I lost my sewing mojo. I know you can relate to this. I partially blame my knitting projects for that. Like a mad-woman, I knitted two cardigans at the same time. Guess what? The pieces are done. I will never do that again...knitting two at one time. Right now, I'm taking a breathing break before I start to seam the pieces. That's why you haven't seen any garment sewing-related posts from me. My SM is jealous of my knitting needles.

I do have some knit fabrics that need to be made into a maxi dress (the Simplicity pattern that's becoming a fave) and a few knit tops.

What a Beautiful Day!

I've been doing some sewing, but nothing earth shattering to post about. When I have days like today, chances are you will finding me sitting on the porch. Knitting. Unfortunately, I can't take my SM outside and sew. I'm sure my neighbors wouldn't appreciate the noise. So, I sit and knit and listen to all the birds singing and chirping.

Late this afternoon, DH and I sat outside to enjoy the beautiful day. He had some studying to do and I spent time with my knitting needles.



Here's a picture of my latest tote bag creation.



Filled to the brim with my knitting stuff. Believe it or not, I actually have two lace cardigans that I'm currently knitting in that bag.



It was a gorgeous day in my neck of the woods. How about yours?

A Beautiful Find for Under $10

I was at my local Michael's store the other day and came across this beautiful find. An Amy Butler Lotus Tea Box Scrapbooking Tool Caddy. I do not own anything Amy Butler nor do I have any of their gorgeous fabrics. I immediately fell in love with this and the clearance price of $9.99. The caddy is well made and well padded. It has a large interior opening of 6-1/2" x 12" x 6-1/2". There are 8 external pockets. Three on each long side and one large on each narrow side. It didn't take me long to realize that there is no way I could sew one of these for under $10. Even my home dec tote bags cost more to make and that's not including the labor.

Amy Butler Lotus Tea Box Scrapbooking Tool Caddy

So, this caddy came home with me. Don't you just love the fabric and colors?

I'm not a scrapbook person as I've drawn a limit to the number of hobbies I can master at one time. I can see many other uses for this. One use is to hold my current sewing project(s) and associated notions in one place.

Another use, to store and carry my yarns and large knitting projects. I can temporarily store my circular needles in the outside pockets along with a tape measure, small scissors, and other notions. Here, I've tossed in several skeins and cakes of yarn:

My caddy filled with yarn

Right now, this caddy looks beautiful on my cutting table. I love a beautiful find. :)

Double Post Day - My June BWOF Arrived

Wow! Two posts in one day! I must be in a chatty mood. :)

I came home to find my June BWOF sitting on the table. I couldn't contain my excitement and immediately went to the page with all the line drawings. Looks like a very nice issue. I even love some of the accessories.

June BWOF

Here's what I would love to sew:

#102 - knit top

#116 - ruffled dress

This long skirt caught my eye.

#124 - long skirt

I saw a pattern for a knitted fish bag. How cool is that? I do love it when BWOF includes a knitting pattern.

As I was scanning the mag from front to back, I couldn't help but notice the previews for the upcoming July mag. I have a feeling that's going to be a pretty good issue.

Unfortunately, I won't have time to do any tracing or sewing this long weekend as I have to work. Sew, I'll be thinking of you sewing gals and catching up on your sewing blogs. I wonder which one of you will be the first to tackle the #102 - knit top?

Some Progress

I ended up putting in a lot of computer time today doing some research. Only two pairs of RTW pants got hemmed this morning. That's quite a bit of progress for me. I used my reliable "thing-a-ma-jig" to sew over the humps of the thick seams.

Hemming my jeans on my SM

The most time consuming process for me is to measure the hem, turn up the hem, press, tuck in the raw edges, and pin. Sewing the hem is the easy part.

Used a dark thread to hem my jeans

Finished hem on my twill jeans

I've got the following fabrics queued for tote bags (main bag fabric on the right and the lining on the left of each picture):

Blue and gold print fabric

Pink, rose, & brown fabric

Gold print fabric

Now, I'm ready to go sit on my porch and enjoy the fantastic weather we are having and get some knitting done.

Hemming Before Doing Some Sewing

This morning I was gathering my yarns for my next knitting projects when, lo and behold, I came across my pile of RTW pants that need to be hemmed. Lets say these pants have been sitting around in my sewing room for awhile. Moved from one pile to the next and getting my fingers poked by pins. I finally tackled two of the four. I cut the hems and now they are queued for my SM tomorrow morning. Hopefully, I'll have all four pants hemmed by lunch-time tomorrow.

Also in the sewing queue are two more tote bags that I cut out this afternoon. I enjoy carrying my knitting projects in these tote bags. Yes, I'm proud of my home dec fabric finds and enjoy showing folks my latest creations.

I've been going through my pattern stash looking for some t-shirts to sew. I'm hoping my tracing mojo will come back soon, so I can trace a bunch of patterns at one time. In the meantime, I'll pull out a few TNT patterns and see what I can get started with. You know, try to keep the sewing mojo going.

I've also hemmed another RTW t-shirt using my CS machine. After changing the threads, it stitched out beautifully on the first try. I finally got the hang of threading this baby. My next challenge is to use my binder attachment and practice sew bindings around the neckline.

I have a question for my fellow sewists. When you hem your t-shirts, do you use a narrow double cover stitch or do you use a wide cover stitch? Just curious to hear what you prefer.

Now, I'm off to do a knitting swatch for my Hey Teach lace cardigan. I'm itching to knit a more difficult garment and I think this will be a perfect one to keep my interest.

Sewing For Others

I have a special post to share with you. Many of you can relate to this and others, I hope you can learn from my experience and insight.


I've been enjoying Spring for the first time in eons and have been out and about all hours of the day, I've noticed I have been running into folks who want me to sew for them.

I was recently at Hancock's checking out their home dec clearance table when a lady approached me about sewing. It was a casual conversation about sewing, what sewing machine I used and then showing a sewn garment that I happened to be wearing. This really nice lady wanted to know if I sewed for others. Well...no I don't. Why not? Well...I enjoy sewing for myself. Period. Not other explanations. I offered to teach her how to sew. There was no interest. We kindly parted ways.

As most of you know, I'm passionate about my sewing. It's a stress reliever. It's a pleasant and rewarding hobby. I enjoy sewing for myself and for my DH. I also enjoy sewing gifts for others. There's no pressure to sew. I am not a perfectionist, but will practice until I get things right. I guess that's why I'm also a good instructor. I have patience. Breathe in, breathe out. Take a 20 minute break and come back. Eat some chocolate. :)

I believe when you add "outside forces" that interfere, adds stress, or even tries to control what's not necessary...that's when the pleasant hobby takes the form of unpleasant work.

I know my mother has a lot to do with this insight. She used to do alterations for family, friends, and customers. She used to bitch and complain about every single sewing projects/tasks. I remember telling her...you can say "no" and move on. She's one of those types who cannot say "no". Then it eats her up. She also sees the cup half empty.

Well, I'm happy to say...I'm not like my mother in that aspect. I don't put myself in stressful predicaments and when I know a sewing project "reeks of trouble", I steer clear away. I'm not a glutton for punishment. Besides, I enjoy being happy and I don't need anymore white hairs.

I sew for pleasure. I sew with beautiful fabrics. I'm blessed to have wonderful sewing tools and a God-given talent. I don't give myself unnecessary deadlines. Nor do I put pressure for absolute perfection.

Given my own economic situation, will I sew for others in the future? Yes, more than likely. I'm in the midst of "dreaming up" ideas/projects that I think will be FUN. That's the key. Make sewing a fun hobby/business and remain happy.

I have a passion for sewing.

Summer Buttericks & Sewing Updates

Three new Butterick patterns caught my eye. This beautiful pleated knit top:

Butterick 5354

And this unlined jacket/top pattern:

Butterick 5360

One more cute top:

Butterick 5356


Does anyone know of any upcoming Butterick pattern sales?


I finally finished my denim herringbone top. The buttonholes and buttons were the last tasks. I only had to sew one test buttonhole and knew the real ones would be fine. After wearing this top at work, I decided I don't care for the slight flare at the sides. So, I will gradually take in about 1/2" at the sides from the lower bust down.

Denim top with the slightly flared side


I found time to practice and play with my CS machine. Since I got my triple stitch down and settings documented, I went ahead and rethreaded for a narrow double left stitch and removed my right needle. As you can see, my test results were not too pretty.

Double stitch disaster


After playing with the tensions, it finally dawned on me that it was a threading issue. So, I rethreaded the machine and my stitches came out perfect. There's a valuable lesson that I learned...hold the thread taut when I pass each thread through its tension disc. Also, when I pass the looper thread through the tension disc, it makes a click sound. I realize that was my main threading problem. Before I thread each needle, I release the foot (drop down) so the tension discs are enabled. This allows me to thread through the guides (above the needles) and the needles better.

Here's the results of my rethreading:

Rethreaded and stitching fine


I finally hemmed my RTW t-shirt after stitching in the round. I used Debbie's technique for pulling the threads to the front of the garment, clipping the front threads and then pulling the garment towards the back and clipping the looper thread. This caused my upper threads to get pulled towards the bottom of the garment and locks the stitches. A valuable technique that can be found on the right sidebar of my blog under My Favorite Sewing Sites. I did manage to do a test run with a knit fabric and it stitched out beautifully. I've been enjoying my time with my cover stitch machine.

Narrow cover stitched hem

On the bling front, I've been making my own stitch markers for my knitting projects. Here I've made some for my friend, Sabine:

My knitting stitch markers