My sewing space....new and improved

Hi, I'm Leslie, I like to sew. On with the blog.*

I've been getting by with an ancient Black and Decker iron DH bought before I was even a thought. Poor thing has been taking a beating since last summer when I really started sewing regularly, and it was time to put it down. Hearing Cidell rave about her Consew Silver Star CES-300 gravity feed iron made it easy to purchase from allbrands.com for $99.

 And then what is a new iron without a new ironing board? The old one was equally feeble, it was so wobbly our hardwood floor has a chunk out of it where the Black & Decker took a spill off the end. DH was NOT pleased about that. Made it easy to sell him on the new board though. I got this european-size Rowenta from Bed Bath and Beyond with one of their 20% off coupons.

So the iron was delivered during the week when I am away from home for work, and DH happily opened the box and set it up for me. He went through several arrangements for hanging the water tank, and finally bent some pipe at work and along with some extra fittings and bolts created this masterpiece you see here: Notice how the tubing is held up at just the right height so it dangles perfectly above the board no matter where you put the iron? DH is so smart. I may have to keep him. He even sacrificed our corner hutch (that he made!) by drilling screws through the top to hold down the rod.

I am psyched, we'll see if this translates into a marathon sewing weekend.

*I tortured myself for weeks trying to come up with the 'perfect first post', I am a sewist after all and perfectionism seems to be one of the side effects. I finally gave up and dove in, please bear with me while I learn the intricacies of blogging.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Haute Couture Societe Annual Fundraiser/Fashion Show

Image
Last Sunday I was graciously given an extra ticket to a fashion show/luncheon/fundraiser for a group based in Stockton, CA called the Haute Couture Societe. They focus on fashion design and fine needle arts with monthly meetings, workshops, field trips, and a scholarship program for students pursuing an education in fashion. I met several ladies at the PR weekend in LA who are members of this group, they were kind enough to invite me into their 'sewing lives' (they have get togethers on their own) which included this event. (Thank you for the ticket Kelly!) First off, I have to apologize for the terrible photography. I snapped a few, but most of the ones I took during the fashion show didn't turn out at all. I will try to dazzle you with my extraordinary literary skills. Anyhoo... Before the fashion show I had time to walk around and check out some of the garments on display, all made by members, as well as the tables full of raffle prizes and silent auction items
Keep reading

Scrap shorts for me! Not popular in my house. NOT popular.

Image
Dear readers, Upon returning home from a buying spree at Seattle Fabrics -   Website,  I decided to "whip" up a project using some scrap Malden Mills polartec -- quickee shorts.  Some materials just shouldn't be shorts.  Like heavy duty fleecy Polartec -- you cannot see in the pictures - but the pile is large on this and tends to catch between my legs.  I don't care --  I like 'em.  Perfect for dog walking on cool mornings. They are not my favorite.  I didn't really use a pattern -- merely Judy Kessinger's pants sloper to test it (don't blame her -- I modified it). Anyway, after a few glasses of wine -- J. was like -- those shorts are terrible, they are garbage.  They are not good.  I had to laugh.  They aren't good but I don't care:)  He normally loves my projects.  These smurfs didn't do the trick for him though. Anyway, off I go on the dog walk wearing them. Hey, I sew for me:)  So, dear readers, do you ever make anything y
Keep reading

Vintage U.S. Navy Uniforms Part I

Image
Dear readers, You may or may not remember me mentioning this - but I'm a retired Commander in the Navy.   A bit shocking, I know.  As such, I'm a bit obsessed with the uniforms and the changes that occurred specifically to women's uniforms.  And, I am surprised at the decrease in quality between the current uniforms (both design, fit and sometimes, construction) as compared to the uniforms women wore in the WWII era.  These are two examples of women's uniforms in seersucker from that era.  Beautifully tailored. According to the U.S. Navy historical website: Women officer uniforms were upgraded during the war years. There had been little precedent for women’s wear in the Navy since World War I; therefore a panel of civilian experts in the design and fashion field was called upon to create a set of uniforms which when devoid of buttons and braid would correspond to a smart businesswoman’s suit. Their efforts resulted in the present single breasted blues and whites
Keep reading