Out With the Old or "A Ditcher's Dilemma"

Some decisions are hard to make.

If this vintage Patti Playpal doll hadn't just stood in the corner of our bedroom collecting dust for, what, two years? (I don't even remember) then MAYBE I could have argued in favor of keeping her.

Then again, what's a 34" vinyl doll supposed to do -- tap dance?



Frankly, Patti has always spooked Michael and the dogs.



Also, she has always had a big crack in her left upper thigh which I never even tried to repair.



Adieu, ma petite!

Remember these bolts of fabric I salvaged from the trash outside the High School of Fashion Design last winter?  Well they've sat on our balcony getting even grimier ever since. 



Finally this week I dumped them in the clothing/fabric receptacle near my house and I'm 99% certain they got fished out within minutes by a very determined-looking Vietnamese woman who gasped and waved frantically just as I was releasing the dumpster door.  Timing is everything.

I was very proud of myself for making these difficult ditching decisions.

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that I also acquired a few things this week.

This bucket hat, camp shirt, and shorts pattern, McCalls 2205.  I bought it for the hat.



This book on vintage fabric (primarily 1940's/50's barkcloth) -- a Salvation Army find.













Then there are these two loaners from the library:

The first is the book Pattern Magic: Stretch Fabrics.   Honesty, I don't think there are too many people who could pull off these outfits.









Also the DVD, Behind the Candalabra.  Lurid but expertly cast and very well acted.  True Liberace fans may wince.



Finally, an impulse purchase today at the flea market: this amazing beaded necklace -- too cheap to leave behind and quite the statement; it's made up of 96 strands!  Whether I'll wear it or pass it along to Cathy, I'm not sure.











And that's it!

I'm a little sad about poor Patti, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Have a great day, everybody, and don't forget to tune in tomorrow for my very first vlog post!

How to Choose a Sewing Machine, PART 1

Friends, after buying a car, is there any purchase more fraught than that of a sewing machine?

And I'm not just talking about one's first sewing machine.  Choosing a sewing machine is often more difficult for the experienced sewer; there's often more at stake and we're (usually) willing to invest more money (which widens our choices).

I think you know where I stand when it comes to sewing machines.  Today's post isn't about my preferences, however.  It's a guide to help clarify what kind of sewing machine you need.

The more thought you give to your own preferences, the easier it will be to decide.

Here are some questions I've come up with.  Please feel free to add to the list in your comments!

1. What kind of sewing do you do most often?  (i.e., mainly garments, leather bags, automobile upholstery)

2. Do you need elaborate embroidery stitches, and if so, for what?

3. What kind of fabric (or other materials) do you usually sew with?

4. Do you need a zigzag stitch or is most of your sewing straight-stitch?

5. Are you open to owning multiple machines or are you limited to owning only one?

6. Do you own a serger?  (This can eliminate the need for a zigzag stitch for knits)

7. Do you prefer a new model or are you open to vintage sewing machines?

8. Mechanical or computerized machine -- do you have a preference?

9. Do you want a machine that makes decisions for you (i.e, tension, recommended stitch length, presser foot pressure, etc)?

10.  Will you be having your machine serviced regularly or do you prefer a machine you can service yourself?

11. What is your budget? 

12. Do you care about the potential resale value of your sewing machine?

13. Do you need your sewing machine to include instruction/classes at the store where you purchased it?

14.  Do you need a machine you can easily lift and/or carry or is your machine unlikely to be moved?

15. How long do you expect your machine to last?

16.  What are your "deal-breaker" features?



There are a lot of things to consider before making a sewing machine purchase.  Most of all, you need to know yourself.

Reading other people's blogs, I'm sometimes surprised to hear how often sewing machines can't handle a sewer's projects, require constant servicing (or the purchase of expensive accessories), or are just incredibly fussy.

And what can be more unfortunate for someone just starting out than to struggle constantly with a machine that's not up to the job -- you don't know if you're causing the problem or if it's your machine.



In closing, readers, I ask you:

1.  How did you choose your sewing machine and are you happy with your choice?

2. Are there any questions from my list -- or other questions -- you wish you had asked yourself?

3.  For you beginner-level sewers, is there anything you've learned about your sewing style so far that, had you known this when you purchased your machine, might have led you choose a different model?

Coming Soon: Recommendations based on my sewing experience.

Have a great day, everybody!

MPB -- the VLOG!

I'm finally ready for my close-up, readers!

Exciting news: I'm starting a weekly vlog, to be posted every Sunday.

For those who don't know what a vlog is, it's basically a blog in video form.  It's especially recommended for lazy readers and those suffering eye strain.

Below is a small taste of what's to come (and a test of my good angles).  I'm expecting most posts to be approximately 5 minutes long.

If you have any topics or questions you'd like me to cover this coming Sunday, let me know in a comment below or on my YouTube channel.

Click here for full-size screen options!



Have a great day, everybody!

What Turns a Man On....To Sewing?

Friends, in your opinion, what turns a man on to sewing?

I ask because it has dawned on me, nearly five years after I purchased my very first sewing machine, that most home sewers out there are women.  Seriously, it's the truth.







So I've started to ask myself what makes a man want to sew.  What's the main attraction and is it different for men than for women?

For me, at the very start (five years ago next month) it was a desire to do my own basic alterations.  I'd bought a pair of thrift store jeans at Goodwill and it was going to cost more to get them shortened than I'd paid for the jeans. For the price of a used sewing machine, I figured, I could shorten my pants from then on, and the machine would pay for itself in no time.

I had absolutely no plan to sew my entire wardrobe -- and then some!







It seems like many women are initially drawn to sewing so that they can have better-fitting clothes.  Others want to make clothes for their kids.  Still others just enjoy the creativity of it.

Is this the case for men as well?



I think a man who wants to get into sewing still faces a few obstacles that women don't, things like social censure (or lack of encouragement), a dearth of male-focused sewing-related resources, and a lack of contemporary-looking men's patterns.

So, guys out there, here's my question: What first drew you to sewing?

• Were you looking for better-fitting clothes?
• Did you want more style options than you could find in stores?
• Were you into old sewing machines and figured you might as well learn to use one?
• Other reasons?

And for you women:

• Do you think men sew for reasons that are different from women's?  
• In your opinion (or experience), do men approach sewing differently than women do (and if so, how and why)?

I really appreciate your feedback!

***

And now for today's Daily Ditch:

I never know when to get rid of old sneakers, but these looked ready to go.  And so they did.





Have a great day, everybody!

The Daily Ditch Returns!

I can't explain it but for some reason I am very magnetic to stuff.

Take this 6-cup espresso maker, still in its box.  My mother gave it to me a few weeks ago as she wasn't using it.  Why she had ever purchased a 6-cup espresso maker in the first place is a mystery since she lives alone.

I use a 2-cup espresso maker.  (That's about all my body can take in a day.)  I have no use for a 6-cup version, so out it goes.  I hope I don't sound ungrateful.  Somebody out there will enjoy it.  If you're interested, check the Chelsea Salvation Army come Tuesday.

Also headed for the thrift store is this bag of old clothes, some mine, some Michael's.



Baby Simplicity is now walking so there's no need for this collapsible stroller, itself a garbage find.  Gone!



How (and if) to discard fabric remnants too small to turn into garments is an ongoing dilemma I've solved in different ways.  Once, I had about four bagfuls and I listed them on Craigslist.  A Filipino woman who worked for an organization that upcycles fabric scraps came over and took them off my hands.  But it took a lot of energy and time to make that connection.  We now have a fabric and clothing recycling bin a few blocks away, and this bag landed there today.  I needed it gone.



I have a tendency to wear my pants to shreds.  These me-made jeans from a few years ago were so beaten up in so many places I couldn't give them away and I'm not the patchwork type.   They ended up in the big recycling bin too.





We had a huge number of clay pots on the balcony left over from the days when Michael was interested in gardening.  We carted them downstairs and they were gone within minutes.



Readers, there is still so much more ditching to do.

I can live with a lot of disorder but even I have my limits and this holiday weekend seems like the perfect time to address the mess.

I hope to ditch daily for at least the next week and I hope you will join me -- or at least cheer me on.

What do you do with all your fabric scraps?

Have a great day, everybody!

Michael and...can anyone identify this YouTube celebrity?

Flea Market Finds + New Fabric, New Friends, New Pattern!

Do you use a chalk wheel, readers?  I never have but I've always been curious about them.  I found this red one at the flea market today in a pile of old sewing notions and now it's mine.  I'm very excited to try it.

I also bought this kitschy Indian beaded necklace (and wore it home).  As a child in the Seventies I beaded quite a bit (I was a crafty kid in a crafty era).  Did you?



Meanwhile, I've met not one, but two MPB readers the last couple of days.  Coincidentally, they're both from Seattle.  Yesterday I had lunch with Michael (and husband Ron) in the Garment District, and today, coffee and quick tour of the flea market with Elias.  By the way, the 4th Annual MPB Day will take place on Saturday, August 9th, so please mark your calendars and book those cheap flights now.  (I'll be making a more formal announcement later on.)

Elias and I today at the outdoor flea market

I have new fabric to show you.  Michael liked my cotton shawl-collar sweater so much, he wants one of his own.  His is going to be made with the same type fabric, only in a beige/oatmeal palette.



On the same trip, I picked up this pants-weight blue cotton in a fine herringbone twill.  For some reason I've been buying a lot of solid blue fabric lately.   I think it's my preferred neutral even though I may look better in gray (Michael thinks so).



I have a new pattern to show you, fresh out of the mailbox.  It's Butterick 4362, a vintage Seventies men's jacket and pants pattern (below).  You probably know by now that the Seventies is my favorite men's pattern decade and Butterick is my favorite pattern company from that period -- very stylish, well-drafted patterns.







I think the jacket will look terrific in a lightweight denim or linen.  I may make it this coming month -- or sooner!

Now onto a few other things I saw at the flea market today:

Vintage Forties Girl Scout (or troop leader?) uniforms!





Sewing machines!









Bag of invisible zippers (with Kwik Sew pattern)!



Trunk full of vintage polyester!  (I seriously considered buying the light blue but after touching it realized I'd never wear anything I made out of it.)



And that's it!  As usual, my plate is full with sewing projects and don't even ask about the state of my living room.

Have a great day, everybody!