2 Sides of Spring

 Spring — so eagerly awaited, so unpredictable!

My end of winter/beginning of spring project was a simple design from Wardrobe By Me (Boxy Raglan) chosen because I had made it before and knew it would work well with my fabric. The fabric is a luscious wool/alpaca blend from Emma One Stock - a little splurge, but so worth it.

It feels just like a warm hug when wearing it, and I love the color.  It was labeled as dead stock fabric from Italy. I love looking through the fabrics there — always little treasures to be found!

My second project was not sewing, but also a top, that was machine knit. This is definitely a warm weather style, and wouldn’t you know — as soon as it was finished we went from high 70’s (F.) temps to chilly mid 40’s. As I said — Spring - unpredictable!

The yarn is a cotton/linen blend in a lovely teal blue (Valley Yarns Leverett by Webs). Simple styles like this are such fun to whip out on the machine, they take almost no time at all. My very basic LK-150 mid-gauge has no ribber, so that was done by hand, as was the crochet joining of front & back halves.  Adapted from a hand knitting pattern Longboat Key, also available from Webs.

Serger Update

 Although I haven’t been sewing as much this season as I usually do, I have had plenty of time to put the BERNINA L890 through a fairly thorough test of what I want a serger to do. I’ll say up front my serger use is basic — I use it for garment construction —I don’t quilt, and my home dec projects are few and far between. Nonetheless, I want a machine that performs those basic tasks easily and well. 

I looked at this machine for a couple of reasons. I had a perfectly fine Baby Lock Enlighten purchased used from a dealer. Its stitching was fine and the air threading was a game changer for my eyesight issues. It was fine, but not fabulous, and I wanted to see what a newer machine had to offer. I also wanted to replace a fairly old cover stitch machine which had seen better days. The idea that I could have one machine to do both operations appealed, as my sewing room is crowded. So, has this machine lived up to its hype, or is it buyer’s remorse?

Ease of use — it’s a complex machine, and some folks are put off by that. I am still using the ‘idiot’ setting (no, BERNINA doesn’t call it that!) that prompts each step of every operation. Very helpful, especially for things you don’t do enough to have them become second nature. I think it also helps that I sew on Bernina machines so I have some familiarity with how they ‘think’. Air threading of the loopers is fine — not as ‘whoosh’ as the Baby Lock but works well. Two things I love — the presser foot swings away from the needles for extra maneuvering room when threading, and you can actually see that needles have been inserted fully due to slots. So, I rate ease of use as “learning curve, but Bernina gives you plenty of help to succeed “. There are plenty of You Tube videos for the machine also, and (obviously) the more you use the machine the easier it gets.

Stitch quality — one word — wow! Minor adjustments (stitch length/width) for different fabric weights, but beautiful stitching. Easy adjustments for cover stitching and I was blown away by stitch quality.

All in all, I am very pleased. This machine meets my expectations and then some. Is it the perfect serger? No, that doesn’t exist. It is a very good fit for me though, and I look forward to learning more as I use it more. Still cringe at the price, but I’m worth it?!

Spring forward

 Still wintery weather here, but I’ve stitched up a lighter cardigan for Spring. Imagine that - sewing something at leisure, before it’s actually needed!

The pattern is Wardrobe by me Balloon Cardigan. This is my second make from their line, and I’ve been quite pleased with both. Clean lines, simple practical garments that suit my life.The sleeves are indeed balloon - the body not as much. I’ve made the v-neck version and the cropped length, but added 1 1/2” so that it hits at high hip rather than at waist. Buttons/buttonholes left out - I’ll add snaps later if I decide they’re needed, but I don’t usually fasten up cardigans, so…

The fabric is a rayon doubleknit. I was thinking I’d make a matching tank with my leftovers, but wouldn’t you know I made a classic rookie mistake and forgot to lengthen the front bands after lengthening the body - doh! Thankfully enough fabric to recut two pairs of front bands, but probably not enough left for a tank - twin set dreams denied! Who knows though - maybe some creative piecing? It’s always fun to play with stripes.