this was the sort of poject i would crank on. and then put away for two weeks at a time. i had many frustrating moments trying to make a straight line. and my biggest problem was corners. the corners of the mats and napkins were several times thicker than any other part of the pieces and my sewing machine could not handle it. is it the machine? the needle? me? i don't know. but almost every corner of each placemat was an issue, and the napkins too. usually the fabric would stop moving through the machine when i got to the corners, so the needle would just make several stitches in one place. i worked with it but sloppiness resulted. sometimes the needle couldn't even penetrate the thick corners and in one instance the needle just broke.
here are some terribly sloppy corners, so that you can share in my beginner sewer woe:
there was cursing and frustration and some sadness too, but despite it all, it's still a gift made with love and determination. i hope the special someone likes it.
i found several yards of the colorful fabric at the thrift store. i was indifferent at first, but for $3 figured i should just go for it. it's called chestnut calico a screenprint by f. schumacher & co. it's a really nice weave, linen i'm pretty sure. i guess it's probably a reproduction of an antique. but i think it's good for things like place mats and napkins and maybe a soft tree. i made two more of those last night, in this mixy matchy fabric:
those ones are for a trade, along with a beadflake.
i have a few more projects to go. but i also took some off my list. i realized i felt a lot better about the holidays when i didn't have so many handmade projects ahead of me. i'm just not there yet with the efficiency and motivation. when i feel like sitting down at my sewing machine it is incredibly meditative and pleasing. especially when pandora is doing the right thing with the background music, like it is this morning. and the sunglight is passing through the windows in just such a way. but when i don't want to sit at the sewing machine, yet have to because of a deadline, the joy falls away. and i'm not ready for that yet.
some highlights from this morning's pandora: vetiver, iron & wine, elliot smith, antony and the johnsons, devendra banhart, cat power, beth orton, animal collective, the new pornographers, jose gonzalez, rufus wainwright, and a heartbreaking version of neil young's helpless by a group i've never before heard of called needle.
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