Explore and Cameo Dust Covers

A few weeks ago I decided I was going to finally make dust covers for my machines, printers, etc and use the fabric I had originally bought to make curtains for my french doors. Since I did the  faux STAIN GLASS on the doors I needed to use the fabric for something and it did match my craftroom well so problem solved.

I had a new problem, no pattern for the Explore! I actually tried several before I got it how I wanted it, and then I still had to do several adjustments in the process. My mom was great at making patterns and I'm sure she would have gotten it right the first time but I'm not quite as proficient at the skill. 

During this whole process *okie wonders if they understand it was a very long process* my daughter and I went to Wall's Bargain Center and I was looking at fabric and found some I thought Carmen would really like since her favorite color is blue. I sent her a picture and she loved it so I decided to make her covers for her Explore and Cameo. Mind you, I still hadn't made the cover for my Explore or other items. 

Next issue? Well I don't own a Cameo nor do I have access to one close by so I had to have Carmen give me measurements and it was driving me crazy trying to figure out if it was going to work or not. I don't know how many pictures and texts were sent back and forth during this whole operation but let's just say I'm glad we don't have to pay per message anymore, especially with pictures! I finally got some cardboard *okie wonders if anyone else saves their cardboard boxes they get mail in* I had been saving and fashioned a cardboard Cameo so I could check to see if the cover would work. Evidently I do not need to talk and measure and talk and sew at the same time because I got the cardboard Cameo 2 inches too long and the cover about 1.5 inches too short, that was even after cutting down the size of the cardboard Cameo!

To resolve the issue about the cover being too short I added a strip of denim and decided to call it a decorative stripe so my OCD wouldn't have me tearing the whole thing apart and starting over. Finally the cover fit on the cardboard Cameo! Let me tell ya folks...it is not easy sewing blind! Okay for some folks it is probably easy, but for me it is not!

To make of for the shortness of the Explore cover I added a strip of denim at the bottom of the cover and made sure there was enough room to run some 1/4 inch elastic through the bottom. The denim at the bottom didn't bother me nearly as much as the decorative stripe on the Cameo cover!

I asked Carmen how she wanted her flaps decorated and she said she wanted her initials on them. I couldn't do just initials so I made a flourishy *okie doesn't think that is a real word since it just underlined in red but is going to keep it because she likes it and dammit it is her blog and if she wants to make up words she can* design for the initials to be placed in the center. I used HTV to do the design and intials. I also went through my jar of "very special occasion" buttons and had Carmen pick out buttons for the flaps. 

Carmen was thrilled with the pictures and I am sure she will be thrilled with the covers *okie knows Carmen is so easy to please most of the time* once she gets them. Yeahhhhhh...I haven't mailed them off yet. I actually told her this was a "pick up only" order but I know that can't happen right now so I guess I will need to get them in the mail!

After I get my patterns all tweaked I will probably post them on here so keep a look out in the future if you would like to make dust covers!

Little Sewing Project - Bathroom Curtains

Almost a month ago I shared a post NEW AND IMPROVED...IS IT BETTER? about my sewing dilemma and how I loved my old Kenmore machine but was afraid it had seen it's better days. Linda has since brought the machine to me and she believes her husband might have fixed it but she didn't test it. I have yet to get it out to test it. I have however tried out my new sewing machine!

Since I was going to have some company in I knew the little bathroom would have to be used quite a bit I got on the ball *okie thinks it was a slow ball but a ball none the less* and make a shower curtain and curtain for the bathroom.

I did the shower curtain first and tried out which was fairly easy, or you would think it would be. I measured out the size and folded the hems for the sides. I measured out the top and bottom hems and then was quite puzzled on how to get rid of the bulk in the corners. You would have thought I had never sewn before! I guess it is one of those things that after you haven't done it in so long the information leaves your brain *okie wonders how much information has made it's round within her extraordinarily large brain* so other information can come in. After I was able to get the bulk down I was quite proud of myself!

The machine of course has some nice stitches built in but most of the time I always used a straight stitch. This time I decided to use the blind hem stitch. After some practice I had it down to a science as well. The next problem came using the "Easy One Step Buttonhole Feature". It took me over an hour and a half to use this super easy feature and if hadn't been for a video on the internet that I could stop, rewind, replay 50 times I likely would have never figured it out. The first one or two button holes were a little difficult but by the time I got to the last one I could whiz through them.

I had enough material to make curtains but I wasn't sure what type of curtain I wanted. I decided to just go with the split curtains that ties in the middle. I thought about using some ribbon or making bands out of the material but since the theme in the bathroom is beach I thought the jute would work as it looks like some rough rope. My daughter will tell you it was her idea, I just held it up and said "hey this might work" and she agreed. She is good at trying to take credit!

I know you might be admiring how well the lines of the material line up but I will be honest and tell you that the material was very wide and I just had to fold it in half and cut it down the middle and it was the right width to give a good gather. I did blind hem on the sides of the curtains as well.

Here is a picture where you can see both curtains together. Don't they look lovely?  I think they really brighten up the bathroom, especially with the bathroom being a mocha color. Enough sunlight still gets in the window and privacy isn't a problem since the window faces the neighbors wall and neither of us really go between the houses.

It really changed the look of the bathroom and it finally looks decorated after all these years!

New and Improved....Is it better?

 Have you ever gotten something that you know you can use but it still intimidates you because it is different than what you are use to using? In my life it seems the pattern is usually men. I get use to one but then they go away and then I have a different one and it is suppose to be new and improved and it intimidates me because it is different than what I previously had and then when I get use to all the bells and whistles on that one it goes away and...well the vicious circle starts all over again. However, today I am not talking about men. Instead I am talking about sewing machines!


The sewing machine I use to have was a Kenmore that I bought for myself as a graduation present when I graduated from high school. That should tell you that the machine was AT LEAST ten years old and while I would love for you to believe I graduated only 10 years ago I have to be honest and say that I graduated in 1984 so the poor thing is 28 years old. This is not a picture of my Kenmore sewing machine but it is what it looks like.

I believe my friend Linda might have had her husband fix it but we still aren't sure how well it sews. Linda was watching HSN and contacted me and let me know they were having a good deal on a machine that she felt I would be comfortable using. I am proficient at sewing but I don't do a lot of fancy work so all the new machines with their 25,184 features is more than I need. I checked the machine out online and it looked to be what I have been looking for and with the flex-pay option of $40 a month, no taxes and free shipping and handling I figured I could swing it easy enough and off to ordering I went.

I received my new Singer sewing machine yesterday afternoon and went directly to reading the manual when I get home. It is quite different than my previous sewing machine but the basics are about the same. I did have to laugh several times when I kept reaching over to the right hand side of the machine to do reverse stitch, something I will have to get accustom to for sure! I had thought the housing was metal but it is indeed plastic but it does feel more durable than the machines I had checked out at Walmart several times.

I decided to really check out the machine I would need to sew something and the only thing I could think of to sew was a cover for the machine. I pulled down one of my totes that has fabric stored in it and looked through to just find something to use. I found a piece of chambray that I thought would work fine for a test run. Since the machine came with a little flimsy plastic cover I used it as a pattern.

It didn't turn out perfect but that is quite alright since I wasn't out for beauty on this but instead just trying out the machine.

Here is another view of the cover from an angle. I did hem it a wee bit short but yet again since it was just a test it doesn't matter much.

I do have to say I believe I am going to like the simplicity of this machine and it does seem to sew quite well. I use to sew a lot for my daughter and making things and now maybe I can start doing more sewing. My poor ol Kenmore has been out of commission for a few years now so I shall have to polish up on my sewing skills again.One of my first projects is going to be making a matching shower and window curtain for my little bathroom.

I have to wonder if new and improved is better but time will tell in this case!