#55 Use the Elna sewing machine and decide what to do with it
I finally pulled out my mother-in-law's sewing machine that I've had for about 4 years now. It is an Elna SU Air Electronic made in Switzerland. And it is over 30 years old.
I added a little sewing machine oil and it works like a charm. And it even has a home in a sewing cabinet. Unlike the sewing machine I've been using for the past 13 years or so, which resides in the foam packing inside it's original box. Not because it hasn't been used, but because it doesn't have a home. Every time I wanted to sew I would pull it out of the box, set it up on the kitchen table and then head back-and-forth to my sewing tote in the closet for scissors, bobbins, a seam ripper, etc. Imagine my joy when I could reach in a drawer to my right for a replacement needle or a safety pin or thread. Everything is at my fingertips.
It makes me wonder why it took me so long to use it. I guess I just wanted what was easy. If I wanted to sew I wanted to sit down at a machine that would do exactly what I expected. Where I was familiar with the threading and the controls and even the glitches. I just didn't want to spend the time figuring out something new. But I guess, like many things in life, what is perceived as easier in the short run may not, in fact, be easier or better. Needless to say, the Elna sewing machine is a keeper.
I made two big square pillows for the kids to use for reading, playing games or watching TV. I bought 24"x24" pillows and then made the quilted covering. I only used scraps that I had on hand, so I didn't have to buy any fabric. I can't even guess how many different quilts are represented in those pieces. At least seven of my own. And can anyone tell me why I have scraps from my quilting friend Michelle...that I never used...especially since she lives two states away? At any rate, it's fun to see those fabric patterns again and it's even more exciting to use some of them up completely. And have I mentioned how glorious it is to run your hands over anything quilted. It's one of life's joys, I say!
Here you can see the thin front boarder and the backing.
The back is made with two flat pieces, hemmed and overlapping at the center to create a type of envelope for sliding the pillow in. No zippers, no buttons, no tabs.
A Reading Corner.
I added a little sewing machine oil and it works like a charm. And it even has a home in a sewing cabinet. Unlike the sewing machine I've been using for the past 13 years or so, which resides in the foam packing inside it's original box. Not because it hasn't been used, but because it doesn't have a home. Every time I wanted to sew I would pull it out of the box, set it up on the kitchen table and then head back-and-forth to my sewing tote in the closet for scissors, bobbins, a seam ripper, etc. Imagine my joy when I could reach in a drawer to my right for a replacement needle or a safety pin or thread. Everything is at my fingertips.It makes me wonder why it took me so long to use it. I guess I just wanted what was easy. If I wanted to sew I wanted to sit down at a machine that would do exactly what I expected. Where I was familiar with the threading and the controls and even the glitches. I just didn't want to spend the time figuring out something new. But I guess, like many things in life, what is perceived as easier in the short run may not, in fact, be easier or better. Needless to say, the Elna sewing machine is a keeper.
I made two big square pillows for the kids to use for reading, playing games or watching TV. I bought 24"x24" pillows and then made the quilted covering. I only used scraps that I had on hand, so I didn't have to buy any fabric. I can't even guess how many different quilts are represented in those pieces. At least seven of my own. And can anyone tell me why I have scraps from my quilting friend Michelle...that I never used...especially since she lives two states away? At any rate, it's fun to see those fabric patterns again and it's even more exciting to use some of them up completely. And have I mentioned how glorious it is to run your hands over anything quilted. It's one of life's joys, I say!
Here you can see the thin front boarder and the backing.
The back is made with two flat pieces, hemmed and overlapping at the center to create a type of envelope for sliding the pillow in. No zippers, no buttons, no tabs.
A Reading Corner.
Comments
Love your reading corner.
stephanie@metropolitanmama.net