Tuesday 18 September 2007

Before Breakfast, Or Ode to a Walking Foot

When I woke up this morning, I couldn't remember at first why I was so happy? And then it came back to me.....ahhhh, yes......the walking foot!

Actually sewing the felt from my felted sweater adventures has always been a bit of a challenge. My sewing machine is very basic, so I've tried different combinations of needles, tensions, and stitches, and was getting pretty good at it, but if I wasn't careful, the following would happen when I tried to zig-zag or satin stitch two pieces of felt together (if you are at all craft-disaster-queasy, I beg you to look away):


Behold the ugly puckering, behold the holes in all their horrific defiance!

Frustrated, I fished around for advice from a friend (thanks Johanna!) and from the lovely lady who sold me my machine. Maybe a walking foot?

Yesterday Safiya and I sat at the machine for an hour, just sewing scraps of felt together for the fun of it. This morning she wanted to make a blanket for her doll. Before breakfast. Compared to before, it went sooo much faster. And easier. And look, look at the seams!


It is ridiculous how happy I am about this.

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