Category Archives: Home

The New Year, In a Small Way

The family has gone, and the house reassembled, so, obviously, it’s time to start sewing again! Several things were left unfinished after a mad final quarter in 2008 when I was frantically filing and organizing the house. On Friday, I … Continue reading

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Here Be Katzen

Yeah, more cats. The sewing room was meant to be Emma’s, since this unholy duo chase her all over the rest of the house. Somehow, though, Emma’s shelf gets co-opted now and then by Sally and Alex. There’s obviously no … Continue reading

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Return of the Pfaff

On Wednesday, I discovered that, owing largely to circumstances beyond the store’s control, my Pfaff was still waiting to be fixed, and not likely to be touched for at least a few more weeks. So I retrieved it, since I … Continue reading

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Is There a Sadder Sight?

. . . than the space where my much-loved Pfaff used to be? Thursday night, as I attempted to sew the last eight inches of the hem on a Kwik Sew top, the tension went all wonky. Irretrievably, unfixably wonky. … Continue reading

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Of Course, There’s a Cat

I write several blogs, and have so far managed to avoid mentioning cats (except once, tangentially, when it was appropriate — and it wasn’t my cat). Leaving Emma out of my sewing blog, though, just seems wrong. Here she is, … Continue reading

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A Chair For My Sewing Room

Finding a chair for my new sewing room hasn’t been easy. I didn’t want to spend a fortune until I was sure of exactly what I wanted, and none of the inexpensive chairs I’ve seen came with hardwood-floor-friendly casters. (One … Continue reading

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Simplicity 3583 – Zabuton, Zafu and More

If you’re interested in making meditation accessories, this Andrea Schewe pattern has a slew to chose from. The items I made are a little different, but this pattern has instructions for what looks like a fairly traditional zafu, as well … Continue reading

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DIY Meditation Mat and Bench Pad

Over the weekend, my spouse and I attended a meditation class offered by the Philadelphia Buddhist Association. My top goal this year is to learn to relax, and this is one of the tools in my relaxation kit. I was … Continue reading

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Butterick 4373 – Window Valance

Once my machine had a nifty cover that’d I’d coordinated with my sewing room walls, I turned my attention to the windows. My room is very sunny and bright, and I really didn’t want curtains, but the windows looked too … Continue reading

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Butterick 5160 – Sewing Machine Cover

Naturally, the first project in my new sewing room had to be a sewing machine cover. I’d been using a simple, channel-quilted muslin cover, but it was pretty blah. When I found some inexpensive, very pretty yardage in blues that … Continue reading

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