Sewing Machine Trading Cards

~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ 4 Comments

I have approximately a dozen of these cherished little trading cards.  They were a gift from DH several years ago. 

Around the turn of the century (1900 not 2000), sewing machine companies used these trading cards as a marketing tool to advertise their products.  Here’s a close-up of one of the cards:

Now who wouldn’t want to get their hands on as many of these little gems as possible?  Okay, maybe not a baseball player, but seems to me all other members of the human race would desire these as much as I do.  It is a sewingcentric world, isn’t it?

My conundrum is that I don’t have a manner in which to display them so I can enjoy them to their fullest.  I’ve considered and evaluated a number of items, but as yet have come up empty.  I would welcome any advice, suggestions, ideas, etc. from my terrific readers on how I might appropriately display my cards.  And if your idea includes upcycling or repurposing something to do so, all the better.  Thank you in advance for your comments.

Kwik Sew 3854 – Sailor-Style Shorts

~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ Leave a comment
This is such a cute shorts pattern – if only I could get them to fit!

I present to you, my valued readers, my latest wadder.

Notice the big gap at the back waistband and the gaping, droopy section in the front.  I adjusted and took these in (a total of 1 1/4″) as I sewed them together, but they still need to be taken in a good 2-3 inches.  If I do that, I fear it will distort the style lines of the garment.  Therefore, they are oficially classified as a wadder.

I also think the back darts should be extended slightly.  They appear to be a bit short.  Or, maybe the length of the darts is okay if the shorts fit properly.  The pattern instructions are very clear and easy to follow and I really like the style of the shorts, so I will ponder whether or not to attempt another pair.  If I do, I will definitely cut a smaller size.

I’m moving on to another project.  I’m in the mood for a maxi skirt or dress, so that will most likely be the next garment that I sew.  The best way for me to get past a wadder is to quickly move on to the next project in queue.

Here’s hoping you rarely have wadders and you are richly rewarded with success.

Diapers to Go Baby Gift

~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ Leave a comment

Here’s yet another version of the Diapers to Go #150 pattern. 

I  reviewed it before, but I made a couple of minor changes this time around.  I omitted the carry strap (I don’t think it gets much use) and I substitued a velcro strap closure instead of my usual magnetic closure.  The velcro strap is more secure and it allows for more bulk inside the carrier.

Here’s a side view of it with diapers and wipes inside (you can see how the new closure will allow for more goodies inside):

Inside view (empty):

My only dilemma in constructing it by inserting the strap between the dotted bacground fabric and the batting (so it would not show) was that I could not add the binding as the last step.  This is not something I thought through thoroughly.  When I showed it to my DH, he suggested I simply make a buttonhole in the binding strip to slide over the strap and apply the binding as usual.  What a brilliant idea!  Sometimes it takes a non-sewer to see the obvious.  Thank you DH.  Here’s a close-up of that buttonhole:

The recipient thanked my numerous times over the course of a couple days.  I’m glad she loved it.

On my cutting table right now is Kwik Sew 3854, view B.  Have a great rest of the week.