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Thursday, December 17, 2015

Deli Paper Flower Tutorial

Monday, February 2, 2015

Sewing Machine Frustration!!!!!

2/1/2015

So, (no pun intended) I bought a sewing machine frome IKEA. It's been like a million years since middle school Home Ec classes when I sewed anything using a machine. Being it's been sooo very long I didn't want to make a major investment into a machine and end up not liking sewing. Now I have no intentions on becoming the next Vera Wang or Michael Korrs or even Martha Stewart. My sole purpose of investing in a sewing machine is simply for making my handmade journals and journal covers, basically sewing the occasional pieces of fabric and sewing paper,tags and cardstock. Easy peasy…right??? WRONG!!!! 

This is what the IKEA machine looks like:
It comes with all the little gadgets you see pictured. They store nicely in a compartment in the front of the machine, though I don't store anything in the compartment. It has a front load bobbin, 13 different stitch choices, and 9 tension settings and it has a light so it makes seeing the needle and what you're sewing easy. It sells for $69.99. 

Surprisingly, I remembered how to put thread onto the bobbin, and I actually remembered to how to pull the thread up from the bobbin after placing the bobbin in the bobbin case. What I don't remember or understand is the whole tension thing. Now sewing paper is a bit different from sewing fabric. My stitches look fine on the top but are loosey goosey, willy nilly on the bottom. For every line I stitch, the thread comes out of the needle, or the thread just seems to bunch up in one spot on whatever I happen to be sewing, and the needle stops moving. I have tried sewing at every number on the tension dial which range from 0-9. I even put a smaller needle on my machine being I'm working with paper. As the next few pictures will demonstrate you will see what I'm talking about with how the threads don't look right on the bottom.
As you see the stitches on the bottom are sticking up

Again sticky uppy & all bunched in the corner

Bunching again
I had taken a pic of one piece I sewed that actually looked how it's supposed to look, but it got lost in the nether world. Now the pages you are seeing are for a Remains Of the Day journal. I am taking the course from http://dispatchfromla.typepad.com by Mary Ann Moss, who I might add is funny and talented. She makes doing this journal look easy. Which I guess might be if I weren't mechanically challenged. If I can get my sh*t together, and get along with my sewing machine, I might actually be able to produce a ROD journal, but at the current rate of progression, I might get one done about the time my 5 yr old granddaughter graduate from high school. 

If anyone has this particular sewing machine and can offer up some much needed advice or guidance, I am all ears. If I should make any progress on my ROD journal and or conquer my sewing machine frustration and dilemma, I will be sure to let ya know!!!! Hoping this finds you all well…..

HUGS,
Kimmie