There have been many speed bumps on the way to holiday gifting this year. Most notably, my beloved sewing machine—a Janome 1600P-QC—stopped working, had to go the repair shop, quilted a small project upon its return to me, and then stopped working again. Although I have a backup, it’s not the workhorse my go-to machine is, and it is currently refusing to perform basic sewing-machine tasks like backstitching. I have persevered, though, and managed to limp across the finish line with a few finishes.
Pictured here is one of them, a little tote bag for a book lover in my life. I was tempted to draft my own tote pattern for this gift but, in a rare moment of pre-holiday clarity, opted to make Sugar Bee Crafts’ Pocket Tote Bag instead. (I was able to follow the tutorial without much hassle, but be warned: My iPad was very grumpy about the number of ads on that webpage. I ended up copying and pasting the instructions in a Word doc just so I could refer to them easily as I sewed.)
I cut into a Rifle Paper print from the company’s Wonderland collection to make this project. The blue woven behind Alice and her friends is something that’s been in my stash for many years—I finally found a good way to use some of it! The combination of the two fabrics is perfect here, and I especially appreciate how the little plus signs of the woven play off the periwinkle background of the print.
I bought a book and a Barnes & Noble gift card to complete this gift—I am sure my 8-year-old niece will love it!
Returning to the subject of my sewing machines ... I think it’s time to rehome my backup machine. In the past, I’ve donated machines to thrift stores, but this one has enough issues that I don’t feel right about passing the machine and its flaws on to someone else. Instead, I’m considering trading it in on a new Janome Memory Craft MC6700P. If you happen to sew on that machine—or its predecessor, the 6600—I would appreciate your thoughts!
Follow Me On ...
The pageant rules are simple:
- Post your finish in the linky tool. (No links to your own giveaway or linky, please!)
- Point your readers back here with a text link or use the button above.
- Visit and comment on other participants’ finishes.
Fun gift for your niece! Love the print and accent fabrics you used, Michelle! Best wishes on getting your machines to line up in good order.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute bag. I love that fabric <3 Thanks for the chance to share in your party.
ReplyDeleteOh no, that is not fun! I even hate the time when they have to go to the spa... not talking about big repairs... having a workable backup helped me last time. I borrowed my Mom's machine which is very similar and that got me through it. Hope you get your trusted sewing companion back soon! *fingers crossed*
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful gift for your book lover. I'm sorry your machines were both acting up so much, and I hope you get good input on the Janome.
ReplyDelete