Stroller Cover Set Tutorial - PART ONE

It's really chilly out in Northeast Ohio today!  Burrr!  Boy does that ever draw me to my sewing machine...

Two out of three children are sickies today, so I'm working on some projects.  :)

I had just under a yard of this Minnie fabric from Walmart that my Mom had given me in the stash.  It's prewashed, but before even ironing I laid it over the canopy of the stroller to measure.  No rulers - I just trimmed away fabric allowing for seam allowances.  Double or even triple your seam allownace for the curved front of the canopy to allow for an elastic casing.  I actually made it a little big at first...it's much easier to take fabric away and much harder to add fabric back!

Roughly cut around the curve of the canopy front, don't forget seam allowances and elastic casing allowances.

 

My fabric was a bit short so I took some of the extra scraps and made extensions.

 

Attach extensions if you need them (to completely cover the canopy on either side) - be sure to use your serger or enclose seams so that you can throw the whole thing in the washer when your done without fraying.  Next add a casing around the curved part of the cover for elastic.

To measure elastic I just took some scrap I had laying around the house and matched it up with the top of the canopy.  Using a safety pin guide your elastic through the casing you just made.  When you've pulled it through to the point that the loose end is flush with the opening of the casing, stitch the elastic down.  Pull the remaining portion of elastic through to the other side.  I actually stopped off about an inch so that the elastic is just a bit shorter than I measured.  This will make the outer edge of the top of the cover just a tad smaller than the actual canopy, causing it to hug the canopy a bit and stay on snugly.

At this point you should have something that looks like this:

If I open it up, it looks like this:

My sickie baby is crying so Part Two will be up shortly!

The Wandering Foot Pedal and a Halloween Finish

Does your foot pedal wander while you sew?  What do you do to solve that?  Boy is it irritating to sit back down to the sewing machine to find the pedal has scooted it's way nearly out of reach.  I'm contemplating putting a bit of grip fabric on the floor - you know the kind you line your cupboards with?  I wonder if that would help.  But with kitties and doggies I wonder if it would just be another place for fur to accumulate.  Oy.

It's turning out to be a cloudy and humid Tuesday here in northeastern Ohio.  I wouldn't mind the clouds if there weren't still sweat running down my face.  Oh well...I did manage to get some sewing done.  I'm trying to fill up that Etsy shop!  Here's another little topper I finished up late last night...working on a cute little bag next.

Belle Dress Finished!!

 

Sorry in advance for the crummy picture but I couldn't wait until morning and I had to use a flash...yuck!  But I sure do love that dress.  This was my attempt at a Belle dress without a pattern for the littlest daughter.  The tulle skirt is WAY too long and it's going to be so hot I don't know if she'll wear it, but we'll take it just in case.  This might be the winner for Halloween because if it's cold it will be a great dress I can layer under for her.  Not my best stitching, but I'm pretty excited with out it turned out, can't wait to dress her up in it!

 

I still haven't gotten to sew on my new sewing machine...the baby is still up and I'm just waiting for her to fall asleep.  Nothing like being knee deep in a project and hearing "MOOOOOooooooommmmmmmm!"  Most of my sewing happens during nap time or during the night when the kiddos are asleep.

 

Trying to get back into Etsy.  Doesn't it seem like I'm always saying that?  Life is so busy, seems I'm always finding other things to do.  The holidays are a comin' and a comin' up fast, so, I gotta make some extra money.  Back to the sewing machine.  :)  Here's my latest listing...

...these did really well last year.  Hoping I can sell a few more this year.  They were fun to make too!  :)

New Toys of the Sewing Variety - Brother SQ9050

Guess what yesterday was?  The Husband's and my 11th wedding anniversary!  Hard to believe we've been married this long, still feels like we just got married a few years ago.  The day wasn't anything fancy - he had to work, the girls had cheerleading, so my day was full running around, cleaning, cooking, cheering on my little cheerleaders.  Husband came home late from work so we opted for a family anniversary dinner of - KFC fried chicken.

After everyone had eaten and we finally got the baby to sleep we exchanged presents at about 9:30.  Gift giving is such a big deal with the children, so even though we were pooped and kind of not in a celebratory mood the girls made it a lot of fun.  They opened both of my presents for me...I wish I could have bottled up their yelps and squeels  - "a new camera, and a new sewing machine Mom!!!!  Aren't you so excited??!!!"  Hahaha, yes, I was VERY excited!  Boy that Husband of mine has my number doesn't he?  I got an upgraded digital camera and an ugraded sewing machine, boy, I'm sort of feeling guilty that all I bought him were a shirt, flip flops and a couple of pairs of slacks!  I am so lucky.  :)

I stayed up until almost midnight playing with my new toys.  Mainly the sewing machine last night, and then this morning I fiddled with the camera.  He bought me a Brother SQ9050.  I tell you what, I'll be really honest here.  I was very leary of Brother sewing machines.  Mostly because they are available at Walmart.  I know that's terribly predjudiced to say...but you know, Walmart is known for cheap and cheap doesn't often line itself with quality.  Not to mention I once had a Brother ink jet printer that I abhored!  No - not adore - ABHOR!!!  Uck that printer was such a nightmare.  It was an expensive nightmare too!  So far the sewing machine...I love.  Love!  I'm going to guess that the inner guts of this machine are not as heavy duty as my old Singer's, but for what I do I think this is going to be a really great machine.

My first modern sewing machine was a Europro.  I don't remember the model, but my Husband and Mother in Law went in on it together for me for my birthday, gosh, like 8 years ago?  It was an older machine, probably from the 70's, used/refurbished from the local sewing shop.  All I remember about that machine is that it had one speed...FAST.  Hahaha, I put in a request for a new machine from the Husband after about a year, when I really began to catch on to quilting.  So I traded that one in towards a Simplicity Quilter's Classic...this machine -

I have used this machine up until now, in addition to a really simple White sewing machine my Mother gave me some time ago and a half dozen or so antique machines I have around the house.  Of course I grew up on my Mother's Pfaff, but one of those isn't in my budget right now.  I use my featherweight a lot for quilt piecing but this is my go to machine for free motion quilting.  I really love this sewing machine!  It cost me $100 plus my Europro as a trade in.  Without the Europro this would have been $159.  It did not come in the box, but it was never owned previously, the sewing machine guy said he got a lot of about eight of these in without the boxes but they'd never been owned.  I'm not complaining, this was a HUGE step up from my Europro and I have made some incredible things on this machine.  The Brother is definitely another step up from my Quilter's Classic though and I'm thrilled!  It's about time for an upgrade!  :)

I want to say the Brother has a longer table extension.  But the Quilter's Classic extension is wider.  I kind of wish I could meld the two into each other to make the perfect, GIANT AS HECK extension table.  But I LOVE the measuring rule on the Brother!!!  That is a great little feature.  My Simplicity had 20 stitches...and as I described it to my Mother earlier on the phone...I have been happy as a pig in mud with those 20 stitches!  But I'm thrilled, the Brother has over 100!  It also has a monogramming feature which is totally new!  Just think of all the things I can monogram now!  Oh fun.  :)

 

I did a little playing last night with the stitches.  When you monogram you have to clip the threads in between letters but I was too pooped to go hunting for my little snippers.  You get the idea here...

 

 

The Brother also came with these attachments.  The Simplicity came with a lot more feet - but I really like that the Brother came with a walking foot.  I had to buy that attachment for my Simplicity and it's an expensive little attachment.  I want to say I paid something like $24 for it?  $22?  Somewhere in that region.  Not like, break the bank expensive, but, not cheap either.

I love that the machnie came with a needle already in place and a prewound bobbin.  Brother has the art of "easy" down.  If I knew nothing about sewing I think I would have still had no problem figuring out this sewing machine.

 

Here's the front of the machine for inquiring minds.  It's going to take some getting used to, but for the price this is one stinking good sewing machine.  My only gripe with Brother is that they tend to have specific requirments for their machinery that you can only get through Brother...and often they cost an arm and a leg and make me mad so I go throw the equipment away and buy something new.  Of course I don't throw away sewing machines.  Ever.  So hopefully attachments don't cost me a small fortune.

Oh now this is a feature I LOVE LOVE LOVE!  Look at that bobbin area....now look how it slides back...

 

THAT is GREAT!!!  If you do a lot of free motion quilting you know how often you have to clean the lint out of this area.  Especially when working with fine threads...the teensiest bit of lint will totally throw off your stitches.  I love this.  Easy quick access.  No screws or screwdrivers or hunting for a penny...just slides right off.  THAT was really smart Brother, I gotta tell you.

 

So now to sew on it.  I cannot wait to get in there and get cracking.  I'm finishing up that Belle dress but it only needs hot glue...lol*  Darn it.  But after that I've got some projects I want to make for Etsy and I'm going to make them on this machine.  I cannot wait.  Thank you Husband!!!

Oh and what do ya think of those pictures???  Pretty nice, ehh???  YAY!  :)