Elna
Showing posts with label Elna. Show all posts
shining blue quilt
I sneakily got the girls to find out her favourite colour... blue! I went through my stash and picked out loads of blue prints, many of which were leftover from previous projects. My fabric stash is not coordinated by colour, much of it is organised by designer or style of print instead - it just makes sense to my brain that way. So it's always interesting when I do go to shop my stash for a certain colour, I never quite know how much I'll have.
It was a bit of a tight deadline to get the quilt made so I decided to keep it simple, with mostly patchwork squares and some star/cross blocks using the blue fabrics I had more of.
sewing machine cover
I have been wanting a new machine cover for a while. My previous handmade one didn't cover the sides, the room I sew in can get quite sunny and a full cover gives better protection and stops dust too. After seeing this free pattern for a Serger and Sewing Machine Cover by Closet Core Patterns, I went on the hunt for fabric. The print they used was gorgeous and canvas seemed like a good choice. Sew Hot had this Poolside by Cotton + Steel print so it jumped into my basket in a recent haul, along with some black velvet piping that I thought would compliment the print well.
There's a nice Miami Vice vibe to this print that makes me smile. A larger print works well for a cover and as my machine is pretty big it really does suit it. I have an Elna 680 sewing machine, which did come with a really nice cover but it's RED and that's not my colour at all - also I sew in our dining room and it just doesn't work with anything else in the room. In case any of you have the same, or a similarly sized machine, I've included my cutting dimensions for the cover further down in this post.
start off stashing
Today I'm sharing a monthly sewing themed treat and my new favourite custom thread organiser!
How brilliant are these stickers?!
Part of the latest Signs of the Sewdiac subscription box from Sew Crafty, which has now ended but you can still snap up some of the goodies from the range in Samantha's Etsy shop. I'm not a knitter but still appreciate the design of this month's box 'The Knitting'.
And although I will probably pass the pin on to my knitting mum, these two products made me do a happy dance...
sewing machine 🎯 Elna 680 review
It was love at first use, it's been a year since I got the Elna eXcellence 680 (aka Elna 680EX), now I'm sharing my honest thoughts; the reasons I chose this model, its features and the overall pluses and minuses. This is not a sponsored post. If you are looking for a new sewing machine or simply have an interest in them, this might be helpful.
The list was:
✦ a needle down function
✦ speed control
✦ bigger throat space
Not an excessive list is it? The reason those three things were important to me is because I knew they would make my quilting life easier. Needle down function would allow me to pivot more easily (with less hand cranking!), as well as stop and start without the stitches jumping about. Speed control to help with free motion quilting or any time I wanted to just be slower - I'm a pedal to the metal kind of sewer! And bigger throat space for less awkward squishing while quilting.
But something was holding me back and it wasn't just finances.
🌅 sunrise sunset dresden quilt
Some designs are organic and simple. I had drawn a quick sketch of this quilt and, as I was creating it, the dimensions and overall layout changed slightly from my original vision. It just worked, allowing myself to adapt the pieces and play with the blocks.
The half dresdens work perfectly to create rising and setting suns, the bold mix of colours and solids/prints adds interest and I used both curved and pointed segments to suggest beams of light. The colours bring to mind the artist Clarice Cliff, her designs and use of colour are hugely inspirational.
I used the Creative Grids
18° Dresden Plate Ruler and cut segments from 8" strips. After making one of the pointed segments, I measured the length (where it would be pieced to the next segment) and used that measurement to trim the curved segments. You can watch the demo below if that's more helpful!
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