[Tamara]

Sorry Knitting1 I think I might be coming into the conversation a little late. I have a tip that might help with topstitching. You don’t have to have a special foot, just use your regular foot but when it gets to the part where you are about to head over a bulky seam, stop and lift the foot and place a piece of folded fabric just under the foot to the back of the needle and this will even out the foot (and eliminate the nasty stitches). Another tip is to hammer the seams from the underside before topstitching. That helps the foot to get over the bulk also and can lessen the chance of tangled messes.

I had huge problems with topstitching thread so I have gone to regular Guterman thread and used the triple straight stitch (which is what you use when sewing knits) instead, changing of course the length of the stitch. If you have the triple stitch on your machine I encourage you to give this a go with normal sewing thread and compare the results.

Hope this helps and I know you were asking Heidi but I thought I would share this to help you along. Use scraps to experiment and once you are happy get along on your project.

No sewing for me today – maybe tomorrow after I have the car’s tyres changed?

[Nicole]

I love the 2+2, I am so happy to be of any help!

Yes knitting, a bit of a bash with a small clean hammer will soften those seams.

[mkhs]

There is also a notion called a Jean-A-Ma-Jig that is a small plastic rectangle with a slot cut out of it that is designed to help you get over bulky seams. It works just like the folded fabric or paper mentioned above. I find myself using it frequently.

[Linda]

Thank you for all your replies. I thought justsewit had made a typo when I read ‘hammer’ until I read the next post! Never heard that one before! I will give all these ideas a go and hopefully will solve my problem. My machine is a basic Janome so don’t think it has a triple stitch. I’ll have a look though. Thanks everyone. Linda

[vothgirl]

Well no sewing for me for a week or more, as I went into labor this morning – 9 days early! Baby girl is here and healthy, we named her Olivia Rose. I’m so in love!! <3

When I do get back to sewing, I have a popover dress and bucket hat all cut out and ready to get to work on :-).

[Nicole]

Congratulations! What a beautiful name.

Would you like to share your birth story in the Current Affairs thread? I would love to read it.

Clever clever girl, now get some rest!

[meleliza]

Oh, that is a wonderful name! Congratulations! It’s very good news that everyone is healthy and baby girls are just wonderful. Rest up and enjoy her.

[with love Heidi]

Congratulations on the new baby, Vothgirl! And that’s a beautiful name you’ve chosen 🙂

Knitting, I realised after I asked what sort of foot you meant. I don’t use top stitching thread but 2 spools of regular thread threaded together through the machine and threaded together through the needle. If you don’t have two matching spools just wind an extra bobbin and use that. I then use a longer stitch length, 3 to 4. I now use my #5 blind hem foot for top stitching on my Bernina but prior to that I found that if I moved the needle into the far right or left position it helped me to keep my top stitching much straighter as I could run the edge along the inside of the foot. I also use a bit of plastic that came with my machine to help it over the bumps but you can also use an empty plastic needle packet as it’s about the right height.

Today I’m hoping to finish the pink and purple onsie in time for the birthday tomorrow 🙂

[Tamara]

Congratulations Vothgirl! Beautiful name! Olivia is one of my favourite names! Wasn’t tough then? How big was she? I bet she’s a little beauty! Awesome news! Jumping for joy over all these babies coming into the world (friend of mine is having number four in November and she thought she was done!)

I feel like celebrating and sewing the layette pattern to get her started with a new collection of baby things (because she got rid of everything!) but not today as I am waiting for the tyres to be changed on the car and then going to collect the new spectacles before turning around and driving all the way to school to collect the kids – so a day of driving not sewing.

[vothgirl]

Thank you all! @Nicole, I’d be happy to share my story on the current affairs thread and will type up something soonish tho it will be short – less than 7hrs from water breaking/start of labor til birth! A bit faster even than my first daughter. My husband chose the name Olivia – since he had to miss the birth I wanted him to pick the name so he still felt a part of things. She was 6lb 6oz & 19 inches – a wee bit smaller than her big sister was. And of course, she’s absolutely perfect! Nice head of dark hair tho she’ll probably rub it all off like my Elinor did ;-). I’m doing fairly well tho dealing with some spinal headache due to a funky epidural. So it will be a few extra days til I’m fully up & about. All the more grateful my MIL is here to help with my toddler and around the house! Right now I’m looking forward to a warm shower and the cup of coffee a friend is bringing by later this morning ;-). Ahhh for things that make us feel human!

[katybellabug]

@ vothgirl Absolutely wonderful news. Well done! The name is beautiful, so feminine and pretty. My second was a fast delivery too. I barely got to the hospital on time. Enjoy those first few days, they are my favourite.

[Nicole]

Oh Patricia, you poor darling. I had a that last time. If it doesn’t settle, ask for a blood patch.

Also, try caffeine, particularly if you don’t usually drink it.

Feel better soon Sweetheart!

I finally finished my Music Class blouses and have nearly completed the skirts.

Next a Aime Comme shirt for Hugo.

[Linda]

Congrats on your new baby girl, vothgirl. I love babies.

Just started a bubble dress this evening but without the bubble or wavy side bits. I found a little bit of info on doing it without the elastic. I have just cut out a single layer for the dress with no lining, but using lining for the bodice. Hope it works OK. Nearly finished the 2+2 top just got buttonholes to do, so putting it off by starting the bubble dress…

[with love Heidi]

Liddy and Tildy will look great in their sneaky school uniforms 🙂

Knitting, just do the buttonholes and sew the buttons on by machine using Nicole’s tutorial, then you will have a lovely finished top 🙂

I’ve nearly got the onsie finished just the hood and leg elastic to go. Although I sewed one of the soles of the feet on upside down and had to unpick it last night, then realised at about 4am this morning that i had forgotten to add the elastic to the bottom of the leg! This is what comes of sewing without the instructions and fighting off a cold, but it had to be done 🙂 I fixed the sole this morning, when I got up not at 4am, and now onto elastic and hood. Party’s in an hour!

[with love Heidi]

I got the onsie done on time 🙂

I am now making a Tea Party dress but the thread broke while I was sewing and is now stuck in the machine and I can’t get it out 🙁 I also can’t work out how to get the front off the machine to have a proper look 🙁 I may have to take it in, this is so frustrating as it’s what happened to my last machine too! I’m sure it’s fixable, but very frustrating!!!