Debbi's First Sewing Project
January 29, 2008
Here's another first sewing project story, this one from Debbi Lashbrook, an Educator with BERNINA of America, Inc.
"This wasn't my first sewing project, but it was one that I was proud of. My first sewing projects were clothes for my Barbie dolls - that's when I decided I wanted to be a fashion designer. I would hand sew all sorts of trim and color the trim with a marker if it wasn't the right color. I had an old straight stitch, forward only, Singer machine. I would sew the doll clothes together on the machine and then decorate them by hand. I didn't like to put the snaps on and many of my Barbie clothes went without snaps. To this day I don't like finishing by hand that is sometimes necessary for garments.
The picture is my second year 4-H project and I was so very proud of it for two reasons. First of all, it wasn't the elastic-banded, gathered skirt that we made for our first project. This was a for-real sewn on waistband and the skirt had a zipper. I felt so accomplished when I successfully sewed the zipper into the skirt! I then completed a shell and a matching sash and entered the garments in the county fair. The second reason this project brings back fond memories is that at the fair I was chosen to go to the Illinois State Fair to model my garment!"
Posted by: Jo Leichte at 6:39pm
5 Comments
Topic: Inspiration
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first sewing project
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debbi lashbrook
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bernina
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skirt
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zipper
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4-h
5 Comments
I just found this blog and it is wonderful. I have a Bernina 1008 model and love it. My question is this. I would like to get a table to fit my machine, but where it is flush with the table so that I would have a nice big sewing area around the arm, but where I would be able to either access it or lift it up when I needed to change the bobbin or dials. Is there a table out there? Thanks for your help.
Judy
Debbi, You haven't changed at all. What a fantastic first project. My first project was never worn, thrown away immediately, and my sewing career stopped until I got married. My husband thought if you were female, you sewed. I stepped up to the plate and discovered I loved it when I could go at my own (laborious) pace.
Hi Judy - Several companies make sewing cabinets, but the two I'm most familiar with are Horn (www.hornofamerica.com) and Koala (www.sewingandcraftclub.com). I've worked with both and can usually only tell them apart by the handle styles. Both come nearly fully assembled, needing only to have the wheels and maybe a folding table panel attached. When you order your cabinet you also order an insert that fits around the arm of your machine. Two things I especially like about Horn and Koala cabinets: 1) the area under the tabletop, in front of the bobbin area, is open so that I can reach under and change the bobbin without raising the machine; this also allows me to attach and use the Free Hand System knee lever so I can raise and lower the presser foot without using my hands; 2) most models are available with an airlift for the machine, so I just flip a lever and the cabinet raises the machine and I don't have to lift it. Most BERNINA stores carry Horn and/or Koala cabinets, so you can probably see them at your local BERNINA shop.
Debbi, I love that story! I too cut my teeth on Barbie clothes using my Mom's remnants and 69 cent patterns from Simplicity. I did that by hand as the machine seemed too big for the small clothers, but used Mom's Singer 201-2 to make my first dress - a shift. I still have the machine (the lone Singer in my otherwise Bernina stable) and of course the dress is long gone but I too learned how to put a zipper on with this. Anyway, great story!
I have never put in a zipper with my Bernina 1008, and have everything I need, but don't know how to move the presser foot to the right and left at a constant setting. I can't find the instructions in my book for this move, and can't find it on the internet. Can anyone out there help me. I just need to know what settings my machine needs to be at to use foot #4. Thanks
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