This is my post for the first week of the Studio Shots – Tuesday collaborative blog project.
studio - sewing table
My sewing table sits in the northeast corner of the studio. Right now I have a Baby Lock Ellegante, a Pfaff Creative 1473, and my serger, a Pfaff Hobbylock all sitting on it. I’m in the process of sewing a pink elephant leg. The other legs and body parts are waiting in their baggies. A clear 1/4″ presser foot helps to help keep an even seam allowance when doing small curves.
Teddies and elephant parts in baggies waiting to be sewn
Cut pieces for a turquoise teddy, lavender rabbit, and a reddish teddy are also on the table in their baggies. (There is an ongoing quilt project for our bedroom at the back of the table. ) The baggies keep the pieces for each critter all together so they don’t get lost or dirty. As I work on the critters, I tend to add eyes, joint discs and cotter pins, sewing thread, and pearl cotton for noses to the baggies so they serve as little work kit containers.
Baby Lock sewing/embroidery machine
I love my Baby Lock machine and use it for most of my sewing now. It has a start/stop button so you can sew without using your foot. This is helpful if you have bad knees and it’s painful to push the foot pedal. It does only give you one hand to control the fabric with, though.
The other great feature of the Ellegante is the presser foot up button. When it’s activated, the needle goes down into the fabric every time you stop sewing and the presser foot comes up allowing you to turn the fabric freely. This saves so much time because you don’t have to raise and lower the presser foot manually every time you have to turn the fabric. It’s great for sewing curved teddy parts and for doing applique.
Table top - work in progress
Some work in Progress – two teddy heads, an elephant head, body parts in baggies, some pearl cotton for noses. My favorite Fiskars Softouch Micro-Tip Scissors are very sharp and comfortable to use. I use pliers for bending cotter pins for joints and pulling needles through the mohair. The hemostats next to the pliers are for stuffing as is the little pointed wooden stuffing tool. Here I am trying out some eyes and pearl cotton nose colors for the peach teddy.
Love your work space Ellen, and your machine looks wonderful!! I love seeing your work in progress
XX Sarah
I really like seeing others’ workroom spaces. Great start to the new Studio Shots. My sewing machine is a Pfaff, also, although I bought an commercial machine for when I was making draperies. There was no sense ruining a great Pfaff by running miles and miles of straight seams through it! I also ran miles of stuff through a serger. It wasn’t a commercial machine, but it made it through the drapery ordeal and still works fine.
I’m jealous. Everything looks so neat and a fun place to work.
Hi Sarah, Thank you for visiting!! I do love the Ellegante. With the up presser foot button, the start/stop button, and the automatic cutting button, it really saves time when sewing teddy parts. It also does embroidery. You can design your own embroideries on the computer then put them into the machine with a flash drive and the machine will sew them.
Karol, I didn’t know you had a drapery business!! Do you still have your commercial machine? Pfaff’s are great; the dual feed system is so nice to use – keeps fabrics from slipping.
Hi Adele, well it’s not usually very neat, but it is a fun place to spend time. When it gets too messy, I do a major straightening, and then the mess gradually takes over again.
I just nominated you for the “Makes My Heart Smile” blog award. When you have a moment, pop into my blog to see
XX
I tagged your blog with “One lovely blog” award, hehehehehe!
Thank you for sharing photos of your studio!
Hugs,
Sophie.
I’m completely intimidated by your sewing talents… and I used to sew! I like the new blog too — inviting others to share and participate.