Ready to go overboard, need ideas

[Stone Fence]

Mamas,

I just got a new sewing machine with an inordiante number of bells and whistles (actually I don't have it in my hands yet). So far I have managed to not buy any fabric. Two friends have told me not to, they have stashes for me.

Here is a list of projects I have in mind.

1) recover the couch cushions (maybe slipcover the whole couch).

2) repair DS's jeans (knees)

3) try quilting (maybe a wall hanging)

4) Throw pillows

5) cute clothes for friend's new baby in June

6) cute dress for same friend's daughter, arriving from China at a time to-be-determined.

7) Table cloth for my mom's dining room table (she's going to be 75 in December) with a matching one for the "kids table".

All other ideas are welcomed. I need to make this machine work.

[Porcelain Interior]

Well your going to need to have the fabric in hand before you can really settle on what you want to do with it.

Tablecloths need lots of fabric.

Get the fabric your friends are willing to fork over, and then what I'd do is make a simple little quilt, either a table runner or a wallhanging.

You can utilize lots of smaller pieces that way, plus you get to use a couple different features on your machine.

And relax.

[Stone Fence]

One friend brought me a canvas shopping bag stuffed with fabric. Mostly huge pieces. One big piece is a beautiful suit material. I have to measure it but I think (with some help) that I could make a really nice hunt coat (It's a horse thing, like a blazer).

There is more to come.

[Roxy2007]

relax, i probably start with something simple...placemats and work your way up from there.

so far, i've made clothing for the kids, 75% of their clothing are mama made, wall hanging,quilt, repairs for DH's jeans, curtains,those wall pocket thingy, baby shoes, sling for dd and ds, dress up clothing for dd and ds.cant think now but my machine has been thru a lot..lol

[sewcool]

have you sewn before?

[retro.mama]

Am I the only one who wants to know what machine you got?!?!? What do you think of it?

[Stone Fence]

The Machine- A Bernina activa 220 (still waiting for the call telling me it came in). I test drove it and it sewed through 12 layers of denim and leather. It was awesome!

Yes I have sewn before. I used to be a Sailmaker (5 years) and I did boat canvas repair and upholstery(2 years). I haven't sewn clothes since I was in 2nd or 3rd grade when I took a sewing class from a local seamstress.

The pressure to be good right away scared me off from doing lots of stuff until now. I got frustrated really easily. Now I knit (getting better every day) and I'm ready to sew seriously. Also I'll be a SAHM by September. DS is going to preschool then. I may be able to do some WAHM stuff (curtains, slipcovers and the like).

The second wave of the fabric purge reached me this morning. I got a piece of a silk upholstery fabric(gotta find a fancy chair to recover), big piece of tuquoise denim and a bunch of nice napkins that can be turned into really nice throw pillows or used as napkins.

[Stone Fence]

It's here!

I played around last night. I patched a hole in DS's jeans.

First project-DS got invited to a birthday party for a 5yo girl. I have a huge quantity of pink muslin. I'm going to make a princess cape and maybe a crown.

[Stone Fence]

Please check my blog to see the princess cape,and my first quilt block.

The quilt block has a few flaws (points not lining up) but in general I am happy with it. I'll be turning it into a pillow.