Week 1 - I tried to get crafty.
This is the basket I bought to hold my laundry. It did not come with the lining seen above. I bought fabric from Ikea and figured I could come up with some sort of lining on my own. Easier said than done.
The fabric had unfinished edges so I knew I would need to fold the fabric in and tack it down. My yard of fabric was proving to be too much of a time suck to hem by hand. Also, I could not sew a straight line for the life of me.
Week 2 - I pulled out the big guns.
I went to Michaels to get more thread. While there I also picked up the handheld Singer Stitch Sew Quick machine. This might just be what the doctor ordered.
The Stitch Sew Quick definitely improved the quality of my craftsmanship.
The final product is what you see above.
For a first attempt I am pleased. Upon final inspection there are a couple areas that may need to be touched up but I will wait till it starts to fall apart before I try and fix it now. Knowing me if I try and fix it now I will make it worse. (I shot the video before I found the "problem" area, so the video makes the project seem like it was flawless. Trust me it was not seamless...get it seamless! Ha ha!)
And once again, I am sideways in the video. Someday I will figure out how to film right side up.
The Song Of The Day - Black & White by Sarah McLachlan
finally you have your sewing machine, just jon. the one i neglected to buy for you as a child. the demonstration looks fabulous. maybe joanne or aunt maryellen could use one of these. might help them with there projects.
ReplyDeletewhen i first looked at the basket, i thought maybe you had taken a men's dress shirt and wrapped the basket in a certain way; using the long sleeves to tie it and a button to hold it in place.
keep having fun; are drapes next on the list?
love, mom
You said you were too cheap to buy a basket that came with lining. So I have to ask...
ReplyDeleteWas it really cheaper to make a trip to Ikea and Michael's, buy fabric and a sewing machine than to buy a basket with lining?
And Sean said "Why does a laundry basket need lining anyway?" and then looking at the final product, he said "That looks like a bra on the front."
Happy Sewing!
@ Mom - Finally getting a sewing machine was not lost on me...I thought of that too.
ReplyDelete@ Sean & Erin
1. I probably broke even on the cost of buying a lined basket. I bought the basket at a store near Ikea so it was not a separate trip. Also, the shape of the basket was very important. If you have not priced baskets I am sure you would be shocked at how expensive they are to get one of quality.
2. You need the lining to prevent your clothes, like sweaters, from getting snagged on the basket itself.
3. After I took the picture, I too thought it kind of looked like a bra. But it is the same on both sides so if you think it looks like a bra from the front you are gonna think it looks like a bra from the back.
I think it looks great and I'm very impressed. Will these be available on "Just Jon Junk"? Ha!
ReplyDeleteOh I knew why you need lining. Our baskets from Target have lining - he just doesn't pay attention to those things!
ReplyDeleteVery impressed - more than I could do!
'sides erin, just jon is now the proud owner of a sewing machine which can be used for many more priceless useful projects. no money wasted here.
ReplyDeletemakes me happy and glowing.
love, mom casey