The Sewing Machine Solution was beside me the whole time…

Today was my first day back in my sewing room since hurting my foot. I was almost a little lost in there not knowing how to start up again, but I got a few things figured out. I was wondering how I was going to use my sewing machine when it hurt my right foot to use the foot control. You’ll never believe this, but the answer was “right beside” me the whole time? Anyone have any guesses?

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Yes, it was my Baby Lock Esante machine… it has a start/stop button that makes the machine operate with the touch of a button. You don’t have to use a foot control if you don’t want to. It was the perfect solution! I totally forgot about it. I have never used this machine for “foot free” sewing, but only used it when I did embroidery work…that’s how it runs, by that button…

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So I am totally set to get Patsy’s dress set finished, and Elizabeth’s Regency dress too. I’m waiting on Rebecca to make a necklace for this set. I did manage to get Patsy’s skirt part to her dress stitched on and just had to show you what it’s going to look like. It’s pretty long right now as I haven’t hemmed it yet. There’s still her hat to go and a “few” other things…

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I also picked out a few ideas for some upcoming girls Christmas dresses…

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…maybe this blue for Felicity… I have an idea for it, but her green eyes are telling me otherwise… I’ll have to see…

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Anyone have an idea who this is for?

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Well, not a super productive day, but at least I have figured out the machine part of my sewing…YAY!!!

See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne

25 thoughts on “The Sewing Machine Solution was beside me the whole time…”

  1. Jeanne, I’m not sure how this button works. Don’t you need two hands to “feed” the material into the foot? I don’t really know too much about this kind of sewing machine, so forgive me if I sound out of it! I’m thinking, with a button, you have to have one hand pushing it on and off, leaving you with one hand to do everything else! Little do I know!

    Patsy’s outfit is absolutely darling!! I can’t wait to see what kind of hat or head covering you will make for her! I’m hoping you will use some more fur! It certainly does give the dress and jacket a wintery look and gives this outfit such a unique touch!

    Oh, Molly will love that plaid! Molly and plaid just go together! I know that AG gave Felicity a blue holiday gown, so you can’t be that wrong on the blue material for her. I’m thinking Kirsten might be the doll for the mystery material! The trim is telling me that!

    1. HI Linda,
      The start/stop button is one that you push when you are ready to make a seam… it stitches until you hit the stop button. I have a slow, medium and fast speed on this machine as well, so I have set it on the slow speed just to make sure I don’t run over my fingers! I certainly don’t need a hand injury to go with my foot injury!

      When I added the skirt part to Patsy’s dress, it really changed it, didn’t it? I think she looks very pretty in this shade of blue…Gotta get the hat just right now!

      I bought that pretty red plaid at the end of last year and when I opened up my Christmas fabrics, I was surprised to see it on top. Molly will look very sweet in this I think!

      Yes, Kirsten gets the red and green for her Christmas dirndl! She’s a little bit down on the list for dresses, but she’s easy to find something for…
      Thanks Linda,
      Have a great day,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  2. Marilyn Grotzky

    I am thrilled that you found a way to sew. Have you found a way to cook without standing in front of the stove? One-footed bed making seems like too much of a trick.

    Being able to sew will compensate for some things that remain difficult. This is wonderful, though the day you tell us that you can use a foot pedal again will be one to celebrate.

    Linda is so right about Patsy’s outfit. It’s a winner and well worth waiting for. I especially like the silver trim.

    The green and the gold in the last picture would make a lovely Christmas ball gown for Felicity. In fact, that green would be lovely on nearly anyone.

    I may have told you about this, but once I was at the house of a friend who was unpacking groceries. She held up a produce bag with a half of a red cabbage, showing the burgundy red against the creamy white interior, with deep green spinach added to the top of the bag. We instantly agreed that with a little gold, she had the color scheme for a Renaissance dress. Neither of us thought of food at all. Inspiration is everywhere.

    1. HI Marilyn,
      I’m glad I figured out how to sew “footless” too! Now I hope to get back on schedule… I should have had 2 dresses made by now! Sewing WILL take my mind off my foot…and I’m looking forward to it.
      It’s so much fun having “inventory” so I don’t have to run out and get things I need to go with the dresses I make. I had that silver ribbon and thought it would look nice… and it does!

      I’m still up in the air about what to make for Felicity, but the blue dress I have in mind, will certainly be lovely…

      Your story about the red cabbage was funny! I find inspiration in lots of things…and am always thinking outside the box. I thought you were going to say, by holding up the red cabbage and the green spinach in her creamy kitchen, she decided on new colors for her kitchen. It sounds like a pretty color scheme to me!
      Thanks Marilyn,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  3. Charlotte Trayer

    I’m so glad you figured out a way to keep sewing, Jeanne!! I wouldn’t have thought of that button for construction, either!! (My Viking #1+ also has a start button for embroideries, I think.) Good to know for future reference!!

    I, too, just love the outfit you are working on for Patsy! The fabric is fabulous, and adding white fur and silver trim is the icing on the cake!

    Hope you had a chance to read my comments from the two previous days. (I know I usually post at the very end of the day, when you are probably already in bed!) I think you’ll enjoy one of the stories…..

    Charlotte

    1. HI Charlotte,
      It’s funny now to think that I forgot about that start/stop button, but it’s probably a good thing I didn’t remember it till yesterday. I’m sure my foot needed the rest and propping up for at least a few days before I started sewing again. I was about ready to try the “elbow” approach, but was “rescued” by the start/stop button just in time!!!

      I’m glad you like Patsy’s dress set so far too! I’m hoping to get the rest of it just perfect!

      I did read your comments and commented on them. You sound like a true doll lover, Charlotte. It was a few years ago, but I saw 2 ladies in Wal Mart pushing around a cart with a bigger than average doll in the top part. She wasn’t sitting in the cart, but sort of draped over the top where a baby sits. The ladies were in the baby department and they were holding up lots of outfits to her, seeing which one they liked the best. I didn’t watch them very long, but I know they were getting “some looks” from everyone!

      How much fun it must have been to work in a doll store! I bet you hardly ever wanted to miss a day of work!
      Thanks Charlotte,
      Blessings, Jeanne

      1. Charlotte Trayer

        I have done the same thing with one or more of my baby dolls, too, Jeanne–taken them in a store and held clothes up (or, in the case of the porcelain baby I made, tried things on!).

        Yes, I enjoyed working in the doll store although, as you can imagine, there were times I left my paycheck there!! LOL I bought one Lee Middleton baby (romper boy asleep–AA) because, first of all, I just loved him and would carry him around the shop now and then, but also there was a lady who came in looking for just the right doll to put in her antique Indian cradleboard, and when she picked him up, she grabbed him by the front of his cloth body, which of course let his head fall back! I offered to help her (hoping to show her the proper way to hold these babies by example), but she said, no, she could do it!! She couldn’t make up her mind, so left him there, and I decided right then and there that that lady was Not going to find that baby there when she got back–I loved him so much already!! So, Noah (as I named him–it means “peaceful”) came home with me! LOL A month or so later, I had popped into the shop to pick up my paycheck or something, and lo and behold, that lady was back, looking for him!! I took Ellen (the gal working that day) aside and briefly told her what had happened, then stayed out of sight, and the lady was saying, “well, he was Right. Here.!” and Ellen very calmly explained that we often only got one of a particular doll, and if you like it well enough, you need to get it while it’s available, and apparently someone else had bought it! The lady left kind of in a huff, and I, at least, never saw her again.

        I still have Noah, and he is just as sweet as the day I brought him home, maybe 16-17 years ago!

        1. HI Charlotte,
          Well, I’m certainly glad that Noah found his way into your heart and eventually into your home. What a heartwarming story…at least for you…not so much for the other lady!
          Thanks for letting us know about him…
          Blessings, Jeanne

  4. Momma always says – ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way!” …you have the will, and found your way! 🙂 Good for you! I discovered your Flickr account! I’m so pleased that you have a huge gallery of girls and dresses posted for easy access! thanks! I’m anxiously awaiting the ‘christmas line up’! (and do hope some healing is happening!)

    1. HI Mary,
      My momma used to say the same thing… guess I figured this one out!
      I’m glad you are enjoying my flickr pictures… I need to add a lot more, but it all takes up my time, and I certainly am behind on things now… so I better sew instead!
      Thanks Mary,
      Blessings to you, Jeanne

  5. Hi Jeanne,
    So glad you found a way to use your sewing machine!
    The Christmas material is gorgeous and so is Patsy’s outfit. Perfect for Christmas and beyond in the cold months following.
    Charlotte’s story about the doll club from yesterday’s blog is so funny!
    Have a great day Jeanne…sewing? Hope your foot is doing better.

    1. HI Paula,
      I’m glad my sewing machine dilemma is solved too! I was getting a little worried about what I was going to do…
      Thanks for your sweet comments on Patsy’s dress set. I’m hoping it won’t take too much longer to finish it!
      Yes, Charlotte’s stories are packed with fun aren’t they? I bet it’s never a dull moment around her!
      My foot is slightly better but the doctor thinks there may be a stress fracture in the side of it, so she wants me to get one of those shoe casts to wear and support it.
      Thanks Paula,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  6. I didn’t get to yesterday’s post until 8 PM but, wanted to say that having your dolls talk to you is a mark of a vivid imagination. I am having fun with the back story I have given my renamed Nellie- it makes them more personal and “real” to invent their lives and personalities yourself. I loved Charlotte’s story yesterday as well. Doll ARE like children but, they are always well behaved and NEVER complain what you want them to wear or how to do their hair. That’s what makes them the perfect creative outlet. So glad you came up with a sewing machine solution, now you can make all the pretty Christmas dresses you planned.
    Patsy’s little blue dress is coming along nicely. She looks as if she is ready to attend a skating party. How about making tiny ice skates for her now that you have shoe making mastered?? 🙂
    Plaid for Molly is perfect. I have Felicity’s PC Christmas gown and, of course, it is royal blue. I find her Riding habit in green much more becoming. Felicity really is a red and green girl. I also know she looks lovely in yellow and gray because I have some ideas for her.
    The mixture of fabrics shown last has got to be for Kirsten for her Christmas dirndl dress. Having a half German heritage, I wore quite a few of those as a child because my mom’s relatives sent them to me. My daughter got to wear each one as well. I had some that were for Christmas and some I wore at Easter

    1. Yes, Laura, it’s not that we doll lovers are crazy… we just have vivid imaginations! Perfectly put! I enjoyed Charlotte’s stories too!

      Skates? Oh my, now that would be a challenge to make…not sure I’m up to that. I think we’ll have Patsy going to something with “shoes” on instead of skates… at least this time!

      Yes, you guessed the fabrics at the bottom of the post for Kirsten and you are right! It’s always fun and easy to find things for Kirsten… just find the things that go together and use them all in one outfit! I think it will be pretty!
      Blessings, Jeanne

  7. I was thinking it is too bad that your sewing machine doesn’t have a start/stop button like my Brother sewing machine. Happy that you do have a machine that you can use to sew with..Patsy’s dress is adorable!

    1. HI Regina,
      Now I just need a start/stop button for house cleaning…and cooking…and dishes… etc! But for now, I’m glad I have a way to continue my sewing…it might be a little slower, but I’ll make it work.
      Thanks for liking Patsy’s dress. She looks pretty cute in that color of blue doesn’t she?
      Blessings, Jeanne

  8. Absolutely adorable…I used to sew for my girls…now it’s my dolls. So much fun being creative and working with fabric. Glad you worked out the sewing machine thing and you are feeling better now.

    Suzanne

    1. Thank you Suzanne,
      It’s nice to sew for dolls when our little girls grow up isn’t it? I”m glad you are enjoying it as much as I do!
      Well, I better get back in there and see what I can churn out today!
      Thanks so much Suzanne,
      Blessings to you, Jeanne

  9. Wow, you could probably make another 10er skirt with all of that skirt length on Patsy. I like them at the knee for them. They are more modern kids I think. But, your call. Love the fabrics for Kirsten. Can’t wait to see with what develops.
    Glad you discovered the start/stop button. I only use mine for winding bobbins. Had forgotten you can set the speed on it too.
    How’s your weather been? Think we’ll need an update pic from your sewing room window soon.

    1. HI Joy,
      Thanks for your kind comments on today’s post. My hubby is getting ready to leave soon so I’ll be heading to my sewing room!
      The weather today is definitely a Fall day today… sweatshirts and knee socks weather! It’s supposed to get colder later on in the week… not looking forward to winter…but Patsy is!
      Thanks so much Joy,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  10. Paysy’s outfit is darling. I like the idea of the fur yarn on a hat too. You will be so happy at the end of your day, thinking back on your sewing accomplishments. Happy day and hopefully happy foot with no pain or aching.

    1. HI Jan,
      I’m working on Patsy’s hat right now, and I can assure you it does have white fur on it! She’s so cute in it!
      My foot is hurting, but sewing makes me forget about it!
      Thank you Jan,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  11. Hi Footless Wonder….
    I’ll bet it did feel good to sew again!
    Patsy looks adorable in the light blue…maybe she should have a Muff and matching Ear Muffs to go with her dress and jacket?
    Don’t overdue now….

    1. HI Kathie,
      Footless Wonder huh? That’s pretty clever!
      It did feel good to sew again, but I’ve paid for it and am just about ready for bed. I have new bruising that is falling down on the side of my foot…I’m assuming from my foot being down too much today. It’s pretty achy and as soon as I get my blog post written this footless wonder if going to bed.
      I did get Patsy’s dress all done and you’ll see it tomorrow! She looks so cute in it… almost like a little girl on an animated show! My little Snow Princess is so happy… just wait till I tell her we have to sell it! Yikes… She may run and hide somewhere!
      Thanks Kathie,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  12. I loved Charlotte’s story about Noah. If she hadn’t taken him home and the rough woman had, Charlotte would regret it to this day. Sometimes a purchase seems indulgent and foolish, but you rejoice in it forever.

    And Laura is right about that riding outfit — the color and style do suit Felicity, but the outfit also looks outstanding on Lindsay and Kit and probably any doll anyone puts it on. It’s universally becoming.

    When I see some of Jeanne’s pictures of Felicity in several different outfits, I wonder if perhaps the women’s clothing from that era wasn’t simply some of the most flattering ever devised. Every late colonial outfit, no matter what the color is, looks wonderful. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to wear, but at least there were no long petticoats to trip over and the shorter sleeves must have been nice in hot weather or in the kitchen.

    Moving on to foot-related news, I’ll be interesting in how the shoe-cast works to protect and support your foot. Can you put your foot up while you sew? It sounds uncomfortable to me, but I know that when my mother broke her foot, elevating it was one of the things that made it feel best.

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