Meet My New Sewing Machine!

Look what I've got!!! A shiny new Janome 6600 Professional, courtesy of the good people at Janome themselves. I LOVE this machine!

Up until now, I've sewn at home on a Janome J3-18, a basic cheapo model that I got when I didn't know whether sewing was going to be a passing interest or a long-term love affair. Well, you know the rest of that story. The J3-18 has served me very well for the last few years and has done everything I needed it to do, and I'd still definitely recommend it to others starting out or on a budget. Yet it's great to finally have a professional machine to work on.

So how is the 6600 Professional different? Well, the first thing you notice is the weight. Cripes, this bad boy is heavy! While I can easily swing the J3-18 around and about between surfaces, I've had to give the 6600 a semi-permanent spot to save my back (I'm only little). I consider its heft an asset rather than a hindrance, reassuring me that its guts are strong, and that it can sew through practically anything.

Indeed, the sewing experience is totally different. So smooth! So sturdy! So digital! My older model was a mechanical machine, whereas this one has stronger needle "penetration power" (behave). It includes a crazy number of fancy stitches, comes with a huge set of presser feet (hooray!), and does lots of wizzy things such as memorising stitching sequences and automatically snipping threads. Like, what?! It does feel a bit like cheating, but I'm not complaining. I haven't yet figured out how to programme it to make me a cup of tea... anyone know where that button is?

And did I mention that the Janome 6600 Professional is also a looker? Swoon. I'll still keep my J3-18 as it's good to be familiar with a machine suitable for the beginners that I teach to sew, but right now it's getting a well-deserved rest...

Udon Dress

So I was in a Japanese noodle bar in Soho the other day, admiring the super-stylish denim utility aprons worn by the staff, and wondering what they reminded me of... hmm... now what was it? Oh yes, that sack dress I was halfway through making! The dressmaking project that had left me feeling ambivalent suddenly seemed appealing again thanks to the sartorial wisdom of whoever designed the restaurant's uniforms. Japanese utility chic with a seventies twist? Yes please.

I omitted the self-made fabric belt in favour of a leather one to break up the block of colour and add definition at the waist (it really needs it!). I stitched a single patch pocket on one side to keep my chopsticks pencils in. It's still not the most flattering dress in the world, and the way the fabric bunches around the belt annoys me a little. But I have definitely warmed to it and have a suspicion it could become a uniform of my own, it's so easy to wear.

Has this ever happened to you? Have you come around to a project you weren't sure about after being inspired by seeing something similar on someone else?

[Soundtrack: 'Ping Pong' by Stereolab]

Fabric Shopping Online: Hints & Tips

Buying fabric online can be a great way of accessing a wider range of options than may be available to you locally. Moreover, shopping from home can save you valuable sewing time… and you don’t even need to get out of your (handmade) PJs. I’ve had a few emails and comments asking me to share my tips for successful online fabric shopping – so here goes, and do share your own tips in the comments…

1) Take advantage of search categories
If you’re not careful, browsing online fabric shops can suck up a significant part of your lifetime – mmm… so much pretty fabric to look at… But take a moment to work out what sort of thing you’re looking for, use the search categories, and it could take only take five minutes. For example, I usually just look under categories such as ‘red’, ‘Nani Iro’, ‘stripes’ and ‘kittens’, natch. Work out your own favourite categories and it’ll be speedier than scrolling through every option online, and certainly much more chillaxed than walking the aisles in an IRL store.

2) Request swatches
The biggest thing you miss when shopping online is the chance to touch the fabric and get a sense of qualities such as texture, thickness and drape. Moreover, colours often look different on a computer screen to real life, and online photos don't always provide an idea of scale of print. So before you order five metres of that eye-catching lobster lawn, it’s a really good idea to request a sample first. Many shops are happy to send out a few swatches either for free or a small admin charge (just don’t abuse your sampling privileges!). Some also have a "swatch club" where you are sent a whole booklet of swatches for an annual fee. If you’re not too hot on your different fabric types, I highly recommend Fabric for Fashion: The Swatch Book as an invaluable online shopping companion.

3) Check the width
Before placing your order, don’t forget to check the width of the roll to make sure you’re buying enough fabric for your project. Some fabric shops are targeting quilters in particular, so often you’ll see options to buy “fat quarters”. Don’t let this put you off – if you buy four fat quarters, that will usually mean you get 1 metre / yard of fabric as a continuous piece, but do check first whether it's a metric or imperial quarter.

4) Keep an inspiration board
If you see a print you adore but know you can’t buy it straight away, pin it to a Pinterest board or bookmark it for later. That way next time you need some new fabric, you can begin by looking at your favourites first rather than starting from scratch. Beware though – often I’ve found that a few hours after I’ve pinned a fabric I like the look of, it’s done the rounds on Pinterest and sold out – doh!

5) If in doubt, ask!
Not sure if that linen will work for your dressmaking project? On the hunt for that elusive lobster print? Want to find a lining to match? The internet can look faceless at first glance, but don't forget that behind that website there's a person or team who are passionate about fabric and excited to help their customers. If you've got a query or a specific request, drop them a line and they'll usually be more than happy to help.

So those are my tips. As for where to shop, some of my favourites are featured in the right hand column of this blog!

Do you have online fabric shopping tips of your own to share?

Fabrics shown in these photos are from various sources including Ray Stitch