Happiness is a Clean Sewing Table

This may not look like anything to brag about to you, neat readers, but for me this is as good as it gets.  I can actually see the table under my sewing machines!

At the table pictured above I mainly do things like make buttonholes, sew on zippers, wind bobbins -- tasks like that.  My primary sewing goes on in the living room at one of my machine tables, even if it's at a machine that sits atop the table as opposed to in the table.  Good enough.





It's always hard to say goodbye to old friends, but I am so glad I sold my Pfaff 139 and Singer 99 this past weekend, and proud I found good homes for them.  I won't lie: I spent about twenty minutes last night looking at vintage sewing machines on eBay, but I think it was just a reflex and not anything to worry about.  Would a Viking 6440 really enhance my life?  

I think I'm ready to consider new projects.  Of course, I must spend some time preparing for the Men's Boxers Sew-Along that begins in just one week.  I really should stitch myself a practice pair.

Like Old Man River, the Daily Ditch just keeps rolling along.

This bucket hat, which I bought on some sunny vacation where I found myself hatless,  photographs nicely, and would be great if it were made from some light, water-repellent fabric like microfiber.  This Made in China cotton version is so heavy that it makes my head sweat just putting it on.  I know it will work for somebody, however, because as soon as I put it out with the recycling, it was gone.



Remember the post-lp-and-cassette tape/pre-iPod days, when you listened to music on CDs?  Or when you backed up your computer files on a CD instead of an external disc drive?  Might as well talk horse and buggies, right?

I used to burn CDs all the time and would buy plastic CD jewel cases by the dozen.  Well, I haven't burned a CD in years, but I still had a huge stack of cases just in case (as it were).  Not anymore!



I'm finding old technology and technology-related items the hardest to part with.  They're usually still functional in some way -- like those portable TV sets -- but ultimately worthless.  I still have a few old videotapes but own no VCR or TV to play them on, and I'm holding on to an old (well, not that old) mini DV movie camera just so I can play old mini DV vacation tapes.  (If I want to make a movie today, I use my regular Canon digital camera.)  I'm sure I'm not the only one.  Thankfully, I never owned a slide projector!

Have you ever had footwear so comfortable that you literally wore it out?  That's what happened to these Gurkee sandals, which I've owned for about five years.  They are made of polypropelene rope and are incredibly comfortable.  You wouldn't believe how often people comment on them, and they say good things!  I wore this pair for the last time yesterday, and my left heel was literally scraping pavement -- that's how much I loved them.

Off to the dump they go to decompose, which shouldn't take more than 15,000 years.



I think that's enough for one day, don't you?  I have some tough choices ahead regarding old stereo components (receiver, turntable, etc).   Dump?  Without them I can't play my records, but truth is, I don't play my records (not to mention I don't own speakers -- a way-earlier dump).  What to do?

I'll have more to say about ditching dilemmas in the days ahead.  Some items can be hard to part with even if they've sat unused for a long, long time.  We have to trust that letting them go is to our benefit and opens up new space in our lives, literally and metaphorically.  I'll leave it at that.

Do you still own a record player?

Have a great day, everybody!

KOJAK: SEASON TWO on DVD

At long last, Kojak: Season Two is available on DVD:

Telly Savalas returns as the lollipop-packing dapper detective Theo Kojak in another unforgettable season of the renowned mystery series. Season Two features Lieutenant Kojak laying down the law in homicide cases involving organized crime, terrorists, drug traffickers, a serial bomber and a killer multimillion-dollar thief in an investigation that sends Kojak undercover as a Greek millionaire. Whether he’s utilizing his irresistible charm or bending the rules to catch a murderer, you can always bet that Kojak will close the case.

Created by Emmy and Academy Award winning writer Abby Mann, Kojak ran for five seasons on CBS from 1973 1978 and remains a legendary series among homicide dramas. All 25 Original Season Two Episodes 

Buy Online:
Kojak - Season One
Kojak: Season Two

Related Link: Opening Theme: KOJAK

Two sewing machines GONE + Street Fair Madness!

Readers, after a solid week of Daily Ditches, yesterday I was ready to put my willpower to the ultimate test: the fantastic London Terrace Street Fair that takes place every September just down the block from my apartment.  Could I go there and come back with nothing?  The short answer is no.  But while I didn't pass the test with flying colors, I think I earned a solid B+.  First let's back up a bit.

There were a few things on my ditch list I wasn't willing to just give away for free, namely a few of my vintage sewing machines.  (Are you sitting down?)  Remember that Singer 99 I picked up last Spring, the one I bought primarily so that Rain couldn't get his greedy mitts on it first?



Well, nice as that machine is, I never used it, especially since I already had a Singer 15-91, a Singer Featherweight, a Singer 66 treadle, and now a Singer 201, plus my Pfaff 30, of course, whose plug I still need to replace -- all excellent straight stitch machines.  So I posted it on Craigslist.  And here's the truth: I actually offered it to Rain for free and he turned it down -- an obvious slap in the face.  Just see if I offer him any more free sewing machines! 

Readers, there's more.  Remember my beautiful Pfaff 139, the 35 lb mid-Fifties zigzagger I purchased the summer I started sewing?  (It's the one that came with the pin cushion we talked about last weekend.)



I made many garments on that machine; it's incredibly smooth to sew with and has excellent piercing power.  But after I purchased a beat up Viking on eBay a few months later, I found that I was doing all the zigzagging I needed to do on that machine, plus winding all my bobbins, attaching buttons, and inserting invisible zippers.

It's weird about the Viking -- it truly looks like it survived an earthquake and is even missing the door that covers the bobbin case, though this doesn't affect the stitching at all.  I use it only for specific jobs but it does them perfectly.  It's always out and ready to sew.



I think one of the things I didn't like about the Pfaff -- and this is going to sound really dumb -- was that it came in a huge, grimy, beige plastic carrying case, so when I used the machine I had to find a place for the top of the case.  I despise carrying cases, and where am I going carry a 35 lb sewing machine?

Anyway, long story short, I listed my Singer 99 and Pfaff 139 on Craigslist on Friday, and within a two-hour span on Saturday, sold both.  And to men!

This leaves me down to the bare bones: seven sewing machines and only two of them zigzaggers.  Plus my serger, of course.  It feels a little scary but it's so wonderful to have the space back.  And both buyers were totally stoked about their respective purchases.

I've found that the quickest way to move stuff on Craigslist is to price things to move.  Especially in a lousy economy.



But back to the fabulous street fair, or should I say fairs, because later that day, on an afternoon stroll with Michael, we happened upon another great street fair in the West Village, on West 10th Street. What are the odds?

I have a weakness for vintage sunglasses, and I picked up two pair of vintage celluloid glasses -- I'm guessing from the Thirties or Forties -- for just $20 at the London Terrace Street Fair.  Cute, no?







At the second street fair, I found this sweet pattern for just 50 cents.  It's one those flouncy party dresses, this one from 1961, and how Natalie Wood is that gal in yellow?  It's missing the skirt pattern piece, but it's just a dirndl skirt, so it's a big rectangle.  If I give it away on the blog, I'll trace the dirndl skirt from another party dress pattern I have, so it feels more complete.

The ruffled capelet -- the best or worst part of the pattern depending on you feel about ruffled capelets -- is intact.



And that's it!  Two of the best street fairs ever and all I spent was $20.50.  That's some kind of record, right?

Today it's more ditching, obviously.  I'm on a roll!

Any good ditches in your neck of the woods?  Vintage sewing machine purges?  Take it from me, you don't need more than seven.  (Anybody have more than that?  Hope not.)

Happy Sunday, everybody!

Saturday Ditch-a-Palooza + Advice, please!

Readers, how many times have you removed the pillowcases from your pillows and been utterly disgusted by what you beheld?

I no longer use this down pillow, purchased many years ago from The Company Store (Do down pillows have a life span?).  I don't know what turned it this particular shade of mashed potato, but it has been through the laundry, though you'd never know it.   I don't use any hair products on my head for obvious reasons, so I'm not sure what happened.  Anyway, this one is headed to the landfill, and please don't tell me the dozens of clever ways you'd recycle the stuffing.



Moving right along...

This lovely ceramic vase would be perfect for a dried flower arrangement; unfortunately, I have not seen a dried flower arrangement since 1978.  Plus the handle once broke off and though I successfully glued it back on, you can't really pick it up by the handle anymore. 



Anyway, this is another objet d'art that has been collecting dust at the back of my closet for too many years, and it's fragile to boot.   You are the weakest link.  Good-bye!

If you're like me, you're probably wondering how you ended up with a karaoke mixer.  It's a long story and has very little to do with karaoke.



As Dolly Levi says, So Long, Dearie!

Do you ever wonder why you own so many tote bags -- especially those promotional kind you're embarrassed to be seen carrying?

With less stuff, there's also much less stuff to carry around in bags.  Out you go!





Friends, I think that's enough for today.

I realized yesterday -- in a funny way I'll tell you about later -- that I made a highly visible error on my BurdaStyle halter dress.  The instructions were so hard to follow that I abandoned them early on, and I couldn't figure out what was going on with the bodice trim.  I attached it the way I assumed it ought to be attached -- stitching it over the top of the bodice edge as one would a waistband (or double folded bias tape) after the lining was attached, and it looked fine to me.





Yesterday I realized it was supposed to look like this, which would be attached along the front edge before the lining was attached, and hang down over the top of the bodice.

I'm not sure how many people are actually sewing along with me on BurdaStyle, but anyone who followed my directions would have made a mistake.  I think my way looks fine, but it's not the way the pattern was designed.  Whoops!

Now as I take another look at their version, I see my error, but it wasn't obvious to me last week.



I'm wondering how you would handle this.  The dress is done, Leah loves it, and the photo shoot is completed.  I think I need to write an addendum to my last post, explaining my error.   But I don't need to commit hari-kari or anything, right?

I guess that's why you should read your directions carefully before you start sewing a project.  But I also think it's important that directions be written clearly to begin with.  I hope I don't sound petulant.

In closing, readers, do you ever replace your bed pillows, and if so, how often?

If you think the pillow looks bad, you should see the mattress!

Have a great day, everybody!

How to Store a Strapless Dress, et al.

Friends, I have nothing but admiration for Joan Crawford as a movie star, but I couldn't resist this cheap shot.

As you know, the BurdaStyle dress is finished, and Leah will be taking it home with her next week.  Good thing she is, too, because with my recent obsession with The Daily Ditch, it might otherwise end up at my local Goodwill -- or worse.



Now, while not actually strapless -- it's a halter-top dress -- it does present some storage concerns.  Did I mention the straps are removable?



I can't just hang it from a hanger for two reasons.  For one thing, there's nothing to hang the dress from.  I can't just knot the halter and loop it around a hanger; it would slip right off and wouldn't hang right even if it didn't.

Some of you are probably thinking I should sew in hanging loops.  But the weight of the skirt would pull too heavily on the skirt and stretch the bodice out, I fear.

What I'm going to suggest to Leah -- unless somebody has a better solution -- is that she wrap the dress in tissue paper or a towel or sheet, and keep it folded in a box or drawer until she wants to wear it, and then steam or iron any creases out first.  The dress doesn't have to be starched flat, but it does crease pretty easily.  What do you think?

I'd been working on that dress for so long, I almost don't know what to do with myself now.  Of course, we have our boxers sew-along starting in October, but that's not for a while yet.  What's next for me -- or for any of us, really?

Moving right along...

Yesterday, I caught the Daphne Guinness fashion exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and while it's not really my kind of thing, it's a beautifully curated show.  It's bursting with Alexander McQueens in particular, including fantastic accessories, and despite having just opened, there was hardly anyone there.  I just love the FIT museum, and it's always free. 



Now on to today's Daily Ditch.

Remember how I've always said we don't own a TV?  Well, that's not entirely true.  We own two TV's -- cute little Sony portables from the Seventies -- but they've been sitting at the bottom of my bedroom closet for years collecting dust.  They work, but I don't think you can get reception on them anymore without some sort of converter, and how many door stops does one really need?  Reception or no, they get pitched today.  Pity.

I can actually see glimmers of the bottom of my bedroom closet again!





Friends, that's all for today.  If you have any insights in the best way to store a heavy cotton strapless dress, I'd appreciate it!

Happy Friday, everybody!

Perry Mason: Season Six, Vol. 1

Coming to DVD in October is the first half of the sixth season of Perry Mason (out of nine seasons total). Raymond Burr stars as the attorney who specializes in defending seemingly indefensible cases. With the aid of secretary Della Street (Barbara Hale) and investigator Paul Drake (William Hopper), Mason often finds that by digging deeply into the facts, startling facts can be revealed. Often relying on his outstanding courtroom skills, he often tricks or traps people into unwittingly admitting their guilt.

Perry Mason: Season Six, Vol. 1 includes the first 14 episodes from the 1962-63 season:

"The Case of the Bogus Books"
"The Case of the Capricious Corpse"
"The Case of the Playboy Pugilist"
"The Case of the Double-Entry Mind"
"The Case of the Hateful Hero"
"The Case of the Dodging Domino"
"The Case of the Unsuitable Uncle"
"The Case of the Stand-In Sister"
"The Case of the Weary Watchdog"
"The Case of the Lurid Letter"
"The Case of the Fickle Filly"
"The Case of the Polka Dot Pony"
"The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe"
"The Case of the Bluffing Blast"

Buy Online:
Perry Mason (50th Anniversary Edition)
Perry Mason - Season One, Vol. 1
Perry Mason - Season One, Vol. 2
Perry Mason - Season Two, Vol. 1
Perry Mason - Season Two, Vol. 2
Perry Mason - Season 3, Vol. 1
Perry Mason - The Third Season - Vol. 2
Perry Mason: Season 4, Vol. 1
Perry Mason: Season Four, Vol. 2
Perry Mason: Season Five, Vol. 1
Perry Mason: Season Five, Volume 2
Perry Mason: Season Six, Vol. 1
Perry Mason: Season 6 V.2