Happy Birthday to Me

Just a couple of days before my birthday, which was last week, I decided to treat myself to a "Me Birthday Party" and open my brand new Babylock Ellisimo which I bought in June.  With all the moving to a new home, I've not had time to open it much less use it.  Because this gift to me is special, I took lots of photos to remember this moment.  Just as I was getting ready to plug it up, my sister called and said she was taking my Dad to the hospital.  So, that put an abrupt end to my Me Party.

There was so much stuff that came with the machine, it had to come in 3 large boxes.  This machine costs more than my first car, but as the commercial says, for my retirement, "I'm worth it."  I hope to use it for many positive projects to help others.

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Dresses for Haiti

Met with a church group today to help sew pillow case dresses for children in Haiti.  The goal is 500 by November.  Once today's dresses are finished, over 300 will have been made.  An assembly line was set up for each step.  I took my serger and finished edges across the top, bottom and seamed one side of 35 dresses and so enJOYed it!



Scraps are saved for quilts.




Serge top & bottom (not armhole) and one side seam.







Leave wrong side out for top & bottom to be pressed for hemming.



                  



After pressing, dresses are sorted by color so the same color of thread can stay on the machine for several dresses of the same color.



Top edge is stitched down creating a casing for elastic.  (Forgot to take a pic of elastic being inserted.)  Hem is also topstitched up at this time.



After elastic is inserted, bias tape is penned across the top edges and armholes and then stitched on as one long piece.  Bias tape is then cut to create ties on the shoulder.





Just as cute as they can be.  Now picture the smile of the little girl that will get this dress!



 



Group of ladies on the left are marking the armhole (the only pattern piece needed) on the fabric and cutting them out.  The ladies on the right are cutting elastic and inserting into the top edge (yoke) of the dress.



Lunch time!  I have never seen a group of people so eager to get back to work.  Heard jokes about a sweat shop but this was far from it.  Had a great time socializing.  Didn't know I could talk and sew at the same time.  LOVE this day!





  The lady that coordinate this event was also named Joye (spelled different.)  She did an amazing job of organizing the whole setup.