Introducing my JUKI and SEWlutions sneak peek

So I'm really excited about my sewing machine!  I'm not an experienced sewer but I'm learning plenty and have a ton of sewing projects that I want to make (Examples are on my Pinterest).

Let's dive right in!

Introducing my new JUKI HZL-K85:

I was worried that the pedal and power cord would accidentally hit the sewing needle and damage the machine in general, so one of the first things I made is a very simple bag with an elastic opening, strap that wraps around the machine then fastens with a little snap button.  It was sewn with haste so it isn't very neat, but it gets the job done! I feel much more at ease about the safety of my machine.  One of my favorite features about the sewing machine is pictured middle left.  Notice the tortoise and the hare.  That lever is so intuitive and illustrates the maximum speed you can go with the pedal when you have pre-determined the setting!

Sew Organized:

Pictured in the collage above are the various ways I've organized my little sewing area.  I don't have a whole lot of things for sewing, but it's a start and it's definitely the basics!
Storage: Snapware Snap 'n Stack Craft Organizer-Small Square / Sewing Caddy Tutorial
Lessons: Don't use pins if it is way too many layers of fabric because sewing through the layers will end up crooked... the result? crooked pocket seen on the right hand side of that sewing caddy. Sigh. SEWlution? Binder Clips or Clover Wonder Clips.

SEWlution/Problem/SEWlution:
So, I have this memory foam neck pillow that I use when I'm driving in the car for many hours.  Well, I wanted to make a cover for it with some soft flannel.  I found a neck pillow zipped cover tutorial... it turned out well and I was thrilled... until I realized that it is really not very flexible at all...and was tight around my neck...and when I wanted to set it on the back of the passenger seat I stretched it out so far that the seams ripped... whoops! Sigh. ☹ ☹ ☹

Stay tuned for the SEWlution for the ripped seam problem for the neck pillow!

Problem & SEWlution:

So, I have this awesome juicer.  It is actually very awesome... problem is, I don't use it very often anymore, especially since it's actually pretty expensive to get all the ingredients for it to make a decent amount of juice.  I don't really want to put it away in the box because then I really won't use it and it'll have become a complete waste of money.  But, the problem is that it was collecting dust on my counter... SEWlution? simple cover.

Problem & SEWlution:

So... I wanted a bag to be able to hold my various on-the-go stuff emergency kit so it contains things like... blotting paper, band-aids, lip balm, hand lotion, kleenex, phone charger... stuff like that for when I'm out of town or out and about for extensive periods of time.

Learning from my mistakes: I really DON'T recommend using non fusible vinyl for the lining of stuff... It's annoying to work with for a beginner, and once the needle goes into the vinyl and makes a hole, there's no turning back so you pretty much cannot screw up and save yourself without starting over with the lining.  SEWlution?: Iron on Vinyl (you can get it in a gloss finish or matte finish... i prefer matte finish)

Problem:

Pictured here is my desk chair at home.  Actually, I haven't even used it in months and months... I just dragged it out of the back of the garage today, cleaned it up, and it's now hanging out in my apartment waiting to be clothed.  I really want to make a nice slipcover for this chair to really bring my desk together, and be very flexible with the changing décor around it.  That, and I'm excited to work on this for my future home office once I relocate summer 2014!  Funny, I was telling my manager about this upcoming project and she was like, "So is this for your home now or your future home?"  She knows me too well.  She also pointed out that my sewing projects are generally very practical.  I don't sew just because I see a nice pattern, but I'm often very "inventive" and try to find solutions to problems (They're not really problems, but they're certainly opportunities I want to take advantage of).  

I have a whole list of problems I want to solve... such as coming up with something for my glovebox.  I drive a a teeny vintage green FIAT 500 Sport 2012 and the glovebox is a disaster (it's slanted weird and every time I open it, everything either falls out or is very likely to).  Then again, there is very little in terms of storage space in my car, simply because it is very small/compact.

Introducing to you: my Baby Fiat

Be prepared to see a lot of SEWlutions in the future...