Boys Aren't the Only Ones With Toys....

How often have we heard the guys in our lives refer to their 'Toys'? Toys? The first thought that enters my mind tends to rest on sarcasm, and secretly I'm thinking 'Aren't you beyond that at your age?' Yes, well when men refer to their 'toys' they're usually talking about the latest addition to their lawn equipment or a new truck, perhaps a new jet ski or snowmobile. They get so excited with mechanical things, and the bigger the item the happier they are! Well, gentlemen, you're not alone..Crafters have 'toys' too...I'm talking about Sewing Machines, Crafting Tools, Sergers! I'm talking about the toys of the crafting trade, and recently I acquired a new Toy as an early birthday present from my awesome Dad. Yes indeed, I got a new a Serger!!!

  

At this time, I wish to introduce you to my new Brother 1034D Overlock with Differential Speed Serger. This is how it appears straight out of the box, and the threads, as you can see, were placed to match the tension wheel colors, and to help with threading. As a girl who's only ever sewn with various sewing machines, this new toy will be a welcome challenge and a breath of fresh air. 

When it comes to sewing machine brands and preference, I've used many as I indicated in the previous paragraph. Choice of machine is as different amongst seamstresses and crafters, as truck brand is amongst men at the local country club. We all have our own favored Toys.There is a long history behind the brands I've settled on, and why I tend to gravitate toward them.

A short history of my journey as a sewing enthusiast: At the age of 14, my beautifully creative Mother set me in front of her old Montgomery Ward sewing machine. This momentous occasion took place long after I'd spent many years sitting beside her, spellbound as she created something out of nothing on that old Montgomery Ward. Oh she had me in awe of her magical dresses and slacks, her blouses and aprons. Because of Mom, there was no lack of interest in sewing for me. Mothers are interesting in their ways, as they always seem to know right when their child is ready to learn new things. There comes a time in the life of every child, when we are grown enough, and mature enough to handle more complicated processes. I took to sewing with ease, but was impatient for the end result. Patience is something we learn as we live, and though Mom was the most patient woman I knew, she could not take that impatience out of me regardless of her splendid example. As we approach Mother's Day, I find myself missing her more than ever before. I'd love nothing more than to sit with her, and watch her teach me all the ins and outs of using a Serger. I trust she is there in spirit, quietly guiding me from her place amongst the stars in Heaven.

Now that I've covered the beginning of my sewing journey, I'll continue to take you on my journey through Sewing Machine Brand Land. At this point in my journey, the first machine I ever used was produced by Montgomery Ward. Impressively enough, Mom had that machine for 25 years before the plastic casing cracked around the bobbin winder. Sadly, a crack in that particular spot made winding a bobbin nigh on impossible, and with a company that no longer exists, it is difficult to get it fixed.

After the old Montgomery Ward, the next machine I found along my journey was a Brother 32 Stitch, and oh how I loved that machine! After a couple years of constant use, I eventually donated it to someone in need of a sewing machine. They couldn't have asked for a better, more reliable machine. This was, of course, my first experience using the Brother brand, and it was a positive one. 

With the absence of my trusty Brother 32 Stitch, my younger brother (a person, not a machine :p) gave me a light duty Singer for my birthday that same year (which is literally the only reason I donated my treasured Brother machine to begin with, the promise of a new toy loomed in my future). Having never used a Singer before then, I was skeptical, but maintained an open mind. Ugh...I have no memories of this machine save one, I ran it into the ground inside of a year, and invented swear words to express my extreme displeasure at its complete lack of cooperation. Eventually, it ended up so out of tune, that I shelved it until I could afford to get it maintenanced (in truth, I disliked it too much to invest in it). 

After my less than memorable experience with Singer, I was reintroduced to a Brother machine that had a few stitches, and a couple buttonhole options. It was a very thoughtful, and welcome Christmas gift from my roommates. It's a trusty little thing, though it was said to be limited to mere occasional projects, I put the little guy to the ultimate test. The photo of the gown featured above is a Medieval inspired gown I designed, and constructed on that simple little Brother machine. To it's credit, I sewed another five such gowns on it (including one made of clothing PVC), and the little guy is still going strong! 

Being a Seamstress accustomed to options, I eventually wanted something capable of more than a few stitches. To that end, I gave my 'occasional use' Brother a much needed break, and purchased my first Kenmore Sewing Machine. It's capable of quite a few stitches, and is probably the best machine I've ever owned. I could easily recommend Kenmore Sewing Machines, because I've had mine for 6+ years, and it has yet to let me down, give up, run out of steam nor has the timing ever been off. Kenmore is highly reliable in my opinion. Now and then, I take old Kenny out of its box, and sew with it. I don't like to neglect or ignore any of my mechanized friends. However, last year, my Dad got me a PC420PRW Project Runway™ Limited Edition Computerized Sewing Machine. There was a time I had completely sworn off computerized machines of any kind. Not only are they expensive to repair and maintain, but to keep it working well, software upgrades become necessary, and I didn't want to become completely dependant upon the computer. Nevertheless, I love my new Brother machine, and wouldn't trade it for the world. Why? Not only does it come with a ton of preloaded stitches, but it also has the capacity for stitch designing by the operator. I've experimented with this myself, and it is fun. There is no end to what I can discover with this machine, and even today, a year later, I still have yet to learn all of its secrets, features and abilities. 

Meet the 'family'. In the photo above I've featured all my machines. On the far left is Kenny, my never say die Kenmore, front and center is the new Brother Serger, to it's right is my Project Runway™ Edition Computerized Sewing Machine, and in the back is my wee Brother machine that comes with only a few stitches and 2 buttonhole styles. So, I suppose it is safe to say that I prefer Brother and Kenmore over Singer. I've yet to try a Janome machine, though I've not heard much about them. Perhaps I may try one at some point, though the last time I left my preferred brand, I was massively disappointed. The past is meant to warn us of the future, so they say...therefore, at this time, I'm happy with Kenny and my Brothers, all three of them.

I'd love to hear about your experiences with the brands you prefer. Share and share alike! Comment, and tell me about it! 

A Veritable Smorgasbord...and Tools of the Trade

A Veritable Smorgasbord....

One thing I discovered, and through an extensive amount of research and observation, is the art of Clay Miniatures. Granted, this discipline can be time consuming as well as hard on the eyes. Nevertheless, it is a highly rewarding and fun artistic pursuit to which I am highly addicted!

A vast amount of research must be conducted, if the Artisan intends upon making her clay miniatures look as authentic as possible. Shown above is a photo of a tiny plate of Sushi I made for a client. Having no love for Sushi myself, I had to research it's appearance, texture, coloration, and preparation. I thought it would be difficult, and for some of the tiny items I was adequately challenged. Having a perfectionist bent can, at times, be cumbersome to an Artist of any discipline. Therefore, making the rice appear as rice is meant to, would have taken hours of making individual rice grains as tiny as the eye of a needle. Rather than add that expense to the Client's piece, I mixed white clay with translucent clay, and textured it until it resembled sticky rice. It is important to note that I have only been making clay miniatures, officially, for a couple of months. With practice and a willingness to branch out from what you're comfortable with, you too can become a Jack or Jane of many artistic ventures, and master them. Practice! Practice! You can't do enough of it!

While I had initially intended upon making this entire post about Clay Food Miniatures, I decided to lump two posts into one. Why? Because I love to talk, and I love to talk about things I love. To that end, allow me take you into the realm of tools, for without them, achieving clay miniature authenticity is nigh on impossible.

Tools, as with any trade, are massively important. Here, in the above photo, I've featured some of my texturing tools. Texture, and shading are very important when making authentic miniatures. By adding just a little texture, and a dab of shading here or there, the Artisan can make all the difference in the attractiveness of any clay piece.

Observing other artistic pursuits can come in handy when imbibing in others that are not at all related. For example, I enjoy painting with oils and acrylics on canvas. My style is collage art that appears aged, and ancient. I enjoy aging paper, painting marble (as in the stone), and adding texture and relief to my canvases. Breathing life into an ancient facade is what I love to do more than any other kind of painting. In saying as much, when it came to my observing the art of Clay Miniatures, it was not hard for me to translate my canvas art techniques, to my clay pieces. Granted, miniatures are nothing like painting on canvas, but shading and texturing come in quite handy.

Moving on...one cannot make Clay Miniatures without the clay. So, here I have featured three brands of four that I use. Fimo is a brand that has it's roots in Europe. It comes in Classic, Effects and Soft. I prefer the soft form of Fimo, because Classic and Effect are stiff as chalk, and require a lot of kneading. Premo is made by Sculpy, and comes in many colors, effects and shimmers. It's among my favorite clays, without being too soft or to hard. Lastly, there is Sculpy III which, in my experience, is the softest, squishiest clay on the market. I would not recommend Sculpy III for Millefiori, Mokume Gane Technique, Canes or anything that must be manipulated often or handled often. I've tried using it for all thee above, and every time it was a failed mess. Fimo is probably the best clay for making Clay Cane and Millefiori pieces, as it retains it's shape even when constantly handled by warm hands. As with any cane, place it in the freezer before slicing, and make doubly certain that the blade you use is clean and razor sharp.

Storing opened Polymer Clay is an important step. While it does not dry out, it can take twice as long to knead, and it will get dusty if not stored properly. Dust is going to be your greatest nemesis when working with this Clay in particular. If you want to retain the clean appearance, and freshness of your Polymer Clay, store it in small jewelry Ziplocs or Ziploc baggies. Do not, however, store it bare or unwrapped in plastic bins as it is known to eat through certain plastics (having suffered this myself, I can confidently warn you against it).

Polymer Clay is a material that requires adult supervision when used by children. Bake Shop Clay, produced by Sculpy is Non-Toxic, and very easy to handle in little hands. When baked, Bake Shop Clay is as hard as a rock. I love it! Unfortunately, it only comes in about 6-8 colors, and if your child wants a greater range of colors, one clay color must be mixed together with other colors to gain the appropriate color. Such a practice is so easy with Bake Shop Clay, as it's very pliable, and mixes with ease. Another positive about this particular brand, is it's affordability. It typically retails for no more than $1.49 per 2oz package.

PLEASE NOTE: All photos, projects and artistic pieces belong to me, were done by my hand. Please do not CCP without express permission from me, the Artist behind the Gardens of Evidarah.