Hardworking little helpers: What are you working on today?

Dear users, dear authors,
dear little helpers,
what are you working on today?

We’re on vacation this week.

Yesterday we took a trip to the lake, and of course I brought my crochet project along. 



Using up leftover yarn—a nest for wildlife. Today I’m finishing it up on the patio. Then I’ll get back to my blanket

I traced the tunic pattern from the sewing pattern sheet yesterday. Today I’ll adapt it to fit my figure, then I can cut it out and sew it, but that will take a little while. Before that I also have to start up the embroidery machine, because I want to embroider the front yoke tone-on-tone with the fabric.

Best regards, Inge

Inge, I’m really looking forward to seeing your new embroidered tunic

Still testing the new embroidery machine, practicing, trying out new things... 😊
When I find some time, I embroider bath towels, dish towels... My goal is to take part in a suitcase market this fall—I’ve already signed up... Fingers crossed it works out 🙏
Digitizing new embroidery designs. 

What is a “suitcase market”?
I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

It’s not me working on it, but my embroidery machine right now :-) The design on the display is being embroidered onto the tunic, tone-on-tone, just as I wanted

Best regards, Inge

How long does the embroidery take for this design?

It says 49 minutes, but since I don’t run my embroidery machine at full speed, i.e. at the highest stitching speed, it takes about 70 minutes, which
doesn’t bother me at all — I have time, after all, I’m retired :-)

Best regards, Inge

Why can’t it run at the fastest speed? Does the thread get tangled then?

No, but the faster a machine runs, the more abrasion and wear it has, Josefa, and at a slower pace I can step in more quickly if it starts acting up, which can happen now and then.

Best, Inge

Okay, that makes sense.
Acting up? What’s she doing then?

Oh, it’s enough if the bobbin thread isn’t wound properly, or if the stitches in the pattern are too close together, or if the tension of the embroidery thread isn’t right—there are plenty of possibilities. One thing that often happens is that the frayed ends of the embroidery thread get wedged into the tension discs, and then the tension is off front and back. That’s why it’s very important to clean the machine thoroughly after every embroidery session. But if you know where it might get jammed, you can prevent it :-)

Best regards, Inge

That’s really a lot of work, even with an embroidery machine.
Could you manage to do those embroidery designs by hand, too?

Hand-embroidered? I think very few are, because although I used to embroider a lot by hand, that delicate needle painting—no, that wasn’t for me. Not to mention that these days I can barely hold an embroidery needle with my arthritis in both hands. When I sew something by hand, like the teddy bear boat recently, I can’t do much else for the rest of the day that I need both hands for.

Best, Inge

It’s too bad your hands aren’t cooperating as well as they used to.

Thanks, Josefa, but I’m still doing fine—even with my age-related aches and pains, I’m healthy. Thank goodness I don’t have cancer, and I haven’t caught COVID or any other serious illness. So if I ever complain, it’s—as I see it—on a very high level. :-) I have a husband and a daughter nearby who help me out when I’m not feeling up to it.

Love, Inge

That sounds great :-)

What is a “suitcase market”? Don’t worry—suitcases aren’t sold at a suitcase market. The selection is endless, diverse, and exciting. At suitcase markets, all kinds of people sell their handmade, self-designed, hand-sewn, or otherwise homemade products!
Each vendor displays their items from a suitcase...😊😊 

I now have time to transfer photos and videos from my phone to my laptop.
Crafting will have to wait until my ring finger has healed.

@bergli,
that sounds exciting.
I wish you every success.
If you'd like to tell us how it went afterwards, I'd be happy to hear it.

@CreatOwl,
how long does it take for the finger to heal?

I’ll find out on Thursday, Josefa—that’s when I have my surgery.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you. Let me know how it went, if you’d like.

CreatOwl: What did you do to your finger—or did it do something to you?

I’m still working on my pot holders—and no sooner is one pair finished than the yarn is already waiting for the next ones. At least this way my yarn stash is shrinking a bit, even though I usually have to buy an additional skein of a certain color.
I’ve been slacking off on my crafts for three days now, but the break in the mountains—in my beloved Engadin—was just what I needed, and we were able to go on a lovely, leisurely hike with my sister and her husband (who, for once, didn’t go fishing—if I remember correctly, they’re only allowed to fish every other day).

Great photo
Why are they only allowed to fish there every other day?