Thursday, August 30, 2007

Mis-ter Fixit, can he fix it?

It's all got a bit domestic round my place at the moment, with the knitting and the cooking and even a bit of housework (you know, where it shows...) so maybe that's why I suddenly got the urge to haul out my ancient sewing machine on Sunday. Climber needed a replacement bag for his Home Readers. It was easy enough to make. I even wrote his name in glittery purple fabric paint - possibly in an attempt to disguise the fact that my sewing skills are small and underdeveloped, possibly to give Climber the shiniest bag of them all, probably just because I can't resist decorating stuff!

While I had the machine out, I also made a little bag for my camera. I bought the quilted fabric years ago to try and make Climber's hand-me-down wooden high chair more comfortable, and then of course never got around to it. (The poor kid ended up just perching on our knees eventually; I always suspected his reluctance to eat solids well was linked to the uncomfortable high chair, and spent some of Cherub's baby bonus money on getting a proper one for him.) When the fabric fell out of the junk cupboard the other day, it occurred to me there could be more than one use for its plush purple padded-ness.

I went to visit Astrid on Monday morning and casually dropped into the conversation that I'd been doing some sewing on the weekend. After recoiling in shock she narrowed her eyes at me and demanded Who are you and what have you done with Stomper?? Well, after all, she had really only just got over the fact that I now have knitting projects in my handbag.

Anyway, so there's me, proudly wearing my new mantle of domestic goddess, when along came my stitchy nemesis. You know how, in sewing, you make a strap by folding over a long thin piece of material, stitching it up the long side and one of the ends and then you turn it inside out? Well that's what I was doing, but I was finding it ridiculously hard to do the turning-inside-out part. I had my knitting needles jammed up it and was trying all sorts of pinching, and pulling it, but the turning-inside-out rate was approximately one millimetre per half hour. I was getting pretty fed up with it and muttering to myself There must be a better way!! and wondering if I should go and bug someone who knows about sewing, before just putting it down in complete boredom and wandering off. As you do. Well. As I do.

When I was leaving for tap-dance on Monday night, I happened to mention to Fixit that I was having trouble with it. And because he is Mister Fixit and he can't help himself, he said Bring it here. So I did, and I showed him and explained how hard it was. And he frowned at my poor technique and started pulling out all the hours of hard work I'd done (all 4cms of it) at which I protested weakly as I was walking out the door.

I was less than 4 minutes in the car when his text message came through. Done it.

Humph.

26 comments:

  1. I don't think I would talk to him for a whole day. Unless you need something fixed, of course. I'm sure that your many hours of work just made him *look* like a genius.

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  2. Oh, isn't that always the way?!?

    I've given up and now just set things in front of him that I need opened/fixed/whatevered.

    Then I leave. Because of the gloating.

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  3. You are a busy beaver these days, aren't you? And coming along quite nicely too. Imagine how wonderful your projects will be by the time Climber comes to you with his kiddies. You will be bashing out jumpers and stuff faster than they can wear them.

    Fixit sounds wonderful. That last part was so funny. I can relate.

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  4. He ain't called Mister Fixit for nothing. How handy that he can fix sewing projects too!

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  5. bloody hell he really is mr fixit???!!!!!!

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  6. lol, poor stomper. Hope the gloating wasn't too odious.

    Love your camera bag btw. Looks very noice.

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  7. In all good conscience he should get you to open a jar for him, that is the only way to make this right

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  8. ps can he please come to my house and fix the pipe that comes off our shower drain. It was leaking, it is now gushing out water because when I showed the antifixit (my husband) the leak, he poked it and made the hole bigger and said "Yup water's coming out, you better get someone to come fix that."

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  9. Is it possible to love and admire a man you've never met?

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  10. yes, how did he fixit? If there is an easy way of doing that most irritating and fiddly job I would like to know about it

    Jenny

    PS am most impressed with your work, is your sudden enthusiasm for all things domestik anything to do with turning 40?

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  11. Jen, you should be grateful to Fixit. You were top of my hitlist of people to bother with sewing whines...

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  12. You know he did it with no delicacy at all!

    PS make the seams really tiny - it's easier to turn it.

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  13. Great Scott, there are things I used to know how to do, and never realised they had floated way out of my mind's orbit. I have vague recollection of using a pencil or crochet hook to turn it inside out. You push it from the closed seam at the end and gather it along the pencil until ????
    Are you starting to take after your mother a bit? After all these years? Or is there a mysterious generational transmission occurring with the bits floating out of my head getting sneakily into yours? How spooky!
    Watch out, a whole truckload of How To crafty books might land in on you one day soon. Replete with some truly ugly patterns, not just crochet bikinis. My mind is on higher things - off to Italy on Sunday, IF I can finish getting organised.

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  14. Great Scott!

    Does your mother read your blog?!

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  15. Which reminds me---wasn't Stompermomma supposed to be starting her own blog??

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  16. Which reminds me---wasn't Stompermomma supposed to be starting her own blog??

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  17. stomper - remember that dr who episode velcro and I were talking about a while back - that one's on tonight.

    Btw, don't miss the three after that either since it's coming up to the end of the season.

    stompermamma - have fun in Italy! Lucky you :)

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  18. you know I'm always happy to help. After all, I have my share of tap dancing questions.

    Personally, I use a blunt ended chopstick. Knitting needles poke holes.

    This is how I am spending Saturday night, discussing sewing techniques. How nanna is that?

    Jenny

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  19. Next time you make a strap, cut a long piece of yarn. Lay it inside your folded over-fabric [it'll be between the two right sides]--making sure it sticks out at either end. Stitch up one long side and across one end. Stitch the end again, making sure the yarn is securely stitched over. Trim that end [not too short], then pull your strap,right sides out over the yarn. This is the easiest way I've found to turn narrow strips inside out.

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  20. Great tip from Molly! I have a special thingy I use. It is long, & has a hook at one end.
    Mr Fixit really works!
    But, as Isabelle said, can he tap dance?
    Nice sewing there for the bag, & the camera bag.

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  21. Maybe Mr. Fixit could go with Isabelles kitties when they go for their "little procedure"?

    Isabelle reckons they won't even NOTICE whats happening to them ... that'd be such a relief for Mr.Fixit.

    I'm sure he wasn't gloating ... just happy to be of service!

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  22. oh, another trick is to pin a safety pin inside before you sew it. It's no good for delicate fabrics though.

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  23. I am seeing more and more lately why I have to go out and replace my sad old Singer that gave up the ghost a couple of years ago - young kids need costumes and stuff and will do for many years to come! I don't need a machine with all the bells and whistles as I wouldn't use them - any tips Stomper?

    And that Fixit knows how to redeem himself doesn't he ha ha!

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Don't let the cat get your tongue.