48 Hour Costume Update
So, I think I might have to throw in the towel. I simply can't get my ruffler foot attachment to work correctly. I actually left a few hours early and have spent the last 7 hours struggling with my ruffles, most of it struggling with the ruffler attachment.
I think I am either doing something wrong OR I have a broken/crappy ruffler. Or both.
This makes me really REALLY frustrated. I believe I have enough time to hand-gather the bottom ruffle tomorrow night, but there's no way i'm going to be able to do all seven rows unless I call in sick tomorrow. And since i'm already taken two days off at the end of the week AND took a few hours off yesturday... Well, lets just say no one is going to buy me being sick tomorrow.
My inability to get the foot working is really frustrating. Like throw-the-foot-out-the-window-and-cry frustrating. The instructions that came with the foot are terrible. I was only able to get basic functionality after finding better resources online. But those only got me started. The process still gums up after about an inch of ruffling and/or the fabric un-ruffles as soon as it comes out of the machine. There are several other mitigating factors, like me being pretty much all self-taught when it comes to sewing, so there might some obvious setting on my machine that i'm missing. Second mitigating factor is that I don't have any really good local sewing resources. My "costuming group" (such that it is) is based in Atlanta. My sister gave me a lot of advice over the phone tonight, but I don't think this is the kind of problem that can be solved over the phone. Oh yeah, and I started at the last possible minute allowing almost no time for additional assistance or resources.
(sigh)
This really sucks.
(sigh)
Long term solution: Get more involved in the local Costumer's Guild and make local friends and connections that I can call when I have issues like this. There's enough sewing wisdom in that group to fix 1000 ruffler attachment problems. Oh, and start projects at least a month in advance so I have time to make use of those resources.
Short term solution: Stop whining. Finish the skirt. Hand gather and sew on a single bottom ruffle.
Discarded solutions:
1. Smack crap out of crappy ruffler attachment with lovely rubber mallet.
2. Back up my car and spin out on top of crappy ruffler attachment.
3. See how far I can throw crappy ruffler attachment out window in general direction of China.
4. Consume pint of Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey.
I think I am either doing something wrong OR I have a broken/crappy ruffler. Or both.
This makes me really REALLY frustrated. I believe I have enough time to hand-gather the bottom ruffle tomorrow night, but there's no way i'm going to be able to do all seven rows unless I call in sick tomorrow. And since i'm already taken two days off at the end of the week AND took a few hours off yesturday... Well, lets just say no one is going to buy me being sick tomorrow.
My inability to get the foot working is really frustrating. Like throw-the-foot-out-the-window-and-cry frustrating. The instructions that came with the foot are terrible. I was only able to get basic functionality after finding better resources online. But those only got me started. The process still gums up after about an inch of ruffling and/or the fabric un-ruffles as soon as it comes out of the machine. There are several other mitigating factors, like me being pretty much all self-taught when it comes to sewing, so there might some obvious setting on my machine that i'm missing. Second mitigating factor is that I don't have any really good local sewing resources. My "costuming group" (such that it is) is based in Atlanta. My sister gave me a lot of advice over the phone tonight, but I don't think this is the kind of problem that can be solved over the phone. Oh yeah, and I started at the last possible minute allowing almost no time for additional assistance or resources.
(sigh)
This really sucks.
(sigh)
Long term solution: Get more involved in the local Costumer's Guild and make local friends and connections that I can call when I have issues like this. There's enough sewing wisdom in that group to fix 1000 ruffler attachment problems. Oh, and start projects at least a month in advance so I have time to make use of those resources.
Short term solution: Stop whining. Finish the skirt. Hand gather and sew on a single bottom ruffle.
Discarded solutions:
1. Smack crap out of crappy ruffler attachment with lovely rubber mallet.
2. Back up my car and spin out on top of crappy ruffler attachment.
3. See how far I can throw crappy ruffler attachment out window in general direction of China.
4. Consume pint of Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey.