Serge!

Not Surge like the 90's pop of the same name, but SERGE as in the sewing machine!  I bought this almost 6 months ago, right after we learned we were pregnant, with the last of my plasma money.  It then sat in a box in the living room all that time until I finally worked up the courage to use it.  I LOVE it. 

I had 2 pairs of loungewear pants cut out and sitting in the sewing room and thought that would be a good first project.  It came already threaded and you can't use pins because of the knife on the machine so I put my quilt clips to good use.  I used a serger 20 years ago in home ec class and haven't been near once since.  I couldn't believe how quiet and FAST it was.  It sucked up the fabric and of course you don't have to trim your seams...I made those pants in record time!

I not brave enough to change the thread yet but I already slowly purchased 4 serger spools of 8 basic colors while I was busy not using the serger.  Every time I went to the grocery store, I stopped at Joann's armed with coupons and bought a few spools.  My sewing table is too cramped with two machines on it so when it's not in use, it sleeps in my cubby shelf and fits perfectly!

I've used it to make a bunch of quick baby items like these shoulder/burp rags.  They are just 2 pieces of critter flannel serged together.  They have double thickness and finished edges that did not involve turning inside out and top stitching.  Record time sewing.  I used a bread plate to round the corners versus fighting with right angles.

I made a couple pee pads too.  This is PVC coated fabric used for making cloth diapers topped with critter flannel and the edges serged and again I rounded the corners.  I made a few crib sized pads for major blowouts so the pad can be taken out and laundered and the rest of the bed clothes are spared.  I also made a few smaller ones for the diaper bag to be layed out as a surface to change on.  These were nice early projects to get to know my machine because I feel like I'm still "learning how to drive" with it.

This is my other favorite appliance in the house at the moment!  Best Christmas ever because Dave bought me a fake fire!  I've been asking for one for years and this year he came through.  You can run it with or without heat and I very rarely turn the heat on.  I'm a tightwad when it comes to the energy bill but also I'm hot blooded and like to just look at it.  This is the view from my knitting chair!

He really outdid himself this year!  Here he is putting it together for me.  We enjoyed our first pregnant Christmas together.  Next year we'll have a 9 month old trying to get into everything so this might be the last year of full decorations for a while!  And of course my family will get together for Christmas next weekend so I kind of don't feel like we've had Christmas yet.  Happy Late Christmas!