Disc-O-Matic!

One thing about me is that I like to keep busy. And I don't like to spend my life cleaning. Two things about me are that I like to keep busy and I don't like to spend my life cleaning, and I like to try new things. (No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!) Anyway, this week's experiment has been not in the kitchen, but behind the needle of my 1958 White Disc-O-Matic Sewing Machine! It's a hand-me-down from my grandma, and the thing is built like a tank. It's been sitting on a storage shelf in my apartment for the last 9 months or so (and in storage at my grandma's for the last 20 years), but apparently it still works perfectly.

So long story short, instead of a big cooking project, I decided to make a duvet cover for our down comforter! Mike and I went to Joann's Fabric for our date last night, and we picked out fabric for the duvet, plus two big European pillow forms and fabric for shams. Sewing this duvet cover has been such a great learning experience for me. The last time I used a sewing machine I was 15 and my mom was doing most of the work, so I am a complete novice. So far I've been doing pretty well though--I stitched together three big panels to create the top cover (we have a king-sized bed, so it's a huge duvet), and trimmed the 108"-wide muslin bottom cover. I'm about ready to go stitch the top to the bottom, and then all that's left after that is the hemming and the buttons. I'm a little nervous about sewing button holes with a 47-year-old machine, but I'm sure I'll figure it out somehow. My grandma kept the instructions, and she still had all the attachments; I don't know how she did it, but I'm grateful!

The instructions for sewing your own duvet cover can be found here. There are a bunch of other "around-the-house" type project instructions there too. I never knew Waverly had so many patterns and instructions on their website!

If you have any tips or comments, please feel free to share! Like I said, it's been forever since I've sewn anything, so I can use all the help I can get.