Sewing and technology

Wednesday 24 July 2013
Wow, thanks everyone for taking the time to leave a lovely comment on my dress in the last post - I'm glad you all like it as much as I do! And I'm glad that a few of you are thinking of doing a colorblock project too, because I'm planning at least one more myself and it's good to know it's not considered passé.

But first I'm contemplating the need to have my sewing machine serviced because it's running quite loudly and seems to be skipping stitches quite a lot even with new needles. I did give it a clean, even taking the needle plate off and vacuuming out all the dust that gets in around the bobbin, but it doesn't seem to have helped. With modern computerised machines there's just not that much you can do yourself really.  At the recent high tea several of us were talking about whether older or newer sewing machines were best - the argument for the older mechanical ones is that they are able to power through any fabric and whilst the newer computerised ones having the fancy stitches and automatic buttonholes that make life easier. When it comes to overlockers though, the new models with their fancy self threading and automatic tensioning are hands down the winner - I just couldn't live without my Babylock and it's sanity saving technology!

I'm the same with my Ipad - before I got one I doubted very much whether I needed one at all since I already had two computers (one desktop and one laptop). But after having one for a while I realise how many uses they have, such as being able to watch helpful Youtube tutorials while sitting at the sewing machine, or using apps to keep track of your fabric stash or patterns. I've put all my scanned sewing pattern covers (saved as jpegs) into photo albums sorted by type, so that even if I'm not sewing I can swipe my way through my pattern collection for inspiration:

 

Unfortunately my two kids are avid fans of my ipad too - little Toby knows which buttons to swipe and which ones to tap already at only 15 months! They are way too rough with the ipad though, always peeling off the plastic protective screen so that it's now annoyingly bubbled and frequently dropping it so the hard plastic cover has cracked at the corner (but not the ipad so I suppose it's done it's job!).



I have been looking to get a cool cover for it, when serendipitously the lovely people at Snugg asked me if I would like one of their products to review. What great timing! Now you all know I very rarely do product reviews because this is a personal sewing blog and not the home shopping network, but since this is  relevant and something that would be very useful at this point in time I jumped at the chance. So while I was supplied with an ipad cover for review the opinions here are my own.

I chose a lovely deep red coloured leather cover, and I was pleasantly surprised at how light and slimline the case is. Plus it has an elastic strap on the inside cover that when it's open you can slide you hand through to make sure you don't drop it when you're carrying a wiggly toddler while trying to check out Pinterest.

 
It comes with a handy stylus pen holder at the top which will be useful because I recently downloaded a free app called Paper by 53 which I've been using to try to sketch clothes and outfits, especially when I've been people watching or snoop shopping.
 
 
There's a little flap at the back which securely holds the cover folded so that you can prop the tablet up to watch the screen, and it holds it really well unlike my previous magnetic cover which always used to collapse on me.
 

The cover I chose is a textured red leather (although only PU leather). And the white topstitching is a nice touch too.


Plus I just love a company that uses cool retro typography in their packaging:


I've had this on my Ipad for a week now, and I'm pretty happy with it. Toby has had a chew of one of the corners and some of the red PU leather layer has come off, but frankly there is very little that stands up to his chompers - his timber cot is testament to that! So if you're in the market for an Ipad cover I can recommend the Snugg products - the price is about what you would pay in the shops but is a nicer choice in my humble opinion, it arrived pretty quickly from the UK and they offer a lifetime guarantee.

Ok so time to get back to my regularly scheduled sewing posts - believe or not but I've already finished my July Burda project but I'm a bit non-plussed with it. I'm thinking of doing some beading to jazz it up, which is completely unlike me but there is a first time for everything isn't there?

16 comments:

  1. Love the red cover Kristy. I use Paper by 53 all the time on my ipad. Love it. I store all my patterns online using Springpad. Tried a few different apps but I like Springpad best for patterns. Evernote is ok but doesn't work as well for easy viewing and flipping thru lots of pattern pictures. Tried a few others as well. Might catch up on Saturday?

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    1. Thanks Rebecca - I'll have to check out Springpad.

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  2. Kristy - I'm in awe of the fact that you took pictures of your patterns. I've started that once or twice but at this point I think I have too many. But I would love to have them where I could see them, even if not on my iPad but at least available to me from my Flickr account that I could flip through on my iPad!

    And I know what you mean about the Babylock serger...I love mine so much it's sad! *LOL*

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    1. Carolyn - another way to do it is to capture the images from Google or Flickr instead of individually photographing your actual patterns. That's what I've done so that now I have record of the patterns I owned when I started sewing 20 years ago.

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    2. I spent quite a few days one year when I was sick and housebound to scan all of the pattern covers and to sort them into different files for different types. It took ages though! For newer patterns finding them from Google or Flickr is a much better idea

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  3. Kristy, I must ask, the Butterick pattern pictured in the top pile of "Dresses", what is the number. Even though I blew up the picture I could not read the number. I made that pattern when I was in college and wore the garment to shreds. Alas, the pattern is long gone and I would love to find another copy.

    Theresa in Tucson

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    1. Hi Theresa - the pattern number is 5506. I love how you can still recognise a sewing pattern cover years after using it!

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  4. Kristy, thanks for your thorough product review of the Snugg iPad cover. I have an iPad, which my husband wants and will get as soon as the iPad Mini 2 with retina display is available. Apple, I'm waiting!!!

    I will take a look at Paper by 53. Also, I need to learn how to create photo albums for my iPad.

    The down side of technology, to me, is the time required for learning (and sometimes, maintenance).

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    1. Hi Sandra - you need a young child around to teach you, they manage to work out technology very quickly!

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  5. Lucky you getting to trial the product. I haven't gone down the iPad road yet.

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  6. It looks good. We have a samsung tablet and we've had to buy two covers already as they just don't do the job. If they have a Samsung one that would be good. I have a little two yr old terror as well and it's like living with a mini tornado but they are sooo cute!

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  7. I have photos of my whole pattern collection on my phone so I can look through it while shopping. I thought I was the only one who did stuff like that.

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    1. I've run into quite a few people who have their pattern collection (and some their fabric and wool stashes too) stored in their phone or ipads - us crafty types must have a touch of OCD about us!

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  8. I just recently got an ipad and am still mastering. I would love it if you mentioned apps suitable for pattern filing as you did or tell a little more about how you did that. I have this sort of system on my pc but would enjoy the ipad version. Does it consume much space, My ipad two has only 16 g. Thanks. I enjoy your blog and love how you recycle fabric and thrift finds for sewing.

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  9. Kristy, thanks so much for the pattern number. No, it is not surprising that I can recognize it as we had very few patterns and this one was used by me and three of my sisters.
    Theresa in Tucson

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  10. I use Sewing Kit app on my ipod to catalog my 500+patterns & sewing books/magazines-love being able to search thru them wherever I am -keeps me from buying duplicates at the thrift stores or garage sales. Just wish the developer would offer an android version since this app is the only one I've ever actually purchased & now have Samsung

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