I placed an order with Kenton Trimmings yesterday at midday, the parcel arrived today.

They have a good range of tailoring canvasses, interfacings, shoulder pads etc and since the last time I used them have added a jacket pack with all the bits for a tailored jacket - that's what I have bought as I will shortly be embarking on a jacket. 

I've just had a quick play with my new Elna Easycover (same as the Janome Coverpro 2000).
I bought this machine on the recommendation of my local(ish) sewing machine man.  I have never been disappointed with anything he has recommended.
This is the machine.  It came ready threaded with 4 big reels containing a substantial quantity of thread. 
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I have unthreaded and re threaded it and it's much easier than the overlocker.  There is a knob to pull which brings the looper into a convenient position for threading.
There is a piece you can remove from the machine bed to have a free arm
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This is a sample of a chain stitch, a narrow 2 needle stitch, a wide 2 needle stitch and a 3 needle stitch on a piece of very stretchy cotton jersey.  I didn't have any problem with any of them. 
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I found it easier to remove and insert the needles with the foot off as there is not much clearance.  The foot comes on and off easily.  The only minor thing I found was that I was fishing about for the presser foot lever at the back.  It could do with sticking out a bit more from the back of the machine.  The machine runs smoothly and quietly and I can see me using it a lot (not enough perhaps to justify the cost but a girl is entitled to be a bit extravagant once in a while)

As the title says.  I think it has been gone for at least a couple of days.
I didn't realise how much I use it until it wasn't there.

I placed an order yesterday at about midday, my buttons have arrived this morning.
They have a huge range of buttons and the ones I have received are good quality.

This is my 3rd bra attempt using the Cloth Habit Watson pattern.
The first was a toile and the second plain navy in similar fabric.  Today right out of my comfort zone I've been fighting with lace and very slippery lining.  It was a bra kit from where I can't remember.  It wasn't without its challenges but I'm pretty pleased with how it has turned out and ..... it fits absolutely perfectly.  It is the first time in my life I have had a nice, lacy bra (that fits) in a colour other than black or white.
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One issue with using a kit for this pattern is that the strap elastic is also the trim for the back which I like but the kits have 1m of strap elastic which doesn't leave room for an adjustable strap.  So, I didn't bother with the rings and sliders on this one as there's nowhere to slide it to.  Because of the scalloped cup edges I tried using 1/4" transparent elastic for the top but it was a nightmare.  My Pfaff isn't the best at zig zagging and I just kept getting tunnelling so I ended up using a 1/2" strip of the sheer lining fabric folded in half as I figured it was for stabilising the edge not for the stretch.  It worked just fine.  I didn't particularly want the bow but it covers up the middle point which is a bit dubious.

I find it annoying that it is so difficult to get matching elastics - the colour of the strap elastic is a bit green but the elastics used elsewhere are just the right colour.  Why is it that we are so short changed in the UK when it comes to supplies?

I can recall reading some time back the magic formula for unravelling overlocked stitching.  I recall that if you cut the correct threads at the right end of the seam it should all just pull out nicely.  I needed to resew about 6" of a seam this morning because of stripe slippage and it took me ages to cut the stitching out (on loopy textured fabric  ).  Every so often a short length of one of the threads would wibble out with a pull but mostly I had to cut out each stitch.

I can't remember when I last bought a sewing needle.  I acquired my grandmother's sewing box many years before she died and she has been gone for 25 years.  In it was an elastoplast tin containing hundreds of needles.  I'm now finding it difficult to find a suitable sized needle from the tin especially one with an eye that I can actually see to thread.  Quite a few have a bit of rust on them.  A large number of the remaining needles are just 1 1/8" or 1 3/8" long with eyes almost invisible to the naked eye.  I can only think they were used with silk thread for mending stockings.

So I think the time has come to buy some needles but I don't really know what sizes to get.  I don't do embroidery.  I would mainly use them for basting and hand finishing in dressmaking / tailoring and for stitching quilt bindings.  What would people say are the most useful sizes?

I need to get the zips for my upcoming Ziggi jacket.  The zips are exposed (front, pockets and sleeves) so I would like them to match my very dark purple fabric.  I want metal teeth and can only find metal zips in a basic range of colours, none of which are remotely purple.
I had resigned myself to getting black ones though I know they will forever irk me but now I'm wondering about dying.  I'm thinking that metal zips have cotton tape (not sure) and dye wouldn't affect metal.  I haven't actually dyed anything since sloshing stuff around in Dylon in my mum's old single tub washing machine in the late sixties.  I expect dyes have moved on since then.
Any advice or thoughts folks?