Is this how they are supposed to look in use?

Got this yesterday and could have used it only I'd already spent just over £30 a few days earlier.

Expires midnight on 13th January 2019 for £10 off your next order of £50 or more .

CODE:      kickoff2019

at the checkout. Valid for one order only

I was browsing yesterday for sewing machines (don't want one of course but you got to look)  when I saw this and at first thought that's a cheap machine at £17 initial bid.  Looked for the machine on the internet before I realised it was  what it was sitting on that was for sale (one only sees what one wants to see).

Anyway put my bid and won.  Comes with the mat that looks gorgeous plus a similar pin needle tidy and neat little 'box' for bits and pieces made out of the same fabric. It looks as if a lot of work has gone into it  and I feel a bit guilty because it is worth more than £17. Even got pockets at the front for scissors.  I'm currently using a large piece of  fleece under the Select machine but when you get  the Sew Steady perspex table on, everything shifts about.  This should solve the problem.

Got some nice discounts, some I would have bought but no spare money now until January. 

After spending a few months not moving until I had studied the pattern, I have embarked on Butterick 5566

 https://butterick.mccall.com/patterns/misses/skirts

Straight forward, done two before, easy peasy.  Got to the try on bit with clips in the side (so useful), okay bottom, too tight at top (and the other two I had to do big seams, got spandex in or similar), so went with wafer thin seams, nearly there but a heave to get the zip up.  I made my mind to  carry on and finish, last skirt I had that was too tight, next time I wore it just dropped off my waist, may be wishful thinking a second time but you can wish.  Facings next, machined and pinned, too big, much too big, redone and carried on.  Laid out to do the hem, to short, remembered I had added onto the bottom on the others,  forgot this time, too much above the knee (at my age).  Adjusted but still a tad too short.

Since I was doing pattern B/C, I considered doing a fancy hem and adding fabric on, but too messy. So I've gone with a false hem and since I haven't got suitable bias binding I'm moving on.

I have to say I am not impressed with my new Steam Generator, although everything is 'more' than the old one. 

The iron itself is lighter but for for some reason feels heavier.  My old one makes around a 10 second grunting noise (pulling water into the bottom bit) and thereafter you get around 45 minutes of steam.  This one sort of makes a quiet grunt all the time but steam does not seem as prolific, unless you want to do vertical steaming then it is in abundance.

There again I don't seem to need as much steam or heat due to my new Brabantia ironing board.  Don't know what they've got underneath the top sheet but it  works.  No steamed windows at all, until the vertical steaming try out.

Plus points, the whole unit is far lighter than the other one and the cord does not have to be left to cool down after use. Also the iron has a lock on it to hold it in place while stored away, which is good as I've had a few dropping incidents in the past.  I suppose I will get used to it eventually.

The old steam generator is now in the sewing room.  The sole plate was a bit messy so I tried my new Pyrm stick stuff on it.  No instructions in English so just put in on the hot plate like some other stuff I had.  Worked a treat until I started getting close to see how shiny clean it made it and nearly gassed myself with the smell.

Can't remember when I started it, but it seems like ages  ago, it was actually 13 August.   Do I like it, love it.  The gorgeous faux fur I bought, I  chickened out of cutting it so changed to some faux shearling, which was not as expensive and I could buy less. 

If I could change anything it would be the top pocket near the zip placket.  There was hardly any room so I would reposition further away.  In the end I used handbag zips on the pockets, seemed stronger and they get a lot of use. It hasn't been pressed at all but I suspect if I do that it will never get photographed, which is what usually happens.  I used Millerain fabric, which didn't like pins so the quilting clips I used were a real godsend.  I used Thinsulate inside  and it has made it feel really warm. The lining quilting was a bind for me, I'm not really a quilter and when the tape ran out I'm afraid I ran a ruler down and sewed up to it with a zip foot.  Worst thing about, I have never known fabric pick up so much thread, I seemed to be continually pulling it off and of course most times that went on the floor.

I'm already thinking about doing it again in maybe a wool fabric, although after three projects one after the other I think the next step is a blitz in the sewing room.