Sewing Daily

Drum Roll Please....

2012-01-28T14:23:00.004-05:00

The machines are plugged in and it feels good. Last night, I worked on organizing thread and buttons. Does polyester thread get old? I did toss a few spools that had very little thread on them. I'm sure that I originally kept them to do mending but really how many spools do you need. I'm still working on the buttons as I have many. I'm putting them in jars and intend to use them as a decorative element in my room. It seems every time I move something I find more thread. At least most of it is little spools not large ones. I did find that I have a few spools of different thread. As in, outdoor thread and then decorative thread. I'm not sure how I'm going to go about organizing those. The decorative thread may even go in one of the embroider thread cabinets.

Here's a picture of the Razzle Dazzle:

Doesn't it dazzle you? I'm not sure what color it is but the spools states for bobbin work, couching, and serger. I do think that the project has you doing something different that that. However, I would like to play with this thread in the serger.

I went to JoAnn's today and purchased the black fabric in the picture below:

In going through the stash, I found a piece of Star Wars fabric and asked my son if he was still interested in the fabric. Surprising, he said "Yes". He wanted me to make a sleep shirt. Since there was only a little over a yard of the Stars Wars fabric available, I had to purchase the coordinated black. We'll see how creative I can get with the two fabrics. Hopefully, I have enough. It will be a simple v-neck pull over. My son is tall - 6'+ but he is still a kid and needs to be able to indulge in that once in while.

The fabric below will be my version of one of the projects from the "Make It Sew Modern" book by Vanessa Christenson.

I'm using her ideas as a jumping off point. It will still be girly. I'm hoping that my ideas work as well as her project did. Her samples used pinking shears or a pink blade in the rotary cutter and I do not have either one.

By the way, I'm hoping that the blue floral will work OK. I rarely purchase the cotton "quilting" fabrics from JoAnn's because I do not have much luck with them. Generally, the dyes run and I end up with something ugly. This fabric is in the washer right now. If it doesn't work out, I will be returning this fabric and visiting a nearby quilting store. I know that I own a store but I don't have any prints that are what I want to use. Well, let me clarify. Any prints that I want to use for this particular project. Believe me, when I say that plenty of fabric has followed me home from my little shop/office. I love everything that I purchase.

Happy Stitching!

No Sewing Yet....

2012-01-27T15:28:00.006-05:00

Nope, no sewing yet but I am dreaming. I'm still working on the re-arranging of the sewing room. I think the furniture is where is needs to be but I'm struggling with the organizing of the essentials of sewing which is mostly fabric and stabilizers. I don't have a closet available to put stuff in but I do have 3 cabinets and 6 crates. I know it will get figured out eventually. I just want to be able to find what I'm looking for. Maybe I need to think about some shelves that hangs on the wall. I have put away all of my patterns in the cabinet that I purchased for my patterns and I must say that it is full. I guess I need to give away some patterns.

The zappos order arrived and I liked both pair of shoes. However, fast forward a couple of days and I hear about the Zappos database being accessed and that Zappos had notified all of their customers. This customer didn't get notified. I will be watching the cc very closely over the next few months. I did get an invite to be a Zappos VIP. I wonder if the two are related. New, more secure passwords on all accounts. I hope I can remember them.

Sewing related things that I have done in the past few weeks. I joined the Superior University. I love having the opportunity to learn and to combine it will my love of sewing is even better. The only thing that would be better is if I could do this a class with other people. The first lesson has arrived and it is using Razzle Dazzle. I have not worked with this thread before so I hope it will be a good experience. I am going to try to work on the lesson this weekend. It will require another try to the store.

Yesterday, I also purchased a new sewing machine. No, I do not necessarily need another sewing machine. I just wanted this sewing machine. Here's what I purchased:

It's the Singer 160th anniversary Edition Sewing Machine. Isn't it cute? Of course, this will add another layer of clutter to my sewing area. I will need to purchase Singer sewing needles for this machine. I needed to do this any way I have a little vintage Singer sewing machine that looks much like the new above. This one could end up at my store. I haven't decided yet.

I purchase a new book and it looks like a winner. It is "Make It Sew Modern" by Vanessa Christenson. Here's the cover:

The book is divided into 4 sections as shown under the title. Each section has at least 5 projects. Most of the projects are very doable. In fact, maybe as something fun, I will work through this book and do that projects that are of interest to me and post the results.

My weekend plans are to work on my Superior University lesson for Razzle Dazzle and work on de-cluttering/organizing my sewing space. If I get to all the above and want to continue, I have a pair of jeans to work.

Happy Sewing!

Time flies when you're having fun...

2012-01-14T18:53:00.006-05:00

Where has the past two weeks gone? I did play with my embroidery machine some more but the table runner I was so inspired to make didn't happen. The snowflakes wouldn't stitch out with the thread I wanted to use. I'll move on to something else. I did get the fabric for the pillow I want to make but it hasn't been washed yet. So, that project is on hold until then.

Work has kept me fairly busy for the past couple of weeks. I've been too tired to think about any projects or work on anything. However, today I was was energized to rearrange my sewing area. DH got me a 3-way mirror for Christmas and it needs to be mounted on the wall. The room where my sewing stuff is located is fairly large room but it is a busy room with my son's study area and the home office in there too. I moved the storage cabinets to the opposite side of the room on an unused wall. Moved the sewing table for the second time this year. Now, the wall where I wanted the mirror to be mounted is open. The room looks like a tornado has blown through it. I do think that it will take me many days to finish rearranging but the big pieces are done. I did get to handle and look at every piece of fabric I own. I honestly don't have too many pieces that are "What was I thinking?" material, but I do have a lot of items that were purchased with "working in an office" in mind. I still like getting dressed up but it is much more casual now.

I did a little bit of shoe shopping today. Here are my purchases: Zappos was happy to see me today. I love the red sandals and really hope that they fit when they arrive. The black shoes are just for when you need something a little bit dressy. We'll see if the low heel is a good idea. I generally wear shoes with about a 2" heel. I certainly don't need anything to make me feel short. Both my husband and my son are over the 6 foot mark and at just under 5'5", I don't know anything else to make me feel that way.

Oh, I did find some beautiful fabric for a tablecloth among my stash. It was a lovely deep green. I did want to make holiday tablecloths this month. Maybe I will be able to get to this by the end of the month. I also found the suede sherpa I was looking for. Oh, I have so many projects that I want to do. I wonder if my family will mind finding their own meals for the next month or so. LOL.

Happy Sewing!

Still rolling along...

2012-01-02T19:52:00.006-05:00

Yep, today found me still happily working on my project. The pillow fabrics were washed and pressed today. Last night, I did a test run of the embroidery design and a loose weave fabric. I was happy with the way it turned out. Here's the design:

My test design looked very similar. This design is from Embroidery Library. I will be stitching this on a osnaburg fabric that has been stabilized. I just need to figure out the size of the pillow. Does anyone know how much room to leave around a design?

I couldn't resist going to JoAnn's today. I had a 10% off coupon and needed to get zippers for the pillows. I also picked up bells for another project and a pillow form for a neck roll. I didn't spend much but there wasn't really much a sale going on.

Oh, I've added a new project. I'm going to make a table runner and decorate it with snowflakes. I need to practice with the embroidery machine and this is perfect project to practice with. Now, I need to locate the snowflakes.

Happy Stitching!

It's 2012....Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T20:57:00.006-05:00

Well, 2012 has me busy in my sewing room. I have promised myself that I'm going to sew at a minimum of every Friday night. It remains to be seen whether or not this will occur. I have finished one project that was started last year. The body pillow cover that I started sometime last fall is finished. I have now put the new comforter, pillow shams, and body pillow on the bed. A great way to start off the new year.

My first efforts this year are going to be to finish the decorative pillows to match the new comforter. The fabrics were washed today. Now, they need to be pressed. Then, I need to decide what type of pillows I want. I have three fabrics - 2 solids and 1 stripe. One pillow is going have a machine embroidery feature on it. I have picked out the design now I just need to play with the colors. I'll post pics when they are done.

The remaining projects for January are:

1. 2 Christmas tablecloths - I never seem to have enough tablecloths for the holidays and I really do like using them.

2. Silhouette Lana Jeans - I cut this out in November or December and never got back to it. I'm hoping they work out.

3. A knit top of some kind. There is a sew along starting at Stitcher's Guild and I think I'm going to try to sew along in an unofficial capacity. The sew along is for 1 top a month. I know it sounds doable but we'll see. I don't know what pattern I'll be using but I do think I'm going to use a cotton/lycra fabric that just arrived at my store.

Also, I started the year with purchasing some new patterns. There's a sale going on and I couldn't resist. Here's my purchases:

This is Vogue 8715. I'm specifically interested in this jacket shown above. This pattern also has the Custom Fit option which I'm hoping will help with any fit issues.

This is McCalls 6519. This pattern I'm interested in the the dress and the skirt. The short sleeve top might be of interest also.

This is Butterick 5429. I'm only interested in the short sleeve top on this pattern.

Well, that's it for now.

Happy Stitching!

Time Flies...

2011-12-03T21:07:00.005-05:00

Wow! I didn't realize that it been so long since I posted anything. No, the jeans are not done. They are sitting in the same spot when I left them a month or so ago. I have been busy though. I spent a week in AR with my family and friends. I was a great trip but very tiring. I was able to spend some time with an old friend that I had not seen in years. It was good.

What have I been doing? Cleaning the sewing area and moving the equipment has been happening. It is still in the works but getting there. I have been knitting a scarf in the evening. This has been very relaxing. The scarf is about 1/2 way finished. I really wanted to finish it before Thanksgiving but some things are not to be.

My son and I created a Christmas garland. Here's a picture:

Didn't it turn out cute? It took a little more time than what I had intended but it was nice spending time with my son and talking with him. I purchased the instructions from an Etsy store called StudioCherie. The instructions were good.

Happy Stitching!

One step closer....

2011-10-18T21:30:00.004-04:00

Yep, I'm one step closer on those jeans (Silhouettes - Lana's Jean). Everything is cut out and I added a 1/2" to the outside seams. I'm waiting on the jean stitch to show up. I don't really expect these jeans to fit right out of the package but I'm willing to give it a try. I may be pleasantly surprised.

I did go shopping last weekend and found 1 pair of pants (knit) and two skirts. I was doing a happy dance. There was a couple of casual tops thrown in. I was really excited about the pants. Over the past month I have tried on probably 50 pairs of pants - various stores and brands. I have purchased two pair. I'm really puzzled over the fit problems that I'm seeing in RTW. If the hip fits, the waist is many inches to big. ???? I understand that each manufacture has a particular model that they fit but I find it hard to believe that every pair of pants has an apple for model. My waist is only about 8 inches smaller than my hips and there could be a smaller difference than that but the 90% of the pants I've tried on lately has needed at least 4-5" removed from the waist. I have almost decided that the tailor will be my new best friend. I'm going to give myself one more go at making some pants. If it doesn't work out, I will visit the tailor.

Ok, jean stitch will be here tomorrow. I'm hoping to start sewing tomorrow evening. I thnk the hardest part is going to be the zipper.

Happy Stitching!

School project....

2011-10-11T20:28:00.004-04:00

I thought I would share a project that my son did at school. It's a rock:

Isn't he cute? I ended helping with this project because my son did not complete during the sewing portion of his class. He was extremely frustrated with the school machine and his teacher. He claimed that she yelled at him every time he a problem which apparently was non-stop. So, I volunteered to let him bring the project home and use my machine. He proudly brought home the pieces of the project (apparently the teacher had taken it apart) and said "Here Mom, you can finish my project for me." To which I laughed and said "I don't think so. This is your project and you are going to complete it. You will use my machine and I will show you how to thread it properly and you will make you project."

First thing I did was pull out the instructions and the pieces. I decided very quickly that it needed to be broken down even more than what the teacher had done. I saw why my son was having a problem. When I pulled the bobbin from the bag, it wasn't properly wound. The thread was very loose. When working on the frog stitches, I could tell that the stitch length was way to small. It was at the default 2.5mm. Blah! Now when the kid sat down to sew, I realized that he was scared of the machine. He would not put his hands near the needle. No wonder he couldn't get it to feed the project correctly to get even stitches/seams. I also realized that I had to remain very calm. I would explain what he needed do, show a little, and walk away. If it needed to undo the stitching, I would tell him that was it for evening. Over the course of four days, we finished his project.

Remember I said that I wasn't going to sew for him. Well, please notice that the rock has feet. Yep, that meant that there was a tiny little circle that has to be sewn to tiny little legs along with tiny little shoes and he's afraid of the needle. I gave up sewed those sections for him but he did do the rest. In the end, I'm proud of him for putting forth the effort. He HATES sewing because of all the problems he has had at school. I would have gladly volunteered had I know that the teacher didn't have any help with a class of 30 kids. Of course, I would be able to help her all day maybe just one or two classes.

Now, for opinions. This project was considered to a Level 3 project which for my son means that it is the third project he has ever completed. Each sewing session has had a least one school year between and only lasts about 4 weeks. Does this look like an appropriate project for a beginner? Fur and tight little curves. I admit I was a little bit intimidated by this project because of the fur. What are your thoughts?

Off to work on my project...lol.

Happy Stitching!

Comparing patterns..

2011-10-08T22:13:00.006-04:00

After spending a couple of hours trying on clothes and not finding anything that fit well. I came home and pulled out a couple of jean patterns. I have never made a pair of jeans but now is as good a time as any. Here's the jean patterns that I chose:

The first pattern is Silhouette patterns #3300 - Lana's Jean. This pattern has all the sizes the Peggy Sagers offers in her pattern line. I measured my hip as indicated in the pattern. Ugh! I choose a Size 18 based on that measurement. I have traced out the pattern and double-checked that it had been traced correctly. Although, I did note that there were notches missing on one of the patterns pieces.
The second pattern is McCall's 5894. This is a Palmer/Pletsch pattern. Unfortunately, I purchased the wrong size in this pattern but I decided to compare the size 16 to the Silhouette pattern size 18.

Much to my surprise the width of the patterns matched but that was the only thing that matched. The crotch curve is different between the two patterns with the Silhouette pattern having a more scooped curve (ok, this is an adjustment that I have done to other pant patterns in the past). I'm guessing that this would mean that the Silhouettes pattern actually has a little bit less ease that the McCall's but may fit the back a little bit better. As in it would cup the area better.

I will need to dig through the stash to find the denim that is I know is hidden there. Hopefully, I can get a muslin made in the next week or so.

Happy Stitching!

Another week...

2011-10-01T11:49:00.000-04:00

Another week has gone by. I didn't sew this week but I did spent time cleaning. The wood floors look wondering again.

I spent some time this morning looking at the new patterns at the various companies. It is kinda depressing. I rarely seen anything that I find interesting. I did find two items to share.

The first one is Butterick 5673. This is the one I think I will purchase. The lines on this dress should be very flattering. I'll have to check the neckline but otherwise I really like this dress.

This pattern is McCall's 6433. I really like the look of the dress. The neckline is lower than what I would like to wear but I really like the pleats down the side. This is a maybe on my list.

The other thing that I noticed was the number of poncho patterns. How many ponchos can a person have? I also saw a pattern for gauchos (?). I know I'm telling my age by calling them that put I don't know what they are being called now. That look is right out of the mid-70's.

I guess that it for today. I would like to clean some in the sewing room and dining room today. Of course, laundry is in the works already. It seems like a very lazy day but it raining. I also need to put some thought into a dinner of some sort.

Happy Stitching!

Fall is here but I'm not ready!

2011-09-24T20:19:00.000-04:00

Fall is officially here. I'm not ready for the cooler weather at all. The early morning walks are getting harder to do. It is getting cool enough that I need a jacket, at least to get started, and it is dark out when I start. I will admit that I have seen some beautiful mornings.

My plan of not spending as much time on the computer is working fairly well. I have been sewing. Not a lot. I had purchased new comforter, shams, and bed skirt for my room. However, I never use the bed skirt and this one was really long. So, I took part of it to make a matching body pillow case. Washing instructions for the bed skirt was dry clean only but you can not have a pillow case that is dry clean only. So, I took a chance and washed it liked I would wash sheets and it turned out fine. I still need to decide how I'm going to finish the hem but the serger makes really quick work of this stitching this type of project. I do prefer french seams but this time it was just serged.

I have also been reviewing a chapter every day for the past week from Basics with Claire Shaffer Couture Techniques Workshop DVD . I think it is a companion for the Couture Sewing by Claire Shaffer. This has been a wonderful little DVD. I have really enjoy seeing her show various techniques and garments from her collection.

Something else that I have been doing is teaching my son to cook. It has been funny watching him use a knife. OK, I'll admit that it's scary too but he is afraid of the knife and tries to use it with one hand. That makes it a little bit tough to slice and dice. I will keep working with him. I have also been working with him on using a peeler. Again, this has been an experience. I really should have been working on this sooner because in just a few short years he will be exploring the world by himself and I would like to believe that he will be able to cook for himself. In looking back on this, I have no memory of my own Mom helping me learn these skills. I only remember making cookies and such.

Ok, enough rambling. The dryer is calling.

Happy Stitching!

Is it fall yet?

2011-09-14T20:39:00.000-04:00

Fall is my favorite time of the year. I know it's isn't really fall yet but I'm getting ready. I started looking for new boots early this year. First pair I found was a wonderful distressful leather boot with the zipper on the outside of the leg. I was so excited when I received them but the shaft circumference wasn't big enough. This made me very sad. Alright, I will admit it. This is my normal issue with boots. Yes, I did measure before ordering. However, this did not stop me. It was Zappos to the rescue! Here's the boot that I ended up with:

I can't complaint about these boots fitting. They are perfect! Well, as close to perfect as you can get. The shaft circumference is not the least bit tight. In fact, I could probably do something crazy like tuck my pants into the boot if I was so inclined (don't worry, it won't happen). By the way, they are a very dark brown.

I also found a style website that I didn't know about. It is Clinton Kelly's StyleRx. For $2.99, Clinton will provide you with a style guide. I figured for the price it couldn't hurt. The information provided isn't really that much different than what Clinton and Stacy also talk about on their show. It has been amusing to play with style room. My only advice if you choose to play with this is to provide the most accurate information that you can. Take the time to take all of your measurements as accurately as possible because you will get style that dummy (it is suppose to represent you). The only that I can say is that as far as I can tell, you can not change the information on measurements. Did I learn anything from this? Maybe. There wasn't anything that surprised me about the pants and skirts but the tops surprised me a little bit. It's not that I don't purchase the type of tops that was suggested. It's more like where are the typical knit tops. I was told that I should not wear anything that doesn't have a dart. That puts most of your knit tops as a NoNo. If anyone else decides to give it a try, I would love to hear about your experience.

I purchased a Great Copy pattern today. You do not hear much about this pattern line. It's your typical independent pattern on heavy white paper. I was surprised to find that the sizing on the outside is your typical body measurement chart but the gold in this pattern is inside. Located inside is the finished garment measurements, garment lengths, and finished sleeve lengths. The only measurement that seems to be missing the sleeve circumference. Of course, this pattern is for a simple t-shirt style top and it doesn't have any darts. So, the question is, should I follow the Style Guide that I purchased? or should I go ahead and make it ? Ok, I'll admit the chances are very slim that I will make anything but I do like to dream.

I have decided that the real reason I do not get any sewing done is I spend too much time on the computer. It doesn't matter whether I'm working or doing something for pleasure. I just spend too much time with technology. So, I'm going to try to quit work by 5pm and give myself no more than an hour to surf for pleasure. That should give me a little bit of time to sew, a little bit of time to clean, and a little bit of time to relax. I will report back in a couple of weeks and let you know whether or not this has helped any.

Well, my technology is mostly over. I guess today is as good as any day to start turning off the technology.

Happy Stitching!

Lazy Days of Summer

2011-08-19T21:45:00.002-04:00

It has certainly been a lazy summer. I haven't sewn anything all summer. Will I remember how? Of course, I will. Oh, I have been lots of mental sewing. There have been several projects planned with patterns, fabric, and notions purchased. Just no sewing.

So, what do you do when you find yourself in this situation. I would love to hear what you do to get yourself over that hump.

Happy Stitching!

Wow! do I have some news....

2011-06-01T18:57:00.002-04:00

I have some really interesting news..... Remember yesterday I was talking about Heather Claus? Well, she's back and has her fingers in a lot of pies. However there are lots of freebies to be had, if you're interested. The site is called 365 days of sewing. It is technially owned by another person but Heather is loading lessons on it. I can't tell that anything is for sale on the site but please be careful. Check it out there is lots of interesting stuff. You do need to be a member on the site to download anything.

Happy Stitching!

Too hot to sew?

2011-05-31T21:04:00.003-04:00

Ack! Another hot day! It's suppose to cool down a little bit over the next couple of days. Please give me the low 80's over the low 90's.

I did manage to sew a little bit tonight and the sewing room is very, very warm. The kiddo is having a carnival at school and needed bean bags. So, tonight I cut them out and finished them. I'm a week ahead, too. Normally, I would be doing this around midnight the night before it was needed. Next on the list, candy for the carnival. Gotta have prizes for those who win.

Then, I found a older sewing CD - The Ultimate Shirts & T-Shirts collection from See It, Sew It! by Heather Clause(?). Perfect for sitting outside with the laptop. This CD is really stuffed with a lot of great information. She had so many great ideas and was really a little bit a head of time with her ideas but she didn't do well following through. Such a shame. She was very talented. I think in the end she was just burned out. Too many irons in the fire so to speak. I wasted a lot of money especially the last year or so she was around.

Think I'll head upstairs to the warm sewing room and put navy thread in the serger. That will put me one step closer to getting the cardigan done. Baby steps will get there, too. It will just take a little bit longer.

Happy Sewing!

It was a good day...

2011-05-30T21:37:00.002-04:00

We had a very hot day for Pittsburgh. It was in the low 90's. There was a lot of work outside accomplished mostly by my DH. However, I did get a bit of sewing done. I added a few weights to the curtain that I had made for the deck last year and hung it up. Now, the deck is shaded from the late afternoon sun again. Then, because it was too hot to hang out inside, I brought fabric, pattern, and everything needed to cut out. Amazingly, I was able to cut out the Cool Cardigan - Draped Front by Pamela's Patterns. I started tracing this at the beginning of May and realized that I did not have the correct pattern instructions (Pamela sent them to me). So, I'm just now getting back to that project. This is going to be quick and easy, I think. I just need to get the serger and sewing machine set-up. By the way, the fabric was horrible to deal with. I think it was a rayon/lycra blend. It had wrinkled horribly and needed to be steamed before I could cut out. It felt like it took forever to get it to lay out correctly. It did not want to lay flat. I hope this doesn't continue when I start sewing. Cutting out wasn't too bad. Maybe sometime this week I will be able to get the cardigan sewn together.

Happy Sewing!

Prepping to sew..

2011-05-21T18:15:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I was able to get the remaining fabrics for my skirts washed. Today, we are having beautiful weather (i.e., no rain). Hopefully, this evening, I will be able to press the fabric. The patterns have been traced and with any luck I can start cutting out. I need to sew. For me, it is a very relaxing activity.

Happy Sewing!

It's good news...kinda

2011-05-19T07:21:00.003-04:00

I woke up this morning to a Facebook message from my brother. My Dad didn't have a stroke but a mild heart attack. He was out of surgery by midnight. Laughing and joking in recovery afterwards. That is good news in my book. I will be calling later today. Prayer is a wonderful thing. I hope the rest of the week is very quiet.

What a week....

2011-05-18T20:08:00.004-04:00

I returned from Quilt Market late Sunday night exhausted but Quilt Market was exciting. Sorry, I didn't take any pictures at the market but I did bring back lots of goodies.

Fast forward to Tuesday evening, it is noted by us that my 18+ year old cat is not acting right. We help her to the water bowl, the kitty box, the food, and put her in her bed knowing that this will be the last time we do so. This morning, she had lost interest in all the things that she loves (particularly getting in the shower right after someone has taken a shower). I call the vet and explain what is going on. He tells me to bring her in as soon as I can. I called my husband because I did not want to face the vet and the decision that I knew was coming. So, I went home and gathered her up and talked to her. She is now in kitty heaven. I have spent the majority of the day crying. Why do we get so attached to little animals? I know that this is best. She had kidney disease and I have been giving her fluids daily for more than a year. My sweet little friend will be missed.

Fast forward to Wednesday evening, I get a phone call that my Dad has been taken to the hospital. My Mom thinks that he has had a stroke. So, here I am, hoping that my day doesn't continue to spiral downwards. Hoping that my mother is wrong about the stroke. Hoping that my Dad is OK. Wishing that I was in AR with my family instead of PA. Please pray.

Sorry for the sad post. Maybe I will go serge some fabric to keep busy while I wait.

One step closer to sewing....

2011-05-08T20:31:00.004-04:00

The order arrived from Fabric.com but the excited ended when I found a large piece of bright green synthetic instead of the white cotton lawn that I had ordered. Sigh...that was the second order this past week that had something wrong with it. Both companies has resent the orders.

Today, I decided to go ahead and trace some patterns. The first one I traced was the Cool Cardigan - Draped Front. I followed her directions and selecting a size and was very surprised at the size. I going to go ahead and try the size because it's just fabric and can be replace. Then discovered that the directions in the pattern were for a different pattern. ARGH! I sent Pamela an email to see if I could get the instructions emailed. On to another pattern. Next I traced Amy's skirt pattern by Silhouettes. This went extremely well. I need to dig through the stash and see what I have that will work as a muslin. Instructions are minimal but it doesn't look like it will be difficult at all.

Happy Sewing!

Still dreamin' of sewin'

2011-05-02T19:35:00.004-04:00

No sewing going on yet but I did get the lining fabric for both of my skirts orders - a white lawn. I hope I picked the right fabric. I also ordered fabric to try the Draped Cardigans - Draped Front from Pamela's Patterns. Both should be here by the end of the week. This gives me a total of 4 projects to complete -- two skirts and two tops. Let's see if I can get them done this year. I really wanted to have a couple of items made before I left on my next trip but .... I guess I need to have a little more confidence in myself.

Did anyone see the Threads article "Flatlock for Fashion" by Pamela Leggett. I loved what she did with the flatlocking on her skirt and t-shirt patterns. I started playing with this stitch a couple of years ago and ran out of steam. I did accomplish making a blanket-stitch on a fleece throw. I was happy. Now, I will like to give this a try on a t-shirt. Let's see if I can make time to do this in the near future. I will admit that I hesitate to use too much of a thread contrast but let's see what I can come up with.

I found another goodie in the mailbox today..... Inspirations #70. I love getting this magazine and actually have every issue. I have made a few things from the magazine but I mostly drool over the pictures and think about ordering kits. Ok, I've opened it and the front cover is wonderful. It is crewel work.

Happy Sewing! (or in my case dreaming)

It's a dreary day but the mail came...

2011-04-29T18:58:00.003-04:00

We are having a very dreary day in Pittsburgh. When I got home from work, the mailbox was packed with goodies and most of them were for me. How could I not smile and be happy? I received my orders from Silhouette Patterns today in record time. One order was placed on Tuesday evening and the other on Wednesday morning. The fabric is beautiful and the patterns I hope work out. I'm ready to start except I still need to get lining for the skirts. What patterns did I get? Amy's skirt (#2750) and Nancy's blouse (#450). It was a special that included fabric.

I also received a DVD - Achieving Great Fit Through Muslins. I want to learn to use my French curve. Oh, I use it but I don't think that I use it exactly the way it's suppose to be used. This is one of the items that Peggy has been going over. I realize that she is an "expert" in her field but I think finally understand the use of the French curve around the armhole, neckline, and the waistline. I had a major AHA moment the other night when she would working with the skirt webcast. So, here I am with sewing stuff piled around and I'm happy.

I was looking at the pattern instructions for both the top and the skirt. Wow! they are really minimal. However, neither item is particularly difficult and really shouldn't be hard to do. I think the hardest part will be figuring out the sizing on the top. I think I should get some inexpensive muslin and see what I can come with.

Happy Stitching!

Anyone watching Peggy Sager's webcasts?

2011-04-26T20:40:00.004-04:00

Has anyone been watching the Peggy Sager's webcasts? I've been watching these over the last few weeks. Sometimes, I there live and sometimes, I have to watch the replays. Let me tell you, she makes everything seem easy about sewing. When I was watching the skirts webcast last night, I had a major aha moment. People were asking questions about sway back, skirt backs being shorter than the front, etc, etc. She whipped out the curve ruler and was explaining how to use it to adjust the pattern to fit our body. She made a comment about people expecting patterns to fit them right out of the package and that it just wasn't really possible because of the curves of the pattern would not necessarily match the curves of our bodies. Then, she said nobody waist is straight and don't expect it to be. She makes me want to sew for myself, again.

Yes, I am sitting here with a beautiful piece of voile to make a skirt. I realized after I washed it that I'm going to need another piece of voile to either line or make a matching slip. So, back to the internet I go. Fabric.com does have white voile cotton available. Now, I need to figure out how much to purchase.

If you haven't watched any of the webcasts, schedule an hour and treat yourself. It will be well worth the time.

Happy Sewing!

Blankie is finished....

2011-04-22T19:18:00.003-04:00

I finally finished the baby blanket a week later than I had intended. I think it turned out really cute. Here it is:

It's an exaggerated log cabin. I used seersucker fabric for the top and minky for the back. Yes, I forgot to take pictures with the back showing but it was a very pale yellow minky. This was my very first time working with the minky and I did a lot of research before cutting it. Surprisingly, I did not have a hard time sewing the minky with the machine. I used many, many pins and made sure that the minky was next to the feed dogs.

How did I do on my first quilt project in years?

I haven't decided yet what my next project is but I was thinking about the Swing Shift jacket pattern by Sewn square one for your style or 1 little girl version of the Vintage Baby Bubble pattern by Petite Poche (Wendy Schoen).

Happy Sewing!

Sewing again....

2011-04-06T16:01:00.003-04:00

Listen....Did you hear that sound? No, it's the sound of my sewing machine being used. Oh, it feels so good to have one of my machine going again. I've been sewing since Sunday just about every day. What am I working on? A baby quilt. I'm not really much of a quilter but I was inspired by the January issue of Martha Stewart's Living. Of course, there aren't really any instructions other than very basic information like the size of the starting square and the width of the strips. I should have the quilt top finished tonight. Then, the challenging part starts. I will be working with Minky for the first time. I want this little quilt to have lots of texture and interest and it's going to. I post a picture next week after it is all it is all finished assuming I survive the Minky.

Happy Sewing!

I didn't know....

2011-03-17T16:15:00.002-04:00

Wow! I didn't realize that it had been so long since I have posted anything. Well, I haven't been sewing so maybe that is one of the reasons. I have turned my serger on twice since the first of the year. How sad is that? I may not have been sewing but have been busy. A home renovation project was moved up a month. Move forward three weeks and I have a newly renovated basement. It turned out beautiful. However in the middle of the renovation, a pipe developed a leak (on the 2nd floor, of course) and it was discovered before the ceiling fell in the living room which is above the area being renovated. About 1/4 of the living room ceiling had to be replaced along with the piping above it. Those copper pipes don't last forever. With the ceiling being replaced it meant that the living room had to be repainted. Because of all the dry wall sanding the whole house has had to be cleaned. Yes, I'm still working on that. There are just too many things to do but I will be sewing soon.

Happy Sewing!

A new year for sewing!

2011-01-04T21:33:00.003-05:00

It's a new year and I'm ready to sew. I've decided that I want new Christmas decor. I think the only way I can accomplish this is to attempt to make a plan and start early in the year. So, I will be starting with tablecloths. Here's the fabrics that I have chosen:

These fabrics are from my shop and they are wonderful. I think this very traditional look will look nice in my red dining room. I need to measure my table and check the drop before cutting the fabric. I think the gold plaid will have a traditional sewn hem and the red plaid will have a serged edge. I need to look for some decorative serger thread. Any suggestions?

Here's my goal for the year: tablecloths (2), placemats (4), napkins (4), tree skirt, and holiday pillows. I do think this is a doable list as long as I don't put anything off till the last minute. The fabric collection that the tablecloth fabric is from has lots of very traditional fabrics and I may use some of those. However, I want the treeskirt to have a scrappy look with lots of embellishments. More decorative threads.

Happy Sewing!

It's been a month..

2010-11-20T19:02:00.009-05:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been a month since I've made any comments. I decided against the dress I was thinking about and just haven't moved on to another project. Work has been keeping me very busy. However, I have purchased a couple of new books. Here they are:

Two of the Sewing Bible books. I was disappointed with both of these books. I would recommend to anyone that these be books that you wait till they show up at the library. The slipcovers book was not what I was expecting at all and was a real disappoint. Given the picture on the front, I thought it was a book about slipcovers for furniture. Not so. There is one project in the book that is related to furniture. Other projects are tablecloths, pillow covers, etc. I think you get the idea. The clothing book might be good for a beginner but I doubt that anyone else would be very excited about it.

I decided tonight that I would look at new patterns. I know I haven't been sewing but I can dream. Here's what I found at Butterick:

Isn't this a lovely dress by Maggie London? I'm very tempted to purchase this pattern for the stash. I checked the other 3 big pattern companies and didn't find anything else as interesting.

Happy Sewing!

Another one bits the dust....

2010-10-14T21:27:00.004-04:00

Yes, another UFO has bit the dust. The grain bag is finished. I didn't add the elastic to the top. It was super simple sewing and surprisingly everything came together easily. DH is very happy and proclaimed that he now needed to make a batch of beer to try out the new bag. I hope it works for him. I now have a pattern that works. The sewing time on this was very short. It took about 1 1/2 hours to complete and this included fiddling with the serger which had to be threaded from the beginning (I usually pull threads) and I had to move needles. Now, I'm wondering why this became a UFO.

However, I'm now planning new projects which will most likely become the next UFOs. I hope not but you know how that goes.

I have gone stash diving and found a couple of fabrics. The first one is some kind of challis (I think) and is in lovely fall colors. Here's the pattern I was planning on: The version I'm thinking about is the one shown in yellow. This is McCall's 5925. Is this still somewhat fashionable? I was going to lengthen it to knee length and wear tights with boots. I'm thinking that it might be nice and warm for my office. I did look for reviews and found one. I need to take the pattern out and measure it. Since the styling is suppose to be very loose fitting, I will need to determine how loose I'm willing to go.

The second stash find that I found was a navy dinosaur print. My son has agreed that it would make perfect pjs. Hopefully, I can get those made. He has outgrown everything and I'm sure would appreciate something besides short pjs now that the weather is getting cool again.

Don't think that I have made all the UFOs disappear because I haven't. I can think of at least three more but I want something new for myself.

Happy Sewing!

Georgous fabric!

2010-10-08T09:48:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, the distributor's rep stopped by to see me and show me fabric. I really do like seeing the fabric in person not that I have ever been disappointed with the fabrics that I have purchased via the internet for the store. However, sometimes you just have to touch the fabric to understand. I got to see the fabrics by Anna Maria Horner yesterday - the voiles, the velvets, the home dec fabric. Oh my, is this nice fabric and in my opinion worth every penny of the price of these lovely pieces. I will be saving room in my budget for her next collections. I want some of the voiles for myself. Oh, I can't locate the code to create a link for you. Just go to Free Spirit Fabric Gallery and look at Innocent Crush and Little Folks collection.

Happy Sewing!

1 UFO down and....

2010-10-03T19:18:00.006-04:00

Yes, I have mostly finished the curtain for the deck and here it is:

This curtain took about 2 months for me to complete. It is certainly not my best work but it is functional. I did forget to add weights to the bottom and this will be fixed over the winter. This is the largest curtain that I have ever made. It is just over 12 feet across. Really, this is very easy sewing. I used felted seams for joins and regular hems on the sides and bottom. The top however is angled to match the slope of the ceiling. This project included two new to me items. First, the fabric is outdoor fabric is a little different to handle. Second, I used outdoor thread for the stitching. My machine balked a little bit at using this thread and it took a little bit of playing with the tensions to get a good stitch. Outdoor thread is very heavy. However, it is a necessary part of sewing for the outdoors.

I really like the change to the atmosphere on the deck by adding the curtain. The curtain is necessary as the afternoon sun shines directly on the table in the summer. I want to add cushions to the chairs. I have stashed more outdoor fabrics. I have been unable to locate the foam for outdoor cushions. I know I will locate it eventually.

I have added another new book to the library. I'm intrigued by "Learning to Sew" books. Here's the latest addition:

Yes, the book has the typical information that is found in every sewing book that is printed today - the tools and the machine. However, something I haven't seen before is a getting to know your machine. As in stitching every stitch and playing with the stitch length and width. A cool little project for anyone sewing. Isn't this something you do with every new machine? The book is full of little projects that anyone would like to do not just the beginner. Did I tell you that you get patterns too? Do I agree with all the techniques that is used on the book? No, I think some of my own techniques are better. I love this book though and maybe this will be a book that I do some projects from. Really though, I picked up because I was looking for a book for a potential client at work who is wanting to learn to sew. I think this book would be very good for her.

Now, I will move on to the next UFO. The grain bag for my husband. It's somewhere in the sewing area all cut out waiting for me to thread the serger and sewing machine. I hope I can remember everything that I intended to do because I doubt that I wrote it all down. DH will be very happy to get it. Brewing season is just around the corner and the brew master will be very happy with a new grain bag that actually fits his pot.

Happy Sewing!

Ever had problems with tunneling using a twin needle?

2010-09-07T20:57:00.003-04:00

I have sewn many, many t-shirts using twin needles. Yes, I have come up with my own solutions to the tunneling problem. The September 2010 issue of Threads has an article called "Flat Feet". Talk about a light bulb going off. It seems that using a foot with the flat foot instead of a foot with an indention will help with the tunnelling problems. I need to play with this idea. It could be that I was was using this type of foot without thinking about it. Just a basic zigzag foot.

Happy Sewing!

New book for the home library

2010-08-10T20:48:00.004-04:00

I love getting new sewing related books and today, I received "Sew Serendipity" by Kay Whitt. She is the creative force behind the Serendipity Studio patterns.

So far, I have only read the introduction and steps to a custom fit. I love her attitude. I have flipped through the rest of the book because I just couldn't wait to see what projects were in it. Oh, there is your very typical sewing book stuff - sewing machine talk, tools talk, and technique talk. Then, you get to the first project - a six gore skirt with lots of options. Drum roll on the fabric suggestions: quilting cottons (yes, folks), linen, or silk. The projects are arranged by skill level starting with the skirt and moving on to tunics, dresses, and jackets. By the way, patterns are included.

Oh, I did work on the project for my husband long enough to figure out the circumference (required amount of fabric) using the formula given yesterday, and double-check it using a tape measure. The formula and the tape measure were almost exactly the same.

Happy Sewing!

Moving to the next project...

2010-08-09T18:52:00.003-04:00

Well, it's been two months since I started the curtain for the deck. No, it hasn't been finished. Really it only lacks me putting the rings in. However, my DH has asked for something. He even drew up a "pattern" for me.

Yep, it's a big circle. What is the project? The brew master wants a very fine mesh bag for one of his brew pots (a grain bag). Easy enough, I think. Just need to calculate the circumference. What's the formula again? Guess, I need to look it up. Ah, the formula would diameter x pi (3.1416). I must remember the seam allowances. (Of course, I could just pick a point of the outer circle and measure around but what is the fun of that.)

Here's the fabric. It's a polyester. The brew master says that the temps in his pot won't get high enough to melt and he's positive that it is exactly what he wants. I will had a bit of elastic at the top to hold it to the outside. Again, chemist part of said brew master says it won't melt.

Hopefully, this will be super quick. He's been waiting all summer.

Happy Sewing!

New Vogues for Fall

2010-07-14T07:49:00.007-04:00

Oh, I love seeing the new patterns when they come out. Here are my picks of the new ones:

This look by Issey Miyake is my favorite. I really like the look of the tunic and think that it would be a good look for me to wear. Not sure about about the pants. This look is very 80s. Can you wear the same style twice in your lifetime?

On this easy little dress, it was the collar that drew my attention. This may be added to my collection of patterns. I don't need to wear dresses very often and it's really hard for me find them that fits. With the princess seaming, this has a little more fitting opportunities.

This DKNY dress is created for fabrics with stretch (not just knits). This reminds me very much of a 1940s dress that I use to own (and wear). The pleating coming off from the side is very flattering. Again, with the princess seaming in the top there is opportunity for fitting.

There are several interesting patterns in the fall collection at Vogue. I did note the 80s influence with long tunics and very narrow pants, along with long skirts and long jackets.

Happy Sewing!

I love getting new books!

2010-06-19T22:57:00.005-04:00

Today, I received a copy of "Sewn Spaces" by Joel Dewberry. I have glanced through the book and checked out all the projects. I was surprised to see patterns in the book. It wasn't mentioned in the description.

Just like so many books over the last few years it starts out with the techniques section but what makes it a little bit different is, is it not just sewing. Oh, there is a very basic info on stitches from the sewing machine but also hand embroidery stitches, glass etching, how to cover a button, etc. You get the idea. Of course, all the techniques discussed are used in the projects.

This will be a "shop" copy for the office/store. I plan on making a few of the projects to decorate with - farmer's tote, bird sachet (used as a pincushion), memo board, hanger cozy, fabric roses, etc. I'm hoping that my son can help out with the projects a little bit. I'll try to remember to post pictures as I work on these projects. However, I have a lot of projects and not a lot of time to work on them. Guess, I'll see how it goes. I do have a sewing machine at the office now.

Happy Sewing!

School is out....

2010-06-17T14:58:00.004-04:00

Where has the week gone? I tell you it has just disappeared. I don't like that the days disappear so quickly. I wish that time would slow down just bit. Remember when you were a kid, how the days seemed so long?

Monday, I called about the business who's catalog showed the ruler that I've been looking for. It wasn't in stock. Yes, I was really bummed. This means that the broker ruler will remain in my sewing room to be used on the days that I want bias trim a particular width. I ended up ordering a June Tailor ruler. I hope that I like it.

Tuesday, I was gifted with a sewing machine in a cabinet. I accepted it because it was free. A quick look at it told me that it wasn't as young as they tried to tell me it was. They said that it was 8 to 10 years old but this is a fairly heavy metal machine. I had never heard of the brand - National - before and of course, there wasn't a manual available. This is a super stretch 100 series. I have taken the machine to the office/store.

Wednesday, I played with the machine gifted on Tuesday. It is in good working condition and runs like a champ. I was surprised as the neighbor who I received the machine from had never mentioned that she sewed. I also have located someone who has a copy of the manual and is going to email it to me. Yeah! better than no manual at all. There are two thread spindles on this machine and I would like to know how the 2nd one is used. Also, I need to find out what kind of needles it takes. The machine threads from side-to-side instead of front-to-back.

Thursday, first day of summer for the kids. YEAH! My son is going to be working with me at the office/store. He did pretty good today. He worked to 2 hours without any complaints. I was actually amazed that I was able to keep him busy that long but I'm giving him things that need to be double-checked in inventory before I place another order. I have also been working on creating pattern books and he's helping making copies of the front/back covers.

If anyone knows anything about the Super Stretch 100 series from National, I would love to hear from you.

Happy Stitching!

On the hunt for a new ruler

2010-06-12T18:15:00.002-04:00

I'm still looking for a new ruler. I never would have thought that it would be so difficult. However, I did find a ruler set that I that is similar to a set that I purchase more than 2o years that I thought others might find interesting also. I found it at Nancy's Notions and it's the Lutterloh Pattern Making Ruler Set. Absolutely perfect for redrawing curves on patterns or when making your own patterns.

By the way, I have finally located the same ruler that I broke. However, I have to purchase 3 rulers to get it. I will be calling on Monday to see if they are still in stock and if I can purchase from this company. There isn't any pricing showing in the pages I saw. My fingers are crossed that the item is still available and that it isn't too expensive. Really, I haven't found a ruler like it anywhere. Oh, they have the marking and the 45 degree angle but what about being able to cut the bias stripes to widths between 1 1/2" to 3" wide.

Happy Stitching!

I broke my ruler...

2010-06-11T09:12:00.003-04:00

I'm so bummed. I broke my 6"x24" ruler yesterday. Just one corner but that is enough to make it hard to use. I guess that is what I get carrying it back and forth from work. Anyone have any suggestions for a good replacement? My old ruler was made by Dritz. I've been looking around and can not find a ruler with the same markings. Ok, now, I'm feeling really old. I've had this ruler for 20+ years and you would think that there would be some improvement since then. Help me out. I'm looking for a 6" x 24" ruler that is clear with 1/8" markings and has 45 degree bias. Anyone?

Preparing for the next project.

2010-06-08T19:04:00.002-04:00

The next project on my list is a curtain for my deck. I have an outdoor fabric that is dark green with a white strip and I purchased an outdoor thread. Everything has been measured and I've calculated length and width of each panel. I've purchased a felting foot for my machine. What is slowing me down? I've never worked with the outdoor fabrics before. What if I mess it up? I do have a book - "Sewing for Outdoor Spaces" by Carol Zentgraf. I suppose I should sit down and read about anything that may be special about this fabric before I cut it. However, there is no information about making an outdoor curtain. I'm planning on using curtain grommets with roller shower clips. Hopefully, it will work out. I'm unsure of the spacing for the grommets. Any ideas on how often they should be spaced? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Happy Sewing!

Another project finished...

2010-06-06T19:40:00.010-04:00

I must be on a roll. This is the 3rd project complete in the past month.

I decided to take an chair from the house to my office/shop but it needed to be changed a little bit. This chair had been sitting on my deck for the last couple years. So the finish on it wasn't in good condition. Here's a pic after it was sanded:

DH stepped in and painted the chair for me. Although the chair looks very white, it's not. It is an ivory color.

I made a pattern by measuring across the seat, dividing by 2 and adding 3/4". Then drew a big circle. This took 1/2 yard of 44" quilting cotton.

Here's the leftovers after cutting out the cushion cover. At this point, I'm hoping that square is big enough to create the ties and bias binding for the piping.

All squared up.

Selecting the spot to cut the 45 degree angle for the bias strips.

Moved the piece from the right to the left so that the straight edges can be sewn together. Notice that both outside edges are now at a 45 degree angle.

Stitched the 1/4" seam.

Pressed seam to the side.

Not shown is how I figured the width of the bias binding which is going to be 1 3/4" wide. How I calculate is by taking the piping and a tape measure. Wrap the tape measure around the piping making sure that you seam allowance (1/2") is visible under the piping. Turn the tape measure over and see where the end of the tape measure end is sitting. That is the width of the bias binding.

Here I took a colored pencil and drew my lines.

Here is where I pinned the seam together. This is where you have to be accurate. Make sure the lines meet on the seam line (1/4").

Here's the seam sewn and you can see that my lines match from one side of the seam to the other.

The cut out bias strips.

Piping sewn to top. Here's I'm getting ready to attach the two ends to make the continuous loop of piping.

Piping is finished, zipper installed, and everything is sewn together. Not to bad for a quick cushion cover. Can you see what I forgot? It's in the picture below.

Cushion cover has the pillow form in it. Yes, it's a pillow form and not a cushion. I went to JoAnn's to get a round cushion but they only had a pillow form which makes it a little puffier than what I wanted. Cushion needs to be played with a little bit to get it to fill out the cover a little better.

Following are examples of how it looks:

This is far from perfect but I'm happy with it. It is the very first time that I have made a round pillow cover. The very first time that I have put a zipper in the round. The zipper didn't turn out so great but it is definitely a learning experience. I love the fabric and actually think that it would have made a great skirt or even a shirt.

The pillow form was suppose to be the same size as the chair - 16". It's not really true. Maybe if you measured from seam to seam on the pillow but it definitely doesn't sit as 16". When making a cover for a pillow or a cushion, make it the same size as what is being covered as in don't add seam allowances unless you need a little for the height of the cushion/pillow form. That way it will fill out the cover.

Oh, I forgot to tell you that I had just enough bias strips for the piping and the ties. The ties are a tad short but will tie.

Happy Stitching!

I did it!

2010-05-20T22:43:00.007-04:00

Yes, I did it. I finished all of the projects that needed to be completed on Tuesday. Here's what I did:

First, I had to figure out the envelope for the situpons. So, I used a scrap piece of fabric and pins to create a small envelope. Here's my sample:

After playing, I figured out that the foldover part of the envelope needed to be on the inside. (In the background is my new Salem cutting mat and I love it. It is so big.)

Here's my testing of the turning.

Here's the finished sample. Perfect for what I need to do.

Now on to the real situpon. The cushions for the situpons are suppose to be 15" x 17" x 1". So, I measured around the measured around the length of the cushion and came up with 35". Next, I measured width along one side and one top and come up with 16". Here's the formula that I used to cut out the situpons:

Length - 35" + 1" (ease) + 6" (envelope) = 42"

Width - 16" +2" (seam allowances + ease) = 18"

Here's pics of the process and finished product:

Here's folding the envelope top with the right sides together. Because I was using a flannel backed vinyl tablecloth for this project, I used the finished edge for the edge of the envelope. Note the pin. I used 2 pins and pinned within the seam allowance which was 1/2". Next, I brought the opposite end up to meet the top of the fold (sorry, missed taking a picture). Then, I stitched 1/2" seams at a 5mm stitch length.

Here's the first turn after stitching the side seams.

Here's the second fold after the cushion was slide into the opening. This is where I was a little afraid that it might perforate but it didn't.

The finished product. Perfect for the boys and three days of classes in the mountains. Hope they are having fun. By the way, this is the same process for making a envelope style pillow case. Although, you might want the envelope part to be on the inside.

Now it was on to make a bag for the sleeping bag.

The sleeping bag that is missing is carrying bag. Pretty much a mess. There are not any ties on this bag so it really does need the bag to contain it.

Fortunately, the matching sleeping bag has it's drawstring bag so I do have a pattern. The process that I used was to measure across the bottom circle. Then, I draw a similar circle adding 1/2" seams. I also measured around the bag and cut out a rectangle with the length + seam allowances and the width + seam allowance + top seam for drawstring.

Here's the finished bag and amazingly the sleeping bag fit. Everything for this project came out of the stash. I also found the drawstring and cord stops in the stash.

Both of these projects were super fast sewing. I was not looking for perfection in either of the projects. I just needed to get them done. I was very pleased with the outcome of both projects. I think that both projects took less than 2 hours to complete from making samples, cutting out, and sewing.

I think my next project will be the curtain for the deck. This is to block the afternoon sun so that we can enjoy the deck just a little bit more in the early evenings. My outdoor thread arrived today. So, I just need to remeasure the area where the curtain is to hang and figure out the various lengths of fabric. Hopefully, this project will turn out well. I purchased a felling foot for this project. Hope it works out well.

Happy Stitching!

Time Flies...

2010-05-17T11:25:00.005-04:00

Whew! I didn't realize that it had been so long since I had posted. What have I been to? Lots - spent spring break in Arkansas visiting family, recovery period after vacation running, daily running for work, and the most exciting part - my business has moved from my home. Well, actually, it's still in the process of moving but I'm almost done. I'm hoping once the business is out of the house, that I will find more time to sew.

It seems the last post that I was working on the shamrock place mats and table runner. I did not get these finished. However, I have a wonderful start for next year. I new plan for this to be completed by the end of the year. That way they will definitely be finished for next March.

I do have a couple of things pressing that need to be finished in the next couple of days. My husband and son need situpons for a school campout in the mountains. So, I purchased a inexpensive tablecloth at Walmart (no fabric department any more) and will be using existing pads. Here's the pre-shot:

The plan is to make a big envelope. I have never sewn on the flannel backed vinyl before so hopefully this will work for the few days that they will be needing the situpons. I also need to come up with a cover for a sleeping bag as my son lost one of the bags. Wish me luck, as I rarely get things finished on time.

Happy Sewing!

Rotary Cutting

2010-03-01T21:14:00.002-05:00

Whew! I have been using my rotary cutter on the placemat project. It really does take a lot of work to cut a straight line. However, I'm bummed. I thought that I had purchased enough fabric to make 6 placemats and a table runner, but there isn't enough fabric. I was able to cut out 4 placemats and the front of the table runner. I'm still cutting out the fabric for the shamrocks, but I have lots of the dark green fabric. In fact, more than I need. So, I will be using the dark green for the back of the table runner. So officially, the fabric has been cut out. Next, I will tackle the cotton batting and interfacing. I think that sewing of this project should be fairly quick and easy. I hope so.

Since I've been using the rotary cutter and cutting mat a lot the last few days, I realized that I my Salem cutting mat is not in very good condition. It is the only cutting mat that I have ever owned and it has been used a lot. The size is approximately 24" x 18". I have found a company that carries the Salem mats but I'm not sure what size to purchase. Any size suggestions?

I've been looking at the Sew Easy Ruler Cutter as a replacement for both the ruler and rotary cutter. There is much less chance of hitting a finger with a blade with this cutter. Has anyone used one of these? I would love to hear about your experiences.

Happy Sewing!

Moving along slowly...

2010-02-28T18:43:00.002-05:00

Yes, I have been working the fabric for the placemats/table runner. The fabric has been washed and pressed. In reading through the directions, it stated to use misty fuse. I have never used this particular product. So, off the nearest quilting store. They didn't have misty fuse either but they did suggest steam a seam 2. So, I purchased a 1/2 yard and looked around a little bit. Low and behold, I found my favorite sewing notion - Wonder Tape by Collins. I felt a little bit greedy in that I picked up 4 packages for my notions stash. I can't believe that this has been discontinued. If you have been looking for this notion, may be you will find it at your local quilting store also.

Tonight, I plan on cutting out the placemats, table runner, and ironing the interfacing onto the fabric for the shamrocks. DH is out of town so I will not have a lot to do tonight. So, I'm going to be productive and work on this project. I have decided that I will use my featherweight to sew everything together. My various machines need to be used from time to time and this will be a very good project to use that machine for.

Ok, I'm off to get the rotary cutter going. It should make quick work of cutting out the base fabric for the placemats and table runner.

Free time..

2010-02-23T15:22:00.003-05:00

Today, I had about an hour of free time. This doesn't happen very often. I usually running hard and fast all day. So, I had a decision to make. Work in the store for an hour or do something sewing related. I chose the sewing related. Saturday, I had visited a new quilting store in my area and purchased a few yards of fabric. Ok, I admit it was a struggle to find anything in this brand new store. They had merchandise but it seemed "old". Not physically but the patterns. Hope that makes sense. So, I pulled out the fabric from that purchase and a Chez Ami (?) purchase, and serged the edges getting them ready for washing. Hopefully, I can do that tonight.

Destined to be swim trunks (brown /teal print) and a skirt (black & white check).

Destined to be placemats and table runner. Wonder if I can actually get it done before St Patrick's day? What do you think of the fabric?

Interesting Details

2010-02-14T16:48:00.005-05:00

I enjoy looking at high-end clothing. Just to see the details. This skirt by Versace caught my attention today. No, I don't wear mini skirts. I'll let the 20 somethings do that. What caught my attention was the black stitching on the front of this skirt. Here's the link: http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod103500032&eItemId=prod100940004&cmCat=search&searchType=MAIN&parentId=&icid=&rte=%252Fsearch.jhtml%253FN%253D0%2526Ntt%253Dversace%252Bpink%252Bskirt%2526_requestid%253D18928

Really you need to zoom in and check out the stitching on the skirt. For $695.00, I think it would be very easy to duplicate the look of this skirt using decorative stitching on your sewing machine with a heavier decorative thread, then add some silver studs. I don't know it this would translate to an older woman's wardrobe but I really do like the detail on this skirt.

Hope you enjoy the inspiration.

Happy Sewing!

Still not sewing ..

2010-02-09T16:53:00.007-05:00

I'm still not sewing any. However, I have been buying fabric. Am I the only person who does that? Buys fabric when they're not sewing. It is nice to see new fabrics from time to time.

I have been keeping very busy with my store. I've started receiving fabrics and that takes a little more time to deal with. Hope it goes well. I have been crocheting. About two years, I crocheted a string bag for shopping. However, I didn't particularly like bag. With the leftovers from this bag, I made one dishcloth. I may not have liked the bag but I loved the dishcloth and it turned out that my DH liked it, too. It finally wore out. So, in the evening for the past few weeks, I have been crocheting dishcloths. Lots of dishcloths! I think I'm up to 8 or 9 now. I've decided that I'm going to give some away to friends. Here's peek:

Certainly not anything fancy. Instructions right off the cotton ball. However, I do make them smaller than the directions. I made one that was full size and it's really hard to handle. The instructions state to start with 42 stitches and I'm using 32 stitches. Below are the different ones that I've made so far.

I really prefer the lighter colored yarns for this but as you can see I've been experimenting with various colors. It is very relaxing to create these in the evening. I've made so many that I don't need instructions now and I've reduced the time for each from 2 to 3 days to a couple of hours.

I've also been keeping busy the past few days with this:

Isn't it pretty? I love seeing the trees covered with snow. However, this was tooooo much snow. I think the area averaged 21". I measured in the middle of my driveway and it was 16". It took us 4 to 5 hours with breaks to clear the driveway and sidewalk. We are fortunate that we still have power but there were a couple of uh-oh moments.

As I look out the window now, I realize that that it has been snowing since noon and I need to go shovel the driveway again. I hope I can get it up and over the current mounds of snow that are already there.

Happy Sewing! (or just creating)

What have I been sewing?

2010-01-12T13:36:00.009-05:00

I haven't been sewing much. My store has been keeping me busy. So, I thought that I would share some of the items that I made in December.

Here's the Christmas napkins that I made in December:

The hardest part of these project was drawing the pattern. I was able to get 6 napkins from 2 yards of fabric and 2 packages of ric rac. I still have enough fabric left to make 6 more napkins. I have a matching fabric to make placemats. Of course, I just didn't find time before the holidays to get them finished. However, I have a till Thanksgiving to get them finished. Let's see if I can get them done.

I also made a little drawstring bag for my nephew:

I got the idea for this project from a sewing project that my son did at school. Yes, our school district has sewing classes for the 6th graders. Basically, it's a half a yard of fabric with 3 yards of cording. I had to change construction just a little bit because the fabric was directional. There are lots of freebie directions around on the internet for drawstring backpacks.

That's it for December sewing. I have started re-working my corduroy skirt. Let's see if I can finish it within the next week or so.

Happy Sewing!

Whew! Time Flies....

2010-01-08T22:36:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. I don't know where the time went. My family had a very quiet Christmas with just the three of us. We did give family members calls to see how everyone was doing.

I don't think that I have sewn anything other than mending since my last post. I did finish taking may skirt apart and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

As far as sewing goes, I finished the Christmas tree napkins for Christmas but didn't quite get to the placemats. It will be something that I will finish this year and be ready for the next Christmas holidays. Ok, let's mark the calendar and see if I get them done. LOL. I have enough fabric to create 6 simple placemats.

I have a huge list of projects for the year and if I get a small portion of them completed, I will feel like I have accomplished something. Here's my sewing plans for the year:

1. Finish altering brown skirt. (In- process)
2. Complete a UFO bag I started a year or so ago. I got hung up here because I didn't like the lining and was going to redraft.
3. Make a curtain for the deck to block the afternoon sun. (Fabric purchased)
4. Make pillows and cushions for the front porch chairs. (Fabric is mostly purchased)
5. Make cushions for the deck furniture. (Fabric purchased)
6. Make curtains for my sewing room/office area. (Need to purchase)
7. Make fabric covers for the plastic containers in the sewing room. (Need to purchase)
8. Make a large floor pillow for the play room. (Fabric purchased)
9. Make a slip cover for the couch in the play room. (Fabric purchased)
10. Finish apron sample for the new pattern company for my store. (Fabric purchased)
11. Christmas placemats. (Fabric purchased)
12. Fall placemats / napkins (In-process)

When I look at this long list, I realize how little I have planned to sew for myself. I really need to get someone to help me with the fitting issues that I have. I do think that once I understand what changes I need to make that I will sew more for myself. I did find someone who is certified with Palmer/Pletsch fitting techniques. She charges about $25.00/hour so I will need to be careful with my time.

I just looked at my list and realized just how much fabric I have sitting around waiting on me to get to the various projects. I think I'm going to try to work for an hour every day and see how much can get done. I would love to have the space that all of those planned projects with the fabric already purchased is taking up.

Happy Sewing!

Wadder? maybe.....

2009-12-17T08:43:00.003-05:00

Here is my version of Simplicity 2475:

This is one of the Amazing Fit patterns from Simplicity. I like the concept offered by these patterns. Back to my version.... Even though you can't really tell in this picture, the skirt is huge on me. When I started to trace this pattern, I realized that I had purchased the wrong size. The largest size that I had was a 14. So, I added width to the pattern at the sides. This was mistake #1. During the fitting process, I removed almost all of the added width. I carefully chalked the new seamlines and proceeded to stitch them up. I did try the skirt on again with the seams stitched and the yoke on. I DID note that it was a little bit loose. This was mistake #2 --- I didn't take it in. I finished the skirt and hemmed before deciding that it was toooooo big. Also, I made the skirt in the longer length. In looking at the photos, I think that is a mistake. It needs to be shorter.

Because I like this skirt, I have decided to take it apart and attempt to salvage it. Did I mention that there is a lot of topstitching, understitching, and an invisible zipper? Yes, all of the above with matching dark brown thread on dark brown corduroy. However, it only took about an hour to remove the topstitching, understitching, invisible zipper, yoke, and the hem. I want to tell you about a little trick I learned. When having to remove thread, if you will every 3rd or 4th thread, you can just pull the thread on the flip side. This makes really quick work of an stitch removal except the backstitches.

I am now ready to re-make this skirt. There are two firsts for me here. I can't remember anything turning out too big before (generally, too small is the result) and I can't remember ever taking a finished item apart to fix it. I like the fabric that I chose for this project. I'll let you know sometime in the next couple of weeks how this turns out.

Happy Sewing!

2 Thread Capabilities on Serger

2009-12-15T19:21:00.004-05:00

Below are the results of playing with my Serger and the 2-thread capabilities:

Above is me playing with the 2-thread flatlock on my Huskylock. If you look close, you can see that I almost have a satin stitch. I was following the information provided in the Specialty Techniques book that I have for this machine. I have the machine set on the widest stitch width and the longest length. The needle tension is set at 0 and the lower loop tension was set at 5. I'm using a 14/90 needle with Signature Decorative Spun Polyester in size 30. You can see that I'm not quiet getting a blanket stitch effect.

Here you can see that the flatlock now looks more like a blanket stitch. The only setting I changed was lower looper tension was changed to 7. Also, I was using a water soluble stabilizer to stitch on. This worked very well.

Here you can see the final result on the blanket. I was pleased with my first attempt at this technique. This would have looked much better if I had had a heavier decorative thread. Sorry, the pic is a little bit out of focus.

This is the very first time that I attempted using the 2 thread flatlock on my machine. I hope that it will not be the last time.

Happy Sewing!

Sewing again..

2009-11-14T20:15:00.003-05:00

Today, found me in the sewing room. I washed/dried the fabrics for Christmas napkins. When this was going on, I decided to play with my serger. I realized that I although I use it and I do not use much of the capabilities on it. Generally, I finish edges and sew knits. That's it. So, today, I decided to test the 2 thread capabilities. I decided to attempt a blanket stitch and started testing scrap fleece. The longest stitch my machine will do is 5mm. I couldn't get the serger to make a consistence stitch length. So, I changed increased the tension on the looper and changed to a heavy water soluble stabilizer. Amazingly, it worked. Tomorrow, I hope to add the edge of a piece of fleece.

Happy Sewing!

Here's the long awaited Halloween costume

2009-11-01T17:26:00.005-05:00

Well, here it is. The long awaited Halloween costume:

In this picture, you can see all of the items that were made. From top to bottom - the mask, the shirt, the belt, the gloves, the pants, and the moccasins. The inspiration for this costume is the Gorshin version of the Riddler from Batman. He was from Pittsburgh. So, it seemed like an appropriate costume.

For the mask, I used a freebie pattern from http://www.scarletfig.com/ and modified it. Making it narrower to fit a child's face.

For the shirt and pants, I used the basic t-shirt and pant from Kwik Sew's Sewing with Children pattern book. My DS is tall and thin. So, to get a little bit closer fit, I made a size Medium in width and made the length to fit him. I also added a mock turtle neck to the top. This is the first time that I can remember painting on fabric. I needed to come up with a stencil as there are many "?" marks down the legs and on the sleeves. Using a font on the computer, I enlarged it until I had a sizes that I was happy with. Then, made many copies and cut them out. The large "?" on the chest is freehand. Yes, I used paper as stencils. I used a spray glue to attach each set to the pant and painted using a sponge brush. It worked.

For the gloves, I used a Vogue pattern (8608, view D). This was a very strange pattern. I did end up with a pair of gloves that were usable but thumb was weird. The was only one pattern piece for all sizes. The thumb seemed to big for glove.

For the belt, I drew a rectangle using measurements taken from my son. It was approximately 12 1/2" x 5". Then, I took a curve and made the little point at the center front. I used simple ties in the back.

The moccasins pattern was from the http://www.nativetech.org/ . This pattern had you draft for the person foot which I managed to do and they actually fit the little guy's foot. He did start his evening wearing the moccasins but return home for another pair of shoes.

Here's a pose with the questions marks on the leg and a little on the sleeve.

In the end, all adults recognized that he was the Riddler but none of the other children seemed to know who the Riddler was. My son didn't care. He was very happy with his costume. It has now been adopted as PJs.

Hope someone finds some inspiration from this costume.

Happy Sewing!

Almost there!!!!!

2009-10-24T19:13:00.002-04:00

I'm almost finished with the costume. There are two remaining items - the belt and the gloves. I did find the the moccasins still need a little bit of work but I think I can do that in the evenings are I'm watching/listening to TV. I'm hoping to finish up everything tomorrow. DH is the cook so I will have a little extra time to stitch. All remaining items have been cut out. I'm ready to move on to something else.

Happy Stitching!

Time is flying...

2009-10-22T23:10:00.004-04:00

Wow! Time has flown by the last couple of weeks. I'm still working on the Halloween costume and realized today that I have one week left. EEK! I really haven't accomplished much since the last time I posted. The pants and top are cut out with the hems on the sleeves and pants are done. Tonight, I created paper templates and started painting. The top has a big question mark and the sleeves have 3 question marks on each. The shoulder seams have been stitched and I have checked that DS can get his head through the opening. Hopefully, once I get the mock turtleneck attached he will still be able to get his head through.

I didn't realize how rusty my sewing skills were until I attempted to use the coverstitch on the serger to hem the sleeves and pants. It must have taken me an hour to get the serger converted and then I never did get it to stitch correctly. The hems were done on my sewing machine with a twin needle -- looks fine! Happily, I haven't forgotten how to thread the serger. Everything seams to be working just fine with the 4 thread overlock.

Tomorrow's plans are to get the legs painted, complete the top, and hopefully stitch the gloves. That will leave Saturday to finish the pants and make the belt. Now, if I can follow this little plan the costume will be finished in plenty of time and maybe, I can move on to other projects.

What are my other projects? I'm making a curtain for the deck and some pillows for the deck and the front porch. When those are complete, I want to make some curtains for my sewing area and make coordinating covers for some crates. It's so hard to choose fabric. I also have on my list some new placemats. Then, it will be on to some pillows for my room. After all of that is done, maybe I will be up for trying something else for me. I have found someone locally who is will to help me with fitting some patterns. I just can't seem to get it right by myself and it's too frustrating.

I have also decided that I need to spend a little more time playing with my serger. I think I over bought when I purchased it. I thought I had to have everything and really, I would have done just as well with a 2/3/4 thread machine. That is what I used 99% of the time. I'm not sure that I have ever used the 5 thread and the coverstitch (not successfully). I have a room full of wonderful equipment and I hardly ever get to use it. The Behemoth is another machine that hardly gets used. I still like sewing on my old sewing machine.

I'll pop back in with costume pictures as soon as the costume is finished.

Happy Sewing!

The Pleated Poppy GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-10-02T14:36:00.000-04:00

Check out The Pleated Poppy GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!! at Grosgrain.

Shopping is so discouraging!

2009-09-26T16:43:00.004-04:00

In a couple of weeks, I have a party to go to. You know, one of those work functions for your husband parties. It always means finding a new dress. I decided this year that I should go buy a dress and I tried on lots of lovely 40's style dresses. However, I don't like spending $100+ on a dress that would most likely be a one time wear. I prefer my clothes to be washed at home not dry-clean only. Most of the dresses were made from an acrylic blend knit. Although they felt nice and surprisingly looked nice, I'm not sure about the fabric. Only a couple of the dresses I tried on were washable. So, I decided that I could make something myself that looked similar but Noooooo! Not one of the pattern companies offer anything similar to what I found today. This was very disappointing. Am I expecting too much to find patterns similar to what I can find in RTW? I really liked the dresses with the interesting collars and belts. Does anyone else find this to be so?

Ok, enough complaining. Guess, I will go back and pick out one of the lovely dresses. Then, I will need shoes and maybe some new jewelry. I suppose that I will save my sewing time for the Halloween costume I'm working on.

Happy Sewing!

Costume Sewing - Part 1

2009-09-19T16:46:00.005-04:00

Yes, the costume sewing has begun. I did start with the easiest on the list - the mask. I started with a sleep mask from Scarlet Fig - www.lauriewis.blogspot.com/2009/08/sleep-mask-tutorial.html . Here's my copy:

Below is the mask cutout of the lavender fabric with a heavy-weight fusible interfacing attached. You can also see where I modifying the mask making it narrower.

The mask all stitched together before turning. The elastic was the easy part. I did reduce the length by a couple of inches for both the lavender fabric and the elastic.

The finished mask (maybe). I thinking now that I need to shape the top part of the mask a little bit more to match the bottom. If I do this, I will satin stitch all around the outside edges.

Next, I will be concentrating on the moccasins. Below is my little buddy. When I'm sewing or just in the office, he is generally happy to be nearby. Laying on the pillow I made him a couple of weeks ago.

Happy Sewing!

Sewing and Rambling...

2009-09-11T16:38:00.005-04:00

I've actually sewed yesterday. Nothing terribly exciting. It was some Keeper-Fresh Veggie Bags.

You can find the review here: http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/readreview.pl?readreview=1&reviewnum=43346 . I found this little project in the Sew & Stow book by Betty Oppenheimer. You don't need to book to create the bags. I used the bags when I went to the store today. The larger one was great for celery but the smaller ones were not as useful but they work well in the frig which is where they are intended to be used. I was hoping to use them as replacements for small plastic bags.

Yesterday, the new Sew News arrived and I forgot about it. However, I found it today and looked through it. My subscription is up for renewal and I just don't know if I'm going to renew or not. I think I have one more issue or maybe this is the last one.

I have been on a buying spree the last few weeks. Today, the last purchase arrive from Pink Chalk Studios. I ordered fabric for holiday napkins. Although after I saw the fabric (Moda Figgy Puddy), I realize that I also need fabric for holiday placemats. I'll need to think about this as I have been buying a lot of fabric lately. I want to make these napkins without the embroidery: http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/elprojects/SimpleProduct_ELP.aspx?CS_ProductID=PR1522&CS_Category=&CS_Catalog=Elprojects .

Along with the fabric, I received Ottobre 05/2009. I have only glanced at it but I'm hoping that I will be able to make something from Ottobre that fits. Unfortunately, I have a ton of projects in front of anything that that my son thinks is more important like the Halloween costume....lol. That must be done! Hopefully, we'll get started this weekend.

Happy Sewing!

New Patterns have arrived!

2009-09-10T16:57:00.003-04:00

I received my order from Marie Madeline Studio today. Here's a peek at what I received with my gift certificate:

They told me that the patterns would be on sale this week. Just in case you are interested. I hope I can find time to work with these patterns soon.

Happy Sewing!

Time Flies....

2009-09-09T14:33:00.007-04:00

Whew! Time has been flying by lately. School has finally started (ok, it was a week ago but who's counting). The garden is slowing down. I did get a little bit of canning done but I ended up with late blight on the tomatoes. After looking at some of the hot banana peppers yesterday, I think those plants may have it or something similar also.

I picked up my sewing machine and serger about a week ago also. I did miss both of these items tremendously. The serger had nothing serious wrong with it that a good cleaning and oil didn't fix. However, I did knock the timing off on the sewing machine. Not sure how I did it but I do know when it happened and recognized that something was wrong immediately. At least it could be fixed.

On the costume front, I have finally gathered all of the materials (I think) necessary to make the Riddler costume:

The black faux suede (in the middle) will become the moccasins. The purple fabric on the left will become the mask, the belt, and if I'm lucky, gloves. The green fabric on the right is for the pants and top. The paint is for all the questions marks that on the top and pants. I know, I need to get busy. I haven't figured out how I'm going to enlarge the question mark for the shirt yet. Any suggestions for a quick inexpensive way to accomplish this would be greatly appreciated.

Now for a peek at my "new" toy:

The cute little carrying case which contains some of the items below:

Yep, I found a Featherweight 221K. I really wanted one when I was quilting a lot and going to classes but was never able to locate one. This one kind of landed in my lap and came with lots of goodies. Along with the machine and the original carrying case, I received a zigzagger with all of the extra disks, a sock darner (that didn't look like it had ever been used), a buttonholer with extra attachments, three books, many extra bobbins, an extra bobbin case, the original attachments, and a couple of additional attachments. Being the fiend that I am about machine attachments, I have already added a couple of additional attachments: a blind hemmer, a picot / hemmer attachments, and a blind stitch braider. As the attachments for these machines can be rather expensive, I will not be adding anything else to the mix. I have been playing with this machine and it runs very well. I have played with all of the attachments and most of them work very well. The only item I was a little bit disappointed in was the buttonholer and that is only because the some of the extra disks are duplicates. The buttonholes look beautiful. The future will see me taking a few more quilting/sewing classes, if I can find them.

Now, the most exciting thing that has happen was I won a $35.00 give certificate to Marie-Madeline Studio (http://www.mariemadelinestudio.com). Go check them out. They have a cute shop with fabric and their own brand of patterns. I decided to try out their patterns. It was just too hard to pick a fabric.

Well, that's it for now. I need to finish up my existing sewing projects (wallet, and placemats) and then, get going on the Halloween costume. This may very well be the last costume that I make for my son. At 11, this may be the last year that is interested in dressing up and getting candy. He has always enjoyed going around the block, showing off his costume(s) to the neighbors, and coming home to hand out candy.

Happy Sewing!

Where have I been....?

2009-08-22T21:54:00.004-04:00

Well, I have been busy the last couple of weeks. I've been working, visiting friends in other cities, sewing (not everyday but almost), reading, and gardening. I have been trying to sew 15-30 minutes every day that I'm at home. Amazingly, I have been able to do this. It has made the cutting out of all the little pieces for the placemats take a long time. Also, I always have multiples projects going at the same time. Don't want to get bored. As for the reading, I received the new "Making Trousers for Men & Women" by David Page Coffin. It is a GOOD read. Really, it makes me want to make a nice pair of pants. Maybe I will.

The garden has finally started producing a lot. There has been tomatoes (8 to 10 varieties), beans (3 varieties), broccoli, corn, cantaloupe, hot banana peppers (other varieties aren't ready to pick yet), tomatillos, and squash (yellow and zucchini). Seeing this list makes it sound like I have a huge garden but I don't. Today, we cleared out the lettuce bed, and the cantaloupe beds. All three beds have been replants with lettuce, broccoli, kohlrabi, and spinach. I have another bed that currently has broccoli, kohlrabi, and chard which is almost ready to clear and replant.

No sewing done today because I canned tomatoes and hot banana peppers. I also ran a little boy to his math class.

School starts next week so I should have a little more time to sew.

Happy Sewing!

Better News

2009-08-10T20:11:00.003-04:00

The news about the local dealer isn't as bad as I originally thought. They will continue to offer service for the machines that they have sold for about a year. So tomorrow, I will be taking my Lisa and the serger in for service. Honestly, I don't know how to sew without the serger but we'll see how it goes. As for the "Behemoth", she will go in when the other two are picked up. At least, I will have a nice fabric store to look at fabric. VBG - another excuse to purchase more fabric. I'm glad my DH doesn't care.

Happy Sewing!

Where did the week go?

2009-08-09T21:25:00.005-04:00

I can't believe it's been a whole since I wrote anything. I've been busy sewing or cutting out quilt pieces or place mats pieces. I'm really not much for cutting out a lot of little pieces all at once. So everyday, I worked a little bit. The place mat pieces are almost finished. I just have to cut out the backs, a few more small bits, and the binding. On Saturday, I was bored with all the little bits and looked around for a quick and easy project and I found it. I made the "Stuff-It-Bag" out of a navy/beige linen blend fabric from the stash. I know that I purchased that with a top or something along those lines but it didn't happen. Here's a picture of the pattern: I was very intrigued by the instructions for making this bag. I really just wanted to see how it would turn out. I don't usually like large bags but I do like this one. Here's the results:

This is one big bag. It would have been bigger but I cut the width of the fabric from 54" to 45". I also used one fabric verses using two. Now that I have seen how it goes together, I can see how using two separate fabrics to make the bag would make it a little more interesting. Since I followed the directions, this bag does not have any pockets. It is a reversible bag, too.

Today, I received bad news. The local machine dealer lost her contract with the machine company. I no longer have access to anyone to repair my machines. There are only company stores within 100 miles of me and they do not have repair services. Everything is sent away. The worst part is my favorite machine bent a needle while I was making the above bag and is now making a knocking noise. My serger is squeaking (I'm going to attempt to oil again). The "Behemoth" needs to have some stitches adjusted because they're not stitching properly. I could have taken the "Behemoth" and the serger in last week to be worked on but no I decided to wait till Monday. I'm really unhappy with the sewing machine company right now. Tomorrow, I will call and find out what I need to do about all of my machines.

Oh, I did forget to mention that I purchased a lot of fabric last week. All indoor/outdoor home dec type stuff. I purchased 9 yards of an outdoor fabric to make a curtain for one side of my deck, a beautiful panel to make a couple of pillows for outdoors, 12 yards of denim, and 5 yards of batiste. I'm going to have some sewing fun (I think). I'm guessing the outdoor fabric doesn't need to be washed before cutting. However, the denim and batiste will need to be washed. I still need to get just a little more outdoor fabric. I know, I bought way too much fabric but it was fun.

Happy Sewing!

Sewing, Sewing, Sewing...

2009-08-02T16:39:00.004-04:00

I have two projects going now. Project #1 is the the fall place mats. The fabric washed and ironed. Hopefully, tonight I will get to spend a little bit of time cutting out the pieces. I just need to locate the embroidery designs that I want to use as the quilting. Project #2 is a quilt for my son and we are working on it together. This will be a I Spy quilt if I have enough fabric to create it. Last night, we started tracing the templates on the various fabrics. The fabric that is being used is from all the projects that I have made him over the years. There will be one T-shirt in the mix. The templates that we are using are 12 1/2" square, 6 1/2" square, 4 1/2" square, 3 1/2" square, and a 2 1/2" square. Hopefully, we will have enough to make at least a twin size quilt. If not, I will embroidery some additional squares with items that he likes.

Happy Sewing!

I love getting mail....

2009-08-01T13:14:00.003-04:00

Today was a good day for receiving mail. When I came home from the post office, I found several packages for me and the store. Of course, the packages for me are a little more interesting. Here's what I found:

Sewing machine attachments are one of my weaknesses. I want them all. No, I don't have all the attachments available for my machine(s) but I do have several. This book is by Charlene Phillips. I hope it has some good information in it. I'll do a review on Pattern Review after I read through it.

I do sew Home Decor items from time to time and thought this might be an interesting book. I haven't looked at it yet and I'm hoping that it's not actually project based but technique based. Most techniques can move to projects other than home decor. I'll do a review on this book once I finish reading it.

I also received the order from Connecting Threads. So, this week I hope to work on my new place mats. The final package was a little box of buttons for the store.

Happy Sewing!

Garden and Embroidery...

2009-07-29T21:26:00.004-04:00

Do gardening and embroidery go together? Of course, they do! I love to ramble around in the garden. The garden is starting to get productive. Here's proof:

Yesterday, I picked wax beans, broccoli, zucchini, and yellow squash. Above is the wax beans. Aren't they pretty? The colors of nature can not get any better. They were pale yellow and purple. It's too bad that roaming around in the garden causes me to break out in hives. I always forget my long sleeved shirt. Guess I should put one by the back door with my gardening basket.

Here's the shirt that I embroidered for my son. It turned out pretty good. This is the first time I have embroider RTW with my new machine. Ok, that machine is almost a year old and I've finally gotten the nerve to use the embroidery part of the machine. I have a long way to go but I think it turned out well. The best part is I have another request from my son for another shirt with a flaming dragon. I think the designs that I purchased from the Embroidery Library are going to get used. At least I didn't waste my money on them.

Oh, for anyone who wants to know. The design is about 9" long and about 3" wide. I used an iron on tear away stabilizer with a soft lightweight cut away stabilizer. Hopefully, there is enough stabilizer. Only time will tell. The design can be found at the Embroidery Library by searching for a flaming guitar. There are different sizes.

Happy Stitching!

Next project

2009-07-26T23:43:00.005-04:00

While I'm waiting for fabric to arrive for the projects that I mentioned yesterday to arrive, I decided to embroider a shirt for my son. It will not be anything fancy but I hope he likes it. He picked out an orange t-shirt and two shaded of blue thread for the design. Here's the design:

Isn't this a great design for a boy? It sure beats have a flaming skull. I don't really like the skulls on everything and so far he hasn't wanted the skulls on his clothes. I need to do just a little bit of research on placement. I already have the templates printed out. The design is from Embroidery Library.

Happy Stitching!

Looking towards the Holidays....

2009-07-25T10:30:00.004-04:00

I always think that I'm going to find time to sew a lot of cute items for the fall and Christmas holidays but I rarely get anything made. I found this project at Embroidery Library:

Isn't this a cute napkin for Christmas? It doesn't have to have the machine embroidery on it. Hand embroidery could be done also. I know that there are lots of creative people out there who could whip these up very quickly. I'm going to attempt to make these for Christmas. I don't know if I'll take the time to put machine embroider on them or not. I need to start looking for the fabric. Here's the link to the project: http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/elprojects/SimpleProduct_ELP.aspx?CS_ProductID=PR1522&CS_Catalog=Elprojects .

Here's is the project that I'm ordering from Connecting Threads: I need to replace some of my place mats. The kit comes with the pattern and 6 yards of fabric. This maybe a good opportunity to embroider some leaves.

Happy Sewing!

3rd muslin ...

2009-07-15T09:44:00.003-04:00

I have officially given up for now. The third muslin was like a step backward. It looked like it needed a FBA again. I'm also tired of sewing this particular project. I used a very light weight gingham for this version and it was the most difficult fabric of the three to work with. I didn't finish this version as there were way too many problems with it. Maybe I'll come back to this at a later date. I really do like the pattern and think that it's well-drafted but I do think that it's drafted for a different body shape than mine.

We are officially on vacation now. Just waiting to leave for the airport. I think this is the longest part of a trip - waiting to leave and then the trip home is long too.

As much as I've been complaining about it being cold this year, we are headed to AR where the morning temps have been our afternoon temps. I think when I return I will appreciate the wonderful weather in PA when I return.

Happy Sewing!

2nd muslin complete

2009-07-07T20:03:00.004-04:00

The 2nd muslin is complete and I'm not completely happy with it either. I made a couple of mistakes with the armhole. I actually second guessed the alteration that I made to the pattern and decided that I hadn't removed enough from the armhole and removed another 1/4" all the way around. This made the armhole too big. I also think that I stretched the armhole when I was putting the binding on.

I still need a little more width across the front. So, I have altered my pattern one more time adding 1" which will result in an additional 2" of ease. I also made a slight modification to the armhole. We'll see how the next muslin goes. I dug through the stash and found another cotton fabric that will make a good muslin. It's a mini gingham. Hopefully, it will turn out ok. I will admit at this point I'm starting to get discouraged.

Happy Sewing!

Next project...Socialite dress

2009-06-28T20:53:00.004-04:00

The past week has found me working on the Socialite dress by Anna Marie. I made an XL and no changes to the pattern for the 1st muslin and I made it into a top since that is where the fitting must occur. Ok, I was really hoping it would be the only muslin but it's not. Honestly, the top fit as well as any RTW woven top. The pattern went together very well and it's quick. Here's a pic of muslin #1:

It's not too bad but where are the gathers that are suppose to be in the front. I double-checked the pattern and I did cut the right size. You can't tell in this picture but I desperately needed a FBA as the top is about 1" shorter in the front than the back. I moved the dart to the neckline so that some gathering would be there. I also altered the pattern for my sloping shoulders and moved the neckline in, the front V moved up an 1", the back moved up 1 1/2". Hopefully, I didn't make so many alterations that I can't tell which changes worked best. Tonight, I cut out muslin #2. Unfortunately, I didn't have any additional solid colored fabric available but the floral would be nice even if it's turns gardening top. Hopefully, it will be sewn up tomorrow as I'm very quickly running out time to get my dress made for vacation.

Happy Sewing!

Skirt & Scarf - Done!

2009-06-21T19:15:00.000-04:00

Here's the skirt and scarf that I have been working on:

The skirt pattern is View A of the Skirt Trio by Loes Hinse Design. The design is suppose to have pleats and I changed it to gathers. Fabric is a peach linen/rayon. First, this pattern is super easy. Looking for a quick, easy skirt? This is a good choice. The skirt did turn out longer than I thought that it would. Next time, it will be shorter either via shortening the skirt or shortening the yoke. The scarf was fairly easy. I made the lace and it determined the width of the scarf. Finish on the scarf is just a simple hem with the lace attached via a zigzag. I abandoned the embroidery that I had intended for the skirt (more on this below). Anyone know of a good white knit that I can make a top with?

This is the inspiration for the skirt and scarf. I think I did fairly well. I ended up with a color that looks better on me than the original.

Here is the embroidery design that I had wanted to put on my skirt. I was never able to get this design to stitch just right. There were always loopies in the same spot no matter what I did. Finally, my patience disappeared. I must have tested this design about 15 times before giving up. However, it wasn't a total loss. I'm much more comfortable with my machine than previously. Also, I learned how to use the endless embroidery hoop and I played with software.

Lace for scarf is finished...

2009-06-20T11:23:00.000-04:00

The lace for the scarf is finished. Here's the picture:

For those who are interested, the design is from the Kent State Museum designs Disk 2 - a series by Martha Pullen. This design was not intended to be used as a FSL. I used a netting as the base with one layer of super solvy then stitched the motifs together.

Today, I plan on cutting out my skirt (Loes Hinse Designs Skirt Trio) and with any luck the embroidery will be started. I need to do a couple of test stitches with the thread that I have as I'm looking for a matching thread. This will take several days to complete. As the embroidery is being stitched, I plan on working on another dress. It will be the Socialite dress by Anna Marie.

Happy Sewing!

Sewing Again!

2009-06-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

The last few days has found me embroidering lace. It has been an experience and the first real project on my machine. I experience a couple of problems. One being the nesting problem. This is a well known problem with the Designer so I tried re-threading the machine, and reinserting the bobbin but neither worked. Then, I got a new bobbin and rewound the thread from the old bobbin onto it. Amazingly, this took care of the problem. So, how do you know if there is a problem with a bobbin? Oh, how I wish the bobbins were still metal instead of plastic.

So, back to the lace. All ten motifs have been stitched. Five of the motifs have been trimmed and the wash away stablizer removed. These are ready to be stitched together. Now, I need to make a decision on the width of the scarf - ~12" wide or ~15" wide. The fabric is a linen/rayon blend. Any ideas or does it really matter what the length is? I'm sure that when I'm finished with the scarf that I will be very tired of making narrow hems.

Ok, off to finish with my day. Lots to do - daily Post Office run (all orders have already been packaged), a manicure, then go pick up a friend for my son to hang out with, and hopefully, if all goes well, I will be cutting out my skirt and scarf this afternoon. I do still need to play with the embroidery for the skirt. Seems like it's going to be a busy day.

Happy Sewing!

Finished Rocker

2009-06-13T13:17:00.000-04:00

Here's my finished project:

I think the rocker turned out nice. I love my pillow and cushion. I can't remember making a cushion before and there is a new technique for me - mock box cushion. Here's the information one variation on how to make the pleat for the cushion - http://sewingdaily.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-make-pleat-for-mock-box-pillow.html . You can find information on making your own bias binding here: http://sewingdaily.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-make-bias-binding-for.html .

Happy Sewing!

Pillow/Cushion finished.....

2009-06-12T21:29:00.000-04:00

It's been a 1 1/2 weeks since I "lost" the sewing bug. Today, it returned full blast. The cushion was finished today. I figured out yesterday that I just didn't want to do the ties and I made myself cut them out last night. Today, I stitched and turned the ties. Now, my cushion is finished and I can move on to the next project. I will post a picture tomorrow of the finished project on the rocker.

My next project will be a peach colored skirt with embroidery around the bottom and a match scarf with lace on the edges. The sewing patterns will be super easy. The new techniques will involve the embroidery. Hope it all turns out well.

As usually, I'm getting ahead of myself with planning projects. The next project will be the Socialite dress by Anna Marie. I will be making the ties that go with the dress. Here's the linen/rayon fabric that I have purchased to make this dress:

Ok, I'm off to look for patterns.

Happy Sewing!

Sewing Mojo - What happened to it?

2009-06-03T12:44:00.000-04:00

I found that the last week of May I was very happy to sew. The minute June started, it all vanished. I haven't finished my cushion for the rocker. All that is needed is the the ties, the piping to be sewn on, and then stitching it all together. I mean really that is no more than two hours of work. Maybe I can push myself to finish it today or tomorrow.

I finally received my order from Fashion Fabrics (ordered 05/19/2009). You can't say that they are very quick to ship. The fabric is a 55% rayon / 45% linen blend. I had to look it up to see what it was. Although it was suppose to be a peach color, it looks very much like a very pale pink. I'm not so sure that it will look good color for me but I have the fabric and might as well make up the skirt and scarf. If nothing else, it will make an expensive muslin. That's part of the problem of purchasing via the internet. Oh, how I wish that there was a nice fabric store somewhere nearby. The closest fabric store is JoAnns and they have cut the fabric inventory by about 1/2. The store looks like it's closing......

I'm a little out of sorts today. I may have gotten 2 hours of sleep last night. Don't you just hate it when you can't sleep?

Happy Sewing!

How to make the pleat for a mock box pillow

2009-05-30T17:10:00.000-04:00

This is one of the variations to making a mock box pillow:

Step 1. Start with corner and the right side up. You will need to calculate the depth of the corner. This 1/2 of the depth of the cushion + 1/2" seam allowance.

Step 2. Bring the two cut edges together and press. Now, measure along the cut the depth of the corner and pin. Clip 1/4" into the seam allowance at the pin.

Step 3. Fold at the pin or clip along the cut edge and press. Mark the corner on fold with a pin.

Step 4. Open up the fabric with the right side up.

Step 5. Take the outside press marks and fold into the inside press mark. Pin to hold fabric into place.

Step 6. Cut off fabric extension on the corner even with the fabric edge.

Step 7. Baste at the seam line. Repeat this process with the other seven corners.

Happy Sewing!

Pillow is done!

2009-05-29T14:29:00.000-04:00

The pillow cover for the rocker is finished. Here's a picture of the cover front:

I attempted making a change to the pattern to reduce the dog-eared effect. The cover doesn't look too bad. I love this fabric. It is really springy/summery.

Here's a picture of the cover back. You can see right along the edge above the piping that the pattern changes. This is the zipper.

Here's the finished product. I think I need to play with the pillow form a little bit to fill out the corners in on bottom. Overall, I'm happy with the way the pillow turned out. I will not hesitate making the pillow cover the same dimensions are the pillow form in the future.

Happy Sewing!

How to add a zipper to a pillow cover

2009-05-28T17:22:00.000-04:00

This is a quick and easy way to put a zipper into a pillow:

Step 1. Finish the straight edges of the 2 pillow backs. It doesn't matter how if it's done with a zigzag or a serger. It could even be done with pinking shears. Whatever is available. I finish these edges so that they do not ravel in to the process of putting the pillow form into the pillow.

Step 2. Press the edges back. The picture above, the narrow piece has 1/2" fold and the larger piece has a 1" fold.

Step 3. Press, if necessary, and open the zipper. I am a big fan of wonder tape. It is 1/4" wide and sticky on both sides. Here I have applied it along the zipper tape using one of the threads for placement. Test that the zipper pull will pass by the tape without hitting it. (You don't have to use the Wonder Tape but it is a wonderful product.)

Step 4. Close the zipper and take the narrow piece of the pillow back. Carefully push the fabric to the zipper where you have applied the Wonder Tape. You want this to be as straight as possible. Check again that the zipper will open without bumping into the fabric. (If you have chosen not to use the Wonder tape, carefully baste your fabric to your zipper making sure it is straight.)

Step 5. Open the zipper and use the zipper foot as your guide by placing it along the edge of the fabric next to the zipper. Stitch. (Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the positioning)

Step 6. Close your zipper. I always have a 1/4" overlap for the zipper. At this point, I apply more Wonder Tape to the zipper edge that was just sewn. (Again, you can baste if you don't want to use the Wonder Tape. Be carefully with your positioning).

Step 7. Apply the larger piece of the pillow back along where the Wonder Tape has been applied.

Step 8. Turn over the pillow back as your next row of stitching will be from the back. Position the fabric using the zipper foot as your guide along the edge of the zipper tape. Stitch. (If you basted the two pieces together using the zipper tape as a guide, stitch from the front stitching along basting.)

Step 9. Pillow back is complete and ready to add piping or ruffle and stitch to the front.

Feel free to ask any questions...

Happy Sewing!

More project work

2009-05-25T20:52:00.000-04:00

Last night, I spent more time on the embroidery. I rinsed out the Pellon Wash-n-Gone and much to my surprise both designs turned out well.

The design on the left is a FSL design and the design on the right is a lace design embroider on the tulle.

Here is a second Abir Motif stitched out on 2 layers of super solvy. It has been a very long time since I have stitched anything on solvy and this turned out well.

This afternoon I started drafting the patterns for the cushion for the rocker and the pillow. The pillow is a basic 18" square. Above is the change that I'm making to reduce the dog-eared look. I hope it works.

Here are the dimensions: 18 1/4" square , moved the corners in by 1/4" and used a curve to redraw the lines. That is the front of the pillow. The back of the pillow will have a zipper so the pillow will have two pieces. Since I wanted the zipper to lay very close to the piping, this is the dimensions that I used: narrow piece is 1 1/2" wide x 18 1/4", the wider piece is 18 1/4" x 18 1/4". This will give the narrow piece a 1/2" seam and a 1/2" turn back zipper. The wider piece has a 1/2" seam and a 3/4" turn back for the zipper. I have already proofed the drafted pattern and it looks like it will work. I still need to decide where the velcro tab will be located and how long the tab will need to be. The width will just a little bit wider than the velcro.

The cushion front has been drafted. I now need to draft the back with a zipper. I will use a similar technique as above to create the lapped zipper.

Happy Sewing!

Projects are being started..

2009-05-24T17:19:00.000-04:00

This afternoon has found me setting up "The Behemoth" (I don't know why I refer to the lovely Diamond as that but the name fits) and embroidering. This is the first time that I have set-up the machine up at home and only the third time that the embroidery unit has been on the machine. I'm trying to figure out the embroidery that I want to add to my scarf that I'm going to make. Below is two embroideries that I have picked out. I'm also trying out a new to me backing by Pellon called Wash-N-Gone. I also use a size 50 tanne thread for both designs.

This embroidery is from the Just Lace by Sue Box Creations. It is the Abir Motif. This is a FSL design and is approximately 2 1/2" wide x 3" tall. Making a scarf using this design would mean that my scarf would be just under 8" using 3 motifs or just over 5" using 2 motifs. I think that using 3 motifs would give a look. However, I suppose I could turn it and use 2 motifs to make a 6" wide scarf. I will need to play a little bit.

This embroidery design is from The Kent State Museum collection by Marth Pullen. It is not intended to be used as a FSL and I have embroidered it on tulle. It is a 2 5/8" square. Really, I'm just playing. I suspect that it will fall apart once I wash away the backing. Although I really like this design, I don't think it will work as 2 motifs is 5 1/4" and 3 motifs would be 8 7/8".

I need to look around at the many designs that I have and see if anything else catching my eye. I really didn't want to purchase a design for this. Guess, I will see what happens. The fabric may determine the width on the scarf anyway.

The fabric for the pillow / cushion is in the washer. I have purchased a 1" foam from JoAnn's (yippee! it was on sale @ 50% off). Now, I need to draw the pattern for the cushion. Size will need to be 17" x 20". I can't remember making this type of a cushion before so I will need to do a little bit of research on how to do the depth. I want the corners to be pleated with the piping in the seam. This could be interesting.

Happy Sewing!

Pillow / Cushion fabric showed up today

2009-05-23T16:07:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited. The fabric that I ordered from Pink Chalk Fabrics showed up today. Oh, yes, the fabric is bright but it will look really nice on the rocker on the front porch. Of course, I had intended to have created the pattern for the cushion before the fabric showed (I thought the earliest I would see if would be next Tuesday) but not the case. Tomorrow, I will get a newspaper and a square and start the sketching. I can wash / dry the fabric while I create the cushion paper. I don't know that I had the foam for the cushion so I guess I will have another excuse to run over to JoAnn's.

Tonight is a date night. We decided to celebrate our anniversary a little bit early this year since it falls in the middle of the week. This will be number 25 and it's mostly been good.

Happy Sewing!

Projects are being planned...

2009-05-22T15:13:00.000-04:00

I've ordered the fabric for two new projects (along with the skirt that I planned earlier). Here's the skirt / scarf that I'm wanting to recreate:

This can be found at Neiman Marcus under causal skirts. I'm really like the look of this outfit. I'm going to recreate with the colors I want. The fabric is a peach color. I hope I like it when it arrives. I have found an embroider design for the skirt. I just need to figure out how to use the endless design hoop to get it design embroidery on. I have also found a FSL design for the edges of the scarf. I have had my machine for almost a year and have yet to embroidery at home with it. This project should get me started in a big way. The pattern that I plan to use for the skirt is Loes Hinse Design Trio skirt A. I would be putting in gathers instead of the pleats. I hope it works.

For my birthday, I received a rocker for the front porch. The rocker needs a cushion and pillow. So, I went in search of fabric and found these lovely fabrics at Pink Chalk Studio. This is the first time I have ordered from this company but I don't think it will be the last. Fantastic customer service. The stripe will be for the cushion and the floral will be for the pillow. The picture looks nice. I hope that I like the combo when it arrives. I will be working on a pattern for the cushion while I'm waiting on the fabric to arrive. The pillow will be just an 18" square w/piping. Maybe I'll do a tutorial on the zipper.

Why is it that new fabric can really get the creative juices flowing? I wish that I had had some perfect fabric in the stash for this but my huge stash is mostly fall and winter clothing fabric with a little bit of boy fabric mixed in. I do need to work on reducing the stash but I want to enjoy some fine summer sewing too.

Happy Sewing!

Another beautiful day!

2009-05-20T15:11:00.000-04:00

We are having perfect weather in Pittsburgh today. I would love to have this kind of weather year round but I know that isn't really possible. Here's a few pictures I took this morning on my way to Curves:

Isn't the colors of the dianthus pretty? I love this little flower.

This little flower is almost finished for the year. I don't know what it is but I have it growing everywhere.

The first opened bloom of the poppy. This is one of my favorite flowers in the spring. It is really sad that it blooms for such a short period of time.

Well, as usually, I'm not sewing. Today has been mostly working, exercising, and gardening. I have given a little of thought to dinner tonight. Today would have been a perfect day to cook on the grill. If tomorrow is as nice as today, maybe I will cook dinner on the grill. I can only hope.

Happy Sewing (or whatever you're doing)!

Another day in the 'burgh!

2009-05-19T15:52:00.000-04:00

Today, started off just like any other day except it's my birthday. It is a beautiful, sunny day for Pittsburgh. It's a little bit on the cool side but we can't have everything. So, I headed down to PennDot to get my driver's license renewed. I only had one day left before it was expired. I certainly can't have that happen. Since JoAnn's was nearby, I headed over there after getting the mug shot done and a new driver's license. This particular store isn't one of the giant JoAnn, etc stores but it is still really big. The whole store has been rearranged. The spacing on the rows of fabric are wider and only the top shelf has fabric on it. The fashion fabric section rarely has anything of interest but it was 1/2 the size making it even less of a chance of finding something. The quilt fabric department was same. As I walked around the store, I realized every department looked very scaled back. It looked like the store was closing. I hope that they are not because then it will be a 30 minute drive to even look / touch at fabric instead of 15 -20 minutes. One of the employees told me that they were not closing just scaling back due to the economy. I'm not really convinced. Maybe JoAnn's has too many sales and everyone just waits for the sales to purchase. A store should never look empty. With that being said, I did find the perfect little sign for my sewing area:

Well, what do you think? It seems that is all I get to do with my sewing --"Dream". I really am going to remedy that soon. I may return as there were some other decorative items that would look wonderful in a sewing area - giant buttons, and a giant pair of faux scissors.

Happy Stitching!

Just rambling!

2009-05-18T15:54:00.000-04:00

I finally feel rested again after my fun at the Quilt Market last week. However, I have lots of new stuff for the store and I don't see much sewing going on for a few more days. I want to sew. I want some new skirts and maybe some tops too. I need to get this figured out soon or I might as well get rid of that huge stash that I have. I did purchase some cute designs for the kitchen. They are the chocolate chefs from Embroidery Library. Maybe I can embroidery while I work.

Happy Sewing!

Time is still flying....

2009-05-16T08:35:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since I've made a post. I'm still dreaming of sewing and not actually sewing anything.

What have I been doing? I've had the opportunity to take a suit jacket apart. I've always been a little bit curious about how the men's suits are made. Actually, given the price point, I was surprised at how much hand stitching is in the jacket. I'm taking a few pictures and will post when I get it all organized.

A dear friend from Columbus, OH came a spend a couple of days with me. It was lots of fun seeing her. It made me sad when she left. It just means that sometime soon I'll be heading to Columbus. Hopefully, before the end of summer.

I've also been working. The last couple of days I've been spending 12-14 hours per day at the Quilt Market in Pittsburgh. Oh, what fun it has been. The first day I met up with a friend for lunch. I had not seen her in a while and it was nice to spend a little bit of time with her. I will got to the Market again this afternoon. The classes have been awesome. I have learned so much.

Happy Sewing!

Where does the time go?

2009-04-23T08:29:00.000-04:00

The past week has gone amazingly quick. I have accomplished a couple of things. The office has been moved from the basement to the new space. The renovated room which was soooo big when I started has really shrunk. When I moved my desk into the room, I realized that I didn't really have enough room to move around. Ok, there wasn't enough room for a chair. So, we had to move stuff around a little bit. Not so bad really. I do like the small area where the office is located. I am still going through boxes of office stuff to determine what needs to be filed and what needs to be tossed. I did find the software for my printer. So now, I feel more comfortable about uninstalling it and reinstalling the software as it has decided that it no longer needs to scan for me. We also discovered that the phone line doesn't work.

On the sewing front, not much is happening as I am still digging through boxes. It is a good thing that I don't sew as a need. I wouldn't have any clothing. I'm still eyeing the New Look skirt with the black linen. I'll get there. The pattern is cut out and test fitted. Just need to lay it out on the fabric and cut. I really think once that happens it will be a super quick project. In the meantime, McCall's new summer collection is here and here are the items that I like:

This dress is M5873. I think it would make a nice summer dress in the version with a belt. This is actually a maybe.

This is M5882. I like the basic shape of this dress and it has darts which would make it a bit easier to alter. The only fear I have is that it may present the uni-boob look and I'm not going for that look.

This is M5894. It looks like it would be a nice jean pattern and it sits a little below the waist. I think this pattern is a definite "I'm getting.". The last time I purchased jeans I must have tried on 100 pair before I found something I was willing to purchase.

This is M5900. The craft patterns do not usually capture my attention but I'm going to get this one as it is adorable.

Of course, my "new" pattern cabinet is full. So, I'm being a little more careful about what patterns I purchase. I guess I need to do another purge and see if anyone else would like my excess. Such a shame! As I love them all and really intended to make them when I bought them. Well, I at least dreamed about it.

Happy Sewing!

Summer patterns are here but....

2009-04-15T13:45:00.000-04:00

Today, I went looking at the new summer patterns. I found very little of interest to me. I'm not saying that the patterns were bad but a lot seemed very young. There was one dress at Vogue that I liked:

This is a shirt dress with a pleated skirt (V1107). The only problem is it's above the knee. I wonder what it would look like lengthened. I don't need to show off the leg above the knee. I think I would prefer something at the knee. I'll have to think about it.

Isn't this sad? This is the only thing that I saw on any of the pattern websites. Oh, there was crafty stuff that was cute but there are other companies that do this type of pattern well.

The taxes are done! Yippee! It took two late nights and every time I thought I was finished, I found something else to do. I do still have local taxes but they are not due for a couple weeks. so there is lots of time to them.

My son have been whining about my office still being in the basement. I guess it is time to finish up the room renovation and move the office to the newly renovated room upstairs. It will be nice to have everything upstairs again. Although, I think that extra packing supplies will remain in the basement. I need to decide on the next project for the house. It's either going to be paint the house or renovate the basement. This is going to be a tough decision. Maybe I still getting estimates and maybe that will help with the decision. Oh, there is always too many things to do and not enough time to do them.

Ok, it's off to finish up some work. Then, maybe I can think about working on my skirt. I need some new clothes as I have lost a little bit of weight and everything is a bit too loose.

Happy Stitching!

We're home!

2009-04-12T22:15:00.000-04:00

We arrived home Saturday morning at 2am. We were all happy to be home but sad that the vacation is over. We had a great trip visiting the Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, and Grand Canyon in Arizona and Zion in Utah. Everything was absolutely beautiful. A little bit on the cool side (think 20 F to 60 F) but we survived. I was expecting the cool weather but was surprised that it had been snowing in Arizona. I'm ready to return. There is so much to see and everything is more beautiful than you can imagine. I have seen pictures of the Grand Canyon many times but being there was a different experience.

I was surprised when I arrived home that my machine was ready to pick up. I wasn't expecting it to be ready until the end of the week. So, I drove over last night to pick it up and much to my surprise all of my orders were in also. So, I have new embroidery designs and another new foot for my machine. I'm looking forward to trying it the new foot. I am also looking forward to making the time to play with my embroidery unit. The new designs are for the endless embroidery unit so it should be lots of fun playing with them.

I'm going to attempt my linen skirt this week after I finish doing the taxes. Nothing like waiting till the very last minute to get that finished.

Happy Sewing!

Not much sewing going on

2009-04-02T22:23:00.001-04:00

Vacation time is here once again. It has become a ritual to go somewhere for spring break. This year we will be visiting the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest, and Bryce Canyon. It will be a very busy week with lots of hiking around. Between work and the ritual of cleaning the house before leaving on vacation (am I the only one who wants to come home to a clean house?), I haven't had much time to sew. I did manage to get my pattern traced. I traced both the size 16 and the size 18 of the skirt and pin fit both to see which one fit the best. Would you believe I didn't like the fit of either one? The size 18 fit well across the front. However, the size 18 would be too big overall. I will be making a muslin for a change just to see how it will look using the 16. I know that the the seam line will be forward but based on the information it will need to be this way for the overall balance. Hope I find a little bit of time after the holidays to sew. My machine went to the shop today for some adjustments and it will be back in a couple of weeks.

Have wonderful holidays!

Next project has been decided

2009-03-27T14:26:00.001-04:00

I've finally decided on my next project. It's going to be a skirt for me from New Look 6410. I have had this pattern for a while and it's now OOP. Here's the envelope front and the line drawing:

I will be making Version A without the extra trim around the waist. I don't want or need that type of attention in the area. Here is the fabric which is from the stash:

This is a linen fabric that I found a couple of years ago at the local JoAnn's. They do from time to time have nice fabrics. I guess you have to go often to find it.

Hopefully, I will have a little bit of time this afternoon to start tracing the pattern and seeing where it needs to be altered. I did a little bit of research on PR and there were a couple of mentions of the pattern appearing to run big. However, this pattern is designed to sit a little below the waistline. So, we'll what happens. I do know that I will be using an invisible zipper instead of a centered or lapped zipper. I will be using the zipper tutorial at Sewing Divas by Els. I have tried a lot of methods of applying an invisible zipper and this one is the best.

Not sure what type of top. Any suggestions?

Happy Sewing!

Yeah! I sewed today!

2009-03-24T20:26:00.000-04:00

Yes, the machines are finally plugged in and everything works. I did have a moment of panic when I couldn't find the power cord for my newest machine and thought that I had left it behind at the last all day sewing class, but it was found.

I had accumulated several items that needed mending - buttons sewn back on, hems put back in, etc, etc. Nothing exciting. However, I did get some new feet for my machines and one of them just happen to be a button foot. Nothing like making mending fun than playing with new toys. Here it is:

I was unhappy to find out that this new toy only fits one of my machines. The ankle on my older machine is just a wee bit too wide. Ooops! This meant that I would have to find the manual for the new machine. I had no idea how to get the feed dogs down. Well, I got it all figured out and two buttons sewn on. Not sure that I like this foot. I think that I will need to play with it some more but first impression is that it's not worth the money that was spent on it. Here's a pic of the back of the second button that was done:

Sorry for the bad pic but you can see that it turned out very messy. I suppose it could have been something with the machine not being threaded correctly but I really don't think so. Since I had the new machine up and going I finished the mending using that machine. Let me tell you, if felt really strange to have to look up everything that I wanted to do and have to figure out how to do it. However, I can use the blindstitch on the machine now. Hopefully, I will remember how when it comes time to do it next time.

Now, it's on to some real sewing but I don't know what it will be. Maybe a skirt for me or a pullover for my son with embroidery. The item for my son would probably make me use more functions on the machine and even get out the embroidery unit which has only been out two times since I got the machine. I'm afraid that I will have forgotten everything that I knew about machine embroidery. I'll make the decision in the next couple of days. In a week, we will be heading to Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. So, I really don't have a lot of time to sew anything before we leave.

Happy Sewing!

New Sewing Area....Almost there!

2009-03-18T11:16:00.001-04:00

After what seems like months, here's a view of the new sewing area / study area: This is the view from the hallway. There is a storage cabinet with a bookshelf behind it. You can see a glimpse of the chair for the small study area for my son. Hopefully, this will help with focusing instead looking to see who/what is coming down the hallway.
This is the view from the doorway. You can see my small "L" desk is loaded with machines. It may turn out that the serger will need to move to the cutting table. I haven't set up the embroidery unit yet to see if there is enough room for all the machines. I will be adding a small bookshelf under the corner for machine manuals and such.

Here's a view standing in front of the storage unit looking back at the desk. The machine on the left is the sewing / embroidery machine. This is my primary sewing machine and has lots of light (the main reason I purchased it). The machine on the right is my secondary sewing machine. The serger is in the middle. On the right under the table is the rolling cabinet that I primary keep the polyester embroidery thread, bobbin thread, and small machine accessories. On the left under the table is a small cabinet that is stationary, the cabinet also keeps specialty embroidery thread, and specialty sewing threads with storage on top.

Here's my rolling cutting table. I have had this for years. It was originally purchase to store my sewing machine on one side with lots of storage for fabric. Yes, at one point all of my "stash" was in the bottom half of this table. Later, I stored my serger inside also reducing the amount of room for fabric. I also used this as my sewing table. It is still a perfect little table even if it can no longer store my machines.

Here's the view of the sewing area from the closet. I can hardly wait to get started. The mending has already been piling up (4 items and counting). DH found me a new power strip with a 10' foot cord. With that length, I may be able to plug everything in on one strip. I'm a little leary of plugging stuff in yet as the cord cover hasn't arrived yet and I really don't need a tripping hazard.

Now for a little bit of spring (we're all ready, right?):

Aren't the crocus lovely? I also have snow drops blooming and this is the first time since I've lived in this house that I can remember the snow drops blooming without a layer of snow under them. It is also the first time that I've had the snow drops and crocus bloom at the same time.

Happy Sewing!

Unpacking, unpacking...is it ever going to end?

2009-03-13T22:52:00.000-04:00

Several hours today was spent walking up and down two flights of stairs carrying box after box of fabric. All of my storage cabinets are packed and unfortunately there is still more boxes of fabric. I think I need to rethink a little bit. Maybe move some of the more obvious winter stuff back into a plastic container. I know that I mentioned yesterday that I have a lot of black stuff but there is also a lot of gray and navy blue. It has been lots of fun seeing fabric that I had forgotten that I had purchased. Amazingly, there has been very little of "What was I thinking when I bought that!". I did purchase the majority of the fabric when I was working in an office and it doesn't really apply to my lifestyle now but I don't know how I can part of all that lovely fabric.

One thing is for sure. I can see an end and I will be sewing again shortly. I'm ready. After handling almost every piece of fabric I own, I already dreaming about what I can do with this piece of fabric or that piece of fabric. I hope I find time to do it. My son was looking through the fabric and asking about some of it. I tried to talk him into learning to sew but he told me that was for girls. Wonder what he's going to do in home ec next year when he has to make a draw string bag? Although, he has agreed to help with a quilt. We'll see how that goes.

Happy Sewing!

The sewing room is coming together!

2009-03-12T12:14:00.000-04:00

I've been working hard the past week. The cabinets are built and in place. The sewing table, sewing machines, and table are in place. My son's study area is set-up. My store inventory has moved back in. The office area and the pattern cabinet are still waiting to be moved. I have been going through boxes of fabric and storing inside the new cabinets.

I finally located the missing tools for my serger and I can now change the needles again. That was a very exciting moment. I have also found lots of fabric that I had forgotten about - fabric for table clothes, outside cushions, etc. Judging from the quantity of black fabric, I like black, too. Who knows what I was thinking? I did take myself off of all the yahoo groups that sell fabric. So, that I could no longer join in the buying frenzies. I have so much fabric that I could open my own mini fabric store. Oh, not only to l like black fabric but it looks like I generally purchase in a quantity of 5 yards. So, I really do have mini bolts of fabric.

I do need to purchase a second plug-in strip for the sewing area. With the sewing table in the middle of the room, I really don't have a long enough cord going to either of the new plugs to plug all three machines in. Maybe, I can get them attached to the table somehow to help with the messy cable syndrome that is going to happen. Then I will need to purchase the plastic cord covers to cover the cable running across the floor. I really don't need any additional tripping hazards.

Off to work for a bit. Then, I will attempt to empty another box of fabric. I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with all of the boxes of projects.

Happy Sewing

Room is finished!

2009-03-04T13:08:00.000-05:00

The new "sewing" area is finished! We are now working on putting the new cabinets together. So far, one book shelve and one storage cabinet have been completed. Here's a look at the finish room:

This is a view from the closet. Doesn't the white trim look lovely? DH worked really hard on it. Notice the ceiling fans have installed also. DH did a wonderful job cleaning these. The blades and globes had remained in the room during the sanding and they were completely covered in dust. I love the results of this room. I hope that it has a calming effect on everyone.

Here's a view of from the corner across from the door. I did not spend a lot of money on the closet redo. I had originally wanted to purchase a closet organizer but quickly realized that many of them would cover up the cedar. We ended up with a 2 1/2' section for long hanging items and 2 sections with that are about 5 1/2'. Each side of the closet already had shelving installed. I will also be installed a small room divider in the midsection of the closet to add a little more storage space. This closet will be used for storing sewing proects, out of season clothing, and office supplies.

Here's the project that we worked on in the sewing class that I took a couple of weeks ago. This was using the largest embroidery hoop on my machine. The hoop had to be turned half way through the embroidery and then we used some of the new functions to line it up. The fabric is silk duponi and I used a medium blue color. This will be a pillow in the guest room / reading room. Hopefully, the black cat will not decide that this pillow was meant for him.

Happy Sewing!