Too hot to sew?

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...

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..

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

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....

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....

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'

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)