Next project....

I've been working slowly on my next project.  I think I started it at the beginning of December. It's this dress from McCall's:

 

Not quiet a classic shirt dress but close enough.  I did make a couple of changes after I made a muslin which is something I don't usually do.  The changes that I made were changing the slope of the shoulder, adding bust darts, lengthening the dress by 2", and increasing the width of the sleeve.  Looking at the sleeve on the model, the  dress looks like it has lots of ease in the sleeve.  However, the muslin was really tight on my chubby arm.  Hopefully, I added enough ease.  I have also been changing little things as I go, too.  We'll see how it turns out.  It's just another piece of fabric from the mighty stash.  I think the fabric was a rayon challis.  

 

If this works out, I will make another dress in the spring from this pattern  I shouldn't waste the effort that has gone into making the adjustments for just one garment.   However, there are lots of patterns to work with. I have a might pattern stash also.

 

Happy Sewing!

 

A little sewing

It is has been such a long time since I made a post that I forgot my password. Really, I have only been making little items so not much to talk about.  However, the sewing bug hit today and I decided to try the 10 minute runner.  Here's my version:

If you haven't heard  of this before, here's the link the 10 minute table runner.    It took a little bit longer than 10 minutes to make this but it was certainly less than an hour from the time I picked the fabric out. I'm also thinking about adding some little yo-yos on the ends as a decorative element.  We'll see if I get around to that.

Here's another little project that I worked on when my son was going back to school:

This was for the assignment reminder for school.  It holds two pencils and there is a little hidden pocket on the back that he could put stuff in if he wants.

Happy Holidays!

A finished project....

Yep, that's right. I have finished a project and I can't remember the last time I finished anything. That is so sad. In my last post, I mentioned that I have been working on the Sorbetto tank top   pattern by Colette Patterns.  Here's my finished top:

I was fairly impressed with this pattern. It was very well drafted.  I did make a couple of changes:

1. Moved the dart from being a straight dart to a french dart.
2. Made a larger dart by 3/4".
3. Added 3/8" to the bottom.
4. Due to lack of fabric, I removed the front pleat.

I can see in the mirror and the pictures that there is still a little bit of length and depth issues going on but this is a completely wearable top.  It actually fits better than most RTW.   I really thought the first try at this would be a wadder and used some really pretty scraps that I found in my stash.  That bit of left over fabric was just perfect for this particular project.  I'm thrilled that I have a woven tank top pattern now.  The one thing that I did not like about the pattern was the bias binding application. 

The things I will changing for the next try on this top:

1.  Make a larger FBA.  I can see the signs that this needs to be larger with the front being shorter than the sides and the wrinkles from the bust to the side.  There is also a little bit of gaping around the armhole.  Again that could just be the need for a larger FBA.
2. Change the bias binding application.  This should not be too hard to accomplish.
3.  I would like to draft a sleeve pattern for this pattern.  I think that having a little bit of a sleeve will be a little more flattering.  Once I get the top fitting where I'm happy with it, I will redraft the armhole and draft the sleeve.
That isn't too much to do, is it?

The next project is a skirt.  I draw an a-line skirt based on my measurements.  It is really simple.  Same pattern piece for the front and the back.  When cut for the front, the pattern piece is on the fold.  When cut for the back, the pattern piece is not cut on the fold with a seam allowance added.   This should be easy.  The pattern does call for a cotton lining.  We'll see if one is needed.

Happy Sewing!

I didn't realize...

....that it has been so long since I have been to my blog. Time has literally flown by. I've been busy doing a deep clean of the house. I have donated many boxes/bags of items to the charity but I am not finished yet. I will still continue working on clearing stuff. I know that I haven't hit every corner yet.

I did get my sewing room moved around and cleaned up. It has really put me back into the mood for sewing. I have traced and modified the Sorbetto pattern from Colette. The pattern is super simple. The hardest part is the binding. I am definitely out of practice on the topstitching. I have also drawn an a-line skirt pattern. That is next on the list. After the skirt, I may return to the Sorbetto and make another top.

We also went on vacation to Colorado/South Dakota area. It was absolutely beautiful. I hope that I get to go there again. I was sad to the find out that the forest are dying. I hope that something is can be done to save it. Here's one of my favorite pictures from the trip:

When I look at this picture, I see a hawk overlooking his territory.  The mountains and rock formations were just beautiful.

After my vacation, I had family come and spend a week.  It was so much fun to see them.  I do miss living close to family. 

Hopefully, the next time I check in I will have some sewing related projects finished and ready to share.

Happy Stitching!

I have been sewing and playing with new tools....

We recently went on a short trip and I had to have something to do while in the car. So, I got a Clover French Knitter with interchangeable 4 prong head, 5 prong head, and 6 prong heads:  

I’m not one for making jewelry but this does have instructions to create beaded jewelry. I had some sport weight wool and decided this would be perfect for playing with the French knitter. Following the enclosed directions (there are two methods) I created the following items:
4-prong head:

The one on the left is Method 1 and the one on the right is Method 2, I think.

5- prong head:

The one on the left is Method 1 and the one on the right is Method 2, I think.

6-prong head:

The one on the left is Method 1 and the one on the right is Method 2, I think.

6-prong head different method:

For this version, I was playing a little bit. Instead of following the directions for method 2, I wrapped the yarn around the posts twice. Then pulled the bottom yarn up and over the top yard. I was expected a looser knit but received a very tight knit.

4-prong head using 2 prongs like a lucet:

The one of the left is the Method 1 and the one on the right is Method 2, I think. I was expected a much tighter knit on this as a lucet will make a tight square cord, think shoes laces. Yes, if you were using the correct type of thread, you should be able to get a tight cord. Of course, maybe it depends on the size of the prongs and the distance apart . I do not know. Do you?

6 prong method with a crochet thread:

I enjoyed playing with the French Knitter. It might be fun to attempt to create some jewelry but I am not sure that I want to add another type of crafting to the already overflowing sewing area. I do think that this would be an great way to create an embellishment. I was thinking that a thread like Razzle Dazzle from Superior Threads would create a beautiful cord but the Glitter Halogram from Superior Threads would too. I’m sure that there are lots of threads and yarns available to create some beautiful cords or jewelry. I will be playing with this some more.

I made the 1st muslin of The Pattern T-Shirt pattern from Pamela’s Patterns. Here it is:

Please note that this is NOT finished. I really saw no point in finishing as it was too big. I may go back and take in the sides a bit and see if that helps any. The fabric I chose doesn’t photograph well so I couldn’t show pictures of the visible problems in the back ….many vertical folds going down my back. I will say that I thought that I chose the correct size. I talked to Pamela a little bit about the problem and then re-measured. I decided to go down a size. The next size has been traced and cut out. The 2nd muslin fabric has been chosen. Pamela also gave me directions to narrow the back. If moving to a smaller size doesn’t take care of the problem of the many vertical folds of fabric in the back. I have lots of fabric so this isn’t a big deal for me to play with the pattern, at least I’m using some stash fabric.

I found a new to me pattern company - Schnittquelle and I love this jacket. The new June/July issue of Threads arrived today. I love getting my sewing magazines. I have reduce the magazines to just two now – Threads and Inspirations. These are the magazines I enjoy the most. Back to Threads, the article that caught my attention first was the one on Sewing with Strips. I would like to play with the strips a little bit. One of the new Colette patterns has a dress version with stripes.

Well, I suppose that is it for now.

Happy Sewing!

A Wee Bit has been going on....

A wee bit of sewing has been happening.  I decided to try The Perfect T-Shirt by Pamela's Patterns:

This will be my test garment as I haven't tried this pattern before.  I decided to go with a scoop neck and 3/4 length sleeves.  Here's my fabric:

I'm not sure what it is but I'm leaning toward a polyester. However, it is very stretchy and has was a wonderful bubbly texture.  I found it while I was digging through the stash.  I'm hoping that I actually end up with a wearable item.   I'll post a pic when it's done.

I haven't returned to my pillow that I started in February yet.  I will get it finished before the first of June though.

I've been enjoying the wonderful weather that we have been having. The flowers are blooming.  This is about 1 1/2 months earlier than normal. The daily walks have been really nice.  I didn't realize how much I missed walking every day.

The spring weather has also gotten me into a major spring cleaning mood.  I started with the spare bedroom which has been a dumping ground for a long time.  I have cleared the closet (mostly), moved furniture around, vacuumed and dusted.  There is still a lot to do in that room as my next step was to clean other closets and you know where that ended up.  I plan on having a charity come to the house to pick up the excess stuff that I have.  When everything is boxed up, I will schedule a pick-up.

Today, I also made time to go shopping.  I do not like shopping very much but sometimes you have to do it.  I started with purchasing a pair of shoes:

This is a pair of Clark's. I have been wanting to get these since they first showed up at Macy's and I almost didn't get them.  Macy's was sold out when I went to get them but the Clark store had one pair left in my size.  The 2 1/2" heel is a little bit taller than what I am use to wearing but I think it will be Ok.  I walk around in the store for a long time before I bought them.  The shoes just got me started.  Then, I headed over to the Christopher Banks.  I was there yesterday and thought there were many items I wanted to try on.  Today, not so much.  I did end up with a skirt, three tops, and a bracelet.  One of the tops was a white t-shirt with a interesting ribbing treatment.  I hope it still looks interesting by the end of summer.  All in all, not a bad shopping day.

I have found some interesting blogs recently.  I have added the Fashion Sewing Blog to my list on the left under Websites.  There are sew-alongs there. The TV site has many techniques.  Great place for beginners (or not) to learn.

Happy Sewing!

Another day or two

The Singer 160 has been returned.  I really didn't need the machine.  I just wanted it.  Does anyone else do this kind of thing?  Although I will say that the Singer customer support isn't very good.  I sent an email detailing the problems that I was having with the 160, detailing what I had done, and requesting information on service in my area.  I received an email about 2 weeks later (a little slow) telling me what page number in the machine that described how the needle threader worked.  The machine had already been returned at this point but they didn't really answer my questions.   Really? Pointer at the little 10 page manual for instructions on using the needle threader after I told that NO parts moved when the needle threading button was engaged. 

I haven't done any sewing since I played with the 160.  I have been slowly cleaning up the entire sewing/office/study room though and that is a big plus.  I just wish I had more organizing space.  I know I will get it figured out eventually.  In the meantime, I had been dreaming of spring/summer sewing.  I done with winter.  I'll show my projects as I get them done or as I'm working on them.  Yes, I'm still working on going through the Sew Modern Book and it will play into my spring/summer sewing a little bit.

Yesterday, I decided to hop into Kohl's and see what was being offered for spring. So many pretty things but nothing really jumped out at me.  There were a couple of tops that I might go back and get.  I wonder over to the lingerie department to look at bras.  UGH!  When the bra sizing change to S-M-L-XL?  or 36C/38B?  I'm sorry I thought SML was sizing for sports bras so the girls could be squished.  I know that the C/B cup sizing is correct but really can a person who wears a 36 band wear a 38 band and be comfortable?  I don't think so.  No, I don't remember brands these bras were but I'll look the next time I'm at Koh's.  I really want to get some new t-shirt bras but I'm not willing to go SML or any other mixed sizing.  The companies will lose my business.  Yes, folks, if I can't find what I'm looking for in a bra, I will make every effort to make my own.  This is not really anything that I had really considered but you will not find this 36? wearing a 36?/38? because I know that if that band that will supposedly fit either size will not.  There isn't anything more uncomfortable than wearing a bra that has to pulled down because the band is tooo big. This has GOT to be a decision made by a MAN.  LOL

OK, enough of my rant. 

Another day..

Well, I did get the pillow started yesterday.  The front and back have been cut out with the zipper installed on the back.  I started my bias trim and messed up the first one.  Somehow, I ended up cutting on the straight of grain and that will not work.  I will work on getting the remaining fabric turned into bias and hope that I have enough fabric left.  Maybe the pillow will not be as frilly.

The new sewing machine (Singer 160) showed up on Friday.  I was so excited.  It really is a pretty machine even if it is fairly plasticy (is that a word?).  I unpacked it and checked to make sure that everything that was suppose to be in the box was in the box.  There wasn't enough time on Friday to do anything else.  Fast forward to Saturday afternoon. I cleared off a spot on one of my tables and set to work getting the machine ready to sew.  First thing, the automatic needle threader didn't work.  Ok, that isn't that big of a deal but this is the nosiest machine that I have EVER heard running.  As I walk through testing all the stitches, I realize that  not all of the stitches stitched correctly.  Now, I know with this being electronic that there could be some adjustments needed but I don't think that there is anyone in the area that works on these machines.  I contacted customer service but haven't heard back from them yet.   It has a 30 day return window for returns and that really isn't long enough to send to a warranty center for work.  However, it is a pretty machine.  It comes with some great stitches and would make a great machine as long as it is functioning correctly.  If I don't hear from the Singer customer service by tomorrow evening, I will be returning it.  There really isn't any reason to keep it if it isn't functioning the way it should be.

Happy Stitching!

One project down...

Yes, the sleep shirt is finished, mistakes and all.  Here it is:

Sorry, not a great picture but it was the best I could do.  The back of the shirt is black.  My son is happy with the way his shirt turned out and I'm mostly happy with it.  The shirt took 1 1/4 yards of the starwars fabric and 1 3/4 yards of the black fabric.  I do have a little bit of both fabric left.  The starwars fabric will be destined for the quilt that we are working on. The black fabric will probably be binding for something in the future.  The pattern is from the Buckles & Bobbins - A Beginning Sewing Book for Boys.  This is a great pattern. 

It really felt good to have the serger and sewing machine going.  I may have finally bonded with the Behemoth.  Yes, that is what I call one of my machines. 

Ok, it is off to start the pillow project from the "Make It Sew Modern" book.  It will have my modifications because I just can't follow directions.  LOL.

Happy Sewing!

I must be on a roll....

Yes, I am.  The sleep shirt for my son has been cut out.  I did have to get very creative but I think it will work.  I had to add about 6 inches to the length of this top.  I also, had to change the draft of the sleeve slightly so that I was sure that his hand would go through the sleeve.  I'm hoping that I will have the top finished by Monday.  Let's see if I can really get the machines going.  The serger needs to have the thread changed and the machine that I will be sewing with hasn't been checked since I moved and plugged it back in.  Hopefully, it is working fine. 

After I cut out the shirt tonight, I realized that Vogue had new patterns out.  What's up with the funny poses?  They don't show the clothes at all.  It makes me wonder if the clothes didn't fit the model and that was the only way they could get a picture.  Here are some that I found interesting:

I like both pieces in the pattern.  It is Vogue 1294.  See what I mean about the weird poses.  Does the pants not fit the model? Is the top too wide?

I guess that is the only one that I found interesting enough that I would purchase.  There is another pattern that I liked but you can see the models bra in one of the pictures which tells me that the neckline is really low.  Here's the pic and the line drawings:

This has a really cute neckline.  The pattern number is 1285.

They also had a new men's jean pattern but it looked funny.  Like the rise was too high.  I thought about it for about 2 seconds.  My son is very lean and tall for his age and I have a very hard finding pants.  I have been thinking about sewing them for him.  We'll see.  It may be more efficient to make shorts for him as boys tend to wear their shorts long and I can't seem to find shorts long enough.

A Little Bit of This & That...

Yesterday, I did nothing sewing wise.  Not that I didn't want to.  There just wasn't anywhere to squeeze it in.  I had had new tires/wheels/sensors put on my car over the weekend and as expected, the sensor went off after driving a few miles.  However, when the car was returned Monday to get the sensors reset another sensor went off that was a little bell that rang about every second (of course, it waited till a few miles had been put on the car).  It was much more annoying that the flashing light of the previous sensor problem.    Needless to say, that I spent 1 1/2 hours at the tire place while everyone was trying to figure out why the sensor wasn't resetting properly.  Now, if we can just figure out why the new hub cabs won't stay on.  For now, every time I get out of the car I check to see if the three remaining hub cabs are loose.

Tonight, I scrubbed the walls of the fish tank.  This is my son's fish tank and yes, I'm the one who cleans it.  We have an algae problem and I try to clean the tank at least every two weeks..  I hoping tomorrow I will be able to clean the bottom of the fish tank removing a couple of gallons of water.  This is not my favorite job to do.  My son WILL help with this as it is a two person job.

Tonight, I was able to get the PJ top traced.  I need to double-check the length of the top and the sleeves but the basics have been taken care of.  Hopefully, tomorrow I will get the fabric pressed and work the top (after the fish tank is cleaned).  I still need to figure out how I'm going to arrange the fabrics as the top as traced required 1 3/4 yards of fabric and I have 1 1/4 yards of the star wars fabric and 1 yard of the black cotton.  Would like it good to split the front with the star wars fabric on one side and the black on the other and maybe some star wars applique on the black half?  The sleeves may be another issue.  I may need to do some piecing on this also.  I'll know more fabric I tissue fit the pattern on my son.  I'm fairly certain that I will need to add length.  I know once I figure out the details the sewing will be quick and easy.  This is a beginner's pattern and I have made it before. 

Happy Sewing!

The machines work...

Today, I cut out the muslin squares and cotton batting for the Superior University Razzle Dazzle lesson. Along with the Razzle Dazzle, I also received a spool of the Bottom Line thread. I completed the testing with the Bottom Line thread. The Bottom Line thread reminded me of Mettler Seralene (formerly known as Metralene). I also wound the Razzle Dazzle on the bobbin but that is where I got a little nervous about the bottom case. I don't want to mess up the tension on the bobbin case and I do not own a specialty bobbin case. Has anyone else used the specialty threads in the bobbin case of Viking without the specialty bobbin case?

Happily, the floral fabric I washed yesterday did not fade. I am hoping to get the cotton fabrics ironed tomorrow. I'm not sure that I have a zipper that is at least 14" long so that may slow down the pillow project but I can everything cut out and perhaps, get the front embellished. The sleep shirt for my son will need to draw out. This will require some measurements from my son. The pattern I'm using is from Buckles and Bobbins sewing book for boys. I got it thinking that I could interest my son in sewing a little bit but I realize that is not going to happen.

Happy Stitching!

Drum Roll Please....

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....

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...

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...

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!

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!