sew...what now?

file under: good to know!

2012-01-27T11:28:00.000-08:00

Chica and Jo have a very handy calculator tool for making tiered skirts.

*******

Or, if you would rather not do all that gathering (I despise!) you can just purchase one of these lovelies made by Rebekah Merkle at Amoretti Designs. I just stumbled upon her wonderful site and I am so glad I did!

Just looking at her designs makes me happy.

So beautiful. So feminine. Very cheery prints.

I swoon at the dresses she has available, too.

She looks like the kind of person you'd want as your next door neighbor, doesn't she?

2012-01-13T13:11:00.000-08:00

I found this at Salvation Army the day that

all clothes were

a dollar!

It used to be a dress.

I got it for my oldest daughter. It looked amazing on her.

Course, she's like a life-sized Barbie.

She didn't like it as a dress, so I cut the bottom part off and hemmed it.

It. Looks. Even. More. Amazing. As. A. Tunic.

Very renaissance fairy.

I love that!

And guess what else?

With the part that was cut off, I am making my youngest child a fun & funky top by mixing other fabrics with it.

(hope to post pic soon)

This kind of math blows my mind: 1 dress + 1 dollar = 2 outfits.

Winning!

the evolution of a sewing studio

2012-01-13T13:01:00.000-08:00

Nothing like a little organization to start off the new year!

Last weekend King helped me rearrange my sewing room,

which I think I shall forevermore refer to as

"sewing studio,"

because that sounds so much more lofty and revenue-generating, don'tcha think?

If only.

Anyhoo, I am in total love with the new use I found for the shelves that I placed atop the antique cabinet. They came from my oldest daughter's dance studio, which changed owners and moved to another location. The new instructor was not interested in them, so I gave them a home in this same room when it was my youngest daughter's bedroom.
The cabinet was flipped another way and I had teeny tiny clothes hanging up on teeny tiny tension rods. Her shoes went in the bottom cubby holes. Everything fit perfectly.

And then she grew.

And then I moved all three girls into one room.

But I digress. In this newly organized room, I shall attempt to tackle one of my New Year's resolutions: finish quilts I've started.

Since the rearranging and organizing the roo... er... I mean studio I have already finished a bunch of smaller projects that I've been meaning to do. Yay!

bye baby bunting

2011-12-21T05:52:00.000-08:00

This is a doorway or mantel Christmas bunting I made for a friend.

It's message:

Peace

Next up:

Love

swoon

2011-12-04T16:05:00.000-08:00

I so enjoyed reading this interview with fabric designer Joel Dewberry. As far as I am concerned, he is a design genius. And now I find out that he and his wife are expecting their fifth child.... beautiful!

Laminate fabric! Hello adorable aprons, bibs, lunchboxes, and raincoats!

have you cleaned your machine lately?

2011-09-05T18:24:00.000-07:00

Labor Day 2011

**************************

Spent a lot of time in the sewing room this weekend as the rest of the family was out of town in various places. Made pillows for the home of a soon-to-be-newlywed couple. They get married in a month and are feathering their soon-to-be nest. First time I had dealt with this type of trim. It was thick and didn't really want to be co-operative.

But I won.

The pillows with brown and lime green pom pom ball fringe turned out to be my very favorites!

Y'know, I could do this for a living...

if only more people needed decorative pillows and knew that I rock at making them.

***************************

After that project was complete, I made a table runner for a friend whose family has just moved to a new neighborhood. I recovered their dining room chairs in the same fabric.

I'd never made a table runner before.

Y'know, I could sew those for a living...

but then I might put the poor children in China's sweatshops out of business.

And I'd hate to do that.

***************************

At the end of the weekend, I cleaned and oiled my faithful sewing machine.

It was well-deserved and much needed. She made a lot less noise afterward. But I am pretty sure I heard a small, sweet voice say 'thank you' when I walked out of the room.

help a fellow seamstress

2011-08-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

Christine Haynes, is a genius. I can highly recommend her book, and have. She is now attempting to start her own pattern line. Check out the link below and learn all about it.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/christinehaynes/christine-haynes-launches-sewing-patterns

I'll be honest, after I watched her video, I wished she was my neighbor.... what a sweetie!

beautiful spools

2011-07-22T14:33:00.001-07:00

for a sweet little friend on her fifth birthday

2011-06-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

For a sweet girl whose favorite colors are blue and green.

And who will be going to Kindergarten this fall!

Happy Birthday Cecilia!

second dress for auction

2011-05-09T04:43:00.001-07:00

For a younger tot, this little apron dress would fit about a 12 month old.

2011-04-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

Although I really really want to win this giveaway, I want to tell you about it, too. I haven't been this excited about someone else's handmade clothes in awhile!

There are just simply some people in the world who can mix and match fabrics and the end result is phenomenal. My friend Tori is like that. These ladies at Lillie Bee have the knack as well. Gives me something to aspire to.

Just look at some of their genius creations....

a new beauty to love

2011-04-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

Singer Model No. 27 circa 1910

Gonna have to practice to get the treadle rhythm just right.

Something consistently scratched this area.

the bobbin... odd, huh?

Bobbin case (shaped like a torpedo)

I am a sucker for the details!

Believe it or not, this was a gift from a friend! It was in her grandmother's house and when they cleaned out the house, she did not want it. I was honored to give it a home. I actually have it in my silhouette themed dining room, because just look at the detailing on the legs!

Interesting to note: Our house will be 100 years old this year and since this is about the same vintage, I will display it proudly. I really hope I can master working it well enough to make something lovely.

one word

2011-03-31T10:46:00.000-07:00

Farbenmix!

I just ordered a pattern from Germany and I am so excited about it.

Lookie here!

2011-03-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

The one who dies with the most fabric wins.

Ready.

Set.

Go!

first offering for the silent auction

2011-02-18T07:31:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine asked me to make a couple of the funky boutique dresses that I have finally started producing (thanks to my inspiration, Tori!). With her request, she also brought me a huge bag filled with fabric remnants from projects she has done in the past (she is a quilter and a crafter).

Let me just tell you, I could not wait to get my hands down in that bag of fabric!

Here is the first offering, a halter front dress with an elastic waistband in the back. It can be a dress for when the winner is a toddler and a fun shirt with leggings as she grows older.

front view

back view

I. Absolutely. Love. the purse fabric with the black background!!

sneak peek

2011-02-18T07:27:00.001-08:00

fabrics used for "the birthday dress"

No. 5 has a birthday coming up on "Mawch Fiff" and to help her celebrate the whole month leading up to it, I have a little dress in mind.

finally gave birth to this idea

2011-01-29T09:06:00.000-08:00

oooh I just love these fabrics together.

brown, orange, white, and aqua

A-line dress

scallop stitching detail on the sleeves

I wish I had taken the chance to make this dress back in the fall, but I made it big enough so that #5 can wear it for several years, first as a dress then as a tunic. Even though it is made with lightweight fabric, you can bet your sweet tart I am going to layer it over a turtleneck and tights and put it on her this week!

le lapin

2011-01-28T18:42:00.001-08:00

C'est un lapin.

I know I know, it looks more like a triceratops than a bunny.

Just don't point and laugh. She might get upset and take bites out of the legs of your furniture when you aren't looking.

a surprise for the surprise

2011-01-28T16:55:00.000-08:00

There is a new little pink package that surprised her mommy and daddy recently. Since everybody loves surprises, I decided she needed a car seat quilt... just a little something to keep her cozy on those cooler days.

I loved the paper doll backing fabric so much that I cut one of the girls out and made a quiet dolly for church.

Mommy can also use the mini-quilt for a changing pad or something to put down for a little "floor time." When sweet baby girl grows into a toddler, she can use her blankie for her own dollies, wrapping them tenderly and putting them to bed. If it lasts that long, her mini-quilt can be made into a pillow sham and she can use it on her teenage bed.

Over the years, I hope she knows that it was made with love and prayers for a beautiful childhood.

file under: favorite things

2011-01-25T19:44:00.001-08:00

Y'see, I have these towels which are my absolute most favorite towels in the

whole

entired (hat tip to #5) world.

However, it seems that I have loved them to pieces. Literally!

Here you see that one actually has a rip in it.

Oops, did I do that?

However, because I am too cheap to buy new towels....

I now have towels that are even better than they were this morning.

Mended.

Lovely.

Designer even.

what's under the needle......

2011-01-18T08:45:00.001-08:00

While at Goodwill over the past several months, I have picked up pieces of clothing with interesting fabrics with the intent of making something. Course, I had no idea what it would be, but the intent was there nonetheless. The last time I was there, I found the most wonderful thing to date: a circa 1960 paisley woman's summer weight robe. Amazing fabric. I knew my older daughters would rather die a thousand deaths than to be caught dead in the thing, so its days as a robe were numbered.

Narrowing down the fabrics to work with was a challenge. To go with my amazing paisley score, I added two men's shirts - one a 3xl orange and brown stripe (great cotton!) and a Old Navy size M red-orange Hawaiian number. To compliment the three fabrics, I grabbed a few scraps from previous projects.

Next, I began the search for just the right pattern that would both showcase each of the interesting fabrics (which were intended to stand alone) and merge them well.

Enter the knot dress.

... which shall, at least in the case of this dress, be called

The So-Ugly-It's-Cute Knot dress.

sweet pinafore for a sweet girl

2011-01-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

Wanting to try a new pattern I had not made before, I stumbled across a pinafore pattern for my youngest. I chose a Valentine's Day inspired fabric for one side and a sweet springy pattern for all the days that follow.

Can't go wrong with pink and green.

I encourage you to go check out Laurie's Esty shop, AliyahsHopeChest. All the items she has are just adorable and I can vouch for her adorable and easy pinafore pattern!

just wondering

2011-01-09T17:43:00.001-08:00

Are any of the rest of you as obsessive compulsive about your pins being sorted on your pincushion as I am? I have the small white glass ball pins on one section, the flat flower head quilting pins on another, and the larger color glass balls on yet another. And when I am really really organized, the large glass ball ones are even color coded.

I would take a picture of my tomato pincushion so you could see what I am talking about, but if I am the only one who does this, then I just might take it back and say I was only teasin'.

50 dollar gift card giveaway!

2011-01-04T14:25:00.001-08:00

I have bragged about the wonderful online fabric source Fat Quarter Shop before. But I am not the only one who loves the wonderful business Kimberly Jolly created... over at Pigtales and Quilts, Thearica has a giveaway in which you can win a $50 shopping spree at FQS! Go on over there and enter. Oh, and remember to tell her that I sent you. :o) mg

in-jean-yuss!

2010-12-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

Lookie here!

lucky me!

2010-11-22T11:26:00.000-08:00

I won! I won!

anyone?

2010-11-20T20:11:00.000-08:00

I wanted you to see this because I need someone to share glitter with.... so, what say? Anyone wanna glitter some styrofoam trees with me?

beautifulness

once upon a time....

2010-11-10T20:35:00.000-08:00

...there was a boy whose mother never made him any clothes, because she was always sewing stuff for his younger sister. Then one day, she happened to be in Dollar Tree and noticed the bin of t-shirts. "Oh, it might be nice to applique something on one of these $1 t-shirts," she thought. She noticed that right beside the t-shirt bin, there were cute boxer shorts hanging up that not only were his size, but also matched a black t-shirt nicely. "I know just what I will applique on the front," she muttered to herself, remembering that she had the "boy silhouettes side" from the yard of Michael Miller Silhouette Kids fabric still left over. (The "girl silhouettes side" and diamond pattern were used for pants for.. well, you probably know who they were made for.)

So, she purchased the t-shirt and boxers and 20 or so other items and scurried home.

Iron Iron Iron

Whirr whirr whirr

and

Voila!

The End.

ok you creative types, riddle me this

2010-11-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get into a funk because you aren't able to create something?

Thankfully I have been able to sew quite a bit lately. In fact, I have several fun projects (dress for my youngest, pettiskirt of sorts for my oldest, a couple of easy quilts) and one or two "paying projects"; but do you ever feel the need to create something outside of your sewing room? Something that doesn't require a sewing machine?

Today I bought these leftover pumpkins that I thought would be cool to paint silhouettes on for my dining room (which has a silhouette theme). I wanted to hand paint "Thanks be to God" on the larger of the two pumpkins, but the letters all started going downhill and I just did not have the patience for it. Sadly, I crashed and burned. But my family took me back anyway.

I searched the arts and crafts store looking for either stencils or something that might improve the looks of these pumpkins. To no avail. As I type this, they have what was supposed to be a damask pattern plus a "splatter" effect all over them. Dear God, they look like hell. And while I still Praise God in all things, I am thinking even He is shaking his head and muttering "what in the wwwworld?!?!?!"

I shan't give up. In the meantime, I did finally create something good:

It is a pink feather, tinsel, and glass ornament wreath with shiny silver accents.

Hey, besides the fact that everyone in my family is still alive, it's the only thing salvageable about today.

making use of a leotard

2010-10-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

My youngest needed some "panty covers" to insure her modesty, so I cut the bottom half or so off a black leotard, added elastic - whammo!

But, the dilemma I had was what to do with the leftover top part. And then it dawned on me:

Gather a strip of Michael Miller's Silhouette Kids fabric and attach it for a neat blouse to wear this fall and winter with "yoga" pants or jeans.

for a weekend away

2010-10-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

Perfect for a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, and deodorant.... especially nice when there is actually a trip involved.

wordless tutorial

2010-10-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

go, watch, now

2010-10-06T21:08:00.001-07:00

Several months ago, while browsing blogs about crafts and sewing, I ran across mention of the movie Bright Star. The author of the post was inspired by the sewing genius of Fanny Brawne. I had never heard of the movie and did not know what it was about, but any movie that can inspire someone to sew... I had to see it.

Tonight was a night where nothing was so pressing that I couldn't take 2 hours and watch a movie on Netflix. Hubby had work to do, the four younger children were in bed, and my oldest was working on an essay for 10th grade Honor's Lit Class.

So, I plugged in the ear buds and sat down for 119 minutes of sheer beauty from the silver screen. The cinematography, the costumes, the actors.... all quite delicious!

Here are some pics I found from the movie:

Abbie Cornish as Fannie Brawne reads a letter from her beloved Keats while wearing an indigo hued linen dress lost in a field of blue flowers.

nyum nyum - Ben Whishaw as 19th century poet, John Keats

The different linens used in the film alone was enough to make my heart stop, but this triple pleated collar... sent me over the edge!

sweetness

2010-10-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

This is another peasant dress I made today using the Elizabeth Claire pattern, only I used a solid panel for the skirt rather than sewing strips. I also used elastic bobbin thread for the arms. The fabric came from Joann Fabrics and I am totally in love with the combination. The main fabric has little people making gingerbread houses and other sweets. Christmasy. The fabric I used for the sleeves remind me of peppermint swirls. I love the gold glittery dots on the chocolate brown bodice fabric. And that pink sash... oh! Scrumptious!

Tip: Did you know you can carefully singe the ends of ribbon with a lighter and it won't fray?

for my little peasant girl

2010-09-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

Recently, I purchased the "Elizabeth Claire" dress pattern from "Little Lizard King". It was emailed as a PDF and I printed off all the pages (which had written instructions and pictures to go along with each step). In a hormone-induced moment of OCD, I hole punched all the pages and put the pattern in a nice little bradded folder.

But honestly, the idea of making that dress has been burning a hole in my fabric stash until yesterday. I cut out all the pieces the night before and put most of the dress together while the wee ones were at school. Then, today, I finished by sewing the bodice and skirt together and decided to add the optional sash.

Because she is napping (of course) I will have to wait to try it on her, but I love how it turned out in two dimensions at least. The pattern gives options for short, 3/4, or long sleeves. This is the 3/4 done in a peasant style.

clackety clack don't come back

2010-09-12T20:26:00.001-07:00

My wonderful 20+ year old Kenmore machine has been getting louder and louder when I sew.

Clackety.

Finally, tonight, as I was putting together the bodice of the Alice in Wonderland costume, I decided I'd heard enough of its noisy shenanigans.

With screwdriver in hand, I removed the throat plate and found there to be a lot of lint built up around the (drop-in) bobbin housing. I removed it and blew the remaining bits from around the area.
Then, I lifted out the bobbin case and there was so much lint that I swear I could have knit a dead mouse from it all. If I knew how to knit, that is.

After all that cleaning, I put everything back together and now my machine is as quiet as can be!

Whirr.

Best of all? I just saved myself a $59 dollar trip to the sewing center!!

(money I could use on more fabric!)

modesty at school

2010-09-09T15:26:00.001-07:00

For those of you who know me, you know that I am like a skirt nazi when it comes to the length of school uniform skirts. Even though the young girls might not yet respect their bodies, I am an advocate for their modesty. I was inspired this morning by Acts 9:36 - the story of a woman, a seamstress, whose name was (in Aramaic) Tabitha (in Greek, her name was Dorcas).

I have had "drives" in the past... bring your skirts to school and I will lower the hem for free.... usually after their post Christmas growth spurt. But today I decided to make it a year-round ministry. Therefore, today I rejoice and pray for blessings upon the beginning of the Tabitha Ministry.

Sidenote: I do not believe in coincidence and today is no exception. Right after I emailed the school's administrative assistant telling her that I would like to offer this year-round ministry for any student K-8, four different people contacted me about sewing different projects for them for which I will be paid. I just happen to find that downright amazing!

my very first giveaway

2010-09-09T05:45:00.000-07:00

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

CONGRATULATIONS, GRACE!

To celebrate my upcoming 43rd birthday, I am hosting my very first giveaway.

The winner of this giveaway will receive this plastic lined flower sack made with damask quilters cotton in green and brown. It can hold about 2-3 cups of water or wet floral foam and an arrangement. (I stuck lime green Fuji mums in for one of the pictures.)

It would be really cute on the handle of a door, or hung on a nail as a special little surprise to visitors to your home. Where ever you need a little fabric/flower splash. Or you could give it away to a friend who just needs a little extra smile.

This flower sack is a mock-up for a friend who has a gardening store. I will make them (using home decor fabric) and sell them by the dozen, just in case you are also in the market. ;)

I have never hosted a giveaway before and I gotta tell you, it feels awkward. I will leave the giveaway open until my birthday - Sept 24th. At that time, I will collect all the names and get one of the kids to draw from a hat. Leave a comment and make sure you have a way for me to contact you (email).

what's under the needle....

2010-09-09T05:21:00.001-07:00

I have two big projects that I am working on. The first is the t-shirt/memory quilt that I am making for the sister of a girl I made a quilt for last year. Yesterday I finally finished attaching the "framed" t-shirt panels.

This was like clearing a blockage, let me tell ya. One of the hardest/most intimidating projects I've worked on yet... well, besides the Munchkin costumes. Which leads me to the other project I am busy with....

an Alice in Wonderland costume, like the one "Char" from Crap I've Made made last year just before Halloween.

photo credit

This is for the daughter of a friend who will, of course, be Alice in Wonderland for Halloween. Betcha saw that one coming, huh?

There are also several different embroidery projects waiting in line. Alas, part of my computer software is being repaired and will hopefully be here at the end of the week. I am eager to get these projects done because everyone has been sooo patient. Mother's Morning out "scrubs", a set of towels which is to be a wedding gift, and a couple of backpacks are all waiting to get under the embroidery machine's needle.

nap mat tutorial part 2

2010-08-10T20:07:00.000-07:00

Step 8 - Time to attach pillowcase! With right sides together, pin top of mat to front, lower edge of pillowcase fabric, stitch in place.

Step 9 - Flip pillowcase fabric over and topstitch onto the back, top of mat.

Step 10 - Place the travel pillow inside pillowcase and fold up so you can start on the straps.

Step 11 - Cut straps 28" (I used nylon and singed the edges with a lighter to prevent fraying.), pin into place 5 " inside each edge. Figure out where you want your buttons/button holes to be and adjust strap accordingly before you sew it into place.

Step 12 - Mark where you want button hole to be and sew it. I used the "button hole steps 1-4" that are on my machine. Watch this if your machine does not have this option.

Step 13 - Figure out where you want them and sew on buttons.

Voila!!

All ready to go to school tomorrow!

nap mat tutorial part 1

2010-08-10T18:05:00.001-07:00

Kindergarten Nap-Mat Tutorial

I realized about halfway into this project that I should be snapping pictures. So forgive the fact that the first few steps do not have pictures to go with them. The finished size of this nap mat is approximately 20 inches wide x 55.5 inches long. You are basically making a mini quilt and sewing on fabric for a pillow, plus straps.

Step 1 - Cut the fabric you want for your top fabric (here, the cookie fabric) about 20" x 44". I had to piece my fabric together, which actually worked out nicely later in the process when I was sewing the "fold lines". A happy accident.

Step 2 - Cut the quilt batting (I did double thickness) the same size and put the two together, smoothing out any wrinkles. The batting will "stick" to the fabric.

Step 3 - Cut the backing fabric (here, the black & white gingham) 22" x 46". Center the back fabric on the other side of the batting, basically making three layers (top, batting, backing). Turn in the edges of the backing fabric 1/2 " and then another 1/2", wrap around to front, covering the top fabric, pin, and sew.

Note: I know I do not miter the corners "correctly", in fact, true quilters who see this will probably want to stick me with pins for doing it this way, however, after pinning one side, when I turn the corner, I take the unfolded edge and the first turn is a 90 degree angle and then I fold it in again. That will not make sense until you get into the project and just play with the fabric a bit.

Step 4 - Cut out pillowcase fabric 22" x 23". If you only want one fabric layer, that is fine. I used two different fabrics here - the gingham and a brown swirly fabric. My brown swirly accent fabric was cut 17" x 23", the side edges were tucked under, centered, and sewn onto the main piece.

Step 5 - Turn left edge in 1/2" and another 1/2" and stitch. Do the same for the right edge. These edges will become the openings to slide your travel pillow in/out of.

Step 6 - Zig zag (or serge) top and bottom edges, then turn edge in 1/4" and stitch. These edges will be attached to the top of your mat (front and back) and will form the pillowcase. Set aside.

Step 7 - To sew "fold lines", measure up from the bottom approximately 10" and sew across the width of the mat. Fold on the line you made and sew another "fold line" just past where the bottom edge ends. Continue until you have only about 2 inches past all the folds.

definitions

2010-08-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

fat quarter: the term given to a quarter of a yard of fabric that is cut as half of half a yard, to produce a "fatter" more square block of fabric rather than cutting the full width of fabric from the bolt. Dimensions are usually around 18" x 22" rather than 9" x 44"
definition from www.quiltblockofthemonthclub.com

The Fat Quarter Shop: a top-notch online business providing the customer with impeccable service and quality products. Communication is outstanding, shipping is fast, and I just wish you were here with me to delight in my first purchase. If you have never bought from them, I am convinced you won't be disappointed. Visit them at www.fatquartershop.com

Is that chocolate brown and blue not scrumptious together? This is a fat quarter bundle, which means there are a number of co-ordinating fabrics, in this set there are 11.

The line is called Aqua Spa by designer Rosemarie Lavin for Windham Fabrics.

click on square for link

a huge chunk out of the way

2010-07-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

Back in the fall of last year I was commissioned to make this quilt of love. The young woman for whom I made it asked me earlier this year to make one for her sister. She gave me a ton of t-shirts and equally as many fat quarters. Also in the bag was a flannel shirt that I assume belonged to her father, a silky halter style top, an acrylic sweater, some boxers, and a Girl Scout sash, complete with many patches lovingly hand sewn onto it.

It took me several months just to figure out how to approach the project. I knew I couldn't use the acrylic sweater (but may still use the label from the neck of it) or the silky shirt, but came up with what I hope will be the best use of all the stuff.

Here is a sneak preview: t-shirts are framed.

Now I just have to get them placed on the quilt top and then design the strip on the back, which will contain some of their dad's plaid flannel shirt, some of their mother's tattered Irish wedding quilt remains, some of their mother's wedding dress, and part of those boxers!! (just the waistband I think - I think it must bear the name of the sister's favorite college) I will even try to work that Girl Scout sash in somehow, if I can. Though it is pretty neat on it's own.

Stay tuned!

easy handmade gift

2010-07-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for an easy pattern to have on hand so that you can make quick gifts for your kids to give as birthday gifts, look no further.

This is the Easy As Pie wallet.

I did add a snap tab, which took longer to figure out and sew on the snaps, but the main part of the wallet takes less than one fat quarter and 'sews up' in about 10 minutes.

linen: not for everyone

2010-07-29T05:33:00.000-07:00

There are some people who look really good in linen. My mom, for example looks great in linen. She has several linen items in her closet: pants, blouses, even a linen "hoodie". Also, I have a friend, Sue, who is sporting linen every time I see her. She looks cool, relaxed, comfortable... very approachable. My friend, who-must-not-be-named-lest-she-fall-down-the-stairs, just bought a beautiful linen shirt with lovely feminine ruffles. Liz Claiborne. Classic. I, on the other hand, have a pair of black linen pants that look like t-total dog poop.

TweedleDumesque.

I used to have a butter yellow linen dress. It was so comfy and I felt lovely in it, but I looked like the side of a barn. Perhaps I need to find a pattern and try to make something myself. Y'know, pants with a side zipper - and maybe half elastic waistband? Dunno. All I know is that I am a linen-wearer-wannabe, but I am on a mission.

putting people on pedistals

2010-07-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

Y'know how you "know" someone on the internet. I have several blogs that I follow and feel like I have known these women for several years. Some of them I admire so much. They are so creative and inspiring and really make me think I can fly. (Ok so that might be going a bit too far. I have not jumped off any tall buildings.)

Ashley at Make It and Love It is one of those people I wish was one of my bestest friends who lived right next door. First of all, she is adorable. She look very much like one of my cousins who is also very inspiring, btw. Ashley makes things look sooo simple. I nearly think I can do some of the stuff she has on her blog. But then I get bombarded by being a mom of 5.

Wonder if some of my favorite bloggers know that I (and perhaps others?) am living vicariously through them?

Do you have any blogger faves?

for a serious coffee-drinkin' friend

2010-07-12T21:06:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine came up with this and wanted it embroidered on a tea towel.

I was happy to oblige.

note to self: get bandanas at the dollar store

2010-07-02T20:09:00.001-07:00

THIS IS SO STINKIN' CUTE!!!!!

Bandana Dress Tutorial

a green moment

2010-07-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

I need to come up with a neat way to recycle the cardboard squares from fat quarter packaging. Seems such a shame to waste them.

Any ideas?

my new favorite: halter top

2010-06-30T05:42:00.000-07:00

This is made with an old linen hand towel and some ribbons I either had at home or found at the thrift store. It just don't get any easier!

two dresses

2010-06-29T06:15:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I woke up with a desire to be creative with the sewing machine. Finally! After all those Munchkin costumes I had pretty much sworn off using my sewing machine unless absolutely necessary. I wanted to make a dress with a pattern I borrowed from a friend of mine (thanks, Kathlene!). I decided to use scraps, since .... well, since I had them and it's always cheaper that way!

I decided on this satin - black with white polka dots - leftover from last summer when a student of mine used it to made a circle skirt. The pattern is a halter style and has a flounce at the hem. I love flounces. I think it is what drew me in. Kathlene had made one for her daughter and that flounce just beckoned to me. Drew me out of a sewing "funk" really. So, I'm thinking this needs a set of plastic dollar store beads, a silk flower in her hair, and some flip flops and she will be set.

pattern used: New Look 6478 (I used a size 5)

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The next dress I made yesterday has a story behind it.

Once upon a time, I had a truckload of bags filled with clothes to donate. After dropping them off, I decided I had a few minutes (the laundry at home could wait) and I went inside to do a little thrift store shopping. I found two squares of this adorable blue gingham check. Each square was about 24" x 24".

One of the pieces had a rabbit applique that no doubt a mom or grandmother was planning on using to make a cute Easter outfit for the wee one in her life. But, as often happens, other things become priority and Easter comes and goes.

Well, I grabbed up the fabric, paid my tab of $1 and brought it home where the fabric sat in my sewing room for nearly a year.

Fast forward to yesterday when I thought I'd make a pillowcase dress. I grabbed some neat ribbon trims and went to town. Once I got all that trimwork on, I decided that the rabbit looked mighty naked. So, she got a dress just like my little girl's.... only the bunny's dress is actually a pocket!

All I need to do now is to make bunn-bunn a face and maybe put a bow between her ears.

Feels great to WANT to sew again. Y'know?

What about you, do you ever get burned out with sewing or scrapbooking or whatever your hobby is?

the allure of a quilt

2010-06-21T15:31:00.001-07:00

If you sew or quilt you have probably had someone ask you to make them something. They are half-joking, but they are also half-serious. When people find out that I make quilts, they joke "when you gonna make me one?" It happens a lot. So much so that I nearly wish I could make one for everybody who asks. "I love ya, man, but, seriously. Really?"

My sister saw the raggy quilt our sewing class made for a friend with cancer and it was just what pushed her over the edge from

non-creative-type-who-doesn't-sew

person-who-drives-5-hours-in-a-car-full-of-her-own-children-to-visit-her-sister-who-has-agreed-to-teach-her-how-to-sew-and-then-drives-back-home-and-buys-an-old-machine-off-of-craigslist-and-sews-up-a-storm-type.

It's the allure of a quilt.

What is it about a quilt that nearly everyone loves? Do you think it is the fact that we all crave something handmade? Or does it tap into something left over from childhood? A fever which gave the chills and a loving mother wrapped up her sick child? A picnic memory sitting on grandma's quilt? A cozy fort made with chairs and an old blanket shared by siblings on a particularly memorable rainy day?

What is it that you love about a quilt?

draggin'!

2010-06-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

Today was Day 1 of Summer 2010 Sewing Camp.

My sewing partner, Tori (who also hosts the camps at her home), and I planned two camps this week, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, to see how well that would work. Let me just say that my arse is DRAGGIN'!!!!

All of the kids, though, are soooo extremely sweet. They are very fast learners and I know will have a fun, successful camp in which they learn skills to last a lifetime. Amazing to watch them, truly, it was. The beginner students made a felt book with four "pages". One showed all the different stitches/stitch lengths/stitch widths they learned, one showed their new skill of pivoting, another showed that they can now sew curves. And, for their final page they learned how to gather a strip of fabric and sewed on a ruffle. After learning all the basics, they finished today by making a pillowcase.

Now, if I could just put my hands on some Calgon bath salts and steal away to soak in a tub full of warm water. I KNOW I am going to sleep well tonight.

On tap for tomorrow: More fun, more stuff!

click the link

2010-06-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how to make the video appear here, but you need to see this easy-peasey project. Also, I don't know about you, but I am going to put these girls on my favorite list!

Hooded Towel Project

starting to pick back up

2010-04-28T06:30:00.000-07:00

Working on a quilt between meals and kid errands.

Also, working on a big graduation order for a friend of mine whose daughter is graduating this year. Brilliant: she is having laundry bags monogrammed!
I remember when our kids were little. My oldest was not too much smaller than her youngest, which of course means that it will be no time at all before my oldest is graduating. EEEEEK!

Coming soon: Summer Sewing Camps for kids and we are even offering two All-In-One-Day camps for the moms!

a great resource for the beginning seamstress

2010-03-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

I think Tori and I will be using this book as a textbook for our Mom's Sewing classes. Chic & Simple Sewing by Christine Haynes. It has such great, modern, super-easy, and (even modest) patterns that even the beginning seamstress will feel like a pro and look like a million bucks! A friend of mine, who is just learning to sew, received it as a gift and wanted me to take a look at it. FAB!

Now, to find some quality apparel fabric.

what a silly waste

2010-03-09T17:51:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else think 5/8th seam allowances are excessive? Does it make you feel a little crazy, especially when the pattern then tells you to clip the seam to 1/4th inch?!

more burp cloths

2010-03-01T12:55:00.001-08:00

Second set of burp cloths today.

The friend who ordered these burp cloths wanted them edged with ribbon. I'm thinking it was a really great idea! What a lucky little baby, if I do say so myself.

burp cloths

2010-03-01T08:22:00.000-08:00

This morning's project was embroidering three burp cloths for a friend of mine to give as a gift. I love how they turned out. The bunny is my all-time favorite design to sew out.

getting this off my chest

2010-02-25T19:18:00.000-08:00

I DO NOT LIKE PINKING SHEARS!

pinking shears: instrument of torture

Every pair I have ever used is hard to open and close. I am working on a mini-project for the second graders: panels which will be decorated and "quilted" into an altar cloth for First Communion (thank the Lord I am not doing the quilting - whew!) and each panel must be pinked on all sides. The bone at the joint on my right thumb is soooo sore from all of today's activities.

two hours past due

2010-02-21T18:26:00.000-08:00

But they are all done! Now, I'm off to see the Wizard.

second to last

2010-02-20T18:48:00.000-08:00

I love the bright, happy colors in this one. Possibly my favorite. Now I am about to start on the last one, which is red.

Can I go to see the wizard when I'm done?

near lee done

2010-02-18T17:10:00.001-08:00

Although the quality of the photography is getting worse, I am nearing the end of sewing for all the little munchkins. There are two more dresses remaining. Deadline is Sunday. Wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have a wholelotta extraneous stuff to deal with.

seven and a half down

2010-02-12T22:09:00.001-08:00

Down to the wire now. I have six dresses to make in a week.

That's basically one a day.

Today I got this one and half of another done.

Oh, Lord I am tired of sewing!

Though I do really love this apron!!

greetings from munchkinland

2010-02-05T16:53:00.001-08:00

Here are some of the dresses I have been working on for the past couple of weeks.

Regular Munchkins

Lullaby League

sneak peek

2010-02-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

Here is the bodice with one arm attached (aka the most difficult project I've done in awhile) of the first of three Lullaby League Munchkin costumes. The colors did not show true in the photo (pale pink/hot pink), but you get the idea. That @#%*@ sleeve took me all day.

three down

2010-01-29T22:13:00.000-08:00

Whirring along...

Here's the third Munchkin costume!

(update: detail added)

whew

2010-01-26T14:58:00.001-08:00

One Munchkin dress down!

ps- the dress nor the crinoline has been hemmed.

a peek into munchkinland

2010-01-24T10:09:00.001-08:00

Here's what the Wicked Witch of the West has been up to, when she wasn't teaching her sister from the East how to sew.

Munchkin bodice

Munchkin apron panel

dress two est finis aussi!

2010-01-24T09:49:00.001-08:00

The girl is on a roll!

dress one: c'est finis

2010-01-24T07:54:00.000-08:00

Well, I have to tell ya, sissy is a natural! The very first garment that she made, an A line dress, is amazing! It even makes her little girl spin faster!

As I am posting this, she is working on the second dress and says, "I could get hooked on this sewing thing." Yeah. I'm pretty sure she's hooked. But then, I'm pretty sure we had her at the cotton section at the fabric store.

a quick study

2010-01-23T10:33:00.000-08:00

Teaching my sissy how to sew went quite well yesterday. A fast learner, she even wanted to go to the fabric store and get a pattern to try. We picked out an easy one and then took forever to pick out the fabric... (welcome to the world of creativity!)

making it official

2010-01-18T19:28:00.000-08:00

I am now in the silhouette business. A ready-to-frame (approximately 8x10) silhouette in either traditional black/white or something more fun and funky - pink and green, aqua and blue, solid or something really fun, like damask paper... to match your color scheme... $25.

To pursue the idea further:

immlach at yahoo dot com

this weeks assignment

2010-01-18T19:24:00.000-08:00

munchkin costumes for local high school production
teaching my sister how to sew

completely edible

2010-01-05T21:24:00.000-08:00

Sewing a ruffle onto a pair of jeans was not my original idea. I will not take credit. I got the brillant project idea from my friend, Tori, who makes adorable outfits like this one all the time. Don't know if she copied the idea from someone else, or just what, but I love it!

I have had a pair of jeans picked out and set back to do this for awhile now. After finishing some mending, which had been waiting for a few months, I pulled the jeans out, went through my stash of fabric, and decided on the cupcakes.

Besides, my own sweet littlest cupcake will be turning 3 soon enough and she needs an oufit, right?

ps - There was material left over which just may have to find its way onto the cuff of a sleeve soon...

with one day to spare!

2009-12-29T08:52:00.000-08:00

With only one day to spare, my nieces' quilts are finished.

This one is a Raggy quilt made for my sister's oldest daughter.

And there are two quilts like this one... one for each of her youngest girls, who nearly think they are twins.

I wanted to make all three of them raggy quilts, but the black fabric, cute though it is, is NOT flannel. Despite the fact that it was in the flannel aisle and I was not paying attention the day I bought all the fabric for these projects. So, I made them into regular quilts. They are very warm. The colors didn't turn out as cute as I had hoped, but each of the quilts is very much made with love, so hopefully that will add to the charm.

ah.... now quilts for my sister's girls

2009-12-22T17:28:00.000-08:00

Whew! The whirlwind of activity and stuff I had to do for others is done. Now onto something I have been wanting to get to for a month now: raggy quilts for my sister's girls.

The two youngest ones like pink and green and the older one likes purple. I have cut about half of the material into 6 inch squares. When I finish that, the fun part of laying out each of the quilts begins, and then onto the sewing and "ragging".

Hopefully in January I can get to finish the other quilts I am making for moi.

Merry Christmas, y'all!

pedaling as fast as possible

2009-12-11T21:17:00.000-08:00

I am busily embroidering stuff for others to give as Christmas gifts, so my time is not my own for awhile. I'm hurrying though, because there is so much I want to finish/start.

2009-11-30T12:17:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine, a mom of three sons, commissioned me to make stockings for the two significant young women in her life - her daughter-in-law and her one-day-soon-daughter-in-law. I love how they turned out. I gotta say, the pink roses trim that we got at Hancock's is scrumptious!

just in time

2009-11-25T07:22:00.000-08:00

Yay, leaves!

Just in time for Thanksgiving, I finished this reversible dress for my youngest. Of course the side shown in the picture is brown with lime green polka dots. The pockets are brown/lime houndstooth and the reverse side is solid lime green. Both sides are made of baby corduroy. I thought it would be way too thick to use baby cord on both sides, but I am glad to be wrong this time.

c'est finis

2009-11-23T18:55:00.000-08:00

>>>Whoo hoo!<<<

I've only been waiting for forever to find the time to sew the binding onto this quilt!

It is in the dryer right now. It had gotten dusty waiting for me to finish it, so when I sewed my last stitch (all on machine, because I am a lazy daisy) I threw it into the washer. I can just imagine the girls bundling up underneath its vintage sweetness on a chilly Saturday morning and watching Bugs Bunny and Road Runner on DVD with their silly brothers.

jelly roll, jelly roll, now let me see that jelly roll

2009-11-22T21:29:00.000-08:00

This is the beginning of a quilt made with my very first jelly roll, the "Soiree" line, made by Lila Tueller for Moda fabrics. I got it when I went to see my very first quilt show. A local fabric store had all their jelly rolls and fat quarters on sale for, like, 30% off or something enticing. There are a million different ways I could have done the strips, but I went the simple route and just sewed them in horizontal lines. When I spread it out just now, it looked like a spring picnic.

Can't wait to get this one finished!

wanted: selvage edges

2009-11-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

selvage square

I know it would be tedious, but I want to do this... make something out of the poor, unused, mostly tossed selvage edges of fabric. My friend, Tori, made the cutest wallet out of them and I was inspired. Now I am dreaming of ALL the things I could make. Something has me thinking

selvage quilt binding.

elegant

2009-11-21T12:16:00.000-08:00

Just doesn't get any lovelier than this.

White linen napkins with a white embroidered initial.

a qult for a friend with cancer

2009-11-20T15:24:00.000-08:00

This is a "raggy" quilt made of seven different flannels. Using a total of 5 yards, the blocks are cut in 8 x 8 squares. Finished quilt measures 45 x 60. The quilt was a group effort by all the ladies in the Mom's Night Out sewing classes for one of their classmates, Allison, who began a battle with breast cancer last week.

more stuff for baby

2009-11-20T15:02:00.000-08:00

This time it is a little travel-sized pillowcase.

I was given carte blanche as to what to do with it... there were so many things I thought about.

One of my favorites that nearly got embroidered on the case was a pink chandelier.

Chandeliers are big in the world of home fashion, just look. But, if nothing else in the room goes along with the whole idea, I guess it would be dumb, huh?

easy breezy lemon squeezy

2009-11-19T05:02:00.000-08:00

My youngest child's playschool teacher is expecting and asked me to embroider some of the gifts she got at a recent baby shower.

I nearly dropped my teeth when she showed me the burp cloth packages. For $18 Buy Buy Baby sells these "designer" burp cloths. Now, granted they are absolutely the most adorable things ever.... but, really!

One of the burp cloths has grosgrain ribbon sewn onto either side of the middle. The other burp cloth has a panel of super soft flannel. Can it get any easier to reproduce? I doubt it. I'm thinking craft fair, aren't you?

Anyway, here is how they turned out with the embroidery on them:

my first craft show

2009-11-18T14:33:00.000-08:00

Ok, so my very good friend, Tori, and I are going to go in together and have a table at a craft show coming up in March. Seems like a long way away, doesn't it? Yeaaaaah. Sure.

So, we are thinking about sewing outfits... she has a beautiful flair for pairing some really fun, funky fabrics together and making a wonderful ensemble. Me? I'm less "out there" and tend to choose more classic prints. So, we figure we will have the corner market (or the market cornered - heh heh - whichever way you want to look at it) on stuff to choose from.

We are thinking about getting a certain number of patterns, say, 4, and making one in each size, like a size 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 that are all the same fabric. So there will be 4 different styles/color combinations with 5 sizes each.

Clear as mud?

Have any of you done craft shows? (Either as a vendor or customer) What tips/pointers can you give us?

operation: modesty ministry

2009-11-16T11:38:00.001-08:00

Last week and over the weekend I have carried on what my husband refers to as "The Modesty Ministry", in which I offer my time and skills as a seamstress to lower the hems on the school uniform skirts.
whirr whirr whirr
About 25 girls now have longer, more modest skirts. (whether they wanted that or not)

guess who figured out how to do appliques?

2009-11-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

Well, officially it is my second applique, but this one I actually got paid for. The only thing cuter is the little boy who will be wearing it.

hey diddle diddle

2009-11-11T09:18:00.000-08:00

For a little boy, soon to be ONE!

but wait, there's more

2009-10-30T11:46:00.001-07:00

Today was the day to hand over the quilt (and a couple of other special items) to its rightful owner. I had one more item to add to it .... I wasn't sure if I should or not. I decided to.

Now, after hearing the story of The Bonnet, I am thankful that I did. Not wanting to cut the ties, just in case the family ever decides they want it off of the quilt, I couldn't figure out what to do with them. Then it dawned on me. The quilt is called "A Mother's Love", why not spell LOVE with the ties?

The story of The Bonnet (paraphrased - and I hope I remember the story correctly) as told to me by the sweet, young lady who is very happy to have gotten her quilt:

"When we were little, my sister and I had Cabbage Patch dolls. My parents were building a house on the lake, but we had a trailer to live in while it was being built. On Christmas day, the trailer caught on fire. My mom ran in and the only thing she grabbed was our dolls. This is the bonnet from my doll. The little marks are from that day."

a mother's love: complete

2009-10-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

Well, the first quilt I was commissioned to do is complete. Whew! As I mentioned previously, it is made of squares from:

an old, tattered double wedding ring quilt
the wedding dress from the lady who sewed the double wedding ring quilt
hospital gowns from the grandchildren of the above-mentioned lady
fabric picked out by the daughter/grandchildren
fabric from sentimental garments such as baby dresses
misc. fabrics such as jeans

I embroidered a label to go on the back of the quilt. Before I went to that quilt show a couple of weekends back, I didn't know that quilts 'had to' have names.

Naturally, this quilt is called "A Mother's Love".

I stitched in the ditch around each square, first doing all the horizontal lines, starting from the middle, then stitching all the vertical lines in the same manner. Thank the good Lord nothing got messed up or wonky. In fact, the quilt sort of looks like a down comforter on the back. Very cool.

file under category: had to have

2009-10-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

I only went into the fabric store for rotary cutter blades. But then I saw this vintage McCall pattern fabric. "What, oh, what could I make with this?" I kept asking myself. I don't want to cut it up, because it is so wonderful like it is. It will have to be a quilt. Not a piecework quilt, just a plain ol' blanket quilt. Piece on top, piece underneath, batting in the middle, and a border.

"Now, what fabric will go with it?"

go, enter this giveaway

2009-10-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

I can't believe her generosity.

Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Halloween Costume giveaway.

beauty

2009-10-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

This is what I saw in the antique store those 7 or so years back.

I nearly fainted when I saw that it contained this black beauty.

Vintage.

Treadle.

My grandmother is the only person I know who can operate one of these.

How wonderful would it be for me to learn from her?!?!

the 12' square

2009-10-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a close up from my favorite quilt from the quilt show. There were so many examples of this pattern, that my friend, Michele, decided that there had to have been a class and everyone entered their quilt. It looks easy enough.

Update: I found out when I went to visit a little quilting shop (oh yeah, baby, that was fun!) that this pattern is called "Turning Twenty". It is called such because it takes only 20 fat quarters to make the quilt. The woman said that she made one start to finish in a day.

a day of firsts

2009-10-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

Today a friend and I went to a quilt show. I had never been to one before. Simply. Amazing. The photos I took will not do any of the quilts justice.

This is what we saw when we walked through the doors. It sort of made me gasp.

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Most of the quilts were "traditional" and had a "pattern" to them. Some were very non-traditional and had no rhyme nor reason to them. There were a couple that looked very much like a Georgia O'Keefe painting.

This one was HILARIOUS! It is titled "Road Kill". I guess it requires no explanation.

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I think the cubical look of these two is very cool.

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Although you can't see the detail in this picture, this quilt artist used "thread painting" techniques to achieve some pretty awesome details.

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This one was so bright and colorful and must have taken a million hours.

**********

Even though there are NO circles at all in this one, you still see them, don't you?

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This quilt is the reason I came home with a Moda "jelly roll" and a few matching fat quarters.

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This one, called Sunny Side Up, must have a billion little squares. I know she must know some major rotary cutting shortcuts.

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Though the red is a bit severe, I love the way this one looks like so many Victorian nosegays.

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All three of these quilts, plus a few more, must have been made in a class, as they are made with the same 12" square pattern. See if you can pick it out. The first one was my favorite.

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clever clever idea

2009-10-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//////We have been getting a lot of rain lately. //////

//////This would be so cool to make./////

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

latest project

2009-10-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

(I wouldn't want anyone to think I was idle.)

I am making a quilt for a young woman who was given my name by a mutual friend. It will be crafted from various clothes that her daughters wore as toddlers, part of her mother's wedding gown, and part of a quilt that her mother made many years before she passed away.

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This was the quilt that her mother made.... after many years of being loved by her daughter and grandchildren. What a comfort it must have been to wrap up in its soft, Double Wedding Ringed beauty.

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I am being very careful to reinforce each 6x6" square I make from it.

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Here are a few of the 9 patch squares I've made. Thought about attempting the Disappearing Nine Patch pattern, but decided since there was such a difference in patterns/textures/types of material, that I'd better not.

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