Haven't been here in a while. Haven't done much sewing in the last year. I've worked a bit on a skirt for my sister - I think I've been "working" on it for about two years now. Heh heh.
The last two years I've been spending my "free" time teaching others about sewing. So I haven't had much time for it myself.
I'm taking a break from the teaching though so I can better focus on home life and work.
So if all goes well, I'll be here a lot more often!
To start with, I have to make an orc costume for my husband.
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
No Sewcation this Year
We finally seem to be coming out of the cold weather. We'll have at least one more cold snap before we're done, but for now, I'm just enjoying being warm. I hate the cold.
And the spring-like weather has my thoughts to sewing. I haven't gotten to do much in the way of sewing at all for quite a while now, and I'm missing it.
The last few years, I've taken a Sewcation - a week off from work just to sew. And normally I'd be starting the planning process for that.
But not this year. This year I'll have to skip it. :-(
I started a new job in December - which I absolutely love! But, I don't have enough time built up yet to take a week off. Nevermind that it would be kind of weird taking so much time off before I'd been there 6 months yet.
Next year though, DEFINITELY!!!!
And maybe between now and then, I can clear things off a bit and get back to it. I sure would like that.
And the spring-like weather has my thoughts to sewing. I haven't gotten to do much in the way of sewing at all for quite a while now, and I'm missing it.
The last few years, I've taken a Sewcation - a week off from work just to sew. And normally I'd be starting the planning process for that.
But not this year. This year I'll have to skip it. :-(
I started a new job in December - which I absolutely love! But, I don't have enough time built up yet to take a week off. Nevermind that it would be kind of weird taking so much time off before I'd been there 6 months yet.
Next year though, DEFINITELY!!!!
And maybe between now and then, I can clear things off a bit and get back to it. I sure would like that.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Sew Frustrating!!!
So last week, I worked on finishing up a skirt I'm making for my sister. It's a real simple skirt that I've been working on for about 2 years now. Haha!
I finally got everything ready to go - got the fabric all smoothed back out, and got the pieces all traced and cut out. I started on the sewing part and realized that the embroidered butterflies looked like they were upside down. That was about the time I recalled that the fabric had a nap and direction. And that I cut all the pieces out upside down. Luckily, it's a fairly narrow A-line skirt. I think if I can get my sister to try it on, and if she has enough room to walk in it (it's a long skirt), I can fix the "top" part of it so it will fit well enough. Heavy sigh.
In the meantime, I decided to get started again on a jacket I'm making for my mom. Again, in the works for about 2 years. So I needed to iron the lining out because it's been folded up for a while. And say, where did that iron go!? Oh yeah, in the back of the van. I have to haul it to and from my 4-H sewing club every other week. Heavy sigh.
So I decided then to whine about on my blog. :-)
I finally got everything ready to go - got the fabric all smoothed back out, and got the pieces all traced and cut out. I started on the sewing part and realized that the embroidered butterflies looked like they were upside down. That was about the time I recalled that the fabric had a nap and direction. And that I cut all the pieces out upside down. Luckily, it's a fairly narrow A-line skirt. I think if I can get my sister to try it on, and if she has enough room to walk in it (it's a long skirt), I can fix the "top" part of it so it will fit well enough. Heavy sigh.
In the meantime, I decided to get started again on a jacket I'm making for my mom. Again, in the works for about 2 years. So I needed to iron the lining out because it's been folded up for a while. And say, where did that iron go!? Oh yeah, in the back of the van. I have to haul it to and from my 4-H sewing club every other week. Heavy sigh.
So I decided then to whine about on my blog. :-)
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Scrap Fabric Creations
Got this book a few Christmases ago. Finally got around to making things with it this summer as experiments before showing the kids in my 4H sewing club how to make them.
Fabric Leftovers: Simple, Adaptable Ways to Use Up Scraps
First I made this little pouch for my cell phone.
Then I made a box out of some leftover butterfly fabric I had.
Here's a close up of the tassle.
The book has some really fun ideas for using scrap fabrics. Some of the items use up so much thread though that it seems like I didn't really save anything. But the items are cute and they are a fun way to whittle down all those scraps I can't bring myself to throw away!
Fabric Leftovers: Simple, Adaptable Ways to Use Up Scraps
First I made this little pouch for my cell phone.
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| From Scrap Fabric Creations |
Then I made a box out of some leftover butterfly fabric I had.
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| From Scrap Fabric Creations |
Here's a close up of the tassle.
|
| From Scrap Fabric Creations |
The book has some really fun ideas for using scrap fabrics. Some of the items use up so much thread though that it seems like I didn't really save anything. But the items are cute and they are a fun way to whittle down all those scraps I can't bring myself to throw away!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
New Banner
A while back, I asked my daughter to draw me a new banner for my blog. I think it turned out pretty cute.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Slow going
The Sewcation is going slowly this year. I've only finished up one thing so far; Simplicity 4223 for my daughter. I'm going to try to make one for myself as well, but it's not likely to get finished up completely before I have to go back to my regularly scheduled program.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Let the Sewcation Begin!!!
Actually, I started doing some work yesterday. But today is the "official" beginning of my week long "sewcation"
Woo hoo!!!!
Woo hoo!!!!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Getting Ready for Sewcation 2010
I've got my time off from work approved and in the calendar! Sewcation 2010 is set for mid-March!!
Yay! I had a really, really good time doing last year's sewcation. I didn't get to do a whole lot of personal sewing between then and now though. In part because I took about 35 pounds off the old bod and now I need to rework everything. I also started a 4-H sewing club in the Fall and I've been spending a good bit of my sewing time working with the kids.
Speaking of which, we took a field trip to Joann's last weekend and talk about timing! They were having their President's Day sale going on. Who knew? I'm sure lots of people knew, but I didn't. I can't seem to keep up with that sort of thing.
My mother-in-law came with us and she wanted to get me a birthday present because she hadn't already. What a wonderful confluence of events! Loads of stuff on sale at Joann's and a birthday pressie waiting to happen!
I picked up 10 Simplicity Patterns for $1 each. WhooHooo!!! I'm going to mix some of these with some of the projects I didn't finish in 2009 to build my project list for this year's Sewcation.
Here's what I got:
There are a few dresses in the mix, which is unusual for me, since I rarely wear dresses. But, the hubby likes me to wear them at least occasionally so I thought I'd see if I couldn't make something that we both would like.
Yay! I had a really, really good time doing last year's sewcation. I didn't get to do a whole lot of personal sewing between then and now though. In part because I took about 35 pounds off the old bod and now I need to rework everything. I also started a 4-H sewing club in the Fall and I've been spending a good bit of my sewing time working with the kids.
Speaking of which, we took a field trip to Joann's last weekend and talk about timing! They were having their President's Day sale going on. Who knew? I'm sure lots of people knew, but I didn't. I can't seem to keep up with that sort of thing.
My mother-in-law came with us and she wanted to get me a birthday present because she hadn't already. What a wonderful confluence of events! Loads of stuff on sale at Joann's and a birthday pressie waiting to happen!
I picked up 10 Simplicity Patterns for $1 each. WhooHooo!!! I'm going to mix some of these with some of the projects I didn't finish in 2009 to build my project list for this year's Sewcation.
Here's what I got:
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| From New Patterns |
There are a few dresses in the mix, which is unusual for me, since I rarely wear dresses. But, the hubby likes me to wear them at least occasionally so I thought I'd see if I couldn't make something that we both would like.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Sewcation Days 3 to 7
I can't believe I never went back and finished up my notes on my 2009 Sewcation. And here it is time to start planning this year's fun!
So, for my own sense of closure, here are days 3 through 7.
On day 3, I finished up Simplicity 7086. It turned out pretty well - I don't think the pictures really do it justice. I had to take it in almost immediately after making it because I had been losing weight and lost enough that it started really looking like a sack on me.
After finishing up Simplicity 7086, I went on to Simplicity 4076 - View D. I'd made this one before, but wanted to raise the neck line a bit and give it another go. I ended up raising it by 1 and 1/2 inches and made it up in a nice green and pink fabric I picked up from FashionFabrics.com.
This was my favorite out of the 3 that I completed during the week.
A couple days later, I finished up McCall's 4872 - View B done up in a knit from Crybabys Boutique. This was pretty much just a re-do of a basic t-shirt pattern I've used before.
I started in on a 4th shirt - Simplicity 3759 View B - which is a redo of the blue paisley blouse I had done before. I did eventually finish it up. But I wasn't happy at all with how it turned out, so I didn't even take final pictures.
OK. Now I can move on to planning for this year's Sewcation!
So, for my own sense of closure, here are days 3 through 7.
On day 3, I finished up Simplicity 7086. It turned out pretty well - I don't think the pictures really do it justice. I had to take it in almost immediately after making it because I had been losing weight and lost enough that it started really looking like a sack on me.
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| From Sewcation - March 2009 |
After finishing up Simplicity 7086, I went on to Simplicity 4076 - View D. I'd made this one before, but wanted to raise the neck line a bit and give it another go. I ended up raising it by 1 and 1/2 inches and made it up in a nice green and pink fabric I picked up from FashionFabrics.com.
This was my favorite out of the 3 that I completed during the week.
 |
| From Sewcation - March 2009 |
A couple days later, I finished up McCall's 4872 - View B done up in a knit from Crybabys Boutique. This was pretty much just a re-do of a basic t-shirt pattern I've used before.
 |
| From Sewcation - March 2009 |
I started in on a 4th shirt - Simplicity 3759 View B - which is a redo of the blue paisley blouse I had done before. I did eventually finish it up. But I wasn't happy at all with how it turned out, so I didn't even take final pictures.
OK. Now I can move on to planning for this year's Sewcation!
Monday, April 06, 2009
Sewcation - Day 2
I'm about as slow blogging about my sewcation as I am at actually sewing. It doesn't help that in order to use the computer, I have to kick someone off of it!
Did I mention I was slow? I spent most of day 2 on this page.
This is why I've been working on knits for soooo long. The knit shirts I've been working on have 3, maybe 4 pieces. This thing had 7 pieces - some of them twice (i.e. two fronts, two front facings, etc), plus 3 had to have interfacing as well. I'm also still getting the hang of collars since I've only done a few.
By the end of the day, I had gotten all the major pieces together and lacked the armhole facings, the hem, the button holes and the buttons.
If the garment looks unpressed it's because I was having brain farts with my iron. I can't remember why now, but I got it straightened out the next morning and re-pressed everything. After that, it didn't look quite so sloppy.
By the way, the camera doesn't do the fabric justice - which is common enough I guess. It's not nearly as PINK as all that. The little flowers are pink, but the background is almost a very pale lavender color.
Here's where the day ended...
Did I mention I was slow? I spent most of day 2 on this page.
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| From Sewcation - March 2009 |
This is why I've been working on knits for soooo long. The knit shirts I've been working on have 3, maybe 4 pieces. This thing had 7 pieces - some of them twice (i.e. two fronts, two front facings, etc), plus 3 had to have interfacing as well. I'm also still getting the hang of collars since I've only done a few.
By the end of the day, I had gotten all the major pieces together and lacked the armhole facings, the hem, the button holes and the buttons.
If the garment looks unpressed it's because I was having brain farts with my iron. I can't remember why now, but I got it straightened out the next morning and re-pressed everything. After that, it didn't look quite so sloppy.
By the way, the camera doesn't do the fabric justice - which is common enough I guess. It's not nearly as PINK as all that. The little flowers are pink, but the background is almost a very pale lavender color.
Here's where the day ended...
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| From Sewcation - March 2009 |
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