Why do we always seem to wait for the "new year" to organize ourselves? I suppose it could be because we are sooo busy towards the end of the "old" one that there just isn't enough time in the day to do it! I've been reading a few blogs that have been talking about Stash Busting!!!! I'm not a joiner when it comes to this aspect of organizing or weeding out. From what I've been reading, there are people out there that just for the "purpose" of making room and using up.... they make things to use stuff up! What's up with that? If your going to make something... shouldn't it be something you want? Or at least something that is going to be useful to someone? I've never been a fan of waste... matter of fact, I've been a bit of a hoarder from way.... back! But, then again, I'm working on that. You know the old saying ......... "Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, Or do with out! In the state of affairs the world is in, we need to be thinking about whether things are a "Want" or a "Need".
Carolyn over at Diary of a Sewing Fanatic; http://sewingfantaticdiary.blogspot.com/ has a great post on this subject... that of stashes? Go put the visit on her if you have a moment. My thinking is that we need to use what we have and yes, sometimes that means that we aren't sure what we have.... (because some of us... meaning me!) have too much to remember what all we have! But, I have been doing better! I will remind you to go look at my 1/5/09 post!
Would you believe I walked into a fabric store today.... (I was in 3 yesterday) and didn't buy any material at all! Can you believe that? I know it will be hard for my girls to believe... why do you think that I'm documenting it here! There you go girls 5 less pieces of fabric that you have to worry about using up after I'm gone! I do think about that a bit... but, not all that much. I'm sure that by the time you get rid of me I will have been through a bunch and then some. I will try to use a bunch more and try not to buy stuff that I or you for that matter won't use. This is my pledge... (or at least my story and I'm willing to try sticking to it!)
Oh, I just want to post that Kristy Idle from Lower Your Presser Foot;
http://loweryourpresserfoot.blogspot.com/
had her baby last week, she is officially 1 week and 3 days old. What a cutie... looks like her DH will have to buy a baseball bat to keep all the boys away! Hopefully now their builders will hurry and get the rest of the re-modelings done before too much longer. Check out her pictures... mom and dad you do good work!
O.k. I don't want to wear anyone out with so many posts in one week so now I'll get back to work!
Seams to sew... threads to clip! Material to join! Another day another pattern!
Oh, I did say that I didn't buy any fabric.... I didn't say that I did buy another pattern! This one is for Missy..... you know who you are! LoL
January 15, 2009
January 14, 2009
O.K. I know that I just finished a quick post but I was just reading A Dress A Day; and she mentioned that she sends her scrap pieces to a place in California... here is a piece of her post. They make .......... "Quilts for Valor for wounded soldiers, but they will also be providing quilts for community health groups Corona, foster children, and the elderly. If you want to send your scraps as well, they can use any cotton, silk, velvet, or denim scraps of any size. Most of their quilts will be twin to lap size. (Don't forget that you can pack a flat rate box or envelope with as much as possible ...) They asked me to let you know that you can send your scraps to Jane Ellen Smith, 3192 Via Mazatlan, Corona, CA 92882".... this was written by Erin. If you want to read the entire post, go here! http://www.dressaday.com/dressaday.html
Seems to me that if you aren't a quilter and have scraps that you don't use... please send them onto this group or find one in your area that will take them. Keeping them out of the landfill is a good idea too!
Seems to me that if you aren't a quilter and have scraps that you don't use... please send them onto this group or find one in your area that will take them. Keeping them out of the landfill is a good idea too!
Miss Me? I Really Wasn't That Far Away!
Hello there... miss me? Your probably just to busy to do that! Seems January comes and we try to get everything done that we were too busy to do during the holidays. At least that's what happens in my life! The tree is down, your saying to yourself... what tree is she talking about??? You know, the beautifully fragrant one that we put up the end of November. The one I almost never have the heart to take down after Christmas. But, dear hubby decided to take pity on me and took off all the decorations and put them away (well at least into containers... it's not like he really knows where they go) in the downstairs bedroom so I can put them away "later". Hmmm, is it "later" yet??? Nope! There they sit on the bed waiting for "later". The tree went outside, and is leaning up agains't the fence waiting for DH to take off branches and sometime make it into a walking stick! Yep, that's his way of recycling them! Nice hmmm!
So, here it is the 11th and I've finally gotten out to see what kind of sales there are still left for Christmas stuff! Not bad, if I were really looking for anything to buy. I found some good deals, plus on some soon to be birthday presents too... but, we won't go there because sometimes a ( soon to be) birthday girl I know would know what she was getting. Don't want to spoil anything now do we?
My SIL and I took my MIL out for lunch today, Olive Garden, she likes it so that's where we go most of the time. I do like a chance but my FIL doesn't like pasta so when he isn't with us she wants pasta!
Speaking of pasta, I got a great pasta maker from our kids for Christmas and now I just need to figure out how to use it. I took a pasta class last Fall so now I need to put all those great recipes to work! My SIL Tammy wasn't able to go to the class, so I went to the pasta class and she went to the sauce class! We just need to type up the recipes and switch!
Nothing really in the sewing department much today... except that when I dropped off my MIL at home, my FIL asked if I would alter a couple of his button up the front shirts for him. Hmmmm... that will go into the pile. I have to finish altering a couple dresses for daughter #2 and a pair of pants for SIL #3.... a mother's work is never done! Even when they don't live at home anymore!
Don't forget to get your scissors sharpened! You will regret it later if you don't get it done soon! I know I will!
Byee
So, here it is the 11th and I've finally gotten out to see what kind of sales there are still left for Christmas stuff! Not bad, if I were really looking for anything to buy. I found some good deals, plus on some soon to be birthday presents too... but, we won't go there because sometimes a ( soon to be) birthday girl I know would know what she was getting. Don't want to spoil anything now do we?
My SIL and I took my MIL out for lunch today, Olive Garden, she likes it so that's where we go most of the time. I do like a chance but my FIL doesn't like pasta so when he isn't with us she wants pasta!
Speaking of pasta, I got a great pasta maker from our kids for Christmas and now I just need to figure out how to use it. I took a pasta class last Fall so now I need to put all those great recipes to work! My SIL Tammy wasn't able to go to the class, so I went to the pasta class and she went to the sauce class! We just need to type up the recipes and switch!
Nothing really in the sewing department much today... except that when I dropped off my MIL at home, my FIL asked if I would alter a couple of his button up the front shirts for him. Hmmmm... that will go into the pile. I have to finish altering a couple dresses for daughter #2 and a pair of pants for SIL #3.... a mother's work is never done! Even when they don't live at home anymore!
Don't forget to get your scissors sharpened! You will regret it later if you don't get it done soon! I know I will!
Byee
January 5, 2009
HAPPY MONDAY CONTINUED...
Hmmmm, much better! I had a Mandarin orange and I have a cup of hot peppermint tea... my hands and my runny nose are very grateful! I figure that since I'm still working on the "laundry" I may as well finish this post of "things completed" and get it "completed" too!
I made a skirt for my DIL, from McCall's 3341 (2001), and had to fuss with it a bit, since many people (i.e. most of my daughters ages etc...) don't wear skirts/pants on the actual waistlines any more... it's a bit of a challenge because sometimes I forget to do an actual measurement for that area below the waist, plus you need to remember how far belong the waist they like things to fall also! I keep telling myself that some day, one day... I may actually sew a straight pattern, you know, one without any alterations at all! Hmmm, that will be the day! So, the skirt other than remembering that I needed to follow thru and do it like I mentioned above... this skirt was pretty much cut and dried! Yeahhhh! So, then of course I thought, why not make a jacket to go with it... (this will be a future project) and when I mentioned this to my SIL she thought maybe a vest would be better, quicker too? What do you think? My DIL works in a business office, so do you think she would get more use from a vest that matches the skirt? Or a jacket? Although, if you go see the jacket , you may change your mind!
One project that I didn't really do much anything different, (other than material difference's) is a sweet little jumper for my "granddaughter"... (I do love saying that... and if you get tired of me saying it... just let me know! Oh, and by the way... I do dearly love my little grandson's too!!! Although, sometimes little girls are just more fun to sew for!) The jumper... from this Vogue 7957...http://www.voguepatterns.com/web/shop.cgi?search=7957&TI=20001&M=&pageSize=9&s.search.all.x=15&s.search.all.y=16
turned out really cute! I used a brushed type fleece for it. Super soft! And then on the appliques, I used a cotton print for the largest flowers, and pink, then white fleece for the smaller ones. To finish up I put a cute little button for the center of each flower, oh, and I also used the same cotton print (it's a 30's print) for the interfacing. My DD was happy! And she even asked me if I had made it??? Well, Duhhhh? (Sorry DD... it just slipped out!) I told my kids years ago that I wouldn't use that expression... and now I find myself using it now and again! Basically I told my kids that I wouldn't like them to use it because it seemed somewhat derogatory! So, I tried not to use it at all! I guess that's what happens when you get older... we fall apart at the seams!!! LoL
Then after I finished everything that I did get finished... I cut out a jumper for me! It's McCall's 9566, but, yet again... no picture because it's from 1998! O.K. I really need to learn to scan pictures etc... I guess I really need a tutorial! Help!!!! Anyone out there who would like to send me a site to help me out it would be greatly appreciated! Basically the jumper I'm making for me is a rounded neck with a slash at the neckline in front! I found a beautiful brushed mock-suede... (I know the name of the stuff... it just won't come to mind!)
All cut out, the only thing left is the hem and side seams. Seems to good to be true! Hmmmm, what's wrong with this jumper??? It's gone together far too easy... there must be something wrong, or maybe I just lucked out and maybe my dream will come true of an item that is just from the patterns... nothing much to alter? Well, I did alter it a bit... I'm still a bit bigger than the pattern I had so I changed the seam allowance's (I would have cut it larger, but to be honest I was tired the night I cut it out and didn't take it into consideration! Sighhhhh!) So, I guess it just goes to show... that I really need to keep busy with the exercise and weight loss! I've lost 23 pounds so far! O.K. so I put 3-4 pounds back on during the holidays!!!! It will be gone soon enough! I need to work on it! Although, it's not something I concentrate every waking moment about!
So, hmmmm.... onto finishing up my projects!
Oh, just a quick note: Just wanted you all to know that while I was making these different projects... including the ones that I still need to finish up, all of the material that I used including the quilt for my SIL/Hubby (except the quilt back!) was from my stash!!!! Yep, that's right! I didn't buy any fabric at all for these projects! I was soo happy to get to use up some of these. And the nice thing was... it just makes more room for other things (hmmm I see a trip to the fabric store in my future.... LoL!)
Have a Happy Monday everyone! Yeah..... tomorrow is Tuesday!!!!!!
Try to work on those UFO's....
I made a skirt for my DIL, from McCall's 3341 (2001), and had to fuss with it a bit, since many people (i.e. most of my daughters ages etc...) don't wear skirts/pants on the actual waistlines any more... it's a bit of a challenge because sometimes I forget to do an actual measurement for that area below the waist, plus you need to remember how far belong the waist they like things to fall also! I keep telling myself that some day, one day... I may actually sew a straight pattern, you know, one without any alterations at all! Hmmm, that will be the day! So, the skirt other than remembering that I needed to follow thru and do it like I mentioned above... this skirt was pretty much cut and dried! Yeahhhh! So, then of course I thought, why not make a jacket to go with it... (this will be a future project) and when I mentioned this to my SIL she thought maybe a vest would be better, quicker too? What do you think? My DIL works in a business office, so do you think she would get more use from a vest that matches the skirt? Or a jacket? Although, if you go see the jacket , you may change your mind!
One project that I didn't really do much anything different, (other than material difference's) is a sweet little jumper for my "granddaughter"... (I do love saying that... and if you get tired of me saying it... just let me know! Oh, and by the way... I do dearly love my little grandson's too!!! Although, sometimes little girls are just more fun to sew for!) The jumper... from this Vogue 7957...http://www.voguepatterns.com/web/shop.cgi?search=7957&TI=20001&M=&pageSize=9&s.search.all.x=15&s.search.all.y=16
turned out really cute! I used a brushed type fleece for it. Super soft! And then on the appliques, I used a cotton print for the largest flowers, and pink, then white fleece for the smaller ones. To finish up I put a cute little button for the center of each flower, oh, and I also used the same cotton print (it's a 30's print) for the interfacing. My DD was happy! And she even asked me if I had made it??? Well, Duhhhh? (Sorry DD... it just slipped out!) I told my kids years ago that I wouldn't use that expression... and now I find myself using it now and again! Basically I told my kids that I wouldn't like them to use it because it seemed somewhat derogatory! So, I tried not to use it at all! I guess that's what happens when you get older... we fall apart at the seams!!! LoL
Then after I finished everything that I did get finished... I cut out a jumper for me! It's McCall's 9566, but, yet again... no picture because it's from 1998! O.K. I really need to learn to scan pictures etc... I guess I really need a tutorial! Help!!!! Anyone out there who would like to send me a site to help me out it would be greatly appreciated! Basically the jumper I'm making for me is a rounded neck with a slash at the neckline in front! I found a beautiful brushed mock-suede... (I know the name of the stuff... it just won't come to mind!)
All cut out, the only thing left is the hem and side seams. Seems to good to be true! Hmmmm, what's wrong with this jumper??? It's gone together far too easy... there must be something wrong, or maybe I just lucked out and maybe my dream will come true of an item that is just from the patterns... nothing much to alter? Well, I did alter it a bit... I'm still a bit bigger than the pattern I had so I changed the seam allowance's (I would have cut it larger, but to be honest I was tired the night I cut it out and didn't take it into consideration! Sighhhhh!) So, I guess it just goes to show... that I really need to keep busy with the exercise and weight loss! I've lost 23 pounds so far! O.K. so I put 3-4 pounds back on during the holidays!!!! It will be gone soon enough! I need to work on it! Although, it's not something I concentrate every waking moment about!
So, hmmmm.... onto finishing up my projects!
Oh, just a quick note: Just wanted you all to know that while I was making these different projects... including the ones that I still need to finish up, all of the material that I used including the quilt for my SIL/Hubby (except the quilt back!) was from my stash!!!! Yep, that's right! I didn't buy any fabric at all for these projects! I was soo happy to get to use up some of these. And the nice thing was... it just makes more room for other things (hmmm I see a trip to the fabric store in my future.... LoL!)
Have a Happy Monday everyone! Yeah..... tomorrow is Tuesday!!!!!!
Try to work on those UFO's....
Happy Monday!
You know, for some reason Happy Monday... just doesn't seem to match up with the Happy New Year we were saying just last Wednesday Evening! Hmmm, too bad! Cause I could go for that! Every week on Monday saying HAPPY MONDAY! Oh, and yes, I am very aware that the week starts with Sunday! It's just that Sunday doesn't need the kick in the pants that Mondays seem to want. What can I say... it's a bit grey out side and well... I'm doing laundry! Enough Said?
When last you read this blog, this writer was scurrying around like a chicken with it's head cut off (sorry to you vegetarians... and to the chickens for that matter!) trying to complete all her projects for Christmas! I got all but the p.j.'s pants done.... heavy sigh.....! They are cut out, but I must not make them long time UFO'S..... adding to the list of things that need to be done and thus making the start of this new year.... highly pathetic! What a way to start out a new year! O.K. I did get mom's reversible jumper made! Although, I'm none to pleased with the hem! I sent it off to her... longer than it needed to be... mostly because I felt that she may need to take it somewhere to get the hem fixed to fit her! What happened was this... so I altered a jumper pattern... McCall's 9383... pretty much old.... (from my days at the fabric shop, it says it's from 1998!) What I did was make the back of the jumper the same as the front! that way the jumper would be more of a supportive look, plus since it was to be reversible, I wanted to make it without a zipper! So, I made the seams a bit smaller, thus making it possible for mom to just pull it over her head. The idea was right, just not the hem!!! Sorry, I need to elaborate some! Since I made said jumper out of Challis's.... I'm thinking that was my first mistake! Not so if it had only been a normal jumper/dress... just in this case! Oh, the reason I went with such a light weight of a fabric is because my folks are in Arizona right now... and I figure that this way she can wear it also as a Spring/Summer dress. Everything was going well, I attached the bodice together as you would a normal lining, but it had to look good enough so that it could be used from both sides..... No Problem!... (like Theo on "The Cosby Show", used to say to his dad/mom all the time!) Skirt, same thing... it went on without a ton of trouble (top stitching... so, starts the problems!) If you have ever worked with this type of fabric... sometimes it can stretch/slide a bit. Thus.... the problem! Trying to line the fabric's up to top stitch them..... let's just say the seam riper was my friend.... until I finally decided that the only way this was going to work was to turn them inside out and stitch from that direction! O.K. problem solved! Then I started on the hems! If your squeamish you may want to turn away now!!!
Now, I don't have a dress makers dummy... and well I tried the best I know how to do this... I pinned both hems separately. Nope!!! That wasn't going to make it happen! I pulled out all of the pins! I thought o.k., that's just a fluke! I will try again, this time on the ironing board.... measuring every 3-4 inches.... both hems! Great! Things were moving along wonderfully.... until I hung it up to look at it! No Way! How could it not be perfect??? So, once again... I tried re-pinning it, this time while it hung from the ceiling... (I know, your beginning to wonder what kind of a weird sewing "lab" has this woman got, aren't you??? Don't doubt it.... you know you are!) I have this hook from the ceiling that usually I hang dresses that I make for people (I have made wedding dresses that have been a tad bit easier than this project! ) on, and that way I can at least pin the under hems up... before they come try it on for a hem fitting! It says me a little time and keeps them from tripping on all the extra fabric. So, finally the clock is ticking here... (I'm telling myself, I need to finish this project and get it into the mail.... before Christmas!) Finally, I figure alright, I will treat them as one piece of fabric and sew the hems together! Things were going well, it was looking quite nice... you've got it! Until I hung it up again!!! Apparently either the skirts were not hanging equally or they weren't even! Anyway, I took up the skirt a bit at the bodice to even the hems... and it looked a lot better! Although, on hind sight, I think that now if I were to hang them together again overnight, then press a hem treating them both as one... pinning above the hem in a couple places to stabilize the fabric... I could have worked it out better! Why is it that the projects I think will only take a short amount of time... well... you know! Take FOREVER!!! And then I'm still not always completely satisfied!
I know that this post is really long.... but it has been a while since my last post, so I guess it will be longer! Or... I could just continue this next time...... TO BE CONTINUED.........
When last you read this blog, this writer was scurrying around like a chicken with it's head cut off (sorry to you vegetarians... and to the chickens for that matter!) trying to complete all her projects for Christmas! I got all but the p.j.'s pants done.... heavy sigh.....! They are cut out, but I must not make them long time UFO'S..... adding to the list of things that need to be done and thus making the start of this new year.... highly pathetic! What a way to start out a new year! O.K. I did get mom's reversible jumper made! Although, I'm none to pleased with the hem! I sent it off to her... longer than it needed to be... mostly because I felt that she may need to take it somewhere to get the hem fixed to fit her! What happened was this... so I altered a jumper pattern... McCall's 9383... pretty much old.... (from my days at the fabric shop, it says it's from 1998!) What I did was make the back of the jumper the same as the front! that way the jumper would be more of a supportive look, plus since it was to be reversible, I wanted to make it without a zipper! So, I made the seams a bit smaller, thus making it possible for mom to just pull it over her head. The idea was right, just not the hem!!! Sorry, I need to elaborate some! Since I made said jumper out of Challis's.... I'm thinking that was my first mistake! Not so if it had only been a normal jumper/dress... just in this case! Oh, the reason I went with such a light weight of a fabric is because my folks are in Arizona right now... and I figure that this way she can wear it also as a Spring/Summer dress. Everything was going well, I attached the bodice together as you would a normal lining, but it had to look good enough so that it could be used from both sides..... No Problem!... (like Theo on "The Cosby Show", used to say to his dad/mom all the time!) Skirt, same thing... it went on without a ton of trouble (top stitching... so, starts the problems!) If you have ever worked with this type of fabric... sometimes it can stretch/slide a bit. Thus.... the problem! Trying to line the fabric's up to top stitch them..... let's just say the seam riper was my friend.... until I finally decided that the only way this was going to work was to turn them inside out and stitch from that direction! O.K. problem solved! Then I started on the hems! If your squeamish you may want to turn away now!!!
Now, I don't have a dress makers dummy... and well I tried the best I know how to do this... I pinned both hems separately. Nope!!! That wasn't going to make it happen! I pulled out all of the pins! I thought o.k., that's just a fluke! I will try again, this time on the ironing board.... measuring every 3-4 inches.... both hems! Great! Things were moving along wonderfully.... until I hung it up to look at it! No Way! How could it not be perfect??? So, once again... I tried re-pinning it, this time while it hung from the ceiling... (I know, your beginning to wonder what kind of a weird sewing "lab" has this woman got, aren't you??? Don't doubt it.... you know you are!) I have this hook from the ceiling that usually I hang dresses that I make for people (I have made wedding dresses that have been a tad bit easier than this project! ) on, and that way I can at least pin the under hems up... before they come try it on for a hem fitting! It says me a little time and keeps them from tripping on all the extra fabric. So, finally the clock is ticking here... (I'm telling myself, I need to finish this project and get it into the mail.... before Christmas!) Finally, I figure alright, I will treat them as one piece of fabric and sew the hems together! Things were going well, it was looking quite nice... you've got it! Until I hung it up again!!! Apparently either the skirts were not hanging equally or they weren't even! Anyway, I took up the skirt a bit at the bodice to even the hems... and it looked a lot better! Although, on hind sight, I think that now if I were to hang them together again overnight, then press a hem treating them both as one... pinning above the hem in a couple places to stabilize the fabric... I could have worked it out better! Why is it that the projects I think will only take a short amount of time... well... you know! Take FOREVER!!! And then I'm still not always completely satisfied!
I know that this post is really long.... but it has been a while since my last post, so I guess it will be longer! Or... I could just continue this next time...... TO BE CONTINUED.........
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