Sewing mojo returns!

Yes, my sewing mojo has returned, thanks to a doll clothes swap I just participated in. I love sewing for my AG dolls! They aren't picky about the print or the fit, and never ask if it makes them look fat!

Yesterday I hit the After TG sale at JoAnn's both on the way to work and on the way home (the new store is SO conveniently located!) and picked up lots of the flannel on sale for sleep pants for DS and DH. Not many prints for teen boys or men unless you are into sports, but I did find a few. They are on the second round of wash-dry to pre-shrink as I type! The pants for DS I'm going to put an extra deep hem in so when his legs grow another 3 inches before spring I can lengthen them more easily!

I need to reorganize my sewing room and am looking for a smaller table on which to put my machines. I'm using one of those 6 ft plastic banquet tables and 1) I prefer to have my machines in an L shape, 2) I can't sew at full speed because of the vibration and bounce, and 3) that extra space just gathers clutter. I probably won't get around to it until after the holidays, so that gives me some time to plan how to arrange it all. I just have too much furniture in there! Well, and bins of fabric too (sheepish grin).

Fell off the Wagon

Did you hear the thud about 4pm yesterday? And again at 8? I fell off the stash-elimination-wagon! JoAnn's near me is closing (moving to a new store) so I wandered in after my eye appointment to see if they had anything left. The clearance fabric was 75% off so I started looking for a fabric to make a new lab coat for DH. Found a couple but none with enough on the bolt to make an XXLT long labcoat. However, a few other things jumped in my cart, mainly flannels and thermal knits for pjs. I haven't totaled up the yardage for my stash tracking, but it's a good thing it's still early in the month so I can attempt to sew it all away!

Then last night I was poking around fabric.com and found a black and a red cotton/poly blend that should be labcoat suitable and ordered enough to get the free shipping. Now this morning I get a $5 off coupon in my email - don't you hate it when that happens?!

Time to rev up those sewing machines, I guess!

Making Sewing a Priority

This week (and last week, since I really started drafting this post last week!) almost every morning instead of making my cup of coffee and sitting at the computer, I've gone to sit at the sewing machine. Even if it's just a seam, it's a step forward toward completing something!

I finished another flannel rag quilt. A flannel pillowcase for DS. Another tote bag. Hemmed a pair of pants for me (have I ever mentioned I have short legs?!). Finished a long lost UFO smocked dress for my AG doll Julie (pictures to follow - she wants to have her hair and nails done first LOL).

Not only am I racking up the projects completed, I'm using up stash! I need to update my sidebar tomorrow - I keep track in my sewing room in a week by week calendar.

I also am cutting up the flannel scraps from the various sleep pants I've made for DS into 6 inch blocks so I can put them together in a scrap flannel rag quilt. The stack looks pretty cool growing on the shelf!

Addicted to Tote Bags

I'm addicted to sewing these "With Love" Totes from Lazy Girl Designs! I did another tonight while watching the second hour of 24. I've only made one modification to the pattern, and that is to take a 3x3 square out of each corner to make a bigger bottom. This one I made with some chili peppers cotton fabric I've had in my stash for years, bag when we had a big garden with lots of different kinds of peppers. I was going to make curtains with it and never got around to it. I think that was actually before DS was born, and as he is about to turn 12 this week...well, you get the picture. Well aged stash. Several more yards left so I will probably whip up two more tomorrow night! The trick is to actually use the totes, which means I have to remember to put them in the truck!

Yes, I'm a fan of 24. Not as big of fan as the first three seasons. Seasons 4, 5, and 6 didn't hold my attention as much - we'll see how season 7 goes. I'm tired of the "have to save the third world country from oppression" theme. But I like the techno stuff. How much of that is really real?!

I'm really antsy to the new season of Lost to start. Maybe I'll watch season 4 on my ipod on the bus again, to get "primed" for season 5!

Itchy to rearrange!

I'm getting itchy to rearrange my sewing room - again! I have a layout in mind, but it will require the purchase of either a length of countertop from Lowe's or a piece of white melamine like my scrapbook table. Not in the budget for this month or next, and I really need to get rid of some of the clutter in there before I do this anyway. LOL - such as bins of fabric and assorted stuff I moved from the spare bedroom when it became the master bedroom! So, I am setting a goal of May 1. One of the goals of the new layout will be to get my ironing board set up - right now I have a pad on a dresser. I have an older steam generating iron but to be perfectly honest I'm not in love with it. I think I want to go back to a regular iron, one with an auto shutoff. I'm too scatterbrained - yesterday I left the steam generator iron on all day, after having sewed for a little in the morning. That scares me!

I sewed two more tote bags yesterday and this morning sewed up a pair of fleece pjs for DS out of the Steelers fleece - maybe he can wear them during the game to bring them luck today!

Sewing in 2009, Day 4

This morning with my tea I stitched up this tote, from 1 yard of fabric, using the Lazy Girl Designs "With Love" tote bag directions. Our ASG neighborhood group is going to be making these at our January meeting and the group leader had sent us the link to the directions.Fairly easy tote to make, the fabric was from very old stash, and it took me about 30 minutes. I was a "lazy girl" and did not press as I sewed, as that would have required clearing off the ironing board first! I've got 2 more yards of the fabric to make 2 more totes later today. Hey - this is something for me! (for my resolution I was thinking the "for me" would be a clothing item!)

2009 Sewing Resolutions

I posted these to a sewing list tonight:

Use my embroidery machine more
Make Christmas gifts earlier
Sew one thing for me each month
Find a TNT pants pattern for myself!
Use more fabric than I buy

The first one is easy, as I don't think I used the embroidery machine once in 2008! I will keep track of my resolutions in the sidebar!
Feel free to remind me if I start slacking off!

Progress

The tree is up and we even got out the Christmas village this year! I haven't had it out for about 4 years for various reasons, so DS is enjoying arranging and rearranging everything. It will give him something else to "play" with during the long 2 week winter break!
I finished the 3 fleece blankets today while watching the football games. Those poor Arizona Cardinals could have used fleece blankets up in snowy NE, as the Patriots were whipping their butts in the snow and sleet! And the Redskins snapped their losing streak, but too late to make it into the playoffs. Oh well, there's always next year.
Hopefully I remember to snap a picture of the one fleece blanket before I mail it to my friend tomorrow. I like the print and have enough leftover to make myself a scarf!

Sewing for Sleeping

Did you notice the Stash Attack box on the right, how some of the numbers jumped today? the # of yards used increased by 50% and the # of items made doubled! Yes, I've been sewing flannel jammies for DS! 2 tops and 4 sleep pants, and now that DS is taller I sure do go through the yardage!

One pair is from halloween flannel from JoAnn's - black with skulls all over it. I don't let him wear skulls on the shirts he wears to school, but I figured no harm in sleeping in skulls. Unless he has nightmares!

Long "thyme", no post!

Has it really been almost a month? I should say "thyme" flies when you are having fun! OK, maybe not all fun, but "thyme" has flown!

September is my favorite month of the year, but it is also usually our busiest. Besides all the back to school stuff, getting into our new schedule, we have DH's birthday, our county fair, and my birthday! And to make life a little more complicated, I fell on my bad knee and spent a good part of the Saturday Tropical Storm Hanna hit our area (also DH's birthday) at the ER getting it xRayed. Thankfully there was no visible damage, but darn it still hurts! I'm giving it one more week and then if it's not better I'm going to visit my orthopedic again!

We had our county fair a couple weekends ago, and with our heavy involvement in 4H we end up being at the fairgrounds through most of it. This year we bought a hog at the 4H livestock auction - no, not to hang out in the yard with the chickens, but to be dinner and breakfast for the coming year! We anxiously await the call from the butcher shop saying out bacon and chops and ham steaks are ready to pick up! I hope no one is offended, but we always take a picture of what we buy from the 4Hers so we remember where our food comes from and all the work that went into providing us our food! When DH asked what I wanted for my birthday, I said a day to sew! And that's what I got! Granted, I was sewing a lab coat for DH, but it was the process that was important. And I used my Babylock Ellure machine that I bought last year and just have not tried to sew with it much. Now "Ellie" and I are good friends! I'm pleased with the lab coat and DH said a couple of his students want one too! Next lab coat I make for him I will alter the shoulder width as this one drooped off the shoulder too much. And yes, it is very red, but red and black are the school's colors. My day of sewing included a quick trip to JoAnn's, and the TV tuned to football, baseball, and NASCAR racing all day long. DH put a roast on the grill for dinner too!
I also made a fleece blanket from some stash fleece, pjs for DS from stash, and culled out some scraps and UFOs. I'm trying to get into the sewing room, if just for a few minutes, every day. I'm working my way through a pile of stash, layer by layer!

This month was also the end of the baseball season for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. They missed first place by one game - pretty impressive for their first year! Now I will turn my baseball attention to the majors and the playoffs. Not sure who I'll be rooting for yet!

It's Here!

The new Ottobre Woman fall issue arrived today! So many patterns I want to try, it's hard to decide what to do first! Here are my favorites and not so favorites (apologies to the Ottobre Design list that I posted this to already):

1. LOVE the pintuck dress! Not sure about the puffy sleeve, as I have heavy upper arms, maybe use a longer sleeve.
2. I'd like the denim skirt about twice that long LOL! Maybe I could use it and extend it so it's knee length.
3. tunic - same as #1!
4. plaid skirt - probably not
5. cargo pants - Can't wait to try these, and I have lots of good fabric in my stash for these!
6. zipper knit jacket - I like it, but how would it work in fleece?
7. jumper - very nice, maybe try it in denim and embroider on the yoke?
8. raglan T - must try! again, another one that will help me use up stash!
9. knit cardigan - I like it, but how heavy is wool knit? what else would work - fleece? slinky?
10. jersey tunic - could be a staple in my wardrobe this fall! Might leave the pockets off?
11. tweed pants and 12. tweed skirt - not fond of these, maybe without the cuffs and in a long pants length.
13. Sweet Nelly Wool Jacket - I don't think I have anything in my stash for this so I will have to go shopping! It's just too cute and comfy looking!
14. raglan T with pleats on sleeves - the picture doesn't show this very well, might just stick with #8
15. plaid pants - too small for me!
16. pants for curvy figures - LOL! OK, ya got me there! Maybe a good thing to use some of my stretch denim? Lord knows I need pants!
17. crossover top - I'm with "mermaids" - I could easily make this this weekend!
18. cowl sweater - nah, not a cowl fan.
19. wool tweed coat - Very tempting! I just donated my old wool coat to a thrift shop as it didn't fit me any more. Nothing in my stash, though, so would have to shop first!

I've promised DH to make his new lab coat by his birthday (Sept 6). At least I have a 3 day weekend, maybe I can do the crossover top in a blue tie dye knit I have in my stash first?

NYC Part 1

Our family vacation this year was to New York City. I, of course, had several places on my "must see list", including the American Girl Place store.
DH and DS took about 4 steps inside the revolving doors, took a look around, and said, call us when you're done as they did an about turn! (what did they think was in the store?) I was like a kid in a candy store and if I had million dollars (well, maybe 200K would do it), I would have bought one of everything. Julie (1974) caught my eye. I figure I was 12 in 1974, and my room had many of the things in Julie's room! Another mother admiring the display case echoed my comment. Then Julie's locker caught my eye - didn't I have those exact same Brady Bunch and puppy posters? I realized that the locker was a bit out of my budget and way too heavy to cart around NYC, let alone on the bus, so I resisted the urge. Maybe if I'm a really good girl Santa will leave it under the tree. However, Julie did come home with me, and is hanging out in my sewing room eagerly awaiting me to sew her some "groovy" clothes!

When I met back up with DH and DS I told DS that the best place to meet girls is the AG store! I don't think he was happy about that!

Next we walked down several blocks, looking for a Japanese book store that DH and DS had visited last summer. It had moved, and we found it right across the street from Bryant Park, where they have Fashion Week and the finals for Project Runway! The park is smaller than I had pictured it, but very nice with lots of trees and tables and chairs for people to sit and eat. It was crowded, but we found some chairs by the grass to sit a bit and rest our weary footsies! I loved the sign saying the lawn was recovering after a major event. People were obeying the signs, but the pigeons obviously can't read! Little did I know I'd be at a "major event" there later in the week! then it was on to the Garment District, where one of the first things I saw was Parsons school of Design, where the Project Runway designers do their designing:

Sculptures of needle and button and a man at a sewing machine greet you on one of the major corners:
We found Mood Fabrics and I wandered around for a very long time, pretty much overwhelmed. I did fall for a cream wool/cashmere blend and bought 2 yards for a jacket @ $25 a yard! Might be the most expensive fabric I've ever bought! There are so many fabric and notions and trims stores, and maybe some day I'll go back and spend the day exploring by myself or with a sewing friend. DH was a big help at Spandex House, where one of the workers pointed out two $4/lb remnant bins and gave me a bag. DH used his long arms to dig to the bottom and pull up pretty prints and coordinating solids. We walked out of there with 12 pounds of fabrics, including probably 3 yards of power net (for bras)! I'll have to figure out a way to nicely display the spandex so I can get a good picture. Looks like I'll have enough to make myself a couple of bathing suits for next summer, and a bunch of bras!

More on NYC sights and fun later!

Quick Project

This morning I was digging through a box of stuff that I had moved from the bedroom into the sewing room and came across a set of round bamboo purse handles. I really don't remember buying them, but suspect they were on a clearance table somewhere and I thought, gee, maybe I'll make a purse! Then I spied a yard of cotton print that I thought might make a nice bright pillowcase - a couple of years ago. Ah-ha! A tote bag! I made it up as I went along, learned a few things for the "next time," but liked it so much I might make a few for Christmas gifts. Will have to keep an eye out for the 50% notions wall sales at JoAnn's.I love how the large lizard is centered - purely by accident, I assure you!
While I was making this I realized I should be taking pictures as I go along, especially when I figured out how to stitch the bag onto the handle! I was too lazy to stop, go downstairs and get the camera. I think I need to keep a small camera in the sewing room.

De-stashing

Look at the sidebar with my summer stash update! I went through 6 bins last night and managed to pull out half the fabric to go to charity. It's all in two big plastic bags, ready to go to the thrift shop today. And I have a pile of Pokemon fabric waiting to go to a friend. I was hoping to reduce a lot further, but I feel good about this so far. oops! So good that I ordered 4 yards of sweatshirt fleece. But DS needs hoodies and I have no sweatshirt fleece in my stash and JoAnn's doesn't carry it! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Sew Short!

The other afternoon DH called me and said we'd been invited to a 6 yr old's birthday party, the son of a co-worker of his. It had been a long day at work so I told him to go ahead, he and DS go. Gee, that gave me a couple of hours to myself! What do I do? Clean? Watch TV? Laundry? No, I decided sewing would be the best use of the time! Besides, I was still working on emptying that first bin! So, 4 yards and 2 hours later, I had a curtain for the patio door. Not so much for privacy, as it is all woods beyond the back yard, but to keep the sunshine out. Problem is, between the kitchen and the sewing room I lost 3 inches on the length measurement so the finished curtain is too short! Oh, well, I think the rod is up to high so when I paint the kitchen this fall I'll just move the rod! Meanwhile, I can just not look down!

Stash Attack!

I am being held hostage by my fabric stash! There, I have said it! I have realized that not only do the bins of fabric stand between me and my scrapbooking, they keep me from moving around in my pretty sewing room, and they make me feel too guilty to buy any fabrics. So, the bins have to go! Here's the stack, the clear bins with the black lids:Just ignore the beige ones for now! They have been moved, and generally have other things besides fabric in them. It's the clear bins that haunt me, so they have to go! I'm starting at the top, and each week hope to deal with another bin. The fabric must be made into something useful, at least begun to make into something, or be out the door, one bin per week. That top bin I started on Monday. It's an easy one to start with. 4 yards of Pokemon fleece and a few other assorted small pieces. DS walked into the room as I opened it and asked for a blanket and pillowcase from the fleece. That was easy! 2 1/2 yards dealt with. Each Sunday night I will report the fate of the fabric from the bin of the week. I'll keep track on the right.

ps - these aren't the only fabric bins in the house, but I have to start somewhere, right?!

Sewing Room Makeover

I know, I haven't finished the first makeover yet! Well, I've moved the rest of the furniture into the "new" sewing room and I can barely walk in there! I have had to seriously re-think the floorplan. I had to decide between a small microwave stand that my old embroidery machine sits on ($10 from a local thrift shop) and having my cutting table open to actually use it! Guess who won!

I will also be doing some serious de-stashing of fabric and supplies. I so want to buy some new fabric in the neat new spring and summer prints, but just can't bring myself to bring anothe square inch of fabric into the house!

I dared to take pictures - first is the view from the door:Now from the far side of the room, looking back at the scrapbooking "closet", which is behind the tower of fabric bins!

Clearly I have some work to do!

I sewed!

It's wonderful having the sewing room set up. Well, at least set up enough to sew. last weekend DH bought a new panini grill/griddle, the Griddler, with removable cooking plates. I realized the plates that weren't in the grill at the time would need a protective cover, so stash to the rescue! I had a cotton remnant that I liked but had not a clue what it was going to be, and it was the perfect size for this! I made padded (with scrap fleece) book-cover like sleeves to protect them.

Then, Thanksgiving morning DH wanted a warming pad but I couldn't find the rice warmer I'd made last winter. Once again, stash to the rescue, and two were made in fast order. OK, nothing major, nothing that required a pattern or fitting, but that will be soon.

My "to do" list includes (in no particular order yet):

• Simplicity 4886, in the teal moleskin from Veteran's Day sale


• flannel sleep pants for me


• knit pjs for DS


• new bras (for me LOL!)


• doll clothes


• robe for DS


• robe for me (pink fleece!)


• purse for me


• dog applique sweatshirt for me, maybe a couple for gifts


• Christmas pjs for DS, niece, nephew

Where to start?!

Lots of Thyme

I'm going to need a whole garden of "thyme" to sew up all this fabric! I have moved the fabric bins into the sewing room and I have no room for the furniture that still needs to go in here! OK, so some of the fabric will end up in the furniture, but ACK! Well, one bin is all fleece (not the pink fleece) and that will be cut into strips for the 4H Dog Club to make into dog toys at the December meeting. About a half of another bin is knits for DS's pajamas - he is in dire need of pjs that reach his wrists and ankles! One bin has several twill/bottomweights for pants for me - I can tweak my PMB pattern to perfection with all of it! I see flannel - sleep pants. Pokemon fleece - new robe and pjs for DS. Many many yards of hot pepper print cotton that was going to be curtains back in our veggie gardening days (before DS) - yep, the first candidate for the giveaway bag. And that's just looking at the clear bins I can see in! I'm just gonna pray for a blizzard, one where the government is closed but we still have electricity!

In the sewing mood at last!

We are just spending a quiet day at home, DH working on a paper for his class, DS playing on the computer, me hauling more stuff from bedroom to sewing room. After lunch I decided to take a break and go grocery shopping. As I pulled out of our driveway, my truck mysteriously turned to the left instead of right and I found myself at JoAnn Fabrics (about 5 miles from our house)! The Veteran's Day Sale was calling to me. Lori had interviewed someone from Simplicity on her podcast and it piqued my interest in their patterns again, and they happened to be on sale, 1.99 each. 8 patterns hopped into my basket, two for doggie accessories, one doll clothes pattern, one car organizer, one electronics items totes, fabric bowls, an apron, and one pants/skirt/tops separates. (I have to figure out the linking to the patterns on their website yet). Remnants were on sale at 75% their marked price (which is 50% off the regular price) so I dug through the bins and came away with 7 or 8 remnants for doll clothes, and one 2 3/8 yd piece of 60' wide suede-like home dec fabric in a rust color. That last one would have regularly been $52 but I got it for $6! I'm not sure what it will end up being - a skirt, a vest, pillows for the sofa, etc. We'll see. I also bought 5 yards of a teal moleskin for the pants and top from Simplicity 4886. That might be the inaugural sewing project for my room!
I did the grocery shopping, watched the Redskins lose another one in the 4th quarter, and now a pot of vegetable beef soup is on the stove while I watch/listen to the NASCAR race. I have to get the cable run into the sewing room so I can watch TV in here!