Sewing is my refuge

I don’t know about you but sewing is my place of refuge.  When I’m starting to feel overwhelmed or that I just need a breather from life, I say a prayer and then go to my sewing room.

It keeps my mind and hands busy ; giving me time to breath and calmly look at life.

I told my husband its cheaper than therapy, and I always end up with a finished product; so its a win-win.

So on my trip to the thrift store the other day, I actually found a kit for making a lone star quilt.  Its’ called “Aunt Margaret’s Lone Star Quilt kit.  It came with all of the pieces precut. (I just need to buy the fabric for my background and border.

It was only $4.99, and was on sale for 50% off.  I mean what do I have to loose, by purchasing it.  Besides, it bought back memories of my grandmother and her lady friends getting together in the smokehouse to quilt.

I started working on it this evening:

I’ve got one of the 8 points done, and am very pleased with it.

Good night, and Happy Sewing....

A Thrifting We Will Go.... For Patterns

So, I don't know about you but I've noticed that the "sale price" of patterns seem to sneaking their way up.  We used to be able to get Simplicity/McCall/Butterick patterns for 99 cents (and Vogue for 4.99).  Lately, they are at $1.99!  I know I shouldn't complain, but...….

I was in the thrift store today (in Colorado my favorite is "Arc"), and their patterns are only 99 cents, and if it's a sale Saturday I can get them for 1/2 off!  YES!!

I always check out our local thrift store.  Its a great place for me to get fabrics to use for muslins of my patterns.  I can find fabric for next to nothing.

If you haven't checked out your local thrift store!

All the patterns I found today were new/never-used.  I got several children's patterns (for my grand-daughter) and some for myself:

Not a bad stash at 99 cents each!

I've also purchased Vogue Designers for 99 cents from my local thrift stores.

So if you haven't done so, make sure to check out your local thrift store.

Happy Sewing!

Madame Curie in the house!

So I have a "movie buddy"; that is a young friend that goes to children movies with me (since my husband won't go).  Last week she had to give a presentation on Madame Curie at school.
She wanted to dress in character.  So since she and I are best buds 😊, I had to help her out.

First we had to find a pattern that was similar to Madame Curie's outfit in this photo:

The patterns I chose were: Simplicity 8272 for the top;
And Simplicity 8774 for the skir
For the top, first I added a 3/4" ruffled color at the neck and added a curved inset yoke with ruffled lace around it.  The pintucking was done using twin needles

Pintuck yoke with ruffled lace trim and ruffled band at neckline.

Ruffles added on sleeve

On back, used an elastic loop & button for closure

 With the skirt, I just eliminated some of the fullness, and used a Velcro enclosure on the waistband rather than a zipper.  To allow for overlap where the zipper was, I added 2 inches of fabric in the zipper area, and folded it over so that there was 1" of overlap when closed.

Skirt closure.

Now for the garment in action!!!!

Madame Curie is in the house!!

Happy Sewing.....

Butterick 5641: Finally made it.

I've had this pattern in my stash for quite sometime, and finally decided to make it up for Easter.  

Butterick 5641

I looked at a couple of blogs to see what others thoughts were on the pattern.  The neckline sits right at the edge of the shoulders. 

I had a border print, that I found at Colorado Fabrics in Denver.  Its been in my stash for a while now, and I thought this would be the perfect pattern.

Of course with this being a white dress I had to do a full lining of the dress (The pattern calls for you to only put lining in the bodice).

I thought I'd play around with my camera remote a try and see how the photos come out: 

First shot using remote

Playing with the hem

Back View

Thought I'd try to spin around like my Granddaughter!

Pattern Description:

Lined bodice dress is fitted through the bustline and close-fitting at waistline

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? 

Yes, the dress looked like pattern

Were the instructions easy to follow?

 Yes.  I read thru the instructions, and made some minor tweeks because I did a fully lined dress. 

 

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

I love this dress, and got numerous compliments.  For the average seamstress, I recommend that you  pay close to attention to the attachment of the collar band, take care to make sure that the two pieces meet closely/correctly at the center front.

Fabric Used:

Fabric similar to cotton batiste 

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I did my usually lengthening at the hemline (additional 6 inches), added 3/4" at waistline, and some alterations in the bust area.  

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes!  I've already done so in a navy border print (posting coming soon)

Conclusion: 

I love the fit and cut of this dress!.  I received numerous compliments the first time I wore it.  Just be aware that the neckline sits just on the edge of the shoulders.  I found it easier to wear a strapless bra.

Yes, I'm still sewing

So yes I'm still sewing just haven't been posting them.  I'll have to catch up on my posting.

In the meantime, I was doing a "fabric-fast", in other words trying to sew up some of my stash.  I did really good the first quarter.

But then I went on vacation!  In Denver, its relatively difficult to buy African prints locally.  (I'm one of those that prefer to shop local as much as possible).

But while on vacation in the Baltimore area, I had to go check out the local African Fabric Shops.  I found a little quaint one call "African Collection Fabrics" in Randallstown, MD.  The shop is very nice and quaint.  Its behind a buzzer door and is one of 4 businesses in the buzzer area.

The owner was exceptionally nice!  And I thought her prices were excellent.  In my area the one place that carries African fabrics that I've gone to in Denver charges $10/yd; but here prices started at $30+ for the standard 6 yard piece!  I know for folks in the area that may seem like average price; but for me, I was super excited.

Here's  a preview of the fabrics I picked up:

I'll have to post pictures of my other "sewing" escapades from vacation.  BTW, my husband told
me I had to be mindful of the amount of fabric I might buy because of the suitcase restrictions!  Do you think I headed his words?

My Very Own African King!

Like every seamstress, I do all types of sewing; garment, smocking, heirloom sewing, quilting, etc.

I can't really tell you which is my favorite, I tend to cycle thru them.

I belong to a quilt guild here in Denver.  I have been working on a quilt design for our 25th anniversary.  We decided to go with the African Queen quilt block.  Each member will make a version of the block which will be used in Guild Quilt.  This block is pretty easy to find on the internet, and very easy to draft.. (Sample layouts of African Queen).

Since we have some male members, we needed a African King pattern. I couldn't find a variation of a African King pattern. So I set up on the task of creating my own African King pattern.
I use the Electric Quilt 8 software to generate my African King.

Both blocks were drafted on a 3x3 grid.  For example for the head of both designs is a 3" square. 
The body is a 6" square:

The Electric Quilt software made it very easy to draft both designs.  Here's a sample of the line drawing for the African Queen:

The nice thing about EQ (Electric Quilt) is that I can easily print out the pattern for the design in a  pieced, applique, or rotaty cutting format.  I can also resize with no-effort. My current design is for a 9" finished size square block. 

Creating a quilt layout using the blocks is very easy in EQ.  Two of the layouts that I've played with are below:

EQ also provides me with yardages for the quilt design along with the final quilt measurements.  The layout above results in a 80"x80" quilt.  (YEA! I didn't have to pull out the paper, pencil and calculator).

EQ made the whole block design and layout simple. I can still play with it, as I figure out a layout design that will work based on the number of completed blocks I get back.

We're expecting to have the project done by May of this year.  I'll take pix and post here.

Happy Sewing everyone!

Baby Vintage....

I love a good vintage pattern just like everyone else.

I can't tell you how many I have in my stash.  I even went so far as to learn to grade patterns up in size for those patterns that I just fell in love with but only come in a size too small for my needs.

Well a while back my mom sent me a box full of vintage patterns, and I'd say a good third of them were children's patterns. Needless to say this pattern caught my eye for my granddaughter:

Vintage Simplicity 8051 2 piece button sleeper

 Then over the thanks giving I caught the door-buster sale of 70% off on flannel, which came to about $1.70 per yard.  I only needed 1.5 yards to make the two piece pajama.

I decided to make view 1 (the portrait of the little girl).  This pattern calls for felted seams (yea, right!), like I'm going to go to all of that trouble for a toddler.  NOT!.  I did short sleeves.

Finally being "stingy", I didn't have gathered lace in my stash like I thought I had.  I wan't going to make a run to the store for like a yard of lace.  I did have some flat lace, so decided I'd do my own gathering.  I hand stitched it with thread.

Next onto making the garment making.  Normally, I trace my patterns, since todays pattern come with multiple sizes.  Since this pattern is single sized (only a size 2 pattern in the pakage), no tracing required.

Why do I trace?  Well I've got several from back in the day, that I wish I had left in tack.  I'd love to make them again, but because I cut to the size I needed, I can't use them now.  I hate to admit it; but I'm no longer a size 10 (ha-ha).  So now I trace when I have a multi size pattern.

Back to the pajamas ....

I had this flannel, that I had purchased.  I just couldn't resist the stick girls all in a line!

I used gripper fabric for the bottom of the feet and some 3/8 inch buttons that I had in my stash.

The first thing I had to do was line my girls up in a row across the seams. (I know I complained about the felled seams, but not matching the little girls was just going to annoy me).  The buttons are along the front (3 total).  And the back has the elastic gathered at the waistband: The soles of the pajama pants are done with gripper fabric, t add some traction.

The elastic is placed in the entire waistband.  It is allowed to lay flat in the front, and the button holes in the front waistband are sewn thru the elastic.  Along the back waist the elastic is stretched, resulting in a gathered waist in the back of the pant. The top has button closures in the back.

And when its all said and done, I have a completed toddler pajama set.

Excuse my cutting area!

She's not quite a size 2 yet, but she'll grow into it (that's what my Mom would say).

Now on to the other 6!  I'm making some in anticipation of the next grandchild.

Happy Sewing!