New Sewing Space

After much consideration I chose to move my sewing space into the tiny middle bedroom. Organizing this small space has taken some planning and changing but it’s coming together. My handy husband has been a huge help in getting my shelves up and attached to the wall as well as my thread and peg board wall. The space is cozy (read small) but easy to use. There will be more changes I’m sure.

Thread and pegboard wall
Cube Wall

And then there was Christmas!

The wedding was the last weekend in October and then I started my Christmas sewing. We draw names for a secret Santa with my side of the family. Luckily I drew the name of one of my granddaughters who I know loves hand made things (well, they both do). So, not only did I sew but I also crocheted. I made her a bag and I made one for my other granddaughter as well, making good on a promise I made earlier in the year…

Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of the shawl I crocheted.

Sewing Adventures

It’s been a while since I last posted. In that time I’ve actually done a lot of sewing, I just haven’t taken the time (or frankly, had the energy) to post. First, and most exciting, I made my youngest daughter’s wedding dress. It was a labor of love and came out beautiful. She and I collaborated on the design. I learned a lot, cried some, made some mistakes and ended up loving the fairy tale quality of the dress.

Mr. & Mrs. in the redwoods

The anguish of not having a place to sew

It has been 7 almost 8 months since I’ve had a place to sew.  I have gone through withdrawal for months now.  I didn’t realize how much joy and relaxation I derived from putting pieces of fabric together.  With luck, I’ll have a place to sew soon and I’ll get back to making pretty things.

Blood, Sweat and Tears

Here’s the end product of the Bag Olympics.  It took longer than I thought, but I’m happy with the end product.

 

 

 

 

 

Celebration of Birth…

Today is my daughter’s birthday.  I struggle some years, trying to find something I think she will like.  This year was no problem.  One day when she was at my house she saw a pattern for a cardigan and said how much she liked it.  So, I made her one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, since I’ve been sewing something every day, I made her a mini duffel out of a fabric akin to a carpet bag.  It turned out cute and she loves it. 🙂

Rainbow of thread

I look at this wall every day.  There are little reminders, a mermaids fin, a tiny skirt, the ringmasters hat.  What I love the most though is my colorful wall of thread.

Olympic Bag Making

I think we need to add a new sport to the Olympics, bag making.  Now don’t get me  wrong, just a simple, fairly small bag can be easy to make.  Of course I didn’t pick a fairly small simple bag… no, I decided to do a ginormous bag. Sewing said bag on a regular sewing machine requires at least another set of hands and possibly more pins or clips than the average person owns. After spending a good portion of the day yesterday wrestling with a 40″X40″X1/4″ monstrosity trying to stitch, top-stitch the appropriate places, I decided to take it easy today.  HA!  Is that a joke?  No, instead I reconstruct an accent piece that requires a 1/4 inch hem all the way around.  Thank goodness for fabric glue and clips.

That bag costs how much???

I used to look at bags at the craft fairs and wonder why in the world they cost so much!  It’s just some fabric… it looks so simple… I could make that much cheaper!  Well… then I started making bags.  In a moment of insight I realized why well made bags are priced they way they are.

66 pieces of fabric and interfacing

9 pieces of hardware

2 zippers

Several hours of cutting out the pieces, pattern matching, measuring and adjusting.  Several more hours pressing, adding interfacing, pressing, top stitching some of the parts, and more pressing, before you even stitch the parts together!  I think by the time I get this one done it will be worth a fortune!