It’s been too long since our last update. Enjoy some pics of a few things I’ve been working on lately…
A cute little number for a 20′s themed party my husband and I attended, a pirate shirt for the big pirate bash, and an appliquéd robot shirt.
Kids & Teen sewing – get stitchy each Friday starting on June 29 and continuing thru the summer. Learn to sew and make some cool stuff, too! 1:00-4 pm.
Shirt – Easy Linen Shirt in Kona Cotton from Sewing for Boys
Hat – embroidered bike hat made by Heidi, adult and kids’ sizes available
Pants - Dapper Dillengers from Patterns by Figgy’s (I know you can’t see them… but I loved this photo!)
Vest – thrift find
… and here’s a super cute post about sewing for your kids. I know you’ll love it! It also includes an adorable version of Oliver + S’s Cozy Winter Hood!
We’ve been slacking on our blog posts… Fail. Here’s a bit of what went on during our Sewing Social on Thursday evening:
It sounds like everyone has decided to rename the evening “Sewing Happy Hour.” Maybe it was the wine. We all had a blast! Currently we are working on a confetti quilt to raffle off at the Lakewood Arts Fest with proceeds to benefit a local charity.
You should join us next month! Many of us worked on the quilt but there were also attendees busily stitching personal projects as well… It’s just more fun to sew in the company of other [crazy] fun sewists!
Lately Rex is crazy for robots. He is always pretending to be a robot with a basket on his head. Today I decided to get crazy with the sewing machine and make him a robot helmet!
This is my own pattern and I’ll be sure to let you know when I have it ready for you to try out!
I really enjoyed getting creative with things from the hardware store to make my robot. I used a sink strainer for the antenna and screen door handles for ears! To create a moving mouth I used doll eyes as joints. I found great things in the scrapbooking aisle for my robot, too – the gears and metal punched numbers really made this metal monster come to life. The mouth zips open and closed so Rex is really enjoying making a smiley robot and a quiet robot!
For years I’ve been wanting to inventory my sewing room. Patterns, fabric, notions… Everything. It would be great to have a file at my fingertips that I can look through when choosing my next project instead of having to dig through my closets and bins. Also, for those of you who own businesses where you need to purchase fabric and notions, it is necessary to know what purchases you’ve made for the year to appropriately claim them on your taxes at the end of the year.
I figure there are two ways to go about this: physical or digital.
I like the idea of having samples of my fabrics clipped to inventory cards in a physical file that I can look through. I came across one at crafty staci. She even has a free printable for the inventory card available for you to download and some great suggestions on how to put them into action!
If you’re looking for a more ‘at your fingertips’ solution you can try one of the many apps available. I’ve been using one for my iPhone called Sewing Room. It allows you to scan the barcode on all patterns from major pattern companies to enter them into your inventory. A picture pops up along with all the details! You can even enter your own notes. This app also lets you take pictures of each of your fabrics and enter lots of identifying information to accompany it in your digital inventory. You can also make lists of people you’d like to sew for and projects you’re working on! I really like that I can enter in where I bought my items and how much I paid. Don’t worry – even if your pattern collection includes lesser known designers and companies, you can enter them manually and take your own picture! Can you tell I’m excited about this?
I’m really going to work on this project this week… I’ll let you know how it goes! Has anyone else been working on becoming more organized with their sewing?
There are a few ‘good’ habits I am trying to adopt this year.
I won’t tell you all of them because I don’t want you to point and laugh when I (undoubtedly) am unable to commit to them for good.
One thing that I have been having fun with is my sketchbook. It has been really fun and inspiring to take a few minutes everyday to sketch something new. Sometimes I only have time for a quickie, but many times I’m able to sit down for longer. This happens mostly when I am lucky enough to work with one of my talented students on their croquis book or presentations. Here are some samples from my book. I hope you enjoy them and find some time today to doodle, too!
- after making Rex’s initial SuperRex cape and shorts set it has become a permanent fixture in his wardrobe… Custom cape sets will be available at Stitch very soon!
- I took a Bonsai class this week! What a great time!
- Beard hats are all the rage here at our house. I’m crocheting as fast as my little fingers can go!
- above is a picture of the snake scarf I made before Christmas. It. Took. For. EVER.
- trying to fit in sketching anywhere I can!
I’m trying to start small this year.
Usually I bite off [way] more than I can chew at this time of year. My fridge is usually full of notes reminding me to be consistent with far too many resolutions. This year, I’ve decided to just go with the flow and fit in what I can. I used to promise myself that I’d make time every night to get in some personal sewing and I wake up each morning feeling like I failed because I couldn’t conjure up the motivation after chasing a toddler into bed and folding the laundry. Argh!
I feel pretty good about my progress this year. I find it much more reasonable to have smaller projects handy that don’t take too much brain power! I’ve been knitting and crocheting small projects (tonight I finished a ‘beard hat’ – photos to come tomorrow), I picked up cross stitching again, and I also started sketching more! I think that sometimes I feel like I have to stick to one project until I finish it… Why?! It’s not fun if I have to force myself to do it! Now I have several choices that I can pick up based on my mood!
Here are links to some of the projects I’m working on… Won’t you join me?
Ultimate Bearded Beanie – you’ve probably seen this one already, but I love it! I also did the slouch version by the same designer. The patterns were VERY easy to follow… and I am a pretty basic crocheter… just saying.
Cross stitch. My nephew really likes Ed Hardy. I can’t believe I actually found a cross stitch book based on his work. This was supposed to be a Christmas gift but I chose a very large design, so…
I also really like Subversive Cross Stitch. This needs no explanation.
I pretty much love to sketch anything (one of my latest is pictured here)… still life, fashion, design ideas… But I did find a book that I really liked and purchased it as a gift for a friend. One Drawing a Day gives you prompts to use supplies you’ve never experimented with, location ideas, and inspiration. I also recently picked up some artists’ trading cards at a local craft store. They are 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ artists’ papers. Fantastic! Sometimes a huge canvas can be overwhelming. They are just right for my next masterpiece!
So what are you hoping to achieve creatively this year? Can you share some ideas for ways to fit art/sewing/creativity into our days?
Well, we made it through Christmas and most of the planned DIY gifts were completed! A few still on the cutting table and the world didn’t end ! (We’re not alone on that are we?) We hope you had a wonderful weekend with friends and family. If you’re out and about stop in to say Hi! We’ll be open normal hours this week, but closed Sunday and Monday to celebrate New Year’s Day.
If you’re looking for something to do, stop in Thursday, Dec 29 and make a yo-yo flower embellishment. Anytime between 1 & 4:00. $5, supplies are included. These are fun little goodies to wear, pin to your fave new sweater, jacket , bag or just clip one in your hair! I think one would even look good stuck on your sewing machine! You can use just about every inch of all those little fabric pieces in your stash on these little treasures!
Our January class schedule is now up, check the class tab for more info and stop in to see the samples. Or, if you prefer private lessons, call now to schedule before cabin fever sets in!
what’s everyone saying?