Oh, the places you'll go!!

I don't know about y'all, but I had a busy and fun weekend. My Crafty Mama asked me to come down to go to a sewing expo with her and see her and Pop's little cabin. So I headed down south to the metropolis of Branson!

First - the sewing expo. Mama is a quilter, so it was no surprise that she saw a lot of a neato things within the realm of quilting. There weren't so many sewing things, but I did see some neat things that gave me all sorts of good ideas and started up my creative juices. Second, the cabin is simply adorable and Pops is going to make it into something really special. And the thought occurred to me that us crafty folk often credit our abilities to one particular family member, but the fact of the matter is that we usually pull it from many people that just have their own way of being 'crafty'. Never overlook your family's hidden talents - there just maybe a wonderful skill lurking there!

After the sewing expo Mama and I went to FM Stores (in Springfield-thanks SJ for introducing me!) and Quilts & Quilts in Branson. And I bought fabric for my stash!! I think everyone who sews should have a 'stash' of fabric in their sewing areas (I'll talk about my opinions on sewing areas on another day :)). You never know when a pattern or project will wind up in your hands that needs the perfect paisley print and - voila- it's hidden in your stash!!

Any ideas for projects for these lovely fabrics? I can see aprons and sundresses and bags - oh my! *Side note for any beginning/part-time sewers: a gal at a fabric store once told me to try to buy at least two yards of any 'stash' fabric because that is usually enough to make a skirt.

I saw my favorite Aunt while in Branson...and she saw my custom Birdie Bag that I made for myself. I'd like to think it was love at first site and she picked out fabric so I could make one of her very own.

Can I just say she has amazing taste? So the Writing Bag (b/c she's an author) is one of my current projects, along with sketches for a friend's apron, and onesies for a co-worker. Hey - maybe this sewing thing will work out after all!

PS On the bag - price wise it'll run b/w $20-$40, depending on fabric etc... When I have the price nailed down better I'll let you know in case anyone else wants a special bag all their own! Don't forget to give me ideas for my new fabrics!

How Fortunate!

So sorry for the delay in blogs. I've been busy busy being stitchy! (And yes, Mom, that is a word.) I have so many things to show you! But first, a story of 'fortunate' circumstances.

I ordered Chinese food a couple weeks ago, which is something I rarely do. And it came with two fortune cookies - apparently I ordered A LOT of Chinese food. Anyway, I decided to eat the extra fortune cookie I had in the kitchen last night. And the fortune said... "You should enhance your feminine side at this time." Now not to be sexist in any way, but I thought it was so fortuitous that I would get this fortune just as I'm branching into a new era with my 'feminine side'. Lesson learned - you can find motivation and support where you least expect it!

On to the sewing at large. I've been experimenting recently with my embroidery. That's what I love about doing embroidery - there are so many possibilities and options. I could probably use the same pattern twenty times and never have it exactly the same. Which is also the beauty of hand-crafts; when you purchase or are given one it's unique and one-of-a kind. Yours alone to cherish! My first "experiment" was a kitchen towel I did for myself with some new & different stitches and bright colors.


I admit - when my fella first saw it, he said "I think that's a flower. If it is, it's cute." But that's ok, because that's what trying new things is about. Having the funny but sunny flower keep your stove company.








Next - I experimented with using colored fabric (blue) and some more stitches I haven't done very often. This is a handkerchief for me to use at work. Here's a disclaimer for those of you that don't know; I work outside for my job and I've found that three seasons out of the year equals a perpetually runny nose. And tissues blow away in the wind. Enter "Super-Duper Hanky"! Maybe the colors could have been a bit different on this one, but that's OK because it's mine and I like it.


Finally - and this one is simply because many of my friends are expecting joyous events (that's kids for you bachelor-type people like me!) a cloth diaper burp cloth. I love this pretty little lady and thought it would be a nice gift for a baby girl.
P.S. Les - if it's a girl, she's yours!


So, let me know what you think about all my 'experimenting'. By the by, see a pattern you like? Need a handy hanky? Just let me know because I'm officially licensed to use Sublime Stitching embroidery patterns! Handkerchiefs are $3-$5 depending on design. Oh - and know someone that needs a burp cloth? Five dollars each too.

And a shout-out to Janie! Thank you for your sweet comments and I look forward to getting to 'know' you better :). TP - you're the bestest!

The Un-Stitched Life

Let's face it - any crafty type person will tell you that they've made mistakes in a project. More often multiple projects! And I'm not going to lie, since getting back into sewing there have been multiple snafus. Including phone calls to my Crafty Mama begging for help. But as Crafty Mama's quilter ladies say "It's not ripping out - it's simply un-stitching". This weekend I had an episode of un-stitch. I decided to take some fabric that I'd bought after my Best Friend pointed it out and make an apron a little bit different that anything I'd made before. I based it on a couple different patterns that I had and threw in some new ideas. That may be where the hitch came. I made a 'opps' and got stuck last night and could not for the life of me figure out how to fix it. I did some sketches, I un-stitched, I even looked through all my sewing books to try to figure it out. Side note: costuming books will not help with apron sewing and are too distracting and full of pretties, for the record.
So I left it and slept on it (not literally - not so flighty that I'm sleeping at the sewing machine yet). And when I finally went back this afternoon...I had it! I knew what to do, just like that.

So with some more un-stitching, behold my newest apron! I'm very proud of it, in part because I persevered and made it happen. That is what it's all about really - simply creating and exploring until you stumble across something that can change your perspective

Disclaimer: Several people have asked when I'm going to start selling things. Here's the first opportunity. If you'd like to buy this apron I'll sell it for $25 ($5 for postage - so if you're going to see me, I'll take $20). Mother's Day is coming up...I'm just sayin'!

Let's start at the very begining...

Who doesn't sometimes fantasize about quitting their job and 'living the dream', whatever that may be? I think we can all be honest and say that it's crossed our mind a time or two. I've recently picked up again on a couple hobbies that I had long ago: sewing and embroidery. Suddenly one day it dawned on me that I'd much rather be sewing for a living than shoveling dirt (by the way, I work at a construction site where we do excavation, so that's quite literal). And thus a new and exciting path in my life has begun. I can't do it alone though, so I'm looking for a little support and constructive criticism to help me along my journey. There are so many wonderful and interesting things I stumble along each day. Can't wait to share all - even if it is Slightly Flighty!