oversewn

A Dress

2011-09-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

I made a dress! My brother-in-law got married in Snoqualmie, WA in July, so I decided to make a dress rather than deal with shopping for one.

It's the same dress that I made at the Heather Ross Weekend Sewing Workshop this past January. Except I never finished that one so...... I figured I'd make a new one. I had just sent my deposit payment to Heather Ross for the WSW in Palm Springs for next January. I was all pumped and wanted to make something.

It's Anna Maria Horner's Evening Empire Dress for the bodice and the skirt panels from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing (Yard Sale Skirt). Rather than line fabric with interfacing, I chose to go with some AMH home dec fabric for the top. The bottom is a light yellow linen/rayon blend.

I added 3 small pleats to the back to keep the skirt seams symmetrical.

I actually finished the dress the night before the wedding and with all the seam ripping and re-sewing, the dress bodice ended up a little floppy. I am on the fence as to whether or not this was appropriate to wear to a wedding. It seems to have come out a little to "summer dress" than "wedding appropriate."

The inside is lined with some Good Folks.

The zipper install came out okay.....

I moved the straps out a lot!

I made some bias trim to go around the bottom.

I really like how it turned out.

:) Raven

A Finished Quilt (finally!)

2011-08-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

This quilt has been a long time coming! Most of the blocks were finished last May/June. I started out making squares in squares with varying widths of strips. My plan was to cut all the blocks up and "bento" them back together. I guess I sort of got a bit lazy and also like the way the blocks looked slashed in half. I kept some of the blocks as squares and sewed them together. I quilted half of it in November and the other half in December. Binding was sewn on in January some time. And, since we also got rid of our cable box in January, there was no hand-sewing-while-tv-watching going on, so it took until a few weeks ago to finish stiching the binding down on the back.

It's been on the couch.

Most of the prints are from Hope Valley by Denyse Schmidt. The solids are all Kona except for the taupe color which is a Kaffe Fassett Shot cotton.

The back is AMH Flannel. Flannel for a quilt back is awesome. This print went so well with the colors from the front! Quilted all over stipple.

:)
Raven

Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt- Week 5

2011-08-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

Block #9 and #10

#9- Box

This block's colors are my favorite! I placed the green print fabric on so many different blues

and ended up with this one. I love how it turned out!!

#10- Bowtie

I tried paper-piecing a few of these blocks. I'm sure if I were more comfortable with paper piecing, I would prefer to do it.....but I think I like cutting the templates. I've been using the templates and cutting about 1/4" larger that required. After that, I piece and trim and piece and trim. It's working out better for me, but for the life of me, I cannot get my points to line up.

It is so fun to see how different all these blocks can be, just by changing up the fabrics!

If you haven't - check out the flickr group - some seriously amazing quilts are being made!

xo-Raven

Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt - Week 4

2011-08-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

Block # 7 Birds in the Air

Wow- this block was so insane-driving!! Those points meet up only in my dreams!!

But oh my goodness I flippin love these colors together!!

Block #8 Bouquet

Not sure what happened at the bottom.....I'll trim them up later.....

I'm still undecided on the dark blue....

I need to lay all the blocks out together and see how they play off each other.

Another week done!

I would describe myself as a quitter. This QAL is a test for me- to see if I can push through my wankiness and whining to actually complete an incredibly labor intensive quilt.

So far - so good!!

xo, Rave

Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt - Week 3

2011-07-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

#4 Basket Weave

And yes, it is as crooked as it looks. I'm accepting it because I soooooo don't want to do a single one of these blocks over again! I like doing them and learning things from them.....but I do want the quilt to be a little wonky

#6 Big Dipper

I just love love love how this one came out. The solid is just a bit lighter than the turquoise in the print. I'm sort of an orange freak too.

The Dolphins That Jack Saw

2011-06-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

Monday - my best friend and I (and kids) went to the beach. It was a grey day like they usually are, but the sun was peeking through. BF decided to run back to her house and get her suit and some sunscreen. She is a surfer and I rarely go to the beach. So.....she gets back and get in the water. I sunscreen up my kids(forgot myself-didn't plan on staying long).

Oh, about 10 minutes later, Jack Johnson rolls up with his kids. For real. No joke.

I knew he lived in my BF's 'hood....but I am aware he spends most of the time in HI.

I had met in once before and done the weird freak out "oh-my-gosh-I-like-totally-love-your-music-man" about 7 years ago when he came into the grocery store where I worked at the time. So this time, I was cool. I mean- I had to be. It was the 3 of us and our kids.

I'm pretty sure I dorked out a little. I did tell him that we call him Jackie J at our house! haha He laughed at that one :)

And so the kids played and we hung out and chatted about kids and parenting. He and my BF talked surf. It was funny to hear him say that he was "putting in his time" so he could go surfing later. I asked him about it and he said they have never had a nanny and the whole family always goes on tour together. Such a rad guy! I was shocked they didn't have a nanny. He was such a regular dad! Too funny! I guess I had some expectations...

He was about to leave and I was packing up to go home too. He said "Look at the dolphins"

So I did. Took some pics too. I must say a few came out pretty cool.

I like that these pictures will be my "Jack" pictures. It was pretty cool! Because of it, my new vow is to not complain about living here so much. I should be more thankful!! It really is beautiful here!
xo
Happy Weekend!!

Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt - Week 1 & 2

2011-06-15T05:05:00.000-07:00

I've "joined" a thing or two on flickr before.....but never quite got around to finishing. No, actually I never even started! When Amanda let on she was doing the Farmer'sWife Sampler Quilt -I said 'why not?' I have the book, so let's make it happen,right? I will really have to push myself to finish this one. 111 blocks. Knock off 2 each week.....
I decided to start using some of the Flea Market Fancy that's been sitting, just sitting, in a bag on a shelf.....
Well, here's
#1

After making the first two blocks in all FMF....... I decided some solids were in order. In fact, I might go back and take #1 and #2 apart and throw some solids in with them. Not sure.

I have done very little applique by hand. I think the following block shows that - blatantly, really. -sigh-
I added the handle on totally funky too, just cuz. I like it.
#3

#5 Wrinkle-y Batwings!

Happy Wednesday!

xo Raven

Another Figure 8 Scarf

2011-06-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

I wear these two figure 8 scarves way way way too much, especially considering I live in Southern California. I just love them though....and Santa Barbara is known for our June Gloom.....it literally is foggy all day. So another new scarf was totally justified :)

This one was made with some mustard velveteen and my most favorite voile from the Innocent Crush line by AMH. I love how it came out and I love the big blue roses. As much as I love the bright ones, I love this one for how mellow it is.

I can't say that mustard is a fabulous color for me.....but I love it anyway.

I made it closer to 14" wide rather than 18" It's also longer than the first two(kits ordered from AMH). No, that's wrong. It's not longer, but the thinner width makes it not as bunch-y. It SEEMS longer :)

Happy Saturday!

KCWC: Just a tad late......

2011-06-08T05:14:00.000-07:00

Ah.....life. Sure can getcha sometimes. I'm not surprised I missed May.....but sewing/crafting sure helps to keep things moving along, doesn't it??

So, this blue/brown number was supposed to be Lila's birthday dress(March) but no dice. It's the Pretty as a Picture dress from AMH Handmade Beginnings book. Flower panel and brown voile from Little Folks and blue/brown stripe is from Innocent Crush voile - all from Anna Maria Horner (I do so love her!!This video is awesome!)

I iron while I sew the garment - NEVER after it's finished though. I've heard it's bad luck....

The dress is super cute and comfy i.e. she actually picks it off the hanger herself. I altered it on accident by making the neck hole too small - I will not cross over as much on the top next time.

I altered it on purpose by taking the elastic off the back panel. It was just a tad too snug with the elastic across the back. I think it was still on in this pic. Having the gathers on the sides only looks better to me :)

I also altered it on purpose by changing up the front panel- I added brown strips to either side of the flower panel until it was the correct width. I followed the pattern for the back. I have another one cut out in almost the same fabrics. I don't know why :) Maybe because I have twin sisters - I like doubles?

During the week, I HAD to make the Seahorse Sundress from Oliver & S. It's so freaking cute - but I don't know about a one scissor rating..... lots'o pieces to cut out. I cut out double of everything because of the off-center nature of the fabric. It was sort of a puzzle to pick which ones to put with what(huh?) but I really like how both dresses came out. And wow does my girl ever like pockets!! I love her search-for-pockets pose. Pockets in dresses are awesome!!

After finishing the one above, I decided it needed some hand stitching. In my opinion, it came out so awesome!! I did only hand stitching on the yoke of the second dress.

I love how the hand stitching looks on the dresses. Here's both dresses side by side. I used AMH Good Folks line. I also used snaps instead of buttons. Someday I will not be afraid of button holes.....someday....

Dress Fronts

A lot of influence from AMH, but also I've been recently re-hooked on my Alabama Chanin books. I bought myself this (I guess I wear mine backwards!oops) and some other goodies from them for Mom's day. I would love this or this. I will sew this one from the pattern in the book. The bridal is so amazing... I could go on forever!

Dress Backs

Happy Wednesday!

New Sandbox Pants

2011-04-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

He grows and grows....and more get made. This first pair is for Atlas, size 4. We call these the book pants.

Made with Anna Maria Horner's Volumes(I think) from the Drawing Room line and Oliver & S Sandbox pants. I love love love these pants and almost have the directions memorized!

Twill tape for the drawstrings shaves at least 10-15 minutes off of the total time to make these.....

my kinda thing!

I didn't worry much about fussy cutting the back pockets like I did the front.

These are a pair made from green and white ticking with Echino for the pockets and waistband. I love the way these look together. I wanted to find a semi-girly way to do these pants.

More twill tape!

Another pair of book pants

I cut all the back pockets for the book pants with the grain going the "wrong" way - just to see....

I like how it looks....it's more noticeable in person, especially as this fabric has a little sheen to it.

The last two pairs are being donated to Atlas' school. I never finished them in time for the auction in March...so we will have a mini auction just for the pants.

Super Random: Vacuum Karma?

2011-04-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

Soooo, my Dyson vacuum hose broke for the 2 time this weekend. I was pretty ticked, as it's really the 3rd replacement(story for another time....) and my vacuum is such a love of mine. I vacuum almost anything that is dry (lazy?anyone else do this? tmi?). I love my Dyson and have had it for almost 5 years now.

I call customer service last night at around 5:40, knowing they close at 6:00. 20 minutes would be obscene for a vacuum customer service line - right? No joke- I was on hold the entire time and then the phone goes *click* I immediately call back and the computer voice says they are closed and blah blah blah....

Seriously steam coming out of my ears. I have some anger issues, clearly, but this was horrible!!! It just got to me so bad. So I emailed. Oh yeah.... it was sort of bad. In the moment, I felt I HAD to..

Hi

I called this evening at 5:40 pm and waited on hold until 6:00 when I was hung up on. I call back to find out that customer service is now closed. How rude and what a waste of my time. Perhaps you should turn your phones off at 5:30 so that people like me don't have to wait on hold for no reason.

In case you can't tell, I am incredibly angry. Not only did my hose on my vacuum break(I just paid for a new one last November) but I got to waste an entire half hour of my night for no reason. I have a feeling someone there saw that I was on hold and chose to ignore it, as they were getting off work soon and could care less.
Awful customer service!

I felt bad about sending it almost as soon as I hit the send button. At least I didn't curse though, right?
I felt a little more bad when I woke up this morning, like I wanted to say sorry to someone. I reacted so fast... I should have thought about it some more... not such a big deal.
So I spent the day with kids, went to the nursery, bought a tree, went to the botanic gardens, come home, eat lunch. The phone rings(I NEVER answer my phone) but it was a weird number and I had a vibe (I know, what?) so I answered. IT WAS DYSON!!!!
I started laughing so hard as soon as she said "dyson" and told her I was grumpy when I wrote it and sorry and I'm so glad to be able to say that. (I seriously am weird, no?) She was laughing and said they were grateful for the feedback and that it WAS a long wait. She said she would have written worse! :) It was the funniest interaction - I love it when stuff like that happens.
So I feel better! Like getting to talk to someone there took back that negative(energy) I threw out there, you know? It was awesome :)

Anywhoo, lots of sewing, self-conscious about the pics, trying to get over it,
:)
Raven

The $1700 Quilt

2011-03-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

This is the school auction quilt that my dear friend Alissa and I made. It came out way way way better than either of us could have imagined. And while we thought we were being a little selfish in hoping to bring in around $700-$1000, the final bid of $1700 literally had us both in tears. I had never been to an auction - they really are exciting. You cannot help but get into it! And just listening to the price go up and up and up was so flipping awesome!

Everything to make this quilt came from my stash. The background, backing and binding are all Denyse Schmidt County Fair home dec weight. The trunk of the tree is actually the reverse of a really ugly batik. A few of the hands are batiks, but most are different Kona greens, with a Shot Cotton thrown in for good measure.

All of the kids at school had their hand traced by Alissa onto the lighter weight Heat N Bond. We then ironed random hands onto the green fabrics and Alissa stamped each child's full name onto their hand. It was a heat set fabric stamp pad (Versacraft?). I stamped two of the hands and was very glad to leave this job up to Alissa. She also cut out all the hands. Just not my cup of tea........Thanks Alissa!!

After the trunk was ironed down, I sewed crazy all over it to secure it and to make it look more like a tree trunk. I tried to throw some knots in there. Then we started placing hands all over and ironing them down. We then zigzagged around every single hand. Yes, we zigzagged. around. every. single. hand................................

Used a bit of twill tape sewn down for the ropes on the swing. The two birdies on the swing are the director and assistant director of our daycare co-op. We asked for their favorite colors and then stamped their names on to their bird.

After we sandwiched the quilt, I free motion quilted the empty spaces of the branches. I was very worried about making the quilt too stiff -with all the fusible stuff already in there. For the background, I just sort of echo-quilted the trunk shape. The name of our school.......The Oaks. I mean for real - could we have really done anything other than a tree?

Glad we were able to get the year in there somehow :)

Alissa and I also stamped our initials onto the trunk of the tree, sort of like we had carved them in.

You can barely see them in the pic below, sort of red on the brown. There is a heart in front of our initials also.

So that is our auction quilt! We were insanely proud of what we made and have no idea how we are ever going to top this one next year......

Zen Shorts, some winners, the Grammys 2001 and a coat

2011-03-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

Allie is the winner of the small bundle.....she guessed the book correctly!! ZEN SHORTS!!
The Zen books by John Muth are my absolute favorites right now. Life changing really!! I think they are awesome gifts for kids and adults. I gave my dad one for Christmas. They are in sort of an order, so I would start with Zen Shorts. For real yo!

For the big bag of Bohemian - I used random.org to get #22 - Dana from Old Red Barn Co. Her best birthday was last year......she got an oven.....I wanted to make fun of her, but I really wanted a new ironing board for my birthday - so I really have no room to talk, huh?

My best birthday would have to be my 21st. My dad knew the guy who was in charge of the webcast for the Grammys (first year they were on the web I think), so he was able to get us tickets. It was really surreal and strange, to tell you the truth. B.B. King wished me a happy birthday. EmmyLou Harris is so so so beautiful. Aimee Mann is so so so thin. Fred Durst was so so so drunk(I think).
It was the year of the Eminem and Elton John drama/duet. It was a pretty amazing show, the two of them singing "Stan" with Elton singing the Dido part of the song. Blue Man Group did a thing with Moby and Jill Scott - that was totally cool - I wish I could remember the song name.....I have to go put some Moby on right now!
I didn't stay out that late or even drink much (it was me and my dad :)love you pops!). I remember my feet killing me (awful heels) and just wanting to go back to the hotel and sleep. It was very surreal - even more so thinking back on it now...

Oh, and rather than have a photo-less post, I will include the coat I finished two weeks ago. It's a Heidi and Finn pattern and it was so flippin' easy. Seriously. Oh, even better, Lila actually likes it and wears it. It is two sizes to big, but that is a minor detail around these parts....

I used 4 very different vintage buttons and I love how they all match perfectly.....in their own way......

sort of....

Wowzers! Bold choice of lining fabric, wouldn'tcha say......

It's all from Anna Maria Horner's Innocent Crush line......velveteen outside.......quilting cotton for the lining

Some more vintage buttons on the back.

Um.....yes, yes that is some selvedge showing......

I think it adds personality.......don't you?

Oh good golly, that sure is loud.

I really, really, really love it.

Okay....I think that will do it for the world's longest and most RANDOM post ever!!!

My baby girl turns 2 tomorrow, so I'm off to try and sew/finish something for her birthday.....

xoxo

Raven

{this moment} - alien casinos

2011-02-25T07:02:00.000-08:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.

Monday Stacks - One for me, One for you :)

2011-02-21T05:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, Monday Stacks are just as good as Sunday Stacks!

Really - an extra day to sit is better.....right?

Brown and Cream Matroyshkas from Heather Ross, 2 Kona solids, and 4 shot cottons

I think it would make for a cute little girl quilt.

Oh, what's this? Some Bohemian from Anna Maria Horner?

FOR YOU!!

Oh, this is the one for you!

As it is my birthday today.....I would like to give you a gift.

I have decided "I like to give gifts on my birthday, to celebrate the day I was born"

So, for one of you, this lovely bundle of Boho!

I was sort of speedy with my cuts, but there are approximately 9 yards or so here.

So, in order to win this, please leave me a comment with your best birthday memory ever.

I will close the comments next Monday 2/28.

Also, that funny little quote I have up there is from a modern children's book. If anyone can guess the name of the book, I have a little mini bundle for you. It's my most favorite book right now!!

Name that book!

My friend and I worked on an auction quilt all weekend, it's amazing! Hopefully some pictures soon.

Tonight, I'll be hanging out with my Modern Quilt Guild. Yep, quilt guild meeting for my birthday. It sounds funny, but I'm actually excited. If you had told me 10 years ago how I would be spending 31st birthday at a quilt meeting, I would have laughed in your face. But here I am and I love it!!

xo, Raven :)

{this moment} - fabric stacks?

2011-02-18T07:59:00.000-08:00

A Friday ritual(sort of). A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.

from SouleMama

Nature Walk Knit Pants

2011-02-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

As Sascha did say - these might be the most insanely easiest thing I have sewn in a long long long time.
And I really love the cut/shape of these pants. They fit the kids quite well.

I made each kid a pair of lobster pants. Lila will get the smaller rose pant and the larger will go to a friend's daughter for a birthday present(do I have to hem them then?) The lobster print is an interlock. I love how sturdy the fabric is. Atlas loves his lobster pants. He's already worn them to pre-school. Husband thinks these should be designated as PJ pants. I bought the fabric from the Fabric Fairy. I think it was flawed and super on sale. I love flawed things! :)

I made Lila a third pair out of some very lightweight knit I received in the Heather Ross studio sale. I used some leftover rib knit for the waist. I've been playing around a lot with mixing fabrics. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I don't think that wobbly bit will go away. I think I need to be less lazy when it comes to ironing......

TGIF!!

Innocent Crush Chair

2011-02-06T11:03:00.000-08:00

I like to cover chairs with Anna Maria Horner fabric. What can I say? I actually do like the fabric even more now that I have met her. I know it's silly, but I am silly. This chair was actually covered before my super awesome weekend. (It was amazingly surreal and radical and awesome to see myself in my reader via AMH's blog- it was a serious boost to my inspiration/motivation- very insanely grateful to Anna Maria for that!!)

I think that this fabric might be my favorite of the whole Innocent Crush line. I'm a blue sort of girl, so this is the one for me. And, I've never liked rose stuff. This fabric is soooooo changing my mind on that one.......weird. I just ordered some of this in the pink/grey......weirder!

Oh, and here's my temporary solution to NOT covering the rest of the chair - a lovely Denyse Schmidt quilt I purchased on one of those super sale sites(Thanks Ashley!) It's such a cool quilt. I love the colors and it was seriously on sale!! It's usually on the boy's bed.......but we needed here. I sort of like it a lot.

I have realized that I just have to take apart the bottom. It's driving me nuts- the way it doesn't line up. I'm almost thinking a patchwork for one side of both the back and the seat. That way I might be able to re-use one of the seat pieces in one of the back pieces(make sense?).

Alright....back to sewing stuff for the daycare auction. Um, it was due on Friday......

Happy Sunday!!

What happens in Vegas.....

2011-01-30T14:01:00.000-08:00

Weddings! Ours!

5 years ago!!

Yes, we were married in Las Vegas. At the Little White Wedding Chapel. I'm wearing flip flops and tye-dye. We have a total of 23 wedding pictures. This is the best one. There is a cheesy picture of a waterfall on the wall behind us and lovely fake flowers on the columns. We bought rings at the outlet mall on our way there. It was fun and it was just for us. We still have plans to someday have a party with all the family and friends..........someday, someday. Maybe for the 10 year?

Anyone else elope?

THE BEST WEEKEND EVER

2011-01-26T08:26:00.000-08:00

I know, I can be a leeeeeeetle bit dramatic sometimes, but really, it was the best weekend ever. And I can sum it up with this picture.

I was so so so happy this entire weekend. It was for meeeeeeeeee, and there hasn't really been anything like that in my life since....forever it seems. I really realized that I cannot be a good spouse or a good parent or a good employee, or a good anything for that matter, if I am not a happy person. Yes, I got that from this weekend. Sometimes, you just need a break....

I learned quite a few things about garment sewing, pattern use, invisible zippers, elastic, carbon paper, and much more. Which every time I said ooooh, or aaaaaah, Anna Maria would point out that all of these things were discussed in her book, and if only I had read her book....... She is seriously so darn funny. And so is Heather. Between the two of them, I couldn't stop laughing all weekend. I am fairly certain that all of us had a super great time. I am bummed that I missed the group photo, but I would have been all sweaty in the picture from schlepping the ridiculous amount of fabric I brought, from my room back to the car.

I am not a dress person, but I've loved Anna Maria Horner's Evening Empire dress. Except for the gathers at the waist. I can't have that (less, less in that area!). Soooooo, I/we decided to mix the top of the dress with the Yard Sale Skirt from Heather's book-basically just cut out the 6 gores. It came out insanely cool. There was math involved, and measuring, and the making of a muslin for the top of the dress(my first). All in all, I came to the sewing realization that those extra few steps that seem like a waste of time-- are really quite worth it!

And carbon paper! All this time I had the tracing wheel- and never knew the true use. I really should read the front of my sewing books more! So much information!

The group of ladies that were there with me this weekend were so much fun. I really did not take enough pictures and I wish I had more of everyone there! I just had so much fun hanging out with people who sew and know the words that I say (please tell me that you know what I am talking about). It was like a Mod. Quilt guild meeting, but all freaking weekend!!!! Awesomeness!

If anyone out there ever has a chance to do anything like this - DO IT!!! It was such an amazing experience!! Thank you to everyone who was there......it was the best!!

I'll try to take some pics today of my stack of AMH Bohemian for the giveaway........hopefully I can get that posted within the week........

xo
Raven

Heather Ross Winner!

2011-01-25T16:46:00.000-08:00

The winner of the Heather Ross stack is......102

Megs from Australia!

I used True Random Number Generator (no idea how to get the pic here)

Congrats!

Thanks to everyone who left a comment!

{this moment}

2011-01-21T05:22:00.000-08:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

The Pillow Quilt (WORDY Wednesday)

2011-01-19T08:41:00.000-08:00

First and most importantly - all your comments made for the BEST Sunday morning ever!!!!! I seriously had the biggest smile on my face! I feel soooooo much less nervous now- THANKS!! As I tried explaining to my husband why I was so happy, he looked at me and said "You are giving away how much fabric? And this is the person you are meeting this weekend, yet your giving her fabric away?" He doesn't get it!

Yes, I am giving away a good chunk of fabric, but percentage wise, it's not so much. I have an 18 gallon tub of "usable" Heather Ross. I have a small bin with FQs of all. That's my fire bin. Hahaha, how embarrassing, but yes. We have had two major fires nearby in the last few years. After my first evacuation, I realized that I would be devastated to lose this fabric. Is that sick? All the kid pics are on the computer. I grabbed the paperwork we needed. What else? I decided after that first evacuation that a little Fabric Fire Bin would be a good idea. I seriously cannot believe I'm admitting to this! It does sound a little shallow. Of course, watching the aftermath of people losing everything makes you realize it really is just "stuff." And I have a lot of stuff! So, rather than have it sit in a bin- I could never use it all-I would rather share it. I'm trying to be less "greedy" with my fabric. I really don't need a yard of every colorway of every fabric I like. I've learned that it really doesn't make my life better. But, one of you will really appreciate that 11.75 yards of fabric way more that I appreciate my 18 gallon tub. Sad, isn't it? I really want to change that about me. I really need to learn some gratitude. I was raised spoiled, and have outgrown a lot of it, but the "want stuff" part really lingers on!

Alright, a little ramble-y this morning......

About this quilt....a thrift store find!

I literally about fell when I saw it! Have you ever seen anything like it? I'm calling it the Pillow Quilt, as it is literally, a bunch of little (3.5"-4") pillows hand sewn together. I guess it would be whipstiched together? I would call this a small twin. It's apx. 63"x 88" and 16 pillows x 22 pillows I am fairly certain the pillows are machine stitched.

It's crazy well made.

How did I know this? I know it was not smart, but I put it in the washing machine. I just had so much faith that it would survive a cycle, on delicate of course. Man, I did have some nervous tummy butterflies for that 46 minutes! I can't explain it, but I just felt such a connection to this quilt. It could just tell that it was strong. I know. I know My husband has reminded me. It's just a quilt.

But SEE!! I was right! It made it. I dried it in the dryer too! I know, seriously, I did. It's awesome! So, since it survived and has been with us for approximately 2 months now, I have really had a chance to bond with it. It's so great, people! I had it on my daughter's toddler bed, folded in half, during the "cold" spell here in CA.

I have officially decided I want to make one, but it's going to take forever. I went a deep and thoughtful and (hormonally) decided that each little pillow is going to represent something in my life, something major for me. And so it will be my life in a quilt, if you will.

There will definitely be a pillow for this coming weekend(Aaaaahhhhh, freaking out), one for the wedding, one for each birth(2), some for sad things and some for happy things. You know, how life is.

Maybe I'll use one of Atlas' old shirts for his birth "pillow." Lila's munki jumper that's almost worn out for her birth "pillow." A piece of the totally worn out black pants that I decided last week I could no longer wear in public, that I also wore to my Vegas wedding, will be for the wedding "pillow." The two rejected color 5" Mendocino squares that I received from HR in the studio sale last year will be her "pillow."

Isn't that what quilts are? They are all the quilter. It really doesn't matter whether or not the receiver loves it or hates it, does it? It's always better when it's well received, but it's all about the making.

I never learned to appreciate"the process" when I was younger. I think that this is something I will make sure my kids have instilled in them. I have no idea how to do this, but we'll learn together.

Okay....That was a long one! If you made it here, a sincere thanks for taking it all in! It does feel good to share a bit more about myself after all the great comments! Thanks for the nudge Brooke!

Sunday Stacks - One for me, One for you :)

2011-01-16T05:41:00.000-08:00

Sunday stacks- this one's mine. I've been adding to and taking from this pile for almost 1 1/2 years. Hmmmm, maybe I should get a round to making a quilt with it.......

It's orange, brown, yellow, with some almost reds and hints of pinks. I especially love the Amy Butler Coriander and the Moda Lush in there! (Top left two fabrics)

And this loverly stack of Heather Ross- well this one is for you!

25 different prints! 11.75 yards of fabric.

Those are yard cuts on the right, 1/2 yard cuts in front of my toes, and FQs at the top

WINNER GETS ALL!!

I love Heather Ross. I will be meeting her next Friday afternoon. I am so crazy nervous. Not so much about meeting her, but more being out of my element, away from my everyday norm, around a bunch of "strangers" (can I describe them as strangers if they love sewing and HR as much as I do?) I have never left my kids overnight, let alone for a whole weekend. I will be 5 hours away from them! I had to change from a shared room to a single room so as not to scare my roomie with my bawling about missing my kids. I thought it better to play it safe and not frighten anyone. Hopefully, if I state my nerves here, they won't show up when I get to the hotel, right?. What if I'm introduced to Heather and start crying? No really, this has played out in my head. My "sewing" is so intertwined with me having kids and dealing with Post-partem depression and figuring out what to do with my life, so it's not like I'm just meeting someone who designs fabric and had a sewing book published, I'm meeting someone who has had a major flippin impact on my life, ya know? I feel like my entire sewing life would not exist were it not for HR, her fabrics, and her book. Okay, a little over dramatic......but if you knew me in real life.........that's me!

Oh, and just wait for my post about how I love Anna Maria Horner. It's all about hormones and breastfeeding and how I used to utterly detest her fabrics (not any more). I am very convinced that I will cry when I meet her.

And finally, I actually have sewn something in the recent past. This quilt is just waiting patiently for the binding to be sewn on. I did not like it as I was making the blocks, but now I am so in love with this one! I've been doing a ton of hand sewing with felt- toys for the kids. I'll get some pics of those- so fun!

FOR THE GIVEAWAY
1. Leave a comment. Let me know something about you, about your sewing, about your kids, pets, life, car, neighbor, anything really.

2. Become a follower.

I will leave the comments open until I get back from my "Weekend Sewing" (closing 1/24)

Good Luck and Happy Sunday!!

{this moment}

2011-01-14T05:14:00.001-08:00

my sunrise
Originally uploaded by oversewn
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

I'm NOT bragging - but no one in my real life will appreciate this

2010-12-07T14:08:00.000-08:00

Okay - I have totally not blogged lately - lame I know

But-----I'm signed up for the Weekend Sewing in Palm Springs in January with the super amazing Heather Ross!

But------ I'm SHAKING!!! She just emailed us to tell us who is coming as the Fabulous Guest Teacher.....................................................AAAAAHHHHH

It's ANNA MARIA HORNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so going to have to finish this chair(it's looked like this for almost 7 months!)

I am flipping out like never before. This one will be up there people, right alongside the wedding and the kids. Call me crazy, but I am so darn ecstatic. Best Christmas Present EVER!!!!!!!!!!

Please know, that seriously no one in my "real" life gets this, so I had to share.

I think I will go out and go through my HR and AMH Bohemian stash and get some ready for a giveaway. I mean I feel like I have to say thank you to the universe in some way. So next post will be super RAD!

Thanks!
Rave

Queen Size City Weekend

2010-11-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

Woohoo!!! Finally finished sewing the binding on the back side. That took forever. But I am so so so so very happy to sleep under a homemade (by me) quilt!!

I way over estimated the size and didn't actually measure accurately, so this thing is seriously verging on being a king size! I did a hack job quilting it. Some of the lines have some super duper bad puckers. I knew I just wanted this done and on the bed. I have all my AMH voile cut and half sashed for a queen size quilt that I'm planning on free motion quilting. I will definitely be taking my time on that one and quilting it with grace rather than speed.

I was planning on making some pillowcases to go with the quilt, but now that I can just hide the pillows, I'm not sure what I'll do with it.......

And I did get some of the City Weekend knit fabric. I'm not sure what to do with it, and it is way softer than anything else I have, so I'm scared to cut it. The white fabric came in my Heather Ross Studio Sale box, and is equally as precious and hard to cut into. I am currently trying to swap for some more. It is a sickness.

Also, I totally chopped all my hair off! It was pretty crazy. I do it every 3 years and donate it to Locks of Love. I donated 12" and I'm pretty sure she chopped another 3" off. Eeeek! I feel so much lighter!

Also, this past Sunday, there was a Harvest Festival for the Santa Barbara Birth Center. It was so fun! It was the first fundraiser in the official location. They signed the lease just a month ago. I hosted a "quilting room." Really I just painted kids hands and stamped them onto some PFD. They stamped their names next to it. It should turn out really cute when I sew them all together. I think I'll mix in fabrics based on the colors of the rooms(to be determined).

I made a pillow for my mom out of my kids hand prints and have to make another one for my MIL for next week. I will try to take pics of the process because it was insanely easy to make, and it would be a cute pillow for the holidays - especially if you are going along with Erin at House on Hill Road and making a pillow.

At the festival, I sold a quite a few things. It was so exciting to have my things well received, and to make some money. I donated 10% of my sales, and I met some insanely cool people. All in all, a great day!

New Clothes for the Boy

2010-10-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

This post could also be titled "What I Really Wanted To Do During KCWC"

Neck facing and collar - Nature Walk Tunic

I made this Nature Walk Tunic for my boy out of some Rocket ship fabric and some super soft shot cotton. I made it for his 4th birthday, woke up at 3 am to finish it for that day. He started crying that he hated it before he even had it on. Yay for my happy warm feelings being squashed! So much for the sensitivity of 4 year old boys. He'll get more guilt from me as we all get older - I'm sure of it!

Next I made some shorts from the Sketchbook Shirt and shorts pattern. Brown linen, maybe some rayon mixed in(Joann Remnant Bin) so I'm not sure :) SO easy and soft and comfy and he LOVES them. Waaay better reception than the tunic. Warm happy feeling is back!

And then I made another pair of Sandbox pants with Echino pockets - my absolute favorite thing right now. And the boy loves them as well. They are really man-pri/ short pants. I was going to cut these and make shorts since I was short some fabric lengthwise. I waited until I finished them and hemmed them to see how long they really were, and they were long enough! Sweet. I love these a lot. They are a total mish-mash.

I used an upholstery fabric that was bought years ago. I used some ruler printed twill tape for a size tag. I love it! It was a scrap that had 4 on it, so I used it. I think I will be making these pants until he hates them. They are so easy to make, now that I've made a few. Such a bummer this pattern is out of print. If you can find it, get it. I think I will try making a girly pair soon.
:)

Orange and Grey Snail Sampler (Sort of)

2010-10-23T15:56:00.001-07:00

I've been working on this one for a bit and I'm so in love with it. I'm fairly certain this will end up a twin size for my boy. My main print fabric is the peach snail from Heather Ross' Far Far Away line. The rest are a bunch of orange, peach, and grey Kona cottons. I LOVE THIS QUILT!!!!

I love learning more "things" with each quilt I make - ya know? I love knowing how to do wonky stars. Knowledge I never knew I needed! I think I will add another border in coal, and then maybe another orange border and be done. Not sure how to quilt it.... I just love how funky and weird the colors are, but I really feel like it's working.

If my Heather Ross Studio Sale box doesn't show up today, I think I will cry...... :(

:)
Raven

Um, fell of the planet for a while

2010-10-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

Binding for queen size City Weekend quilt!

So, it has been an interesting few weeks round here. I've been making a ton of stuff. Both my son and husband had a birthday. I tried out a craft show and sort of hated it. I've been reconsidering the why's and how's of selling. Really just a bunch of "how much is my time worth?"

I have come to the conclusion that I like making stuff, but don't like any of the aspects of selling it. Tags, photos, descriptions, pricing, displays - not a fan of that "stuff." I will try again at another craft show in November. I definitely learned a lot about what I did wrong, my display set-up, my location, all that jazz. I will make the appropriate changes and try again. I really really really want to not try again, but I've always been a quitter, so I'm going to try to not quit, and see if I get different results.

My other solution is to actually list some items in my etsy shop. I have had it for years and never listed anything. I just hate almost every picture I take. I've had multiple people help me and read almost every online photo tip. I don't know what it is - except that my fear of bad pics leads me to not take any. Perhaps this is one of those practice makes perfect situations!

After finishing my son's twin quilt a few months back, I've fallen asleep under it many many nights and love sleeping underneath something I've made. And so the decision to make a queen size quilt with my fave's from the new City Weekend line. I added in some Kona Coral, Canary, and Azure, as well as some white sashing. The City Weekend is so damn soft!! I finished "straight" line quilting it yesterday - I did speedy rather than slow and nice. There are quite a few minor puckers, but it's for us, so I'm not being picky. I am quite scared to sew the binding on, both machine and hand aspects. That's a big ol' quilt!

Big girl and a big quilt!

The back! She just went and sat down like that! :)

I really just cannot wait to have this finished so that we can start sleeping under it. I am so excited to be getting this one done! I must have at least 8 different quilts in progress. I hope everyone has been well.

I am really looking forward to getting back on track with fall here!!

And spending more time with this little girl -who has given me such a run for it recently- she just gets better and better every day!!

:) Rave

Tuesday and Wednesday of KCWC

2010-09-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was spent taping the Lil Blue Boo Hoodie pattern together and tracing size 4T for the boy. The brown and the red fabric used to be tank tops of mine, The blue hood used to be a shirt of mine. The grey fleece and yellow ribbing were in my stash.

The boy is just in love with it and wants to wear it everyday. That makes it one of the coolest things ever!! I, on the other hand, think it's missing something, and I don't know what it is. The hood is silly big, hence the silly hood pic. I think without the hood and adding a neck and arm ribbing, this will be a good PJ shirt pattern. I can see lots being made, and soon, as there are two rotating pairs of PJs for the boy.

As for Thursday's hour to sew for the kids, it didn't happen. I received a phone call from my local sewing machine store. They have a booth this weekend at the Coastal Quilt Guild's Quilt Show and forgot to procure some quilts to hang in the booth. So they called me and asked me to bring some down for them to hang. UM WHAT!?!?! I was beyond flattered, immediately washed all the bed quilts, and brought them down to the store last night. I also brought a few baby quilts and bags for sale. I am still so shocked they called me. Such an honor really. I had to work on getting everything together for that instead of sewing for the kids.........totally excusable in my opinion. Hopefully I will get some decent pictures when I go on Saturday. I am so nervous to have MY stuff in the same building as quilts from the Coastal Guild. We're talking insanely talented people that have been doing this for years and years. Freaking out now :)

Happy Friday!!

Monday of Kids Clothing Week Challenge

2010-09-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

Reality - I had no time to sew yesterday and did all this sewing from about 4am to around 5:30am this morning because I couldn't sleep. It's both a blessing (quiet me time) and a curse (I'm so damn tired)

Anywhoo - I had these Lil Leggings all cut out and ready to sew. So I did. I just love love love the orange and flower print. They fit okay. I should bump the rise up for diapers. The yellow is a light wide rib knit and the blue is a fleece. I only finished the blue pants, and the other two are raw edge. I do zig zag the tails down at the ankle though. I had bought some lycra mix fabrics a while ago, so I've been using it for the waist bands. I've probably made 15 pairs of these and am really just starting to feel like they are coming out decent. I've always hated practice, but it really does pay off. I've also started topstiching the waistband. I like they way it looks, somehow makes up for the messy raw edge, ya know?

I am really in love with these pants. They are so comfy and so easy to make. I actually would have two more pairs to show you, but I sewed them together wrong (because I have the directions memorized, right?) so now I have 4 right legs instead of 2 more pairs. Thank goodness I have the fabric to make 4 left legs, huh? :) Ah, directions really are helpful, aren't they......

Off to work on my Tuesday stuff. I'm starting to think I do well under the "deadline" of the timer on my phone. I really have noticed I work a little smarter/less distracted if the timer is on.

Hmmmm.....

Sandbox Pants

2010-09-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to make these for a while. Sandbox Pants from Oliver & S. Finally, my son now has a pair of pants that aren't capris!

He's grown so much recently, all his pants are way too short. I think this pattern is rated a one scissor, and it really is that easy. I screwed up the waistband by fussy cutting the cars totally wrong. I completely forgot that the waistband was to be folded in half. Doh! At least the fussy cut car pockets came out great. Oh, and no buttonholes on the back pockets. I'm just not a fan........(lazy). :)

I really love the way they came out. For the main part I used ticking I had bought forever ago at a local home dec. store. I think the Echino cars go great with it. My goal lately has been to try and make the kids more clothes. While it is sooooooo much cheaper to go to Old Navy or Target, I just love one-of-a-kind things so much. And I love spending time making them things......

I plan on participating in Elsie Marley's Kids Clothes Week Challenge, so hopefully I can get a few more pairs of these made. I already have the main fabric cut for a pair of shorts. I'm thinking I'll do another Echino fabric for the pockets.

Aaaaahhhh, another Monday - they come on so soon., don't they......

And the winner is.......

2010-09-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

#27 Janey. Congrats!

Also, I would like to say thank you again to everyone who donated. Even though there were 604 comments left, many of you donated more than $5, so the total amount raised was around $750. That is so damn cool! Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Some More Winners - I'm a little late :)

2010-08-30T16:59:00.000-07:00

I avoid all responsibilities (except with the kids). Sooooooooo, forgive me for not picking winners along the way.
Here are the winners of the County Fair bundles.

The reds go to #193 Megan

The blues are for #287 - The Sterks

The Anna Maria Horner "Bohemian" is for #361 Simply Ec

and the Heather Ross "Mendocino" is for #393 Miss M

This is just too much fun!

And it's Auntie Scoobie's birthday today. She is only getting pictures of her quilt for her birthday. She'll have to wait until I have a moment to mail it!! XOXO love you auntie Scoobs!!

My Treadle Serger

2010-08-24T23:07:00.000-07:00

or Why I Want To Win A Serger From Sew Mama Sew

That's my treadle serger, buried under stuff :)
I won't be home in time to take a regular pic before the deadline!

I bought my serger used. I've had it since early 2008 and have only been using it on a regular basis for about a year now. It is a Pfaff, like my regular machine. I just absolutely love using it and learning to sew knits has been very exciting. But it has a little issue that has forced me to name it the "treadle serger." I know, I know, not for real, but it can be such a pain in the rear to use.

It has this little sensor thingie that won't let you sew if it is not fully pressed in. It is connected to closing the front "door" after threading. So depending on what I'm sewing, I will have to whack the side of the machine and sort of pump the food pedal in order to get it to go. I can't just close the door and hold it, I have to whack it over and over again. It is quite ridiculous. If you saw me sewing with my serger, you would laugh. There are curse words flying out of my mouth as I consistently slap the machine. And my foot really moves as if I were sewing on a treadle.

I have tried to fix it by making the sensor button thingie longer- I took some blue tape and smooshed it into a little ball and then taped on the end of the sensor. It works most of the time, but the tape flattens out after a while and I have to make a new little tape ball.

I really want to start selling more kids clothes and contributing to the family bank account instead of just draining it, ya know. A new serger would be supreme!! Treadle serging takes a bit longer than regular serging, so I would be able to whip stuff out soooooo much faster.

Crossing my fingers!!

Road Trip

2010-08-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

Oh Fransson- New Wave quilt - almost done

Been trying to finish some things before our/my big road trip from Santa Barbara to Canada. It's going to be a long drive. We don't really go to Canada, but you can see Victoria from my Gramma's living room window in Port Angeles, WA. I think it's close enough to say we are going to Canada. Hehehe.

My first stars ever - we shall see how this one goes......

Me and a 3 3/4 year old and a 1 1/2 year old. Woohoo........ Let's all hope I don't lose it. I've been trying to change my attitude towards this trip, trying reallllllly hard. If you want memories with the kids, you have to make an effort to make memories with the kids - this is my mantra for the trip.

I am bringing a featherweight and a crap-ton of fabric, lots of WIPs, and a bunch of bindings to sew on. I will also buy as much fabric as possible, because Portland and Seattle have some rad offerings. I cannot wait!!! My twin sisters are both in Seattle, so that will be fun to see them (eat at Blue Dog Kitchen - they both work there!!)

Can't wait to be in the northwest. I think it might be my favorite place. I am so in love with Portland and Seattle! And everywhere in between.

I am so grateful to all the donations. I can't tell you how awesome it is to help out something I feel strongly about. And the birth center needs to be opened. Our town needs it! Thank you so very much and I will pick fabric winners and mail everything out when I get back. I was told that a lot of people donated more than the $5. So cool!!
:)

Longtitude Quilt

2010-08-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

RAFFLE POST HERE: Featherweight Raffle Page

This quilt was made from the rest of my Old Red Barn Co original quilt - along blocks and scraps. It's all Katie Jump Rope by Denyse Schmidt with some white sashing and bound in a Kona Orange. I backed it with this awesome world fabric. I have an obsession with maps and atlas' of any sort, so when I saw this fabric I had to have it. It matched the front pretty well, so I went with it. I think it makes a nice baby boy quilt.

If I had quilted it the other way, it would have been called the Latitude quilt. Heeheehee. I know, well thought out title, huh? :)

It measures 46"x39"

I think this might be my first one for sale.......I'm sure someone I know will get pregnant with a boy soon. Maybe I should just put it aside and wait.

Santa Barbara Modern Quilt Guild Challenge

2010-08-08T06:52:00.000-07:00

Please click here for the Featherweight Raffle Post

At our June meeting of the Santa Barbara Modern Quilt Guild, we all purchased a bundle of fabric. All the bundles had the same fabric(one exception/2 colors) and we all had to make something around the 15" by 15" size for the July meeting. We didn't have to finish, but some did. There were some awesome variations and I think we were all a little challenged to have fabrics "forced" upon us. For me, it was amazing and so fun to see what other quilters "see" in the same fabrics

Here are the fabrics ( yes, that IS a velveteen)

It took me a while to embrace these fabrics.......I definitely cursed them a few times. What? Velveteen and sateen-y purple. Weird brown ovals? Red and white?

But I love the result - my very first Dresden! I even did some fancy math to figure out how to get the green stem in there. It's sort of a flower! I finished the back with the left-over scraps for an envelope closure :)

Here are some of the others:

Aren't those cool!

Another Dresden and "dream big"

The white in the center square(left) is all cut from the center of the red/white fabric! I know! Cut out and sewn together - no bigger than 1" squares! RAD!

Another member and I picked out 4 new fabrics yesterday, for the August meeting. It should be fun! It's hard to pick fabrics with another person, yet it is so interesting to see how we all choose fabrics and coordinates based on different things.

Wow! So exciting!

2010-08-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

Please leave raffle comments here: OFFICIAL RAFFLE POST

Wow! I can't believe how well this is going! Thanks to everyone who has donated. This is very exciting! I really appreciate the donations and all the very kind comments. And to those blogging about it or spreading the word other ways - a big big thank you!

I'm a little behind at picking numbers for the first two prizes!

The first prize is Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. Random.org: 1- 150 picked #97 - Charise Randell

Second prize: Funky monkey fabric, spool holder, quilt clips and some machine needles
Random.org: 1-200 #57 -Tina@SquirrelAcorns.

Third prize: one yard each of Tula Pink Flutterby ladybugs, blue on brown, and some Pink Flea Market Fancy leaves

Random.org: 1-300 picked # 282 kate_erbach

I'll be emailing everyone shortly! This is toooooo fun!

Only a few more entries until 400 and I can give away these two bundles to two more people

Thanks again!! :)

OFFICIAL FEATHERWEIGHT RAFFLE POST!!

2010-08-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

Please the rules and regulations here: PREVIEW AND RULES

Then donate here: Santa Barbara Birth Center

Then come back here and leave your comments: remember 1 for every dollar - up to 5
Remember to make sure I have a way to contact you!

Singer Featherweight Raffle Preview - Prizes and Rules

2010-08-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

Please don't leave entry comments on this post.

Leave them here: OFFICIAL ENTRY PAGE

There she is....... :)

This is a preview of the prizes I will be raffling off. I want to raise money for the Santa Barbara Birth Center and the midwives who are trying to open the facility. The help they gave me during my miscarriage is priceless. My way of saying thank you to them is to raffle off one of my dear Featherweight sewing machines and a bunch of my hard-to-find and out-of-print fabric. If I sewed everyday, all day, for the rest of my life, I still don't think I would be able to use all my fabric. It should be getting chopped and sewed, not sitting in a bin in the dark..........

TO ENTER: you will need to go to the Santa Barbara Birth Center website and donate $1 to $5. In the comments section on the donation/paypal page, please state that your donation is for "Baby August/Oversewn".

After your donation is made, please return to the Official Raffle Post (NOT this post) and LEAVE A COMMENT FOR EACH DOLLAR DONATED. If you donated 3 dollars, leave 3 comments. Please put 1/3 in your first comment, 2/3 in your second comment and 3/3 on your third comment. MAKE SURE I CAN CONTACT YOU IN SOME WAY!! If you do not have a blogger account, please make sure you leave your email in each of your entry comments. I would hate for someone to donate and enter and win - but then lose because I can't contact you.

I intend on keeping the raffle going for the month of August. I will end it early if an insane amount of money is raised. I have an idea of what I would like to see donated, so if y'all help me get there sooner, I will close the raffle early.

If you have a blog and would like to help spread the word that way, you may post about my raffle. If you do this, please leave an extra comment stating that you blogged about it, with a link. This will earn an extra entry into the raffle.

I have no official affiliation with the Birth Center, other than wanting it to be open and running in case I ever have another baby :) I do have contact with the director of the center, so I will be confirming that winners have donated money.

Awesome green case- very sturdy!

See the little pin marks - still gorgeous :)

The Featherweight is the "Grand Prize." I will give the machine a 9/10 in performance and a 7/10 in appearance. There are a few pin marks on the front of the machine, but it's still damn cute(below). Okay, maybe a 7+ :) I personally cleaned this machine up, oiled and pretty much refurbished the whole thing. The motor runs great. It's a fabulous little machine. I did break the little plastic bit on the motor that holds the belt on. I replaced it with an "indestructible" piece ordered from Mr. Featherweight himself. The belt is brand new. It came with it's original manual. Not many feet with this one, so I might have to add some from my stash.

The fabric bundles are "in-between" prizes and will be given away when specific amounts are reached. The first prize of the Heather Ross book, spool holder, and some quilting stuff will be given to one of the first 150 people to donate and leave a comment. I will choose someone at random from the first 150 comments. The next prize might be around 300-400, and so on. If anyone wins a smaller prize, they will still be eligible to win the Featherweight, but not another fabric prize.

Heather Ross book and some hand sewing needles

Spool holder, quilt clips and needles, a bunch of Funky Monkey
Lots cut up, and 1.5 yds of the monkey faces

1 yd brown/blue lady bugs- Flutterby
1 yd pink flag things - Flea Market Fancy

Denyse Schmidt, County Fair 1 yard cuts, 8 yards

yellow/blue combo

Denyse Schmidt, County Fair 1 yard cuts, 8 yards
yellow/red combo

Anna Maria Horner's Bohemian - 20 prints, 6 yards

Heather Ross -Mendocino Bundle - 29 prints, 12.5 yards

Heather Ross - Lightening Bugs(some West Hill) - 25 prints, 11.75 yards

FINE PRINT: Blah, blah, blah - this is me- doing this all on my own. I simply want to do something good and nice for others and the Birth Center. If you don't want to donate money - then don't. If you donate money and don't win a prize - I'm sorry, that's how raffles go. If you donate money and forget to leave comments on my Official Raffle Post, I'm sorry too, but you didn't follow the rules. I know it's silly to have to state that, but I just want to cover my bum.

INTERNATIONAL: I will pay to ship fabric anywhere. I can't afford to ship the machine anywhere but the US. It's just too expensive, and I don't think you can plug it in anyway :) So if you donate and enter, it will be for the fabric bundles only.

If you have any questions, please ask! I know I am scatter-brained. If I've left anything out, in terms of explanations, please let me know. Thanks :) I hope this goes well ....

Ice Cream Social

2010-07-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

First, I don't know how it happened that it's all pink! I really am not a big pink fan, but looking at this post, you wouldn't know that!

But I am a big Oliver & S fan, so I am loving this Ice Cream Social thing! It's so fun to see everybody's fabric choices. I decided to go for the View C- because it's the easiest and I have to make some birthday gifts for some little girls I know. It's all Heather Ross fabric(and some yellow Kona), because the stash is obscene and I should use it because that is what it's for.....right? I've cut out 4 of them, all in size 2. I'm keeping a van one for my girl. I love the Oliver&S boutique sewers program, so I'm going to try and sell one as well. I bought some of the tags a few months ago, and have not sold anything as of yet. A goal....

The first one I made, I followed the directions in the pattern, no shortcuts. I think it's quite easy and well written. My only issue was how high the button loop should go. The second one(top) I sewed the loop on too high. The middle one is flush with the seam. I think keeping the center of the button loop right on the notch is the best location(bottom). I personally didn't get that from the pattern directions, but I can be total moron sometimes.

I didn't like the way my neck V point ended up, so I edge-stitched the neck. I like how it came out, and I think it will help keep the V there when it's washed. There is a reason I call it "oversewn." :) On the next one I made, I cut the V very, very close to the stitching at the point- it made it sit much smoother.

I did french seams on all of them, since the fabric is light enough. I have a serger, but there is something so pretty and polished about french seams. I just have to gather the skirts and attach them to the yokes on the last three. And hand sew the buttons. I think shank buttons work best on this.

Featherweight Raffle: I have finally figured out how to number the comments, so all I have to do is take some pics of the machine and post. I'm so excited to see how much I can raise for the Birth Center. I have a number in my head. I hope y'all can help me get there I'm thinking $1 per entry, max 5 entries

................ Post should be up this week :)

Original ORB Quilt - DONE

2010-07-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

I am so glad this quilt is finally finished!! I started it a long long time ago and it is the largest one I have ever quilted! I hated it while working on it - the variegated thread was not jiving for me. Once it was finished though, I am so in love with it. I added the sashing - not part of the quilt-along. I wanted to get 2 quilts out of the strips that were made, so I can make another twin and I have a crib quilt top finished. 3 out of 1. My type of quilting. :)

I used a Roxy flat sheet for the backing-found on sale at Ross. I love how it works with the Katie Jump Rope. And the little bit of orange in the blue flowers was where the orange for the binding came from. I love orange, a lot; so whenever I can get it in anywhere, orange will be there. In high school, I had a "Clockwork Orange" movie poster on the ceiling above my bed. That says a lot about me..... :) I swear I'm normal now!

I have been doing a lot of "soul-searching" and reconsidering lots of things in my life. This miscarriage really shocked me, and I feel like I need to do some things differently in my life. If I were a religious person, I would say that god slapped me across the face. In terms of sewing and quilting, I just need to finish things. I seem to think that once it's done, it's gone. That's not the case. Once a quilt is finished, it can start its new life as a quilt, keeping someone warm and snuggly. Does that make sense? I need to take more pride in my work. And finish things the right way, stop doing things half-assed.......

Also, I'm getting closer to having a raffle for a White Featherweight. If you have the Heather Ross book, Weekend Sewing, then you can see the little sewing machine on the cover. That is the type of machine I will be raffling off. I want to raise money for the Birth Center here in Santa Barbara. I was going to have my baby there, but since I won't be, this is what I want to do in memory of my lost little one. I will try and have the raffle post up on or around Aug. 1. I will be asking for donations of $1-$5. So there will be up to 5 entries per person. I will also have an awesome fabric/quilting treat bundle to give away as well. It should be a pretty sweet bundle of stuff.
Happy Monday to all!!

A Busy Weekend (moving on from sadness)

2010-07-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

We have been having a very rough time around here. Within one week, my baby and my gramma passed. I know the word is "miscarriage," but that word just makes me sick. It's this bull-twinky word that has very few emotions attached to it, while the actual experience of it was the most emotional and painful thing I've ever had to go through. Maybe I just never paid attention when people talked about it, but I felt like I was slapped upside the head. I just wasn't prepared for how bad it was. This was supposed to be a home birth, as my other two were born in the hospital here. I was so looking forward to this experience. It's really been devastating. I feel like I am starting to move on, and staying busy with sewing is helping a lot. Megan (Lucy&Norman) was brave enough to blog about hers. Thanks to her post for giving me the push to post mine. It just isn't talked about, and I think it should be.
I know that gramma passed on in order to take care of my baby. The timing of it makes me believe that, and saying that makes me feel better about everything.

********

My husband, knowing I needed some time by myself, let me have most of the weekend out in the sewing shed. I haven't really finished anything in a long, long time, so this weekend felt great. I don't know about you guys, but my stack of "quilt tops" has been growing and the quilting just hasn't been happening.

I never finished my step-mom's birthday gift(mid-June), an electric heating pad thingie cover. I ended up making two, since I had an ugly cover on mine. I had an Arcadia honey bun roll and just started messing around. I haven't free-motion quilted in forever, and it felt so good. I'm keeping the swirly circles/log cabin. My step mom is getting the strips with meandering. I backed them both in some Amy Butler home dec.

I just love how they came out. I am a little bummed that it's the middle of summer and I'm just going to have to put mine away in a drawer until it's colder. Oh well. I could almost sew a strap into them and they would be nice bags...

Also, a friend of mine from high school is having her second baby. I just couldn't go to the baby shower. So I spent that time quilting this. It's definitely not perfect. I still feel awkward sometimes with the free motion stuff. You can really tell the "groove" spots and the "awkward" spots on the quilt. Okay, maybe I'm the only one who can see that... I really do feel more comfortable doing it after a glass of wine. I can't piece at all with alcohol involved, but I sure do quilt better :)

Also, I will be raffling off one of my featherweight machines, to benefit the opening of the Santa Barbara Birth Center. They want to open by the end of the year, and I think I can raise a decent amount of money by having a raffle for one of my machines. I will do the raffle some time in August, so stay tuned......
:)

Hand Crank- FOUND

2010-06-19T09:31:00.001-07:00

Hand Crank- front
Originally uploaded by oversewn
Yay for Craigslist! I called about this hand crank the day after it was posted, and found out the woman selling it lives 5 houses away from me. I mean - I had to buy it - wouldn't have been neighborly not to, right? :) haha

It's so amazingly perfect. You would never think it's date is January 9, 1947. So awesome. I've been on the search for a hand crank Singer since I started collecting. They seem to be a little harder to come by, so when I saw one on CL, I had to jump. I paid $20 more than I wanted to, but I knew if my husband saw it's condition, he would be stoked - and he was :) It's so rare that he is pleased with a sewing machine purchase, but he thought it was super cool!

I am excited to teach my almost 4 year old son to sew on this one. I have a Necchi toy chain stitch machine, but this one is more usable I think.

So much for not buying machines........

Feeling Better!!! YAY!!!!!

2010-06-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness!! That was such a terrible first trimester! I am so very thankful to be feeling better. My mind does not do well when my body is sick. Thanks for the positive comments. It really is so hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, huh?
Busy weekend here. So glad to be back in the sewing shed, even if it is just for cleaning and purging. I have too much stuff. I haven't bought fabric or any sewing machines since finding out we are having a third kid. Baby steps, pun intended! It feels really nice. Sometimes I go a little crazy with things and buy what I want. But there really is NO satisfaction out of this. I think I have tried to teach myself this lesson about 457 times, but yet still don't have it figured out.
I forget about the enjoyment of finishing things, how good it feels to pull a finished quilt out of the dryer, or dressing the kids in something homemade, or polishing up a dirty old sewing machine. The instant gratification of buying just can't come close. Maybe I just have an aversion to hard work- very possible.......

Anywhoooo, I cleaned, oiled and q-tipped a featherweight all weekend. It was a nice weekend here, and I just laid it out on the picnic table and cleaned away. It so fun to see the FW's get cleaned up. When buying one off ebay, you will most likely end up with one that has been sitting somewhere funky for a reeeeeal loooong time. They all smell terrible inside the case. I have yet to figure out anything other than airing them out in the sunshine. Old oil on the machines turns into a yellowy film on all the shiny parts, so they just look so blah until you get busy. I like to use a silicone spray/ degreaser to clean parts. I try just soap and water first, and that can get a lot of the funk off. But for the really gooked on stuff, you have to go for some chemicals. Not my fave, but you can't beat that shine!

This one could have used some Turtle wax, but I have never tried that on a machine before, and I really wanted to get this one out in the mail. I'm doing a trade with an East Coast amigo. I'm really excited just to have one less thing in my shed! And I really hope the recipient likes it!!

I also gave up on trying to pick out buttons to put on this dress. Snaps are great if you hate buttonholes!! It's been finished for months, probably February sometime. Just sitting in the shed, collecting dust. I love how it came out. The reverse fabric was not intentional. I can't even remember how I screwed it up, I just know that I did!. And I ran out of fabric, so I threw in the extra solid. I went with it and I love the reverse of this fabric. It's a Kokka waffle weave and super soft. I used Kona, school bus(I think), for the other panel and top. Hopefully it will fit the girl soon! I made a size 2 and my girl is an avg. sized 15 month old. Maybe it will be her birthday dress?

I just love how great the Oliver & S patterns are- I mean look at that hem- I DID THAT! It looks so compicated, but the patterns are so rad and Liesl explains things so well.

Creativity has left the building

2010-05-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

I don't want to abandon my little blog, but......I'm 7 weeks pregnant and feeling awful. We planned on having only 2 kids, and here I am with a 3rd on the way, and my youngest just turned one in March. Aaaahhhh!!!!
Most of my sewing was done during nap-time. I am now taking naps myself, which I have NEVER done. Strange days around here. It's hard because I really felt like I was getting more done, and almost had lift-off for my little sewing business. Now it feels as if "I" am going to get put off for a few more years. I love my kids more than anything and am so grateful to be able to stay home with them, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy "my time." It is so hard to find balance, whether home with kids, or at work with kids.

I am well aware of the emotional rollercoaster I am on. Please bear with me. I feel like if I do abandon the blog, I should at least wait until the baby is here, right? :)

My poor, poor sewing shed had been shut for the past week. I'm hoping I will start feeling better soon, as today was the first day breakfast stayed put!

I miss sewing........

Life is short, isn't it?

2010-04-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

Life is overwhelming sometimes. We lost our very dear neighbor to a quick bout with cancer. It happened a couple weeks ago, but it is quite fresh still as we are watching everything being taken out of her house. She lived on one side of us and her daughter lives on the other side of us. We are surrounded by family, even if it isn't ours; we made it ours. She was an extra pair of eyes on my kids while they played in the yard. We will miss her very much.

I wanted to make a quilt for her, but as her state worsened, all I was able to do was a pillow. I wish I had been able to put more thought into it, but I really had to whip this up quick. She had been working on a Kaffe Fassett needlework, and I noticed I had the same fabric. We had talked about makin a few pillows together with her needlework before she got sick. I like the pillow, but have issues with it because of how I had to get it done so she could use it. She was only able to use it for 5 days. I think that is really sad. It has definitely made me realize how quickly things can change, and to hug your loved ones.

Onto happier things, I have finally finished binding my Folksy Coins quilt. I really like the burgandy/red cotton lawn I used for binding. It matches the little bits of red in the coins and I like it! For a flannel blanket, I really think it should be softer, but it's only been washed once. I might have to keep this one for "flannel testing" and "research." haha!

I really can't decide if I like this one or not........ I usually love my finished quilts, but this one has been worked on through a very funky time.....maybe it picked up some of my angst and worry. Hopefully my next finish will be filled with fun and happy! Right?

Just keep sewing, just keep sewing......

Sunday Brunch Jacket

2010-03-25T05:04:00.001-07:00

Sunday Brunch Jacket
Originally uploaded by oversewn

Not very impressed by my first attempt. For the upper, I think it's a Kokka fabric, heavier weight. The lower red is from County Fair by Denyse Schmidt. The blue buttons are vintage.
Overall, it's just too stiff. It's a little big on my girl, which wouldn't be a big deal, but the stiffness makes the back of the jacket stick straight out. Sort of like a permanent superman cape. Not quite the look I was going for. I have another one almost finished. Same Kokka fabric on top, but the bottom is blue and the buttons are red vintage. We shall see if I can soften them up somehow.
So far, my attempts at being an Oliver & S boutique sewer are not where I want them. Practice and practice I guess.

Quilting on a Featherweight

2010-03-24T05:14:00.001-07:00

Quilting on a Featherweight
Originally uploaded by oversewn

I've been getting busy around here, trying to get a bunch of quilts made for a craft fair, as well as some bags for another little bazaar. And I just loved that Saturday was National Quilting Day.....I soooo used that as an excuse to husband to spend a good chunk of the day sewing.

This is my first attempt at quilting on a FW. I put a walking foot on her, but I think the harp is just too small for me to enjoy quilting on it. When it comes to quilting, I am not a neat roller, I'm a shover.

So from now on, I'm quilting on a bigger machine!

Felt Colorforms and Talent Cooties

2010-03-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

Soooo, I decided this morning that we were going to go to the toy store and buy Colorforms. I remember totally loving these as a kid, and I thought they would be perfect for my boy. But then, the girl went down for morning nap, and I knew we were home for a bit. I remembered I had a big bag of felt that I had bought last year. I was going to do Rae's heart garland, but do circles or squares. Never got around to it........

And so the scissors came out and mama started cutting.

I remember Colorforms were basic shapes, but this was my set. I wanted cloud shapes and tree tops, moons, a sun, a tree trunk, two pieces of bread, and some basic shapes. My boy had so much fun! What was even better is he decided to "organize" them, first by shape and then by color. It was so flippin' cute. I know, I know, I'm his mom........

Anywhoo, the good thing is --I was going to go out and buy something that we didn't really need with money we really don't have on something made in a far away land, but didn't. Very pleased with myself on this one. I know I'm not the first person to do this and that these are for sale on etsy, but it's always cool to make one yourself. I have to remind myself of that often.

Okay......hmmmm.......now if something you ordered last week shows up in the mail on your "I didn't spend money" day, do you lose your points? I hope not, because I want the warm fuzzy feeling to stay when I actually get to sit down and look at these oh-so-fabulous books. How, how, how has it taken me this long to discover this woman and her stichin'? Heather Ross, Liesl, and Anna Maria Horner all did blog interviews/reviews. Oh my, to be a fly..... Cookie Mag did do a write up on her a few years ago when the Style book came out. Liesl has a link to it in her blog post. I totally re-remembered her now! I love Natalie Chanin' hair sooooo much

FYI: This is the only spot in the house with clean floors.

And to keep it "quilty", this one has been in the works and on the wall for almost 3 4 weeks. It started as a studio scrap bag that I ordered from Anna Maria Horner's shop. I like the studio scrap thing because I'm a super fan of cooties. Not the gross kind, the cool kind. As in, if Anna Maria actually touched the piece of fabric herself before it was put in the bag, then there are some super cool and super talented cooties on my fabric bits. This is then transported onto myself when I open the package. Of course, since I have become a hardcore pre-washer, I suppose the cooties don't stay for long. Oh well, it is really the idea of the "talent" cooties, you know.

Wow, terrible lighting in the pic.

I did add the two "square dance" squares, as well as some more flannel. I really don't know what to do with it now. I'm almost thinking an entire voile border, although trying to pick one might be the death of me. I am so freaking in love with this fabric. I think it's definitely a girl quilt, but I really want to add some more greens and blues........
Opinions??

Far, Far Away Baby Quilt and Another Featherweight

2010-03-05T16:27:00.001-08:00

Far, Far Away Baby Quilt
Originally uploaded by oversewn

I swear, I sew with other fabrics besides Heather Ross, no, really, I do ........I've just been really slow at posting! This was an easy quilt, but I had the hardest time deciding on the binding. Just a bunch of 6" squares. I tried to alternate 'solids' with 'whites' I couldn't decide which solid for binding, but I ended up choosing Kona Plum. It was really hard to find a nice mix between the front purples and the back purple. Soooo pleased with how this came out.

Also.....Side note...I am now up to 7 Featherweights. I know, I know. If it were drugs or alcohol, I would have been in rehab a loooooong time ago. But since it's sewing machines, everyone around me just thinks I'm a little kookoo. Not the case. This is bad people. First it was the fabric (not that it's ever stopped) but now the sewing machines.......aaaahhhhh. HELP ME!!!!!

Okay. Okay. That's over. I've collected myself and will now share one of said FW's with you. This is one of two white/barely green FW's that I own. This is the most perfect condition machine I have and probably one of the latest dates I have ever seen. And I have NEVER seen one stamped with a date(clearly done at the factory). Crazy!

You can't tell in this picture, but there is the tiniest little chip in the foot pedal. Nothing huge, but that is the machine's biggest flaw. Unlike the older model FW's, this one is wired into the machine. I think I like the old model better.

The case needs to be wiped down with Armor All, but otherwise seems to be in superb condition. The manual is almost like-new. Crazy clean!!

So I really think one post a month is not cool!! I'm hoping my rad new birthday(30!ugh) camera will get me a little more motivated. I really want to take pics of my sewing shed, but without a wide angle lens........

GOAL: post about the sewing shed within 2 weeks!

Wish me luck!!
Happy day to all!

Far Far Away Quilt, or Fussy Cuts and Unicorn Butts

2010-02-08T13:51:00.001-08:00

FFA Quilt Front Vert
Originally uploaded by oversewn

I know, I know, the name is soooooo bad. But as I was fussy cutting all of the full size unicorns into my 6"blocks, I kept ending up with a ton of unicorn butts. So, that's what this quilt is named in my head!

I had so much fun piecing this quilt. I fussy cut all the 6" squares, and then started pieceing all the scraps and unicorn butts together into a few different blocks. The "blocks" weren't really blocks, but whatever fit together. I just kept sewing and cutting. I was sure I was going to slice a fingertip off. Seriously.
After my crazy bit, I threw some of the 6"squares down one side, and then got super duper lazy and threw the big orange and purple chunks on the other side. Hahahaha, I was soooooo done.

The back is the reason I had to add more. I bought this home dec(54") stuff forever ago. I washed it and lost a good 3 inches from the yard total to threads in the dryer. I really wished I had bought 1.5 yds.......hindsight.....

Anywhoooo, I love the back so much. It is the blanket for me! I quilted it by putting one piece of painters tape diagonally across it, and then placed my guide and sort of free handed it, rather than move the tape over and over again, The opposite direction I did very free form, trying for a line every 4" or so. I like how soft it is, with the looser quilting (for me) and the double gauze. And the binding is some Kaffe Fassett stripes and it is almost as soft as the double gauze, I think it's a shot cotton stripe? I am soooo glad this is a keeper. It's meant to go with my daughter's crib bedding, since I bought her blue bedding. Yes, that is right, I dislike pink, so I bought her this bedding. It's so rad to have something in the house with Denyse Schmidt's name on it. I mean, besides the book.....

Yay for finally cutting into the Far, Far Away.......literally a week before Heather announces that more is coming. Great! We are litterally going broke on account of you, Heather Ross!!! :)

Abby- My first Featherweight!!!

2010-02-08T08:49:00.000-08:00

I finally have a Singer Featherweight!! I've been wanting one for a while now, and with our anniversary ~~coming soon~~, come and gone, I took it upon myself to bid on one online. The pics looked okay on the auction page, but they weren't the best. So imagine how bummed I was when I opened the carboard box and saw this:

Isn't that so depressing!! Smashed to bits! I immediately went to the auction page, and there sure enough, it says broken case - how did I miss that?? So, I continued, removed the lid, if you will. Then I took out the tray and pulled the machine out. Oh my flippin wow!!! It might be the most gorgeous one I've ever seen!!

The gold decals are in almost perfect condition. There are a few pin marks in the finish, but not many at all. The hand wheel is perfect, and the machine runs soooooo smoooooth. I am so in love with Abby. She is amazing. I had never sewn on one before, and really, it's like nothing else I've ever sewn on, definitly not like any plastic machine, and I love, love, love my Pfaffie.

I really can't believe how lucky I am......I could care less about the case as soon as I saw the machine.

If anyone ever has a chance to own one of these machines, I really really really recommend them. So awesome and cute too!!

George Jetson

2010-01-20T13:04:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of George Jetson. I bought him with cabinet from a local woman going through some hard times. $35 plus another $11 for all the knick knacks. It had been her mother's sewing machine and she had used it to make all her high school clothes on it. She seemed sad to part with it......I told her I would appreciate him!

After a really good oiling, this guy is seriously flying through space. I haven't really had a chance to clean the shiny bits, just dusted him off. Oh and the cabinet has a knee controller for the foot pedal - I have never used one but my are they great. I love it way more than I thought I would. It's quite handy if you have babies or toddlers crawling around underfoot. I can't tell you how enthralled my kids are with the foot pedals of sewing machines.

The De Luxe sewing machines are everywhere. From my “professional” research (thanks ISMACS), I have learned that De Luxe made tons of sewing machines and they would be “badged” with the store logo of who sold them. Mine was bought at Macy’s. Pretty groovy!

I just love this picture!! I've decided I need to start posting about my machines, if only for my benefit. I have acquired a few too many recently and must find some way of organizing them and keeping track of who is who and what's what! And yes, they are being named now.

Up until last August, I had only sewn on recently made, mostly plastic computerized machines. As soon as I tried an all metal old school machine, I was completely hooked. Perfect stitches! I love taking them apart and seeing what the insides look like and how they work. So interesting! I wonder what would have happened to me if I had taken shop class in high school.........

2010

2010-01-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

The Sewing Shed

This is where the magic happens, haha, or something like that!

Wow, no posts since Halloween! I think I almost drowned in holiday stuff. First holiday season with 2 kids......interesting! I am so glad the stress is over! I made "most" of the presents this year, mostly grocery totes and sewn gift bags. I gave everyone an Acme bag from Reusablebags.com. They are the best bags and the best website.

Diaper bag, this one is mine and I love it!

Now, the goal is to get some quilts, kids clothes and diaper bags made. I really want to start selling my things at the local art walk here in town. We have had an art walk here in Santa Barbara since 1965. I remember going there with my mom whenever anyone was in town visiting, showing off how cool the SB artists are. I'm really excited to have made a decision on how to sell my things.

I have tried putting my things in local stores, but having to share profits with shop owners just makes it almost not worth it. Sewn items are so labor intensive! By doing the art walk, I will be able to keep my items affordable, while still making enough $ off each item to continue calling this a job.

Finally, I have basted the ORB quilt a long quilt. I just started quilting it and I think I hate it. I'm using a variegated thread and free-motioning it. Not loving it at all. I think the thread will work if I do some straight line quilting. Ah, how do I hate my seam ripper, she is so well used!

Husband brought me a construction site job table yesterday. It's 8' by 4'. Huge. The shed it 10'by 12', so needless to say, it's taking up a lot of the shed, but I am so excited for a huge workspace and a place to hide all my ugly fabric bins!! Yay!!
Today will be organizing, and tomorrow we work, right?

If anyone reads this, thanks! Please let me know with a comment and I would be glad to check out your blog.

ORB quilt along

2009-10-25T11:10:00.001-07:00

This is one of my 2 quilt tops for the original Old Red Barn Quilt-along.

It feels nice to finally make some progress! I split up my 7 strips of 6 blocks each, so one quilt will have three strips(this one pictured) and the other will have 4 strips.

For this one pictured, I had to add a 4 " pieced strip to both long sides in order to get the width of a twin. I think the length is fine.

I really love how this one is coming out.

The 4 strip quilt will be the same set up, except the pieced strips will go on both short sides. That one........hopefully I'll get that one done soon.

I don't know if I will be able to give this one away. I really think it will go on my boy's big boy bed!

Finished!

2009-10-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

Halter/Dress

Finally done with this halter dress/top. My automatic buttonhole thingy is not working. This has nothing to do with me, it's the machine. So this little dress has been missing one buttonhole for approximately 4 months. It only has 2 buttons total. Lame, I know. I hate re-threading the machine and I hate my automatic buttonhole thingy. But it's close to Halloween and the girl needed something to wear. One less thing in the sewing shed!!!

This is the back with one good buttonhole and one terrible buttonhole!

I copied this pattern from a halter shirt we were given, and sort of winged it. Easy on and off.

My Final Order - 34 lbs

2009-10-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

My final order of fabric is showing up in a few hours. UPS says it's 34 lbs. wow. I feel weird, that is a looooot of fabric. I am very happy with myself as I haven't ordered anything in a week now, not nearly the withdrawals I thought I would be having, but 34 lbs is bad. It is duck cloth, but that hardly makes up for it. But at least I haven't ordered. I have looked and filled shopping carts, but not ordered. The previous sentence is very hard to re-read. I'm crazy! haha Please tell me you do this too, I have not met others, but they must be out there.

There she be! Such an insane deal, I had to buy this much!

OH, the blog is working.....I've finished a few things, and progressed on some others....yay!

Introduction

2009-10-20T09:56:00.001-07:00

Okay, finally started a blog.....but who cares about what I have sewn....anyone besides me?? Maybe my husband, since it means less fabric around :)

I'm working my way through a minor bout with postpartum depression, nothing major, just an extreme case of baby blues. Only problem is, my depression "thing" is ordering online. I get happy when I get something in the mail or from UPS. I've ordered and received an obscene amount of fabric in the past 7 months, as well as a few vintage sewing machines. Totals are- an entire shed full of fabric and 9 sewing machines.!

The only benefit of now being in debt is that I have more than enough fabric to produce all the kids clothes, quilts, and bags/purses for the store here in town that wants to sell my things. I guess I took a business loan out from the credit card company?!! Not recommended....but now, there are no more excuses. I have all I need, now it's up to me gettin' busy.

But then I remember that I have two kids and have no time to sew.....wait, why did I add a blog too??? No this is not true, I simply need to work on my time management. I need to be better at using my "free"time during nap times, and maybe, just maybe, having a blog will some how make me accountable to someone or something to get some stuff done!

So let's hope that adding a blog to my full plate will help me be more.....organized? streamlined? SANE??!?!?!

Finally hashing out the finances with the husband has helped tremendously already. We had a serious conversation about all the finances and wrote everything down and came up with a plan. It really feels good, and it's nice to know that it wasn't all my fault! Money is clearly not my forte, so having hubby taking over some of that will help everyone out.

New day, my first post, feeling good. Kids sleeping.....out to the sewing shed I go....

Welcome!

The top quilt is one I just finished for a friend in Italy about to have a baby girl. For the blocks, I used the Sparks baby quilt from Alissa and then sashed small with a 2.5" block at all the meetin' points. I really really like how it came out. If I hadn't thought about my friend the whole time I made it, I totally would have kept it for my girl. I pieced the back with leftovers and some pieces of minky, free-motioned the whole thing. Try f-m on minky, it's awesome
The second pic has been on the wall for waaaaaaay to long. It was for Auntie Scoob, who's birthday is (was) Aug. 30. Yep, some friend I am. I gave her another bag instead.