Wednesday's Sewing - Yours!

I'm thrilled to share this T Shirt Quilt Blanket with you.  I did not make it.  Sarah of A League of Her Own made the quilt as a gift for her brother.  She used my pattern and she did a fantastic job!

I am so thrilled that Sarah shared the finished product with me.  She had a few questions along the way.  I asked her if she had any particular problems with my pattern.  She said that it didn't print out to the correct dimension even though the test square did.  This may be a printer issue as I double-checked it on my printer and it was fine.  Just be sure to check your pattern against the measurements.

Sarah said her brother was thrilled with the blanket.  What a nice gift!

My niece Katie is the second-oldest of the 18 grandkids.  She was the first person I made a T Shirt Quilt for as a high school graduation present. Since she is 28, that was ten years ago!  I've made a lot of blankets since then and my design has evolved from that first blanket.  But Katie is a gal after my own heart - loves to sew - and she has been making blankets for her friends for years.  She shared her first 9-Block blanket with me.  This is a baby blanket!

She used an extra-soft, textured brown fleece for the backing.  Great job Kate!

Finally, I want to share a customer, Cassie, who was so kind to share pictures of my Bandana Headband on her amazing head of hair!  The bandanas are really a headband because they have elastic underneath.

They are designed for big girls and Cassie totally pulls it off!  Plus, they are a practical way to keep your hair out of your face - when you're sewing!

Thanks so much Sarah, Katie and Cassie for sharing with me.  I appreciate all of my customers and love having the opportunity to share your creations!

Interview with Polka Dot Skies

I am so excited to share today's interview with Elizabeth from Polka Dot Skies.  She - and her Etsy shop - embody wonderful qualities: energy, cheerfulness, positive attitude, and beautiful design, to name a few.  I love the pretty items in her shop.  I recently purchased some adorable ponytail holders for my great-niece and everyone loved them.

Elizabeth has been an inspiration to me as well as a mentor.  We share a lot of interests, so it's easy to understand why.  Enjoy this interview and be sure to read on to the bottom because Elizabeth is offering a discount to her shop - just in time for holiday shopping!

How long have you been creating?

Since I was little. My mom always had lots of blank paper and crayons for us.

What's your favorite thing to make? 

Ribbon mobiles--especially for nurseries. When my son was born, we lived in a one bedroom apartment. He had his own little corner in our room. It’s fun to work with moms who get to plan an entire nursery!

Do you sew? 

My mom taught me when I was little. I made little purses and a Halloween costume in 5^th grade. I was a cheerleader—I remember making the pleated skirt. Sadly, I did not stick with sewing, I’ve tried a few small projects, but my stitches are always too loose and fall apart when washed---you won’t be seeing hand sewn items at Polka Dot Skies anytime soon!

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What  item are you most proud of making?  

I think my latest favorite creation is a pumpkin painting I made with my daughter. We sat in our driveway on a pretty autumn day and painted together. It makes me smile when I see it!

What do you love and hate about blogging, Twitter and Facebook? 

Social media sites are a wonderful place to meet other Etsians. We support and encourage one another. Balancing family life and a business can be overwhelming. It helps to know so many inspiring ladies who are passionate about their families and their creations! I think we often see a flawless online shop that we admire. Then, through the owner’s blog or twitter page, we actually get to know the person behind the shop. A real person,  just like the rest of us. It always makes me admire their shop even more!  Facebook fan pages are a great way to connect with customers! It’s always nice when customers take time to comment on a new item or stop by to say hello!

Do you enjoy other hobbies?

I am a runner. I love to read. If we are home on Friday nights, my husband and I love ordering sushi and watching movies.

Tell us about Polka Dot Skies.  What was your inspiration for opening an Etsy shop? 

I’ve always dreamed of owning a little place filled with cheerful, colorful items.  It’s very satisfying to know that others love your work enough to pay for it!  Etsy is the perfect venue. I can create and list items on my own schedule. I can have my little shop and be a mom too.

Where do you create?

I have a spot for supplies in our bonus room. Colorful supplies look like candy to me! I work at our coffee table at night or while my children are at school. I catch up on my favorite television shows and talk shows while I’m working. I’m crazy about the Nate Berkus Show. I always feel inspired to try new color combinations and play with patterns while I’m watching his design segments.

Are you a small town or big city girl? 

I am a small town girl. I grew up in a little town in South Carolina. We all knew each other’s parents, grandparents, and sometimes even great-grandparents!

Favorite vacation spot. 

Our family loves Isle of Palms, SC.

Best advice on raising kids. 

Start reading to them as soon as they are born. Some of our favorites when they were babies were Time to Sleep, Goodnight Gorilla, Ruby in Her Own Time, and Brown Bear, Brown Bear.

What's your favorite chain type restaurant? 

Chick-fil-A. Great customer service and both of my picky children love the kid’s meals!

What things are unique to where you live?  As in special customs, favorite restaurants, slang, etc.  (I love to find the unique things of an area when I travel. So much of the US is homogenized - Anywhere USA). 

One of my favorite places to go in Charlotte,NC is Discovery Place. It’s a wonderful hands-on science museum that brings in interesting exhibits during the year. A great place for families to have a fun day learning about nature, electricity, simple machines, etc!

Favorite candy.  

Junior Mints!

What helps you when you are in a bad mood?  

Peace and quiet and a little chocolate.

Thanks, Elizabeth for sharing a bit about yourself with us!  Connect with Polka Dot Skies:

Etsy Shop

Facebook

Twitter

Blog 


Visit Polka Dot Skies and use Code polkadots for 10% off anything in Elizabeth's shop!  

Design Ideas - Fresh from a Teen

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I enjoyed having my two college kids home, two wonderful meals with our families and lots of pie!  Having the college kids home always means less sleep for me.

We had incredibly warm weather for Northeast Ohio.  My husband joined me for some runs.  He also put up the backyard ice rink.  (He's a little sore.) Annie and I headed outside to photograph her bags.  She's modeling her "Messenger Bag".  It's a great bag - the high school and college kids love it for hands free shopping.  It has a pocket and a magnetic closure.  You can find all of them here in her shop.  Even  my friends have bought them from Annie and love them.

Another best-seller is Annie's cell phone case.  They are just the right size for toting your cell phone and a little cash when you don't want to drag your entire purse with you!

These are just a few items from Pink In Mind.  Check out her entire shop for lots of fun ideas for the lady in your life!

This Capri Sun Bag sold out at the craft show.  Every person under the age of 20 that walked by our table picked up and touched these!  They would make a great gift card holder or coin purse.  She made some adorable mini totes with a graphic, fiber flower on it.  Those sold out also - I can't even find a picture!  But they made great little tote bags for young girls.

I am proud of Annie and love how she puts fabrics together.  I hope that you, too, will find her designs inspiring!

DIY Painted Floor Rug Tutorial at akaCinders' Place

Want a fun little project that you can do in an hour this weekend (instead of shopping on Black Friday?)  Well, head on over to akaCinders blog and check out my latest tutorial!

Design Ideas - the Missoni Ripple

From Favecrafts

Suddenly, I have a hankering for.....a ripple afghan.

Could it be?  Me, miss "untrendy"?  Have I jumped on the Missoni bandwagon?

Lion Brand

I admit, when the Missoni designs hit Target I had no idea who Missoni was/is.  I did know that I didn't care for the zig zag designs.  I'm an engineer, after all.  I'm a bit Type-A when it comes to lines.  I like them straight.  (It's the shortest distance between two points.)

So why, oh why, do I find myself thinking about zig zags?  And crochet, no less!

"Gentle Art of Knitting"

Well, I think my inspiration comes from Jane Brocket and her lovely book, "The Gentle Art of Knitting."  If you are not familiar with the author, she has a beautiful blog and has written a number of books including "The Gentle Art of Domesticity."    Her newest book relishes in creating practical (a girl after my own heart!) items to wear and use around the house.  Although the book is about knitting, she does share a crochet pattern for an afghan.  She points out that crocheting an afghan is easier on the body because the weight is not carried by both arms and shoulders as in knitting.  Her selection of colors and stripe pattern design is fresh and modern.  She believes it has an art deco feel.  I fell in love with it!

From "The Gentle Art of Knitting" by Jane Brocket"

Go check out various versions she created here.

I believe there is also a connection to the past.  My mother-in-law crocheted a lot of ripple afghans in her day.  I think we have one up in the attic made with shades of oranges.  I even have the pattern she used!

(The pattern on the right is for a knitted ripple afghan from the book "AlterKnits".  There is a crochet version as well and I think I was taken by the turquoise and brown color combination.  Also - I rip out patterns from magazines that I like and save them in binders rather than saving magazines.)

So now, in addition to a quilt in my bedroom I'm dreaming about a ripple afghan in neutral shades with stripes of various thickness.  What do you think?

New in the Shop

Happy Friday!  I've updated my shop and am excited that I have over 100 items in it!  It has taken me a long time to reach this point.  These items would make great gifts.

For the teens, or hip ladies in your life, sweatshirt totes.  These are upcycled from hoodies and each has a zipper flower that is pinned to the bag.  (Click on photos to go to the listing.)

This is a simple little "ball tote" that is made with the funnest, shiny, pink fabric and a coordinating teal fabric inside.  It is only $10!

I have two aprons for the little ones in your life.  The first is a sweet little holiday apron.  The second is a unisex design, but I can picture your little boy in it!  (After all, these boys will some day be boyfriends and husbands some day....we want to teach them to cook!)

Finally, some stadium seat cushions.  These would make great gifts for guys.  (OK, not the "football Mom" one - but I also have some Ohio State and other Cleveland area teams.  If you are interested in one of those please contact me as I have not listed them in my shop.)

 

Wishing you a great weekend as you prepare for Thanksgiving!  I will be posting Monday and Tuesday and then will return the following week.  Stay tuned for an interview with one of my lovely Etsy friends!

Thoughts on Life - Passion

My husband and I had an opportunity to see my son perform in a college concert last week.  If you've been around the blog for a while, you will know that my oldest son is a musician.  We thought he would make a good engineer but he is following his passion.

I envy him.

When we were visiting colleges with him I wondered how any 17 year old could know what they want to "be".  They are so young.  When I was 17 I don't think I had a passion.  I was a good student and "smart" by certain standards.  I dabbled in an art class and crafts at home, loving them, but never had time to pursue those.  I kept forging ahead, selected chemical engineering as a major while also pursing pre-med classes.  How do you know if medicine is your passion?  Engineering?

By about junior year I was pretty sure engineering was not my passion, but couldn't turn back.  I decided that my life would be a journey through many careers.

My daughter started college this year.  She is brilliantly smart, opinionated, talented.  But finding her passion is a challenge and a journey she is just beginning.

I remember the first few years of working exploring different departments.  I loved teaching and working with customers in technical marketing.  I also remember, during a class I was taking, drawing "Men and Their Big Heads." (I'll blog about it someday).  No wonder I wasn't a very good engineer...I was too busy drawing in class!

So perhaps I wasn't able to find my passion at a young age, but I did hope to be a mother some day.  So what are my passions now?

• Being a wife and mom
• Managing my home
• Sewing
• Knitting
• Creating
• People
• Teaching
• Organizing
• Talking
• Wine
• Entertaining

That's a few....what about you?  What is your passion?

Sewing Pants - Simplicity 2860 - Amazing Fit

I have had this Simplicity 2860 Amazing Fit pants pattern for a while.  I don't like how most pants fit my body.  I have a belly and most waistband sit on the biggest part of my belly.  (I remember when waistlines were actually AT the waist line.)   So I thought it would be fun to sew a pair of pants for myself.

I received the impetus I needed to get started when I began working on a pair of custom pants at the boutique at which I sew.  The reviews on Pattern Review for these pants were generally very good, so I felt confident I would succeed.

I picked up some bottom weight fabric at JoAnn and sewed away.  I completed the pants in a weekend!  Here's the review I have posted on Pattern Review.

Pattern Description:  Pants with individual pattern pieces given for slim, average and curvy fit....includes customized fitting instructions.

Pattern Sizing: 8 - 16

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes
 
Were the instructions easy to follow?  Yes.  I typically do not like commercial patterns.  The instructions are hard to follow....the diagrams are not easy to read.  Perhaps because there are not many pieces in pants, but I found these instructions straightforward and easy to follow. 

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?  The BEST part about this pattern is the ability to customize it to your personal fit.  In essence, it is teaching you how to be a tailor.

Fabric Used:  A bottom weight from JoAnn.  I believe it is a cotton/polyester blend that is supposed to be wrinkle free.  It has a little give to it and wrinkles quite easily.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:  The pattern steps you through the construction process in such a way so that you can try them on and make fit adjustments.  It's completely logical!  I did not make belt loops and I did not use the twill tape.  Instead of the tape I simply serged the edge.

I share my back view with you.  When I first completed them there was some puckering below the rear.  I wasn't sure if that was normal.  There are all kinds of different levels of fit.  Then I was at church and was looking at everyone's behinds and how their pants fit (I know...sinner!)  I observed that most pants had these wrinkles.  (If you have suggestions, though, I welcome them!)

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?  I would sew pants again.  I would like to try a nice wool or wool blend - something with a little more body.  I also would like to raise the waistband up higher.

Conclusion:  I am very excited to complete my first pair of pants.  They are not perfect, but the process is not intimidating, especially with the "Amazing Fit" pattern.  I have several other "Amazing Fit" patterns and look forward to trying those.