Shopping Trip

One of my Christmas gifts was a gift certificate to a locally owned fabric store.  When I received their newsletter announcing their Sweetheart Sale, I just had to make a trip.  Nearly everything in the store was 30% off, and while that didn't do much for their high prices (in comparison to JoAnn Fabrics), it was certainly better than paying full price.  Here's what I found:

I plan to use these cuts for finishing cross stitch projects.

I would like to make a miniature or small blue and white quilt.  This will be perfect, don't you think?

This purse pattern is the Boutique Shoulder Bag by Bella Nonna.  There are two sizes:  12" x 17" or 10" x 13".  I'll make the smaller version.  They had a sample of this purse in the store, which is what sold me on the pattern.  I need another purse like I need another opening in my head, but I just can't resist!  

I need to finish cutting the fabric for Candice from Lazy Girl Designs - I'm making one for me, and one for Sarah.  Then I would like to make a tote bag to use for when I sing with the praise band at church.  I have to carry my binder of music, my Bible and notebook, my folding footstool that helps with my bad knee, a pillow that I have been putting behind my back since I hurt it, and my shoes for those rare weekends when we have snow and I must wear my boots.  I purchased a Dresden plate ruler that I'm itching to use to make a motif for the front of the tote bag.

Guess I'd better get busy!

New Fabric

My daughter usually does the weekly shopping for me, something her dad and I appreciate greatly.  But occasionally, I do it, or we will do it together.   That is what we did last week.  The problem is that I will always deviate from my written list and spend more money than I intended.  But what else can I do when I find an outstanding bargain?  This time, I wanted to look in the fabric department for some vintagey fabrics, and while I didn't find exactly what I was looking for, I did find this:

It was marked down 30%, making it $3.50 per yard, and the bundle contains 2 yards composed of eight fat quarters.  The nice thing is that I don't have to make sure they all coordinate.  My plan is to make a purse from them.

I also found this:

which consists of 24 - 2.5" x 42" pieces.  The prints are the same ones in the fat quarter bundle.  I am not sure what I will make from these.  Perhaps I'll try my hand at a small quilt; since the pieces are already cut, and cutting is my biggest challenge, I might actually be successful.

Drapes!

In my last post, I mentioned that I made drapes for Anthony & Grace's apartment.  I was able to get some pictures of them tonight. 

This was my first time  making drapes.  I used blackout lining, which I quickly discovered is VERY heavy, and made the drapes difficult to maneuver.  They are about 81" long, and approximately 44.5 inches wide.  Since they attack to the curtain rod with clips, I did not sew a rod pocket, although there is just enough room in the top hem to do a narrow one in the future if needed.  The fabric is "Pen Pal" from Jo-Ann Fabrics.

I couldn't resist including the monkey in the last picture.  I'm sure I've mentioned before that Grace loves monkeys and has them all over the apartment, in her car, and in their study.  Secretly, I love looking for new and unusual monkey items to give her!

More Fabric Folding

The fabric folding project I began here, I decided, needs to be finished, so on Saturday, I dragged another two tubs of fabric up two flights of stairs to the bedroom. I think I have now folded all the large pieces (except for fleece.) Oh, my gosh, I can't believe what I found. Can anyone tell me why I purchased nearly six yards of navy blue broadcloth? I honestly have no recollection of buying some of the pieces that now fill two of the large totes (in addition to the totally filled smaller one.) I did find a nice blue fabric that I think will work well for a slipcover for the straight chair that goes with my dressing table. I really shouldn't have to buy any fabric for a long, long time.

I still have three bags of smaller pieces to sort through, and I have to decide what to do with the fleece pieces, but I can see the end in sight. It is nice to be able to go to my tote labeled "pink and purple" or "blue" and find something I can use for a project.

A Thrifty Christmas Gift

I mentioned the nightgown I plan to make for my niece, Julia, in an earlier post. What I didn't tell you was the thrill of (1) already having a pattern, and (2) finding all three of the fabrics I need (yoke, main fabric, and piping) in my stash! If I hadn't taken the time to begin organizing my leftover fabrics, and finding many large pieces, I would have gone out to the fabric store and bought fabric. The reward of my frugality is that we can spend more money on family gifts, or save the extra for an unexpected expense. (We plan to spend only $160 on the four of us in our family, or $40 each, and believe me, it doesn't go as far as it did when our girls were little!)

New Cross Stitch Charts

On Monday, dd Sarah and I went on a shopping spree and had a great time! The first place we went was Golden Thread Needlearts in nearby East Rochester. I picked up enough cross stitch charts to keep me busy for a while - through the winter, I hope.














I've also downloaded many free designs from the Internet. What do I plan to do with all these designs? I've become interested in pinkeeps and would like to give them a try; thus most of the designs in the charts I picked up are small and hopefully quick to stitch.

Sarah and I stopped at A. C. Moore, where I picked out some perle cotton for my latest smocking project: a pinafore for my niece Jamie Rae. And lastly, we went to JoAnn's to get fabrics for some of the projects in Sew Pretty Homestyle. My parents gave me a gift card for my birthday, so I took advantage of the 45" home dec fabrics being on sale.
I also saw this book and one of the crocheted shawls in it caught my fancy, so I purchased a lovely Navy yarn (Lion Brand Jiffy) with which to make it. In several hours, I used one 3-ounce skein, so I believe the shawl will work up quickly. I plan to keep it for myself, despite the purpose of the book.

Alas, most of these projects must wait until Christmas gifts are completed. That's great incentive! Happy Stitching!

New Projects

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been cutting fabric for almost 1-1/2 weeks. Not continuously (got to preserve whatever sanity I have left!), but as time and energy permits. (I am on Prednisone for chronic hives and it does quite a job on me. Great medication, lousy side effects, including inability to sleep, mood changes, weakness, headaches [probably from not sleeping] . . . you get the idea! I have seven more doses.) Cutting out fabric is, by far, my least favorite part of sewing, so I try to do a lot of it at one time, thus affording me the pleasure of completing projects without having to think about cutting anything else out.

First up is Kwik Sew #3396, a wonderful apron. I first saw this on Candle~by~Night's blog (sorry, I can't seem to access anything more than the latest page, so I'm not able to give you a link to the exact posts) and decided I must have this pattern! Here's the pattern front and the fabrics I chose.

The lighter fabric is for the body of the apron, and the darker for the straps and pockets. I'm making view A. I was feeling lazy the day I bought the fabric (from WalMart, I might add -trying to take advantage of their fabric department before they eliminate it . . .) I bought the bias binding instead of making it.

Next, we have a pattern by Indygo Junction called "Pocket Perfect." I love making purses, even though my husband thinks I have plenty. One for every outfit, right? I have a feeling this one will turn out a bit smaller than I prefer, but I can always scale up the pattern for subsequent purses. I've done this quite successfully with other patterns.

The fabrics I chose were from my stash - simply leftovers from other projects. The light blue with the lovely large roses is the main fabric; the magenta is for the handles, and the smaller blue and pink print is to be used as piping around the outer front pocket. I believe I also cut a second pocket for the back as I've discovered one is very handy for things like JoAnn Fabric ads.

"Laura's Zippered Tote" was picked out by my 17 yo dd after seeing a sample in a fabric store. At the time we were there, I couldn't find the pattern, and I didn't feel like asking, but when I went back a week later, there it was. The woman who cut my fabric that day told me that the inside of the bag isn't finished very nicely, so I will be aware of that when I stitch it together.

Again, these are lefovers from my stash, as I thought I should make one up before having my daughter pick out fabrics. The fabric in the middle is the main one; I'm not sure which pink is for handles, and which is lining and inner pockets. I'll figure that out when I sit down to sew.

This wonderful jumper, for my 20 yo dd, is a Common Sense Pattern from Kathy's Modest Sewing Patterns. These patterns are simple to sew, fit well, and are available in any (yes, any) combination of (usually) three consecutive sizes. For example, if you want a 6-8-10 or a 10-12-14, you can order them that way. This is the Women's Empire Jumper; you could easily drop the waist a couple of inches as well. Sarah found fabric last spring (on sale, of course), and we're finally getting around to using it.

The color in the picture isn't totally accurate, but close. I love the embroidery on the fabric - it takes an ordinarily mundane fabric and makes it pop!

Also for Sarah is Simplicity 4177. She chose the orangy one and is using this pretty pink fabric. The background, unlike the photo, is also pink.

Hang on just a bit longer . . .

This is a Lois Hinse pattern (#5305). I've mentioned her patterns before (see my Monday, September 24, 2007 post), so I won't go into great detail here. This particular pattern is her "Tank Dress Group", which offers a sundress/jumper with or without a gentle elastic gather below the bust, as well as two tank tops (one with round neck and another with scoop neck, seen here) and a body fitting camisole. Since I'm testing this pattern, I chose some cheap purple broadcloth from WalMart, and am making the round neck version. If it fits well, I will wear it, but if not, I'm not out much money! I first saw this in the Nancy's Notions catalog; the sample jumper had machine embroidery on the bodice, which was very attractive.

This is apparently Creative Keepsakes' best-selling pattern - their smocked gown and robe. The sleeves are interchangeable (cut simply from blocks of fabric). I'm making a nightgown out of a lovely blue and white fabric (it didn't photograph well), and using the elbow-length sleeves. I will smock with a deeper blue, then probably add some flowers (pink?) I am finding the patten to be rather confusing, but I hope as I go through it step by step, it'll make more sense. In particular, the directions cautioned you about dips in the hemline because it's a bishop, but the blocks for the front and back were not scooped at the neckline. I'm confused!

This final pattern is self-explanatory. I found a deep purple fleece at (where else) WalMart for $4.00 per yard! The pattern pieces had to be the largest I've ever seen! I also saw this in the Nancy's Notions catalog. I liked the fact that it has a hood (I know that young people don't wear them - they're not cool, but I like one when it's very windy or blowing snow.) I'm not sure how easy it will be to drive with it on, but I'll deal with that when I have to!

Here's my tip of the day (hey, maybe even the year!): I put my cut out pieces, interfacing, zippers, buttons, etc., along with the original pattern, in Ziploc bags. I'm forever "losing" buttons or other notions, so this has been a great way to store my projects. And, if you're like me, and it sometimes takes a l-o-n-g time to get to something, you don't have to rely on your memory (which is getting worse as I get older.)

Happy sewing!!

Last Week's Fabric Purchases

I've told my family to keep me away from JoAnn Fabrics, unless I need to replace something I've run out of! I spent way too much money on fabric last week. The silver lining in that is that I now have, hopefully, fabric that will work for many projects.

From Patricia's Fabric House in East Rochester:

These are all quilter's quality cottons and they feel absolutely wonderful. I didn't have any particular projects in mind, although several said "smocked little girls' dress" to me.



I was folding my stash of purple and pink fabrics at the same time I purchased these, and found this purple solid, which has enough yardage to make ruffles for a round pillow for Sarah. (She will be painting her room yellow sometime soon; her accent color is purple.) Of course, JoAnn's does not carry round pillow forms, so I will have to make one myself.




Nancy's Notions was having a clearance sale, and although I don't like buying fabrics sight unseen, in this case, the prices were so good that I took my chances. The top fabric is heavier than I expected it would be; it would be best for a jumper or skirt. The bottom fabric is a lighter weight cotton. Not sure what I'll use it for . . .



Finally, Grace and I went to JoAnn's during one of their sales. Grace was looking through the clearance fabrics, which were 50% off their "already low price" (really?), and I found these three. The brown pieces complement each other, so would be perfect for a purse (one of my favorite things to make). The other piece has a white background, not the orange you see in the picture. It's a waffle weave knit, and I thought it would be perfect for some newborn items (sleeper, etc.) Since we're to have another little niece in February, I purchased, I believe, two yards. Since it's 60" wide, that's a lot of fabric. The little red rosebuds are so pretty.

I found quite a number of decent-sized pieces of fabric in my pink/purple stash (which are now folded uniformly, labeled with the yardage, and separated from the smaller pieces. Although it takes a long time to sort and re-fold all the fabric, I'm pleased with the result, and encouraged that I have so many pieces that I can use for other than quilting or applique.

Now to stop reading blogs long enough to actually sew!

Oodles & Oodles of Tomatoes . . .

Today, at 4:00 pm, I decided we had to do something with the pot of pizza/spaghetti sauce sitting on the stove (Sarah made this a few days ago) PLUS all the tomatoes overrunning the refrigerator and garden. Two hours later, 9 pints of sauce and 19 pints of tomatoes were either in the water bath canner or waiting to be put in! This picture is the beautiful result of our work. Sarah was gracious enough to help me, and I must say that I much prefer canning with someone else over doing it alone. (I included the red pepper in the photo because it looks gorgeous.) Needless to say, we ordered pizza for dinner.

All of the tomatoes came from Sarah's garden (see the link to "A Gardener's Gazette" to get to her blog). We figured out that we canned 30 lbs. of tomatoes; the sauce started as, I believe, 24 or 28 pounds of tomatoes. This is in addition to the sauce she made previously. As long as the weather holds, there are plenty more tomatoes in the garden; the weather forecast is for above-average temperatures again this week. Hard to believe that Monday is the first day of October!

About that blue shirt I wrote about this past Monday - I had an opportunity to wear it when Sarah and I went shopping on Thursday and she said it looked store bought. That makes two shirts from that one pattern that she's made that comment about, and it sure makes me feel good! My only regret, and this holds true for much of what I make, is that the shirt will have to be ironed after washing. I love sewing on and wearing cotton; sometimes I'm able to find fabric that has some polyester in it, but often I just head for the calico section. Not that ironing is horrid - it's not - but it means I have to go out in the garage and get the ironing board, then find a place to set it up. I never can find a convenient place - I'm always in someone's way. Sometimes I use the small tabletop board, but it's a bit harder to work on.

Also this week I decided to organize my pink/purple/bit of green fabric bin. I'm trying to follow the directions I found here. I have found quite a few pieces that are large enough to actually make something from; these go in a separate tote with labels on them to tell me how big the pieces are. This is making me think I should go back through the tote of blue fabric and see if there are any larger pieces in there . . .

And as if I don't have enough fabric, I bought 14-1/2 yards of good quality cottons at a sale this week. I decline to mention the price, since my dh may read this blog, but I probably paid a bit more than 1/3 of the original prices (I got them from a nice mainly-quilting shop). In addition, I bought six Children's Corner patterns for $1.00 each!! This means I got over $60 worth of patterns for pennies. I am so excited. I'll try to get some pictures of the additions to my fabric stash.

After the fabric store, Sarah and I went across the street to a nice yarn shop. Sarah loves to knit and enjoyed seeing all the specialty yarns (I like touching them, but they're so expensive that I can't consider buying any.) The shop had an extensive selection of books - mainly knitting, but some lovely crocheting ones, too. I picked up two: "Crochet for Tots" by Nancy Queen, and "More Crocheted Aran Sweaters" by Jane Snedden Peever. Back before we had children, I spent time sitting in the auto repair shop (too often) crocheting an Aran-type sweater for Phil . . . he wore it out some years ago, as he wore it under his coat nearly every day in the winter.

Lastly, on Tuesday evening I finished stitching a 4-2/4" x 29-1/2" bell pull that I've been working on since spring. The pattern is "Simple Gifts" from "Told in a Garden." All that's needed is to sew muslin to the back and insert the bell pull hardware, of which I only have half because the shop had only one of the size I needed (the other is on order.) I chose black, instead of the gold the shop used on their sample. This piece will be hung in our upstairs hallway, which has an Amish theme. The picture here doesn't do it justice, so I'll try to get some pics of my completed piece. Perhaps I can do it in two halves.

On my crafting "to do" list is to finish folding that fabric; move the totes before my hubby's dialysis supplies come on Tuesday (since they're sitting right where those supplies need to be placed); choose a pattern to make a skirt for one of my nieces (Christmas gift); decide whether to keep trying to stop a piece of fabric from running so I can make overalls for my nephew in CA with it, or crochet him something from my new book (another Christmas gift); decide on Christmas gifts, preferably handmade, for Julia and Jamie Rae (JR is my niece in North Carolina); put away last week's purchases; and make a fabric pumpkin before winter arrives. This should keep me busy for a while. Problem is, I always find other things to do!