The Sewing Mom

Wow! Time flies and I don’t seem to be making much progress on my latest project! Last post I showed the strips of fabric and then I sewed them together to create the front and back of the purse. The next step was to use fusible fleece on both the front and back which is shown here.

I then pinned a tissue pattern cut in the shape of the purse to cut the front and back.

My next step is to work on the sides, bottom and handle. I had to make a quick run to the fabric store to purchase a stiffer fusible interfacing. I’ll be showing those next steps soon!

Last year at this time, my sisters and I were preparing for our first craft/trade show. We spent month crafting tote bags and purses to sell, planning our budgets and pricing and making sure that we had all of the necessary supplies to make all of our hard work pay off. Besides having the tables, cases and supplies to show case our wares during the show, we also had to put thought into how customers could reach us after the show for possible future orders.

The best thing we did was to order personalized business cards and it turned out to be a great decision. I personalized my cards by choosing a design that has spools of thread and the background color matches the color of this blog. I was able to put quite a bit of information on the card, including my site address and email address which allows customers to contact me or even pass the card along to their friends.

Since having our show last July, I’ve continued to use my personalized business cards to promote my sewing. I carry some with me at all times and when people comment or ask me about the purse I carry, which I made, I can quickly give them my card so they can contact me if they’d like to order something. I also include 2-3 cards inside of every tote bag or purse that I sell so that the buyer can contact me for a future purchase and even pass a card along to a friend who might also be interested in buying something from me. Having my own business cards is an easy way for me to get my business information passed around.

As a bonus, I even got return address labels that coordinate with my business cards, they also have the spools of thread as the design, now I just need to get the design onto my blog theme and everything will be nicely coordinated!

I cannot even begin to tell you how thankful I am that it’s time for my favorite meme, Four Foods on Friday. I’m short on time, so I’m just going to get down to business and so, here are this weeks questions and my answers. If you’d like to participate, click on the above link and givel Valmg a visit!

#1. Suggest a question for FFOF. Something fun is in store for the one whose question is chosen. My suggested question relates to the outdoor grill: Do you cook items besides meat on the bbq grill, and, do you prefer gas or charcoal grills?

#2. Share instructions on how to make your favorite smoothee or shake. Well, since I haven’t found my blender since we moved 2 years ago, I haven’t made any smoothies or shakes. I do make yogurt parfaits, does that count? I add blueberries, blackberries and/or strawberries to vanilla yogurt, in layers. I top it with granola and it’s delicious.

#3. What’s in your favorite panini? I love strips of chicken, cheese and spinach in my favorite Lean Cuisine pan
ini!

#4. Share a recipe for potato salad. I chop my potatoes, cook them in boiling water until they are soft, but not mushy. I then put them in a bowl with some chopped onion, some mayonnaise, a couple of tablespoons of yellow mustard and some chopped celery. I add a dash of pepper and about a tsp. of celery salt. I usually add some chopped boiled egg. I garnish with sliced boiled egg and paprika.

As I’ve said before, my nephew is getting married in July and we need new clothes to wear to the wedding.  I got my dress purchased a few weeks ago and we were sort of thinking about waiting to start looking for my daughter’s dress just in case she has a growth spurt between now and then.  However, I’ve changed my mind about waiting and I think we really need to take advantage of the clearance sales going on right now.  The wedding is only 3 months away, how much can a 13 year old grow in 3 months?!

As luck would have it, Sears is currently having a phenomenal clearance sale with prices that are 75-80% off of original prices on most fall and winter clothing and the sale is going on from now until April 18th.

While I was checking out the Sears website, I found the cutest dress that I can’t wait to show my daughter. It has a beautiful sheer layer that is dotted with sequins, sparkly, but not tacky. The dress has little spaghetti straps and a tie in the back. I really love the color of this one, it’s called “wine”. As a mom, I really like the length, not too short, but still looks young, appropriate for a 13 year old. The picture is a little small, but what do you think?

I just hope my daughter likes it as much as I do.

Let me introduce you to “Turtle”.  She is a young girl who is one of the main characters in the novel, The Westing Game. This fabric doll, the cotton shirt, and the bead bracelet, were all hand made by my daughter (see previous post).  The denim pants were hand made by my sister Karen a few years ago for another doll that my daughter owns.  The pants were rolled up to give them the look of capris to better fit Turtle.  The fabric for the shirt was given as a gift from my other sister Grace, so this has definitely become a family projet. The shoes are actually infant shoes that we purchased.

The total cost of making this doll and her attire was approximately $20 and the pride that came with the project is immeasurable.