The Sewing Mom

I have not been feeling very well and that means little time doing my favorite thing, sewing! I am still waiting to hear what will become of my serger. It is still being repaired. Taking this long to get an answer does not make me think it is going to be an easy fix. I am not the most patient person when it comes to getting my projects finished. I have towels to work on.

No tags.

I woke this morning with a terrible sinus headache and thought I wasn’t going to make it through the day.  I had so much to get done today.

I began my taking an allergy pill, followed doing some volunteer work at my daughter’s school.  I came home to do more catching up on email and personal business, during which, I downed 3 large cups of coffee.  My noon I had decided that my head wasn’t going to stop hurting to I needed some sewing therapy.

I opted to start something new, a bag I had purchased the material for a few weeks ago.  This one is different than any of the others I’ve made, I even had to use a pattern to cut it out, something I’m not used to doing.  In fact, when I cut it out, I was so confused that I wound up cutting out enough fabric to actually make two bags!  I’ll have to keep you posted on my progress.  I believe I’m now half way done with the first one.

I had to stop my progress this afternoon to run errands and spend time with my daughter.  I should be able to get back to it tomorrow.   Hopefully I won’t have to deal with my headache and can concentrate better.

Tags: sewing

Even though I’ve been gone, I did actually get some sewing done!  I don’t have a picture of my completed project, I’ll have to have my sister take one. 

My sister created a pattern for making fun pillowcases so I just had to try it out while I was there.  It’s very simple, although, I was having trouble measuring the fabric the day I did it, so it took me longer than it should have!  I think I should have drank more coffee before I started.

I also used her new embroidery sewing machine on the edge of the pillowcase and a pretty decorative stitch that her machine has.  It was a lot of fun.  Because the fabric I used came from her stash, I left the completed pillow case with her and forgot to take a picture.  I’ll get her to take one for me.

Hope everyone had a great week!

Tags: pillowcases, sewing

I’m at my sister’s in Kentucky and the computer connection is dial-up.  Can we say “slow as molasses”!

I thought I’d check in and I do have several comments I need to respond to but will have to wait until I get home, it just takes way too long on this connection, for any page to load.  I’ve tried to visit a few other blogs, but it’s frustrating to sit and watch 10 or 15 minutes pass by before I can see anything.

So, yesterday I spent the day sewing.  My sister had created her own pattern for making pillowcases and showed me what to do.  I made a pretty hot pink one with heart accents and embroidered the word “Love” on her new embroidery machine.  It’s not my best work, but it was fun. 

We have a few bags we want to make, but I’m not sure if we’ll have time.  My brother-in-law is installing a new floor through a large part of the downstairs today and so everything will sort of be in disarray.  We’ll see how it goes.

Again, I apologize to those EC droppers whom I’ve been unable to drop back on.  I’ve hit only a few this morning as it just takes too long for sites to load.  Bare with me, I’ll be home on Monday!

Tags: sewing

Has anyone else noticed how popular circles have become in the sewing world. I am seeing circles in many quilt patterns. I don’t mean quilts made with polka dot fabric. These quilts are made with cirlces rather than square blocks. They are so pretty. I wonder if they are hard to make. Curves tend to umm, throw me a curve. LOL

I found the cutest circle pin cushions. They have flower petals in different colors sewn around each one. They are the cutest and most unique pin cushions.

I bought a new sewing table that fits my sewing machine. It actually has an attachment that will help me sew circles. I sure am glad. I have trouble sewing a straight line let alone attempting circles. 

Tags: circles, sewing machines

I’ve mentioned before that I have a dream sewing machine in mind for myself. It will be a long time before I can afford this particular machine, and I will have to spend my money on a few other items before I can ever get this machine, but don’t you know, the retailers love to tempt me. With this machine, I’m easily tempted.

My sister emailed to let me know the dealer near her is offering the machine with incentives, including a trade in allowance of $3,000 just for bringing in ANY old machine! Are you kidding me!? I want that machine so badly, I’m tempted to go get it.

But I won’t, not yet…

Tags: sewing machines

I have been so busy lately and I apologize right up front to any of my loyal EC droppers who I have not been able to reciprocate with over the last day or so. Sometimes, as we all know, the computer has to take a back seat to family an real life and that is how it has been the last few days.

Besides having so much going on personally, my daughter is becoming more and more involved with softball again and, in fact, she is going to be trying out for a select team later today.

I have been doing some major organizing and catching up with paperwork as well as trying to get some sewing done. As I’ve mentioned before, we’re going to be selling at a show in July and I need to have some completed items to sell! I actually finished one of my all time favorite bags last night, but I don’t yet have pictures of it. I’m going to be making a bag organizer to go with it, so will post about that later.

In the mean time, I made this zippered bag last week. I love the flip flop fabric accented by the beach ball fabric and the green zipper. The zipper opens to a lined interior and there is a coordinating pocket on the back. The over the shoulder strap is about 30″ long. This is a great bag for carrying small items when traveling (i.d, etc) or for younger girls who carry the simple things, like lip gloss, cash and a cell phone! (oh those were the days!)

Tags: fabric bag, sewing

I bought a new serger on April 4.   I attended the free class a few days later and learned quite a bit.  This is my first time to use a serger, much less own one.  I feel I can use the serger a lot to create more finished edges in the bags I’m making.

Today, I took the serger back to the store.  I spent the weekend trying to get it to work and I didn’t succeed.  I thought maybe it was something simple, but the lady at the store couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t working either.  So, the serger is being sent in for repair.  What a pain in the butt!

I am disappointed, I had planned on finishing of some interior seams and some fleece blankets.  Oh well, I’ll just have to do it on my sewing machine, it’s just not as fast as a serger.

Tags: serger machine

After staying away from my sewing machine for over a week, (this is a long time when sewing is an addiction), I got back in there and finished sewing a bag that I had started 3 weeks earlier.

This is a charm bag with ragged edges. The front is made from 5 inch square fabric charms sewn together with wrong sides together so that the edges are ragged instead. I also used the 5 inch squares to form 2 interior pockets. The lining and back fabric are a coordinating color as are the handles which are reinforced with batting for shoulder comfort. The bag has been quilted.

This bag is a great tote bag and is for sale for $30.

If you’ve tackle something this week, why not join 5 Minutes for Mom and Tackle it Tuesday?

Tags: fabric bag, sewing, tackle it Tuesday

I was surfing through some of my favorite blogs and I ran across the most beautiful poem at Waterrose Handcrafted Obsessions. She has kindly given me permission to copy it here. This poem was written by Carrie A. Hall and Rose G. Kretsinger.

The Patchwork QuiltOf all the things a woman’s hands have made,
The quilt so lightly thrown across her bed–
The quilt that keeps her loved ones warm–
Is woven of her love and dreams and thread.

When I have spoken to you of its beauty–
“A mere hodge-podge of calico,” you said,
“A necessity of homely fashioning,
Just a covering made of cloth and thread.”

I new you’d missed the message hidden there
By hands that fashioned quilts so long ago.
Ambition and assurance are the patches
And the stitches of a quilt are love, I know.

I think a quilt is something very real–
A message of creation wrought in flame;
With grief and laughter sewing into its patches
I see beyond the shadows, dream and aim.

One of my favorite poems and my favorite past-time.
From: The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in America, by Carrie A. Hall and Rose G. Kretsinger, written in 1935.

Tags: The Patchwork Quilt