My Sewing Journey

I have a friend who recently asked me to help her make her children a couple of presents. She wants to sew them and just needs someone to help her along. I am honoured to help and last night we got together for the first session. "How long have you been sewing?", she asked. I had to really think about it, because it was kind of gradual, but there was definately a time where I became interested to really learn and not just fake it anymore. It isn't my mom's fault that I didn't sew until so much later. She tried to teach me, but I didn't want to learn. I would rather just know then put in the effort to learn. Isn't there something you'd love to just know and not have to learn? Piano? Guitar? Art? It was sewing for me. I first dabbled when I was about 17 or 18. I'd use a cut off leg from blue jeans to make a purse or hack together a bag from some random bit of fabric. It wasn't until I discovered online tutorials (the same year we bought our first Mac) that I decided I wanted to know bad enough to learn. I borrowed my MIL's machine (I called her Helga) so that I could learn. I didn't want to invest in a machine if I hated sewing, so I strong armed Helga onto our tiny apartment table and worked through my first tutorial. Thank you Melissa, you have no idea what your tutorial sparked in me! I asked my pastor's wife to walk me through my first pattern and the rest is history.  Rather than bore you all with the details, we'll do an overview through pictures of my progression. This is about 9 years of sewing....

This is the early years. Not the very beginning. I wish I had pictures of my first projects - they were so bad! Hahaha. These are from the first year. As you can see it started with my love of bags and that love has not diminished.

These are from a couple of years into sewing. I loved tutorials and patterns by this point and was happy as a clam to sew bags, bags and more bags!

I even started to feel confident enough to alter patterns or design my own bags.

Zipper pouches and wallets are still a favourite go-to gift for me.

Dolls. My first doll (top middle) has been my most loved doll and I am so honoured that she was the favoured cuddle toy for my friend's daughter. My boys' super dolls were a huge hit and are still played with regularily. 

Baby presents for my babies and friend's babies. How I love to give handmade treasures.

I've tried my hand at some children's clothing and with my mom's help sewed cloth diapers that I loved!

Did I mention bags? Yup, I have sewn a LOT of bags.

Notebook covers in large and small sizes. Gifts and sold in fundraisers. 

I've had the privilege and honour of teaching some beginning sewists.

I've been stretched and challenged by commissioned orders. Things I had never made before and were trusted to do and afterward so proud of finishing.

I've challenged myself with projects that I wanted the finished product of and again, through the challenge and perseverance of it I was very proud of the results.

I've started and finished (most) several mass producing kind of projects. (I still have a partial picnic blanket in my WIP bin)

I love the creative process of sewing things from a flat piece of material into a work of function and/or art. Thanks for walking this journey with me. I plan on continuing on for many years to come.

Poppy Notetaker

Here's my first project with the designer fabric. I've had this pattern for quite sometime. I've only made one large one and one small one (forgot to take pics before I gave it away). I love the look of the finished product, but because I haven't bothered to purchase the required stabilizer, I had to improvise and I found it tedious. I substituted in heavyweight cardboard (like the kind they use inside binders) and some fusible fleece. Because of this substitution, I had to hand sew the inside seam, and though it's not that big of a deal, it's a little bit of a pain. In the end, I'm glad I made one for myself, though I'm not sure I'll be making very many of these. So, here it is, my poppy notetaker.

the front - though I meant for the front and back to be switched

the back - a nice big poppy is featured here

the inside spread (click on image to enlarge)

inside seam - hand sewn

pocket detail

button detail

I really like it!

My First Designer Fabric

If you've read any sewing blogs you've probably seen these beauties. I am a little late to the party, but I've finally purchased Amy Butler and Laura Gunn. If you don't read sewing blogs then you're probably thinking what's the big deal. Well, in any case, I feel like this baby sewist is growing up. Just kidding.

I ordered the fabric from a new-to-me online store, Hawthorne Threads. I still love Pink Chalk Fabrics, but Kathy doesn't carry Laura Gunn and if you're paying for shipping, you may as well order everything from one place. HT has a nice website, easy to navigate (though you can get a little frustrated at all the items that are out of stock) and they are super quick. I ordered on February 25, they shipped the next day and I received my parcel yesterday (March 7).

the fabric was carefully cut, in other words, straight and then packaged nicely

Paradise Garden and Sunspots from Amy Butler's Love Collection

I am thinking I need to make one of these in this fabric.

Big Poppy and Climbing Vine from Laura Gunn's Poppy collection.

I actually preferred the aqua colorway, but being late to the party, you can barely find it anymore. I still love it in this spice colorway. I have one of these cut and ready to sew in this fabric.

What would you make out of these fabrics?

Precision Cutting!

I ordered this diaper fabric calculating that I should get 16 medium diapers out of it. With some serious math calculations and intense measuring David managed to get not only all of my medium diapers, but also all of my large diapers out of the amount I purchased! He saved me $160!!!

He measured out the height of the pattern and tacked a piece of yarn into the floor to use as a straight edge. He did this on both sides.

He then used my rotary cutter and cutting mat to cut along the yarn line, moving the mat four or five times to cover the entire width.

PUL is slippery and so he worked with great care to make sure that the strips were straight and not moved at all.

In the end he had about 1/2 inch of PUL to spare. Now that is precision cutting!

In case your wondering, I got the fabric here and I am using this pattern.

Inspiration in the Mail

I got my parcel from Pink Chalk Fabrics today. Kathy, your service and packaging is amazing. You are so generous and thoughtful and I will definitely be making a purchase from you in the future! 3 of these fabrics you may recognize as the choices I made for the contest that I won. The black and white fabric is to accent a bag I'm working on and the Note Taker pattern has been on my pattern wish list for a long time. I can't wait to make one! Now I just have to pre-wash the fabric and I can get to my sewing projects! Go visit Kathy's store and fall in love with it like I have! UPDATED TO ADD: I have never had such straight cut fabric. Kathy, you're cuts are almost perfect!

Reason to cheer!

So I entered this giveaway and when I was catching up on my blog reading today, I found this! I will have show and tell when it comes in! Thank you so much, Kathy for such a great giveaway! Go visit her store - it's my favourite online store ever!

Fabric Love!

This is Mocha Chocolate by Alexander Henry. I have loved this fabric ever since I saw a picture of it for the first time online. Of course, no one here actually sells it and you have to order it online, so I never did get my mocha chocolate. I think it might even be discontinued now. (pout)



These are some current Alexander Henry prints that I am loving. Most online shops carry some or all of them at $9 USD per yard. Oh, how I would love some of this fabric beauty!

From Africa!

My girlfriend Erin, was in Kenya last year and brought me these goodies when she visited me a couple of weekends ago.



This painting is done on what looks like a broadcloth type fabric. They must stretch it over a frame and pre-treat the fabric, then paint. It depicts three tribal ladies.




Erin gave me this lovely fabric, which would likely be used as a head covering for the african ladies. Erin figured I could sew something with it. It's so beautiful, I hate to cut into it. Any ideas?
Thanks bunches, my friend!