Cut. Sew. Create.

Welcome Back to Me!

2012-01-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a couple of months, but I have been sewing. One of my resolutions for the New Year is to work on my "tech" skills. I want to post more without needing any help from my family. If something happens to the computer it is always blamed on me!! The next couple of months are busy due to the fact my DD is leaving in early April for Indonesia for 27 months. DD was accepted into the Peace Corp. She will be teaching English as a second language to middle school students. If anyone has any experience with the Peace Corp or Indonesia, please contact me. I would love to share the information with DD.

Ok on to sewing. I have had Simplicity 2850 cut for over a year. I decided to finish it in December.

One of the issues I have had since I started sewing, is that I did not have a good idea of how to understand inspiration. I know that might sound funny, but I would look at magazines, patterns, and all the finished clothes that fellow sews have blogged about and get totally over whelmed. While watching the last season of Project Runway, Michael Kors asked a contestant "Who is this woman?" Some thing clicked. I needed to ask myself a question or two when I viewed "inspiration". So the question I began to think about as I looked at magazines was "Am I this woman?" From there I made two inspiration posters.
I know that there is pinterst, but I needed to cut and paste. I put the posters in my sewing room. This helped my organize ideas. I really enjoyed this process. Most of the pictures are clothes that I would wear. Others are colors I love or shoes that I would like to purchase!
I started to make a camel colored skirt in December. I have made this pattern before, but I did not line it. So since I will be wearing this in the winter, I needed to learn how to add a lining to a skirt pattern. I really love this book. I like photos to go alone with text. This book delivers.
I put in a centered zipper. I used fusible tape and I also hand basted the zipper.

The pattern I used is New Look 6843. This is a very easy pattern.
Does this fabric look familar. A few bloggers used it to make tops. Well this is S2850. The problem I had with it was that the neck band stood away from the body. I am not sure if it was because the neck band is wide or if I stretched out the fabric as I sewed. I put the band in twice.
My solution was to gather the band right in the center front. I really like how it turned out. Also, I used sleeves from another pattern. I did not want the gathered puffy sleeve.
This post was a good beginning to a New Year!!!!

Service Project, Hurricane and Earthquake

2011-08-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

Every year I like to work on a service project with my students. Last year we made 100 lunches for a shelter near our school. This year we made burp cloths/pads for a pregnancy center. I wanted the students to sew on a machine because very few get that opportunity. Also, I wanted the students to learn that they can serve others even though they are only in elementary school. As I thought through what the project should look like, I considered bibs. Bibs would require sewing around curve and would take more finishing steps. The burp cloth is just a rectangle. Rectangles are easy to sew and with using steams a seam to close the opening the whole piece can be finished on the machine! The above is sets of fabric before they were sewn.
We made over 40 burp cloths. Each student picked the fabric they wanted and sewed under the instruction of a parent or myself. Many of the students sewed on my Singer Featherweight. They really liked sewing on the Featherweight! It was a special time to sit, teach, sew and chat. The students picked out a piece of ribbon which they attached by machine to the front. Top stitching completed the cloth.
I explained to the students that the cloths would be given to "Moms to Be" that might not get anything new for their baby. The pregnancy center gives a gift bag to new moms with items for their babies and themselves. The center asked the students to make cards for the moms. Our students designed cards on the computer. The cards were so sweet.

I was very pleased with this project. The students served using their own two hands.

Final Thoughts

This has been a week to remember! An earthquake and a hurricane in one week. So far we have missed two days of school due to power outages. I did not have any power outage, but did not have internet service for a day. Many neighborhoods have trees in the roads and power lines down. What an interesting way to start off the school year!!

New Look 6901

2011-08-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

During vacation at the beach, I bought a few ITY knits from Fabrics.com. This is the first top I sewed. It is a cowl neck top.

I was a little concerned about the large scale design in the fabric,but I wanted to take a chance on something different. The construction was easy and the only question I had was a back neck facing. The facing was a 1 1/2 wide. You folded it in half and attached it to the back neck edge, then you had to fold it to the inside and top-stitch it on the right side. The back neck edge is quite thick. I am assuming the reason for this procedure was to give strength to the back edge since the cowl neck would be draping in the front.

The side seams are curved to give a nice contour. How do you like the necklace? I found it at the beach!
I use a twin needle to hem all my knits. First I press a desired hem and then I use Steam- a-seam to hold my hem. Next I hand stitch a placement line exactly where I want to top stitch with my twin needle. I read about this procedure from Sew Passionista.
The sleeves needed some ease stitching. I found a great idea from Pattern Review's "1,000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts & Tips. The tip was from Jennifer Shaw. You hold your index finger behind the presser foot as you sew a 1/2 inch from the edge of the sleeve cap. When you move your finger, the sleeve cap is eased.

This is another picture of the back neck facing before I folded it to the inside.
Here you can see the thickness once the facing is turned to the inside. Any ideas on a better way to handle the neck facing?
Parting shots. While at the beach, my DS's friends came down for the day. Our favorite dinner to have on the deck is fondue. We had shrimp, chicken, beef, potatoes and mushrooms cooking in chicken broth seasoned with some great spices.

Everyone had a great time. There was plenty of laughter. Most of the guys have been together since kindergarten. They represented six varsity sports from their high school. Dessert was a chocolate fondue with strawberries,rice crispy treats,oreos, and marshmallows.

Happy 25th Anniversary!

2011-05-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

Yes twenty five years of marriage!!!

I am married to my best friend and love

of my life.

We are blessed!!!

I am BACK with PHOTOS

2011-05-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

Well this is what I have been watching this spring! Yes, Maryland is a BIG lacrosse state! My son is the goalie for the varsity team. This picture was taken during pre-season. We are almost to the play offs for our conference. As a "goalie mom" I am usually on the side lines pacing back and forth. Lacrosse is much faster than football!

My DS wants to play lax in college. Most division I colleges have already picked their goalies for the year he would enter as a freshman (2112-2113). It is very different looking for colleges when sports are involved.
I have been sewing. These are a pair of pj pants made in flannel. The flannel is from JoAnn's.
The pattern is Simplicity 3696. It has a night gown, robe, tee-shirt, shorts and pants included. Very easy to follow. I want to make a few pants up in cotton for the summer.
A Parting Thank You:

I need to give a shout out to my DS. He is my tech helper. He is a patient soul who I love dearly!

A Blessed Easter!

2011-04-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

Hope you are enjoying a wonderful time of fellowship with

family and friends during this Easter holiday.

HE IS NOT HERE;

HE IS RISEN, JUST AS HE SAID.

HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!

HAPPY EASTER!

Day Off-Teeth Out

2011-02-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

Well our computer got a virus and is not working. I am posting from a lap top that does not have software to post pictures. Hopefully my DH will decide how we are going to fix the computer situation.

Today I took a family sick day from school because DS had all four of his wisdom teeth removed! Everything went fine. He was quite funny during recovery. He kept laughing, smiling and trying to talk. Of course, he needed to keep the gauze in his mouth, so talking was not permitted. Try to tell a teenager not to talk when they are loopy from anesthesia-not an easy task!!!

Well I have finished a pair of pj pants. I hope to work on my jacket while I am off taking care of DS.

Have you seen the March issue of In Style? Love the wedge shoes. Really, all the shoes look fabulous. I am intrigued with the Gucci clothes at the beginning of the magazine. White is a big color along with bright bold colors.

OK, I must take of DS!!

First Jacket

2011-02-05T09:44:00.000-08:00

I decided to try to make a jacket a month. I am starting with S3538. Lynne from I was knit together in my Mother's Womb helped to encourage me to jump in and try a jacket. I have a denim jacket that is shaped like this pattern and I wear it all the time.

Here is the front. It looks OK, but I have not put the collar on it. I know I really don't need to put the collar on to see if it fits, but I practice sewing the collar.

This is the back. I have tried it on and it seems that the arm holes are small. So I need to let the side seams out. Also, I need to adjust the sleeves and sew them onto the jacket. I have not lined anything. I am nervous about lining this jacket, but it will need it.

Parting shot:

DS borrowed a mascot from another high school to use for Spirit week at his school. There was a basket ball game during the final hour of the school day ( all students had to attend it) and DS was part of the pre-game fun. He also stayed court side to keep the fans(students) cheering. Now what you must know is that my DS is an all county football player. He is one of the football and lacrosse captains. We do not have a mascot so this was a surprise when he came out on the court!

Here he is with his friend and quarterback of the football team. What fun we had!!!

Keep Me Warm

2011-02-01T14:41:00.000-08:00

I did some thinking during January. I found out that I hesitate sewing at times, because I am not sure if the fabric is appropriate for the pattern. So, I took out some of my knits and draped them on my dress form to see if they would "talk" to me. Now, I know you know what I mean. First, I found that some fabric would be great for summer dresses. Others spoke clearly that they were to be a top of some sort. It was a fun time! I had fabric all over my sewing room floor. This little exercise gave the confidence to move ahead. One of those knits decided to become a turtleneck. I am always cold. This fabric was from Gorgeous Fabrics. It is thin which is OK because I wear a cuddly dud shirt underneath.

The neck part has a "soft fall" to it. I styled it with this denim vest that has a beige corduroy collar and brown pants.

Now, the pattern is old. It is not vintage, but it is from the early 90's. It is a booklet type pattern. The pattern pieces were stapled to the center. I am so glad I found it in my basement! I will be making another one!

While I rooting around in the basement, I also found some true vintage childrens patterns. I will get pictures of those soon.

Washington DC

2010-12-27T18:03:00.000-08:00

After Thanksgiving, our family went to DC for the day. DD wanted to visit the National Gallery of Art and the Natural History Museum. We live about 45 minutes from DC, so we are fortunate to visit the wonderful historical treasures. The above picture is a foyer area of the National Gallery

This is a hallway that had marble sculptures. The sculptures were amazing. There was such intricate details craved into the marble pieces. I would just stand there and stare at the beauty.

This piece is a sculpture of the first African-American units of the Civil War. This is a bronze monument by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. You can see the depth of this piece. The detail again is amazing. I sat in that room for some time just looking at this piece.

Now this is the foyer area of the Natural History Museum. The museum was closed for a while to be refurbished. The grand elephant is what you see when you enter the museum. There is sooo much to see. Since we live close, I have visited the museum for field trips with my children. We got to see the Hope Diamond and all the many beautiful gem pieces. I also saw the largest octopus!!

If you have a chance to visit DC plan to spend some time in the museums.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T19:43:00.000-08:00

Well it is evening and our feast is over. The gifts have been opened and laughter filled our house!

My family had a wonderful time together. I did receive sewing related gifts. I will post about those soon. Also, I gave gifts that I sewed.

Last night, we went to the children's service at our church. Our dear pastor did a fabulous job of telling/teaching the birth of Jesus to the children in attendance. There were Christmas carols that coordinated with each part of the story. The final song was "Go Tell It On the Mountain".
I leave you with this line:
"Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere. Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born."

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T18:00:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful time of fellowship with family and friends today!

Our home was filled with family and tons of food!! I did most of the cooking since my Mom recently had a spill and broke her elbow. My man made a turkey breast, pork loin and London broil. Ten pounds of potatoes were peeled and mashed along with stuffing, two pies (apple & pumpkin, sauerkraut and string beans. My SIL made pecan pie, broccoli salad and sweet potatoes!

I did get up and hit the gym first thing! I powered walked over three miles. I hoped the mileage balanced out the food that I consumed.

I have been thinking about what I am thankful for this year. Life trials this year have taught me much about myself. Getting to serve fellow teachers who had life changes stretched me. I needed stretching!! My family (DH, DD & DS) are such a blessing!

I need to thank all the sewing bloggers who inspire, instruct and share their creative garments and projects!! Any time of the day or night I can get my fill of sewing loveliness from every one's blogs.

You call em Neck Rings- I call em Scarves

2010-10-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

Inside the Oct/Nov issue of Vogue patterns mag were instructions for "neck rings".

I did not have any splashy scarves to wear with my black wool coat and I got inspired by the neck rings.

First, I saw this sweater like knit and I liked the color combination. Two years ago, I made a Jalie top with the same type of knit from JoAnn's, but it did not wear well. The front of the top got that worn pilly look to it. So, I did not want to put the time into a top, but I thought it would make a lovely accessory for my coat.

Next, while browsing I found this furry zebra fabric that I feel in love with. I had no idea how you would sew a garment with it, but boy I knew it would make a knock out scarf!

Well this little gal was to be my parting shot! This is Audrey our beagle. She was watching me as I took the pics of the coat/scarves. She is a rescue beagle and she is very shy. If anyone has any suggestions on how to bring her out of her shell, please let me know!

Here is the scarf with the coat-WOW-I love it! I usually don't get that excited about animal prints, but this just called me!!!! My DD (college) even liked it. You know you have a hit when your DD likes it.

Here is the fabric close up and personal. It has these stringy pieces that stick out from the base fabric.

These neck rings/scarves are so quick to make. They would make great gifts for Christmas. I already bought fabric to make my co-teacher scarves for her birthday.

Back to school skirt

2010-09-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

School was starting and I needed another skirt. I had New Look 6843 cut out from last summer. The fabric was a shirting from JoAnn's. It looks white, but it a light/pale green. I made this pattern before two times. What I learned from the last two skirts, was to underline!!! Now, I must tell you that the underlining idea did come from me. Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fanatic has passed on her sewing wisdom, and underlining is one of them! Wow the underlining makes such a difference. The skirt does not wrinkle and if hangs beautifully.

Now the skirt does not look like much by its self, until you see it with the blouse.

The blouse was on the clearance rack at Dress Barn. I could not pass it by. It has ruffles down the front. My shoulders look great with the neck treatment.

See the ruffles!!

The back it very cute! It is a great little top for the summer!

What is on my cutting table now? Another NL skirt.

It is Sunday evening and I am getting ready for the week ahead. I am going to make a sewing plan for this week. I will write down at least one sewing task to complete each day.

What about you? Do you plan out your sewing for the week?

Legacy of Sewing

2010-07-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend our family will celebrate my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. My Mom wanted DD to make a picture board to have on display at the party. As we went through the pictures my Mom pointed out the outfits she made for both of us. Now I remembered most of the clothes she made me when I was older, but I had forgotten the capes and dresses she made when I was little. I thought those who enjoy the vintage designs would enjoy seeing what she created.

We lived in a small two bedroom row home. My mom had her machine set up in a corner of the dinning room. From her sewing nook, she could watch TV and still be part of the family discussions. Every Christmas, she would make outfits for me. I looked forward to seeing what creations she had planned. Some of the clothes she made were sewn on a beautiful treadle machine that she had up-dated with a motor. Her next machine was a Singer. She still has both those machines. Both still work. What a joy it has been to reminisce.

Where did her love of sewing come from? Her mother sewed, crocheted and knitted. I still have sweaters that my Grandmother made. My Mother still has all her mother's knitting needles along with knitting and crocheting instruction booklets. Priceless. Just priceless.

So the legacy marches on. My daughter has already crocheted baby gifts and clothes. Just this summer, she hinted at an interest in sewing her clothes.

Simplicity blouse

2010-07-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

This is the latest sewing project. This blouse gave me some trouble. First the back is cut on the bias and when I made a muslin, the back had ripples everywhere. So I searched blogs to see if anyone had made this pattern and had the same issues. After some searching, I found someone had cut the back and front piece on the straight of grain instead of bias. That is what I did.

There are still some fitting issues, but it is wearable. I have received compliments, so I will continue to wear it. Also, I have a purple sweater that looks great with it. If anyone has any advice for this pattern, please let me know.

The fabric was from JoAnn's. It is a poly silky fabric that I starched before sewing to help ease some of the issues of sewing slinky fabric. Some reviewers did not use the facings,but I liked the results using them. I will not make this again which is a shame, because I like the style. I just could not get the fit I wanted.

Beach time

2010-07-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been absent for awhile. There are a few reasons. First, our camera broke. Second, lacrosse season started, school year finished (means grades/report cards/meetings/pack up room). Third, we have been at the beach.

While at the beach my man decided it was time to get a new camera!!! Yea!! So, I will have pictures of sewing and family activities.

I Won

2010-03-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

I won a giveaway on Lori's blog. She made potholders out of lovely fabric. I really needed potholders, so I was really excited.

It just made my Saturday!! Thank you Lori!!!

February projects

2010-02-14T11:46:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a while since I have posted. Holidays and school report cards took to much of my time and energy. I have a few other thoughts I want to share, but that is for next time.

The following are my next projects. I am sewing with a purpose. The skirt is a tan poly wool like (is that even a type of fabric?). I will line it (something new to accomplish).

The blouse has been one of my stumbling blocks. I made two muslins. The back is on the bias. I had gaping fabric that I thought was from a sway back issue. I tried to fix the sway back problem using Sandra B.'s suggestions in "Power Sewing". It did help some. Then I saw My Fabrication. She kept the back on the straight of grain and put the front two pieces on the bias. Well I am going to give it a try. If anyone has made the "Threads" blouse, please send me your thoughts.

The S285O top will be made out the knit shown. All three pieces will work together.The skirt and blouse are cut out. The knit top is still on the cutting table.

Final Thoughts

Well lacrosse season starts for DS. As I am sure you have seen on the news, we were hit with two BIG snow storms in Maryland. There is no place to practice outside and our indoor field house is waiting to be cleared by engineers. It appears that while our girls were practicing basketball, the hoops were getting very easy to dunk-- the ceiling started to sag!!!! I have not taught school since Feb. 4th. We are expecting more snow this week!!!

Ski Bag Anyone?

2009-12-21T15:54:00.000-08:00

I know many of you are familiar with this fabric. It is outwear fabric from JoAnn's. I believe that is was popular last winter.

The skis are my DS' Christmas present. He is going skiing after Christmas for four days. He is quite excited about these skis. He also got the poles and boots. Well, he wanted to keep the skis covered while traveling. This is where the above fabric comes into play.

DS asked me to make a bag for the really cool skis. So I remembered the outerwear fabric. I went to JoAnn's hoping to use my coupon, because the fabric was not on sale. I took all the fabric on the bolt. It was over 3yds. I was blessed. It was on sale and I got it for $6.00. I did not get to use my coupon, but it was a much better deal.

I measured and planned the pattern. It was 78 inches long and 26in. wide.

I sewed a casing at the top. I re-purposed nylon rope and stoppers from an old Land's End coat I had in my closet.

As you can see the bag works. DS loves it. I am sure he will be the only skier with this type of bag!!! I still have enough fabric to make a vest for myself.

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-21T15:39:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are living in a white wonderland!!! Just thought you might want to see a few more pictures of the beautiful 20 inches of snow that fell on Maryland Saturday. We stayed inside for the most part. DH and DS went out to try to keep the driveway clear, but it was a losing battle. Sunday, one of the neighbors with a snow-blower helped many tired shovelers.

The snow was nothing compared to the crazy atmosphere at the grocery store on Friday. Here in Maryland, if we think it is going to snow an inch, we are out buying bread, milk and toilet paper. Well, parking and getting a cart were almost impossible. I did make it inside the store and got enough food to last us through the storm.

DD is still taking final exams. She returns on Wednesday when another storm may hit here. I am praying that she can fly in without any problems.

Favorite Skirt

2009-11-29T16:46:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a long time. Sorry I was having some tech problems. DD came home from college and solved all that was wrong with my camera. Here is my favorite skirt. The fabric was bought to make a purse. I kept looking at the fabric and feeling that it should be made into something more wearable. One thing I wish I would have done was to underline it. Carolyn at dairyofasewing fanatic wrote a wonderful informative post on underlining this summer.

The pattern is used is New Look 6843. The fabric was an Alexander Henry quilting cotton.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Our christmas tree is up and decorated. I still have more "house" decorating to accomplish. My family is getting their "wish lists" together and I will shopping ASAP!!!

Oh Jalie

2009-10-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love this Jalie 2806 pattern! It is such a good fit on me. This is the third time I have made it. I remember wearing my first version and thinking "this feels so good on". When the fit is right-all is well in the world! The fabric is a knit from JoAnn's. It was featured in their summer fashion magazine.

I made the gathered neckline view. The past two versions were the large pleat view. The three quarter sleeves stay put on your arms. Since I am a petite, some sleeves are long and I am constantly pushing them up.

The directions have illustrations along with the text. I don't think anyone will have a problem following them. Children sizes are included. I am ready to cut another one out this week. It is a nice transitional top for the weather on the east coast.

Pretty in PInk

2009-10-24T18:19:00.000-07:00

I saw this fabric in a JoAnn's fashion magazine from the summer, and it caught my eye. It just so happened that one of the two JoAnn's in my area had it. I used NL 6892 view A. This is a quick top to make. I did not want the ruffle at the sleeve bottom, so I put the casing at the sleeve hem line. I used clear elastic for the neck and sleeves. To used spray starch when pressing my casings at the neck and sleeves.
I love this top.My inspiration came from Sheila . She made a couple and gives her instructions for applying the elastic to the neckline and sleeves.The cami I wear underneath brings out the lavender color within the pink. I received many complements at school from both teachers and students. I am keeping my eyes open for more beautiful fabric to create this again.

2009-10-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

Well I am finally posting!! My tech person (DD) went off the college and I was lost without her. So now I have pictures of what I have sewed since my last post. This is Simplicity 4076 view D. I made this top before and felt that the neckline was a little low, so I raised it this time.I wanted to lengthen the cap sleeve. After lengthening, the sleeve stood away from my arm. So, I came up with a design change. I took a pleat at the center hem, basted it and then hemmed it. My drafting skills still need practice, but I was able to come up with a cute solution!
The fabric was a cotton knit from JoAnn's. The instructions are easy. This was one of the first patterns I tried when I returned to garment sewing. It has become a TNT tee shirt pattern.

Parting thought:
Last post I talked about the fabric store that closed. It played a very big part in my sewing history. I bought both my Bernina's from that store. I took sewing classes there and made display garments for the display window. The ladies that worked at the store were seasoned designers. They encouraged and helped me during my sewing journey. When I pass the shopping center where the store was located, I feel sad. That chapter is closed. This is the new chapter--The Blog Sewing Community!!!

My first post!!!

2009-08-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well this is my first post!! After reading many sewing blogs, I decided to jump in and have one of my own. I have been inspired by all the blogs. I am very grateful for all the tutorials that many sewists have shared.

Many blogs have inspired me to increase my stash!!!! Here are some of my most recent purchases.

Above: Three stretch wools that I purchased from Fabric.com. (brown, grey, black).

Two knits that will hopefully be a top & a dress.

These are two cotton prints. One is an Amy Butler print. I hope to make skirts with both pieces.

There is a story that goes along with the above prints. The store I purchased them from is going out of business. The store has been opened for 20+ years. I bought all my machines from this store. I also made display garments for it. It was difficult shopping for my last time in the store. There are many memories that are tied to my sewing history from that shop. Well, life goes on.

I will tell you about my "sewing history" next time!