Monday 11 November 2013

Some Sewing has been taking place...

I haven't been blogging much but I have been sewing a little.
Nothing too complicated but at least I am sewing!!
 
Here are pictures of a few garments I've made.
 

Dress ~ New Look 6210

I Love the back of this dress!
It was an easy dress to make and very quick!
Fabric is a stretch and I lined it with a light knit tricot lining.
It was a very comfortable dress to wear this summer!

 


This pattern is for an unlined jacket but I lined my jacket.
I had to make some adjustments ~  a sway back adjustment, shoulder width(narrowed),  raised armhole and lengthened it.......
 I used four buttons instead of two and placed my buttons down the front. 



Burda 7066

This was the first time I made this Burda top so the top is a mock up ~ to see how the pattern Fit.
 I like how it looks with no adjustments but for the next one I will lengthen it...
It is a loose fitting top and
this mock up will be A very comfortable top for lounging.
I played around and sewed some print fabric on the bodice, side seams and sleeves!
I used my favorite method, the Sarah Veblen method,  for applying the neck band.

 
I've also been making curtains, pillowcases ~ for my Grandson, and some alterations but the biggest thing I've been finishing up is a "huge" quilt
for us!
Well the biggest I've ever made.
 I machine quilted it myself, with a long arm machine,  and just finished sewing the binding on.
That will be the next post.


A little brace humour to make me feel better ~ since I do wear braces now :)



 

Happy Sewing!

Ann


 
 


 

Saturday 9 November 2013

My Sewing Studio ~ Part 11

Life has been busy!  My blog posts always
seem to get pushed to the bottom of my to do list...so tonight I am going to play catch up and continue my Sewing Studio posts.
I have been sewing but will post about that later!


This section is the "Pattern Corner". The cubicle wall unit stores the larger patterns that do not fit in my pattern filing cabinets....such as Angela Wolf, Jalie, Cynthia Guffey, Vogue,
 Gail Patrice, Cecilia Podolak, Pamela's Patterns, Silhouette Patterns, Onion,
Style Arc, Brensan Studio, and Islander Sewing....just to name a few :)
These cubicles are great for storing my patterns and also for
 fabrics that I plan on using in the very near future.
(I do have a step stool to reach the higher bins.)
I love this section...browsing through my patterns and
planning my next project!

I bought one of these pattern cabinets years ago, from my local Fabricville when they changed their cabinets...the other one was given to me......these cabinets are perfect for  Vogue, McCalls, Butterick, Simplicity, New Look, Burda, Kwik Sew, Neue Mode....



This is another section that I simply call "The Work Station"!
More cubicles to store interfacing, elastic, trims, DVD's,
camera eqpt, rulers, tracing paper....but mostly I use
 this section as a work station
~ a comfortable spot, with lots of counter space to do my hand stitching ~
and maybe watch a sewing DVD while I work!


 ~ When I am in my Sewing Studio  ~ Bradley always keeps me company ~

but now I am fortunate to have two little sewing  buddies!

Meet Sammy!



An apricot poodle we inherited from my husbands parents.
He is an older fella, who is set in his ways but has quickly made himself comfortable and is such a joy to have around.
He is settling in perfectly and we are happy to have him!



My newest little Zen garden!

I do have more of my Sewing Studio to share but will leave it at this for tonight...

 Have a great weekend!

Ann


Thursday 5 September 2013

House Cape

 
Is there such a thing as a House Cape?
Well that is what I am calling what I made today...
a House Cape...like a house coat ~ but different.
 
The weather is turning cool and it was cool in the house today ~
and for some reason this made  me think of my daughter walking around the house with a blanket on her shoulders!
During the winter months you will always see her wearing a blanket or throw over her shoulders ~ like a shawl......She has done this for as long as I can remember :)
 
I was planning  on making myself a cape today but came up with this idea for her and made it instead.
 
It is made just as you would make a cape but I put a zipper to help keep it
from slipping over her shoulders. Hopefully this works.
 
 
I used a ribbed fleece fabric.
 
 
 
I wanted to make this house cape fairly long so my fabric was 62"w x 75" long.
(The fabric I bought was 64" wide after being washed & dried. I didn't measure it before washing it)
 
Fold fabric, with grainline lengthwise.
I forgot to take pictures while  I was  making it but
here it is finished.
 

 
 
Cut up the center to the fold.
Insert zipper. I used a 22"zipper.
Hem around neckline, sides, front and back hem.
 
Very easy but I loved making it and I know my daughter will be warm and very comfortable wearing this house cape!
 
 
 
 
Have a great day!
 
Ann
 
 


Monday 2 September 2013

My Sewing Studio ~ Part 1



 
This post has been long over due and I am so happy to be finally posting it.
Over the past 30 yrs we have lived in quite  a few houses.
 In each  house my wonderful husband always made sure I had
a sewing space. He gladly did whatever had to be done to make it happen.
 Sometimes our ideas worked and sometimes they needed to be reconsidered....

He moved walls and/or  built walls,
 re-did floors, 
did electrical, (I have an obsession with lighting :)) ,
 had custom cabinets made for me ,
drafting tables,
painted rooms and furniture,
shopped for materials and supplies ~ and really the list goes on and on....
he did it all with not one single complaint.....

 In our present house he put all these skills  to work once again and  made a perfect ~ for me~
 ~ Sewing Studio ~

 
When I walk in to this space
I am so grateful ~  every single time ~
I can't Thank him enough!

Over the next few posts I will share with you some pictures of my Sewing Studio  and how the space works so well for me.


Pattern area


Have a great day!

Ann


Saturday 31 August 2013

How to Fit a Jacket with Cynthia Guffey

Steps to Exquisitely Comfortable Fit - The Jacket
April 2012 ~ I attended the "Original Sewing & Quilt Expo" in Worcester and took every Cynthia Guffey class available.
She is amazing and I became one of her biggest fans.
She is truly an expert and she has such a full of life type personality.

I bought pretty much every book, pattern  and DVD she had.
She also had some gorgeous raw silk fabric. I bought some but haven't used it yet.
Periodically I will check to see if Cynthia has new patterns or DVD's.
I was pleasantly surprised when I found that she was now doing on line classes
on dailycrafttv. She has three classes.
I posted it on the facebook sewing group, because I just had to share this great find, of  course.
 Carolyn - from Dairy of a Sewing Fanatic and I decided we would each take a class and review it.
I purchased How to Fit a Jacket and Carolyn is reviewing Seven Core Sewing Skills.
I do plan on purchasing the other two.
Cynthia is joined with Marlene Ingraham, the founder of  Original Sewing & Quilt Expo. 
Together they made a great team.
 Cynthia  is working with real people, not a dress form and a pattern that has princess seams.
She addresses fitting issues, wrinkles, that occur on garments, where they originate from and how to solve them.
She shows these issues on the "mock up" and makes the corrections on the paper pattern.
Some of the issues she covers are:
Shoulder width ~  sometimes you think your problems are armhole issues but can actually be a shoulder width issue.
Shoulder Slope ~ when garment is pulling away from neckline /shoulder area. Looks too big ~ so to fix we "nip" it just a little . That is bad ;)
I saw her do this alteration at Expo, but forgot about it. The paper alteration may surprise you.


Center back to Side Seam ~ side seam pulls toward the front- hem drops lower in the back. caused by back hip issues.
Upper Back Curve ~ an alteration that is often overlooked and seldom addressed and will solve many fitting issues.
When Cynthia did my fitting at Expo, this same alteration is what she did on me but for protruding shoulder blades. An alteration I did not realize I needed to do.
Bust line ~ Full bust adjustment
One of her models is a petite model and Cynthia addresses fitting/alteration issues when having to decrease.



The class was a pleasure to watch. Cynthia has a true passion for what she does and it shows.  (At some points It was like being right there in one of her classes at Expo. I was expecting her to share a recipe at any moment. That is what she did everyday. She would Give us one of her favorite recipes and tell us to "write this down"!)
In summary this  class addresses many jacket, (or upper body) fitting issues that we have and she sees the fitting/alteration issues through from mock up to paper. She makes the fitting and corrections seem simple so we can achieve  that custom look we want.
After taking her classes at Expo, I remember feeling that her methods, her way of teaching, her passion and just her overall personality  inspired you!
Still applies.
She gives you all the information.
You just want to do it ~  and  do it  right.
I have seen most of the jackets on display in this video.
They are gorgeous!
The baby blue coloured jacket has her signature "Guffey Seam" .
An inset seam which is in her "Exterior Seams" part 1 DVD.
I am anxious to take Cynthia's other two classes, which I also bought :)
 Have a great day!

Ann 

Saturday 25 May 2013

Sewing Studio Curtains!

 
 
 
 
I said it before in one of my previous posts but I DO still have "some" small things to tweak before everything is done ~ however for the most part
 the main projects for my wonderful
Sewing Studio are done!

  Working on the curtains ~ realized I didn't have enough fabric to fussy cut "each" scalloped panel, and the end pleated panels ~ so targeted the panels where it would really stand out,
the scalloped ones, and I am hoping it just works out :)



Saturday 18 May 2013

Moebius Scarve


 
 
Moebius scarve that I want to make one day!

 
 

Best Day!




 
trike ~ bubbles ~  and a kite......
 

 
lots of squeals and laughs!
 
A beautiful day with our precious little Grandson!


Wednesday 8 May 2013

Sewing Studio - Renovations Almost Done



Renovations are almost done.
 
My husband has put so much work into my space.
.
 He has done an amazing job with every detail and this
room is definitely my dream Sewing Studio!
 
 
While I was organizing I was watching a little Peggy Sager.
The computer station also has a TV.
Having a TV in my Sewing space is really kind of nice.
 

 
 
Starting off fresh with such organized and
"clean" work areas is a real treat but I can't wait to
get sewing :)

I am still finding a home for everything and
I need to do some final tweaking but
I think I will be ready to start the curtains for my studio tomorrow.

 
 Once all is done I will post pictures :)
 
 
Happy Sewing!
 
 
 
 
 
 

Circular Attachment

 
 
If you find yourself  in Moncton  you have to stop in at "The Quiltery"
 
Martha the owner is  such a pleasant lady and chatting with her was such a joy.
She just came back from a Pfaff convention and had sew many project ideas.
Funny enough One was this Circular Attachment I had seen on It's Sew Easy. 
 
I bought one of the  Circular Attachment for my Pfaff and I'm looking forward to making pillows and runners with this new toy.
 
 

Picture from It's Sew Easy
 
  
Happy Sewing!

Ann