Baby has arrived!

Congratulations to Serena and Kyle!

"Landyn" was born on Friday ~ 21 Jan 2011 ~ 7:45 pm.

He weighed 9 lbs 12 oz!

Both Mommy and baby are home today and everyone is doing well.
 

He is adorable!

Landyn sound asleep ~ on his way home today!

 
We are all so very happy and proud  : )

Get a Grip...

........ of your rulers.

I wanted to post about a notion I recently bought and  now I believe it  is a must  have if you cut fabric with a Rotary cutter and ruler technique. (Perfect for Quilters)

It is called The Gypsy Gripper.

I frequently use my Rotary cutter and a ruler to straighten fabric edges, cut strips and most recently to make blankies and "little" baby & doll accessories.

If you have used this technique you know that even though you are very very careful ~ every  now and then the ruler moves/slides and the rotary cutter  slips...that blade is some sharp....I've never cut myself  .....but

 I'm always afraid I  might ~  Not a good thing to happen.

So when I saw this Gypsy Gripper at  Sewing World there was no hesitation on my part, I definitely had to buy it.

This notion easily attaches to a ruler.

You press the suction cups down on to the ruler, flip the levers to lock it in place ~ voila ~ done!

You hold the handle, so now your  hand that is holding the ruler is away from the Rotary cutter/blade and you simply apply a little pressure on the Gripper and safely cut away.

 Very Safe.

It's not heavy so it feels very comfortable to move around.

If you want to use another ruler just flip the levers to release the suction cups and move the Gypsy Gripper to another ruler.

Very simple.

This product probably has been out forever but I just found it :))) and as you can tell I'm pretty impressed with it.
I do think it's pretty awesome.


I hope you are all having a great week!

Baby "stuff"!

My daughter Serena has pretty much everything for the baby on the way. 

A few things she didn't have were receiving blankets and burb cloths, so I made these few things for baby. 

~ receiving blankets  ~

These are all flannel ~ various sizes.

I mitered every corner on all the blankets

~ burb cloths ~

These are flannel on one side and terry cloth on the other.

I had never heard of these until my daughter told me about them.

One of her friends had some of these cloths so Serena drew one out to show me what they looked like and I made her some.

They are to be  placed over  the shoulder when feeding/burping the baby. 

(When my children were born I used receiving blankets for this purpose but these definitely appear to be a less bulkier and updated version.)

I saw a cute little quilt made up at one of my local 

sewing stores ~ Sewing World ~ and I bought the panel, so I will also make them a  crib quilt. 

I'll post pictures when it is done ~ the panel is adorable!

I made Ella a fleece blankie with the fabric she chose. 

Hers is the one on the left  in the picture below.

For Ella's dolls I also made a matching blankie with  pillow and with the left over terry cloth I made her various size cloths to imitate the burb cloths and change table pads.

Serena has her bags packed and ready for the hospital and everything is ready for baby to arrive.

Since Kyle is away I am her "partner" in the delivery room so I am ready too....
... we are all waiting patiently!

Serena is hoping next week will be the week because she is so ready :)

Serena

Isn't she beautiful?

Have a wonderful week~end!

Fabric Bread Basket - Store bought

I bought this bread basket and thought it was really cute and would also be fun to make.

I love the aprons and kitchen accessories Renee from My Sewing Space makes, so I was also thinking of her when I saw these.
There was also potholders,oven mitts  and tea towels to match this basket......I only bought the basket!

Click to enlarge

The basket is formed with the ties...

The fabric used here is very textured cotton with an embroidery.
I do have an embroidery machine but I plan on making it with printed fabrics  that will match my kitchen.
I will also make potholders and oven mitts.
I did take a seam apart and the fabric is layered between sponge, foam. It gives it a very nice feel but I won't be using foam..

Hope this is something you can use Renee :)

(The notes are probably not detailed enough. If you have any questions ask away :))))

Barcelona Blouse ~ Completed

Barcelona Blouse ~ Pattern Brensan Studio

Garment Details:

Pattern: Barcelona Blouse

Pattern Description:

This beautiful V-neck traditional Princess-Seam Blouse has a surprise twist.

The center front and sleeve contrast trim is optional so you have more choices! A great addition to any wardrobe, make without the trim for a great basic blouse, or use a contrast for the trim and collar and make the blouse your fashion statement.

Pattern Sizes:

Small,Med,Large & X-Large 

I made the small with some alterations.

Notions:

4-22 mm buttons for the front, 2- 18mm for the cuffs.

Embroidery thread #1071 - button holes & topstitching.

Pro-Weft Fusible Interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing  it?

Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Extremely easy. Very well laid out and tips throughout.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

I love the style and the details of the sleeves.

I had also come across the Barcelona blouse on Pam's blog, Off the Cuff  and really  liked hers.


Fabric Used:

Corduroy ~  (called Silky Corduroy) 

After buying the fabric I went back to the store to get the fabric content.
The fabric is called silky because of the smoothness of the fabric.
The fabric is 70% cotton, 30% viscose. It feels soft almost like a flannel...

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I took in the princess seams, front and back, by quite a bit. (I didn't measure but I'd guess appox 1")

I think an x-small would have been closer to my size.
I prefer the feeling of a more fitted cuff against my wrists so I did keep the open cuff detail but added a button to partially close the opening. That feels comfortable to me and I do like that detail.


Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

I like the fit of this blouse and because of the trim details for the front and cuffs,  I can see this blouse being made up again and playing around with the trim options.

I highly recommend this pattern.

Conclusion:

I enjoyed making this blouse. The instructions were easy to follow and the pattern pieces went together perfectly.

Brensan Studio also has a Blog ~ Bren's Sewing Blog.

I will add another picture next time I wear the shirt!

Happy New Year!

I wish you all the very best for the New Year and may you also have a  wonderful Sewing Year!

I have been doing a little bit of Sewing...

...over the last few months ~ I've made some small projects (little girl cloths), some home dec and a good start on  McCall's 6027 ~ but haven't posted these projects ~ I'll throw in a post on these now and then!

I  just finished my Barcelona white Blouse and  love it.  I also made a pair of PJ bottoms for my sons girlfriend.

Today I'm only posting about the pj's. They were a fun and very quick project.
Megan  was very pleased with her pj's ~ which made me happy!

I used Butterick 4406 and made them with flannel fabric.

The top is a RTW top that matched nicely! and Megan likes purple.

close up of the print

They are being displayed on "Annabelle", my Uniquely You dress form I bought in Oct. 

I absolutely love her :) It was so nice using her when making the Barcelona blouse.

I am now in baby mode..making receiving blankets, burp blankets,  blankies, bibs and also making all these items  in a 

mini version ........for Ella's dolls.

I have to say I am having way too much fun making these ~ especially when Ella helps to pick out the fabric.

Have a wonderful day!

Merry Christmas!

White Shirt Project - 1st Pattern

The Barcelona Blouse

White Shirt Project

I am still around...just haven't posted in a very long time.

                                                 *************************

To get back into sewing I thought I 'd join "The never too many shirts project" that Barbara from "Sewing on the Edge" is starting.
I think this will be a  great project to do and  I have so many shirt patterns that I want to make.

Project button from Barbara

 *********************

I bought a Uniquely You dress form from Trimmings Dress Maker in Montreal.

I made the cover ~ with some assistance from Claire. 

I truly appreciated her help. Claire is so generous with her time and so knowledgeable . It was wonderful having her expert advice. Thank You again Claire.

Making the cover to fit me was a really fun project to do and I truly love the results.

I will  post a picture of Annabelle shortly.

Lady and the Tramp

 **** For Ella ****

Lady and the Tramp was  my daughters  favorite movie when she was younger ~ my husband and I  grew pretty fond of it ourselves. Every week end we would take her to the video store and and one of her treats was to  choose any movie to rent......she would look at all the movie boxes and then always chose Lady and the Tramp. So we watched this movie a gazillion billion + times.....and we never ever  tired of watching it with her....now I want to introduce Ella to it.
I hope she likes it too.

 I've been looking for this DVD locally but couldn't find one ~ I just now thought of looking on ebay ~ and of course found one :)

***********

I have been doing "some" sewing.
I made curtains for the dining room and kitchen. The print of the fabric wasn't exactly what I wanted but
it had the colors I wanted.
I will post a picture of the curtains ~  I'm very pleased with them.

I also started the muslin for my Angela dress ~ using McCall's 6027.
I'm still working out some fitting/size issues but overall I am happy with the dress.

Have a wonderful week end!

"Thank You Angela"

Angela from RiAnge Creations has found some of the fabrics I was looking for at her local Jo-Ann's Fabric Store.  Angela kindly offered to buy some and send it to me.  I received my fabrics yesterday ~ I was sooooo pleased .

It still amazes me that people we only know through blogging and have never met would be so kind and do something like this. I can't Thank Angela enough and I truly appreciate what she has done. 

"Thank You" again Angela   :)

The fabric is a light weight sheer and it does look somewhat different from the dress on the McCall's pattern, however I will line it with a white fabric ~ the white really makes the colors brighter.....I love the large floral print ~ I will make this fabric work!

I told Angela, I normally don't name my garments but this dress will be my Angela dress.

                 Picture from McCall's site.

The description on Jo-Ann's site of the other  fabric Angela sent me , says it is a polyester but to me it  feels like a soft cotton. In real life, the colors in this fabric below, are as bright as the colors appear in this picture.

The colors are beautiful and it is a very nice fabric weight for a dress.

Picture from Jo-Ann Fabric Store.

Martinique Collection-Garden Peachskin

I am very anxious to start my garments.

 Thank You Angela!

 ********************************************************

My son is graduating this year so we are busy with Prom and Graduation activities this week!

********************************************************************

*** Fabric source Found ***

The fabric I wanted has been found. Thank you so much  Peacock Chic.

She commented that she found and had already bought some of this beautiful fabric at her local  Jo-Ann Store

I can't wait to see what she makes.

The fabric is part of the Martinique Collection.

The on-line store does not have the print  I really wanted ~ however there is this print from the same collection that would be just as beautiful.

Martinique Collection-Garden Peachskin

Picture from Jo-Ann on line site

Unfortunately there are no Jo-Ann stores in Canada and the on-line store ~ Joann.com ~ only ships within the United States, its territories and possessions. 

So for those of you who also  liked the fabric, you may luck in :) and find some at your local Jo-Ann Store..

Have a great day :)

~ Fabric Search ~

I am on the search for this fabric featured on McCall's pattern 6027!

I absolutely love this print!

I have been looking for this beautiful fabric , or something very similar to it, ever since I first saw it!

Picture from McCall's site ~ McCall's 6027

So far I have not been successful finding it ~ not here at my local Fabricville ~ or on any on-line fabric store!

I thought I would ask my fellow bloggers and fabric shoppers :) if you can please keep this fabric in mind and

"If anyone comes across  this fabric or fabric that resembles this print, can you please let me know"?

Thank you and have a wonderful day!

My Little Red Dress - Picture promised .....

......to Living la vida loca.

Neue Mode 22471

This was a quick back yard deck picture taking session.
When I  wear it  to my son's graduation I'll actually wear shoes...and accessories......  :)


Thank you everyone for the nice comments on my last post!

We are all so very happy!.

  I would like to also pass on that my i300 iron is perfect and it is an absolute pleasure 

to work with it....no spitting...not a single drop......at all!

The service was excellent and I received it days after ordering it from Reliable, in Toronto Canada.

I hope you are all having a wonderful week end.

My B-Day!

I had such a beautiful Birthday today!

Thank you all for making it such a very special day!

I truly have the most wonderful family!

Two New to me Sites!

1st site

Polyvore

Gray by Ann's Fashion Studio
 click on picture

My sister in law shared this site with me and I must say it is pretty awesome.
Thank you Stephanie! 

 Making up collections and sets is truly way too much

 fun and very addictive! 

Set up an account and start playing :)

~ Be prepared to spend some time here ~ 

2nd site

Seamingly.com

Ann's Fashion Studio

Find Ann's Fashion Studio and get more Home Sewing at Seamingly.com.

This is a great site to find so many more sewing related websites and blogs!

~ 

** Susan Khalje's  "The Bridal Couture CD" is now available 
to Pre order  :)))

 Picture from Susan Khalje Couture  site

Enjoy!

My Little Red Dress - Finished

Neue Mode 22471

Pattern Description:  
Dress, two lengths, princess seams, sleeveless, invisible zipper, fully lined.

Pattern Sizing:  
36-46 (10-20)  This is my first  Neue Mode pattern I've used so I'm not sure of  their sizing .

There is only a bust measurement chart to go by so I started with the 36 but had to take it in over 2". It did take some fiddling around before I got the perfect fit, but  I believe had I started with the proper size the fiddling would not have been necessary.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done ?  
It looks exactly like the picture on the pattern.

Were the instructions easy to follow? 
This pattern is similar to the Burda  magazine patterns where you have to add your seam allowances.
The instructions/illustrations are clear and well written. I did  read through them but didn't have to follow them.


 

It is a very easy simple style to make. It doesn't have complicated techniques.(However you should know how to insert an invisible zipper, the instructions are pretty meager, or have your favorite reference available) edited to add: When I was cleaning up after making this dress I briefly went over the instructions and realized they are for a regular zipper, not invisible. I prefer the look of an invisible zipper, so had I  followed or actually thoroughly read the instructions I would still have opted for the invisible zipper.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? 
I 'love" the neckline. No dislikes.

Fabric Used:  
Satin back Crepe - from Fabricville.
I can't say I enjoyed sewing with this satin back crepe. 
I had to lower the tension a significant amount on my sewing machine and my serger did not like this fabric much either, especially around the curves! 
It is also very hard to photograph this color...or maybe it's  my lack of 
photography skills / camera  knowledge ~ ) I'll work on that :)


Lining - Bemberg

Pro-Weft Interfacing - from  Sew Exciting Fashion Sewing Supply 

also known as Pam Off the Cuff.   This is the best interfacing I've used!

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: 
I didn't make any design changes. I did take it in.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? 
I definitely recommend this pattern.  I have a black crepe (not satin back) version already started. I just have to make the lining. I've never owned a LBD, I figured this would be a perfect pattern.

Conclusion:
I love this dress. It is comfortable. It is a very easy simple style to sew.  Even though it took me a long time to finish it,  it wasn't because the pattern was complicated, it was purely  time issues.

 I will post  pictures of me wearing the dress ~ as soon as  I find red shoes.