Arizona Beads

Just got back from a week away in Phoenix, Arizona, and was captivated by the turquoise beaded necklaces. I love the multi-stranded ones, and after a few times seeing them, checked out the prices. Shock was the result, when I found them to be $200 for ONE strand. I thought turquoise was common stone, especially in Arizona. Luckily it is common in the craft shops and I snagged all these beads of real turquoise for a grand total of $21.

I will follow with a photo of the lovely finished necklace in a day to two.... :)

Quilt Squares

I have been working on some quilt squares, using a method called shuffle the deck. The book explains a simple technique where you have 8 squares, and using the rotary cutter, cut irregular lines and shuffle the top colour down one or two layers to mix the patterns. The squares are layered dark then light then dark then light.... so the patterns show contrasting tones.

I am enjoying the squares and the one of a kind results. Each square is 7 inches, and the colours I chose are tan, black and burgundy.

There is a photo of the basic cutting and assembly technique for the squares.

It seams a huge project if you look to do it all at once, but I have been able to sit down to the sewing machine for an hour or two and churn out a few blocks, then work on some other sewing project. Eventually I will get enough done to have to consider assembling and finishing the quiting part.

Knit Dress and Jacket

Burda 7580, turned out great in this abstract print. I used a stretch decorative topstitch to finish the necklines and hems quickly and still allowing stretching if needed. The facing for the jacket was lined with fusible interfacing, then the seam trimmed really close and ironed to back before the topstitching.

A very easy pattern, I will use it again. The two pieces took about 2 hours to complete. Nice.

Coat Finished!

The hems and the buttons are now done, and the photos show the nice results...

Now I just have to wait for the weather to get a bit colder (no rush - really!). The big shawl collar is a bit wide and open, but a great scarf will work well, and of course I have LOTS of those!

Fabric Shopping!

I was at Fabricland last evening, sourcing out my next projects... The coat is almost done, just hems and buttons and hand stitching left. The fabric I found is amazing. They had a great sale of buy one, get two free, and I snagged a lovely brown poly blend suiting, 3 meters for $17, and some knit fabric, 3 meters for $15! The knit is a funky abstract print in taupy brown and mauve, and the pants fabric is a similar taupy brown. I also found 2 meters of remnant in a shimmery stretch knit, also a brown to match.

The suit fabric will be Anne Klein Vogue 2987 pants. Not sure if there will be enough for the Jacket too, if there is I will do that, otherwise a vest pattern to match will be found.

The print will be a dress and jacket combo from Burda 7580.

The slinky knit will be a drapey top.

I just love the planning of the projects. The fabric is wonderful and everything is mix and match, so the pants should work well with the knit jacket!

Chapter One - the Machine

The inspiration for this new blog is my new machine. It is a Janome 6600. A lovely sewing/quilting machine that is loaded with features and designed to make sewing quick and easy. The computerized stitches and the press button on and off, and the needle up or down, and the knee triggered presser foot, all intrigued me. I have never had a machine that did not need a foot peddle. It comes with one, but I have not opted to hook it up.

I wanted to try some complicated pattern, and some challenging fabric, so my first project is a lined winter coat. The fabric is thick melton in charcoal and the lining a batik in blue and grey and cream. The pattern is a Vogue coat, # 8307, the middle length. The adjustments I made (and I usually customize the patterns in some way) is to add side pockets with a placket to define the pocket, and add a back placket trim to define the waistline. Also I have added a pocket inside on the lining, for keys or wallet if I don't want to carry a purse. My theory is you can never have too many pockets!

The coat with lining installed and topstitched around big collar...
The side pocket, top-stitched placket and cool lining....

Still to finish: hems and final top-stitching and big buttons on front. This new machine can sew through four layers of thick melton with no hesitation! What a delight.

Prologue: the early years.

Although many of you know me as a knitter (blogging here), my earliest creations were all sewing! I first held a needle and thread at age 6, at a neighbour's house. I was playing with a friend (forget her name!) and her mom was doing some hand sewing (remember that!). I asked what she was doing and she offered some fabric scraps, and a threaded needle for me to try. I remember asking her to re-thread the needle several times as I worked a hand stitched seam around three sides of a small square. It was messy and the stitches too far apart (I was in a rush to finish) but I finished a small pouch, that I put my best treasures in (pennies, marbles, etc).

From that age, I begged my mother for scraps of fabric, and confiscated any old clothing to cut into something else. I made clothes for dolls and bears and once had a camp of hammocks and sleeping bags for ALL my dolls and animals. Fabric was fantastic! It could be anything!

I wanted my Mother to let me use her sewing machine, but she insisted it was for adults only. I mastered a good sturdy straight stitch, and chain stitch and a few decorative stitches by hand, and by the age of 9 had finally worn Mom out. She bought me a kid's sewing machine for Christmas. It did a chain stitch that often did not catch fully, and unraveled. It was operated with a hand crank, and I had to hold back the speed I would have liked to crank it, because it slipped the chain too easily at a higher speed. With this I made lots of things, rag dolls and puppets and more accessories for the toys. I even took it on vacation, I could not bear to be away from it for three weeks!

I only had it for a year when I successfullly explained the limitations of such a toy, and convinced Mom that I could take lessons in sewing, and could use her machine like the mature 10 year old that I had become! The lessons were with a neighbour, Bonnie, and I worked through a simple mini-skirt pattern, with waistband and zipper! We did this over several evenings, learning to follow a pattern and all the different skills involved in completing the project! I then made a button up shirt and a pair of pants with her, before I graduated (with honours) from her course.

After that, I made a lot of my own clothes, and Mom did less sewing, opting for my expertise in alterations and hemming. She was more than supportive of my sewing habit.

Mom also tried to teach me knitting, and I got it just fine, but seriously, why would I want to knit a sweater for one month when I could sew a top in one day!??? I took up knitting again at University, when I had learned patience, and wanted to avoid doing Physics homework for hours (and days)!

When I was 13, I sewed puppets (very like the Sesame Street Muppets) and sold them door to door at Christmas time (I think I charged $2.00, but the fabrics were from recycled clothing! I was green before the trend was even invented!). The only item I have kept is a favourite rag doll , made from old clothes and weird colours, sewn with felt mouth and eyes and of course a big pink heart. This one was made when I was 12, and I am sure it was stuffed with bits of fabric and foam chips and maybe even ripped pantyhose (I am too afraid to disect him to find out!)



I learned to quilt at the age of 17, taking a class with the same neighbour, Bonnie. She was also a knitter, and in later years we got together to share knitting ideas and sources and to compare finished garments (early stitch and bitch tea parties). When I was home with my young children, I made wedding dresses and did other sewing for friends, then referrals, and had a nice little business going from my home. It allowed me to stay home with my little ones until they were ready for school, and I was ready to work outside the home.

Now, years later, when semi-retirement looms, I anticipate picking up the sewing business again. I really enjoyed that time and would love to get back to what I really love to do. Life comes full circle....