Blame it on the pattern

Okay, so Jamie Foxx blamed it on the alcohol, and Milli Vanilli blamed it on the rain, so...I am blaming my inability to sew my daughter's top on the pattern!!!

I cannot (without getting upset) tell you how frustrating it is to not be able to figure the instructions for this pattern out.  So, in the interest of staying sane, I am putting this pattern to the side and coming back to it later.  So the next project I am starting will be another dress for my daughter.  This one will be Simplicity's 2572 (See right).  I have already read through the directions for this pattern and there is nothing too tricky in there.

On a lighter note, it is my daughter's birthday today, she is 1 years old!!

I told you it was hard to get a good picture of her, she loves to be in motion.  Well, then again, I guess I want her to be still at inopportune times like when she is tired.

This picture was supposed to be one of those cute mother-daughter photos that you just say "Aww" to.  Well, you can still say "Aww," but not in a good way.  It's more like, "Aww, the poor baby is ready to get some sleep!"  The rest of the day will be better I am sure!

I hope everyone else is having a great weekend!  Memorial Day weekend is when the sales come out, so yes I will be visiting some of my favorite stores, and my friendly Joann's on Monday. 

Have a safe weekend!

Book Review

Hey everyone!

It's the middle of the week, and I am pleased to be posting a book review.  I got this book a few months ago but I waited to review it because I wanted to get some use out of it first.  It is called 200 sewing tips, techniques & trade secrets by Lorna Knight.

First I want to say that this book is picture-heavy, which I love!  I am a visual learner, so I usually choose books that show me how to visually accomplish something, rather than only providing a written explanation. This book does both, and does it effectively.  

Here are some of the categories this book goes over, as well as a brief description on what to find in each section:

Tools and equipment--pretty self-explanatory here.  This section talks about sewing machines and all the equipment(notions) used in sewing.

Material matters--This section is about fabrics, how to choose them, working with various fabrics, storing them, special types of fabric, and thread.

In Stitches--This section is one of my favorites of the book.  It explains various hand stitches, machine stitches, buttonholes, and has a part dedicated to serging.

Sewing Techniques--This is a "how to" section.  It talks about using paper patterns, joining fabrics, draping, pleats, hemming, linings, and pockets.

Decorating Fabrics--This is a special section on beading, embroidery, smocking, piping, quilting, tassels, fringes, etc.  I don't think I will use this section right away, but it is nice to know I can reference it if I need it!   

There are also little MAKE IT! projects in the book, and my only critique of this book is the instructions for some of these projects is too sparse.  Also, it is not the type of reference you can expect to hit everything.  For example, I had a tough time with understanding understitching while sewing last evening, and I went to find it in this book, but there was nothing to reference about this at all.  I don't think that takes away from the book, though, because it is not purposed to be a thorough reference.

In all, this is a great book!  I recommend it for sewers of all levels.

I am STILL working on my daughter's top.  I was so frustrated with the top last evening I just wanted to give up, but NO...I will press on!

Stay sew-filled!

Pattern Organization

I know that a lot of people have different ways they organize their sewing patterns, and I am not saying that there is one right way to do so.  I would like to share with all of you the way I organize mine.  It seems to be helpful for now.

Whenever I buy a new sewing pattern, I take one of my folders with only pockets inside, and I cut off the front of the pattern, and paste it to the front of my folder.  This way, I can locate the pattern I am looking for when I thumb through my folders.

 On the inside left--I place the guide sheet for the pattern.  The inside right is useful for putting all of my cut up pattern pieces.  I usually cut these out when I buy the pattern, so I don't have to come back and do it later.  If I am unsure about sizing, I just leave it intact until I go to sew it.

Finally, on the back of the folder, I paste the information from the back of the pattern.

I really like this method because everything is in one compact folder, and I can put it all away easily for use the next time.  The only space this takes up depends on where you store the folders.  I have mine stacked for now, until I can put them in a drawer.  I also love the pockets because there is extra room behind the side with the guide sheet, for storing any pattern modifications you made when you sewed the pattern.

I think I got these folders from Walmart, but just recently I couldn't find them, so I had to go to Office Depot.

Feel free to share how you store your patterns with me.  I am still working on an outfit for my daughter.   It's been slow-going, but I hope to have something to share with you all soon!

Stay sew-filled!

Little skirt

I finished my daughter's first skirt!

OK, it is a simple pattern with simple, clean lines, and no ruffles, frills, ribbons, rick-rack, etc, BUT I like that it is simple.  I will have lots of time to throw on all the cute notions on later projects I sew.  This one is Simplicity 2572 View B.  I kept the fabric consistent, but since this skirt was such a delight to sew, I am going to sew it again, but experiment in changing up the yoke fabric, and adding various ribbon to it.

Here it is:

Let me tell you, it is much harder to get good pictures of a 12 month old than I thought!  She wiggled and squirmed, and I had to pull out all the little tricks I could to get her to stay still!

I will write a more in-depth review and post it to my sewing reviews on the right a little later on.  However, I can honestly say I enjoyed sewing this skirt, and it is a cute and easy piece.

Stay sew-filled!