New Strategy for the New Year

Not a resolution but a strategy.  Here's what I'm thinking:

• I set a monthly budget of $100
• One hundred dollars is the maximum I can spend each month for any and all sewing/crafting related stuff  -  to the novice, $100 might sound like a hefty monthly budget, but when I consider that includes sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidering, scrapbooking, card making, baking, jewelry making, quilting and quilling (just to name my main hobbies) I'm really going to have to practice some serious discipline
• If I'm honest with myself (I really do try to be), I have most everything I could ever need in my stash/collection/treasure chest/etc. already
• Report to myself each month how much I spent and on what - that's one way to get myself to blog at least once each month
• This will also force me to actually think about my purchases BEFORE I make them (what a concept, right?)
• What I don't spend will carry over to the next month (unlike my PTO days at the end of the year....but that's a whole other story)
• Who knows, perhaps by the end of next year I will have wittled down my stash to something that can be contained in only three or four rooms AND maybe, just maybe, I will have saved enough money to splurge on something grand

I'm feeling hopeful. Let's see what happens!!!!!

A Sew Along

I purchased this pattern as soon as it was released, and I was too excited to find this Sew Along. So maybe....just maybe I will actually complete this one since I had already planned to make this anyway. We'll see.........

SHOULD'A BEEN EASIER

I like most Tracy Reese designs for Vogue, and #1405 is no exception. I like the fit and flare style of the dress; I like my fabric choice and I like the way it moves with me when I move. But I gotta tell ya - it took so long for me to put this thing together. The pattern instructions were pretty clear, but there were soooooooo many steps. I omitted the zipper because it just wasn't necessary and because there is quite enough bulk around the waist as it is. I don't know about the rest of you, but my waist is not exactly screaming "MORE BULK PLEASE". Also, the pattern calls for the lining/slip to be sewn into the dress. I wish I had made a separate, standalone slip because the built-in slip was just a little too fussy for me. But I still think it is a lovely dress. I need to hem it but I need a break from it first.







Monday Meditation

Yesterday, in our worship service we were reminded of the fact that the Lord has blessed each of us with a wonderful body. My body is used to carry my soul - to house my spirit. I must learn to properly care for my body. Even as much as I love and appreciate my body, I must not be slave to it. My body was designed to be servant to my spirit. Therefore, I must fortify our spirit in order to rule our my body. Otherwise my body will reign and will give itself over to every desire and passing thought. One thing that helps me to continually work on keeping my body pure and free of sin is to remember that it holds the soul where God dwells. For we are labourers together with God: you are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.    I Corinthians 3:9 (KJV)

Finally, a cape for me

I have been wanting to make a cape for quite some time now.  As usual, I am late to jump on the cape-making bandwagon.  I made the very popular Simplicity 1775.  This a very quick and easy pattern - for me, it required no alterations.

When I saw this fabric, a boiled wool with a fused on lace overlay, it screamed "I want to be your cape" and it kept screaming that from my stash for well over a year.  Finally, here we are.

Who knows, I might actually get around to making a maxi dress one day.  Dare to dream.

 

Monday Meditation

If you were of the world, the world would love his own:  but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.  John 15:19

This is a very familiar verse of scripture that most believers know, but it seems we still sometimes forget that we are not of this world.  We are pilgrims on a mission.  We have a message to deliver while we are here in this world.  But this world is not our permanent home.  And just be virtue of the fact that we are different from those that are of this world, we will be hated.  The world will hate us just because of our position and relationship with the Lord.  But that does not give us license to hold back the message nor does it allow up to not love those that hate us. Go, love and tell.

My posting commitment is weak

I joined the Make a Garment a Month Challenge back in November and have successfully completed at least one garment every month since that time. Yay me!!!!  But herein lies the problem.....I apparently needed to also join the Post What You Have Made Challenge.

I will be posting all of my makes soon.  In the meantime, I joined the Myrtle dress sew-along.  So please stay tuned, more posts are on deck.

 

Here my garment for December

I have joined the Garment-Per-Month Challenge, and I already have my garment for December done. Yippie!!!

This is a vey simple and very comfortable two-piece set.  It's Vogue 8935.

This fabric is a nice and warm ponte knit.  I like this shade of red.

The skirt is pretty plain and there's not much to say about it except I installed a near perfect invisible zipper.  No matter how many zippers I sew, I am still excited when they turn out fine.

Up next is a Claire Schaffer cardi/jacket.  I am still trying to decide if I will use the couture techniques or the regular sewing approach.  We'll see.

Since I am now officially on a roll....

Yeah, one in a row is a roll (for me anyway).

I was successful with the Fall Essentials Sew Along, completing nearly five pieces, I am ready for another challenge.

Therefore, I am joining this challenge:

I think I can.....I think I can......I think I can (you get what I'm saying.)

I Did It ...... I Really Did!

I joined a sew-and I am actually sewing along.  I mean, I have joined several sew-along, but I do believe that is the first time I actually complete some stuff during the suggested window of time.  I am participating in the Fall Essentials Sew-Along.

Here's what I've done so far.  I made a denim jacket and skirt set.

  

Try to ignore the wrinkles.

 

The skirt has nice welt pockets.

 

Here is the inside jacket back.

 

Some how the bottom band was much shorter than the jacket so I added a pleat.

http://tcusic-praisegarments.blogspot.com

This is my color block dress. (I know, again with the wrinkles....)

Upper color change with edge stitching.

Lower color change with edge stitching.

I will do a full pattern review later today.

Revving up for 2013

Here I am after quite some time.  I am gearing up for a much more active 2013.  I am starting the year off by participating in my very first sew-along.  I am going to do a bra sew-along and I am so excited.

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It's probably not too late for anyone else who might be interested.  Maybe you're like me, you need a kick start to get your sewing mojo going.

I Got Hold of a New Toy or...........

maybe it's got hold of me. It's one of those crazy iPads.




I saw somebody with one at work and I thought it looked interesting (or more like intriguing). So I said to myself, "I think I would like to get myself one of those cute little machines". When it was delivered to my home, it looked quite harmless. In fact, when I turned it on I thought, "What a waste of money. I don't even know what I'm supposed to do with thing". But then, my husband showed me around the device a little bit. He also introduced me to the mad, mad, mad world of apps. Now, one would think this thing has been surgically attached to my hands. I NEED HELP, but I don't want help. I want to get more apps.


I have managed to do a little crocheting. I am loving making neck warmers, cowls, mini scarves (whatever suits your fancy). I have a few more to show later. I like to step away from large projects and complete some smaller ones just so I can experience a feeling of accomplishment. Does anyone else do that?


I am working on a lovely tweed suit that I hope to finish and review within the next couple of weeks. Good thing we have such long winters here, since I will still be working on my fall/winter wardrobe clean into March (possibly April).

Meditation Monday
Yesterday, the message was about God's faithfulness to his people and to his word. The Lord constantly reminds us throughout the scriptures that he is faithful. He wants us to know that he can be trusted; and whatever he has promised - that will he do. Just remember, some of God's promises are conditional, if we do what he tells us to do, then he will do what he says he will do.

Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Joshua 1:7-8

If we can trust God to keep our souls, then we can trust him to keep his promises.

...and now back to the show.....

Wow! I can hardly believe it has been nearly two years since I posted anything. I am going to just write as if somebody out there remembers me and will bother to read this blog.

A lot has happened in the two years since I last posted. The one major thing is that me and my BFF started a small business. We make jewelry and personal gifts. Please check us out online at www.elegantinspirationsonline.com

I have pretty much settled into my new job after many months of training. I enjoy my job and still have lots to learn.

I have been sewing and will post some pictures as soon as I have some time to do so. I look forward to sharing and reconnecting with all of you. You know who you are (because I certainly don't remember, LOL)!

More Sewing Than Showing

I have been sewing quite a bit - but have been slacking in the photo department. In fact I completed several UFOs but never got around to taking any photos so I didn't submit them in the UFO contest on Pattern Review. Right now, I'm feverishly sewing from my stash and will definitely be making time to photograph and review these items. I need to get this done over the weekend because I will be out of town on business all next week.

It has come to my attention that I don't have a pair of black dress slacks. Who doesn't own a pair of basic black slacks? (Apparently, I don't.) How did this happen? Anyway...guess what's at the top of my list of things to make when I get back in town.

I received my copy of Cool Couture by Kenneth D. King. Has anybody read it yet? What do you think? I just flipped through it briefly, and I noticed that many of the photos are from his old book, but I am hoping that the information is new/updated.

Long Weekend

I hope everyone enjoyed Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

It has been so cold here for the past few days that I have just stayed inside, except for extreme emergency like picking up the grandkids - that's always important. One good thing about staying in the house I can tackle some things on my sewing list.

First up, is a nice knit top (V8534) that I really like. One tip, the pattern instructions leaves the neck edge raw/unfinished, but that just doesn't work for me - so I hemmed the neck first, them sewed down the pleats. This top is pretty versatile - it can be worn belted or even with a turtleneck underneath when the weather is really cold (like negative 20 degrees - you know what I'm talking about Cennetta).

I also made this nice burnt orange tweed skirt from V8505. The pattern didn't call for a lining, but I added one anyway.

I have a jacket for this skirt, but it is still a UFO that I will finish during this month's contest. I just have to figure out how I want to finish the sleeves. I was thinking of some dias binding trim.

I made another printed knit top (B3438). The pleats at the center front and just under the armholes make this top very comfortable. And I really like the colors in the fabric.

Yeah, more knits.... This is a 3-piece ensemble that was very quick and easy.

Last one for now (And guess what? No knit.). A while back I upgraded my KitchenAid mixer to the 600 watts with the 6 quart bowl...

- but I kept putting off upgrading my cover. So I still had the same old, dirty, stained cover over my new mixer; and it didn't even fit.

I saw a larger cover in the store for over $20, but that seemed a little too expensive. So I made one.

That it's for now. I will do proper reviews as soon as possible. Unfortnately, I don't even have time to include my Monday's Meditation today, but I will add it later.

Later.

Where Have I been?

That's what I'm asking myself.

Firstly, Happy New Year to everyone - let's make this one better than ever.

I have been very busy since I last posted (which has been quite some time). I have been working on my fall/winter wardrobe as previously mentioned. Unfortunately, I don't have time to post any photos tonight, but I will real soon.

I have joined two contests on Pattern Review (Stash and UFO's) so I should be posting some of those items soon as well.

I recently picked up embroidery software to go along with my Husqvarna Viking Diamond Sewing Machine - the 4D Professional and it is fabulous. Expect to see lots of embroidered stuff.

Yeah, I'm noticing a theme here. You can expect to see a lot, but right now I gots nothing to show.

I plan to upload photos this weekend. See you then.

Long Time - No.......

I cannot believe it has been over two months since I last posted anything. I know, I know, I say that everytime I am away for over two months. And unfortunately, I don't have much to show today either. I have been extremely busy at work (this is not a complaint by any means, as jobs are being lost everyday).

We suffered a large loss (relatively speaking, of course) a couple weeks ago, when the rains from Hurricane Ike (no Tina jokes here) beat up on NW Indiana. We had about four feet of water in our basement - I was tempted to put the house on the market, and say that it included an indoor swimming pool. LOL. We are in the process of stripping our finished basement down to its studs.

Our area wasn't designated a flood zone so we weren't able to get flood insurance. We lost everything we had down there (furniture, gym, my husband's music studio, water heater, furnace etc.), but STUFF can be replaced. We are just praising the Lord that we survived this disaster. One house in a nearby town, exploded as a result of the flood waters.

I had been planning a fall/winter wardrobe, but was sort of dragging my feet. Well....since all of my fall clothes were stored and "safely" tucked away in my basement I can no longer afford to drag my feet anymore. I need all new clothes, and I have no money to buy fabrics, patterns, etc. This means I am forced to use things from my stash. I have to really get moving because the temperature here is dropping faster than Adrienne Nixon can knock out one of her cute knit dresses. In other words, it's getting cold fast.

This is what I started with: V8505

I am making every single piece at least once. They are simple, quick and easy-to-sew pieces, but with the right fabric, will make a nice fall collection. I hope to finish and post photos real soon.

My First Burda

I know! I know! I said I was going to be more consistent with my posts, and two weeks have passed since I last posted - but it wasn't my fault. I was out of town on business all of last week and I just never had the time to do anything. In fact, I was in the City of Brotherly Love and thought I would get a chance to show some love along "Fabric Row" (Elaray of Another Creation even offered to be my Fabric Tour Guide - thanks again Elaray) but alas, I was stuck at work until late into the evenings.

I began my Burda suscription over seven months ago but I kept putting off trying it because the tracing looked scary. I kept reading other people comment on how easy (or not that bad) the tracing was. So this week I finally decided to take the plunge and am using my very first Burda pattern. I tried it, and guess what? It really wasn't so bad after all. I don't know why I had been so intimidated all this time.

So here's what I making. I only needed a few of my drafting tools. And voila!

Monday Meditation

Yesterday, we studied the Book of John chapter 9 where Jesus gave sight to the man who had been born blind. When the religious leaders asked the man who opened his eyes, he told them about Jesus. They became so bothered by his response that they cast him out of the church. When Jesus heard about what happened, He went to find the man and made him "whole" through salvation. Jesus goes on to say that it was those with natural sight who were really blind.

Sometimes people will ask you about your faith, and when you share with them the Lord Jesus Christ they will often become angry and dismiss you, discredit you, and cast you out of their circles. But once our eyes have been opened to the truth we must continue to stand on our belief that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. When all others have turned their backs on us because of our faith in Christ, He will come to us and comfort us.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? John 9:35

Staying Connected

I don't have much to report today, but I don't want to let too many days go by without posting something. I have learned that three or four days can easily turn into two months of no posts.

I was hoping to be able to show my completed living room curtains this evening but that didn't happen. I will try for Thursday night now. Today was my first day back to work after having 10 days off, so to say that I was pretty non-productive when I got home this evening is quite the understatement.

Monday Meditation

Sunday we were studying from a very familiar passage of scripture where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Here is where we read the shortest verse in the bible "Jesus wept." (If you are like me, you might remember choosing this verse everytime you were asked to recite a verse of scripture from memory in Sunday School. LOL).

But the thing I want to meditate on is the fact that Jesus learned of Lazarus's condition while he was still ill, but did not go to him until four days after he was dead. So instead of healing him of his illness, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Jesus resurrecting Lazarus should serve as a reminder to us that no matter what has happened in our lives, no matter how dead some of our hopes and dreams may seem to be, it is never too late for the Lord to resurrect them. But just like Martha was reminded in verses 25 and 40, we must first believe that he is the resurrection.

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live...John 11:25

Addition to the Family

Yes, it's true I have a brand new "baby". Weighing in at about 40 pounds and approximately 30" long she is quite an armful. I took the plunge and purchased the brand new Viking Designer Diamond. I have been wanting a Viking for quite some time and it has finally happened. This big ticket machine sews beautifully. As I post future pictures of finished projects on my blog I will point out some of the many wonderful features of this fine machine.

Isn't she just lovely?

She comes with three bags: one for presser feet, one for the embroidery unit and the large pulley bag for the machine.

One great feature of the machine is the embroidery. I made this skirt out of a light cotton and underlined it with an organza to give it enough strength to support the embroidered border. I still need to shorten the skirt, hem it and attach the lining and waistband.

I was able to complete the border around the entire skirt without the thread breaking or birdnesting one time. YAY!

Another wonderful feature is the feed teeth (Viking doesn't call them feed dogs). I had some gorgeous silk fabric in my stash that I thought would be perfect for a sheath dress, but I didn't have quite enough to cut out the dress in the traditional way. So I had to peice some scraps together (cutting against the grain) in order to get all the pieces cut. Since the fabric is a vertical stripe I ended up with two strips of horizonal stripes in the back. I needed the stripes to match up along the zipper so that the dress wouldn't be too buzy back there. I didn't have to use a walking foot or do any other tricks to get the stripes to match up because the feed teeth did such a great job of feeding the fabric through.

Needs to be hemmed and taken in at hips and shoulders.

Hand-pick stitch on the visible seam of the lapped zipper.

In order to sort of justify the purchase of the sewing machine I have decided to part with two other machines. My Brother ULT 2001 and my Singer XL5000 - If anyone is interested in purchasing either (or both) of these machines and all of their accessories just make me an offer.

It's actually all boxed up and ready to go!!!! Make me an offer.

I have lots of accessories for the Singer too - I just haven't gotten around to taken photos yet.

One last thing, I will be in Philly for one week, beginning July 13th. I will be staying in the historic district, does anyone know of any must-see fabric shops? Please advise.