Scoop Top

 

Skirt as top has this awesome pattern as a free download! I'll admit, this isn't the only one I've made. It's super easy and is a great staple to have. I picked up the knit at City Craft. They have an awesome selection of organic knits right now! I adjusted the pattern a little by taking some of the flare out of it and adding a little length, which I always have to do. Since I didn't think to take my sweater off, it has short dolman sleevers... I'll do better next time! It took maybe an hour total and only a yard of fabric! I'll be making plenty more for next summer, also!! Linking up with Lauren and Lindsey!

Sewing Summit 2013!

Oh, my gosh, you guys... Sewing Summit = best weekend EVER! Way more fun that I had expected! First, I want to give a big THANKS to Caroline and Jessie for talking me into going and hanging out with me! These two are some amazing, local sewing friends, and I most likely wouldn't have gone if it wasn't for them. I'm all kinds of an introvert (understatement of the century... my hubby hung out with my parents while I was gone and apparently he and my mom discussed how shocked they were that I even wanted to go), so large groups of people aren't really my thing. I've read about the last two years of Sewing Summit and really wanted to the chance to get to know more people who love to sew and quilt!

Caroline and I traveled and roomed together, along with her friend Alissa. We had such a good time! Caroline and I couldn't leave until Thursday morning, so we missed the shop hop, and didn't go fabric shopping the entire trip! (It's not like we are running low, but still.)

Classes were so much fun! I realized that I didn't get pictures of all of my projects, but they're in the other room right now, and it's obviously too much work. :) One highlight of the weekend was getting to sew on these babies... Thanks, Bernina!

I made a metal-frame pouch in Elena's class. This was super easy and so much fun! I listened to Leanne Barlow speak about her creative journey and how she went from sewing her own clothes to manufacturing. So inspiring!

 

I learned about personal branding from Oliva Omega. She is super sweet and funny and gave lots of good advice!

 

She also made us take selfies... not my favorite. Luckily, I was sitting with Jessie and we compromised :)

 

My last class the first day was hand-printing fabric with Miriam Tribe. It was a fun class, but when my project started coming together, I was sold! It's so cool. I'm planning a fabric-printing night in the future.

 

Caroline invited me to a dinner Friday night that was hosted by Elizabeth and Liz of Simple Simon and Co. I sat next to Heather and Sarah Lynn. Heather used to work as a tailor and gave me some pattern-fitting tips! (She's also 20 weeks pregnant... she's so skinny still!)

 

 

We rode TRAX back to the hotel and may have missed our stop.

 

Heather, Katie, Erin, Caroline and Alissa

 Saturday there were more amazing classes! I made mini-dresden plates with Jessie. I still need to re-cut a few pieces and finish mine.

 

 

I learned so much from Sunni Standing in her pattern fitting class! She taught us how to take our own measurements, which I need to actually do, still! I also took Merrick's polo refashion class! She is one of the sweetest people I've ever met! Here's my before and after: (complete with the sad before)

 

 

Heather Bailey spoke at the closing dinner. After listening to her speak, she is one of my favorite people! She was so down-to-earth and such a great speaker!

 

 

I also met and talked with Jessica from Running with Scissors. She taught her simple blouse class (that I didn't get to take). We bonded over our tallness and inability to find clothes that fit!

 

The roomies and I only made it to open sew one night... we went to be early the other nights (I know, we're lame...)

 

 

All in all, it was such an amazing and inspiring weekend getting to be around others who love the same things you do. I can't wait to go back next year!

 

 

 

 

My Sewing Studio

What better time to break my blog hiatus than to link up with Ellison Lane's Studio Spotlight!

I moved sewing rooms earlier this year from an extra bedroom to what was technically the "office" on our floorplan. I was wanting to do some painting and other things to the room, but if we have kids ever, the room would be their room. Pretty much, I'm just lazy and the though of re-doing the room again in a couple years was too much! So, I got the office with the bay windows and lots of light :)

We painted first back in February... I wanted gray, wanted it to look gray, but not be too dark. (8 cans of sample paint later...) I'm pretty happy with the results!

I had been wanting an actual, sturdy table for cutting and storage for a while, so I sweet-talked my hubby into helping me build it from an Ana White's Modern Craft Table plan. It wasn't hard, but it did take a while since we just worked on it when we had free time. Finishing furniture is a weakness of mine... I have absolutely no patience! But I love how it turned out! Around the same time, I found the bar stool at a thrift shop by my office and painted it with some left over sample paint. I store pretty much all my fabric on the shelves. I use comic book boards for the 1/2 yard + pieces and fold FQ's below.

After finishing the table, we also built the pipe shelves and stained them to match. I found a bunch that I liked online and kind of winged it to put them together! The old sewing stuff came from my Mother-in-law. She was cleaning out the basement and found a lot of stuff that belonged to her grandmother and my husband's grandmother and I got it all! It's all in great condition, but I just use it for decor. The canister holds selvages in case I ever decide to use them!

The peg board and small shelf was in my last room. I use the peg board for whatever it will hold and the shelf is mainly for WIPs. The smaller containers don't really fit... I'm planning on puting up another shelf above the windows for those to go on eventually. These were on sale at Lowes earlier this year and I couldn't pass them up!

I also put up a new design wall  using foam board! It's a lot bigger than my last one and I love it! This is the first thing I've had up on it all summer... I've been sewing a lot of bags and cloths and not so many quilts.

 

My sewing machine is set up on another wall with thread and a bulletin board. When I'm quilting I have another table I set up behind this one to make things easier. And yes, I share the room with my puppy. This is the only room with windows on the front of the house and she stays in here pretty much all day every day keeping an eye on things :)

 

It's still a work in process but I love my room! I still have a closet full of things I don't use on a regular basis in my old room, but it works for now. I still need to put up curtains, build a bigger ironing space, and hang things on the little remaining wall space I have. O-- and if you have any storage ideas for smaller than FQ, but bigger than what I would consider a "scrap" let me know! I don't have any good ideas!

I'll try to do a post soon of what I've been making the last 11 months!

Also linking up with Sew Can She's Show Off Saturday!