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!

Holy CPA!

I did it! I finally passed the last part of the CPA exam. I nev-a, ev-a thought it would actually happen. I've spent the last few months really buckling down to try and finish. I was going to be losing one of my scores in December, so I was trying really hard to get it taken care of before then. And it actually worked! I'm not actually certified yet... that'll probably be a couple (or few) months. I have to turn in more paperwork and get employer letters and wait for processing, so you know how that goes... don't go asking me for tax advice yet. Or ever probably, since I don't do taxes :)

I want to give a HUGE thank you shout out to all of my friends and family and especially the Hubs. I don't know what I would do without all of you and your encouragement and support the last few years through grad school and the exam, especially when things weren't going according to my Type-A plans. (Hello 6 month self-imposed testing timeline turning into 18 months when I couldn't pass anything.)

Here's to more fun and being laid back and more sewing and blogging! I've been making things off and on (people don't stop having babies when you have no time to sew) and will start posting about those. I have pictures, but haven't even looked at the pictures, much less blogged about it. And I'll treat you to a few pics from the vacation we took last week, too!

Again, thanks so much to everyone! I love you all!

K

Edited to add: If anyone wants to send me some congratulatory fabric, that would be great!

Quilt Market... part tres

Here is finally my last post... I'll try to give a run down of the booths and pictures....

From Julie @ Jaybird Quilts' new book.

The Kona booth and new colors.

Julie's booth... love her new all of her quilt patterns.

 Shannon Fabrics' booth. I really want to just roll around in the floor in their booth and stay all day. Everything is made from minky and they have the super-cushy floor tiles, which is heaven when you've been walking all day. It's also heaven on just a normal day, too.

Abbey Lane Quilts has two new books out. One for babies and the other that does include how to make those cute wreaths! I also purchased the Lucille pattern and it's in process at the moment :)

Simply Color by Vanessa from V & Co. These are going to be great! They're great colors and will be good for blending with other lines... and there are ombres!

Quilts in Bonnie & Camille's booth.

Kate Spain's new line, Cuzco. This is going to be another good one. Great colors and patterns!

This is from a new Moda designer, Zen Chic. Again, I love the saturated colors and it's just so different (in a good way).

One of my favorite quilts at market from Green Bee Patterns.

Amy Butler's new line, Cameo.

Bari J.'s new line for Art Gallery, Lilly Belle, which was a sample spree purchase :)

And the last one is turning out to be one of my favorite collections! Sarah Jane's Out to Sea. She has way more pictures on her blog since I failed to take more. I am loving the hot pink and navy colorway and think it would make the most adorable nursery (I even have paint colors picked to match: navy and white stripe under a chair rail and one wall hot pink above and the rest aqua). This will come in handy since I'll be having kids soon (hahaha, not really). I am considering hoarding buying enough of it to make nursery bedding and decor from whenever I have kids in the next 5 years. If I do that, I'll jinx, won't have a girl, and still won't get to use it. Dilemma. I will be investing in the embroidery patterns, since I "taught" myself over Memorial Day weekend.

So that, in a nutshell, was market! Can't wait for next year!

Winner!

Sorry I'm a day late! We went camping so I didn't have internet! The winner of the Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway day is number 269!

Jeana said,

JeanaMay 22, 2012 6:28 PM

thanks for the chance - this is so generous!

Thanks to everyone that entered!

Quilt Market: Tula Pink

So I'm a big Tula Pink fan... who's not? I bought Parisville as a gift for myself when I graduated with my masters. I bought some Prince Charming when I passed a CPA exam section. I just ordered more (I decided I needed a bag from it). We'll see if that is a congratulations or condolences gift when I get another score this week. This was my first time getting to meet Tula. (She wasn't in Houston in October, but was there at my first market. I was just tardy to the Tula party and didn't talk to her then.) She is so nice! All the designers are, I just get nervous before I talk to them... and then end up usually not. She reminds me of my friend Molly that I made these for.

We went to both of her schoolhouse sessions. One was for her book that is out and the other was for her fabric lines. Both were great. I really like hearing about the inspiration behind the lines. Here are pictures from both schoolhouses.

She also has super cool fabric labels printed for her lines.

Nightshade quilt backs.

Quilt with Voiles from the new Birds and the Bees line

Here are a couple in her booth.

I didn't take the camera off manual before I gave it to Mom :(

Can you tell I like this quilt? Quilting by Angela Walters, of course!

Aaaaand... we stalked her first book signing on Friday and got copies of her book! It's ah-mazing. Go buy it. Now. I'll wait.

We went by the publisher's booth a little early (we didn't want to miss out and not get one) and made it in time for the book signing before hers, so we got two books :) More on the other later. We also made Tula's Instagram feed!

Me and Tula... BFF.

I love getting to meet fun people! It makes me all that more ok with the ridiculous amount of money I spend on fabric to know that I'm supporting all these great people who do what they love!