A weekend of Fiber Fun

This past weekend was a complete win! We had soo much fun going to Craft Shows, making two library visits, doing some cooking, some crocheting, and lots of kitty sittin’. Here’s the lowdown:

Funky little pictures from my cell phone- ahh, it’s a new millenia at last! Talk about cliché- please excuse the poor picture quality on these next few shots. This is the Weaving Barn out at the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum, up in Vista California. It’s full of weaving looms of all sorts and sizes! We went to the Vista Fiber Arts Fiesta Saturday afternoon, and it was a bit like finding a whole herd of my people, all just hanging out doing our thing! Sheer Bliss. I discovered a new fascination, too:

I wish I had gotten some better pics, but didn’t ‘cause I was too busy wandering around with my mouth hanging open, drooling over all the yarn, wool, knitting needles, yarn bowls, patterns, drop spindles, Spinning Wheels, and Looms…

(Santa has a bit of a quandary this year- our place is a bit too wee for a full-size spinning wheel, much less a yarn swift, winder, drum carder, loom or space to store a sheep's worth of wool, ahem…)

It’s not just all fun and games around here, though- I did get some work done on the Camp Shirt:

That is the Shoulder Seams put in, Collar attached (twice- the first go was a bit too wonky, even for a first draft. And no, I didn’t re-do it, I just trimmed it down and sewed it again.) Oh, and the Pocket is on. I did line that, but I’m still not happy with the way it looks. Next up is attaching the Front Facings. It’s going really well, now that I go slow and don’t try to knock these projects out all in one day it’s a lot more fun to sew again!

Now if I can just convince those Faeries they are tailors, maybe I could get them to finish it for me…

A tale of shirts, and of the never-ending bag…

A bit of an update on this week’s projects:

The shirt toile (first draft- let’s call it what it is, shall we?) is coming along nicely, albeit not very fast. I’m taking my time with this project, learning as I go, looking things up, tearing out and redoing seams, etc. The collar has been interfaced, stitched, torn out and re-trimmed already, and I think I’m just going to recut it and try a “stand” as well- camp collars are just not very attractive, are they? (a camp collar is just stitched to the neck edge- a stand collar has another part between the collar and neck edge, giving the more classic “shirt-collar” look). Not very “shirt” looking progress so far:

Front facings with their too-stiff interfacings ironed on (I’ll be ripping that off this weekend, I think), as well as the sleeves with their tailor’s tacks and un-stay-stitched edges ready for the next phase; the troublesome afore mentioned collar in the back, with a pocket all sewn-pressed-ready-to-be-attached off to the right side (only I don’t like that, either- the edges are just pressed over? Not very nice edges left to fray in the wash? I’ll be lining that, too me thinks!),

And the body pieces tacked, marked, ready-to-go:

I did get the neck edges stay-stitched, and remembered to mark the left, right and back wrong sides with my ubiquitous sticky notes (which are stuck to every surface of the house this time of year, reminders of projects-long-past…). So far, so good!

I finally finished my knitted bag (which is just an over-sized hat, grown out of proportion, but I love the yarn so much I just kept going till it was all used up!) Now I’m on to the handle, which is turning out to be full of false-starts, mistakes, dropped stiches, and is a general nuisance!

The Faeries have taken to sitting about the house, snickering at my failed attempts at I-cord, Picking-Up-Stitches, Decreases and overall Lack of Coordination. (I don’t know what’s wrong with my knitting mojo this month, aside from the masses of cold pills I’ve taken trying to gain sway over this horrendous chest cold. I’ve discovered that homemade popcorn seems to help though…ahem.)

A deep breath…

It’s such a nice time of year, isn’t it? Cool, crisp mornings that are perfect for a leisurely neighborhood walk to view the turning leaves, breathlessly hot afternoons that turn back to cool dark-early evenings- just in time for a nice evening chat outside in the garden. Lovely!

My morning walk takes me past this lovely view as many mornings as I can get out there. Sometimes it’s in the early evenings, but mostly I like to walk first thing in the morning- it’s a great start to the day in any season, but especially now. All the birds and lizards out for their breakfast, spider webs sparkling with morning dew…it’s quite magical.

Some new ideas I’m working on this week:

My first Men’s Shirt- trying a “toile” in basic brown to start, I’m excited about getting into that…

Another bag- basic white or black, cross-body, two or three pockets, for traveling/walking/sightseeing…

More Linen skirts are lined up for this month- bought the fabric this weekend, lovely “Potting Soil” brown and a mustard yellow called “Honey”…

A year-long knitting project that is nearing the end has slowly turned from a bag, to a hat, and back to a bag- purse! I’ll be lining it and adding a handle for a scrumptious-yummy knit purse…

And finally, a small re-do of the garden- cleaning up, clearing out, repotting and attempt at cool weather planting…

So…lots to do this week! Hopefully those Faeries will do more than just dump pots of dirt all over the balcony this time…no, it’s not fertilizing the cement you guys!

Fall works in progress…

I made a lot of things last month, partly to keep busy, but mostly to challenge myself and see what I can really do when I set my mind to it- kind of a dry run for a work week. It was fun, very satisfying, but really hard, too, and just like when I used to have a job outside my home, I got sick. Sigh- some things never change, do they? While I spend this week taking it easy (ha! there’s still a house to run- the dinner doesn’t make itself people! Hmm…wonder what those Faeries are up to…) here’s a peek at what I’ve been up to:

This photo actually shows three current projects, with another three symbolized, if not actually shown. I made that white skirt up from some lovely medium-weight linen I had gotten for a bag idea, but I like it as a skirt better. So much so that I’m making another two in the other pieces of linen I got for two other bag ideas I had…hmm, I sense a trend in this train of thought…

The quilt block is my new Alchemy project which I started in May. I got sidetracked this summer, so it’s sat patiently in the project shelf, inspiring me every time I look at it. My first Log Cabin, it’s all Pinks, Browns, Lavenders and Greens. Very yummy. Still some math to do before I decide how to “set” it, but the blocks themselves are coming along nicely. It was meant to be a Fall quilt so I’ve got my fingers crossed it’ll get finished in time for the really cold weather that is surely still to come…sometime.

There is a new “hipster” bag in the works up there in the photo also, a new “Minnie-the-Mouse” style for our newly annual trip to Disneyland next month. The first one went together in record time, but the second draft stalled out when I got to the flap stage, so it’s on the drafting table again for a pattern redo.

That huge basket of yarn is getting sorted regularly as I try to find the courage to start my first “real” knitting project. We’ll have to see how that goes, I keep finding other things to knit first before I start. ahem.

And interestingly enough, I am starting to begin poking at the Pixie Workshop- some ideas are sprouting already, which is just as well as I think I’m going to have to ship some things to far-away this time around. There’s an image I want to mess around with for holiday cards, too, so we’ll see how that goes as well… Unless those Faeries use up all my drawing paper making paper airplanes!!! Get outta that drawer you guys!

Tasha’s Adventures in sewing…

September was an exciting month, wasn’t it? Full of back-to-school, Hobbit Day, the Autumnal Equinox, Mabon Feasts, the yearly Fall closet cleaning (ahem), and oh! so much more! But the most interesting thing that happened was all the sewing Tasha got done:

These new grocery bags are the perfect size for me momma!

 

I want one of these pretty skirts for me, momma…

I’m going back to work with daddy- he needs my help there, too!

It was a busy month indeed- and October is looking to be just as busy as well! Back soon with and update on all that has found it’s way across my sewing table- hey, you Faeries get outta that scissors drawer!

A New Chapter

It's been feeling like I've turned the page recently, and started a new chapter in my life. Some things which never really made sense are now clear; old hurts- don’t hurt as much anymore; old ways of thinking are suddenly replaced with new, healthier ones. I woke up one day and found that I have become a Quilter:
     

This is Ray’s Four-Square Quilt…I made it yesterday. No, it’s not a full size quilt, more of a lap quilt, and no it doesn't have it’s label yet, but it will get done this weekend. It was more important to finish it in time for Dad’s birthday party (which admittedly was a week early, but hey- who cares when it’s a party?!) So I went and picked out some blue flannel fabric Wednesday evening, cut it out Thursday morning, pieced it Thursday mid-morning, and sewed it all together Thursday afternoon. Whew! And suddenly there was a quilt on my work table, where just 7 hours before there had only been a few strips of cloth.
May is turning into the month of quilts- I’ve started my next one already, not counting dad’s. This one is all pretty pinks, greens and lavenders in a Log Cabin pattern- I’m calling it the Alchemy Quilt because combining all the different colours and patterns makes me feel like a medieval Alchemyst:

Combining all these different components to make a brand new…thing is rather awe inspiring in a way. It’s like that in my cooking, too. All my recipes are different now- Diabetes is changing my life in so many different ways it’s hard to keep up with it all. Next week I’ll be reworking my Menu Planning Binder, and working on a couple of recipe ideas all my research has inspired. Today’s Grand Experiment is Hummus (the Garbanzo Beans are soaked and cooked and ready to blitz) and Black Bean Burgers (cakes? patties? fritters? not sure what to call them- other than good! But the recipe needs tweaking- it’s stability is a bit…lacking shall we say?) so it’s off to the kitchen for now.
Funny how one person’s drudgery is another’s bliss…

Wherein I learn more about Diabetes, and Make a Bag…

April 30th. The last day of a very crazy, busy, complicated, hectic month. I uploaded pictures this morning and came across all the things I did this month that I had forgotten about- I’ll get to those later in the week, but first a bit of an update:

I love Brown Rice! I don’t love Spinach anymore. Vegetarian cooking isn’t all that hard- and it’s yummy. But, I’m not a vegetarian. Mainly because… I love Asian Turkey Burgers! But not as a burger- just as a patty next to Pineapple Fried Rice (made with brown rice, of course!)

If you read my last post, you probably know what I’m going on about- if not, I just got diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. It’s made life a bit tricky- but a whole lot more fun! Exercise has  to happen now, it’s not an option. (hint- I love going outside). And although I’ve read vegetarian cookbooks for years, now I get to actually cook from them, too! (turns out vegetables really are good for you! Who knew?) The whole testing thing is…um, painful, messy and potentially illegal (it is illegal to throw your used sharps away, but I made a cute little container for them (I know, right? She’ll make anything!)). But, I’m getting it all under control with the help of routines, schedules, charts and a whole lot of research.

So…I needed a little break from all that jazz yesterday, and after my morning walk I pulled out some fabric and made… a bag for my new water bottle! (‘cause I’m supposed to drink waay more water).

First, I ironed a piece wide enough to go around it (plus seam allowance) and tall enough to cover it top to bottom, set in a double turn hem (which is the top) and sewed it in:

 

Next, I folded it in half lengthwise (wrong sides together) and sewed one seam, bottom-to-top: oops! No picture of this step. But, it looks almost identical to this one, which is sewing that same seam, but turned wrong side out:

which is how you make a French Seam. Last step is turning it inside out and pressing it well:

and sewing a handle on to it:

Then you stick a water bottle into it and go outside!

 

 

 

 

 

And just so you know, this is what supervising looks like when it’s nice outside:

The Faeries are out there, too- you can’t see it, but they’ve got a swimming pool and striped cabana with a bar off to the side there…

Poof! Like magic…

Et voila- instant quilt!

Well…not quite. It’s taken two years, almost to the day. I got the idea for this quilt when we found this apartment in the Spring of 2011 (time certainly has flown!). May 7th, 2011 we were driving down the road, taking pictures of our prospective new neighborhood and dreaming of our “new” life. The walls and trim of this place inspired me to create a yellow, blue and white quilt- something pretty and light for the coming summer. Well, I gathered a few blue fabrics that summer, but time got away from me as I put together our new house, and next thing I knew it was Summer 2012. A double rotator-cuff injury was making it impossible to finish cutting out the rest of my fabric, much less finish sewing it all together.

  The first cut!

 

 

 

 

Big mistake sending them all through the washing machine- they just snarled all up, causing hours of cutting them apart!

 

 

 

 

This is the first round of piecing- turned out I needed way more fabric than this!

 

 

 

The first block- it’s a nine patch block quilt.

 

 

 

 

The top sewn together- it was at this point that I realized I would have to put a border around it to make it big enough for our bed…

 

 

 

Oh the difference a year makes- from April 2012 (above) to March 2013---->

 

 

 

I was able to gradually piece the top together over the last year, surprisingly. I don’t remember a moment when it became a quilt, per say- but I’m glad I found the time and perseverance to keep working on it. Tasha certainly has helped- whether forcing me to keep it out in the open because no one dared move her from its warm folds, or finding time to work on it in spare moments so she could “visit” with it (my life is spent in providing for the care and comfort of my kitty- isn’t everyone’s?). She just loves it whenever I make a new quilt- she considers them all her private property, running to claim them when they come out of the linen closets in the winter!

I’ve already picked out the pattern and colorway for my next quilt- making these is a bit addictive! This one is going much faster- maybe because I actually know what I'm doing this time around? I’ve done lots more research into quilting, since I started the Watercolour in general, but also just in the last few months. It’s funny how much more enjoyable and easy things are, once you get a few under your belt…

It’s a beautiful Spring morning here in the land of Magick. Let’s get started enjoying it, shall we?

The Science of Writing

Oh dear- another week has gone by without a new update from the Land of Market Day…drat. I have gotten into a bit of a writing slump, as you cans see for yourself, so I am taking the very good advice my husband gave me, and am writing about…not that. I’d like to write about Other Things at the moment (which, truth to tell, is working wonderfully- I’m sketching out another story idea in the background as I write this little missive. Yaay it worked! Block fixed, moving on…)

How is your Spring going? Ours is a tiny bit…wet, at the moment. The newest addition to the garden has been pummeled to smithereens in the latest rainfall, so I can’t really show you glorious pictures. But I can give an update- I brought home the start of this years’ New Design this week; a beautiful deep pink Ranunculus, a pretty little pixie of a pink and white Primrose (sensing anything yet?), a sweet pale pink Ivy Geranium, and a light lavender Stock. Yes- this year I am going for it with a pink, purple and chartreuse color palette (that’s if I can find anything Chartreuse!) I already freshened my stock of herbs with  new Thyme, Apple Mint, and Tarragon plants- which are living in the kitchen until it warms up a bit more (I’ve already had to trim the Thyme a bit- it loves the sunshine coming through the window in there!) I wanted a fresh and frilly little flower garden feel this spring, and it’s already looking quite lovely out there. I’ll have to get some pictures to show soon…

Next up is an update on the sewing I’ve been doing lately. Oh! It’s so nice to be able to work out a creators block, isn’t it? I’ve finally made a new pin cushion, which is something I’ve wanted to do for years now, but never seemed to get around to doing. Well, it’s done! Just a nice big round pouff with a bit of embroidery and shaping, stuffed to the brim and weighted with raw rice, with a dainty little strap. Voila! Perfection, if I do say so myself. The other thing I’ve been working on is taking patterns from existing clothing. It’s a bit tricky, complicated at times, and really hard- but totally worth it, and fun! I’m about finished with the first one, and already have the fabric for a second, and plans for a third. I love figuring out how to do things, doing research and having the time to rip out stiches if I need to. ahem. And I find it interesting how many different ways there are of explaining the same technique for applying a placket to a shirt…

One note about the blog itself- it has come to my attention that I have rather…a lot of categories. Err, they have gotten out of hand, and are making it a bit of a nuisance to find an appropriate one when I go to label my posts. grrr. Aggravating, to say the least. I’ve tried before to shorten the list, with mixed success, but I think what I ought to do is re-categorize the existing posts. Ick. Not looking forward to that, but something needs to be done…

So! No pictures, lots of words, and no story. Hmm…It’s starting to look a little like a blog around here, non? We’ll have to see what we can do to spruce things up around here, the miss and I. Although, I could just give the Faeries free reign…

That bright, golden October light…

Lovely October- the gold, brassy light, streaming into the house, blinding me with its’ brightness, turning the computer screen and TV into nicely reflective mirrors…drat. Time for new curtains!

So- first I measure the windows- or rather, in this case, the glass doors. 8 feet exactly. Okay, I want them long enough to brush elegantly against the floor, 2 inches for that. and, I don’t like sewing drapes, I generally just fold over an allowance at the top to slide the curtain rod through and call it done, so 4 inches for that. 96 inches plus 2 plus four= hmm…lets just make it 3 yards, that’ll be plenty. Now I just need to dig something suitable out of the stash. In the meantime…

I have a little black Pixie Pouch almost done, and plans for a white one to go on the needles before the day is done…

The shower curtain is working out great- until I realized that I never finished off the seams! Drat. Guess I’ll take that down today and do some work on that this week…

It’s time to drag out the Cricket and cut some new Fall shapes again! Bats and pumpkins, leaves and foxes this year…

Playing around with a new Purse idea- it’s involving lots of brown velvet, ribbons, leaves and Fall colours!

And finally, still messing about with doll patterns, ideas, sketches and plans. I really do like the early stages of a new idea, but sometimes the logistics just get in the way!

Pinning for cooler weather- can’t even look at the oven its so hot nowadays!

October!

Gosh I love this time of year!The pumpkin patches are finally up, Pumpkins and squash are heaped in piles in the market, the leaves are spinning down, the earth goes to bed earlier, and everyone longs for a weekend in the mountains…
No baking yet this week- it’s been too hot to turn the oven on! Lots of crafting though:

Finished Tasha’s new Morris Pillow this morning- it’s made from the leftovers of the Shower Curtain I made a few weeks back. After piecing together strips and blocks I put some iron-on interfacing to the back, both to plump it up and also to enhance it’s quilty-ness. Then I put a regular old bed pillow in and sewed it up. Perfect! It goes quite nicely with the new Fall themed dishes I picked up early last month, too…
I also finally- finally!- perfected my new Pixie Pouches pattern! I’ll have pictures to post of that later this week, but basically it’s my knitted bag recipe. I started the process last Fall, believe it or not…
The only other thing I have going at the moment is a pretty major Job Search- time to get these oars back into the water and find some regular work! And no, I’m not giving up on The Dream- it’s just time to realize certain paths didn’t pan out, and time to get back on the Road…

A Hobbit’s Tea

Did you know that it’s Hobbit Week ? And that this Friday is Hobbit Day? I know! I’ve been reading The Hobbit this month, and just discovered this awesomeness myself. So I immediately had to plan a Hobbit Day Party, with all the trimmings. Here’s what we have so far:

We will be participating in Second Breakfast, which is this Friday. Interesting, because it is also Mabon, and there is also a birthday in the family! So much to do, so little time…

A new table runner has been made, inspired by this little scene I cooked up whilst doing a dry run for Second Breakfast:

See all the props back there? I had a few of those beanpot jug-teapotty things already, and knew they’d be just perfect for this, so I went down to the thrift store to find more, and well, just look!

I am just totally in love with these little dishes- and that glass jug! That is sending me over the moon. So I’ve had to sew up some new things to go along with the new colourway.

Now, on to the menu…

Sausages! Hobbits are forever eating sausages in the movies, and the book, so I made up a batch of Turkey Apple-Sage-Allspice Sausage Patties.

Bread. As you can see in the photo above, a nice plump, golden brown loaf was baked this week, just for the occasion. Ahem. And promptly eaten! We may have to bake another, the day of, just to make it last long enough to actually be eaten at the party!

Scones might be nice, so I whipped up a batch of Maple & Brown Sugar Scones. Yummy!

Mushrooms, of course, since everyone knows Hobbits love Mushrooms. Stuffed or Stewed, I’m not sure which yet. Hmm, maybe both?

Tea, of course- we love tea, I actually prefer it over coffee. Which is featured in the book prominently, so perhaps I ought to include that as well?

Ale. Since the weather has started it’s turn to cooler nights and mornings, I’ve been fancying a bit of crusty, yeasty Beer Bread, so I might just bake up a loaf of that as well…

And that’s as far as I’ve gotten in the food department. Quite nice I think. The Faeries are just over the moon with excitement- they think I’m celebrating their birthdays, since they love all the brown and greens in the house this Fall! Silly Faeries, haven’t they ever heard of a Hobbit before?

So I’m off to see what else I can whip up for the party! This is such fun already- don’t you just love the planning part the best? Ta!

Full steam ahead in the workshop…

Christmas prep starts this week- I am thick in the midst of researching new ideas, mock-up building, and daydreams galore! Sometimes the best part of a new design is the initial dreaming. Lots of ideas flying around the workshop today:

Doll ideas and patterning- trying a half-size variant this week. Tiny fingers!

How to make a Winter Fairy Throne? Hmm…

Want to make a new Fall Tunic out of some yummy fabric I just found that I had totally forgotten about in my stash…

Winter Holidays menu building…

Christmas Gift List- what should this years’ theme be?

Holly, Mistletoe, Pine, and Moss internet research…

And lots more to come in the following weeks ahead! I just love the creative atmosphere of this time of year, don’t you?

Hey you faeries, get outta that fabric bin!

I made this!

I should make this a regular series- things I made this week! It seems this was a very productive week. Getting the shopping done on Thursdays has been working out great- there’s food in the house for the weekend, I can get all my food prep done on Friday (and not waste the weekend with kitchen chores!) and I have lots of yummy things to eat for lunch all week long (so I have more time to sew, since it’s all made and ready to heat up!)

So, things I made this week- first up is a new Fall shower curtain!

It’s made up of a few different Morris inspired fabrics (love them! See the blue border? It’s my favorite), a little leftover green linen (that has been finding its way into everything lately! I keep thinking it’s the end of the piece, only to find still more in my scrap basket!) and a lovely green print I’ve had for a while. Great big 10'” squares pieced together, no backing- lots of ironing and hemming tho. And just a nice straightforward turned cuff hem at the top with the curtain rod threaded through. It’s shorter than I had planned because of that, but it works fine  so I am happy with it.  I am turning the scraps into a new fall pillow/blanky/bed for Tasha, because she asked for one:

Please mama, can I have this?

 

 

 

 

So of course, I had to whip something up for her that very instant! It’s done and just waiting for a pillow insert. I am very pleased with how it came out, too. I pieced the scraps together and put some fusible interfacing on them to make them even more poofy (technical term there, poofy) them sewed them up into a pillow case form. Insert pillow, finish the seam and voila! Instant kitty bed! Or couch pillow, which is what it will turn into when she gets bored of it in three weeks, which is the usual around here. But hey- I made two things this week! Yaay me!

Now if I can just find a pillow form to fit this…

It’s a September thing…

September! How I do love it’s familiar scents, sounds, colours and routines. I’ve been working hard these last couple of weeks:

I tried a new idea this time around, and cut out enough fabric for 6 bags at once. It took way too long! I spent three days alone just washing, ironing and cutting it all out.

This is the inside of the bags I make right now. See all those pockets? Lovely! And I am loving the colours on these. So perfect for Fall right now!

I’ve made two so far- I know! Weeks of work and only two bags! But I learned a lot while making them: I tried a new process; practiced a whole new schedule; worked with an entirely new colour palette; and even gave myself a deadline! It was an eye-opening experience. And the good news is I have a whole new design worked out for something new, which I can’t wait to get started on!

And yes, that is a very patient kitty-girl waitin’ on her momma to come play up in that first picture up there. She’s been my personal assistant these last few weeks- she makes sure I don’t get sidetracked by the computer, gets me to take lunch breaks, and she even gets me up on time in the mornings! Must be all the Tuna and Kitty-Salad she’s been getting lately…

Stages of a project

I love organization- sorting, filing, just the processes of an orderly life. It gives me the greatest joy to redo the closets, or to thoroughly clean and put stuff away. I’m a “a place for everything, everything in its place” kind of girl. So the fact that I didn’t have a routine for my crafting was, to put it mildly, shocking! I tried out a little assembly line idea while cutting the fabric for my current project, and it worked! I’ll have to think of some more ideas and do a few more trials, but I am already more energized  and planning more work than I have been since summer break started, and hope to get the new process streamlined and operational in time for the yearly Christmas Workshop later this Fall…

Buying fabric

One thing I did discover in looking at how I “work” this week was that, weirdly enough, I haven’t been buying enough fabric. Or rather, enough of the right kind of fabric. Using the supplies I already had around the house was the name of the game when I first started out, and for the longest time I thought all the half finished projects and not-quite-right results were simply my lack of skill.

Well, I’ve spent a lot of time crafting over the years- in fact, it’s what I “do”, even if I don’t get paid for it. I’ve come to view it as my work, and I’ve been educating myself, refining my “product”, pinpointing my ideal fabric content and colour range, discovering preferred tools, and so many more aspects of what I like and don’t like that I realized that “making do” just wasn’t working. My husband helped me realize that I am very good at what I do, and that it was my unhappiness at “making do and just making it work” that was hampering the end product, not my lack of skills!

Taking the time to work out the dimension list and process detail on this project has highlighted the fact that for me, using my ideal materials makes a better end product. It’s the little details that matter the most!

Storing fabric

Oddly enough, how I store my raw materials affects my process- a lot. When I first started out I would have to wash and iron a piece of fabric every time  a new project got started! Finally I’ve learned to wash and iron them the week, if not the day I bring them home. And folding them! I would fold the lengths of material any old which way- then get frustrated when I pulled them off the shelves and have to rewash and iron them to get the creases out. Now I fold them selvedge to selvedge, and then in half lengthwise and half again, like folding a letter. They all fit on my shelving neatly stacked without falling down whenever I reach in there for a “package”, and I can see the colours and patterns at a glance. Easy peasy! No more wasting time rewashing and ironing fabric, lots more time for actual sewing!

Clearing the decks

Right- that’s enough time yammering about my new process! Time to get working on this new project so I can show you all the wonderful ideas I have cooked up for this Fall. Ahh Fall- will it ever come again? This time of year I like to clear off all my decks, finish up old projects, dream about new ones, and plan ideas for Christmas. So it’s bye-bye lazy summer days, hello crafting machine!

Doing the math

While working out the yardage calculations of my bag pattern I noticed something right away- the bag lining and inside pockets were taking up a lot of fabric- too much for the amount I had just bought to do them! I thought there would be enough to do 6 bags- maybe more, if I counted the fabric already in my stash. But no- I hadn’t counted on the bag lining fabric being such a large piece. It was then that I realized I hadn’t really looked at my pattern before, and I really had no idea the amount of fabric the pattern used. It will work out, because there is enough fabric in my stash to come up with the difference, as long as I don’t mind the pockets not being all matchy-matchy with the lining. But I wanted to figure out a way to make sewing bags more effortless, easier and less time consuming. I wanted to make a more streamlined process for myself.

I set the problem aside for my brain to work on while I went about some other “chores” around the house. Am I the only person who loves to rearrange cabinets? I found myself at 8 o’clock sorting through the medicine cabinet, tossing old shampoo bottles and setting up a first aid box, happy as a clam! Tasha had to come in to see what I was up too. She’s very bossy around bedtime- lights out Mama!

Unless it’s hot. Then this is all you get:

Too bad kitties don’t like cold showers!

Discovering my Process…

I’ve started a new project this week, and it’s making me so happy! I’ve gathered some of my favorite colours and fabrics and started a new round of bags. The prep work has never gone very smoothly with these, so I sat down and did some math calculations.

Jump right in

Normally when I start a new project, I just read the directions and start cutting. Oh sure, I wash and iron my fabrics, true them up and slice off the ragged edges. And yes, I’ve done some research, poured over the internet and books for inspiration, and dug through my notes for ideas. But I don’t really think about what the end product will look like, and sometimes it seems I do more math calculations than I do sewing on some projects. So this time, I sat down at my work table (yes- the dining table! It’s a great big surface I can pile all my yummy fabrics on…) and made a list of all the dimensions. And that got me thinking of how new dimensions would look- but that’s another project, for another day (Tote bags! Shopping bags! Book bags!).

The Crafting Machine at work… lots of new bags up there- just you wait! Oh, and here’s an update on the Faery’s House, I’ve gotten some work done on the paint job this summer:

New window frames, and got the trim on the attic painted out- I’m liking, but not loving, the orange/green colourway at the moment, but I’ve no idea what colour to paint the patio/balcony railings. The Faeries haven't’ been very helpful- they’ve taken to camping out in the garden to escape the heat. I know because they’ve been having loud midnight pool parties in the pond!

Looks so cool and inviting! So glad I made a “pond” for the garden- all the hummers come by for a sip, and Tasha likes to splash around in there, too!

Fall sewing- and a Hobbit or two…

Mama’s little helper:

We (she owns half of everything brought into this house!) bought some new fabric for a few very special Fall projects.

High loft interfacing. A very important part of my crafting!

Lots of yummy Fall colours!

Some of you might remember this little guy. I made hima few years back, but now he’s so apropo! It’s my version of a hobbit- right down to his little vest and pants! Now all he needs are some hairy feet…

Happy Weekending everyone!

Friday musing

From this:

to this:

Yaay! The Watercolour quilt top is finished. I am taking my time working up a backing for it, and I might even assemble it differently than I had first intended. It’s more of a warm weather quilt, after all. So, I am thinking just a nice, thin layer of flannel for the batting on this one. A little light in-the-ditch quilting. We’ll see. Right now I am finishing an easy-breezy Lavender skirt for running around in this weekend. A-line, zipper-and-button closure, quilt binding style waistband, and a turned hem. Beautiful! And just in time for Spring and Summer picnics, movies, farmers markets, and who knows what else…