Sew It Up

WOW! We are hosting Bernina Virtual Clubs for 2015!

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 15:32:00 +0000

ANNOUNCING OUR 2015 BERNINA VIRTUAL CLUBS!

Bernina Club - for EVERYONE!

Embroidery Club - Bernina Owners who want to know more!

Software Club - Bernina Owners who want to know the most!

Our presenter will be Tari Intardonato, who is a Bernina Educator ~ and just what machine does she like best from Bernina? Why the 880 of course! She has written up this post for all of us.

If you would like to become a member of our clubs for 2015,

you can register on line on Sew It Up.com

or call (817) 514-6061 or stop by the shop!

We do have an incredible deal if you would like to join all three clubs!

That is where you will learn the most!

The new BERNINA 880 Sterling Edition has arrived! Come in and see this elegant new machine – only a limited number have been made. WE ONLY HAVE ONE! It is simply dazzling!

In addition to the stylish new faceplate, the BERNINA 880 Sterling Edition comes loaded with special extras valued at more than $2,600. The extras include:

An ornamental silver plate for engraving
USB Stick with the “It’s a Sterling Life” embroidery design collection created for BERNINA by Sarah Vedeler.
“It’s a Sterling Life” quilt kit.

PaintWork Tool
CutWork Tool
CrystalWork Tool
Rotary Punch Tool
Rotary Punch Needle Plate
Commemorative Holiday Ornament

Ornamental silver plate for personalized engraving. Adheres to the machine.
Invitation to an exclusive 3-day Sterling Retreat at the BERNINA Creative Center with BERNINA Education Team and Special guest Sarah Vedeler on select dates ($199 registration fee/value $449 – fee covers only entrance and no transportation or lodging is included).

Special accessory and software offers – Instant Savings of 25% off the following items with purchase of the BERNINA 880 Sterling Edition:

BERNINA Embroidery Software 7 DesignerPlus
BERNINA Embroidery Software 7 Editor Plus
DesignWorks Software
DesignWorks Software Code Cards
Jumbo Hoop

The only thing limited about the BERNINA 880 Sterling Edition is its availability!

Want to know more? Call us at 817-514-6061 or come see us today.

My Colorado Quilting Journey!

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 04:31:00 +0000

Even though it may seem like I am still in Texas managing the shop and writing all of the store emails, I have really been in Colorado for nearly three weeks. I have been spending quality time with my hubby:) This is where I come to renew and regenerate . . . and cook! Well, that is only one of my pastimes. I also do a lot of hand embroidery, knitting and sewing. This trip I have been practicing my quilting skills in particular. I have pieced one and started another.

I chose both quilt patterns from issues of Modern Quilt Studio. The first is "Making Waves" from issue #3 and the second, "Fade Away" is from issue #5. I have learned so much! And, had so much fun along the way. That is one of the most wonderful things about sewing; it is the process, the journey. The final outcome is also quite exhilarating, but for me it is the always the actual step by step process.

Making Waves: Pieced, Pinned and ready to machine quilt!

The Top Third of Fade Away

The Bottom Third of Fade Away; now for the middle!

Now back to Colorado! I thought that I would post just a few pictures of one of my favorite places on the planet!

Our Cabin

Downtown Riverside

Aspen in front of the cabin.

Wildflowers Everywhere!

And Wild Roses too - my favorite.

Tomorrow is our last day here before we begin our drive back to Texas.
I will be back in the shop on Wednesday trying to catch up!
Next Saturday I will be teaching "Sewing with Knits"!

Going home:(

Sewing With Knits: Part III

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 22:53:00 +0000

I've been sewing! I made the new Tara by Serendipity Studio a couple of weeks ago and just love it! So, I decided to give it a try in a jersey ~ as opposed to the woven cotton, which was my 4th of July dress pictured two posts ago! Kay Whitt, the designer of this pattern just happened to include two bodice choices. My first dress had the cute bodice tucks parallel to center front, but in thinking through making this out of a knit, I decided that the tucks could potentially cause "problems". So, I choose the plain bodice, BUT I rotary cut 6 strips of my knit twice the length of the bodice front by 1". After running a gathering stitch down the center of each strip, I attached them to my bodice front (I chose an open zig zag stitch) before construction. This worked great - at least I think so! You'll see a close-up photo at the end of this post.

When you are studying your patterns trying to decide which one to use for a knit project, my advise is "keep it simple"! Naturally, you can go with patterns that indicate "Knits Only", but who wants to make it that easy! If I am using a regular pattern, I almost always cut out the next smaller size - because knits do stretch! Most of the time, I look for simplicity in the design lines. Next I figure out what changes need to be made to make the construction process the easiest possible for the most "professional" results!

If the pattern shows a zipper, I determine IF it is really necessary. If the fit is very close, then you will probably need the zipper. Next I look at facings. I really hate facings for knits, so I eliminate them and replace them with a lining - no more flippy facings! Keep in mind that the lining needs to have the same properties as the fashion fabric, so it also needs to stretch. Hold the two together to test their compatibility. First, trim your lining pieces along their seam allowances about 1/8". Next, sew up the side seams of the fashion fabric as well as the lining pieces. Now, with right sides facing each other, sew the outside to the lining going around the neckline and armhole openings ~ leave the top of the shoulder seam open. See my photos below for examples. After sewing, you will trim your seams closely, turn and press gently and then sew the shoulder seams (of the fashion fabric only!) You can slip stitch by hand the shoulder seams of the lining.

If you shy away from linings, then consider making your own "ribbing" as your finish for the neckline and sleeves. This is not difficult to do, but it requires a delicate touch:

Cut out your strips with a rotary cutter (much easier!) It is not necessary to cut these on the bias and best you do not unless it is a knit that barely stretches.
Measure them against the garment opening that you are "facing" and sew together to create a circle.
Then press them in half width-wise - very carefully - do not to stretch it at all.
Pin to the wrong side of your garments and sew slowly,
Trim.
Turn the "ribbing" to the right side of the garment.
Press

One last thought, IF you need to interface your garment, say for example, the knit is very stretchy (we call this an "unstable knit") then you may want to interface your raw curved edges. That would be the neckline and armhole opening for sure. Your interfacing needs to stretch along with everything else, so be sure and use a fusible tricot interfacing. You will be very happy with the results.

Happy Sewing with your Knits!

I will be leading a two part class on sewing with knits in August. I believe that it is already on our website.

Sewing with Knits: Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 22:09:00 +0000

The next two subjects that I would like to talk about are the stitch type and length that you choose for project as well as the choice between facings and linings.

I like to take a "scrap" of my chosen fabric, put in a new stretch or ball point needle, and run some sample stitches to see what works best. There are many weights of knits: some are "thinner" or "slinkier" that others, so it is a good idea to preview your stitches. Sometimes the foot pressure may seem to heavy, however, I have found that if the knit seems to drag through the feed dogs, all you need to do is lengthen the stitch length a little. I know that machines now come with built in stitches for knits, but I still test to see which is going to give me the best finish. On the rayon jersey knit pictured to the left I chose to use a regular straight stitch setting of 2.5 for my seams and a zig zag stitch (W=2.5;L=3) for my hem. These two settings allowed my fabric to lie flat with no stretching issues. I just finished a Maxi skirt with the fabric shown here and it hangs beautifully! I call this my "15 Minute Skirt". I will go over this in detail in an upcoming class on sewing with knits at the shop. It will be a two part class with the first being a "Prep" class (in which I will also share my pattern and techniques for this skirt); the second part will be a workshop where you choose between 3 or 4 pattern suggestions and we make a dress!

Now, for the discussion of Facings Versus Linings.

Most patterns for garments include facings rather

than a lining as it might seem an easier way to finish off the neckline and possible sleeves. This method does use less fabric, but when you are working with knits, you either need to bind the neck opening and sleeveless armhole openings or just line the entire bodice. To me, lining the bodice is by far easier! All you do is cut another bodice front and back out of a lining fabric. Pretty easy! Of course, the issue becomes finding the right lining. A sheer lightweight knit is the best choice and, of course, Sew It Up does stock this in white and natural at this time. See how this drapes ----

Perfect for knits because it IS a knit. It will stretch along with the rest of the dress and lays beautifully inside your garment without any puckering!

In our next installment I will cover interfacing for a garment using a knit fabric as well as pattern and fabric choices as well as how to cut it out!

Sewing with Jersey Knits: Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 20:54:00 +0000

Let's get started! Today, I am going to highlight the necessary notions to have on hand before we start sewing.

1. NEEDLES: One of the most important items to have on hand when sewing with knits is the proper kind of machine needle. You absolutely without a doubt need a ball point/ jersey needle. (Also sometimes labelled "stretch") They do come in different sizes - so choose the size based on the weight of the knit you are going to sew. Most jersey's are lightweight, so I use a 70. If you are using something like a Ponte, then use an 80. I will talk about hemming later, but you will need a twin stretch needle to do this unless you have a serger that does a "cover lock" stitch.

2. PINS: Use glass head and preferably new ones as knits can snag easily. And, speaking of snagging,make sure that you do not have any dry places on your hands or nails. Maybe lotion up the night before and do a little light filing:)

3. THREAD: Most of the time I use regular sewing thread in my sewing machine, but only Gutterman or Metrosene. Occasionally I will use "wooly nylon" in my bobbin ~ if I need the seam to stretch a lot. If I am serging my seams, I put the "wooly nylon" in the upper looper of my serger (regular thread in the needle and lower looper).

4. INTERFACING: Sometimes you will need a little interfacing for your project and it must be able to stretch along with the knit. My favorite is the tricot fusible; it comes in white and black. Another one of my favorite is a fusible stretch tape for stabilizing seams and even hemlines. You can cut your own from the tricot fusible interfacing.

5. WHICH FOOT TO USE: If you have a teflon foot, I find that this works marvelously; however if you do not have one, you can still sew up your project with ease.

6. PRESSING CLOTH: Imperative! And, do not set your iron on the highest setting ~ cotton! This is where most of us leave our irons set at, so just be careful to change the setting to silk or poly.

Tomorrow I am going to discuss how to cut out your project! You do not need to pre-wash your jersey knits as you are most likely going to wash them on delicate in cold water.

Sew Sew Sew Serendipity!

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 21:57:00 +0000

Last Saturday we hosted Kay Whitt, the designer for Sew Serendipity Designs for an event. She brought us all of her new samples for her three newest patterns: The Jade Jacket, the Willow Tunic/Dress & the Tara Dress (which she is wearing in the photo to the left). She even brought the samples from last Fall Market which were: Fashion Formula Volume 3 (12 Skirts 12 different ways!), the Jordan Jacket (a denim jacket look-a-like) and the Ramona Wrap Dress. We oohed over all the delicious garments ~ they totally inspired all of us to go sew them up! I was no exception. Just this morning, I finished my first Tara Dress. I made it up in a beautiful light weight cotton sateen. After studying the fabric I decided that it simply did not need any complimentary fabric. I choose the mid-calf length with a single deep ruffle (3"). I made the tie, bias binding - everything out of the one fabric. I love it! The pattern directions were a breeze to follow and, believe it or not, I only made one small change! I like having elastic in the back rather than the tie going all the way thru the casing. You cannot tell at all when you have the dress on, but for me, it is just more comfortable. As far as fit, I cut out the Small, except the front bodice. I cut out a medium to help fit me better. Its perfect!

On Saturday, for the event, I wore one of Kay's slightly older patterns, the Juliet Nouveau, which I had not made before. I had this wild idea to make it out of a jersey! I cut out the small for all pieces. For the bodice, I eliminated all of the facings and lined it entirely out of a stretch jersey lining. I will go into more detail about how I sewed it up in my next post! I think that I will make it my goal to make up as many of Kay's patterns in knits! I will keep blogging on the topic of knits. I know that it has been a great while since my previous post. I will try to do better!

Here is the Juliet Nouveau out of a jersey:

Finished my first PDF pattern last night.

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 22:35:00 +0000

Fini!

Between the laundry, housework, cooking and packing for my trip, . . . I managed to finish a blouse and sew up this "Crossover Capelet" yesterday. Naturally, I had to take sewing breaks! This is the pattern that I downloaded as a PDF earlier in the week. First of all, I really love it! I chose a very nice herringbone wool in a soft gray/blue and paired it with a dusty navy lining; both from the shop. The buttons came out of one of my button boxes. A very nice glass button with a metal shank; actually Victorian. I love buttons!

I had to restrain myself from making any changes to the project as I wanted it to be just as the pattern designer intended. Well, okay, I did make one change: I eliminated the interfacing as I did not think that the collar needed it. I tried! I will make just a couple of changes on my next one though:)

So, what are my conclusions regarding the PDF pattern idea. Well, I made a list of Pros and Cons.

On the Pro side:

The pattern is FREE.
You get instant gratification downloading a pattern; no need to order.
This is great if you don't happen to live near a "nice" fabric store!
This type of pattern costs the designer very little to produce; less profit, but far less risk of investment.

On the Con side:

To me the printing, taping the pages together accurately and then cutting was too time consuming.
I do not feel that it is truly free as you need to own a printer, have ink in printer, have plenty of paper and tape. Naturally, most people do own printers, but how much is it really costing??? Hmmm....
I prefer pinning through tissue rather than printer paper. Perhaps I should have traced the pattern off first like I usually do with my multi-sized patterns. More time....
Storage: There is no envelop to store your pattern in. A large manilla folder or a ziploc bag works, but it looks messy with my other patterns. I know, I am picky!
And, on a more "personal note" as a retailer, I cannot sell these patterns, so what incentive is there for me or my personnel to "test" the pattern for our customers. (I know that as a store owner it is considered to be in poor taste to mention $$$, but I do want to stay open for business:)

I'll show these Capelets off in my upcoming class in Ft Worth, "Vintage Effects on Modern Clothing" at the Original Sewing & Quilting Expo TEXAS debut!

Today, I have travelled all the way to Fredericksburg, Virginia to teach for the same Expo. I'll be sharing my love of Ruffle Fabrics AND hopefully inspiring others to sew more for the holidays!

Sewing with my 1st PDF pattern!

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 18:38:00 +0000

Are you familiar with Stitch magazine by Interweave Press? It IS my favorite sewing magazine! They have great projects with great instructions and photographs that always make me want to go home and create something. But do I? Well, I must admit that the magazines do stack up with plenty of "dog eared" pages. I do look at them over and over again - does that count?

So, I finally have picked a project as seen to the left here: The Criss Cross Capelet by April Moffat, featured in the Fall 2013 issue. Since I am teaching, Vintage Effects on Modern Clothes at the upcoming Original Sewing & Quilt Expo in Ft Worth next month, this project fits right in. I would have already made it but what has held me back is that the pattern is available only as a PDF which is downloadable on their site, SEWDAILY.COM

I do not have a problem with PDF patterns at all, however when the project involves printing out more than 20 pages . . . which you then have to tape together (very carefully matching up the dots) and then cut it out of the "stiff" inkjet printer paper (rather than the tissue paper that we know so well) well, need I say more? I know that it is FREE, but is it really??? I do not know what it costs per page on my printer, but we all know that the ink is not cheap. Paper; not too bad and neither is the tape very expensive. BUT, do you know how long it took me to do all of this? Probably a little over 30 minutes! Hmmm . . . I am not sure about this after all. Maybe I should change my opinion about these PDF's . . . . what does everyone else think of these? I think that I personally would rather have a pattern on tissue all printed out, with directions all inclusive. I would gladly pay for this service But wait, haven't we already been doing for decades!

Wow, I never thought that I would say this, but it must be my age! I must be getting "old"!

Okay, I am going to cut this out today and start sewing it up, so follow my progress and comments right here:)

Here is what the cover of the magazine looks like if you want to check and see if you have this issue.

PS Has everyone already ordered their tickets for the show in Ft Worth? If we want to have our own fabulous sewing show in north Texas, here is our chance to get one and keep it!

Guns, Ammo & Fabric?!?!

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 22:28:00 +0000

This is just too funny!

While on my vacation in Colorado, I visited with a customer of ours (who moved to Pagosa Springs, Colorado a number of years ago) if they had any fabric stores in town, fully expecting her to say, "no." But to my surprise, she verified that there was indeed just one in the back of the gun store! I could not believe it and HAD to go check this one out.

Yep, there is was, Eagle Mountain Mercantile.

Mainly they sell guns, ammo and hunting licenses. But the owner's wife, has her own quilt shop in the back of the store. Oh, and they sell pet supplies. What a crazy combination! But, I have to admit it was not too bad. Certainly better than no fabric at all!

As you can see in the picture here it is quite nice. I bet that she does not have more than maybe 300 square feet of space, but it is nicely arranged with some great samples and surprisingly a very ample supply of fabrics, some patterns and a nice selection of books & notions. Although, she did not have a belt for my Featherweight Singer machine that I brought with me on this trip:( Oh, well, I really did not expect to find one, but one can always hope!

I am posting a few more pictures of this rare retail store for everyone to enjoy. The first one is a view of her small knitting corner; note the deer antlers hanging from the ceiling. In the next picture is a great juxtaposition of quilt samples with gun holsters! Maybe you could store a quilt in those! And, in the final picture you can see the pet supplies with the fabric bolts in the back.

I'll leave you with a great picture of the gun/hunting portion of the store which is the majority of the shop - at least 1000 square feet! Hmmm . . . who is getting the most out of this shop? Well, at least you would probably not have any trouble talking your husband to going to the quilt shop with you! That is, if he is a hunter! Of course, if you have never visited Sew It Up Studio, you need to know that we do have a hobby shop next door to us that sells radio controlled everything (Hobby Town USA) AND we have a fabulous woodcrafting store on the other side (Woodcraft). I hear that we are getting a breakfast cafe on the other end of our center (Bacon's) as well as a really big salon (Salon's on the Hill). Most recently I have heard that a great gift shop is moving in on the other side of us, Apple Annie's! But, alas, no guns or ammo!

P.S. People here keep asking me if I have any intention of opening up a fabric shore here in Pagosa Springs, where I hope to retire to in a few years, and the answer is NO! One shop & one website is quite enough! I do hope that I can continue to manage them :)

No Bears Sighted Yet!

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 21:43:00 +0000

A few years ago I blogged about my summer vacation in Colorado at the family cabin, complete with even a bear event! (August 2010) No sightings this year - thank goodness! At least so far. . .

Naturally, I brought my sewing machine with me to "play" on vacation. Doesn't everyone? I decided this year to bring my little Singer featherweight; my plan being to finish my first BIG quilt! So, I packed extra spools of thread, extra needles, bobbins, the oil (as I never can remember the last time it was lubricated), seam gauge, etc. I even remembered to check and see if the foot pedal and electrical cord were in the case! But what I failed to check was the condition of the belt. All sewing machines used to be powered by a belt that went from the little motor to the hand wheel to make it go. Well, . . . about half way into my project, I noticed some dirt literally piling up under the left side of the machine. It did not take me long to discover its source - the belt was disintegrating:( Oh dear, was I going to be able to finish my project(s)? I prayed that the belt would make it through the completion of the piecing of my quilt. I do not know if you can see the belt in this picture where it is fraying beyond belief ~ well, I do suspect that this is the original belt on the machine, so that would make it over 70 years old!

Well, believe it or not, it did and then quit!!! I had only filled one bobbin. I do not think that the belt would have allowed another one to be readied for the task. I checked to see how much thread was left ~ there was only about 10"! I really could not believe it! Wow, the sewing angels were looking over my shoulder! I can't sew anymore on this trip, but that is OK. We will be heading home in another couple of days and, after all, I did complete the one project that I had hoped to finish. Allow me to share with you my first really BIG modern quilt!

This Quilt is out of Modern Quilts Illustrated, Vol #4, COVENT GARDEN, using Weeks Ringle's new line of fabric "Vintage Modern" for Andover Fabrics. Of Course, Sew It Up carries the fabric and magazine:)

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 19:20:00 +0000

It's KID'S WEEK @ Sew It Up!

We had the most delightful group of girls in all last week for our second session of KIDS SEWING CAMP for beginners. They were awesome! Very focused, enthusiastic, productive and polite! Their Mom's should be proud! Here they are with their headbands on!

They also made pillowcases, tote bags, their very own skirt and a little zip-up wristlet bag!

Then, on Saturday, we hostessed our very 1st TEA PARTY!!!

AND . . . . it was a smashing success!

All of the little girls introduced themselves, their dolls and told us how their doll came into their life ~ it was touching. They and their dolls dressed up too! Some wore hats, some had glitter in their hair or pretty ribbons. It was refreshing to see so many happy faces. We had tea, for the grown ups, pink lemonade for the girls, lots of goodies to eat for all. For the dolls, the girls made them each a necklace with teapot and tea cup buttons. It was a wonderful way to end our week with kids being turned on to sewing! I overheard several at the party saying that as soon as they were old enough they were going to learn to sew!

Today, we have a group in of sisters, cousins and friends from Texas, Oklahoma & Colorado sewing a laminated "Beach Bag". The bags look wonderful! They sewed most of the morning and took a break for a picnic with sandwiches from Honey Baked Ham - yum!

The allure of THE DRESS!

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 21:46:00 +0000

This summer I have been making lots of dresses. One reason is that they are cooler! Also, you do not have to think what blouse, tee shirt, etc to put with it ~ its an entire ensemble! AND, I really do think that they can be so much more comfortable than just about anything - except maybe pj's. I love to study the fashions of the '40's and '50's. There was such an elegance to the fashions then. In looking around the shop at our patterns and our many different fabrics, I am struck with a thought ~ why can't we wear those beautiful dresses today? Well, why not! With minor changes to the patterns, the right fabric choices as well as the right accessories, we can do this! Well, maybe not the hat:(

So..... I am working on this now - everyday and night. I am consumed with thoughts of beautiful dresses.

Yesterday, Kay Whitt was in the shop and I was thrilled to compare thought with her only to find that she feels the same way. I think that she may have some new pattern ideas coming soon!

I am already planning a class, "Couture Sewing Techniques" for the NEW ORIGINAL SEWING & QUILT EXPO that is coming to Ft Worth this fall. I feel like this is going to be a superb show! Everyone put it on their calendar: October 17th thru 19th, the Will Rodgers Memorial Center.

Sewing Circles

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 20:33:00 +0000

I was checking my email yesterday and saw one from my daughter "...Saw this and thought of you!"

It was not the picture above (although I think it is pretty cool), it was a link to a database in the Massachusetts Historical Society titled 95 Sewing Circle Records, 1893-1961, 2 boxes, 4 cased volumes. If you did not know already my daughter is working on her doctorate hence the reason for her actually running across this bit of history. She was doing a search for "Women, Societies and Clubs, Upper Class, Massachusetts". I won't go into the details of why she was doing just this, but I wanted to share with everyone the description of just what was the '95 Sewing Circle:

"Meeting schedules, scrapbooks, photographs, and miscellaneous correspondence of the ’95 Sewing Circle, a club for upper-class Boston women begun in 1895. Most members of the exclusive club were born in the 1870s and "came out" in the early to mid-1890s. Although the title suggests a charitable purpose, it appears that most club activities were social in nature. Profiles of members, with photographs and vital information, are contained in the scrapbooks. Also included are 3 reels of movie film and miscellaneous club artifacts.

I have bolded and italicized what truly caught my attention. I love it! Women have been getting together for a long long time sewing and talking and sharing and laughing and sometimes crying. Sometimes we do sew for charitable causes, but mostly it is social. We inspire each other in our craft as well as support one another through the many trials of life. I know lots of women who are in "Quilting Bee's" and church groups that meet regularly. Here at Sew It Up Studio, we have been hostessing our "Sewist's Day Camp" this summer once a week in which you can come and go from 10an-5pm, working on your many UFO's! Our "Sew It Up Club meets once a month in order that our customers may all share their projects with one another . . . and visit! One of our dear customers hosts a "Craft Night" monthly at her home. What a fantastic idea! I am thinking perhaps we need a "Lunch Bunch" this fall just to have an excuse to "talk sewing"!

I love our craft of sewing! And, it is so much more than just sewing! We should all try to introduce just one of our friends this fall to sewing. Just consider what they have been missing!

Kids Sewing Camp - Summer 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 18:49:00 +0000

Last week was our first Kids Sewing Camp for 2013!

Even though there are only 4 new "sewists" pictured, there were actually five girls as you will surmise from the pictures of their completed projects. The classroom was filled with joy for 5 days from 10am until 2pm each day. They were learning, sharing, designing, forging new friendships & laughing. It was such a pleasure to be able to hear how much fun they were having! And, boy were they productive.

They began with pillowcases as that is our proverbial "first project" - look at the wonderful prints and colors that they chose! I love them all! Their second project I believe was a tote bag, but unfortunately our picture turned out a bit blurry.

They also made the cutest ever headbands which they all embellished with beads and sequins thus practicing some hand stitching!

Some of the girls made more than one; some for friends, some for relatives ~ so sweet!

To the left here are their little zip up bags that are perfect for anything small: pens & pencils, hair accessories, trinkets etc.

I am not sure if I have left out any of their projects, but their final one was a skirt which they all finished and modeled as you can see in the first photograph above. Don't they look confident and proud!

I do hope that they will continue to learn to sew over the summer and that they will all attend the intermediate session which will be in August. See y'all soon!

TAKING A BREAK . . . I'm sewing!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 17:07:00 +0000

What do you mean "sewing"? Don't I sew all the time? Well, sort of . . . I do sew many of the samples and kits for the shop, but occasionally, I just want to sew something that is just for me ~ not for the shop! Wow, can you imagine that?

In my collection, I have some wonderful really old pattens from the '40s and '50s. I made one a couple of weeks ago (see above!) with success (most of these do not have directions! and occasionally there is a piece missing). I love the styles of that time period and the fit. They are very feminine in my opinion, but what is the deal with the sizes! Gosh have we all gotten so much bigger than back in the 40's-50's??? I know that women wore girdles back then and they did not have drive thru fast food places as we do today! But honestly, has sizing for women's clothing changed that radically? Evidently so. A 30" bust was a size 12! I don't think that I was ever that tiny! I have had to cut out an 18-20 to get a bust of 36"-37"! Thank goodness we do not have to wear the size on the outside of a garment!

Towards the end of last week I tried another one. It is a maternity top, but I thought that it might just work for todays fashions. I made it up in a wonderful rayon batik so that it would flow nicely and not "stick out" ~ like a maternity top. BUT, well, it did. So, I decided that it would make a great bathing suit coverup.

That was last week. after studying it for several days, I decided to chance a few design alterations! I removed two of the side bows, edge stitched the side panels (to keep them from "poking out") and then added some inverted pleats to the front and back to create some shaping. I think that I have done it! - I believe that with some skinny khaki capris and flat sandals it can be worn out in public ~ that is the litmus test after all!

Just last night, I tried another dress pattern from the 50's and I love it! (See below.)
I might just have to draft this one for everyone to enjoy. I will post a picture of mine in a couple of days when it is finished.

Martha's Sewing Market

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:39:00 +0000

This past weekend was the annual Martha's Sewing Market at the Arlington Convention Center. This was their 16th year I do believe and our 15th year to exhibit for the Pullen Company. It has always been the hightlight of our entire summer, but sadly this year, it appears to be the last one. F & W Media bought the magazine, Sew Beautiful and Martha's Sewing market about a year ago. They chose to combine the venue with their annual Scrapbooking convention; however they segregated us to a separate exhibit hall and reduced our classrooms from twelve to one!

As you can see, their signage for us was kind of an afterthought - not a professional looking sign, just a hand drawn one! And, this only appeared on Saturday after numerous complaints that no one could find the sewing market!!!

It was sad to see how small the show was reduced to and how few free seminars were offered ~ only one per hour. In years past we had as many as twelve per time slot. It is heartbreaking to realize that the show must surely "die" after this pathetic attempt. I am extreemly disappointed in how little F & W Media seemed to care about the show, the customers or the vendors. I suppose all good things come to an end eventually.

For those of you who attended the show, I sincerely thank you for your support! If you wish to send your comments, in the form of an email, the show director's is Dana Groves: dgroves@interweave.com

AND, for those of you who attended my seminar on Thursday,

ONE SEAM WONDERS ~

here is where you will find the pattern instructions for

The Essential Shrug ~ Tuesday, July 12, 2011 and

My Diagonal Skirt ~ Monday, November 12, 2012

As always, I wish everyone Happy Sewing adventures!

. . . . & please stay tuned as I do have a few ideas for next summer!

I welcome any of your comments as well!

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 21:16:00 +0000

SEW IT UP

will be in Booths #114 & #116

June 6th-8th

Arlington Convention Center

Stop by and say Hello!

Our Free Seminars:

One Seam Wonders - Noon/Thursday
Quiltilng - The Next Generation - 4pm/Thursday
Hexagons: More Than You Ever Imagined - 9am/Friday
Slow Down! - Curves Ahead! - Noon/Friday
From Paper to Fabric: A Refreshing Transition - Noon/Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:17:00 +0000

I am amazed that our very own "Martha's Sewing Market" is just around the corner! I have been working on my seminars, new kits and other goodies. We, that is, Sew It Up have been a vendor for Martha for 15 years now ~ yes, that is hard to believe! Every year has been so much fun! We get soooo excited getting ready for the show. It is always great to see those customers who travel far and wide just for this event. Our own local customers attend in great numbers and we meet lots of wonderful new sewists!

Last year was a bit of a disappointment in the number of vendors. Granted there was another big sewing venue premiering on the very same weekend on the east coast. Many vendors live in that part of the country so it just made sense that they not travel all the way to Texas. Still, we missed them and the show seemed so much smaller. Another reason that the show lacked its usual luster was that Martha's company had just been bought by another. Yes, Hoffman Media had purchased them about two years prior. Now, it is F & W Media who owns the magazine and company. They had not owned it long enough to orient themselves to the personality of the show. They did not know the vendors and were a little clueless as to what exactly Martha's Sewing Market had become over the years. I know that many attendees were disappointed in the show.

This year will be different! What is this about combining Sewing with Scrapbooking? Frankly it is a matter of simple economics. The show has evidently not done very well in the money department for quite some time. A big company like F & W Media is not going to support an event that generates little or no profit. They have been producing this very same scrapbooking event for a number of years. So, we are actually quite lucky that they did not cancel OUR SEWING SHOW! So, they have combined the two. It just makes sense. There are fewer vendors interested in being a part of a small sewing show. So, here is the deal: if we do not support this show, it will likely be our very last one. Yes, we do have the Houston International Quilt Festival in the fall, but, for most of us, it isn't enough. We like having a sewing convention right here in our backyard!

So, I am asking everyone a big favor. Please spread the word and attend the market this year. If we can make it work, we will not loose the show! I am confident that this show CAN be built back up to what it used to be! I know that the tickets are $15/day at the door, so, here is what I am offering to everyone:

Shop with Sew It Up anytime between now and the event and I will give you a coupon worth $5 off of any purchase - made in our booths - at the show. This really means that Sew It Up is paying for one third of your ticket price! How about it? That sounds pretty good right? Well, here is one more "gift". If you come to the show and shop in our booths, you will receive a coupon worth $5 to spend anytime either in the shop or on-line! Now your ticket to get into the show is $5!

I am committed to making the show a success this year so that we can have it again next year! I hope that everyone else feels the same way that I do:)

A real SEW-IN!

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:41:00 +0000

This past weekend was Sew It Up's annual Spring "Sewing in Southern Comfort Retreat" in Mineola, Texas and, as always, I was totally in awe of the creativity, productivity and expertise in attendance! I love to see the way that fabrics are combined as well as the wonderful attention to detail in embellishing stage of the project. Look at this precious little pants set using two different strips, in three ways: vertical, horizontal and diagonal! This is actually the "All Set" pattern by Anna Marie Horner and if you are familiar with this pattern, you will note the variation in the bodice! Lets just say, that sometimes, an oversight in the cutting out stage can lend itself beautifully to a "design opportunity"!!!

Here is a baby ensemble that began with the gifted monogrammed diaper cover which begged for a coordinate. Hence the baseball fabric; however upon completion, the gray chevron fabric side (originally intended as the lining) was voted the "cutest" side!

Below are just A FEW of the more crafty side of the projects that were coming off the assembly line! The center purse is The Madison Bag by Kay Whitt. Several attendees had this on their list to make and two people totally finished theirs. I made one too to bring to the retreat. I must admit, that after watching two people use Soft & Stable rather than the recommended Deco Fuse, the first is definitely the easier to work with and the end result is perfect!

There were several sewists making ladies garments, but the kids clothing is always the cutest! So, I am including a few more pictures (and believe me I did pare these down substantially!) From left to right, the patterns used were: Claudia by Mod Kid, The Sophie Shorts Set by Kati Cupcake Patterns, The Ruby Ruffle Dress by Cottage Mama and the last is my own ruffled Skort from my new Sewing with Ruffles book! ALL PRECIOUS!

Now to wait for the next retreat!

I have decided that we definitely need more room for our retreat so that more of our wonderful customers can be a part of all of the fun, so that is what is one of my next big projects!

In the meanwhile, our BRAND NEW WEBSITE will be opening very very soon!

Origami Christmas Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 18:39:00 +0000

We have been having a lot of fun here at Sew It Up Studio. Last Saturday we had an ornament workshop and we thought it would be fun to share the directions with all of you.
We still have a few kits left which include everything you need to make your very own ornament!

Origami Ornaments

In your kit:

    A box of straight pins - at least 300
    120 two inch squares – at least 60 of each color
    3” Styrofoam ball
You might also like to use a thimble for pushing the pins and a small glass or the base of the pin box to hold the ball steady while you work.
General Instructions

After the base unit all of the squares will be folded the same throughout. When pinning each row you will just pin the 2 outer corners.

Instructions for the Straight Row Ornament

First fold the light color in half and then half again to form a 1” square, finger press and unfold and lay it on the ball and pin each corner.
You will used the pressed lines as placement lines for the next round.

Round 1
With the same color fold the square in half to form a rectangle then bring the corners to the center to form a triangle, finger press. Lay this piece with the folded tip at the center of the base square with the edges along the previously pressed lines – pin at all three corners without pushing the center pins in completely. Repeat 3 more times until the base square is covered and all tips meet at the center.

Round 2
Using the other color fold as before and line up the tip about 1/8” lower and centered in the space between the previous row, repeat this 3 more times around. Remove the center pins after round 2 is complete.
Round 3 to the end
Repeat round 2 changing colors for each round until you have covered the ball with about 13 - 14 rounds of each color.

To Finish
Take a square of the last color used and fold under 1/8” on all sides and pin over the raw edges at the top. Pin a hanging loop and bow to the top.

Instructions for the Spiral Ornament

Fold the light color in half and then half again to form a 1” square, finger press and unfold and lay it on the ball and pin each corner.

Round 1
With the same color fold the square in half diagonally to form a triangle then fold again to form a smaller triangle, finger press. Lay this piece with the folded tip at the center of the base square with the edges along the previously pressed lines – pin at all three corners without pushing the center pins in completely. Repeat 3 more times until the base square is covered and all tips meet at the center.

Round 2
Using the other color, fold as before and line up the tip about 1/16” down from the center and centered in the space between the previous row, repeat this 3 more times around. You will want to keep the folded edge on the same side for the whole ornament.
Round 3 to the end
With color 1 folded the same come down about 1/8” from the tip of the previous color , line up the edge with the round 1 piece and pin in place. Repeat all the way around this row and then repeat row 3 alternating colors until you reach the other end about 13 – 14 rows of each color.

To Finish
Take a square of the last color used and fold under 1/8” on all sides and pin over the raw edges at the top. Pin a hanging loop and bow to the top.

These ornaments will take about 2 hours to complete but it is a project that can be done with a group of friends or while watching a good Christmas movie! Enjoy and as always

Happy Sewing and Merry Christmas,
Linda

Our Holiday Open House "TOUR"!

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 20:33:00 +0000

Our Holiday Open House last night was soooo much fun! Lots of our customers stopped in for Cider and Cookies and boy, did they bring "Show & Tells"! I took lots of pictures before anyone showed up and again of the actual "Show & Tells." As always, you never get all the pictures that you intended, but I did capture quite a few. So, I though that I would post a blog with mainly pictures for all of our customers who could not make it last night and for those who order from us, but wonder what it Sew It Up really looks like! Here is our beautiful PINK Christmas tree! And below are pictures of what we put under our tree as gift ideas . . . Charm packs & fat quarter bundles of quilting cottons. the lighted magnified seam ripper, woolen pin cushions, books, patterns & more!

We have TONS of NEW fabric that we don't even have on our website yet, so that will be my job this weekend ~ as well as posting the first quarter of the 2013 Class Schedule! Eeks, lots of typing! Nonetheless, here are pictures of our fabrics, kits and some of our ribbons and trims.

Kits & Fabric!

New Fabric Display; 2 more on their way!

Ribbons & more ribbons!

Flower Brooch Display & Kits

One of our pattern walls.

New "Juggling Summer" Collection

One of our cutting areas.

I also took several pictures of the numerous Show & Tells! They were amazing! We are so proud of all of our customers and sewing sisters!

And, I will sign off with a picture of Sew It Up Central: the desk!

And, a shot of our front door ~ all decorated, of course!

Happy Holidays everyone!

My Diagonal Ruffle Skirt!

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 20:35:00 +0000

The night before I left to go to Houston for Market/Festival, I had to make a new skirt! I am sure that you understand . . . even though I was planning on getting up at 4:30am and it was already past 7:00pm . . . .

My plan was to make another one of the "Coastal Skirts" in the NEW Smoke ruffle fabric that had just come in. We even had received this awesome wide, but very soft and stretchy, waistband elastic! I asked one of my helpers to cut me off a couple of yards. Unfortunately, when I laid it out on my table at home, it was slightly less than 2 yards. Hmmm . . . . yeah, hmmm, it right. When I measured my waist and divided by 2 and measured the length that I wanted the front to be, it was going to be right at my knee. Oh, dear! This is not the look that I was after. So, "Necessity is the mother of invention" or rather, my favorite: this was going to be design opportunity!

So, I studied it and studied it. I did not want to drive back to the shop that evening and cut more fabric. It needed to be in one single cut and I was not going to waist any fabric! So, I thought, there must be a way. I finally decided that if I cut the waist opening on the diagonal; rather than leave an opening in the selvedge. This was going to work much like cutting off the tip of an ice cream cone. Then I would have the overall length that was totally necessary to be able to wear with my black books. I decided to be brave and go for it. I had no idea if it was going to work or hang right until I put it on; hence I needed to complete the project to determine its success.

But, it worked! And, I have published it in my new book, "Sewing with the New Ruffle Fabrics" http://www.sewitup.com/shop/Publications/font-size3bSewing-Books/p/Sewing-With-Ruffle-Fabrics-BookSIU-x868315.htm

Send me a picture of your skirt!

Lorene

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 22:39:00 +0000

Whew! The Houston Quilt Festival was amazing! We were so busy and sold out of so many items!!! We got to visit with many of our sewing sisters and meet a great many new ones - ah the memories!

Before the Festival I was cranking things out of my studio so fast I did not even take the time to write out the patterns. One "cutie" that I had made a couple of weeks ago for a class on how to make a striped ruffle fabric skirts, was a big hit. Now, I did not even ask the shop to make up any kits until the Saturday before the sewing show. Luckily they had just cut a kit for a regular customer who had seen the skort hanging in the shop. So, it was not difficult for them to replicate it and bring a box of them to the show. They named the little skort "Playtime" which fits it perfectly! And, we sold out the first day!

Unfortunately, I had also told the shop that I would write up the directions and print them out in my hotel room to add to the kits. Well, as soon as I said that I promptly forgot all about it! Eeeks, too many things on my mind!

So, for all of you who purchased the kit at the show, I have published it in my new book "Sewing with the New Ruffle Fabrics"!
http://www.sewitup.com/shop/Publications/font-size3bSewing-Books/p/Sewing-With-Ruffle-Fabrics-BookSIU-x868315.htm

PS. I think that the colors in this little skirt are better in "real life"!

Houston Quilt Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 02:41:00 +0000

Last night was preview night for the Houston International Quilt Festival. Our booths looked great!

This was after approximately 12 hours of unloading, unpacking, setting up and decorating!

Today was the very first full day. It was a fabulous day as we got to see so many of our wonderful customers; not to mention that our booths were packed all day into evening. We are all tired ~ but it is a Good kind of tired:) Only three more days!

I have just a few more booth pictures from the Market that I shot on Monday that I really wanted to share with everyone. Here is a very cute booth by a brand new company called Skipstone. We have most of their patterns ~ including the most precious Kitty! See her near the middle of the photo.

I thought that this booth by Me and My Sister (designers for Moda Fabrics) had a novel booth ~ showcasing her newest line of fabric due out late Spring.

And, finally, one of my very favorite visits of all was with Weeks Ringle!

She is the one that inspired me to open a Modern Quilt shop!

Look at those quilts!!!!!!!

TOTALLY AWSOME!

Oh, and see the quilt to the left . . .

I ordered practically the entire collection as it was designed by Weeks herself for Andover Fabrics!

Fall Quilt Market in Houston!

noreply@blogger.com (Lorene) — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 16:59:00 +0000

Westminister Fabric Booth

I am in Houston now and attending the Houston Fall Quilt Market! Next week will be the International Quilt Festival, where we will have two booths ourselves to show off all of our new kits and goodies! Yesterday was the first day and, as always, it is huge, overwhelming and wonderful! All of the fabric manufacturers are here, with their designers, showing off their fabulous new lines! To the left here is the Westminster group of booths; they are Rowan and Free Spirit Fabrics. Surrounding their space are all of their designers in their own specially decorated booths.

Here are a few pictures of some of them! The first two are from Amy Butler's new collection: Alchemy.

Tula Pink's new Salt Air

Here's Tula!

Anna Maria Horner's new Field Study

That's Anna Maria in the long skirt!

It is thrilling to meet all of these wonderful designers and see their new lines made up in their own choices of patterns and fabrics. I even had lunch with Deb Strain who designs for Moda yesterday. Ah, so many new ideas!

Liberty of London!

This was probably the booth that I got the most excited over though. Liberty of London has a new line of cottons for quilters that is gorgeous! I did order a nice group of them, but they will not be in the shop until March:( But, I promise you that they will be definitely worth the wait!!!

I should have taken a lot more pictures, but I will leave you with one more of my friend Julie Creus who is the designer for La Todera patterns. I love her flowers! She is fabulous!

La Todera's booth

Well, I am off now for more Market - I have another class this evening, so another long FUN day!