Sewing Accomplished

Two of my crafty resolutions have been whispering in my ear quite a bit lately – #1“Press Your Work!” and #10 “Tour the local yarn stores in my city”! I have struggled with pressing my work but successfully have committed to it lately and it shows. I made a fabulous little girls dress and slippers for my daughter and my seams look so much better already. As for visiting local yarn stores – I’m on my way! In the meantime, I’ve taken a longer route and stopped at two fabulous local craft stores that focus on sewing. Maybe it is the new season of Project Runway or the hope of making wearable items for spring, but I have been bitten by the sewing bug and eager to flex my stitchin’ skills for a while now. When I first bought my machine I took a refresher course at MAKE called “Sewing Basics”. I was worried it would be a very redundant course at first, I learned to sew when I was still in single digits and had my own machine for years – did I really need a refresher? The only appropriate answer to that is HECK YES. I am so thankful I took the time to go to this course, the lovely Julie helped me to get acquainted with my new machine and go over basics I had either forgotten (or become too lazy about).

It has been a year and a half since that class and I have become plenty acquainted, crafting items for friends, my daughter and my home. I now intend to graduate to more difficult patterns and projects so I decided another refresher was in order. I signed up for Patterns 101 at MAKE and attended it Saturday morning. The basic “how to” of reading, interpreting and properly cutting a pattern filled the first 90 minutes of this class and I was surprised at just how many mistakes I normally made when working with basic materials and patterns. Thank goodness for this course! After the instruction I spent about an hour sewing then returned home to finish my project. I am so happy with the results and will be making another soon!

dress

dresscu

After my fabulous morning at MAKE, I headed to CITY CRAFT – a new fabric store and sewing studio located in Inwood Village. WOW. I was pleasantly welcomed to a gorgeous Valentines window display and a room of dreamy designer fabrics. Michelle Miller, Anne Marie Horner and Amy Butler prints greeted me from delicious bolts of fabric lining the main wall. The center aisle was a collection of fabulous sewing book inspiration including some of my favorites such as Amy Butler’s Little Stitches
and One-Yard Wonders: 101 Sewing Fabric Projects; Look How Much You Can Make with Just One Yard of Fabric!. The back wall contained even more fabrics in special finishes and décor weights. As I neared the center of the store past a display of patterns was a refreshing display of embroidery goodies – namely harder to find patterns from Sublime Stitching and various books.

The back half of the store is dedicated to small classes in sewing. I look forward to signing up for a class and left with a bag of fabric, patterns and embroidery scissors. What an inspiring day! I am so thankful to live in a growing, crafty community.

Complete Craft Fail

Sigh.

A sigh of disappointment. I have wanted to work on the Baby-doll Dress pattern from the book Crochet Me ever since I picked up a copy. I actually first saw the pattern in an excerpt from the book in Interweave Crochet magazine. I was floored by such a gorgeous top. After my yarn stash was sufficiently depleted I was finally ready to invest in the sweater – both the time and funds. I first purchased my yarn from YarnExchange.us and they sent me Brown Sheep Cotton Fine instead of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. I was determined to make an exact replica of the piece so I sent it back and ordered Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece from HalcyonYarn.com. From there I very carefully made a swatch to check my gauge and then began the bodice. I was worried it was running big right away. I chose the pattern for a 36 bust and my first half of the bodice measured 2″ large but I felt I might lose some of the overage in seeming. I then constructed the other side of the bodice and when sewing together realized the method of seaming left a very obvious and awkward seam in the front.

I decided to switch back and forth on several stitches before using a tapestry needle and whip stitch in an attempt to hide my stitches. Once seamed I realized the top was about 4″ too big all the way around. My first instinct was to just rip out the side seams. Then upon further examination I realized how thoroughly disappointed I was with the design element of the middle seams from the bodice assembly. I just couldn’t get over it. Even if I managed to rip the side seams and reattach them the back bodice puckered and then created an odd shape. After another hour of useless attempts I have decided to scrap the project. I feel a bit defeated. Normally I will find a way around my pattern complication or a design element I am not fond of – but in this situation I would have to completely start over.

I looked up the project on http://www.ravelry.com while having trouble and realized a lot of people had encountered similar issues and there were immediate notes to bust measures and calculations being off. After reviewing the finished product that many crafters had executed perfectly (and quite beautifully) I realize this pattern is still not for me and with too many design elements needing changes to suit my personal style choices, it is definitely time to move on!

Meanwhile I now have an extra five skeins of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. I checked out Ravelry for suggestions to find a purpose for this yarn. I did like the weight and drape of the material I was creating and would love to use it for a wearable purpose. My favorite find so far is the Aragon Tunic from Interweave Crochet, Summer 2009. It may be interesting completely stitched in the ivory/putty color I have already purchased…and who can beat a name like “Aragon”. It may pair well with a Lord of the Rings marathon.

I guess it is back to Stormtrooper Crafts for the time being!

Oh – and did anyone notice my AWESOME new blog design by http://www.websydaisy.com?! I love it!

Eventful

Last week I had a completely open schedule, but I am now happy to say I have filled every spare moment with a crafty adventure! Anyone that knows me, knows I’m a busy-bee and like to fill my schedule with a million various activities. I am always ready to try something new and expand on my favorite hobbies. At present I’ve signed up for many classes in the crafting arena, my “comfort” zone. These include an eight-week crafting challenge that teaches pattern making, draping, screen printing and fabric dying, a class on properly reading patterns, a class to recreate a painting (at www.paintingwithatwist.com) and a few more.

In addition to building my ‘crafty education’ I’m seeking out events that involve local designers and artists. I want to learn more about my handmade community and several events coming up feature just that – either handmade artists or up and coming designers and brands reaching out to a fresh audience. All three events are in Dallas and open to the public (though two of them charge admission). I will be writing about my experience at each one and would love to hear your thoughts. Better yet, maybe I’ll see you there?

February 24th & 25th from 5-10PM

SHECKY’S GIRLS NIGHT OUT (Note: 21&UP)
LOCATION: Fashion Industry Gallery (FIG) 1807 Ross Ave. (N. St. Paul & N. Akard Sts.)
ADMISSION: $25 in advance, $35 at the door – but a giftbag full of goodies makes up for it!

Grab your girlfriends and shake off the cold with a little help from Shecky’s! At Girls Night Out, you’ll experience the newest warm weather fashion trends, delish cocktails, plus sensational spring beauty treatments. Throw in a fabulous goodie bag, chock full of freebies, and we guarantee you’ll have a spring in your step in no time! Shecky’s throws Girls Night Out events all over the country – check for your city by visiting: http://girlsnightout.sheckys.com/dallas/spring2010/?rf=SP10_DAL_STS.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILSSheckys_logo

February 25th – THE PIN SHOW

LOCATION: Union Station  next to the Hyatt Regency Hotel and just below Reunion Tower on Houston Street. 
ADMISSION: $12 in advance, $25 VIP

The Pin Show 2010 will take place on Thursday February 25th at the renewed Historic Union Station in downtown Dallas, TX. This fabulous Independent event will feature 26 independent fashion and accessory designers showcasing over 130 – 2010 looks on the runway. Beyond the runway you will witness live photo shoots on two styled sets, mingle with designers and even get the rare opportunity to purchase your favorite look right off the runway before it hits stores.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

APRIL 10th & 11th – URBAN STREET BAZAAR

ADMISSION: FREE
LOCATION: BISHOP ARTS DISTRICT

The Urban Bazaar is DFWsanswer to the alternative art & craft DIY movement sweeping the country.  The demand for hip handmade product is answered with this local shopping experience, so be sure to join us and support these local makers and creators of everthing handcrafted. Whether you are looking for unique clothing, funky jewelry and accessories or that perfect art piece for your pad, this is the place to be, because this sure ain’t your Grandma’s craft bazaar.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

A New Year

January has already gone by in a breeze. In the last three weeks I’ve been crafting away on many projects as well as writing a few patterns of my own. I have an unnatural ability to overwhelm myself with too many things at once. At present I have four projects started at various levels of completion. Right now all items in queue are works in progress (wips), or at finishing stages so I do not have any pictures to share, but I’ll link as many as I can for reference.

  • I am writing a pattern for buttoned wristwarmers. This started as a simple quick wristwarmer pattern and expanded into much more. I’m anxious to write so many patterns but am very preoccupied with…
  • Launching SciFiCrafts.com! I have a new blog, beautiful designed by WebsyDaisy. The same company is in process of redesigning this blog.
  • Loom Weaving. I am having a wonderful time using the 3 foot loom I purchased last October. I am in the process of making 14 triangles from hand painted wool for a cardi-coat.
  • I am indulging in yarn purchases! I have purchased and received the yarn for Crochet Me’s Babydoll Dress , Awareknits Polar Cap Cardi, Awareknits Jute Circle Rug and several skeins for more hooded scarves and various patterns I’m writing.
  • I have signed up for a variety of classes at MAKE! I am so excited to attend a few more hours at this awesome establishment that celebrates local artists and buying handmade.
  • I have sold a lucky 13 patterns on Etsy.com of my Crochet Baby Pom Pom hat. I’m really elated by this, it is an honor to think someone likes my design/interpretation enough to want to make it as well. Hopefully when some of my projects are complete I can post a few more patterns.

It seems when winter ends many people set down their crochet hooks and knitting needles. I’m an all-year crafter though, I just like to lighten my yarn weights and projects. Both sweaters I have in queue are short sleeved and one uses Brown Sheep’s Cotton Fleece.

Next update I hope to include some finished projects as well as news about the classes I’m enrolled in. I almost forgot to mention my sister and I are going to our first painting class at www.paintingwithatwist.com in February to recreate a painting. It sounds like a lot of fun – it’s BYOB and a unique way to spend an evening with a friend.

Okay, I caved…a little.

I began my stash bash challenge when I constructed a hodge podge afghan that I thought was a fun way to begin using up spare yarn and ends of skeins. I figured – why not use up all of my yarn? Especially as the projects I hope to start require some yarn-investments and parting with my funds when I have lots of unused yarn laying around seemed a bit silly.

Then it happened, I became overwhelmed almost as quickly as I started! Each project in the pipeline seemed more appealing when I felt further away from working on it and I was in a rush to use up my stash as soon as possible. I began this process by cataloging my yarn on Ravelry which was so helpful! I was able to know exactly what yardage I had available which made it easier (and sometimes harder) to select projects. With over half of my stash used in less than a month I was stuck with a few novelty yarns and some sock-weights to master and had hit a wall when it came to ideas. I seem to have too little yardage for the things that interest me and too little patience for those that don’t!

I did successfully use all of my baby yarn making hats for charity. I also used up my coveted handspun making hats as gifts.

photo

Best of all I FINALLY finished the Hourglass Jacket by StitchDiva that I originally began in June. It awaits blocking once I receive my Knitters Blocks which are on back order.

I reserved two skeins of Vanna’s Choice Glamour to make my daughter a short sleeve wrap and 2 skeins of LB Collection Superwash Merino Wool that I am using for more toddler hats. I still have 3 untouched skeins of Karabella Lace Mohair and absolutely no idea what to do with it, though the $50 price tag has me hanging on to it. This was the pattern I originally purchased it for: http://www.karabellayarns.com/patterndetail.aspx?pattID=107. I may attempt another try at it soon, my first go was confusing and I had to unravel my project.

Meanwhile I have packaged up the end skeins I have left and am sending them to Newborns in Need – a charity that makes newborn items and I’m sure could use up the mininal yardage amounts on these skeins for bibs, booties and even more hats.

photo2

What’s next? I have to finish these hats and cardigan first, but I’m excited to choose! I know I definitely want to knit a sweater this year, so I plan on using a pattern from AwareKnits: Knit & Crochet Projects for the Eco-Conscious Stitcher. I also want to crochet a round jute rug for my kitchen and check out Debbie Stoller’s new Stitch Nation yarn. Most of all – I want to order Studio Silk for the Endless Cardi Shawl (crochet version). All of these total to more yarn investments so we’ll see where my pocketbook leads me first. For the time being, I have to run to the post office and send off my stash! Goodbye yarn, hello possibilities!

Crafting Resolutions for 2010

I always aspire to do better, to work harder on whatever project I am doing, whether a craft, household task or work assignment. With the new year just moments away I am presented with an opportunity I have never experienced – being a full time stay-at-home-mom. This opportunity affords me so many more options to explore crafting techniques and maybe channel my inner Martha Stewart a little bit more. I have patiently been waiting to accomplish some big tasks around my home (mainly organization based) so I can fully dedicate the time needed once my current employment contract ends. I am so excited for this next chapter of my life – and the many gifts it brings to spend more time with my daughter and make some more children as well. As I begin this journey here are a few “crafting resolutions” I have for this next year. An opportunity to not take as many shortcuts as I may have in the past that prevented me from completing items the way I had hoped!

1) I WILL PRESS ALL OF MY WORK!

     All sewing projects that require pressing WILL be pressed and properly! On an ironing board!

2) I WILL INVEST IN A SERGER!

     One goal is to master knitwear and make more of my own clothing and stop shelling out my cash on mass-manufactured goods. Time to focus on making one of a kind pieces.

3) I WILL BUY HANDMADE!

     Nothing says personal more than a handmade gift! For the items I do not make myself I will purchase handmade for as much gift-giving as I possibly can this year.

4) I WILL MAKE MORE GIFTS!

     As a follow up to #3, I made about 1/4 of our Christmas Gifts this year and those were the ones loved best by recipients. I will work hard to begin extra early this year and make as many gifts as possible. Be ready for recycled cotton dishtowels and jute rugs everyone.

5) I WILL KNIT A SWEATER!

     I am a novice knitter (at best) having just taught myself how to cast on a few years ago. My skills are far more attuned to the crocheting I’ve loved for 20 years. Time to study my new skill and finally cast on a wearable sweater.

6) I WILL MAKE AN ENDLESS CARDI-SHAWL!

     I have been admiring Stitch Diva’s Endless Cardi Shawl since the day they released the pattern. Now that I am almost finished (mere stitches away) from finishing the Stitch Diva Hourglass Jacket, I will finally order the materials and make the Endless Cardi-Shawl – as soon as my stash bash challenge is complete.

7) I WILL MAKE AT LEAST 10 ITEMS TO DONATE!

     What better way to continue my stash bash challenge then crocheting and knitting items for charity? I will first focus on newborn hats and see what else my stash will allow me with limited yardage in various weights.

8 ) I WILL WORK ON MY DAUGHTER’S SCRAPBOOK!

     To create another shortcut for myself I ordered a pre-filled baby book by Pearhead from Babies R Us to chronicle my daughters first holidays and the story of her parents. I hope to complete her first year by June (when she will be just over a year).

9) I WILL TAKE MORE CRAFTING CLASSES!

     Crafting is even more fun in a group, I’ll be sure to hit up Make in the Bishop Arts District far more often as well as The Sassy Spinster in Lancaster Town Square.

10) I WILL TAKE A TOUR OF LYS in DALLAS!

     As #9 references two of my favorite crafty meet ups – why not explore all there is to offer in my hometown? Granted Dallas is a huge city and many LYS’s are sprawled out in neighboring suburbs, but this will be a fun way to sample the local fare…or fiber.

All of these “resolutions” will be fun to complete and stick to. Why make the hard “I will work out” goals that no one enjoys? Now if there were a way to crochet and jog at the same time, that is something I’d give a shot! As a bonus resolution:

*I WILL START A CRAFTING CIRCLE!*

I hosted a “craft night” at my home a few months ago to teach my friends to crochet. I would love to continue this on a monthly basis. Any suggestions on how to do so? Should crafts be organized or should people just bring what they are working on? I look forward to reading what everyone else has planned for the new year!

Until 2010…

Three Projects Completed!

Progress and set backs this week in my stash bash challenge. I did successfully use an entire ball of baby yarn making a new jacket for my daughter (”Baby Topper” pattern – Lion Brand Website) and began putting a dent in another skein to make her an ear-flap hat using a pattern from Crochet Me.

IMG_7658

IMG_7681

I then increased my stash with some pretty worsted weights I picked up at my favorite LYS – also know as my mom’s garage. I didn’t break any yarn shopping rules as I didn’t buy anymore yarn, but I did acquire it. It is for a great project though – a gift to celebrate my friend Nikki’s baby boy Miles who is due in May. Definitely worth the ’stash setback’.

As a last minute “white elephant” gift exchange present I also got rid of a skein of LB Collection Cotton Bamboo – a great and gorgeous yarn, but I had a limited supply. Paired with an unopened pair of size 8 needles and new “knitting made easy” DVD I hope I was able to pass on a treasured past-time.

I then found an awesome pattern through Ravelry for a Noodle Hat – here is  the finished product make for my dear friend’s 4 month old Lainey.

IMG_7676

The biggest accomplishment of all? I finally listed a pattern on my Etsy shop for my Crochet Baby Pom Pom Hat and I sold THREE copies of this THIS WEEK! I was so surprised and excited. I hope those that are trying out the pattern find it works up easy and will provide feedback. What a fun week! The new few days will be crochet-free as we’ll be celebrating Christmas and hanging with the family. I have made SO much progress on my Stitch Diva Hourglass Jacket though and my goal is to finish by New Years Eve! Wish me luck!

The Challenge Continues

I have been crocheting since I was about six or seven years old. I wasn’t quite as adamant about my hobby in those days but my love for the past-time has grown considerably in the last 10 years. My ‘yarn therapy’ is a wonderful way to unwind, be creative and craft timeless little treasures to share with family and friends. Only recently have I had the desire to learn more about fiber and really explore various crochet and knitting techniques. I think social networking has really amplified this desire as following notable names in the crafting world has taught me so much about the quality of various fibers. My “go-to” yarn is always a worsted weight, and once Lion Brand released Vanna’s Choice Yarn I was a hooked. I love the muted earth and jewel tones and the soft and silky shine once I was a finished item. Lion Brand then released a luxury line called LB Collection which featured Superwash Merinos, Cotton, Bamboo blends and more. As anxious as I was to explore these “luxurious” fibers I realized my yarn knowledge was very limited to the mass chain crafting outlets I spent so much time in. An in expensive yarn is a great bonus, but the warmth and texture of the LYS (local yarn store) varieties have really peaked my interest.

With LYS yarn, comes a hefty price tag. With bins of available “chain store” or “name brand” yarn at home I haven’t been able to justify the investment with so many possibilities before me. To properly ‘earn’ the right to empty my wallet on 100% silk or super soft cashmere I have given myself a ’stash bash’ challenge to use ALL of my purchased yarn prior to buying anything new. I already have THREE projects queued that will be yarn investments (one knit, one crochet and one woven on a loom). While I work towards this I will be sharing the projects I attempt to craft from my stash. I have very limited yardage so most projects will be small – a bonus as instant gratification is always a nice feeling and I will work towards my goal even faster. Another bonus is a lot of friends will be getting unexpected gifts – as will their children I’m sure.

My first step was to catalog all of my yarn on Ravelry.com. My username is ’stitchtacsew’ if anyone would like to say hello. I still have to update my yarn and needle collection but I’m having a lot of fun with Ravelry’s convenient logs and tools. Forgive the lack of updates on there – they are coming! Once I accounted (and photographed) all of my yarn, I listed the projects I was working on and updated their status (complete or work in progress – wip). Now it’s time to get crafting!

I made the Stash Bash Afghan I previously using a Lion Brand Pattern. The Lion Brand Pattern Finder is one of my favorite free crafting tools – countless patterns are so easily organized. This used up almost ALL of my worsted weight yarn, save for a few scraps to make Crochet Me’s Retro Scarf:

4photo

Now my stash mainly contains baby yarns, dk weights, crochet thread and a few quirky extras. This will be a challenge indeed! First I made a pair of All-Season Wristers using excess sock yarn (they are SO warm) for a friend in Belgium.

IMG_7414

And a pair I made last year:

wristwarmer

Next I began another little cardigan for my daughter Evie using Baby Bee Sweet Delight Baby Yarn in Sweet Mocha. Here is the finished back panel:

IMG_7445

I am using another Lion Brand pattern titled: Baby Topper. Stay tuned to see how things progress. I am very anxious to fill my cabinets with new fibers and to learn more about them. Until then - it looks like I will finally finish the Hourglass Jacket from Stitch Diva that I’ve been working on here and there all year.

Little Elves

My dear friend Cynthia is an amazing photographer and recently commissioned me to stitch some adorable little hats for her newborn sessions. I only wish I did these in time for my daughter’s newborn photos last May. I look forward to using a lot of the accessories with the next one. Please check out www.yourcandidmemories.com for Cynthia’s work and her photo-blog.

Meanwhile – here is one of my original patterns, a baby pom pom hat:

dsc_0633_0

And here are two happy elf hats I stitched using a pattern from http://sweetdreamzbynessa.etsy.com – the pattern is available as well as additional hats!

dsc_5761_small[1]

dsc_0627_0

And last – here is one of my favorite photos from our newborn shoot on May 29. My daughter Genevieve was just FIVE days old!

evie02

Stash Bash Afghan

As I posted a few days ago - here is the completed 5 1/2 Hour Throw “Stash Bash” afghan I was working on.  I began with remnants of about 15 skeins of yarn, then mixed and matched three strands at a time for this extra-colorful throw.

Copy of IMG_7277

Copy of IMG_7275