The New Sewig Room

I'm such a poor blogger.  I'm going to try to do better I have  new motivators.  First we just got a new computer.  Yea!!  Ours died about 3 months ago and we've been surviving on our smartphones.  Thank heavens they're so smart! 

Second, our youngest daughter who moved out almost a year ago, finally gave the okay to dismantle her bedroom so it could become the long coveted sewing room.  I'm so excited!  It still contains her dresser and a bookshelf but there are plans to move those soon or at least their contents so I can use them until she claims them.  My own sewing room!  I'm still in awe. I've been sewing in a corner of the dining room for 7 years now.



Here's where most of the action takes place.  On the table I have my Brother CS6000i, on which most of my sewing is done, and an old Bernina Berdette that's close to 30 years old now.  The cart contains all my sewing patterns.  Sitting in the chair is Fritzi who believes the room is for her. 

Swinging to the right, is the bookshelf  I hope to commandeer, my dressform Zelda, and the new ironing board.  I'm such a sewing nerd to be excited over an ironing board but we've been using one that hangs from the door in the laundry room.  This is such a vast improvement and makes it so convenient for sewing.

This cabinet was made for my grandmother and is close to 60 years old.  It had been in storage waiting for this moment.  Resting on it is my Brother 929D serger that I picked up 2nd hand but works like a trooper as long as my grandson leaves the tension alone.  On the last wall is just a steel wire cart that holds storage boxes and rules and a bulletin board with inspirational pictures on it. 
I'm still getting settled but am so very happy with the new space, especially all the cheerful sunshine that comes through the windows.

Now I just need new curtains for the windows and the closet and some cute covers for the machines.
How about you? Where do you sew and does it make you happy?  What would your dream space have that it doesn't have now?  Wherever you sew... I wish you happy sewing .

Happy Birthday

A Finish--Green Romance

Despite not blogging, I have been busy with needle and thread and life in general. My daughter just got married. We are thrilled for the happy couple and just love her new husband. 

She is a very non-traditional lady and bride in her happy pink. 

In sewing: Green Romance is done at last. 

I had run out of bias binding and just lost steam for the project in the process. Finally decided to wrap things up on it.  I can see mistakes on it but am happy with it over all. Especially as a learning process. 

I have been making slow progress with the Flower Box Cats.   Sorry about the orientation. I couldn't get the correction to hold. But you get the idea,  it's not being ignored completely. This is such a tedious project. I think I started with the hardest set of cats. Time will tell though.

In other sewing news there is sewing news; however no pictures at this time. But there are several new garments in my closet I need to show you soon.

Hope you all had a Happy Mother's Day and happy sewing. 

I Love The UPS Man

I love the UPS man because he brings me wonderful things like this--

Fabric!  Beautiful fabric.  Fabric Mart was having a sale on knits-- 50% off and these little babies jumped into my shopping cart despite being on a buying fast.  ( I just don't have any nice winter weight knits to sew with.  Or so I told myself.)    The white is a nice weight scuba knit that is slated to become a jacket just as soon as I finish the quilt.  The stripe is a jersey knit and the red and harvest gold are ponte knits that will probably become dresses. 

In quilty news I got the last of the piecing done on Green Romance.  Here it is with Miss Fritzi inspecting it. 

 

Now onto the borders and backing.

 

Happy Stitching!

 

Flower Box Cats and Green Romance

I have two projects currently underway.  I have made some progress with the Flower Box Cats. 

I'm working it on 18 count aida so it takes a lot of stitches to show any progress.  I've got half of the double window and most of the two kittens done.  They lack their eyes and outlining stitching.  The pink is the beginning of the flower box. 

I'm also working on a quilt.  It's going to be a smallish one-- a lap quilt size, 40 x 58 before the border.   This is only the 2nd quilt I've ever made.  The first is still a UFO since I can't decide on what kind of border to put on it.  Usually I do small wallhangings with the urge strikes since I'm such a novice at this. 

This one is from an old magazine ( Quilts and More, Summer 2006) and was called Red Romance as it was done in reds featuring a red toile.  I had a length of green toile and lots of green in the stash so Green Romance it was.

The picture is a little out of focus and doesn't do it justice but you get the general idea.  I still have three more rows and sashings to go. I've got the border piced out but am trying to think what kind of design to quilt it in. Plenty of time for that though.  Hopefully I'll get some time to work on it next weekend as this week looks awfully busy and I use the evenings for hand stitching. 

Happy stitching!

 

Flower Box Cats

I started a new project in counted cross stitch.  It's a pattern called Flower Box Cats from Vermillion Stitchery back when they did printed charts.

 I see from their website, that everything is digital now and that this pattern is only available as machine embroidery.  I came across the pattern years ago as a Hobby Lobby closeout and never got around to stitching it up.  Well, I guess it's time has come.  I started with the kitties in the green window in the center.  Progress report soon.

Happy stitching!

Embroidering Again

After a long hiatus- several years- I decided to pick up surface embroidery again.  I've done several cross stitch pieces recently but no embroidery for at least 3 or 4 years and then only basic stitches to embellish a top.  I decided it was time to teach myself to stitch once again.  So, I got out an old tutorial of my mom's called "A Comprehensive corse in Crewel Embroidery" by Marion Nichols from 1971. This is actually the primer to a class that presumes you have the accompanying printed pattern which I didn't. So I just did a free form sampler of each of the stitches on some muslin as they were introduced in the book.  Once I felt comfortable with one stitch, I moved on to the next.  Soon I felt ready for a "real" piece to work on. 

I found a likely picture on the internet, site now unknown, and copied.  I touhgt it would work as a sampler of sorts for different stitches.

I've learned so many new stitches on this piece. It's not perfect but it was fun. I can't wait to finish it as a pillow for my youngest daughter who loves owls. 

Happy stitching.