Work space and organization

Yesterday, I was fed up with my fabric being spread all over the sewing area in a bunch of bins so I organized them.  The fabric I am working with for the next month is now all nicely folded on my rack.   Isn't it pretty? 

The large bins hold the knits and fleece and other fabric that I am not using.  The small bins have notions.   You might be able to tell by looking at the small bin on top of the two large ones that my ribbons are a disaster!  I am currently looking into how to organize them.  I love the idea shown here.   But I don't like how those cookie containers get brittle quickly.  We have saved them in the past for children's crafting and they become brittle in less than a year and crack easily.  The softer plastics last longer, especially the Rubbermaid brand.  I have not had a Rubbermaid container every crack!  Sterilite, on the other hand, is terrible. (I digress)

So, I am thinking of combining the blog's idea and just using my Rubbermaid bins.  I just took all the cardboard to the recycling center so I will have to wait a while to collect more.  Then, I can try out this idea of cutting the semi circles.  I still have not figured out a good way to store the ribbon circles.  Ideas?

So, here is my sewing area for now. 

Fabric Storage

More fabric, but perhaps this could be only for notions?  Not a bad idea.

Part of my Ottobre stash.   I keep the pattern maps and tracings in a file folder.

My work area.  I need something on the wall but the cats used the corkboards I had up as scratching posts.  Only one left!  Damn cats!

Sewing table, with view of front yard. I sew in the daylight basement/family room. 

Basket to left is cat bed.  They claimed it. Kinda cute.

Handmade Dress Haven

I started a new page on Facebook for appreciation of the Handmade Dress for little girls.   It used to be called Matilda Jane Lookalikes, after the Matilda Jane Company, but they did not like sharing the name so I changed it to Handmade Dress Haven.

Please check it out!  It is a great place to share patterns and fabrics for dresses and accessories for little girls handmade items.  It is also a great place to find a person to make something for you or to share that you can make something for others.  Spam of handmade items is allowed.

New stuff in my store!

After having influenza for a week and then bronchitis for another week, I finally got the time and energy to do some sewing and list some items in my new Etsy store, Delphinium Designs.  Please check them out! This is a fun venture for me. I am taking it slow but hoping it will grow.

Enjoy!

The store:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/p3patch


Some pictures:

IAAT! I am all that?

I have several bloggers who I feel a deep, personal connection with for one reason or another. One is Sew Mental Mama.   I love to read her blog because she also sews Ottobre patterns, because she is Irish and so is my husband, and because she, like me, struggles with depression and uses her crafting to help overcome it.  I have struggled with depression my whole adult life and crafting really does help!  Being able to make things that are beautiful and creative and use both sides of your brain, your creative side as well as your analytical side, is very deeply satisfying to me.  I have always loved math and sewing definitely uses one's math skills as well as one's artistic and creative skills.

So, following Sew Mental Mama's blog is deeply satisfying to me.   I was, therefore, very happy to see her mention my blog as one her faves!  What an honor!  She is much more talented than I, so I feel humbled by this honor.   And to have her bestow the "I am all that" honor on me is very sweet and also very fun!



So, here we go!

And the rules are...

The recipients of this award are asked to answer the following questions, link to whoever awarded them and then pass it on to five, no six people (who they think will actually be willing to answer these totally intrusive and possibly inappropriate questions). Feel free to snag the badge too!



The questions and my answers:
1) What size shoe do you wear?   I wear a women's size 10.  I used to be a 9 but after having two kids, my very high arches fell a bit and now a ten is more comfortable.  Very large feet, so I never wear pointy shoes!

2) 30's or 60's?  I am not sure what this means but I do prefer the fashions of the 1930s more than 1960s.  Sexy, bias cut dresses are much more flattering than anything Jackie Kennedy ever wore.   And the 1960s hats!  They make me laugh!

3) Have you ever kissed someone you shouldn't have?  Oh sure, but lucky for me, I have been kissing the right guy since I was 19 years old. Being as we are both 45 this year, that means a lot!

4) Have you ever been poisoned? I got food poisoning once from a Jack n the Box chicken salad.  I never eat fast food salads after that!

5) Who's on your "Celebrity Free Pass" list (top 5)?  I assume this means my favorite men?  I quite like Sew Mental Mama's list.  Like her, I love Matthew Macfadyen in Pride and Prejudice but I also love Colin Firth in his version of Mr Darcy.  I am quite fond of old James Bond movies with Sean Connery and I also love all the romantic men in Sense and Sensability.  For some reason, I find Hugh Grant kind of adorable! Number five would have to be Pierce Brosnan. I even thought he was cute in Mamma Mia (altho his singing was atrocious).





And, to pass along the honor, here are my five bloggers who are "all that" and more:




http://sewretrochic.blogspot.com/

http://sewprettydresses.blogspot.com/

http://dimplesgiggles.blogspot.com/

http://lifeofmineblogged.blogspot.com/

http://5faithfullyyours.blogspot.com/



Pass it along!

Dresses for a preschool auction

My daughter's preschool is having a fundraiser auction and art show next weekend. I decided to contribute two dresses for the silent auction.  This is an interesting (in a good way) crowd, so I decided to make two different types of dresses.   Hopefully, they will both sell well!

 First of all, I made a simple summer knot dress.  I love this Valori Wells turquoise Olive Rose Little Roses print for the skirt and found, at my lovely local fabric store, the bodice and strap fabric to coordinate.

Secondly, I had this Vintage Rock Tshirt that neither of my daughters had ever worn.  (Stinkers!)  Anyway, I thought it would make a cute upcycle and I was right.  This is Chez Ami fabric for the skirt and Patty Young dot for the middle. 


Both modelled by my preschooler!  

Etsy Store

I am not sure I know what I am doing, exactly, but I have started a store on Etsy!  It is called Delphinium Designs.  See link at right hand side bar.  I have had so many comments that I should sell my sewing and I finally decided just to dive right in and give it a try.   So, I made up two items and listed them and I have a few more  in the works.  My plan is to have several pairs of ruffle pants and shorts up for sale and several knot and twirl dresses by the end of this week.  My girls both have the flu so time will tell how much I get done.

For now, I am not taking custom orders.  With spring break approaching and the flu rampant in our house, I cannot promise my time in that way.  But, I do hope to get there, eventually.

Please do check out my new store.  It is very plain right now but I am learning quickly how to make it better.  Be on the lookout for changes!


Here are the items I have up for sale.  Thanks for looking!

  PS:  Why delphinium?  Because that is my favorite flower.

The big girl version of the vision in purple

I finished the second lavender/purple dress. This one is for my older daughter. I like to size up so this one is a size 10ish for a girl who wears a size 8 or 9.  So, it is a bit big but should fit her this summer and next..  Fabrics are Magic Vine by Benartex and Everything but the kitchen sink by RJR and Anna Maria Horner's Innocent Crush for the bodice ruffle.  I love the ruffle on the bodice with that lace, which I just happened to have in my stash. That was a pain to sew but it looks great!  The girl snubbed her nose at the fabric until I sewed it on with the lace.  Now, she loves it.  Yeah!

Now, somebody shoot me if I ever again attempt to make a dress with four layers of ruffling.  What a pain!  My poor serger needs a vacation from all that serging and gathering.