Sewing community and why I sew

Last week, I experienced two circumstances where women were unkind to others without regard to anyone else's feelings but their own.  Now, with men, for some reason, they can hurt each other's feelings and get upset but keep being friends.  They just have a beer or go for a run and everything is fine. (Of course, I am stereotyping)  With women, not only do we get our feelings hurt beyond just what one drink or run can fix, but we are also meaner to each other than men tend to be.  We dig deep when we hurt. 

So, this week, one personal friend thought it would be helpful to me to learn that she thinks I am a thoughtless bitch. Yay! That was so fun to experience!  (not!) Since I think that says more about her than me, I am giving that friendship a break until she figures out what is going on in her life that is making her so critical of others. Of course, I reached out and told her I am there for her if and when she needs any support to feel better about herself. Ain't got no time for negative Nellies, so I am moving on!

The other event from last week involved someone who's blog I had enjoyed reading. Until last week. I had not looked at Sunny's blog in a few weeks when I learned of a post she wrote in early June about some of my sewing friends. Sunny is a pseudonym, by the way. Sunny decided that it was getting annoying to see all the sewing around the blogosphere that didn't meet her high standards and, instead of chatting with it privately with her friends, she wrote a blog post about it. And linked to pictures of sewing done by my friends. And patterns designed by friends. And patterns and sewing by other women who I don't know well but deeply respect.  Basically, she decided to publicly humiliate and mock some of the nicest people you would ever meet in an attempt to make a point that she wishes people would learn to sew better. 

Hmm...... I think Sunny needs to read my family rules.

Why do you sew? Do you sew only for yourself? Do you sew to save money? Do you sew because you enjoy it and it is fun? Do you sew because you want to sew clothing for your friends and family? Do you sew to make some extra money?

There are many reasons we all sew but one thing that is common amongst all of us is the desire to learn more techniques and sew better.  We start out being astounded we can sew a straight line and move on to hemming and pleats and adding embellishments and learning to sew garments that people can actually wear.  And items to decorate our homes or items that are useful, like hot mitts. The more we sew, the more we want to learn more techniques. If we are lucky, we can upgrade our machines to better ones with more feet, more stitches.  Or we buy sergers, coverstitch machines, embroidery machines. We just keep going and going with our learning and the more we learn, the more we sew.  

I learned to sew watching my mother sew for me, as a child. I didn't sew much on the machine back then but I loved watching her sew dresses for us.  Before I was born, she used to make all of her own clothing to save some money. By the time I got into junior high school, my dad was making enough money that we were buying all our clothing in shops.  But I still wanted to sew. I took a sewing class in 8th grade and made some horrible garments that I never wore. But, in high school, I did use my skills to fix vintage garments I bought at thrift shops.  That was fun! In graduate school, I started sewing again and my mom bought me my first machine.  I used it a bit until my own children were born.  At the age of 41, I started sewing again for my two little girls, based on my love of such brands at Bercot and Matilda Jane.  For me, it was about not wanting to spend $60+ on a dress, not wanting to buy cheaper clothing that would fall apart easily, and wanting a hobby I enjoyed.  

Now, at age 48, I have upgraded to two Janome machines, a computerized sewing machine and a serger. For five years, I have run a sewing group on Facebook and written this blog. I have made so many friends in those years, many of whom are pdf pattern designers. I test their patterns.  They are my friends now. And I love the community.

The best thing about the online sewing community is the support.  Yes, there are groups and forums and people who are negative Nellies. But almost everyone I interact with is kind and generous and supportive. Maybe I just foster that in my sewing group and so I that is what I see.  Maybe it is because I leave the groups where negativity reigns. 

What I know is that being critical can have a purpose if you offer constructive criticism.  If you are just critical, you put people off.  You make them not only not want to be in your company but you also make them think they cannot do what they are trying to do.  Sunny's dark, shameful, negative criticism of others was designed not to inspire anyone to sew better but to shame people out of sewing at all. And that is pointless.

I have a strong personality. I like what I like. I ask tough questions. I like to debate.  But I try to remember to be positive and supportive.  I can do better, I know, but at least I try. 

For the sewing community, I want to say thank you to all my lovely friends: Deanna, Jen, Melissa, Connie, Amy, Ashley, Sara, Kristi, Kristy, Caroline, Amy, Kathryn, Fiona, Meagan, Raedene, Jennier, Jenny, Ren, Heather, Lindsay, Sheila, Sue, Kelly, Heather, Mira, Mary, Jenny, Jodi, Wei, Amber, JoAnn, Carrie, Christina, Sarah, Courtney, Melissa, Keri, Melissa, Zura, Annie, Melissa, Nicole, Tiana, Julie, Lynn, Kristen, Chris, Tiffany, Melanie, Melonie, KaShara, Nicole, Sara, Celine, Andrea, Karen, Neila, Jana, Jayma, Amber, Erica, Gina, Erica, Laura, Haley, Laurie, Melissa, Carla, Irene, Nanda, Julie, Krystal, Kyla, Glenda, Renee, Niina,  Heather, Melissa, and Kari,

And if I missed anyone, I am sorry! I love you all and appreciate so much this sewing community we have built up together and how supportive and fabulous you all are to each other and to me.  You make my day each and every day with the sharing and support you offer to me and to each other.   We do talk about how we can do better but we support each other positively. We don't bring each other down. We raise each other up.  And I appreciate that in all of you so very much.

Thank you!!!!

XOXOXO

PS To Sunny - if you are reading this, please learn this valuable lesson. We all make mistakes. Admitting them is hard. Saying you are sorry is hard. But, neither is impossible and both go a long way to mending broken ties.

My favorite skirt patterns

 It is time for the Summer of No Pants 2014 and Kids Clothes Week. (so many things happening in the sewing blogosphere)  So, I am sharing a few of my favorite skirt patterns.  And a great story!

 First up is a skirt I made for myself five years ago from Favorite Things Belle Skirt pattern.  It appears they don't sell this pattern anymore but it is a good one if you can ever find it.  The reason I am sharing this skirt now, having shared it five years ago, is that it comes with a great story that just happened last Saturday.  Last weekend, I wore this skirt on a date night with my husband. I wore it with a red tee shirt and my new Dansko sandals.  (love Dansko shoes) I had a red kerchief in my hair.  After leaving the restaurant, after two nice glasses of wine and a lovely dinner, we were laughing our way to the car, enjoying the beautiful Pacific Northwest still-sunny-at-8pm night, when a woman walked up to me and proclaimed, "I love you!" She was with an older woman, possibly her mother, and two children so I immediately thought she was probably not insane. And she laughed and said that she loved me for my colorful outfit and my laughter and how happy I looked. And she said, "Did you make the skirt, is it Amy Butler fabric?"  Well, way to make a fabricaholic swoon there!!  This is the first time someone on the streets has ever stopped me to talk fabric designers! I said, "No, it is Heather Bailey, but they are similar! Thank you!" And we chatted about fabric love for a minute and then went on our way. I didn't stop smiling all night. 

And that, my friends, is why sewing for yourself is so wonderful! Wearing the latest great jeans from Nordstroms with the new Coach bag is fun.  But not nearly as fun as someone recognizing the fabric you used AND the fact that you sewed for yourself AND they appreciated what you did. That was amazing! Super fun!  Astounding! I am still on cloud nine!  

And, for what it is worth, the top of the skirt is Nicey Jane fabric, the middle is Pop Garden, and the bottom is I don't remember. 

Now, go forth and sew for yourself and share it at sew4me every week! 

 

2. Next up, I used Sew Serendipity's Fashion Formula Skirts Mini Book to make this faux wrap skirt of my lovely sister in law.   I love this pattern book. It has three skirts in it plus several variations of each so you really can make probably a dozen skirts from this booklet and still not be bored.  This is a faux wrap because it is really a big pleat in the front.  It has a drawstring all the way through the waistband. The string goes behind the pleat so the pleat lays flat in front.  I think it looks nice! My lovely sil, Bonnie, picked the pattern from my choices and sent me the fabric and let me do my thing!

 

 2.  And finally, I had enough fabric left over to make my niece, Lake this skirt from Monkeysbug's Twirly Skirt Pattern.  I have also owned this pattern for years and have made many.  I think it is the perfect little girl skirt. It is super twirly! And super easy to make.  

So, there you have three of my favorite skirt patterns. Now, go forth and sew!

Sew-A-Bration of Womanhood - Sewing for me

You read the title correctly. Today, I share sewing for myself. We should all be sewing for ourselves and it is absolutely not selfish to do so. So, when I heard Shaffer Sisters and CallAjaire were planning this blog series celebrating and honoring womanhood and "our common threads" I jumped on board.  Have you been following this series? It is great!  All sorts of women, of all sizes, shapes, types, and ages are sewing for themselves in many ways and celebrating themselves. What an honor to be included. 

Now, why have I not sewn much for myself in the past? Because I am fat! I admit it.  I used to be skinny, for many years I hovered at about 120 lbs on my 5'6" big-boned frame. That was actually too skinny. Then, I hovered around 150 for many years and I look back and think those were my good body years. Now, I am about 200 lbs and not a happy camper. Combined with my Hashimoto's thyroid disease, the weight makes my joints ache and makes me not enjoy exercise. Which makes me gain more weight. It's been a vicious cycle the last few years.  I am ready to confess to the public and admit I have a problem and get better!

So, I took this series as an excuse to share with you my body type, my trials and tribulations, and tell you that I am going to start a new series, called Project Me, where I embark on a new path that includes exercise, taking care of myself, enjoying life more, counseling, sewing for myself, and learning to like me.  And the first step is to sew myself something pretty that can be altered if and when I lose some weight. I say if and when because I am not a fad dieter. I am not joining Weight Watchers or eating only raw food. I am not giving up cheese or French bread. I will still enjoy coffee and wine. But, I will also go to bed at a more regular time, exercise daily (even if it is just a bit) and eat more vegies than bread every day. I will still enjoy my bacon but not in moderation.  

And so, here is me.  My oldest daughter took these horrible pictures of me from a chair.  The vantage point and lighting are terrible! But, it is the best we can do and I am not going to let it stop me from sharing with you. I know there are many beautiful, skinny mommy bloggers out there sharing their sewing. But, we "fluffy" moms should not let that stop us from enjoying sewing for ourselves.  And when Jennifer Paganelli's Beauty Queen arrived my house, I knew that was going to be mostly for me.  I am not an affiliate or anything for JP. I just think her fabrics are the most beautiful out there and she, herself, is the sweetest person I know online. I am blessed to call her friend even if we have never met in real life.

So, here I am!  

I made myself a skirt from the Fashion Formula Skirts pattern from Serendipity Studios. I like this pattern because it has so many options. I have made it before and it is comfy and pretty. Again, I am not affiliate or anything for this company.  This is just a nice pattern!

The tee shirt I got at a local store and appliqued myself using Melody in Midnight.  The pinks are so pretty that I feel pretty wearing them.

 

Hashimoto's has left my hair super thin and even medication hasn't helped it return. I don't want to wear a wig because I get hot easily so I wear head scarves.  I made this one from Beauty Queen.  The scarf is Letty in Midnight.  It is very dark but it is blue, not black.

Why is the skirt falling so funny? Oh dear, well I cannot control that so I will have to accept this picture and just relax!!! It is hard to not be super skinny. Our society puts so much pressure on us to be skinny and almost none of it is about health. It is mostly all about comparing ourselves to others.  I am going to try hard to ignore it and focus on health. If I get thinner because I am getting healthier, I can take this skirt in at the waist. That is why chose it.

 So, there you have it. Me accepting me for who I am and marching out of my shell to better health and  self acceptance. I hope you join me on this journey, which I will be sharing on Thursdays.  Every Thursday, I will update where I am and where I've been and where I am going. I am doing this in public to not only hold myself accountable but also to connect with other women like me.  

Please join me. 

And thank you for joining my part of the wonderful Sew-A-bration of Womanhood tour.

 

Using canned air to clean a serger or sewing machine

Today, I am going to talk about whether you should be using canned air to clean any of your sewing machines.  This is controversial so I thought I would do some research for you so you know if it is right or wrong. I spent several hours, today, reading all manner of blogs, serger manuals, and sewing forums.

Canned air is the nickname for compressed gas duster products you can find at most office supply stores. I buy mine at Office Max, as you can see, but this is not intended as an endorsement for that store. It is located in the same parking lot as Joann Fabrics and, well, you can now understand why I shop there.

Canned air, or compressed gas duster, is not air at all.  It is a compressed fluorocarbon gas that is recommended to clean hard to reach places that cannot get wet, such as some vents on computers.  The can contains a fluorocarbon gas compressed into a liquid for storage. When you spray it, it comes out as gas and blows particulates, like dust, off of or out of what you are cleaning.

 [Warnings: Do not ever breathe it in, because it is not air and it is toxic. Do not put the can around children or pets. Do not shake the can. Do not use it past when it gets cold. A few seconds, at most, is all it is meant to be used. ]


Now some people say these cans are okay to use to clean sergers or sewing machines. My own Janome dealer said I could use it to clean my serger only but not my sewing machine.  And here is why: compressed gas dusters, or canned air, blow too hard for delicate machinery. Your sewing machine is too delicate for canned air.  Your serger might be too delicate or it might be a hardy soul, like my Janome.  If your serger does not open up on both sides, you could blow the dust and lint further up into your machine. If you use it on your sewing machine, you risk the same thing, that the lint and dust will blow up inside the machine and cause problems.

But my Janome 1110DX serger opens up on both side. As you can see in this picture below, I open up the side AND the front to clean it. And I angle the can so the air is blowing out the side. I do the same with the side, angle it so the can is blowing out the front. I am not blowing the compressed gas up into the machine. And I am keeping the compressed gas duster far enough away from the machine that it is not doing damage.

That is how you can successfully clean your serger using compressed gas duster or canned air. GENTLY.  If you read around the internet, which I did today, this is the concern with the canned air, that you will not be gentle enough and do damage to your machine. So, there, now you know how you can use canned air successfully!

So, in case you are interested, here is how I clean my machine between projects.

First I open it up and blow.

 

Then, I take my vacuum hose and vacuum in and around. You should see the mess I've blown out! Some people buy a small vacuum just for this purpose that is more gentle than your household vacuum. In that case, you might be able to get closer to your machinery than I do.

  

 Now, even after all that, there is still lint. Look!  Oops! I forgot to remove the thread! You should do that first! And remove your needles and needle plate, if you want to do a really thorough cleaning. I am just doing a quickie so I left those in this time.

Third step is taking the little brush and very carefully removing all the lint I can find.

Be sure to put the knife down so you can clean the wads of lint behind it!  Wow, there was a lot in there.

Now, I follow my owner's manual's instructions to oil my machine. I use Singer brand oil made especially for sewing machines. That is not an endorsement but please use sewing machine oil, not cooking oil.   

You should be oiling your machine once a week if you use it often! That is what my manual says!

My final step is to take the anti-static wipes meant for computer monitors and give the flat parts a good wiping down. I use anti-static wipes because I do not want to add static electricity while wiping, which you might do if you use regular wipes. Also, computer wipes are much drier than other wipes so I know I will not be adding unnecessary moisture to my machines.

There! Now my serger is all clean and ready for Project Run and Play part 2!

Birthday girl sewing

 Today marks 11 years since I became a mother. This is a special day for any mother, but when you struggled with infertility and thyroid issues and almost got to the point of accepting you would always be childless, to celebrate your child's birthday is extra special.  Today, P is 11 years old!!  She came into the world two weeks early because my water level was very low. Due to a very stressful pregnancy, and many scares, she was very small at birth, only 5th percentile for weight and height. So teeny. But, by the time she was two, she had hit her stride and has comfortably remained in the 50th-75th percentiles ever since.  She is a lovely, sensitive, sweet girl, a tad shy, artistic and kind.  She brings us all great joy.  Happy Birthday to my beloved girl.

In honor of this day, I thought I would share with you some of the sewing I have done for her over the years.  I know that sew a lot more for E, because she loves my creations more, but there are still some great things I've made for P.  

Click on each picture to visit that blog post!

 

 

I've been sewing since I was a little girl but only sporadically. I didn't start taking it seriously until P was in kindergarten, when I made her this cute dress!  It didn't fit her well that year so here she is in first grade, finally fitting into it! 

 

 One of my first attempts with knits!

2010 (first grade) also saw handmade halloween costumes. Both girls wanted to be witches and designed their own costumes for me to sew. 

 

This dress was our first attempt at working together to design something she might like to wear. 

  

Summer tank dresses!

 

 This was our first sewing disaster.  It was supposed to be an Ottobre hoodie but, as you can tell by the face, she did not like it at all. Didn't like the fabric, the hood was not comfy, it was just a big no.

Our second attempt at designing together! She drew the dress and we worked together to find a pattern and fabric 

 

 Mary's Fancy Sash dress for a fancy girl.

And a recent picture in one of the many Jocole knit tops I have made her.  She doesn't like to have her pictures taken as often anymore but she is still letting me sew for her.  Phew. I hope she lets me sew for her forever. 

I love you P!

Project Run and Play Sewalong Season 9, week 1 - Put me in the zoo

It's Project Run and Play Season 9, week 1 and the theme is "Put me in the zoo!"  Elizabeth and Liz, over at PRAP, gave us this challenge - Week #1---"Put Me in the Zoo" Challenge.  Take inspiration from your favorite (or your child's favorite animal) and design and construct an outfit.  Remember to make it "inspired by" and not a literal costume.

My favorite animal at the zoo near us, the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, is the red panda. I like them for a variety of reasons. First of all, it is always quiet near their habitat so we can linger as long as we like. For some reason, they don't attract the big crowds. I also love that they are always up in the trees. My daughter, Eliza, is a climber and I was a climber as a child so I can relate to these little guys. It's pretty cool up in those trees! There is food, you are safe, there is a good view.  And they are so stinkin' cute!  Panda is Nepalese for "small, cat-like animal," which fits them perfectly. They are as cute, if not cuter, than any cat I have seen. And I love cats!

When I looked at that little face above, on the Animal Facts website, I immediately ( I mean like lightning bolt fast IMMEDIATELY) saw what I was going to make inspired by this animal - a Millie Rose Flutter dress.  And can you see why? The red panda's ears look just like flutter sleeves, the facial fur and muzzle looks like a bib, the cute eyes and nose are like buttons. The skirt tiers mimic the shades in the body and the sash ties are the tail.  PERFECT!  I just knew it. And, I had just seen two fabric lines at my local quilt shop that I knew were the perfect colors: Downton Abbey by Andover and Chateaux Rouge by French General. 

I used Microsoft Word and Preview to plan the project out.

And it turned out just as I had pictured!

 

 

You can check out the linky party over at Project Run and Play and see all the other Zoo outfits!

Organizing the sewing space - Phase 1

Do you thrive in clutter or do you need a neat space to work? I need a neat space.  I can handle a bit of clutter but when things get too disorganized and I cannot find tools or fabric or I find cats in odd places, then I know it is time to clean up!  This week, I decided not only to clean up but also to cute up my space.  More is coming!  But, for now, take a look what I have done. I am very pleased with it!


First up, some bad pics of what it used to look like.  This is chaos, in my mind.  When it looks like this, I have so man things piled up I cannot find my tools. Sometimes, there is a cat in the corner. Sleeping. On my fabric. Bins are disorganized. Fabric is missing. It is not fun. The bad lighting is the result of the sun setting at the 49th parallel in January. This is what it looks like every afternoon that the sky is not grey!  I can't work in this light! I have awful, rouge-colored metal blinds, bent in places where the cats have walked through them repeatedly, but they make the room too dark. It is a daylight basement and lighting is an issue.

So, I cleaned up, organized and made it look cuter! Check it out. This is Phase 1.

First of all, I found this adorable Robert Kaufman fabric in my stash and had the perfect amount to make a curtain. Because my sewing area is in the basement family room,  I want my decor to be cute and family friend. My 6 and 10 year old daughters love this fabric! And it goes well with the colors of the wall. Behind the curtain, my bins of scraps and thread and my filing cabinet of patterns are hidden away.

I also made a dust cover for my serger. I winged it on pattern. To do that I just looked online and got an idea of how to trace the shape and create a pattern. It was not hard. I didn't line it or anything so it is just a soft cover to keep dust off my serger. Did you know you need to do that? Dust is harmful to machines! I have a dust cover for mine, a vinyl one, but I have not been able to find it in about six months!! Uhoh!!

Above the sewing area are cupboards where I am starting to organize fabric, ribbons, and Ottobre magazines and notions.  No, that one fabric does not represent my entire stash.  Teehee.

Phase two will begin soon. I got peg board from the hardware store, the kind you use in the garage to hang your tools on pegs.  I am going to paint it bright red and mount it on the wall between the cupboards and the cutting table.  The pegs will hold my scissors and other large tools and I have a collection of small, metal pails to use for smaller tools. That should free up more space for cutting and pinning!!

My sewing machine is currently on a rather unattractive old sewing desk I inherited. It is functional, but not my style. Hence, it is not included in this photo session!!  Phase 3, which will come later in spring, will be getting new shades for the large windows and either painting the old sewing desk or getting something "new."

More pictures will come!