Birthdays are made for celebrating

I have been sewing a bit, beading a lot, but more importantly I have been celebrating.

In all honesty I am pretty blah about most holidays. Some are great for the kids like Christmas, some like Thanksgiving are nice family gatherings but are a ton of work, some like Valentine's Day or Sweetest Day are just what you make them.

But birthdays are special. This is the one day of the year that your existence is acknowledged. A day that you can make it whatever you want. I love birthdays. I enjoy celebrating them, mine or anyone else's.

This past weekend was spent celebrating my birthday. It wasn't a huge milestone or anything, but it was well spent. Lots of great time with friends and family. Thank you to everyone that celebrated it with me. The lunches, dinners, drinks, phone calls, texts, cards - they mean the world to me thank you all!

Not so crafty news and something to share

The purpose behind this blog was to start sewing again, get out some creative energy, and share it.

To that point I have kept this blog about my crafty endeavors - sewing, embroidering and a bit of beading. But some things in life are just too good not to share.

And with that I must introduce you to "the plum". I read Cleveland's a Plum religiously. It is warm and genuine and funny and a great way to live vicariously as well as learn about some great places Cleveland has to offer.

Recently the plum had an amazing contest to win a laptop, and like any good reader I entered. Then amazingly enough WON! Notice my complete shock and awe and overwhelming joy.

So now I must share the joy that is the plum with you. Happy reading! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Monogram sizing

Before I show you the finished monogram, I thought you might like to see how it sized. Size is a big deal with embroidery - from the size of hoop your machine will take, to the size of the embroidery design, to being able to re-size or scale a design to make it fit your particular project.

The monogram software I'm using has plenty of size options. It defaults to metric but you can change it to standard (I didn't because my hoops all have the metric sizes printed on them, and I am a super visual learner, so being able to grab a 120 x 120 hoop and say "wow that design would never fit on a toddler's t-shirt" is big for me).

When I started the monogram for the pencil pouch I left all the settings as is in the 4D Monogram and Vision software. I could have changed the size of the lettering from the get go, but didn't. I either wasn't paying attention to that little box or didn't even think about it at the time.

So here is another little secret - I test sew everything. Yep, everything. Every design I have ever stitched onto a garment, bag, anything has been stitched previously on a scrap. I learn so much when I test a design. I get to see the color changes first hand, how the colors really work together and not just on a screen, the finished size of a design, etc. I have so many stitch-outs I have considered framing them, using them in quilts, something - I just haven't figured out how yet.

So the monogram on top is straight from software. Out of the box - I choose the font and the flourishes and stitched away.

The middle sized monogram is from my machine. The Designer Topaz 30 will scale a design plus or minus 20%. I thought it came out pretty well. The letters are clear and pretty easy to read.

Then I went back to the software and increased the font to 50mm. Wow - talk about clear! Even the curls are crisp.

From here it is just about what fits best on the 5" x 7" pencil pouch. But I will show you that tomorrow.

Until then I will share a peak at my weekend fun - just getting in as much fun and sunshine as Northern Ohio has to offer this time of year. And yes - those roller coasters in the background are Cedar Point.

More sewing toys .... supplies ..... tools

I had every intention of picking up the new Texture Hoop last night. I had visions of home dec projects running through my head. A table runner for the dining room, some pillows for the family room and maybe even a gift or two.


Then I saw this. 4D Monogram and Vision by Inspira. Basically a monogramming software that works with any sewing and embroidery machine. Talk about gift making potential! Do you see my handmade holiday potential? Especially if I start now, today, immediately!

Stockings, bath towels, pencil pouches, make-up bags, travel bags, cardigans, baby bibs and blankies .... have any other suggestions?

Bead Paradise

I have been venturing out more to find the sewing, embroidery, and beading supplies I want.

I recently discovered Bead Paradise in Oberlin, Ohio. Set in a lovely little college town this shop has a very knowledgeable staff and a huge selection. If you like trade beads, seed beads, Delicas, Swarovski crystals, cathedral beads, stone beads, you name it - they have it.

In all honesty, my bead shopping list was tiny - I really just wanted to get out and explore. I went for white size 6 seed beads and some John James size 10 beading needles. You can get both of those anywhere. I left Bead Paradise with what was on my list, these lovely transparent amethyst size 8 seed beads and a wildflower mix of size 5 triangles and more. The triangles were a little pricey - but you can't always find them and I love the dimension they add to bead crochet.

My plan was just to start stringing the seed beads and triangles so I could do a little crochet this week when I needed a portable project.

I know this is not what Tupperware was intended for, but it is the best way I have found to store bead crochet. It works great when you are stringing, then once all the beads are strung it can sit safely until you start to crochet, then when you start working your project is already portable and ready to be tossed into whatever bag you are taking with you.

The stringing went so crazy fast that I thought, I'll just start a bracelet. Just a few rows. Watch a little TV, crochet a little, just relax for a bit and the bead crochet went so well that a few rows turned into this!

Good intentions

I had every intention of playing with the Bias Binder last night and making a towel look like a robe. Really I did.

Then this happened.

An absolutely delightful surprise bouquet delivered to my living room. In a pickle jar.

These were hijacked from my yard and I don't care. My little girl cut them for me and put them where I would see them when I got home just because. Are you serious? Just because. That was her whole reason and I love it!

So instead of sewing and playing with my new sewing tool we spent some quality time together on the couch playing with some beads. We ventured to lovely Toledo, Ohio last weekend and came across a great little bead shop, Meant to Bead. If you are in the area it is totally worth a stop. They have a great selection and the ladies were super sweet.

After some measuring and composing Katie has a lovely new bracelet and I still have a huge smile.

Weekends are wonderful

After fretting last week about so much to do and so little time, I had a most lovely weekend!

Saturday was spent anchoring out on the north side of Kelley's Island. There is a fantastic public beach set in a lovely little cove. The day was spent enjoying the sunshine and blue sky with friends and family.

Beyond the relaxing, I accomplished sew much! Forgive the pun, but it really is true.

Remember the Sew, Mama, Sew Summer Skirt Sew-Along? The skirt now has side seams! And it gets better. I got to test drive the Sewing Advisor on my Husqvarna Viking Topaz 30. It rocked. No dials, no playing around with the tension, I literally with the press of a button told the machine what kind of fabric I was using and my stitch length, tension, everything - set for me!




The Buttercup Bag, from Made by Rae? Pattern printed, cut out and fabric selected! I rummaged through my stash and found two coordinating prints that have more than a fat quarter a piece.



And the fun doesn't stop there. The other item on my to-do list, the Pool Robe? Towel located with coordinating scrap fabric for the bias tape and sash!



The fun doesn't stop there. I even whipped up some earrings for myself to start the week off with some sparkle. A little sterling silver chain, two odd pearls and a pair of amethyst briolettes and I have a little present for me!



Now I have three projects going at once, but I'm not as worried about Summer slipping by!

More to do than there are hours in the day

I didn't get the pieces to my summer skirt cut last night. I'm a slacker.

There are three projects I really want to get done this summer: a summer skirt for me, a pool wrap for the princess, and a buttercup bag.

So this week I will:

1. Cut the fabric for my skirt
2. Select the fabric for the buttercup bag
3. Start the pool robe/wrap

This list is so that they all happen before there is snow on the ground.

Aside from these projects there are some sewing toys, I mean tools I want to try. Like the texture hoop, walking foot, ruffler and about a million others that I see every time I walk into a quilt shop or sewing machine dealer.

I also want to take a beginner's quilt class that I saw offered. It only meets twice a month! How could I not fit that in!

But I am jumping ahead. My list only has three to do's so that I can realistically get to them all.

Pistachio is best saved for ice cream

Ok, back to our regularly scheduled broadcasting, all about me and my funky pistachio green bedroom.

Here is the rug picture previously promised.

So how to make this room less green? I changed the curtains to the matching navy blue, but what is next? A heap of fun pillows is the first thing that comes to mind.

Tons of blue fabrics and embroideries tying together the pistachio walls, navy curtains, navy bedding, and hydrangea rug.

I am willing to sew square pillows, cylinder pillows, even a big body pillow.

Any fabrics, threads or embroidery designs come to mind?

Baby showers can be fun.

The baby shower was actually fun. A lovely group of about thirty women from different branches of the family, generations from newborn to 92. The afternoon was spent talking, laughing, playing silly games and being reminded that women are amazing.

And my fretting over a last minute gift was complete and totally unnecessary. I found a great set of pastel colored burp cloths and went to town with some young and fun embroideries from Urban Threads .

I also have to give special kudos to my machine, she may have earned a name after this adventure. I can't keep just saying my machine, or the Husqvarna Viking Designer Topaz 30 (say that three times fast!). These burp cloths were done in an afternoon and I can count the thread breaks on one hand!

Take a peak at my fantastic, last minute, absolutely adorable, burp cloths! Next time I will sew them myself and embroider them, but this was great for last minute.

And you know you did good when the momma-to-be asks if you would please make more for her!

Here is my other bonus from the day, the princess with her cousin and the flower they won playing one of those games we all try to avoid at any all girl event!

Was it really a brilliant idea?

I thought I had a brilliant idea. I would just make some quick, easy and fun pillows for my bedroom. I could use a new embroidery design and it wouldn't be so sterile and blue. Not to mention I would actually get to sew something with my new machine!

Any idea how difficult it is to find blue fabric? I mean fun, attractive blue fabric. Nothing young or country. Think Alexander Henry, Heather Ross, Joel Dewberry, Tina Givens, Anna Maria Horner or Amy Butler - contemporary and sophisticated, just blue.

A navy or sky blue would be the first choice. Not aqua or pastel. This Blakely Pool by Alexander Henry is the best one yet.

I am totally open to suggestions. Is there a fantastic fabric resource I just haven't found yet?

What a lovely weekend!

Hoping everyone had a fantstic, fun, relaxing and generally joyous 4th of July!




Just had to share that glorious blue sky over the sand bar. Lake Erie has its moments!

Sneak peak

So here is a sneak peak at my bedroom with lovely new summer weight quilt and matching curtains - very matching.

It is way too matchy-matchy, but was my attempt to tone down the pistachio colored walls.
















So question of the day .... do I add some coordinating bed pillows to tie in the blue, green and purple or do I paint the walls?

Before you say anything, I owe you a picture of the carpet. It is gigantic hydrangea in you guessed it, blue, green and purple.

But is must be properly vacuumed prior to any photographs!

Some people are just accident prone ....

and I am one of them. As previously mentioned I have done some silly things in the name of sewing.
Example - getting my hair caught in the take up lever

Example - sewing through my own fingernail

Example - sewing the foot into a twisted circle of tee shirt and having to remove it from the garment in order to continue sewing.

In retrospect I should have taken pictures of all of these events. But today I am focused on the last one.

I was working on this design for my daughter and it was going relatively well. Then the extra fabric jumped out of no where and I didn't catch it until it was twisted and the hip fabric was sewn to the back fabric.

My most favorite tool of all time - the one and only seam ripper came to my rescue and together we removed the foot from the shirt and put it back on the machine. But now I have these crazy little holes in the back right hip of her her shirt.

They didn't photograph well, but there are 5 little holes in a 1" x 1" square. I must hide them. Fix them. Somehow disguise them. And it must be done in a way fashionable for an almost 11 year old girl.

Suggestions?

- a tiny corresponding embroidery
- add some bits of reverse applique
- try some fun little patches
- hem the shirt

I will try anything. She picked out the shirt and the design and I really don't want to disappoint.

Embroidery extravaganza

Here is one of the machine embroidery collections I bought from myembroideries.com

I totally fell for the swirls and shapes and free motion thing it has goign on. The collection includes directions to make the wall hanging/sampler shown on the front, but I really like each design seperately.

There is also a thread kit. It is difficult to see in the picture but the designs are stitched out in the most sumptuous variegated thread.

I see a table runner for the dining room or pillows for my bedroom, any other fun project suggestions?

Junk mail or great deal?

Hello all - this appeared in my e-mail today:

I tend to immediately discard anything that could even be junk mail, then I read it.

Then I clicked it.

Then I shopped.

Now I am in trouble. Or will be if anyone else ever sees the credit card statement or this post.

I think I bought enough machine embroidery designs to redecorate my whole house and then some.
So now I am sharing, hope everyone enjoys!

Happy Father's Day

Hope everyone had a lovely Father's Day!

Mine was full of family and fun, with not nearly enough relaxing. Feels like the day was spent prepping for and cleaning up after a great cookout.

The cookout was great, plenty of family and friends (thank you everyone for coming!)

The star of the cookout was this Jerk Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple-Plum Relish from Cooking Light. It was sweet and a little spicy and well worth trying!

My little sewing room .... umm, I mean corner.

Traveling is fun, but it is great to be home.

Here are pictures of my little corner of the living room (aka my sewing room) with my beautiful new Husqvarna Viking Designer Topaz 30 Sewing and Embroidery machine:

And here is one with the embroidery unit attached:

And yes - that is a pile of mending slowly building up and a lovely warm color scheme of thread I was playing with.

Now let the sewing begin!

Thinking out loud ....

I can't wait to be home. Every once in awhile it is nice to get away, but there really is no place like home.

Now that I have my very own sewing machine, I can't wait to start a project! But what should it be? Do I start something big like a quilt? Should I try something small to learn the machine? Should I play with the machine embroidery?

Here is just a beginning list of things I want to make with my new sewing machine:

• Embroidery some fun designs on cardigans for the office
• Make my own holiday gifts
• A wrap dress for me
• Shorts for my little girl
• Make my own purse and accessories
• Try reverse applique

Stunning embroidery on blue leather ....

I love to shop. Those near and dear to my understand this and sometimes are able to give me the necessary time and space to pursue this love.

This week I am traveling on my own, which means I can shop to my heart's content - as time allows.

I have now offically been to the same store six times to look at the most stunning marbled blue 3/4 length leather jacket. The color alone draws me in, but the embroidery design makes it!