Lavender Lovely

Here is the kit for my latest Creative Sweatshirt Jacket. It goes on a beautiful lavender sweatshirt. Oh my gosh the color is fabulous! The lightest silk in the picture is a beautiful shade of light mint green. I have actually started on the jacket. But haven't taken any construction pictures yet. I probably will have a finished picture in a couple of days. I'm pretty excited about this project.

Refined, Too

Here is another Creative Sweatshirt Jacket I made from the Refined, Too pattern from Londa's Creative Sewing. 

I have to confess that I copied the sample Londa shows in the expo booth. I loved the colors and fabrics. When she first introduced this sample I quickly bought the fabric to make my own. The brown fabric is a Japanese cotton and it is all from the same piece of fabric. It had these random stripes as well as the columns of multi-colored dots. Londa's sample had these very nice wood buttons. The kind where each one is different, but still a set. I couldn't find anything even remotely similar so I bought these wood-look buttons. 

I started this jacket a year ago last May--at the first retreat Londa hosted. It was again, a project I abandoned when it was almost finished. It's taken me about 4 hours to finish it this week. I'm embarrassed by how many projects I have that were/are in this state of almost, but not quite finished. I've finished several but still have others to finish up. 

Blue Rayon Slacks, Finally

Woo-hoo! The blue rayon slacks are finished! I really mean to finish them a couple of weeks ago, but life got ugly and today was the first day I have sewed in about a month. 

It is so hard to photograph navy blue. Consequently no details are visible. I just wanted to show that they are finished! I'm really happy with the fit. And so I'm really glad I took the time to rescue this almost-a-wadder project. 

Next project is to finish a Creative Sweatshirt Jacket that needs a cuff and a collar to be wearable. 

It's Been a While

Until this week, I had not sewn 1 stitch in 2012. Nope, not a one. I don't think I even mended anything. My sewing mojo was in serious hiding. That is until I worked at the Original Quilt and Sewing Expo in Chicago last week. (OK, technically it is held in Schaumburg but to me anything in the Chicago metro area is Chicago.) I came home re-energized about sewing and I have committed to sewing a minimum of 10 min. per day 6 days a week. So far I've sewn more than the 10 mins. every day but 1. Pretty good so far, if I do say so myself.

So what have I accomplished? I have quite a few UFO's and planned garments so I started there. I finished a Thia T I cut out last summer and a Margherita tank top. Both of these tops were cut from the leftover fabric I used to make the Vogue 1250 I wore last August to my son's wedding rehearsal dinner. It is a gorgeous dark denimy color knit. I love the fabric! It is very close to what Vogue Fabrics is selling as Sophia. I'll try and find a picture of the dress to post. Both tops were quick and easy to finish. The Thia T is short-sleeved and the sleeve openings are a teensy bit tight. I don't know if it is the twin needle hem drawing it up, but I think I will make it a bigger next time. I love this pattern and consider it to be a TNT.

I also finished sewing a Christmas apron I had planned to wear on Christmas Day (2011). Before I finished it I reached the point of collapse. Yep, I just couldn't sew another stitch. It took me less than hour to finish it up this week. Now I have to pack it away until this Christmas.

This week I plan to finish a Creative Sweatshirt Jacket I've been working on since this time last year. I also have a pair of beautiful blue rayon pants I need to finish.

Ten minutes a day, ten minutes a day, ten minutes a day.

Ready for the Runway!

I just finished the 2nd garment for the upcoming fashion show hosted by ASG-St. Louis. I will be modeling these 2 garments.

(I am going to add a hook & eye
closure to the front of the circle vest. ) 

Hot Pink Sweatshirt Jacket

I am pretty pleased with how both garments turned out. 




The sweatshirt jacket is from the Genesis Too pattern from Londa's Creative Threads. Londa asked me to participate in filming her latest DVD, Creative Jacket Journey. I was thrilled to be asked and spent 3 wonderful, sewing-filled days in her studio. On the last day, she received a shipment of duppioni silk and I absolutely fell in love with the hot pink. The photo didn't capture the true color of the silk. It is a bright, hot pink, bordering on magenta. It is gorgeous! So I paired it with this interesting cotton batik print, added some bright blue silk duppioni for a  little contrast and "plopped" it all on a navy sweatshirt base. I am really happy with the results. Here is a picture of the back. 

Steady Progress on Jacket

I am making steady progress on my sweatshirt jacket. It's going a little slower than I would like, but I am making time each evening to work on it. The jacket I am working on is like this periwinkle jacket. I am using a brick colored Authentic Pigment Sweatshirt with 3 silk coordinated prints. I should be able to finish it up this weekend and then I'll post a picture. 

Laundry Interference

I didn't get to sew much last night. That darn laundry and ironing was calling my name pretty loudly. I did do some creative designing with the fabric embellishments for my sweatshirt jacket so tonight I can make some significant headway on it. 

4th of July Sewing Marathon

I made it a goal to sew, sew, sew this weekend and boy did I! 

I made a laptop computer case from the quilting fabric I purchased in Cincinnati. (More about that later.) Then I made the Biased About Jackets from Fashion in Harmony. And I am well on my way to creating another Creative Sweatshirt Jacket.


Sunday morning when I walked into my sewing studio I realized I had lots of piles of stuff sitting around. Time to do a little picking up and reorganizing. I spent a couple hours Sunday and Monday on the task and the room looks much better--less chaotic. I feel better with all my projects in bags, lined up and ready to go. I'm not completely finished, however, there are still a couple piles of patterns to be filed and papers to be sorted through. But it is 99% better than before. 


I plan to finish my sweatshirt jacket in 2 more evenings of sewing. Then I need to make some walker bags for a nursing home my ASG Neighborhood group will be visiting on the 13th.  

AQS Show in Paducah

Back in April I attended (for the first time) the American Quilter's Society show in Paducah, KY. First, I want to say I am not a quilter. But I have a BFF, Londa, who can do things to sweatshirt—well, let me just say "couture", and I was privileged to work in Londa's booth for 3 days of the show.

(I have one experience with quilt making. When my oldest daughter was pregnant with my first grandchild, my beloved MIL suggested making a quilt. My MIL wasn't an avid quilter, but she knew her away around the quilt shop. I loved to sew! I loved my daughter! I loved the grandbaby on the way! I knew I would love making the quilt! I bought the fabric. My MIL pieced the blocks and then came the endless hours of hand quilting. Let me sum it up simply—not my cup of tea! Endless tiny stitches going on forever in the same direction. Finger tips so sore I could barely hold my morning cup of java. I did not, do not, nor will I ever love, or even like, quilting. I told my other children to treat their sister very nice so she would share the quilt with them because that would be the only quilt I ever made!)

So I find it ironic that my friend asked me to help her out at a quilt show. But I had a wonderful time. And the sweatshirt jackets are so beautiful they take your breath away. This wasn't the first time I have helped Londa at a show. And I have actually "created" one jacket of my own with another under construction. I took some fabric remnants with me to Paducah for inspiration and, sure enough, Londa helped me pick the right sweatshirt color, assorted embellishments, awesome buttons and all the other stuff I needed. But the absolute best part was spending time with my BFF, talking, sharing, and just plain hanging out. Thank you , Londa!