Sewing lessons at the library

In case you didn’t know, my day job is at a library. Luckily libraries aren’t going anywhere- our community library system circulates over a million items a year (!!) and the branch where I work gets about 250-300 patrons through the doors a day. Even cooler, though, we’re not just doing books anymore! We have a video game room, the main library has a guitar library and is offering guitar lessons, and now we are hosting sewing lessons.

We’re working toward a sewing machine lending library in the future (Here’s an article about a library that’s doing it already), but for now we’re offering sewing lessons twice a month to people who bring their own machines along.

We’ve had a great response so far.  Their first project was a simple tissue holder for a purse or backpack, but now I am looking for more ideas. We have adults and kids, both boys and girls- what are some great, simple projects that can be completed in an hour and a half or so and that will teach them the basics of sewing? For the time being we are supplying all the materials needed, so it’s better if the projects don’t require expensive, specialized supplies (so far we’re cleaning out our fabric stashes!).

I am also starting to look into good, mid-range (ideally less than $300) machines to recommend the library buy. What machine do you use? Is it durable? Would it hold up to use by sewists of a variety of skill levels?  I have a basic Baby Lock that has served me well, but I am open to ideas!

Happy Friday!
Elizabeth

essential basket…reprise

i just got word yesterday that the free basket pattern we designed for dear stella is now available!!  woo-hoo!!  just in time for last minute easter giving and spring organizing!  what i love about this little basket is how sturdy it is.  peltex is used to create “nearly” solid walls that will stand up.  the test baskets i made while designing the final pattern have been put to use around my house, organizing everything from knitting, to sewing supplies to makeup.  here’s the link to the free pattern. check out some of their new fabric lines while you’re there.

I hope you’ll share pics of your baskets and how you are using them! here’s one of mine holding all those lotions and potions that clutter the bathroom.

kim

Music and sewing and second call for the giveaway

First off, Shari was the winner of the pattern giveaway, but I haven’t heard from her yet!  Shari, if you see this, shoot me an email at ohsnapdragonstudios@gmail.com with your address by Wednesday and I will send them your way, but in the meantime, anyone is free to comment on this post (perhaps answer the questions I pose at the end?) to be entered to win in the event that I don’t hear from Shari.

Now that the weather is more moderate, I’ve been able to work in my new studio without my fingers freezing off.  (My studio is in the back quarter of our detached, unheated garage, and while I have a little electric heater out there, it was no match for the -20 degree days we’ve had the past couple of months.)

Image here

When I was in high school our sewing area was in the basement of my parents’ house.  I loved staying up way too late puttering around down there, putting on some music and sewing the night away.  I am not naturally a night person, but for some reason I have always gotten my best sewing done at night.  My late night sewing has been curtailed since Paul and I got married because our house is tiny (not hyperbole – it’s 484 square feet if you measure from the outside corners) and he has to get up early for work.  It’s been even so since we had kids, because they sleep in the front room of our house and we have the bedroom, so unless I were to drag a table into the (47 square foot) kitchen, which connects to the front room anyway, there’s nowhere to go that won’t bother someone.

My studio, which Paul and I built last fall but has only recently gotten steady use, is amazing.  I’m not going to share pictures yet because I want to paint and make it pretty before anyone sees it, but suffice it to say that it’s a dream come true.  The heater makes it cozy on (moderately)  chilly nights and no one except perhaps our outdoor cat is bothered by the lights and the noise.

I recently dragged my high school/ college cd collection out of storage and have been rekindling my love of putting a cd in the player and stitching away.  (We have an iPod, but something about sewing demands cds for me.  I like the way they mark time – one cd is about an hour, so I measure my sewing time in albums instead of by the clock.)

On the turntable last night (so to speak):

Paul Simon’s Graceland (twice because I love it)

Broken Valley Roadshow’s Disgrace & Celebration

Rhonda Vincent’s All American Bluegrass Girl

What do you listen to when you sew?  Am I the last person in the world who still likes cds?  Would you make fun of me for confessing that I’ve been eyeing up my (considerable) collection of Broadway albums?  Will the neighbors think I’m weird if they hear “NAAAANTS INGOOOONNYAMA bagithi BAbaaa”* coming out of my garage at 12:30 in the morning?

-Elizabeth

*(Ok, so I just looked up the lyrics to “The Circle of Life” so I could spell that awesome opening line – did you know that it’s Zulu for “Here comes a lion, Father?”  I didn’t either.  That’s totally sweet.)

age is a relative thing

several weeks ago it was elizabeth’s turn.  this week was mine….my birthday!  lucky for me it landed on one of my “work from home” days and i was able to enjoy it in my own way, which really wasn’t all that different from every other day.  the sun was out making my studio bright and inspiring so i spent a good deal of my time there.  my boys and their girlfriends significant others woman folk ,whatever the new politically correct term is now for long term relationships, came to the house and we grilled out.  not always able to do that when your birthday falls in mid march!  and you mothers among us know how special it is to have all your children back in the house together, even if only for a few hours!

my mother loves to tell the story of how she and my father made the 30 mile trek to the hospital in the middle of the night during a blizzard/ice storm the night I was born.  the only car actually on the road and not in the ditch.  maybe that’s why i love winter so much?  but this year nature gave me a warmish, sunnyish day to celebrate.  and that’s just how i felt…warm and sunny.

kim

 

 

Swanky vintage patterns and giveaway day!

Have you seen the McCalls Pattern Behavior tumblr yet?  Go look.  It’s hilarious.

I enjoy vintage patterns.  I always learn something from them, whether it be a nicer hem finish, how to pad stitch a jacket (although I haven’t been brave enough to attempt that yet), or how to make gorgeous seam lines on a blouse for a special fit and finish.  I like the care that they suggest went into making garments – things could be beautiful and functional and a sewing project didn’t necessarily have to be finished in a couple of hours (although I appreciate the benefit of quick sewing projects, too!)

Since it’s almost spring and we haven’t done a giveaway in a while, I thought I would offer a handful of nifty vintage patterns that were part of a collection I was gifted recently.  I picked out some that I think would look great in modern fabrics, especially since it seems that the ’70s are back.

The power trousers are a little more ’80s, but I kept wanting to make up captions for that pattern cover in my head (“We wear our grey power trousers for work AND play.”  “Does this tie say ‘I will be the one to break the glass ceiling’?  That’s what I was going for.”)

The peasant dress would look fantastic in a drapey voile or even a lightweight knit and I can see the tunic dress in a chambray or light linen blend.

I am also including the unmentionables pattern in the mix above because I am somewhat taken with the idea of making my own delicates.

And, really, the cardigans are too much fun not to share.  I’m not sure why I don’t have matching argyle knit cardigan and trousers in my closet, but obviously everyone should.  And those knee socks… I die.

Anyway, the random number generator chose 3, so this bounty plus one of our patterns goes to Shari who said “I recently made a few Finlayson tops for my 15yo son. When complimented at school, he shared that his mom made it and his friends wanted to know if I could make them one too. When he needed a welding cap, his first question if I could make one. He’s now sporting a welding cap made of fun fabric that fits his personality! I love that he’s thinking make versus buy!”

Congratulations, Shari!  Send me an email at ohsnapdragonstudios@gmail.com with your mailing address and which of our patterns you fancy!

Who has selfish sewing lined up even though selfish sewing week is over?  I have a somewhat ambitious plan for an Easter dress, but if that fails I will be making a sweet Market Day Tunic shift dress to wear to church on Easter.  Other than that my sewing time has been spent working on some new patterns for Snapdragon Studios, so all of that is under wraps for a little longer!  What are you sewing these days?

randomly on a monday

i’m a winter girl, i admit it proudly!  i’ve always had a tough time accepting spring and it’s mucky wetness…that is, until the muck is gone and what’s left is fresh green growth and birdsong!  the last several days (with the exception of one dreary rain day) have been pretty glorious around these parts and i’m finding myself thinking spring!  dreading the weeding, edging and mulching but looking forward to the results.  the past week has turned my hillside from this…

to this…

not nearly as pretty, but ever so much easier to walk the dogs!!  and soon the green will come…and need to be mowed!
i found these popping up through the snow a few weeks ago.   i’m pretty sure they’re exciting to be bathed in spring sunshine!  and soon their colorful little blooms will bring me excitement too.

my selfish sewing was sort of a bust!!  i selfishly spent a lot of time working on some new designs, which i love. but i haven’t thrown in the towel on some sewing for me quite yet. this light flocked cotton will eventually become a top, whether in these patterns or another. and i’ve been wanting to make a spring trench for years…maybe this will be that year!!

and for no other reason than i think it’s beautiful i’m sharing this cake plate. a gift from amy this christmas, i love how the light reflects through it. inspiration.   in a couple of hours it will be holding cinnamon chip scones, hot from the oven…be still my cinnamon loving heart!

don’t forget our vintage pattern giveaway!! follow us and leave a comment telling about your favorite sewing project. some lucky sewist will receive a bundle of vintage patterns AND a snapdragon studios pattern of their choice. just in time for your own spring sewing!
kim

Selfish Sewing and a Giveaway!

Although I didn’t get around to any selfish sewing this week, I did get some planned and prepped which I will be sharing soon (I hope, anyway… it’s supposed to be an Easter dress, so we’ll see). I was thinking about “selfish sewing” though, and I realized that all of my sewing is selfish to some extent. I like to have beautiful, unique things around me. I can’t often afford to buy things that are high-end enough to be exclusive, although I patronize Etsy and independent artists when I can, so I learned to make things myself.  I love the time I spend in the studio creating. I love to see the finished projects in use and I especially love responding to compliments with “Thanks. I made it!”

I made my wedding dress.

I make some of my everyday clothes.

I make clothes for my kids.

I made the cover and cushions for our daybed.

I made the (not even remotely matching) quilt and pillow for Jack’s bed. (All of the pictures of Jack sleeping places other than our bed are IN NO WAY WISHFUL THINKING in case you were wondering.)

I made a fun shower curtain for my cousin’s new house.

I made a pretty quilt that we gave away to one of our readers last summer to celebrate Samuel’s birth.

And now Kim and I make sewing patterns to make it a little easier for others to add a little beauty and “specialness” to their everyday, too.

I hinted on Instagram yesterday that I was thinking of giving away a handful of vintage patterns since I just came into a bounty of them. We’re going for it, and as a springy/ selfish sewing bonus I will throw in one of our patterns of your choice. To enter, follow our blog if you don’t already (sign up in the sidebar) and leave a comment telling us about one of your favorite or most special sewing projects. I will choose a comment at random and announce the winner on the blog Wednesday,  so be sure to check back!

Happy Friday!

selfishly sewing

while technically i began these two projects BEFORE selfish sewing week began, i’m counting them since i didn’t finish them until monday.  and technically, they’re not for me….they’re for amy….but i’m still counting them because…well, just because!  first up was our own market day tunic in an anna maria horner fabric from her little folks collection.  this voile is ever so soft and drapey, although it does tend to crease quite a bit (more on that in a minute!).  next came a clara dress from sew liberated.  i’ve been fortunate to be able to work with meg and danica (brand new mom by the way) at sew liberated for many years now and i love this clara dress.  unfortunately it’s a bit young for this old lady, so i was thrilled when amy asked for one.  we used a sarah watts  fabric (by blend) called timber & leaf….darling little fox heads.  it’s an older fabric and sarah is now part of cotton & steel.  amy has yet to choose buttons, but except for that, this one too is ready to go.  the only change i made was to the sleeve.  the clara was designed with a keyhole opening on the sleeve, but we opted to omit the keyhole and add a few mini pleats instead and i’m really please with how it worked.  since i didn’t have amy here to model, my old standby eloise (yes, her name changes on a whim!!) stood in her place….amy is much less crooked, and, sorry eloise, she’s more fun to talk to!

oh…those creases??  i finally got to use my newest studio gadget.  that little mini steamer was a Christmas gift from my sister.  i’ve used the huge professional ones before and wasn’t quite sure how this one would perform.  it gets a standing ovation!!  what a handy little tool…thanks sis!!

it’s only wednesday…the week is young, still time for something from the studio for myself!!

kim

A sweet, nautical bapron

I am in another baby season of my life. We had a baby shower for some friends of mine from grad school to attend last weekend; I am hosting a baby shower for a couple who adopted a baby girl this weekend, and I will be hosting a dear friend’s baby shower this summer. I was getting bored with my usual shower gifts (a book, burp cloths and an easy baby quilt or blanket), so I decided to try something different.

Jess at Craftiness is Not Optional has an adorable pattern for a “bapron” (baby apron) that I have been coveting for my own kids, so I bought it last week and whipped one up for the shower last weekend. It went together quickly and it’s super cute. The whale fabric is by Janet Clare for Moda and I lined it with more of the oil cloth I used for Jack’s chair so it’s reversible and wipeable on that side.

I highly recommend the pattern if you need some serious coverage for your kiddo or if you are looking for something cute and practical for a shower. I want to make one in every color. The pattern is available here.

What are your best baby shower gifts? I need more ideas for all these babies!

let the games begin…it’s selfish sewing week!

selfish sewing week begins monday.  if you haven’t heard about it, check out all the details here.  i love the idea, even though i probably won’t enter anything into the contest.  personally, i’m using the challenge as an excuse to do some sewing for myself….me, me, me.  i mean isn’t that what the title says??  of course i have no idea what i’m going to sew….suggestions are always welcome!!  i just know that i’m going to make myself at least one complete garment!  who knows…i may get carried away and complete two, but let’s not board the train to crazytown quite yet.  i’ve gone so far as to pull a couple pieces of fabric from the stash and over the weekend i’ll contemplate, mull over, fondle and manipulate while awaiting an epiphany….it will come!!

i’m challenging everyone who reads this post to join in.  join the challenge and submit your masterpiece, or just join me in whipping up something new for yourself.  and share with us!!  i’ll be checking in on all the bloggers participating and stalking all the pics for inspiration.  hope to see some of your creations among them!

here’s a list of all the bloggers participating next week.  there’s some amazing talent here….enjoy!

Selfish Sewing Week Bloggers

And make sure you keep an eye on these bloggers during the week! You’ll be seeing some amazing projects with stunning fabrics that you won’t want to miss.

Imagine Gnats Featured Bloggers

• Monica – Adirondack Inspired
• Melissa – A Happy Stitch
• Beth – Beth Being Crafty
• Alli – B Yazoo
• Jane – Buzzmills
• Ajaire – Call Ajaire
• Meg – Cookin’ & Craftin’
• Jenelle – Echinops & Aster
• Sarah – @MakerMaker
• April – Modern Handmade
• Brooke – Oliver’s Fancy
• Caroline – Sew Can She
• Caroline – Sew Caroline

Indiesew Featured Bloggers

• Trine – Groovy Baby & Mama
• Andrea – Knitty Bitties
• Abbey – Sew Charleston
• Beth – Sew DIY
• Lucinda – Sew Wrong
• Elise – Sunday Charm

Blog Tour Bloggers

• Jessica – Craftiness is Not Optional
• Teresa – Dandelion Drift
• Delia – Delia Creates
• Jo – Dotta Sews
• Jamie – Fancy Tiger
• Teri – Fa Sew La
• Priscilla – Fashion & Fishing
• Lori – Girls in the Garden
• Mary – Idle Fancy
• Frances – Miss Matatabi
• Julie – Our Chez Nous
• Erin – Sewbon
• Sara – Sew Sweetness

kim