Sew Much Fun

Back in the beginning of May, I hosted a Singer Sewing Machine House Party.  This was an event that I signed up for online a few months ago.  I (along with lots of other people who signed up) got to rent a Singer Confidence Stylist sewing machine for two weeks.  As part of the deal, I hosted sewing party and demoed the machine for some of my friends.  Remember when I left you all hanging with this post?  Here's what was in that box...

They sent all that stuff just for the party!  I was super excited and I had fun filling up brown paper bags with coupons, patterns, thread, and all kinds of stuff to give to my guests.  I still have a few goody bags left so if you would like one, let me know.  A lot of the coupons are already expired but the rest of the stuff is still good.

I ended up having just the right amount of guests show up.  Any more people and we would have had to move the party to the front lawn (have I mentioned that I live in a tiny "hobbit hole" house- that's a topic for another blog entry though).  Here's the party in full swing.  Do we know how to have a good time or what?

There was sewing, sewing, and more sewing...

...but all crafts are welcome here.

We also had just enough time for everyone to complete their own projects.  Two of my guests managed to escape before I could get pictures of theirs but here are the ones I did get...

The House Party company had sent a suggested project along with some fabric (which I forgot to photograph) but I just wasn't thrilled with it so I found the business card/gift card holder project, which I thought better showcased the machine's awesomeness- especially the decorative stitches (there are 70 of them) and the button-sewing-on feature (not the technical name, I'm sure) which I was particularly overly excited about.  

I pre-cut all the fabric (hand-picked from my own stash) so everyone could choose their favorite combo and complete their own card holder.  I made a similar project a while back at the CHA Supershow and remembered how great it was to already have the fabric cut for me so I could get straight to the fun part- decorating it and stitching it all together.

I purposely cut plenty of extras so there would be lots of variety.  I ended up completing the rest of the projects before I had to return the machine.  It was lots of fun...

So yeah, I really did love the Singer Confidence Stylist sewing machine but even with the special discount I would have gotten if I had purchased it, I just couldn't justify buying something like this right now.  It's nice to have a good idea what I might be looking for in my next machine though.

I also feel like I should mention that I was completely enamored with All Brands Sewing and Vacuum in Garden Grove.  I was assigned to pick up my sewing machine there and when I showed up for my required demo I instantly loved the place.  It's an older shop with a mom and pop kind of feel and just about every inch of the front showroom area is filled with sewing machines of every size, shape, and era (there are vacuum cleaners too).  It was the kind of place where I just wanted to hang out for a while.  I definitely plan on going back there if and when I need my current sewing machine serviced and when I am finally ready to purchase a new machine, I plan on checking there first.  

I know this is starting to sound like a commercial so let me assure you, I have not been paid by anyone to say any of this.  I just enjoyed this whole experience that much!

On A Roll

I've seen crayon rolls all over the internet and have often thought, I could do that.  So, I finally decided to "do that."  This tutorial was super helpful (it was nice to not have to reinvent the wheel...er roll).  Here's how it turned out.

This is a very fun and easy project if you know what you're doing.  It also doesn't require a ton of fabric so it's a great way to use up remnants and scraps.

Owls vs. Butterflies

I would like to share some observations I've made recently in the area of fabric quality. I do not consider myself a fabric snob or textile expert but I am starting to see the value in spending a little more to get something that will last.

I made the two bibs pictured below around the same time. The butterfly fabric was purchased from Walmart and the owl fabric is from Tall Mouse ("Timeless Treasures Fabrics, Inc., Pattern # APPLE-C 5707). They have been used and washed approximately the same amount of times. This is definitely not a formal science experiment, since I have no way of knowing at this point exactly how many times either bib has been washed or whether they have received the exact same treatment over the last few months, but I am able to just look at them and see a dramatic difference in the way they are showing wear.


Here's a closer look...


Here's what kind of blew my mind. This is how the fabric compares before any washing or wearing. The bibs above were cut from these very pieces of fabric...


Yikes! What happened to those lovely butterflies?

Here's just the owls- new on the left, worn on the right...


There are some hints of wear but really this fabric looks to be standing up pretty well.

Now just the butterflies. Same deal- new on the left, worn on the right...


Poor tired butterflies.

Just for fun I did the same kind of comparisons with the fabrics I used for the backsides of the bibs. The green swirls fabric (Timeless Treasures Fabrics, Inc., Pattern # APPLE-C 5710) is from the same line as the owl fabric...


Still pretty nice and green.

This fabric is from Jo-Ann Fabrics...


Not too much visible wear here either.

The Walmart fabric obviously does not maintain it's look as well as the more expensive Tall Mouse fabric but I did remember that the fabric I used for my Composition Book Cover was also from Walmart so I dug out the original fabric and did another comparison. The original fabric is on the left and the Comp Book Cover is on the right.


Huh, this fabric has held up okay and, if memory serves me correctly, this project preceded the bibs by a couple months and it's been carried around in various backpacks, purses, and carry-on luggage. The difference? The comp-book cover has not been washed "a million" times (I did wash the whole piece of fabric once before I did anything with it but the original piece and what is now the cover have both been washed the same amount of times so the comparison is still valid- and this isn't a strict scientific analysis anyway, remember?)

So, I guess my conclusion, based only on what I've seen happen before my eyes, is if you are going to be using the fabric for something that will require frequent washing (such as a baby bib) and you want that bib to stay looking "nice," you should probably spend a few extra bucks and spring for the nice fabric (or use a coupon and spend the same on the nice fabric as you would on the "cheapy" stuff). On the other hand, if you're making something that will never know the inside of a washer or dryer (such as a composition book cover), use whatever fabric strikes your fancy.  Go ahead, I dare you.

Baby Blocks

Post 18 of ? in the series, "Why I Haven't Blogged in Over Six Months"


These are super easy to make and small children love them. These ones actually have a cat toy inside that makes a jingly sound- bonus!

Again With the Zippered Pouches!

Post 17 of ? in the series, "Why I Haven't Blogged in Over Six Months"


I finally photographed these and decided to share them with y'all. I'm almost caught up. I'm going to have to make some more stuff so that I have more to blog about.

Hobo Bag (Work in Progress)

Post 14 of ? in the series, "Why I Haven't Blogged in Over Six Months"



This is another project out of the book Simply Sublime Bags: 30 No-Sew, Low-Sew Projects, by Jodi Kahn. I bought this book because it included fun projects to make out of unusual items. This bag was supposed to be made from a zippered pillowcase so that you don't have to worry about sewing in a zipper. Since I've conquered most of my zipper phobias I decided to cheat and use some fabric I found in the remnants pile at the fabric store instead. I also wanted to include a lining and some pockets (which would have been a terrifying concept about a year ago but now, totally doable). Once I got the whole thing put together, I realized that the bag could really use a gusset (to make it flat enough on the bottom to be able to sit upright on its own) and a longer strap. I have yet to make these alterations and the current strap is still just pinned in place (which, at least, will make it easier to fix). I feel like I'm on the right track with this one but for some reason I ran out of motivation. It got shelved and I had almost forgotten about it but I happened to stumble upon it while looking for something else. I do plan on finishing this bag but probably not until next year.

Wrap Skirts

Post 8 of ? in the series, "Why I Haven't Blogged in Over Six Months"

I came up with these patterns by combining a few online tutorials and some mathematical equations that actually made me feel smart. It was exciting to finally sew something that I can wear.





The reversible skirt is reversible because I didn't want to have to hem it. I just stitched the two giant pieces of fabric right sides together leaving an opening, turned the whole thing, and then top stitched all the way around. Two skirts in one!

The other skirt is edged with bias tape which was also easier than trying to hem the whole thing. I was really happy with how these came out and plan on making lots more of them.

Baby Bibs

Post 3 of ? in the series, "Why I Haven't Blogged in Over Six Months"

I based this pattern on a bib I bought for my daughter a while back. I always loved the way the store-bought bib worked but it was difficult to keep it from getting stinky because it would take so long to dry after being hand washed. So I decided to make my own. My version has a piece of rip stop nylon sandwiched in between two pieces of cotton fabric so it's completely machine washable but still leak proof. I also love that it folds up and fits in a diaper bag easily.

Zippered Pouches (again)

Post 2 of ? in the series, "Why I Haven't Blogged in Over Six Months"

Here are some of the zippered pouches I have made over the last few months. I'm really enjoying making things that are both useful and fun.