Jaycie

It's almost Jaycie's Birthday. Jaycie is my daughters best friend. She is like a niece to me. I love this little girl with my whole heart. She and her family moved away a few months ago. My heart still aches daily for their friendship.

Here is a picture of the girls taken on a hot summer day before they moved.




Today I made a birthday outfit for Jaycie. I used some of the same fabrics that I made her a quilt with when she moved. The fabrics were chosen by Eliana. The top is white interlock from www.sewzannes.com :) The J is an embroidery design from www.bunnycup.com. Frivolity is the name. AWESOME EMBROIDERY! sorry about the mis credit Ashlea
The skirt pattern is the Redondo by Studio Tantrum. I redrafted it, to make it not have a separate waistband :) much better.
Believe it or not this had no seam ripping involved!!

Miss you Jaycie... Happy Birthday Funny Girl

Boutique Style

I really wanted to sew up something E-Bay style. Just to prove that I could. You know when you seam rip a lot your confidence gets brought down. I needed an "I can do it!" project.

The skirt is a Redondo Skirt pattern, by :Studio Tantrum. Nice pattern. Sews up a cute twirly skirt. I didn't add in the seam allowances:sigh: so I had to re- draft the waistband. (Make it a bit longer to fit.) But it sounds so cool and professional to say I re drafted the piece. Also the instructions for the waistband confused me...So I had to seam rip the waistband 4 times:sigh: and a :duh:

The top is a peasant top pattern from my friend Allison at www.harmonythreads.com.
I love her style of peasant top. The neckline is squared off...Nice. I do think this might have looked better with a plain tee.

The embroidery is from www.designsbyjuju.com. Excellent designs every time. Eliana picked the donkey. I think I would have chosen something else, but I don't have to wear this.



Just wanted to share my "Goal for August project"

this studioTANTRUM was a 4 seam ripper project

I have a problem

I am cleaning out my attic with all my *stashed* hidden fabric. I knew there was A LOT of fabric up there..But really I shocked myself. I have a lot of fabric already here in my office studio.. But to think how much I had stashed in addition over the last year is astounding.

It simply started by putting some bulky fleece up there. Then the next week I put up there the other fabric I bought that I couldn't fit on the shelves. On so on and so on....

I need Flylady to come to my fabric room. I have a lot of dreams and self worth attached to the fabric.. Not in the way of, "Aren't I cool I have a large stash and expensive fabric"... But in the way of: It has made me feel valuable or worthy for a moment. Instead of talent being manifested in my creations. It is in my head, when I buy the fabric. For a moment I let myself believe they are one in the same y/k?

I think... When I buy fabric I feel like I have talent, somehow. When I buy it... It can fill that void in me... Of, I am talented! When I think/dream about what I could create, I get that 'fix'...For a short moment. I am talented. :sigh: then I don't sew it up and I have to buy more fabric to feed the need.

Maybe I should take time, slow down. Become a better seamstress. Create something to remind myself I am talented and I am creative.

This is nothing profound, but I need to deal with ME. I have talent somehow. God promises that each person has some talent. I need to find mine without stuffing it full of stuff..Fabric, food.....Internet...

The good news.. I have a HUGE box of fabric FS and another HUGE box to donate to Legacy.
"Fling, baby, Fling"

27, maybe 17, okay 7 pieces of fabric a day until I have a manageable stash!

Pillowcase

How does one, have to seam rip sewing a PILLOWCASE??? Talent, pure talent, that's how! How else can I be called a Master Seam Ripper! When the instructions, yes I followed instructions. Sort of.. All except the part about putting the WRONG sides together. Out of habit, I put right sides together.

I can try and blame it on the fact that I haven't sewn anything since I got home from vacation... But well, that really isn't an excuse. Because I made this type of mistake before vacation!


The new pillowcase is a tester for our hammock. I am in a home decorating mood. I don't love or even really like this fabric. But it's really soft and makes a nice outdoor pillowcase.

The best part is Eliana loves it. She makes a great pillowcase tester.

Oh yeah. I made the Winnie the Pooh Dress too. I'm sure I seam ripped something on that. :)

Crabgrass

This stuff is mean, I tell ya. I hoed for 2 days at a patch of crabgrass. I finally got fed up and just mowed the whole area! Strawberry plants and all.

I think that is how life is sometimes. We fight and fight something that we have let take hold of our ground. I ignored that crabgrass too long and it overtook my sweet little strawberries. If I had dealt with it BEFORE it took root.....

This is like anger or resentment. At least for me today. I have let some crabgrass grow in my heart and it has smothered some sweet little berries of joy, love, patience, kindness, long-suffering....

Take time and DEAL with your crabgrass both in your garden and in your heart.

A Day at Fairytale Town

I had a wonderful day with my longtime friend, Paige. How is it that I can now say.. "Geee, we have been friends almost 20 years. " How does that happen? Weren't we just 20? Life luckily hands you a few precious friends. Ones where a year or 2 may pass and you don't see each other or talk. But, when you do, you pick up like it was only yesterday you were together for lunch. love and appreciate my dear friend Paige.

We had a fun time with my daughter Eliana and her 3 kids. We went to Fairytale Town and the Sac Zoo. I didn't take many pics. Too busy trying to catch up on the last year AND watch 4 kids. I said to Paige, "I don't know how you do it? Chasing 3 kids 6 and under" She laughed and said, "The same way you did when your kids were 6 and under!" I guess so. It was just so much work. It was one of the occasional times I was grateful for teens ;)

Eliana is wearing a dress I had last year. The buttons are on the straps because I cut the straps the wrong way and had to cut them and make them A LOT shorter. They just keep stretching and stretching. I think that was easily a "3 seam ripper" dress :P

Today...Go call a longtime friend. Take the time to catch up or say, "Hi." DON'T wait until you have time. I promise you will be glad you did.

Bubbles magic

Ahhhhh the magic of Elfin Pond and bubbles. What is it about bubbles that just makes you smile?

Our vacation spot is filled with a magical peace. I can relax and enjoy God's creation while smiling at the magic of bubbles.

Go buy some bubbles today and smile

Today's seam ripper of choice..

Pliers and a screwdriver. I was so proud today. I made a wrap skirt KS 2791. No seam ripping required until....

I decided to put a snap on instead of the button and button hole. Very clever right! Except I put one of the snaps on facing the wrong way. I tried to pry it off with just the pliers but it was on tight. I can thank my friend Shecki for teaching me to securely attach snaps.

I was going to give up and ask Seth to help. But I said "no way I will beat this thing!" Ta Da I wedged in the screwdriver and POP off went the snap.. Good thing I wear glasses is all I can say.

I also made a matching headband...Back to my old ways with 4 attempts at seam ripping.. A simple @%$#%$#^% headband. Honestly I couldn't understand what the instructions meant for me to do. Finally I looked at the pictures and figured it out. AFTER I just improvised and made it my way. Next time I will try it the confusing way. ;)

So, today was a 5 seam ripper day
Suzanne

This blogging thing???

Seth really thinks I should blog. But honestly I wonder what value ANYTHING I have to say has......
I have learned in sewing to keep trying.. I have mastered the ART of seam ripping. Sometimes I feel like "Why have I chosen a hobby that doesn't come naturally to me?" I do enjoy wearing what I create. When I am honest with myself I realize..... I have never been instantly good at any craft/or thing, for that matter. Well, maybe running at age 8...but that was LONG ago and seems like a different lifetime.

I have always wanted to BE really GOOD at something. For now it is that I'm really good at seam ripping....:sigh: Not a "poor me"... but I would like to wake up one morning and have instant talent. Create these amazing designs for E-Bay. (These sewing women I so admire. Their creativity just seems so amazing.)I wonder where it comes from. Is it something I lack or is it something untapped in me????? I dunno I want to WOW the world with my sewing talent. Or at least wow my husband with it.

This blog is not for the sewing over achievers ;) This is for those of us.. Who love to sew and create. Have a love and frustration with the incredible hobby of sewing. Who desire to continue to grow in the hobby. Even if I don't ever sell a dress on Ebay for 300.00 :)

Suzanne