All Things Sewn

Home Early!

My machine quilting class ended early today so, Yay, I got to be home before 9:30 tonight. I can't say I've done anything useful with the extra hour but it has been relaxing.
I picked some cute fabric for a couple baby quilts today. I'll photograph them tomorrow when I work on the top again. I am excited to be home tomorrow evening.
It will be so nice!

It's only Tuesday?!

I can't believe it's only Tuesday! This week is going by so slowly. Had dinner with Mr. Ueltschi, owner of Bernina last night. Do I feel cool? Yep!

I have a wearable muslin nearly finished. It seems huge but feels nice on. I'm feeling pretty happy about it. I will try to get it finished this week (Thursday is my first evening not out of the house) and get some pictures up. Well...we all know how that worked out last time.

Time Flies

Oh my gosh! I just can't believe how much time has gone by since my last post. I'm really doing well, aren't I?

I have been working more on My Label, trying to get a handle on how it works. I am going to take some classes at Bernina University this summer and gain a better understanding of how to use it.

I finally re-made what was supposed to be a 2-hour top. I had cut a size 18, based on my measurements, and it was huge. I took the whole top apart and re-cut it in a 14. After getting the whole thing put back together...

I realized this top just looks awful on me. I guess it will be a good PJ top, so all is not lost on this. I might even be willing to make it again for just that purpose.

It really makes you evaluate what looks good on you when you are spending the time/$$ to make it. You have to be very honest with yourself about your own shape and size.

I don't feel upset about it, rather...committed to figuring it out and refusing to be frustrated so early in the process.

The weird thing is, I can sew. I just can't get the size and fit thing worked out.

I have also invested in the Threads Fitting series DVD's. They are great! I need to evaluate which patterns I have that I can use to practice the tips and techniques on.

Well, I am also going to do a little cleaning in the sewing room this evening so I had better get to it. I was thinking about using the filing cabinet in there to organize patterns and stabilizers.

How do you organize your patterns? Even more messy, how do you organize your stabilizers and interfacings?

Promises...Promises

Well, I tried to take better pictures of the French Braid quilt at work but to no avail. I don't know why but I just couldn't seem to get a better shot.
I should have used the rainy day today to work on some sewing but I chose to knit and watch t.v. instead. Oh! And a nap...nice.
I will get something worked up tomorrow evening. I am making a little checkbook cover. I made the whole thing the way the pattern suggested but didn't like the way the elastic worked so I took it apart and have come up with a different way to put it back together.

Some things work and some do not

I have been trying to get this up for a couple weeks now but things have kept getting in the way. Well, I have finally had a full weekend off and spent both days sewing. Saturday on clothing (I have so much to learn) and Sunday on quilting (to recover from Saturday failures).

Saturday...

Okay, so I'm not sure if I've posted this yet or not but I sell Bernina sewing machines. I think I might have but if not, I do. I admit that I came into this more from my mechanical/technical and teaching strengths, not from my sewing strengths. Those, I am working on. So, one of the things I need to learn about is Bernina's My Label. I would love to hear from any of you if you have used My Label and what your thoughts are on it. Since I am so green when it comes to garment sewing, I am really starting from square one. I have saved two models because I had two people measuring me. I am in the process of qualifying my model with the tunic and it was hilarious! The tunic looked awful on my model and I have to say, that after I made the muslin, it looked exactly like that on me! Too awful to even take a picture. I will go back and read what to do now.

The second top I sewed was also a tunic top from Indygo Junction. Please remember I am beginning here and that I work at a quilt shop so this pattern was available to me. I had cut the pattern for an extra large and then looked at the measurements and decided I needed the large so guess what...it was too small. Other than that, I think it is kinda cute.

Take a look. The turquoise shell is a separate from my closet.

I didn't even hem it after I found out it won't fit me. I will get the hem finished and it will be fine for a store sample, I guess. I have to learn how to adjust for full bust, as that is where the biggest problem was (no pun intended). I'm so bummed because I cut all those little bits off the pieces. I did save them and I will try to reattach when I am feeling calm.

So, today I decided to do a little quilting and bring my spirits up. After all...there is no fitting in quilting. I posted before about the class I took, French Braid. Here is the finished quilt top. This would be the thing that worked this weekend.

It was an easy quilt to sew but quite a challenge to select all the fabric. Almost all of this fabric came from my stash. Two fabrics came from friends and I had to buy the border fabric. I just LOVE this quilt. I think it is my favorite of all I have ever made. Shhhh...it's a Christmas present.

I'll get a better picture at work tomorrow.

Sewing Classes!

I have been taking a couple quilting classes. It is part of my commitment to both learning new ideas and working through my fabric stash. I'll talk more about the stash later.

The first class I took was called, "Breaking the Rules," with Susan Powell. This class was great! I was totally out of my element with no pattern. The piece I was working on ended up being two pieces because my elements couldn't play nicely together in the same quilt and then I just wasn't settled with how things looked.

I took them home and put them on the design wall and left them there for a few days. Here they are magnetized to the side of a file cabinet. You can surely see my problem. The one on the right is behind the left one.

Finally, I decided to cut one of them into strips and sew all the strips back together and start something different. I really like it now.

And here is the second one. I really like the fans in the corners.

I have since added some decorative stitching to the yellow areas and that looks nice. I will finish it off with some beads so there will be more to see later.

The second class was "French Braid" by Stephanie Pennington-Grant. I have nearly finished my braids. I just need to get the corners on and then we will work on the sashes this week. I LOVE this quilt! I think it is the most dramatic quilt I've ever made. Here is one whole braid and then a bit closer on another folded in half. I may have messed with the pictures here and changed the quality. We'll see.

Okay, now about the fabric stash. My goal with the French Braid class was to use only fabric from my stash. I was very close. I first had to borrow from two friends' stash and then finally I had to purchase for the corners (not on yet) and borders.

So, that didn't even show a smudge on my stash and after discussing how hard it was to find fabrics to work together, I was informed that my stash simply wasn't large enough. Augh!! How does that all work? You want to make things from your stash but then you find out you have to buy more fabric for your stash if you want it to work together!

So, the solution is that I have to have an expert come and evaluate my stash and tell me what I need to fill in. Then my purchases can be more useful and less spontaneous.

Whew! A good week sewing and looking forward my next session of the French Braid class.

First Post

I have been so inspired by my recent blog reading, as well as having moved my sewing room into a brighter, more organized place, that I have begun to feel the urge to blog myself. I am also pondering a podcast about quilting and sewing and a blog is necessary for that. So...here I am.

I suppose I should properly introduce myself. My name is Celeste. I have been sewing since, well, you know, Junior High. I can't say my sewing has been prolific or professional since then. I sewed clothes for my children when they were little and have been quilting for about 15 years now. I would call myself a "jack-of-all-crafts...master-of-none." I currently own more sewing machines than I should but I sew on my Bernina. I love my Bernina. The other machines in my life are a 1926 White (in a sewing cabinet), a Singer hand-crank (from family in England), another antique Singer my husband just had to buy me and the first machine I ever purchased, a New Home. The last thing I'll tell you about myself today is that I work in a quilt shop and manage a Bernina dealership. Doesn't that sound great?...It is. I'll discuss that more later...I'm sure.

The focus of this blog will be sewing quilts, garments and crafts, and some spices of life thrown in for flavor.

My hope is to share with you as I try to grow my skills and support others along the way. I encourage you to participate and suggest, as you feel compelled. As I gain more confidence with the blog, I plan to branch out into a podcast, where I hope to feature some other crafters in my community and beyond. There is so much to learn from others.

So, this is my starting point. The newly moved sewing room! I just love it down there.

This was day one of the new space, complete with snacks and the football game on my little t.v. I don't quite know what I'm going to do when the digital change happens but I'll cross that bridge next month.

The fabric on the ironing board is going to become covers but right now I just love it hanging there.

I organized my fabric and the stash doesn't seem so overwhelming right now.

I have tried working from my fabric stash and it is never very successful. I guess that means my stash is not a functional one and I am trying to decide whether to rid myself of it entirely and only purchase for each project or put all my efforts into sewing it away.

Formatting this blog and pictures is still a work in progress but that will most definitely improve with time.

It is great to have a design wall again and I am so happy to have more light.

So, that is my introduction and my beginning. Next time, I'll show you the things I've worked on since moving into the new space.