Silhouette Patterns

Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to meet with Peggy Sagers when she did an event at Hancock Fabrics. Yes, Hancock Fabrics, will be carrying Silhouette patterns & Peggy is going around the country promoting her line of patterns. She is so charming & enthusiastic about sewing. Each of the 35 garments in her trunk show were made from fabrics carried by Hancock's & most were available to purchase in the store that night. She also offered a special of 9 patterns for $99.99 & her book "Dress to Kill ... Gently". There was a $14 pre-registration fee which entitled one to a Silhouette pattern. So, all in all, I bought 10 of her patterns, her DVD on "Basic Patternmaking" plus some fabric. The patterns are as follows:
#2750 Amy's Skirt #3100 Laurie's Pant
#1750 Robin's Jacket #3600 Ralph's Pant
#2850 Michelle's One Piece Skirt #175 Valerie's Top
#150 Dana's Top #115 Ann's Top
#1900 4 Button Jacket #195 Sweater Set

This will be my fall sewing. I already had her patterns for the Swing dress & the Stephanie Blouse. I like the fact that these can be sewn quickly on the serger with minimal fuss. While she doesn't use interfacing, I probably will because I like my garments to be stabilized. We will see how much I get done over the next few months since I have completed most of my alterations.
Happy Sewing!

Stimulating the Economy

Since I last posted, DH & I have stimulated the economy to the tune of almost $50,000.00. Yep, that's right. In July, we bought our daughter a 2009 Toyota Matrix fully loaded for around $25,500.00 for her 21st birthday. In addition to the car, we bought her a ticket to see the Broadway Musical "Wicked" when it came to the Orpheum Theater & took her out to an elegant (ie: extremely expensive) dinner at Flemings. We also gave her spending money for 2 trips that she took even though she has a part time job. Two weeks later, my DH & I went to buy a new car for him as his 15 yr old Mercury Grand Marquis was in need of repairs that were going to be over $6,000.00. Thank you for the "Clunker" law as he qualified for the $4500.00 rebate. We bought him a 2010 Toyota Corolla "S" which has a lot of nice features including lumbar support seats. Very important as one ages. There went another $20,000.00.

Then, we took my Pfaff 7570 sewing/embroidery machine in to be serviced as it was getting sluggish. There went another $185. Then, it rained & the roofed leaked so cha-ching, we're putting another $2000.00 for home repairs. Yes, we have really stimulated the economy. Here are photos of the new cars that live at our house. Both are very pleased with their new vehicles & I'm happy that my Pfaff loves being cleaned of all of the lint that builds up in the innards of a sewing machine. It's running smoothly. Sewing wise, I've been busy mending clothes ... I shortened the sleeves on a jacket for one lady by removing each sleeve from the armhole & shortening at the top of the sleeve. Then I had to shorten the shoulder seam, sew the sleeve back in & then shorten the lining. It took about 3 weeks to do this as I'm very slow. I've also took up seams on a pair of pants to loose the clown look on the hips plus hemmed 2 dresses. I'm also making craft items for our ASG upcoming craft fair. Last week, I did manage to get a blouse cut out for me using Butterick #4659. I love wing collar & princess seams. I do hope to do some tone on tone embroidery on the princess panels before sewing it together. I think it will be very pretty when done. Hope everyone is doing well for the summer.
Happy Stitching!

Sewing for the Summer

Most of my summer sewing will be community service projects for our ASG chapter. We are making pillowcases for the local Ronald McDonald House & stuffed turtle pillows for LeBonheur Children's Hospital. I do hope to get one or two items made for me. Also, our ASG chapter is sewing during the summer for our upcoming craft fair in the fall. We're making oven mitts, potholders, bookmarks, free standing lace bookmarks, Christmas ornaments & Christmas stockings. I hope we're able to raise enough funds to bring in a national educator for 2010. I did get to draft patterns for the oven mitt, the potholders, stockings & ornaments. We're using donated fabrics with the guild picking up the expenses for Insul-brite & 100% cotton batting.

Sewing ... Sewing ... Poof

Guess I am a bad blogger. I have been busy working on the formal gown which is still a work in progress & have been extra busy doing mending & alterations thru my sewing ministry as well as knitting prayer shawls. I just haven't blogged about any of it. This weekend, I'm shortening sleeves about 1-1/4 inches on a jacket from Talbot's for one of my church members as well as hemming pants for my minister. I did shorten straps about 3 inches on a club dress for my daughter plus repaired 2 of her bras. I would love to sew for me but haven't got the time right now. My student is progressing on her blouse. We have the darts in, the front plackets made & the collar ready to sew to the collar band. This coming week we will put the collar on & work on the sleeve plackets. In between all of this life has been very busy with DH & DD leaving this week for 5 days in Orlando, FL. They are attending our niece's wedding & doing some sight-seeing. I've been busy making the plane & hotel reservations, lining up a rental car & scheduling visits for them with family members who live in FL. I'm looking forward to the 5 days at home alone (with my dog, Max)while they are gone.
Happy Sewing!

Sewing for Me

Thank you Loretta at Fitting Tips for nominating me for the sisterhood award. I really appreciate this. I would like to nominate Sew Paula as she sews for her children of which one faces physical challenges, Sewing in the City who shares her sewing projects whether successful or not, Angie at Wendy & her Lost Boys, a mother of 6 who balances family life with being the wife of a minister far from home, & Teri at Mermaids who enjoys teaching & sewing. Each of these ladies so freely share their sewing knowledge with others & certainly deserve this award.

This week I got a chance to sew for myself. On Tuesday afternoon, I cut out viewA of Vogue 8536 in a blue matte jersey while at the church doing my sewing ministry. When I got home, I serged all of the edges & then did the construction on the sewing machine since the top had side vents & gathers in the bust area. It is really a nice top. It is very close fitting & I would have gone up a size had I known just how close. However, it fits okay & the next one I make will be the next size up. It felt good to have an opportunity to sew for myself for a change. I still have to add the neck binding & hem the T-shirt. My next project is a formal for one of my DD's college friends. Will post photos when they are done. Happy Stitching!

38 Years & Holding On ...

Last Friday, DH & I celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary with dinner at our favorite steakhouse. As we talked (amid the chaos), I reflected on just how special my life is. I am so blessed in many ways. Who would have thought that the skinny, scared 17 yr old, out on her own & alone for the first time in New Orleans, would grow to become a confident adult with a loving husband who has grown with her thru the years. Being married takes a lot of work, a lot of give & take, & sacrifice. Thru it all, my love & respect for my husband has grown immensely. I can honestly say that I love him more today than on our wedding day. How lucky can a gal be.

New Sewing Goodies

While my eyes heal from an infection, I've been perusing the internet for sewing goodies. Some of the things I have bought recently included a cable for my Pfaff 7570 sewing/embroidery machine, "Cool Couture: Construction Secrets for Runway Style" sewing book by Kenneth King, a Fashion Design Ruler from SewTrue plus a DVD by Roberta Carr on Couture Techniques from CD Universe. I believe that all of these things will help to improve my sewing/embroidery skills. Also bought some new serger threads from Atlanta Thread Supply. DH surprised me by renewing my subscription to Threads magazine for another 3 years plus 2 years for Sew News & ordered Designs in Machine Embroidery for me as well as Creative Machine Embroidery magazines. It's been a lot of searching the internet for sewing goodies. So, what new sewing goodies have you tried?