Feline Friday

Alice, full of turkey.

 

Hope everyone had a fulfilling Thanksgiving!

An Interesting Recycled Quilt

When I was in North Carolina in June, there was this great mall art exhibit of recycled materials.  This quilt was in the exhibit and I'm sorry I don't have the artist's name.  I think it is a really interesting use of reused fabric, especially jeans details.

It made me want to start saving old jeans to cut up, but then I realized I save too much stuff and really shouldn't add any more clutter.  Maybe I could save one or two pairs of jeans...

Silhouettes Classic Blouse by Peggy Sagers

This is the Classic Blouse #600.  I absolutely fell in love with this peacock print.  It has a great drape in a herringbone weave.  Darts give the blouse fit and shape while still being loose enough to be comfortable.  I left the front pockets off.

Button close up- plastic and very washable.

Collar and band cut in one.  Quick and easy construction.

Fall Bazaar

CHAPTER OF

THE AMERICAN SEWING GUILD Presents


The Sixth Annual

FALL BAZAAR


Saturday, November 23, 2013 — 9 am to 3 pm

@

St. Matthews Episcopal Church

1101 Forest Ave., Richmond, VA 23229

Corner of Patterson &; Forest Aves.
Start &/or finish your holiday shopping…

Or shop for yourself! You’ll find

beautifully made needlecraft items—

sewn, knitted and

embroidered

treasures and handmade crafts.

Kwik Sew Top 3302

As you may know, I love using stuff I just happened to have already.  So here is a blouse from fabric that I just happened to have (no idea where it came from!).  It is a synthetic crepe in a diagonal dot pattern.  It looked a little plain when I finished so I added 3 bias flounces to the front neck.  I didn't hem them, so I'm hoping my hunch is correct that raveling shouldn't be a problem.

Happy Feline Friday

Alice lounging in the laundry basket.

Emma, looking intense.

American Sewing Guild Annual Bazaar

THE RICHMOND/CENTRAL VA

CHAPTER OF

THE AMERICAN SEWING GUILD Presents



The Sixth Annual

FALL BAZAAR


Saturday, November 23, 2013 — 9 am to 3 pm

@

St. Matthews Episcopal Church

1101 Forest Ave., Richmond, VA 23229

Corner of Patterson &; Forest Aves.

Start &/or finish your holiday shopping…

Or shop for yourself! You’ll find

beautifully made needlecraft items—

sewn, knitted and

embroidered

treasures and handmade crafts.
 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Be Careful Out There!

Hawaiian Dress

I am so happy to have finally finished my Hawaiian dress from fabric sent to me from my sister in Hawaii!  I started it back in June.  I used New Look 6053.  I chose to underline the whole dress since the back ground is white and I want to wear it in the summer without having to wear a slip. 

It is knee length with a back zipper.  The fabric has a design running down the middle of it as you can see and both selvidges have ferns. 

I am so excited- I can't wait for summer! 

Feline Friday- Cats eat Pumpkins?!

I've had cats that ate bread, noodles, corn on the cob even soy bean pods and now-

pumpkin guts and seeds!

She couldn't get enough.

Fun Beret Class at Quilting Adventures

 

The Banded Beret by Indigo Junction

 

I used a hand dyed flannel but you could use a recycled jacket or denim shirt too. 

Hidden back elastic. 

Class is November 8, 2013

Sign up at www.quiltingadventures.com

 

 

Easy Skirt Class at Quilting Adventures

 

Hope Skirts by Favorite Things

 

Very easy to sew and wear!

October 27, 2013

 The a-line skirt is flattering on all figures and looks great in any season! Dress it up or down, it is a classic. Register at Quilting Adventures today!

Artist Trading Cards

Here are some Artist Trading Cards I made recently for a swap.  We traded supplies, grab bag style.  It was fun to use new ingredients!

Feline Friday- Artsy Photo of Alice

I call this "Portrait of a Cat" by my daughter. 

I think it really captures her emotion and her mustache. 

(Alice's; my daughter doesn't have a mustache.)

More Cool Classes on Craftsy

In case you aren't local and can't sign up for my live-and-in-person classes,
Craftsy has some cool online classes:
Simply Stunning: Hand-Stamped Cakes with Erin Gardner
Underneath It All with Linda Lee
Water Views: Acrylic Landscapes with Bennett Vadnais
Blocking Handknits with Kate Atherly

Alterations and Repairs Class

 

Henrico County Adult Education Class Starting Soon!

Clothing Alterations and Repairs

Save money by fixing the clothes you already own.

Starting October 22, 2013, 6:00-8:30pm

Sign up deadline is October 8, 2013!

For more details and to sign up-

www.henrico.k12.va.us/adulteducation

Feline Friday and a Rat

Cloud and Alice

Brighton Blouse Class

This blouse has fitting darts at the bust line, a flattering asymetrical neckline and hem,

by Great Copy Patterns

Class is Oct.12, 2013

Head over to Quilting Adventures to register!

Colonial Dancing Vest

 

A customer of mine from at least 20 years ago, asked me to copy his old vest that I had originally made for him.  It was fun seeing it again and seeing how my methods have evolved over time.  The new vest is pictured here with Alice.

 

I like the back lacing because it makes it adjustable.

My current machine makes nice eyelets so I used them instead of buttonholes.

Feline Friday 13th

 

Happy Friday 13th!  I'm not superstitious but here is a black cat for good measure!

She keeps coming inside, uninvited.  I would let her stay in, but our other two cats hiss at her.

She will just have to be content being a yard cat.



Time to Sign up for Fall Sewing Classes!

I am offering two classes this fall through Henrico County Adult Education- Sign up soon as spaces go quickly! Get more details here.

Here is the first class from the catalogue:

Fresh Out of the Box -

Beginning Sewing

Is your sewing machine still in the box it

came in? You want to get started but don’t

know how? This sewing class is for the

complete beginner. Students will learn the

basics: machine threading, using the feet

and attachments and different stitches,

while completing a drawstring bag.

Supplies to bring to class: sewing machine

and everything that came with it, machine

manual, bobbin, machine needles, thread,

1 yard of broadcloth, 1 yard of 5/8” wide

ribbon, seam ripper, hem/seam gauge,

scissors, pins, tape measure. You will be

able to sew after help getting started.

 

Course #054

Hermitage Tech Center

4 sessions @ 2.5 hours each

Tuesday: 10/1 -10/22 6:00-8:30 pm

Registration deadline: 9/17

See you there!

 

 

 

 

Feline Friday- Cat Charm

My daughter has been making charms out of oven bake clay.  That is a sewing eye for a hanger.  She likes cats too.  I wonder where she got that from!

Owl Plates from All Fired Up

My daughter and I had a girl's day out recently and we went to All Fired Up.  We both did owl plates.  It was a lot of fun and her plate (top) was a Facebook Favorite!

I haven't decided where to display them yet.  We could eat off them if we wanted.

Looking Ahead...

Summer has been a whirlwind and I haven't been able to sew or blog as much as I would like.  On this last day of August, I look forward to more sewing and blogging and less excuses!  Son will be in 6th grade in middle school and daughter will be home schooled (8th grade).  This is something new for us.  I'm feeling optimistic.  Even though I feel like I haven't done much in the way of projects, my daughter has been busy!  Here is a link to her charms or kawaii.  Now, after I clear off my sewing table, I can finish that summer dress I meant to sew back in May...

Feline Friday- All Dressed Up

 

Anchor, looking lovely in a doll dress with a birdhouse motif.

Alice is sporting an apron and bow.

 

Recently Spotted on My Sewing Room Table

Alice, and she's ready to party!

 

Feline Friday and a Rat!

Our neighbors cats like to hang out in our yard because they get lots of attention!

Here is Peach in the birdbath.

Anchor, still a kitten.

This is Hugo, our newest rat.  We are teaching him to ride on our shoulders, like the others.

Recently Spotted on my Sewing Room Table- Glitter Shoes and Kitties

 

Glitter Shoes and kitties!  These are both my daughter's projects from directions she found online (sorry, I don't know where she got them from).  The shoes were bronze and she decoupaged glitter on them.  They are lined with blue painter's tape to protect them.  She sewed the kitties on the machine out fleece.  Hopefully, I'll have a project from me soon.

Keeping Busy Making Cards

Greeting cards by my 13 year old daughter.  She just used construction paper, cut into shapes and glued down.  I love the colors, shapes and negative spaces.

These are also by my daughter.  She used colored pencils.  I really enjoy the variety in these cuties!

Recently Spotted on my Sewing Room Table

Kitchen chairs!  Here is husband working on the chairs.  These chairs and the kitchen table are from my grandparents farm-1930?  The top is enamelled metal.  They were looking rough, especially compared to the freshly painted walls!

 

I wanted to paint them like they were originally. 

I am so happy with how they turned out!  And I'm happy they are not on my sewing table any more!  And the kitchen is done!

 

Feline Friday

Happy Feline Friday from the girls! 

Feline Friday with Snow

In the middle of summer, I thought a picture of cats with snow outside would be cooling.  Its not much, but there is actually snow out there.

Homemade Butternut Dye

On a recent trip to Grandma's house, the kids helped make homemade butternut dye the way they used to back in the Civil War.  My aunt found the recipe here. 

Here are the walnut shell pieces in the pot.

The bottom t-shirt is white, the top 2 are butternut.

 

People also used coffee and tea to color fabric or crochet doilies like this one: