Sew Grateful - Reflection

My journey with sewing started when I was 11 years old. I was in 4-H and there was a local mom and quilter that wanted to teach those interested the art of quilting. I had never touched a sewing machine before, my mom didn't sew at the time and we thought it sounded like a lot of fun.

We started out learning the basics of quilting and we would meet up every week or so, to work on our projects. The very first quilt we made was a wall hanging with 2 inch squares. It was so frustrating because the squares were so hard to match up! I still have my quilt and although it looks terrible, it shows how far I have come since then (it also explains why to this day I like making the quilts where you don't have to match the squares!). I am so grateful for the enthusiasm the local quilter/mom brought to these meetings because some of it rubbed off on me and I kept sewing.

About a year later, I got interested in sewing clothes. My friend's mom sewed, so we got together and had  a sewing day making simple A-line elastic waist skirts. I entered that skirt in the fair that year and every year after that I was in the clothing project. Last year was my final year of being in 4-H. I took the challenge and made my first dress. It has been an amazing experience. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to learn to sew through 4-H because without that opportunity I don't think I would be sewing today.

Somewhere down the road, I discovered sewing blogs and I was inspired to start my own blog. My first experience with blogging didn't last. Then, about a year ago, I started this blog to have a place to share my sewing projects and have been posting as much as I can. I am so grateful for everyone who takes the time to read my blog. Every comment makes me smile and keep going.

The online sewing community is so wonderful. Everyone is so encouraging, helpful, and friendly. We connect because of one common interest: sewing. I am grateful for the inspiration from other bloggers and the opportunity to share with each other.

~Elizabeth

Sew Grateful Week Giveaway {Closed}

EDIT: Thank you to everyone for participating! The winner has been chosen and it is Jill!

 

 

 

When I heard about Sew Grateful Week, I thought it sounded like a wonderful idea, so I decided to participate. Debi, of My Happy Sewing Place started this event in 2011 and it's an opportunity to give back and express gratitude to the online sewing community. I have been blogging for almost a year and I am always amazed at the response I get from the sewing/blogging community. Everyone is so encouraging and kind! It's so great being able to connect with others who share my love of sewing even though we're hundreds of miles apart!

 

Today's activity for Sew Grateful week is a giveaway! A giveaway is a great way to start a week of gratitude off! I decided to give fabric away.

 

Here's what's up for grabs:

 

One winner will get both pieces of fabric. I don't know the exact amount but they are both at least 1.5 yards. The one on the left is probably even 2 yards. The one on the right does have a piece cut out of it, but there is still a lot there.

To enter the giveaway:

• Leave a comment telling me what you are sew grateful for.
• For an extra entry, follow my blog and comment saying you did so.
• Giveaway is open until February 10th at 7pm CST. 
• Open Worldwide 
• Also, make sure there's a way for me to contact you if you win.

~Elizabeth

I'm still here!

Hello everyone! It's been awhile, but I'm still here! These past few weeks have been very busy and exciting. So far, I am surviving the nursing program. It is hard, but it is also doable. It isn't nearly as hard as they made it sound at orientation and it is a lot easier now compared to the first week of classes. Everyone was so overwhelmed during the first week, but now we know more of what to expect. 

These are all my books for first semester. Now, you can see why I haven't been doing any sewing! These books have taken over my life! Just kidding, not quite. It's impossible to read all of them, but they are good resources to have, especially since some of them cover the same information. We have e-books too, which is a huge relief for my back!

Hopefully, I will be able to do a little sewing this semester. I have heard from other students and the professors that it is important to take time for yourself. I'm also participating in a Valentine's Day mug swap hosted by Sew Caroline and Rags to Stitches. I bought my partner's goodies today, and I'll be blogging about it on Valentine's Day!

I hope you're all staying warm! We're supposed to get 6-9 inches of snow tomorrow! It would be so great to have a day off of school. What's the weather like where you are?

~Elizabeth

The Bebe Dress

Today was a fairly warm and wet day in Minnesota. However, I didn't let the rain stop me from having a photoshoot wearing my new dress! The best part is, the umbrella matches my dress perfectly! The dress is The Bebe Dress from Serendipity Studio. I got the pattern and the fabric for my birthday last summer and I just got started making it after Christmas. My mom did a wonderful job picking out the fabric - it has my favorite colors in it!

I wanted to finish this dress before the new year, so I could say I made two dresses in 2012. Although I was up sewing on New Year's eve, I didn't get it all done. Now I can say this is my first clothing project in 2013!

This is the second dress I've made, and the fit is perfect. I did make a muslin because I didn't want to mess anything up. Kay Whitt's patterns are always so easy to follow. I did ask her a few questions and she responded very quickly! The only changes I made were lengthening the skirt (since the pattern is made for someone with a height of 5'4 and I am 5'7). I also made an XS bodice and a S skirt, since my measurements didn't match up exactly and the pattern provides directions for doing so.

There are several variations provided in the pattern! I made mine with a pleated skirt, the shorter sleeve, a contrasting waistline band, and a bias hemband. There are darts in the front and side bodice too. The dress has an invisible zipper, which I had several problems with.

It was fun taking pictures in the rain!

The zipper seemed to go in alright. I used Kay's fabulous tutorial for putting an invisible zipper in with a regular zipper foot. I have put a few invisible zippers in before, so I had an idea of what I needed to do. First, I ended up sewing one side of the zipper on backwards, so I had to take it out. That was the only minor (or so it seemed) problem I ran into at that point. I finished the dress, put in the facing and the hemband and everything seemed fine. The dress looked great! Until....

I tried the dress on, the zipper got stuck and it broke! I could not believe it! All that work and the zipper decides to break. No matter how hard we tried, the zipper would not budge. I was very upset and I ended up putting the dress away for a few days. After an email to Kay Whitt, she told me I could leave the facings in but I would have to take the back seam out in order to replace the zipper.

 

I have to admit, it was a pain to replace the zipper, especially with the facings still in place. Once I sat down to finally do it, it didn't take too long though. The worst part was ripping it out. The zipper stops about 1/2 inch from the top of the back as you can see in the above photo. It's the only thing I don't like about the dress, but it's not really noticeable. Does anyone have any tips for making the top of the zipper look neat on a dress? This is something I need to work on in future projects.

This dress will definitely be a new favorite. I plan on wearing it a lot this coming spring and summer. I might even make another dress with this pattern - the gathered version would be fun to try.

Here's a close up of my earrings. My aunt made them and gave them to me for Christmas. I think they are very pretty and they go well with my new dress! 

~Elizabeth

Little Dresses

 Hello everyone! Recently, I have been busy sewing little dresses for my baby sister. It is so much fun to sew little dresses because they are so cute and they take such little fabric!

First up, is her Christmas dress, which is actually two dresses in one!

 I used the Shortcake Reversible Romper and Dress pattern from The Cottage Mama. This was my first time using the pattern, but it was very easy to follow. It is fully lined, so there are no exposed seams, which makes it fully reversible. I made a size 6 month, and I was able to use fabric from the scrap pile. There are no buttonholes or zippers, so it is very simple and the straps tie at the top.

 I made another Shortcake Reversible Dress, but this one is more springy.

 There is an option to add ric-rac and other trims. I think I want to try some embellishments if I use this pattern again. Ruffles would be fun too! It is a simple dress, but it provides lots of opportunity to make it your own.

My sisters and I on Christmas Day!

The third dress is another pattern from The Cottage Mama - The Janey Jumper. I have made this pattern before, so I knew what to expect. It was very easy and there are lots of variations to choose from including ruffles, scallops, or patchwork. I chose to make the ruffle variation for this dress.

The pattern was very easy to follow and very straight forward. I love the little details with the topstitching around the neck and armholes and the button closure on the back. This dress is also fully lined, so there are no seams exposed. I used a pinking shears when I trimmed the seams, especially around the neck and armholes. I used fabric from the scrap pile for this dress too.

Isn't she just adorable?

What have you been sewing lately?

~Elizabeth

Happy New Year!

Happy 2013!!

 

I hope you are all having a wonderful start to the new year. 2012 was a great year and I am looking forward to what 2013 will bring! I worked in the morning and then had a nice relaxing day with my family.

I have been sewing quite a bit during my break from school, so I will be showing you some new projects soon!

 

Happy New Year!

 

~Elizabeth

Zipper Pouch Sewing Swap

Awhile back, I participated in a sewing swap that was put on by Heather of The Sewing Loft. We could make any kind of purse, pouch, or bag as long as it had a zipper. I used the Open Wide Zipper Pouch tutorial from Anna of Noodlehead. It was so easy to make and there are three different sizes to choose from. I have made a couple other zipper pouches using this same tutorial. My partner's favorite color is red, so I decided to use that color in her bag.

 

I made the small size, which is about 9 x 6 inches tall when finished. It is very roomy too.

 

 

My partner made me this adorable coin purse! I love the colors and it is the perfect size. Now I won't lose all my coins in my purse!

 

 Here's the inside - the lining is very pretty.  

 

I had so much fun participating in this swap! It is just as fun making something for someone as it is receiving something especially if it is a surprise package coming in the mail!

 

~Elizabeth