Here are the Winners!!

Here are the three lucky winners (and their comments) for the latest giveaway!

#28: Melissa said...
The designs all look fabulous! I especially love that strip skirt.

#32: 3 Stitch Creations said...
Love your bag & pruses! & those skirts are just gorgeous! Keep them coming!

#41: Dorothy said...
Love the Stella pattern....want it, need it.....want to make it for my daughters. All of your patterns are wonderful..have ordered 3 of them so far and am making the Dharma Eco-Friendly bag for Christmas gifts. You are so talented and have wonderful designs.

The winners were selected by random.org. Congratulations, gals! Please contact me here to leave your mailing information, so I can get those patterns out to you. I will be out of town for a few days, but will get your stuff out by the end of the week.

Thanks to everyone for leaving comments. They were fun to read and I appreciate all of the kind words!

Next up, the big STUDIO REVEAL.....stay tuned and as always, happy sewing!

Market and A GIVEAWAY!

Hey Everyone!

Things have FINALLY settled down from market now, so here is my post of the happenings. We had a great time, got to visit with friends we only see twice a year, and sold a lot of patterns. Below are a few shots of our booth at market. We tried different lighting this time. I bought some clamp lights from Home Depot and made little slipcovers for them so they wouldn't be hideous in the booth. They worked really well, so I am going to add a few more for Minneapolis in the spring.

Of course, we had the new designs in the booth and everyone loved them! I wore a bit of something new every day to showcase the different new clothing designs. Stella was a BIG hit, especially when everyone found out she is made from Jelly Rolls! A lot of shops are excited about doing a class with the pattern, so I am excited that they liked the pattern so well. The mini-book, Little Luxuries, was well received. I think that the idea of pretty little organizers for traveling turned out to be a good idea. Torii and Emaline did very well also, with a lot of people excited about a more fitted design for a tunic. It looks like bag designs are still going strong, as Bijou and Abigail got a lot of attention too! Check out the photos of my outfits for each day to see how the new stuff "wears".

Here I am in the Stella Strip Skirt:



And the Torii Tunic:

And the Emaline Skirt:

Here is a good story involving Bijou. I have been very fortunate to get to know Kathy Miller of Michael Miller fabrics. She is such a wonderful person and so very generous. She has been so kind to promote my work along with her fabrics. If you haven't seen her blog posts at Making it Fun that I mentioned in a previous post...be sure to check it out (you'll have to scroll down a little bit). The photos are just fantastic. I have been lucky enough to work with their fabrics for most of the year now as they are coming out of production for my design work and it has been such a treat! As a big thank you, I decided to surprise Kathy with a bag of her own from one of her favorite new fabric lines, Plain Jane, in the citron/gray colorway. It couldn't have played out better....she snuck into my booth, saw the bag, swooped it up, and acted like she was going to run away with it! Imagine her surprise and delight when I told her it was hers anyway!! I couldn't have planned it any better....you gotta love it when that happens. Here is a picture of us with "the bag". If you are reading this, Kathy....thanks for everything! You are the best.

That's about it for me with market. I did get to see some wonderful new fabrics that will be coming out soon...always an inspiration for new stuff, and a few other little delights that I found there as well that I hope will be influencing what I do for 2010. It will be an exciting year, I know already.

I leave on Sunday for Cincinnati to do the technique photo shoot for the book. I am excited to see the process and so happy to be a part of it. I hope to take some behind the scenes shots of that to share with you when I return late next week. Remember that the book will be out the last part of June next year. I hope to share more as we get closer to that release. The book so far has been a good adventure. I have learned a lot and feel it has made me a better pattern writer.

GIVEAWAY!!

Now for the FUN PART.........it is Giveaway time!! I will choose at random 3 LUCKY WINNERS for a pack of one each of the new pattern designs....that is 6 patterns, folks! Just leave a comment about how you can't live without them or something to that effect and you are entered! This giveaway will run until noon CST on Saturday, October 24th, with the winners announced Saturday afternoon.

BIG FALL REVEAL!

Hey Everyone! I know, I know, I have been gone a while. There has been a lot of fabric and thread flying around in the air around here in preparation for market. Since market is a WHOLE TWO WEEKS EARLY this year, everyone has been going crazy trying to be ready. I think our whole industry will heave a huge sigh of relief when this one is over, so listen carefully because you may actually be able to hear it!

Anyway, I thought I would share my new designs for fall now that most of the sewing is finished and the patterns are currently at the printer. They should be here by the end of next week and be available for purchase the first week of October.

So without further ado, here are the new designs:

The Stella Strip Skirt: Stella is made from pre-cut fabrics, such as jelly rolls (Moda) or you can cut your own strips....it is up to you. This skirt can be made almost entirely with a serger, if you have one...it makes the construction super fast. It also features an easy to wear elastic waist with four rows of elastic. This means that the upper portion of the skirt lays really flat and does not add bulk to your mid section. You can also choose to wear it at the waist or slightly below, as I like to do.

The Emaline Skirt: Emaline is a redesign of Emily. Em was due for a reprint and I decided it was time to freshen her up, make some new samples with new variations, and improve the pattern pieces. For those of you who have worked with this pattern, I made the pleat markings really confusing....sorry! I didn't intend to do it, but the way that Emaline is marked, there will be no confusion at all....wish I had done it this new way to begin with....we all learn as we go along, I guess! There are three basic variations.....plain, pleated, or gathered, with lots of options to add ruffles, bands, and even a wonderful tulle ruffle to the bottom! It can be sleek and casual or ruffled and ultra feminine...your choice!

The Torii Tunic: Torii is my first long sleeve tunic. She has sort of an Asian flair, depending on the fabrics you choose. This design is featured in three lengths so it can be worn with jeans, leggings, or as a dress. You also have the choice to make the sleeves three-quarter or full length. Of course, there are also trim options with contrast at the neckline, sleeves, waist and hem...an obsession of mine! Oh, and you should also know that this design zips up the back...so gear up for that invisible zipper again!

The Bijou Traveler: Bijou is a wonderful travel bag that features two exterior pockets....one being my special media pocket complete with a grommet for your earphone wires. This bag will slip nicely "under the seat in front of you"...if that sounds familiar at all..... The zippered top keeps all your stuff safely inside and the bag also has divided pockets along both interior sides. The long shoulder straps make this bag a breeze to sling over your shoulder and get going!

The Abigail Bag: Abigail is a great shoulder bag in two variations....yoked or gathered, with or without a magnetic or latch tab closure. She features two zippered pockets....one exterior and one interior for keeping your keys, sunglasses and whatever else you have within a fingertip's reach. There is also a high interior pocket so your phone won't get lost! This design is a lot of fun using three different fabrics and is a breeze to sew together.

Little Luxuries Mini-Book: Little Luxuries is a collection of travel organizers for your jewelry, lingerie, and toiletries. These are all quick to sew projects that would make a wonderful gift for the sophisticated traveler in your life. I decided to try a new format with this collection and put them in a small booklet. It is the same physical size as a pattern, but in a booklet form instead....I will be anxious to see what everyone thinks of this! I decided to showcase the new French General fabrics for these....and they turned out so feminine and fun! I can't wait to show them all off at market with their matching Bijou Traveler.....a set to die for!

I would like to take a moment to thank all the generous people out there that make my work so fun....

Moda: thanks for all of the wonderful fabrics!

Michael Miller: Thanks for the fabulous fabric and for promoting the new patterns on your blog...be sure to check them out....Kathy Miller had some wonderful photographs made of her nieces in my new skirt designs....thanks so much, Kathy!

So, that is about it in a nutshell.....let me know what you think....I think I will be doing a giveaway maybe the first part of October for some of these patterns, so stay tuned.....

Oh, and the Sewing Studio, Part II should be ready pretty soon....can't wait to share that with you....it is going to be fabulous!

Happy Sewing, Everyone.....

The Sewing Studio, Part I

I am writing today about the changes I am making to create a "studio space" for my work. This is something that will be taking a few more weeks to complete, but it is well on its way as I am happily sharing Part I with you today. I have been working out of the guest bedroom of our house since I started the business. I use the bed as a cutting surface which is a bit too low, as you could well imagine. Since no guests stay in this room (heck, I would have to do some MAJOR stuff removal for that), I have decided that it is time for the bed to go and to put in a great work island (not built yet....but will be soon....thus Part II at a later date).

When I started my business 8 years ago, I had just bought my first serger and didn't even have a table to put it on! So I improvised and put it on one of those rickety little round tables...you know, the ones with the screw on legs? That got old pretty quickly, but it took a while to get a solution. Since I sew all the time, I never put my machines away. I like for them to be out and handy at a moment's notice. I don't really care for the sewing cabinets that are available because most are made from non-wood products and boast about their storage and the fact that they fold up into a small cabinet....not interested in all that! To suit what I wanted, we found an unfinished wood sofa table (which was too tall, but my handy husband cut the legs off for me). We finished it and I have been using that for the last 6 years. It was fine, but I didnt' like that my machines had to be so close together. I really wanted more space, so I began to think about how I could upgrade my sewing space. I had my table near a corner of the room and wouldn't it be nice to have an "L" shaped table where the serger could have its own space?? Wow....that would be awesome...so I began looking around to see what was available. As I suspected....nothing! At least nothing that I really liked and was willing to spend any money for....which leads me to the solution that worked just perfectly.

A few years ago, my husband had some guitar cabinets made so that he could display them on the wall, beautifully "framed" and protected from UV rays. The craftsman that made them did such a beautiful job, as you can see in the photos. Jim is one of those guys that does everything right.....you couldn't ask for better made cabinets. I knew that he had also made furniture, so I decided to ask him if he would be interested in making my table, and thank goodness, he was! We worked out the details on what I wanted...wood choice, style, and size, and he drew up some great sketches of the sewing table of my dreams..... Please visit his website, Ozark Valley Displays, to see photos of his amazing work. You will mainly see guitar cabinets, but keep in mind that this talented man can build just about anything....you just have to be willing to ask and know that quality takes time.

This wonderful table arrived last Friday and we have been busy ever since, getting it set up, redecorating, and moving other stuff around. I covered the cork boards with fabric over and got those hung up over the weekend and just finished the cover for the office chair yesterday. Notice my polka dot light? It is a clamp light that I covered and it takes up no space on my table top!

Stay tuned for Part II, because we are planning on making a large work island next for the center of the room. We will be doing that part ourselves in the coming weeks, so it may be a while before the big reveal. By the time we are finished, it is going to be one sweet space! I already feel like a spoiled sewing queen over here... just imagine how I will feel when the whole studio is complete....there will be no living with me!!

A Sweet Distraction

Don't these luscious chocolate dipped macaroons make you stop in your tracks? They certainly did around here! One of my dearest friends just celebrated her birthday and I made these for her birthday dessert. They are huge....about the size of an ice cream scoop and are surprisingly easy to make. I stumbled across the recipe somewhere online, as I am ashamed now to say I don't remember where! I highly recommend them if you are a fan of coconut and dark chocolate...think of them as the "ultimate Mounds bar", only far better!

So these were a little distraction from my work. We all got together on Monday and celebrated. It was sushi for lunch, then the movies (Julie & Julia, which was a very good movie, by the way), then on to the macaroons. It was a yummy day spent with great friends....now back to work!

I have been busy over here and you will see the fruit of that labor very soon. The fall designs are coming along quite nicely, and that is a good thing since printing deadlines will be looming before I know it. The funny thing is that market always has a way of sneaking up on everyone, and this year it is two weeks early, so it is being extra sneaky this year! Anyhow, I think I will be ready without a sweat....thank goodness.

Below is the recipe for these lovely macaroons. Once I figure out how to attach a pdf file for this thing, you will be able to click on it from the sidebar for easy download.

Tres Leches Coconut Macaroons

Recipe yields 24 large macaroons. (I actually got 30. It probably depends on the size of the scoop) Use an ice cream scoop to make the mounds.

Ingredients:
4 - 14 ounce bags sweetened coconut flakes
2 - 14 ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 - 2 packages of high quality dark chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 72% dark chocolate)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper. Mix half of the recipe together at a time by placing a bag and a half of coconut in a mixer bowl, along with one half of the remaining ingredients. Mix slowly with a paddle attachment. Once all of the ingredients are well blended, add the remaining half bag of coconut. Mix in and empty the bowl into a very large bowl. Mix the other half of the ingredients in the same way. Add it to the already mixed portion. Use the ice cream scoop and lightly pack the ingredients together so that the macaroon holds together nicely during baking. Place onto the cookie sheets and bake. I was able to place two sheets into my oven on different shelves, so I changed their position halfway through baking to keep the browning even. The original recipe says to bake for a total of 10-12 minutes, but I found I needed longer. I baked for 10 minutes, then moved my pans, and set the timer again for 10 more minutes. You will know when they are done when the bottoms are nicely browned and the tops are lightly toasted. Remove them from the pans to cool on a rack. Once they are completely cooled, they can be dipped in chocolate.

Melt the chocolate in a medium bowl in the microwave, stirring after each minute until just melted. Dip the cooled macaroons halfway into the chocolate, then place back onto baking sheets covered with parchment and set in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate is set.

Now sit back and enjoy the wonderful combination of coconut and chocolate...and as for that diet, think like Scarlet O'Hara....I'll think about that tomorrow!

Don't Fear the (invisible) Zipper

Today I am going to talk about the dreaded zipper. I know there are many of you out there who despise them....really they are not to be feared! Honestly, I avoided learning how to install an invisible zipper for a long time because I thought there was some sort of magic that I didn't know, so I continued to put in conventional zippers until I designed the Sabrina Tunic. I decided then and there (this was just LAST SPRING, people!) that I had to learn how because I didn't want that tacky "take a look at where I put in my zipper" thing going on down the back of my new tunic! It isn't that I hadn't put an invisible zipper in before, but you have to think a little differently to get them in correctly, and I let that cloud my judgment....well, I am SO OVER that now, and I can't imagine putting in a regular zipper on any clothing garment anymore.

This was the inspiration for this post as well as a recent email conversation that I had with someone asking if my tunics required the installation of a zipper and that she really didn't get along with zippers too well. I encouraged her to master this technique, as it will open doors for you if you can think...."An invisible zipper? Ah, that is no sweat!"....So without further ado.....Don't Fear the Zipper!

You will notice in the following photos that I use a regular zipper foot. I HAVE an invisible zipper foot, but I prefer to use my regular one. Why? I learned the hard way that some zipper teeth get along with the grooves in my invisible zipper foot and some don't. What I found was that the length of the zipper teeth vary from one brand to another, making some brands grip too tightly in the foot grooves. For example, my foot works great with Coats and Clark zippers, but not so great with Unique by YKK. I found that no matter what I did (change the stitch length, pull the fabric/zipper combo through), my fabric would pucker...gasp! No amount of ironing made it smooth. This was enormously frustrating, so I taught myself how to use the regular zipper foot with any type of invisible zipper and I haven't look back since. I encourage you to try this if you have experienced this puckering before....or even if you haven't, since most of you have a regular zipper foot and are under the mistaken impression that you have to have a special foot for these things. Yes, it takes practice to get as close as the other foot automatically puts the needle, but you can do it!

It is also important to note that you can substitute an invisible zipper for a regular one in just about any article of clothing. Just remember NOT to sew the seam where the zipper will be placed. I also find that it is much easier to sew a zipper into something where not much construction has taken place yet, so for the back of a skirt, I would install the zipper before sewing the side seams, for example.

Here goes:

1. Finish the raw edges of the fabric to receive the zipper.


2. Unzip the zipper and place it face down on the ironing board. Open out the zipper teeth away from the zipper and press it flat.


3. Place the zipper along one side of the fabric, right sides together. I like to start with the piece that will be to the right of the zipper. It does not matter which side you start with. Place the zipper stop about 5/8" - 3/4" below the top edge of the fabric. The zipper tape may extend beyond the fabric edge depending on the brand of zipper. (some have more tape extending beyond the stop than others) Have the edge of the zipper tape even with the finished edge of fabric.

4. Move the machine needle to the FAR RIGHT position and have the needle in the "needle down" setting if you have that. Begin at the top of the zipper, getting as close as possible to the zipper teeth. Backstitch at the beginning and end. Stitch alongside the zipper teeth as far as possible, stopping when stitching becomes difficult next to the bottom of the zipper.

5. Zip the zipper closed and lay it flat against the wrong side of fabric that you just attached. If there are seams that you have passed in the process of stitching the zipper, use a removable marking pencil to place a mark where the seam is located on the unattached portion of the zipper tape. This is very important, as it helps you to line up the zipper to the other piece of fabric and have your seams meet nicely once the stitching is complete.

6. Open the zipper once more and turn all pieces to face right sides up. Line up the remaining piece of fabric to the side of the zipper. Turn under what will be the seam allowance and slip the remaining side of the zipper underneath. This will put the right side of the zipper against the right side of the fabric. Match up the marking with the seam and pin that spot in place. Check the top of the zipper and pin it in place exactly as the other side was sewn.

7. Stitch the remaining side of the zipper in place in the exact same manner as the first side, only move the needle position to the FAR LEFT. Check your work on the right side of fabric to be sure that the seams and upper edges of fabric meet up appropriately.

8. Zip the zipper closed and match up the edges of the seam below. Pin in a couple of places to hold the fabric together.


9. Move the needle position to the FAR RIGHT again and stitch the seam starting at the lower edge. Have the finished edges of the fabric at the 5/8" marking on your throw plate. Continue stitching until you have stitched just slightly past the original stitching for the zipper. This line of stitching will be slightly to the outside of the original stitching. Backstitch.

10. With the wrong side facing up, press the seam open. Turn the piece over and gently press the seam, including the fabric to either side of the zipper flat.

11. Back on the wrong side, stitch the zipper tape that extends beyond the stitching along the bottom to the seam allowance on either side.

And that is it! You have successfully installed an invisible zipper! Now all we need is more cowbell...... : )

Happy Sewing!

Thank you!

Just a quick note to thank all of you who left such nice birthday greetings for me! It made my day extra special (and the ones to follow as well). Thanks also for all of the nice compliments on my still looking young. How do I do it? I haven't a clue...guess I am lucky! I do try to take care of myself....exercise, eat reasonably, get plenty of sleep (believe it or not), and stay out of the sun. Guess I will keep up with that regimen!

On the topstitching comments...thanks so much! I hardly think that my stitching is the best in the world, but I do my best to make it as good as I can...I will have to post some of my secrets in the future!!