Pittsburgh PA at last

I had a warm welcome coming into Pittsburgh, PA for the International Spring Quilt Market. Our flight was nice and even though it was no non-stop - we make a short stop in Chicago Midway to change planes - it seemed like a short but sweet flight.

We got in and went straight to the hotel to unload and then it was off to dinner Pittsburgh style. We ended up getting dropped off by our hotel at "The Incline". This is basically an old wooden trolley system that take you up the side of a cliff that runs along the "Three Rivers" that converge in Pittsburgh. This was a bit scarey for me as I'm afraid of heights but we made it up and it was a wonderful view of the city. Once at the top, we ate at Monterey Bay Grotto. This had to be the best seafood ever eaten. I had the lobster stuffed shrimp and bites of my friend Dian's crab cakes. WONDERFUL!!!!! It was definitely on the expensive side, but when works paying who cares, right?? The view was spectacular as well as the restaurant sat on the top floor of a high end apartment complex. NICE!!! I would definitely recommend this place if in Pittsburgh.

Wednesday was all about setting up the booth. We were so busy - no pictures of it really and the ones I took us us out the night before did not turn out well due to the darkness. I'll post them anyway. I only have my camera phone. My digital camera is out of commission thanks to my stupid lab Jack who chewed through the cord.

Today I will get pictures of the finished booth - including all the new patterns, fabrics, etc that are displayed. Over the next few days I will take some pictues of fabrics and patterns of others if they permit and get them posted. Tonight is sample spree - which basically is where 10,000 women come to buy our patterns in samples. In other words, this is there chance to buy single patterns instead of our regular minimums. This is a four hour mad house of flying patterns and cash. I can't even begin to guess how much money exchanges hands this night. It's where I spend all mine. I will be buying fabrics and patterns; vintage jewelry and more. Will post pics of these. I probably won't post more until Friday night because I won't be back to the hotel until after 11:00 pm tonight and since I'm starting at 8am I have a long day ahead. I'm definitely excited for today.

Bye for now!!!!

Picture a Lemon-Line Fashion Bag

So here's the sneak peak at the new purse I worked on for Indygo Junction made up in Hoffman Fabrics line called Reflections. It comes in a yellow/green colorway like the one I used, but it also comes in a brown/teal colorway that is beautiful too. Again, the pictures are from my camera phone and are not the best. My great new digital camera can't connect with my computer right now because my dog chewed through the cord. ARG!!! Of course, it costs almost as much to replace the camera as the stupid cord...so this will have to do.

The purse has grommets and the braided handle option - it also will have a plain handle option. Check out all our new patterns from Indygo Junction in early June/late May. Right now they are having a Buy Two, Get One FREE sale (it only happens once a year so take advantage if you can).

This is a front view.


This is an inside view.


So I also joined my first swap this week - its for ATC cards made of using anything but paper. I've began experimenting with some needlefelting effects and beading ideas tonight and will surely post of in progress pics soon so I can hopefully get some feedback. Have a great weekend - it will be my first garage saling of the year!!! I hope to find some picture frames, shadow boxes and/or vintage sewing items. Maybe some books to collage...let's see. I'll be sure to post my finds also.

Vintage Sewing Shadow Box

I created this shadow box style creation for my boss Amy who loves all things vintage but especially vintage sewing items. I found several treasures including vintage needle cases, ruler from 1945 - a thin metal one - and a stuffed dog with a clothe measuring tape that - let's say appeared from the rear! I used some old hook and eye cards, needles, buttons, safety pin, and labels plus some vintage images from www.thevintageworksop.com together with the frame which I found on clearance at Joann's. The fabric is the base us created with was a tea dyed piece of cotton canvas. I added some Bible verse from a vintage book to complete the piece! I think Amy loved it! The pictures aren't the best but I think it gives you the overall look and feel.

Three More Altered Pages

I'm created three new pages of my Altered Book to share. So I began thinking I had a theme and now I guess I don't because I've just been going where my creative spirit sends me. It's got vintage, sewing, found object. I just love this outlet for expressing my creative side. It has given me the happiest weekend I've had in a long while. I have found some true peace!!! So here are my pages. I hope you love them as much as I'vd loved making them.

Cheryl

Altered Art Pages

Here are the altered book pages I just finished. What do you think? Be honest cuz I am not totally happy with these but it's my first attempt so I think they are not too bad. Some are in process pages and some are finished.



This is page one. I added a big red button to the bird nest of twine after the pic was taken.



This is page two.



This is a collage of sheet music.



This is the sheet music page finished also known as page three. The top caption reads Gather Compliments and the bottom one reads Reap what you sew.

More to come...

Working on the Weekend - Sew, Mama, Sew

So my big plans for making some more purses won't be happening this weekend. Instead I will still be sewing just not for myself. My boss asked me to test some of our newest patterns - some cute children's clothing - so I'll be making those this weekend. I get to use some really great fabrics that won't be out until this summer by Anna Marie Horner - click here to visit her blog. It's fab!! So no pictures of what I'll be working on, but I will post after they debut if I can.

It's supposed to go back to winter this weekend in KC - just after my flowers in the front of my house started to bud. It was 72 on Sunday, tornado watches on Monday, and now it's supposed to snow tomorrow morning - some saying up to 12 inches. Again, I say in Kansas City, if you don't like the weather wait until tomorrow. It's hopefully going to melt fast. It's the perfect day to stay in my fleece jammies and sew my little heart out.

I'll have to take some photos tomorrow of all the new fallen snow. I learned yesterday that my camera actually has a snow setting - huh, what will they think of next. I got this digital camera for my birthday this year from - you guessed it, my mother. It's been so super easy to use and plugs right into the computer. It's a Kodak easy share with a big screen and lots of those mega-pixels.

Anyway, more pictures to come tomorrow if I can find the time to post between the sewing and the snowing!

Death to the person who invented the threading of a serger

Okay so this morning I thought I'd get up and make up some easy serged potholders that I want to sell in my Etsy Store - Just Like Mom Crafts. Well two hours later and I hate my serger! The stupid thing ran out of thread on one of the spools - it has four. I've been told a million times by lots of people - don't let it run out - tie it off to thread it. Well who pays attention to that while sewing. So I thread that one and then another one runs out. ARG!!!!!

Okay I get that done, and try again to finish the stupid potholder that is supposed to take 10 minutes including cutting it out. Well it's a disaster. The threads kept messing up so I had to continually re-do the damn thing. I couldn't get all of the edges to catch and finally I'd cut off too much off the corners trying to make it work - in the trash it goes. Okay. I am going to give it a break and then try again. It took me forever to get the machine working properly and apparently it took me some time to figure out three layers of batting - too much!!!

I'll post some pictures of my failure and success (if that every happens). I guess when developing your own patterns it take trial and error. Who knew? I expected it to be perfect the first time. I mean I have been sewing for almost a year. Did I mention that my first sewing machine was given to me by..you guessed it...my mom on Mother's Day. It was supposed to be a loaner that turned into a gift.

I thought this was going to be my stress releaver not a stressor!!!!

How I Became My Mother...and how I'm getting over it!!

So here is the deal. I grew up with a mom who sewed for a living. Every trip to the mall or local store ended with.."I can make that" and nothing was ever bought. I hated it. The only part I loved was that I got to design all my own prom/formals in high school! Okay so it wasn't as bad as I thought.

My little sister, who isn't really crafty - although I think she has it in her - used to love to tease me by saying, "You are just like MOM!" That always got the desired reaction of "NO WAY!!"

Well, now I'm older, wiser and lo and behold I'm working in the pattern/fashion industry. Yes, it's true - I'm sewing and quilting and crafting, oh my! I've done what I swore I'd never do. I've become my mother! Well, this journal is to help me not have to pay for the therapy it would take to work through all those mom issues.

So this is my journey of How I Became My Mother and How I Got Over It. I'm hoping to make this into a book. I think a lot of us out there go through this around our mid-30's like me. It's not as bad as we think. Mom did lots of great stuff. So did grandma. Kids these days (did that sound like mom or what) are losing so much by not getting into the ART of sewing and working with fabrics and textiles.

I hope to inspire young people to pick up the needle and thread and start sewing! Learn from mom and grandma before it's too late! You'll learn so much - much more than a book will teach you! Well, til later! Bye!!