lucky

My friend in Chicago talked me into this blog...........and of all things she chooses to pick a picture of me that is totally bloated. Who could look any worse, but at my age I am not really caring too much. She chose the picture taken of me in front of a store front of food. Delicious food.........and I walked two doors down and ate a great big bowl of soup and veggie rolls. I am so glad there was no one there to take a picture of me eating my food. I think that would have been more embarrassing.

I now look back at some of the things I've posted. I've been going to the Janome forum and reading up more on my new sewing machine. I can't wait until I get that puppy home. It's going to be so much fun. Now I've got to figure out what I am going to buckle down and sew. Haven't heard from Britt in Sweden. I am going to let her be my inspiration on sewing bags. That's if I decide I want to go that route. But I have to admit she has given me a few ideas. My new Janome will sew 1,000 stitiches per minute. Do I need that..............no.............but i must have it just in case. Just hope I don't end up burning out a motor.

Just got my Hot Patterns blouse design and the Marakesh drawstring pants. I am going to attempt to make the pants first. Cut out the material today. It's cheap and used. If I mess this up so what I will just look for the next project. The lady at hotpatterns.com explains so easily and of course with her english accent makes you sound like you are going to look so chique if you purchase her pattern. Although I will admit her pants made her look really good, although I don't have any muslin like the women instructed me to get. Next time I will make sure that I get a few yards of it. Well that's all for now........the next post will be a possibly a picture of the pants I make. There are only a couple of pieces. Oh...........this is my first time ordering her patterns and I think I will order more, because her patterns are not made of the cheap tissue paper. I'm not cutting into these either..............I am tracing...........that way I get everything back in the envelope without it looking stuffed. I'm learning!

toronto pants

They fit fine, but I still am having problems with a good fit for the crotch. Although no one knows that but me. I always try to make room for my girth. In this case I noticed while wearing them that the front part of the crotch was a little too high.

So more than likely I will have to adjust them. Or just wait for the first washing. Which is what I was suppose to do in the beginning. I am also going to get some muslin and this time do all the adjusting on it. Other than that these pants give stretch when sitting, but they do wrinkle a lot............so I am not liking that at all..........maybe its the way I cut them. Live and learn. Sooner or later I will get it into my head to do the muslin thing. It's just so time consuming.............but it is worth it. It beats having experiences like this. Even though they look wonderful to you..........i'm the one who knows how they fit. The only thing I am really pleased with is the stitch quality on the fabric, which came out really good. I'm getting better in that department. In other words: you can't see my mistakes at all. Only I know which is a good thing but at the same time very nerve wracking.

invigorated

I am still coming down off my trip to Toronto. This has given me a new perspective on what I would like to do and where i'd like to go. I really enjoyed seeing the bustling of the city. It's really huge. I like the fact that you could get lost in it, there are so many people and so many things to see. Robin (host and friend) didn't get a chance to show a great deal, but for me she showed just enough of her town. I liked the foods can't you tell by the picture. Well I won't put all the blame on my visit, but thank God for casscara segrada. I really ate and some things i'd not tasted before. Next time I will come when the festivals are just beginning.

My host was really gracious and so was the rest of the family for putting up with me. Three weeks is a long stay. Not to mention the fact that I did most of the spending within the first week of being there. It was a tit for tat situation. I had to pull out my skills of doing hair.....so I worked some but didn't mind at all considering the company. I so wanted to get more fabric. Just goes to show you things change. Prices do go up. I could have gotten a lot more material say 10yrs ago. Stupid of me to think things would still be the same. Never the less it was just an enjoyable time being around like minded people, and seeing the sites.

Toronto photos

My new friend is really having a good time, but she decided to give this pose. This is sunday going to church. The other picture is me in my element.......basking in the smell of fabric.

today

today i was in the house because of the rain, so we didn't go any where. i must say that this is somewhat of a rest for me. My people have been so helpful and most gracious in my stay here. I am so glad that i decided to come but next time i will stay a shorter time as not to impose on them. Over all though it's still a good trip.

photo comments

as you can see from the pictures i'm not far from food. The sites and sounds of the place are really just too much. I had no idea this place was so large. There are shops on every block every other door. I really wished I'd stopped at the Italian store earlier because I really got a deal on some fabric. I am going to make a shirt and skirt from this stuff. Probably the closet I'll get to Italy is just to buy the fabric and anything Italian.

My friend was with me every step of the way. What are friends for....to just watch you spend money you don't have. I knew that I had to have that fabric and that I wasn't going to get the opportunity to buy it again at least not in the states. So seize the moment. That's exactly what I did............am I ever glad that I don't have a charge card. I might have been in serious trouble. So at least i'll have a memory. Now just two weeks to go. I will go home with just the cab fare to get home. I really am going to have to do something about this body..........cause I don't recognize this person. ciao for now

photos of my trip

another bag

This is the bag that I made for my friend in Seattle. I saw some bags that this lady in Sweden makes and my goodness my mouth watered. This women makes quilted purses and they look fantastic. I know I said I am not into quilting but to make bags that come out that beautiful would be worth it. Every bag this lady makes is really a piece of art. I am just going to have to learn to do what I do best. And this looks well but to me it's not polished. That's the way I want my work to look polished.

pants

I was so lazy I didn't feel like wearing the pants that I packed for my trip, because that meant I would have to wash them. So I made some last night and this is what they look like. I am still getting the hang of trying to take these pictures. I don't know how people take pictures of themselves all the time. In my day these were called peddle pushers. This is thrift fabric.

tickets

well today I got my tickets for Toronto. So I can't wait for June 7th can't get here fast enough. I am going to spend as much time as I can checking things out especially the fabric places. It will be nice. I am not expecting my friend to take me everywhere so I will try and make some connections on my own, and see how many people I can meet. This should be fun. I'm expecting a miracle in funds before the 7th. We just skyped each other so it was nice finally seeing her face. She seems to be a very nice woman. I think I picked wisely this time. So when I get back which will be the 28th of June I should have a lot to talk about. This will be my first time in Toronto. Been to Van couver and to Montreal. So I am really looking forward to this, just to get away and regroup.

mudlcothe

this is first bag I made and that's why Daeisha wanted it, and I thought I posted this before. I just like the pattern.

latest work

This is Daeisha who really begged me for this bag. My honorary daughter. I was made it for my friend Carmelle who gave me the mud clothe. This turned out very well. I think that I would like to work with this fabric to make a jacket. I also made another bag for a new friend that I found in Canada. Kinda like a good faith thing.

I know it's been a while, but in addition to trying to figure out what fabric I wanted to work with, i"ve been obsessed you might say with the new 7700 Janome. The message boards have been full with ladies talking about the new machine ect. I really would like to stay in my own price range. At this point though it really doesn't make sense to get the 6600 because the machine is at least 4 1/2 yrs old. There are so many good comments on this machine. The new one hasn't really proven it's self. So far there is just a lot of talk about the machine. Either way I would like to be on the cutting edge in buying it then that way I am current.

Last night I went online and look at the elissimo by babylock.......and it's made by brother I don't want to bite off more than I can chew. Right now the I am still paying on the new Janome. I need it for speed. At 1,000 stitches per minute this would really work for me in making the bags. So I am more or less forced to get it. Getting an industrial sewing machine would be too noisy in an apartment, as the motor is noisy. So I might as well get something that is closet to it. Hence the Janome. ................decisions decisions!

new fabric

I brought this Asian print material and I made a blouse out of it. I am so disappointed with myself because I should have gotten more of that fabric. Could have made a skirt. You can't see it but I brought some beige stretchy type of fabric to make a pair of pants out of, and then some blue jean stretch material. Forgot to get the needles, it's always something. Then I brought some pinstriped stretch fabric and that was for the low price of 45.00 and that was steal for me that day. So I was pretty happy. Just have to remember to get the needles.

on a roll

During the weekend I spent with two other ladies who are sewing orientated. It was really nice. Started out with bacardi rum and papaya/mango juice and some very tired stiches followed by quiche. We were doing stitches that were in a course that one of the ladies is taking. By the way this is a dress making course. I had a hard time with the herring bone stitch. For some reason I wasn't getting it. The rest of the stitches I already know and have used before. Over all it was a nice weekend.

We are going to get together as often as I can, and in the meantime I am still saving for my Janome. The new 7700 has come out and I think I am going to get that one instead. This is going to be the last sewing machine I buy. This one has everything on it. It looks like a Bernina and Pfaff and has an arm. I thought it best to just jump right in and get this one. I know it's going to be a bit pricey...........but in the long run I am going to have it the rest of my life. Everyone on this janome site loves their 6600 and said they wouldn't part with it. The new machine will not be out until May but since I already joined a yahoo group, photos have been coming in from London and Canada. For some reason Janome thought they would premier in Europe first and then we are last. From what I understand the machine will possibly run 2,000 but for all the features this will be worth it, and there is better lighting.

Janome is in strong competition I believe with Brother because Brother gives you more features and more bang for your buck. Well Janome is doing the same. I really used to be a Bernina snob, but Janome is what I wish to work with for the time being. I really would like to work in another country doing nothing but selling sewing machines and working with them. Right now I am trying to work on just putting things together. My way of course. Some of these patterns make no sense. So I always detour. I am also still working on Canadian contacts regarding sewing machines and the like. Maybe even a fabric store. That wouldn't be bad idea. Cause you get a discount for working there. Hopefully they would sell sewing machines right there on the premise like Hancock fabrics does, if so then I am killing two birds with one stone. We'll just see how things turn out.

just some thoughts

What a no sun shine day. I think I told you about two other ladies I met from the sewing guild. Well we hit it off very well. One of them is taking a dress making course, and since it is on line decided that it would be good to have live people to correspond with. So she is sharing the lesson with me and another lady.

This online course has us doing stitches. They name the stitches but don't show what they look like. it's really done in black and white. So last night my buddy calls me to suggest that we go to the library or somewhere and get photos of the stitches and then we can do them together. Even though buddy no.1 has paid for the course buddy no.2 and myself will reap benefits from the course as well. No.1 thought it best to have someone to converse with, and I concur. On line course are tricky. Videos are more better for me. Cause I can freeze and then try to duplicate what I see. Just have the written with no pictures is hard on me.
So far on the first three paragraphs have all been technical jargin. So I am really going to have to work at this. It will be interesting to say the least. Today though I really don't feel like doing one blessed thing. Maybe I will shoot for tomorrow.

working on now

I like this design for some reason. This is fleece. It's very thick fleece, and of course what do I do with fleece? Make a jacket of course. I decided to put elastic in the sleeve to give this some type of shape. As it is most of my jackets seem a bit boxy.
This was done without a pattern.
Hopefully next month I will get some tracing paper. I've decided not to cut out the patterns any more. Then I can trace the design and try to doctor it up. Also I'm going to get some muslin because I think this will go a long way as well. Just think pretty soon spring will be here, and I will really have to start sewing to make things for summer.

I've put things in motion regarding networkng and hopefully I will meet some more new people. At least I can get my creative juices going. made a purse for my girlfriend in seattle. forgot to put this picture on as well. Hope she likes it! This is really a drab day, and I don't feel like finishing this jacket off today. Maybe I will work on it tomorrow.

lastest jacket

I was trying to find a way to turn the second picture around so you could see the design stitch. It's not too bad a jacket but the material is rather drab. I will probably have to dress this up with making a skirt or a pair of pants.

tapestry jacket and bag

This is a jacket and a bag that is hanging over the shoulder. I was trying to take a picture of the pockets. They were lined with some type of silver string. I really would like to perfect this a little more. The color is kind of green but you can't tell it in this picture. I've really got to learn how to use this camera more.

Today

Nothing too unusual today. I had to contact four people that I contacted on myself because I am so ditzy and couldn't remember the correct address to my on blogspot. I keep forgetting the damn dash. It's a shame to forget something so simple. Right now I am really low on fabric and will soon be going to my favorite place to get a few things. I am going to try and do the first week of March. I am going to make it a point.

I also am going to drag my new sewing buddy around to estate sales. I really need my serger fixed. I will get her to take me out to A-1. It won't be long before I have that 6600 in the house and I can't wait to hear that puppy roar. For some reason it seems like my Brother is slow, or maybe it's just all in my head because I know the Janome is 1,000 stitches per minute. I can live with the zigzag going 750. I've decided to let the Stitch Era go, because there are too many things going on with that program. I want something less complicated. Right now I don't have a conversion program. I am still going to get the Vikant. Right now I am going on my own schedule.

I've given some bags away and the ladies seem to like them, now I've got to get back to sewing something for me while combining making bags. Working on a schedule and putting things down on paper really seems to help. I've got a cork board with all the things I want done in the next three months, and as each one comes into few I will take down a card. The cards are colored so that makes it easier for me to focus on. Still going to network with my Canadian friends. I'm already making this a fact.

These are the latest of the bags I worked on. I've been giving some of the bags away. The third bag is green and I made three of them. People seem to like them. The tan bag I am keeping for myself because it is the first one I made with a zipper. It's really sturdy kinda canvas like material. I hope that these are not repeat pictures. If they are I'm sorry for that, but I think I mentioned the fact that I have two new sewing buddies. They are really funny.

I gave them each a bag. They really liked them, and they came in handy when I went to an estate sale. One of my friends got an espree embroidery machine, of course I wanted the serger, but was over priced used at 875.00. This was my first time going to one of these things. I managed to get some "Great patterns" a whole bag of them. They usually run 12.00 each in the store. I got at least 10, and then I got a bunch of serger thread. My friend hogged up the rest of the thread. As a matter of fact she beet me downstairs to the sewing stuff. Didn't have enough dough though to get some of the things I really wanted. I was really being careful in selecting items. I managed to get a glue gun and don't have an idea when I will use that, but I'm sure it will come in handy later on. It was really a lot of fun. I went two days in a row.

One of my neighbors paid me in advance to clean her apartment, and that's how I ended up with spending money for the estate sale. The one thing I hate the most is that if you have to go to the bathroom, you are not allowed to.....because the items of the deceased are being sold through a broker. Well now I have to wait for my next big thing. In the mean time I will make bags and save them now that I have a system going on.