Tutorial Tuesday: Sewing Stuff You Need

If you don't have all this stuff... just put on your shoes and go to the store.
This is your list of Equipment for Efficiency.
You must own it all.

white sewing manual 1947
please click images to make bigger

I have been doing a lot of brooding over a dress form that resembles my figure more exactly (duct tape vs adjustable vs paper mache...) and this tip here for making an existing dress form match your figure looks good to me. A padded muslin over a smaller form... duh. That makes sense. If I try it, I'll let you know how it goes. First I need to get a nice smaller form somewhere.
(Do you hear me thrift gods?)

Actually this is is great starter list... but it doesn't mention how important a decent iron, ironing board and sleeve board are. Personally I couldn't sew a garment without them. Now If I could just get my family to quit eating I could use that big dining room table as a cutting table. And I could save all that time on cooking too.
Now That is Efficiency.

Home Sewing Is Easy!!

Okay here are the first two pages of my new favorite:
A How-To Sewing Comic!

(another Perfect Gift from my pal Lindy!!)






(Click on the image for a bigger version.)

This Sally Stitch does not mess around! There are great Sewing Kung Fu moves in this and I hope to republish a chapter a week for all you new New Vintage sewing novices out there!

My favorite lines?
"Remember- Clothes are an expression of your personality." ( All the vintage wardrobe and charm books have really covered this extensively. In fact there appear to be only about 6 personalites out there for women of the mid century era.. but more on that later. Including a handy "Clothing Personality Pigeonholing Chart" for you to use at home!)

and, of course, the line on the first page: " And there's extra money in the budget Thanks to my new sewing machine Know-How..." Is this lady gunning for an evening out in the cute little suit or wha-at?
Looks like if the Hub won't spring for some spring rolls the wolf whistling paper boy might be willing!

and finally without further ado:
the 7 things me-me ( brought to you by Christelle at http://makingthingslady.blogspot.com/)

1) My middle name is Paige. That could make me Betty Paige but since my first name is really Bethany, that would be stretching it... and besides that name is already taken.
2) I am the eldest sister in my family; There are also Sarah, Lassen, and Amelia.
3)My favorite color is usually red. but I waffle.
4) I like to "cook big" for company, but for general dinners I am remarkably lazy.
5) I used to be as obessessed with my garden as I am with sewing.. but the deer jaded me.
6) I have read 10 books already this year... not counting sewing and craft books which I really skim, more than read.
7) I am just dying to print my own fabric. I picture a lino block/ silkscreen/ batik party with clothes lines draped with gorgeous one of a kind fabric. I think about it about 3 times a day for the last few weeks.

I tag: umm, whomever wants to play.


My next meme is the "Origin of Your Child's Name." and i will get it done very soon..

But now.. off to "save money" at the fabric store!

Thrift Tuesday

tablecloth with houses 1.00 (skirts?)
health primer 3.00 ( cute... worth it!)
reading book .50 ( the cover alone...)
wee lidded basket and leather case 1.00 ( future bunnychildren accessories)
jungle neckerchief .25 ( you can't see the animals on there. They're cute.)
stacking jars (sans goodies inside) 1.00 and 1.50 ( still working on the craftcave's organization)
a couple lbs of beeswax 4.50 (smells good, encaustic artworks or candles... or both!)

Now back to the housework!

It's All Fair...

Here is a mosaic of my happy Handmade Parade love.

I got the house needle book from carolyn of laughingduck
And the wee Bear is from missy ballance ( The creature lovin the bear is from Ardent Curse. I got him awhile back. Love him too.
And the pattern lady cards from claire of little lovelies

It was a great day and I am glad I am going to get to see some of my new friends again when I go to the the Maker Faire this weekend.

Click To Play

I really can't recommend this fair enough. My son wants us to get there before it opens so we can be first in line "to do everything", and we aren't to leave until they kick us out.. Last year he said this Faire is better than Disneyland. Check Out Bre Pettis on this video. I met him taping my upcoming Egg Art Episode of CraftLab CraftLab with Austin Craft Mafia's Jennifer Perkins, last fall. (Bre is techno super crafty . Boy craft. Lovin' that.)



I was in the Bazaar Bizarre Crafts show at the Maker Faire last year, but I was sooo busy sewing up New Vintage clothes this year I let that application deadline sneak by me.

I was so sad ( It was my favorite event of the Whole Year last year) until I realized that I will be able to run around the whole Faire unfettered this time.. Ya- Hooooooo!!! There are all these craft and hack workshops and demos and creative wildness everywhere... and last year I was relatively "booth bound". Not This Year. I am going to try everything!


I am also getting ready for next month, when the fair's Just Keeep Coming!!!!

I am going to be participating in C is 4Craft here in Beeeeauuutiful Santa Cruz. Ya'll should come down for the weekend. Craft Faire, Boardwalk. You'd just love it. I am very much looking forward to their list of participants and will share when I get it.


Meanwhile.. Hey, will I see you at the Maker Faire?

Livin' The Dream

Okay.. so Yesterday I had a perfect day.
I met with a lady about a custom necklace ( pretty lovely way to start the day)..
Then I treated myself to a GorillaPod on my way to have a full throttle Jam Packed Adventure with the dazzling and wickedly funny Sonya of Knit Sonya and her son, Cyrus.

We met at Tail of the Yak.


I induged in Embroidered Ribbon and Japanese Fruit Beetle Shells.. What I really wanted was the stuffed Emu. While we were there we actually met Anandamayi Arnold, the lady who makes the crepe paper "surprise" gifts that you might see in the current issue of Mary Englebreit magazine this month.

Next, we went Ici ... It is just around the corner. The shop is a visual as well as a gastronomical feast.



I got a caramel and chocolate cone, Sonya got a honey lavander and our wee companion enjoyed straight up chocolate in the dish.. the ice cream was Great But The Cones Were Perfect. When Sonya asked if we could take pictures the owner said"Please just write nice things on your Blog.."

Oh jeez... are we that obvious?



But really she was so very nice, and so were the treats.
It was not a big surprise when we saw Anandamayi there as well.

Into the car and off to Stone Mountain Fabric Stone Mountain Fabric store which blew my mind in all the right ways. I loved it! I was controlling myself this time and bought stuff for a project that I have coming up...




But next time i will bring a big list and all my allowance because I fell in love about 30 times in there.

The last stop before I had to tear off for home and my darling boy was The Center for Creative Reuse. Hello? Score!


I love Berkeland..( It is in the block where one city becomes the other I think.) What could be better? Crazy bins of stuff to sift through and then Gems... absolute GEMS!!!!







And who should we run into but Anandamayi! She said, "Did you go to Poppy Fabric?" "No, Stone Mountain.." Apparently she usually goes to Stone Mountain.. But Poppy was having a big sale. ( Wha?)
Okay? that was pretty funny. I guess the creative shopping circuit was successfully completed.

Thanks Sonya! Great Day.. But now back to reality!!!


And btw: the egg class was good and kinda crazy... and mostly really fun. Very Small group which worked out perfectly.
I will be posting pictures of that tomorrow with the "Non Denominational Spring Egg and Rabbit Decor" shots from our culturally mixed cabin in the redwoods.. ( My Dear Boy Jake says he is "half Jewish- half vegetarian...")

Yup, a B'lated Happy Passover to ya! (No, Not a Fan of the Gefilte Fish. I 'm definitely more of the chocolate bunny type..)