Moving On

Well, this post seems a little anti-climactic.  Given how long it has taken me to have anything to post you would think I'd have a great picture and an exciting story.  Instead, I'm posting a picture and details about the project that has been holding me hostage for the last four weeks I have just completed to justify why I have been so absent and in hopes that I can now move on.

This curtain (and it's twin) are hanging in the choir room at my church.  The curtains needed to be fire retardant and there seemed no affordable way to accomplish that except for "someone" to make them.  I can't say I got much joy from this project (I whined about it in my last post) but am certainly happy that they are finished.  I still need to anchor the lower hem (to keep the preschoolers from getting up under them), and they need a steaming to eliminate some wrinkles and reset the lower hem.

Since then I have moved on to a more gratifying project, but one that is not quite ready for sharing yet.  Here's a little sneak peek:

I am also working on some Halloween costumes that have to get done this week.  I hope to have some more interesting posts coming up soon.

I spent a lovely Saturday with some of my favorite sewing friends.  My ASG Chapter held its Annual Meeting and, in addition to the necessary business, we also enjoyed a high tea, door prizes, socializing and a great make-and-take project led by Chapter member Lorine Mason.  She released creativity in us all, even those of us who were sure we didn't have any.  I'll post pictures of the project and one way I plan to use the skills I learned in an upcoming post.  Until then. . . .

Hanky Flowers

Hello friends.  Boy, am I tired.  Three sets of company in two weeks along with two little boys' birthday parties has worn me out.  I've really been burning the candle at both ends.  I am on a mission to finish a project in my sewing room so I can get on to something I want to sew.  Reading my friend Jane's blog post about home dec sewing made me realize I'm not alone.  I'm currently working on curtains for my church's choir room, not a particularly inspiring project.  Additionally, I'm working with just barely enough fabric, so there is no room for error.  Did I mention that the two windows are each 150" long?  There's not much about this job that makes for an easy night's rest.  I'm also really anxious to get some sewing done for me before I leave on a trip in about a month (not to mention two Halloween costumes that need to be sewn before then).  I've also been keeping busy with planing and preping for my oldest son's birthday party tomorrow, and am planning to share a new recipe I tried for cake frosting after I snap some pictures.   All of this to say that I've been too busy to blog!

Today I want to share some pictures of one of the projects I made at the Sewing Expo I went to a couple of weeks ago.  Barb Callahan taught us to make lovely little posies from vintage hankies.  Barb's classes are always fun, and her laid-back teaching style is mixed with plenty of humor.  She provided us with the pattern and all of the materials we needed to make two little pins of different style.

Everyone's flowers had distinct personalities.  It was really fun to see how differently each one turned out.

I need to put some finishing touches on the second one, which reminds me of a dogwood.  This is a lovely way to use up some hankies you might have, especially those with sentimental value.

I'll report back with more details about the latest cupcakes if I survive partying with 22 four-year-olds tomorrow!

Pig Cupcakes and Musings on What to Wear

My youngest son celebrated his third birthday this week and requested a farm animal-themed party.  I'm all for catering to my kids' wishes when practical but I am not one to spend long hours creating the perfect birthday party.  What I want is something quick that has some visual appeal.  These cupcakes were certainly attention grabbers (particularly amongst the three-year-olds who were delighted to eat the ears) and took only minutes to make.  Start out with regular cupcakes and a batch of pink icing.  The ears are pink wafer cookies cut into triangles, the snouts are pink mints and the eyes are mini chocolate chips.  Simply ice the cupcakes and press the facial features into the icing.  Done.  Big success at the school birthday party.

Since I didn't spend hours in the kitchen making elaborate birthday party fare, I had more time to spend on my real passion, sewing.  Thanks to the generosity of grandparents, I was able to escape for a couple of days this week to the Sewing Expo which is held in my area annually.  I had plenty of time for some classes and for browsing (and spending) in the vendor area.  I've taken some pictures from my classes which will become blog posts in the near future, so stay tuned.  And I'm always so filled with inspiration and the desire to sew after time at the Expo that I spent about 2 hours today cleaning my sewing room in anticipation of some serious garment sewing in the near future.  But during all of this excitement I had a bit of an epiphany which I think many of you will identify with.  I came home with some much-needed (not!) fabric and sat down to write out some ideas I had for the various pieces.  And what I thought about during that note-taking session was the frustrating time I had getting dressed that morning.  I always like to try and wear something that I have made to these Expos (it only seems right) and I must have tried on at least 8 different combinations of garments that morning.  Nothing worked.  With time running out and my hair still wet, I finally threw on my Anniversary Dress and a pair of knee-high black boots and called it quits.  When I thought back on why I had so much trouble I realized that it had to do with separates.  I have several great jackets that I love to wear and a number of skirts that I really like, but none of these seem to have something that coordinates with them.  I think this is one reason I like dresses so much:  you put them on and you're dressed.  So one of my new "resolutions" is to try and create coordinated pieces that work together so I don't have such a frustrating time in the future.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this and ideas on how to solve or prevent this problem.  Please share.