Field Trip

Our needlecrafts club had a field trip day last Saturday.  We first visited Artco, a local crafts store that has an impressive selection of mostly cotton fabrics and sewing notions.  Our second and last stop was at JoAnn's Fabrics.  Our group learned to determine the quality of a fabric, as well as how to select thread and elastic for a pajama bottom sewing project.  Everyone purchased a fitting (pardon the pun) piece of fabric!

At our meeting on Monday I decided to teach a little about crotch depth - yep, crotch depth.  A little awkward to teach, but the pj bottoms need to fit.  Basically, the person being measured sits on a hard chair and another person measures from the waistline, down the side of the hip, to the top of the chair.  Most of the time this measurement is required in order to determine whether the waist of the garment will be too high or too low. And the instruction was immediately applicable because everyone had to make an alteration to the pajama pattern for the crotch depth. 

Our club won't meet next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday, so I'll be busy writing a research paper for my college class and working on some items for an upcoming arts and crafts fair.

I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving; peace and good times with whomever you will be celebrating with!


Artco

 

Jacob Pinning Pattern

  Kirah & Heather Cutting PUL for Shields

Taking Measurements

The weather has definitely changed this week to facilitate activities indoors - sewing!  My Needlecrafts for Charity club spent Monday continuing the Days for Girls project and also receiving a lesson in taking body measurements.

The club members wanted to start a sewing project for themselves and add some new sewing skills.  I was delighted to oblige.  Kim graciously volunteered to be my model for measuring techniques.  Did you know that to find your natural waist, you bend to the side, and wherever that "crease" is on your side, is the location of your natural waistline?  It helps to use some yarn or string to then tie around your natural waist.  From this marker, other measurements can be taken.

Later this morning, our group will visit a couple local fabric shops where we will purchase fabric to make pajama bottoms; I'll post some pictures next week.  It's supposed to be rainy and windy today, so a great time to be inside a fabric shop and gaze at all the wonderful colors and feel all the nice textures......  Enjoy your weekend!


Finding Natural Waist on Kim

Heather Teaching Jacob

 

Finished Flannel Pads to Date

Portland Weekend

So, as usual, Portland proved to be a very memorable trip for my husband and I.  We left Friday the 28th and spent the afternoon in the Alberta District at Bolt Fabric Boutique.  Bolt had a wonderful sale going on - fabric, patterns, etc.  I love visiting this store every time I visit Portland. 

The evening was spent at Modern Domestic, also in the Alberta District, at the "Sew-cial" from 6 - 9.  It was pure heaven!  I was able to make good progress on a top for myself by using a fabulous Bernina sewing machine.  But.....that was not the highlight - I actually met Shelly Figueroa who is the author of Sewing for Boys.  She was recently featured with her two handsome boys on a morning show in Portland.  Shelly designed some really cool clothing for boys.  Check this book out; I'm sure you'll want to own a copy. I have to say, I was just in awe during my conversations with her that night.  She is like your favorite friend; down-to-earth, fun, kind.  I certainly didn't want to leave the sewing studio that evening, but my husband had tired of going from coffee shop to coffee shop trying to find one that stayed open late.

It was a really fun weekend except for one problem........my car developed a cracked exhaust manifold Friday evening after the "Sew-cial."  Saturday was mostly spent at the Toyota service department to diagnose the problem and find that there were no manifolds in stock.  On the way home Sunday we had to drive at 55 mph and stop at each rest area to let the car cool down.  Thankfully the car was drivable!

All in all, it was a great weekend.  When it comes to sewing adventures, you never know where you'll land :-)

Shelly and I at Modern Domestic

Outside Modern Domestic