Heirloom Sewing - Christening Gown

Hi everyone! I've not posted much because I haven't been sewing much. But I'm starting to get the bug again. I still have the purse I started at Christmas time where I was going to make a series of videos, so I think I need to wrap that up. So that is coming up soon, and alongside that I really want to make this christening gown.

My grand baby is due on June 3rd. We're past the shower and my daughter is all ready for her little bundle to arrive (little does she know what it will really be like, she *thinks* she's ready).

Anyway, I'm considering making the christening gown and I just love the one pictured to the left. I found it on Ginger Snaps Designs website. It's going to be quite a challenge and I think I'm up for it.

Some of the skills I'll have to learn include:

• tucks or pintucks
• working with lace
• working with fine fabric

I'll keep you updated, at this point I need to get the pattern, fabric, lace and ribbon ordered and purchased. Once I get everything I'll post pics, I'm even considering a video.

Oh, one more thing, check out some of these finished christening gowns on the Ginger Snaps website, they are absolutely beautiful.  Ginger Snaps Christening Gown Trunk Show

Until next time,

Reba

What A Beautiful Diaper Cake!

Hi everyone! I know it's been a while since I posted, I guess I just needed a break as it's not just that I didn't post, I also haven't done anything creative to post about. That is until now. It's not sewing but it was fun none the less.

We had a shower yesterday for my oldest daughter Stephanie and I just wanted to show you the diaper cake I made for the shower. It turned out gorgeous and it's was a hit at the shower.

Since this isn't something I do everyday, I searched the internet for inspiration and instructions. There were so many different ways to make a diaper cake so my first problem was to decide which method I would use. I finally decided on what I call the "swirl" method and I found the instructions on YouTube. The video provided by Becca at Diaper Cakes by Becca (http://www.DiaperCakesByBecca.com) on YouTube at this link - Diaper Cake Video was perfect to get me going.

Below are a few pics from my assembly. The most genius thing (at least I think so) was how I put the words "BABY" on the cake. I hot glued a long pin to the back of the letter, the pin was on of the long ones with the yellow flower on top. Then I just stuck it into the diapers. Lastly, to keep the baby angel on top, I used (again) long pins. I didn't use hot glue anywhere that would touch the diapers but I did glue the bows and duckies to the green silk leaves so they would stay in place.

Oh also, the base is just a thick foam core board I bought at Michaels. Then I wrapped it in some cute wrapping paper. It was the perfect size. I first thought I would buy a cake base but none of them were big enough, I think this is cuter anyway.

I know this isn't a complete tutorial but I wasn't thinking to take pics. Go to Becca's YouTube vid to get details. 

Layer 1 held together with scrap ribbon

 Later!

Reba

Changing My Strategy - Not Just Purses Any More

I'm not sure if you noticed last week but I didn't send out my normal weekly recap. Reason is, there were no posts during the prior week. My mother-in-law was visiting and I preferred to spend time with her to writing on my blog. Plus my youngest daughter was getting ready to leave for Europe and since she is living with us, helping her get ready to go was quite time-consuming as well.

However, grandma and daughter both left on Sunday January 8th and I still haven't sat down to write a post until today. Instead I've been exploring and analyzing how I want to earn a living for the rest of my life. I decided the new year is a time of renewal and as good a time as any to reflect my circumstances and make decisions for moving forward.

I found this wonderful blog called EverydayBright.com written by Jennifer Gresham and she writes about finding what you love to do and changing your career to match. By following links on her site, I found myself at her website called NoRegretsCareerAcademy.com and it just so happened that she was opening her training program the day I found the website. So, after watching her video, I decided to join.

I love Jen's enthusiasm for her work and listening to her history was very interesting. The method she uses to help people find careers they love made total sense to me, and after being a member for less than a week, I am not disappointed. Right now I'm learning how to find the crossroads of what makes me proud, my core values, and what motivates me. Quite an enlightening process.

Anyway, this whole process got me looking at what I'm currently doing. I work a 40-45 hour week as an Accounts Payable Supervisor, my department pays the bills for my company which is an oilfield services company. It's quite a good job, I am well paid, work with smart intelligent people, have a great boss that trusts me to run my department, I have input, and my employees are the best. At night and on weekends I like to sew, surf the internet, get things done around the house, hang with my hubby, and relax. For the last 6 or 7 months I've been working on turning my sewing hobby into a business, trying to figure out how to make money with sewing. I kind of thought I might do training videos to sell.

Well, after taking a good hard look at what I've been trying to do with this blog and my hobby of sewing, I've come to the conclusion that it's not really right for me. I love to sew but I'm trying to turn that into a job. I've been working really hard to find things to post about and cranking out projects so I can get experience with setting things up to sell. Quite honestly, turning a hobby that you love into a way to make money isn't as easy as it looks. It kind of takes the joy out of the hobby and to me that's just a little tragic.

You see, everything I've learned about selling on the internet says to focus, focus, focus. Find a niche and narrow it as much as possible. So, since sewing is such a huge area, I decided to choose one item I like making and focus on that, purses and handbags. Well, in my zeal to create handbags for the website, I'm neglecting all the other things I want to sew. My daughter recently told us she's going to have a baby and I'd love to make the christening gown. That's a whole different set of skills with smocking and heirloom sewing techniques. I'd love to make a few dresses for my youngest daughter. I've seen some really nice patterns that I'd love to try but when would I have the time?  You see, there's just more to what I like to do than just making purses.

So after deep reflection, I've decided to not turn my sewing hobby into a business. I've also decided that trying to make posts here on this blog just so there will be something to send in the weekly email is not something I will continue to do. That being said, I will however, continue to keep the blog and the list. I will post when I think there's something that will interest my audience, but that may only be every other week, or once a month, or maybe twice in one week, it will depend on what I'm working on. The recap will go out on the Tuesday after there is a post, but that may not be every week. You may also see me post about things other than purses, I may decide to post about other projects I'm working on at the time. I will keep the Molly Handbag Pattern available for download exactly as it is now where anyone who wants it will need to add their email to my mailing list because, who knows, I might change my mind later. Please feel free to unsubscribe at any time if this new strategy does not meet your needs and desires.

Lastly, I want to mention that I will continue to find a way to make a living on the internet. I want to create a way to earn money aside from my job so that I can fund our retirement and maybe have a business that will help support us for the rest of our lives. I'm leaning toward something in the internet marketing realm, I have a lot of training in this field and just need to find a proper way to present my knowledge. I will post here to let you know what I decide to do and if you want to follow me in that endeavor I'll share the info with you.

Thanks to everyone who follows my blog. Like I said above, I'm not going anywhere, I'm just changing how I'm going to do things. If you want to share any of your sewing projects with me, or if you have made the Molly Handbag, please send me a pic or link to your blog and I'll post it. I love seeing what others are doing.

Until next time,

Reba
reba@rkaydesign.com

I'm In The Movies! Intro Video: How To Make A Purse Using Simplicity 2685

Well, I got the first video done! It's live on YouTube!

It was much harder than I thought it would be. I thought I could just "wing it" with the intro but after about 15 takes I ended up writing a script and even making a cue card of sorts. It's going to take some time to get used to being in front of the camera, but I think I'll get there (probably with every pound I lose I'll get more and more comfortable!).

I needed video editing software that wasn't too expensive so I searched Google and found AVS4You.com. It's only $29.95 for 1 year or $59.95 for unlimited lifetime. I chose the lifetime since I plan on doing this for a while. The software is very comprehensive for the small amount you pay. I was able to do lay-overs, text, and transitions, and you can add audio overlay too. I imagine if I want to get "really" in to video editing I would need more but this will do me for now. Oh, and with the unlimited subscription you can download all their software. In addition to the video editing software, yesterday I used their video file format changer. It worked great to change my MP4 to a WMV. If you need a good, but inexpensive video editing program that's easy to use, give it a try. Below is the link, I signed up for the affiliate program but don't have the link yet - when I get it - I will change the link to be my affiliate link.

http://www.avs4you.com

Anyway, here's my debut...

I'm going to try to get the next video done tomorrow, maybe edited too. I'll post if I do. I tried today but I'm using a Flip Video and it ran out of juice. It takes 3 hours to charge and I ran out of light. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

In the next video I'm going to cover how to cut out the fabric. My fabric has a design that needs to match at the seams so I'm going to cover that as well.

Please let me know what you think...I can take it. Critiques make my products better. Oh, and I know this one is a bit boring, I'm sure I'll get better with time (and weight loss!).

Looking forward to hearing from you - until later ~

Reba

Mod Metrics Result In Cute Purse

I made a trip out to Hancock Fabrics today to see what's new. I ended up shopping their marked-down upholstery fabric as they really had a nice selection. I could have bought enough fabric for five or six purses because there was so much cute stuff and I was only looking at the marked-down items.

I ended up getting the cute mod geometric fabric in the picture for $7 a yard, yeah, I said $7! And it's 60" wide too! I found the cream fabric to match for $5 a yard. There was only one yard but hey, that's plenty. The other fabric is a quilting cotton for the lining, it was $4 something. And check out that cute button! It matches the feel of the fabric perfectly.

I was going to make an Amy Butler pattern but decided to take a look through the pattern books. They had McCalls patterns on sale for $1.99 but I didn't see anything I liked so I splurged on a Simplicity that wasn't on sale. I don't normally do that, I usually wait until they are on sale but I really wanted to get this started while I'm on vacation. The pattern I picked is Simplicity 2685 and I'm going to make View D. They show it made in only one fabric but I'm going to use a combination with the mod geometric pleated on the bottom and the cream on the straps and the band around the top. It's really going to be a cute one.

Today I tried talking in front of the video camera. It was quite shocking to see myself on camera. I'm definitely going to need to lose some weight in order to get comfortable. But who said I need to be comfortable? After adding make-up and about 15 tries, I think I got a good intro done. But it was still testing, I didn't know what to say so I didn't say anything right. but I think I got to the point where, if I prepare before turning on the camera, I could get out some instructions.

So, after talking it through with my hubby, and showing him my 'takes', I decided that I'm going to make this purse on video. I'm going to sew a little each day, not every day, but several days each week, and do a sew along on video. This will be my test run before I start making more professional sewing instruction videos to teach how to make purses and handbags using various patterns.

I'd love for you to follow along and make the purse with me. I'm not sure when I'll post the first video, I'm going to try to do some tomorrow but I'll need to edit the video and all. I'll post it as soon as I get something that you can follow and at that time I think I'll be able to post a schedule. Wish me luck! I'll let you know how I do tomorrow.

Also, I hope everyone had a blessed holiday and I'm really looking forward to this new year. I'm planning on growing this website with lots of info, video, and instruction and love that there are great people like you who follow along. I'd love for you to post below anything you want me to cover here or tell what you've enjoyed in the past.

Lastly, I want to share a great pic I took of my kitty. She really loved Christmas with all the paper, bags, and boxes on the floor. She just couldn't stay out of them. She's such a toot!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Until later ~

Reba

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is finally here, well, almost...today is Christmas Eve but in our house we start Christmas in the evening of Christmas Eve.

Today will be a busy day. Our tradition is to have some kind of soup and appetizers for a late dinner. My poor hubby works for a large liquor store chain and they don't close their doors until 9:00 p.m. He left this morning at 8:00 a.m. and will be serving customers until they close their doors tonight, so we'll see him about 9:30. One of my daughters lives with us and she will be helping me today. The other, along with her hubby, will come over later, like 6 or 7 this evening.

Before we go anywhere to do some last minute shopping I want to make the soup. We chose Emeril's Tortilla Soup. It's a great recipe and will be delicious tonight. Brittany and I went to Whole Foods last night and picked up a ton of cheese and crackers. We also bought a wonderful baked brie that has cinnamon and walnut praline inside and is wrapped with pastry. We'll bake it tonight and serve it hot, it's sooooo good.

Tomorrow we're having Martha Stewart's Perfect Roast Chickens, another fabulous recipe. We're going to keep it simple with mashed potatoes for the gravy and fresh green beans. We have cheesecake for desert. And there's a ton of cookies, we have sugar, oatmeal, and we're baking some peanut butter today.

We're hoping to do a Skype video call with my hubby's family tonight if everything works out. Isn't it wonderful that families can share time face-to-face even when there's many miles between them. It's so cool.

Merry Christmas to all. And if you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a Super Happy Holiday Season.

Somehow, not only for Christmas,
But all the long year through,
The joy that you give to others,
Is the joy that comes back to you.
And the more you spend in blessing,
The poor and lonely and sad,
The more of your heart's possessing,
Returns to you glad. 
- John Greenleaf Whittier

Until next time ~

Reba

Beautiful Diaper Bag - Finished!

I finally finished this beautiful diaper bag. It took so long because of my day job, I'm just too tired to work on it after I get home and get dinner done, but since I had yesterday and today as vacation days, I was able to just whipped it out.

I used McCalls M4403 as the base pattern but I made several changes. And I would have made more but I wanted to see how their instructions compared to how I would sew it.

First I eliminated the fold out palette, it was too small. I instead kept the flap and added a big pocket underneath. I also rolled the handles and made the shoulder strap adjustable and removable with hardware. I decided to not use Velcro on the pocket flap but instead used a magnetic snap. I also used woven interfacing on the lining which gives it a little more body.

The McCalls pattern was okay, here's what I liked and disliked:

• 
  LIKED - I liked McCalls instructions for constructing the bag and lining sides and bottom. 
• HATED - I hated their instructions for the zipper, I ended up ripping it out and redoing my way. I started writing a post about it, I'll finish it and post it tomorrow. 
• HATED - The instructions for the straps and handles definitely had you do it the hard way, not the way I would do it but I think I already talked about that in another post here.
• LIKED - As for joining the lining and the outer bag, it was okay. That's always the hardest part of making a bag, but it turned out nice.
• 
  HATED - I think I kept myself awake last night trying to figure out how the instructions wanted me to join the lining and exterior, I just couldn't get it straight in my head while I was laying there in bed. But once I got the fabric in my hands again, I figured it out quickly. I really think the instructions could have been a lot more explicit.
• HATED - The pattern had so many views and different things to sew it made for a ton of pattern pieces.  They mixed up the pieces too much, for example, they may have had five pieces I needed on one tissue and one on another tissue with seven pieces that I didn't need. It took me over an hour to separate the pieces I needed from the ones I didn't.
• HATED - The view I was sewing (view D) was similar to another view (view C). The instructions were written for the other view with the pattern pieces for my view in parenthesis. Sometimes my pattern piece number wasn't referenced in parenthesis. It was confusing.

Anyway, here it is and it turned out beautifully. It's for a girl and my daughter wants it if we find out that she's having a girl. She goes for the ultrasound that tells the baby's gender next month. However, if my new grandbaby is a boy, I'm going to sell it on Etsy and make a new one.

If I end up making a new one, what changes would I make? Well...

• My daughter wants a ruffle around the pocket flap on the front. She may change her mind if it's for a boy but we'll see.
• I will add more fleece to the pocket flap. I used fleece on the exterior piece of fabric but medium weight woven on the lining. I think I'll use fleece on both to give it more stiffness as it's kind of curling out as is.
• I'll add pockets on both sides inside, as well as elastic bands on the ends to hold bottles.
• I might leave off the short handles, I think they get in the way.
• I'll use my own technique for making the straps.
• I'll just do things the way I want to do them and forget the instructions that came with the pattern!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

Oh, also, here's a pic of painting last Tuesday! It was really fun! I'm the one in the back with my painting in front of my face. My oldest daughter, the one that's pregnant is on the far right. My youngest, the one that's going to Europe to play volleyball next month (going to miss her) is up front. I work with the lady in the blue and the one in the middle is my sister-in-law. Great fun, great peeps.

Until later ~

Reba

Love Your Gathers - Use The Best Method

Gathers made with zig-zag over thread method - they are
big and uneven, super hard to control

The other night I was working on the diaper bag I've been sewing and it was time for me to add the side pockets. The side pockets have elastic across the top and the bottom has a gather. This adds a lot of volume to the pocket so the mother can carry baby bottles or tons of stuff.

When I make gathers, I normally use the traditional method of sewing two lines using a long stitch, then pulling the bobbin thread to gather the fabric along the sewn lines. You can find this method explained in my Molly Handbag Pattern, just click the link and sign-up for my mailing list to get a free copy of the pattern with instructions. But getting back on track, I love this method because it makes a beautiful gather and the edge of the fabric doesn't twist around the thread because there are two sewn lines that hold it flat.

Last week I ran across two new methods for gathering fabric. One was especially intriguing to me so I decided to use it on the diaper bag side pockets. For this method, you put your fabric under the zig-zag foot and set your sewing machine to a zig-zag stitch. You insert your needle into the fabric one time and lift the needle while holding the top thread. Watch carefully and you will see the top thread pull the bobbin thread to the top. Catch that bobbin thread, I used my seam ripper, and pull it to the top through the fabric.

Gathers made with traditional method - makes nice tight even
gathers that are easy to control

Now pull out enough thread, both bobbin and upper thread to go to the end of what you're gathering. Hold the threads so they lay across the fabric where you want to gather, you can twist them a little if you like. Now sew, using a zig-zag stitch over the threads. The zig-zag stitch should sew over the threads, do not let it hit the threads. Using the center of your foot as a guide, hold the thread in the exact middle.

When you get to the end, stop sewing and cut your zig-zag threads but not the threads that are in the middle of your stitching. Remove from the sewing machine and pull the center thread to gather the fabric.

When I first saw this method I really thought it would be a cool way to do all my gathering going forward, but boy was I wrong. I followed the method exactly and it turned out perfectly, exactly like it should. However, the quality of the gather couldn't hold a candle to the traditional two line method. The gathers were uneven and there was no way to adjust them where they would stay. The edge of the fabric curled over the pull threads.

The finished pockets turned out okay as it was a short gather at the bottom of the bag, so I used it. It would have been a nightmare to pull out all that zig-zag! I can't imagine making a ruffle for the Molly Handbag with this method, I'd pull my hair out and it would look so unprofessional. Check the two pics in this post - doesn't the traditional two line method make a much nicer gather? I think so too.

So, needless to say, I do NOT recommend this method for gathering and I will never use it again. I'm just really glad I wasn't gathering a larger section.

Oh, the third method of found was to use clear elastic. I guess it's made of some kind of plastic or rubber. I didn't even know that kind of elastic existed, I'll look for it the next time I go to the fabric store and give it a try. I'll let you know how that turns out too.

Until later ~

Reba

Need A Great Way To Carry Your Sewing Project To Class?

Find instructions for this fabulous project bag at Sew Daily!

Surfing around the internet today I found a nice sewing resource over at Sew Daily. It's a free download that had some good info about how to organize your stash fabric. It also has five patterns to make things to organize your sewing room. I only liked one of the patterns, but I liked it a lot... you guessed it, it's a tote.

This tote is for carrying your sewing stuff with you when you need to be on the go, like to a class, or to a friend's house. It's not too big, just big enough for one project, and it has lots of outside pockets for all your notions and tools.  The pic is one I copied from the pdf file, I figured they wouldn't mind since I'm sure they'd love for you to stop by and get a copy. Here's the link to the page where you can download the file:

http://www.sewdaily.com/media/p/203/showcontent.aspx

You may be familiar with the Sew Daily site but it's fairly new to me. It's owned by the publisher Interweave.  I found it the other night and signed up for their message board, but quickly found that it was overrun with spam. I made a post saying such and asked if the moderators had abandoned the site. There was a reply concurring with my comment.

A couple days later I got a reply from one of the moderators saying they are trying to get it under control and to please be patient while they clean it up and install something to help. I think I'll give them a little time and then check back. I'd like to have a place to go talk about sewing and I love Interweave books and products. Maybe, if we're nice, they will set-up an area for sewing purses and handbags! Here's the link if you want to go check it out as well:

http://www.sewdaily.com/forums/

Lastly, there are some very good videos and such on the Interweave site. I signed up for their affiliate program and would appreciate it if you used my link if you decide to make a purchase. I'm going to post a graphic with the link in my sidebar as well so if you decide to click over later.

http://www.interweavestore.com/store?af=rkaydesign

Thanks! Until later ~

Reba

Last Minute Gifts You Can Make In Less Than 3 Hours

Make this beautiful bracelet - tutorial at SewCraftCreate.com

Christmas is around the corner and we're all scrambling to finish our shopping. Some people are so hard to buy for, they have everything they need, you know it and they know it, but you still want to give them something because you love or appreciate them.

For those hard-to-buy-for people in your life, have you ever thought about giving a handmade gift? If you can sew, a handmade gift is the ultimate treasure. Even if it isn't perfect, your special person will know you took time to craft it yourself, and giving your time is one of the greatest expressions of love and gratitude you can give.

I scoured the internet for these wonderful gift items you can sew in less than three hours and the patterns or instructions are free. Hope you can use one for your special someone.

Instructions for this FAB Chef Apron
on MarthaStewart.com

1. Beautiful Rosette Bracelet at SewCraftCreate.com - http://sewcraftcreate.com/2011/06/rosette-bracelet-tutorial/
    
2. Cute Braided Ribbon Headband at SkipToMyLou.org - http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/08/19/headband-refashion/
    
3. Petite Strawberry Pincushion at VanessaChristenson.com - http://www.vanessachristenson.com/2011/01/v-and-co-how-to-petit-strawberry-pin.html
    
4. Fashionable Infinity Scarf on YouTube.com - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK_ACEkyMTw
    
5. And for guys - A Chef's Apron at MarthaStewart.com - http://www.marthastewart.com/269923/chefs-apron?czone=holiday/santas-workshop/santas-handmade-gifts

I'd love to see your creations. If you send me a picture, I will post it with a link back to your blog or website if you have one. If not, that's fine too, I'll still post it so other readers can see your handiwork. Or if you have a sewing project that would make a perfect gift, go ahead and post a link in the comments.

Until later ~

Reba

What Would I Change On This Commercial Pattern?

I'm currently making a diaper bag from McCalls Pattern M4403 and I'm finding tons of things that I would do differently. Do you make changes to patterns after you figure out that there's a better way to do it? I thought it would interesting to outline the changes I would make - so far. I've only just started sewing this thing!

The picture to the left shows how the front will look when it's all sewed together. I only have the flap and handle laid out so you can get a good idea. I love how the design on the flap over the pocket matches the design behind it. It gives it a really professional look. It takes extra time and care to get it right but it's so worth it. 

If you want to know how I did it, check out my post - How to Cut Fabric With A Directional Design For A Professional Look

1. First thing I decided to change on this pattern was the palette on the front. Really? Like a baby would really fit on that palette. Well, maybe, but only for the first week of her sweet little life. I used the flap but removed the palette and added a big pocket on the front. It will close with a magnetic closure, I hate Velcro in that application.
2. I should have realized when I was cutting out the pattern that the bag would be WAY too small. It's only 14" across. Good for a trip to the grocery store but you would need three of these bags for a day trip. It needs to be at minimum 18"-20" across. Most Amy Butler purse patterns are four times this big...okay, that's an exaggeration, but you know what I mean.
3. Next, the pattern calls for fleece to be sewn in to give it the cushy feel. Okay, that will work but don't they know that we have some great interfacings on the market now that are fusible? I used fusible fleece on the outer pieces and fusible woven on the lining pieces. If you need to know more about the interfacings I use for purses, handbags, and yes, diaper bags, see my post - 3 Best Interfacings I Use When Making Handbags
4. The next thing that I should have changed but decided to follow the pattern (next time I'll do it my way) is how the straps sewn to the front and back of the bag are done. I also would change how they made the handles and strap. The pattern asks you to press 3/8" down both long sides and then sew to the front and back of the bag. For the handles and strap, it has you do the same and then fold in half and edge stitch along the open edge.
   
   It was hard to iron the edges with the fleece, so I cut back the fleece before I fused. Still it was hard to get the folded ironed edge straight. My method would be to cut the pieces twice as wide as I want them to be. Then cut the fleece half that width. Press a fold lengthwise down the center to use as a guide. Then fold each long raw edge to the middle fold and press. Place the fleece in the center between the two folds and fuse. Then fold the edges over the fleece and press. This gives the pieces straight edges. If you want a better explanation with photos, check my Molly Handbag pattern, there's a full explanation - Free Molly Handbag Pattern
   
5. 
   Lastly, for this post anyway, I may have more suggested changes before I finish, I made the handles rolled. It gives it a much more professional look in my opinion and it's so easy to do. You just make the handle as normal with topstitching, then, fold it in half in the middle portion and sew again on top of the topstitching being sure to back-stitch several times to make sure it doesn't come unraveled. It looks really nice.

So, that's it so far, as I run across more items I feel could be done better, I'll post.

Until later ~

Reba

Tangerine and Tango - Yum!

I saw the announcement this morning that Pantone® named their color of the year to be Tangerine Tango 17-1463. I immediately went to my Pantone chart to see it in living color (I used to be a graphic artist, my Pantone chart was an essential tool) and it is as beautiful as I thought it would be. I have been in love with deep oranges for some time now, just look at my first Molly Handbag and then Molly Loud Flowers and then Uptown Molly, all had deep oranges in the fabrics. 

 

If you don't know what Pantone is, I'll give you a little info. Pantone is a company that has been around for about 50 years. I know them from my graphic arts days. Pantone provides color charts where each color and shade of color has a specific number thus standardizing every color. When you're talking about orange, there are probably over 1000 different hues of orange, ranging greatly with varying amounts of red and yellow. By giving each hue and shade a number, you can specifically pinpoint the exact color you need. This is especially important when printing on paper, fabric, etc. Because Pantone is such an authority on color, they use that authority to name a "Color of the Year".

 

Quoting from the Pantone website, here's a little more about the "Color of the Year" process and what influence it has.

About the PANTONE Color of the Year

The color of the year selection is a very thoughtful process. To arrive at the selection, Pantone quite literally combs the world looking for color influences. This can include the entertainment industry and films that are in production, traveling art collections, hot new artists, popular travel destinations and other socio-economic conditions. Influences may also stem from technology, availability of new textures and effects that impact color, and even upcoming sports events that capture worldwide attention.

I love this color. I've actually had to tell myself, "no" at the fabric store because I wanted to buy more fabrics with orange. Here are a few swatches I found on Fabric.com using colors that are in the same family as our new "Color of the Year". I would buy these in a heartbeat. What cool purses I could make from these...do you agree?

 

Click to Enlarge

Until later ~

Reba

 

How to Cut Fabric With A Directional Design For A Professional Look

There are so many cute fabrics on the market today and many have fabulous large designs. I purchased some fabric last night to make a diaper bag. This bag will be a practice bag for me and if it turns out, I'll sell it on Etsy. I'm going to make a diaper bag for my daughter but she wants to pick out the fabric and she wants to be sure if it's a boy, we don't use any pink (we don't know if it's a girl or a boy yet). If this bag is really cute, she may make me wait until we find out...I'm using pink.

Anyway, back to cutting out a large print so the seams match and the print doesn't appear broken. Unfortunately I didn't realize that this would be a good post until after I cut out the fabric, but I purchased extra so I went back this morning and took some pics to reenact what I did.

First, I laid out the fabric unfolded. To do this correctly, I had to iron the fold out and make sure the selvages were flat. So first, iron your fabric. If you're making something that will be washed in the washing machine, it's important to pre-wash, especially cotton.

Since my specialty is purses and bags, I'm going to talk about making a bag, not something that will be worn.

Once you get all your pattern pieces in order, find the pieces that will be the front and the back. Start with the front piece and lay it on the fabric encompassing the part of the design that you want on the front. When doing this, try to get as close to the end of the fabric (where it was cut by the fabric store) and the selvage as possible. Otherwise you will waste more fabric than necessary.

For the pattern I'm working with, there is a pocket on the front with a flap. So I had to match where the flap meets the top of the bag and where the flap laps over the pocket, as well as where the back meets the top. I decided to not worry about the side pieces because both sides have a gathered pocket and matching would be almost impossible and probably frustrate me to no end. I also didn't worry about matching the bottom because even if I matched where it meets in the front, the direction on the print would change on the back and wouldn't match anyway.

So, I first laid out the flap on the fabric so I got the butterfly and a bird. That was my first piece and I matched everything to it. When cutting this first piece it is super important to make sure it is lined up with the grain of the fabric. If it's not perfectly lined up, you will never get a clean match on your other pieces.

To make sure your piece is lined up perfectly, measure from the grain line on the pattern to the edge of the selvage. Take that measurement several times along the grain line and make sure it's the same at the top of the line as the bottom.

I used my large clear ruler and made sure the grain line on the pattern was straight on one of the lines of the ruler and checked to be sure the edge of the fabric was straight as well. I adjusted everything until it was all lined-up. Then I pinned the fabric and cut it out.

Now find the repeat in the design and place your cut piece with the pattern still pinned and lay it on top of the fabric matching the print perfectly. 

First cut piece laid on top of fabric matching the design perfectly.
Adjust until perfectly matched to the fabric underneath.

Once it's lined up, take the pattern piece that will be sewed to it and place it on top of the already cut-out piece matching up the seam line. Most patterns will also have dots, match those dots. This will line up the pieces perfectly. Pin this next pattern piece in a couple of places and then you can remove the first piece. You are now ready to cut-out the next piece. See pics below.

For my diaper bag, I started with the pocket flap and matched the top piece (above). Then I used the pocket flap again to match where the flap hits the front of the pocket. It was a little more difficult to match this piece as the top of the flap and the top of the pocket are not on the same seam. So I had to use the front piece in conjunction with the flap to get the placement correct.

I'm altering the pattern somewhat to add the pocket. There was not a pocket pattern piece, instead a fold out pad was supposed to fold up under the flap. I didn't like it so I'm putting a pocket instead. At this point, if I had a pocket pattern piece, I would lay it on top of the front piece, then remove the other two pattern pieces without letting the pocket pattern piece move. Then I would pin and cut.

Since I didn't have a pattern piece, I cut using the front pattern piece and cut it short at the top where I thought the top of the pocket should stop. Here is a pic with the pocket front with the flap laying on top. When all is sewed together, the design on the pocket will flow to the front of the pocket.

Cool huh?

You'll then repeat for the back-side where it matches the top. I cut the back-side piece first and then cut the top to match. And since it was the back I considered fabric waste instead of the design.

Now, remember, in order to get the seams matched perfectly, you WILL need more fabric, how much is hard to say, at least one extra design repeat but I'd buy more, maybe two or three. If the design repeat is 12 inches, then buy at minimum, 1/3 yd extra, but to be safe at least 2/3 yd extra. If you sit down with the pattern before you purchase the fabric, you can figure it out more precisely but I still have a hard time with this and I'm good at math and geometry. You have to take into account how many seams need to be matched and what part of the fabric you want to show on the front.

Lastly, there may be other ways to do this but I have never been able to use any of them and get it right. I'd love to hear your technique if you can save fabric or time.

If you want to see larger versions of these pictures, just double click on the picture and it will open full-size on another page. Then click your back button to return to the post.

I'll post pics of the diaper bag when I'm done. I'm considering adding video to this site so I'd love for you to let me know if you'd like me to do a tutorial for this pattern on video. It will be a big job figuring out how to do video but I'm up for it. Please, let me know if something like this would benefit you - also, I'd love to know if you'd pay for access to videos like this and how much you'd be willing to pay - I'm still trying to figure out how to make a living sewing!

Until later ~

Reba

Ella Cord Daisies - Exterior Is Done

Ella Cord Daisies is coming along, I finished the exterior shell tonight. This little beauty was really difficult to make. I wanted to do a video that would teach how to make it but I think it's just too hard. I'd like my next pattern to be easy enough for anyone to sew, even those new to sewing, and I don't think this is a good pattern for a novice. The instructions would be too hard to follow, it would even be hard with video. So, I'm going to add the lining to this one and give it to my daughter and move on to the next project. She's going to love it, it's just her style.

I added a pocket with a little ruffle on the outside. I'm going to make a big pocket on the inside for an IPad along with a zip pocket on the opposite side of the IPad pocket. The lining will need to be hand sewed to the inside using a slip stitch.

The zipper is a lighter brown only because I couldn't find a dark one but it matches the color of one of the daisies on the corduroy perfectly so it looks great.

Since I'm looking for a new project, I'm considering making a video instruction of how to sew an Amy Butler bag. I've had a lot of feedback saying the instructions in her books are hard to follow, and I agree, some of the instructions just don't make sense. So I thought it would be good to create instructions on video, kind of a follow-along class setting. I'm not sure what's involved in video, but I'm going to find out. And I'm going to have to get a curriculum put together, so I have work to do. Stay tuned and I'll let you know how it's coming along.

If you don't hear from be before Thursday I hope everyone reading this post (if you're in the U.S.) has a fantastic Thanksgiving!

Until next time ~

Reba

Choose the Perfect Sewing Machine Needle for Your Project

Knowing which sewing machine needle to use can be confusing. Before I learned what the numbers mean and what choices I have, you would find me standing in the aisle at the fabric store, staring at all the packages of needles hanging on their pegs rubbing my chin. I admit I didn't have a clue.

I started sewing when I was really young, and honestly, I don't think there were as many choices, or maybe it's just that my grandmother kept the drawer in her sewing machine desk stocked and I never had to think about it. When I started sewing again years later, I had to test all the different needles before I had the knowledge to make a good choice.

I'm going to give you a basic overview of single needles and in a later post I'll cover double needles. And I'll also tell you which needles I choose when making my purses and handbags.

I normally use the Schmetz brand needles. They have every size and variety you will ever need. I also like the little boxes they are packaged in as they store nicely in my sewing chest and are easy to handle. I think Singer makes needles too, but I imagine you can use Schmetz needles in a Singer machine, correct me if I'm wrong. There are other brands as well, but I never see them at Joann's or Hancock, so convenience wins my vote.

Needles are sized in both American and European sizes. You will see the American Size/European Size or vice-verse on the package, i.e., 70/10 (Schmetz shows the sizes in this order) or you might see 10/70, it just depends on the manufacturer. Below is a chart showing the sizes that are available.

Sewing Machine Needle Sizes
American		European
Finest	8	60	Finest
	9	65
	10	70
	11	75
	12	80
	14	90
	16	100
	18	110
Strongest/ Largest	19	120	Strongest/ Largest

As you can see, the smaller the number, the finer the needle. If you were sewing a very thin cotton fabric, you would choose the 60/8 size as it's the smallest, thinnest needle. If you were to choose a large thick needle you would make large holes in your fine fabric. Likewise, if you have a heavy home dec fabric, you would choose a larger, thicker needle, maybe an 110/18 or 120/19.

You will notice that needles have other labels like "Sharp", "Ballpoint", or "Universal". And you will also see specialty needles labeled "Leather", "Jeans/Denim", "Stretch", and "Handicap". Each of these types of needles are used for different fabric types or, in the case of the Handicap needle, special situations. I'll explain below.

Regular Needles - these needles are normally available in all sizes

Sharp - Sharp needles should be used for woven fabrics. They sew a very straight line and work great for top-stitching. When I sew handbags with quilt weight cotton, I use a Sharp needle and depending on how heavy the fabric is and how many layers I'll have, I choose anywhere from size 75/11 to 100/16. If I have a very heavy home dec fabric, I'll choose the 110/18 or 120/19 Sharp or maybe a Jeans/Denim needle.

Ballpoint - Ballpoint needles should be used for knit fabrics. The ballpoint goes between the loops of the knit without snagging it. They do not sew as straight a stitch but work well with knits because the stitch stretches better with the knit. I haven't used a knit for any of my purses.

Universal - The Universal needle is a mix of a Sharp and a Ballpoint. It's not quite as sharp and not quite a ballpoint, so it will work with both fabrics. I only use Universal when I don't have another choice. I keep a package of 80/12 Universals in my sewing kit just for an emergency.

Specialty Needles - these needles are not usually available in all sizes

Leather - The Leather needle's point is wedged so it can penetrate dense fabrics like leather.

Jean/Denim - Jean/Denim needles are very strong and can be used for thick fabrics or many layers. Imagine what would happen if you were sewing eight layers of denim with a mid-weight needle, it would break wouldn't it? The Jean/Denim needle is extra sharp and extra strong.

Stretch - Stretch needles are used on knits when a ballpoint needle leaves skipped stitches. Tightly knitted fabrics like Lycra frequently require a Stretch needle.

Handicap - A Handicap needle has a little slit on the side of the eye where the thread can be slipped in instead having to thread it. I've never used one of these needles but might need it if my machine didn't have a needle threader.

Lastly, I can't end this post without telling how important it is to use a sharp needle. Use a new needle after every two projects or if you hit a pin. Also, using the wrong size can cause your stitches to be uneven and can make your thread break. Take the time to choose and insert the correct needle so your new purse will look professionally made.

Oh - one more thing! If you throw out your needles in the trash you risk getting stuck when empty the trash. To save yourself from that, take an old prescription bottle and poke a hole in the top. Whenever you trash a needle, stick it in the bottle. When you trash the bottle full of needles, put masking or duck tape over the hole and throw it in the trash can. Everyone will be save and it's a really convenient place to put your old needles and bent/broken pins.

If you like this post please subscribe to my mailing list to receive a blog recap every Tuesday or retweet it on Twitter.

Thanks and until later ~

Reba

3 Best Interfacings I Use When Making Handbags

If you go to the Pellon website and click on the products link, you'll understand why it's so hard to figure out what interfacing to use when making your handbags. Counting how many different interfacings are made by just this one manufacturer, you'll count 61. Really? Are that many needed?

Well, maybe that many are needed when you look at all the things you can make where interfacing will make the project better. But, for the most part, when making handbags and purses, I only use three and I stock up on those three when I find them on sale.

I use Pellon brand fusible interfacings because fusible is easy to use and the Pellon brand is found at most fabric stores. So below you will find a little info about my fav three interfacings along with their item numbers. If you want to buy these items, you will find the item number on the end of the bolt to insure you buy the proper interfacing.

1. SF101 Shape-Flex® All Purpose Woven Fusible Interfacing - I use this interfacing on the linings of my handbags, it gives the fabric a little more strength, body, and stability. Since this interfacing is woven just like the cotton fabric used for the lining, it allows the fabric to move naturally, it's just stronger. It comes in white and black but I rarely use black, if you're using a cotton that is at least quilting weight, you usually can't see through it.
   
2. TP971F Fusible Thermolam® Plus Extra Loft Fusible Fleece Interfacing (if you want less loft, use 987F Fusible Fleece) - I use this interfacing on the exterior and straps of my handbags. It helps them to stand up and have shape while making the fabric cushy soft.
3. Peltex® Ultra Firm Heavy Weight Stabalizer - There are three options for Peltex, sew in with no fusible (Peltex 70), fusible on one side (Peltex 71F), and double side fusible (Peltex 72F), and depending on what you're making, you may buy any of them. I use Peltex for clutch purses, some wallets, and hard lining dividers.

If there's another brand or item you use for interfacing, let us know in the comments below. I hope this helps you choose which interfacing to buy next time you go to the fabric store to buy for your next handbag.

Soon I'll write about how to fuse the interfacings to your fabric. I wrote about it once before but I think it was embedded in a sew-along and I think it needs its own post.

I may or may not post this weekend, I'm going shopping on Saturday with my daughter who just told us she's having a baby! She's about 12 weeks along and wants to window shop at Babys R Us. Should be fun.

Until next time ~

Reba

International Quilt Festival in Houston

We went the International Quilt Festival today. My sweet hubby went with me and we had a great time.

I guess I'm lucky to live in Houston because if I didn't I would never have gone to the Quilt Festival. The convention center where it's held, George R. Brown Convention Center, is huge. [off topic - I Googled George R. Brown, I didn't have a clue who he was...he was one of the original founders of Brown & Root, now KBR, Inc. and formally a subsidiary of Halliburton, the engineering and construction firm headquartered in Houston.] Anyway, I digress, the convention center was about half quilts on display and half trade market with every kind of quilt and quilt supply vendor you could ever think of.

I found a lot of stuff I really want, who wouldn't? But there were also a lot of booths with the same stuff. There was lots and lots of quilting fabric. And if you want to buy a quilt, there were lots of those as well. All the major sewing machine companies were there, so if you were considering a new machine, it's a great place to see all the machines. The most expensive thing I saw were the long arm quilting machines. The one I liked was $30,000! Thank goodness I don't quilt, I know I would be tempted to dream about having one.

The one thing I saw that I really think I will buy is a home pressing machine. The one I looked at was around $250 but the owner of the shop, who was from Atlanta, said he had another model that's perfectly good for about $150. I want it for Christmas! Yes, that means I will be able to fuse interfacing for a purse in about 10 minutes instead of the 1-1/2 hours it takes with my iron.

I bought a new pair of scissors for clipping curves. I like to clip very close to the seam and if I try to clip all the way down to the tip of the blade, they split. This happens because of the multiple layers of fabric all with interfacing. I found a pair made to cut rubber stamps so I tested them with eight layers of denim and they worked perfectly...so I bought them.

I also stopped and talked to the girls at Craftsy. What a great website and the girls were super sweet. So sweet I had to take their picture, see it to the left? I only found Craftsy last week and I have fallen in love with it. The classes they offer are top quality. I posted my Molly Handbag pattern over there and a ton of folks have come through my project post and signed up to get it. If you found my site from Craftsy and joined my mailing list, welcome and thank you for coming by.

Anyway, that's another year for the International Quilt Festival, it went off without a hitch and was pretty awesome!

Until next time ~

Reba

Survey Results

Last week I ran a survey to find out what topics my blog followers enjoy reading. I didn't get a whole lot of responses but I got enough to see that I'm headed in the right direction.

Before I posted the survey I looked back over my posts since I started the site. Overwhelmingly, the posts that included projects, instructions, and handbags were the ones that had comments. Yesterday I added a "Most Popular Posts" widget to the sidebar, and again, overwhelmingly, the posts that deal with purses and handbags came up - check out the sidebar, just scroll down a little - see all the purses lined up one after the other? Those are my most popular posts.

The survey helped me a lot. It confirmed that you don't want to hear about business, how to do blogs,  or anything other than purses, projects, and sewing. It also told me who your favorite designers are, what problems you have when sewing, where you hang out on the internet, and what you like to make.

So, first I want to give a great big THANK YOU to those who took the time to give me input. It is most appreciated. I know each of you has to ration your time and I am so grateful that you gave me a few minutes to respond. I also greatly appreciate that you take the time to read what I write - I can't describe how much that means to me. Thank you, thank you.

How will all this information guide my business and this website? Well, here are the results from the survey:

Favorite Purse/Handbag Designer:	Amy Butler
Favorite Fabric Designer:	Amy Butler
You like to make:	handbags and purses, many currently quilt
Topics you want to read about:	sewing technique, sewing projects (mostly handbags/totes/purses), color matching and trends, fabrics and which to choose, which thread to use, what's the difference with interfacings, sewing needles, altering patterns, sewing machine reviews, adding accessories to a design, e.g., pockets, hardware.
Your problems when sewing:	Amy Butler patterns are very hard to follow/confusing, broken needles, color matching, don't know which interfacing
Where you hang on the internet:	Some use Facebook but none use Twitter, you love give-aways, like sew-alongs, and most comment on blogs

And here's my take-away:

I should stick to the subject of the blog which is purses, handbags, and sewing. You guys really like Amy Butler, both her purse designs and her fabric. And you read blogs for fun and to learn how to sew and make handbags (among other things).

So, that's what I'll do, stick to the subject at hand. And thanks again for the input. I'm looking forward to having a clear direction to guide my writing.

Until later ~

Reba