sewing
Must Visit: The Commercial Pattern Archive
September 7th, 2010 • sewing • 2 comments
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The Commercial Pattern Archive at the University of Rhode Island is a collection of 25,000 electronically scanned patterns and envelope covers for clothing dating back to 1868. Even if you can’t journey to visit the actual archive, you can search a digital catalog on disk from the University. Just browsing the few sample patterns on the web site is loads of fun. The project is part of the “Save America’s Treasures” initiatives.
Woman’s Day Magazine inspiration and my disjointed thoughts
May 28th, 2009 • advice, mommy, rant, sewing, shopping • No comments
I finally got around to reading one issue out of my magazine pile (I only subscribe to 2 magazines) and here are the interesting points I found:
- Wear sunscreen, everyday, even on your lips, eyelids, and ears. I have sunscreen in my moisturizer and lipstick, but I don’t ever catch may ears…and it would be a shame have to remove an ear from skin cancer.
- I can make artisan bread cheaper than buying it. Make a big batch on Saturday and use all week. Recipe: Mix 1 1/2 tablespoons yeast and 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt in 3 cups warm water. Stir in 6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour. Cover and let rise 2-5 hours. Use or refrigerate up to 2 weeks. To use, cut off amount you want to use and let rise 40 minutes. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450. Dust dough with flour and slash top. Slide onto stone and put 1 cup hot water into pan on bottom of oven to steam the bread. Bake about 30 minutes.
- Not magazine related, but bread related: I’m super good at making homemade bagels, but then the family will eat more bagels at one sitting than when I buy them.
- Aly’s bubble themed birthday party menu (tablescape inspiration on left) is slightly modified to be healthier: cold whole-wheat pasta salad with veggies, warm weather potato salad (potato balls), hummus and pita chips, fruit salad (melon balls), baked brie or a cheese ball, and carbonated juices in pretty glass containers. Plus, whatever my friends bring.
- I have a crap ton of stuff to do in the next three days, and work is going to take a backseat. I have to weed the area of my garden, get dirt and plants, and plant the veggies. I have to buy and make food. I have to buy more dish soap to make bubbles and flyswatters to make bubbles. I need to have everything done by 11 am Saturday morning while not getting too dirty so I don’t have to shower and I can enjoy my family and friends celebrating 3 years of Aly’s life.
- Oh, and I have a fashion show to debut my apron line Friday night….which means I need to do all the alterations, decide which one is going to be worn by whom, and decide which one to leave at home and give as a wedding present the next night.
- I love to wear sundresses but it’s a beast trying to find some that fit the big bust line well. Maybe I’ll make some when I’m done with the 3 quilts (one is so close to being done).
- Photograph life more!
- Curious to see what YOU might look like if you lost 20, 30 or 50+ lbs? Go to weightview.com and sign up for a free account. They’ll email you a picture of you at your ideal weight within 72 hours.
- Seller financing might be a good option for us to look into right now. Buyers are looking to get rid of a high-priced property, so they’re more likely to go with unconventional options. And the interest rate is usually more favorable….plus, I want to take on a boarder.
- I’ve washed the dishes, but I still have 5 reviews to write, a room full of laundry to fold, shopping for the party to do, the aforementioned fashion show stuff, get to a fabric store to buy backing for the quilts and fabric for cheryl’s romper and just general cleaning. And I need to head up to Providence to give VIP bag stuff to Machete…all the errands can be done in one shot, I’m more worried about the gardening and the cleaning. I think I’ll do the latter now, and wait til Alex can stay with the kids for the running errands portion of the mania.
Cotton/Spandex Jersey Constructed Multi-pieces
February 5th, 2009 • product amour, sewing • No comments
I’ve been thinking of making this kinda stuff – cause I am a hippie at heart (I just like to play a pinup on tv). and I love american apparels collection of things that can be worn many ways, ie the aascarf and the aahalter.
Etsy seller Gaia Conceptions makes incredibly versatile clothing using organic cotton. Her designs are multi tasking which I love: an evening gown becomes a skirt, a skirt with shorts hidden underneath, and this drawstring skirt.
Safe Sewing for Kids
December 16th, 2008 • sewing • No comments
Sewing for children isn’t just about sewing smaller garments – there are some important safety concerns to consider as well as well!
- Be aware of choking hazards – never use ribbon or neck ties – go for velcro (with the soft side facing the body!) or snaps instead that will break away if they get caught during play.
- If sewing for babies or very small children, never use buttons (for closures or as eyes on stuffies) as they can come undone and will also be a choking hazard.
- Use robust stitching when making clothing – use a small stitch length or a strong 4 thread overlock on your serger to make sure those seams don’t blow out on the playground.
- Non-flammable pyjamas – make sure the flannel you buy is marked safe for children’s sleepwear. Pyjamas should fit snugly, as loose-fitting garments are more likely to catch light in the event of a fire.
- If you need to fit a work in progress on a child, remember to use safety pins instead of straight pins so they don’t get jabbed taking it off!
