A Little Enabling

Hello again! I had a friend contact me saying, ‘it’s been a while since I’ve seen a blog post of yours.’ Well, sadly, I got sick at the beginning of February, and was still sick when March rolled around. I’m mostly better now, but my energy hasn’t come back.

So, while I’m not sewing, how about I show you a few new patterns.

There’s this adorable Garter Belt Collection from BMS.  

Today I saw today two new patterns from BMS.

The Freya bra pattern, and the Frieda partial band pattern. I’m excited about the Freya pattern because there is a RTW bra I’ve long admired. The Freya Dreamcatcher bra. Oh, I like this. 

Well, it just so happens that B,Wear’s April kit of the month is this exact fabric!     I know one of the first bras I’m going to want to sew when I get some energy and sewjo back. Until then, I’ll happily buy another beautiful bra kit, and a new pattern that work towards my goal.

Happy creating!

First attempt at the Josey Bra Pattern

There are a few lovely bra patterns out there that I’ve yet to try. However, before I tried them, I had to figure out all the changes to my size over the last few years.

All the work on the fitting band, and getting the right wire, I was ready to try one of those pretty new-to-me patterns. I chose the Josey pattern for my first new pattern to try.Version 2 of the Josey pattern was released last week, so it was perfect timing for me to try the newer version too. It has quite a few adjustments done to the pattern.

The first thing I did was to sew up a test cup. I know my band and wires are good now. It was time to dig into my stash and find some bits that were left over from other projects and test the cup.

I found the perfect amount of duoplex, and some lace for my test cup.It’s very pretty, but it’s a tad too small across the cup.Just as the inside of the cup doesn’t cover all of the foam cup underneath it, it doesn’t reach all the way across to where it would meet my bridge.

If you remember how I was going to hack my frame from two different sizes, I’m thinking of doing the same thing with the Josey pattern.

Above is a frame that fits a 38 wire (pencil), and a  40 wire (pink pencil). The heavy dotted line is where the two sizes blend together.

Seeing as I need to make Omega adjustments, I don’t really want to go with a bigger bottom cup, so don’t want a bigger size for that. However, I do need more room about mid-way and at the top of the cup. A larger size there might just be perfect.

I’ll play with it a little this week and let you know.

Happy creating!

A Little Sewing

I’m back with a short update. I’ve been doing a little sewing. Oh, it feels so good to sew again after a long time of barely any sewing.

Last year, when I was doing the BMS Challenge, I had to make myself sew. And I was really forcing myself to do it.

But my sewjo is coming back, and I’m so happy.

The first change that helped was I got a much better cutting table. Can you believe I was using a drying rack with peg board on top, and then my cutting mats. It worked, but it was starting to not work. The weight on the top was making the ends bend downward. Before it broke completely, I decided it was time for a table.  It’s just a folding table, but I’ve got it up on bed risers. I saw this little trick at Emmaline Bags‘ storefront. It works great! And I’m loving the storage underneath.

Having this all set up just made me want to sew something, so I decided to finish the collage quilt I started last year.This is Laura Heine‘s Pasley Bear. I had this great woodland cotton I thought would be the perfect background. It’s like my little Pasley Bear is in the forest. I thought that would be the happiest place for him.

You can see, I’m not quite done. The quilting on this is done, but it’s not backed yet. That will be next.

As always, Happy creating!

A Balancing Act

I don’t have any sewing to share with you today. And I don’t have a Craftsy sale to share either.

Some things have changed in my family’s circumstances – all for the good – but are making a daily demand on me right now. I’m driving into the city daily, which is taking up about 2 hours of my time.

With all that driving, I just don’t find I have time to do much sewing. Rather than getting all stressed, I’ve decided to take a break from my blog while I’m in this time. I’m hoping it will only be for a month or two.

However, I didn’t want to just disappear. As I said, I hope this is a short season and I’ll be back sewing and sharing soon.

Happy creating!

Canada 150 – it’s in the Bag Tour Kick Off

 

Our blog tour starts today.

Tour Stops

(These links will be active on and after the day they are scheduled.)

June 4

Emmaline Bags

June 5

Tangled Blossoms Design With Love in Every Stitch Happy Okapi

June 6

Michelle’s Creations Barabooboo Soca Sewing

June 7

Glitter in my Coffee Michelle’s Creations Seam of my Pants

June 8

Seam of my Pants Creative Roots Sewing Happy Okapi

June 9

Seam of my Pants

June 10

Giveaway ends at midnight EDT (North America)

July 1

CANADA DAY 150

Baubles & Backgrounds

Do you see my new blog format? I’ve been doing a little work on it in the past week. I’ll share more on that later in the post.

This week I was playing with beads again. It was time for a new Medical ID bracelet for me, and for a friend.

oldMy friend had purchased this bracelet, but as you can see, after wearing it for well over a year, she needed a new one. The coating on the Swarovski pearls had worn off. Now, she wears her bracelet all the time – in the shower, swimming – she doesn’t take it off.

I’ve used Swarovski crystals and pearls in the past and they haven’t done this, but I haven’t put them through all that hard wearing either. I take my bracelet off daily.

The new bracelet I made her is in the above photo as well, but here’s a better photo:

new over oldThe new bracelet is over the old one. It looks much better. Classic design and lines. It’s lovely. I just might need one too.

While I had all my jewelry-making supplies out, I decided to make myself a bracelet. I love turquoise in the summer but didn’t have a Medical ID bracelet in turquoise. I do now.

bracelet

The center three stone beads aren’t turquoise, but are the same stones I’d used in some earrings – dyed Imperial Jasper. The bracelet also has some lovely Sterling silver spacer and feature beads. I’ve been happily wearing it all week. My earrings, below, show you my matchy matchy. I made these last year.

blue earrings

Other than playing with beads, I mentioned I’ve been playing with my blog format. Do you like it? I love it too. It looks so clean and crisp.

Sadly it took more time than I would have liked. I’m not the most technical person, but I’m learning! Just to give you an example I took a full day to redirect the traffic from my old blog site to my new one. After spending time researching, trying something, it not working, more research and more tries… well, I found out I couldn’t do it myself. WordPress had to do that. It was so easy after I pushed a button and paid them a very small and very worthwhile fee! Done.

After redirecting, I spent some time taking photos for my background. I’d found a lovely lace background that I would have had to pay a terrible price to use – way more than real lace cost! Hmm, time to get some lace out.

Here are a few of my attempts before I found just what I wanted:

sparkle ivory over gold

This is a lovely lace, but I wanted more in my background than just lace. The lace background was my original inspiration, but now I wanted more of me in it.

horizontal black white and gold over goldThis is my kind of lace. This is so beautiful, but I found the black a bit distracting as a background when I was trying to read the text. As much as I loved it, I thought a little less just might be better for a background.

photocopyThis one was a lot closer to what I wanted and what I felt represented me. But It wasn’t quite perfect for me yet. For my final background, you can see I kept my pearls and added my thimble. Perfect!

Happy creating!

Announcing The Canada Day 2016 Blog Hop

This week I’m participating in a fun blog hop – just in time for Canada Day! For our hop, we’re featuring Canadian pattern designers. How Canadian is that, eh? I’ll be trying a new pattern and new-for-me company. Our blog hop starts today over on Happy Okapi and there is a list of wonderful deals in the post – all to celebrate Canada’s birthday. See below for the complete blog schedule.


Canada Day 2016 Blog Hop Schedule

Be sure to visit each of these brilliant blogs this week for more on our
outstanding Canadian designers and suppliers:

And, of course, to enter our giveaway for some sweet-like-maple-syrup prizes.

June 24: The Tour Starts HERE at Happy Okapi

June 25: Celine guest posts on Happy Okapi; Marsha @ Seam of my Pants

June 26: Fiona @ Tangled Blossoms Designs; Carla @ Half Dozen Daily

June 27: Sherry @ Thread Riding Hood; Reece @ Happy Okapi

June 28: Nicky guest posts on Seam of my Pants

June 29: Daniela @ On the Cutting Floor; Reece @ Happy Okapi

June 30: Michelle @ Michelle’s Creations

Canada Day–July 1: Ula @ Lulu & Celeste

July 2: Marsha @ Seam of my Pants

July 3: Keshia @ Sand Dollar Design Studio

July 4: Wrap Up @ Happy Okapi

July 6: Giveaway winners announced


And The Winner Is…

The really exciting news here is there wasn’t just one winner. There were five winners. Five!

We had fun with our Trivia Question. Did you catch that in our tour? The brand that used the advertising slogan, “Only in Canada, you say? Pity!” is Red Rose Tea.

Now for our winners:

  • The winner of Prize Pack A is Jayne B. from Canada, who correctly answered the trivia question.
  • The winner of Prize Pack B is Di S. from the UK, who correctly answered the trivia question
  • The winner of Prize Pack C is Karen P. from Canada, who correctly answered the trivia question
  • The winner of Prize Pack D is Beverley P. of Australia, who followed Janelle on Instagram
  • Craftsy Rowan 3/4 Tote Kit*: Winner will be chosen and notified by Craftsy directly.
Congratulations to all of our winners! I hope everyone enjoyed our tour and our reviews of the bag-making Craftsy classes, and took advantage of the sales on each of our blogs.
Happy creating!

A Trip to Bra Makers Supply

We all have plans and we all have schedules. Mine changed suddenly last week, and my husband and I found ourselves flying to Ontario, Canada with only a day and a half notice. I knew right away though, there was no way I was going to be within hours of Bra Makers Supply and not go there. I started to make plans right away.

So here’s a little post about my trip to Bra Makers Supply. I was so excited to go, and to meet everyone. However, I arrived the same morning everyone was leaving for the Bra Makers Cruise. That was a small wrench in my plans, but I did get to meet Beverly and some of the staff. It all worked out great.

Beverly and M

Beverly is as wonderful as you think she is, and so is the store! Due to our schedule, my DH had to rush me a little to get me out of the store. I arrived with a list in hand, and wanted to take my time and enjoy the whole process of being there, looking at everything, selecting what I wanted, taking photos all along the way. Our schedule demanded otherwise.

I did buy all the things on my list, but I didn’t take anywhere near as many photos as I wanted.

There were shelves that went almost to the ceiling. Everything is wonderfully organized; truly a bra-maker’s delight. Along one wall there were plastic baskets of rings, and sliders, and wires, oh my! Along the opposite wall were more shelves with laces, elastics, simply everything we need.

shelves

Just imagine shelves of laces!

wall of lace

Next to these were the Stretch Laces. I really could have spent a lot more time there. Well, my money would have run out eventually.

Below are just a snippet of the elastics. Right in the middle of the lower shelf that’s showing in the photo – the new Grey and to the right of it, the new Black Cherry. Oh so pretty! I heard they are going to be part of complete Finding Kits in those colors. Yay!

elastics

It was so fun, but DH was keeping me to my schedule. So a few quick photos, and it was time to seriously shop and hit the road again.

I bought everything I need for my Spring/Summer bra and panty wardrobe. That will be another post.

haul

Oh, just look at that wonderful stash and me not at home with my sewing machine.

After we went to Bra Makers Supply, we made another quick stop: the location of the original Tim Horton’s restaurant. This may be the original site, but a new building has been put up.

building

This location is part restaurant – you can buy your coffee and whatever else Tim’s offers – but it’s also a museum. It was really a fun walk-through. Here are a few photos from the upstairs.

Does anyone remember these prices?

prices

Here are the original donuts that were offered. I don’t remember any of these.

donuts

I thought this was a cute sign, so took a photo of this too. I have no desire whatsoever to be a Donut Maker, but a Bra-Maker. Yes, please!

sign

This poster was great. I love how it tied the donuts to hockey. For all the non-Canadians reading, Tim Horton was a Canadian hockey player, who after that career, opened this chain of famously popular coffee shops, that are still very popular today.

wall

My hubby is a Timmies fan, so this part of our stop in Hamilton was a highlight for him. With me not shopping, I had a little more opportunity to take  few photos.

D and sign

I can’t wait to get home and start sewing. Happy creating!