Sewing Stuff

September is National Sewing Month. Calls for a couple of funny images.  

Seller update: I have been kicking around the idea of live selling. I have applied to eBay live selling but I don't think I fit their age demographic (they like them young). TikTok live selling is another option. It all sounds like more work, maybe I won't go there. 

Lurking and hoping that a local estate still has all of the crafter goodies I saw posted online. I can make it to the sale on Friday afternoon so I hope to post all kind of goodie images. I have nearly gone through all of my death pile stock. 

Getting a System Down, and Beginning the Redwork Quilt

I seem to move faster through listing product on eBay now that I have a system down. After a listing goes live, I move that product's images into an eBay listings folder. I then re-name my images for the next draft. I bring up the template and examine the product to compose the description. Since most of the information is prefilled on the template, I just fill out specific details. 

I nearly made it through the year without any returns but have had 3 cut sewing patterns returned recently. One of my tasks will be to cull all of my cut sewing patterns from my listings. They are a pain to list and sometimes I don't catch it if a piece is missing. I just give full refunds with no reason to return the pattern back to me. 

In answer to my question on an earlier post, "Does anyone knit anymore?" It really was tongue in cheek, I know there are some amazingly talented knitters out there. My question was more are there people learning to knit, because my books for sale on knitting didn't move at all. Quilting books are another story, those are popular, which leads me to believe quilting is more popular than knitting. Discuss? 

Heading into September means #secondhandseptember that encourages everyone to shop secondhand. Course, I don't need any encouragement since that is my shopping method all year long. Annnnd it is National Sewing Month! 

September has always been a kind month for me regarding employment. I have two important much-wanted interviews next week for two very different positions - one in management, and one in a different area of law albeit litigation. This happened to me before when I interviewed for a legal analyst position. Two offers came at nearly the same time, and that is where my path diverged from criminal appeals, writs and trials, into the health care industry. 

Moving on to best of the sewing pattern sessions - this Barbarella-esque cosplay one.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185025892885

Pattern that trumped Barbarella was this 1968 Simplicity that went into my keeper collection.

I went into my project bags and pulled this redwork quilt one. Mystery crafter had embroidered all 7 of the redwork embroideries. I've pulled my red fabric remnants, showing the cutest of the bunch in the image below. Not sure if I will do the pinwheels, maybe 4 patches between the blocks. 

More items pulled from my eBay listings - ties. While cute, they were not selling. Moving closer to my goal of 1,500 active listings by the end of September. I have 1,400 active listings now. Woohoo!

Follow up to weight gain is not inevitable

Not being a diet/fitness blogger, occasionally I blog about diet and fitness because it is very important to me. In reference to my post title, I did a post two years ago about weight gain and diet here. At that time, I had lost some weight from 150 lbs. to 130. Now, after taking a few runs at it, I am now down to 125. Five pounds doesn't seem like much, but it is. If you are measuring by underwear size, it is one size down. Ultimate goal - 120. 

I began lifting 5 lb. free weights when I turned 40. I had no interest in having "gramma Tami" arms. You know, the upper arms that have flappy loose skin. I am happy with my arms and my legs, now it is the core that needs attention. 

I also chose to go on a restricted diet related to my gall bladder. The word "restricted" seems a little harsh, I have tried really hard to cut down on fried foods and beef. 

As an aside, I also had clickety clack knees. As I have lost weight, there is less of that pressure on my knees, carrying extra weight too much for my frame. Less clickety clacking. 

Segueing to sewing - it is National Sewing Month! If you are on Instagram, I am participating in the prompts from Thrifty Mum for #SecondHandSeptember as tamaschen. 

I also found a Facebook group the Up-cycled Cloth Collective that features all sorts of creative ways to re-use textiles. 

Quilty Orphan Adoption and National Sewing Month

First up is my Vintage Fabric Quilt (nearly finished binding).  Shown as a finish - not up for adoption. This creation was prompted after months of working on dark, Christmas fabric and I needed a change, a drastic change and this was the result. First began here, where I questioned the use of pre-basting and am now a convert, esp. with bed quilts. No puckers, smuckers, wayward fabric lines.

The back of the quilt is the correct use of a large scale fabric. Later on this post you will see the incorrect use of a large scale fabric (and it isn't pretty ...)

Sometimes the binding is one of my favorites aspects of a quilt and this time highlights it exactly. When I found this thrifted yardage over the weekend, I just knew it would fit in with Vintage Fabric. My nod to mystery quilter aka multi-crafter for sending this into the Great Thrift Shop Beyond.

Celebrating National Sewing Month and linking up with Cynthia at quiltingismorefunthanhousework.

Also linking up with Amanda Jean at crazymomquilts for Finish it up Friday. 

These thrifted orphans have come into my possession and have been thoroughly laundered and spruced up for adoption day.

Orphan blocks no. 1: Cluck Cluck Sew
(Update - adopted)
"I did what I could" grouping are from my most recent creation here.  These babies are just begging for a charity home. Look at them, in their beige and brown tones calling "Take Me Home."

Orphan blocks no. 2: So Many Sunflowers, Makes Me Want to...
(Update - Adopted)
Ding! Second round of posting these yellow and blue gems. Added in sunflower fabric as an additional lure. I am still stuck on how to incorporate them into something, anything, help me out here.

Orphan blocks no. 3: Bow tie blue, blue and more blue
(Pulled from adoption.)
These pieces are cut for bow tie blocks (instructions included). Eight small packs of blue, bluuuueeoooooooo.

Orphan quilt top #4:  Orphan Katz
(Update - adopted)
Finally, the piece de resistance *coughs* a quilt top. I am frankly embarrassed by this, I nearly put it in giveaway for the Great Thrift Shop Beyond. Instead, I will bare my soul and offer this to anyone motivated enough to quilt it. This is where I ruined a large scale fabric AND tried to incorporate another quilter's squares into my creation. You decide - Epic Fail? Give it a second chance?

The most exciting part of all, they are free, free as a bird, meaning I pay the postage to anywhere in the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave (aka U.S.). Email me at tvonzalez@gmail.com. Did I mention these snippets of fabric fabulousness are free? It is first come, first served.

I am seeking gray prints patterns and solids, if anyone wants to part with any remnants to give or trade for orphans listed above. 

Sally Stand-in is now dressed for the fall weather with a nod to my recent focus on country-themes. She is also wearing her Barbie Badge - an ID holder with some Barbie graphics.

My dry cleaner Woodward Ficetti in downtown Sacramento has this permanent display in their lobby of retro sewing machines and items. Just had to share it~

I am so excited to be starting a new project that is right on target for me that includes my love of art and fabric artistry. Additional theme is "Mother Earth" so I've posted fabric pull on IG under the traditional textile post #septtextilelove as tamaschen.

If you want to join in, there still might be time to be added as a participant. 

Finally, the highest praise for any (fabric) artist is hearing your creation is being used and loved. The recipient of a baby blanket (shown baby-on-way-with-dollies-sure-to-follow) told me that their little girl liked my blanket the best.

Batiks and Batting

Once a large influx of sewing related items and material comes into the thrift shop, it is a sure bet more will eventually process through. Having checked back at the thrift shop of my last best sewing-related finds, my $8 snagged batting and batiks, mystery bags of fabric, two 1970s patterns and a tiny tea set.

I have always loved the batik prints but they always seemed to be priced in the high range ($15 or more a yard). Unknown quilter sent through mystery material bags 1 and 2 - precut and ready for my use. 

I do wonder when these amazing fabrics come through - what happened to mystery quilter?  Did she lose interest in the craft? As a nod to the donor, I try to use at least one of my newly acquired fabrics in a current project.

I am reveling in the fact that it is National Sewing Month.
Sharing an image from The Complete Book of Sewing (pub. 1945).

Patterns of the Day - two Simplicity from 1962

National Sewing Month

In celebration of National Sewing Month, I have located a few giveaways for those feeling particularly lucky.

Fat Quarter Shop's Jolly Jabber blog is hosting month-long giveaways http://fatquartershop.blogspot.com/

Diary of a Sewing Fanatic promises month-long giveaways.

Pamkittymorning giveaway - Fat Quarter Shop has generously supplied a FQS Curated Bundle of Buffalo Check Carolina Gingham from Robert Kaufman as a prize to one of my fine blogging friends. 

C&T Publishing (Your Home for Creative Quilting and Sewing) is hosting a rafflecopter giveaway http://www.ctpub.com/

Well, we're giving away not one, but three books, plus three fat quarter bundles to match!  Because I Love You Sew, Perfect Patchwork Bags, and Sew Home are the prefect complements to a Moda Country Orchard Fat Quarter Bundle, a Moda Compositions Basic Grey Fat Quarter Bundle, and a Dear Stella Desert Bloom Bundle. Enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway. Open to US residents only; winner will be announced one week from now on the blog. 

Who knew there was a sewing fiction genre for books? Carole at frommycarolinahome has highlighted a few books on that theme.

Those who quilt and sew really are busy all year long making magic with material and thread. While my focus of late has been quilting, I do look forward to using one of my many patterns to make a fifties-style dress.

Which brings me to the Pattern of the Day, a 1960 Simplicity 1570, I'll take that aqua-colored one!

Hilo Hattie and National Sewing Month

Visible-monday-157-welcome-back from summer hiatus.  My offering this month is a concession to casual Friday where I am wearing a Hilo Hattie longboard print lounging with big cat public art in downtown Sacramento.  

September is National Sewing Month.  Here is the 1940s version of upcycling from the 1945 The Complete Book of Sewing.

My log cabin quilt squares are nearly complete (the-trailer-quilt-log-cabin-style).  Thrift shopping on the North Coast resulted in a $1 bag of floral fabric remnants, so my quilt in progress took a turn to more color.  I also like to incorporate applique in my quilts.

Image via 1961 BHG Sewing Book

My fashion analysis class assignment this week is to identify a movie that has had a big impact on the fashion industry.  Two movies that keep coming up are Breakfast at Tiffanys and Flashdance.  One movie I believe has made an impact was Pretty Woman.  Whenever I see a taupe dress with cream colored polka dots, I think of Julia Roberts.  

Pattern of the Day is a 1954 Vogue Vintage throwback.

Now we can all be a Princess!  LA Splash Cosmetics has created a line named after the Disney princesses distractify.com/disney-lipsticks

Just for kicks and giggles, here is a tune for my fellow thrifters.  
(Language warning for sensitive souls)