Husqvarna Viking Serger Giveaway

Hello All,

This posting is my entry to win a serger, something my workroom lacks and is in desperate need of.  A serger is one of those items that many consider a necessity and yet others don't even know what it does.  With a serger in my arsenal, my products will have a more professional finish and will hopefully help me create a name for us and create trust in our clothes.

I like the look of an exposed serged finish and would love a clothing line that features a serged finish and perhaps the serger training class I am scheduled to take will be even more beneficial to me if I actually had a serger to use.

Because the economy is bad and business is slow, I am unable to purchase a serger on my own and therefore am opening my hand in order to receive.  But you know what they say, a hand opened to receive is also open to give.  Therefore, if we are blessed with this amazing serger, we will be running a promotion in our Smashing Darling store for all of our items, not just those we make with our new serger.

We hope to hear your feedback!!

Heather

Keep Chuggin

I feel the need to pass along, once again, some advice regarding any frustration that might occur when you are receiving training for a new hobby. This past Saturday, Heather I took a class on how to make pajama pants. With the exception of the cuffs, I completed my pants but not without some struggle and self doubt. What I did to not kill the buzz I had at the beginning of class was to walk away when I felt completely overwhelmed. It was at the end that I discovered that I needed to re-cut new cuffs. I felt mentally taxed for the day and decided to finish them later. Moral: It’s okay to stop and take a breather as long as you go back and finish at some point.

Pillowcase into Skirt and...

I was given these 2 pillow shams with the desire for them to be upcycled into something new.

I began by disassembling them...

Each pillow shaw yielded 3 distinctive pieces as well as an additional strip that I will probably re-introduce next week.

With the fabric taken from the back of each pillow sham, I cut out the front and back of an a-line skirt.

I stitched the front and back together at the sides.

When it was done, I felt like it was missing something so I decided to add a little bit of lace trim around the bottom, just enough to peek out.

I stitched it on...

After adding elastic to the waistband (forgot to take a picture of that) it was all done.

Didn't it turn out so cute?  Any suggestions on what I could have done differently?  Pros or cons, let me know.

SILHOUETTE MACHINE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

I am so excited about the SILHOUETTE MACHINE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!. One of the blogs I love to follow, Grograin, is having an awesome giveaway. Check them out!!

As a fellow crafter, we are all searching for that elusive "perfect" machine that can do it all and one that we can afford.  Reading through the post on http://www.grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/ makes me believe that this Silhouette machine may just be the one and I am excited to learn more about it.

Do you have a Silhouette machine?  If so, what do you think of it?  If not, what machine do you use and what are the pros and cons of your machine?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Your Source For Inspiration

Consider this a search for inspiration. If you feel inclined, would you mind sharing what inspires you? Is there a place you go, mentally or physically? Is it someone in your life? I would love to contain a single source of inspiration in a picture frame. In order to avoid jeopardizing the effect, I will not pre-determine the size, and the style will be dictated by the contents.

Yet Another T-Shirt Makeover

I like to wear new clothes all the time, I love to wear things that are different, things not everyone has.  Which is why I love to make clothes.  Now because I am not without a budget that seems to get tighter daily, I sometimes need to resort to "upcycling" or remaking an existing item into a new item.  Enter the t-shirt makeover that everyone seems to be doing now but no 2 are the same!!!

I started with this plain t-shirt I bought from Banana Republic awhile ago but is still in excellent condition.  I was in luck because my husband was getting rid of one of his old t-shirts from the same store that was the same color so I was able to make a tone on tone remake this time.

I began by cutting strips from his t-shirt (avoiding the armpit area...gross) then began pinning them onto the shirt in random patterns.

And added!!

Then stitched them all in place.

And Stitched

All done...

What do you think?  Throw it on with some jeans and a sweater or jacket...so cute!!

Full Steam Ahead

We struggled with finding a place where we could purchase unique fabrics and receive superb training.  Our quest is over thanks to the bright, friendly and spacious shop, Scrap And Sew.  You can visit them online at www.scrapandsew.com.  They offer a wide variety of classes and I am sure that you will find something to tickle your fancy.  Check out their calendar for Friday nights when they have "crafters night."  You can bring an unfinished product to work on and also receive help and support.  Knowing that assistance is within our reach, as well as training, has refueled our efforts.  It's "full steam ahead" from now on!  Thanks Scrap and Sew.

We Come In Comfort

Extraordinary items will be coming your way soon.  At the end of this month Heather, who is already a superb designer, and I will be taking a class on how to make pajama pants.  Who can't use a new pair?  They provide comfort on a physical, as well as, a mental level.  We will keep you abreast of these as well as other new items.  Stay tuned!

T-Shirt Makeover - Flowers to Frills

Okay, so I started off with this shirt which is adorable but simply not for me.

First, I removed the flowers and petals...

Then I took a cute fat quarter, segmented it into 2" wide strips, basted it down the center to create a gathered ruffle and did an overlocking stitch along the sides to keep it from unraveling.

After affixing my ruffles to the shirt, I was done!

Isn't it cute?  Here is a closeup...

Now it is a shirt that I can wear.

Stay tuned because there is more to come!!!