New Show: Craft Wars...*update*

Craft Wars

This is not your grandmother's world of crafting. In this new TLC series, "craft-virtuosos" compete in a "knockdown, drag-out fight for supremacy" and are judged by Stephen Brown, Erica Domesek and Jo Pearson for a cash prize. For the series premiere, the contestants must create a playhouse using school supplies. As host Tori Spelling says, "Fire up your glue guns." 10 p.m. Tuesday on TLC
Doug Knoop, Seattle Times staff


I have my dvr set. I will have my eyes peeled. 
How many blog stars will we recognize? I hope tons!
How many will you actually know in real life? I hope a couple!
I can't wait........

Okay, it was their first show. They haven't found their groove yet and Tori Spelling is a little boring and her really red lips are, well, really red. The judges could be fun and snarky if we could hear them banter. Not enough judge time for me. The craft ideas were kinda fun. Looks like we are going see see the more intense crafters instead of the mellow crafter. I will give it a chance to find its groove...but I do think it needs a bit of tweaking. I give it a glued thumbs up....but only one thumb. I will watch the whole season to see how the show.....seasons. :-)

90 minute apron tutorial

You read that right....90 minutes....start to finish. AND I am not a fast sewista. 

Sooooooo, if you are speedy, this will go even faster!

The person I made it for. My Dot's bestie...she's off to culinary school in August.

Now for the tutorial. It will take me longer to write it than to sew it. LOL  

Okay, maybe not, but it did go super fast.

What do you need:

1 yard of fabric 44" or wider

thread

paper

apron to trace or pattern for main part

First, I found a chef style apron that I had and traced it onto tissue paper.

I added an inch or so to the top and some seam allowance so it ended up the same size. 

Placed it on the fold and cut it out. See my missing chunk?

I used the rotary cutter for all of it....super fast. Especially with a ruler on the straight areas.

I did the curved areas first. 1/4" once, then once again

It should look like this. Top stitch it close to the inside edge

Folded the top over the same way, except I used about an inch

Then I pinned it for sewing later

Next, do the bottom hem the same as the top. Top stitch along the edge of the upper fold

Just like this

do the same for the sides only 1/4" times 2

Out of the leftover fabric cut two each

2.5 inches by 24" (neck ties)

2.5 inches by 36" (waist ties)

I only got one pocket out of the fabric since a big chunk was missing, but you should be able to get two nice sized rectangles.

Fold and press the long sides 1/4"

The bottom 1/4"

The top, Fold over twice, about 1/2-3/4" deep

Top stitch close to the top edge and the lower edge on the pocket top

Place it on your apron just like your sample and top stitch

Be sure to go over the upper corners a couple of times to keep it secure

Take your ties and fold in half, long ways and press to get a center line

Fold one side close to the center and press

Do the other side. For wider ties, fold over less or use a little more than a yard and cut wider pieces

Keeping the pressed parts folded, put right sides together and sew

Trim the corners

Turn right sides out. the pressed fabric should stay all nicely folded on the inside

Press and then top stitch closed. for narrower ties, one side of stitching is enough. 

For wider ties, top stitch both sides.

Attach the 24" straps to the top

Top stitch along the edge and along the inside edge to hold the fold down

This catches the straps nicely

I put the 36" waist ties on with this box stitch.

Taaa daaaaaa You're done!!

This is all I had left of one yard of fabric. Well, a touch less than one yard.

Start to finish, including pictures, washing my hair, getting dressed (no makeup and just a ponytail) and wrapping...1 hour and 45 minutes.  I know, I know....and I didn't even rush!

Happy sewing!!

Finally Sewing

Kinda boring and utilitarian, but still sewing!! 

New Linen shirt. Did some hidden tacking because of MAJOR Gapposis when I sit.

Hubby said I would be making some really good friends if I wore it out. LOL

I don't want those kind of friends.

Lost a button, found the spare, sewed it on,

Little Miss Bella's mom decided that she needed more than three flannel receiving blankets.

G-ma took care of that with:

 5 -  36" square blankies

4- fat quater sized burpie/bed pad sized

1 - over the shoulder

2 - wipey/wash cloth sizes

I used up as much of the flannel as I could so there was very little waste.

I got all this for less than the price of three prepacked 27" sqaure blankies!

Goooooooo grammy!

Guess which fabric was my fave??? 

 Brandi wanted the edges just like the store bought...serged.

Here's how I rounded the corners for a smooth, single stitching line

saucer butted against the edges

 A little rotary action

 Ta daaaa

Working on basting a quilt and then my maxi dress muslin this week. 

Maybe even a case for my new, teeny, tiny camera. It's just a very basic point and shoot, but I can take it anywhere and it doesn't take up a bunch of room. Took the blankie corner pics with it.....I have pretty good luck with canon brand. 

Here's hoping my sewing week stays productive!!!

It was nice to finish something, ya know?

My Baby Girl Graduates!

It was a bumpy road, but my baby graduated with a 4.0!!


Way to go princess!

mom and dad...all proud

(when did I start looking like my granny?)

Easiest Flat-Felled Seam....Ev-er!

Seriously. Awesome.

I was having a late breakfast and doing a little channel surfing when I came across a sewing show. I saw Gertie's face for just a sec, so I stayed put. The show is on PBS stations and it's called:
It's Sew Easy.  Yes, my dvr is now set. How did I not know about this show?  


Anyway, this lady was showing some industry techniques for sewing without pins. 
Anyone who knows me, knows I am an over pinner extraordinaire! I have issues, okay. 
One of them is a pincushion addiction, so that requires lots of pins. :-)


Okay, now the how-to part for the easiest flat-felled seam ev-er.  I used a curved seam just to see if it worked as well as on a straight seam cuz sometimes us chicks have curvy seams that match our curvy parts....am I right?  Here goes......

Place your fabrics wrong sides together with the lower fabric sticking out about 3/8"

Fold over and stitch really close to the raw edge 

With a curve, be really mindful that you keep an even amount showing

All done with part one

Now, open the seam

Fold over so the raw edge is covered

Sew along the edge. Again, be mindful of the under parts

The finished seam

I know, I know!!! 
I was so excited I just had to share.
Now, go and flat-fell something....no pinning, no ironing, just sewing........

Bad blogger....bbbaaaaddddd blogger

It wasn't really planned, but it happened. I haven't been posting or even reading much. Heck, I even had two really great books checked out from the library and didn't even get to them and they are due TOMORROW already......what happened during the last 20 days? Oh yeah.....I became a grandma the dot is graduating HS, man/child set wedding date for next month, bible study, get-togethers, shopping for a new a/c unit (which is what I should be doing right now instead of this) The busies got the best of me and my blog time. 


And it doesn't look like it's gonna let up. Graduation stuff all this week; big b-day for a friend, bible study, VBS planning, summer classes at the JC, teaching the Dot to drive (pray for me...big time). wedding party, two extra peeps moving in, .....wow! All this on the next 7 weeks. And I still have to fit my regular stuff in too. And a biggy at the end of July...the Crafty Chicas Weekend!


My blog may get a little neglected, but I do have some fun stuff to sew and share. Think of it as a little break in your summer reading. :-)