I Opened an Etsy Store!

I first read about Etsy from Annie, (either on her blog or on an email list) and I immediately signed up. That was in August 2006. This week, Jessica and I were talking about Etsy and once again I was inspired to get started with Etsy. Today I listed 6 items, and hopefully they will sell. Thank you, Jessica, for motivating me on with this. I hope you get your store up and running soon. Yes, Jessica is going to open an Etsy store, too! I'm excited to see where this all goes, if anywhere. Take a look if you wish: www.sewchic.etsy.com.

Thrift Store Treasure

I found this beautiful smocked dress at a thrift store about 3 months ago. I was excited at my find. Just think of all the hours that somebody spent in smocking and putting the dress together, and to think that I only spent $1.95 for the dress--I tell you, I almost felt guilty at paying such a low price for such an heirloom.

This dress has many special details in addition to the smocking: a sweet embroidered flower at each arm cuff, piping in the collar, a big sash, and a tiny little button with loop closure at the top neckline. You can't see all this in the pictures, but it's these little details that appeal to me. And of course Emily is a doll in the dress.

The only thing I could find "wrong" with the dress was that the hem was coming undone. That didn't take long to remedy (well, it took me 3 months to get to it) with the blind hemmer foot of my sewing machine. I used to be afraid of the blind hem foot, but after a lot of practice, it is now one of my favorite sewing accessories.

Notice the tiger lilies in the pictures. These bright flowers are in full bloom right now and I have been enjoying their beauty. Jessica, when it's the right time, you are welcome to dig up some bulbs for your yard.

blessings,
Ruth

It's Time!

It's that time already---time to get Emily potty trained. I dug out all the old training pants and plastic pants from days gone by, used by all 6 of my previous babies. Ugh! I really dislike those plastic pants! So, I decided to sew some waterproof panties. This past week I did some experimenting with patterns. The first is a morph of the free Easterbunz and the Goodness Gracious patterns. The second and third pants are two different versions of the Potty Dance Pants pattern. I'm not sure that I like any of these and may try to come up with my own pattern. Actually, I am hoping that Emily will get potty trained quickly, and then I won't have to fuss with any of this.


In a diaper-making mood, I also decided to make some gift diapers for a friend who recently had a baby. She uses cloth diapers and mentioned to me that she needed more and wished she could afford pocket diapers. Since I so happen to love the Chloe Toes pattern, I decided to make my friend some diapers. The rose-colored PUL (outer fabric) and the mauve microfleece (inner fabric) came from a nice lady who offered the fabric on freecycle. She also gave me a large bag full of hemp scraps, and that's what I've used for soakers in the training pants and for the stuffers of the pocket diapers. What was exciting about all this--in addition to the fact that I got some great fabric--is that this lady also loves to knit. She hand-dyes yarn and showed me all sorts of luscious goodies at her home. What fun!

Okay, I'm outta here....
Ruth

Redwork and Bluework

One of my favorite pastimes is embroidery. I discovered redwork embroidery about 8 years ago and fell in love with it. I embroidered 2 of these glass towels about 6 years ago, and just this past week I finished 2 more while watching the 5 hour version of Pride and Prejudice.

For an extra touch, I crocheted an edging along the bottom of the redwork towels, using a number 10 steel crochet hook (tiny!) and pearl cotton thread. I have the thought of making a few of these towels into pillows. Hmmm... any other good ideas of what I can do with the towels? Of course, I could use them to dry glasses. :-)

Redwork was popular in the 1800's and it has seen a revival in the past 10 years or so. I have found many free redwork patterns online, and there are several yahoo discussion groups for redwork. A redwork primer can be found here. I recently read somewhere that Bluework was popular from about 1910 to 1930, and of course I had to embroider something, anything, in blue thread. I like it almost as much as I like the redwork.

Ruth

Vintage makeover

This laundry bag made from a vintage bedspread I'd got at a garage sale years ago. Despite the fact that it is threadbare, stained, and torn in places, I loved the print and used to use it on my bed at home. In fact, this fabric was the background for our original SewChic blog design...Today, part of that bedspread became a small-sized laundry bag for delicates...


I got the inspiration from Anna's bag at Pleasant View Schoolhouse. I love her blog.

I had fun sewing on two ruffly tulle flowers. I like how they add dimension to the front. The whole thing is so delicate; faded, worn and old ladyish...I love it!

Pink and Green Quilt

If the store would have had more of this fabric, I would have bought enough to make a quilt for my bed. As it happened, I was able to buy enough for this baby quilt which I made for a dear friend's baby girl. The baby's room is decorated in pink and green, and I knew I just had to make a quilt for her when I saw the fabric. I love the "shabby chic" style of the pink and green flowers, and like I said, I wish there had been more fabric so I could make a quilt for my bed. I did get enough extra to make a pillow or two which I will sew up one of these days.
Ruth

Sweater Progress

The sweater is coming along nicely, but I'm getting worried that I'm going to run out of yarn. All that remains to be knit is the neckband and 2 front bands, but I have only a little yarn left. We shall see if I make it....

And just because this is such a funny picture, here's Emily...cool man, dude.

And a picture of the three sisters.... I love this picture!

happy day,

Ruth