Sewing Cafe Project - Pam A's Beach tote masquerading as a project tote

Really feeling like I should post about something besides diet and exercise, after all the blog is called Sewing Cafe with Lynne, not Lynne's latest obsession...but that works too.

Voila'

I share with you Pam A's Tote. 

 Made for her daughters knit & crochet projects

Chuck instantly labeled it a Beach Tote until we showed him the roll ups, which hold your needles.

Needless to say it has pockets inside which imitate in style the ones you see here on the outside.

This bag is quite large and Chuck is correct it could hold lunch, a beach towel and good book, lotion and a beer with no difficulty at all.  

Great for the beach or large knitting projects, or multiple projects if you are one of those people who works on more then one project at a time:)

Well done Pam!! 

Look forward to seeing your next project.

Let's Dress up....in Costumes that is.

Now I am not a fan of Halloween as I like to avoid making light of death, demons, the devil and zombies.  But I do enjoy a good costume and dressing up is so much fun.  As attested to by these photos.

1966 Batman Mini me

 Todd Mello made this amazing mini replica costume for his son.  How cute is this?  

Tom did an amazing job and I am told that he used our Caped Crime Fighter Pattern  as reference,  

with the belt pattern being reduced down proportionally.

I was also informed that Todd had plans of a costume of his own, but ran out of time creating this super suit for his son.  

Having a husband who is a huge bat fan..I can appreciate the sacrifice that was made, but no doubt we can look forward to seeing the dynamic duo appear next year.

Really well done Todd, my cowl is off to you sir!

Paige Garrison as Marilyn Monroe

 Paige is a new student of mine and we have so enjoyed having her in our sewing group at Sewing Cafe.

Her mother taught her to use her machine, but she considers herself to be a beginner. 

She is fearless.  

This is not a project I would recommend to a beginner, but did she learn a lot...you bet!

 She had a party to attend with friends in Minnesota....friends who did not even recognize her I am told.

Paige Garrison as Marilyn Monroe

Well Done Paige!!

Looking forward to our next sewing adventure.

If you have any questions you would like me to ask our costume makers, please comment below and I will be sure to follow up.

My thanks to Todd Mello and Paige Garrison for sharing these photos with us.

Jeans That Fit You...Oh happy thought:)

The Nicolet Continuing Education Catalogs have arrived.  The Fall schedule runs thru Dec.  You can also print or save the pdf catalog if yours has not arrived yet.

 

Jeans That Fit: 

This class has 4 Saturday sessions in September. We will using the Jalie pant pattern which has received rave reviews. There is a class material fee of $45.00 dollars which will include the pattern, denim, zipper, jean button and studs essential for professionally finished jeans. You need to understand pattern instructions, sew basic seams and have your own machine.    If you struggle with finding jeans that fit, we will end that struggle for you. You get to be the "Decider"! Low rise? Medium rise? High rise? Boot cut? Straight cut? Flares? You decide......excited at the possibility of having jeans that fit you in the waist and the hip? Please join me then in making your perfectly comfortable jeans

Class starts on Sept 3rd is held for 4 Saturdays thru Sept 24th. 

Time: 10:00 - 3:00  Class #20700

Cost: $65.80  Seniors pay $43.08 with a $45.00 kit fee.

Which will provide you with a custom made pair of jeans and a pattern for future pairs!

Location: Nicolet Campus BC107 ( building 7 on the map)

Mail in registration begins Aug. 11th, Phone in/walk in Registration begins Aug 19th

Stretch Jeans

The Stretch jeans have a low rise, or regular rise option and although the pattern calls for a modest 2 way stretch, we can make the necessary pattern alterations in class to provide for a non stretch denim if your prefer.  The pattern also provides sizing for little girls as well as accommodating a hip measurement of 36" to 53"

This is the style I am planning on using for my sample jeans and I just purchased this yardage from Sawyer Brook  denim collection to make them from.  Cannot wait for it to arrive:) My 2nd pair will be in corduroy...for sure.

The twill weave featuring black and white results in a deliciously subtle charcoal color that works with so much. Great weight for jeans or jackets. Cotton/spandex. 62 in. (C)  

 Jalie also has this more traditional style pattern to choose from it also includes children's as well as women's with a hip measurement ranging from 36" up to 67" and is made for use with a non stretch denim, but remember we get to be the deciders so you could use a modest stretch denim with this pattern as well.

Traditional  non- stretch jeans

The kit for the class if you choose to purchase it, will include a traditional navy denim with the necessary supplies to create your jeans.  Alternatively you can provide your own denim and zipper with a reduced kit fee of $25.00. 

I would appreciate being notified as soon as possible when you have signed up for class so that I know what kind of supplies to purchase and in what quantity.

Let me know if you have any questions as well.

Hope to see you all there.

You might also be interested in:

A link to the finished sample

Pajama Party - Lets Begin Shall We

Hope you all are as excited as I am to have some stylish pantaloons. 

Is anybody sewing something other then the pantaloons? 

Please let me know so I can address your questions appropriately:)

Lets begin by pre-washing our fabric.  It can be in the wash while we prepare our pattern for cutting, which is my kind of multi-tasking.

You want to pre-wash your fabrics for a few different reasons.

1. The key issue is shrinkage, you don't want your garment to become to small after sewing because you failed to pre-wash it.  Denims, flannels and homespun should be washed and dried at least 2x.
2. Grain perfection is another key reason to pre-wash.  The grain of the fabric is distorted from being wrapped onto a bolt or roll, washing helps return the grain so that the cross grain is at a right angle to the lengthwise grain.  Why is this important?  Your garment cannot hang straight if the garment is not cut on the straight of the grain.  

Pre-wash and dry your fabric at the temperature suggested for the fabric type and the conditions you are most likely to use during wear.  For cottons this generally means hot water, and a hot dryer, for silks and rayon jerseys cold water, gentle cycle and line dry or air tumble.  

Now that your fabric is having its grain perfected, lets start our pattern work

I happened to have The Jammie pattern from Favorite Things in my stash from a class I taught years back, so this is what I am using to create my pantaloons, but any simple drawstring pant style will work.  Of course if you have a self drafted pant block(luxury) you can use that as well.

Gather supplies and information:

To prepare you pattern for cutting you will need:

The pattern

Tape measure

String or elastic to tie around waist and upper thigh

Personal measurement chart or scrap paper

Pencil and Pen

Rulers - I prefer C-thru quilters rulers, a 1x12 and 3x18 or larger.

Paper scissors

Iron and Ironing board

Taking Measurements - This is the information part.  Now if you have a current personal measurement chart you can just get your information from there.  If you don't I highly recommend you start one so that you don't need to measure yourself every time you start a project.  It does need to be updated yearly though.   Here is a chart to print

The Measurements:

1.   Hip/ Seat circumference at the fullest part.  For some this will be at the abdomen and for others across the buttocks. 
2. Pant Rise - this is the distance between your crotch and your desired waistline.  Tie a string around your desired waistline ( where you want the top of your pantaloons to sit).  Tie a string around your upper thigh, just below your crotch.  Now measure the distance between the two along your side. 
3. Hem length - Measure from your desired waist line to your desired hem line, for Capri's mid calf or below, for pants measure to the floor. 

 Find your Pant front and Back pattern pieces and remove them from the tissue by cutting around them.  There is no need to cut on your size line at this time, just free them from the tissue. 

Press with a dry iron...yes press the tissue, it will not burn but steam might cause shrinking so be careful to change the setting on your iron to dry and press out all the folds and wrinkles.

Choose your correct pattern size by comparing your full hip/seat circumference measurement with the body measurements on the pattern envelope.  My full hip measures 38" which on the Jammie's patterns puts me at a Medium and on most commercial patterns size 12.  Now don't freak because this number is so different then the clothing sizes you purchase. 

Pattern sizing does not correspond to retail clothing, trust the pattern size....really:)

Now if you like the design on your pant pattern the way it is shown on the envelope you might be ready to start cutting your fabric.  Meaning the waist line is sitting where you want it to, and you do not want to raise or lower it.  You will need to check the hem length though by measuring along the side seam of the pattern from waist to hem and lengthening or shortening as required.  The pattern usually indicate a place along the leg where you can do this.  To lengthen you cut along the line and spread the pattern apart the desired length taping a piece of paper in between to fill the gap. To shorten you can fold the tissue up the needed amount. 

For my Pantaloons though I am lowering the waistline, and shortening to Capri length so lets begin making those pattern changes.

Begin by extending your grain line through the entire length of the pattern pieces.

Mark your crotch line by drawing a line perpendicular to your grain line and level with the bottom of the crotch line of your pattern. Some patterns already have this indicated for you.

Measure up from your crotch line to your new waistline at the side seam and mark.

Measure down from the original waist to that mark.  Mine was about 3"

Create your new pant waistline by marking that distance across the entire waist of the pattern piece.

Create your hemline/fold .  Starting at your new waistline measure down the side seam to your desired Capri, or pant length, mark and create a line at that mark and perpendicular to your grain line.

To create your hem allowance.  Measure down from your hemline 4.5" if your making Pantaloons, or desired hem width, say 2" for a standard hem.  The deeper hem adds support for the ruffles we will be adding later. 

You can now cut across your hem cut line.

Before cutting out the rest of your pant leg fold your pattern along the hem line/fold, and pin in place.  Now you can cut the rest of your pattern out.  Once the pattern is cut remove the pins and press the pattern flat once again.  Folding the hem before cutting insures that your hem is the correct width and will not cause puckering when sewing from being to small.

Repeat these steps for both front and back pant legs.  Although this took me several hours to post about it will probably take you around an hour, or under.

You can now cut out your pants following the directions on your pattern.  In addition to the pants you will need to cut  6 strips of fabric 2" wide by the 42" - 60"width of your fabric to create the ruffles with.

Next week we will make our ruffles:)

Please let me know if you have any questions or have progress pictures you would like to share.

Pajama Party Pantaloon

 Ta Da! my completed Pajama Party Pantaloons.

Chuck says they remind him of Sandra Dee....I will accept that:)

I say I am ready for a pillow fight and a game of Twister

Our Pajama Party sew along will have its first official installment this Friday, so ladies I hope you are gathering your supplies.  Speaking of supplies...if you want to make a pair of pantaloons you might want to pick up some additional items above and beyond, your pattern, fabric and thread.

Ruffler                     narrow hemmer                adapter

These feet above are not required to complete the pantaloons, but if you have them on hand or have thought about purchasing them, now might be a good time. I will be showing you how to use them...I have even made some video tutorials for us.

The Ruffler and the Narrow hemmer are old singer feet which you can pick up on ebay, or at yard sales and no you do not need a singer sewing machine to use them.

ebay foot assortment

singer ruffler

singer narrow hemmer

The adapter foot was purchased through my local Bernina dealer for use on my Bernina.  This adapter foot is what allows you to use other manufacturers feet.  What you need to know before purchasing an adapter is:  Are your singer feet low shank or high shank?  Bernina makes both adapters but a high shank adapter will not work with a low shank foot.  I could not find the adapters on their website but the numbers are #75 standard  or #77 short. 

Bernina does sell rufflers and narrow hem feet as well, but they do tend to be more expensive then the above alternative.

I also used elastic thread to create the smocking at the top of the pantaloons.  Gutterman also makes an elastic thread which will work as well.

If you want ruffles on your hemline, certainly not required but that's fashion for you.  I would pick up an additional 1/2 yard of fabric.

So to recap:

1.   Pajama pattern
2.   Fabric and thread to match, plus 1/2 yard for ruffles
3.   Ruffler foot, narrow hem foot and adapter - optional
4.   Elastic thread for smocking
5.   1" wide Ribbon to tie at waist
6.  Universal or sharp machine needles size 10 or 12
7.  A clean sewing machine
8.  Sewing notions - pins, scissors or rotary cutter, iron and board, seam gauge or 1" c-thru ruler, 3x18 c-thru ruler, pencil or fabric marking pen, hand needle, contrast thread, tape measure

Here is a list of the follow up posts.  Click on the link to take you to each tutorial.
Lets Begin
Cutting Strips for ruffles
Sewing Ruffles
French seams etc.

Pajama Party Sew Along

This summer I have been lamenting the lack of proper pajama's for our unusually hot weather.  Now you know I love the heat, but it does require proper attire.  Seeing as how we only have 2 opportunities to sew together in August at Nicolet, and understanding how busy everyone is this time of year especially here in the North Woods I thought a Pajama Party Sew Along would suit perfectly. 

If you are a beginner, pajama pants or capri's are a great place to begin your garment sewing experience.  If you have very little time to sew this summer, pajama pants or a nightgown would be the perfect small project. 

I will post once a week in August possibly more for this sew along and you can check in and sew along at your convenience.  Now I have designed a pair of pantaloons for my summer p.j.s, which I will post in a day or two,  but you are welcome to sew any garment that you would wear for sleeping or lounging. 

We will begin August 5th (Friday) and you will need to let me know your joining by commenting below.  I f you will be making pajama pants you will need the following supplies

1. Pant pattern such as New Look 6160, McCalls 3432
2. Required fabrics and notions per pattern instructions.

This will be your opportunity to ask questions of me through the site which I will do my best to answer in the form of pictures or videos as the case may be.  So dust off your sewing machine, dig through your stash and lets do some sewing together.

To get you thinking about your pajama's here is some inspiration.

Nighty Nights

These look like they would certainly do the trick for hot summer nights.  A pattern made by Favorite Things and found at their on-line store The Sewing Garden

Chinese pajamas

For something elegant you might want to try these Chinese pajamas from Folkwear patterns

Princess slip



 For the lover of vintage nostalgia, this Princess slip from Folkwear  would make a beautiful nightgown

Free Pattern from Sew News

Keeping it simple this pattern is available on Sew News as a free download.  So all you need is a printer and some tape. 

I hope you are all fired up to join me for a Pajama Party. 

Fall Class Schedule Confirmed

I recently confirmed the fall class schedule at Nicolet and along with the expected ( Sewing Cafe ) I threw a few new surprises in the mix.  I hope you like them.  Please share this post with anyone who you want to tempt, treat, or bring along to class.  Of course it will be ages yet before the catalog is released ( 1st of August to be exact), so this is your sneak peak.  Remember to mark your calendars and sign up as early as possible to insure your class runs. 

An important note about registration!  Fall registration does not begin until Aut 11th. so please don't call the school before then to sign up

Sewing Cafe:  As most of you are familiar with, Sewing Cafe is a self paced, bring any project to challenge Lynne with, arrive when convenient, leave when you must, no guilt, no pressure sewing bee.  Some like to use this time as designated sewing time.  Some come for the excellent company and occasional treat.  Everyone though likes to get help from me with fitting, pattern alteration, and learning basic to advanced sewing skills.  What can I say we have fun, and get a lot done.  We encourage creativity and joyful abandon:)

James learns to sew

 Sometimes we have young people join us.  Always a treat.

We have been known to make costumes to chair covers, window treatments to baby books, coats to camisoles.

Every project starts with an idea and sometimes those ideas come from fellow students.

                                              Hope you can join us for our next Sewing Cafe. 

Jeans That Fit:  This class has 4 Saturday sessions in September.  We will using the Jalie pant pattern which has received rave reviews from all.  There is a class material fee of $45.00 dollars which will include the pattern, denim, zipper, jean button and studs essential for professionally finished jeans.  You need to understand pattern instructions, sew basic seams and have your own machine.  Stay tuned for a special post with more information and pictures of the finished project.  If you struggle with finding jeans that fit, we will end that struggle for you.  You get to be the "Decider"!  Low rise? Medium rise? High rise? Boot cut? Straight cut? Flares? You decide......excited at the possibility of having jeans that fit you in the waist and the hip?  Please join me then in making your perfectly comfortable jeans.

Sewing Lab 102: This class is a continuation of the sewing lab 101 running this summer.  We will build on the skills learned in 101 while finishing another garment.  The class runs for 4 Tuesday evenings in Sept.  If you have taken any of Lynne's Learn to Sew classes this will be the perfect next step for you.  Again stay tuned for more information and project pictures as the date draws closer.

Little Black Dress: One thing all stylists agree on is that we all need a Little Black Dress.  A dress that is ready to take us places.  A basic style that can be easily accessorized for different looks and different times of the day.  This class runs for 4 Saturdays in Oct. All sewing levels are welcome.  You choose the pattern and the fabric and I will help with the rest.  Just in time for the Holiday party lineup.  Feel free to contact me if you would like additional help choosing a suitable pattern for your skill level prior to class.  Already have awesome sewing skills, but can't find the time to sew?  Join us!  Class time makes for easy designated sewing time.  No interruptions, no phone calls, no yard work.

On The Go Tote:  Many of you are already familiar with this tote.  I was introduced to the pattern by a student (great idea).  This tote is what I use to bring my studio to class.  It holds my rotary cutting board, my fashion rulers, my notions and sewing tools, patterns, and the list goes on.  I have modified the pattern a touch so that it zips closed...don't want my valuable rolling around the trunk of the car.  This class is 3 Saturdays in Nov.  It is a major stash buster and you can purchase the pattern directly from me or a local supplier.  You will want to be a intermediate sewer for this project and know how to use a rotary cutter.  Projects pictures to follow in a separate post.

Whew!  I think that is enough for now.  The class dates and registration numbers are listed at right under the class schedule list.  Please save the dates and stay tuned for class updates to follow soon.

Elizabeths bit of Whimsey

 Our Darling Friend Elizabeth made this equally darling baby book for a friends child.  It is of her own design made from scraps she found in her fabric stash.  She discovered that, once again Betty is right  when she says "When you buy what you like, it will all go together".

 She was inspired by some simialar baby books she had seen on-line, but not wanting to deny herself the pleasure of designing her own, she set about searching for some simple applique patterns.

Next she found simple poems or nursery rhymes that suited the applique patterns she liked.

 She then printed those rhymes onto printable fabric sheets.

 Then backed the appliques and the rhymes with a fusible webbing.

 Fused them onto her background fabric and stitched around them.  She placed a layer of fusible batting between each page.  Created a book binding from varying widths of fabric strips and then bar tacked through the book binding layers to hold them all together.

Thank You Elizabeth for sharing this project with us and providing such wonderful photos for sharing.

Your book is Absolutely Adorable and Claire is sure to enjoy it for years to come.

What special gift projects are you planning for this summer?

Sewing Cafe at Nicolet-Summer Schedule

 It may not seem possible at the moment...but in just a few months we could be doing this...

but then we might have to deal with this......

In which case wouldn't it better to join your friends at Sewing Class:)  No mosquito's and great company make for a most enjoyable time. 

The summer schedule for Nicolet has just been confirmed so be sure to save the dates listed on the side bar to the right, under Sewing Class Schedule.

A note about some changes you will notice when you receive your official catalog.

Friday sessions will run from 9-4 or 12-4.  Why this change?

     1) We all seem to run out of steam in the afternoons

     2) We do love our Fish Fries here in the North woods as well as an early dinner

     3) It should help to reduce the cost of the class

Learn to Sew will no longer be held in conjunction with Sewing Cafe   Why this change?

     1) Instead I will be offering a Learn to Sew Lab.

The Learn to sew lab will run for 3 sessions on Tuesday evenings, from 5-8pm.  This class is a project based class where the students will learn how to use their machine along with common terminology, understanding a basic pattern, and practice sewing.  We will then move onto to making a common sewing notion, as well as a basic garment.  Parents or Adult family members are encouraged to sign up with their children or grand children.  Children over the age of 10 can attend on their own as well.  Stay tune for more information about this class as we get closer to July.  Please make your summer guests aware of this fun summer activity, as well as any family or friends who would like some "summer camp" fun.

In closing I would like to share some sewing foolishness with you.  So sit back and enjoy Betty Hutton sing about her sewing machine. 

Anniversary & Project Restyle

I am so pleased and excited to have received the gift of " a shelf" for my 11th wedding anniversary.

Doesn't it look grand?  In another week it will surround my entire studio, but we are waiting for more brackets to arrive.  If you are not sure to which(of the many) shelf I am referring...its the one directly under the clock that runs the length of the wall.  Can flooring and a ceiling be far behind?  Probably, buts its a great stride forward :)

A quick note about Sewing Cafe at Nicolet - The Friday classes in March are confirmed to run! I am really looking forward to seeing every ones projects, their latest sewing related purchases, and just being with some of my sewing family.  See you on the 4th.

On to the Restyle -

 I cannot  remember how this sad little dress form came into my possession.  I think it was given to me by someone who hadn't a clue what to do with it, sitting in their garage or storage area cluttering up the place. So I either accepted it gratefully, or I picked it up at a yard sale, but really I think the 1st version is correct.

The 2nd part of the story has to do with a picture in some long forgotten magazine that showed a similar dress form beautifully recovered in a quilted muslin.  Upon seeing this image I knew that was just the ticket for my sad little form.  I promptly cut the image out and put it on my cork board..and then into an idea folder, and then back to the cork board, and then into my project notebook.  This went on for years...yes years!!

Then suddenly this week I couldn't take it any more, I dug through my stash to look for a suitable fabric...

and Voila!....

...my sad little dress form became Rosy.  She is covered in a cotton monks cloth, left over from a long ago curtain job.  I am so thrilled to have finally accomplished this project.  Feels Great!

In closing I thought I would add this Restyle Project, which was completed years ago.  This pin stand started out as a brass ashtray.  I sprayed painted it and dropped a magnetic pin holder into it.  The handle works great for moving it around clients or the studio as needed.

Blue News, Inspiration and free shipping

The recent news from Nicolet is that this Saturdays(2-26-11) Sewing Cafe class has been canceled :(   I am still waiting to hear about Marches Friday sessions. 

So I will admit to feeling blue about this, which led to my being drawn to .....

Blue Buttons.....

Now that I am selling some items on Etsy, I have been doing more shopping there and thought I would expose you to the wonderful world of artisans to be found.

Paperpeacock

"These are so sweet with a pale water blue center, and pale avocado edge with robin egg blue dots. "
Each measures 1 1/8" inches.  The set of 3 retails for $15.00 
 Click on the link above to get yours today or to see the other beautiful buttons and items she makes from her Michigan home.

 Another blue button.....

This next button is from LeAnn at Unique Buttons and she is offering free shipping to anyone who mentions Sewing Cafe when they place their first order!!  Thanks LeAnn

Unique Buttons "My buttons are handmade one at a time in my studio
Beautifully painted art glazes on this button ~just the right mix of 2 shades of Blue
Size ~ 1.25" diameter ~ one button as shown
Perfect for that special garment ~ sweater, jacket, shawl, scarf ~ or let your imagination and creativity guide you. If you need a special color, e-mail me.
These buttons can be washed on the gentle cycle with the garment turned inside out or hand washed. They are one of a kind and each button will vary in design.

Can you tell I am ready for spring ...even spring showers?  Here is a little inspiration in blue, which makes me feel a lot less blue and has started me daydreaming about ..... red shoes if I were to tell the truth.

 

What is not to love about this gorgeous dress?  Its a gingham...in teal and black....has rhinestone buckles....and could not be more flattering!  Its a vintage 50's dress beautifully made, kept and photographed.  LOVE IT. 

To wear this dress in Wisconsin would require a wrap of some nature...closed possibly with a ceramic button?  White fur perhaps?  What are your thoughts.

Where would you like to use those buttons?  A jacket, purse, pillow or....? Do tell.



Saturdays Sewing Cafe

As per usual Saturdays Sewing Cafe proved to be inspirational, productive and fun. It began with Sarah arriving first thing in the morning, excited to get to her sewing. Last time we were together Sarah had cut out her very first dress and learned about the tedium (some people think its tedious) of correctly marking all of her dots and notches. She bravely muscled through it but was really looking forward to the actual sewing part...you know the part that makes you feel like you might actually have a garment someday? The first thing she got to sew was 4 darts, 2 for the bodice and another 2 for the lining. Because we had done a fba for her and the bodice ends just below the bust line this created a very abrupt pointy dart....completely undesirable. 

The solution requires curving the dart legs.  The pencil line in this picture represents the original dart legs and the red line represents the required change.  This softens the shape and provides for a fuller bust.

Candy arrived next....very unusual as she usually arrives before I do, in fact when I didn't see her car parked out front, I wondered if I had the right day.  Seriously-lol 

But it was the right day and she was eager to make some progress on her winter coat...it is warming up you know?  She made great progress, setting her sleeves attaching her collars, then sewing her lining in.  Quite remarkable progress.

In the afternoon, we had 2 new Learn to Sew students arrive along with George.  George finished up the sleeves on his shirt, and got the hemming done.  His shirt reminds me of  the Lone Ranger

 

It is this same style but in a nice cream twill and without the welt pockets.  George is planning on tackling a corduroy sports coat next.  How exciting is that?

Our two new students a mother daughter team, Jessica and Susan learned how to use their machines, about the basic notions and supplies and how to sew and press a proper seam.  Once they had the basics down Jessica started on a dog jacket from a pattern by Green Pepper.  Interestingly she chose a leopard printed minky I have had my eye on for a hoodie, I kept trying to figure out how to work it into my active wear wardrobe, even though the colors were wrong.  I am not sure how I feel about the fact that its now keeping some nice family dog warm and cute...r.  Susan is a triathlete and wants to make a t-shirt quilt using all of her racing T's.  Fun!!

Elizabeth arrived mid-morning and I was completely out of the loop on what her days projects was going to be, but I knew she would surprise and charm us.  Her beau is a Star Wars fan, and he has a family member who is due to have a child of undetermined sex soon.  In enters Elizabeth and her keen desire for a unique gift.  One of her sewing books suggested appliqueing t-shirts for children, which she found perfectly charming..because it is, but of course now we need to tie in the Star Wars theme...right?  Of course.  After a brief artistic consultation, our designer produced these:

Now you know that if Elizabeth is involved a book is sure to follow.  So here you see the inspiration for these adorable onsies.  Each letter represents a planet in the "Star Wars" galaxy.  Can you guess which ones?  I will get you started, A is for Alderon...E is for_______________?

Using her Bernina machine she stategically stitched the name of each planet onto her fabric to create a cute patch. 

Well that's it for this weeks Sewing Cafe at Nicolet.  Our next Saturday class will be held on the 26th, and don't forget to sign up by this Thursday the 17th.

Student progress

 Technically this young girl is not one of my students, but I could not resist sharing a picture that Elizabeth shared with me. 

Elizabeth is mentoring this young girl in the art of sewing.  Here she is proudly displaying a very fancy sleep mask and her1st project the apron with a personal and unique pocket design.

It's a good feeling isn't it to see the smile that only making something yourself can bring.  Good job Elizabeth for sharing your skills with someone else. 

Check the schools where you live to see if they also offer a mentoring program.  You too could be sharing your sewing skills with an interested youth.  4-H also provides the opportunity for volunteering to teach sewing.

 Paula completed her drawstring active wear pants.  These pants were made using McCalls 4261, and they were easily completed during class time. 

Seeing as how Paula works out everyday I can only imagine how much of a work out these pants will get.


She is back from LA and looking forward to sharing her new fabric purchases with us. That will be something else to look forward to.

She also completed her skirt that she had started before leaving on her trip.  Thanks Paula for taking these pictures for us.

The skirt appears to be a linen color here, but its actually a silvery grey.  It has some lovely seaming to it which is reminiscent of a 30's bias gown, and its that seaming which provides the gracful sweep to the skirt.  We did have to alter the length of this skirt which was a bit tricky because of the circular shape of the pattern piece, but it looks like it turned out nicely. 

Peg is headed off to Daytona for her annual trip.  She made this bag for her knitting projects...its quite the satchel!  She modified an existing pattern adding the zippered closure, the dowls at the top, and the exteriour pocket.  She free motion quilted the canvas

 As always customized her zipper fob, and you gotta love the triangular tab...now thats going the extra distance yes?

Had to have a shot of her additional pockets inside.  This Satchel took her 3 full days to sew and its a beautiful example of Pegs work.  She loves designing, customizing and problem solving her way through all kinds of bags, totes, book covers, and organizers.



Great work to one and all!!

Saturday's class is sure to provide more inspiration and hopefully some additional pictures.