Where Has the Time Gone?

My, my I have been busy in my studio working on finishing up a few projects for two local stores and also putting the final touches on the studio. It has been a busy few weeks, but also very productive too. I feel like I have been juggeling a few balls in the air--decorating the studio, finishing up some pattern design, working on MAD's website and blog....taking Crissy Herron's from buisness class--lots of fun directions to run in! Anyway, it has been a wonderful few weeks and I am really looking forward to spending lots of time in the studio and of course learning to juggle all of the new balls in the air and watching MAD grow. Here are a few snippets of my journey...

Busy, Busy, Busy

So, I headed on down that country road again to Petaluma to have another long sewing lesson with Nicole Vasbinder at StitchCraft http://www.stitchcraftonline.com I took my Bernina; which I inherited from my mother in law, Sally Basler. It is a beautiful Bernina 930. Well Nicole and I got out the manual and settled in with our lattes and went over everything. There are a few neat things about the machine. For instance, to do embroidery, the machine has a little hoop attatchment. It also has three different basting stitch lengths--for me that is SO great--I often baste a lot of Annies clothes before I sew them and this machine has an extra long basting stitch. Anyway, it was a great day at StitchCraft and as always, I feel so fortunate to have such a great teacher. At the end of the day, after the "chickens" were in bed, I worked on Dana, one of my childhood friends, wedding gift. She requested a wrap to wear for her rehersal dinner. This was a lot of fun to construct because I used all recylced garments. In the end I rolled together some curtains and a shirt in order to make a wrap. On the inside of the wrap, I sewed in a small silk flower that I clipped off of the dress I wore for my rehersal dinner, eight years ago. I drove the wrap up to SF to her today just before she left for Napa Valley, where her wedding will be this weekend. All in all it was a long, but very productive and joyouse day.

Teaching Kids is So Fun

So, I just finished teaching a sewing lesson to a group of 6th grade girls. It is so fun to teach kids because you get to hear them chatting with each other about their life and it brings me back to(MANY YEARS AGO)when I was in the 6th grade. They talk about their sports, assignments and friends--it is a whole different world than the one adults live in. I am noticing that it is not very different to teach adults versus kids--the learning curve and pace for beginners is very similar. Anyway, it was a fun lesson, we made pink spa pillows. The girls worked really hard and did all of the steps themselves. It is always a joy to see students faces when they turn their product right side out. Nobody's looks the same because they each have their own way of sewing--some very precise, others more creative and carefree. I have taught other subjects on and off over the years and it is wonderful to be able to combine the two things I am VERY passionate about--teaching and sewing, it always makes for a lovely day!