My Second "Sewing to Make A Difference Project"

I have few girlfriends who I talk shop about sewing with and here is our blog: http://mommaswhosew.wordpress.com/ Well, we got together for our first Christmas exchange--the first of many I hope. We decided to sew each other suprise gifts. It was so cool because I got a few things I really would have purchased for myself. Alicia, who makes fabulouse, custom order twirly skirts for girls made Sara and I AWESOME pajama/lounge pants--they are so cute and comfortable. Sara made Alica and I amazing vintage button bracelets--she has a buisness making vintage button jewelry and sewing paper products. For them I sewed two different things: for Alicia who loves purple, I made a purple polkadot clutch from muse patterns--LOVE Shannon Richards patterns http://www.museonline.net/patterns/shop.htm As for Sara I made her a pair of upcycled mitts from recycled fabric. Our exchange was really a true highlight of my holidays--we got to eat at a great restaurant in downtown san mateo, talk shop and leave with presents--does it get any better than that for a sewing junkie?

Anyway, the mitts ended up leading to my second "Sewing to MAKE A DIFFERENCE project". I decided to make and sell the mitts and donate the proceeds to a local shelter. Each pair of upcylced mitts is made from recycled specialty wools and cashmere fabric, hand embroidered and finished with a gorgeouse vintage button. From each pair I sell, 75% of the proceeds will go to supporting a local shelter down town that helps low income families. After I put the word out, I was fortunate enough to get a few orders from dear family and friends(THANKS TRACY AND LIZ FOR BELIEVING IN ME AND THE PROJECT) over Christmas. The question I keep getting is, "why 75%"? For this particular project, it is my way of doing volunteering and activism. At this stage of my life--having two small children, one of whom has on going medical issues, going out and donating my time is not really possible--However,this project allows me to donate my time in a different capacity. By sewing the mitts and selling them to raise money for a shelter--I am donating my time to the shelter by sewing. I think the mitts also are symbolic because if you purchase a pair and your hands are warm--it is a reminder that your heart is kind because you bought something that will benifit families in need. Since I have a long history of volunteering, this project really brings me back to making me feel like I can try to do a small thing to MAKE A DIFFERENCE and stay connected to volunteering which has always been very important to me.

Handmade Christmas

So, our family is doing a handmade Christmas and now my little elves, Beech and Annie are old enough to put their own creative mark on their gifts too. We have been working together to make our gifts. For the cousins, we made decoupage wooden boxes. This was such a fun activity to do together because Beech loved the process of finding magazine pictures that worked for a boy and a girl. Then, after hunting for pictures, we started the layering process on the boxes. We would just put a few on at a time, then use the decoupage glue, let it dry and do more layers. The boxes came out beautifully. This week we will be working on home made chocolate and bath bombs. What is SO neat is that the idea of DIY Christmas seems to be the theme of most craft mags from Martha Stewart, Craft Stylish and even Womans Day and the coolest part is the message it sends to our kids--you can use your hands and heart to create a special gift for someone and you don't need a lot of money to make it.

It is good for the environment, it's good for the soul

I can't beleive it has been a few weeks since I have posted an update about what is going on in the studio. Well, the covers are in the works, I am still working on a final design, but really happy with how they are turning out. Our family is also working on a handmade Christmas--so I have had a very happy little 5 year old elf helping me to make family gifts. Speaking of gifts, I recently gave a set of recycled, handmade gloves to a sewing friend who loved them and put in an order for more so she could take them on her trip across the globe and give them away as a gift. So, the gloves got me thinking about how I could make more and apply them to MAKING A DIFFERENCE. So, in addition to the covers, I will be selling handmade, fingerless gloves made out of highend, recycled fabrics such as marino wool, cashmere and lambswool. I am also beating the streets looking for a shelter that I can donate a percentage of the proceeds to. This project will be called, "Warm Hands, Warm Heart". I spoke with a local shelter today and it looks like I may have found one. I will know more formally in January. For now, any gloves I sell will have a 5% donation that will go to a local shelter in San Mateo. Along the lines of reusing, I have also fallen madly in love with recycling adult clothing into clothes for my little Annie Pants. Recently, I have made her a few dresses and a skirt. Here are a few snapshots of my recycling adventures.

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!

That Crafty Lady at StitchCraft

Well, I got up early, got my coffee and drove down the country road to Petaluma. I went to have a private sewing lesson with Nicloe Vasbinder, owner of StitchCraft http://www.stitchcraftonline.com I have been taking Nicoles classes for a few years now at StoneMountain and Daughter Fabrics in Berkeley. But, in February, Nicole opened her own studio with fabrics, notions, patterns and classes. It is SUCH an adorable, bright, sunny studio in down town, historic Petaluma, CA. Anyway, we worked on several different things: we talked about buisness--Nicole teaches a great ,"starting a small buisness class". The we went over some sewing techniques--we went over snaps and grommets. We also discussed the importance of a manual hole puncher and a manual button hole cutter. Man--it was an action packed lesson. What is SO wonderful about Nicole is the lessons are always so informative and super fun! After our lesson, we went next door to see her neighbor and owner of Maude http://maudeshop.com/about.php. It is an increadible childrens shop with rare finds of clothing made out of vintage and recycled fabrics--the clothes are amazing. The store itself is such an enchanting experience and I did not want to leave. But, alas...eventually I had to get back on that country road and head back to the bay area.

Some Sewing Time....

I have been so focused on trying to set up shop and the studio, I am having a tough time escaping to just sew for fun. I have dedicated saturday nights, after the kids are in bed to disappear in my studio and sew. I recently finished one of Liesl Gibsons patterns from Oliver+S http://oliverands.com/ . It is her bubble dress and such a great pattern. I will probably start using it as a shower gift for friends who are pregnant. Anyway, I made it for my oldest friend Tracy's little daughter Lily. It is so strange to have grown up with someone, as Tracy and I did and now our little daughters Annie and Lily are only six months apart--I only hope they have as much fun growing up together as Tracy and I did.

So Many Stories

So, still working on the studio and it is really coming a long. We are converting our dinning room into an addional space of of the studio for cutting and fabric storage. Our china cabinet is now my offical storage unit for fabric! It is an old 18th century dishrack which works very well for a rolled up fabric stash. As I was putting them away last night, each fabric brought back so many memories of things that I have sewn and loved or have been utter disasters! Fabrics that I bought just because I loved the pattern, but have yet to make something out of. And seeing it all together, I can really see a common theme of colors and textures I seem to LOVE. Pinks/reds and browns. There is a lot of blue in there too. Here is a picture of the stash--I am so glad I did it because it is very inspiring to be around so much beautifully crafted fabric.

The Golden Gateway Seamstress

So, now you know...my passions--sewing(of course....)who couldn't be passionate about fabric, all the colors, the textures and the possibilities of what one can make...it makes me dizzy sometimes thinking about it. But..how did I get here...how did I fall in love with fabric? Well, mostly from my mother, who was once a seamstress in San Francisco. She tells me stories of goofy alterations people asked her to make. She often talks about "the submerine" that she worked from--her small dining room and cabinet she created to do her seamstressing in...all with a baby in tow, supporting our family. It is these stories that inspired me to draw back on some of the sewing lessons she gave me as a child---Now, years later...I know what the sewing lessons were for. They were my moms life lessons for me, woven and sewn with little gems of wisdom:don't quit, look deep in yourself and find your passion, as long as you are creative--you shall not be lonely and can always put a penny in your pocket. So, this is where my passion for sewing started, from the example of my mother. Here is a picture of my mom and dad, during her days as a seamstress in SF. My dad is no longer living, but my mom resides in Menlo Park: still working long days in real estate; which she has practiced for 36 years--as the soul supporter of my brother and I. She also continues to carry on with her passion for sewing and hand crafts: she makes dresses for my little muse, Annie. She has also been working, hours a day for a year on a Mary Engelbrieght needle point tapestry for Annie's first birthday. And...if you look in her purse at anytime, you can usually find some knitting needles and a current project. So...this is where my craft passion comes from--my mom...and dearest friend..

Busy Setting Up Shop

Wow, I have not entered a post since July...what have I been doing? Well, setting up the studio to teach classes from great pattern designers like Shannon Richards, from Muse http://www.museonline.net/. I LOVE, LOVE her patterns! Her cosmetic bag pattern is one of my most treasured aquisitions because I make them for "any occasion gifts". I have also been playing with Betsy Ross patterns from owner and propriatress, Aimee Dolby. I have had so much fun making her new raglan top pattern--I adore using old vintage fabrics for this top. And last but not least--my greatest undertaking yet...sewing some clothes for my, little Annie Pants. I have been using a lot of Oliver+S patterns, by Liesl Gibson for my little gal. There is something so special about Liesl's patterns and I am addicted to the flicker group on her blog! I have also been purchasing some vintage dress patterns with yokes and the famouse, two piece jiffy dress, I can't wait to add some great trims and fabric covered buttons to them!

I have also been working on MAD's first project to raise awareness and money towards the cause of Human Trafficking. This is MAD's first sewing/awareness theme and I am SO excited about the project. So...that is where I have been, held up in my studio--setting up shop and working up a new pattern that I will soon unvail as MAD's first project to combine a passion for sewing and a desire to make a difference!

Fun Finds

Researched some new patterns today. Discovered Oliver+S patterns for children's clothes. Such cute patterns, can't wait to try them out. Also, cut out some pants from Britches and Bloomers--it is just the sweetest and easiest pattern to sew with. I have made a few other pairs and it is ALWAYS fun to find vintage fabrics for the britches or cute prints with polka dots for the bloomers. Annie, my daughter is my sewing muse! She is turning one soon and I am making her a little wardrobe for her birthday. I have already finished a few pairs of pants from Britches and Bloomers, some tops from Sew Functional; including a cupcake top made out of cupcake fabric with a pink and pink polka dot collar. I plan to make a trip to the Bobbins Nest this week to try to pick up some cute Moda fabric and maybe an Oliver+S pattern or two! I am also planning to pick up some Amy Butler fabric at Yarn Paper Scissors in Burlingame--they have the MOST fun selection of fabrics from Amy Butler. Now, I just need to find more time in the day between drives to preschool and park outings to Sew!!!

Good Day

Worked on the studio--Stored lots of fabric, brought back memories of things I have sewn. Also finished a skirt from Make It Perfect. Love the patterns, the best part is picking simply scrumpteous fabrics to put together.