GeorgiaPeachez

Pat on the Back and Something New

I'm all smiles and quite proud of my self this week because I finally taught myself how to use a serger.

I scored this Bernina serger at the thrift store several years ago for the insane price of 20 bucks.  Crazy...right?

With the help of Youtube I finally sat down a couple of weeks ago and figured it out!!

I know, I know.  Using a serger is not rocket science and now I realize that.  I don't know why I let this sit and collect dust for so long.  Using a serger is FABULOUS :->

I immediately was inspired to dive into my extensive (can you say hoarder) fabric collection and make some pillow covers.  I think it's a great way to finally whittle down the inventory and share the vintage fabric love.

 

These are just a sample of what I made so far, there are many more in my shop and I am adding more every day.   

Diapers and Veggies?

I've just bobbed back up to the surface after being immersed in my sewing room for the past day and half completing a sewing project for a dear friend.

My friend and hairdresser extraordinare Jodi asked me to make a custom diaper bag for her first baby that is coming....well, sometime soon.  I jumped on that request and converted it into my gift for the new baby.  So when the shower invite arrived a week ago, uh-oh....time to get busy.

But it wasn't going to be that simple.  The soon to be new mom had challenged me with a theme of vegetables and a gender neutral palette. Finding cute veggie fabric was an almost impossible task but I finally found the perfect design.

I didn't wish to create a sewing pattern from scratch so I found a cute one on Etsy from this seller. 

 

I like the big pocket on the front and the side pockets with the elastic, perfect for bottles.

I modified the pattern a bit, putting the scalloped pocket on the front and back.  I also added a zipper closure to the top.

I absolutely adore these fabrics and I think they fit the veggies for babies gender neutral theme perfectly.  Cute little veggie critters and a few friends :->

I modified the pattern again to add an interior zippered pocket.  I lined the inside with laminated houndstooth fabric for easy cleanup.

The baby shower is this weekend and I can't wait to see the soon to be mommy's reaction :->

I Was a Very Ambitious 6th Grader

Santa brought my very first sewing machine when I was 8 years old.  Before that I hand stitched little dresses for my Barbie dolls.

MamaPeach was always my inspiration when it came to sewing.  I have two older sisters and mamapeach would sew clothes for us.  I have very fond memories of a poncho trimmed out in rows and rows of rick rack in varying sizes and colors.  I also remember very clearly a gaucho pant/bolero vest outfit made of thin whaled kelly green corduroy, again trimmed with rick rack.  I wore this with my patent leather faux lace up (zipper on the side) boots from the Sears catalog.  I think I was 9(?) years old. 

MamaPeach always told me that if I learned to sew, she would purchase all the fabric and patterns that I wanted.  SO, I was off to the races!

 

Betsey Johnson designed patterns for Butterick in the 60's and 70's and I think I had them all.  I made the short version of this dress when I was 11.  Polyester of course and I used red on the bottom like the picture and brown on the top.  I LUUUVED that dress.

My MOST ambitious endeavor when I was just a wee little 6th grader was this pattern.

I made this suit for myself.  I distinctly recall shopping in the fabric section of the Almart (that's right ALMART, not Wallyworld) in Knoxville, TN where we lived at the time.  I picked out a pastel striped heavy cotton for the slacks and jacket.  I made the long sleeved ruffle trimmed blouse to go with.  I picked a coordinating pastel patterned cotton.  Darts, button holes, set in sleeves, facings.  Yes, I was quite the ambitious seamstress when I was 11 years old.

I'm sure I must have worn this with my tan leather platform sandals.  Everyone had those sandals in 1971.  Purchased at Baker's Shoes in the mall with baby sitting funds :->

Oh wait, now I remember.  I had white clogs, exactly like the ones the model is wearing on the pattern.  Also purchased at Baker's I'm sure.

(source)

More Sewing Studio Redo

Another corner of the new sewing studio.

This corner of the room is just to the right of my sewing table.  I'm so proud of myself because that cubbie shelf used to be filled with fabric in my upstairs sewing room.  I purged enough fabric to keep it available for other STUFF. 

Wait... did I just claim to be pleased with myself over my hoarding organization??

Lots of favorites on these shelves.

Love my Dream Pet collection.  Gotta  have a Totoro too.

These are some of my most special pin cushions.  Most were made by my BFF Beth.

Only one corner left to brag about, but that one is a doozy.  A 32" doozy.  

Blank Slate

The painting is completed.  I've laid carpet squares onto the subfloor in place of the old carpet.  (my house is 1970's era, alas, no hardwood floors in the bedrooms)

I brought down my sewing table to figure out the best spot for it.  The entire room organization will revolve around the sewing table.  It is the heart of this studio.  I've placed it here so I am facing the door and the view out the window.

That ugly ceiling fan is still there, I needed it for circulation while I was painting but now I can have it removed.  That's next, along with a LOT of trips up and down the stairs to bring down all the stuff. 

Here we go, now the fun part :-> 

Potential

Now that the teenager has been relocated you can finally see some potential here.

Tomorrow the carpet hits the curb and the painting begins. 

I can't wait to get rid of that hideous ceiling fan :->

The Sewing Studio is Moving - Finally

It's been very quiet around this blog for a while, but things are whipping up into a frenzy right now.

Yesterday I started the big move for my sewing studio.

I've shown you before, my haven, my sewing studio. It currently resides on the third floor of my house in a room without a single window :-<

Now that littlepeach#1 has finished two years of college she has finally, reluctantly, let go her grip on her big bedroom on the third floor and agreed to move across the hall. Into my, soon to be, old sewing studio.

That means that littlepeach#2, who starts high school in the fall will get to move upstairs to the "big girl room" with her own attached bath.

What this means most significantly though, is that I FINALLY get to move my sewing studio down to the second floor into her old room. The room with the most natural light in the whole house. Bigger too.

So I'm going to share some progress photos as I SHIFT around 3 rooms in my house. Three rooms that are each full of stuff! It's a daunting undertaking, but I'm ready. Here goes.

This is my new space. Soon anyway.

As you may or probably can't tell, I've already begun to move the teenager stuff upstairs.

Once we get this place emptied out, there will be new flooring, new lighting, new paint and lots of organization coming in. Stay tuned.

Potholders & Posies and Buttons too

I'm back to working on some bags this week.  

A Nice Feature

I want to thank Linda from A Collective Journal for featuring one of my dress form displays in her article today about vintage dress forms.

 

The dress form display that she featured is one that I made a few weeks ago using that interesting fabric that I purchased at the quilt show and that piece has been sold.

Right now I have three pieces in my shop.

This one is made from vintage grain sack fabric and I added some old lace to embellish one side.

 

This one is made from felted wool and it's very soft :->

 

This girl is my favorite, she's very 70's chic.

 

I'm working on some new ones too that are pretty neat.  One of them is made using vintage floral feedsack, but I've put the wrong side of the fabric out, so it has a very faded and neutral look to it.  I'll share that one next time :->

I Love Old Eyelet