Showing posts with label Sewing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sewing. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The Busy Season

Thanksgiving is coming up here in the U.S. We are hosting this year as Joe is on call. I look forward to holidays every year. Getting together with family and eating wonderful food and just spending time together.

While this is one of my favorite times of year it is also one of my busiest! Not only am I preparing, cleaning, and planning dinner for 6 adults (maybe 7) and 6 children it is busy season at my online shop. It all starts with Black Friday, then Cyber Monday, then Christmas. So please forgive me if I am not "here" much in the next week! I have lots I would like to blog about (like my first time pressure canning!!) and photos I am taking with blog posts (like my new price book) in mind. Just need to find the time to sit down and get the thoughts out here. :)

I leave you with previews of my coming black friday stocking at Sewing Alley and Sewing Alley on Hidden Element Congo. Both of which are stores on Hyena Cart. If you haven't yet checked out Hyena Cart you should! Chances are if its on your list someone sells it handmade on Hyena Cart. Make sure you enter the giveaway at the Sewing Alley Blog too, it ends 12/1/09!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Help Support Handmade and Get the Word Out!!

Help spread the word about Hyena Cart by adding one of these banners to your blog, facebook page, or website! If you are unfamiliar with Hyena Cart check out this link.





Hyena cart is:

A collection of unique shops offering a variety of earth-, child-, and
family-friendly items. Each shop is individually owned and operated but is
powered by the unique Hyena Cart shopping code.

You can find the codes for the following buttons and banners (plus more!) at this page here:







I would love to see all the HC love so please post a link in my comments and I will stop by and say Hi.

Want to help spread the word?

Help spread the word about Hyena Cart by adding one of these banners to your blog, facebook page, or website! If you are unfamiliar with Hyena Cart check out this link.





Hyena cart is:

A collection of unique shops offering a variety of earth-, child-, and
family-friendly items. Each shop is individually owned and operated but is
powered by the unique Hyena Cart shopping code.

You can find the codes for the following buttons and banners (plus more!) at this page here:







I would love to see all the HC love so please post a link in my comments and I will stop by and say Hi.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

My New Sewing Room

We have been rearranging around here lately. My sewing stuff has been housed in the living room until recently. I now have my very own sewing room. Well kind of my own, I'll share it, maybe. We decided to move the three older kids into the master bedroom. Joe and I don't use our room except to sleep. Naomi is still co sleeping with us and naps in there but otherwise the room sits unused all day. We measured and moved our king bed and the side carred crib into the smaller back bedroom that used to be Madeline's. They were excited to move as they can have the bunk beds again if they are sharing a room. With the bunk beds, a toddler bed, and 2 large shelves they still have a huge amount of play space left in there. The living room is so much nicer now and looks twice the size. I will make sure to get some photos of the other rooms and post them so you can see the difference.

View from the door of the sewing room



Some of my fabric. Isn't it pretty. I love me some fabric. I like to feel it and pet it and feel it. Especially minkee, oh the feel of minkee. This is mostly flannel, wovens, fleece, knits, and felt. The small totes contain patterns, thread, and trims. The top three squares are projects in progress.

One half of the closet. The very top shelf is mostly storage items. The other shelves hold miscellaneous notions, the scrap box, my snap press, and yes more fabric. Fabric over here is corduroy, denims, terry cloth, and holiday fabrics. The other half of the closet contains my roll of newsprint for pattern making, bolts of fabric, and some storage totes that contain the two little girls outgrown clothes. These will become their keepsake quilts. Which I usually give them about age 4 as they can remember some of the more recent clothes by then.

There was room for Madeline's desk and her sewing machine. She has an older Kenmore we bought used at the local sew and vac. It is a great machine for her.



My precious, oh I mean my sewing machine and serger.


Table number two. This one is holding my new baby (sorry Naomi). Its a Brother LB-6770 sewing and embroidery machine and it arrived yesterday!! I cannot wait to use it. The drawer storage is really great. Everything in this used to be housed in a storage tote and I would have to dig and dig and it was always messy. Drove me nuts! So top drawer holds my business cards, postcards, magnets, and other miscellaneous advertising items. Second drawer holds my hang tags, ribbons I use for packaging, and labels. Third drawer holds my snaps for my snap press, size tags, sweater shaver, lint roller, etc. Last drawer holds my instruction manuals and poly mailers.

More storage totes. The first one on the left is completed items, middle is fabrics that shed (teddy bear fabric, oh my gosh its messy!), and the third one is wool sweaters that are waiting to become something else.



Kind of an awful picture but the sun was out today and letting in all this gorgeous light. Mmmm sun, must soak it up now before its gone. Okay back... This is the shelf for some of the homeschooling stuff. Books that we don't want Naomi to rip or Marah to color on. The older two kids workbooks and Madeline's scrapbooking supplies. There are a few empty shelves that I will fill with Madeline's craft stuff that she can't keep in her room because of the littles. Mainly her water color set and other messy like crafts. She can come in here and create at her desk without the interference of little hands. Unless I'm sewing then there will be littles in here as well. So see I am sharing. :)

And for your viewing pleasure. Some of the items created by the machines you just saw. Click on the photos to see the full size images over at Hidden Element.

And blogger spell check just so you know serger is too a word. Serger not a word. Sigh...

Friday, August 7, 2009

Sewing Alley

I am excited to announce that after a long (really long!) break I will be re-opening Sewing Alley in September. Check out the Sewing Alley Blog for more information in the coming weeks. Make sure to become a follower or join our newsletter to receive updates on new products, stocking dates, and special discount codes just for followers and subscribers!


Wednesday, July 15, 2009

No clothes? Make some!

Madeline had nothing to wear this morning. So instead of digging through the dirty laundry for something semi clean I decided to make her a new skirt. I had it cut just have not had the time to sew it yet. Its a little big in the waist but otherwise looks great. I'm really glad she chose this fabric. It turned out really nice.




Friday, May 15, 2009

Check out this Giveaway at Just Tutes!

Wanted to let you know that Just Tutes is holding a giveaway at her blog through May 19th. The cutest little dress pattern. I can only hope I win it with three girls in this house but thought some of you may want to join the fun as well. :)

Check out her other stuff while you are there! She shares a wealth of information and tutorials. Her tutorials are super easy to understand and include lots of photos.

Monday, February 2, 2009

A November Catch Up

Yet another catch up post. Photos from November. A big busy month. Lots of play dates, activities, and the first stocking of Sewing Alley since Naomi was in my belly. It was a nice long break to recooperate from birth and newbornhood.

Three eggs in one day!

Every year there is a field trip through one of the homeschool groups. It is called School on Trains. You get a discounted rate on a ticket to Seatttle and back. Maddy and Joe went last year and this year Michael was old enough to attend as well. They have a blast! They arrive in Seattle in the afternoon and leave in the evening. The train car is full of other homeschooling families.

Not going to label the photos as I was not there so not sure what they are.





Our first green egg!

She loves taking a bath.

Michael got a new hair cut.

2 more Seattle photos, not sure how they got down here.


Michael took some photos of himself one day. The kids love to take pictures and will often ask for the camera and I will get it back full of the most interesting pictures. I love these!






Playing Play dough with G, A, and A who were here to play for a bit. This is the best play dough ever! Not stinky like that store bought stuff and smooth unlike some home made recipes. You can find out more about it here. I know, I know. lol


I made Marah a new dress. Its just cheap flannel as it was a practice dress.
The kids like playing with pattern blocks. Michael made this and says it is a Bionicle.

Marah made this one.


Our friends L, C, and M came to visit. L and I were working on a Collaboration for Sewing Alley (you can view them here and here) and the kids played while we worked.
They played dress up out of the hall closet.
M.

My friend L. Yes she does have a face. I believe Maddy took this photo.
Self portrait.

C.