Serger Seat!

So in one of my last Tuesday Temptations, I showed yall this awesome little serger quilt from Craftiness is Not Optional:

So yesterday in a fit of I-just-need-to-sew-something-right-now, I made one!

She's a little wonky, but I like her.  :)

I love it!  It's so Springy!  Plus, it really makes it easier to maneuver the serger around on my desk.  Thanks to Jess for another super cute idea!

Have you seen her Charlotte Dress?!  Adorbs!  Perfect for Easter I think...

Yeah, that's probably going to the top of the to-do list. :)

Happy Monday, all!

Reader Feature!

Ahh!  I have readers!  I have readers who make things I've made!  WoooHOOO!

Check out the haul that Misti made made from my Lucky in Love Onesie Tute!

Fantastic!  I can't get over those dinos!!!  And Misti, your shamrocks came out so cute!  That's actually the color green I was aiming for!  Kudos!

I don't have a 'featured' button because well, I didn't think I'd need one!  But feel free to shout from the rooftops that I think you're awesome.  K?  :)

Yay!

My vintage sunsuit pattern obsession, and some thoughts

Peter over at Male Pattern Boldness recently posted about the cost and value of vintage patterns.  It's a really interesting read, and the comments are also very thought provoking.  Of course, I had to chime in with my two ten cents.  Enjoy some eye candy whilst I opine.



1975 McCall's 4494



I have only been in the sewing world for a year or so, so I am certainly no expert on vintage patterns or their true values.  But from my personal experience, some sellers seem to push the envelope (ha) as to how much cash they are owed in exchange for their pattern.  I get that some are very rare, and that condition is a major factor.  But since there is no formal set of guidelines for pricing these patterns (is there?), where do sellers get their figures?  For example, one pattern I'm currently coveting on eBay has the Buy It Now price of $47.61.  Really?  It's not necessarily the steep 40 dollarness of it; it's the odd figure.  Where does that amount - that ultra specific amount - come from?  Plus, if I had $47.61 to spend on a single pattern, do you have any. idea. how much more fabric I would have?!  Cripes.

Butterick 4631 (No date that I could find.  Early 80's?)

I don't mean any disrespect to vintage pattern sellers, I truly don't.  We can all choose where and how we spend - and make - our money.  And like I said, I don't speak from a place of expertise.  On the other side of the coin, I sometimes wonder if the people from whom I've bought my el cheapo patterns knew what they were selling, and that they possibly could've gotten more for them.  Did they not know the pattern had value (above .99¢), or did they just know they weren't going to make the rent by selling it?

1977 Simplicity 8041

((*UPDATE - See the above pattern sewn up HERE!*))

There are people who sell these vintage patterns on the cheap and there are people who do not.  I intend to sew with them, not have them matted and framed, so I will continue to seek out the affordable patterns.  They are plentiful.  Admittedly though, a few of the pricey ones do haunt my dreams.

1980 McCalls 6944

1945 Simplicity 1338 (I die.)

((*UPDATE - See the above pattern sewn up HERE!*))


Every pattern pictured above was 3 bucks or in most cases, less.  I'm not a completely cheap bastard though.  I would probably spend up to $15 if I just haaaad to have a pattern.

So what do yall think?  Do you buy and sew with Vintage patterns?  If you do, how much are you willing to spend on those bad boys?

Love to hear your thoughts!

Cheers!

Get Your Sox On!

We've got major Spring Fever here at the LouBeeDoo Household...  BAD.  It happens every year - you get one or two 50 degree days - a little taste of what's to come, and then wahh wahhhhh, back to Winter.  Boo.

So here's a couple adorable Emmy shots to remind us that Spring - and Baseball (!!!!) - are right around the corner.  Do enjoy.

Rarin' to go!

Pretty girl :)

Love and thoughts of Spring to all! 

Lucky in Love Onesie - a Tutorial

Saint Patricks Day has a special place in my heart - it's the day I was SURE my daughter would be born.  Like, SURE.  But she had other plans, as I've found children always do - and always will.  ;)

But even though Emmy was born on the 19th, I feel like she is still an Irish type soul... Like, in 20 years, she'll be a Guinness girl as opposed to a Pabst girl.   I can hope at least, right?

So anyway... Here is the Lucky in Love Onesie Tute!  Enjoy!

Tuesday Temptations

This week I'm thinking function!

I want my new sewing room to be super organized and easy to work in.  So here are a few things I think will totally help make my sewing room easy to work in AND ultra organized!

*

My ironing board cover is super gnarly.  I've had one or two several Heat'n'Bond incidents over the course, so my current cover does not a lovely sewing room accent make.
  I'll spare you the visual.  Here is a scrumptious remedy from The Cupcake Goddess:



The Cupcake Goddess - Ironing Board Cover Tutorial

*

Since my new sewing room is scant on square footage, I need to get creative.  I can only fit so many desks, shelves, and ironing boards.  What to do?  Use the walls!  I LOVE this idea from The Mother Huddle - it's ingenious and will help me store and organize all the things that would normally clutter up my desk:



The Mother Huddle - Hanging Fabric Baskets

*

Seeing as how Emmy is oft covered from the knees down in thread and scraps, I believe it's high time to keep a tidier workspace.  That means blowing with all my might the flotsam and jetsam of a project off the desk is no longer going to be the way I 'clean'.  So this awesome little friend from Sew, Mama, Sew could be the perfect solution!  It's a weighted pincushion with a scrap/thread basket and little pockets for snips and the like.  Genius!  Here is Anna from Noodleheads' gorgeous version.  I LOVE it, and no more scrappy child underfoot! :)



Noodlehead - Weighted Pincushion

 

So those are this weeks Temptations!  I do believe I will be making ALL of them!

Love to all!  And stay tuned for a new tutorial later today!  :D 



New Sewing Room - The Grand Tour

(((* UPDATE - Go HERE to see the latest tour of my sewing room! *)))

Ah!  It's finished!  My new sewing oasis!

Care to join me on a tour?  S'go!

[See some of the construction photos here.]

Let's start here at the ironing board (that needs recovering):

Ironing area!  Note the dryer vent trying to encroach.  Don't think so buddy.  WIP shelf bottom left - not too full!  Yay!  Also serger mat in progress on the ironing board!

Moving along to the left:

Ahh.. Gettin' to the good stuff!  Under the desk - trash can, small scrap basket, large scrap/wadder basket.  Up top - old CD rack turned ribbon holder, wall mounted spool racks, and of course, machines!

Here's a close up of the CD/ribbon rack!  The real small spools of ribbon don't fit on this - they fall through - but I've only got a few of those anyway, and they've been demoted to a drawer.

My desk is technically an artists' desk - it can be angled up for drawing and painting and whatnot.  But, obvi, I keep it flat.  What I LOVE about it though, are these little compartments on the right:

My scissors, rotary cutters,  rulers, bias tape makers, bobby pins, pattern weights, old paint stains, dust kittens.

Glorious!  Notion drawer to the left of the desk... Wood shelf with patterns, large cuts of fleece, flannel, etc.  Look how I stealthily covered all the wires and cords under the desk with my sewing machine case!

Moving along to the Shelves of Sewing Paradise...

SwooOOoon...

Patterns!  The ones in the large box are PDF types, like Burda and other printables.  The regular envelope patterns are in the cardboard box I have yet to cover & make pretty.  Yummy fabrics rolled in a basket just cuz, FQs, sewing basket (with manuals, needles, feet, etc.), a basket with various trims, and some wools I couldn't fit elsewhere.

So whaddaya think?!?!  Amazing, right?  I love it so much!  How super inspiring to have everything all in one place, and SO organized!

Ok, I can't chat anymore.  Must go sew.

Love to all!

Pattern Weights - an update!

I finished them!  [See the original tutorial here.]

A few things I did differently to finish these up:

• I used thicker yarn!  Much faster results. ;)
• I doubled up the strands - meaning I cut 2 lengths of yarn and worked with them as if they were one.  See pics:

Glue down the two strands, side by side, then wrap as usual!

Heather Grey, can you do no wrong?!

And that's it!  So simple!  Again, see the original tutorial here.

'EmmylouBeeDoo' needs more Emmylou.

So, those of you who got suckered into following my family sewing blog (you know who you are), I owe you an apology.  I haven't posted pictures of Emmy in ages!  Partly because I still haven't read my awesome new cameras' manual - meaning pictures of her are a blur with a delightfully crisp background (?!), and partly because I really enjoy the feedback I get when I post my crafty endeavors.  Selfish?  Maybe.  To be atoned for?  Yes.  

Tuesday Temptations

I've decided that in lieu of the 'Inspriation' and 'Gotta Make This' tabs up top there [they will be exiting shortly], I'm going to post every Tuesday about the things I've seen recently that are uber-tempting to try out!

Coo?  Ok!  Let's get down to business then.

I've had the tutorial for this floor cushion printed out since forever, but this new "all grown up" version is definitely tempting me to finally make one!  Love it.



Living With Punks - Floor Cushion



I MUST and WILL bump out like 12 of these Retro Rompers for Emmys summer vacation!  Aren't they absurdly adorable?!

Sewing in No Mans Land - Retro Romper



Seeing as how I'll soon be inhabiting a shiny new sewing space, I figure I oughta keep it shiny with one of these Mug Rugs for my coffee mug and scones [read: wine glass and Cheez-its].  Hey, I can employ my new found quilting skilz!  ;)



Pin. Sew. Press. - Gorge Linen Mug Rug

Soo pretty.

And lastly, I don't want to leave my serger out of the rug action.  This little rug will really make the serger easier to move, too!  She's heavy!  Jess and I have the same serger, and I love that she chose like, the perfect fabric to match all the knobby bits!   Awesome!



Craftiness is not Optional - Little 'Quilt'



So that's it for today!  It looks by my choices that I'm itching for springy prints and warmer weather!  And well, yeah... I am!

Love to all!

A (good) break in sewing.

No Pendrell.  No Marie.  No vintage dress.  No quilting.  No nothin'.

YAY! 

Why yay?  Because I'm moving into a brand spankin' new sewing space!!!  I'm sharing it with the washer and dryer, but they have been alloted about 10% of the space in the room.  Ha.  Take that, Kenmore.

We have been working on it for the past two weekends, and it's almost ready to occupy!  I use 'we' loosely here - it's actually been my uncle Kev and stepfather Bobby - thank you guys!!!  This room required a complete overhaul - Robins Egg Blue faux wood paneling removal (I know, sad), new insulation (we actually didn't think it was insulated, it was so cold!  But, oddly, it was), stud repair, drywall, new flooring, some minor electrical fixes... Phew!  So it's been quite the transformation, and well worth the wait!

Before: washer and dryer hogging too much space.

Oh paneling, you were lovely, and I will miss you.

Drywall up!

Washer and dryer behaving in a more civilized manner.

Future home of Sewingville!  And carpeting!

Aforementioned 10% of alloted laundry space.



My new nook... with glowy paint going up.

My paint color is Cool Morning by Valspar, and it absolutely gllllows in daylight (but is subtle at night).  Exactly what I was looking for.  I also got a Minwax stain called Special Walnut (fun) for the baseboards and trim and whatnot, but I can't decide whether to stain or to just paint all of it white.  The stain matches most of the wood in my house, as well as the door into the shiny new Palace of Sewdom, but I also like the freshness of bright white trim.  Thoughts?

 

What would yall do?

So anyhow, all things sewing/craft related are in bags and boxes and upstairs and downstairs, etc.  You know the drill.  But, I should be done painting and staining and moving furniture by the end of this week!  And [in my dreams] I will have the most fabulously productive sewing weekend! 

YAY!

Love to all!