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This will only be available until 23:59 EDT ON SUNDAY, 9 AUGUST

 

Hello everyone!
This is an extra post, as it is time sensitive!  Charles Worth (1825 – 1895) is often called the “father of haute couture”.  His garments were made from luxurious fabrics, and he started The House of Worth.  Many of his garments are still in existence and are owned and displayed by museums around the world.

There is a video on youtube for a lecture called How to Make a Worth Gown, featuring Cathy Hay. 

Read more: Fashion History – House of Worth – Time Sensitive  »

Hello everyone!

I am so sorry I missed last week – I was waiting on 2 new pressing accessories for my collection and time just got a way from me!  I read an article on these pressing boards a while back and then my notes were buried in my to do stack.  When I started doing this series of pressing posts, I remembered them and decided to order them.

 

The first board I ordered was a new sleeve board.  I know I reviewed one a few weeks ago, but when I saw this one,

Read more: More Pressing Boards…… in Various Shapes and Sizes!  »

Hello Everyone,
I hope all is well and you are having some stitching time!  I am continuing my ironing thread – to emphasize again that pressing matters!  On to boards.  I have several, and each is for something specific.   For many years, I had a little ironing board that had 1 leg and screw attachment that connected to my sewing table.  I recently got a new sewing table (yeah!), and my little ironing board would not work, so I came up with something else.

I have a small laptop table next to my sewing machine. 

Read more: Non-traditional Ironing Boards, and New Issue of Classic Sewing Magazine!  »

Hello everyone!
Summer is rolling along and it is heating up, at least in my neck of the woods.  July seems to be flying by,and I can’t figure out where the time is going!  After my post last week, I had a question about gravity fed irons, vs steam generated irons, and what is the difference?

A gravity fed iron uses gravity to bring the water from a tank to the iron.  The tank has to be above  the iron.  It can hang from a hook on the ceiling or you can get an IV stand to hang the tank. 

Read more: Irons Again… Gravity Fed, Pressurized Steam Generator, and Shoes!  »

I hope you had a nice 4th of July!  I am going to start on pressing notions, but first I am showing throwback pictures of some nametags!  I have been cleaning and sorting, and found these in one of my (many) sewing bags.  Years ago, there was a talented smocker in Southern CA who was also a painting artist and her name was Barbara Lambright.  If I remember correctly her husband wielded a wicked jigsaw as well.

This was before the internet was big, and digital cameras were a thousand dollars for less than 1M pictures. 

Read more: Pressing Matters…On to Notions and Nametags!  »

Happy Monday!
It is hard to believe that we are almost through the month of June.  I always have plenty of things to keep me busy, but the one thing that I did not expect with the problem keeping up with what day it is!  My life was fairly scheduled, between my different jobs, meetings, and classes.  Once all of that stopped, I still had (have!) lists of projects, but not really on a set schedule.  I have to stop and think to make sure I know what day I am on!

This is part 2 of pressing matters,

Read more: Pressing Matters – Part 2  »

Hello everyone, I hope you had a great week!  I have gotten a lot done – but little bits on a lot of things, so it does not appear that I have made much progress….. but it will all come round in the end!
I am starting my Pressing Posts – I am talking about different types of irons, as well as the actual ironing and pressing itself.  Not to be forgotten, of course, are the ironing NOTIONS.  For those of you who have spent any time with me, you know I am all about notions that can make my sewing life easier / faster,

Read more: Pressing Matters – Part 1  »

Hello everyone, I hope you have had a wonderful week!  I am still working on some ironing/pressing posts, but wanted to get this in first, as this is time sensitive.  I have a few Craftsy classes, but the only way I knew what was happening, was that one of my teacher friends who has taught several Craftsy classes had emailed me to let me know.  There is a letter on their website (www.myblueprint.com) that ‘explains’.

Craftsy started out as an online class website, where you could purchase an ‘Own Forever’ class and have access to it always,

Read more: Craftsy / Bluprint is Going Away….  »

Hello everyone!  I have been out of pocket for a couple of weeks due to circumstances beyond my control!  I am still adding things to my website, slowly, but surely.  One new upgrade – you are able to order fabric in 1/4 yard (.25/.5/.75) increments, which will be helpful.

I received a package the other day – fabric that I had ordered a while ago.  Most of the time when I am at a textile show and the vendors are showing their ‘new’ prints for order, it is 5 or 6 months before the fabric actually ships.  When I order new fabric,

Read more: A Bee in my….. Bodice?  »

Hello everyone,
I hope this finds everyone safe and healthy!  I have continued on my organization mission, while trying to do some sewing and paperwork as well.  Previously, I talked about one of my time saving tips, winding bobbins.  Buying thread in cones (if your thread is available) is more economical, and makes it easy to ‘power wind’!  One of the things to remember about threads is that your machine has to like your thread.  Your machine will always win!

***As a side note for Mettler threads, a few years ago, Mettler changed the color numbers of their threads,

Read more: 40, 50, 60 and Why?! Thread weight, not age!  »