RedHeadTexan

Hey Gang!  I have been crazy busy with work the last two months, and forgot to check in the sewing board.  I have been working from home since Mid-March and I work for a janitorial supply company.  I am very grateful that we are considered essential.  

Anyway, besides making masks, I have been taking online classes at Sew-it-Academy with Mimi G.  I am learning how to draft patterns.  So here are a few of my masks (Walt is high risk so he gets to go for car rides and stays in the car while I shop or take Fargo to the vet) and a dress that I drafted.

Lisa 

Happy New Year to my fellow seamstresses!  ❤️❤️❤️

I tried something new today! I used stretch lace to make a pencil skirt.  I have never worked with lace, but I had a vision when I saw this one at Hobby Lobby.  So, I bought a yard for $5.  I lined it with nude swim lining that I had in my stash and did the waist band out of leftover black ponte knit from a previous sew.  I still have to hem it, but I am very pleased with the look and fit.  The lace is on the heavy side, so the swim lining kept it from being ridiculously heavy.  

Lisa

What is everyone sewing this month?

I finished up the Christmas gifts with bowl cozies that are microwave safe and 11” Christmas Trees.  Now it’s on to sewing skirts for my cruise next month.

Lisa

This is the free pattern I used for the scarves.  I adjusted the pocket size to accommodate large cell phones.  There is a video at the bottom that shows how to sew this one and turn it right side out.

https://www.patternsforpirates.com/product/free-pocket-infinity-scarf/ 

Lisa

18 hours ago, mef_57 said:

Cute. Thanks for sharing. I am curious. Is the alternate fabric a pocket, or fully lined? Normally I only see the tutorials put a zipper in the seam with nothing to keep things contained inside. Thanks for any clarity.

The alternate fabric is an 8 inch x 8 inch pocket.  The scarf is not fully lined.

12 minutes ago, mef_57 said:

Yeah! Let's hear it for the wovens. So, are these some of those hidden pocket scarves so you don't need to carry a purse? Also to try and tick off pickpockets? Kinda like this? https://www.magellans.com/itemdy00.aspx?T1=MA7100+BK

They would be great gifts for Christmas, but also make a couple for your next cruise....but in something lighter and brighter.

Good luck with it and have fun.

Exactly that!  And I am making them as Christmas gifts.  Here are some that I made last weekend.

Lisa

1 hour ago, geocruiser said:

Great Picture.  Love the pink.  Was the water cold?

Oh yes, the water was cold and the air temperature was around 50 degrees with 15mph wind.  Breezy and Chilly.  Morning races were in the upper 20's, so really happy we raced at 6:10pm.  My clothes were soaked, so once we got the boat put up I stripped down to my sports bra and panties to put on sweats.  Brrr...Hannah was a little surprised that I got changed in front of everyone.  I was frozen and didn't care.  

Current project is flannel infinity scarves with 8inch zipper pockets.  Yes, I am trying my hand at wovens.  😲

Lisa

Pcur, great job on the top!

I did my rowing race on Saturday, so now I have time to sew again.  I trained really hard for 6 weeks and we had a personal best time.  Hannah and I both happy and pretty sore after racing 5k on the very choppy Tennessee River in Chattanooga.  I am wearing the purple shorts I made with fabric I ordered from Mood. The color matched Hannah’s Clemson purple shorts perfectly.  I am the one with the number on my back in bow seat.  Yes, we race with our backs facing the direction we are going.  The person in bow seat of sculling boats is responsible for calling steering commands.

Lisa

7 hours ago, geocruiser said:

Lisa,

You cruise outfits that you made looked beautiful on you.   I think the pink rowing shirt will look super with the purple  shorts.

 

Thanks!  We are Rowing for the Cure this season, so ditching our regular black, red, and yellow uniforms for Pink.  I prefer the pink and purple.  I will have Walt take pictures when I have everything.

Lisa

Thanks Everyone!  For the next month I am in full training for The Head of the Hooch Rowing Regatta in Chattanooga, TN, so there will be very little sewing in October.  The only thing I need to make are purple rowing shorts.  My double partner and I are wearing these shirts this season with purple shorts.  Hannah rowed at Clemson, so she is wearing her college shorts.  I ordered fabric from Mood to make mine.  Oh, we Row for Atomic Rowing in Oak Ridge, TN, the secret city from WWII.

Lisa

We had a fantastic cruise and managed to take a few pictures of my creations.  We were having so much fun that we forgot to take pictures.

Lisa

We found out yesterday evening that we are not going to Bermuda...YAY!!!!  I have a tendency to get sea sick, so the thought of dealing with the rough ride to Bermuda was worrisome.  We are now going to Princess Cays and Nassau.  It will be our first time to Princess' private island and we are there from 7am to 5pm.  In Nassau we are staying on the ship and making it a pool day.  My outlook is, I am on vacation and this itinerary is still better than a week at the office.  Carnival gave us a 25% FCC, which makes me happy.  We have 3 cruises booked in the window to use it, so I will apply it to our Carnival Mardi Gras cruise once we get back.

Ok, now it's time to finish packing and head to Charleston.  I hope y'all have a fabulous week of sewing and post your creations.  Y'all inspire me to sew more and more. ❤️ 

Lisa

12 hours ago, geocruiser said:

I cant't wait to see you in your outfits.  You might want to bring one warmer outfit, if the ship goes north.  There is Hurricane Humberto ( cat # now) that is going close to Bermuda. And after that one there is Tropical Storm Jerry, which should be a hurricane in a few days, also heading that way.

But you could still go south.  It up in the air.

I am off from work tomorrow, so I will be adding a few warmer things to my luggage.  I am also throwing snorkeling gear in the trunk.  If we find out on Saturday or Sunday morning that we are going to the Caribbean, then I can throw it in the luggage.   Apparently, 80% of Bermuda is without power from Humberto.  I have a strong feeling that we are not going there.  Oh well, Walt and I will have fun wherever we end up. 👍

Lisa

I have done a bunch of diving and snorkeling over the decades, and at a minimum I am wearing a rash guard.  I also have worn a full body dive skin.  Amazon has some fun ones.  When I am out on deck or in the water I am covered up.  If I am in the shade of the boat, then I hang out in my cute 2-piece.

Lisa

Somehow I managed to make 5 more outfits in the last week for the cruise.  I have officially stopped sewing for next 2-3 weeks.  We are driving to Charleston on Saturday and board the ship on Sunday.  I plan on having Walt take lots of pictures of me in the me-made garments and will post when we get back.  We are supposed to be in Bermuda on the 25th and 26th, but we shall see.  My fingers are crossed for Bermuda, but I will be happy and stylin' wherever we end up.

Happy Sewing,

Lisa

6 hours ago, mef_57 said:

I am also a quilter.  Back in 'Y2K' 2000, plenty of people were making pledges for the new millenium. One prolific quilter pledged to not buy any fabric for the entire year.  I think she allowed herself to buy batting, but no fabric.  She could trade and barter or use what she had.  Not sure how she determined the value she saved that year, but her 'reward' was a very long cruise they wouldn't have otherwise been able to take. 

Maybe you just need the right incentive?

I think my issue has been a lack of confidence in my sewing ability when I bought a bunch of the fabric 1-3 years ago.  I am a much better seamstress now, and have been using the fabric I have been purchasing this year within a month.  So, now I am on a buying hiatus to work my way through some of these gorgeous fabrics that I was too nervous to cut into.  The money I am saving can go towards excursions for our January cruise.  Once I get through 75% of my stash, I am putting myself on a monthly fabric budget.  

Lisa

2 hours ago, nikkiw60 said:

What to do....

We fly into NY on Saturday 26th October from UK for cruise on MSC Meraviglia on the Monday evening.

Dare I risk going to Mood?..

Last time we were there I ended up buying 3 lots of fabric!,,,

YES!!!!!  Go to Mood!!!!  😍

Lisa

On 9/4/2019 at 8:18 PM, geocruiser said:

Just checking in.  Every thing is fine at our condo.  The weather Channel guy has left!!

Yay!  That is wonderful news!  

We set sail out of Charleston, SC on September 22nd, so next weekend I will be calling the hotel to make sure that they are operational.  City of Charleston is reporting that 95% of power outages will be restored by tomorrow night, so unless there is physical damage to the hotel we are good to go.  Initially we booked the cruise that leaves on Monday, September 9th.  I changed the date since one of my co-workers has a grand-baby due next week and wanted to take some time off too.  I am sooooo glad I moved it out two weeks.  Now my fingers are crossed that nothing comes near Charleston for the rest of the month.

On to sewing.  Nothing exciting this weekend.   I am sewing up some pj shorts out of scrap fabrics from older projects.  I am trying really hard to put a dent in my fabric stash and not order any new fabric until the stash on my credenza is cleared.  Oh boy...self restraint when it comes to fabric????🤣

Have a great weekend!

Lisa

And the fourth and final garment from my insane sewing marathon this weekend.

Lisa

I created 2 more yesterday and it took all day. I tend to work on a piece for 3 hours and then take an hour break.  The pant length romper took the most time to make, but I love it and will sew more.  Fabric are both ITY knits from LA Finch Fabrics.  As you can tell, I bought all of their tropical prints that were on end of bolt clearance.  All garments that I have made in the past 6 weeks have cost between $12 and $20 in high quality fabric.  For comparison, the tall pant length rompers I bought from a ready to wear store cost $120 and I still had to do some tailoring on them.  The red romper was about $16 for 3 yards of fabric.  

Lisa

3 hours ago, geocruiser said:

Lisa,

 

A wonderful dress.  Looks great on you.  WOW!  Four garments in three days.  I still have not gotten to my sewing.

Right now I am waiting to see if my condo blows away in the hurricane.  Keeping fingers and toes crossed it stays safe.

I hope everything works out ok with your condo.  Stay safe. 

Lisa

Weekend Goal:  4 garments in 3 days.  I started at 8:30 this morning and finished one and started number 2.  Everything I make this weekend is for our cruise in 3 weeks.

Lisa

Here is the romper I made last weekend...will be coming on our cruise next month.

Lisa

I wore it to work today and received a bunch of compliments.  I wore the denim jacket with it at the office.

Lisa