You can respond!!! And please do.  I am so sorry for all those that tried the first time and weren't able to.  You can now and I would love to hear from you.

As it turns out, the hosting company for the website put in new securities so that people are not sent spam emails.  Therefore you didn't receive your activiation email.  But the problem has been corrected - thanks to a great friend!

Please Note - there is an error with the date. To view the most recent entries, you must go to the end of the blog entry list.

I'm pooped! I just finished putting the needle down. Nine hours today of straight construction and creation. It can be very tricky to do that when there are other things like; admin, shoveling the side walk, errands to run, working out, eating, etc. So, it has been a long day. I do have some great tips but, if your ok with this, I will tell you them tomorrow.

My pillow is calling my name.

Good Evening Everyone,

Hopefully you had a splendid day. It snowed here like crazy. Big huge flakes and it was really warm so it made it very beautiful. I worked away as I watched the snow come down.

When I was in the library the other day, I also rented the movie 'The September Issue'. Has any one seen it? I would love to hear what people of think of it. If you have not heard of it, it is the 'real' version of The Devil Wear's Prada. It is very interesting and I would love to hear what you all thought of it.

Tip for Today: Hand stitching can be a wonderful solution if you are trying to sew anything that maybe challenging to do with a sewing machine. It is relaxing and is much more manageable than trying to force the action with a machine. Don't be afraid of hand stitching. It truly is relaxing and it is nice to have full control. Makes one understand why couture clothing is rarely done with a machine.

Sweet Dreams!

Hi Everyone!

I love ballet!! Love it! I take an adult ballet class and it is wonderful!!! I smile the whole time. We have an incredible teacher which is always so important. Any one else have a sport they absolutely love? As you can tell, I just came back from it.

And now my cat is sitting on my lap loving life along with me. Do you have a pet? What makes them special?

My apologies, it has been brought to my attention that if you wanted to respond to my blogs that you have been denied access for some wierd virtual, its out there, reason. I am on top of it and looking into it for you. Again my apologies.

Also, thanks to my wonderful readers that have contacted me in regards to the blog, it was suggested to leave the tips at the very end of the blog and separated a little from the rest of my entry. So, I will! I think it is a great idea and makes good sense to me. Feel free to let me know if there are any other ideas or suggestions. I will do everything I can to respond to them. Any time I get a suggestion, I always feel like, oh yeah, that makes good sense. It is difficult for me to become a 'third' person so I miss these things. So thank you to everyone for your feedback - keep it coming!! That is what this site is all about. :)

Something really weird happened today.... I was working away on finishing up the final touches of my coat (oh, I can't wait to show you!!) and I got this urge to clean. WIERD!!!! So, I figured, I better go with this. That being said, it really needed to be done. Remember all that fabric that I got from my Mom? Well, it was just dumped in my studio, and now with my coat project nothing got put back in its proper spot - so I did some much needed organizing and cleaning in my studio.

Cheez! I am chatty tonight. Does anyone have any great organization tips for us? That would be a wonderful thing to share.

Today's Tip (notice how it is at the end :) -put things away in its proper spot as soon as you are done using it, that way, you don't get a hair ball of a mess (hehe).

Sweet Dreams! ;)

Hi Everyone!!

A couple of things I wanted to tell you about today and now I can only remember one of them.

Have you watched Modern Family? Fun show - really fun. Great humour and lovely little lessons. Have you watched Mad Men? Wow! Crazy how different things are and not too long ago really. What are your favorite shows?

Well the coat is coming along really nicely. I had a bit of a rough morning but my sweet honey bunny of a husband helped me right out of it. So, I had a strong afternoon and got lots done.

Sewing Tips for Today - I don't really have any from today. Hmmm, press - pressing is extremely important all the way through a project. But most of you probably already know that one. Oh no wait - I do have a tip! Have the heads of your pins facing away from the fabric. That way, it doesn't matter which way you pin (on one side or other side of the fabric) you can easily pull out the pins as you sew along.

Started to work on the purse. I went to the library around lunch today to do a little more research on sewing with leather. No worries - I will share any tips that I work through.

Happy Sunday!

Today's Tip (I love this one!):

If you make a booboo or come across a pickle or a hiccup, create a solution that makes for an even better out come then what was first planned.

Trust me - this can be done! I have done this a number of times and it is a great way to take a frustrating moment and to turn it into something that was even better before. Yes - I came across a pickle today :) And yes - today's tip did apply. Yippee!!

Too bad my tip for today doesn't work on two right handed gloves. (Today's tip does work most of the time though - truly.)

I have a feeling that 2011 is going to fabulously fantastic year!! Anyone else out there feel the same?

Hi - I am terrible - I didn't blog yesterday! What can I say - I got tied up in the festivities of New Year's Eve!! So - I will blog twice today to make up for it. :)

Does anyone have any resolutions? I didn't make any as I always have a few things that I am continuously trying to get better at.

Embroidering on Clothes Tips (from yesterday's work):

1. ALWAYS test stitch!

2. The best thing about test stitching is that it is helpful for placement purposes. Test stitch on a piece of scrape fabric that is cut out just like your fabric that you are going to be doing the embroidery on.

On my project, the digitizing and embroidery worked out beautifully. The wine red color of thread on the winter white boiled wool looks stunning!! I can't wait to show you all pictures!

Happy New Year's!!

Hi Everyone,

It was a great day of creating! In fact total bliss! My cat was so close to me all day. We were away for the holidays - she missed us greatly and now doesn't leave my side for even a second. The great thing about pets - they continually remind you of the important things in life. Being with your loved ones is all you need!

A couple of tips from today that I wanted to share:

1. Time Saving Tip - when marking out your pattern pieces, only mark out what you need and leave the other markings for the other layers. For example, if you have pockets in a coat, only mark the pocket markings on the outter layer of fabric. You do not need to mark the lining for example. This saves time :) And we all love that!

2. Cutting Tip - use your rotary cutter with the handle facing the outside of the pattern piece. This prevents your handle from running into the heads of your pins (if your pins are close to the edge).

I hope that was all clear. If not, as always, don't hesitate to let me know.  I thought of my readers all day as I was working away:) It is nice to know you are out there.

With my cat curled up on my completed and embroidered lining ... Sweet Dreams...

P.S. I love this new way of blogging. Julie was on to something:) And I wouldn't mind getting Julia Child's cook book. Sounds fascinating - don't you think? I am a little worried it might be too complex for me. Has anyone tried it? If your looking for something fabulously tasty and not in the least intimidating - try my recipes under the recipe tab. Let me know if you liked them!

To My Dear Readers,

After watching Julie and Julia, the movie, I realized that I can do a lot better job at blogging.  And so, here I go with my new blogging style.  (Yes, I just took a deep breath... as it requires me to be much more open and vulnerable but here I go....)

I always have my eye open for interesting fabric, therefore, I am beginning to get a tiny (a little sarcasim there) pile built up in my studio.  Not to mention, I also helped my Mom go through boxes this Christmas season.  In my Mom decluttering, I ended up with piles more of fabric.  Therefore, my goal is to work through all this fabric and see what kind of interesting things get created.  Not only is there fabric but also other projects that are half done and items of clothing that could use a little 'pick me up'.  I am sure, that all the sewers out there can definitely relate.  So, why not try this together then for the 2011 year?  How about it?

By the way, my next trip to New York is in January.  To be perfectly honest, I am a little nervous.  Well, maybe more than just a little.  To appease my nerves I thought I would create (don't really like to use the word sew b/c it is definitely more than sewing) a coat with matching red velveteen gloves. 

I started with the gloves first, only to have made 2 right hands!!!!!! It was a very, very frustrating moment as it takes about 10 hours to make one glove.  So, I decided to start with the coat and revisit the gloves when my frustration has settled. 

A purse, a purse....  I have yet to find a perfect purse.  So, I am going to make one.  I am hoping to take it with me for the trip as I am not sure which other purse to take with me.  But first the coat and gloves.

I have most of the coat cut out.  There are a lot of details and lots of digistizing and embroidery work that go into it.  Well I will keep you posted and see what the day is like tomorrow.

There are 11 days left before I leave for NYC (not counting tonight).  Till tomorrow's blog....

Sweet dreams and enjoy the Christmas season

Do you have some wonderful embroideries that are smaller in size? Embroidering on the corner of cloth napkins can make wonderful hostess gifts, especially at this time of year. Tip - you can purchase blank cloth napkins at your local linen store and then embroider on them. Saves a step!

Hi Everyone, I just had a great idea. Do you have great red work designs that you would love to use but not sure how the color works into your project or room if it is a home decor item. Well... change it. Why not select a beautiful green color instead of red if that is what works best for the project. Have some fun with it. What colors can you use?

Tip - if your embroidery design did not stitch out quite right, it could be that using a more appropriate stabilizer will solve the problem.

Patches are in style. Cut out different patches, embroidery on them and then sew the patches back together again to achieve your completed look. Tip - try sewing the patches back together with the raw edges exposed on the right side for a unique look.

Tip - to work efficiently, I like to have all my bobbins filled with thread in advance.  That way, when I am working on a project I can quickly change out the bobbin without having to stop what I am embroidering to wind a new bobbin.

Hoops can do more than just hold your fabric in place for embroidery.  They can also be used to hold your fabric in place for adding embellishments like beads and sequins.  Tip - use the smallest hoop you have to ensure easy movement under your foot.

Embroidering on clothes adds a lot of interest and appeal.  Selecting a unique location for your design will enhance that interest.  Place your design in an area of the garment that is not often selected.  Tip - ensure that the location selected is appropriate for the size of the design.

Here is a fun new idea... stitch out your embroidery on a wash away stabilizer, then using a fabric glue (that dries invisible), attach it to a pair of shoes that could use a new face lift.  Tip - ensure you select an embroidery design that has the right dimensions for the area of the shoe that you are covering.

Hello! I trust you had a fabulous Halloween weekend filled with all kinds of wonderful treats and loved ones.  We would love to hear any stores that you would like to share with us.  Do you have any particular projects that you made for Halloween?

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to wish you a fun filled embroidery and sewing weekend!

Love to embroidery and want to get a sense of accomplishment?  Then focus on smaller projects.  Such as a pillow or a child's shirt.  Tip - be sure that the size of the embroidery design is appropriate for the size of your project.  Proportions are an important element to creating beauty and interest.