I am amazed that our very own "Martha's Sewing Market" is just around the corner! I have been working on my seminars, new kits and other goodies. We, that is, Sew It Up have been a vendor for Martha for 15 years now ~ yes, that is hard to believe! Every year has been so much fun! We get soooo excited getting ready for the show. It is always great to see those customers who travel far and wide just for this event. Our own local customers attend in great numbers and we meet lots of wonderful new sewists!

Last year was a bit of a disappointment in the number of vendors. Granted there was another big sewing venue premiering on the very same weekend on the east coast. Many vendors live in that part of the country so it just made sense that they not travel all the way to Texas. Still, we missed them and the show seemed so much smaller. Another reason that the show lacked its usual luster was that Martha's company had just been bought by another. Yes, Hoffman Media had purchased them about two years prior. Now, it is F & W Media who owns the magazine and company. They had not owned it long enough to orient themselves to the personality of the show. They did not know the vendors and were a little clueless as to what exactly Martha's Sewing Market had become over the years. I know that many attendees were disappointed in the show.

This year will be different! What is this about combining Sewing with Scrapbooking? Frankly it is a matter of simple economics. The show has evidently not done very well in the money department for quite some time. A big company like F & W Media is not going to support an event that generates little or  no profit. They have been producing this very same scrapbooking event for a number of years. So, we are actually quite lucky that they did not cancel OUR SEWING SHOW! So, they have combined the two. It just makes sense. There are fewer vendors interested in being a part of a small sewing show. So, here is the deal: if we do not support this show, it will likely be our very last one. Yes, we do have the Houston International Quilt Festival in the fall, but, for most of us, it isn't enough. We like having a sewing convention right here in our backyard! 

So, I am asking everyone a big favor. Please spread the word and attend the market this year. If we can make it work, we will not loose the show! I am confident that this show CAN be built back up to what it used to be! I know that the tickets are $15/day at the door, so, here is what I am offering to everyone: 

Shop with Sew It Up anytime between now and the event and I will give you a coupon worth $5 off of any purchase - made in our booths - at the show. This really means that Sew It Up is paying for one third of your ticket price! How about it? That sounds pretty good right? Well, here is one more "gift". If you come to the show and shop in our booths, you will receive a coupon worth $5 to spend anytime either in the shop or on-line! Now your ticket to get into the show is $5!

I am committed to making the show a success this year so that we can have it again next year! I hope that everyone else feels the same way that I do:)

A real SEW-IN!

       This past weekend was Sew It Up's annual Spring "Sewing in Southern Comfort Retreat" in Mineola, Texas and, as always, I was totally in awe of the creativity, productivity and expertise in attendance!  I love to see the way that fabrics are combined as well as the wonderful attention to detail in embellishing stage of the project. Look at this precious little pants set using two different strips, in three ways: vertical, horizontal and diagonal! This is actually the "All Set" pattern by Anna Marie Horner and if you are familiar with this pattern, you will note the variation in the bodice! Lets just say, that sometimes, an oversight in the cutting out stage can lend itself beautifully to a "design opportunity"!!!

         Here is a baby ensemble that began with the gifted monogrammed diaper cover which begged for a coordinate. Hence the baseball fabric; however upon completion, the gray chevron fabric side (originally intended as the lining) was voted the "cutest" side!

Below are just A FEW of the more crafty side of the projects that were coming off the assembly line! The center purse is The Madison Bag by Kay Whitt. Several attendees had this on their list to make and two people totally finished theirs. I made one too to bring to the retreat. I must admit, that after watching two people use Soft & Stable rather than the recommended Deco Fuse, the first is definitely the easier to work with and the end result is perfect!

     
There were several sewists making ladies garments, but the kids clothing is always the cutest! So, I am including a few more pictures (and believe me I did pare these down substantially!) From left to right, the patterns used were: Claudia by Mod Kid, The Sophie Shorts Set by Kati Cupcake Patterns, The Ruby Ruffle Dress by Cottage Mama and the last is my own ruffled Skort from my new Sewing with Ruffles book! ALL PRECIOUS!

Now to wait for the next retreat! 

I have decided that we definitely need more room for our retreat so that more of our wonderful customers can be a part of all of the fun, so that is what is one of my next big projects! 

In the meanwhile, our BRAND NEW WEBSITE will be opening very very soon!

Origami Christmas Ornaments

  We have been having a lot of fun here at Sew It Up Studio.  Last Saturday we had an ornament workshop and we thought it would be fun to share the directions with all of you. 
We still have a few kits left which include everything you need to make your very own ornament!

Origami Ornaments 

In your kit:

    A box of straight pins - at least 300
    120 two inch squares – at least 60 of each color
    3” Styrofoam ball
You might also like to use a thimble for pushing the pins and a small glass or the base of the pin box to hold the ball steady while you work. 
General Instructions 

After the base unit all of the squares will be folded the same throughout.  When pinning each row you will just pin the 2 outer corners.

 
Instructions for the Straight Row Ornament

First fold the light color in half and then half again to form a 1” square, finger press and unfold and lay it on the ball and pin each corner.
 You will used the pressed lines as placement lines for the next round.

Round 1
With the same color fold the square in half to form a rectangle then bring the corners to the center to form a triangle, finger press.  Lay this piece with the folded tip at the center of the base square with the edges along the previously pressed lines – pin at all three corners without pushing the center pins in completely. Repeat 3 more times until the base square is covered and all tips meet at the center.

Round 2
Using the other color fold as before and line up the tip about 1/8” lower and centered in the space between the previous row, repeat this 3 more times around.  Remove the center pins after round 2 is complete.
Round 3 to the end
Repeat round 2 changing colors for each round until you have covered the ball with about 13 - 14 rounds of each color.

To Finish
Take a square of the last color used and fold under 1/8” on all sides and pin over the raw edges at the top.  Pin a hanging loop and bow to the top.









Instructions for the Spiral Ornament

Fold the light color in half and then half again to form a 1” square, finger press and unfold and lay it on the ball and pin each corner.

Round 1
With the same color fold the square in half diagonally to form a triangle then fold again to form a smaller triangle, finger press. Lay this piece with the folded tip at the center of the base square with the edges along the previously pressed lines – pin at all three corners without pushing the center pins in completely.  Repeat 3 more times until the base square is covered and all tips meet at the center. 

Round 2
Using the other color, fold as before and line up the tip about 1/16” down from the center and centered in the space between the previous row, repeat this 3 more times around.  You will want to keep the folded edge on the same side for the whole ornament.
Round 3 to the end
With color 1 folded the same come down about 1/8” from the tip of the previous color , line up the edge with the round 1 piece and pin in place.  Repeat all the way around this row and then repeat row 3 alternating colors until you reach the other end about 13 – 14 rows of each color.

To Finish
Take a square of the last color used and fold under 1/8” on all sides and pin over the raw edges at the top.  Pin a hanging loop and bow to the top.

These ornaments will take about 2 hours to complete but it is a project that can be done with a group of friends or while watching a good Christmas movie!  Enjoy and as always

Happy Sewing and Merry Christmas,
Linda

Our Holiday Open House "TOUR"!

                                                                                                                                                                                         Our Holiday Open House last night was soooo much fun! Lots of our customers stopped in for Cider and Cookies and boy, did they bring "Show & Tells"!  I took lots of pictures before anyone showed up and again of the actual "Show & Tells." As always, you never get all the pictures that you intended, but I did capture quite a few. So, I though that I would post a blog with mainly pictures for all of our customers who could not make it last night and for those who order from us, but wonder what it Sew It Up really looks like! Here is our beautiful PINK Christmas tree! And below are pictures of what we put under our tree as gift ideas . . .  Charm packs & fat quarter bundles of quilting cottons. the lighted magnified seam ripper, woolen pin cushions, books, patterns & more!

We have TONS of NEW fabric that we don't even have on our website yet, so that will be my job this weekend ~ as well as posting the first quarter of the 2013 Class Schedule! Eeks, lots of typing! Nonetheless, here are pictures of our fabrics, kits and some of our ribbons and trims.

Kits & Fabric!

New Fabric Display; 2 more on their way!

Ribbons & more ribbons!

Flower Brooch Display & Kits

One of our pattern walls.

New "Juggling Summer" Collection

One of our cutting areas.

I also took several pictures of the numerous Show & Tells! They were amazing! We are so proud of all of our customers and sewing sisters!

And, I will sign off with a picture of Sew It Up Central: the desk!

And, a shot of our front door ~ all decorated, of course!

Happy Holidays everyone!

My Diagonal Ruffle Skirt!

         The night before I left to go to Houston for Market/Festival, I had to make a new skirt! I am sure that you understand . . . even though I was planning on getting up at 4:30am and it was already past 7:00pm . . . . 

             My plan was to make another one of the "Coastal Skirts" in the NEW Smoke ruffle fabric that had just come in. We even had received this awesome wide, but very soft and stretchy, waistband elastic! I asked one of my helpers to cut me off a couple of yards. Unfortunately, when I laid it out on my table at home, it was slightly less than 2 yards. Hmmm . . . .  yeah, hmmm, it right. When I measured my waist and divided by 2 and measured the length that I wanted the front to be, it was going to be right at my knee. Oh, dear! This is not the look that I was after. So, "Necessity is the mother of invention" or rather, my favorite:  this was going to be design opportunity!

              So, I studied it and studied it. I did not want to drive back to the shop that evening and cut more fabric. It needed to be in one single cut and I was not going to waist any fabric! So, I thought, there must be a way. I finally decided that if I cut the waist opening on the diagonal; rather than leave an opening in the selvedge. This was going to work much like cutting off the tip of an ice cream cone.  Then I would have the overall length that was totally necessary to be able to wear with my black books. I decided to be brave and go for it. I had no idea if it was going to work or hang right until I put it on; hence I needed to complete the project to determine its success.

So, here is my NEW invention! My NEW Pattern! . . . . so, Obviously IT WORKED!

Fabric requirements: 

          Your desired skirt length  X two  + 6-8"  (depending on whether you are little or not so in the tummy)

Notions: 

          Thread - regular

          Wonder Tape

          Ball point or jersey sewing machine needle

          Elastic; enough elastic to go around your waist and overlap by 1"

           ~ stretch it a little for a good fit, but not too snug.

1. Step one ~ your fabric probably is folded with the selvedges together (ruffles running horizontally across the fold); but you will want to fold it the opposite direction (ruffles will be running vertically with the fold line).
2. Measure your waist; subtract 3-4" (de[ending on whether you have much of a stomach); now divide this number by 2.
3. Measure from your waist down to the finished length you desire. Note: You do NOT hem ruffle fabric, so the cut edge is your hem.
4. Take the measurement from step 2 and taking your tape measure lay it diagonally across the corner creating an equilateral triangle ~ from the fold to the selvedge. One side will be the fold and the other is the selvedge. You will be cutting off this corner to create a waist opening, so make sure that you are perfectly centered. i.e. the measurement from the top to each side of your "triangle" will be the same - that is why I call it an equilateral triangle. Just picture that you are cutting off the tip of an ice cream cone ~ which is where your body will be! Cone upside down! I know, I always relate everything to food!
5. Take the measurement from step 3 and measure down from the opening on either side; mark or pin. Then measure about every 4" along your waist opening down to where the hem will be and mark or pin. Your pins should create a curve. Following along the pins, make one smooth cut.
6. Open out your skirt and shake. Do not stretch out the waist opening ~ remember it is on the bias. 
7. Lay one of the selvedges down with the ruffles are all going the right direction. "Tape them down" using wonder tape. Do not remove the paper backing yet!
8. Shake the skirt out once again to get the ruffles to lay down for the other selvedge.
9. Now remove the paper backing from the wonder tape.
10. Carefully lay down the "sticky" wonder taped selvedge down over the side facing up on your table. As you lay it down match up each row of ruffles. Press firmly with your fingers (no iron!)
11. Open the skirt up to the right side and double check to see that each row of ruffles is lining up on either side. Pull any into position if necessary.
12. Using a stitch length of 2.5 sew up this seam.
13. Use a damp washcloth to remove the wonder tape as it dissolves in water.....  that is why they call it wonder tape! . . . or, allow it dissolve when your launder your skirt for the first time.
14. Sew your elastic together with right sides facing.
15. Pin each side of the seam allowance to either side of the seam and zig zag them down.
16. Gently pin the waist opening of your skirt to the inside of your elastic waistband. You now may stretch the skirt if you need to. 
17. Sew together 1/4" from the bottom edge of the elastic. Run one more row of stitching 1/8" below this one.

You're done! You may wear the elastic waistband at your waist or slightly below; either is comfortable as this elastic is very stretchy ~ and very stylish!

Send me a picture of your skirt!

Lorene

Whew! The Houston Quilt Festival was amazing! We were so busy and sold out of so many items!!! We got to visit with many of our sewing sisters and meet a great many new ones - ah the memories!

Before the Festival I was cranking things out of my studio so fast I did not even take the time to write out the patterns. One "cutie" that I had made a couple of weeks ago for a class on how to make a  striped ruffle fabric skirts, was a big hit. Now, I did not even ask the shop to make up any kits until the Saturday before the sewing show. Luckily they had just cut a kit for a regular customer who had seen the skort hanging in the shop. So, it was not difficult for them to replicate it and bring a box of them to the show. They named the little skort "Playtime" which fits it perfectly! And, we sold out the first day!

Unfortunately, I had also told the shop that I would write up the directions and print them out in my hotel room to add to the kits. Well, as soon as I said that I promptly forgot all about it! Eeeks, too many things on my mind! 

So, for all of you who purchased the kit at the show, here are the directions:

Sew It Up’s Striped Ruffle Skort

You will need:

1 old pair of jeans ~ you know, the ones that have gotten two short or have holes in the knees!

3 pieces of mini ruffle fabric ~ take the measurement from the front pockets to whatever length you want the skirt to be and divide by 3; now add 1 inch to each one. Example: If you want the skirt to be 8” in length; divide by 3 = 2.66 inches; now add one inch = 3.66 inches. Go ahead and round this up to 4” ~ this will be the width of each tier of ruffles.

1 spool of thread

Preparation:

If you want your jean skirt to be a skort, then when you cut the jeans, leave about 3-4” of the pant legs. Finish the raw edges by either serging or zig zagging them.

If you want it to just be a jean skirt, then cut about 2” below the opening of the front pockets. Be sure and pin the actual pockets out of the way so that you can still have pockets on the skirt. Finish the raw edges by either serging or zig zagging them.

Making the “skirt” portion:

Using the measurement that you arrived at in the “You will need” section above, cut your ruffle fabric by this depth all the way across the entire width of the fabric (i.e. from selvedge to selvedge). Cut in between two rows of ruffles. 

Layer one ruffle section on top of another ruffle section by laying the bottom ruffle of one piece to the top ruffle of your second piece. Pin sparingly.

  

Lift the second to the bottom ruffle up and connect the two sections together with a zig zag seam. I set my zig zag at about a 4 in width and 2 in length. See above.

Repeat this step to attach these two sections to the last piece of ruffle fabric.

Now pin the selvedges together by lining up the rows of ruffles; sew with a straight stitch; length of 3.5. You do not need to serge or zig zag your seam as they are the selvedge edges.

Run a gathering stitch at the top of the top ruffle section and gather to the circumference of your jeans. Pin and and attach. I used a zig zag stitch as a decorative touch. I also stitched below the top ruffle so that it would create a little ruffle of its own at the top of the skirt ~ so cute!

No hemming required! 

If you are making this into a skort, cut off another section of ruffle fabric the same width OR LESS of your skirt sections. Cut it in half along what would be the fold. You will have two sections that are half the width of the fabric. Sew the short ends together creating two “circles. Run a gathering stitch at the top and gather up to the circumference of each pant leg. Pin and attach the same way you did in step #6.

PS. I think that the colors in this little skirt are better in "real life"!

Houston Quilt Festival

Last night was preview night for the Houston International Quilt Festival. Our booths looked great!

  

This was after approximately 12 hours of unloading, unpacking, setting up and decorating!

Today was the very first full day. It was a fabulous day as we got to see so many of our wonderful customers; not to mention that our booths were packed all day into evening. We are all tired  ~ but it is a Good kind of tired:) Only three more days!

I have just a few more booth pictures from the Market that I shot on Monday that I really wanted to share with everyone. Here is a very cute booth by a brand new company called Skipstone. We have most of their patterns ~ including the most precious Kitty! See her near the middle of the photo.

I thought that this booth by Me and My Sister (designers for Moda Fabrics) had a novel booth ~ showcasing her newest line of fabric due out late Spring.

And, finally, one of my very favorite visits of all was with Weeks Ringle!

She is the one that inspired me to open a Modern Quilt shop!

Look at those quilts!!!!!!!

TOTALLY AWSOME!

Oh, and see the quilt to the left . . .  

I ordered practically the entire collection as it was designed by Weeks herself for Andover Fabrics!