Tiny Dancer

I've been working on a new little peg doll for my daughter. Little by little I paint her petite features and then set her aside. The other morning, I noticed my little prima ballerina sitting in her usual spot. However, the morning sun had drawn special attention to her. There she sat, doing her morning ballet stretches with the morning light warming her skin.
 I hope she is as special to my daughter as she is to me.

Jamie

A new etsy shop and a contest

Guess who has an etsy shop?  My pop!  His shop is called By The Sea Benches (link).  I am so excited for him!  He makes stand alone benches, hanging benches, tables, and beach themed wall decor.   It's fun to talk to him on the phone, because his head is swirling with new creations.  In the past, he always viewed his profession as a job, but now it's his art.  It's always a thrill for me when I get to see someone else thrive with the creative energy that comes when they discover that everyone has the ability to create. Creating isn't regulated to the few who create in the classic profession of artwork.  The enjoyment is available for us all.  We just may not get paid as much as they do =)

Assuming that most of you create through sewing, you may be interested in a sewing contest.  The contest is called Spring Top Week and it's hosted by Made By Rae.  Here is a link to the details.  I don't believe Rae has announced the prize package yet, but I know it's going to be good.  Phat Fabric is donating a pattern and a Phat Fabric gift certificate to the winner along with other sponsored gifts.  The contest is May 1st through the 7th, so get to sewing =)

This contest has a personal affinity for me, since I'm a judge for the contest. I believe my task at hand is to help narrow down the entrants with a yes or no vote and then the final vote will be a public vote.  Sounds easy enough; however, I was kind of hoping to be able to have a cheesy saying like, "This top made the cut," or if I had to get all Simon Cowell then I would say, "You are hanging on by a thread."  I guess I'll have to settle with a yes or no vote.  Seriously, I'm really looking forward to viewing all of the works of art.

Have a great day!

Jamie     

Echino laminate apron for a hair cut

Finally, I got a chance to cut into the new Echino laminate fabric for a good cause.  This week I have a hair appointment with my little sis (the hairstylist).  To make sure we get off to a good start, I will come bearing gifts for the lady...

Me like-y the shiny.

Here's the back...

Due to the laminate coating, it was a little difficult to work with.  My feed-dogs and sewing foot had a hard time feeding the fabric through my sewing machine.  However, this was only when I was sewing the pockets to the laminate fabric.  When I stitched the pockets, I folded the raw edge under and therefore was stitching with the laminate side facing up.  My sewing foot just couldn't seem to get a good grip on the laminate fabric.  Normally, when sewing with laminate, you would stitch bias binding to the raw edges.  I thought I could get away with just folding the raw edges under, but I thought wrong. After battling the pockets, I decided to make and stitch bias binding to the apron's raw edges that I had originally intended to turn under. In contrast, when I made the Damask apron, the Michael Miller laminate fabric was a breeze to sew with.  The laminate coating on the Michael Miller fabric is not as sticky (for lack of a better word) as the Echino laminate. I was able to turn the raw edges under and my sewing machine didn't mind stitching with the laminate fabric side facing up.  So, once I figured out that I needed to add bias binding to the raw edges of the Echino laminate, the rest of the apron was a joy to make.  I must say that I love the shininess of the Echino laminate fabric! It's well worth the extra sewing step of adding the bias binding.

Next, we'll see how my hair turns out.  I don't intend to do anything drastic, but sometimes when I'm sitting in the waiting area and I begin to flip through the hair books, I start to get a little delusional in my decision making. I begin to think to myself that I too can look like that really cute blonde European model with the pixie hair cut.  When in fact I can't, because a pixie cut makes me look like a boy, and not a cute boy at that.  I vividly remember 2nd grade and the kid that came up to me on the playground and asked, "Are you a boy or a girl?"  I looked at him and said, "I have earrings in my ears.  Duh!"  Darn that Mary Lou Retton hair style.

Jamie

Update - In the comments section of this post, SilverLining Designs suggested using silicone spray and/or a  teflon foot when sewing with laminates.  Great tip!

Another update - I just got off the phone with a Viking Sewing machine rep (very nice lady I might add) and she recommended taping scotch tape to the bottom of the foot.  

The puppy stage

My little guy's bat! Will it ever end???

However, on the bright side of things, it's not a pair of really cute shoes in her mouth.

Just in case you're wondering about the photo texture I used on this pic... I call it very dirty slider that hasn't been washed in at least a week, because there are other more important things to do.... like sew.

Jamie

The Hooded Scarf sewing pattern

They're here! The Hooded Scarf pattern is now in stock.

Ahh...crisp and pristine.

For those of you that pre-ordered the Hooded Scarf pattern, you'll be happy to know that your pattern has already shipped.

***

I've been meaning to share some of Pierre's pictures from the shoot...

The lining in this Hooded Scarf was formally a shirt of mine. I'm partial to striped shirts and this particular black and white one was a favorite of mine. That is until I was asked on 2 separate occasions if I was a Mime. On the first occasion, I was wearing the striped shirt with red lipstick and faded black jeans. My neighbor's sixth grade son, whom I pick up after school, walked up to me and said, "Hi Mime." I must admit it was pretty funny at the time. The second time the comment was made by my son, so when I was making the black Hooded Scarf, I knew just what fabric to use for the lining.

Now, all of my shirts are potential hooded scarves.

Jamie

P.S. The Hooded Scarf pattern is available in both my fabric shop (Phatfabric.com) and etsy shop (Prettyditty.com).

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes... YUM!

It was DELISH! Sunday morning, I made cinnamon bun pancakes and we (my family and I) were all very happy for the rest of the day. For such a slice of Sunday morning happiness, they were very fast and easy to make. The recipe didn't call for any surprise ingredients; everything I needed was in my cupboard and fridge. A cooking frustration of mine is to not have an ingredient and let alone to have never heard of the ingredient. Not so with these yummies. The recipe is from Tasty Kitchen and here is the link.

Jamie

The Hooded Scarf sewing pattern pre-sale

I'm very excited to write that the Hooded Scarf sewing pattern is finished and at the printer's as I type. Yippee! The pattern includes instructions and full size pattern pieces for 5 different Hooded Scarves: Basic Hooded Scarf, Ruffle Hooded Scarf, Drawstring Hooded Scarf, Pleated Hooded Scarf, and Cat Ear Hooded Scarf. I always like to include a lot of illustrations in all of my patterns and this one is no exception. There's also a glossary of terms, a metric conversion chart and tips on how to sew with knits. The sewing tips are written for the sewer who does not have access to a serger, and instead sews with a home sewing machine. I also give tips on how to sew a knit to a woven fabric.

Here's the back cover...

There are two sizes- adult (ages 10 & up) and child (ages 4 to 9).

The pattern is available for pre-sale in my fabric shop Phat Fabric. Here is the link to the pattern. I expect to receive the patterns by next Friday 3/19/10

***Shop Owners***

If you are interested in carrying my sewing patterns and/or Peg Doll Kit in your shop (online or brick & mortar), you can download the wholesale info and order form at www.jamiechristina.com. Go to the wholesale tab and click on the pdf icon.

Thanks for all of your encouragement with the pattern. It's good to know what you want to see as a pattern.

Have a great weekend!

Jamie