Saturday, February 15, 2020

A Week in Review - Week Four

I didn't do a week in review last week so I have a lot to share! Settle in because there are quite a few pictures too...

Sew In at UrbanSewciety ~
I was really excited to attend the Sew In at UrbanSewciety last weekend and I was NOT disappointed. UrbanSewciety hosted a two day sew-in. Saturday from 9am to 7pm with breakfast, lunch and dinner served and Sunday from 9am to 5pm with breakfast and lunch served.  We only needed to bring the projects we wanted to work on and our enthusiasm. You could sign up for the entire weekend or for either Saturday or Sunday.  My friend Melanie and I signed up for the entire weekend.  I met so many local sewists and quilters and had a wonderful time sewing at their amazing studio.

I took two pre-cut projects to work on - Simplicity 8687 and a sleeveless shirt pattern. I spent my entire weekend working on S8687 because I added so many design elements to it.



A Few Photos from the weekend:



My sewing companion for the weekend. UrbanSewciety uses these sewing machines because they work for all of the classes they teach as well as the classes and summer camps for kids. By the end of the weekend she'd become my best friend!


One of the best things about the sewing studio is that it was well stocked with pressing, cutting and marking tools. Each table had a set of prewound bobbins in a multitude of colors that you could use and if a specific foot wasn't in your machine it was in a nearby machine.

The studio is well lit and each sewing table has enough space to work at. It is the perfect set up and if you forgot anything or need something, there's always the store in the front where you can purchase things.

Working on Simplicity 8687

My table at the end of the first evening

The goodie bag was loaded with treats!

Old & New Sewing Friends ~

Me and Melanie - met at Sew Camp been hanging ever since!

Betty & Margaret
Margaret drove all the way from Massachusetts to participate!
It was so cool to meet you both!!!

Meg
One of the owners of SewCiety with a project for the kid's sewing classes

...and a fabric purchase...well I also won a gift certificate so that helped facilitate the buy!

4 yards of a rayon knit and 4 yards of a rayon from Ruby Star Society

BTW, did you know that the designers from Cotton & Steel moved to the Ruby Star Society team? Meg told me when I asked why she was carrying that line instead of Cotton & Steel.

I will definitely do this again and will probably attend one of their Friday night sew-ins as well. It's a wonderful local resource that I hope all NJ sewists will visit - for the classes and the fabric.

Updating my Dressform ~ 
I've been meaning to pad my dressform out since I got it in December 2018. But me being who I am, the sewing takes precedence over everything...even though this is technically sewing, right!  

The Roxy Display Company made my dressform. I was on their Amazon site looking for a stand to add to my older dressform when I stumbled upon this "dressform fitting system."  I wanted a Fabulous Fit Padding Kit but every time I was ready to buy it, the extra large padding set was sold out. So I went with this one.

It was easy to pad my dressform especially since my shoulders and bustline are exactly the same. I just needed help from the underbust down.  So I pinned the pads on and added a layer of batting to the front and back enclosing the pads.


Then I forced the cover down the dressform.  At first I was kinda upset that it wasn't smooth...but in reality I'm not smooth either so I went with it. I will use it this way for awhile and see how I like it. To me it was an excellent purchase for $39.95 and helped change my dressform to look more like me.



Seeing Dapper Dan at FIT ~
Not only does FIT have the amazing museum with it's revolving displays but they also have monthly talks hosted by Valerie Steele.  If you want to know what the talks are get on FIT's email list. I've never been to one of the talks, signed up for one years ago but had a family emergency and was unable to attend.


This time Wanett asked if I wanted to go and it was an automatic yes! Dapper Dan's new book was on my to buy list so I really wanted to hear him speak. He did not disappoint! Found out that Syreeta was attending too so the three of us teamed up to attend.


It was a great evening! Thank you both for going with me!

Simplicity 8687 ~


I spent all of last weekend working on the topper. It needs buttonholes, buttons, to be hemmed and it will be done. Will definitely finish it off this weekend. I'm also working on a party outfit for a family event next weekend since it's a 3 day weekend. We're celebrating President's Day here in the US.

Hope you made it all the way to the end. I know this was a long one but I did combine two weeks worth of sewing events in one.

...as always more later!




12 comments:

  1. Carolyn - I just have to say that the piping on the collar of your new blouse is just fantastic! I love what you decided to do, and look forward to seeing an eventual photo of you wearing the blouse...

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  2. You are the piping queen. Love!

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  3. I also love the piping on your new topper....so I have to ask the name and where you purchased it. And, will you describe your pink tote with your notions? Love that too! Mary Jackson

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    1. Mary - I bought the pink tote from Amazon. It's a molded storage craft box - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C1LCW20/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - I've been wanting a storage box like this to take with me to sewing retreats for awhile. It was perfect and can't wait to cart it to Sew Camp.

      The piping is REALLY OLD I bought it in the garment district at least a decade okay and have no idea where I purchased it.

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    2. Thanks Carolyn! Off to search Amazon.....Mary

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  4. Love the shirt!!, and the piping. You've been a busy woman.

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  5. Your shirt is beautiful! The sewing events looked wonderful. I would go to the first one for the sewing machines alone, lol! It is helpful when you don't have to bring your own machine. I am surprised you only brought two projects! I tend to overshoot and bring way too many.

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    Replies
    1. Vanessa - experience has taught me that I don't really sew as much as I think I will especially if I bring involved projects. If I was bringing simple ones, I probably would have packed three or four. I hope you get a chance to go to one because they're really fun!

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  6. Tied for first place- the "not smooth" dress form and the perfectly smooth piped collar. Both great- thanks for sharing! I wish we had a place like Urban Sewsiety in San Francisco.

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  7. Thamks for the info on the padding. It is something I have also needed ad was not sure how to prodeed.


    Sharon

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  8. I love sewing days!! Seems like it was a great time and that striped piping in the shirt collar is absolute perfection!

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  9. That looks like so much fun! Just the kind of thing I need right now to get my sewing mojo going again. I'm finally trying to get back to sewing. I've gotten settled in my home and just getting my sewing room together. So you are my first stop for inspiration and you've got my sewing mojo buzzing. What a beautiful array of garments, everything is awesome. Thanks you for all these years of sewing inspiration, now I need to get back on the wagon! Take care!
    Omega

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