Showing posts with label Fabric Shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fabric Shopping. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Sew Camp Summer 2019

I know y'all must be tired of reading about my Sew Camp adventures BUT y'all these are some of the best sewing weekends.  Not only do I get to go to Fabric Mart's brick n mortar store, I get to spend time with sewists who love this artform as much as I do.

With that introduction, I'm giving an overview of my five days at the Carriage Corner Sew Camp but this post IS picture heavy.  Suffice it to say that I had a good time and that I bought a lot of fabric (not as much as last time but enough).  Suffice it to say that the conversation was poppin' and not all about politics.  Suffice it to say that there were sewing techniques shared and some pattern fitting done...mostly though it was a sewfantastic time!

Camp was five days and we arrive on Thursday afternoon, set up & sew. 

Cennetta showing what she brought to sew

Arleen & Barbara arrived Wednesday afternoon so they were full on 
sewing when I arrived on Thursday afternoon! 

The sewing set up!

On Friday we travelled to Fabric Mart by van since there were 9 campers and it allowed us to all go together. I will say that we blew in, took control and shopped until we dropped!

Barbara in the van on the way to Fabric Mart

At the check out table at Fabric Mart

Shar from Sharbozz joined us at Fabric Mart

Andrea with all of her bags

Gaylen sharing what she bought

400 yards were purchased by the crew and I only purchased 34 yards

After lunch we headed back to the B&B and had a fabric show and tell. Cause y'all there were some interesting bundles purchased! Since I shipped my fabric home, it was not part of the show and tell. It was, however, waiting for me when I got home.

Here is what I purchased... 

5 yds each of black & blue ltwt denim, 5 yds black midweight 3ply silk
4 yds of lt. blue & dk blue sandwashed silk, 3 yds linen/cotton blend floral print
4 yds blue/black/white stripe cotton shirting & 5 yds black floral linen/cotton blend print   

After the show, we sewed the evening away. I went to bed around 1am and there was still a crew sewing. 

Saturday after another delicious B&B breakfast we headed to the quilt store ~ Zooks in particular ~ by way of A&E Candies and the Cupcake Shop. 

Checking the rows and rows of amazing cotton prints

Cennetta deliberating

LaQuana trying to convince us to purchase a batik

We met a fellow Sewist (Samswife2) who follows our blogs

Here's my haul from Zooks...

3 of the prints are 4 yds purchased for shirts or shirtdresses
& the last gingham is a 2 yd gauze that Bonnie and I shared.

It was a great walk there and back after which we headed back to our sewing machines. We had dinner out and then more sewing. I went to my room after dinner to call my family, change my clothes and I fell asleep...waking up at 12:45am.  I could hear the crew still downstairs so I headed down.  Ended up sewing to 5am, turning the lights off about 90 mins before the morning crew started in.

Cennetta sharing a technique

More technique sharing

Gaylen getting the best shot!

Sunday was more of the same. Breakfast then sewing until we couldn't sew anymore. Though I did call it a night around 1am.



Monday after breakfast we decided to take pictures of everyone's garments, who hadn't left already, because the lawn at the B&B is so well landscaped. Those who left early had theirs taken on Sunday afternoon.  Below is a composite of SOME of the garments that were photographed. There was some serious sewing going on at this Sew Camp! 34 garments completed in total!!!


A group shot after pictures on Monday afternoon

I took four garments to make but started with my two most challenging pieces and ended up with 2 finished garments...ALL done...nothing to complete when I got home! I was happy with that since I really wanted the experience. 

So this is what I made...


Detailed blog posts about their construction will be coming soon.

I highly recommend getting on Gaylen's email list for Sew Camp. Besides all of the shopping and interaction, the ability to sew uninterrupted for hours without having to clean or cook makes this a fun, relaxing and very productive time.

There is a 3 day Sew Camp in September and while Gaylen already has some sign ups, I know there is some availability if you're interested. Mostly though get on the mailing list because she usually opens registration about three months before Camp starts.

...as always more later!








Wednesday, March 27, 2019

#carriagecornersewcamp March 2019

This is gonna be a long post.  I have a lot of pictures and I'm being lazy so one post just tap out when you've had too much! LOL!

The March Sew Camp is 2.5 days starting on Friday going through Sunday afternoon.  However, some of us more experienced campers show up on Thursday. Yes, there's a charge for staying an extra night but Gaylen usually gives us a discounted rate.  And honestly, it's nice to come in on Thursday evening and get settled.

Thursday Night ~
This year most of us came in on Thursday evening. When I arrived, Cora Lee and Marji were already set up and sewing.


Marji found this border print on the fabric giveaway table
and had completed a long sleeve dress by the time I arrived!

Cora Lee was working on a Sapporo Coat

Karel came all the way from Austin, TX to sew with us!
She's using one of the machines Gaylen loans out.

Fabric on the giveaway table

After the new arrivals got ourselves together we went out to dinner. It was the only dinner we had away from the B&B.

When we came back to the B&B most of us set up and sewed. I will admit I was the last to go to bed and turned the lights out at 1ish am.

Friday and the trip to Fabric Mart ~
The last of the Sew Campers showed up at breakfast time and we left shortly after that.

The Sew Campers taking the traditional end of shopping spree picture with Julie.
Left to right: Bernice, Cora Lee, Melanie, Karel, Gaylen, Marji, Shenetha, me & Julie of Fabric Mart

Julie graciously allowed us to bring our treasures out to the cars
in the cart. Cause only Shenetha shipped her fabric home.

After fabric shopping was lunch at Crave the cafe up the road from Fabric Mart. Marji left us after lunch, she had a prior family commitment, but the rest of us headed back to the B&B for some afternoon and evening stitching.

The Dining Room table with all of our purchases laid out

Bernice started working on 1 of the 2 blouses she made that weekend

Shenetha is working on a bomber jacket using a McCalls pattern

Melanie fixing a UFO

Cora Lee and Gaylen talking sewing with the group

Again, I was the last one up and turned off the lights.

Saturday Morning ~
We're staying at a B&B so the breakfasts are always amazing. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! 


With full tummys we descended to the sewing area and spent the day sewing. Helen, a Daytripper, joined us in the afternoon to sew along with us. 

Bernice, Helen & Cora Lee


Yes, if you live locally, Gaylen has rates for daytrippers.  Just contact her at hello@carriagecornerbandb.com to find out what they are.

More pics from the day...

The sewing table with the sewing machines
(Can you see the Mountain Dew at the far end - my spot! LOL!)

Melanie checking grainlines

Helen managed to get a picture of all of us sewing

I took this picture of the day's completed and items worked on hung up. So endeth Saturday...oh and I turned the lights out for the final time!


Sunday the Final Day of Stitching ~
After another great breakfast for the last day. The majority of sew campers were leaving that afternoon. I'd originally to head back to NYC on Monday morning on Amtrak but Melanie lives 20 minutes from me and offered to bring me and ALL of my fabric home.

Some final pictures...


Karel working on her dress

Karel's dress was so pretty I had to take a close up!

Cora "Hollywood" Lee working on a pair of Thurlow Pants

A weekend worth of stitching!

A final photo of the Sew Campers

Conclusion ~
It was another successful sewing weekend filled with fabric, laughter, conversation all about sewing and more sewing and meeting new sewists who brought some color and interest to my life.

I will be back in June for the 5 day Sew Camp. This one is sold out already but September is looming. I will tell you that when Gaylen opens registration for Sew Camp, using her mailing list, it sells out in 48 hours. So if I were you, I would send a note to Gaylen and get on the list. Cause really do you wanna miss out on the sewing fun?

Next up on the blog will be a few newly sewn pieces...

...as always more later!




Sunday, March 24, 2019

Fabric Satisfied

I love Sew Camp! I love the camarderie, the conversations, the laughter and seeing what other sewists are making. But mostly I love the Friday trip to Fabric Mart. To me its the DisneyWorld of fabric stores. I usually have to restrain myself from buying too much because of the quality of the fabric and the fantastic prices.

This year Fabric Mart bought out all the stock of Rosen & Chadick, a fabric store in the NYC Garment District that recently closed. Rosen & Chadick was an upscale fabric store that started on 40th Street and moved twice after the garment district was invaded by other businesses and the rents increased three-fold. I have fond memories of Rosen & Chadick on 40th Street and the couple of pieces I purchased there along with the garments made. So sorry that I don't have any pictures of those pieces.

Anyway, I was so thrilled to be able to shop some of those Rosen & Chadick fabrics. Especially since Fabric Mart left the original prices on the bolts and discounted them 60%. I need you to understand that these are some of the finest quality fabrics even if it's old stock.

fine wale printed corduroy

cotton sateens - love the mod print on the left

Printed linen and navy linen
These were the only purchases from the website

A navy & gray suiting - this piece is amazing!

A printed plaid shirting


I bought 16 pieces of fabric for a total of 64.75 yards...

The dark pile

The light bright pile

There is shirting, denim, linen, corduroy, chambray, cotton sateen, eyelet and a gingham in the piles.

I know...I know...it's a lot of fabric. BUT the regret from only purchasing 5 pieces last year fueled this year's fabric orgy.  As each new garment showed up on social media from last year's campers, my regret grew. Especially since everyone doubled and tripled checked with me to see if I was SURE I didn't want a piece.

This year...no fabric regrets! And yes, I know I'm going to the 5 day Sew Camp in June but I expect there to be new fabric then and more opportunities to own more of the Rosen & Chadick fabrics that are no longer in circulation.

I was also going to go to Zooks Fabrics on Saturday.  See they were having a 20% off sale on the entire store and I love their quilting cottons for shirts. I woke up Saturday morning, went down to sew after breakfast and just didn't feel like going. When one of the other Sew Campers asked me if I was going, I said no ~ I was "Fabric Satisfied".

While I would have loved to have walked around the store. I just didn't feel the need to touch and buy more fabric. My fabric tank had been topped off and all I wanted to do was sew!

This is my first post about Sew Camp weekend. More in the next post!

...as always more later!

  


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