Old Habit to New Habit Shift - Patterns in October

The project I gave a couple of sneak peeks for is finished, but I've managed to lose my camera remote, so the photo session is on hold, which places the blog post on hold...

but in the meantime, it's a new month, and time for a new Habit Shift!  I'm so excited...aren't you?  I'm happy to report that I continue to snip threads consciously and regularly - truly, it feels SO good!   September's goal was to put my scissors away, which involved the simple change of moving my scissor rack to a more accessible spot, and it WORKED!  Again, it feels SO good.  Granted, I didn't sew much last month, but the first few times I wanted to use scissors, it was interesting to note that I just assumed they were hiding under a pile of fabric....until I remembered they had a new hangy spot...and there they were!!!  Every single time!  I tell you, this conscious focus on changing one small habit ... just do it for 21 days ... and you've created a brand new way of doing things.

So.  October.  So many choices!  My sewing space has been a horrid mess, not in small part because I have patterns scattered everywhere.   The proof:

Instructions for one pattern here, folder for another one underneath.
I do have a solution planned for this space....

Patterns on the serger table
Patterns under the serger table
Patterns which are not supposed to be on or under the serger table.

Oops.   Another pattern, on top of fabric meant for another pattern,
on top of a pattern piece for yet another pattern.

Pattern Folders which are supposed to be filed in the drawers behind them.
The drawers are right there
What's the problem here? 

The Folders which hold the pattern envelopes.
The manila folders hold the pattern pieces and instructions.
It's a very good system.
When I use it.

Storage for all of the over-sized patterns -
Style Arc, Decades of Style, Jalie, etc...
I had to do this when my pattern stash started getting....I am NOT going to say "too big", or "out of control".... I just needed more storage options, that's all.....

The issue, I've noticed, is no longer one of storage - I actually really like my system, and I now have enough space for it.   The issue  is when I'm working on multiple projects, with multiple patterns out, and/or I've pulled several patterns out while trying to figure out which pattern to use with a certain fabric, or I'm planning a wardrobe.   Aha......there's the rub....it's all about wardrobe planning!  Planning a wardrobe is a good thing.   Really, it is.   But it does involve multiple patterns and fabric pieces, and that can all get a bit out of hand.   OK.  Out of control.  I've admitted it.

So, my October promise is to get All.  Those.  Patterns.  organized and put in place, AND create a dedicated space for all of the patterns that are being interviewed.  Here's the plan:

Vertical filing space for all current patterns, including instructions and pattern pieces, unless in actual use.  This includes all patterns being interviewed, actively used, or newly acquired and not yet filed.   (Confession - I stole that filing piece from my office, just to get the effect.  I still need  to get one that's a better fit for this use - I'll go to Staples or Office Depot or somewhere later today.   I promise to do this NOW, rather than just put it on the already-too-full ToDoList in my head.   Promise!)  Oh, and I'd like to add that all those bits and pieces that were cluttering up this space in Pic #1?  Put away, not swept off just for the pic.   Yes indeedy, proud I am :)   One good habit just seems to automatically beget another :)  Interesting how that works....

A note on vertical filing - conventional organizational wisdom states that vertical filing is far more effective than horizontal filing (aka, 'piles of paper').  I find this to be true.

So, how about you?  I won't call anyone out, but a few of you stated out loud that you would be working on some habit shifts.   Are you still with me?   Or will you join me?

One small shift....it really works!

Now, if I can just find that camera remote.....

Artistry in Fashion 2012

Let me start off with a Note To Self for AIF 2013:  Self - Do NOT schedule an event the night before AIF.   Especially if said event keeps you out until 1:00 a.m.   Related Reminder to Self:  You are no longer 21. Nor 35. Nope, not even 47 anymore....and I'll quit there....  (However, the Pentatonix Concert was absolutely worth it!   And my eardrums have recovered nicely, thank you very much)*

After staying out way. too. late., and sleeping in way. too. late., I didn't arrive at AIF until 12:30. That's 2-1/2 hours of shopping/snoop shopping/idea gathering/schmoozing time that was wasted in bed.  But that's OK.   Really.   She says as she reminds herself that she's trying to pay bills off, not build them up......

For those who haven't kept up on posts about this event, Artistry in Fashion is Cañada College's annual event showcasing local designers, some of whom are or have been students at Cañada College Fashion Design Dept. (honestly, I would LOVE to take some of the amazing sounding classes they offer....especially since I have yet to take a real sewing class.   One of these days.......)

Reminiscing on yesterday's good news/bad news post, the good news is that I now know quite a few more of the amazing, creative sewists who show up at this event, and it was wonderful spending time greeting and schmoozing with so many of them!   The bad news is that, between chatting with said amazing creatives, and watching Marsha McClintock's Saf-T-Pockets fashion show, (and her followup presentation on creative accessories), there were booths that I never even got to before closing time!  Good for my pocket book, but I actually brought cash with intent to spend it!     Ah well....my grocery budget benefits instead, which is a good thing (I think....).

One delightful aspect of the day for me was that, when I did spend time visiting with a vendor, and asked them how sales were, every single one of them said sales were great for them!   I so loved hearing that!   As someone who has both sold a few of my own creations over the years, and done my best to support makers of hand made goodies all my adult life, it really makes my heart sing to hear that creatives are doing well in business :)

Here is Susan Krimmer Designs' lovely booth - Sue is a first-timer who did very well (and with good reason!)  She is a local artist who has studied with Wayne Wichern, one of the talented teachers at Cañada College Fashion School.  Sue does not yet have an active web presence - I'll add a link when she does.

Sue's beautiful hats and scarves at the beginning of the day
(photo courtesy of Sue Krimmer)

Sadly, I didn't even make one complete round of all the booths, and all of a sudden it was 4:00, aka, closing time, and booths were being pulled apart :(   However, I had wanted to focus on jewelry, and I did score one gorgeous necklace - which I just love!

This is exactly the sort of long, slightly crazy necklace I just love to wear!

 This piece was made by Judy Thompson-Melanson of TerraLuna Designs (another artist without an active web presence yet)

Look at that beautiful lampwork bead!
(purchased by Judy and incorporated into the necklace)

My other purchase was 3 Saf-T-Pocket patterns.   I was impressed with a pattern I saw reviewed on Pattern Review a couple of years ago, but honestly, I've had a bit of a hard time since then getting past the photos and renderings on the pattern covers, so never bought a pattern.

Until the fashion show, and then seeing the garments up close, and trying them on.   Sold!!!  Marsha is brilliant with pockets, and she's delightful and comfy to chat with as well.   And her pieces are exquisitely sewn!  (an aspect I really appreciate in a professional pattern-maker/designer/sewist)  Not only are her pocket placements beautifully thought out, the clothes are really practical, and also wonderfully embellish-able (that IS a word, right?)

I was happy to be able to try on a sample of each of these garments to determine size, fit, and whether they worked for me - isn't it fabulous to be able to know these factors ahead of time?

I just love me a few good pockets, and I'm always trying to figure out a way to add a pocket to a pocket-less garment, so I cannot wait to dig through the details in these patterns!

Wendy, Rose, Lisa and I, bemoaning the fact that the vendors were packing up,
while we were still ready to shop!

It was a beautiful day, a perfect setting to showcase the vendors, and I already look forward to  next year's event!

*Re:  Pentatonix - who knew that I should have brought earplugs to an a capella concert???  It wasn't the musicians, it was the screaming fans!!!!  For those of you who don't yet know the music of Pentatonix, please DO check them out - 5 UBER talented kids!   Here's just one of them, doing what he did before joining the group:  Kevin Olusola and his cello

An aside:  My (non-sewing) friend Kim and I met my BABES sewing buddy Heather and her hubby at the concert, and after our initial greetings we realized that not only were Heather and I both wearing Decades of Style Shawls from the same pattern, but we were also wearing Marcy Tilton pants from the same pattern!   One of the great things about sewing: our outfits looked so completely different that even we didn't realize it at first :)   The proof:

One more sneak peek at the upcoming project (it will be finished today, I think!)  Yes, I did end up adding some silk screening after all.... :)

In closing, I'm curious....how many of you, like me, have never taken a sewing class or workshop?  And if you haven't, would you like to?  Those of you who have taken classes, what were your favorites, and why?   Inquiring minds and all that.......

Good News/Bad News and an Artistry in Fashion Teaser

The Good News:  I've been working a lot lately, and as a self-employed person, I really needed to work a lot!
The Bad News:  I've been working a lot lately, and in conjunction with a general decline in energy/health, sewing (and blogging) have been nearly non-existent in my repertoire :(
The Good News:  Energy/Health is starting to bloom again, and I actually spent time in the sewing room and nearly finished a (UFO-for-over-a-month) project yesterday!

Sneak Peek:

I'll be blogging about this asap, promise!

The Bad News:  This project came to a standstill while I was waiting for weeks (!) to receive some silk screens from Marcy
The Good News:  Long after the silk screens arrived, I realized that it didn't want a silk screen, it wanted a silk tie embellishment (sometimes serendipity happens in spite of oneself...)
The Bad News:  Time and energy spent caring for sick kitties has also kept me out of the sewing room.
The Good News:  Kitties seem to be stabilized, and I have an AWESOME (holistic) vet :)
The Bad News:  I was overbooked this weekend, and arrived at Artistry In Fashion much later than I would have liked, and only took a few pictures - which were awful....here's proof:

If you can guess who & what this is, you win a copy of the picture!
heh.  };-)  (if you were there, you are disqualified...)

The Good News:  In spite of the fact that my time at AIF was too short, the event was fantabulous!   And in spite of the fact that I have no good photos, I have plenty to say, and I'll blog about it tomorrow. :)
(Promise!)

Please please pretty pretty please please....(captcha rant)

Warning:  uncharacteristic bitchy rant follows:  (sometimes a girl's gotta say what a girl's gotta say....)

If you're still using the  impossible-to-read-and-copy captcha images on your comments, I respectfully BEG you to consider the alternatives.  Even moderating all of your comments, if you're that concerned with spam, is (somewhat) more tolerable (to me, anyway) than forcing these old eyes to focus THAT closely, still knowing that I can only guess at some of the illegible letters....

Oh I dunno....15 easyscratches?
errrrrstitches?

How about sucksur number?  No?
sisters 17?

eur...eic...cri...e.....WTF?????

I exaggerate only a tiny bit - I hope you get my point...

Some people are simply refusing to bother with comments on your captcha'd blogs...I quit after two failed attempts, and I'm beginning to wonder if even trying it once is worth it.

If you are on blogger, here is a previous post I did with detailed instructions on how to get rid of the dreaded Word Verification.   You may even have it set, and not know it - you might want to double check and make sure.... (just because YOU can comment w/o a captcha on your own blog does not mean that others can....you're already cleared to comment on your blog, so you won't need to jump through the hoops like the rest of us)

I'll just toss another little mini-rant in here.  I get that you like your privacy, and you dislike spam.  I really do.  But when I enter a captcha code and then I find out that you are moderating my comment on top of it, it makes me feel...wellllll..... I won't go through all the silly Freudian flashes that zip through my feeble brain....let's just say I don't feel like my comment is very much wanted or welcomed, so I often pass at that point.

I find that blogger catches nearly every spam post I get - I still have to delete it from both my email and from the blogger comment spam list, but it takes a couple of seconds to do that.  Just not an issue.  Also, maybe I've just been really, really lucky in that I've never had a published comment that upset me (lordy, I hope I'm not opening myself up with that comment lol!), but I've certainly experienced my share of upsetting experiences in 3D life.  My tendency is to treat them like what they are - a FOG (F*ing Opportunity for Growth) and I move through it as gracefully as I can (which is often the clumsiest vision of non-grace ever, but hey....that's life.)

It's OK with me if you don't respect my attitude, but I know I'm not alone.  I think that most of us blog both for our own, personal reasons, AND we're putting our words out for public readership.   It just seems right to me to have some thoughtful consideration for our readers.

...Putting a smile back on my face, and going back to my regularly scheduling blogging.....  :)

P.S.  - per a request, you have my permission to re-post all or part of this post on your blog :)

September's Sewing Habit Shift - Scissors Storage

I'm on a quest to change those sewing habits that bog me down in one way or another - August was all about snipping threads, and I'm delighted to report that I conscientiously thread snipped with focus and success all month :)    I was even given two additional thread snippers, so now every machine has a pair, and so does my ironing area!

Sarai is continuing her habit-changing challenge, and I accept the challenge!   This month, I promise to myself (and to y'all) that I will put my scissors away after each session.

Methinks this will not be as easy as the thread snipping.

Step #1 is to find a better location for scissor storage!   Currently, the 4 pairs in constant use hang from an artsy-craftsy scissor hook thingy.   I thought that would be a good idea, and it does work, but the location of the hook is a major issue here.  Just getting to the scissor hook in my tiny room involves navigating the narrow area between my cutting table and a bank of fabric storage drawers to the furthest corner of the sewing room, and I'm just flat out way too lazy to walk that far every time I want to put my scissors away.   So they get laid on the cutting table & buried under pattern pieces, or they meander into the ironing area & snuffle their way under a bit of fabric, and the paper cutters even manage to find their way out of the sewing room and into other areas of the house  (probably because the office scissors got used for pattern cutting when the pattern cutters went for a stroll somewhere, so all of a sudden I can't find a single pair of paper-cutting scissors, and the house contains at least 3 or 5 of these....)

The sharp-eyed among you may notice that there are only 3 pair hanging here - that's because #4 has managed to walk off - probably giggling at me from under a pile of rumpled fabric...somewhere.....I'll find you before the day is out though!

So.   I have a day at home today, and part of the day will be devoted to getting my sewing room semi-organized.  It's officially a disaster area, given the too-many-projects-at-once aspect of my life lately.  By tonight the scissor hook will be moved to a more convenient location.

And then, I hereby solemnly swear that I will make every effort to put. the. darned. things. away. After each use.

I can do this.   I did well with the thread-snipping thing, so I can do this.

She tells herself confidently.

UPDATE:  I've not cleaned up the sewing room completely, but at least I cleared off the cutting table, and have relocated the scissor hook to the other side of the cutting table.   This places them near the door as I enter the room (or exit it), right by the cutting table, close enough to the machines, and since the ironing board is a few feet away in the next room, there could hardly be a more central, accessible spot!   I also angled the scissor hook, so that the blades and points are less likely to touch each other.

Now then, all I need to do is use it :)

Are you changing any habits to make your sewing life easier or more efficient?   And if you worked on a habit in August, how did you do with it?  Join me in this monthly goal - I highly recommend it!

Bustles! Times Two. And Stuff...

I've been sewing, but I have more half-finished pieces than finished to show for it.   Part of the reason is that ... (insert drum roll please) ... I received my first actual real-life honest-to-goodness Etsy order from a total stranger!   Out of the blue, unexpected!   Seriously, I had a couple of photos of finished steampunk bustles listed on Etsy as possible "Custom Orders"  (i.e., I'll make one similar to this in your color choice).  The only reason I had them up was to keep my shop viable until I was ready to actually start making stuff.   Sort of like a "Coming Soon" sign in a shop window.

I didn't expect anyone to actually ORDER one from me!

But someone did.

And wouldn't you know it, it was a "rush" order.   To be shipped to Australia.

So, in between a busy work week, my cat shredding both hands with another biting episode (my poor hands...yes, it was, and still is, a big "OUCH!", and poor kitty....this was the final signal that he HAS to get to the vet to find out what's going on with him - I just pray that it's a) curable and not too serious, and b) not going to break the bank [gulp]), settling my new housemate in (all is going very well on that front), moving through another episode with a damaged rib, and, well, life...... I made this:

for a delightful-sounding young woman in Oz, who is dressing up in a Harlequin costume for her birthday, and loved my "Tattered Series" Etsy bustle.  She gave me her wish list (including a matching neck ruffle), we struck a deal, and I got a real customer for my pretend store!

I also finished a reversible bustle - this was another one made for a friend - and I think I may have another viable concept for those traveling bustle-wearers who would like two options in one piece of clothing :)

Bustle Back - tattered side and smooth side

Side View - Tattered and Smooth options

I also went to TWO (2) gatherings with local sewists!  At my TNT group, BABES, I thought I was doing a GREAT job of clutter-clearing when I took a large box of patterns and fabrics to re-home, but I ended up filling the box to the brim and bringing home lots of shiny, satiny, bustley potentials!   So much for clutter.....  You know what one of the wonderful side effects of  making these sorts of goodies is?  It opens up a whole NEW WORLD of fabric possibilites!   All of the sequins and glitters  and polyesters and taffetas that never got a second glance from me before are now turning my head and actually making me go "squeeeee" with delight!   Who knew?  Then I was a guest at another gathering of incredible sewists - what fun it is to meet the many creative and talented people who abound in this area - sometimes I feel so utterly blessed.  :)  Although I have to admit that, when my "show and tell" items were passed around the room, I found myself cringing more than a little when I realized the scrutiny these talented ladies were subjecting my stitching to.   [gulp]

And then, to top it all off, I was browsing through Stonemountain on Saturday (I can't seem to drive within 10 blocks of it without my car finding its way to a nearby parking spot and pulling in.....) and I heard a familiar laugh coming from the next room ... and there was shams, with Elizabeth of Sewn, and Steph of The Dashing Eccentric.   Two more new sewists!  What a full and delightful week it's been.

Except for the cat thing.

Hope those of you U.S.'ers who had the luxury of a long vacation weekend enjoyed every moment of it :)  Oh heck, whether you had a long weekend or a short one, and wherever you live, hope you're enjoying your weekend and/or your week.  Let's all count our blessings. :)

And forgive our cats.

Smoky Smelly Synthetics and (Natural) Solutions

(Extra points for finding the bird....)

My washer has been getting a workout the past couple of days!  My exploding fabric post told the tale of of delight (free fabric!) and woe (free smelly fabric :( , and I got loads of great advice from friends and readers on suppressing smoky smells.

The most often suggested remedy was various applications of good ole' baking soda and vinegar, followed by sunshine and air drying.  Also suggested were enzyme odor treatments, scented dryer sheets, Febreze  and some other name brand items that I researched and either couldn't find or opted not to spend the bucks on.

A note about most commercial dryer sheets, fabric softeners, odor eaters, etc. - you simply won't find them in my house on a regular basis, because I'm not willing to rub the toxins that are present in most of them onto my skin, and I find that some of them are an assault on my nostrils.  I was willing to break protocol for this smell, but in the end, I won't need to do it!

I've had some luck removing smoke smell from natural fibers (mostly cotton) in the past, but this time I'm dealing with a batch (a HUGE batch!) of synthetics - spandex, tulle, polyester....17 years worth of a young girl's dance costumes..., and I had a feeling it might be more challenging to remove the odor from this sort of fabric.   I don't know if that's the case - these clothes weren't THAT bad, but I think the odor was as ingrained as it was mainly because they had been packed in plastic bags and stored for a number of years.  Can't you just see those odors working their way into the fabric??? ewwww.......

So.  Everything got sent through the washing machine once (I have a front loader, so I didn't really have a viable option of soaking them first), using a variety of soaps like Borax, 7th Generation, Washing Soda, Baking Soda, Vinegar - basically every possible combination I had on hand!  I also soaked and hand washed several pieces.  Way, way, WAY too much fabric to do that with everything!   I am, after all, beginning to get a life again...... ;-)

Then everything got hung in the sun to dry for a day.  (I had to buy another length of clothesline AND some more clothespins to accommodate it all!)

At some point I realized I had some professional carpet cleaning enzymatic odor-eater that's actually called "Smoke-X" - an excellent product, and I started spraying down the washing machine with it (which retained the smoke odor in between every load!).   Then I realized I could also spray down the clothes before tossing them in the washer.

Once everything had aired and dried, and I gave it all the sniff test, this is what I did for the second round of washing:

1.  Spray down the washer and the clothes with Smoke-X.
2.  Wash them with a scoop of Baking Soda and some vinegar (roughly 1/2 c....or so.....) in Hot Water.  (*See note below about future plans)
3.  Hang to dry again in sun and wind - I'm leaving them outside for at least a day or 3.

Everything is blowin' in the wind (go ahead and join me...."how many roads......" right now, and walking down the line giving a sniff test is quite promising!  I think I can still detect a smoke smell....or maybe it's just some odd sumpin' sumpin' else....in some of the spandex-type fabrics, but those are not fabrics I'll be inclined to re-use anyway, and maybe my **favorite donation site can find a use for them.

My plan going forward is this - as I cut up the pieces I'm going to use, I'll  wash them again, using some other tips I've picked up in my research:

1. * I'm going to add some drops of Essential Oils to the vinegar bottle that lives in my laundry area.   Peppermint Oil should be good for odors, lemon or orange for whites, lavender for general wonderful-ness.   Since peppermint is pretty potent (say that 5 times quickly!), maybe about 4-5 drops in a quart; the others I'll try 6 or 7 drops.   Then add about 1/2 cup of the vinegar/EO mix to the rinse cycle.
2.  This is a tip I've been wanting to try for awhile - cut up some cotton squares, or use old white washcloths (I have bunches of these!), add about 3 drops of essential oil to the square & toss in the dryer - all natural DIY dryer sheets!  No phony scents!  No pore-blocking toxins!

* *For local SF East Bay people who have stuff to donate, I love the Emeryville Community Action Program for donations. It is 100% volunteer-run - many of the people who work there are homeless, and money is not involved - when they receive something, it is given away.  Thumbs up from me!

I'll make note of the success (or fail) rate of my 'going forward plan' as it happens.   For the moment, a big THANK YOU to everyone who offered advice, and here's to fabric exchanges and paying it forward and other generous acts!  :)

The Exploding Box of Smoke and Fabric

Looks innocent enough....right?

Luckily, I had been warned ahead of time, so I carefully opened the box seams....

Mmhmmmm.....see the Space Bag?  You know, those bags that suck all of the air out of the contents?

I opened the bag & stood back....

It grew.....and grew.....

Parting shot of the easy way to get it all downstairs to the laundry room....
(if you look very closely you can see a cat at the bottom of stairs clearly saying "WTF???")

The back story:  A dear friend heard that I was making bustles, and she got all excited at the prospect of finding a home for her daughter's years and years of dance costumes.   I got all excited at the prospect of frabjous free fabric!   So she packed it all up, and today this gigantic exploding present arrived at my doorstep!  I seriously could BARELY pick it up - it really was THAT heavy!

The bad news:  it never even occurred to me to ask if the costumes had been around smokers....and it was immediately evident that they were.

 :::cry:::

UPDATE:  I just got the official word....apparently it was the Seamstress' husband who was a chain smoker (and died of cancer....)   Good heavens, all of the costumes she made must have smelled!  And a couple of environments the daughter danced in were bad, according to Dear Friend.   Maybe they aren't really all THAT bad....Dear Friend said she could smell something when the costumes were made but couldn't put her finger on it, and everyone else kept telling her she was imagining it .....but after being stored in plastic bags for several years, the smoke smell really sank in. It really isn't nearly as bad as some boxes of fabric I was given a couple of years ago - and I WAS able to save at least some of that fabric, (with NUMEROUS washings!) but what I saved from that batch was nearly all natural fibers, so I don't know if this will be different..... we'll see......

I'm in the midst of doing a mini-boatload of laundry right now, and this is a good excuse to get my outside laundry line hung up to dry things in the sun.

Any hints or tips for removing smoke smell from synthetic dance-type fabrics?  Everything from tulle to spandex to lace to velvet is in here!  I already have a box of feathers & stuffed items sitting outside & ready to go to a donation site, and I have load #1 on its second cycle in the machine.....fingers are crossed, and advice is welcomed!

Justine - The Tattered Steampunk Bustle

Bustle-making is still fun!  Here's Justine, my second fancy lady:

She had her public debut at the Cañada College Blogger get-together, where she was well-received, then she went up in my Etsy shop (which is still too empty to link to here), and she will soon be winging her way to her new owner!

Here's Stella the Sassy Steampunk Bustle being worn:

I'll keep making bustles as long as it's fun to do, and right now, it is seriously fun!

I seem to have hit a bit of a slump in the self-sewing motivation area, but a dear friend came over with a project for me yesterday (this is someone I owe....BIG time....) so I have a practical project to keep me busy while I search for my personal mojo....I know it hasn't wandered far!

Keep smiling...and feel free to send a few my way; I could use them right now...  :)

Bloggers! Show and Tell! Chat and Laughter! Cañada College!

I managed to leave my camera at home when I took my body to the Fabulously Fun Cañada College Blogger Gathering last night, but there are pictures galore on shams' post about the event, so I'll scoot you on over there for the visuals.

(side note:  I finally learned how to do the en-yay over the ñ in Cañada!!!  I'm slow sometimes, but I learn eventually.  In case you don't know yet, on a Mac you just hold down the Alt key, then press n twice)

Back to the good stuff - I've never yet taken an actual sewing class, but I get so motivated when I see the gorgeous work that comes from people like Ronda Chaney, Wayne Wichern, and Lynda Maynard, Educators Extraordinaire at Cañada - at times like this I want to be independently wealthy...at least enough to take classes and workshops wherever and whenever!   Wayne showed some of his gorgeous hat creations, and I would join a workshop with him tomorrow if I could!  I jumped all over Lynda's book, "The Dressmaker's Handbook of Couture Sewing Techniques"

Don't let the "Couture" in the title dissuade you - this book is CHOCK FULL of valuable finishing tips and techniques, the pictures are abundant, the explanations are clear - this is a must-have for anyone who wants to step up their skill level!

Seeing blogger/sewing friends I already know is always a delight: shams, of course, Rose from needles, pins, thorns, Beth of sunnygalstudio, and Jean of jkaoridesigns and I loved meeting the people behind a few of the blogs I've already been following and enjoying: Amy of Sew Well, and Cindy of Cation Designs, which, I was happy to finally find out, is pronounced cat (as in our purr-babies) eye-on - apparently this is a scientific geeky term, which Cindy has promised to explain....I'll be watching for it....;-).  And I got to meet some totally new-to-me bloggers, Jenny of JennyRinn Designs, Sonia of Sew With Sonia, and Katy of KatyRenee, who also works at Cañada <~~please note that en-yay again - sometimes the simplest little things can please me ever so much...;-D

There's just something about a group of like-minded sewists who gather together - I think we're extraordinarily delightful people in general, and this was a particularly fun and talented batch, as evidenced by never-ending chat and laughter, and some truly inspirational sharing in a show-and-tell session.

When Ronda asked if they should do this again, the answer was a resounding "YES!", so I hope it does happen, and some more local bloggers extraordinaire can attend :)

And to top it off, we all went home with a wonderful gift bag:

 - the bag itself is fabulously made (but of course), and it contained some really wonderful gifties inside, including a pass to the Must-Not-Miss-Event, Artistry In Fashion, to be held at Cañada (there's that en-yay again....) on September 29 - I do hope to meet some more of you there this year!   Here is my blog post about my experience there last year - truly this is not to be missed!

I am so blessed - thank you to everyone who was there, and helped make my evening such a delightful one. :)