Hey there - I'm Jen, the UK arm of out sewing 'n' fashion team. I wanted to let you and the team know that my first sewing machine has arrived (a very lovely Brother BC2100), and I was zooming away on it at the weekend - it's my first proper, serious attempt at machine sewing (I've always sewn by hand) so it's a steep learning curve. However I was totally amazed by how easy it was set up and thread - even with just the instruction DVD, I was stitching away within 10 minutes (see my personal site for a piccie!).
However my challenge now is to actually make something that I'm not ashamed to post here! I love Cath Kidston and Amy Butler style fabrics, so I know what kind of look I want.
Any suggestions for a good first project on my machine (I thought I'd try one of the projects from Sew Many Bags, Sew Little Time or Sew Pretty Homestyle, but maybe one of you guys has a better idea).
This weekend I was in a sewing frenzy! It was so much fun. I was working on a quilt that I've pledged to finish this year (we're on year number 3 for this thing), and on a fabric book that I'm trying to figure out as I go. But in my frenzy of activity, I fell victim to one of the major hazards of sewing--I burned my hand with the iron as I was pressing down a seam. The Crafty Ninja has identified it as a second-degree burn. Ouch. It wasn't enough to slow me down, though. Or, honestly, to be that much more careful.
What are some of the hazards that you regularly encounter while crafting? Share them in the comments.
I don’t know about you, but I am a huge Amy Butler fan. Huge. I’ve been buying her fabrics for years, using them in all sorts of sewing projects, including quilts. And last year when she came out with a line of scrapbook papers and products, I did a little dance of joy. If you’re a fan, too, be sure to check out her new contest with Craft: magazine. It’s a chance to share your love of her fabrics and style and maybe even win a prize. I might even enter myself.
Our little team of sewing enthusiasts here at the mycraftivity blog are actually an international lot. While Vanessa and I are in the same office (although separated by floors, which can seem like another planet), Jenny is in the United Kingdom. So, it was great this past weekend to meet her at CHA (the Craft and Hobby Association trade show) in Annaheim, CA. It was there that we talked about our excitement about this topic and what we are looking forward to sharing with you. In the meantime, here's a quick picture of myself and Jenny at the show.
And welcome to the Sewing + Fashion blog on mycraftivity.com. I am Christine, one of three sewing enthusiasts who will be blogging here (Jenny and Vanessa will be popping in with posts of their own in the next few days).
Our goal with this blog and our accompanying message board it to build a community of sewing lovers—whether you sew softies, aprons, your old t-shirts or your entire wardrobe—as well as enthusiasts who may not have even picked up a needle yet.
In our posts, we’ll be sharing with you what we’re seeing in the sewing world at large and what we’re doing at our own machines.
I'd like to share with you one of my most recent sewing projects. My boyfriend is a huge comic fan. So I took a trip to my local thrift store (because nothing is too good for my boyfriend) and found two t-shirts with images of comic book heroes (these are actually toddler-size shirts, because I found that the larger sizes had larger images, which just seemed a bit too much for a pillow). I cut around the images, and then sewed fabric strips around the image until it was enough to cover the front of my pillow forms.
For the back, I sewed one piece of fabric from the top of the pillow and another from the bottom, leaving a space between the two pieces to slip in the pillow form.
So there's a bit of my sewing history. I look forward to learning more about you and what you've been up to!
