Well...I'm a sucker for a kit and although it was kind of expensive, I figured I should invest in the Perfect Placement Kit from Designs in Machine Embroidery now so that I can have perfectly placed embroidery right from the get go.
The kit includes 15 plastic templates for linens (towels, sheets, napkins, etc.) and clothes (cuffs, shirts, boxer shorts (!?!?! - who embroiders those???), as well as target stickers, a mini ruler, and a CD with a user guide (I wish it was an actual paper manual. It is too lengthy and detailed to print out so you have to be at your computer each time you want to read the instructions).
Conventions are provided as to where to place designs on the items as well as directions for preparing the fabric for embroidery. Sure, you can figure out placement for your embroiderables yourself but these templates just make it super fast and easy and very accurate for a newbie like me. The results are very professional looking and since I know I'll have the templates forever I thought it was worth it to have the speed and convenience of these embroidery tools.
If you'd like to see what's in the kit and how to use it, here's a video from Designs in Machine Embroidery:
Vesper is a 'mysterious and intriguing deep purple' Liquid Sand polish, part of the Bond Girls collection from OPI. It's much darker than the
Can't Let Go Liquid Sand shade I posted in January but shares that great textured finish that requires no top coat. It is very durable and easy to apply. Even though you don't have the shine of regular polish you do get a beautiful sparkle that looks really elegant. I love both how it looks on my nails and how it feels!
I picked up this issue of Creative Machine Embroidery on my trip to Florida in March and I just got another one in New York. They each came with a CD with designs. I haven't got around to trying any of the projects but I enjoyed reading the various articles about machine embroidery.
I'm not sure why these magazines are SO expensive but I can't resist buying them. I could actually buy a BOOK for the amount I spend on them but I consider it a treat and it's definitely a form of inspiration. I like the ads, too!
Things have been so busy around here with one kid back from university and the other two ready to graduate high school. Mother is still in her own home at 89 and that demands a fair bit of time as well. Going away and catching up when you get back always throws a monkey wrench in the routine as well! I'm in between sewing projects at the moment and am anxious to finish up some scrapbooking stuff - my Disney album and now New York, not to mention my 2012 review album and some other miscellaneous ones (like grad proofs & the 'family' album). That all makes me feel a little overwhelmed and sometimes that leads to just doing nothing but sitting on the sofa reading fun magazines like this one!
I recently visited New York City for the weekend and thought I'd share some photos. I hadn't been there since I was a kid in the 70s so I was very excited to get back to the big apple!
We drove towards the amazing skyline and had plenty of time to count the skyscrapers since it took about 2 hours to get through the Lincoln Tunnel!
Once we emerged on the streets of Manhattan we ditched the car and, other than a subway trip to see the World Trade Center, we walked and walked for miles to cover as much ground as we could in the couple of days we were there. It really was not enough time to even visit Manhattan, let alone all the surrounding boroughs but I feel I got a nice overview of mid-town!
I forced hubby and daughter up early to visit the Today Show which has been a part of my morning routine for decades. It was fascinating to see it 'live' and although I didn't get to meet any of the hosts face to face, I was pretty happy to see them a few feet away. I was really surprised how small the plaza is in real life and it was fun upon my return to watch the show and know exactly where everything is. Savannah Guthrie is absolutely statuesque and beautiful! A highlight for me was getting a photo with Lenny, the uber-fan who is always in the front of the crowd every single morning!
Central Park is a true oasis in the concrete jungle and since I didn't find a single blade of grass anywhere else in the city, I can appreciate the value of having this gorgeous park land available to the visitors and residents of the city. An immediate calm and 'ahhh' rushed over me as we stepped through the gates and walked along the paths. We visited Strawberry Fields as well as the Dakota building where John Lennon was murdered. Even after all these years (I remember the day it happened), it is still such a sad feeling to know he died from such a senseless act of violence.
While in NYC we enjoyed some pastrami on rye with the most amazing sour pickles, New York pizza, black and white cookies, roasted nuts from a street cart, and a very expensive bagel and fried egg! We would have loved to eat at the Rainbow Room (ran out of time) or Tavern on the Green (which is being renovated), among other landmark restaurants, so we'll just have to go back!
We saw two plays on Broadway - Chicago and Nice Work if You Can Get It, with Ferris Bueller himself, Matthew Broderick. He is just FANTASTIC, and as cute as ever. He really did a great job and the play was funny and very entertaining. We saw it on our last night and it really did end our visit on a very high note! Scroll down to watch a video overview of the play. We had a different girl in our show and she was even better!
Times Square was crazy and exciting and it was fun to see in person the New Year's Eve ball and all the humongous screens and ads. It is mind-boggling just how many people, vehicles, and buildings are on one small island but everyone was really well behaved, friendly, and polite and I was really amazed how the city handles it all.
It was an incredible feeling to be down where the World Trade Center towers were and to see the new One World Trade rising into the sky - newly topped with the last bit of height in the spire. And although we couldn't take a tour of Lady Liberty or Ellis Island because of the damage from hurricane Sandy, it was easy to see why it was the gateway for landing immigrants arriving to this fascinating city.
Scroll down to watch an excellent preview of Nice Work if You Can Get It!
I'm continuing with my Baker's Chocolate series but this time...I'm using white chocolate!
I grew up eating my mother's very rich chocolate mousse which not only contains eggs but a nice hit of rum! While very tasty, that's not exactly a family-friendly recipe.
This easy treat is simply white chocolate and whipping cream - but it makes a super elegant dessert to serve. Enjoy the video...and if you need the written recipe, you can find it at Baker's, HERE.
Oh my gosh! There are so many new Craftsy courses this spring that I am in inspiration overload! I am so addicted to these classes that I have a bunch lined up to get to. I always browse through the lessons as soon as I register but I haven't been able to start the projects yet...and I can't wait to! Here are some new sewing and quilting classes that I just couldn't resist!
Marcy and Katherine Tilton - The Ultimate T-Shirt: Fitting & Construction - I signed up for this one because I am determined to make a wearable garment myself! I really still don't consider my self a person who knows how to sew. I think it's very different from quilting and I have zero confidence when it comes to pattern cutting and construction. Speaking of which, one REALLY COOL thing is that when you register for this class, they SEND YOU the Vogue pattern for the shirts free!!!! I think that's really neat - no printing off a ton of pattern pages to tape together. You get a 'real' pattern to use and keep! The sisters make it all look so easy and I can't wait to try.
Joe Cunningham - Pattern-Free Quiltmaking is another class I had to join right away. This one was a real breath of fresh air - not only because Joe Cunnignham is a male quilter (and I DO 'know' a few male quilters who are amazing - Jose, Denis, Eddie, to name a few!), but because he is FUNNY! He definitely has his own technique and style and he shares it all in this class. I can't wait to have more time to watch every single lesson and get started on some of his fun class projects that break the rules and use a process instead of a pattern to make a quilt.
Strip Your Stash - if the title doesn't get you, the technique will! In this class, Nancy Smith shows the no-stress way to make your own fabric panels by sewing together strips of fabric. She has tricks and tips for getting straight seams with no fuss - she doesn't even press them until the end! Once the strips are sewn Nancy shows all kinds of projects to make with the resulting yardage, right down to the last scrap! This class is going to be FUN! Sometimes you have to bust your stash and this will be a great way to do that...as well as relax at the machine and simply sew. Can't wait!
It's obvious that I love to learn new things and love having Craftsy to teach me. Take a look at any of these new classes using the links above or check out what's on sale here. I am sure you will find something fun to learn!!!!
Every time I go to the grocery store I get at least one comment about my Kool-Aid bags! Everyone loves them! When Kool-Aid goes on sale I buy a box of each colour and then save the pouches when the kids have emptied them. I realized I had quite a stash of them so I whipped up two more bags. I'm striving now to improve my neatness when it comes to the binding at the top of the bag and I think I'm getting a bit better!
It takes me a couple of hours to sew all the bags together but I chain piece and this time I was doing two at once. It's fun to get the old Singer out and put the pedal to the metal. I love the smell of the Kool-Aid scent wafting as I sew!
I used bias tape to trim the top of the bags and tried to keep things as straight as possible. The corners are still wonky because they are so hard to sew around but I've definitely improved over my last attempts.
I'm starting to get quite a collection of the bags but they are so awesome for groceries that I don't use anything else. They keep the food colder than a cloth bag and are super strong. I'm sure I'm recognized now in my small town as the crazy lady with the Grumpy sweatshirt and the Kool-Aid bags!
Achieving that perfect 1/4" seam is so important in quilting. While I think I have it down pretty well it is still something I like to test again and again for accuracy. I picked up the Dritz Quilting Machine Seam Guage & Adhesive Guide to make that testing fast and accurate.
You simply place the plastic ruler-type guage under the presser foot and lower the needle into the hole corresponding to the desired seam width. There are holes for 1/4, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4, and 1". Then you attach the seam guide along the edge of the guage. I like that it's re-positionable and there is no sticky residue when you move it. The fabric glides well along the guide and when I'm done, I just put it back in the baggie it came in. A great little tool that's very useful and not expensive! (I had this set to 1/2" seam allowance in the photos).
My daughter and I both have curly hair so I thought this got2b Oil-licious shampoo and conditioner was worth a try. It has smoothing oils combined with cleansers and built-in shimmer ingredients.
They smell sooo good - kind of spicy and exotic! The shampoo has a vanilla-y scent and the conditioner is almost like a lovely incense. I only got to use them once before daughter took them over! She loves them!!!!
Her hair is beautiful anyway but she is liking how it behaves after using the anti-frizz combo of shampoo and conditioner. I guess I'll have to get my own set! Luckily, they are available at regular drugstores and retailers (like Wal-Mart & Target) and are not overly expensive like treatments found at the salon.
Here is the second project I made for Eileen Roche's Craftsy class: The Machine Embroidered T-Shirt. It's the cowl neck t-shirt and is actually made using 2 t-shirts. You cut up one shirt to use as fabric to construct the cowl neck and then it is sewn on the other shirt which you
wear. It's really easy to embroider on the cowl neck because it is one long piece of fabric. You stitch out 3 designs before sewing it together in a tube and then Eileen shows how to hoop it and stitch out the last design.
I learned a lot from this class. It was my first time sewing on or with knit fabric so that in itself was a new experience. I had to change my needle to a ball point one and also use a stretch stitch on my machine. In terms of the sewing I learned that it is impossible to pick out stretch stitches - which are super tiny zigzags! I started off badly by sewing my 2 panels for the cowl collar together with one side inside out and then I couldn't pick it apart so I had to cut off my seam and start over (resulting in lost width).
I also learned not to start stitching too close to the edge of the fabric because my machine ate it! I can't use a single hole plate with the stretch stitch and when I started sewing I added a lock stitch (where several stitches are sewn in place) and that just pushed the knit right down the hole! I had to stop, unscrew the plate, and remove the fabric by cutting off the tip! Problems, problems! And yeah, I did that twice! Are you kidding me???
One of the tips I shared when I wrote about the first shirt I did for the class, was to wrap the hoops in athletic tape to avoid hoop burn. I thought I would do that this time since I was working on an actual, wearable garment. However, when I started the big swirl stitch-out I got single lines of stitching that I wasn't sure were correct. I posed the question to Eileen on Craftsy and although she replied in a timely manner, I had already stitched out my second design before I learned that there should NOT be a single line of stitches. I thought perhaps it was a design element since it didn't really look bad, but it should actually be a swirl of solid satin stitches. Then I realized the athletic tape was hindering the movement of my hoop on the machine (der...I wrapped both hoops...you should just wrap the inner hoop) and it was not stitching out correctly for that reason. Once I removed the tape, the next 2 motifs came out lovely!
I didn't have any difficulty attaching the collar to the shirt and the end result was quite nice. I think I could actually wear this in the winter since it's nice and warm without being restrictive (I'm not much of a turtleneck person!).
One other thing: Eileen provides an extra digital file with a stand-alone satin stitch circle. It can be used to sprinkle around the cowl neck as an extra embellishment (to link the swirls or add interest to blank space) and I had a lot of fun adding them around the collar.
This class is quite fun for me and I'm enjoying learning more about knits, sewing, and embroidery on clothing. You can use the link above to check out the Craftsy class to get more information.
