Embroidery problems

Today I learned that when you are trying to do out and embroidery and it doesn't look right it might be your bobbin.
First off I thought it might be the needle, I don't remember the last time I changed it.  Who really does? So I changed the needle still same problem, it wasn't smooth. I could see the white outline around some of my design.
I tought maybe the bobbin is getting low, no it was fine. I have been using store bought prewound bobbins, so I decided to wind my own sure enough the design came out beautiful.  Sometimes it's something so simple as replacing your bobbin and we waste your time thinking something is wrong with the design or something we did.
Hopefully next time this happens that will be the first thing I check.  I wish my machine had a little beep and said did you check the bobbin. It just beeped at me and showed the thread broke, so why not that?

Jabot & valance

These are jabots, valances and panels I made for one of my favorite clients.

It's been a rough week

Monday my son was sick. Tuesday he went to school and I went to work came out at 12:30 to find out someone had hit my car and left, luckly someone got the plate and called the police. Wednesday my daughter was sick, Thursday my son and daughter were both sick, Friday my son was sick.
I am so lucky my studio is so close I was able get there when my husband got home to finish what I needed.  I got a lot of paper work done, I was able to finish up some computer stuff I had planned on doing when I had some free time.  Things did not go the way I planned this week, but isn't that how the saying goes. Life happens when you are making other plans. 

I was able to start shipping aprons to Canada and Europe in between doctors appointments and taking care of two sick kids along with everything else that needed to be done.  My Windows 7 phone came in very handly this week. I was still able to design a new apron that I think will do very well. Hope you like it.

My Sewing Studio

     I want to introduce you to my sewing  studio.  I have waited a long time for this.  I sewed in my front porch, my garage, my kitchen, my basement and now I have My Own Sewing Studio.  It's great, I went from sewing for my self and family in one small room to sewing for others in three.

                     Conference Room

     I'm on the second floor on Main St which I love I get a lot of light coming in from the windows.  You walk up the stairs and see my door lucky number 3 and walk in to my conference room and display area.  This is the room where I meet with my clients and we look through my swatches.  This is also the room where I keep my aprons to ship for my Etsy store.

    

                  Sewing Room

     You walk down the small hall and the first room to the left is my sewing room.  This is where I keep all my sewing machines and sergers.  The way I have it set up is in an L shape. I do this so I can wheel back and forth between my machines.  Behind my sewing machines I like to keep some storage, zippers, grommets, etc., anything I use on a daily basis.  This is also the room where my students learn to use a sewing machine.

   

                                                    Cutting Room

  My last room I think is my favorite. This is my cutting room.  I built a custom cutting table on wheels. It is 60" wide by 96" long. I do all my cutting, ironing, hopping my embroideries, you name it I do it. No more working on the floor or the pool table/ping pong table.  It is just great cutting and squaring off my fabrics.

      It is still not 100% the way I want, but it is getting there.  I have everything organized how I use it most.  My apron fabrics are all together, right above that are my bias tapes. My backpack fabrics are all together, my drawstring cording are right above.  My embroidery threads are all together, my sewing threads are together, my serging threads are together. My hoops are together and near all my backings for my embroideries. 
     I only like to handle items once, so I try to save time by being organized. I have to many things I want to sew and don't want to waste time looking for little items that make my life easier.  I keep multiple measuring gauges, marking pencils ,12" rulers, scissors , etc, within reach at all times in different locations. This way I don't have to stop in the middle of my project to get every little thing I need.   I also keep a small bucket for trash on my cutting table for all those small pieces of fabric or pattern pieces i need to throw away, again within arms length. Whatever i can think of to make my sewing easier, faster and more enjoyable I do. You know how the saying goes so many sewing projects so little time. if only I didn't need to sleep.

     I hope this has give you a little look into my sewing studio and encourages you to get going with your sewing.   My daughter is now 17 and my son 13 and I figured it's now or never.  Hopefully you don't wait this long.
Best wishes

I made myself a backpack

     Today I finally made myself a backpack.  I have been making them for my son, his friends, to sell on Etsy, now I have my own and I love it.  My backpacks are made out of rip stop nylon.  They are durable and easy to wash. 
     I think my son has four or five different ones.  He has one for each soccer team he likes and/or plays for. Now I have my own. The front I did because I was trying my logo out and the back because I thought it was funny. I'm still working on digitizing and am not sure if this is going to be my final embroidered logo, but I think it is getting close.
     Now I can personalize the front and back of the backpacks with almost anything, depending on your mood. It can be your soccer backpack or dancing backpack, or you can have a funny saying on it, maybe a nice flower. 

     This just goes to show that you actually have time to sew for yourself once in a while.  

Snowman embroidery pros and cons

Today I tried a new embroidery the snowman. It was cute and I thought why not. The first one I tried with home decorating lining for the body parts, but it didn't look the way I liked. It as fleece, but the wrong kind for sure.  At bottom when it started doing the satin stitch the threads started to pull and it will unravel sooner or later.  For me that is not good enough.

My next try I just happen to have polar fleece in my stash and it came out so much better. The design just seemed to pop off the towel, it is softer to the touch. I know for a fact that it will not unravel. This just goes to show that I was right to save all my fabric.  I'm really starting to love my fabric stash.

Embroidery Samples this was a lot of fun

My favorite bakery

     I just can across the website for my favorite bakery and thought I would share it. It takes me over an hour to get there, but when I'm in the area I always stop by for my bagguettes and hazelnut snack. The first time I went in I was going to the shop next door and smelled the fresh bread from outside.  Now they know I come from far to get my bagguettes. 
     They are just as good as in France and you will not make it home with out trying it.  I know I sound like a commercial, but I'm very picky about my bread. Here is the link to their website.
http://www.annarosas.com/index.html

Kid's aprons

Hope you enjoy the slide show of some of my children's aprons.  I just love the dress form I used to take the pictures on hope you do too.

Free chili recipe

On this cold day I decided I was going to make something I never thought I would make Veggie Chili. It's not that I'm against veggie chili it's that I have always eaten regular chili.  It was delicious. I used veggie burgers in place of the meat and green peppers, black beans, kidney beans, chick peas, corn and a lot of seasonings. My daughter loved it, she's the reason why I made veggie Chili.
In her honor I am going to share my recipe with who ever signs up for my blog until the 15th of November.

Great square pillow

     In order to brighten up  this room I decided to add this lime green pillow to this brown sofa. There are also a couple cream pillows and a brown and green pillow to tie everything up. Notice the square pillow, it's actually square, it does not have pointed corners.
     Have you always wanted a great square pillow, but ended up with a pillow with pointed corners? If you make 16" square pillow or any size for that matter you can make it look square without the points.  I have this pillow template that tapers the ends and the pillows come out great each time and you only need one pattern for various sizes.
     This particular pillow I  made with a zipper so it can be washed. I did prewash the fleece fabric because I knew it was a material that was going to have a lot of use I needed to make sure it would be ok to fabricate.  It is great and so soft.
      Contact me and I will tell you where I got my template.

My first blog

I have been thinking about blogging for a while now and finally decided today was the day. I have been sewing since I was about six and love all types of sewing. When I was younger I thought I wanted to be a fashion designer, but what I really wanted to do was sew. I can make anything without a pattern, not that I don't use patterns, because I sometimes do. I saw my high school sewing teacher this year and she said to me you never did like following the patterns, but I did learn a lot from her. She let me follow what I need to follow and helped me when I just wanted to do it my way. I did go back to her after college so she could help me again when I didn't want to follow the pattern to make my wedding dress. I was 20 then. Twenty years later I have been married for 19 years and have 2 great kids and and starting my first business and my first blog.

Embroidered pillow

This pillow I decided to make after talking to my sister-in-law. I thought I have this great silk sitting around and I know just what to do. I hooped my silk with the proper backing and out came this beautiful embroidery and I decided to make two more for my living room. Normally I put zippers on my pillows on these I didn't think I needed them. I don't plan on letting anyone touch them.  They are just for me.