Stashing away...

I am really trying to NOT become a hoarder. As such, I am going to be transparent about my purchases (Kevin reads the blog...) One of my favorite blogs posts pictures along with prices of her stash. I'm copying her.

This is my order from Fabric.com. I got an additional 20% off the prices listed, and did not pay shipping. I actually ordered everything with a project in mind.

The Bengaline for a skirt, the gray suiting for a jacket, the crepe for a skirt, the seersucker for shorts, and the whites because I am collecting whites to make a pictorial quilt of Elsa (my dog).

I got half a yard each of the white quilting cottons, 1 yard of the seersucker, 1.5 yards of each of the purple suitings (the blue looking one is really more purple), and 2.5 yards of the gray. I now wish I had gotten the Bengaline for a jacket, and the gray for pants. I might use the gray for pants anyway- it is a gorgeous fabric, nice soft hand. Definetly my favorite.

The seersucker is the only thing I'm disappointed in. Maybe this is basic fabric knowledge, but seersucker is all kinds of bumpy/puckery. The pattern suggests it, but I can't imagine shorts made out of this. Not sure what I will do with it instead...

Really cool!

I think I mentioned Kevin recently got a lathe. He made his first pen tonight. It is pretty awesome. Sometimes I wish I was good at everything I try like he is...he is really really talented at most things he does. Maybe he just picks all the right things to try.

Only problem with the new hobby: our pen drawers are already over flowing... But really the pen is very nice! So cool.

Cyber Monday...

So did you buy anything in the sales? Fabric.com said they were having a great sale, but it was a pretty big dud. Same with Fabric Mart. Good thing- as I have orders from both coming already!


We did buy some DVDs off Amazon. DVD watching is essential for us when we are cable-less. We got the first season of Arrested Development (thought about getting all 3, but we decided we'd rather have variety), the second season of Modern Family, the 5th season of the Flintstones and the 2nd season of Animaniacs. All for $50!



And Kevin's pajama pants are officially done! I had to hem them another two inches from this picture. I really don't like hemming, but I used my #10 edge stitch foot, and it made it it so perfect. Well, assuming I measured and pressed perfectly, the hem is perfect- haha. I basted the hem for Kevin to try on in the #11 needle position, then sewed it one position to the left, and the lines never crossed each other. I love that precision! So while the hem may not be perfectly even, it is perfectly even with my pressing.


Kevin is pretty happy with the pants. He doesn't gush about how wonderful they are and how marvelously talented I am like I think he should, but he seems to appreciate them. The fly worked on the second try- I think I followed the (incredibly confusing) directions wrong on the muslin, when I sewed the fly shut. I still think that the fly is too high- on his boxers, it is closer to the seam where the backs/fronts/sides meet. When I cut off 3" from the waist, I did move it down a little, but I didn't want to mess up the crotch curve, but now I just think the curve is too long.


(back view so you can see fit...sort of. These are clearly too long- this is with a 4" hem. This pattern is drafted for a high waisted giant.)

Oh well, he rarely wears pajama pants anyway- he sleeps in shorts because he gets too hot (which doesn't make sense as he is always complaining he is cold...) But for when he needs them, these are better than the pair from last year.

BTW- are you wondering how the change from the muslin went? This picture illustrates pretty well how WAY too high the waist was.



Do you think the fabric is too girly? We decided to call it "regal" but really, it's just fabric I had in my stash. Seemed using up what I had made more sense than buying new when it is just a pair of rarely to be worn pants. (Honestly though, I think they are awesome and he should wear them daily!)

I love it!

Look what Kevin made me! A 90 spool thread rack! We worked out that with a coupon I might as well have bought it, but everytime I look at it I am going to smile because my husband made it for me.  It will be wall mounted because I have no space. I told him he should probably start another because I really hope to get embroidery thread for christmas, and have more quilting thread on the way.

What kind of thread do people use for garment.sewing? O mostly have dual duty, but the Bernina people tell you not to use it (I do anyway, at least until it is gone...)

Kevin's pajama pants turned out well, will post once I get a photo shoot, but he is busy cooking tonight.

Well, that's what a muslin is for...

Kevin wants a new pair of pajama pants. The last pair did not feature a fly. So I found Simplicity 4381 which does.

The waist to crotch of the pattern looked huge, so I used some scraps to mock up a pair of shorts. Well, I was right. Kevin tried them on and the two of us were ROLLING in laughter. I mean, if you wear the waist at the waist (or just below) these pants are for a man with a package the size of an elephant! I'm going to remove 3" in length.

The other problem discovered, when the directions are followed exactly, the fly is a mock fly! It gets sewn shut, but I figured out easily how to fix that.

Tomorrow, the real thing.

Feet for sale...

I bought this 4 foot quilting set for $40, the open toe darning foot has been used, the walking foot (with guide bar) gently used, and the open toe foot and stitch in the ditch foot have not been used at all.

They are for Kenmore machines with horizontal bobbins. This foot set revolutionized my sewing, as it started me really quilting, but they do not work for my current machine.

I'm hoping to get $25 including shipping in the US.  Interested?

Black Friday...

So, did you wake up at o'dark thirty this morning? I did, but not for shopping- to watch figure skating! I was up a little before 5:00 a.m. to watch the Rostlecom Cup ladies competition. I skipped pairs (will watch it recorded later) and took a nap, and woke up for the 8:00 men's competition. Both were well worth the lost sleep, but man have I been tired today.

To do my part for the economy I went up to North Liberty to Common Threads Quilt Shop (I refuse to write Shoppe- I hate that, it almost makes me not want to shop there) where she was having a 20% off sale. I wanted a Quilting Celebrations magazine, but she was already all out. I ended up getting Patrick Lose's "Poster Quilts", which was an expensive book, and I'm kind of thinking I shouldn't have gotten it, but I hate leaving a little store like that empty handed. I also bought a kindle cover pattern. I have so many Christmas gifts to sew now!

On the way home, I went to Walmart. It was DESERTED. No one to be seen. I bought some towels and pillowcases to embroider.

I also stopped at Hobby Lobby (there were more people there then Walmart, but not by much) and got a Fons and Porter Half and Quarter triangle ruler. I'm excited!

I haven't placed the order yet, but I plan on taking advantage of Planet Applique's awesome sale too. 70 cent appliques and $3.40 alphabets!


Why in the world do stores open so late at night? Is it so we can get our shopping done in time to watch football games? I drove by the mall last night, just to see the line, and the line for best buy circled all the way around outside almost to the Children's Museum (that means nothing to you if you haven't seen our mall...). Whatever deal they have- there is no way 3/4 of those people were getting what they were hoping for! Heck, even if everyone just wanted 1 DVD I doubt they have enough! Target also had an insane line. What's the point?

This year, I skipped Joann's flannel sale. Skating was just more important, and I am looking forward to Connecting Threads and Fabric.com's Cyber Monday sale (CT's starts Sunday...) I promised Kevin new pajama pants though. I have some "regal" purple flannel from last year, and he said that was okay. It's not manly, but he isn't wearing them outside the house.

Right now I'm quilting guild charity quilts. When I finish this one up it is time to start Christmas gifts! Oh, and do a little more homework...

Yahtzee!

The first annual we have no friends game day has begun!  Unfortunately all of our friends have moved, or traveled out of town to visit family, and we cannot travel.this thanksgiving, so it is just Kevin and I today.  We are enjoying each others company, and are thankful for many things, though we miss our family and friends!

Really oreo?

So I've never been a fan of oreos, but Kevin got some recently and they were yummy. While shopping I saw mint oreos that are yummier. I checked the calorie count on them and it was slightly lower.

BUT they having a serving size of 2. Regular oreos have a serving size of 3.

That is just plain annoying.

Kevin does the grocery shopping...

So yesterday, I went to Hyvee. This was my grocery list:

4 things of coke ($11, plus deposit)
A gallon of milk (about $3)
15 powerades ($10)
2 cans diced tomatoes (about $3)
Frozen Corn ($2.50)
Peppers (70 cents)
Onion (70 cents)

And yet, my bill came to about $100.

This is why I should not grocery shop. I also got:
3 packages of frozen stir fry vegetables
Pasta sauce
Nutella
Fruit Roll Ups
2 cans Tomato Sauce
6 kool aid packages
Pasta Shells
Raisins
Cereal
Oreos
Tikki Masala Sauce
Popcorn
Mango Salsa
Tositos
2 cans of Wolf Chili
Apples
Croutons

These things were not on my list. But all very yummy. And really, only the Nutella and croutons were things I shouldn't have bought...