Monday Morning Inspiration/The Selvedge Edge/I Need Your Help!!!

Last week, I received a note from Ruth. She said that she hates to waste fabric, especially the selvedge edge as sometimes it's more interesting than the actual fabric. So true. She asked if I could do a post on creative uses. I know that I have seen some of you use the selvedge edge to create trim for a Chanel inspired jacket. But, what more have you done or seen? I have looked, and looked, and looked. All that I was able to come up with were projects using the selvedge edge of quilting fabrics. While a lovely idea, we all know that there's so much more out there. So, if you have a link that you don't mind sharing, either leave a comment on this post, or email me at sewbussted@yahoo.com. I would love to give recognition to anyone who has, or is doing something fun and interesting with selvedge edges. 

One piece that I did was the flower below. The selvedge edge of the fabric was so pretty, so I just gathered it up and made a pin.

The pieces featured below are all made using selvedges from quilting cottons.

This dress is from Ric-Rac Sews. Talk about a labor of love!

This sweet little skirt is from Flourishing Palms, and she called it the Name Dropper Skirt. Cute!

I couldn't find the person who made this skirt, but I love the play on stripes. 

I love making journal covers and I thought this one from Write It Down was especially sweet. 

In my searching, I managed to learn something new, at least to me. There is a denim that is called selvedge edge denim. The picture is below. It comes with this lovely and colorful edge finish. I need to find some of this!!! 

I hope that someone can help me, and Ruth out. I would LOVE to see some wonderful things that have been done with the selvedge edge of wools, linens, etc. 

Thanks so much, and have a wonderful week!

Rhonda

And the Winners Are...

You may have noticed that the title says winners, plural :)

Last Monday, I shared my new tea towel/fabric design I made from a watercolor piece that I did,

As I said last week, so may wonderful things have happened recently, and I always enjoy sharing a bit of joy, so I decided to give away 1 of my fat quarter/tea towels. Well...I was able to take advantage of a fabulous sale, and then Spoonflower gives me a discount since I am the designer of the piece, so all the more affordable. Rather than giving away 1 piece, I decided to give away 3! So yes, there are 3 lucky winners :)

And the winners are(since my handwriting is basically illegible!)...

Laura Tyre Phillips

Cynthiacc

And Sew Forth

Congratulations ladies!!!

Be sure to email me at sewbussted@yahoo.com with your mailing address so I can get the fabric out to you.  

Have a fabulous week!

Rhonda

P.S.

If anyone is interested, I will have the fabric ready to sell on the Spoonflower site later this week. I'll let you know when it is up and ready to go! 

Monday Morning Fun!

The best thing happened last week :)

I had surgery on my right eye last Tuesday. It seems that all went quite well. The best part is that the awful vertigo feeling that I had after the surgery was done on my left eye in May was immediately gone. So happy! But, that's not the best news...

Meet Berkley!!!

I took this picture as we drove home, me holding his little feet as he slept :) He's 24 pounds of pure love. His little tail is constantly wagging. Such a happy little guy. 

As I was supposed to be resting my eye :/, a thought came to me to just take a look and see if there were any Schipperke dogs up for adoption. It was the strangest thing, a rescue website came up that had nothing to do with Schipperke rescue, but there was a picture of Berkley. This has never happened before. But, for the first time since I lost Miss Little Bit 2 years ago, this little dog spoke to me. I ran upstairs and asked my husband what he thought. He said, "I think we should go for it!" I filled out the application and a questionnaire about what attracted me to the little dog. Friday morning the rescue called and said that they would hold him for me until we could get there on Saturday. My husband actually drove me all the way to Detroit to see this little guy. A 10 hour round trip adventure, but worth every minute :) Gracie isn't all that happy, but, she's doing better than I thought she would. All seems right in our home once again :) I have had a smile on my face since Saturday!

Remember my Summer Bucket list? You may remember that I had a piece of fabric made of my painting. I went back to the Spoonflower site, played around with the design, and did the mirror piece below. The true colors didn't come through in this picture, but I was SOOOO very happy with how the piece turned out.     

I've thought of all sorts of things to do with the yardage, but finally decided to just do a wrap skirt and keep the piece in tact. I keep pinching myself as I cannot believe that something I painted is actually printed on a piece of fabric, and that it looks so pretty, at least I think so ;)   

 Another happy little unexpected gift. 

Kathy of Running With Rockets posted this little vintage tool on her Instagram page. She loves to go to yard sales, resale shops, and find vintage sewing tools. She had said that if anyone was interested in this tool, she would be posting it on her Etsy site. I jumped on it as I had wanted one of these when I was a child. To my surprise, Kathy said that she would like to gift it to me!!! How nice :)  

The little tool makes these daisy shapes, and it came with an instruction page for this sweet top. I'm so excited!!! 

Now, if you've gotten this far in the post, I have a nice little surprise :) I've had so many lovely things happen to me lately, and I would like to share a little happiness with someone. 

This is the tea towel that I made from my painting. Because I don't know how to stretch the design to the entire length of the fat quarter, there's a repeat that will need to be cut off at the bottom. But, there's enough for a tea towel, bag, or even a skirt panel. I've started a skirt with a panel that I'll be sharing soon.  

So, if you would like a chance to win one of my tea towel panels, just leave a message on this post. Let me know what you think you might do with it. Don't worry, I won't hold you to it ;)

I will post the winner next Monday, July 30, 2018.

Good Luck!

And may you have a happy, happy week!

Rhonda

Never In A Million Years

In 2010, I wrote THIS post about Dreams and Purpose. Eight years ago, an eternity in the internet world :) 

As many of you know, the past 9 months have been a bit of an odyssey for me. I am working on a piece that I plan to publish as an ebook that will tell the story. I had planned to have it ready by the 1st of June, but rather than make an excuse (eye surgery, etc.), I'll just own up to the fact that I have drug my feet. Soon though. 

Like any odyssey though, along with the bad, there has been the good. So often, we take a step, thinking we are heading in a certain direction, or maybe no direction at all, and then suddenly, something has happened that we never would have dreamed possible. 

A few weeks ago, I did a post on my Summer Bucket List. I shared how I decided to make my list special and paint a background. The piece is below.

Once I had completed the picture, I thought that it might make a fun piece of fabric. The irony of it all has not been lost ;) Since I have put myself on a fabric purchasing diet until the 1st of August, I thought, "is this just my addiction finding a different way around getting what it wants?" Well...if it is...it won!!!

I decided to go to the Spoonflower website and just see what would happen. Below is the outcome. I thought that if nothing more, I could use the piece as a tea towel. It's not perfect. The design didn't work with the entire length of the fabric. Not a problem. When I pulled the fabric out of the bag, well, first of all, I was so excited as I loved it! My husband even exclaimed, "wow, that's beautiful!" Nice :) When I saw the piece, I realized that the design is large enough for a bag, or a tea towel, so I will just cut off the incomplete repeat at the bottom. Maybe use it as a facing.

  
This morning, I went back to Spoonflower and did a little more playing around, and did the piece that you see below. I ordered 2 yards of cotton for a skirt. I cannot wait for it to arrive!!!

Eight years ago, I NEVER would have imagined that I would create a piece of fabric with my own original artwork. NEVER!!! And here it is :) No, not Rembrandt, Picasso, or even Charles Schultz ;), but something I can be proud of.  

I love this quote from Homer's, The Odyssey...

"A small rock holds back a great wave."

We've all had our "rocks" in life, the things that hold us back. 

On September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike blew into Galveston, Texas. I was most amazed by how the water had been able to pick up boulders of granite and toss them onto the sea wall as thought they were made of styrofoam. Moral of the story..

Rocks can be moved.

Fabric Fun

I was born in Port Arthur, Texas, a refinery town on the Gulf Coast. The first 5 years of my life were spent there, and it was rather magical as I saw my grandmother on a very regular basis. Then heartbreak, we moved away. We weren't that far away, but far enough that our visits were reduced to no more than 3 times per year. 

The night before we would leave to travel back, I would be so excited that I just could not go to sleep. I thought of how my grandmother's house smelled, the biscuits that she would make each morning for breakfast, hanging the fresh laundry on the line, and then bringing the crisp linens in and heating up her massive iron and ironing sheets, pillowcases, as well as our clothes. Everything smelled of fresh starch. Hardly Disney World, but it was all I needed. 

Our trip would come and go far too fast. As the car was packed, a big pit would form in my stomach, and then when I was told that it was time to leave, a flood of tears would poor from my eyes. My poor grandmother could not contain her tears either. My departing memories were always remembered through the fog of tears. 

Over the weekend, some friends came to visit. Their oldest daughter who just turned 5, is a bundle of energy. I soon became her best friend. We cooked together, played hide and seek, went sledding, and played make believe, As they prepared to leave yesterday morning, the tears began to pool in her eyes. What a gift that was given to me. A little child who enjoyed me so much that she cried upon her departure. As I watched them drive away, I did my best to hold on to the moment. No gift could have been sweeter.
     
A few weeks back, I shared that my husband took me to Madison, WI for my birthday. When I visit, I buy cheese, visit a bakery where I buy fresh from the oven bread, and most importantly, visit Gayfeather Fabrics. 

The store is located in a vintage building on Williamson Street with awnings over the front windows. 

The owner is Virginia, pictured on the left below. This woman has the most incredible sense for great fabric. When I visit, after saying hello and getting a great big hug, my first question is always, "so, what do I need to see?"  

On this recent visit, she asked me what had brought me to town and I told her that my birthday was the day before and this was my birthday trip. Her eyes grew large as though she was about to spill a big secret and she said, "Then you will get the birthday discount on whatever you purchase. The percent is half your age." As I quickly did the math in my head, I smiled and said, "Virginia, that's going to be a fairly big number!!!" Needless to say, I had a VERY good time :)

So here's what I purchased...

Sadly, my photographic skills are rather lacking as the colors are not as vibrant as they are in real life.
This piece is a chocolate brown wool that has been embroidered and appliqued with chartreuse green velvet flowers.

Virginia had started a jacket with the fabric and was trimming it with the silk velvet, so of course I have to as well ;) She also had a piece of light chartreuse green wool for pants and a matching silk charmeuse for a shell.

I fell in love with this panel print. It too is wool. 

I purchased a piece of silk velvet in eggplant to mix with the fabric.

And finally, I just couldn't resist this piece. It's a silk and cotton blend that has been quilted on to the backing fabric. She only had a 1 yard remnant left, but it's quite wide so plenty to do something fun.

If you are anywhere near Madison, I encourage you to plan a visit for your birthday. Here are all the particulars...

Gayfeather Fabrics is located at;
1521 Williamson St.
Madison, WI   

If you do visit, be sure to ask Virginia to show you something special, and she will!

Now to get busy sewing!!!

At the moment, I need to finish up my Stephen Burrows inspired coat. 

You'll be seeing it soon :)

Happy Sewing!
 Rhonda

A Wednesday Hello

Yesterday was a busy, busy day, a mammogram in the morning, followed by my aviation physical. Then, lots and lots of writing. Finally, off to see my niece in the evening about a project that she has been helping me with. I literally fell into bed last night!

Had a little time between dinner and heading out to do a little closet cleaning. Closet cleaning is one of those things that I kinda hate to do, at least when thinking about it. Always seems rather monumental. Then once I get started, it's like the best high ever! I will admit though that it's rather difficult to let go of things. But, I have come to a point that I can ask myself, "if I wear this, does it really represent how I want to present myself?" When I was growing up, clothes were kept until they were truly worn out, or I had out grown them. Even then, my mother would quite often turn pants into shorts to extend the life. T-shirts that had seen better days would be worn with pajama pants. That recycling spirit has remained with me, and I am grateful for it, but I have come to a point that sometimes it's just better to let something go. I once attended a play and realized that a piece I had given to a resale shop was being worn by the actress. I knew it was mine because of a small little tear near the hem. Not that all things given to a resale shop find a purpose, but that made me feel so very good about letting that piece go.

This Saturday, October 28, 2017, I will be speaking at the American Sewing Guild Luncheon and Fashion Show. My talk is on paper and I am in the process of memorizing it so that my delivery will be smooth. At least that is what I am aiming for :/ If I say so myself, it's a rather good speech ;) It's funny, heart warming, and thoughtful. I sent a copy to a friend of mine to critique. She read it to her husband, they both loved it. Nice :) I am going to ask someone to video the talk so that I can post it here on the blog and share it with all of you.   

Last Thursday I flew to Orlando to attend the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals annual conference. I chose to take the 2-day course on Illustrator and Photoshop. Whew, right over the top of my head! Actually, I learned more than I am giving myself credit for. One of the ladies in the class brought a wonderful book along with her that walks you step by step through projects on Illustrator. One of the other ladies told me about Photoshop Elements. I think that is a better place for me to begin as there is less to learn. 

I want to tell you about the lady who brought the Illustrator book to the class. Super interesting woman. Her business is Lightheart Gear and she makes tents and rain gear. Amazing! She has a blog which you can find HERE. The blog has lots of information on biking, hiking, and backpacking while biking. If you like to bike, hike, or both, I think you'll find her site to be quite interesting, and maybe even a little inspirational :) 

While I was away, I also learned a little something about myself. I have always known that I am quite shy. When I was a child, it would almost kill me to go anywhere where I would be left alone. I remember the car ride to church on Sunday mornings...my mother's speech would begin with, "now, you aren't going to cry when I take you to Sunday School, right?" I would agree, knowing full well that I would. Being the president of The American Opera Society of Chicago helped me so much. I had been the president of other organizations, but I was friends with the members, so the position wasn't so daunting. But with the American Opera Society, I had to conduct board meetings with powerful and influential women, and I had to be a gracious host at events. Neither of which was easy for me to do. Being quiet and observing is something that comes much more naturally for me. I think that is why I truly enjoy writing. 

I feel that when some who read the blog meet me, they think that I will be much more outgoing than I am in actuality. Please know that I am always thrilled to meet you, I'm just a little shy. 

Before I go, I thought I would share the fabric that I purchased while I was away. The first 2 pictures are a piece of a type of burnout velvet. Loved the colors!

This is a better picture of the piece. The background is very sheer. I think I may do a bias dress.

Found this gunmetal remnant. Someone asked what the fiber content is. I have no idea!  But it has a gorgeous drape. 

Then the piece to die for! It's actually a piece of navy blue fur. I just couldn't get my camera to pick up the true color. 

My friend Helen Haughey had Mendel Goldberg come from New York with her fabrics. There were SOOO many pieces that I would have liked to have had, but restraint won :)

Tomorrow, pants! Something rather fun, at least I think so :)

Have a wonderful day!

Rhonda

Fabulous Finds

Happy Thursday!

I'm back home after an absolutely delightful time in Kalamazoo, MI. I taught a bag workshop and everyone did such an amazing job! I'll share pictures in just a few days. The color combinations were incredible and each bag was so very unique. I think you'll enjoy seeing them :)

One of the things that I enjoy the most about traveling is having the opportunity to shop for fabric. I'll never forget a trip to Innsbruck, Austria. We made the trip to attend the wedding of a former exchange student from Germany who was getting married in a small village in Austria. Three of our former students live in Italy and thought it would be fun for us to meet up in Innsbruck. One evening while walking through the city, we came upon a fabric store. Without hesitation, one of our students began to laugh and said, "I know where Rhonda will be in the morning!" I purchased 2 fabulous pieces of fabric. This was by far my favorite, a Van Gogh inspired fabric.

I have worn the dress many times, dances and opening night of the opera here in Chicago.

While I was in Fredricksburg, VA for the sewing expo, I made my way around the vendors and came upon Sew Batik who had a delightful array of, of course, batik fabrics. I have been wanting some border prints and I found 2 that I really liked.

Below is a piece called Durum Dreams. It comes in a number of colorways. I chose a navy blue and white print. Click HERE to see a beautiful Amy Butler pattern made up in the fabric. 

This piece is entitled, Hyde Park. It also comes in a number of color choices which you can see HERE. They are all on sale, so now would be a good time to purchase if you are interested. I really like the quality of the fabric. I plan on making a pair of pants and playing with the border.  

I was so, so good while I was in Fredricksburg as the 2 pieces above were all that I bought.

Our class in Kalamazoo was held at a delightful fabric store, Fabrications in Richland, MI. They have the most amazing classroom. So spacious and well appointed. 

I was so pleasantly surprised to see the fine fabrics that they carry, especially the washable Merino wools. I purchased 3 pieces. 

The first 2 pictured below are a lightweight jersey.

This is also a washable Merino wool, but a heavier weight Ponte knit. I purchased quite a bit as I would like to make up a pantsuit of sorts using the Sandra Betzina pant pattern, Vogue 1411 and combine it with a raglan sleeve turtle neck top. I think it will be quite nice for traveling.    

Today is a rest day for me. I'm off for a much needed pedicure and then home to enjoy a little time in my studio. Who knows, maybe I'll have my batik pieces made up to show you tomorrow...maybe :)

Have a wonderful day! 

Once a Junker, Always a Junker

The winds in Chicago were so strong last night. At one point I thought I just might get blown away and meet the Wizard of Oz!!! I hope that all of you who drop by had an uneventful night as I heard this morning that there were a number of tornadoes across the United States. 

I can be a bit of a junker...you know, the person who loves to visit resale shops, junkie antique stores, and look for treasures. I've always enjoyed antiques. My very first antique store purchase was a little green cup and saucer, which I still have. In fact, that little cup and saucer grew into a rather large collection.  

There was a time when I could not afford much of anything except my rent and car payment. I ate LOTS of beans and rice, and with my few extra dollars, I would hit resale shops in search of pieces that I could either wear as they were, or remake them. Well, the joy of going to a resale shop and finding a treasure is still something I absolutely love to do. 

I talk to so many who lament the fact that it is becoming more and more difficult to shop at a brick and mortar store for fabric. More and more, we are all having to move our shopping to online resources. While they provide lovely pieces of fabric, I think that what we all miss is being able to touch the fabric. After all, there's so much more to buying fabric than just seeing a pretty piece. 

Resale shops offer great fabrics...in the form of ready made clothes. Of course, sometimes you get lucky, and other times not. I recently visited a favorite shop and I thought that before I tear the pieces apart, I would share my treasures. 

The first piece I purchased was this pretty brocade dress. There's lots of fabric, so I can experiment and play to my heart's content.



It's a little wild, but I loved the print on this knit dress. 

This sequined top might get used with the brocade for something fun. BTW, I am in a pair of my Thrifty Thursday Martha Stewart pajama pants. They are made from a piece of vintage flannel that I found in a resale shop!

This dress will probably be worn this summer just as it is. I initially thought that I would cut off the top and make a skirt, but it fits perfectly, and it will be a nice, fast to throw on garment that I can dress up or dress down.
  

I rather like the trim too. The nice thing about it is that if I change my mind, I can always cut it up at a later date. And, I'll never feel guilty since I only paid $2.00 for the dress.

On the same trip, I found this great pair of leather pants. They are teeny tiny, so unless I decide to practically starve myself to death, I won't be wearing them. I'm ripping them apart and using the leather for some bags and then whatever trim I might think of.

All of the above pieces were a total of $14.00. I think that the pants were the largest portion of the cost, $7.00, but still a steal for leather.  

Now to see what I can create!

If you haven't thrown your name in for the Sew News magazine giveaway, be sure to pop over to THIS post and throw your name in before Friday!

Happy Shopping!
Rhonda

My Favorite Vacation Momento

One of my favorite things to do whenever I travel is to shop for fabric. I love coming home with a new treasure, and once the piece has been made into something new, I get to wear the memory of my trip.

Believe it or not, antique stores can be a great resource for fabric. There's a little shop in Galveston called Somewhere In Time where I typically find a new treasure...or 2 ;) The shop owner has an eye for vintage fabrics, trims, sewing notions, as well as quilt blocks. 

On this trip, I found this fabulous gold and black piece for $5.00. It's an upholstery remnant. Those of you who have followed the blog for sometime know that I LOVE the Home Dec department. You can find the most interesting pieces, so make it a part of your shopping experience. The black areas of the fabric are chenille like, but I think it will pair beautifully with black velvet. 

Not exciting, but a great bargain, 4 yards of chambray for $8.00. I initially thought of doing a shirt for my husband, and I still may. 

         

But the piece below that I saw while in Galveston has me so inspired, so I may just decide to stretch at least some of the fabric and do a little painting. Hey, at $2.00 a yard, a little creative endeavor is worth it.

A must stop on any trip to Houston is High Fashion Fabrics. On this trip, I had the luxury of spending all the time I wanted as no one was waiting for me. I saw lots of beautiful pieces, but I ended up buying just this piece of metallic knit. Our Haute Couture Club will be viewing the Mainbocher Exhibit at the Chicago History Museum for our annual holiday party. Our workshop chairman wants us to make up the Ginger Jeans from Closet Case Files and wear them to the event. I'm making a pair of black jeans and I wanted to dress them up a bit, so I thought this piece would do the trick. 

I met a friend for lunch on Saturday. Another restaurant that I especially enjoy is called Shade and it's in what was at one time the downtown area of The Heights until it was incorporated into Houston. The area has retained it's charm with antique stores and vintage shops. My friend walked in with a bag, but I assumed she had been shopping. After she sat down, she said that she had been going through her fabric and had decided that there were pieces that she would never use. She went on to tell me that she thought 2 pieces were something I would enjoy, so presents!!!!

The first piece is a gorgeous piece of cobalt blue silk with  copper flowers and vines. 

While I was at High Fashion Fabrics, I took the time to shop around for fabric colors that I would like to line the piece with and I just may do a jacket with a copper lining. If you look below, the centers of the flowers are calling, at least to me ;), for beads, so this may end up being a beading project as well.

The second piece is another piece of silk. 
  

I love the geometric aspect of the embroidery. I have no idea of what I would like to do with this piece, so I think I will let it sit on my dress form and see if it speaks to me. You know, fabric can talk!!! If you have any ideas, I'm up for suggestions too!

Another friend gifted me 2 fabulous pieces of plaid that make my Celtic heart sing! There's enough of the red plaid for a ballgown, but I think I will keep it simple. I'm loving all the plaid pieces that everyone is showing for the fall/winter season. 

This piece has really grown on me. It has a mustard gold back ground with red, black and white in the plaid. This piece may end up not being used in a traditional manner. 

So this picture is looking a little more realistic of what I looked like on my way home!!! If it were, can you imagine the baggage fees?!!!

Have a wonderful day and I hope you get a little time to sew :)