There has been quite a bit of sewing going on around here lately – it’s that time of year.
I love to sew. I learned to sewing in the 4th grade through the 4-H program. From that point on I pretty much made most of my own clothes until I started having babies. Back then it use to be less expensive and I discovered I could have a lot more clothes if I made them myself.
My love for sewing turned into an education when I decided to major in Clothing & Textiles in college.
Then I got married and we were poor, struggling newlyweds and there wasn’t much money in the budget for clothes so I kept on sewing because I had become a bit of a clothes horse by that time. Then the babies started arriving and I had fun making little matching wool suits for my boys at Christmas and linen ones at Easter.
By the time the third baby arrived there wasn’t a whole lot of time for sewing although I did find time to teach children’s sewing classes twice a week from my home for several years and instead of making my own clothes I used my teaching money to buy my clothes!
Over the last 12 -15 years or so the only time the machine has come out of the closet has been at Halloween and during spring musical time to make costumes.
It’s spring musical time at our house right now – in fact the show opens tomorrow night. I have spent a lot of time the last couple of months sewing costumes, lots of costumes!
I also decided at the beginning of the year that I was going to revisit (remember my word of the year – RE) some of my old “loves” – one of which is sewing. I’ve had fun sewing my cute reusable grocery bags and recently decided to start working on some quilts again.
In fact, I pulled out a quilt I had started several years ago and decided to finish it before I let myself work on those two new quilts I just bought fabric for!
Here it is!
I can’t take credit for the beautiful quilting, a friend did that but I did piece the quilt together!
It’s just waiting for its binding!
Well, if you have hung in there this long you are probably wondering when and if I am ever going to get around to the giveaway that is mentioned in the title of this post!
Well, here it is.
My two cute, darling blogging friends Kris and Kim have started a new webshow – The DIY Dish. The DIY Dish will bring you the latest and greatest projects, reviews, and how-to’s with everything DIY! Be sure and check out the stinkin’ cute pillows they are featuring right now – I so want to make them!!!
To kick off their new webshow they are also having a great giveaway. They are giving away TWO sewing machines from Janome. Be sure and pay them a visit, enter the giveaway and tell them hi from Your Homebased Mom!
I’m entering too – I could so use a new sewing machine!!! I’m sewing on my 30 year old Bernina which is a great machine but I’d love a new one to play on!!
Giveaway runs until March 30th!
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post Leigh Anne! I’ve really had the sewing “itch” again too! I think alot of it has to do with all the ideas and inspiration that I’ve been getting from reading different blogs; yours is one of my favorites! Thanks…Happy Sewing!
The piecing is my favorite! I HATE the actually quilting!
That is so funny that you posted this today. I just posted on Facebook earlier in the week that I wanted to start a quilt.
And I LOVE my Janome! Need to get her out again…miss her!
*actual
Hi Leigh Anne,
Those quilts are so beautiful. You are so talented! Thank you for your book recommendation of Sarah’s Key. LOVED it and am now sharing the book with my neighbor.
such a bright, beautiful, cheery quilt. wish i could sew! speaking of book reccomendations (comment above) i am reading glass castle, there is some language but such a good book!!
I recently bought a sewing machine and am trying to learn as much as I can. I don’t have a place to keep it out all the time, so I would love to hear any ideas you have for organizing your supplies, etc. and making it easy to get out and use.
Leigh Ann,
I love the quilt, especially the chenille that is pieced in there. The colors are perfect for spring.
After reading your post, I found we have something in common. I too turned my sewing skills into an education when I attended a two year college for Fashion Design & Merchandising. I was too chicken to venture into the NYC design school route and went the direction of retail merchandising. It was fun but when motherhood called, I was there, not missing the workforce one bit! It certainly has added to my ventures big and small during the last 23 years including a home-based cottage business selling my “creations”. I have since taken a sabbatical but am “itching” to get back to the sewing! (that is once I purge & clean the craft room)
Thanks for sharing and I will add my name into the drawing…my very old singer could happily be replaced with a new machine.
~judi
OK, so my chances are pretty slim when I’m up against 3000+ other entries, but maybe it’ll be my lucky day and I’ll get a decent machine! I just paid 90 bucks to get my 180 buck machine fixed, and it’s still not perfect
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Love the cheerful quilts! So fresh looking! Good for you for dusting off your sewing machine and using it more this year. I love quilts!
My best suggestion for being able to keep your machine out is to have one of your children leave home and then you can take over their room!:)
Before that I would use the formal dining room because we rarely eat in there except on holidays. A card table in the corner of the bedroom works too but not the best solution. Also if you have an extra closet you can put a light in there and a shelf or table and turn it into a sewing nook!!
I really love that quilt of yours. It is so vibrant and cheerful. I was hoping it would be the giveaway. lol Beautiful work that you do. I have never made one, yet.
Boy, if I enter and win the sewing machine…well, I’ll just have to force myself to learn how to sew, he!he! I am in love with your quilt…so beautiful! Can you make one for my 4.5 year old daughter?
I have belonged to a quilt group of dear ladies for the last 13 years. We meet monthly and share ideas, coordinate group projects and support one another in our every day lives. I’m a piecer too. A dear friend of mine has a long arm and I send the tops to her for quilting then I finish up with binding. Be sure to always put a label on the back of your quilts with the name of the quilt, who it’s for, date etc. The label will make it an heirloom with a history.
Hey! I learned to sew in 4th grade 4-h too!!! It became my life long passion! I sewed all my own clothes my 6th grade year of school! (What a geek!) But I have loved that skill, I made my own maternity dresses and swimsuits! I made frilly easter dresses and fun sun dresses too! I learned quilting in high school and it has been my passion since!!!!! I think I have found a soul sista!!!
That is the one homemaking skill I can not do! My mother-in-law dropped her jaw when she found out I couldn’t even sew a button on. It hasn’t been an interest of mine till lately and there are all these cute things I could just be making for myself instead of dreaming of.
I do not sew, so this is just amazing to me. I love the colors in this quilt. You cannot beat a pink/green/yellow combination, but then again the 80’s were my heyday and I am biased. I have to tell you that I crossed my fingers that the quilt was the give away, ha ha.
On another note, what does one who sews call oneself? I typed in sewer and I just started laughing. I am sure one who sews does not want to be compared to waste product. Just a question from a person who does not sew.
Allyson – your comment made me laugh! I prefer to call myself a seamstress not a sewer!! LOL!!
thanks for the heads up I signed up for the newsletter and put in a plug for you
Fabulous colors in that quilt (Don’t let Shakayla see it, she will start begging for it) Wish we were closer to have some sewing parties together (We could end each sewing session with some cake- doesn’t that sound fun?!)
Michelle – it would be so fun but you’d have to make the cake, yours are much prettier than mine!!!
My story sounds like yours regarding sewing, I started quilting lately and a new machine would sure be nice. (My husband wonders why I need one but then he gets a new car once in a while, too!)
Thanks for sharing.
what pattern is this?
The pattern is called Spring Fever and it is from a book called Certifiably Crazy by The Buggy Barn