by Dave | Aug 7, 2015 | Beginner Tips, Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab
If you’ve been following my blog very long you know I love to sew thrifty! Amazon is one of my favorite places to shop. For various reasons, but mostly because if I spend $35 I get free shipping! I shop at fabric.com and pay through Amazon because, who cannot find $35 of fabric? Shipping is outrageous these days. I will always shop anywhere that will allow me to skip the shipping charges.
So, just now I filled my Amazon cart up with mostly add-on items. They get kinda picky if you try for $25 of just add on items. LOL….It took me a few minutes longer because of this. I had to find some regular price items to make them happy. It made me happy too, I saved $25 plus shipping.
In case you are wondering the good deals are as follows;
Clover Wonder Clips, Red, 50-Pack by Clover
COATS & CLARK Dual Duty Plus Denim Thread, 125-Yard
Wrights 881428 Flower Head Multicolor Pins, 75 pins
Singer Titanium Universal Reg and Ball Point Machine Needles Combo Pack, 8-Pack
Singer Denim Machine Needles, Size 100/16, 3-Pack
Dritz Ergonomic Design Large Seam Ripper
I think that’s pretty good, especially saving on shipping plus $25. Where do you shop for your good sewing deals?
ENJOY!
by Dave | Aug 5, 2015 | Lucy's Sewing Lab
It’s been very busy around here. When I’m not sewing, making jewelry, blogging, or sleeping a new online store is preparing to open! I can’t wait for you to shop LucyLou 918. I’ve started adding items already, but need to tidy up a little before it goes live. For example, I don’t have PayPal set up yet. I have put contact forms on each item though so if you need to ask questions, order, or request something custom feel free to use those forms. I can also be contacted via Facebook email.
I would love to create the item you’ve been looking for and couldn’t find. That’s actually how the idea of LucyLou 918 came about. I have never been able to find anything 100% perfect. Everything I looked at while shopping was either too over the top for me or just plain and boring. This is frustrating! So, I started shopping for supplies to create exactly what I wanted to purchase. As I created jewelry and wore it to work people began to notice and ask about the necklace or whatever. Time passed and these same people began to ask about buying my jewelry. Somewhere around 2013 I started an Etsy shop and really did not tend to the needs of a business for success. I was working outside the home and my grandchildren were with me much of the time. Those two factors prevented me from the work I needed to do. At this time, I do not work outside the home and have more than enough time for a successful venture!
Right now my catalog has accessories for her and the home. A wide array of handmade jewelry, pillows, and aprons. The catalog is growing daily. Like I said before please feel free to contact me [contact-form subject='[Lucy%26#039;s Sewing Lab’][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Website’ type=’url’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form] with any questions or special orders. Remember, Christmas is only 4 months away!
ENJOY!
by Dave | Aug 3, 2015 | Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab, Tools and Technique
I have been sewing regularly, as in more than three times a week for a year now. You know what? I STILL don’t know that much about sewing needles. I did a little research and wanted to share with you all, “Sewing Needles Demystified”. It’s so confusing to me how to know when to change the needle, they seem to wear out fast around here. I think I really make my machine work hard. In the past week I have sewn a Kimino, four skirts, two tops, shorts, a little girl’s skirt, and a circle top. I’ve also made a handbag and a bag for my O2. I guess when I look at it that way, I really am not that hard on my needles, I just sew a lot. It always seems like they should last longer.
The consensus is not exactly in agreement. Some say after every project, while others feel the need to change them after eight hours. I don’t know, my machine makes this “noise” I know then, I better change the needle or there are going to be some problems. 🙂
After a little searching on a few sites I found enough information to create this downloadable, printable chart. I think it’s pretty useful for your sewing room. I really haven’t paid much attention to the number on the needle. I usually go by the name of the needle. If I am sewing denim, I buy denim needles.
I hope this chart helped someone other than me, just a little. 🙂 ENJOY!
by Dave | Aug 1, 2015 | Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab
Getting stuff for free is like a dream come true right? Here’s a list of sewing Giveaways, Contests and Freebies I just found and entered. I have entered giveaways before and loved that I won a gift certificate. Everyone loves freebies right? I’ve already turned the gift certificate into clothing. Win win! I’m thinking what I’ll do is post a monthly list of websites offering contests or giveaways. I know something like that would be useful for me.
Websites currently offering Sewing Giveaways
- The Inbox Jaunt lists a Craftsy giveaway
- Everything Your Momma Made and more is having an anniversary party of giveaways. Her prizes include something from the following blogs; Shannon’s Stash, Jackie’s Stash, Opulent Monsters, NR Fabrics, BWD Fabrics & Supplies, Riki Print’s, You Made Something , Sew Much Fabric, Crazy Fabric Lady – Australia Only, Oh Sew Rylee, www.beequiltedbeauties.com,
- Sew News
- Maureen
- McCalls Quilting
- So Can She
- Bloomrie
- Craft Ideas This one lists 12 different giveaways to enter.
- So Kind of Wonderful
- Spoonflower
- I love Fabric Days has quite a few giveaways going on right now
- Hello Subscription
- Riley Blake Designs is doing the RBD Home Dec LOVE Blog Tour: GIVEAWAY!
- Craftsy
- Quilters Blog
- Fat Quarter Shop
- Stitch Wear Play
- Craft Gossip
- Keepsake Quilting
Freebies
Currently Running Contests
by Dave | Jul 31, 2015 | Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab
I have been drooling over the essential denim dress for quite some time now. Actually I have been hoarding old jeans and denim fabric just to use for this dress. So, today is cutting day! I’m scrambling around, rummaging through all the closets, trying to decide exactly what I can sacrifice for this dress! I have fabric. I just don’t have all the varieties I want to have for this dress. Then, in a container of scraps I found a deconstructed chambray shirt. EUREKA….the perfect piece for the top portion of the dress. It’s lightweight so I won’t feel like I’m frying. The fabric is also a light color. This is a definite plus, I seem to gravitate towards dark colors causing serious lack of variety.
[envira-gallery id="1375"]
[envira-gallery slug="1375"]Did I mention this pattern is online? Did I mention it is also FREE? The essential denim dress is my first attempt at using an online pattern for anything. I’m kind of nervous. The pattern doesn’t have seam allowances, so I am purposely cutting it larger than needed. It’s easier to make something smaller than it is to add pieces later hoping for the best!
Sew Different is one of my favorite sites right now. She’s from the UK, that to me is pretty cool because fashion there is so different than run of the mill US clothing. Probably because I don’t live in the UK, so it looks new and exciting to me. Nonetheless, she does a wonderful tutorial on mix and match denim, in case you are afraid to try. Her photos will put you at ease and make you want to try everything she has to offer.
by Dave | Jul 30, 2015 | Beginner Tips, Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab, Tools and Technique
Press, press, press, then press some more. It seems like sewing involves more use of the iron than the sewing machine, doesn’t it? I don’t know, some people love using the iron while others skip the pressing steps and wear the finished garment anyway. I remember as a child, my grandmother would set up an ironing board for me. I don’t know if ironing boards still do this, but somehow it was short so I could iron easily. She would set the iron on the lowest setting and I ironed my grandpa’s handkerchiefs all day long. I loved it. Then as I learned to sew she pressed the issue further. “Skipping pressing makes clothes look homemade!” Heaven forbid someone find out she made my clothing. lol
I am a firm believer in pressing as you go. It makes such a difference in how the finished product looks and wears. Seriously, I press so hard you cannot tell there is a seam. My goal when pressing is to make it look like the dress just “happened” pressing is the trick. Megan Nielson is a fan of pressing too. She actually presses her fabric before cutting. I never thought of doing that. But, guess who’s going to start doing it now. Then there are the suggestions of never pressing over pins. Great point! They melt and then I cry! But, I have learned buying pins with glass heads prevents this problem.[envira-gallery id=”1237″]
I learned that pressing is not the same as ironing. Ironing is a method used when moving the iron back and forth over the cloth to remove wrinkles. Pressing is entirely different. to press you must, pick up the iron and then set it down on a different part of the cloth, applying heat to the cloth with pressure. If the fabric is delicate and may scorch, it’s best to use a pressing cloth. Really, any piece of light weight woven fabric will do for this. Most of all, no matter how much you dislike pressing, ENJOY!
