Giveaway Link

Quinn over at Reformation Acres is hosting a giveaway of a Lodge 5 quart Dutch Oven. Mosey on over to take a look, she has wonderful website, and enter for a chance to win this fabulous piece of kitchen equipment.

Archaeology Dig in the Sewing Room

Another de-cluttering, de-junking Monday and I was hard at work in the sewing room. And glory be, I found things I've been looking for since we moved here in August 2010!

I don't have everything put away, mostly because I don't have a place for everything yet. But it is all sorted out and my desk cleared off, the shelves behind the desk organized and condensed. I opened every box and combined things and got rid of other things. All of my tools are together! I can find things! It is great.

I have a laundry basket full of "projects" and mending and such. There are 22 items. My goal is to do at least one each day, except Tuesdays which are sewing days and then I'll do as many as I can endure. When these things are done I'll move on to my actual sewing projects of new clothes and quilts and items for my Etsy store (more on that later).

It is such a good feeling to get that room organized and it was so exciting to find some tools I'd been missing!

Here are the BEFORE and AFTER pictures:

First, the view from the doorway

Such lovely, organized shelves!

Second, the actual sewing desk:

Now I have a clear surface to work on:

Last, my bins of fabric:

Still a ways to go, but everything in this area now is fabric, rather than projects or orphans:

This area still needs another "sort and organize", but it's from here that I'll select some treasure for my giveaway. What are you most interested in? Wool, vintage look, silk, cool cotton? Leave a wish in my comments and see what happens.

I don't know about you other seamstresses (or whatever you liked to be called) but I can't create in chaos. I must have order and I'm so happy to finally have it. Now if I could just find some little elves to keep it that way!

Pattern Giveaway

Debi, the delightful, talented and generous blogger over at My Happy Sewing Place, has just annouced a vintage pattern giveaway.  And the first pattern is totally darling.  I'm suppressing my covetousness.  The link to Debi's blog is over to the right; her blog has dozens of links to other wonderful and talented ladies.  I didn't know there were so many people interested in vintage and historical clothing like me.  And the creativity. . . well it is truly inspiring.  Thanks to all you terrific seamstresses.

My current project is an experiment in trimming down the width of T-shirts for my son, JET.  He is 6'4" tall and weighs about 200.  At (almost) 18 he is long and lean.  Shirts that are long enough for him are way too wide.  We found some really nice shirts on sale for $5 that are long enough, washed them to see how they shrank and now I'm going to attempt to re-size them.  My plan is to take off the sleeves, trim down the shoulders and side seams then reattach the sleeves.  Stay tuned for further developments.  If anyone reading this has experience or advice, please feel free to leave your comments.  THANKS!