#BLOGLIKECRAZY DAY 30: LINDA'S TIPS, PRETTY PATTERN WEIGHTS...

...I first saw pattern weights similar to these listed on an Esty Store -list price about $25.00 for 6 of them.  Although I don't consider myself a very crafty person, I thought I could easily make a set for much less.  So back in 2011 I thought I'd give it a try and sure enough it was an easy project!  You can read my initial post as well as see a pictorial of how I made them HERE. 

Of course I had to add LOTS of Pink and was able to find plenty of colorful grosgrain ribbon for the project.

Works excellent for straight cutting...

#BLOGLIKECRAZY DAY 29: LINDA'S TIPS...

...first of all, I cannot believe that it's the 29th of the month!  Time has flown, Thanksgiving is already past history - so that means that Christmas will be tomorrow - Right? (lol).

Today I decided to work on another waterfall cardigan since the pattern was already out. 

McCall's 7262

I had already planned on make one for my Darling Daughter using this light weight gray and black stripped sweater knit from Hancock's.

Numerous markings needed to be made (dots and other construction indicators) for the pattern.  I just did not feel like making tailor tacks today (lazzzy, I know), so I decided to use my colorful tiny adhesive dots to mark instead.  I find using them very helpful when marking knits.   

The adhesive dots stick just long enough for me to get the job done, and saves me a WHOLE lot of time with marking.  When I posted the tip on Instagram a commenter added that pieces of masking tape work for marking as well.  After she added masking tape I then though about using painter's tape. All of these are easily removable, won't cause any damage to the fabric at all and speed the marking time up..

Thought I'd post this just in case it would be helpful to someone else.
DO YOU HAVE ANY HANDY MARKING TIPS???

#BLOGLIKECRAZY DAY 28: CASCADE OR WATERFALL...

...some call this design cascading; some call it waterfall when referring to draping effect of the front panels.  I prefer waterfall because it sounds more romantic.

MCCALL'S 7262

 My client chose this mid-weight gray and black sweater knit from Hancock's that raveled off in small chunks rather than in shedding strings - not her fault - neither of us knew it was going to be like that.  Sewing through 2 layers turned out to be quite bulky, however; and caused a little stress when sergering - but it had to be serged.

All went well during construction,  only 4 pattern pieces. The hardest part of the project was putting in the button holes - uggh, gave me a real FIT!, thank goodness there were only 3 of them.  After many practice runs I had to end up pulling out an older sewing machine to complete the buttonholes.

The front bands went on effortlessly compared to others of this type that I have made.  All in all this was a nice 2 day project for me, and I think I'll be making it again for my daughter while I still have the pattern out.

HAVE YOU MADE ONE OF THE DRAPED NECK (CASCADING/WATERFALL DESIGNS) YET???

#BLOGLIKECRAZY DAY 27: ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES....

...in the midst of trying to keep up with my 30 day blog challenge, there is some sewing going on here at Casa Lewis.  I guess I'd call this a bit of stash busting - I've made two knit pencil skirts from remnants of other projects. You do know that a #2 pencil skirt is just my style - and I love wearing them with booties or boots during the fall/winter season.

#2 pencil skirts, essential pencil skirts call then whatever you like, but a good knit pencil skirt fits my style every day of the week. I got to thinking about all the possible outfits that I could compose from these two simple skirts.  I love mixing and matching outfits, as well as adding vibrant pops of color.  I pulled a few jackets and sweaters out of the closet to see what would work with my skirts and sort of pre-plan a few outfits for the upcoming weeks.  This is what I came up with thus far:

These sweaters and jackets will work equally as well with the stripped skirt  -  so there are endless possibilities from working with just a few pieces.

WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS FOR EXTENDING YOUR WARDROBE??? 

#BLOGLIKECRAZY DAY 26: SO THANKFUL EVERY DAY...

...

It is such a wonderful season of the year.  The time that we set aside time to give thanks for all that God has done for us and given us.  I try my best to remember to take a moment EVERYDAY to pause and give thanks for my family and friends, my home, my job and my health.

Wishing you and your family a safe and loving Thanksgiving Day!

#BLOGLIKECRAZY DAY 25: A MONTH OF FIRSTS...

 ...if you've been kind enough to tag along with me during my 30 Day #BLOGLIKECRAZY Challenge, you've notice that I've done several "FIRSTS":  my first series of INTERVIEWS, and now, the first of several GUEST POSTS.  It's been an adventure doing some of the things I've wanted to do for a long, long time; and finally stepping out on FAITH to ASK blogging friends to assist me.

On that note, I want to say a great big "THANK YOU" to the ladies who took time from their busy schedules to help me.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart of hearts...

Sew Crafty Chemist - Nakisha Smith

Hello! I'm Nakisha and I blog over at sewcraftychemist.blogspot.com. I'm a 'self-taught' sewer who has become absolutely addicted to this craft since I got my first machine in January of 2013. I cannot believe it's been almost 3 years and I have enjoyed the journey immensely.

I almost exclusively sew garments for myself but can be persuaded to sew for my daughter. My absolute favorite items to sew are pants and jackets and I've started coming around to skirts and dresses. I have over 550 patterns in the stash and untold fabric yardage.  Some of my favorite patterns are Vogue 9032, McCall's 6886 and 6996, and Simplicity 2369. 

If you follow me on IG you know that I am almost always wearing something handmade. I sew a lot and have nearly 250 projects recorded on Pattern Review!  Whew! I also have three closets that are mine, all mine. My family doesn't know that that isn't normal. Shhhh. Don't tell them!!

I am really active in the sewing community mostly because - addicted!!! I have had so much fun participating in contests and challenges - 2nd place in the Fabric Mart challenge last year! 1st place for PRs fitted blouse contest last year! 2nd place in this year's Wardrobe contest on PR! And now a Top 50 blogger for BurdaStyle!  It really helps me stretch myself and go outside of my comfort zone. And really, I get a lot out of just participating. Any sort of a win is a bonus. 

For the next few months you can find me once per month or so on the Fabric Mart blog. In those posts, I will try to show any fitting and construction steps that I think may be interesting; vs just showing the finished garment. 

I am often asked if I do tutorials or anything on my blog. Unfortunately, I don't. I will try to help answer questions when I can but I am just not the teacher type! The technical aspect of sewing comes naturally to me and I have a tough time explaining things to others. I do have a list of tips that I tell newbies who want to get started sewing!

Here are my beginner tips:

*First, it's just fabric. Really. Try to not to let the wadders get to you because EVERYONE has them. Even the really accomplished sewers!

*Be confident.  Can you do this? OF COURSE! Will you do it perfectly the first time? Probably not. Is that ok? YES!!

*Read the pattern instructions BEFORE you start the project. You may need to research techniques and it'll be much simpler if you're prepared before you get stuck on something. YouTube is invaluable.

*Fit your tissue paper. It's quick and simple. Fit for Real People, while the photos are outdated, is easy to understand and covers many fitting issues!

*Be amazed by your iron! AMAZED!!!!! The pressing of a seam completely changes the look of the item. And please press your knits! 

*Use like-RTW items to help you! I have used many RTW garments to understand certain aspects of construction!

*Practice. I know. I know. But you'll be more confident when you tackle the real thing! This goes for everything from sewing straight seams to buttonholes to welt pockets!

*Lastly, recognize your own progress.

One thing I like to do is compare remakes of patterns. Butterick 5678 (now OOP) is one of my TNTs. When I began sewing, one of the things I wanted to make so badly was a buttonfront shirt. In 2013, just a couple months after learning to sew, I attempted the pattern. About a year later I sewed it again without the atrocious collar stitching :-p. This year, I sewed it again, feeling fully confident with my (expensive!) Italian cotton shirting. 

What you don't see in version 2 is that I have snaps inserted between the buttons at the bust because I had MAJOR gaping! :) 

Comparisons like this really boosts my confidence as I tackle more complicated garments! 

Thank you for allowing me to share a little bit about myself and my sewing journey with you! I hope you find the 'sewing life' to be as fascinating as I do!

#BLOGLIKECRAZY DAY 24: #THE SEWING GOURMENT THROWS NO SHADE PATTY LABELLE...

UPDATE: 2 1/2 Teaspoons of Vanilla instead of Tablespoons
...that's right, I certainly would NEVER throw shade at grand diva Patty LaBelle.  I am always a big supporter of business owning sisters, and have always LOVED me some Patty LaBelle.  By now everyone has heard all about the Patty pies that Walmart cannot keep on the shelves.  This sister has it going on in the pie marketing arena, the pies have even been highlighted on the national news.  I'm no marketing expert, of course, but releasing the pies right at the beginning of  the Thanksgiving Season was GENUS!

You go on now Ms. Patty!  But I had to laugh out loud when I first heard about Patty's pie because our Sweet Potato Pies are called Aunt Pat's Pies.  The pie recipe that we use was developed by my expert pie baking sister, Patricia (Patty) Clark.   
 

My favorite picture of my baby sister Pat from her junior high school days.

AUNT PAT’S SWEET POTATO PIE

Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees

NOTE:  Thaw pie crusts ahead of time

NOTE: AUNT PAT SAYS THAT THIS RECIPE IS FOR 2 REGULAR SIZED PIES 

5 TO 6 Medium to Large Sweet Potatoes

(You know, they say that North Carolina has the best sweet potatoes, and I agree)

1 Cup Sugar

2 sticks Margarine or Butter, at room temperature

3 Eggs, at room temperature

2- 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla

½ Teaspoons Nutmeg, and ¼ Teaspoon Allspice OR use ¾ Teaspoon of Cinnamon

2 or 3 Regular Pie Crusts (I think Pet-Ritz are the best)

========================================================================

Scrub and wash then boil sweet potatoes whole in their skins in large pot of water until fork tender.

Pour off water, cool potatoes and then peel.

Place potatoes in a large mixing bowl, add butter and sugar.  Mix with electric mixer until mixture is a smooth consistency.  NOTE:  SOME POTATOES ARE STRINGY,  If potato strings get hooked around mixer beaters, remove them so they won’t get back into the pie mixture.  Beat until no strings appear around the beaters.

This is the time to taste the potato mixture for sweetness.  If the mixture is not sweet enough, add more sugar ¼ cup to ½ cup at a time until it is sweet enough for you.  If you manage to get the mixture  a little too sweet, don’t worry about it, because when you add the eggs some of the sweetness will be taken away.

Add 3 large room temperature eggs, 2 ½ teaspoons of Vanilla, Spices or Spice.  Continue beating the mixture until eggs and spices are well incorporated.  If you think the mixture is too soupie at this point, add 1 Tablespoon of Flour to the mixture to thicken.

Poke holes in bottom of pie crust.  Bake crusts just until lightly browned – DO NOT BURN!!!

Pour potato mixture into browned pie crusts. Place pies on a large cookie sheet.  Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow pies to cool thoroughly before slicing.    ENJOY!!!

Our Patty Pies hot out of the oven ready to enjoy!
We love them.  Wish we'd had the wherewithal to put these wonderful pies on the market!

#BLOGLIKECRAZY DAY 23: SOCIAL MEDIA - ENTERTAINMENT OR FULL-TIME JOB...

...  I have learned so much about social media platforms this year, but there is still just as much to be learned.  My teenage students are amazed whenever I join in on their social media conversations.  They say "whattttt!" when I say oh yes, and I  ALSO have a blog.  (Although we cannot follow each other until after they graduate.)   I do enjoy social media because it sort of opens the world to me and puts me in touch with so many new people.  With all the beeping and whistling of notifications, I often have to ask myself - is social media entertainment for me, or is keeping up with all of it becoming a FULL-TIME JOB???.

I find myself involved in:

INSTAGRAM  I came late to the party buy I've actually fallen deeply in love with Instagram!.  Although I basically post (is it called posting there too?) sewing related content  I THINK  I've built quite a "presence" there as #TheSewingGourmet (lol). Posting my gourment cuisine has been so much fun.  It's sort of funny when follower's try to invite themselves to dinner after I post one of my dishes.  But the most impressive thing happened when another sewing blogger asking for one of my self created recipes by Instagram message.  I was so flattered.   So my IG posts document my sewing projects as well as the foodie side of me.

.

PINTEREST  And I can't say enough about the sewing inspiration, helpful hints and tips and recipes that I've found on Pinterest.  It's a virtual gold mime of categorized information.   I really need to organize my Pinterest boards but that's another story for another day.  Guess what my most re-pinned pins are?

• turn your barbecue grill into a smoker http://bbq.about.com/od/rib1/ss/aa011009a.htm#step4 , and 
• phyllo chicken pot pie  http://www.tasteloveandnourish.com/2014/02/03/phyllo-chicken-pot-pie/.

I don't spend half the amount of time as I use to here, but I love knowing where to find my information when I need it - on one of my 105 Boards- that's where.  My plan is to connect my blog to Pinterest even more in the days to come.

FACEBOOK  Who isn't on Facebook?, it's an all time fav of many, I know.  It's quick, it keeps you updated on all the goings and comings of friend's and associates, and some people also use it to promote not only their blogs but their businesses as well.  I must admit that FB and IG has messed me up a bit with their "like/love" buttons.  It's so quick to just "like"  something and keep it moving or have the option of  commenting if you want to.



TWITTER  For some reason I've had a bit of a learning challenge in dealing with Twitter.  Working with it has not come as easy as working with the other platforms for me.  For one thing, I can't remember my password!, and when I request a reset the link always leads me to a non-working reset page, huh?  I have; however, discovered that I can use it easily from my Android so I have just recently started tweeting.  Hopefully I'll get more use from it in the days to come.

Now, PERISCOPE - now that's  a whole nother ball game.  I'm still a bit startled whenever I hear my phone whistle during the course of the day - and night for that matter.  When I hear it, I can't help wonder "who's live", even if I can't watch at the moment.  Although I've not done my first "scope" I am quite a watcher and follower (Is that a form of lurking?).  It could be my sewing teacher from Houston, Texas; or the Bridal Couturier from Augusta, Georgia; or the Fashion Designer from Charlotte, North Carolina who just made her FIRST winter coat in just 7 days when it too me a full month to make mine.  There's just no telling who it might be.  Oh my goodness, of all the social media platforms - right now this is my FAVORITE!  I've had to learn to scale down on Periscope early in the game.  As not to get pulled down the "rabbit hole" as I initially did with Pinterest, I've decided that I just don't have to watch every suggested scope - I'd never get ANY work done if I did.

And last, but certainly not least my baby, my blog FAYE'S SEWING ADVENTURE!  As you can imagine, this blog ranks first on my list of my social media involvement.  I've nurtured this platform since February 10, 2007 (almost 9 years).  Who would have thought it would have held my interest for that long?  It seems like only yesterday that I discovered sewing blogs and  said "oh, I want one of those".  I've learned so much about blogging and and have really worked on this thing.   It has grown and even evolved just a bit, and is a wonderful method of chronicling my sewing progress.   Oh, but I do have lots and lots of  plans for expansion one step at a time.  I really appreciate your tuning in to watch and read because you actually help me to grow!  

What is your social media platform of choice, and why...  

#BLOGLIKECRAZY DAY 22: THE SEASON OF THE GLAM DOLL...

...well, it's that season!  The season when all of Ebony Jordan's (THE GLAM DOLL) planning and hard work of late night sewing sessions is put into full action. You might wonder why I take such an  interest in Ebony's business.  It's because I watched her build this successful business one step at a time over the past 3 or 4 years.  She has become quite the Doll Clothier. And even though her area of sewing is a completely different genre of sewing than mine, I always marvel at any type of sewing business.

Ebony has her Glam Doll Boutique stationed at the Georgia National Fairgrounds Annual  Mistletoe Market Friday, Saturday and Sunday this weekend.  I paid her a visit on Friday just to see the crowd marvel over and mix and match little 18" doll clothes.  The enthusiasm of her customers (both children and adults) never ceases to amazes me!

The Glam Doll Official Logo - branding her product.

Every 18" doll needs ample pairs of undies.

Ebony minding her store.

She also included an American Doll prize Drawing for her customers during the event.

18" Models on display.  We had to keep dressing and re-dressing them as the customers continued to buy the clothes off their backs.

If you live in the area, pay the Glam Doll a visit at the Mistletoe Market in Perry, Georgia this weekend.  If not, you can visit  The GlamDoll Esty Store for all your 18" doll clothes needs now and all through the year ...

#BLOGLIKECRAZY DAY 21: THERE'S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT THAT NAME...

...It's interview time again ya'll - guess orange juice should be our drink of choice this time.  Melanie Wise of Orlando, Florida is another sewing blogger/business owner that has that certain Jenesaisquoi!  I love the name of her blog and social media presence - "IT'S MELANIE DARLING", (Why can't I ever think of snazzy titles like that?).  But I digress, "It's Faye Darling" just wouldn't have the same ring" lol.   Melanie has so many wonderful things going on in Florida: her own business, partner in a couture apparel design company, family and full time JOB! - and I thought I was busy! Please read on to learn more about her.  It's so much fun getting to know other people who love sewing as much as I do - maybe even more - if that's possible...

Melanie have you had any formal training; or are you self taught?

Melanie:  Self taught mostly but both Maternal and Paternal Grandmothers, and Great Aunt were seamstresses.   My mom also sews (not so much now that I sew regularly).

What has been the most challenging garment you have made?

Melanie:  A lined blazer, Collars always gives me angst.

You have the most amazing (I’m jealous of you) vintage pattern collection.  If you could keep only 5 of those which ones would you keep?

Vogue 1663 (DVF)

Simplicity 6333

Vogue 8514

Vogue 8445

Vogue 1187

What garment to date would you call your “Masterpiece”?

Melanie:  I’m not sure if I have a masterpiece.  I literally love everything I make but I usually make clients pieces I wish I had made for myself.

What are your favorite fabric sources?

Melanie:  Fabric Mart, Mood Fabrics, Fine Fabrics (Atlanta)

Do you shop online for fabrics?

Melanie:  Almost all my fabric comes from online shopping.  Central Florida is not very fashion sewing friendly so there is not many sewing shops to choose from.

Fabric Mart, Mood Fabric, Fashion Fabric Club

How did your business originate?

Melanie:   Basically, just being asked by different people to make them garments.  I never wanted to sew for hire, I just enjoy sewing.

Would you please share your best tried and true sewing tip with us?

Melanie:  When making a waistband for any garment, interface over the fold line of the waistband, it will make the waistband way sturdier.  My waistbands would be very wonky and rolled over before I learned this little nugget.

What are your favorite social media platforms?

Melanie:  Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

Do you use these platforms to promote or enhance your business?

Melanie:  Yes I use them basically to show what I make casually.  I usually get a lot of inquiries from Facebook.

You recently hosted an amazing fashion event showcasing your designs.  Can you tell us a little about the event?  

Melanie:  Besides my itsmelaniedarling custom sewing business, I am also a partner in a business called Custom House Designs, with my sewing partner Kay Davis (Polished Bou). Custom House Designs was asked to showcase in a fashion show for the Beta House, which is a school here in Orlando Florida for young girls who become pregnant while in school. It’s an alternative to traditional school which teaches young ladies how to be parents while continuing their education. This was actually my first fashion show. The experience was awesome.  Kay who has done many fashion shows did an amazing job.

You can see more of Melanie Wise at:

Itmelaniedarling.blogspot.com

Instagram

Facebook, and on

Twitter…