BLC Day 7: Wool & Leather Coat Refash - The Plan

I can't tell you why, but I have a fondness for white wool coats.  Not white-white, but more winter-white. Something about them looks sophisticated and classic to me, almost regardless of style.  I shared with you yesterday my observation regarding the sudden trendiness of shopping at thrift stores, and that I, too, have shopped them to see what treasures I could scoop up.  Last week while traveling in Grand Rapids, MI for work, I stopped by the Goodwill store located on Kraft Ave. to see what they had.

I found this winter-white wool coat.  It was in very good condition, but it didn't fit me well, especially around the biceps which is always a fitting challenge for me.  But, I thought there was enough fabric to do "something" with it.

BLC Day 6: Empire Refash

Have you noticed that thrift store shopping has become trendy?  I wonder what changed to make this shopping experience "stylish".  I've had several recent experiences where I've voiced my admiration over something a person is wearing, only to hear them proudly proclaim it was purchased at a thrift store - and by young women, too!

I've supported The Salvation Army for many years, both financially and through donations, because I believe in their cause and the work they do.  About 2 years ago, I went to one of their thrift stores on New Year's Day because I wanted to purchase a supply of inexpensive white sweaters for a home dec project - more on that later.  While there, I was drawn to this red empire-waist pullover sweater.  I loved the color, the pronounced cable knits and the weight.  I could see this being a welcomed and much-appreciated layer of clothing on cold winter days.  And, because the store was holding a Half-Off Tag sale for the holiday, I was able to scoop it up for about $3 or $4.  Once I started wearing it, however, the sweater bodice felt constricting and the style almost maternity-like.

I went on Pinterest and found several sweater refashion images which inspired me, and because I still loved the color and knit, I thought I would like the sweater better as a cardigan than of a pullover.

BLC Day 5: Accidental Icon

When I made the decision to begin blogging, it was after being inspired by so many talented women in the blogosphere who were willing to share their time and talent online.  The first blog I started following was Sharon Sews, where Sharon shared not only her sewing talent but also life challenges she encountered and overcame.  I then happened upon Sew Many Ways, and to say I was blown away with Karen's ability to recycle and re-purpose everyday items in her sewing and craft room is an understatement.  In fact, I'm unashamed to admit that I've adopted several of her organization ideas in my own domain, like the use of pipe stripes found in your local hardware store as handles on recycled storage boxes.

BLC Day 4: Poppin' Wheelies!

I have long dreamed of having a beautiful and functional space in which to enjoy the various craft activities which interest me.  I recall in the pre-Pinterest days initiating and saving online image searches to see how other sewing-enthusiasts have set up and organized their sewing spaces.  And who hasn't thumbed through a copy of Dream Sewing Spaces by Lynette Ranney Black?

While working in my Sewing Room now, I look around and am pleased to see the progress I've made in improving its efficiency and appearance, but it has not been an overnight process. Most of the improvements have been done over a period of about 10 years - reminds me of the saying "slow and steady wins the race."  Case in point, my Project Table which I actually completed building in 2014 and blogged about in January 2015.  It has truly become a workhorse piece of furniture in my Sewing Room, and provides a lot of great storage capacity underneath its table top...

BLC Day 3: I Could Be Wrong, But...

Welcome to Day 3 of my Blog Like Crazy challenge, and as promised, here's a post about an observation I made.  When it comes to design elements in women's clothing, my favorites are asymmetry, double-breasted and wrap styles.  I recently did a quick scan of the patterns in my collection and counted no fewer than 10 wrap-style tops and dress patterns.  I think it's safe to say I don't need to purchase more.

So, when I saw this image last night while scanning through my Pinterest feed, I had to ask...

"Am I missing something?  Where's the asymmetry?"

I won't even address the price for this top and the fact that it probably is a poorly made and poor-quality garment and wouldn't look this good in the reality... IJS.

Be blessed!

Aisha

BLC Day 2: Blog Like Crazy Challenge

If you follow my blog, you already know... I'm an inconsistent blogger.  I really don't mean to be.  In fact, I've written in past posts how I don't like going long periods of time without publishing something and have vowed to be more consistent, only to find myself falling into familiar patterns. In reviewing my blog archive, I've realized that I didn't publish a single post in 2014.  How awful!!

What the what?!  Where's 2014?

When I reflect on the reasons why my blogging is so sporadic, the biggest factor for me is time - there never seems to be enough to fulfill all of the tasks for the many roles I play, so engaging in activities I enjoy doing (like sewing, crafting, and blogging) is often sacrificed.  And, if I'm not sewing, then what on earth would I blog about?  This reminds me of a quote I recently read...

"Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem.  We all have twenty-four hour days."

~ Zig Ziglar ~

Yesterday, while catching up on reading my favorite blogs, I saw Faye's recent post where she decided to participate in the Blog Like Crazy challenge - for a second year!  The challenge is to commit to publishing a blog post each day throughout the month of November.  She took up this challenge last year, and amazed herself with how consistent she was in publishing.

After reading her post, and reflecting on Zig's words of wisdom, I thought "Why not?"  So, I've decided to accept the challenge this year and publish a daily post this month.  I can't guarantee each one will be sewing or craft related; they may only focus on a daily observation or thought, but I think this may help me improve my consistency.

We'll see how this goes...wish me luck!!

Be blessed!

Aisha

BLC Day 1: Saving My Bum

I recently shared with you that my Sewing Room serves many functions, including where I manage my household affairs, so it's fair to say my office chair and desk has received lots of use since purchasing them in 2006 and '07 respectively.  My desk, purchased on Target.com, was part of their "Our House" collection and I liked its streamlined appearance and function, plus the approximate $99 price tag was right up my alley.  At the time of my purchase, this furniture line was being discontinued and the only color available was white, so I knew I'd be painting it black as soon as it arrived.

Images taken in 2012

The chair was purchased from Art Van, a well-known furniture store in the Midwest.  I think I paid about $100 for the chair - a price I would never ever pay again for a similar item.  Hindsight is 20/20, right?  Anyway, the seat bottom flattened out significantly over the years.  In fact, I've had several "Princess and the Pea" moments because I could feel the hardware through the seat cushion whenever I sat in the chair.  It is, however, in otherwise good condition, so I decided to simply replace the seat padding.

The space between my desk and chair is one of Max's favorites.

Taming of the Stash

The Sewing Room...the space in my home which serves as the center for almost all of my creative activities.  The thing is there is more than sewing that goes on in there.  I dabble in various "crafty" activities - sewing, jewelry making, yarn crafts, candle making, glass cutting, etc.  Additionally, my Sewing Room serves as the hub for managing the affairs of my home. To achieve maximum efficiency, I often re-examine the zones of this room to see if I can make better use of the space.

The closet in my Sewing Room once had sliding doors which I found to be inhibiting when trying to see the contents stored within.  Several years ago, I removed the doors and used them to construct shelving in the closet to store my fabric collection.  At the time, I decided to use Steralite storage drawers to contain, categorize and protect the various lengths of fabric in my stash.  While it did a great job of protecting them from dust and light, I did find the drawers to be somewhat limiting in capacity.

Maxi (-mizing) a Colorful Print

Like many sewing enthusiasts, I possess a fabric stash.  Perhaps not as large or impressive as some, but a stash nonetheless.  And like many, I keep telling myself to stop buying more fabric and use what I already have.  I don't always listen, but lately I've been focusing on using fabric I already have on hand.

One such fabric is this print I received from my mother's fabric stash.  It was 44-inches wide and about 2-1/2 yards, and I determined it was a polyester-blend based on the results of a burn test I did on a few threads I pulled from a cut end.

DIY Bobbin Covers

It's hard to believe more than half a year has passed since my last blog post.  I've had a pretty busy work schedule and there never seems to be enough time in the day to do all the things you want to do.  Nonetheless, I have been working on various sewing projects which I hope to share with you soon, as well as fine tuning the organization in my sewing room.

One area that I wanted to "neaten" was my supply of bobbins.  I store them in a plastic storage bin with a snap lid and customized compartments.  I like using this option because it keeps the bobbin threads clean and dust free.