For the Love of SugaBooga

In an earlier post, I briefly introduced you to my granddaughter, Chris, who has quickly became a huge part of my life.  I've so enjoyed the blossoming of our relationship, and the recognition and excitement she exhibits when visiting her Mama and Papa (aka the hubby & I).  Part of that relationship building has included the adoption of nick-names.  Since her birth, I've auditioned a myriad of them, but the one that seems to have stuck is SugaBooga.  Also since her birth, I've wanted to make cute little outfits and accessories for her, but as I mentioned earlier, life has been pretty busy and finding the time and energy to sew has been a challenge.  So, I decided to settle in on a special project which would last her longer than a season or one of her exponential growth spurts.

In 2009, I inherited about 20 yards of this navy and gold cherub-print cotton fabric from my mom, who originally purchased it from Joann Fabrics back in 1997.  I don't know what her intentions were for this fabric, nor did I know what I would do with it when it came into my possession.  As a result, I stored it away out-of-view, and honestly forgot about it.  In 2016, I reorganized my stash so I could easily take visual inventory of all the fabric I had on-hand.  So, when I laid eyes on this fabric again 2 years ago, I had an epiphany that it would make an awesome comforter and bed linens for Chris.

How Aisha is Getting Her Sewjo Back

I've worked for a large telecommunications company for many years now, and I've found it common for most organizations and industries to adopt and use shorthand verbiage when its members communicate among themselves.  This practice absolutely extends to the sewing community - especially the online varieties - with "sewjo" being a common term used by many members.  For those of you who are novices, allow me to cobble together a definition.

The term has its origins in the word "mojo", which is formally defined as "magic power", and more commonly defined as having sex appeal or talent.  When used in the context of sewing, the hybrid term of "sewjo" is coined and generally refers to the creative energy used in sewing successive sewing projects in relatively short periods of time.

Since completing my Blog Like Crazy challenge, I've been suffering from a very anemic "sewjo" for a variety of reasons, and despite having several active WIPs (works in progress) , I just don't feel energized to work on any of them.  Desperate to not fall back into comfortable habits which lead to a void in sewing and blogging, I recognize the need for a quick sewing energy booster.  Motivated by the dumping of about 10 inches of snow we received earlier this week, I've decided to make winter accessories fashioned from a thrift store sweater.

"Nouveau Vivre" Knit Throw

Hello everyone and welcome back to my little corner of the internet.  After completing the Blog Like Crazy challenge in November, I took a couple of days to relax and think of the next project about which I wanted to write.  You may recall my sharing with you that I purchased several knit sweaters from The Salvation Army to make a knit throw to accompany the knit pillow cases in my Family Room.

BLC Day 27: Sweater Knit Throw

I recently shared with you details on the pillow cases I made from thrift store sweaters for my Family Room, and mentioned that I wanted to make patchwork throws to accompany the cases.  A while ago, while viewing images on Pinterest, I found this one of the patch-work sweater knit blanket Michelle made and posted on her blog, Yellow Suitcase Studio.  This served as my inspiration.

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.

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.

Rebirth of a Leopard...

Who else out there enjoys Pinterest?  I could not begin to count the accumulated hours I've spent on this social media site.  But unlike some others, I feel this one to be quite useful in sparking new ideas and sharing best practices.  I've been on Pinterest for maybe 2 years now, and have created 62 virtual bulletin boards with over 1200 pins.  Trust me when I say that is light-weight compared to some other Pinners whose boards I follow.

One of the pins I saved on my Sewing Inspirations - Skirts board is the image below.  Something about the "casual chic" combination of the animal-print skirt, plain white tee and classic denim jacket really caught my attention.

Don't You Wanna Put Your Name On It?

I truly enjoy garment construction and love it when a garment's interior is as beautiful as its exterior.   I often examine ready-to-wear garments to figure out the short-cuts the industry uses and try to incorporate them into my garment construction.  Additionally, I continue building my skills to include more advanced couture techniques.  In fact, my blog name, Sew Couture, identifies what I'm working towards - haute couture construction.  Incorporating high-end techniques during construction truly separates "hand made" garments from "home made" ones and differentiates professional from amateur.  That level of detail and professionalism is what I'm working towards, and has moved me to begin labeling my work.

I am actively following 70 different blogs which cover a variety of interests, but the majority of them are sewing-focused and managed by wonderfully creative women who also love sewing, sharing their knowledge and the fruits of their labor.  A number of them also label their work.

Cennetta Burwell - The Mahogany Stylist

Mimi Goodwin - Mimi G. Style

Karen Ways - Sew Many Ways