Happy Holidays

Best wishes for a Happy Holiday and a Merry Christmas.

Resize a Sweatshirt

I will not be blogging until January.  We all need a break!  I will be enjoying the Christmas festivities with two of my daughters and their families...and their dogs.

I have only one sewing project that I hope to get done.  I got a really pretty sweatshirt for Christmas last year.  As soon as I tried it on I knew it was a little too small.  I like my sweatshirts roomy enough to wear a long sleeved T-shirt underneath on cold winter days.  After one round with the washing machine I knew I could not wear it.  What to do?  I really like the sweatshsirt.  My daughter had the answer because she solved the same problem with a fleece jacket she had purchased.

First stop:  Joanne's where I picked up a yard of heavy, cotton knit in a suitable color.

TIP:  Be sure to check which way has the most stretch so it works with the sweatshirt.  One direction is more stretchy than the other.  Same with fleece.  Make your cuts thoughtfully.

My plan is as follows:

1.  Cut away the underarm seam through the waist ribbing to 2 inches above the sleeve cuff leaving the cuff ribbing intact.

2.  Two to three inches above the cuff cut the sleeve all the way across its width and insert 1 inch of the new fabric, thus lengthening the sleeve by that inch.

3.  Insert a 2 inch strip of new fabric into the long underarm seam, tapering above the cuff.  This will increase the width around the sweatshirt to accommodate Christmas dinner and holiday baking.  There will be an interruption in the ribbing at the hipline, but for me that will be a plus.  If I don't like that part I may be able to find some ribbing that will work or taper the seam and restitch the ribbing seam.  Not that great an issue.  I'll wait to see how it works before making a final decision.

Sweatshirt and my canine supervisor, Dixie.

 Sew some happy seams this week.  I wish you time to get your mending done.

Reading or Sewing?

I love my sewing magazines.  They are a source of information, ideas and colorful pictures of other peoples' art.  I get three that lean mostly toward art quilting where I get to see what the supremely talented sewers are creating.  They are my creative stimulation.  I also get some other magazines that provide intellectual stimulation. "Archeology" has many designs from ancient cultures as will as great articles about them.  Mosaics are just quilts in stone.   Love them all.

Unfortunately I don't have room to store them and I have found that when I keep the whole magazine I never know where to find the article for which I am looking.  Sometimes I read a magazine and keep it for two or three months, then go through it again.  Ultimately they are all destined for the recycling bin, but not before I cannibalize them, pulling out articles that I believe I will at least look at again.  I staple an article together in one corner and slip it into a plastic sleeve that goes into a three ring binder.  They are readily available when I am in need of instruction or inspiration.

I also keep a library of books, but rarely buy a new one.  I try to read through a potentially helpful or interesting-sounding book from the library before I buy it.  I have been very glad I did on several occasions when the title was tempting, but the contents did not live up its promise.  Actually, I have donated quite a few of mine to the local library for their book sale.  Some techniques no longer interest me or have gone out of date with the arrival of new methods and tools.

TIP:  There is no point cluttering up your space with things you never use anymore, especially when you work in limited space.

What did we do without the Internet?  There is so much out there to admire and learn.  I have paid for a few Craftsy classes and am not averse to viewing some of the many YouTube productions.  I have learned a lot, incorporated some and discarded others.

A favorite, which I have watched often without cluttering up my sewing room.

So, which do you prefer:  sewing or reading?  For me it is no contest.  I love to read for pleasure and education.  I love to sew just about anything.  I learned to do both in first grade.

Sew some happy seams this week.  I wish you the opportunity to read about something new to you.