Amy Butler A-Line Skirt Pattern Review

I love Amy Butler's Patterns. They are well written and usually have something unique about them. A couple of years ago I made the Barcelona Skirt. Sadly, I either measured wrong or somehow misinterpreted the sizing because I made a medium. I usually wear a medium. But it turned out a bit small. In fact, it is supposed to sit below the waist, and mine goes up high above my waist because it is the only way I can get it to fit over my hips. I feel like a fatty in it so I don't wear it very much. 

In my effort to create some fun skirts to wear this summer, I purchased some fabric from Amy Butler's Love collection. I don't see this fabric used much, but I love the colors and design. It is Sandalwood  Turquoise.

 So I tried the size large. I could tell when I put it on before it was done that it was too big. So I took it in a bit, and with the lining, it fits fine. I probably should have taken it in more, but this is all about comfort so who cares, right?

I can never seem to leave a good pattern alone so I added this ruffle at the bottom in Amy Butler's Love Sunspots Mint. It is more like a bunch of pleats that I sewed on as I went. They are not uniform or measured. They are just folded and sewed as I went along, and I like the look. It took three 5" by WOF strips to make that pleat/ruffle. 

I think maybe one person has complimented me on this skirt since I wore it and I am sort of always looking for such compliments because I worry that being immersed in this SUPER-creative fabric world, my taste is getting a little loud. But I don't really care what other people think because I love what I love and I really like the way this skirt turned out.

A pattern printing press right in my home. Who knew?

My husband has done quite a search to find a printer to print the many patterns that I have to deliver soon for Riley Blake. Printing in large format is so expensive. For one print, we were getting quotes like $1.75 each. How do you make any money selling a pattern when you are paying so much? We were bound to printing 100 prints at once to get a decent deal. It was like 66 cents per sheet. We called today to have them print for us, and they told us they had misquoted us. Shoot! What to do?

My husband pointed out that my vinyl cutter has a plotter on it that we have never used. It comes with a flimsy little ball point pen attachy thing, which wasn't quite good enough. So we wound some tape around a gel pen, cut off the top of the pen so it didn't get in the way of the top of the cutter. The printing was quite nice. 

Then we took my patterns in an illustrator file and imported them into my vinyl cutting software. Guess what!! It worked like a charm. We bought a role of 18" x 32 yards of paper from IKEA for $4.99 and will now be printing each of my Messy Macy Bib/Smock patterns ourselves (or rather letting my plotter draw the patterns for us.) It works so nicely.

It is such a miracle when something like this works out the first time around. And now I know that I have a pattern printer in my home!!! Oh the fun I will have. I can't wait. I am going to save hundreds of dollars this time around. And who knows what it will lead to?

Joel Dewberry's Fabric Room... Heaven

When I accidentally met Laurie and Joel Dewberry, I didn't even know who Joel was. I was totally into the fabric and sewing world, but somehow I hadn't committed his name or designs to memory. We laugh about it now, but he had to get out his iPhone and show me his website so I could see his work. It didn't really ring a bell. Then he and Lauri came to my booth later that day and he began to point out all of his fabrics that I was already using on my headbands. Oops. he he. 

Anyway, perhaps it is because I didn't know who he was that my husband and I were able to become such fast friends with this wonderful, kind and talented couple. Now, less than a year later, I have been able to work with them on pattern designs using his wonderful fabric. And I really do love his fabric more than any other designer's fabric (though I really love a lot of designs by other artists. 

Last week I spent some time over at their home and needed to get some fabric for the upcoming farmer's market season. I have so many bags to make. Well, again I was reminded of how much I love Joel's work. The Dewberry's have a cold storage room in their basement with metal shelves filled ceiling to floor with bolts of fabric that he designed from his many lines. It is like heaven with concrete walls. It is like going into a fabric store that doesn't have any of the ugly fabric by designers with different taste. I love going in that room.

Anyway, Laurie and I cut and cut and cut piles of fabric (see all that fabric stacked up behind Laurie in this picture? It is mine... all mine (imagine the sinister laugh here.)

And when I loaded up garbage bags of fabric to leave, we laughed about how I was "making out like a bandit," black bag and all. Not that I didn't pay for the fabric, but that bag is funny.

I love these people. they are so much fun. And I think they love me too because do you see these three stuffed kitchen bags? These are the Joel Dewberry fabric scraps going back a few years. Joel and Laurie have given them to me. What an honor. What a surprise. What a lot of work I have before me to use all of them. But use them I will.

I think I will be sewing for the rest of my life, even if I never buy another piece of fabric again.I have a stash. Thanks, Joel and Laurie, for being such good friends and for letting me be in your fabric heaven.

I blog about sewing and don't sew to blog. And hooray Farmer's Market!

You know, I like to blog and keep records and journal, but I really really like to sew. And sometimes I cruise around and look at people's wonderful craft blogs and think "How do these people constantly keep these blogs up and full of new ideas and projects?" But the reality is that I want to sew what I want to sew, and I don't want to sew to keep my blog fresh and relevant. I blog because I like to keep track of what I have done and show others and get their input.

I would hate to feel like I was sewing to blog about it. So I will keep puttering along with my blog the way it is. I have been up to lots of stuff lately and will try to stay up to date on projects but I have to live to be able to blog. So I put living and experiences first.

So as I head into life, I must mention that a big part of my every year is starting up again this week. The downtown farmer's market in Salt Lake City begins this coming Saturday, June 9th. Every year I look forward to my weekly journey downtown for Saturday mornings filled with interesting people (and people watching) and a lively customers who are so kind. I love getting out in public and talking to people about what I have made and hearing their feedback. I also like the income. Who wouldn't? So now I have 16 or more weeks ahead of me of this fun before I again hibernate for the winter.

These are some of the fun bags I sold last year. I have a lot more up my sleeve for this year. I can't wait.

Hooray for the farmer's market and hooray for summer!

So Many Bags... So Little Time

These are two more projects I made out of Seaside by Riley Blake. I just love this line. I made a woman's sunhat and a little boy sunhat. I am not making an official pattern for this one. Riley Blake is having me come into their office to film a You Tube instructional video to teach people how to do it. There will be a download available then.

This is my Summer Fun Tote made out of Joel Dewberry Heirloom laminate. I love these colors.

I had so much fun making this sturdy bag. It is pretty large too. It is out of Joel Dewberry's Aviary 2 line in granite. I put this bag out at the Holy Cow Boutique that I was in this week. It sold the first day I put it out. So I no longer have it. Sigh. But I might make another one soon.

And this is a little girl bag that I made when I was developing my gathered around purse pattern. I completed it to sell. I think it would be a fun purse for a young one.

So I am not just sitting around, in case you were worried about me. In fact, I was up until midnight illustrating my V Apron on the computer. That was a bad idea. My little girl woke up at 6:45 this morning, and I am paying the price by having a very tired, sort of grumpy, and headachy Mother's Day. Happy mother's day to all of you!

Birdy Messenger

So I have another cover to show you. This is actually my Swallow Messenger Pattern revamped for the Seaside fabric line from Riley Blake. I have this new pattern cover and have included appliqué patterns for a seagull, swallow and songbird. This cover is so fun. It was like a monsoon at the lake in our neighborhood the day I took this. I took my kids' beach toys and built the sandcastle in the background. You would never know that I was on a beach in Utah, right? I found a sucker stick and that ribbon (who knows why it was in the bag) and added the little flag on top. The wind added a nice blowing look. Ha! Anyway, all of my projects are now made for quilt market, which is later this week.

I still have plenty of pattern design to complete for the projects though so that I can deliver my patterns to Riley Blake 2 weeks after market and they have orders in. So much craziness!

More pattern covers and endless projects

My life has been crazy busy lately. I had all of my pattern covers ready and sent off to Riley Blake, along with samples to display at quilt market. Hooray! But I have some pattern writing to complete for these designs and had to prepare for at sit at the Oh Sweet Sadie Boutique this weekend. So busy. This picture was taken at the end of the boutique when my supply had diminished down. So it doesn't look very full. But you get the idea.

Just before the boutique began, I got work from Riley Blake that another fabric line had arrived (the sample yardage). They need projects for market made out of the line. I LOVE this line. It is called Seaside. So my husband ran down to pick up the fabric while I started working the boutique. And he spent an entire day putting together packets for swag bags with headbands in them for the Breathing Space blogger conference, here in Daybreak. He starched the headbands and put cards in and stickers on the bags. He is so helpful. And all along, I was working my headband booth.

So now I have 4 patterns ready to be distributed at market, along with samples to display. I have two more projects to be made out of Seaside (and photographed for pattern covers) and patterns to write. And then I will be done with this mad dash. Crazy!!! I don't know if I will be able to get it all done and be able to sleep. Wish me luck.