Sharon Sews

You know what I'm talking about. Only 52 days until Christmas! Which means all of the stores are now playing Christmas music and the aisles are filled with Santas, and snowmen and sparkling decorations. All in an attempt to tempt us to buy early and buy a lot. I don't know about you but I find it all quite annoying considering it is only November 3. Does anyone else remember when the stores saved their holiday display until the day after Thanksgiving? It was magical! Holiday Sewing Podcast I just finished listening to the Sew Forth Now podcast, Let's Get Started Sewing for the Holidays , where she reminds us that the holidays will be here before we know it! If you haven't had a chance to listen to it yet take a few minutes to do so. Give HandMade Gifts Maybe this is the year to the take the HandMade Pledge . Every year our favorite gift is the handmade jams, seasoning packages, and caramels that my talented youngest sister gives to us. I haven't taken the pledge -

Woof Nanny was kind enough to send me a note letting me know that when she tried to view my blog it but it crashed her computer. Yikes! She suggested that it might be because I had Java script on the blog, adding that blogger isn't working with it anymore. Well, that's the first I had heard of that but being a novice at all of the 'behind the scenes" codes I took her word for it. I removed an item from my sidebar that ran on Java script. I'm hopeful that takes care of problems you may have encountered trying to view my blog. Thank you Woof Nanny !

As I was reading the latest issue of Craftrends magazine, I came across an advertisement for a magazine I had not yet heard of - Make it Mine . If you like to re-use, re-make, or re-embellish this magazine is for you! After browsing the magazine's website I've decided that I'll be purchasing the introductory issue. Want to know what's inside before you purchase? No problem. Click here , then choose the magazine image for a chance to view a couple of pages online. Got an idea you'd like to consider having published? A link is included with their submission guidelines. Want an inside peek from the editors? Check out their blog link . Ready to order? If you pre -order on-line you won't have to pay shipping charges! (I'm not affiliated with the magazine, nor did I receive an advance preview copy - just passing along something new I came across that I think you might find interesting.)

Abby at 8 weeks - Abby at 19 weeks Can you believe how quickly she is growing!

Thanks for the comments and words of encouragement - both her on the blog and on Patternreview. I've received some things to try and advice from a few people ( Patsijean and Cherie to name a few) that said I should set the jacket aside and revisit it after some time has passed. I'll put it aside for awhile before placing it into the donation bin. Although, when you spend a few of your free hours sewing a dud (see previous post ) sometimes the only pick-me-up is to sew some instant gratification. Which is just what I did Sunday afternoon after completing the Vogue jacket and skirt. I went back into the sewing studio and whipped up this knit top. Less than one hour - gotta love that. It's sewn from a lightweight sweater knit (that probably would have worked well for the Vogue jacket that turned out so lousy) but I only had about 1-1/2 yards. Because its a bit sheer I underlined the front and back piece with a rose colored rayon/poly/Lycra knit. The top consists of a fr

Ah Vogue 2989. I had such high hopes for you Your easy to sew raglan sleeves Your nipped in waist Your cute little peplum Your slightly s* xy skirt with the pleated detail. How did it all go so wrong? This is one of those sewing projects that make you go "Ugh! This isn't at all what I envisioned!" Followed by "Why did I just waste four yards of gorgeous fabric not to mention precious sewing hours on this?!?" The construction should have been simple - the pattern is rated "easy". The shape should have worked for me - peplums and shawl collars usually work on my figure. The fabric should have been the perfect choice - the suggested fabrics include wool jersey, cotton knit, and matte jersey. This is a lovely chocolate brown knit - unknown fiber content but likely a rayon/ Lycra blend - it has a nice hand, isn't too lightweight and drapes beautifully. All of these factors combined contributed to the disappointment of this jacket. The constructio

The best thing about knowing how to face paint is being able to volunteer my time at events that I want to participate in. My girlfriend's church hosts an annual Pumpkin Party. It's become quite a popular event - the best thing is that it's free and open to everyone. I was thrilled when she asked if I wanted to volunteer as a face painter at the party. The children of the families that attend the church are joined with the children from the surrounding neighborhood for two hours of games, prizes, food, face painting and just lots of FUN! They don't have to be a church member to attend nor do they have to promise to attend a church service in the future. Sometimes the best way to share the Gospel isn't from a pulpit - it's by sharing time, talent and love with no expectation of anything in return. So last night I donned my disco-era sequined butterfly top and disguised myself as a butterfly. I was joined by another talented lady and the two of us painted lit