Fair - Sewing

Next up for Fair - Sewing!

Judging Rachel's outfit

Judging the skirt I made (haven't posted about it here yet). You can get this pre-shirred material at the store, but we did it ourselves by switching the regular bobbin with a bobbin of elastic thread. It wasn't that hard to do, except for getting each round started. But definitely worth doing it yourself instead of buying it pre-shirred for $15 a yard!

My bag - another post coming about this, once I get it back from Fair at the end of this week and can take more detailed pictures!

On Rachel's outfit I got Best of Show! :) I wasn't expecting that, though I knew it was possible (like there is very little competition in my levels of sewing and crocheting... they are becoming lost arts!). The judge said really liked how neat and clean all the seams were on the inside. It was originally going to be a State Fair, but they changed it to Best of Show because I had told her it was for my little sister, and if it had gotten State Fair, Rachel wouldn't have been able to wear it until after State Fair next year (our Fair is after State Fair) and it wouldn't have still fit her. Plus she's been asking to wear it since I got it done. The head sewing/crocheting/knitting organizer told me this later... we have gotten to know her pretty well, and the judge, who I have had for crocheting, knitting, and sewing the past 3 years. :)

Next up - Crocheting!

Finished Friday - Rachel's Outfit, Shawl, Plarn Bag, Sponge Bob Hats, and Baby Blanket Border

If you would like to join me in this Finished Friday quest to get rid of all the half finished projects we all have... please blog about your project(s) you have finished the past week on Friday's, and come back here and leave a comment with your blog link. If this is successful, in the future I might set up a linky list you can join. Projects do not have to be projects you procrastinated on, they can be anything, sewing/crocheting/knitting or any other fiber art, and they need to be FINISHED! :)

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I never said you couldn't post about more than one item! I usually tend to do only one, but I'm changing it up this week! :) Hopefully this will also make up for the Finished Friday's I missed in the past few weeks.

My excuse for being MIA lately- fair judging starts in 63 hours.. err 2 1/2 days. And I still have LOTS to do. :)

So onto this week's Finished Friday! First up, a sewing project for fair - An outfit for my little sister Rachel. I have to admit, this turned out absolutely adorable, and it called for an impromptu photoshoot. :)

Had to take this picture... because you won't look at the outfit in the pictures below... only my adorable model!

Seriously? Little Diva! I had her put her hand on her hip and on the garage there, but she lifted up  her foot and put it on top of the other one!!

Not a fan of the bees buzzing around her head...

So I "threatened" to tickle her if she didn't smile!

Peek-a-boo! I see you!

My favorite picture!!

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Next up - a shawl/big scarf/wrap thing! I used a N hook (REALLY big for my non-crocheter readers), and reg worsted weight yarn to create the lacy effect. I used this pattern, and used ALL of the One Pounder skein. This shawl is going go to fair (if it makes it), and then I'll sell it on my other blog.

Yes, I used the shower curtain rod to model it for me because I didn't feel like it. I'm cool like that.

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Next - a plarn bag. I never blogged about it here (hello, I've blogged 7 times since the Block Party posts.. I kinda don't have breathing room in there to blog about such projects), but I made a rainbow plarn bag for my sister Anna awhile back. I took most of a day to make (6+ hours?), but I finished it in a day, and same with this one I just made the other day for my sister Rebekah.

It looks much cooler in person. Take my word for it.

This bag will go to fair, and then it will used by my sister and hopefully not get sprayed with water and rot. I used plarn (plastic bag yarn) and a strand of regular acrylic held together for stability. I changed the color of the acrylic to do the striping effect (same with the rainbow one). I did make up this pattern, since I HATE using patterns (no offense pattern writers), and I will write and test this pattern soon so I can share it with you so you can make your own awesome colored plarn bag! :)

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Next - Sponge Bob Hats. Ohh these were dreadful! They were for an order, and I will let you all know that if you want to order one of these, expect to pay $50 per hat, and expect it to take a couple years. Ahem. I am not in favor of making more. :) 

The pattern used is from Ashley Phelps, who is one of my favorite designers for hats. I've come back again and again to her patterns to use as the base for mine, and haven't been disappointed. I've used her Angry Red Bird, Angry Black Bird, and now SpongeBob. I also have intentions of using the Minion, Panda, Polar Bear, and I have a Monkey in process. So yeah, all her hat patterns. :)

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And lastly - I finished the border on this blanket. :)

Until Fair is a "Finished Friday",

Sarah :)

Showing Day - Part 3 - Sewing

This is my 6th (maybe 7th?) year in sewing, I definitively didn't get everything I wanted to done, but I am with what I did. :)

Judging my blouse and skirt

I got a 1st and Selected for State Fair!!

Pillowcase - 1st

Apron! Jake and Ashley, you might recognize the fabric from this and the pillowcase above! :)

Review of My 2010 Goals

I just remembered/realized, thanks to an awesome friend!, that I posted my 2010 goals at the beginning of last year. I was just going through them, and I only knocked about 1/2 of them off of my list, but I have done so much more in the last year than I would have EVER imagined at the beginning of the year! Below is the list I posted last year, and the results.

Crochet Goals:
-Make an afghan - DONE!
-Learn the popcorn stitch - not done
-Learn the shell stitch - not done
-Make 50 baby hats for charity - not done
-Teach at least 3 people to crochet - DONE!
-Make a doily out of thread - not done
-Made at least 6 snowflakes out of thread - not done
-Buy less yarn and use more of what I have (Mom says that's a good goal :-)) - still working on it...

Knitting Goals:
-Learn how to purl - not done (Auntie Debbie - HELP!)
-Make a scarf - DONE!
-Make at least two baby hats for charity - one done
-Make another scarf - not done

Sewing Goals:
-Learn how my sewing machine was made and how it operates - not done
-Make a summer top and shorts - not done
-Design and make more of my own clothes - still working on it!
-Make a patchwork quilt - not done!
-Make fiesta skirt - DONE!


I guess I didn't even get half the things done, but that's okay! There is always this coming year, and look how much MORE I got done!

- Organizing and making things for the Block Party (8 blankets for the first Block Party last year and 6 already for this coming year!)
- Raising money for orphans - Elijah, Tori, Anastasiya, Sergey, and now Eddie!
- Made lots of things for those in EE (like slippers and hats)

This may not seem like a lot, only three things, but they weren't one dish each either. And I know that by doing that that I helped to bless many people.

Fair Showing - Sewing

Me and my skirt - I got a Best of Show on my skirt. This was my second year in a row getting Best of Show in Clothing

Rebekah and her dress,  on which I got a blue

My bag to go with my skirt - I got a red on it because the tension for the zig-zagging around the was off and she didn't like how it was so floppy (that won't matter if it's stuffed with yarn!)

National Sewing Month

September is National Sewing Month. What will you be sewing this month?? What have you already sewn?

My Goals for 2010

I have been working on a list of goals for 2010 that I thought I would share. I am supposed to list some of my goals in my 4-H Record Book so I thought I would list them on my blog. (Hey, did you catch that? I have already started on my Record Book instead of waiting a week before it's due. :-) Hurray for me!)


Crochet Goals:

-Make an afghan

-Learn the popcorn stitch

-Learn the shell stitch

-Make 50 baby hats for charity (about 5 done)

-Teach at least 3 people to crochet (two down, one to go)

-Make a doily out of thread

-Made at least 6 snowflakes out of thread

-Buy less yarn and use more of what I have (Mom says that's a good goal :-))


Knitting Goals:

-Learn how to purl

-Make a scarf (Done)

-Make at least two baby hats for charity

-Make another scarf


Sewing Goals:

-Learn how my sewing machine was made and how it operates

-Make a summer top and shorts

-Design and make more of my own clothes

-Make a patchwork quilt

-Make fiesta skirt

I am sure there is more in all of these categories that I can't think of right now. What are your goals? Leave a comment and tell me. :-)

My New Sewing Machine

A few weeks ago I received a new (new to me) sewing machine. My 4-H leader was given several old sewing machines that still are in great working condition. She gave them to my sewing leader to find good homes for them. She asked if anyone would be interested in taking one. We said yes and went over to choose the one that worked best for us. It is a Singer Stylist 522, (which, if you research it, it is very old). It worked out good for us because my mom has a Singer that we use for all our projects. Both machines use the same bobbin and they are very similar. I am very thankful for the new machine.