My name is Rebecca and I love fabric.

I recently ordered some fabric from Hancock's of Paducah. They were all fabrics listed in their web sales, and I was really excited to get some large quantities of fabrics that I really needed for a couple projects.

2 yards of this Etchings architecture/blueprint that I'm using as a backing on a friend's quilt [she was an architecture major...ah, I kill myself with my cleverness haha] and a yard of this Ruby to use for my other friend's quilt because I was 10 charms short.

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I also ordered 1.5 yards of the Children at Play print that has the little boys playing with the rockets. In navy. Because I love it, and so does my friend Kelly, so I wanted to incorporate a lot of it into her quilt.

I was pleased that I was getting 4.5 yards of fabric at about $6 a yard, so that made up for the $5.95 shipping costs [I usually only buy online if I get free shipping].

Except, Hancock's emailed me a day after I placed my order to say that the Children at Play print was back ordered and would be coming in a later shipment. That was fine with me, although I would have been watching to make sure I didn't get charged a second shipping fee.

Well then they emailed me yesterday to say that they were cancelling my order of Children at Play because they actually didn't have any. So this leads me to several thoughts...

1. Why was I allowed to place an order if they didn't have enough fabric?

2. Why was it first on back order and then just...not...? I wouldn't have minded waiting another week for the fabric.

So now I'm bummed. That Children at Play fabric was why I decided to place the order to begin with.

Must go sew away my sorrows!

New projects are underway!

Have you ever checked out what stuff of yours is Pinned? I don't have a Pinterest, but have been known to browse, especially for recipes.

Well, if you enter http://pinterest.com/source/sewfestivehandmade.blogspot.com/ you can see all the items that have been pinned from my blog by Pinterest members. Obviously, you can just replace my blog with your blog address to see if anyone has pinned your stuff.

I admit, it tickles me to know that people have pinned my creations, and it's cool to be on a pin board under "inspiration" with people that I consider to be the "big names" in the online quilting world.

So yes. I am lame. :P

And on to the sewing!

Sneak peek of my next project. Except both polka dot fabrics won't be next to each other. Just for these illustration purposes. I'm excited! :)


*Linked up with Quilt Story and Sew Happy Geek so go browse both places if you have some time!

Hoping for some interwebz help!

Just a quick line today...I've been 23 for 2 days and I pulled my back or something...so I find it very hard to move around today. I feel just about 80.

So I'm online buying some clothing patterns with birthday money. Yay!

Both photos are courtesy of the Amy Butler website

I got 2 yards of this Amy Butler corduroy at 50% off on my birthday, and I would like to use it for a skirt. That being said, I haven't come across any patterns that I like. I've recently become a little obsessed with Megan Nielsen patterns [the 2 non-maternity ones have just been purchased].

I LOVE these 2 skirts that are in her clothing line from this past year, but she does not having sewing patterns for them.

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This is where you guys come in! Do these skirts look like any other skirt pattern you might have come across in all your worldly knowledge? I love them both, and think they would both look fabulous in corduroy.

Just holler if you have any thoughts! :)

These are a few of my favorite things [from the past week]

The sunset at the beach wedding we attended last Sunday.

Dressing up and having fun with friends!

We cleaned out our closet and donated clothes that were too small or hadn't been worn in a while.

Stuffed shells. Enough said :)

I like to record NCIS and then watch episodes at night to wind down before I go to sleep. Love this show.

23 years old! Had a great birthday :)

A letter to me

First off, thanks to Jenn over at Knotted Thread for making me her featured follower today! So go check it out :) And all her cool projects!


On to my letter...


Dear Rebecca,

Congrats on trying the Schoolhouse Tunic again. Good for you for jumping right into it after the last one was a smidge too small. You cut out those pattern pieces like right away. And then you let it sit for over a month. What's up with that? At least you decided yesterday to sew it up, because you had nothing else to do, no other projects started, and you thought it might be cool to wear something handmade on your birthday.

Thanks to the comments from last time you took some of the advice given and just used a 1/4" seam instead of the 5/8" listed in the pattern, so as to make it a bit bigger without having to go up a pattern size.

But uh, not so good on your part to not read the pattern all the way through before you started. Who even knows what was on your mind yesterday because you messed up a LOT. It probably should have taken you about 2.5 hours to sew this up [because you're slow/still new at clothing-making], but instead it took you almost 4. Focus, girl!

Like that time right there? When you sewed the sleeve on the wrong way. And the couple times you didn't even realize you had messed up until you had sewn the seam AND zig-zagged it? Bah!

But you finished.

And then you tried it on.

And it was too big.

Cue the laughter now. *EDIT: Does anyone know if this is just what it's supposed to look like? Like I'm 20 lbs heavier / trying to hide a pregnancy? I did wear it yesterday and it was comfortable...so now I'm unsure...

Note to self: make notes in the pattern so you remember what to do and what not to do the next time around. Because Rebecca, if nothing else, you are stubborn to a tee, and will make this damn shirt until you get it just right.

Love,
 Your concerned and caring self

About the pattern: I altered the neckline so that it is lower and more rounded, because my neck is a little claustrophobic [true story] and I did not put elastic in the sleeves. I instead hemmed them and turned them to the outside so that there is a little bit of interest in the sleeves. I'm debating putting in buttons at the neckline once I size it down. 


*Linked up today with Amylouwho and Crazy Mom Quilts :)

**Linked up with Megan at Canoe Ridge Creations too!

WIP Wednesday - The Not-Much-to-Show Edition

Happy Wednesday!

Outtakes from a very windy day!

I spent much of my time this past week finishing up the binding on my friend's wedding quilt.

And then I spent all day Saturday finishing my Pillow Talk pillow.

I mailed my For the Love of Solids swap items.

So now I'm finished with my swappy obligations...leaving me free to make whatever I want!

Here's the list:

1. Schoolhouse Tunic with seersucker plaid - pattern pieces are all cut out

2. Lisette dress - needed more fabric for 1 more pattern piece, so I got that, but need to trace and cut it

3. Shoeology shoes! Wonder if I need a different needle to sew shoes...

4. Secret project - I'm not even sure if this is supposed to be a secret, but I'll wait until I've officially gotten word back to share the news

5. New pillow for the couch - this is a maybe; if my Solids swap item is a pillow then I won't need to make one!

Yay for sewing for me! :)

Back to the grind

It rained and was cold all Sunday morning. But by 3 pm the sky was clear and blue, and it was perfect.

The wedding party was all barefoot, the bride and her bridesmaids had starfish and flowers in their hair, and Ashley was absolutely beautiful.

An intimate ceremony of about 75 people, so I was honored to be included in their special day. I cried during the speech given by her twin sister/maid of honor, and cried when Ashley and Chris had their first dance and they put their foreheads together and laughed as husband and wife. My friends and I [we've all known each other since high school] ate food, drank wine, and danced into the night.

And then I came back yesterday [after only 2 days of not reading blogs] and I had a gazillion emails and posts to catch up on. It took me about 2 hours to go through it all. Crazy!

And unfortunately there is no time for sewing today, so my poor sewing machine gets another day of rest.

Until next time... :)