#StitchMyHartOut Contest: Win a Sewing Party!!

I'm so excited to announce our newest contest because it gives you a discount on your next Sip & Sew Party with us AND a chance to win a Private Sewing Party just in time for the holidays!

How to Enter:
1. Post a photo on Facebook or Instagram of something you made in one of our classes or parties. Tag it with @hartfordstitch and #StitchMyHartOut. If your account is private, take a screen shot of it and email it to us at hartfordstitch@gmail.com for an entry. Do this and you'll get $5 off your next Sip & Sew Event!

2.  Of course, you don't have to purchase anything--- shoot us an email with the subject line: Contest Entry and we'll throw your hat in the running for the Grand Prize.

Deadline:
The contest starts October 29th 12amEDT and runs until November 30th 11:59pm EST.

Winner:
1 winner will be randomly selected from all entries after the close of deadline.

The Prize:
The winner will receive a Private Sewing Party at winner's residence (party at a partner venue may be available; winner will be required to pay upgrade fee) for up to 4 people (ages 8+) PLUS a $10 project allowance per person!! Party must be scheduled between December 1, 2015 and February 28, 2016. *Please see official rules for all the details!

We can't wait to see you using what you've sewn with us and to see you again soon!

Happy Stitching!

Give the Gift of Sewing!

The holidays are almost upon us (seriously, even though I'm writing this on my back porch enjoying warm weather-- November is in 2 weeks!) and that means you're probably starting to think about the holidays and gift giving (ok, I started back in July). I love giving gifts and I do my best to follow certain guidelines: 

1. Make it handmade if I have time (hence starting in July).
2. Buy it local if I can't make it, 
3. Buy it from a small business if it's not produced locally, and if all else fails..
4. Make sure it's something they really, really want. 

This year though, I'm putting something at the top of that list: Something I can do WITH my loved ones.

Because here's my truth (and maybe yours?): I don't remember what I got for Christmas last year. If I thought hard enough about it I could locate a couple of items. Instead, I remember playing "Heads Up" with my family after the kids went to sleep and laughing so hard my stomach hurt the next morning.

I don't remember the tchotchkes we bought my brothers (14 and 16 years my junior) when they were little but I do remember going bowling with them and the smile that lit up the youngest one's face when I let him have an orange soda.

I remember a bread baking class with my step-mother. I remember details of trips to NYC with mom at Christmastime. I remember the first UCONN basketball game I went to with my husband (also a Christmas gift).

You don't remember the "stuff". You remember the time you spend with your loved ones. You remember doing and making and laughing and relaxing.

The holidays are crazy. We make them crazy with shopping and entertaining and running around. Wouldn't it be nice if instead of focusing on gifts of stuff we focused on gifts of our time and time together? On giving an experience and making memories?
 

This isn't a totally altruistic post, of course. We offer you an opportunity to do just that! When you're rushing around figuring out what to do for your loved ones, consider a sewing party. Whether it's in the comfort of your own home or at one of our partner venues, you get to gather your friends and family together, learn something new, create some memories and have some fun.

As with all of our parties: we supply everything including the sewing machines, tools, materials, patterns and instruction! Your guests get to choose their fabric and we pre-cut and prep everything so that at the party they can get right to the fun stuff- sewing! No experience is necessary and we every guest we've had has been thrilled with what they made, and impressed that they made it on their own!

Parties are available for up to 9 people in the comfort of your own home or at one of our partner venues. Here are several of the project options we have for you to choose from-- or we can come up with something just for you!

If the thought of adding one more thing to your plate in December is making your eyes cross, don't worry! Do what our other customers have done and plan your party for January or February. Book it now, "give" it at the holidays (we'll make a up a card for you to print and give) and enjoy the time together when everyone at the start of the New Year (when it's cold and dark and you need a pick me up anyways!).

We only book a limited number of parties each month so contact us soon to reserve your spot!

Shibori Dress

In September I went to New York City for a day to take a shibori/indigo dyeing class with French General. I have had a indigo dyeing kit sitting in my studio for a year but I've been too afraid to use it, so I figured I needed a push in the right direction.

Everyone that had taken the class before said that last time they had all these dyeing plans but never did it again and I was determined that I wouldn't suffer the same fate. So the next day I ordered this glorious rayon lawn from Dharma Trading, intent on sewing myself a dress for a wedding that was exactly one month away (nothing like a little ambition).

Do you see that swirly mound of amazingness up there? 4 yards of gloriously white and billowy rayon. I wish I had a video of how swooshy and gorgeous it was. Previously I had no idea what rayon was, except that it was good for garments. Luckily, Dharma Trading is fantastic at explaining what you're buying and this is how they define it:

 "Rayon is a by-product of the wood industry that is chemically changed and extruded in fibers that are twisted into threads and woven. Our pure rayons from Indonesia come from fast growing woods that are specifically grown and harvested for this purpose. Rayon has many characteristics of natural fibers, but it is called a man-made fiber because it does not exist in nature."

So there you go.  Learn something new every day.

Next I layed out the pattern (Sew House Seven's Bridgetown Backless Dress) to check my yardage.

I wanted more dark blue than white since it was for a wedding (and I know white is becoming more acceptable, but this former Wedding Planner cringes thinking about it!) so I bound it up in a way where I thought it would be mostly blue.

 

Let me assure you... this is not the way for it to be blue. Remember, it was only my second time doing this!

 A few dips in the indigo (about 5 I believe) and this was unveiled! Clearly not all blue, or even mostly blue. But it was the design I wanted, so I'll give myself a pat on the back for that!

I pouted around the house for a night, lamenting my failed attempt at dyeing. I considered some other options including scrapping it, but then it hit me... just overdye it. One of the wonderful things about an indigo dye bath is that the dye is good for more than one use.

 Not the prettiest picture as it started to get windy and rainy outside, but here it is with one quick overdye. I was using a regular Home Depot taping style bucket so I didn't get everything as evenly saturated as I planned, but I loved the end result!

 

A close up of the mottling...



I started cutting everything out (and I won't lie... cutting this stuff out is a real pain. Similar to cutting water) and realized that what makes this fabulous glorious and flowy also makes it sheer and "body skimming". And this was a fall wedding. And I couldn't wear a bra with it, so a lining was necessary. I dyed the remaining yardage a deep, dark indigo for a skirt and front bodice lining. Of course I forgot to take a photo.

In fact, I was super careful to take photos of every step up until this point. At which point not only did I forget to take photos of the process, but I forgot to take photos of me in it.

So scrounging around for photos...

Here's a photo of the back that my husband took as we were on our way out of the hotel at the end of the night.

And here's the front! Look at my beautiful Goddaughter who was the flower girl (and freezing her butt off right here as I made her pose for a photo despite being 50 degrees out!).

I want to dye all the things now.... all of them...

Quilted Leaves-- "Quick" Fall Decor

After dropping my son off at preschool yesterday I stopped off to get a Chai Latte at Sarah's Coffee House in Hartford. I was longingly checking out the empty storefronts I passed on the way home dreaming about the day when Hartford Stitch has a brick and mortar and I can decorate a window with fabric-y goodness.

At home I popped on Facebook to check out some messages and realized we had a Cover Photo that was in need of some updating and I realized that could be my mini-storefront for the time being!

So I looked at the stack of projects I needed to work on: a dress to finish for a wedding this weekend, another for the following weekend, a couple of sample projects to photograph and of course the holiday gifts I haven't even started-- and decided it made total sense to push all those aside to work on something new (sometimes you just have to give in to a Creative Calling)!

Thanks to Pinterest I found the pattern and tutorial by BuzzinBumble on Quilting Board to make some quilted foliage. She provided excellent step-by-step drawings and I had everything on hand so I was patting myself on my back for such a simple project choice.

I made 8 leaves in a little over an hour. Then I got to the turning the bottom part under. Had I thought this through I would have left more of a seam allowance for turning, but of course I didn't and I really despise turning under small seam allowances.

I spied a piece of leather on my cutting mat leftover from another project, grabbed a leather needle and leather thread and went to work. And my machine jammed. Repeatedly. Then my other machine jammed. Repeatedly. I was trying to sew through 2 layers of leather, two layers of cotton, batting and quilting. I was so confused since I've sewn leather on to bags before so I tried again. Another jam. Then I remembered I've always used "vegan leather" which of course sews like a fabric. Whoops.

So my "I have everything for this project-- go me!" attitude turned into dragging the kids to the craft store to buy a sewing awl. And then figuring how to use it. Then hand punching all the holes for the leaves and sewing them. A bit more complicated than intended.

 

I love the look of the leather with the quilting though! If I were to do it again I wouldn't cut the half moon out of the bottom so that I could do a more narrow stem like on the red (Kaffee Fassett leaf). The other stems are bigger to cover that cut out.

It may have taken my free time that should have been used for something on my Must-Do list, but I love these little leaves and they brightened up our facebook page and my home!! Though I have to say, right now I'm thankful I don't have to make enough to fill an entire storefront!

Oooh, Baby Baby!

Phew! We've been doing lots of secret sewing over the past month and now that these gifts have been given, we can finally let the cat out of the bag and share some pictures.  

When our dear friend Jennie announced she was expecting a baby girl, Laura and I remained completely calm and congratulated her politely. Of course by "completely calm and polite" I mean "jumped up and down and more or less harassed Jennie via text message until we got access to her pinterest boards" - totally normal, right?

Once we had access to the design map (Pinterest boards = creative blueprints) of Baby C's future nursery, we set out to do one of the things we do best... buy fabric! Just like some people stock up on canned goods before snow storms, Laura and I know that the best way to prepare for a baby that isn't your own is to stock up on fabric and start sewing!

Jennie picked out the most beautiful palette of aquas and lavenders to accompany Baby C's 'mermaid' themed nursery. 

                                                                                              

Allow me to interrupt myself for a moment to say - buying fabric for a baby shower is pretty much the best. 

1. The fabric itself is gorgeous. Babies these days have no idea how good they have it... trust me when I say NOTHING in the 80s held a candle to these stunners from Sarah Jane, Amy Butler, etc. Fabric 'roll around' heaven!
2. There is 0 guilt. Typically when 7-8 yards of designer fabric shows up at my door, the first thing I do is quickly hide it in the stash so no one (coughmyhusbandcough) can ask any questions. When Laura brought this bag of treasure over I strutted around my house like a peacock showing it off to anyone (coughmyhusbandagaincough) who would listen and didn't need to explain anything because 'it's for a gift.' Ha!
3. Baby things are flat out adorable. Everything is perfectly tiny, whimsical, and pretty much begging to     be patch-worked. Sign. Me. Up.  

Laura and I made a list of items we thought Jennie and Baby C 'needed,' divided up accordingly, and went to work. Our list included: 

tiny baby booties (ithinksew.com)

diaper clutch (made by marzipan)

patch-worked bib (pattern drafted by Laura)

raggy busy blankie (pattern drafted by Sara)

little geranium dress (made by rae)...

... with matching bloomers (simplicity pattern 1826) 

wet bag (sailboat pattern)

burp cloths (the happy scraps)

glider throw pillow (same sailboat pattern as above)

and a lovely bag to put it all in! (McCall's m6905 bag)

Now comes the hardest part of all... waiting for baby C to arrive! What better way to welcome a baby girl than with love, whimsy, and a mermaid motif <3