I multi-task all the time and I’m always thinking smarter, not harder. Separate these two traits are great, but when combined they can either be amazingly great or a disaster.

I’m working on a quilt where 45 of the 81 quilt blocks are embroidered and I’m getting pretty impatient with waiting on the embroidery. So, while the machine does its thing, I’m thinking of other things I can be working on for the quilt. For the first few blocks I wound bobbins, laid out my order for the rest of the blocks and cleaned my sewing area of random notions that were left out.

By about block 6, I’m really looking for things to do. I started trimming all the jump stitches from the embroidered blocks while the machine was in motion. To be honest, I was pretty impressed with my ability to trim them while everything was moving back and forth and up and down. Having completed trimming all the jumps on the finished blocks, I began looking for something else. That’s when it hit me…I can start setting up the next block to be embroidered while the machine is in motion.

I got out the spray adhesive and stabilizer and began spraying. What I didn’t account for was the over spray and that the spray would actually go through the adhesive. Needless to say, I adhered the quilt to the machine…while it was embroidering.

The block that was being stitched immediately began to bunch up and the stitches were pounding one on top of the other. I quickly stopped the machine, but the damage had been done, that block will need to be re-sewn. I then peeled the quilt from the machine to find a nice sticky residue left behind. I spent the next 15 minutes scrubbing the machine with no luck. Finally, I got out the WD-40 and with a little elbow grease the sticky came off. But, the machine is now slick with grease, so I had to give it a nice wipe down before I could get back to work. My short-cut ending up taking me about an hour to fix.

Lesson learned: Do NOT use spray adhesive on the project you’re embroidering while it is being embroidered.

I am also apart of the costume for the Notre Dame Hight School Play. I am working on one of the cheerleading skirts for the play Good News.

Working on the costumes lets me work with a variety of machines including edge finishing with a serger.

We still have to make some dresses and some other pencil skirts, but I am really exicted for all of the costumes! They are going to look totally cute!

Step one, buy the fabric. Now, from what I have learned, you would normally have an idea or a pattern for the amount of fabric you will need – yardage and number of different prints/solids. Well, that didn’t jive with my creative spirit, so I thought it can’t be too hard to went out on my own.

I selected six nice black and white print fat quarters. Oh, and there is really nothing “fat” about them, it’s simply a ¼ yard of fabric. I was totally expecting something more exciting from the term “fat”, like the fabric to be extra thick, a bonus 1/8 or a yard, a temporary tattoo (like with Cracker Jacks) or something. And, I also picked up a solid black, white and yellow (2 yards of each, it was on sale). Thinking I had more than enough I was on my way home.

I read some place that you should wash all your fabrics before starting. So, I started peeling the stickers off the fat quarters. Right, stickers on fabric are not a good idea, it took at least 30 minutes to get the stickers off the six fat quarters. Once that was done I threw it all in the wash.

Out of the wash and the pressing begins. Here is another thing people like to hide about sewing: if you don’t like to iron, then this hobby may not be for you. Every time you do something you have to press it out. I’m not going to lie, its annoying.

Pressed and washed, the cutting begins. I cut my blocks 5-1/2” square, to allow for a ¼” seam allowance. And, I’m doing 9 rows of 9, so a total of 81 blocks. Another thing about sewing: being good a basic math helps. I cut 6 blocks from each print and 15 blocks from each solid. Since this is my own pattern, I then had the crazy task of developing a layout for these 81 blocks. After two nights of no sleep, for thinking of possible better layouts, I finally settled on one.

Being a coordinated girl in my 20’s I figured a rotary cutter would be the place to start. Besides, all the ladies at work make it sound and look so easy, it can’t be hard! Wrong! I cut myself three times in the first 5 minutes AND got some blood on the white solid fabric – just great. Lesson learned: NEVER lock the blade open and watch out for the back of your other hand when moving the fabric around with the rotary in one hand. All bandaged up, I managed to cut the rest of my blocks. A tip on cutting: if you’re using something table height and standing to cut, your back will hurt the next day.

Now, here I am, a couple days into the quilt and have no money, gotten no sleep, my hands a bandaged up and my back hurts. And, I’m thinking, “Sewing is FUN!?”

My daughter is a senior at Notre Dame High School in St. Louis, Mo.  Since her freshman year she has been active in their theater group, the ND Players.  It was a natural fit for me when I got the note asking me to help make costumes for that years play.  Since I love to sew, creating unique costumes from a variety of materials that I didn’t have to buy sounded like a winning opportunity to me.  Now, I have an even better opportunity!  I will be working directly with the Costume class at Notre Dame High School.  This is the second year this class has been offered.  It’s a small class; 3 girls; Kate, Ashley and Mary Beth.  Together they will be creating the costumes for the cast of Good News which includes a football team and cheerleading squad as well as a number of other period outfits.  I have talked with the class instructor, Mrs. Giamanco, she tells me Kate has already started of the cheerleader skirts and Ashley has been working hard on the letter sweaters for the squad.  I have invited them to blog this experience and share with others their love of sewing and creativity.  I hope they join us.  If not, no worries; I will document this for all posterity!  Check back soon…Debbie