I hope you all enjoyed the wedding projects during the month of May.  My sister got married on April 25th of this year and the projects posted were things I had made for her wedding with the exception of the purse. (I would have made these but I ran out of time!)  Anyway, I thought I would share some things that I learned while working on my sister’s wedding.

1.   There are just about as many wedding websites and there are wedding couples.  But, these are a great place to idea shop.  You can email links and pictures so you know exactly what the bride is talking about.

2.  Pace yourself.  Tackle one thing at a time, ring bearer pillow one weekend, flower girl basket then next, etc…trying to do too many things at one time can become overwhelming and limit your progress.  You want to make the bride happy with everything completed right?

3.   Buy plenty of fabric.  I can tell you, once  you have your list of items set, the bride will come to you with one last thing she saw and say, it’s no big deal but it would be nice to have…and you being the one that wants to make the bride happy will say sure…I can make these for the entire wedding party….. for the rehearsal dinner…

4.   We didn’t have a veil project but I can talk from experience, a simple veil makes a big impact.  And when I say simple I mean just a bunch of tulle gathered to hair clip!  The best part, it can be done at the last minute.  This is not recommended as it does tend to stress out the bride….

5.   The most important thing I learned is only you know what didn’t get done in time, and well, maybe the bride.  So relax no one else needs to know.  Enjoy what you did get finished and save the other things for the next wedding you get to make things for!  And remember, all your touches big and small will add to the special day in a way that a gift of a can opener never will.

 Has your ruler slipped on the fabric while you’re trying to make a cut? Whether you’re in a hurry or your dog or child bumps you, its aggravating when you slip-up while cutting, ruining your fabric and edge.

To help prevent ruler slippage, apply a small dot of hot glue to the back of your acrylic rulers. Allow the glue dots to dry and then get back to cutting, slippage free! And, the little glue dots can be easily picked away, leaving your ruler like new again. Your rotary cutting has been saved!

A wedding day can be very hectic and you don’t want to be caught without your essentials.  Make one of these simple bags for yourself and your bridesmaids as well.  They will love it!

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After months of contemplating, I am no longer in danger of sewdultery. I finished my tunic project with the help of my oh-so-kind sewing friend, Kelly.  A bit longer than I thought (I’m 5′ 2″ so everything is a bit too long) but not bad for my first garment project. Cute, huh?

Indygo Junction Over the Top tunic

It is the Over the Top pattern by Indygo Junction. (Amy Barickman designs the cutest stuff, mostly vintage inspired. We’re working getting a Stitchin’ Woman’ profile of her.) Anyway, I must admit to a novice sewer, the last few steps were a little nerve-racking. It said something like “serge 1/4″ hem”.  Yikes - I need more details or an image. So I decided to hem it the old fashioned way. (I’m sure once the new serger video gets posted online, I won’t have this problem. btw, we will be posting videos shortly.)

Lesson learned: once I got going, it wasn’t so bad. My procrastinatiom was making me build it up in my head.

So send me a note if you recently finished a project that had been lingering for a while. Mine was 7 months in the making so there’s no shame in your story!

Have you had trouble removing the crease from a hem that you have just let down? Try spraying the crease with an equal mix of white vinegar and water, then press the crease with a pressing cloth.

It that doesn’t work, try using the vinegar straight.  But, before using, test it on a discrete part of the garment first to ensure that the vinegar will not stain.

If you love men and embroidery (or if you like one or the other) then you’ll love the Manbroidery Group on Flickr. Like dudes in general, these projects are a little bolder and tougher… certainly not frilly… but still Totally Stitchin’. I adore so many things in this pool, especially this Twin Peaks-themed project:

One of the group’s most active members, Mr X Stitch, has an incredible blog (“the number one contemporary embroidery and needlecraft blog on the planet”, in fact) where he shares both his own work and cool embroidery from boys AND girls. I highly recommend checking out his site (and so does Kendra. We are serious Mr. X Stitch fangirls). Embroidery and photo by him, below:

I now have a full-blown crush on Rosey Grier (the needlecraft expert pictured up top). And I know that the below picture is crochet, but y’all, can we make Kenneth from 30 Rock an honorary Stitchin’ Woman?

Links:

Manbroidery
Mr X Stitch

The wedding is over, the reception is  just getting under way.  You’re Mr. & Mrs. now so show it with these simple chair sashes.

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The lovely Courtney Kennedy has wowed us once again with this amazing quilt, Tree of Tule. Everyone at Totally Stitchin has been blown away by the textures and intricate piecing.

Here’s the scoop on what inspired Courtney, her techniques, and what it was like exploring the Baby Lock Quilter’s Choice machine for the first time:

”I call this quilt ‘Tree of Tule,’ which is an actual tree in Oaxaca, Mexico and a World Heritage Site. I was inspired greatly by my trip to Oaxaca. The colors and textures in this quilt remind me of southern Mexico and its unique landscape. I used the appliqué stitch a lot for this quilt, and I was impressed by how easy it was to control the machine - I didn’t feel uncomfortable at any point even though I had never used a machine appliqué stitch before. Also, the speed control for stitching was great. The slowest speed kept my stitches neat, and when I was in the sewing “groove” the faster speed was just right. The stipple function was also fun to work with and I loved the effect it gave the border, especially with the variegated thread that I used.  I thought the machine kept its tension well during the actual quilting process, and it has been really easy to change feet from walking to buttonhole to zipper foot, etc.

Also, I am in love with this machine for garment sewing. It is so good with all sorts of fabrics - from cotton to velveteen to denim.  Every project I’ve sewn with this machine has gone faster than with my previous old stand-by and has looked more professional. And like I said, it’s not just for quilting, the garments I’ve turned out are beautiful and I’ve been able to make pants for the first time!  This is a big step for me; don’t laugh.  The directions are in a book so thick it’s daunting but after you read through the index you realize it’s just because they are thorough and easy to read. The Quilter’s Choice is a great machine and I often sing its praises.”

Way to go, Courtney!! Everyone here loves your quilt! Keep up the amazing work!

Have you made something cool lately? Show it off by sending a picture to  content@totallystitchin.net.

Urban Threads has created a sassy design in honor of all the tough, beautiful, inspiring women in our lives.

Use this design to create some unique for some one in your life that is battling cancer, never backs down, and inspires you to be a better woman.

This design is FREE the entire month of May, so click here and download yours today!

Calling all Facebookers! Totally Stitchin is now on Facebook! We’ve created a Facebook fan page to better reach you and the sewing community. And we want YOU to be a Fan!

To join our Fan page is easy, after you’ve logged into Facebook, simply search for TotallyStitchin.net (you may have to search twice for it to show). A link to our Fan page will result. OR login and follow this link.  Then click to become a fan.

The first 50 fans will receive a FREE gift from Totally Stitchin. We’ll contact the first 50 fans via Facebook.