Fussy Cut Friday (or, Some Things Never Change)

I'm still fussy cutting fabrics in order to match patterns. Loving it, though, especially with my latest pattern: The Craft Corral. If you don't need a tote for knitting, crocheting, or embroidery projects, it's quite handy as a Car Caddy, too. And--are you ready for this?--it has 15 pockets! This will likely be the first pattern I create in .pdf format to sell for other seamstresses to make.

Yes, I said "seamstresses." Cannot get used to seeing "sewers" used in reference to women who sew. I mean, where I come from, sewers are something entirely different....

Blogging is not my forte (just in case you haven't noticed). I won't go into the reasons why, but one of them is the sheer time it takes to upload photos. When I add a listing to my etsy shop, it can upwards of 45 minutes to load 5 photos. A few months ago, I decided to make some changes, and try to find an easier way to upload photos. I gave in and purchased a smart phone, with hopes that it would improve my Internet life out here in the country. Not only did it not, it won't even receive calls while I'm in the house.

I'll add more photos to this post in the morning. (It's A.M., and during two cups of coffee, I uploaded additional pics.) Adding three took several minutes, and this ol' cowgirl is gonna turn in.

 

Fussy Cut Friday

I'm calling this post "Fussy Cut Friday" because it's Friday. And I'm fussy cutting. The reality, though, is that it's Fussy Cut Friday every single day in my studio. A look at the Sold segment of my etsy shop will quickly reveal that my most popular designs are those made from fabrics with Navajo motifs, like these:

I spend a lot of time cutting out my patterns--one panel at a time--in order to center those motifs. That means I can't stack fabric and cut out, say, four makeup bags or Card Corrals at one time.

Even though the fabulous group of fabrics pictured below doesn't have a featured motif, each one still has to be fussy cut, in order to keep everything centered.

Another thing about these fabrics? There are four different prints. Looks like more, doesn't it? So, even though the design doesn't feature a single motif, the items made from these look completely different, depending upon which direction I lay out the fabric. That's cool, because it gives you more choices; at the same time, I have to make sure I don't have it facing the wrong direction, or it's back to the cutting board for me! The two large makeup bags shown below (2 views of each) are from the same bolt of fabric! Like I said: Cool.

It's not just the Navajo designs, either. Check out the purple guitars:

Bless my heart, it took an hour to upload these photos. Internet challenged, here in the sticks...which means I should go back to fussy cutting. Make your first weekend of 2013 a great one!

Thursday's Thread: Sliced Bread

The best thing since sliced bread. Truly. No more poking my fingers with pins. No more bunching and distortion of fabrics. Thank you, Clover, for Wonder Clips. They make me happy, happy, happy (a nod to patriarch Phil over at Duck Dynasty).

Wednesday's West: The Resting Place

June 2008: Road trip from Michigan to Scottsdale, AZ, for the Western Writers of America Convention. We meandered, both before and after the con, soaking up Southwestern atmosphere. Fascinated by Fred Harvey and his work, I checked out a couple of his hotels during the trip.

Here's La Posada ("The Resting Place") in Winslow, Arizona. When I hear "Winslow," my mind starts playing the song, "Take it Easy."

I love that the architect for La Posada--as well as several other landmark hotels and lodges--was a woman: Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter.

Let's call this a teaser post, rather than a lazy one. When I can get a better connection (in-the-sticks challenged), I'll post more photos and link up to some history.

New Year, Another Chance

Sometimes, simple changes are the best. I flipped my cutting mat for some new scenery. From green to yellow. Simple. New. Ready for 2013.

A simpler approach to blogging, too, with hopes plans for success.

Happy New Year, with gratitude to my many wonderful customers for a wonderful 2012!