The Middle

This past Wednesday the episode of The Middle aired that used my scarves!  Only the blue one with white stripes was used, but hey, at least I got one scarf on a TV show! It was worn by Marianne Muellerleile.  The episode was called "Hecking It Up" and it was about the upcoming Super Bowl.  Living in Indiana and working in Indy, I can say the episode was pretty darn funny!  You can watch it on ABC's website and I recommend it.

2012 Resolution

As I mentioned yesterday 2012 is going to be a life changing year!  How you may ask, well let me start by explaining a few things that happened last year and even before that.  I hated my previous job, and by hated I mean I broke my hair brush in half and busted out a few kitchen cabinet doors due to frustrations.  I do not want to go into any details as I do not believe in focusing on the negatives.  This past July I was at my breaking point and started a new job where I get to sew all day long. I absolutely love it.  I have so much less stress in my life and am very grateful for the opportunity I had been presented with. But before all this happened  Eric and I had attended a meeting for couples interested in doing open adoption back in May.  We have been trying very unsuccessfully to get pregnant for just over 4 years now.  That is a lot of negative pregnancy tests.  At this time the doctors aren't sure why I cannot get pregnant and so we were faced with a tough decision.  We could either spend the money out of pocket for infertility treatments with no guarantee it will work or we could spend the money out of pocket for adoption and be guaranteed we would become parents.  The choice was an easy one for us.  Adoption had always been something we talked about doing at some point, we just did not realize it would happen so soon.  So here comes the hard part, paying for the adoption!  The agency we are choosing to go through is Independent Adoption Center (IAC).  They are absolutely amazing!  Everything we could have ever thought about was answered in our meeting back in May, including a full breakdown of all the costs.  Depending on where we adopt from can greatly change the cost.  For us to do a domestic adoption it can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $26,000.  However, $9,000 of that money is to be paid over a 6 month period, but if you are matched with a birthmother before the end of that 6 month period it is all due then.  Now, I don't know about you but I do not have that much extra money just in case we are matched quickly, let alone enough to cover the total. We are also going to do a few different fundraiser activities to help out with adoption costs, but the easiest way to get some money is by changing my Jo-Ann's shopping habits. This is where some different New Year's resolutions come into play.

Throughout the year, I have been throwing all of my receipts from Jo-Ann's into a fish bowl.  About halfway through the year I decided it would be interesting to see what my total spent there for the year is.  I think that will help me make some changes. First, the total for all those receipts is $1395.67, and I cannot say if this is entirely every receipt as in the beginning I was not making sure to do this.  This also doesn't include any of my shopping at Hobby Lobby, The French Seam, Mood or Fabric Mart!  My point is that most of that money was spent on things I have not gotten around to making.  Projects I want to do but haven't found the time.  As of right now I have more sewing, knitting, crafting and scrapbooking projects than I will ever get to finish in my lifetime and I currently have no children to pass on my crafting stash too.  This money could have gone to our adoption, but instead I choose to go shopping.  This has to change now!

In all that money spent at Jo-Ann's, I purchased 114 new patterns.  Granted I never paid more than $1.99 per pattern, but I only sewed 32 garments this year and some were even repeats of the same pattern.  Do I really need to purchase another 114 patterns this year?  The answer is a resounding NO!  Lately, I have been finding that I am not as impressed with what the big 4 are releasing and that is hopefully going to be a good thing.  I cannot promise to eliminate all pattern buying this year, but I am going to limit myself to 1 new pattern per month.  I think that is a very reasonable resolution for myself.  So at max that would be 12 new patterns this year.  It will also force me to do some editing when picking out which pattern I want.  Right now I continually go through my stash and find doubles of some patterns or wonder what I was thinking when I picked certain patterns out.

Fabric shopping has been my weakness this past year! I purchased 194 yards of fabric and only used 114 yards. My grand total of fabric in my stash is 440 yards.  That is crazy!  I do not need to keep buying random project-less fabric pieces, no matter how fantastic they are.  This year I am only going to buy fabrics for projects I am working on at that time.  I do want to make a dent in my fabric stash this year.  However I am not going to make the resolution to use 50% off it.  I am just going to keep a tracker on my blog with the total amount of fabric in my collection and what I have used thus far.  Maybe seeing the larger number will help me to see that I do not need to buy anymore fabric.

This same thing goes for yarn buying!  In December, I did purchase/receive as gifts somewhere around 25 skeins of yarn.  I have quite a few knitting projects in mind for this year but I know I will not get to all of them.  With that reasoning I know that I do not have time to buy anymore yarn to add to my stash!

So overall, I guess my real resolution this year is to reduce what I am bringing in and increase my output.

2011 Year End Review

Hey Chickadees!  I'm back!  Christmas is over and the new year is upon us.  This year, especially December, has not been as productive as I would have liked.  Let's start with December.  Sadly, I did not do any sewing for Christmas presents that I had originally intended.  Although, I do have a very very very good reason, being that my Etsy shop stayed pretty busy!  I have sold 2 full felt food sets, 2 breakfast felt sets, and 1 felt fruit set.  I also had a friend request a partial food set as a gift for someone else.  Knitting wise I did have a custom order for a hat and scarf set.  This was my very first hat and it turned out great.  Unfortunately, I didn't even think to take pictures.  All this is well and good but the biggest news this month, and actually all year, is that I sold  the 2 scarves pictured  that are going to be used for an episode of ABC's show The Middle!!!!  The episode will air January 18th.  If you are not familiar with the show it stars Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Neil Flynn (Scrubs) and it is about a struggling middle-class family in a fictional Indiana town.  I just started watching it and it is quite funny.

As you can see, my December has been quite packed.  Can you forgive me for not having any pictures to show of cool sewing projects? I did manage to fit in making 4 tie blankets for presents this month.  That used a total of 19 yards of fleece.  I only purchased 5 yards this month, which was last minute fleece for a last minute blanket.

Year End Totals:
Fabric bought: 194 yds
Fabric used:114.25 yds
UFO's: 5/17
Muslins: 5 
Garments for me:14
Tops:9
Pants/shorts: 0
Skirts:1
Dresses:1
Jackets/coats:1
Accessories:0
Costume pieces: 2
Garments for others: 18
Costumes pieces: 7
Men: 7
Women: 3
Accessories:1
Gifts: 4
Santa Swap:7 
Yarn Skeins bought:40
Yarn Skeins used: 13.25
Scarves knitted: 8
Fingerless Gloves: 5 pairs

Hats: 1
Cup Sleeve: 3

As you can see from my year end totals I haven't sewn much at all. Compared to last year I have bought 75 more yards of fabric and used 13.75 yards less!  I have sewn 6 less garments for myself but only 1 more garment for someone else. I bought 6 more skeins of yarn and used 7.75 skeins less.  I knitted 4 less scarves but knitted 9 completely new projects.

 2011 Goals:

Well not much has changed with my goals since I did my half year review.  To be honest, I am okay with that!  This past year has been kinda busy with life things.  I am working on some new goals for 2012 that I hope to get posted tomorrow.  They are going to be different from past goals so that I can better achieve them and make some room for major life changes!  More on that tomorrow though!  I plan on spending tomorrow and Monday cleaning the sewing room as it currently looks like a tornado swept on through.

Santa Sack Swap

I know I know, I am quite behind on posting about this! Check out the awesome goodies I got from my swap partner Vickie! Why yes, those presents in front are wrapped in fabric and ribbon!  How stinking cool is that!  I would have never thought to do that but next year I will.

First the handmade goodies! She made me an apron that matches our kitchen and will get plenty of use!  A couple of project bags that I have already started using as well as a quilted and embroidered notebook, scissor holders a gorgeous table quilt.

 

Next the essentials!  She got me a bin filled with elastic, which will quickly be used, the best seam ripper ever, pins, thread, a planner, and a couple of quilting pre-cuts!  I told her that I really want to start quilting and she has definitely helped me on my way!  She also included the coolest measuring cup ever!  It is the Pampered Chef one, my friend has one too and I have wanted it for the longest time. 

 

I must say that I am quite impressed with what I was given.  I love it all!  The table quilt is probably my favorite followed closely by the project bags and notebook cover! 

Thanks Vickie!!

An Apple A Day...

I have a new addiction!  I know, just what I need right now in the midst of Christmas sewing?  Well, at work we have so many left over scraps of fabric that just get tossed in the trash. So much so that I have started making a bow a day from whatever was cut that day.  Here are the ones I made last week and this week so far. 

Everyone of them is different in size as well as fabric types.  I am putting alligator clips on the backs of them so that they can be worn as hair accessories.  I am thinking about putting them up in my Etsy shop Mae's Garden for like $4.00 each, plus having a buy 2 get 1 free deal on them.  What do you all think?  I really want your feedback on this.

Mae's Garden

 For Cyber Monday I am offering free domestic shipping on all orders from my shop, Mae's Garden,  with code CYBMONSHIP. I am going to extend this offer until Saturday at midnight!  Check out my shop and what I have to offer.  I am now offering personal gift wrapping and shipping to recipient for only $3.00 an order.

Black Friday

I have been away for awhile and I don't even have a good excuse.  I just have not been sewing this month.  I think I needed to re-coup from my hectic Halloween sewing.  I am probably going to go away for another month now that Black Friday has come and gone.  Words alone cannot describe the amount of damage I did yesterday and today!

The Fabrics
top row:
2yds navy anti-pill fleece
2yds blue anti-pill fleece

3yds khaki cotton bottomweight
1.5yds Cars flannel
1.5yds trains flannel
2.5yds white snowflake flannel
2.5yds blue snowflake flannel
3yds Kermit flannel
5yds Colts flannel

bottom row:
2yds green/red Christmas tree cotton
1yd green/red Scottie dog cotton
2yds green/red stripe cotton
2yds green/red/pink dot cotton
2yds red button cotton
2yds green/navy houndstooth cotton
2yds green/blue/brown dot cotton
2yds gray/white houndstooth cotton
2yds gray/white polka dot cotton

2yds green felt
1yd gray felt
7 Butterick patterns
4 skeins of linen Vanna's Choice yarn
2 skeins magenta Vanna's Choice yarn
2 skeins taupe Vanna's Choice yarn
1 skein orange Red Heart Soft yarn
1 pound Caron navy blue yarn
more felt then I know what to do with

  

4 bolts of fusible interfacing for a total of 40 yds
2 separating zippers
buttons
rhinestones
jewelry stuff
knitting needles
lots of thread
lots of ribbon
other odds and ends






This doesn't even include the Christmas decorations or wrapping paper I also picked up during the sale.  With all this on my cutting table you can see why I will be disappearing for the next month.  If I don't resurface until after Christmas I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday season!

**Updated 11/27/11**

 So, I had a few last minute requests for presents.  Three requests for Chicago Bears fleece tie blankets.  I went back to Jo-Ann's today so I could catch the fleece in there $2.99/yd sale.  I got a total of 7yds of orange fleece. While I was there I also got 2 more skeins of the linen color Vanna's choice yarn, 2 skeins of Kelly Green and 1 skein of old gold and two more spools of thread.  What's even better is that I still have to go to the Jo-Ann's in Indy after I get off of work tomorrow to get 7yds of Chicago Bears fleece and 7.5yds of Chicago Bears flannel.  I promise, after tomorrow, I will be done going to Jo-Ann's for fabric!