Sit and Sew at the Suwannee Valley Quilt Shop

Made by Karen Brake from "Skinny Quilts for All Seasons" 

Happy Thursday! 

Yesterday I took a trip to one of my favorite sewing/quilt shops for supplies (Yes, I needed more fabric....stop laughing). I spent quite a while just walking around...until I realized I was getting lost in the fabric. Ever do that? I'm sure I'm not the only one. 

Anyway, while checking out I noticed this adorable quilt hanging on the wall. One of our local quilters, Karen Brake, made this lovely and is going to teach others to do the same. 

I don't know if anyone remembers but a few months ago I sat in at the monthly Sit and Sew. It was wonderful. I could sew for hours, get tips, have lunch with good company, and not be disturbed by the phone, dogs (please walk me, whine, whine), hubby, or something on the stove (Babe, are you cooking something? Oops). I watched Karen as she started the table runner and was amazed by her work. She is also quite knowledgeable and taught me how to do French seams on the pillowcases I was making. Mais oui!

If anyone lives in this area....as in North Florida.....stop by for the Sit and Sew. You can make the table runner if you want to or just take advantage of the time away from the house and do anything. I worked on pillowcases and made a strip quilt.....it was good to have people there who had experience so I could ask questions. 

Besides, time with the girls is always good. 

More about what I bought and what I am making (a baby quilt) later. 

Enjoy the day. Pack it full of good stuff. Savor every moment. It only comes around once. 

Post by Eileen of GoofingOff Sewing.......Helping you make magic with every stitch.

New Fabric Listings in GoofingOff

I do a little sewing, usually a pillowcase or two for do-good work. Making something for little girls comes pretty easy to me....something pink, a little bit of lace, and a ribbon or bow (or two...or both) and Voila! perfect for girls. Boys, on the other hand....hmmm....that's a bit of a stretch for me coming from a family of 4 girls and having a daughter...an estrogen-enriched atmosphere if there ever was one.  So I did a little looking around and found some fabric suitable for everybody. 

Moon Owls 100% Cotton fabric. By the Half Yard. Owl circles are 2 3/4 inches across. These little owls are so cute!

Halloween Stache Fabric 100% Cotton by the Half Yard When I found this fabric I couldn't stop laughing. Vibrant colors, nice weight. 

Race Cars fabric by the half yard Vroom, vroom!

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Alexander Henry Fabric Route 66 By the Half Yard Get your kicks..... This is really nice fabric. Good for pillowcases, passport holders, journal covers....

Alexander Henry Aloha Girls by the 1/2 yard  Beautiful fabric.

So there's a few ideas to work with. Make magic happen.

Post by Eileen Patterson....who is GoofingOff!

Pluto: Who Else Is Obsessed?

Star Gazer Fabric in Half Yard or fat quarter lengths

The scientific world is buzzing lately with the pictures of Pluto coming back to earth. I love looking at them. I am so amazed at the thought that we have real pictures of this planet (ok, dwarf planet) coming back to earth. Ice mountain ranges, a moon with craters, and nitrogen (maybe water?) on this frozen planet!!! So cool. 
A patient called me into his room when the photos were first broadcast. He was as excited as I was. He went on to tell me how JFK spoke about putting men on the moon and space exploration and how lucky he was to be alive to see it. Well, I guess that's how I feel.
 I doubt if I will be the nurse in the first Mars colony but maybe it will be someone I helped train or influence. Never know....Why not? The movie Avatar starts off in a VA hospital....yes, a very futuristic VA hospital....there will always be a need for nurses..even on Mars.
Or maybe I might get a pattern order from the colony.... Wonder what the shipping charges would be? How would they cut the fabric? Pattern weights probably wouldn't work (low gravity) Or maybe they would...(more gravity). Lots to think about. 

Post by Eileen Patterson.....who is GoofingOff....and stargazing. 

Mid Week Rummage Find: The Suit He Left Behind

Yes, I said Rummage....as in rummaging through my stuff. Stayed home from work today to go to the doctor and don't want to get too involved in anything so rummaging at home is perfect. Nothing on the stove to burn, nothing on the sewing machine to forget what I was doing....Besides, going through my stacks of sewing books is sort of like going through mama's jewelry box....each clipping stashed in the book has a story to tell. 
What I found......
The year was 1943, the middle of WWII for the US and described by many as the darkest.  The guys overseas had it hard but life at home wasn't easy, either. The waiting and worrying was bad enough but add rationing and shortages to that. Fashions changed to conserve precious materials....like the fabric that might have been a skirt before was now a uniform. This clipping from The Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY, showed how to use a man's suit to make a woman's suit.

Our society has since become a throw away society....."don't fix it, buy another" or "don't pass it down." Nowadays the stores are full of fabric and thread and I often forget how hard it must have been in my grandparents' day....and how lucky I am now. 
Anyway, it's a fun read. Hope y'all enjoyed it. 
Post by Eileen Patterson.....who is GoofingOff.

New Fabric and Embroidery Listings At GoofingOff Sewing and PatternHaus

Why is it my day off is busier than my day at work? After cooking supper for tonight and tomorrow night, getting the laundry done, ironing my scrubs (yes, ironing...with an old-fashioned iron from the 1950's), I fit in time to list a few things. .... after I tried to take the boxer-baby out for a walk...until she saw the cat and pulled me into the gate post. OUCH! I'm going to have a few bruises from that mishap...thankfully no broken bones.
Anyway, here's the listings. Lovely fabrics to make pretty little dresses.....stamped linen for embroidery and crewel...

Fabric Remnant Lavender Dotted Swiss 1.58 yard 44 inches Wide 

Camelias At the Front Steps Stamped Embroidery Linen

Flower Bouquet Stamped Linen for Embroidery by Lee Wards. Yeah, whatever happened to Lee Wards?

Cardinal Stamped Linen for Embroidery

Owl on a Branch Stamped Linen for Embroidery

Gathered Eyelet Lace Lovely 13 inches wide, over 4 yards total. For sale as one piece.

 Post by Eileen Patterson...who is GoofingOff...and putting ice on it. Bye!

New Fabric Listings in GoofingOff Sewing

 Here's a few new fabric listings in the GoofingOff Sewing shop. Some of the fabric is vintage stock sold in one piece, no cuts.

Anchors from Waverly Fabrics...available per 1/2 yard.

Great for quilting, maybe a little boy's room.

Vintage green little white red rimmed flowers fabric. 2 1/3 yards long, 44 inches wide

Little dresses, quilting...

Flowered Knit Fabric 1 way stretch
Beautiful fabric with a cross wise stretch, 6 inches stretches to 9 inches. 1 2/3 yards of 60 inch wide fabric.

I see T-shirts and tank tops from this beautiful fabric.

Silky pink abstract design fabric 2 3/4 yards long, 44 inches wide. Entire piece

Pretty and light weight.

Beautiful pink silky fabric, 23 inches wide by 50 inches long. Sold as one piece.

Enough for a scarf, beautiful and feels good, too.

Vintage Light pink dotted swiss fabric. Light pale pink vintage stock, never used, clean and fresh. 45 inches wide, 1 1/2 yards long. For sale as one piece. 

Enough for a baby dress, a fancy quilt...very pretty.

Ladybugs and daisies on colorful stripes....by the half yard

I love this! So colorful and fun! I'm making pillowcases from this. I will count ladybugs until I fall asleep.

Post by Eileen Patterson.

DIY Map Decor

Map Fabric Panel

While packing and shipping my beautiful map fabric (sold in the GoofingOff shop..sorry, but a girl's got to blow her own horn sometimes) I started thinking about the things that could be made with map fabric. Sure, a person can hem the panel, sew loops on it, and hang it for …you guessed it… a map. Great idea if you are planning to teach far away since it folds up nice and doesn't tear like paper does. Still….there should be more so I looked what other crafty folks are up to and came up with these ideas.

DIY Map Artwork

Here's an idea from Martha Stewart (or the folks who work with her). These maps are paper but why not use fabric and frame it? 

Map Decorator Pillow

Catherine Holcomb from Mapology, makes these wonderful map pillows. The fabric lends itself well to throw pillows or pillow cases. 

Map bunting

Amy Mahon, from Chezlele, not only makes map pillows but map bunting, too. 

Map picnic blanket

The Domestic Goddess (hail) made this picnic blanket using the map fabric,  a vinyl tablecloth, and scraps. Check out her tutorial to learn how she did it. 

I'm sure there's a lot of other things to do with the fabric…curtains, shower curtains, tote bag (I love totes…can't stand to use plastic bags). Maybe not a shirt, though…depends how you place the countries…."Er, excuse me, you have Beijing placed over your"…..

Post by Eileen Patterson….GoofingOff 

New Fabric and Pattern Listings On GoofingOff

I added a few more patterns and fabrics to the GoofingOff Etsy shop. Here's a sample:

Nautical fabric Sailing Ships fat quarters. Yardage available, too!

United States Marine Fabric in fat quarters. Yardage available, too, on request. 

Lots of costume patterns.

Simplicity 5403 Poodle Skirts.....I have poodle skirt patterns for girls, too!

Simplicity 9769

Simplicity 3809

Simplicity 9966 

Stop by and check them out!

Peace, love, and Happy Stitching!

Winter Trees, Cupcakes, Apples and Pears, Deck of Cards, Vintage Roses, and Skeletons: Fabric at GoofingOff

Sometimes I think I’m a hoarder. I look around my sewing room and see stacks of beautiful fabric and think “Yep, that’s what you are…a hoarder.” Then I see the hoarder show on TV and feel a lot better. My hoard (otherwise known as my stash) only has to do with fabric and stays in one, maybe two, OK three places in my house. I don’t have a little path through the house (ok, I do have a path in the sewing room….does that count?). So, while I decide whether I need counseling, or, more to the point, which one to go to, check out the new fabric at GoofingOff.

 

Winter Trees by Fabric Traditions

Red Dice and Face Cards on Black by Shamash & Sons

Vintage red roses on yellow fabric

Robert Kaufman’s Bad to the Bone fabric

Apples and Pears Blue from the Alexander Henry Home collection.

Cupcakes from the Robert Kaufman Confection Collection.

So, tell me, am I a hoarder? Never mind, don’t answer that.

Happy Sewing! Keep those seams straight!

Post by Miss Eileen aka GoofingOff

Evening Dresses, Nina Ricci Paris Original, Surfer Wear, and Matryoshka Fat Quarters: New GoofingOff Listings

Sometimes I see a pattern and just say “Oh my!” Can’t help it. I don’t know if it is the color or the cut of the dress, or it’s the way I wish I would look if I was in it. Here’s a few dress patterns that meet my “Oh My” criteria.

1950’s Simplicity 3265 Flared Skirt, Top, Bolero, and Cummerbund. A hard-to-find, totally gorgeous pattern.

McCall’s 7003 in size 14, bust 34, from 1963. Uncut with factory folds!

Originally featured in Butterick Home Catalog Winter 1969, Butterick 5506 in size 16, bust 38 inches.

1970s Sewing Pattern Vogue Paris Original 1244 Nina Ricci Dress Gorgeous dress, this pattern is undated and complete.

Simplicity 8605 Surfer wear in size 10-12. Just right for hanging at the beach. Easy to sew, easy to pull on after a day in the water. Can’t dress up all the time.

 

Matryoshka Russian Dolls Fabric…in fat quarters. This is 100% cotton fabric. The color is vibrant.

Post by Miss Eileen aka GoofingOff

MissEileen vintage
Goofingoff Etsy Judaic fabrics, sewing patterns
GoofingOff Artfire Sewing patterns, plus size patterns
Metal Woods N Water unusual stuff and metal work

Frogs and Peace Signs…..New Fabric at GoofingOff

During one of my infamous scavenger hunts I found this cute frog fabric in blues and green. I’m thinking Passover Seder (I know, I’m early but since I’m usually a day late and a dollar short I thought this is good). Maybe coasters, placemats, napkins…..fun stuff to keep the kids interested. The fabric is 100% cotton and is available in fat quarters, that is unless I can find more. Then it will be available by the yard but for now, fat quarters it is.
 
Here’s another one available in the GoofingOff shop for all you hippies out there (and those who wish they were).

This fabric is also 100% cotton, light blue with blue and green peace signs all over….and a few white spots, too. This fabric is made by VIP by Cranston Print Works.
Fun stuff…to goof off with.

Gift Ideas

There are some people ready for the holidays. They have all their gift shopping done, cookies baked, and home decorated. Then there are people like me. Shopping, not a clue. Cookies, not yet. Decorate? I made a couple of stockings and the wreath is half done. So, if you are like me, you need a few ideas, a list, and a nudge. OK, a push. Here's a few ideas from my friends at Etsy.  My Snowflake Pyrex casserole dish is in this one. Beautiful collection.

 

'let it be beach christmas!' by EJbutik

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Winter Photo-Christmas photo... Maddenphotogra... $15.00	Crochet snowflake - Christma... maricatimonsin... $12.00	Santa dreams of a blue Chris... KClarkPhotogra... $7.00
RESERVED FOR LM Last One Chr... CaptainCat $28.00	Porcelain Sea Urchin Bud Vas... blueroompotter... $28.00	CARD "Ho Ho Ho" Or... PhotographyByA... $6.50
Unique Christmas Gift - Canv... MedBeachStones $24.00	Turquoise Stoneware Bell Wit... MyClayDay $20.00	CARD "Starfish Christma... PhotographyByA... $6.50
RESERVED for Sonia - Friends... winkcreations $30.00	Leather medium size cross b... rinarts $36.00	At the Beach Tissue Paper Po... PrettywithSpri... $25.00
CARD "Christmas Breeze&... PhotographyByA... $6.50	Large Beach hut doorstop martinasmith $40.00	Vintage Pyrex Snowflake Turq... misseileen $18.00
Light Sand Color Adjustable ... beliz82 $35.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

  Post by Eileen Patterson of GoofingOff.Etsy (sewing supplies), GoofingOff.Artfire (more sewing supplies) and MissEileen (vintage fun)