This was supposed to be worn at Thanksgiving, but... it wasn't.

Worked on my black PD that I was supposed to have done for Turkey. Well, here it is, in any case. I made a bow and ruffle detail for the neckline, similar to my green PD. I love the bow. love love love it. I still need to hem the sleeves and skirt, but other than that, it's done!

oh, and I used my "Sewn by Ellen" neckline facing for it. I love this. I'm doing it on all my clothes from now on. Hand-done embroidery? Yes, please.

1.5 feet of snow.

Steve and I made the awful trip back last night from San Diego in our rental car, Bridgette snug as a bug in the back seat. It too us three hours longer than usual because of the holiday rush/a blizzard. We saw two overturned cars, one overturned semi, a buck running right in front of our car (barely missing us, thank the heavens), and many pleasant gas station workers.Our laptop wouldn't want to charge in the car either, so we were stuck listening to Steve's audiotape of Dracula and I tried to read as much Harry Potter that my brain could properly ingest. let's just say it was not fun. 

Bridgette underneath the tree at my parent's house.

But, the sun is shining on the snow this morning and making it twinkle. I do love the first good snow in Utah, before it turns all black. I hate driving in it, but I love looking at it from my kitchen window. Bridgette liked it too, as this is her first winter in the snow (she came from California). 

So I'm sure you're all wondering what I've been up to last week, and I'm happy to tell you: NOT SEWING. I brought my serger and all my fabric all the way down to San Diego, but I didn't touch the thing once. I always think that I'll be able to sew on vacation, but it never happens. I love what I do, but sometimes I need a break as well. AND I didn't even loose a follower, which is nice to see (yes, I think about stuff like that). Starting tomorrow, it is back to sewing. Today I must clean my disgusting apartment and die my hair. My roots are growing in.

Every delicious morsel.

I have approximately 15 minutes to blog before my sister, Anna, gets here. We're going out on the town before Steve and I leave tomorrow for Turkey week. Anna can't come, so we are living it up tonight with dinner and a movie.

Instead of working on Anna's coat or Kjrsten's dress today, I decided to be a little selfish and sew something for myself (I knew I would). I wanted a black PD to wear on turkey day, so I started on one. I am almost done with it, but what I'm most excited about is my new love of embroidery. I have never embroidered before, but in a flash of inspiration last night as I went to bed (my senses are highest at this time), I thought of something special to do for all my dresses and for my future clothing line. You are going to have to to tilt your pretty little heads because blogger is being really stupid and won't let me rotate my photos:

More details to come Monday!

Put your paws down.

I've been working on Kjrsten's dress all day today, and part of last night. I put on the sleeves and hemmed the sleeves and skirt. I really like the style of the dress. It is straight with princess seams, and for breastfeeding abilities, it has a snap front that goes down to the waist. I admit,  I'm not totally focused on postpartum at the moment with my designs. I do believe in the whole idea, I just needed to mix things up for a bit. But this dress is totally postpartum worthy, and I'm happy to say that I looove it. So far. I think. ugh.

With the mustard yellow, I thought giant gray roses would be really great down the snap opening and the also around the neckline. I knew I would be making these roses myself even though they are sold at every Joanne's. Theirs aren't as good, and the gray the sold didn't match the yellow in the dress. And I realized that when I made these for my knit shirt, I didn't ever explain how to make these beauties. 

How to make roses. By Ellen. 

1. cut out bias strips from any chiffon or netting you would like to use. The strips must be bias, and in between 1" or 2" in width.

2. cut out felt circles for the backing. I like felt because it is sturdy while still mold-able. I guess any sort of duck-cloth or canvas would work too, but you would have to finish the edges. Felt is low-maintenance. just do the felt. Any old craft felt would work. 

3. Starting at the center of the felt circle, place one end of the bias strip, and start sewing down the middle of the strip. I would just do a 1/4" to start, then put down the needle, lift the foot, and then rotate the felt circle to start a constant winding circle. At the beginning it is a little tricky because the center of the rose is so small, but you get the hang of it as the rose grows. Keep the layers of fabric close together, no more than 1/4" from the previous layer. Go all the way to the edge of the circle. I barely had an 1/8" left of my circle and I still went around one more time, so I wouldn't see any felt at all on the finished rose. You could always trim off the edge, too. 

Finished rose. Pretty, huh? Once i was done with one strip, I layered the next strip on top of the finished one about 1/2" and kept sewing.

This is the back of the rose, so you can see how the stitching happens. I actually really like the back, which would be a nice sewn-in detail on another garment for another time. 

 

 

I have to make about 12 roses for Kjrsten's dress. I can't tell if it's too much or not. i don't think it is. Here is the dress with roses and felt circles meant to be imagined as roses. What do we all think??

For some reason the roses are coming out blue in these pictures, but I promise it is like the gray pictured in the other photos.

On second thought, I like this. I really do. Kjrsten's style is totally eclectic and very Anthropologie. I think it will look great when it's done. Which will hopefully be tonight.

A break from Gilmore Girls to give you the latest update.

In my serger classes I attended the past two Tuesdays I discovered something else about sewing that is quite addicting:

Apparently, one is supposed to use compressed air to clean his/her sewing machine. I stretched that by cleaning my desk, scissors, and blowing it in Bridgette's unsuspecting ears to see them fly. For some reason, it makes my fingers really cold if I hold the bottle too long, and it smells good. Like gasoline good. On the label it says it contains a "bitterant to help discourage inhalant abuse". 


Inhalant abuse? it just smells good and with it fun to play. That's all. I swear. Promise.

"I need the coat rack." "The fish flies at night."

Still working like crazy before Saturday. I have a mental countdown going and it is making me quite excited for the holidays. That, and the endless marathon of Gilmore Girls that I am on, once again. 

I was able to finish the 18 pairs of shorts for work yesterday. They look okay. I'm so questioning my sewing abilities with this job. They expect perfection, and I hate it that I can't deliver perfection under pressure. But a dress that I'm making for myself in four hours, oh well that can be perfect. Of course. So annoying. 

Not really because that means all my clothes are perfect. Haha. 

Today I've been working very hard on Kjrsten's dress. It looks great so far! 

It is made out of the same mustard ponte knit I used for the first PD, the snake PD. I love this material, and it's almost all gone. What am I gonna do about that? I bought it at Mood in LA, and it isn't sold on mood.com, at least not the mustard yellow. I really am worried about this. Can you tell? 

Tomorrow I am taking a break from the mustard dress and moving on to Anna's coat. Que Sera Sera!

Three things to get done before I leave this Saturday.

I'm leaving Saturday morning for San Diego. I grew up in Vista/San Marcos, which is Northern San Diego, and I can't wait to come home again for Turkey Day!!! My mom makes the best Turkey dinner I know of-- seriously, NOT ONE PERSON has been able to out-do Laura Berry on Turkey. After thanksgiving vacation in college, all my roommates and I would talk over our breaks, but all I could ever talk about was the Turkey my mom made, and I would explain to them all how she made it (hint: rubbing butter underneath the skin. Salivating much??), the delicate process of roasting it, and then eating every morsel off the bones we Berrys could find. It's quite the event. 

But to have a peaceful holiday, I have to get three things done:

1. Anna's coat. I still need to cut out the lining and sew it all in. Will take approximately two days. 

2. 18 pairs of dance shorts for work. Yes, I said 18 pairs. 

3. Have a Cute Day's Krjsten's dress that I've already cut out, but I still need to put the darn thing together.

PLUS: I want to sew a new dress for moi. A Black PD (perfect dress) with a nice ivory trim on the neck. We'll see if this happens. I might break done and not finish one thing on the list to finish another dress for me. I overheard a lady that worked at Joanne's the last time I was there, and she said now that she works in a fabric store, she never sews for herself anymore. That's such a shame. I am the complete opposite when it comes to projects for other people: all I want is to make the same thing for me, and I usually do that before I make it for them! I don't see that as selfish-- I earned it, ok? Or, I WILL be earning it. Eventually. Whenever I get around to finishing what I need to do.

It's all fodder for the tell-all.

I've been sewing for my new job for the past two days. I'm not sure if I should really blog about my job, but I'll just say it's a ton of work and I drive back and forth to Provo about 4 times a week. Intriguing, isn't it? I use my serger like crazy for it, and I'm having a hard time remembering to oil it every eight hours. Did you know sewing machines and sergers need to be oiled that often? True story. Speaking of my sewing machine, I got it back on Tuesday. Back to the woven fabric grind. 

Back to Provo today, hopefully the last time this week.

I cleaned my mirror to take these photos. That's how much I care.

Yet another Perfect Dress, but this one is for the holidays. An amazing forest green tricot knit that is super thick and super soft. This fabric is GORGEOUS. Little sheen in a fabric is always nice for the holidays. It never hurt anybody.

This PD (perfect dress) was made in a record time of four hours. Knits and a kick-A serger make that happen. 

This isn't just a boob shot. I needed a close-up of the ruffle, ok?

I am excited to get my sewing machine back so I can do this dress in a woven, specifically with stripes or leopard print jacquard. You're gonna wanna see it too, so be excited. 

I'm sorry, but I love myself in the dress. That's always a good thing, right?

How many times has my bed been un-made on this blog? At least I clean the mirror for ya'll.  

I've been known to act a little dramatic.

Long story short: I figured out my coverstitch on my serger last Thursday. Yay!! I was so relieved. I went back to Bernina-nuttall right down the street from me, the expert was there, and she helped me figure it out. THANK YOU BERNINA-NUTTALL.

This is what my serger was doing as a "coverstitch" before I figured it out. Not Pretty. Turns out I wasn't threading my looper correctly. 

Now that my serger and I had made up, we both descided to get to work finishing the houndstooth dress. Boy, did it turn out wonderful!!

The rope detail on the neckline I was able to put on my dress with the coverstitch on my serger....pretty sturdy and way more efficient than any other sewing machine. I couldn't believe that it could sew through rope like it did. Pretty beastly. I was also able to hem the sleeves and skirt of the dress, of course. I love my serger now!! 

Sewing machine?? oh right, that thing that is still getting serviced. It can take its time. 

BIG NEWS:

I've been blogging for one year! Happy Birthday, Sewn by Ellen!

In honor of this momentous occasion, lets take a stroll down memory lane with some the projects I've done: 

 

A Dark Day

I'm so frustrated right now it's hard to relax. I have been trying to figure out my coverstitch on my serger for about 6 days now, and I am nowhere near the finish line. I know I am threading it right, I've read my manual about a thousand times, but to no avail. It isn't stitching the way it should. I went over to the Bernina-nuttall store (where I take my class) to have them help me, but no avail. the "bernina expert" wasn't there, and the girl who was had only "threaded a serger once in her life" (why she is working there is beyond me...). She suggested that the serger may need to be serviced, even though every other stitch is fine and I've never done the coverstitch before, so it wouldn't need servicing! ^%U*%&*!!!

I'm rambling. I'm going back to the store tomorrow to visit this "expert". It better work out, or I'll be.... really mad.

My mom told me to relax. How am I supposed to relax when I have dresses to sew and a blog to write??? I want my sewing machine back!

I get my impatience from my mother. She would never tell you that, however. 

***********

On the bright side, I got a seamstress job today that is home-based. Finally, some green in my pocket and some good experience with a small business! Yay! The best part is the home-based part, since I'll be able to work on my stuff without sacrifice.

An apple for my teacher

My class last night at Bernina-Nuttall in Salt Lake was GREEEAATT (besides the total Debbie-Downer sitting next to me). I learned a TON. Here are a few of the lessons I took home:

This first lesson on knits was probably most valuable. The serged seam on the bottom is all ripply, while the seam at the top is not. That is because I lowered my differential feed on the serger! Knits need a low DF to not ripple!!! EXCELLENT.

This next lesson is harder to see, but it is about Differential Feed once again. On lighter fabrics like chiffon or linen, the DF also needs to be lowered so there is less bunching in the actual seam. Very good to know. 

This is awesome. You can make fabrics gather just be adjusting the stitch length, DF, and tension on the needles. The more gathering you want, means larger tension on needles, higher stitch length, and a large DF. This is extremely useful, because I usually make gathers with three rows of basting on my sewing machine. This way is ten times easier and faster. 

These samples are based on cutting width and stitch length. Cutting width can be adjusted on sergers based on fabric needs. The norm is to be set at 3 for berninas. Stitch length needs to be adjusted for bulkier fabrics like denim. 

  

For bernina 1300s, there is a setting that fine-tunes the cutting to make it minutely smaller or larger. A norm setting of 3 on a bernina may not result of a perfect stitch, where the serged seam is directly hugging the material, so the blades need to be either let out or taken in. For the most part, a cutter set on 3 with a normal "MTC" (micro thread control) will give a perfect serge. 

I'm really excited for my class next week! 

YET

I still don't know how to coverstitch. this is NOT GOOD. I called up the store this morning and begged them to teach me how to coverstitch tonight, since the next coverstitch class isn't until March. I really didn't need to bed. "People come in all the time to learn to do a basic thread. Sure, come in." well, thank you!

Tonight! Tonight!

I found a serger class in Salt Lake that is happening Tonight. 2 group classes, one private for $98. Today and next Tuesday at 6pm. here are the details if anyone else wants to join me!!

Bernina-Nuttal Fabric Center

4742 South 900 East Salt Lake City, Ut

6pm tonight and next Tuesday night

+ one scheduled one on one class

$98

Snake Dress. Mondo Honor. Serger Drama.

Lots to talk about today. Let's get down to it. 

number one

I finally gave birth to the snake dress. And I gotta say, I am a genius, kinda. I bought sequin trim from Joann's knowing that most snake appliques I've seen on the internet are made with sequins. I had to hand-stitch the sucker on my dress because my sewing machine is getting serviced and it will be gone for TEN DAYS (more on that later). I was pretty proud of myself for how it turned out. 

Or i was happy with it until I went over to Anna's (my sister) house so I could show her my great work, and she said it didn't look anything like a snake. She asked why I didn't put any eyes on the snake, and I said it was because the snake looked too cartoon-y with eyes. She was not impressed. 

Unshaken, I wore the dress to church yesterday to get more opinions. I teach teenagers in Sunday school, and without telling them what the detail was, I asked them what they thought. "It's a snake" Megan said (my new favorite). Steve came home from work later last night, and I asked him as well without any details. "It looks like a snake that is licking your boob". Close enough. I like it so I'm keeping it. So there, Anna. Yay for snake dress finally being created! 

number two 

Mondo was wrongfully terminated from Project Runway last Thursday. I was so mad I almost cried (ask Steve). I couldn't believe what Nina Garcia and Michael Kors were saying in the judging panel. I was pretty PISSED. 

So, in honor of Mondo, I decided to make the perfect dress out of a knit over-sized hounds tooth that I found at Joann's on Saturday. I love love love it. AND since my sewing machine is gone, I can't turn under the neckline, sleeves, or hem and finish them. Nor can I put on the trim on the neckline yet (still more to come on that). So this is all I have so far. Steve likes it more with the belt. 

This is for you, Mondo. You are what I aspire to be!!!

I'm also pretty darn proud that my hounds teeth line up. pretty tricky to do. I lowered the waistline on this version of the perfect dress, so that it hits at the natural waist. I can't tell yet if I like the empire waist of the yellow perfect dress or just a regular waistline. Maybe I like both equally. There's going to be a lot more of these perfect dresses, let me just say that right now. Once this dress is completely done, I'll post finished pictures. 

number three

My sewing machine is gone for ten days. TEN DAYS. Being serviced. I'm supposed to get it serviced once a year, but I've had it for two and this is the first time in the shop. Oops. 

So I make lemonade. I've been trying this whole weekend to get to know my serger a bit better. I've had the thing for about 4 months now and all I've used it for is finishing edges with a 4-thread overlock stitch. well, this beast didn't cost $2300 just for one stitch. At least that's what the manual tells me. 

This morning I've been trying to figure out how to set up the Coverstitch. The coverstitch is what most knits have on their neckline, hem, sleeve hem, etc. For the snake perfect dress I just finished the edges with the overlock stitch, and then turned the edges under and and top stitched with my sewing machine. Pretty simple. But I need to make nice with my serger. 

The directions are pretty simple to follow, but no matter how many times i thread and re-thread the stupid thing no stitches are coming out. I'm not sure what to do now. Can anyone help me??? If you live in Midvale or anywhere near, please email me and help me. SERIOUSLY. Apparently this serger and can gathers, and I really want to know how to do that too. Maybe I should just go to a store and have them teach me. What a thought. 

Do you see why I'm scared of this mother? it's a beast. Oh golly. So for the next two weeks, there is going to be a lot of blogging about the serger. This had to happen eventually.