Birthday Gifts!

Lookie ,Lookie... Look at what I got for my birthday!!! (I'm such a book freak!)

From my In-Laws...

I buy a good amount of fabric online, so this book will really help me learn more about different fabrics and how to properly prepare them for sewing. From "African Mudcloth" to "Woolens and Worsteds", 100 fabrics are defined, along with what it's suitable for, how to preshrink, layout, mark, cut, interface it, what thread, needle, stitch length, presser foot and seam finish to use, how to press, topstitch, hem it, and what closures may entail. Each page has a general sewing tip, and in the back of the book, there is an illustrated glossary of seams, details, closures, and hems. It describes how to do burn tests to determine fabric content, explains when to use certain linings, and has 3 pages of stain removal techniques. I am amazed at the wealth of information in this book, and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to explore new fabrics with confidence. This is my third Betzina book: I have Fast Fit, Power Sewing, and now this one!

And from myself...

My local quilt shop is going out of business, which completely bums be out. Although the selection was limited, it was so nice to go in there and talk "sewing" with the ladies. I think it's a shame that more people don't sew, and it's always sad to see local businesses fail. So anyway, I stopped in there today to see what's marked down (everything) and this book caught me eye.

"Warm Fuzzies" by Betz White (30 Sweet Felted Projects)

"Explains how to transform felt made from old sweaters and other garments into a series of unique and different craft projects through a combination of such techniques as needle felting, applique, knitting, basic embroidery, and more, featuring everything from cupcake pincushions (see cover at left) to small hand puppets and comfy throw." I've never felted wool before, but there are so many projects in this book for my kids, for my friends, for myself... I couldn't pass it up. There is a new Goodwill shop opening soon locally, and I imagine I can find wool sweaters there for these projects pretty cheaply. Amanda and Dawn have got me thinking about recycling with their reconstruction projects for the Pattern Review contest! Here's just a few of the other projects shown.

The new semester starts tomorrow, so I'm rather swamped, but I will be posting some new completed garments this weekend! Hope everyone is staying warm!