Lisa's Carolina | Handmade - a new domain name

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This blog began in September 2011.  In my first post I called it my 'needleworks blog'  and named it 'Piecework Treasures' as that seemed in line with the plans I had in mind at the time.  I thought I'd be re-creating heirloom type projects from memories of times spent with my grandmothers and great-grandmother.  The first year was spent on knitted charity projects and small sewing projects.  Little did I know my life was going to change the beginning of 2013 when I began sewing my clothes and a whole new world unfolded.

Though I'd sewn clothing for my two daughters when they were little, and many home dec projects, it'd never occurred to me to sew anything wearable for me, so sewing my own clothes was a new hobby that seemed to resonate within me with each successful garment sewn.  By the end of 2013 it was hard to buy ready-to-wear clothing anymore.

In December 2013, I completed my first quilt and found another new love.  

By 2014, shopping trips to the mall became a way of examining construction techniques and/or trying on a style to see how a pattern might sew up and look on my figure type.  Fast forward to 2016 and now I sometimes feel sorry for my daughter, as I'm just no fun to shop with anymore!  Fabric stores and checking out the new Japanese pattern books at the book stores are now my favorite places to be.

As this blog's focus has become garment sewing and quilting, the name 'Piecework Treasures' seems odd to me, now.  I'm active on Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest and Ravelry, as lisascarolina.... and even the Tumblr account for my photo journal is Lisa's Carolina.  I quietly changed my blog's name to Lisa's Carolina | Handmade a few months ago but wasn't quite sure what to do with its original blogspot.com name.  After mulling it over for a bit, www.lisascarolina.com was purchased as the new domain name for the blog this morning.

As I'm so not technology savvy, I am still keeping the blog with blogger and redirecting it to www.lisascarolina.com, so hope all the links will continue to work and everyone will still be able to get the information without any problems.  I am claiming the new domain name here today for bloglovin' and hope to transfer the followers seamlessly.  You might want to update how you follow the blog just in case I've missed something.

Thank you so much, each and everyone, who reads this blog!  My 'new' hobby has become an ingrained lifestyle and I feel so fortunate to be a part of the larger world of sewing through the international connections this blog provides.

Now back to sewing that dress for the wedding.
Happy Sewing Everyone!

February 2016 'Make a Garment a Month Challenge' plans and a photo contest submission

Well, the ole blog may have been a little quiet, but there's been a lot happening in the sewing room.

More about that in a later post, but today I wanted to post my plans for February 2016 'Make a Garment a Month Challenge' before February was over and done with.

Sarah Liz, our lovely administrator wrote this about our interesting theme: 

This month’s theme is provided by one of our group members who says –"My thoughts were Freaky/Frightening = anything that scares you, where you know you can probably do it, but apprehension is stopping you. A pattern with lots of pieces, a sewing technique, using fabric that is daunting to you."  So there you have it – tackle something in sewing that you find frightening – for some of us it is buttonholes, it could be zips, whatever your sewing fear is, get on to it and face the fear before it freaks you out totally.

Of course we are free to follow the theme, or not, but this month's was perfect timing for me as my sweet niece is getting married the end of February and I wanted to sew a new dress to wear to her wedding.  A sheath dress.  (I've never made myself a 'fitted' dress before.)  With an invisible zipper.  (I've never installed an invisible zipper before.)  So there's two 'Freaky | Fearful | February biggies for me right there!   

Thinking of appropriate formal wedding attire, the first thing that popped into my head was a classic sheath dress.  Needing a pattern, I chose NewLook 6261.    NewLook Patterns usually fit me well so was hoping this dress would not need many modifications.  Can't remember now why I zeroed in on this particular pattern, but after a quick search at Pattern Review,  I decided this was 'the one'.  Mine will have no lace, and no band wrap at the waist detail.  Just a nice, plain, classic sheath View B. 

This Waverly Inspiration, 100% cotton fabric is my muslin fabric purchased at WalMart for $3.97 per yard.  This dress takes 1 5/8 yards.  I fell in love with the birds and pretty colors.  I'm hoping it will be a wearable muslin.  I have some very special fabric I've been hoarding that will be the fashion fabric if all this turns out well.  :) 

And because I'm feeling the time crunch, the muslin has already begun taking shape.  Here's where I was at the other day.  I showed these two views on Instagram asking for fitting advice and appreciate the feedback I received.  Greatly!  Seriously!  The back view is showing a regular zipper I hurriedly inserted here simply for fitting purposes. 

The basting stitches have been ripped out, alterations made and final stitching has been done.  I've got the invisible zip in..... almost...... I think I'll be okay..... we'll see.  I do not have an invisible zipper foot for my Bernina and am thinking that may be a purchase that needs to be made.  But so far I'm thrilled with how easy the invisible zip is to put in, even using my regular zipper foot, compared to the triangulations of installing a regular zip.  Thought I'd share my new shoes, below, that will go with my new dress.  Parigi by LifeStride and so comfortable for a pump.

Changing subjects to photography..... each year South Carolina Wildlife Magazine sponsors a photo contest and this will be my second year to participate.  The following two photographs are my 2016 submissions.  Both were taken on our property.

Bluebird feeding at Dusk

Fiddle-dee-dee Fiddleheads

Better get back to the final stitching on that invisible zip.
Happy Sewing Everyone!