Getting Reacquainted

Well hello.
Yes, I have been among the missing.
I am back.....hopefully.



I have been away from the blogging world as things seem to be a bit busy with time management. Don't you know? E-mail, Facebook, Instagram, managing my shop, oh and life!

It did get a tad crazy but you are familiar with that, I know.

Please stay tuned as there are some exciting things coming my way and I want to share!

Stay happy.

♥ Alison

Fit For A Queen

I was thrilled when Cris from "Kiss My Tulle" agreed to have a giveaway on her blog from Sew Bee It Clothier! 
I have been trying to build up my following so it will be easier to promote new items in my Etsy Shop.
At the suggestion of my Manager, this came to be!
The contest consisted of  "What are you Queen of?" More chances to win were for connecting with KMT on Twitter, Facebook and liking my Etsy shop. Congrats to Cassie! Cassie said that she is the Queen of sleeping! She seems to be able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat. Boy, I can so relate to that. I have been told that when I hit my bed, it is like a switch is thrown and I am out cold!

Cassie's Majesty Bride Tee will be shipped out in the morning. I hope to see a photo of her sporting her new top! Not in her bed, I hope!
Till next time,
Alison

Sharing Our Gifts

I hear people say to me and others often, "I wish I had some talent like you do." I really don't believe in that. EVERYONE has talent inside just waiting to bust out! The secret is to find it!
I believe that when we discover that hidden (or not) talent, it is best shared with others. What a warm feeling to pass along!
The reason for this entry today, is to share some beautiful pictures. Yes, I can say "beautiful"  because I did not take them! My family knows that I cannot take a good picture. Not at all. Anyway, to the whole reason for this....
My sister, Amanda, of a-prata-design.blogspot.com, called me to ask her out with a very special Christmas gift. Our niece, Felicia, is one fabulous cupcake baker. She loves baking and is very good at it! Amanda wanted to give Felicia a special apron.. I was most happy to oblige. Time was of the essence so at JoAnn's fabrics they carry ready to wear aprons for both adults & children alike. That way I could spend my time embroidering and shipping quickly so that the gift would be there in time for Christmas!
Here is the finished product. I was thrilled to share what I could do both for my sister & niece!

What do you think?
Until next time,
Alison

Who Would Have Thought!

An Unsuspecting Solution!
I was looking thru some information the other day that pertained to Celtic embroidering. The issue that  is a common problem is the thickness of the fabrics that these designs are sometimes embroidered upon. For Irish step dancing, it can be velveteen or perhaps velvet. Many times the threads are metallic and that word alone can cause some of us to shudder in anticipation of thread breakage!
Low and behold, I discovered that some wise women have found that using WAX PAPER from your kitchen drawer is the answer!
I had many of the Pink Out shirts to embroider. (42) A very dense design. Not too much with thread breakage since I have my new Babylock. I am using up some of my older poly threads that I do not care too much for. Poly threads can cause me a headache. That is why they are on their way out.....breakage, shredding...very ugly! Anyway...
Here is how I assembled my hoop:

1. Sticky back stabilizer to hold the shirt in place
2. The shirt centered on my cross marks
3. A small piece of tear away stabilizer
4. A larger piece of wax paper taped with Painter's tape over the tear away. (The larger piece of wax paper hold the tear away in place.)

Turn that baby over, load her on the machine and watch while the 23,000 stitches zips away!
I will keep the roll of wax paper in my stabilizer drawer. I will use it more here than in the kitchen anyway!
Look at my photos to get an idea.

Thanks for visiting! 

Fun in the Studio!

You know how much I love to work in the Studio. Well, I was caught up with business and wanted to create a bit of Turkey Time embroidery for my granddaughter, Hadley.

So I went to Jacki of a fabulous place called Embroitique! She offers some of the most unique item for us embroiderers! I was having some technical issues, ( no remarks please, I am improving!) and Jacki was there to ensure that I could download this design and prepare Hadley's new top. 

I have added a couple of pictures to show you. Now I am always in a hurry to complete ANYTHING! This was not different. I did a test sew out, which my friend, Susan, always suggests is the best idea. Of course she was right. The end result is great and I know Hadley will wear it proudly because her "Mon Mere" made it!

Happy Thanksgiving to you! I am so thankful for many things. A day does not pass where I do not count my blessings!

Alison 

I am NOT a good photographer, but you get the idea!

A Sweet Surprise!

Costco Wholesale holds me part-time. I refer to going to work as spending time at "Retail Heaven"! It is a fabulous place to work. To many, it seems like a boring, brainless job. Not to me. It gives me time away from the Sew Bee It Clothier Studio. Time to refresh and people watch! It is also a great time to fashion watch and gain some great ideas. Besides all of the benefits of my work there, I have the BEST co-workers in the world! I really mean that. They make each day such a pleasure. Of course there are a few unpleasant folks, but you can't change that no matter where you go in life! So sad for them! The guys at Costco have this crazy Fantasy Football League called, "Dynasty Dwendlers". Each guy has their own, logo for their "team". I think it is great for them to have something they are so crazy about. Like I am about sewing and such! Anyway, last year they decided to have a "Pink Out"weekend in October like the NFL's Crucial Catch to support the American Cancer Society's fight against Breast Cancer. Kevin and Norm sold shirts with a logo and a percentage went to the American Cancer Society. Being a Survivor, I was so excited. This year, the logo was redesigned and I added "2011" so that it will be great to collect them. We raised $500.00 for our LOCAL American Cancer Society. I stopped by work on Saturday for the picture that we were taking to send to Corporate Headquarters. The big PINK CHECK WAS MADE OUT IN MY NAME! I was so moved and teary-eyed! These people impressed me once again! Here are some of the pictures. I did 32 shirts!

Moving?

This big moving business came from a simple purchase. My new BabyLock Enterprise Embroidery Machine. Okay, my husband said we will need to rent a truck. What? Okay. So we get "Baby" home and she and all of her boxes sit comfortably in MY living room for several days. Okay. My husband, Chris assembles Baby's stand/table and announces that Baby will NOT fit in the sewing room with all of my other "stuff". After much discussion, (actually HIS discussion) we start moving the sewing room to where the "Daughter Room" is. No biggie, right? WRONG. The COLOR IS ALL WRONG! He says we'll get around to painting later. I know what that means. WE start the process but I need to continue to produce orders. I must sew. Where are the zippers? In the old sewing room? Thread? Bias tape? I think the interfacing is still in the.......oh boy. Working like this makes me crabby. I am progressing nicely but not done. I thought that I would share some pics now. My favorite part of the new Studio, (it is called that now because I said so!) is my door. I love my Bee. She came from the Mansfield Country Store in Massachusetts last month. I had to have it. Period. Chris bought me
great tables from Home Decorators. I love them. I sit at 24 inches and the tables at 36. Perfection. More pics of those later. Maybe you can send some ideas my way? Or perhaps I can inspire you on your quest for some new space! Share with me, please! More photos coming as I get more complete. Keep stitching!