And here comes 2014!!!

So, while I am thinking about the New Year and my business, I am thinking about some changes.  My etsy.com shop has seen little to no business in a while.  My husband and my dear sister-in-law continue to suggest that I blog.  Well, since I am not so great at this blog thing, I have not posted anything in a very long time.  Also, it is all so very confusing to me, and I seriously have not taken the time to get into this whole blog area.  I guess that I am trying to start out the New Year with a more consistent "blogging" habit.  Is that what you call it???  So, here goes.

The following are questions that I always have when blogging. "What do I blog about???"  I mean what can I tell you that you would want to read or hear?  Do people really want to hear about the projects that are currently in the mix?  Do people want to hear new techniques?  I hope not, because I don't have any.  Do people want to read about the show or movies that I watch while smocking or sewing?  Do I blog about  blogging?  Can you do that? 

After I go through several minutes, hours, days, etc. of this, I end up blogging about my outfits or my sales.  The other result is, I just stop and don't blog.  Why?  Well honestly, sometimes I feel it is a waste of time.  I don't see much traffic here, and I have other things to do.  Also, I go back and read it several days later.  BIG MISTAKE!  The re-reading leads me to question all that was written.  So, once again, I give up. 

So, here is the plan for the New Year...

1. I will post a blog entry once a week.  No more, and, hopefully, no less.
2. I will blog about what I want to blog about.  If it is not a great blog, then I will just try to blog something better the next week.
3. I will try not to get discouraged.  Seriously, no one wants to read a blog that is filled with frustration.


So, there it is.  If you follow this blog, and I would be surprised if you did, I ask you to keep me accountable.  Let me know when I have missed a week.  Keep me up to date on the things you are interested in hearing.  Comment.  PLEASE, comment.  That is the only way I can improve this blog. 

As I close, I pray that all of you have had a wonderful Christmas and God will bless you and your family in the New Year.  Happy 2014!

Winding Down The Summer

Well, this week has been lazy and busy.  Our mornings around here have been a little on the lazy side.  Sometimes it is nice to just do nothing, and my kids LOVE that option.  All of the sports practices moved from in the morning hours to the afternoon.  Also, we are getting ready for school to start.  So that means, pick up schedules, make sure we have supplies, and figure out teachers.  I have my first kid going off to High School this year.  I really thought I would be more nervous, but he is ready.  My second kid will be in 7th grade, so it is no big deal.  Also, kid #2 LOVES school.  Yep, that's right, it is my daughter.  They both do very well in school and are learning so much.

Since that has been the schedule this week, I have not done a lot of creating.  Last weekend I did make a little boy romper that turned out very cute.  I had plans to start a smocked Christmas dress, but that has not happened, yet.  As I sit here typing, I hear rain coming down.  That means, no running for me.  I guess instead I will start on that dress.  The material is in the sewing room just waiting on me to get my act together.

On the up side, I sold my Back to School Apple outfit this week.  I am so excited for the little girl who will have this to wear on the first day of school.  This has always been one of my favorite outfits.  I just love how it screams "FALL".

I also delivered my first "Books of the Bible" bag to my nephew.  He was so fun to watch.  I think he liked the bag better than the books of the Bible tiles.  His mom, my sister, helped him pour all of the tiles out and try to put them in order.  That was fun to watch.  Soon he will be reciting those books like he has known them all his life.

Today my promotion is a clearance item.  This is a great Spring or Summer outfit.  I know, Spring and Summer are over.  However, this could be bought on clearance and worn next year.  This outfit features some very cute flowers with smiling faces and a few Spring critters.  The pants have a matching ruffle at the bottom.  I am selling it on clearance to make room for some Fall and Winter items in my shop.  The original cost was $50, and it is priced now for $25.  That is HALF OFF.  WOW!  Follow the link to my Etsy shop listing in order to purchase.

Girls Pink/Blue/Green Smocked Flower Pant Set Size 4- CLEARANCE 

While you are there, check out my other items that are for sale.  There are some very cute dresses and a few items for baby boys.

As I finish up, I want to give a shout out to the Etsy Amazing Etsians team.  They invited me to their team this week and WOW has the traffic to my etsy shop increased.  This group is so very encouraging and has been a great help.  Also, the EtsyKids Team has been helpful, so shout out to them as well.   

Hey, Hey We're The Monkeys

This past weekend I was all over the Monkey theme.  A friend of mine has a daughter that is due soon.  She wanted a outfit for newborn baby boy to wear home from the hospital.  I gave her a few choices, and the picture below is what she wanted.

This turned out so very sweet and I fell in love with Mr. Monkey.  I have made this outfit with long sleeves, but this is the first short sleeved version.  I really like the long sleeves, but the short sleeves look great.  I may try this one again.  We will see if there is any interest.

So, after making precious outfit #1, I decided that Mr. Monkey needed to be on another gem of an outfit.  So, I made the one you see below.

This one turned out even better.  It is a 0-6 months size.  Can't you just see your newborn baby boy wearing this home from the hospital or for those first pictures.  I love this monkey.  He just looks so sweet.  Also, the colors of this one turned out great.  It is a brown plaid, and fully lined with cream batiste.  I just have to add buttons and some snaps.

So, now that I have grown attached to Mr. Monkey, I am toying with the idea of doing him in girl colors.  So, I guess he would be Ms. Monkey.  I am thinking that a pink monkey with a white face would be very cute. 

Well, I do have to put Mr. and Ms. Monkey aside for a few days.  I am wanting to make a Christmas version of the dress below.

This dress is one of my favorites and it always looks so beautiful.  I just know that in Christmas colors it would look awesome.  So, be looking for pictures and listings on Etsy for this one.  I can't wait. 

Let's Get Cleared Out For Fall

So, it is time to do some "Spring" cleaning.  I know it is the end of Summer, but I need to make room in my sewing room for newly created apparel.  So, some of my creations are going to have to go to good homes.  All of the items that are listed below are being sold at a 50% discount.  Also, if you order $35 or more and enter the coupon code SCHOOL2013 at the check out, you will get a 20% discount.  Make sure to make your purchase soon.  This offer will not last long.

Here are the items:

Teal Garden Tea Party Dress Sizes 4

Yellow/Green Lemon Lollipop Short Set Size 1T

Girls Pink/Blue/Green Smocked Flower Pant Set Size 4

Tote Bag

Baby Girl Blue/Green Sundress Set Size 3 to 6 months

Back to School Girls Apple outfit - Size 6

 

Don't forget to come in soon this offer will be gone before you know it!

 

 

 

 

 

"Let's Hear it for the Boys"

It was an exciting time in my life.  I was pregnant with my first child, and could not wait to be a mom.  The big question that was asked of me at the time was, "Are you going to find out the sex of the baby?"  We thought about it a little bit, but honestly we didn't have any strong feelings either way, so, off we go to the big ultrasound.  They asked if we wanted to know, and we said, "Why not?"  We were told that our first child was going to be a boy.  Well, now that we knew, it was time to get things ready.  The big question that is always on the mind of a mom to be is, "What is my child going to wear home from the hospital?"  Every mom wants that outfit to be special.

That is what I have been working on this week.  Special outfits to have baby wear home from the hospital.  I have made some beautiful Bishop Smocked Dresses for newborn girls, but not many boys outfits have been constructed on my sewing machine.  This week, I had the great pleasure of making the outfit below for a friend of mine.  She has a grandson on the way.

I have made this particular outfit before, but it was long sleeved.  I think I like the short sleeve.  I thought the monkey was so cute that he may be a part of some other outfits.

Mr. Monkey has stole my heart.  His little sleepy eyes are so cute.  Today, I decided to start a bubble romper for his 2nd appearance.  The romper is in a brown plaid material and the monkey will be displayed on a cream appliquéd circle.  I am still trying to decided if the outfit will have sleeves or not.  What do you think?

Christmas has also been on my mind today.  I know, it is several months away, but in the children's clothing area, you have to start thinking early.  You want that special outfit for your child to wear in the family pictures. Right?  Every little girl needs that beautiful dress.  So, I am working on something to incorporate the Christmas color theme.  I don't want to leave the boys out of the picture, so I may be recreating the outfit above in a Christmas theme.  However, I am not sure what kind of embroidery to stitch.  Do you have any ideas?  Feel free to let me know in the comments. 

Back To School Giveaway

OK, here is the special that I am offering this week. 

Share this Esty listing with as many friends as you can. If one of your friends purchase this listing, have them write FRIEND and your name in the "Notes to seller" section of the order. Your friend will receive this great Back To School outfit for the listed cost. You will receive a free drawstring cinch sack backpack.

Back To School Etsy Listing 

Stop by my Sewing Sweet Facebook page to find out more details.  Follow the link above to the listing to see what you are sharing.  This offer ends on Friday, August 9th at 5PM.  Good luck.

 

A Back to School Item that You Just Got to Have!

This Summer, I have learned to make Cinch Sacks.  They are also known as Drawstring Bags.  They are loads of fun and have so many options.  You can make them in all sorts of colors and fabric choices.  Here are two samples that I have made:

The Barrel of Monkeys sack is $15.  The Auburn sack is $20.  If you are interested in having either one monogrammed or embroidered with a name, it will cost $5 more for each monogram or name.

Barrel of Monkeys Sack

Auburn Sack

 Do you have a favorite team?  Well, these bags can be made with fabric from your team.  Auburn, Alabama, USC, Clemson, Florida, etc.  These may not be your favorite.  Who is your favorite team?


These bags can also be monogrammed or embroidered with a name.  Appliqué is also a nice touch.  There is no end to the possibilities.  I have played around with the idea of making these bags in school colors.  What do you think?  Would your child like a bag that shows school spirit?

How about a Cinch Lunch Sack?  When shopping for lunch boxes for my kids, I have found it hard to find one that is big enough for the food they need, or big enough for the water bottle they carry.  I know, most people probably send juice boxes or Capri Sun with their kids.  I tend to send water.  Yes, it is a little boring, but it is healthy.  Also, I know most people have their kids buy lunch, but imagine the money you will save having a cool lunch bag.  We took the time the other day to total up the cost of lunches from the time a child begins Kindergarten until they graduate High School.  It was a little difficult.  Here is what I can tell you: 1. Lunch for one day at school is $2.10, 2. Multiply that times 5 days and you get $10.5, 3. Multiply that times 4 weeks in a month and you get $42(I am aware that some months have 5.  I just picked 4 because most have 4.), 4. Multiply that times 9ish months and you get $378, 5. Multiply that times 13 years of school and you get $4914 that you could spend on lunches over the course of your child's school life.  WOW!!!  What do you think you could do with $4914?  Having a Cinch Lunch Sack for you child will save you money, and you can actually fix what your child likes to eat.  Now, I have not made a sample Lunch Sack yet, but that is my plan.  So, let me know if you are interested in saving your family some money on lunches.

Dave Ramsey Wallet

Have you taken the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace class?  We have, and we are living mostly debt free.  The only thing we have left is to pay off that dreaded mortgage.  That class was the best thing for our marriage and our children's future.  We are still teaching them about all things F.P.U.  That will take us some more time. 

Did you get a F.P.U. wallet?  We did.  I tried to use it for a while, but I did not like the envelopes.  While I was at the store, the flaps on the envelopes became very annoying.  So, I found my own wallet that had some dividers and added some small dividers.  This has been very helpful.  However, my wallet is starting to tear up, and I need a new one.  The only problem is, I can't find one that will work.  Also, we are getting out kids involved in the process and they are needed a way to keep their categories separate.

I have looked on Etsy and other places in order to figure out how to make a wallet.  Most of the ones I have seen are fabric versions of the envelopes or several zipper wallets together in one big one.  These would work, but I think I can do better.  So, today I am going to try to work on my version of the Dave Ramsey wallet. The main things are it needs to be practical and fashionable for my daughter(yes, she is at that age).  I am pretty sure that I can get it figured out, but my concern is the zippers.  Zippers are not always user friendly when comes to sewing.  So, wish me luck.  With any luck, by the end of the weekend, I will have a finished product that the girl will enjoy.

For those of you in the midst of the F.P.U. journey, I send you my Debt Free motivation.  Get there and you will never go back.  It is wonderful on this side of the mountain.  Come on over, we have no stress, no debt, and a lot of FREEDOM!

Playing Around

OK, I finally was able to have some fun today.  I have spent the last few days trying to make a knit dress for my daughter.  It was not successful.  Knit is a horrible fabric to use, when sewing clothing.  The most difficult part is cutting and matching up seams.  Needless to say, the dress does not look the way I wished.  It will work for my daughter to wear for awhile.  The lesson I learned...Don't let her pick out the material.  She has not idea what to use when making clothing. 

After all of that, I decided to play with my embroidery machine for a while.  Also, I saw that a friend of mine was making Infinity Scarves.  So, I tried one, and it was so fun and easy.  I was thinking that it would be fun to make scarves for the people that I know at David Lipscomb who are in Social Clubs, but I don't know all their colors.  So, basically, I just played with some ideas.  I am attaching pictures of my fun at the bottom.  Also, check out the link at the bottom to my friends shop.  She makes some very cute items.

Lovely Leaf Crafts and Designs

Monogram Font

Monogram on Green

Infinity Scarf

Close up of embroidery

School Bus Appliqué

Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is this Sunday.  Did you know that?  I am ashamed to say that it was not on my radar.  So that gets me to thinking...What team are you going to be cheering for?  Honestly, I do not even know who is playing.  However, if your particular team wins, or if you just want to show your support, Sewing Sweet has items for you. 

Tote Bag - This tote bag is made in USC material for those University of South Carolina fans.  However, it can be recreated in material that gives support to your team.  Also, it can be monogrammed with your initials.  The dimensions for the bag pictures is pretty big.  If you are a teacher, or have a lot to carry, this is the bag for you.  If you would like a different size bag, that can be arranged.  Just send me a message or email me and we can get you a bag that you will love.

T-Shirts - This t-shirt is also made with USC  material.  I have appliquéd first, middle, and last initial on the shirt.  This can be done for you.  Once again, let me know your team colors and what initials you would like.  Your t-shirt will be on its way soon.  I can also embroider your name on the shirt. 

So, no matter if you are a Baltimore or a San Francisco fan, I can create a shirt for you.  You don't want a shirt.  OK.  Maybe a tote bag is what you would like.  If that is the case, you have come to the right place.  You will be sporting your team colors in no time. 

Do you have a little boy?

Boys outfits are always so cute.  When my son was little, there was a small number of outfits from which to choose.  Also, you have a limited amount of time that a little guy can wear smocked clothing.  Do you find this to be true? 

Therefore, let Sewing Sweet know what your needs are for little boy outfits.  Do you like rompers?  Do you like 2 piece outfits?  Are monogrammed t-shirts your thing?  What would help you dress your little guy? 

Sewing Sweet currently has a few different listing for boys outfits.  They are listed below.  Check them out or make a suggestion here as to what you would like to see.

Go Team Shirt
Smocked Inserts
0-3 month old 2 piece outfit
Smocked Blue Romper

Just a normal day at the office...

Well, actually a normal day  in the sewing room.  Today was not the best sewing day.  There is a piece of material that has tried my patience to the bitter end.  Have you ever had a day like that?  5 times I tried to pleat this material.  Is there something wrong with the pleater, you ask? NO. Is there something wrong with the material? NO.  Yes, it was me.  You know the saying, "Practice makes perfect", well that only applies if you actually practice.  That is something that I have not been doing with my pleater.  When you do not practice, two things happen, #1 you can't remember what you are doing, and #2 your pleater will start a revolt.  Finally, after many tries with this particular material, I threw it out and started over.  Yes, I had the same problem.  AHHH!!!  I even broke one of the new needles my husband gave me for Christmas.  Finally, after getting way more frustrated than anyone should with a pleater (I mean it wasn't his fault.  He was just feeling rejected and lonely.), the material is pleated to my satisfaction. So, tomorrow, I will begin smocking some flip flops on this white thing.  With any luck, I will have a cute smocked insert for someone.

That reminds me.  My shop has smocked inserts for anyone who is interested.  If you have a jumper or dress that just needs a smocked insert follow the link to my inserts.
You can choose one of the ones pictured.  If you don't see one you like, we can discuss the possibility of ordering a plate.  So, stop by Sewing Sweet Tracy.

Smocked Inserts

Opening today!

Ok, so today's blog will eventually get to sewing, but the big news is that we had a Krispy Kreme open up right up the street.  Until now, the closest Krispy Kreme has been about 15 to 20 minutes away.  This is big news.  So, we had a family trip after dinner to the new store.  We decided to only get 2 donuts each.  Of course, we all chose the ones with the most sugar.  So, the whole family is currently on a sugar high.  LOL!!!  I know that I will regret the food choice later, but the time spent with my family was great.  It was so cool to see my kids fascinated by the donut making machinery.  Believe it or not, they have not seen that before.  Now, we will probably not go back for a while, because eating healthy and Krispy Kreme don't exactly go together. 

Now, to discuss sewing.  What do you think about a Krispy Kreme themed outfit.  I can see a red and white polka dot bishop with donuts smocked around the neckline.  It would also need some rick rack a long the hemline.  That will have to wait.

The next project in the list is a dress for a Middle School girl.  She happens to belong to me.  The dress will be black at the top and gray at the bottom.  It will most likely be knee length or a little longer.  Well, be looking at pictures coming soon. 

Here are a few more items that you may like to check out on my Etsy.com shop.

Smocked Flower Pant Set
Lemon Lollipop Short Set
Smocked Blue Romper

Do You Know What is Coming???

Valentine's Day Dress

Did you know that Valentine's Day is just around the corner?  Also, you have Spring coming soon too.  That means Easter Dress for your little one.  Sewing Sweet is here to help you with all of your Valentine's Day/Spring needs. We have quite a few dresses that you will want, because you want your sweet one to look special in those pictures that you know you are going to take.  Here are a few items from which you may choose.

Sundress

Purple Smocked Dress

Alabama Shirt

All of these and more are available on my Etsy shop.  Listed below are some other items you may be interested in.  Are you a sports fan?  Do you like Alabama? or Are you and Auburn fan?  We are now making t-shirt for you little sports fan.  Check it out

USC Shirt

Your daughter will look great in any of these dresses or shirts.  Sewing Sweet has ideas and items waiting to be created just for you.  Contact me by email, at my Etsy shop, through Facebook, or just leave a comment here.  You item will be created just for you and will be on its way to you soon.



Email: Tracy Passmore
Etsy shop: Sewing Sweet Tracy
Facebook Page: Sewing Sweet

I look forward to hearing from you.