Made By Trisha

Bright Neon Tee- Dixie DIY Summer Concert Tee

2012-05-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

Finally, the last installment of my Trio of Trendy Tops: Neon Love-- the Bright Neon Tee!

I bought this fabric online because I was super-excited to wear something super-neon. Then, it arrived, and I had no idea what to do with it. Well, luck was on my side--because soon after that, I won a giveaway from Dixie DIY, and she sent me a free copy of her Summer Concert Tee pattern. I thought this breezy, simple silhouette would be perfect for this crazy fabric.

Sewing Notes: This is a fun, easy pattern to work with. Please be aware, this tee is cut generously to give an oversized, breezy look. I didn't want it too loose, so I cut an XS, and I ended up taking it in even more. In addition to this, the front is SHORT! I lengthened the front by about 3", and I wish I had lengthened it just a teensy-bit more. (Keep in mind that I am almost 5'10".) Also, I folded the sleeves to make hem bands, and I really like how that worked out. Other than that, it came together very, very quickly. I cut the fabric on Saturday, and I had a new top on Sunday!

I cut the front on the bias. I planned to cut the back on the bias too, but I didn't have enough fabric. This was a happy accident-- I rather like that the stripes are on the diagonal in the front, but horizontal/vertical in the back!

That wraps up the final installment of my Trio of Trendy Tops! Now I have three fun, neon summer tops to wear.

Check out the other two:

Black Rainbow Tank

Beetlejuice Tank

Beetlejuice Tank- Self-Drafted Pattern

2012-05-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

Second, in my Trio of Trendy Tops: Neon Love-- the Beetlejuice Tank! Why am I calling this the Beetlejuice Tank? Well, do you remember Beetlejuice's suit? Here's a refresher:

The stripes! I thought stripes all the way around would be too much, so the back is solid black, and I used a bit of neon lime-green stretch lace at the top. This tank is also made from a self-drafted pattern. I basically used the same block as the Black Rainbow Tank, but angled the sides in for a snugger fit and made the hem one length.

What do you think? Is the neon green lace cute or tacky? And, WOW! My arms are getting BUFF!

Coming soon: Bright Neon Tee

Already seen: Black Rainbow Tank

Black Rainbow Tank- Self-drafted pattern

2012-05-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

First up in my Trio of Trendy Tops: Neon Love-- the Black Rainbow Tank!

A while back, I was reading Dixie DIY's blog, and she mentioned buying crochet appliques from an Etsy seller. I thought it sounded like a great idea, so I checked out this seller on Etsy and ended up buying 4 different appliques from her.

When they arrived in the mail, I pinned the magenta one to my dress form and played around with some fabric until I had an idea of what to create, so this was a self-drafted pattern. I draped some Swedish tracing paper to make a simple pattern block to start with. I wanted a loose, carefree feeling to the top, so I angled out the sides to make it swingy. I left the hem length on the pattern really long, but once I tried it on, I decided to make the front shorter, angling down to a longer back. I've been seeing shirts like this everywhere lately.

I'm very happy with how it turned out, and I think the crochet applique on the back really makes it special.

Coming up:

Beetlejuice Tank

Bright Neon Tee

Trio of Trendy Tops: Neon Love

2012-05-23T06:34:00.000-07:00

This is sneak peek on what I've been working on. I'm calling it a "Trio of Trendy Tops: Neon Love." All three tops feature a neon element, and I feel are on-trend for the summer! I will post about each one in more detail soon, so stay tuned.

Get ready to check out:

Black Rainbow Tank

Bright Neon Tee

Beetlejuice Tank

Also, I'm pretty proud of this photo. I used PhotoShop to merge three different images into one. It's not perfect (check out the disjointed trunk on the tree!) but it was surprisingly easy to do! If you're interested in trying it out, I found this tutorial to be very helpful.

Blue Sparrow Pendrell Blouse

2012-05-18T06:11:00.000-07:00

I've got another top to share. This one I'm calling the Blue Sparrow Pendrell Blouse. I wore it twice already--to the baby shower this weekend and to work this week. I think it's going to become a wardrobe staple.

I love this fabric--it is both cute, yet appropriate for the office--a hard-to-find combination. It is a drapey cotton jersey from Girl Charlee that has tiny sparrows all over it.

Sewing Notes: I used Sewaholic's Pendrell Blouse pattern, view B. Once again, I took in the sides by over 1" (next time maybe I'll remember to cut it smaller). I only had 1 yard of fabric, so instead of two ruffles on the sleeves, I only used one. I quite like it with one ruffle, and think I'll make it like this again. It's fantastic to have a great-looking pattern that only uses 1 yard of fabric. (The pattern says it takes 2 yards, but that is a huge overestimate, based on my experience.)

Also, check out my new specs! I decided to go with bolder glasses. I don't know if I'll wear these everyday, but I quite like them. They make me feel nerdy-chic. What do you think?

Baby Bear

2012-05-16T06:58:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I went to a very sweet baby shower for my friend MB. She asked for each guest to bring a book. I decided to bring Corduroy and continued the bear-themed gift by crocheting a baby bear cocoon and hat! The cocoon swaddles the baby with only their face sticking out, with adorable bear ears!

I bought the baby bear cocoon crochet pattern on Etsy here. The pattern was pretty good, but I found that I had to lengthen it significantly to make it a size that I thought looked appropriate. The hat was made from a free pattern found at Alli Crafts. It took me about two weeks of lunch-time crocheting to finish them both, and I think they turned out quite adorably!!!

Going along with the bear theme, my hubby hunted down a bear hat that we used for a costume... so we took pictures of the pups as ferocious bears! Scout rather likes the bear hat, but Jack wants nothing to do with it. Squee!

Gray Twists Tank- Simplicity 2181

2012-05-01T06:35:00.000-07:00

I've been sewing up a storm over here! This top was made from Simplicity 2181. This pattern didn't speak to me until I saw Knitting Jenny's amazing version. Because of hers, I too wanted to make view A, but I didn't have enough fabric. Instead, I made view C, which I think is quite flattering.

Sewing Notes: Overall, I think this pattern is drafted very well! I wasn't sure how the overlays would work, but they magically twisted together. First change, I didn't finish the edges of the overlay pieces. My fabric doesn't ravel, so I didn't see the point. Second, I didn't use the facings. Instead, I bound the neck and armholes with strips--my preferred method of handling the edges of knits. Third, I slightly changed the placement of the overlay on the right side. I recommend trying it on to determine how far down your neckline you want to tack it. Finally, I left it unhemmed. Not sure if I'll leave it this way or not, but I think this fabric looks fine unhemmed.

This top looks quite flattering on the waist, and it can be easily dressed up or down. Yup, it's a winner!

Pyjama Party

2012-04-27T06:12:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for Karen's Pyjama Party? I am! I've got my hair pulled up, my jammies on, a good book to read, and some pups to cuddle with. Let's take a look at the pyjamas first:

My new PJ set.

Sewing Notes: For the shorts, I used the Jane pattern from Burdastyle. The only alternation was to lengthen them about 3". The tank top is completely self-drafted. I used a favorite jammie tank as a guide. I only had one yard of the Roxy Heart fabric from Girl Charlee. That was enough for the shorts and the front of the tank. I used plain gray jersey for the back of the tank, and as binding for the neck and armholes.

A tag was necessary on the shorts to tell the front from the back.

Hem lace makes the shorts hem pretty.

A new trick for hemming knits!

I also tried out a new technique for hemming knits. For the tank hem, I used a stretch-double needle, walking foot, and wooley nylon thread in the bobbin. To date, this is my best looking hem on a knit yet--no weird tunneling or warping! Plus, it's still stretchy. I may have found the magical combination!

Now, on to the book. What's that I'm reading, you ask? My talented brother-in-law has written a book: The Valley of Fire by Brett Cottrell (available on Amazon in paperback or e-book). It's an original book with some characters that you won't soon forget--including Insanity, Genius, and Contradiction personified. My hubby and I are reading it out loud and having a lot of fun with it!

The pups love to snuggle.

I'm headed back to bed to snuggle with the pups and read some more. Looking forward to seeing everyone else's pyjamas and to get some good book recommendations!

Lace Back Concert Dress- Self-Drafted Pattern

2012-04-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

I'm covered in black and blue! Don't worry, I'm not hurt, it's just my new dress! And are you ready for the best part? The back is made out of lace! When my hubby saw the completed dress, he said, "That'd make a great concert dress." What an astute guy! I hadn't thought of that, but I absolutely agree!

So I wore it to Florence and the Machine last night. When we were walking in, a woman complimented me on my dress. I eagerly turned to her and squealed, "Thanks, I made it!"

Hanging out with Florence.

This creation was completely self-drafted. Instead of just winging it, I actually took the time to draw out the bodice pattern so I can use it again. And the skirt is simply make of two 27" squares. I'm already thinking about a million variations to make on this design.

Sewing Notes: The waistband is 2" black elastic--very easy to sew and wear. The inside straight seams are sewn with French seams, and the neck and armhole are finished with strips of plain black stretchy fabric. This looks very nice on the inside--here, have a look:

Hooray for nice insides.

The skirt features a secret pocket, secured with an invisible zipper. The pocket is a great feature for a concert dress--it's no fun to carry a purse around at a concert, so the pocket is big enough to carry the essentials, like ID and chapstick. This was my first-ever invisible zipper, can you believe it?!?

Check out my secret pocket!

(Can we take a minute to talk about how amazingly awesome the invisible zipper foot is? My machine didn't come with one, so I finally ordered one. The design is genius! It makes installing an invisible zip so easy. I generally don't like invisible zippers as much because they seem flimsy, but I may be using them a lot more often now.)

On our way to the concert.

I'll leave with a picture from the concert. If you're not familiar with Florence and the Machine, she is a goddess! I highly recommend checking out her music!

Yay Florence!

Florence!

2012-04-20T20:09:00.001-07:00

At Florence and the Machine with my hubby. Wearing a brand new made-by-me dress!

Whatcha Wearin'

2012-04-16T07:46:00.001-07:00

I'm in love with this striped top right now! Today, it's navy and white with a pop of mustard. Also, my necklace has a bird house and a little song bird on it--cute!

Happy Monday!

Joining the Pyjama Party Sewalong!

2012-04-11T06:47:00.000-07:00

Karen of Did You Make That? is hosting a Pyjama Party Sewalong! As luck would have it, I've been thinking of using this fabric in my stash for some jammies with the Jane pattern from Burdastyle.

Roxy Hearts from Girl Charlee

So that's the plan! Keep an eye out towards the end of the month to see my completed Pyjamas.

Fabric Shopping in Los Angeles

2012-04-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend in fabulous Los Angeles visiting our dear friends! We had a blast with our friends--going to the gorgeous El Matador Beach, eating lots of yummy foods, playing games, checking out the local bars, and basking in the full moon on the beach. Yesterday afternoon, we headed down to the LA fabric district to do some shopping. The top of my list was Michael Levine. Unfortunately, they were closed because it was Easter Sunday.

So sad that Michel Levine is closed.

Luckily, many other smaller shops were open! Here I am in front of a particularly bright display.

Many stores had flashy, fun fabric--like full-on sequins, embroidery, or feathers. There was even a whole store full of crazy fun fur! I ended up only buying 2 yards for myself--a lovely (what I think is) silk jersey in purple. I envision making myself a version of Kate Middleton's engagement dress using Simplicity 2145.

My second purchase of the day was 3 yards of neon green swimsuit lycra. No, it's not for me! It's for my hubby. He wanted fabric to use as a green screen for making videos. I think the swimsuit lycra will work well because it will resist wrinkling.

After our shopping, we rewarded ourselves with a little treat--a cream puff from Papa Beards. Oh my goodness, this was divine deliciousness!

I have one more little story to tell. At the airport, on the way home, I was wearing my Zebra Shirt. A woman walked across the room to tell me that she really liked my top. I believe she called it "rad." My hubby turned around and said, "She made it herself!" I was so proud--a complete stranger came up to tell me she liked my handmade top, and even better, my hubby was so proud to tell her that I made it. It was a nice sewing-related moment.

Can you guess where I am?

2012-04-08T17:54:00.001-07:00

Can't resist posting this picture. Wanna guess where I am? I'll post more later.

Postino Stripes Top- Self-drafted

2012-04-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

Isn't it great when things just come together? That's what happened this weekend. The weather's been heating up here in Arizona. That means breezy, cool tops, and that's what I had a hankering to make.

Sewing Notes: I had a vision of the shape I wanted (similar to my Teal Shoulders Top, but without the shoulder cut-outs). And when I looked through my fabric stash, I found the perfect fabric--this gray and cream striped rayon jersey from Fabric.com. So I just went for it! I cut out the shape I wanted, sewed up the shoulder and side seams, and made a binding for the neckline. Since this fabric doesn't fray, I left the sleeve hem and bottom hem raw--easy and breezy!

This picture shows the shape of the top well.

As luck would have it, one of my favorite local restaurants--Postino--opened up less than a mile from our house! They have a great selection of wines, beer, and bruschetta, and they have a lovely patio. We decided to meet some friends there for happy hour on Sunday--a perfect excuse to wear this new top!

I'm starting to feel ready for summer! (Or at least as ready as one can be for 4+ months of 100+ degree heat!!!)

Currently...

2012-03-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

Loving: comfy shoes. A couple of weeks ago, I tried on some Teva sandals and completely fell in love with how comfortable they are. The store didn't have many choices for styles or colors, so I ordered these online. I am in love! Look how surprisingly cute they are! I think I'll be living in Tevas this summer.

Thinking about: my sewing funk. I've been in a bit of a funk lately. I've started several projects, but I'm having trouble finding the momentum to complete any of them. Anyone else having this problem? Any suggestions?

Anticipating: a visit to Los Angeles! We bought tickets to go visit our dear LA friends soon, and I'm really looking forward to it. Can't wait to spend some quality time with our pals.

Listening to: NPR. Hands down, this is the radio station I listen to most often. They always have interesting stories, and their reporting is very fair. I get lots of great conversation starters from NPR.

Eating: the best eggs ever. We adopted a chicken from a local farmer. This means we get to pick up 6 eggs from the farm each week. The eggs come in different sizes and colors--white, tan, brown, and even green! I love supporting a local farmer and getting our eggs from happy chickens.

Wishing: I had a superpower to grow my hair and nails as fast or as slow as I wanted. Wouldn't that be awesome? Wouldn't it be great to keep your bangs the perfect length while growing out the rest of your hair? Or try out a pixie cut without worrying that you'll hate it--you can grow it out in minutes if you want.

Seven Things About Me

2012-03-09T06:19:00.000-07:00

The lovely Lindsay Pindsay took a moment to share 7 things about herself, and asked me to share too, via the Versatile Blogger Award. Sure, I'll play! Right around the same time last year, I got a similar one, so I'm going to try to share different things.

Seven Things About Me:

1) On my drive to work, I do some of my best thinking about sewing projects. This means that I have to keep little notebooks in the center console to jot down ideas. This also means that I sometimes have to pull over to the side of the road! If only I could simultaneously sew and drive to work...

2) Taking a morning walk with my hubby and the pups is my favorite part of the day. We do this everyday--rain or shine. I love having that time together, and the dogs love going out so much. They positively bounce!

3) I've gotten to the point with my sewing skills where I feel really comfortable. I think I could make just about anything I set my mind to, BUT I'm also more aware of my strengths and weaknesses. I think there are some things that I know better than to try! (I've been seeing a lot of hand-sewn bras on blogs lately, but I'm in no hurry to try to make my own!)

4) I have been to 25 of the 50 states (plus Washington D.C.), and traveled to 10 foreign countries: Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Costa Rica, The Bahamas, Italy, and Greece. We hope to add more to the list!

5) My first sewing project was a skirt for my teddy bear. I added a button to some ruffle trim, wrapped it around the waist of my bear, and called it a day! The ruffle skirt was green and white gingham--which looked smashing on my white polar bear.

6) If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, I'd have a hard time choosing between green olives or chocolate chip cookies. Mmmmmmmm! I love both! (just not together)

7) I'm a vegetarian. I don't know that I've mentioned this before, but I've been a vegetarian for 10+ year now. I'm not as strict as I used to be (I eat fish occasionally), and I can't imagine eating any other way.

This is the part where I'm supposed to tag others to share, but I have a hard time with this... it feels too much like picking sides in gym class... Let it be known that I was not the kid who got picked first... but I truly enjoy reading these posts and learning about my fellow blog-land pals. I'd love to learn more about you! Leave a comment if you decide to participate!

I'm Like a Bird Blouse- Salme Minna

2012-02-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

For this blouse, I tried out a pattern from a small, independent designer--the Minna by Salme patterns. All of the individual elements seemed to come together, a cute blouse pattern, a lightweight knit bird fabric, and some lace for an embellishment. But when the top was complete, I was ambivalent... did I like it or not?

Hmmm... trying to decide if I like it.

The verdict? I think so... I think I'm having such a hard time deciding because, unfortunately, I had some issues putting the top together. But I think once I have a little space from that, I will like the finished product. It will make a cute summer work outfit.

UPDATE- I like this top! I've worn it about once per week since I made it, which is a lot. So it's a winner after all. :)

I had high hopes for this pattern. I think the silhouette is nice, and I like supporting small, independent designers. I was hoping for smooth sailing, but there were a couple small issues. There was a printing error in the layout that I emailed Salme patterns about, and they responded quickly and said it would be corrected. Also, the sewing line for the placard was indicated in the wrong place. Of course, I didn't figure this out until after I had sewed the line AND all of the lace on. Grrrr... My seam ripper got some use... that was annoying. Finally, the instructions aren't super clear, so I didn't really use them. In short, anyone with some sewing experience should be able to use a Salme pattern ok, but they're probably not appropriate for a beginner.

What I'm definitely excited about is the lace detailing. Cute! Finally, I want to give a shout out to Girl Charlee--I bought this bird print fabric from them, and it's fantastic. It's a lightweight jersey knit with a fabulous drape. Here, take a closer look:

Love those little birds. They kinda make me want to fly away!

Fireworks Tee- McCall's 6435

2012-02-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

I'm calling this top the Fireworks Tee because of this super-fun fabric. Doesn't it look like fireworks exploded all over the fabric?!? (In a good way!) The fabric is a super-stretchy knit jersey from Fabric.com, and the top is a black cotton/lycra knit from JoAnn.

For the pattern, I used McCall's 6435. This was an easy pattern to work with--no complaints on this one. It was very easy to make up, and I imagine I'll make more T-shirts from this pattern. I did make a couple of changes. First, I raised the neckline so that there would be more plain black at the top. I thought the contrast of the black would really made the fireworks-fabric pop, and I think it does! Second, I made it into a dress. Then, when it was all done and ready to be hemmed, I tried it on and decided that it really should be a shirt, so I hacked off the bottom back to shirt-length. I guess McCall's knew what they were doing when they made this pattern a shirt instead of a dress!

Overall, this is a fun, easy T-shirt that I'm sure I'll get a lot of wear from. Today, it's paired with black pants, and I think it would look equally good with jeans, a mini-skirt, or shorts.

Currently...

2012-02-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

I actually made these! Can you believe it? Don't they look amazing?!? (Also, I'm really proud of this picture)

Obsessing over: the idea of making my own travel bag. I bought a pattern--McCall's 6532, which I think has great potential. And I even bought most of the supplies, but reading through the directions is daunting. This type of sewing is very different than apparel sewing. All the straight lines and exact angles look a bit boring and meticulous to me... but maybe I'll enjoy the process? If nothing else, it will be a change of pace, right? Any recommendations for sewing bags?

Working on: A bird-print version of Minna from Salme patterns. There have been some hiccups with this pattern... I'm hoping it is salvageable.

Eating: Chocolate chip cookies with Oreos in the middle (see picture, above). Yes, they are as wonderful as they sound, but they take a lot of work. (Believe it or not, I spent 2 hours baking these beauties.) You can find the delicious recipe here. (I used mini-Oreos and mini-chocolate-chips.)

Thinking about: The season finale to Downton Abbey this Sunday. Do you watch this show? If not, you HAVE to! It's the best. Unfortunately, I won't be able to watch it live, so I'll have to try to catch the finale online.

Listening to: My white noise machine. There's been an unexplained high-pitched humming going on in our house. We've got the white noise machine on to try to drown it out, but it's really hard to block out this high-pitched sound.

Anticipating: Spending some time with my hubby this weekend and getting some extra (much-needed) sleep. I've been having trouble sleeping because of the noise. Really hope I can get some uninterrupted sleep.

Wishing: For peace. World peace would be nice, but right now, I'd settle for one night of peace and quiet (no high-pitched hum, please)!

Bedding- Orange Pillows

2012-02-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a peek into our bedroom. We have the room decorated in a beach theme, with the colors of sand, water, and tropical flowers. On our bed, we have 2 orange pillows for a POP of color! These two pillows were looking rather faded and sad, so I whipped up two new orange pillow covers.

These pillows were very simple to sew. I used French seams inside to finish the internal edges and keep them from fraying in the wash. And I installed a lapped zipper to make it easy to remove the covers for washing.

Finally, here is what I wake up to each morning! I painted this beach scene to hang on the wall at the foot of our bed. It's big--3 feet high and 4 feet long--and I absolutely LOVE this painting! Whenever I'm feeling stressed, I like to lie in bed, look at this painting, and imagine that I'm at the beach.

Hawaiian-Print Dress- Vogue 1224

2012-02-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

I told you I was working on a test run of Vogue 1224, and here it is! This fabric choice is waay out of my comfort zone, but I think the Hawaiian-Print flowers lend themselves to this silhouette quite nicely. While this was coming together, I wasn't sure that it would come out wearable, but I think in has. In fact, I like it quite a bit.

This pattern came together very easily. In fact, when I came out of the sewing room wearing this dress, my hubby exclaimed, "You finished that dress ALREADY?" Yes, it was that quick. I made several small changes, based on the excellent recommendations for this pattern on Pattern Review. First, I lengthened the bodice by 1". (If I make it again, I may lengthen the bodice slightly more.) Second, I added a whopping 5" to the skirt, and it hits just above my knee. (Please note, I am almost 5'10".) Third, I didn't bother lining the skirt. (That's what slips are for.) Fourth, I didn't make ties for the neckline; just used elastic. Fifth, instead of using a separate casing for the waist-elastic, I simply used the seam allowance as the casing.

I was prepared to never wear this dress. This was my test-run--just to learn the pattern and perfect the fit, but I think you'll see me wearing this dress this summer.

Currently...

2012-02-11T06:07:00.000-07:00

Obsessing over: New patterns from independent pattern companies. Specifically, I'm drooling over Minna from Salme patterns, Anouk from Victory patterns, and Abbey Coat and Miz Mozelle from Jamie Christina patterns.... Ok- just bought the Minna--couldn't wait! I have some fabric in my stash in mind for this.

Working on: Finishing up a test run of Vogue 1224 with a Hawaiian-print fabric. I'm not crazy about this fabric, but I'm trying to use what's in my stash. We'll see how it turns out.

Thinking about: This weekend! Last night, we went to the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art for an art opening, this morning we're headed to the local Farmer's Market, and later today we're meeting family for happy hour. And hopefully plenty of sewing will also occur!

Anticipating: Our upcoming trip to Vegas! It will be short and sweet, but it's going to be great to have a little getaway with my hubby.

Listening to: Florence and the Machine station on Pandora.

Eating: Girl Scout Cookies--we got Tagalongs and Samoas.

Wishing: There was more time in the day to work on creative pursuits. But that's what weekends are for, right?

Lowell Tie Blouse- Jalie 2921

2012-01-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

Introducing the Lowell Tie Blouse! Lowell was my grandmother's name, and February 5th would have been her 101st birthday. Something about the print on the fabric and the feel of the fabric really reminds me of my grandma. I just feel like she would have worn this top, so I've named it after her!

Close-up of the fabric and the tie.

This pattern is a repeat--Jalie 2921. I used it for the White Scarf Top, also seen here. This time, I shorted the ties significantly. Otherwise, no changes--the pattern was still a dream to work with and it came together easily.

I had to take these photos inside before work, so the lighting wasn't great. As a result, you can't see my blue tights! They match the blue accents on the top, and they make me feel like I have Smurf legs! Ha!


If you look very carefully, you can see a hint of my Smurf legs!

Grandma Lowell, Happy (early) Birthday! I think of you often, and I'll think of you whenever I wear this blouse.

Love,

Introducing a New Craze-- Let's Sewercise!

2012-01-26T06:36:00.000-07:00

Do you love sewing? Do you wish you had more motivation to exercise? Then please join me in this new craze-- Let's Sewercise!

Here's how it all started- On the one hand, I love to sew, but spending any length of time sewing leaves my neck and back aching and stiff. I'm terrible about taking enough breaks when I get in the groove. On the other hand, I am working hard to try to stick to a new workout routine that was recommended by my physical therapist. I've never been able to keep up a workout plan before, but I've been religiously doing my PT exercises every-other-day since November (hooray). Now, I'm wanting to add in additional moves to take the workout to the next level! Enter Sewercising. Sewercising is a circuit where you rotate sewing with exercising--this encourages you to workout while doing something you love to do anyway--sew! This motivates me to workout and helps sneak in more sewing! Maybe it will work for you too.

Here are some examples of Sewercising:
- While cutting out your fabric: Cut out a piece, do a set of squats. Repeat.
- While sewing: Prep a piece, grab your weights and do a set of bicep curls. Sew a seam, do a second set of bicep curls. Iron seam, do a third set of curls. Repeat, but change to a new exercise for the next set!

See how easy it is to combine the sewing and exercising! No more feeling guilty for sewing instead of going to the gym. Huzzah! Are you with me? Let's Sewercise!