Author: megan

I had the opportunity to take a look at Heather Ross’ new book, Weekend Sewing at our last sewing Meet Up. One of the attendees had just gotten it as a gift and brought it to the meeting for everyone to check out.

I was immediately in love with all the realy unique projects the book was filled with. I saw a lot of things that I have not seen before in sewing books and that is what gets me really excited. One that sticks out it in my mind is this newborn kimono shirt that is going to be my next staple gift for baby showers. It’s absolutely adorable and I have never seen a pattern for it so small!

The other thing that I think I fell in love with about Heather’s book is all the vintage sewing machines that were photographed with the projects. I seem to have become a collector of broken vintage sewing machines, as my shop is full of them now.
Whether it’s machines that we have been using for class that break down, or adorable pastel colored sewing machines that I come across at flea markets and just can’t resist having, even though they don’t work. In my opinion they make great decorations at the shop.

Well, Heather of Weekend Sewing has a passion for vintage sewing machines as well. See what she had to say to Cathy of California about old machiens on her blog here.

Meet up just ended and I thought it went so great! We had less people than expected but that allowed us to all use the sewing machines and actually complete a little project. We all made little patchwork stuffed birds. So adorable. I took some photos and ate way to many sweets. Can’t wait for the April meet up when we are going to take the group to NYC for some fabric shopping. Tentative date of 4/25/09 is set, but will confirm that very shortly!

So I have never really been a fan of Wal*Mart in the first place. We all know about their unfair labor practices and that all their stuff is made in India and Indonesia and some other third world counties where the workers are paid pennies per hour. But you can always count a pretty good freak show the minute you get out of your car and into the Wal*Mart parking lot.

Around here (Hudson County, NJ) there really is no need to ever set foot into Wal*Mart cause there are so many others of these huge “box” stores, not to mention, enough specialty boutique stores to never even need a “box” store to begin with. And as far where to purchase quick sewing supplies, I tended to head to the Rag Shop. I didn’t love the Rag Shop, but it did it’s job when I was in need of straight pins or last minute black satin to finish up an order that had to go out. I never thought about having to check out the Wal*Mart in Seacaucus before…That is… Until all the Rag Shops shut their doors.

Well, I had been putting off buying straight pins for a week or so and we were down to just about none at the studio and we were all sick of using the small metal head pins, cause they just hurt your fingers. So I ventured off to Wal*Mart to pick some up and I figured I would browse through their Simplicity Sewing Pattern Section while I was there. As I am heading to the sewing section, I am seeing the space is just about completely empty. They have packed up all the sewing supplies and pattern display cases to leave an almost empty space where they used to be. I spy a huge garbage pail, full to the brim with Simplicty Sewing Patterns and breathe a sigh of relief thinking, ooooh they are probably going to be on sale and I can browse through and buy a bunch to stock up on new sewing patterns… Nope, not the case. When I asked the sales woman if I could look through she said no, they were all going in the trash.

Well that just didn’t seem right so I kept asking her to make sure I was understannding correctly and she directed me to her manager that was packing nearby. He confirmed that yes, they were indeed going in the trash and I could not look through them, purchase them or take any…

WOW! Wal*Mart would rather dump a bunch of useful, perfectly good sewing patterns in a landfill somewhere, than sell them to a customer…. So that is why I NEVER have to set foot in a Wal*Mart again.

We are giving a Green Line Bag Away! Thanks to Lindsay for setting this one up!

Here are the details:

Check out the really cool, diy/money saving blog Frugal & Fabulous to enter the contest to win one of our Green Line Shopper Totes.

All you have to do to enter the contest is let Lindsay, the Frugal & Fabulous blogger, know which item or items on the M Avery Designs website is your favorite and you are entered.

She has even set it up where you can get multiple entries into the contest by letting others know about it. Twitter about the contest or write about it on your own blow and she’ll give you some extra chances to win.

We are giving a Green Line Bag Away! Thanks to Lindsay for setting this one up!

Here are the details:

Check out the really cool, diy/money saving blog Frugal & Fabulous to enter the contest to win one of our Green Line Shopper Totes.

All you have to do to enter the contest is let Lindsay, the Frugal & Fabulous blogger, know which item or items on the M Avery Designs website is your favorite and you are entered.

She has even set it up where you can get multiple entries into the contest by letting others know about it. Twitter about the contest or write about it on your own blow and she’ll give you some extra chances to win.

Just a quick blip about the latest bunch of bags we’ve whipped up for the spring! Here is a sampling of the cuties and there are more if you head over to the Ashley section of the site.

Yes, these are clutches and we know all the drunky drunks can’t do clutches. BUT we’ll put a safety strap (a cute one, we promise) on there for you at no cost. Just ask!

Huge shout out to my friend Mary that brought me the most aromatic Basil plant yesterday. I lent her some bins for moving and she brought them back yesterday and went above & beyond and ALSO brought me this plant!

After enjoying the wonderful smell of the basil and shoving it into the noses of all the kids I was teaching at Fashion Lab Afterschool yesterday, I got to work on making it a planting pot from an old Chock full’o Nuts coffee can I had here at the store.

Obviously, it’s pretty simple, but I thought it was such a good idea cause it turned out so well with such minimal effort, and it’s a great way to re-use and recycle.

Here is what I did:

1. Measure the height of the can as well as the diameter of the can.
2. Cut your piece of fabric (a kitchy vintage fabric is what I used here and thought it worked really well!) an inch taller than the can x 1.5 inches longer than the diameter.
3. Fold over the top and bottom of the piece of fabric 1/2″ and topstitch. This creates a nice finished edge on the top and bottom of the can.
4. Fold over one side edge of the fabric 1/2″ and topstitch. This is the side that is going to be visible on the can.
5. Make about 10 tiny holes (for drainage) in the bottom of the coffee can. I made mine by hammering a Phillips head screw driver into the bottom of the can with a rubber mallet. I thought this worked quite nicely.
6. Take the fabric and starting with the edge that is not topstitched, begin to glue the fabric piece to the coffee can lining up the topstitched top and bottom fabric edges with the top and bottom of the coffee can.
7. Keep hot glueing the fabric around the can until you come to where you started. The fabric should run out about 1 inch past the edge that you started at.
8. Pot your plant.

Any questions, let me know.

Do you have fabric at home that you think would make a great bag?

Now you can come to our Make your Own Handbag Workshop and use your own fabric and save a substantial amount of money.

Here are the new rates for the Handbag Workshop:

Rates
Heather Clutch, Angela Clutch, Alice, Suzi Q, Keri, $50
Ashley Clutch, Suzi Q with Wooden Handles,Vanessa Messenger $60
These rates include All Supplies

Bring your own Outside Fabric (1/2 Yard) take $5 off
Bring your own Outisde & Lining Fabric (1/2 Yard each) take $10 off

On March 10th, 2009, I am going to be “locked up” for a great cause.

I NEED YOUR HELP!

I’m going behind bars for “GOOD”

PLEASE HELP BAIL ME OUT!

I am being taken to “Jail” and needs to raise $2,400 in “bail” for the Muscular Distrophy Association. Please Help out the cause by making a small donation to the MDA.

Your donation is my key to freedom! Be proud of the fact that together we’re providing help and hope to kids and adults served by MDA in our community.

Here is what your donation can do:

• $85 -Fund One Minute of Research
• $100 – Support Group Session
• $800 – Send one child to MDA Summer Camp
• $2,000 – Assist with Wheelchair or Leg Braces

  Come on people, help me out and help out those affected with muscular distrophy! I have only raised $10 so far!!!

Shop the GREEN LINE now.

Hot off the sewing machines is our latest installment of the “Green Line”!

M Avery Designs is doing our part to leave the least amount of carbon imprint on this green earth. We have created a line of gorgeous shoulder bags re-using remnants, upon remnants, of beautiful upholstery fabric from high end furniture stores in Manhattan. Once last seasons of couches and armoires are no longer being sold, they don’t need the fabric sample books anymore. We have figured out a good way to put those (rather substantial sized) fabric pieces to good re-use.

Each bag is completely one of kind and uses 6 remnant pieces of upholstery fabric (3 in the front and 3 in the back), and the handles are made from leather fabric remnants so they will hold up to LOTS of wear and tear. Each is lined with vintage fabric and has a large open pocket inside and each closes with a large, strong magnetic snap.

Yes, we don’t normally use leather in our bags, but we figured it was either use it (on the handle where it matters most) or don’t & it will sit in some landfill somewhere. So we used it. And my thoughts are that and even vegans out there can use our bags (leather and all) and feel good that each and every piece of this leftover leather, is being put to good use in our studio.

Shop the GREEN LINE here.