Uppity-Mama

Scenes From Quilt Market, Part 2

Ah, Anna Maria Horner.  I love her fabric, I love her style.  Loulouthi is her new line and is coming out by the end of this month!  I had 2 pics of me with her.  In one, I have my eyes closed.  In the other, she does.  Oh what the heck, let me show you...

via uppitygirl.typepad.com

Scenes From Quilt Market, Part 1

via uppitygirl.typepad.com

New Pillows for Home

Not everything I make is for the store.  Nor is all the fabric I buy for or even from the store.  I got this fabric from One King's Lane and it's made by Mod Green Pod.  I backed the pillows with Kona cotton in Curry (okay, that was from the store).

A Pretty Apron

I made this apron as a sample for a class at Sew Modern.  I also wanted to test out one of the patterns from Joel Dewberry's Sewn Spaces.  I am hoping to do a series of classes from the book as we sell it in the store.  Some of the feedback I've heard from customers is that it really needs some pictures of the process.  I agree with that assessment and in addition I found (with this pattern anyway) that some of the instructions seemed, well, just not like the best way.  So I worked it a bit differently with help from Lisa, and I do love the result.  The basic pattern is great as far as size and style is concerned- I really think it's adorable without being fussy.

The fabric is home dec from Amy Butler's Soul Blossoms collection and the solid is Kona cotton in Candy Blue.

Remember Me?

Wow! Opening a store is whirlwind of activity and fun and stress!  Sorry I've been so absent.  I haven't really had a whole lot of actual sewing time.  The quilt below I did for the LAMQG Kona solids challenge.  We were all (generously!) given a package of charm squares by Robert Kaufman.  Our fearless leaders chose the dusty palette.  The guidelines were to use some or all of the charm squares in a quilt adding only ONE other solid color to the palette.  I'm reasonably sure we could do what we wanted on the back. At least I did.

To be honest with you-the workmanship on this is probably my worst ever.  But I'm showing it to you because I do like the design.  And 'cause I've got nothing else...but I will soon.

 

All-Star 2 Quilt

With a little help from my Triple B friends, this baby quilt got made as sample for the store of the adorable fabrics in the All Star 2 collection from Riley Blake.  If you haven't tried them yet, wonky star blocks are  really fun to make.  Check out this tutorial.

 

Cloud 9 Cuteness

I made this little outfit as a sample for the store.  The patterns are actually old ones from when Uppity Girl was my little business.  The fabrics in the skirt are from Cloud 9's organic flannel line, Forest Friends.  How could i resist those owls and bunnies?  The blouse is Kona cotton in Salmon.

    

Sew Modern Update and A Bit O' Sewing

Well,  this little blog is suffering a bit what with all my attention going to the store right now.  Something had to give, I guess.  Hopefully I'll be back on track once we're up and running. 

Some sewing did get done for the store. I made some throw pillows using fabric from Pat Bravo's Modern Affair line and some medium gray Kona.

Lisa made new cushions for my flea market rocker from Kona Emerald.  More Modern Affair fabric for the piping.

And my fantastic employee, Liz, decorated the check out desk with even more Modern Affair.

 

Ups and Downs

Well, here are the ups:

an entire wall of Kona cotton solids-every color they make!  and help from my awesome friend Lisa (pictured below).

MORE help from Leslie and Emily...with data entry and figuring out my POS system, Lightspeed. I have such amazing friends and am so grateful for their generosity.

The number one down is:

VERIZON.  I can't overemphasize the awfulness that is their system.  JUST to get the right person on phone takes 20 minutes...every time.  Twice in the first month of service with them, my internet has gone down due to errors on their end.  They only discover that they have issues after I spend hours on the phone with them.  Those same hours, if THEY spent them helping ME, would cost me 150 dollars each.  HUGE DOWN!

Next down:

Almost all of my orders have come in with mistakes.  Mistakes that cost ME time calling, repacking, and shipping the mistakes back.  Argh.  Gimme a break!

But I don't want to leave you on a negative note so...

some of these gorgeous linens from Valori Wells came today!

Merry Chrismukkawanza!

Whatever you celebrate,

I hope your day is filled with all the things you love!