Hi! We're Back!!!

I know. It's been a long, long time since we've blogged. But we're back!

Oh yeah, we've been sewing since we last blogged. We've been in a couple of craft shows. Opened a couple of esty shops. made a bunch of sales.

We discovered a sewing challenge sponsored by Moda Bake Shop. It's too late for us to get involved in it, so we've decided to create our own challenge. Just for the 2 of us. Each month, we will have an item that we have to use to sew something. We've chosen items for the next 12 months. Here's the list of sewing challenges.

2012

March Selvage

April Our mom's old fabric

May Ruffles

June Elastic

July Rickrack

August Garment

September Christmas

October Quilting

November Pintucks

December Create Spoonflower fabric and make something with it

2013

January Old denim

February Zippers

March Jelly roll

We'll take pictures of the items we create and post them each month. Our one rule is that the item must be finished by the 20th of the month.

Remnants

This is Jan. I found a really cool pattern for a hobo bag, so I decided that would be my first attempt at bag making. I was looking through my fabric stash to see if I had anything that jumped out at me. When I realized that my stash consisted of small pieces of several fabrics, I looked in my remnant bin. I found this awesome tan suede (I don't think it's faux) remnant that I had bought umpteen years ago. At the time I bought it, I just knew something great would come of it, but I had not clue at the time what it would be. So it has sat for years waiting its turn for coolness. The time has come.

But I couldn't find a cool remnant on hand to line the bag, so I headed back to the remnant store. Low and behold, there was a really cool red satin piece that had my name on it. I snatched it up quicker than you could blink an eye. The store was loaded with sewing geeks that day, so I made my purchase and hurried on my way.

When I got right down to sewing, the hobo bag was pretty simple. I think it looks pretty nifty, especially when you open it up and get this big red surprise staring back at you.

Well, I'm off to more sewing coolness. We'll see what other remnants will become something cool and surprising.

Joy's turn

Jan is right. We went fabric shopping. I love fabric stores. I could walk around in them forever just looking at the fabric. I actually haven't done any sewing in several years. I made clothes for my daughter when she was a toddler and pre-schooler, but not when she was older. I do remember making Raggedy Ann and Andy costumes when she was in 4th grade. I don't think I've done any sewing since then and she is now a freshman in college. In the last week I have made 2 bags and am half way finished with a third one. The first two have found homes already and I'm not sure where the third one will end up, but it won't become homeless. I will post pictures of them soon.

In case you're wondering what the name hcamille is all about, I'll explain. My daughter's name is Hannah Camille, so Jan named our site after her. Hannah loves it. HCamille. Great daughter. Great name.

just the two of us

Hi! I'm Jan. My twin sister, Joy, and I are both empty nesters. Her two kids are off to college. My two dogs are off to heaven. So we now live alone with just our husbands. In separate houses, of course. Actually, in separate states. She's in Illinois and I'm in Ohio.

We both need something to do in our spare time. Last week while I was visiting Joy, we went fabric shopping. And did we shop. We found loads of beautiful cotton that we just couldn't pass up. Now we are trying to figure out what to do with all this fabric.

Last fall, our parents moved to an assisted living apartment. While we and our older sister were cleaning out their house at Thanksgiving, we came across a huge stack of old feedsack material and quilt squares. We divided it in thirds, and we each will do with our share as we please.

Of course, in this whole process, I had to buy a new sewing machine. Who wouldn't?! Mine was 25 years old and wasn't working. My new Brother CS-6000i was delivered last Friday. I've already made an apron out of some of the feedsack material. It looks pretty good, if I do say so. I had to break it in today by making chocolate chip cookies.

Last fall, I also learned to use a weavette. I never knew such a thing existed until I sauntered into a lovely yarn shop in Powell, OH. I had gone there to ask if anyone could repair some old handknit cardigans that we had found in my mother's cedar chest. One of the owners of the shop fixed the sweater as I looked through all the awesome yarn. That was when I discovered the weavettes.

I went back the next week and bought a couple of them. Elaine, one of the shop owners, sat down with me and taught me how to use the weavette. I was very intrigued. I made a pillow out of the wool yarn. Next, I felted the wool. The pillow is beautiful, if I say so myself. Unfortunately for me, I have promised it to a friend of mine. I will be delivering it to her on Wednesday. I hope she loves it as much as I do.