New Bern Sewing Summit 2013!

I am back! After a fun filled weekend of much sewing, laughs, and sightseeing, I am finally back on my computer! I can't really see straight, and my back hurts, but it was worth it. There is nothing better than sewing with one of your best friends all weekend.

Day One:
I moved my sewing room around a bit, I gave up my sewing table for Sevi. Her machine is like royalty, so I knew I had to step aside. Here was our set up this weekend. The only addition we made was the trash can between us for all our scraps and threads. We burned through so much material this weekend, it was insane!



After picking Sevi up from the airport, we cruised around New Bern for a hot minute. We made a stop at an antique store and scored some goodies! I completed my Pyrex primary color refrigerator set! Can you believe these dishes were introduced in 1949? Seriously. I scored the two little red ones from the Long Beach Flea Market last year. A couple of women were debating about buying them for 10 minutes, and I got sick of listening to them, so I walked over to them, grabbed them from underneath their noses, and swooped them up! HA! The yellow one was on sale at the antique store, as was the blue! Double score! A full set for only $30, on Etsy they are going for $70ish, dream big!

Down the street from the antique store is Nicholas Sparks house. HAHAHA. Seriously, though. This is his house. We originally thought it was another large house, but a neighbor came outside and gave us the right address. People are that nice in the south, they're willing to give out local celebs addresses! We googled his house once we got home, and yup, it sure is, the gates match the pictures online. 

Sevi was only off the plane for a hot minute before we started sewing. We both made lists of what we wanted to make before she came out here, here is mine, and here is hers. Can you believe we made everything on our lists!?! (with only one epic sewing fail, but we attempted it!)

Sevi found this adorable bag on Etsy, and we thought it would be the perfect tote to make for our fabric shopping trip the next day. I secretly have been hiding the fact that I am horrible at making bags. So bad, that I never make them for anyone because I don't understand how to do lining. Thankfully, Sevi is a rockstar with lining, so she finally helped me see the way! I had leftover fabric for us to use, the Chevron was from a gardening apron, and the burlap was from bunting flags. I love it when I can open my fabric cabinet and create something from something I already have.

Up Close!

Day Two:
The next day we woke up, put on our faces, and we were ready to hit the town for some shopping. Unfortunately, my little sloth was not happy to see me go. He needs some doggie prozac ASAP. This picture keeps cracking me up for some reason!

Sewing just brings out my inner retro girl. 

We had afternoon coffee and snickerdoodles on my adorable Pyrex/Corelle 

set my from mom. I'm pretty sure I've shared this snickerdoodle recipe before, but since it's so delicious, I'll share it again.

I knew I was going to eat like a raging rhino this weekend, so I was feeling guilty, and being the true best friend she is, Sevi agreed to go on a little hike with me! We went into the woods next to my house, and randomly ended up going down someones driveway, and I look over and see a machete stuck in the tree. This knowledge makes me feel extra safe at night

I took her into base, the illegal scary way that I feel I should report ASAP to someone. I brought my ID with me JUST in case, but this is how this sista got into the base. Tuck-n-roll girl, tuck-n-roll! I was glad to see that we are not the only people that go into base this way, there was tons of fresh doggie prints on the beach!

That night we decided to do a simple craft. Sevi made a bag for her sister, because as soon as Sevi stepped off the plane here, her little sister went into labor, OF COURSE!

I found all the polka dot prints in the scraps pile of Hobby Lobby, so I was excited to make these! I also bought this little handy tool that makes snaps in fabric. It's near the cloth diaper section of fabric stores. It's AWESOME, and I've already used it to fix a little girls bathing suit!

This vegan now has reusable paper towels!

Day 3:
At Hobby Lobby I walked by the gingham section, and I was drawn to it. I've stared at this section for weeks now, and I finally made the leap, the jump, and got an idea. Gingham is the new chevron. I'm telling you. I picked out these colors randomly, there were probably 20 different shades of different gingham, but I wanted a sort of color wheel affect. I used this tutorial to construct it, and it's sooooo (sew) easy!

Sevi made an adorable Chevron quilt, that you must see! It's so soft, that the dogs just couldn't resist laying on it. 

and yes, he did stay just like this!

Quilted, basted, and bound! - Front

Back - this is a vintage Cannon Monticello sheet I found at the Salvo back in Oceanside that has been screaming to get used. Happy to see it with this quilt!

Up close of the gingham, I'm obsessed!

Day Four:

I made a dress! YES! I didn't make the one I wanted because I couldn't find any cool vintage shirts, but I'm SO happy with this one, and it only took me forty minutes! I am going to create a tutorial for this type of dress, but just a heads up, there is no pattern. I made it from a dress I already had! I was pretty stoked with how it turned out. It's out of this amazing jersey/knit material that hangs beautifully!

I wear a belt with everything.

Day Five:
I bought this lace fabric from Hobby Lobby to just make a skirt out of, but after I whipped that dress out so fast, I decided to give it a go. I have a tutorial for this dress. I took all the pictures for it, I just need to sit down and write it, so it should be up later this week! I was so happy with this one because it's lined! And lining, is a very difficult thing to do!

BTW. I'm pretty sure that lace fabric is for a tablecloth, oh well!

Please don't mind my naturally nappy hair, just notice the dress! :)

We ended our sewing summit with a trip to Beer Army. Which, well... Was interesting. The bar owners dad sat next to us, and basically tried to get Sevi drunk. I refused since I was driving, and if you know me; 1 is too many (hence the half beer here.) The funniest thing about this place is that you can, and they encourage you to, order pizza to the bar! So of course Sevi did, and it was DELICIOUS. She ordered pizza from a place called Gina's. They answered the phone, and she said "Hey Gina..." and started ordering...HOT. MESS.

I was a horrible vegan cheater (cheese only), and it was sooooooo worth it.

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Can you believe we did all this in such a short weekend!? It was such a blissfully fun time! I forgot how much I miss having close friends and family nearby. It's rare to meet someone who is what I like to call "down for anything." I used to call Sevi and Megan at the most random times and ask them to go to Target with me, hit the Military Police in the face with pool noodles out of my car window, or just something normal like get coffee. Living the military lifestyle is difficult, because you meet these amazing, wonderfully good people, become extremely close, and then in 2-3 years, they're gone to a different state, and so are you. It's hard to stay positive in this lifestyle, which is why whenever I leave my friends or family, I simply remind myself of my favorite quote...

"Perhaps if we never veered off course, we wouldn't fall in love, or have babies, or be who we are. After all, seasons change. So do cities. People come into your life, and people go. But it's comforting to know the ones you love are always in your heart. And if you're very lucky, a plane ride away."

Thanks for taking the time to come out and see me Severina! : )