Reason #612 to kiss your mechanical engineer

So at my wedding a friend handed me a button that said “love an engineer”. I came across it today in my jewelry box and I had to smile. My engineer hubby has come to the rescue twice this past month with my machine melt downs. This post sir, is for you.

I adopted  my very  first industrial sewing straight stitch machine not too long ago.  It was in rough shape but with a little tlc and two visits from a repair guy it was golden. Whenever Mike (my machine mechanic) was around, it sewed like a dream. The minute I sat down all by my lonesome, the bobbin and thread would start to eat itself. I grumpily put a cover on the machine and just let it sit. I was way too busy to conquer this ornery machine.

Just the other week, I got a repair job that I *thought* my Singer sewing machine could handle. I was wrong. What do I do? Do I give the work back with apologies? Do I pay Mechanic Mike yet another house call to fire up the industrial? As I was stressing out about this, my husband Eric stepped up to the challenge. Before I knew it, he had fiddled with the machine, run test swatches and had done my repair. Pssssstttt…..  I love Eric!

Want to know what I was doing wrong? I had the stupid bobbin fed in backwards. My industrial machine’s bobbin feed is opposite my domestic machine’s. Since Eric doesn’t sew on a regular basis, he placed the bobbin how it made sense to him. AHHHHHHH!

The second time Eric came to my rescue, I was knee deep in an urgent sewing job. Like it’s midnight and I gotta have this done by morning sewing job. A sweet customer contacted me because she had professional cheerleader tryouts in three days and the uniform manufacturer decided to contact her and  let her know it would be 6 more weeks before her outfit would ship. Nice. Awesome. It’s not like you can go to Target and pick  a tryout uniform up.

So we designed an outfit and I was sewing like crazy. My 1980’s Pfaff Creative Touch has an awesome stretch stitch. I am stretch stitching like mad and I heard a loud snap. Springs and bolts shot out of my sewing machine. Literally…… parts flew out of my machine.  Eric quickly came to my shop, accessed the situation, and fixed my machine with a bolt off my car. I’m not kidding… it was the only metric bolt he could scrounge up at that hour.

Outfit completed and customer happy!

The moral of this story, ladies and gents, that if you haven’t kissed and engineer lately, I suggest doing so.

She’s So Pretty is moving!

 

I know! I have been a very bad blogger girl. So many exciting things have happened this year, and I have been such a slacker about documenting it! Hopefully in the next few months I will be able to take a breath, and get everyone caught up on what is going on.
On top of everything else, I am moving my studio! I am leaving the one bedroom apartment I am currently working in and heading to an empty retail space in downtown Lonaconing.
The shop needs work. When I say work, I mean more than just a coat of paint and display demo. The building needs heat and water service installed, a crazy amount of cleaning and a bit of heavy lifting. BUT…. I think by the time my husband and I are done with it, we will have crafted an awesome creative space. A space that people will be able to stop in and see what I am up to. A space that a spool of thread, elastic and needles can be purchased. A space that you can possible take sewing lessons, or teach someone else your craftiness. I am pretty excited about our new endeavor. I will be sure to keep everyone updated with our progress!

 

Zippers!

Hello all! I know it has been a while! I have been super busy getting myself ready for all my spring and summer shows. I just ordered a huge assortment of delicious colored zippers from K&C Supplies for my new clutches!

Stop by the SoWeBo festival  in Baltimore on May 29 to see my brand new bags!

First Sale of the season!! March 4- March 6

Whooaaa! 20% off everything online at She’s So Pretty today – Sunday!!

Celebrate the Burnal Equinox with myself and the other members of EtsyBRC! Use the coupon code BURNALEQUINOX to receive a discount in all the participating shops!

Here is a peek of what is in my shop!

Cameras make TERRIBLE attic insulation!

Being the dutiful wifie that I am, I took a day off from sewing to help my husband and a few friends blow insulation into our attic. For any of you who have not had this experience, it’s simple but SUPER MESSY! Loud cranky machines, long windy tubes and cotton fibers floating everywhere.

Just like all the other renovations we have done to the house, one of my duties was to photograph this whole process. Check! Done and done! Until almost the end. Then it happened, the terrible clanking sound. CLANK, CLANK, CLANK! We all looked at each other in total bewilderment until I realized that the camera was no longer in my pocket!

So the moral of this story is, while insulation is now made from recycled products(and that is awesome), camera really shouldn’t be thrown into the mix.

As soon as our replacement arrives, I will start shooting away! Until then, I will be reposting all the fabulousness I stumble across over my morning coffee!

Eliminate Theft at Art and Craft shows

Theft at shows happens and it sucks! I am getting geared up for my 2011 shows, and one of the things on my to do list is to reorganize my displays to deter theft. I worked in retail long enough to know that shrinkage happens, but when its one of your own handcrafted items, it hurts.

One thing I started doing last year was “hanger management”. I display my handbags on hanging racks. When I sell a bag, I remove the hanger. I notice right away when there is an empty one, and I think my would be lifters do to.

Here is a great article I found in Craft Magazine with tips and tricks.

What works for you? Any additional suggestions? I would love for us all to have a theft free season!

sassy fabric

Check out my “new” vintage fabric I scored at DeBois Textiles in Baltimore yesterday. My friend Colleen spotted this amazing piece under a mountainous stack of material. It almost glows in the dark! I can’t wait to get back to my studio and make it up!

even my Christmas tree has a costume box

"tree skirt"

Girls nights out, tutu Tuesdays, birthday parties, slumber parties, my costume box has made the rounds. Little did I know that I would start decorating my house with it! My husband and I have been renovating our house, so this was the first year that we put up a tree. And of course, I had no tree skirt. Problem solved!