Halloween and Daylight Savings!!!!!

I'm sure glad the time is changing, dark mornings are not very motivating, rather sleep in!!!!!  I'm going to be a dink this weekend and hide in the back room and not pass out candy for the trick or treaters!!!  I decided Dave has to work late and I do not want to deal with the dogs and candy and kids so I am hiding!!!  I always loved Halloween when the kids were young , we had tons of fun but now,not so much!!!

What with the change of season the tailor shop has been buzzing, lots of new customers thanks to my friend Bob and his work on getting me on the web and the blog and website, sure has made a difference.  Thank you Bob!!!!  The telephone book is nearly passe, I don't ever hear anyone say I found you in the phone book??!!!  So in this new age of computers one has to go where the action is!!!

I've been on a button kick and have done up some cute cuffs or bracelets.  I used grossgrain and  ultrasuede, cut the band 1" x 8" or to fit your wrist plus the overlap.  I interfaced the pieces and sewed together flat, no turning inside out too bulky.  Then I sewed on a large snap or  set a snap which ever you prefer.  Now to sew on your buttons, old or new, one color, rhinestones, etc  These make fun gifts and stocking stuffers.  Have fun!!!

Another warm day, what a crazy fall for Wisconsin, once winter hits I'm sure it will be bad, which means very cold!!!  We've had a ton of rain so my doggies are not happy campers, they promise sun the aft so we will be walking!!!

Many of you who know me, know we are Dog Lovers!!!!

Here we have Dakota on the "paw print floor" can't beat em,  join 'em.

And Mr Dakota agin on the back opf the pontoon boat at Lake Ozark.

And my daughter in law Melissa with Abbey and Sadie  at Hot Springs,
All three Dakota,
Abbey and  Cody  and Abbey solo

My Dogs!!!!

  Ten years ago after the kids were gone to some degree we got our first dog Cody, she's a Black Lab/Springer Spaniel.
Cody has been the sweetest dog, a tad spoiled but a good hunter and companion.
 Also she got to be a very big dog almost 120 pounds and having a hard time getting around, hmmmm wonder why?????
 Then 3 years later we got a puppy Dakota, he was a mutt also, Black Lab/ Aussie Shepard, with lots of ticking and color.  Cody wasn't too charmed but she got over it and likes him.  Then along came Abbey a year or so after Dakota, a Golden Retriever, she was 18 months old and had a very hard life so we call her our rescue, very thin and scared.
I thought I had a home for her but of course that fell thru so she's ours!!!!  So she took some work but she is a wonderful addition to our pack.  Cody is not that fond of her so Dakota has to play with both of them, separately of course.

So all has gone well till the 2 youngest ones turned 5 years old and boy were we in trouble, that could be a book, but we hired a behaviorist and got things in order, they have no idea how close all three were headed for the pound!!!!  And by this time they were all very heavy dogs and needed a diet!!!

After a trip to the vet she told me dogs really need  a protein based diet so I started cooking for them.
 I fill up a crock pot once a week with pork or chicken or some meat that is around $1.00 a pound 2 to 5 lbs., 5 or 6 big carrots, any left over veggies or stuff from the frig and cook that up all day or overnight, add some rice and they are set to go
  Each dog gets cup of dry food and a cup of Hot Lunch twice a day.

The results.... very little begging, no more trying to eat the dry wall or  cruising the counters on our back legs, the shedding is reduced  and all three 100 lb. plus dogs are between 75 and 95 lbs.  And the old girl is not limping.  So for not much effort these guys are in the best health so far!!!!

And to make our walks alot easier for me, as I walk all three of them, I use gentle leaders and they work great.
We have to walk in areas with no squirrels and rabbits as then I am not upright.  This is hard to find in our neighborhood so thank goodness for the gentle leaders!!!

Happy Tails!!!!!

The Blazer!!!

I did this a few years ago, took an old blazer and sewed on some old buttons then I got tired of that and made a purse and sewed the buttons on the flap and now I'm back to a basic black blazer with the lapels covered in Granny's old buttons!!!  I just love it and I get so many comments!!

It's a great way to use your family button jar.  I purchased this wool jacket at Savers for $4.99, had it dry cleaned and started sewing.  I use waxed, 4 strands of threads and away we go...just start and cover the lapel.  If you have fewer buttons place in a nice pattern.  You could just go around the edges or do groupings.  Remember odd numbers are much more pleasing to the eye, so do groups of three, five , etc. use large and small together.  I did not photograph the back but in the center back is a large rhinestone button and under that is my Dad's dog tags from his stint in the CCC's many moons ago, bling and reality.

This is the same Granny I got the Stabbin'Rags from, I'll also share another saying she used often...this is something alteration/tailoring folks will appreciate.  Often time people want their clothes let out and when you say there's not enough fabric they give you the oddest look, so she'd say " I guess they want me to chew rags and shit goods!!!"  And for those that don't know what   'goods' are  that is fabric!!!!

Now find that button jar and have some fun!!!!

Another BUSY week!!!!

This has been quite the week, it was my husband, Dave's birthday and we went to see Arlo Guthrie perform with his family, 4 generations, at the Barrymore in Madison.  The tour is called the Family Rides Again and it was wonderful, can they sing!!  Then the next night we were on the phone with the family putting it all together.  Dave's mom was a Guthrie and after chatting with Aunt Barbara, also a Guthrie, Dave's grandfather and Woody Guthrie were first cousins, so we're way down on the food chain but none the less fun to chat about.  Woody's father had started out in Northern Wisconsin but moved to Oklahoma where Woody was born and raised.  But he searched out the family riding the rails therefore finding the rest of the clan here in Northern Wisconsin.  So, he told about Woodstock and what he couldn't remember, just arriving and topped off the first half with Mr Customs Man and later Flying into L.A. which were all great hits for my era!!!!  His kids are great singers and story tellers and the grand and great grandkids were wonderful, a must see if they come to your town!!!!

I made 5 more scarves with the natural dying and they are grand, have to figure out a better way to photograph them so they show better.  I think this is a pretty cool process and what with scarves the number one accessory this season it works!!!  I'm wearing mine everyday!!!

Another  busy week stabbin rags, so much work to do and so many wonderful customers.  I'm very lucky to have such a nice group of people to work for!!!  It's another rainy day so I should be stabbin away but instead I' making apple bread and pea soup and washing the kitchen floor, multitasking with Jackie!!!

Have a wonderful weekend

another new project!!!!

Last spring some gals from Sewing Guild, Carolyn and Lorel and myself visited a gentleman by the name of Larry and his wife.  He introduced us to Stew Pot Dyeing.  This method has been around forever but like all good things it comes back around every 30 years or so.  Some call it compost dyeing and they actually stick the items in a compost pile, yuck!!!  So in May we had our first class.  We took silk scarf blanks, available online, and started our scarves with all natural dyes, like green tea, coffee grounds, regular tea, dirt, black beans, etc.  The colors were very natural as expected.  Lots of brown, taupe, etc, very pretty.  So now we started looking for more color and as the garden produced we got into red cabbage, beets, mustard, spinach, basil, marigolds and assorted flowers and the colors are wild.   It's amazing what ground up carrots produce, often times the colors are totally opposite of what you would suspect.  Thus I call this Crap Shoot dyeing!!!!! For the mordant we used deodorant, copper and steel wire and rusty nails etc.  Then you marinate your item in a ziploc with vinegar for several days to weeks depending on what you want.  Then the items are air dried, washed and pressed and you are ready to show off your work of art.

We have had several fun dyeing days at different homes, pounding really helps embed the color and figure such as a fern leaf so we have hours of pounding out our frustrations, actually this is very good therapy!!!  We have had a ton of fun.  All the scarves the Sewing Guild made will be for sale at the St. Mary's Xmas Bazaar Nov. 6 from 7:30 to 3:30 at the Hospital in Madison.  Probably more about that at their website.

We're having a great weekend Dave got the yard cleaned up and the garden pulled and I've had lunch out Friday and off to dinner on Saturday and off to Milwaukee for a luncheon fashion show on Sunday.  Back to stabbin rags on Monday.

Have a great day!!!

The week is over!!!

Well my work week is over so to speak, lots of work to complete but the doors are locked!!!
 Everyone thinks I can get all this work done in 3 days, no way!!!
 But it's been a good week and my friends Jolynn and Carolyn have been over and are the best rippers in the world!!!!
Thanks ladies you make the time fly!!!

Tonight  we saw the new Michael Moore movie, Capitalism a love story, a very interesting and thought provoking film.
  It's amazing how this country has ended up with the help of both parties,  makes one wonder which way to turn!!!!

I'm getting re-excited about working with men's ties again!!!
 I want to do some more purses and skirts and whatever else comes to mind.
 Ties are really fun and colorful and they can be made into so many cool things.
 I prefer to keep the interfacing because when I make the duffle style bag I sew the tie pieces onto a piece of old denim or muslin and then assemble with zipper and lining, thus making a very sturdy bag.
This can be a problem with a regular home sewing machine as the seams get very heavy and thick.
For some of the bags I just zig zag the ties together and same for the skirts.  This way the skirt or bag lays very nicely and no lumps.  Ties are easy to come by at garage sales and thrift stores.
 I'm lucky to have friends who are on the lookout, so I have a steady supply.

Happy sewing and have a great weekend.

Another week!!!

Time just flies by and it seems like one week runs into another!!! 
This is the busy season in the alteration/tailoring world, once the weather changes everyone is shopping and needs something done!!!  Not complaining just wish I had another set of hands!!!

This month for sewing guild we had the Green challenge, sewing green, repurposing, recycling etc.
 I made this men's tie apron, cute but not that practical as it will have to be dry cleaned.
 I love men's ties and have done lots of different thing with the ties, purse, belts, decorated jackets skirts, etc.  I don't take the tie apart I like leaving the interfacing, gives the project more substance, but it does make it dry clean only, as the interfacing will shrink up.

Also I'm still playing with the natural dyed scarves and am doing some for myself.
We have been doing these for Sewing Guild. We sell them at the Christmas bazaar at St. Mary hospital in Madison.  These really turned out nice.

     Take a look at; http://stabbinrags.com/PatchesandPieces.aspx

Off to the mechanic.
My engine light is on and I can't be without the shaggin' wagon to haul my doggies around!!!!

Finally the weekend!!!

It's been a busy week lot of sewing and alterations!!!!
I'm grateful for the business and grateful for such nice friends who help me rip. Jo and Carolyn, they are the BEST!!!!

Today I was sewing on buttons and thought these might be some good tips and hints.
When sewing on a button, always use 4 threads instead of 2, thus making your button stonger and less likely to come off.
Use beeswax to strengthen the thread, plus it  helps keep it  from tangling and knotting!!
Run the single thread thru the beeswax and then iron it and you have the smoothest, strongest thread around.
These are simple but helpful techniques.
I use beeswax all the time.  I purrchase it from local  fairs where they have honey for sale, very reasonable.

We're having a colder weekend so I'll be sewing away on my newly repaired machines!!!!

Madison Area Sewing Guild Retreat

Just returned from a fun filled weekend in Cashton, WI. the heart of Amish country.  We stayed at my friends Country Pleasure B and B, which is a huge 5 bedroom, 4 bath older Amish farmhouse.  The original owners, Amish, had 19 children, with no amenities YIKES!!!  So my friends Mary Lou and her husband Jim have renovated and updated this 5,000 sq. ft home into a lovely, well appointed place for groups, clubs, families to meet for a week or weekend etc.  She had us all set up for our sewing machines and tables, plenty of chairs and outlets, great food and beautiful  rooms with comfy beds.  They also have a very cool barn with a one lane bowling alley!!!

We had a great time shopping at the local Amish stores, sewing,  relaxing and gabbing.  Some of us went into town to eat and the Badger Crossing in Cashton. It was excellent.  Great fish fry, prime rib and a very nice soup and salad bar.

I think we all enjoyed the retreat a great time to hang out and get to know our members.  Check it out  Country Pleasures B and B Cashton Wi.  http://www.countrypleasuresbandb.com/

No great sewing tips today I have to get back to my machines and finish stabbin' rags tonight!!!!

My First Blog Entry. I hemmed 25 pairs of pants and jeans .

I'm Jackie, and  decided to start a blog about my sewing business and crafty things I do. 

My Grandmother was a seamstress/tailor thus, the name.
When she went to work, she referred to it as, "stabbin' rags!!!

Today was a full day of hemming.  I hemmed 25 pairs of pants and jeans . 
I do alot of original hems for jeans, which is a neat way to keep the original stitching in place!!! 
It's really easy.
Take the amount of the hem say 2" and fold the hem up right side to right side.
Take the amount of the hem and divide in half pin that amount next to the original sewing line.
So you would have folded the hem up and pinned on the double 1" plus the hem.
Sew right next to the original stitching and you have just hemmed the jeans to the correct length.
Now you may want to serge off the excess
Be sure to leave at least a 1/2" seam. Tack at the seams,  glue down the front and back with stitch witchery.

I'm heading off to a sewing retreat with the Madison Sewing Guild chapter in Cashton, Wi.
                            Should be tons of fun!!!