Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Sewing 101 : Turning on the Machines!

Where do I start...
first off, the manual doesn't match up to the machine I have. I guess back in the 80's, Singer only printed a generic manual but the diagrams differ from what I am looking at so it makes it hard to decipher. Soooo, I kind of had to wing it. I managed to turn the thing on, wind the bobbin with thread (go me!), and thread the machine (another win)!
Ashley and I look so official with our kits and starbucks, don't we?!
We thought it would be best to just dive in with a simple apron pattern. We got it pretty much figured out and traced the pattern on trash paper so we could use it more than once.
great advice from my momma since patterns can get pricey. 
After pinning and cutting our pieces out, we started to sew! 
Man, it's hard! 
Ashley did pretty good, her first line was a little crooked but that's what a seam ripper is for. 
My seam ripper quickly became by most used tool of the day and here's why...
First lesson learned: Put the presser foot DOWN! 
Oh geez, yes, I forgot to lower the presser foot!
Once I lowered the foot, this happened.
and happened again, and again, and again!
 Seriously!? What happened? 
My Mom said I need to oil my machine and play with the tension. I hope that will solve the problem.
Our day ended once Frozen was over and Caroline got a hold of the extension cord and Haylee dumped an entire bottle of milk everywhere.
It was an afternoon full of laughs and frustration and we still have a loooooong way to go but look forward to the journey!
 
 

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Welcome to Butterfly Kisses!

Ashley and I are so so excited to launch our sewing journal, Butterfly Kisses!

A little about us and why we wanted to start this blog...
  We want Butterfly Kisses to be a  place we can share our journey, the good and bad projects, connect with fellow sewing enthusiasts new and seasoned, and post lots of pictures along the way!
But mostly,
we want to pass on the joy and love in handmade clothing to our girls just like we had growing up.
Why the name?

Honestly, we thought it was cute and maybe one day we can make cute clothing for our kids and add a BK label to them for legit-ness.
(that's totally a word, I think)


How we met:
I have been taking ballet from the same studio for going on 10 years now.
Ashley and her family moved to TX two Falls ago and last fall she began classes at my studio.
We started talking about what we do.
Both of us are stay at home Moms who work and both of us have little girls.
I invited her to try out the Fit4Mom group I joined back in 2013 to loose the baby weight and the rest was history.


One day we were talking about things we like to do, which, for the both of us meant anything crafty. We created a secret pinterest board to collect craft ideas and noticed several sewing projects were being pinned. Neither one of us knows how to sew but we both have machines and want to learn. 
After a few crafty play dates, we decided now is this best time to dive in. We have two beautiful little girls who we love to dress up in colorful patterns and whimsical silhouettes and both grew up with moms and aunts who made us the sweetest clothes and costumes. 



Stay tuned for next week's post... we are turning the machines ON! 
Wish us luck :)


We gladly accept any and all advice!
Just type them in the comment box below.
 Have a wonderful Memorial Weekend!