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Two sweet girls in dresses made with Hip Stitch fabrics -

Fabric is Heather Ross - Mermaids - an easy Simplicity pattern. The cuteness is innate, I think!

And here's a cute Southern Belle (she really is from the south!) wearing the Oliver+S birthday party dress in Amy Butler's Lotus collection:

Tonight I made my 9 yr. old the pajama bottoms from our Favorite Things Sleep Well pattern - she picked Moda sock monkey flannel. She's sound asleep wearing them, so a picture will have to wait....and the top is next to make.

I hope everyone is busy getting ready for Halloween, or is ready for Halloween! I've had just a bit of sewing to do - a poodle skirt for a friend's teenage daughter, this top for Claire's 50s costume, and a trip last night out to a few stores to finalize an M&M costume for my 11 yr. old, Jane, who wore it today to school (all APS middle schools are out tomorrow & Friday for parent conferences - Halloween came early) Her's was easy - big blue sweatshirt, long underwear, and a cut-out "M" to glue on her front. Oh yes, and blue hairspray for a final touch.

We picked up some Keds at Goodwill for Claire, and last night I colored in black to make them saddle shoes - presto change-o!

That gross brown at the back/bottom of the shoe? My attempt to add the authentic brown stripe....until the marker ran out of ink.

Quilt Market envy once again

Well, the Fall 2009 Quilt Market came and went, and we at Hip Stitch had to live vicariously through her and her and her, as we couldn't physically be there. Someday, someday, we'll go, and we'll be like kids in a candy store.

News from the store - the drawing for fat quarters of Amy Butler's Love Collection is still a week away, and the basket is filling with entries....get yours in! Emily - friend, customer and one stylin' gal, has graciously lent us a quilt top to display, made out of Love fabrics - it's just beautiful. I have the quilting bug, oh I do - but there's sewing, and embroidery, and knitting, and not enough hours in the day!

Projects going on in the lounge lately:
*Julie came in to finish sewing her little boy's Batman costume for Halloween. Julie is a recently new sewer, but you wouldn't guess that by looking at the bang-up job she did - she delved right into a pattern and whipped it out!
*Julie (another one by the same name) took our serger by storm and stitched up rolled hems for Boy Scout neckerchiefs - around 100 of them (maybe more?). They came out beautifully, and saved her from having to double turn/press/stitch hems in them all.
*Tom, a weekly lounger and all-around great guy, is mastering taking in his jeans. He lost some weight, and decided to tackle alterations rather than buying a new wardrobe. Our 1st sessions together in the lounge consisted of many broken needles and thread, and trying to get through multiple layers of denim as he took them in on the sides. He's now actually adding pleats to take them in, and doing an amazing job!
*Madeleine, a sweet girl of 10, is taking weekly lessons. She's made a robe and pajama bottoms for her American Girl doll, and we're now starting matching pj bottoms for her. She's focused and motivated and a joy to work with.

And a peek into November......I'm so excited about our artist of the month (we took Oct. off). Kathy brought in some of her hand sewn items to show us this week, and, well, I just don't want to say anymore, but leave some surprise as they'll be out and for sale during the month of November. Just save some of your Christmas shopping for her items - I know I am!
Sharon Hatcher is back to teach another dressform class in Nov. - woo hoo!
Book of the month: Last Minute Fabric Gifts. I've been perfecting wool felting for some of the projects.
Ooooh, I just can't wait!

Taos in Fall

The Taos Wool Festival was 2 weekends ago....my family drove up for the day on Sunday. It was a beautiful fall day - and such a treat to wander around, watching the spinners and the knitters and be inspired. My girls each chose some beautifully-dyed wool which they want to spin:

I wore my capelet, knit with Dagmar spun & dyed yarn. It was a lovely community-gathering event - I recommend it to everyone to experience!

Amy's Love Collection is in......have you been over to see it?! One bolt has sold out already. Starting this Friday, the 16th, you are invited to enter your name in a drawing for a set of fat quarters selected from the collection, just by coming into the store and viewing the fabric. If you make a purchase, you may put an additional entry into the drawing. We'll keep this going for 2 weeks; on Friday, Oct. 30, a name will be drawn to win. Come on, what are you waiting for?! (well, Friday, apparently!)

We're on board

Ok, Ellen, we're with you! I love the 3/50 project, I've registered our business with them (the website says it takes up to 10 days to post), and I'm wholeheartedly in support of their mission - SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES! Yes, it's virtually impossible to exclusively shop locally. Yes, I also find myself at Target weekly, stocking up on essentials. And it's hard at times to pay a bit more when chain stores have things for less. Case in point: our little store. You can go into Joann's or Hancock and find loads of fabric 30%, 40%, 50% off. We just can't afford to do that. We're not a conglomerate. But before you wonder if I'm sending you off to shop at the chain fabric stores, I'M NOT! We gals at Hip Stitch have a passion for sewing and crafting, a passion to get others passionate about it, too, and order fabrics we passionately love. (Can you guess the word of the day?)

I was off yesterday - Jen was at the store. We got some new fabric in, and I was dying to come over and see it. I talked to her just before the store closed, and told her it was so hard for me not to come in today!! I just love our store! But my day was meant to be a true day off - my 9 yr. old was home sick w/fever and cough (I don't think it's THE flu), and I had a day just being home with her. Just being a mom all day.

Soooo, to follow along with Ellen's Five for Friday (we're going to pretend this was published on Friday), here are my favorite local businesses:

1. Village Wools: Since I picked up knitting again about 2 years ago, I discovered this store and just love it. Love the help sessions. Love talking to the ladies. Met my dear friend Cheryl there. (I think our coversation started with changes women go through when they reach their 40s, and it was instant bonding!)

2. Frontier/Golden Pride: The owners are Larry and Dorothy Rainosek. I've never met them, but my husband went to school with their son. I'm always amazed that every single employee I've ever come across at either the Frontier or Golden Pride (I go to the one on Juan Tabo & Comanche) is pleasant, well-mannered, intelligent, and efficient. They have the best tortillas I've ever tasted - I buy a couple dozen at a time and stick them in the freezer. And the rest of the menu? Well, it's just fabulous.

3. Morris & Comanche: (this was my husband Dan's suggestion, but I wholeheartedly agree) Our car repair guys, who are located at, well, Morris & Comanche. Robert is the owner - he's a great guy, genuinely nice and honest. My mom started going to them when she moved here 4 yrs ago, and she loves chatting with Robert - I think she'd love to find him a nice girl to marry, 'cause she thinks he's so wonderful! Along the car repair theme, I also like El Piston Loco. Dan's old Toyota pick-up was losing the clutch this past summer. He'd be driving down the road and it would slip out of gear, rendering him unable to accelerate. It drove me crazy, and I was just about to take that old thing to a car dealership and trade it in when the custodian at his school recommended this place to him. (a friend of a cousin, or a cousin of a friend, or a cousin of a cousin - some connection he had) The guys at El Piston Loco told him to pick up the part at an auto store down the street and bring it to them. They put it right in, charged us a very decent price to do the work, and now that old truck is driving like a dream. Plus, it's so fun to say 'El Piston Loco'.

4. Papa Nachos: A delicious restaurant for Mexican food. Hidden between the gas station and the laundromat, it's a tiny place. We love the nachos, which have ground beef combined with a green chile sauce. Just down the street from Hip Stitch, south on Louisiana.

5. Rising Star: our favorite Chinese eatery. Just 2 stores down from Hip Stitch, I mostly eat there at lunchtime while I'm working. Orange Chicken is my favorite - it's hard to break out and try new things when I have a favorite. Great fresh food, Shang (not sure if I'm spelling his name correctly) is the owner, a really nice guy.

There - my list. Go local!

New Arrivals!

Christmas fabrics are out! Can't you just see a cute apron, placemats, napkins, and more?!

Delivered today: Sew What Bags, one of our favorite books, and The Sew-it Book - original printing - 1929. We couldn't resist.

We also got more of this pattern:
and of this:

and Oliver+S fall/winter patterns!