Christmas

Wrapping up the year with many things handmade:

Pajamas pants made from voile

 Hand-knit legwarmers (though the sock-less shoes kind of cancel out the warmth....I'm just sayin')

and a hand knit Hufflepuff House scarf.

That was how MY girls kept busy this past week.....and the lounge at Hip Stitch bustled with hand-made gifts being made - a clutch purse for a mom, sachets for family members, pajama pants for a husband, an apron for a Godmother, a camera strap for a mom.  It was a fun week, and I was so proud of all the youth who came and sewed in the lounge - and of their determination to go the hand-made route, even if it meant extra patience, and some seam ripping.

Christmas Eve, with our bellies full of tamales, red chile, green chile stew and Frontier tortillas:

We headed off to look at the lights in Old Town before midnight mass:

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

Today

Julie and I put together this lampshade cover with voile -let's start with the "before":

After:

And put together on the lamp, with Julie ironing out the fabric pen marks (I used the new Frixion pens that erase with heat)

.....from this book, a new addition to the store:

Blessings and Thanks

The last 2 days (Black Friday and Small Business Saturday) were fun, and busy, and full of friends, new customers and regulars (who are also friends)  and KIDS - which I think is my absolutely favorite part of a day at Hip Stitch.  I didn't capture pictures of them, but just to recap:

*Brock, who's 1 1/2:  he walks throughout the store, babbling in his adorable language of, well, babbling.  And we can't understand a word he says, but he says it with such expression that I love to answer him and carry on a conversation with him.  And his eyes....oh, those gorgeous eyes.....

*Lily, also 1 1/2:  her beautiful strawberry blond hair, who also wandered through the store, looking at this and that.  Her favorite part?  The food, of course!

*Everett and McKenna (hope my spelling is correct) - brother and sister who come in and go right to the toy area and just play and play and are so sweet and well-mannered.

*Sydney, who comes with her mom, and they select fabric together for outfits, and she has great taste!

*and kids who come in for the very 1st time, who go straight to the toy section, even if they're all put away, because they just KNOW that's where the toys are.

I love love love kids in the store.  I'm not yet the age to become a grandmother, for my own girls are only 11 and 13, but something about a wee little one makes me feel.....grandmother-ly.  If that makes any sense.....

More photos of what's being made:

Last Saturday, the Stocking Stuffers class was pincushions.  Cathy Kelly came with all her wonderful wool, and Tina and I (yes, I actually took a class!) and Cathy sat and hand-stitched beautiful pincushions.  The top picture is the sample Cathy brought, the middle is the one she made in class, and the 3rd is Tina's.  Mine?  Well, I didn't get a photo of it, but I have it on the cutting counter in the store, if you'd like to take a peek.  It was a wonderfully relaxing afternoon, even if I did have to pop up and down a few times for store business.

And just to share a few pictures from my day off from the store Wednesday, and a family trip to Bosque del Apache:

Sandhill cranes:

 Coyote:

Bald eagle: (trust me, it IS one)

Jane knitting in car:  (I was knitting in the front seat, too)

So, to sum up, I'm so very thankful for all of you who continue to support small businesses such as Hip Stitch - who come, and share what project you're doing, and what you're planning to do, who bring your kids and your grandkids, who bring your mothers and aunts and sisters and daughters and who love to sew and want to learn to sew, and for all you do to keep me going.....you're why I love this store so much, and why I love to come to work, and why sewing continues to grow and grow.  Thank you.

Aprons made in the lounge

Tomorrow is Tie One On Day - each year, the day before Thanksgiving, this day encourages all to deliver a home-baked goodie to a special someone (in need or not), wrapped in an apron.

 

Here are some lovely aprons made in the lounge a few weeks back:

....with Portia, teaching her Perdoozy pattern.

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Boots Day!

Portia came in yesterday morning w/her boots.....I was wearing mine, and then this little one came in with her mom, and , well, not documenting this would have been regretful!

and here's the outtake.....with little brother on the scene:

Skirts:

on Portia - Bee Skirt Pattern (class in December); on me - Anna Maria Horner's Study Hall Skirt. 

The Hipster's Craft show was a roaring success...some shots from the day:

A sneak preview of classes coming soon:

Make your own felted hat!  

Saturday, Jan. 7, 10-2

 Make a quilt!

The Absolutely Sweet Baby Quilt

Jan. 18, 25, Feb. 1, 8

A break from our regular programming....

To share this youtube video, which I may have shared a few years back.....but I just had to pass on again.  We've watched it twice already tonight, and it's fantastic.  Dagmar originally posted it on her blog - thanks, Dag!  Watch:

Sewing 101 is going on the the lounge today, and I love to not only hear the whir of machines, but an occasional happy "oooohhhh!" and "wow!" as they make a little mock pair of trousers as the ladies learn zippers, pockets, seam finishing, and much more:

Halloween has come and gone.....and here are some Hip Stitch creations for the day:

Heather was invited to a 60s Mod party - so I sewed up this very 60s Mod dress from Alexander Henry's Mocca, in cotton lawn, with a super-easy peasant dress pattern (class in the works!).  Put it together with gold boots, gold tights, and just the right wig, and you're groovy, baby!

Julie and Robyn each made this Rapunzel dress for their little girls for Halloween - with help from Sharon Hatcher, who took them thru "How NOT to Read a Pattern".....and they came out priceless!

Just arrived yesterday:

Moda's Etchings - pintucked cottons (you have to TOUCH it to appreciate it!)

A jaunt out of town

A week or so ago, I had the ENTIRE Saturday off from the store, and my family and I drove to Vegas.....Las Vegas, New Mexico, that is.  I lived there for 3-1/2 years, from 1989-1992, when I went to Highlands University.  Something about that town grabbed my heart and hasn't let go since.  It's funky, it's small, it's an eclectic mix of artists, and locals, and deep-seeded northern New Mexico culture and folks who migrate there from all over the U.S.

It was Homecoming weekend for Highlands, so we went to the local parade:

I had heard about Threadbear, the local fabric store on the Plaza, and was itchin' to get there and visit.  I wasn't disappointed!  I walked in and was in fabric heaven - Ann, the owner, did a beautiful job making the store feel warm & inviting.  My husband and Claire promptly sat down and took naps on the comfy sofas, while I told Jane to take some pictures around the store.  And me?  Well, I started my pile of bolts:

Come check out what I purchased!  I'm sharing some with YOU, my customers!

Tara sent this over - she made a table runner and placemats with Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadows 2.  If I had a table that looked like this, I'd for sure never put things on it like: bills, school permission slips, homework, clean laundry, my sewing machine.....oh, whoops, I was thinking of MY table!
Beautiful job, Tara!

Just delivered today - the new Stitch magazine - get it while you can - they go fast!

(I'm taking home a copy tonight to read cover to cover!)

She's so darn sweet!

Holly Holm, that is....but that doesn't surprise me a bit.  She stopped in to Hip Stitch this evening, with the FABULOUS bag that she made.  I just love the contrasting talents in her: boxing and sewing!  And, she's very sweet, to boot!

(and in my state of excitement to meet Holly Holm in person, I could only find my cell phone camera, so the picture isn't the greatest quality....but she was very kind, probably thinking "oh my gosh, this woman is a nut")

Ode to the State Fair

Big Bubba's Bad BBQ......deep fried Capt'n Crunch.....Chinese acrobats.....humongous squash & pumpkins......kettle corn........square dancing.......the miracle mop........sheep shearing.......mini donuts that melt in your mouth........

That's just a sampling of what we love about the New Mexico State Fair - my family, that is.  We went Sunday - stayed for 6 hrs., and still didn't see it all!  (Ironically, it was 10 yrs ago Sunday that I went with my girls, then ages 3 and 1.....and after walking around listening to the radios broadcasting the horror of the day, the fair closed at noon and we went home.)

The State Fair is one of the many things I love about New Mexico.  I love that everyone gathers there - young & old, rich and poor, all races, all walks of life.  I love that we always get the same food - a Navajo Taco at the Indian Village, and then dessert varies from a piece of Asbury Cafe pie, or ice cream, or kettle corn, or a funnel cake.  I love that my girls, who are now in middle school, still love to go to the McDonalds Farm and harvest the vegetables, even though they now tower over the toddlers.  I love that we all love to go to the same places - the Arts & Crafts building and see quilts, and pies, and woodworking, and photography, and square dancing, and the New Mexico Resources building, and see the same fish and the same hummingbird and the same rattlesnake exhibits year after year, and never get bored, and the School Arts building, and look for artwork from anyone we know, and the New Mexico store, and the county exhibits, and the produce from all over New Mexico.

It's just the best - and if YOU go to the State Fair this year, (and you should), bring some sort of PROOF that you've been there, and we'll give you 20% off your purchase here at Hip Stitch.  Is that incentive enough??