Definitely a bit frightening for a somewhat shy person! But now I love it! :) I can talk for hours about how much fun it is and how important it is for me. I teach for LIFT (Literacy Instruction for Texas) at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) Campus.

60% of adults in the greater Dallas area between the ages of 19 and 44 read below the high school level and 49% read at or below a fourth grade level (= 9/10 years old).

It sounds cliche, but it’s an extremely rewarding volunteer job and I’m so happy to be involved with people eager to learn to read, write, speak and understand the English language and hopefully their new knowledge will opening doors to employment opportunities, financial stability and self-sufficiency.

They still have a long way to go, because I teach level Basics, which is the very very beginning of English. It’s almost impossible to understand how little English they know. Everyone living in Europe has been exposed to English and knows more than the basics. I bet even my grandma is far exceeding their knowledge.

The first lesson was the hardest, trying to get them to understand what read, repeat, listen, write etc means. It definitely involves a lot of sign language and 90% of what I tell them they won’t understand. They literally don’t even know how to introduce themselves, so the first lesson starts with “Hello, my name is [name], I’m from [country]“. I can’t imagine living in a country and not being able to say my name, ask for a doctor, or read food labels, but it’s the truth for all of my students.

I don’t speak Spanish (I’m learning slowly), so it’s very challenging -the majority of my students are Latino’s :)- but I wouldn’t be allowed to speak Spanish anyway, because we also have Asian and East-European students.

A week ago my students got their Basics certificate. They were all very proud, taking lots of pictures of each other and their certificates and I was beaming of proud as well. They don’t speak full sentences yet, but they paid me the biggest compliment by telling me they’d sign a petition so I could go with them to the next level. Alas, I’m staying on as a Basics teacher for now (decided by the coordinator) and will get a new class this week. Exciting and frightening at the same time!

The competition is pretty fierce. Some very talented graphic designers (but are they sewists?), some blatant copies of existing fabric lines. Some obvious, some less obvious.

I just hope the winner will put the -awesome- $5000 Bernina 710 to good use!

I tried to stay away from floral prints, I love them, but there are sooo many floral prints. I couldn’t enter as many designs as I wanted, simply because of my lack of knowledge of Illustrator and the time it took to make patterns out of my little drawings. Also my old Volito Wacom isn’t compatible with my mac, making it all a bit complicated (I ordered a new Wacom Bamboo which should arrive next month). More importantly: I had fun and it’s made me realize I want to take up drawing again!

I know, I know, too many hobbies, so little time :). But 5 mins of doodling everyday will go a long way.

inspired by my childhood plush dog Philip

some very random doodles, haha!

butterflies

I made this shirt yesterday in a couple of hours! A happy wearable muslin. I used a cheaper knit, I don’t really want to cut into my organic knits till I’m more advanced. This was the first time sewing with a fine(r) jersey, first time shirring (sewing with elastic thread in the bobbin). I’ve been ‘working’ on a hoodie made of a thicker knit fabric for a few months (it actually has been hibernating for a few), so it’s not exactly the first time sewing with a knit, but that’s all the experience I’ve got so far! I didn’t think it would be so easy, should have tried this last year!

I love sewing with knits! Once you get the settings right, you’re good to go! I use:

• my walking foot,
• a stretch or jersey needle,
• a zigzag stitch (1.0 long, 2.6 wide) for the side seams
• a stretch /tricot stitch for the shoulder seams, supported by 1/4″ clear elastic

I got this knowledge from the Sewing with Knits class. The pattern is from the Sew What You Love book by Tanya Whelan. The pattern asks for 10 rows of shirring on the bottom hem, but after 3 I ran out of elastic thread. I quite like it this way, so I’ll leave it like this I think.

Time to take action! I’m quite busy volunteering during the week and often tired, but I can’t believe I’m not getting anything done. A lot of friends are pregnant (again), but I’m just going to ignore that and buy gifts (or so I hope). Time to sew for myself! I truly hope I mean it this time.

So to start off well, I decided to pay a visit to the store front of my local fabric store CityCraft. I’ve ordered online from them before, but have never visited the store front. Loved it!! So much great luxurious fabric :). Quilting fabric is nice,but this is the fabric you want to wear! I really didn’t need more fabric, did I? Well to be honest I have a lot of quilting fabric, but not enough yardage of most for a top/skirt/dress. This is what I came home with :). I’m really pleased with it!!

1 yard of Notting Hill, Pristine Poppy in Magenta by Joel Dewberry (voile, 54″). So soft! I want to use it for a top.

1.75 yard of Monkey Swing, Birch Organic Fabrics (100% organic cotton, 44″/45″). Also for a top.

4 yards of Sinister Swarm Tangerine by Anna Maria Horner (100% Rayon, 57/58″). This fabric feels so great! I want to make this maxi dress. Images are courtesy of Anna Maria Horner.

I’m working on the second project of the Inspired Modern Quilts class; the Low Volumes Tiles. There are 12 blocks, each comprised of 12 pieces of 12 different fabrics. :).

The quilt top is called Low Volume because it combines more neutral, quieter fabrics in different grays, highlighted with one pop of color.

I was inspired by the (organic) Birch Fabric Ellie in Green and searched for other low volume fabrics that would go with it. I’m still doubting the use of fabric nr. 5 (Lizzy House Pearl Bracelet). I couldn’t make up my mind, so I lay out the blocks before going to bed, and when I went into my sewing room the next morning my initial thought was “yes, I like it”, so I went with it. I don’t dislike it now, I’m just wondering if there would have been better choices (like chevron or something). But I’ve finished all 12 blocks, so it’s too late to change anything :).

I’m not sewing together the blocks yet, right now it would end up measuring 30×40″ and I think that’s a bit small. I plan on making 8 more blocks, after Easter :).