Do You Want To Watch UK Shows? in the USA?

I was whining (Whinging) to one of my UK sewing bloggers about not being able to watch The Great British Sewing Bee; season 2 .

Her sister in New Zealand can, by using Expat Shield.

You have to decide if you want to install this software - I am not a computer expert.

But do you know what this means? I may be able to watch the next season of Downton Abbey when it airs in the UK instead of having to wait (torture) for our American station (PBS) to show it.

Still figuring out what Expat Shield does - how it works but I am watching the season 2, episode 1 of The Great British Sewing Bee right now.

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******Friday Update: This free software installed an advertising banner (free = ad supported) which is annoying at the top of your internet pages. It also interfered with my wireless printer when I had to print two shipping labels last night. For now, my solution is to install it when I have free time to watch UK shows and then uninstall it afterwards.

Random Weekend

No sewing this weekend.

After work on Saturday, I helped an older friend of mine list her first item on ebay.

I also was my usual lucky self at two garage sales on the way.
Look at those Made in Taiwan Santa's and Mrs. Claus. Hand-painted. A dollar for all.

Loads of yardwork because the sun was out and it warmed up enough to turn off the house heat and open the doors. Rusty was plain tuckered out keeping an eye on us both days.

Great flying weather; this little Cessna 120/140 flew in to check progress on our plane projects.

And the GeeBee leapt into my cart at Riteaid at 50% off!. Mind-blowing. An airplane birdhouse (they had a camera too!). Like any bird will nest in our airplane!

The daughter should be arriving London as I write. She spent a few days with friends in New York City before crossing the pond. Off to France, Warsaw, Budapest before she starts work in Ketchikan, Alaska on May 3 for the summer.

Milwaukie Airing Of The Quilts

Friday, before work, I scooted over to the Milwaukie "Airing of The Quilts".
Because, my 2014 sewing dream of mastering Sashiko stitching led me on a google search which found an online store in Oregon City (next city over) called One World Fabrics.

Their newsletter said they would be vendors at the Milwaukie quilt show. I wanted to see their fabrics in person. They brought fabric but not their sashiko supplies (tiny space).

I would rather buy local when I can. The more we buy online means the less brick & mortar shops exist. I like to touch my merchandise prior to buying. But if forced to buy online, I try to find one that is Oregon-based.

The quilt above is made of some of the aboriginal fabrics they carry.

One World Fabrics carries Japanese Quilting/Sewing books.

Disappointed,  I walked on and  discovered the real reason this show is a huge draw.
The 'store'.

Fabrics, books, quilt tops, patterns, sewing paraphernalia. All priced at just above garage sale prices. In other words, priced to move. Which a big stack of patterns did.

The small patterns were ten cents. Yes, you read that correctly.

If it weren't for the fact that these vintage patterns  are of the invisible* type, I would love to sew this coat.
Can someone make this as a modern version? Double breasted with big statement collar?

*Invisble: no markings on the pattern sheets except for punched holes. Giant puzzle.

Bow tie.

I took a quick peruse through the displays and found these beauties.

Spring wallhanging

And, for some reason, my top three favorites were all pink.
Must be all that Spring, because I normally do not gravitate towards pink.

Pinwheel

Postcard size.

I loved the dusty rose pinks and chocolate browns.

This leafy taupe quilt was #4.


This one tied with the Spring wallhanging in my gravitational forces.








The Milwaukie Center also contains a gift store filled to the brim with handmade goodness.

SewExpo Dreaming

Many attendees have been coming to this show for 30 years. Yay! SewExpo!
They have outfits.
They come  together. Whole entire generations take classes.
The 4-H style shows, The Vogue style shows....
 .

As promised, here's what I purchased at SewExpo this year.

My favorite Batik Booth - Indonesian Batiks - had them in knits!
T-shirt possibilities.

 My new favorite Go-to cleaner for vintage linens.
This did a fabulous job on my Airplane quilt.
I found it on sale in a booth.

 This booth was visited twice.

Not only for the Sashiko threads and indigo fabric but the darling Kawaii Japanese prints.
Look at those buttons!

'Round the world in cute Kawaii fashion. See the statue of liberty? The Eiffel tower?
Had to get both colorways.

Laundry/Sewing Small motif

 Snow White and Little Miss Riding Hood. Extremely easy to put in my Pendleton Tote.

This booth is where I ran into my neighbor. She bought this Marilyn fabric to make something for our neighbor who is obsessed with Marilyn Monroe. I bought some to make a Messenger -style bag for Miss Obsessive as well.

Random pieces of fabric.
 My sashiko indigo is on the far left. Cool blue spots {{on sale!!}} and some wordy sewing fab fabrics.

 My friend, Pencil Girl,  was home with bronchitis so I smart-phoned her with photos as I purchased - so she could feel like she was right next to me.
The above fabrics - one is a Liberty of London Tana lawn fabric, the others are knock-offs by Michael Miller, called "London Calling".
My Japanese friend, Crafty Tokyo Mama, has been sewing with these fabrics lately, so I bought some for her and me to play with.

 I actually did not purchase these fabrics at  SewExpo. I bought them at Fiber & Stitches in St. Helens when I saw this Bucket bag made out of them. Anybody wonder why? Got to have me more airplane fabrics!

This is called the Saffron Bucket Bag.

 See the film squares where you can fussy cut a cool airplane?
The booth at SewExpo also utilized the airplane fabrics. I just love the red stripe.

I don't need another bucket-type tote bag, but utilizing the film squares to highlight airplane images is very inspiring!

The Pendleton Wool Booth. One of my favorites.
No huge clearance sales like last year. But still - 35% off fabric cuts - Good price.
The lumberjack wool was special priced at $13/yd - could not resist. I can't even wear wool - skin itchies.
By the time I got there on Friday afternoon - they had given out all the 'prizes' for sewing something with Pendleton. They still had some business card holders - which I got last year - so I sent this one off to Pencil Girl. They were impressed with my Pendleton Tote bag. And the side zipper!

 
These labels were in the Pendleton booth. Got distracted by lumberjack wool.
These are much better than the old style: "Made with love by Mom" labels.
Should've got some.

 One booth had a notions scramble where you could fill a gallon ziploc for a buck!
All these bra measuring tapes. Not to be confused with regular measuring tapes.
I filled my bag mostly with the measuring tapes, tiny snaps, and embroidery needles.

 Saw some rivets which I picked up. I live at least 30 minutes from a good fabric store and I don't think they stock these. My choices are pretty much online so when I saw these, I bought them.
Decorate pants/shorts/bags/etc.

This booth came from Montana - Quilt Gallery.
I sat next to them at breakfast for two mornings at the hotel.
I like the detailing on this messenger bag.
It almost looks like you could get a laptop in there. Which is big. Too big.


This was a quilt in grays and reds that I was inspired by.
{Repeat after me; " I don't quilt"}








At the hotel. Is this inspiring or what?





These are the sites for the American Sewing Guild Chapters. Apparently, Oregon is a hotbed of members.



This is a reminder for Pencil Girl and I to play with our Resin, purchased last year. ummm. . . 




I'm guilty of not buying this pattern. It's just a zipped pouch with vinyl replacing one of the fabrics. Small rectangles of fabric. Probably not enough direction on sewing vinyl.
I like the idea of being able to see what's inside.


I really enjoyed Tula Pink on Saturday's Quilter's Night Out.
She designs fabric for FreeStyle Fabrics. Her class the next morning was on what  it takes to be a designer.


 




She uses the computer but starts with a sketch pad. Another designer, Kaffe Fassett, sends in oil paintings of his color designs.
Tula Pink is a brand name which is important as basically, you are an independent contractor and your fabric lines need to be promoted by YOU.

She sews her quilts but sends them out to be long-arm quilted  by a very gifted long-armer.
I just love the humor in this triangle quilt which faintly resembles a space shift. The quilting provides the blast burners and a ladder up to the ship on the left.