So. I did a thing. By myself. And guess what? I was fun!
I found out on a fluke that there was a huge, 30,000 plus visitors convention just 30 minutes north east of me. I tried to talk everyone (and their grandmother, literally) into going with me. Unfortunately, no one was up for a sewing expo, so I went on one of my days off all alone. :) I snapped a couple of pictures here and there but honestly, sometimes it was awkward taking pictures of people's things when I wasn't buying anything. So I'd snap one here, snap one there, but I didn't take a ton. I just thought I'd share what I did get though.

There were tons of classes, even more vendors, a few stages with people doing free talks, food vendors that rivaled hot dog/nacho vendors at baseball games...and lots and lots of fabrics. Tons of the booths were for quilting and embroidery which I don't relate to. But a few gems. Like buckets of zippers and bins FULL of lace applique pieces. 

And this. These beautiful, stunning, pieces of wool. Wooooow. I loved these. They were all so soft and vibrant and lustrous. Unfortunately, the $84/yard price tag didn't fit into my budget at this time.




They had the kids Figgy coat on display with this fabric and it was so perfect!




*Jaw Drop* I would LOVE to be able to do this type of embroidery on cardigans and purses. It's so elegant! 


The owner of Sew Chic patterns was there and I got to peruse over her impeccable samples that she has of each of her designs. I was particularly loving the Valentine Slip! Although, I didn't end up purchasing it. Something about owning a million patterns I haven't sewn.
She has a mini version of the London Coat Dress on display and it was so cute I just had to have the picture.


I got to touch all the pretty Tula Pinks that I usually only get to see online. /Swoon. Another shop also offered lots of unique prints. Some were too adorable! I don't know how I left without purchasing fabric. 


This was so adorable. I wish I had had a project in mind for my nephews. It's a rarity to find cute boy fabric for me.


This just seemed SO Dolly Clackett. Doesn't she have a million Cambie's made out of lobster fabric?


If I quilted this is what I would do! This booth had so many incredible quilt pieces that were super unique. This quilt is by Laura Heine, she sells kits here if you're interested.


The cherry on top - I met the UpCraftClub girls! (Jess, Elizabeth, and I) They were both super nice and very helpful. They explained a little more what UpCraftClub is about, too. Basically they have a subscription service where you can purchase patterns at discounted prices. Each pattern is tested for quality and has to pass their "certification." So you know each pattern you purchase through the UCC is going to be a quality pattern that is well drafted. Also, they're working on (and have some) getting PDF patterns into local fabric shops so you can see the fabric requirements, purchase the fabric, and purchase the pattern all at one location! 
I got to spin a cute wheel of discounts and I won 25% off so I purchase a small bag I've had my eye on, the Leather Accent Fold Over Pouch. It's something I probably could have found a free tutorial as I've made zippered pouches before, but it just is simpler to cut out a pattern than to measure / cut / round corners / factor in seam allowances... etc. (I'm a lazy.)

OK. Last but DEFINITELY not least. I purchased a new sewing machine! I picked the Janome Skyline S7 after wasting a bunch of people's time at Bernina. :D The other machine I was looking at was the Bernina 560 for $3,000 but I just can't justify that. Even if they were offering 5 year financing. The Janome Skyline S7 is a kick ass machine and I can't wait to get it in my house! I should be able to pick it up Thrusday. I got a super deal on it because it was one they used for classes during the Expo. So it's been sewn on by someone for about 9 hours. However! It still has full warranty and I saved about $500 on the purchase price.

Anywho. I'm very excited about this upgrade! Can't wait to start sewing. :)
The Expo was a ton of fun an I'll definitely go again, (even if it's by myself.) or maybe to the next local one coming up in November.
The weeks are flying. February is almost all gone and I'm finally finding my own groove of things here in Washington. Here's my quick addition to Sunday Lately and below is some pictures and experiences from the Sewing and Stitchery Expo here in Washington.

Planning 
On signing up for yoga classes in March! I'm excited by all the opportunity around me here in Olympia. It's just a city buzzing with community and events and activities. 

Loving Experiencing
Alone time. I am one of a family with six children. "Alone time" is a strange concept to me. I'm a social creature, even if that means we both sit in silence in the same room doing our own thing. Nick is working a lot and we have different schedules - so that means "me" time. So instead of my natural instinct of staying inside, I've been adventuring out to take pictures, explore the area, and most recently, go to Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, WA. (Pew-Wall-Up.)

Local flowers blooming.
Reading
Lots and lots of blogs! Mainly Lladybird (my personal style hero and a girl from my home state.), Madalynne, Closet Case Files (mainly her Sunday roundup posts which introduce me to new sewing blogs), Sally Oh, and Sew Busy Lizzy.

Wishing 
To meet my new nephew Vincent. My brother and his wife had their beautiful baby 10 days ago and I know he'll probably be a year old before I get to hold him. I love seeing all the pictures but my heart feels sad that I can't actually be there to meet him.


Feeling
Thankful. Thankful for my family who sends me pictures of the babies that I've left behind. (nieces and nephews.) Thankful for my job and coworkers who make spending 10 hours a day selling furniture not so terrible. Thankful for the sunny days that Washington offers and the gorgeous views of Mount Rainier. Thankful for living IN town and having everything so close to me. 
Thankful to be healthy (after I kick this cold!) and thankful for the friends I do have that I get to keep in touch with. :)

Come join us next week for Sunday lately. The prompts are Doing, Appreciating, Designing, Humming, Expecting.
Sunday Lately with Blogger Tribe
Hello Lovelies! I just got back from a day at Quiltcon 2016. I'll be writing about this and posting pictures on Sunday, so if you're interested in how it feels to be there all by yourself, come back and check it out this weekend. :P

Today on the Raglan Review I am featuring Jalie Raglan Tee!
I just need to move my scheduled date to Friday. It seems I can't get it posted any earlier! Alas, let's talk sewing.


This is the first Jalie pattern I've sewn and I am pretty impressed. There is all the quality that you would get from a big 4 pattern but you're purchasing from an independent designer. Lots of people think that Jalie is a conglomerate, but in reality it's a mother / daughter team who do all the designing / drafting / pattern support! Which is pretty cool. I love supporting home businesses.


The pattern actually does double duty. You get a raglan AND a tank top pattern. The Jalie girls are so nifty - they make the top of each shirt separate so you only have to print it once, you can put on the raglan top or the tank top and tape it to the bottom hem (which is the same for either!) 


Most all of Jalie's patterns come in size 12 months to size 22! This one is no different - you get to make mommy and me matching outfits (if that's your thing.) for the price of one pattern. Their patterns are in English and French so some of the charts I had to look at for a long time before I was able to find the area I needed. (Mainly the size charts because there are SO many sizes and in European and US sizes.) Jalie doesn't offer layered printing - so that means you are printing ALL the sizes and they aren't color coded, yet it wasn't too difficult to decipher which line was which. 


The patterns all all notched and they lined up SO smoothly and accurately. I was super surprised by this. So many PDF's don't line up EXACTLY, but this one did! One thing that was a little unique is that all the written instructions are on one page and all the drawn instructions are on another. Raglans are so self-explanatory, but I can see it being a little confusing if you're a complete beginner or if you were sewing a more complicated pattern.


The arms of this raglan aren't the most flattering. I seem to have some extra fabric in the armpit area and does a fold over. It doesn't really bother me while I'm wearing it, but I do notice it in the pictures.  Also, I was under the assumption that the sleeves were 3/4 length, however, they turned out to be more ..... 1/2 length. Next time I would lengthen them. Maybe I have crazy long arms? The curved hem is very flattering though.


I got the cute elephant knit from Girl Charlee awhile back. The blue is from when I FIRST started sewing when I wanted to make a pencil skirt that never happened. It's terrible quality - no spandex in it. Ugh. I tried to do the blue as the neckband before I realized it had no recovery. Then I did the black as the neckband and it was too long because it was TOO stretchy. So I actually picked 


Who should sew the Jalie Raglan Tee?
Anyone who likes a shaped loose fit tee with classic raglan appeal and anyone who doesn't want to purchase multiple raglan patterns! Also, people who don't need a ton of "hand holding" or are familiar with typical big 4 patterns. Someone looking for traditional explanations and top notch "notching!" :)

Sizes
12 months - 22 women's
Printable pattern pages/copy shop version
Printable pattern pages
Skill Level
Intermediate
Measurements for Rectangles
No
Line Drawings
Yes
Size made
US size 6, Jalie size "S"
Options choosen
Regular / 3/4 length sleeves
Fabric Requirement for your size
7/8 body
5/8 for sleeves
Measurement Chart
Yes, body and finished garment
Cutting Instructions
No
Pattern Printing Layout
Yes
Cutting Layout
Yes
Suggested Fabrics
Knits
Layer Printing Option
No
Neck Line Options
Scoop neck
Sleeve Options
3/4 and Long
Hem Options
Curved
Color Blocking
Yes
Seam Allowance
1/4"
Hem Allowance
3/4"
Separate add-on pack
No
Fit
Fitted
Easy to read instructions
Intermediate
Drawing or photograph instructions
Drawings


It's SUNDAY again, that means time for only an 8 hour shift rather than a 10.5 hour shiiiiift! You know you work in retail when you're excited about an 8 hour shift. :P (I'm sure same can be said for military, medical, firefighters, policemen... ok. I've invalidated my own complaint. What I meant to start with was the ironically annoying "#blessed." 

Completing
Goals! Yes, not what I would have thought of as goals a month ago. But I've been setting sales goals, meeting, and exceeding them. Which is new and exciting for me. It's panning out to be a much better and more enjoyable job than expected. :)

Visiting
Some co-workers turned friends took me out this week and it was really great to find some people to be friendly with. I feel like I say this a lot, but it's all just a part of finding your place in your new home and with time comes connections. Patience is not my virtue. 

Repeating
"Attitude of gratitude." It's SO easy to fall into feeling sorry for myself over god knows what, making up excuses, finding flaws rather than finding happiness. I have SO many great people, things, and circumstances in my life that I really don't *need* anything more. 


Did I mention that my man cooked me a Valentine's dinner that was DELICIOUS!

Writing
The weekly Raglan Pattern Reviews! Some coupons are still active and we still have about four more weeks to go, so make sure to check in every Thursday. If you missed any from my posts, check out the previous weeks here.

Scheduling
I'm still working out my crazy work schedule, my home schedule, and trying to schedule in some sewing time! Once I tackle my work schedule, I think every thing will fall into place. There are also some local yoga studios that I want to join / check out, but all in good time!
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Hey - this isn't related AT ALL. But I died laughing for like 5 minutes. So, maybe you'll enjoy it. 

Next week's prompts are Planning, Loving, Reading, Wishing, Feeling. You can join us by clicking the button below! <3
Sunday Lately with Blogger Tribe
This post contains affiliate links to help me pay for "Welfare Wednesdays" at my local pub. Dolla drinks. (I can't even. And other white girl phrases.)

Peekaboo take two! I sewed up a second one in sweater knit and made a few modifications that I'd like to share with you.



If you're looking for specific commentary on the pattern and how it compares with the other raglans we're sewing as part of the Raglan Tour, check out my review post here. It will give you all the details and charts to compare!



I'm tattling on myself. This was actually the FIRST one I sewed, and although it's one of my favorites, I didn't think it was a fair representation of the pattern. I wouldn't want someone to see this, sew it in normal knit and come out with a different result - so I thought I'd show you both!

P.S. Thank Amy, for making me feel like a bombshell!



I chose I sweater knit I got from a mystery box from Sincerely Rylee Fabrics on Facebook. She has the comfiest knits! Sweater knits are pretty much always going to be looser than a normal cotton lycra blend. I tried to use the self fabric for the neck band too... well, that was an experiment gone wrong. So I just turned it into a self facing and hit it with a twin needle and called it a day. It really elongated the neck line giving the slouchy, sexy look. I popped a tank under for some bra strap coverage.

I looked and looked for a spray baste to hold the lace on, however I wasn't able to locate any at Joann's. So I pinned the sheeeat out of the lace and basted it on with thread. After I had sewn all sides, I just sewed the Rainier Raglan like normal by following the instructions. :)



This sweater has turned into a favorite of mine! I wear it every week since I've sewn it. Nick loves it too, I can pop it on with jeans to look dressed up / down. I don't know how that makes sense, but trust me that it does. Maybe it looks relaxed yet not lazy... lol I don't know.



Remember, PEEKABOO FANS!!! This pattern is on Sale for 20% off when you use the code ARTOFOH to purchase the raglan through 02/29. Anyone who is a PAB fan knows that this is an AWESOME deal. Amy doesn't do sales too often, so it's widely known that you take advantage of them when she has them! <3
The pattern can be purchased through the link below!

Details
Pattern: PeekaBoo Rainier Raglan $9.95
Fabric:
Main Sincerely Rylee Knit $6 for 1.5 yards
Lace Cali Fabrics $1.50 for 0.5 yards
Notions:
Thread $.50

Estimated total cost $17.95
However, the lace was scraps, I got the fabric on discount, and the pattern was free as part of my participation in the Raglan Patter Tour. You can check out all the posts on my blog for the tour by clicking here. 
This post contains affiliate links which help me pay for my local yoga classes! <3

Hello! Hope everyone is doing good this Friday - a day late post! I hope no one holds it against me, because i have a BONUS post for tomorrow which features another Rainier, as well!

Today is all about PeekaBoo Patterns Rainier Raglan! I asked to sew this one because I see Mt. Rainier on any sunny day when I drive to work! The first day I saw it after moving to Washington I thought is was some crazy War of the Worlds shit. Like I though the large thing in the distance was coming to destroy us. Turns out, it's a mountain. So that's good news.

The Rainier Raglan is a loose fit classic baseball shirt. It's cute and comfy and most notable, it's a great fit for those with longer / normal torsos. I added 3" just because I like my shirts to go below my pants line, however, this one didn't need that much! I could have easily sewn as is, or just added 1". You have no idea how rare it is to find a shirt that I don't have to lengthen. I am not even very tall. 5'6". But I suppose 4' of that is torso. haha


My neckline is a little wide because the striped fabric didn't have any lycra in it, so it's all cotton / mechanical stretch. 

I actually just paired these two fabrics from my stash and hoped it looked okay, turns out it's super cute! I'm a fan and so is Nick. My family had opinions about this floral, but bahh, look how cute it sews up into a contrasting raglan!


The construction on the Rainier is really straightforward. Amy uses clear photographs with contrasting fabrics to make the instructions a breeze. Pretty much once you've sewn one or two, they're constructed the same way. I'm focusing on the beginners who may need some extra assistance.


As you can see here, the sleeves are also relaxed. It's a nice contrast from all the banded raglans I've been sewing. This feels like I should have a kid, put them in baseball, sew this shirt with their number on the back, and go eat popcorn at their games. It feels very classic "true to baseball jerseys"  and sporty.

Who should sew the Rainier Raglan?
Anyone who likes a looser fitting top and anyone just jumping into knit projects. It's a very forgiving fit and the instructions are laid out clearly to assist in assembly. Plus, Amy provides finished garment and body measurements which is GREAT to help you plan your best size.

Amy has generously offered 20% off the Rainier Raglan from now until February 29th! Anyone who likes Peekaboo patterns knows this is a big deal. A good sale price is rare with PAB after it's been released. So if you are looking for a good staple raglan, you should definitely consider the Rainier!
The code is ARTOFOH and will get you 20% off the Rainier until Feb 29th.

Sizes
XXS-XXXL. 
Printable pattern pages/copy shop version
Printable pattern pages
Skill Level
Beginner
Measurements for Rectangles
No
Line Drawings
No
Size made
Small 34-27-37
Options choosen
Regular / 3/4 length sleeves
Fabric Requirement for your size
3/4 body
2/3 for sleeves
Measurement Chart
Yes, body and finished garment
Cutting Instructions
No
Pattern Printing Layout
Yes, printed on pieces
Cutting Layout
No
Suggested Fabrics
Knits with at least 25% stretch
Layer Printing Option
No
Neck Line Options
Scoop neck
Sleeve Options
Short / 3/4 / Long
Hem Options
Straight
Color Blocking
Yes
Seam Allowance
1/2"
Hem Allowance
3/4"
Separate add-on pack
Maternity 
Fit
Loose and comfy
Easy to read instructions
Very
Drawing or photograph instructions
Pictures