New Dresses on Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp

I just finished a new batch of dresses! Click on the pictures to learn more about them.

Large Draped Collar Sash Dress

Medium Steel Blue Draped Collar Sash Dress

Small Fuschia Leopard Print Draped Collar Sash Dress

Special Order

New Collage Skirts on TumbleAndPopple.com

It’s been taking me a while to work out a good schedule for all of my projects. I seem to be settling into a good routine though and have 3 beautiful linen collage skirts to show for it. Actually 5 but one was for me and another was a special order. These skirts tend to move fast and are perfect for spring so be sure to check them out. Click on the images to be brought to the product listing.

Linen Collage Skirt - Small

Linen Collage Skirt - Medium

Linen Collage Skirt - Large

Party Sewing

Today I have been sewing away the morning in preparation for a birthday party in our household. The party has a Robin Hood theme. Naturally, the first thing to sew would be a Robin Hood hat for the birthday boy. I searched around the internet and found this excellent tutorial with a pdf pattern on Crafty Stacy. I have no craft felt on hand so I used a silk taffeta and linen with an upholstery fabric used inside to add stiffness. It came out wonderfully, so wonderfully that I can’t get the birthday boy to sit still for a good picture!

Next up, 8 sacks for a potato sack race! I have about 50 yards of raincoat fabric which I was gifted so what better to make them with in this rainy Washington weather?

Potato Sack races are very serious affairs!

And finally, Isadora of course required a new party dress. Secretly, I wanted to make her a really ornate Maid Marion kind of dress. I did not want her to outshine the birthday boy so I decided on a simple jersey dress with a generic kind of old-fashioned look.

I love a chance to sew up a bunch of crazy stuff really fast. A nice challenge. Now I’m settling in for a long day of drawing while the festivities ensue downstairs.

My Favorite Fabric Store Ever

We moved to Arizona from Brooklyn, NY. There were a lot of things which I took for granted when I lived in NYC, especially where food and indie boutiques are concerned. One assumption I had made moving out here was that my only fabric shopping option locally would be a chain fabric store. I had figured it was back to ordering fabric on-line for me.

Once I landed in Patagonia and people found out about my dressmaking background everyone kept telling me that I had to visit SAS. I’m pretty jaded when it comes to fabric stores, I mean I even got to shop Mood when I lived in NYC. I put off visiting the store at first until I was with a friend and they had to shop there.

I walked in the door and felt like I’d fallen into a wormhole that had brought me right back to Brooklyn. There were stacks of fabrics everywhere, bare concrete floors and a staff that warmed my city girl heart. Almost every review site has criticism of the staff of SAS. To these criticism I say, grow up. These are some of the funniest and nicest people I have ever met as long as you treat them with the respect that any fellow human being is due. I have watched these ladies put up with a serious amount of bullsh*t with a surprising amount of grace.

Anyway, back to the fabric. It seems to be mostly endlot and priced amazingly. I shop there exclusively for all my jersey. Once I bought the most gorgeous 100% silk taffeta there for $2.00/yard. They also have trims that I can barely let myself look at for fear of it overtaking my entire studio space.

If you are ever near Tucson and like to sew go to SAS, you won’t be disappointed.

New Handmade Clothing in Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp

I’m in the middle of designing a completely new line of clothing but am still finishing and adding some of my designs from the past year to Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp. I also have a 20% off coupon up on the site so be sure to use coupon code grand20 for 20% off your entire order whether you’re purchasing handmade clothing, original art, or vintage items. Click on any of the images below for more details.

New Sewing at Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp

Now that I have my new webstore up and running I’m working to fill it up with new goodies. Here are a few of the recent sewing projects I’ve added to the shop, click on images to get more details regarding each item.

Handmade Orange, Yellow & Coral Linen Collage Skirt - Small

Rainbow Bow Bag

Handmade Aqua Horsey Jersey Jennifer Dress - Small

Handmade Aqua, Green, Brown & Black Patterned Cowl Tunic - Small

New Clothing at Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp

****Giveaway alert! This is post number 195! I want you to win a gift certificate to Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp!!! Enter here for your chance to win one of 3 gift certificates for Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp! Just post a comment to win, it’s easy.***

I was just looking back to see what the last new dresses I had posted to the blog and saw that the last 4 pieces I shared with you have all sold already! My dresses are moving fast these days so don’t miss your chance to get one of these. Click on the pictures to see item details on the Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp handmade dress shop on Etsy.

Handmade Yellow & Orange Layered Skirt with Orange Stretchy Waistband - Medium

Yellow & Green Layered Skirt - X-Large

Handmade Heathered Cotton Candy Pink Draped Collar Shirt - Large

Handmade Ikat Printed Jersey Cowl Tunic - Large

Handmade Purple Anchor Printed Jersey Cowl Tunic - Medium

Sew Basic: My First Experience as a Sewing Teacher

First….****A reminder! This is post number 194! That means you have a few more days to enter our CONTEST!!! Enter here for your chance to win a $100 gift certificate for Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp!***

Right before Thanksgiving I wrapped up my first ever sewing class, Sew Basic. What a great experience! I had 5 students who had little sewing experience. We started with hand techniques and then started using sewing machines.

I learned to hand sew when I was 6 from my grandmother. When I was a little older my step-mother taught me to use a sewing machine. For most of my sewing life though I have been on my own, figuring things out as I go and mostly making it up. I’m not much of a class person when it comes to creative skills, I just like to jump into it and figure it out. I wasn’t sure this would be to my advantage as a sewing teacher.

In the end I think it worked out to mine and my students advantage. When you reinvent the wheel to learn a skill it seems that you really understand how each minor move or adjustment makes the process easier or more effective. I have spent so much time figuring out these basics that I found myself more prepared than I thought to explain all the details which go into sewing.

With the exception of the classes final project I designed and prepped all of the projects for the class. I really was trying to give students ways to practice a variety of techniques and skills. For the final project I had students go shop for a commercial pattern and fabric and then make those projects in class.

In January I am excited to teach a group of children to sew. I will be teaching them hand sewing and students who are interested may go onto sewing machines.

Renegade Chaos

First….****A reminder! This is post number 192! That means you have a few more days to enter our CONTEST!!! Enter here for your chance to win a $100 gift certificate for Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp!***

I’m in the middle of some crazy preparation for Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Market in Austin, TX. I’m making and making and making clothing. It looks like a fabric bomb exploded in here.

Thank you to my wonderful husband, Joel, for all of his help getting ready!

New Handmade Clothing at Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp

I have been playing with a lot of new designs recently for Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp. I am working on good layering pieces for fall and adding more and more sleeves into the line. Click on images for purchasing information.

Aqua & Black Striped Draped Collar A-line Dress - Size Small

Aqua & Cream Geometric Patterned Draped Collar A-line Dress - Size Large

Eggplant Petticoat Dress

Pale Purple Embroidered Yo-Yo Shirt - Size Medium