CWC 2019

Walking to the conference 

     Last week I was at the Custom Workroom Conference, CWC.  It was held at the Embassy Suites in Concord NC.  I chose to stay off site to save some money.  It was a beautiful 17 minute walk.

     On Monday we had classes from 8:30 in the morning until 9 at night.  I took Upscale Bedding with Nancy Letts, Slipcovers by the Numbers with Emily Petit, Hobbled Shade Valance with Ann K Johnson, Fabricating Shaped and Unusual Pillow Designs with Laura Nelson and Innovative Design and Workroom Solutions with Donna Skufis.

     On Tuesday it was the keynote speaker, Susan Kostelecky.  Her talk was Paying it Forward where she told us about the after school sewing project she has been doing for several years.  The talk brought us to tears and to our feet.  Such a wonderful thing to do.
   
     That was followed by the vendor hall until 5 that evening.  So many things to see.  Different headway systems for Roman shades, tools to use and fabrics to touch.  It was almost overwhelming.  That was followed by a cocktail party sponsored by Rowley Company.

     On Wednesday it was a longer two hour class, Give Your Shades a Lift with Deb Cronin and Jennifer White.  So many headrail systems!

     It was great to meet up with old friends and make new ones.  This is the third time I have gone, sorry to have missed last year.  I hope to be able to go again in the future.  I can't wait to try out some of the things I learned.  I will share them with you in future posts.

Unusual bark on this tree

Sentimental Baby Blankets

Pile of blankets

     A client came to me looking to do something with the receiving blankets and other blankets that she had saved from her three children.  She was expecting her first grandchild and wanted to somehow use these blankets.

Layout for blanket number one

    We came up with the idea to cut up the receiving blankets and piece them together and then stitch to a waffle weave blanket as the backing.  Because of the thicker edge on the waffle weave blanket it was decided that sewing them right sides together and turning would create too much bulk.  Instead I would turn under the edges of the pieced top and topstitch it in place.

Pieced top pinned in place

     The striped blankets were specific to each child, it was the one they came home from the hospital in.  I made sure not to mix those up.

Detail of the topstitched edge

     I measured each waffle weave blanket and then figured out how big the pieces of receiving blankets needed to be.  Each blanket was a slightly different size.  I cut and pieced the receiving blankets, using a 1/2 inch seam allowance for a little extra strength.

Embroidered name

     I embroidered each child's name onto their corresponding blanket.  I then pinned the pieced blanket unto the backing blanket and trimmed the corners. I top-stitched all around.

Back of the blanket

     
     For a little added stability I stitched in the ditch around the center square.

Finished blanket

     I liked how they turned out.  The client was so pleased when she picked them up.  She said she had some second thoughts after giving me the blankets, worried that her children were going to think she was giving them rags.  She absolutely loved them!