Shea Marie Designs

I've been having so much fun sewing for our Granddaughter. We're getting closer to her 2026 arrival!

I've been working on some fun sewing projects lately. Head on over to the blog to check out the latest one:

CUSTOM OVERALLS With the joy of our first Grandchild on the way, I've been doing lots of sewing lately! It's been a minute since I've sewn baby/toddler/kid...

Whether you've never shopped with us before, or you need to expand your collection. Now is the time to shop with us! We're having a massive sale to make room for some new designs. These prices are insane! www.thebradshawcollection.com

Here's the latest on my sewing machine saga. This is a picture of my late Mother-in-Law's machine that I recently inherited. So, the short story is , I'm using it! This Singer portable electric (model 221-1) was first produced in 1933. Based upon some conversation and reminiscing with my MIL, I believe she probably received hers somewhere in the early 1950's (it was in production until 1964).

It is so quiet. Nice sturdy presser foot and has several attachments I have yet to play with like a "ruffler" and several other presser feet for binding, hemming, shirring, piping. So I actually went from the late 70's to the 50's for now. I recently finished a couple projects, which had me using this one as much as I could. Then, I'd hop over to my Brother as needed (zig-zag, buttonhole).

My MIL used this quite a bit for herself early in her marriage and for her 5 boys when they were younger. It's in remarkably great shape like my Kenmore was. Knowing the "previous owner" gives me comfort, a sense of nostalgia and makes my heart swell. I know she'd be happy to know I've already sewn several items with it.

I'm having to say "so-long" to my very first sewing machine. This baby has been like a family member (maybe the sister I never had) to me since I received it as a gift from my parents for my high school graduation.

That's 49 years! Can you name something you've owned for that many years that has been in working condition that entire time?
She's been going downhill rapidly the last couple of years, so I would baby it with regular doses of oil and cleanings. I even took it to a professional, but she said there was nothing she could do for it.

I've bought new machines over the years, but frankly they're junk compared to the mechanical sewing machines of the past. I also don't need a computerized version with 727 stitches or an industrial grade machine. So for now, I'm continuing to do some research. In fact, I've also explored FB marketplace to find this very same machine.

In the meantime, I'm reminiscing about the HUGE number of projects I've sewn with her. She was a workhorse to say the least. The very first wedding gown I made on her was my own, and I made so many more for family members and clients since then. Prom dresses and Halloween costumes for my daughter. Ballroom dance dresses for a friend. Clothes for nieces and nephews and "great" versions of the same. I've sewn jackets for my husband, shirts for my Dad and brothers, skirts for my Mom, and of course all of the samples for The Bradshaw Collection.

She will be missed. RIP my friend.

The final stop was London. We only had an afternoon to run around the city when we arrived since I planned for a day trip to Windsor/Eaton the next day. We did as much as we could that first day during the off and on rain. The trip to Windsor Castle was everything I thought it would be. We followed it up with afternoon tea on the Thames. Then we opted for a spontaneous night out at the theater to see Mrs. Doubtfire the Musical. So much fun!

The next stop was Brugge. What a quaint fairytale town. A nice change of pace from Paris. A totally walkable city with chocolate shops galore, museums, churches and pictures to be captured at every turn. Loved seeing all the handmade lace and the demo where we could chat with the ladies was amazing (a lot more engaging than my college "history of lace" class). Brugge you stole my heart!

This year's Mother/Daughter trip included Paris, Bruge and London/Windsor. A total of three planes, six trains and two river cruises. Here's a few pics of our Paris adventure! Just some of the highlights included a visit to the newly refurbished Notre Dame, the Louvre (including the Haute Couture exhibit) and a sunset Seine river cruise.

What a fun Christmas holiday its been. We still need to catch up with our Ft. Collins family. But since we made it a point to take some pictures (we're so bad at remembering to do this), I thought I'd share so far.....Hope everyone had a wonderful day!

2024 has been the year to see family....so pleased to be able to get everyone together this past week!

Each year I take a drive up to see the fall colors, this year after decades in Colorado, I took the Georgetown Loop train with my daughter. It was a lovely way to see the color (and let someone else do the driving). From there we were on to Silverthorne (Lake Dillon and Sapphire Point). As always the Aspen did not disappoint!

Had such a fun day out yesterday with my daughter. Breakfast and then a "pick your own" flowers outing at Garden Sweet in Fort Collins. We came home with the most beautiful bouquets. Even the rain couldn't stop us! So many varieties and colors to choose from.