Podcast Guests Today: Gerald and Elena Flores

This is such a great episode with Gerald and Elena Flores. As soon as I discovered their podcast, Sew Taco, I was hooked. They are a dynamic married couple with full time jobs as well as their own side hustle creative businesses, AND a podcast! I thought I was busy :) These guys are so amazing and inspiring and they work so hard but they also know when they need to take a break so they do not burn out. I love their positive attitude and their generous spirit of sharing with everyone on what they learn about running their side businesses.

Elena’s business is Sew Bonita, and she is passionate about her “Culture Empowered”. She sews bags and skirts and other handmade items with fabrics and colors from her vibrant Mexican culture. In addition to her online shop, Elena has founded a pop up makers market called Loca for Local. This is a pop up outdoor market in their hometown of Corpus Christi, with vendors that sell their beautiful handmade goods. They also have food trucks and other artists that make this market a spectacular event that people travel far and wide to attend.

Gerald is a talented Graphic Designer. He has an online shop called Taco Gear, where he designs and sells taco themed t-shirts etc. Recently, he started another business called That Pizza Brand, with - you guessed it - pizza themed t-shirts, hoodies etc. Gerald also does all of the podcast design and production of their Sew Taco podcast, and he does graphic design and marketing for Sew Bonita. Film making is also a passion of Gerald’s. He has a couple of seasons of The Taco Chair on Youtube that he made two pair with his Taco Gear brand.

Check out Elena and Gerald’s online shops and receive a 10% discount on your order with promo code: MAKERS

Elena’s website: https://sewbonita.com

Gerald’s website: https://tacogear.com

Listen to the Sew Taco Podcast on Apple or Spotify sewtaco.com

I’m Back!! …. Almost :)

Hello everyone! I am back in my office and sewing studio, trying not to overdo it, but having so much fun getting back into the swing of things. This bronchitis is still hangin on a bit, but is so much better than before.

The only sewing I have been doing recently is face masks, and it will continue to be face masks for a while. Our state has a ”wear facemask in public” enforcement that starts Friday, May 1st. There is a high demand for fabric face masks. I have orders to fulfill, and right now, I am happy to be focusing on those at the moment. This is helping to make up for my income loss from not being able to work my freelance design job.

Types of Wire to use for Face Masks

There are many types of wires that are being used to sew into the top of the face masks to shape over the nose for a snug fit. The most popular one I have seen is pipe cleaners, however the pipe cleaner wire will rust and erode when laundered. If you use pipe cleaners, sew a sleeve onto the back so that the pipe cleaner can be removed prior to laundering, and replaced after. It is not too much more work to sew the sleeve onto the back of the mask. Cut a 1.5'“ w x 6” long piece of fabric, press the 2 short sides in ¼” and bottom edge in ¼”. Top stitch the bottom edge and pin/clip top raw edge to top raw edge of back side of face mask. Continue making face mask as normal.

I found a 20 gauge craft wire on Amazon that is a silver plated copper wire. This will not erode or rust when laundered. It just delivered to me yesterday, and it looks like it will work when sewn directly into the mask. I have a photo of the wire and the pipe cleaner below.

Other types of wire I have seen people using are plastic twist ties and floral wire. I could not find twist ties that easily, and floral wire will probably erode as well. So, overall, I will be sticking with the pipe cleaners with sleeves and the copper craft wire in my face masks.

EPP with Tula Pink on Fat Quarter Shop’s You Tube videos

Tula Pink is absolutely fabulous on these Fat Quarter videos. There is a series on English paper piecing, and she covers it from beginning to end, and three different techniques to try as well as essential to not essential, but nice to have, notions. The top three notions I took away from these videos were:

1. Tulip #10 Big Eye Appliqué Needles

2. Mini Sew Tites magnets to hold the epp pieces together

3. Sue Daley round rotating cutting mat

What I am watching

Smithsonian Channel has free episodes right now, and I have been watching “Ariel America” a series of episodes on each state of the US. The episodes tell the history of each state, and has beautiful Ariel video views of the beautiful terrain, coasts and landscape of each state.

HGTV: Celebrity IOU - new series with the Property Brothers that team up each episode with a celebrity that does a makeover for someone special in their life.

ESPN: The Last Dance: Documentary of the Chicago Bulls in the season of their last (6th) Championship season with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Denis Rodman and Coach Phil Jackson. I like this because it’s my local NBA team, and that was an era that can never be replaced. I was lucky to have been able to attend the final championship game in 1996.

EPIX: Belgravia - Amazing new series by Downton Abby creator Julien Fellows. Lots of secrets, nefarious plots and high fashion from the late 1800s - a total Edwardian soap opera!!