Sew Glamorous

Broomstick Lace

2010-10-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

I bought a huge bag of sewing/crochet/macrame/cross-stitch books at a local book fair a few weeks ago, and, since most of the books were published in the 70's, I came across a bunch of patterns utilizing a "Broomstick Lace" crochet technique. The skill is also called Jiffy Lace, and it requires a monster knitting needle ( I used size 50) and a crochet hook. After watching some video tutorials (the picture instructions that I have are AWFUL), I gave it a go:

Pretty cool, but an awful lot of work for something that looks the same as a standard shell crochet pattern. Plus, apparently people in the 70's had ENORMOUS heads. I had to add some ties so that it wouldn't fall off. Of course, I could have measured using a gauge pattern, but then I would be one of those weird crochet automatons.

Ooh, I also crocheted some socks last week, but I haven't taken any pics yet. They were super fast, but it seems that those poor 70's people suffered with tiny feet that couldn't possibly have supported their gigantic heads. Had to personalize the pattern, as usual. :)

Beetle Bailey and a Bum Bag

2010-06-14T07:43:00.001-07:00

This weekend has been super-productive for me! In addition to a quickie up-cycled jersey skirt (that I didn't take a photo of), I sewed up a new sun hat for The Bear:
And a Bum Bag for myself:
This bag has a split zippered pocket on the outside and a small open pocket within. I tested out a new stabilizer on the straps, and squared off the bottom. I stuffed it chock-full-o stuff for a boat trip yesterday, and it held up like a champ!
Now that I got some personal sewing projects out of my system, I can go back to making stuff for other people! I bought a sweet t-shirt at the thrift store the other day that I am DYING to make into a bag, and I still have another dress I want to put together for Princess Peanut. Plus, I really need to restock my Artfire shop and get some things together for potential craft fairs this fall. Busy busy!

Princess Peanut's Debut!

2010-06-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

After much procrastinating and a big move, I am finally working on the little girl dresses that got me started on this sewing obsession 3 years ago.

Meet Princess Peanut (of the Georgia Peanut's) displaying her newest custom made frock:
I have been carefully choosing fabrics that I thought would complement her fair skin and curly, auburn baby locks, and I think that these soft pinks and greens are perfect:
The dress is the product of a new pattern that I have been dying to try, and with the exception of the non-existent closure instructions, it was a quick and easy sew. Although, I don't know where they find the amazonian kids that they use for hem length models! I was so happy to have Princess Peanut in the flesh to measure, otherwise this dress would have been several inches too long. As it was, I tossed the pattern hem instructions and did my own thing (as usual).
And, of course, I had to add my own signature whimsy with the smiley face button on the back. Because toddler clothes should never be too serious. :)

Old Concert Tee Shirt to New Tank Top

2010-06-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

I am finally back in business! After finishing a few projects that moved with me from IL, I was inspired to pump out a fun, quick tank for myself.

While unpacking, I unearthed some old concert t-shirts that had gotten lost in the process of becoming a grown-up. Obviously I felt sad for the once favorite shirts and decided to put them in my sewing room so that I could infuse some new life into them at some point. This is what caught my fancy today:
I found a tank pattern that I had forgotten I owned, and since these concert tees are men's XL, I knew they would size down really well.
The pattern encourages a tighter fit, but this tee is 15 years old (and had been very well loved prior to storage) so I decided against straining the remaining stretch in the jersey, and left it loose.
I am really excited to wear my old concert tee in a new way! The others may become bags or pillows, or who knows what, but this one was begging to be worn again.

Double, Double Toil and Trouble..

2010-06-02T10:03:00.000-07:00

We are finally transplanted in Georgia, and after a month of cleaning, painting, flooring, and unpacking, I have a working sewing room!
Of course, I needed a nook for The Bear!
My little sanctuary from the southern heat and humidity. I hope to spend the majority of the summer sewing away. I have missed my machines and fabric. Plus, I desperately need a new bag. So, let the sewing begin!

The last bag I'll make in Chicago...

2010-03-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago my husband's aunt asked about the messenger bags that I make, and so I naturally offered to put one together for her. You have to know that she's a little eccentric, so this task was pretty exciting. I had the perfect shirt in mind for her, but the coordinating fabric had me a little stumped.
Front:
I wanted to do something unique and, fortunately, I stumbled across this Drunkards Path quilt pattern that I thought would be perfect! But, once I started putting it together I realized that it was a little too busy, so I broke it up with some t-shirt strips.
Back:
Once the outside was settled I knew I needed lots of pockets on the inside. I actually use one of these bags as my everyday purse, and I know the need for storage. So, I designed 3 fun little pockets for the interior:

Open pocket.

Zippered pocket:

Chapstick & pen pocket:

And then I came across an idea that solved my adjustable strap issues. BUTTONS!! Of course!! I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner. It seems so obvious!
So, it took me almost 2 months to make this bag, but I feel like it is a real work of art. I hope my husband's aunt likes it because I really did put a lot of thought in to it.

And now, on to the Big Move! We are fleeing the Chicagoland area this May and transporting our accumulated junk and northern attitudes to Georgia. My sewing area is mostly packed up and ready to be transplanted to a BIGGER and BETTER space! So, expect GRANDIOSE experiments in sewing this summer because I plan to hide from the heat as thoroughly as I can. :)

Fingerless Gloves...

2010-02-22T22:09:00.000-08:00

Here in Chicago, you wouldn't know that we are in the tail end of winter. With wind chill temps consistently in the 20's, it seems that Spring may end up "sleeping in" this year. So, I thought I would take advantage of the lazy days of Winter by attempting a new crochet project.

I found a free pattern for fingerless gloves at Hobby Lobby today, and I didn't bother to even peek at the instructions before I got out my yarn and hook. What a crazy mess this pattern was!!! Reverse Single Crochet?? Front Post Half Double Crochet? WTH?!?! But, I toughed it out, and shocked myself by ending up with something functional:

This is me procrastinating...

2010-01-29T11:47:00.000-08:00

I have been chock-full of ideas these past few weeks, but severely lacking in staying power and motivation. Both of my nieces have birthdays coming up, and I have been busy putting together some outfits for them. The problem is that I have not been keen on actually FINISHING the outfits...

Case in point, Princess Peanut's simple wrap dress. This top is waiting on a button, I have almost finished the bloomers, and I have only gotten done with the cutting stage of the coordinating sun hat. I'm pretty sure that the girl will have outgrown this outfit before I have a chance to give it to her:
Also on the finishing pile is this super sweet pillowcase-turned-jumper for the Pretty Pretty Princess. (Am I the only one that thinks those sheep are completely awesome??) This dress could have been done weeks ago, but is still waiting on buttons (and buttonholes-eek!) at the top of the straps:
So, what have I been doing about all this unfinished business? I have been making thousands of yards of bias tape and experimenting with itty-bitty fabric yo-yos that I am using to cover buttons. Oh, and I finished some fairly uninspired projects; like this fleece jumper that I don't love as much as I thought I would:
And some lounge pants that I could sew in my sleep:
I have a brain full of exciting new refashions that I want to try out, but the unfinished projects are WEIGHING ME DOWN!! I really just need to chain myself to the sewing table this weekend and get my business done.

Hooters.

2010-01-17T10:45:00.000-08:00

I have been working my little fingers to the bone lately, but since the Pretty Pretty Princess hasn't been around to model for me, I am going to share a quickie project I did for the Bear.

A trip to the thrift store the other day yielded some excellent treasures. For example, I found this rockin' long sleeve T-shirt that says "Hooters" down the sleeve. My initial reaction? Those must become pants for the Bear!! So, I snipped the sleeves off:
Once the sleeves were separated from the shirt I just stuck one sleeve inside the other (right sides facing), used a pair of lounging pants to trace a "crotch curve," cut, and stitched. And, Presto Chango!
The coolest pair of jersey pants a 6 year old could ever hope to own!!
I love not having to hem, and I am grateful to own a serger for the inside seam. These bottoms took about 20 minutes to construct and they only cost me $0.88!!

Butterfly Bifocal Bag

2010-01-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

I promised my mother-in-law this bifocals accessory a few months ago, and I finally got around to sewing it up. I used some animal print for the exterior, skull-print flannel for the inside, and recycled denim for the butterfly wings. Check out my awesome applique and bead-stringing accomplishments!
I think we all know that I suck at jewelry, so the necklace portion is pretty plain, but I made up for that with my totally sweet applique and embellishments. Now my MIL can feel rockstar-ish, yet feminine while toting her eyeglasses around her neck. I almost wish that I wore glasses so that I could sport one of these bad boys! :)

I swear I've been doing stuff!

2009-12-14T12:29:00.000-08:00

Cold weather is crochet weather for me. My sewing area sits, sadly neglected, while I lounge on the couch watching old Farscape episodes and looping yarn over a hook. This year I have been very productive churning out hats and scarves. Some are gifts for specific people, but most of what I have made will be thrown in to a grab bag box for my extended family to pick through at Christmas. I found this awesome new scarf pattern, and I have gone a little nuts with it:

And then I uncovered a hat pattern buried at the bottom of my yarn bin and I decided to give that a go too! It's very basic, so I have been fooling with it a little and ended up making a cute cloche-style beanie:

Most of the scarves and hats are being constructed from half-used skeins and loose scraps. The pattern that I'm using is very fast, and I can crank one out in about 2 hours. I may actually run out of yarn by the end of winter!! I will probably have a scarf/hat giveaway in January to get rid of whatever my family doesn't take, so keep your eyes peeled!

Recycled Sweater Mittens - GIVEAWAY!!

2009-12-09T08:26:00.000-08:00

So I found this super easy recycled sweater mitten video tutorial here, but I super hated every second of making these. The original design involves the cuff from the donor sweater being folded over and tacked down with a button, but this seemed "unfinished" to me, so I changed it. I used the fleece to make a cuff that is attached to both the inner and outer fabrics. These gloves are ridiculously warm, but I guess that only matters if your fingers enjoying feeling like they are in a russian banya.

A few things I learned from this project:
1. Cutting and sewing felted wool leaves a fine, wool-y dust all over my sewing area
2. My sewing machine gets grumpy when clogged with wool-y dust
3. Hand sewing is for suckers
4. My fingers are claustrophobic and they don't like being sardine-packed in to mittens.

These mittens are lined with heavy fleece, and the outer fabric is felted wool recycled from an ugly thrift store sweater. They seem to fit women's hands the best. I had planned to embellish these with some ribbon or buttons or something, but you know how I get when a project annoys me. So, as usual, I AM GIVING THEM AWAY!! If anyone is interested in owning these, just leave a comment here or on my Facebook post. I will pick a winner (if anyone even responds) on Monday, December 14th. Also, I can throw in the templates if you want them. Just let me know.

Disclaimer - This is my first (and only) attempt at this pattern, so they are not perfect. But, they are finished and warm.

27 Million Hours Later..

2009-11-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

....the custom wizard robe is finally finished. I hate that it took me so long, and I hate that it photographs so poorly. I am so glad to get this thing out of my house. It has become the bane of my existence the past several weeks. Grarg.
Now I can finish up my crochet projects without guilt. Yay. Plus, I will be in Michigan for the holiday which means Sewing Mecca here I come!!! I hope everyone has a nice holiday, and expect a scarf/hat giveaway sometime in December!! :)

Handmade Halloween

2009-10-31T17:13:00.001-07:00

I love handmade Halloween costumes. I am extremely biased and am notorious for giving extra candy to the kids who are unique or original. For the past 2 years my son has chosen store costumes for Halloween, and it broke my heart. But, I allow him the freedom to make his own choice for this holiday, and I don't argue about it (much). So, when he saw a picture on a pattern envelope at the store a few months ago and insisted he must have an outfit like it, I was THRILLED! Obviously, I tailored the pattern to our unique specifications, thereby creating HELL BAT - HERO OF THE NIGHT!
I made everything he is wearing with the exception of the gloves. I wish I had thought ahead and crafted the wings to be detachable since they are made from felt and not really machine washable. The fleece bodysuit and hood kept my midget warm and toasty on a frigid Halloween night, although the mask only made it a few houses before being removed. I may reuse the hood pattern for some winter hats. It's super cozy, and even fits me!! The hood would have been more snug if I had used a fleece lining, but I opted for the cotton flame contrast instead.

Needless to say, he was the only Hell Bat on the block and NOBODY suspected it was handmade! *pulls muscle patting self on back*

I am really proud of my bear for having an amazing imagination and for trusting his mom to make his vision come true. :)

I hope everyone had a very Happy Halloween!

Rockin' the Ribbon Hat

2009-10-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I have been working on perfecting my hat-making skills for the past week or so. I plan to have a winter hat giveaway pretty soon, but I need to finish some Halloween projects before I can focus my full attention on creating contest prizes.

In the meantime, here is a Breast Cancer Ribbon hat that I made for my mom. It is being modeled by my son, who is proving that real men can rock pink hats. :)

Boring T-shirt to Totally Awesome Hat???

2009-10-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

I have SO MANY projects to finish right now that I ended up doing what I always do when I'm feeling pressured. I rebel by purposely ignoring my projects and starting something new. Thus, I grabbed a fleece hat pattern that I have and said "Fleece?? Phooey to that!!"

These hats are made from a totally boring blue T-shirt and some scrap flannel I picked up in the remnant bin for, like, $1.

The bill of the hat can be flipped up or down, but it isn't really possible to see with it down. But, it looks way cuter that way, so I say "Phooey!" to unobstructed views. Oh, and the pattern doesn't include a cute button closure, but I threw one on there because I am awesome like that.

I think this orange one almost looks a little rugby-esque and I love it:

My kid was all, "MOM! It's HOT in the sun!! When can I take it off??" And I was all, "Just smile and stop yer whinin' or I'll make you wear it ALL DAY!!" (I didn't really say it like that, but I'm reading a novel set in 1940's Mississippi right now and I'm thinking in southern speak.)

The loop for the button is actually a piece of the tee. Pretty brilliant, right??? ;)

I think I might make some girl hats next with little t-shirt scrap pom pons on top. That's, of course, if I don't get back to the projects already started. Hmmph.

Fan Giveaway!! 3 Winners!!

2009-10-16T23:59:00.000-07:00

So this time around I've smartened up and decided to offer 3 prizes for this contest!! Woohoo!

Prize #1 is a "More Cowbell" Messenger Bag made from a recycled T-Shirt and a couple of dress shirts. The bag measures appx. 12" wide and appx. 13" high.
It has 2 pockets on the outside (one on either side of the bag) appropriate for a cell phone, MP3 player, or a bunch of pens. And, there are 2 pockets inside - 1 zippered pocket (shown below) and the original dress shirt pocket with no closure.

But, the most exciting part is the fully adjustable strap!! It can adjust from appx. 26" to appx. 47"!! The strap width is around an inch or so, which makes it less bulky when you wear it across your chest ( I was thinking of all of my ample-breasted sisters out there).

Prize #2 is a handbag that I threw together from some scrap fabric. It measures appx. 9.5" square and has some pleating-ish-ness on both the front and the back:

I included a button and loop for some closure since I did not use any interfacing on this bag. Basically, it is fully cloth and completely machine washable!!

Of course, I included an inner pocket since no one leaves the house without their cell phone!

And, Prize #3 is an oldie but a goodie! It is the very first recycled T messenger bag that I made. The "Beach Bum" bag!! For pictures, click this link. This bag measures about 12.5" x 13" and it has no pockets (cut me some slack, it was my FIRST one!!) The strap ties at the top and measures 31.5"

How exciting to be able to have 3 winners this time!!

Here are the rules:

Between Oct. 5th and Oct. 16th "fan" me on Facebook (there is a link to the right of this post) and leave a comment in my Contest Discussion or on my wall letting me know that you want to participate. That's it!! So easy!!

Also, you can gain additional entries by referring new fans to my page. See the discussion board for more info on that.

Goodluck!

Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon...

2009-10-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend is constantly giving me grief about how I don't own a makeup bag. The simple explanation is that I don't really wear anything more than eyeliner. Thus, I have NEVER carried a make-up pouch in my purse. I honestly didn't even know that ANYONE did until I was in my 20's. So, I didn't really have much of a need for a little beauty tote before now.

I am going to my in-laws today, and I just needed a small bag for my travel-sized toiletries. I do own a much larger toiletry tote, but it's already filled with the family's crap (from our summer roadtrip), and I don't need all that junk. Normally I would just use a ziploc baggie, but sandwich size is too small, and the freezer bags I have are too big. What was a girl to do??? Make my own, of course!!!

I used some scrap flannel for the lining so that it will quickly absorb small leaks, and I put in a rockin' orange zipper at the top. The bottom has squared corners so that I could stand it up on the sink edge (something not easily done with my other toiletry case). It is cute and small and indicative of who I am! Perfect!

Look at how well my stuff fits in there! (Notice there is no make-up, just some bodywash, shampoo, a brush, and some lotion hiding in the back.) This was my first attempt at this type of project, and I am really proud that I did such a nice job on it. Plus, it's ALL FOR ME!! I needed to do something for myself since I have been working on a bear of a halloween costume for a friend of mine. After a week of fighting with metallic satin, I was very happy to have a project that I could get done in 20 minutes. Yay me!

Goddesses come in all forms...

2009-09-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

This will probably be my last tote for awhile since I have an awesome messenger-bag-in-the-making awaiting my attention. Plus, I have a custom order from my 6 year old for a "Hell Bat" Halloween costume.
This tote used a "Garage Sale Goddess" t-shirt that I bought for $0.44 at my favorite thrift store, some leftover asian fabric, and a nylon strap that I stole off of one of my husband's duffel bags (shhh!):

I experimented with patchwork on this bag since red can be a really abrasive color without anything to break it up. I'm happy with how it turned out, and I am shocked that there is no puckering at the seams! But, I ran out of the asian fabric for the liner, so I had to add some extra jersey to the bottom:

It turned out pretty cool, though. I should probably keep this for myself since I am a total garage sale freak, but I think I'll list it in Artfire and see how it goes.

Also, with the cooler weather approaching, I am going to be testing out new techniques for photographing my stuff indoors. What do you think of the checkered material? Too much? I thought it worked well as a backdrop to the red. Am I totally delusional, or what?

Oh, and I'm thinking of creating a tutorial for these recycled t-shirt totes since they are super easy. Does anyone want to see that, or do you think there are enough tutorials floating around for totes?

Feedback, people! I need feedback! :)

We have a WINNER!

2009-09-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

A few things I learned from this giveaway:
1. I really wish I had made enough bags for everyone.
2. There are alot of amazing, supportive people in the world.
3. I am card-fanning-disabled.

I thought about doing a random number generator, but it just seemed so impersonal. So, I decided to dig out some playing cards and do it my own way!

(My husband is the designated card-fan-holder due to my apparent lack of finger coordination which resulted in a nasty hand cramp that I am nursing right now.)
My son volunteered to pick a card since he is unbiased and I often cheat at card games. :)

AND THE WINNER IS - JOYFUL GIRL NATURALS!!! Congratulations!

And, thank you, thank you, thank you to EVERYONE who participated in this contest! I will be holding another giveaway in a couple of weeks, so please keep following. I plan to have more prizes next time. I promise!!

GIVEAWAY!! Recycled T-Shirt Tote

2009-09-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

I have FINALLY finished the tote that I started before Zee German arrived!! It is made out of an "Ergo Proxy" T-shirt that was extra-super small, as well as some kick-ass cotton fabric I picked up at Hobby Lobby. How cute is this character?

Although the cotton fabric is fabulous, the bag still whined for some added pizazz, so I utilized some yarn that I had almost forgotten that I owned:

Now, there are no closures on this tote, but I did transform the t-shirt sleeve into an inner pocket! Obviously I used interfacing and lining on the pocket, since jersey fabric is so droopy on its own:

Also, the bottom is squared off for better stand-ability:

I love this bag. I thought about keeping it for myself, but I decided, instead, to celebrate a recent sale in my Artfire shop by GIVING IT AWAY!!! And, since this contest is all about my adoration of people who support handmade, ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS FOLLOW MY BLOG!!

Just leave a comment between now and Sept. 17th letting me know that you follow and that you want the bag. (I don't want to send it to someone who has no use for it.) I will announce the winner on September 18th.

Goodluck and thanks for following my (mostly) crafty blather!

The Call of the Ribbon

2009-09-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

I threw together another tote/shoulder bag yesterday in an effort to minimize my "project" pile. (These T-shirts are reproducing, I swear!!) I had a really hard time picking out a lining fabric to coordinate with the shirt because I desperately wanted to highlight the blue/green in the screenprint. So, I had to run to Hobby Lobby for some fabric and look at what else I found:

You're probably wondering what I was thinking with the ribbon. Well, here's what I thought when I saw it - "HOLY CRAP! PINK AND BLACK ZEBRA PRINTED FAUX FUR RIBBON!?!? Most. Awesome. Thing. Ever."

I am not generally a supporter of animal print fashion accessories, but this ribbon spoke directly to me in soft, sensual tones telling me that my tote would be nothing without it. Thank goodness I listened to the ribbon!

Aaaaah......isn't it fabulous??

Cool Weather Crochet

2009-09-11T13:36:00.001-07:00

I was on the phone with a friend of mine the other day, and I mentioned that I was in the midst of a crochet project, and she says, "I always know that cool weather is on it's way when you start to crochet." It's true. Fall is my crochet season. But, this project can easily be worn with a tank on an Indian Summer day!

Is it a shawl? Is it a poncho? I'm calling it a Shawcho. Notice the pleating on the front? As usual, I completely ignored the pattern instructions and used a thinner yarn. So, I had to add some pleats in the front to decrease the size of the neck. I think it adds something interesting, th0ugh.

I'n not a huge fan of fringe, but I thought a little more length would be flattering with this design.

I think it's pretty cool, but I have no idea what I'm going to do with it. Should I keep it? Sell it? Give it away? *shrugs* I'm just psyched that I finally used up that yarn that I bought for the failed beach bag project.

Parting is such sucky sorrow...

2009-09-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

It has been 5 ridiculously short weeks since Zee German came back to us, and I am shocked (as usual) by how much we have done. Besides travel and shopping, Zee German has been a busy little sewing bee during this visit, and I am shamelessly proud of her determination and imagination. After a rocky introduction to my sewing machine, she dove right in and grabbed hold of the "Even if it's not perfect, it's complete" motto. I wish I had just a portion of my girl's energy when it comes to sewing. Check out some of the things she created in her short time here.

This is a small purse she made to coordinate with a jumper dress we made together (not pictured):
She also flew solo on these 2 recycled t-shirt tote bags:

And a couple of fantastic recycled t-shirt/dress shirt/weird mumu dress I got from a relative skirts that she whipped up. All I did was the serging and elastic casing on these bad boys:

Aren't they fantastic??? Tonight I am trying to finish up a laptop case she made by attaching a zipper, and then the sewing machine is getting a break over the holiday weekend. I think my machine will appreciate this time to regain it's strength and grieve the loss of Zee German. I know that my machine and I aren't the only ones that will miss our girl desperately:

We love you, M.

Idle Hands...

2009-08-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

Even the jewelry-making-disabled, like myself, can assemble a simple bracelet. And, since my sewing machine has been busy with Zee German, I rummaged through my sadly neglected bead collection to whip up a bracelet for my mom. (Mom, if you're reading this and I haven't given you the bracelet yet, then stop right here!!)

I found the owl charm during an impromptu trip to Hobby Lobby, and it screamed "MOM" to me. So, I picked it up along with $27 worth of other completely unnecessary things.

I really do think my mom will like the bracelet, and it beats grating zucchini and baking loaf after loaf of quick breads (which are not as quick as the name implies). Although, now that my craftiness has been satisified for the weekend I'm back to the kitchen.... :(

The Neglected Garden

2009-08-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you go on vacation for 8 days and no one tends your garden:
GARGANTUAN ZUCCHINI!!

So, most of the day yesterday was spent grating, mixing, baking, and chopping. And, after all of that work, I still have 4 zucchini to prep. :( It only took 1 zucchini to yield 2 loaves of bread (we started eating a loaf already) and a big freezer bag of chopped zucchini for stews:

This is the rest of the baking we did over the weekend. Chocolate Chip cookies, chocolate chip muffins, and the zucchini breads. This week I am making zucchini muffins, zucchini soup, banana bread, banana pancakes, and YET MORE zucchini bread. Anyone need any baked goods? :)

Never fear, though, I am actually working on some sewing today too. I had an idea for a tote that I am putting together right now. Hopefully I will have pictures of that tomorrow.

It all started with Vegas...

2009-08-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

I'm going to Vegas this week, and I knew I wanted to have a cute "girl's night out" ensemble. So, I rummaged through my "shirts that are too small for civilized people to wear in public," and I found a sweet little emo top that I got for free somewhere along the way. After that discovery, I chose a coordinating fabric and got the ball rolling. Of course, in the middle of the project I realized that I needed a bag to match, so I whipped up a little hip pouch. It's bigger than I envisioned, but it will definitely hold all of my stuff!

I had to buy the belt to thread through the pouch. I figure if I'm going to Vegas, I may as well go chains and all with this outfit!

Okay, it is really windy today, and everytime I tried for a side shot the breeze would morph the skirt in to a butt-hugger. So, I squatted a little to show you how it naturally falls:

This is the outfit without the pouch. I think I should have de-boxified the shirt a little by pulling in the side seams, but I have had enough of this project. I just want to wear it and be done!

I think this outfit sums up my opinion of Vegas night life, and I am psyched to wear it! Now, if I only had shoes to match....

Total Cost = $9.99 (for the belt). All the fabric was on hand already, and the t-shirt was free!

Total Time = *shrugs* I kept walking away, coming back, modifying it... But it would have been quick if I had just created a plan initially and stuck with it. :)

I swear this is the last bag for awhile...

2009-08-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

Before I leave for an 8 day vacation I needed to finish the coolest bag ever:
I saw this t-shirt at the thrift store and almost doubled over from laughing! I loved it, and I knew I had to make a messenger bag out of it. But, I wanted to change it up a little bit, so I re-vamped the design. See those little triangles? PAIN IN THE BUTT!!!

This shirt is actually a washed-out red color. I hate the color in digital pics sometimes..

Here you can see the side pocket I put in (to cover a small stain on the original tee. Shhh!). It will comfortably fit pens, pencils, and maybe a cell phone.

And, I have successfully mastered zipper placement and installation! Look at this awesome inner pocket!

I ended up listing this bag for a bit more than the others because of the extra work that went in to the pockets. Plus, how many mullet bags have you seen recently??? You know this rocks.

I'm the WIENER!!!

2009-08-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

Remember that giveaway for 'Twas Brillig's beautiful earrings that I talked about last week?

I WON!!

It's really quite shocking since I never win anything, and I am so grateful to be acquiring such a lovely prize!

All of 'Twas Brillig's offerings are GORGEOUS, and I'm currently perusing her shop for some birthday gifts that I need to procure. You should check her out too, she's fabulous!

Crazy morning, Cool people, and Crappy books..

2009-07-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

As I was browsing through my social networks today, I came across a forum post about handmadenews.org, and I decided to check it out. I almost spewed cherry Dr. Pepper when I saw that my Beach Bum Messenger Bag is featured as the item of the day today!! Go check it out immediately! They wrote up a cute little article about me, and I am SO FREAKING EXCITED TO BE FEATURED!!

This is the link to the article. Browse around while you're there, because they have other interesting articles for handmade crafters.

Speaking of the benefits of social networks, I saw an ad on indiepublic the other day for some amazing art pieces offered by Gorjuss. The ad linked to her Etsy shop, but I've made it clear how I feel about Etsy, so I checked to see if she has a shop on Artfire, and she does! I immediately bought a couple of items from her because I love her stuff so much that I want to cry. This bookmark is one of the things I bought. It is perfect for my teenage niece who I promised a book to recently:
And, speaking of books, I am abandoning the L.A. Banks' Vampire Huntress Series. I had to grit my teeth through book 5, and enough is enough. The story has become painfully awful and I am certain that I am missing nothing by quitting in the middle of the series. So, I should be able to spend more time sewing this weekend!!

Zee German Messenger

2009-07-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

My German is visiting for a few weeks, and since we have some down time before our "Grand Adventure" to Vegas next week, we have been busy sewing. Sunday was spent at the local community thrift store (NOT over-priced Goodwill) shopping for t-shirts. I love that we found a ton of shirts for under $1. Like this I-Tunes shirt:
It was perfect for the German music lover:

So, I gave her a crash course on messenger-bag-making, and she did AWESOME! This is not a beginner pattern, and she cranked it out like a champ. How amazing is the coordinating dress shirt she chose???

And, we incorporated the dress shirt pocket, added a zippered pocket, and fashioned an IPod pocket on the strap (of course!).

It is so hard to teach a beginner to sew an advanced pattern (which we altered along the way), and this experience has taught me to take it slow and start with the basics in the future. I was very fortunate to have someone with zeal who learns quickly for this project, but if I ever decide to teach a class I will definitely use an easier pattern.

Banana Splits Bag

2009-07-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

I got off my lazy, book reading butt today and FINALLY finished my newest messenger bag:
I needed something to replace the Fish bag that I had to take out of my shop this week since I ended up donating it to the IndiePublic August raffle.

You may recognize the lining fabric from my most recent dress. I have quite a bit of that pattern left, and I was ecstatic that it matched the Banana Splits t-shirt!

Well, I'm off to list it in my Artfire shop! I just thought I'd post it up here so everyone could see that I wasn't hallucinating the unfinished bag.

'Twas Brillig's First Giveaway!

2009-07-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

I think I have officially reached social network overload. It is possible that I belong to almost every craft/handmade network in existence, and I am terribly unorganized about the whole thing. But, I logged in to American Craft Guide on Ning this morning, and as I was browsing the groups I came across this GIVEAWAY!

Aren't these earrings beautiful? 'Twas Brillig is giving them away on her blog. The contest ends on July 31st, so you should head over there and give her some love right away!

Poor Time Management..

2009-07-22T13:59:00.001-07:00

I have an almost finished messenger bag sitting on my sewing table looking very morose and neglected. But, I have been in a reading mood for the past few days, and I just can't pull myself away from L.A. Banks' Vampire Huntress Series to get back to the bag.

It's not that this series is particularly good, but I am a complete sucker for vampire books. (By the way, there will be NO discussion of Stephenie Meyer's ridiculously infantile submissions to the literary world on this blog. There are plenty of other venues for discussing that tripe.)
Her first book - Minion - is a clear example of Ms. Banks' writing inexperience but it also introduces you to her immense passion for the subject matter. I read this one when it first came out in paperback, and I thought I liked it back then. When I recently re-read it, I realized, mmmm, not so much. But, I was invested at that point (having foolishly purchased books 1 & 2). So, I worked through the choppy plot and blatant religious references, and made it to book 2.

The Awakening is marginally better than book 1. The story is a little more fluid, and now that I know all of the characters it is easier to relate to them. BUT, the ghetto vernacular like, "dayyuuum!" and "chile" instead of "child" really grates my nerves a little. I know I'm being ridiculous, but can't at least ONE of the characters speak without using ebonics?? Pleeeeeaaaaaassssseeeee!?!?

All in all, it was fine. And when I say "fine," I mean it was okay or mediocre not "fine" like, "Dayyyuuum, that girl is FINE!"
This book creates a solid lead-in to the next novel by forcing the reader to care about and root for the seemingly doomed relationship.

I should finish "The Hunted" today. So far, this is the best of the 3 books that I have read so far. But, I may only be feeling that way because I know how shocked all of the religious readers are when they read the steamy love scenes near the beginning of this installment in the series. ;)

The story has a some substance, but Ms. Banks spent a lot of time on the romantic relationship. I'm not a fan of romance novels, but I'm dealing with it in anticipation of intense bloodshed by the end.

I already have the next 2 books in my possession from the library, so don't expect my bag pics anytime soon. When I get in to a series, I suffer from "reading frenzy," and can't force myself to find the time for my other hobbies. I'm lucky if I remember to feed my family during a good series! :)

Hooded Jersey Jumper

2009-07-18T10:09:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it is like this for all crafters, but I often find myself doubting my skills and creativity. I look at the work of my fellow Etsy and Artfire sellers and I cannot help but feel dwarfed by their genius. I know that I am generally hyper-critical of myself, but that's beacause I am still an infant in the craft world. I have only been sewing apparel for a couple of years, and although I have picked up a lot of useful skills, and experimented with different design/embellishment techniques, I find myself feeling inadequate most of the time. There are tons of projects that look flawed and sloppy to me. Especially my applique. I haven't spent as much time on it as I would like to, and because of my lack of practice I stuggle with it when I want to add it to a garment.

This week, I put together a quick little hooded jersey jumper for the Pretty Pretty Princess, and I decided that an applique was in order. Now, I know I was setting myself up for failure by stitching my design to stretch jersey, but I took precautions and had high hopes. This is the result up close:
I "satin-stitched" (sorta) the inner raw edges and used a serger on the outer edge prior to placing the applique on the jumper. Then, I used a straight stitch to attach it. From farther away it looks okay, but I am still unhappy with my primitive skills.

Although, I am proud of the fact that I made this hooded jumper (and the one without a hood, below) from my memory of an outfit I saw on another little girl at the beach. I didn't use a store bought pattern, I just made a bodice and hood pattern on my own and refashioned a couple of T-shirts I had lying around. I thought about using some bias tape around the raw edges, but decided that I like the look of the serger stitches better.

I guess the lesson here is that I have a long long way to go until I can look at my work and feel confident. I will just live by my mantra (sung to Dory's tune in Finding Nemo) "Just keep sewing, sewing, sewing..." until I can proudly display most of what I make. The point is to create, not to be perfect. Right?

Beans, Beans, Good for the Heart...

2009-07-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

I love love love garden fresh veggies. I could spend all day (and all of my money) at the farmer's market picking out the perfect beans, squash, spinach, etc... Thus, my adoration for fresh veg (and the skinniness of my wallet), motivated my dad and I to start our own garden this year. Of course, I was really excited about getting the growing going, and I heinously over-planted. You should see the jungle that has thrived due to my severe lack of weeding! I admit that I have been neglecting the veggie plants (the squash is officially the garden bully), but I very much believe in just letting nature do its job. If it is strong enough to survive, then great. If not (poor spinach was no match for the squash plants), then we will do without.

Well, the green beans have been growing like superstars (and telling the squash where it can stuff it's enormous leaves) and this week was time to harvest. Actually, last week was time for harvest, but I had to wait for the wasp community residing in the garden to dissipate. Today was a nice cool day, and my mom harvested while I acted as bee lookout, and here is our bounty:
Aren't they lovely?? There are about 2lbs of beans here, so I decided to prep a bunch up for the freezer. After cutting them into 1" pieces, I blanched them - creating a vibrant green color and preserving their nutrients. As you can see below, the ones on the left are blanched and ready to freeze, and the ones on the right are prepped for my dinner tonight:

D for DELICIOUS!!

Once they were blanched, I put them in a single layer in freezer bags and labeled them with today's date:

Of course, I could have done this with farmer's market green beans, but it is so much more satisfying to know that I planted and nurtured them myself. Plus, I know exactly where they came from, and what type of chemicals they have been exposed to (none!). I expect to have a ton more beans by the end of the season, which saves me money on my grocery shopping for the rest of the year. Yay for home gardens!

Bad Blogger

2009-07-11T10:12:00.001-07:00

I should say that I have been too terribly busy to sew or post, but that's only partly true. It's mostly laziness. I'm not a big fan of summer, and I tend to lounge around sulking about the heat and humidity.

But, I got my butt in gear this week and whipped up a new dress that I love. (Sorry about the slouchy picture - again).
I need to make some adjustments in the bodice to accomodate my bust, but that's really minor. Overall, this is a fantastic fit and I will probably make 10 more like it!

Oh happy day.

Krispy Strawberry Stars Recipe

2009-07-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

Back Story: Once upon a time I was shopping with a friend, and we stopped at one of those coffee shops inside a department store, and they had these GARGANTUAN Rice Krispy Treats, and we were STARVING and INSANE, so we bought one to share, I think, and I ate it and got so sick that I have HATED Rice Krispy Treats ever since.

That being said, kids still love these treats, and I have a 4th of July party to attend on Saturday, so I thought I would give the kids their own non-grownup dessert. Of course, my husband would happily down the entire batch of these things, but he's a weirdo who likes to gross me out.

So, I had some strawberry marshmallows that caused stomach unhappiness after eating 2, and I needed to do something with them. I realized that I had a box of Rice Krispies, and it dawned on me that I could make a frugal contribution to the fireworks party this weekend.

***********************
The mixture is your basic Rice Krispy Treat recipe except that I used strawberry flavored marshmallows:

3 TBS Butter
1 bag of Strawberry Marshmallows
6 cups of Rice Krispy (or comparable cheap brand) cereal

Melt the butter in a large bowl in the microwave (no, you don't need a specific time, just nuke it until it is liquid). Add the marshmallows and toss to coat. Microwave for 1 minute 15 seconds-ish. The marshmallows will still look whole. It's cool, just stir them up! Add rice cereal and fold the mixture together.

Note - Use a metal spoon. Marshmallow and plastic are arch enemies and you will be caught in the middle of their melee if you choose a plastic spoon. I mean it, keep away from that brawl.

Okay, grease up your 13x9 inch baking pan (If you used stick butter for the mix, then use the wrapper to grease up that bad boy!) and spoon the rice krispy mix into the pan. USING WAX PAPER press the mix into the pan.

- Making the shapes -
>WHILE IT IS STILL WARM: Flip the pan onto a sheet of wax paper and let the rice rectangle fall.
>Get out your metal (you have already been warned about plastic)cookie cutters (I used the star shape for the 4th of July theme) and grease them up.
>Next, cut your shapes out of the rice rectangle.

**When you run out of room to cut your shape just transer the mix back to the pan, press, and flip on to the wax paper again.

Finally, add some flair.....

I decided to decorate my stars with some white chocolate. There are 2 ways to melt the white chocolate:

Way #1 (the method I chose) - Put 1 cup of white chocolate morsels in a bowl. Microwave it for about 1 minute 20 seconds and stir it up. Transfer to a squirt bottle or ziploc bag with the corner cut and drizzle:

Way #2: Put 1 cup white chocolate morsels and 1 TBS vegetable shortening (no, you cannot use butter with white chocolate - gross for even asking) in a bowl. Microwave for 1 minute-ish and stir. - This way will give you a smoother, more drizzle-able chocolate, and it will be shiny, but it will taste a little different.

Let the treats cool, store in between wax paper in an airtight container, and you have yummy (and cheap) treats for the kiddos!! Enjoy.

I have a Stuffed Strawberry Recipe that I am making for the adults. I'll share that on Saturday. Happy 4th!

Outside of my comfort zone....

2009-06-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I am not very good at making jewelry. Not only do I fumble with techniques, I am also prone to gaudy or aesthetically-challenged designs.

But, I got my hair cut short recently, and I really want to jazz up my ears. So, I did some inspiration-searching on ArtFire, and I thought that MDavis Designs had some really cool earcuffs. These are my interpretations:
This one was the second one I made, and my fingers were tired of being pinched by the pliers by this point. I think it shows a little:

Sorry about the crummy photos, but it is REALLY DIFFICULT to take pictures of your own ears!!

I am really happy about my little break from the old sewing routine, and I am proud that I took a chance to make these myself. I'm certainly not going to "quit my day job," but I have been in a sewing funk since I had to leave my MIL's sewing paradise and I think this project is helping me get over it.

T-Shirt Re-Fashion

2009-06-20T10:32:00.001-07:00

Several months ago I unearthed a completely awesome Sex Pistols t-shirt that was sized for the World's Heaviest Man. I couldn't allow a sizing issue to keep me from displaying my love for 70's punk, so I sized it down and flared out the sleeves. Unfortunately, the hem was a little too high for my modesty, so the t-shirt project sat idle while I searched for the perfect coordinating fabric. Last week, I found the fabric hanging out at my Mother-in-Law's. Hooray!

Now, I have a very cute (and ridiculously comfortable) t-shirt dress:

I didn't think to take "before" pics of the shirt, but trust me - IT WAS HUGE!!! Now it is a perfect fit and fun for a summer party!!

While on vacay...

2009-06-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

I have had 4 wonderfully relaxing days of sewing and reading so far. I have sewn a t-skirt, a t-shirt dress, a toddler dress, and this sun dress (Forgive me, but hubby took the photos):

My mother-in-law and I took a trip to JoAnn's the other day, and I picked up 5 yards of this hibiscus shirt fabric for 60% off!! It is so wonderfully soft and light. I love it.

I have also been getting some reading done. But, I only packed 4 books, so now I am scavenging novels from my MIL to pass the time before we leave on Friday. Here's what I read:

The Ghost Orchid by Carol Goodman - decent read. A little predictable, but I liked the back and forth between past and present. Although, the garden/fountain descriptions got a little tiresome.

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink - short but disturbing. I mean, really disturbing. This novel is pretty morally shocking.

Sex and the Serial Killer by Jennifer Skully - trashy, but deliciously fun and mindless.

The Shack by William P. Young - not my cup of tea. Yet another in a long list of "Why didn't I read the back!?!?" books. I actually didn't even finish this one.

Ooh, and exciting happenings... I am in 2 virtual craft fairs!!

Look who's featured on the main page of Cafe Handmade's Craft Show!!

And I Heart Handmade's Summer show opens on Friday. I have a prize listed for their daily giveaways. Can you find the picture that is mine??

I hope everyone is having as relaxing a week as I am!

Bye Bye Birdie..

2009-06-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

Look who was hanging out on my patio yesterday (p.s. that's a dime): It's a teeny baby sparrow! He/she lounged around for about 15 minutes and then hopped off to his/her next social call.

And now, I'm off to the in-law's for the week. I may post, I may not. We'll see...

I hope everyone has a great week!!

Mine mine mine...

2009-06-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

Another t-shirt turned messenger bag:

I was totally going to put this in my ArtFire shop, but a few things occurred to me. First, I have issues with selling licensed stuff. Second, I used to be a bit of a Batman freak. And, third, this would make a great carrier for my netbook! So, I'm keeping it for myself.

I think my inspired choice in lining fabric is reason enough for me to hold on to it, but my brilliance in fitting a zippered pocket into a pattern that doesn't call for one really convinced me that I should be selfish about this bag.

I think we all deserve to treat ourselves to some of our own hard work occassionally.

Sewing Machine Meme

2009-06-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

It's Sewing Machine Month at Sew, Mama, Sew! And, since this is a sewing blog, (and I have suffered through a fruitless "sewing machine information" search before), I figured I would participate in this meme. So, here we go....

What brand and model do you have?
I have a Serger Slant-O-Matic 401 for general sewing, and a Riccar Lock RL-613 for serging.

How long have you had it?
I have had this Singer for almost a year, and the serger for a few months. But, as you can see, they are both older machines that were handed down to me by my mother-in-law.

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?

I sew anything I can think of. Apparel, quilts, handbags, home accessories, etc...

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?

I use the Singer several times a week, and the Serger once or twice a week. The Singer handles the brunt of my work, but the serger is subject to the most torture.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?
I love, love, love my Singer. It has decorative stitch cams, dual needle capabilities, and rarely gives me attitude. My serger (Sergio), on the other hand, has a tendency to work my last nerve - as is evident here.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?

I would recommend both machines to beginners, but the Singer is fantastic for pros, too. You really can't ask for much more in a sewing machine than what my Singer offers, and it is a total workhorse. I think this machine will be around with the cockroaches after a nuclear explosion. The Riccar Serger that I have is very basic, and a great machine to learn on. If you can master the Riccar RL-613, then you can handle just about anything.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?

#1 most important thing - Make sure the machine has a user-friendly manual! I refer to my Singer manual for everything from buttonholes to monogramming. If you can't read the manual, you will never understand the machine.

Do you have a dream machine?
I'm thinking about getting an embroidery machine. My Singer has embroidery capabilities, but I rely on it for all of my daily sewing, and I don't want to stress it out. :)

Sunny Day....Sweepin' the Clouds Away...

2009-06-06T15:25:00.000-07:00

It's a rainy day, so I'm making another bag today, and cutting fabric is boring. So, in the spirit of procrastination, I thought I would put up some pics of a couple of sunhats I made last week(that only require cutting 3 pieces!).

Pretty fun, huh?

Tote Expedition

2009-06-05T16:29:00.000-07:00

A group that I belong to on ArtFire is having a Fat Quarter swap this month which involves making an item from a fat quarter and swapping it with someone else. For those out of "the know," a fat quarter is a piece of fabric appx. 18" x 22." Generally, these fabric sections are used in quilting, and since I don't really quilt (I mean, there was that one time, but quilting and I didn't really hit it off..) I just cut a fat quarter from some fabric I already had. Next, I had to figure out what to make, and I found this great tutorial over at SewMamaSew for a fat quarter handbag.

The instructions are super easy, and I anticipated spending 45 minutes or so putting it all together. Little did I know that my arrogance would lead to a mistake that required extensive tantrum throwing. Basically, I stitched the outer and lining fabrics together the wrong way at first. No big, just use a seam ripper, right. Yeah, well....I didn't realize my mistake until I had stitched and backstitched. Let me put this in layman's terms: having to seam rip after backstitching is like dropping an anvil on your toe. It's THAT painful and traumatic.

But, I fixed that issue with as few expletives as I could, and here is the end result:
Mmhmm, looks good...until I realized that I ATTACHED ONE OF THE HANDLES BACKWARDS!! GRAH!

So much torment for such a simple bag. Such is my method, though. My mistakes teach me to be more careful the next time. And, I still think it turned out okay..

Goodwill Hunting

2009-06-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

I am totally OBSESSED with recycling old t-shirts in to messenger bags these days, but I decided that I was uninspired by the shirts laying around my house. So, I made a trip to my nearest Goodwill store in order to hunt for some new and exciting tees. Obviously my short-term memory loss is becoming a problem because it wasn't until I looked at the clothing tags that I remembered I was boycotting Goodwill due to their crazy high prices. $5 for a t-shirt??? at GOODWILL??? They get these things for FREE!! I know that the profits they make go towards the charity, the cost of running the store, employee wages, etc.. But still. I can get cheaper tees on clearance at Target. *sigh*

But, I bought a few anyway under the "Well, I'm already here.." mentality, and here is an example of what I got. (sidenote: If I ever met a man wearing this orange and yellow monstrosity I would force him to give me his mother/wife/significant other's phone number so that I could ream them out about letting him leave the house with that on. Good grief.)

And, through the magic and convenience of digital photos, here is what I made from the shirts:

I just love those orange fish. I don't even care about the rest of the graphic. The fish sold me.

Wouldn't this bag be perfect for a picnic at the park, or a trip to the museum??

One thing that I didn't anticipate with the crazy orange shirt was all of the fray!! The navy tee had to be de-lint-ified about 110 times throughout the sewing process. I guess that was my punishment for keeping it from some fashion-tragic man.

Catching Up...

2009-06-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, since I had the giveaway up all last week, I haven't updated on my projects. I got quite a bit done last week. Most of the stuff I finished I listed in my ArtFire shop.

I love this dress for the contrast between the embroidered linen and the tye-dye.
And, isn't the Pretty Pretty Princess a sweet little dress model?

Then, I surprised myself by doing an AMAZING job on this recycled t-shirt messenger bag (the strap is hidden in these photos, but I swear it is awesome too).

Since I didn't put any pockets in, I am marketing it as a beach bag. It's really really sturdy, though, so it could be used for just about anything - Carrying bricks, mixing concrete.....just kidding. Once I get my zipper shipment in, I'm going to make one for myself out of some old concert shirts that I wore in highschool and use it for my library/book fair trips.

Also, I went rice pillow crazy. I'm selling these as "soothers." ArtFire didn't have a category for them, so that threw me for a loop. I don't really feel like they're "Bath and Beauty" related, but whatever.

I also made these mini ones thinking that they would be good for freezing and placing on your eyes while soaking in the tub. Doesn't that sound good right now??

I have alot more projects in mind, and I should be busily sewing away right now, but I have to prep some recipes for a couple of parties I'm attending this month. Maybe I'll post the food if it turns out tasty!

We have a winner.

2009-06-01T07:05:00.001-07:00

Congratulations, Dawn!

Vogue Pattern Giveaway!!

2009-05-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

You may remember that back in March I was working on a Vogue pattern dress for Princess Peanut. I was having a lot of trouble with it, and hating it, and I ended up putting it to the side until I recovered my will to sew. Shockingly, I decided to finish it up this week:

Now, I need to sit down and have a conversation with myself about buying and using patterns. 9 times out of 10 I stray from the pattern instructions because they don't make sense, or I feel that there is an easier way. Why do I waste the time and money on these things? I think the convo would go like this:

Rational me: Why do you keep buying patterns and going through the work of cutting them up only to show disdain for the instructions and do your own interpretation?

Rebellious me: Because I hate measuring and I'm bad at math and I make clothes for kids that are not here for me to fit them, so I need the patterns to avoid crafting a tent-sized frock.

Rational me: Oh right, I forgot about our hatred of measuring...

This dress gave me so much trouble that I hardly have anything to say about it. I'm just happy to be able to ship it off to my niece this week. This oufit has been sitting on my project table for 2 months, leering at me, reminding me of my failure, and slurping up my creative energy. Now, I can finally get on with my life.

As my final act of petulance toward this pattern, I am going to offer it up here as a giveaway. I know I only have, like, 10 readers, but that means better chances for you to win, right? This is the link to the Vogue Pattern V8060 that I am giving away. I have cut the pieces out for the dress, but all of the sizes are intact. If you remember from my older post, I traced out the pattern onto the fabric.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment here with a username that links back to your blog or an e-mail address for you. Assuming I have any responses, I will choose a winner June 1st. Goodluck!

Born of necessity..

2009-05-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten (a.k.a the viral petri dish) has struck again. Just when we thought it was safe to put away the vapo-rub and lozenges, my Bear came home with the mother of all colds. Not only did we get a huge dose of the sniffle/cough/sneezes, we also received a special cold-moved-into-the-tear-ducts-and-spewed-gross-goo treat. The goo only lasted a day, but then he woke up with puffy eye. (It may not seem that extreme, but if you knew what his eye normally looks like you'd be shocked.):

My worry was that the goo clogged up his ducts and that his eye was going to swell worse and eventually explode. With that image in mind, I knew I needed to put a little heat on the ducts to help break up the junk stuck inside. But, I don't keep hot water bottles (do they even sell those anymore?) or heat packs around here. I do have some rice pillows that I made during the winter, but those are way too big for his little 6 year old face. That, of course, left only one option. Make a smaller one!! So I did:

The gray pack is filled with white, long grain rice (the fabric was upcycled from scraps off of my sisters hemmed work apron), and the star fabric is the removable case. I figured that anything touching a virus-infested-goo-eye should be washable.

I serged the edges of the case to reduce bulk (little kids don't like heavy things on their faces), and decided against any kind of closure since it is really unnecessary.

Now, I just pop it in the microwave for 30ish seconds and it fits perfectly over his eye socket! I also made a second one for the freezer since I can confidently anticipate future bumps and bruises that will require a cold pack.

I just love the convenience and versatility of a rice pillow. But, I honestly never thought to make small ones until now. These only took me about 20 minutes to make, and I may make a bunch more for future baby shower gifts. Cool, right?

Shameless..

2009-05-22T08:46:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am.

Guess who's having a SALE on her Artifire items!! Me me me!!

I really want to get rid of the old stuff that has been in the shop forever, and update with some new outfits, so check it out and spread the word. All of my kid's outfits are $5 or under!!

Sewwwww HOT!!

2009-05-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

It's 327 degrees in my house right now, so you can bet I haven't been anywhere near my sewing nook. The thought of being suffocated by mounds of fabric and sweltering next to the iron doesn't thrill me. I could, of course, just turn on the AC in the house, but I have strict principles against using the air before Memorial Day. As far as I'm concerned, it is against the law.

Instead, I think I will share couple of things that make me happy today. First is the totally excellent handbag that I bought from Myn on Artfire for 50% off it's original price. I have been coveting this bag for a couple of months, so when I saw that it had gone on sale I jumped on it. How sweet is this fabric??
And, I ADORE the huge rick-rack. But, I'm the type of gal that isn't afraid of gargantuan notions.

What I didn't notice when I bought it was that the blue panel at the top is actually a faux-fur material. What a great surprise! LOVE IT!!!

Another excellent thing that I got today was this:

So so delicious! It was on clearance for $3 for 4 bottles, and now I'm kicking myself for not buying all that they had. Very refreshing on these hideously hot days in Chicago.

Sew Organized!

2009-05-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

While I was reorganizing my countertops (completely ignoring the film final that I'm supposed to be completing) I decided that I needed to get rid of some clutter. You see, I use a fabulous little netbook for all of my computer needs, and I love it, but the accessories end up creating all kinds of flotsam all over my table.

So, I ran over to my sewing desk and whipped up this little honey of a pocket organizer (it looks a little off-kilter because I took a pic of it hanging and forgot to adjust it to hang straight):

As you can see, I used the same fabric as my newly recovered seat cushions for the lining and backing:

And now, I have pockets for my odds and ends:

Like this USB cable that I use to upload all of these excellent pics to my blog:

This project gave me a real feeling of accomplishment, but it was short lived due to my film final still being incomplete. *sigh*

Summer Wrap Skirt

2009-05-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

I had an event to go to this week that called for a new skirt. Unfortunately, I didn't attend the event, but I did finish a skirt.

I used a pattern for this wrap skirt, but I made a few of my own modifications. For example, I "wedged" the panels a little bit because the original pattern was more of a straight drape. Also, the polka-dotted contrast fabric was a last minute decision because the main material was too "Luau" on it's own. Don't you just love black and white dots? This skirt was sooo super fast, but I really hate this waistband technique. It gives a nice fit if you like your skirts fastened near your boobs, but I generally like my bottoms to sit on my hips..Notice how I learned my lesson on the side view shots...No more pouchy belly weirdness:

I decided to make the back waistband match with the main fabric. That way, when I turn around and show the front it's like "WOW! Polka Dots!"

I'm really getting in to making skirts. They are just so fun and comfortable. If I wasn't so lazy about shaving my legs I would wear these ALL the time!

Bra (Band) Alteration - Tutorial

2009-05-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

#3 on my "Top 5 LEAST Favorite Things to Do list" is bra shopping. Why do I hate it so? Because my boobs are big for my frame. Last time I checked (which was ages ago), Victoria's Secret, Target, Jc Penney, and Sears do not carry sizes 32F/FF. I have to drive an hour away to visit the nearest bra boutique that caters to my size. AND, I have to pay anywhere between $35 and $50 to purchase a basic, everyday wear bra. PLUS, the lady at the boutique has to alter the bras for me since my ribcage actually measures 30", and they just don't make my cup size in such a small rib band. So, I have decided to take matters into my own hands.

Disclaimer: This is my first tutorial, so it is remedial at best. As usual, I'm certain there is an easier/better way to do this, but this is the way I chose.

Step#1 - Find a cheap bra that has cups that fit your breasts. Band size doesn't really matter that much, but the closer you get to your actual band size, the better. The best I could do was a 38:
Step #2 (not pictured)- Measuring. There are a few ways to do this, but what I did was try on the bra, pinch the band to fit, and have my husband mark the band for me. You could also use an old bra as a guide, or (for the smaller boobed) try it on, twist the band around so the clasps are in front, pinch and mark. Keep in mind that the clasps add an inch or two, so factor that in to your marks.

Step #3 - Use a seam ripper to remove the zigzag stitches that connect the clasps to the band fabric:

Step #4 - Separate the clasps from the bra and set aside. Cut off the raw ends of the bra at the marks you made. I had to cut off appx. 1.5" on each end.

Step #5 - Re-insert band fabric into clasps, pin if you want to, and set your sewing machine to a short zigzag stitch. Be sure the stitches catch the clasp on the underside as well. Follow the original seam-ripped line, and do the side edges also.

(I know it isn't pretty, but my boobs are HEAVY, so I stitch and backstitch the life out of my clasps.)

Now, you may notice the wrinkle I got in my band fabric after cutting and replacing the clasps. This is because I was sizing down from a 38 to a 32ish, and the band width is more substantial the closer you get to the straps. Once the band stretches around my ribs, the wrinkle is less noticeable, but I don't care about it anyway. If you care about wrinkles, choose an original band as close to your size as you can get.

I hope this is helpful to anyone searching for band alterations. The only reason I posted this as a tutorial was because I couldn't find good instructions anywhere else.

Re-Covery

2009-05-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

Although I am a card-carrying procrastinator, I have these weird episodes that involve inventing a new project that I tackle with manic obsession. For example, I was vacuuming (wow, does that word look odd..) this morning, and when I pulled out my dining table chairs I immediately decided that they needed to be re-covered. The first time I covered these was 4 years ago, and they have gotten pretty grubby.

Keep in mind that I am showing you a photo of the LEAST grubby of all the chairs. I almost wonder how this cushion steered clear of the stain slaughter that all of the others have suffered:
When I bought these chairs, almost 10 years ago, I made the genius decision to choose a light cream colored cushion. So, I obviously needed to replace those original covers shortly after I had a child. And, when I replaced them, I made the rookie mistake of stapling the fabric to within an inch of it's life:

Now that I am older, and smarter, I realize that staples are totally unnecessary for my chair-type, and I can just wrap the cushion tightly and screw them back in to place. This still allows for a nice, smooth tuck:

The reason I chose this plaid fabric (which you may remember from the awesome skirt I made), is because I have TONS of it. Seriously, I think I started with 10 yards of this stuff and it still seems to be procreating. I have little plaid fabric babies stuffed in every nook of my sewing room. Plus, I don't have any other fabric that would have covered all 4 chairs. And, since I think it resembles a picnic table cloth, I thought it would work well with my dining room.

Done and done. Cost = FREE (the fabric is from a freecycler), and Time = less than an hour.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

2009-05-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

How does your garden grow??

With Hen and Chicks:
Cheddar Pinks:

And Dwarf Coreopsis:

Crazy for Crochet

2009-05-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy with hemming and alterations on friends' clothing that I feel creatively lacking. But, I did start to crochet a blanket for the Pretty Pretty Princess.

My sister mentioned that the last blanket I made has been outgrown, so Pretty Pretty Princess and I conferred on the colors for her new blanket. She was adamant about YELLOW!! So, I thought I would go with a "sophisticated, but whimsical girl" pallette, and a Granny Square pattern.

I don't like making teeny little squares that I whipstitch together since that involves alot of counting, and I think I have made it pretty clear how I feel about number-related crafting. I really think that one huge granny square is much cooler looking.

Normally, I don't crochet after Christmas because I am sick of looking at yarn by the end of December, and because I feel like I will jinx the arrival of warm weather by crafting cold weather items. But, Mother Nature has been giving us the cold shoulder this year, so I am happy to be wrapped up in cozy fuzziness right now:

Tasty Brains..

2009-04-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

This whole project started with a pair of jeans that were part of a "lot" I bought for my 6 year old on Ebay. Needless to say, the listing didn't mention that this pair had all of the original designer iron-ons torn off of it, leaving globby glue spots like the one below:

The booger jeans sat on my project shelf waiting for inspiration to stake me through the brain. And then, I came across an Artfire listing for a badass zombie necklace made by the shrinky-dink goddess. Obviously, I bought the necklace immediately, and was promptly accosted by my son who was adamant that I could not own a necklace with zombies on it unless he had one too. So, the shrinky-dink goddess was gracious enough to accept a custom order and make him one too!! (It says "I heart brains." Heehee)

Finally, I knew what to do with the jeans because you simply CANNOT wear a zombie necklace without an outfit to coordinate..

I appliqued my little heart out for these pants. In the process, I learned just how inept I am at drawing zombies, BUT I can graffiti-text with the best of them:

Of course, what good are zombie pants without a brain shirt? Thank you, Hobby Lobby, for your 50% off youth t-shirts.

And The Bear is a happy boy who is livin' super-cool with his new duds and rockin' necklace.

I will happily accept this month's award for Coolest Mom Ever.

These boots are made for walking...

2009-04-25T15:02:00.000-07:00

VICTORY IS MINE!! I have conquered the skirt, and I am so proud of myself for finishing it. This is the outfit that I have planned for the book club mixer on Tuesday night. My husband took the pics of me, so that's why they suck. But, how cute are my new boots????
I never know what to do with my arms for the side view pictures, so I shove them behind my back and end up pouching out my belly.

I actually installed a zipper. Yes I DID!! They really aren't so scary. I don't know what I was thinking. I must have confused zipper installation with grizzly bear attack...

And, to finish off the ensemble (which is a word I never use to describe my own clothes..), I whipped up a headband using an old "skinny" tie that my brother-in-law donated to my "sewing stuff" collection. He was slightly hesitant about giving me his ties lest 80's fashion makes a roaring comeback, and he decides to be fashionable (for the first time in his life).

Polka Dotting Ladybugs

2009-04-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

JoAnn Fabrics has 50% off their clearance fabrics and remnants right now, and look at the little gem I found:

I'm not sure what this fabric is called, but it is practically a ready-made dress. All I had to do was cut, sew up the back, and sew the hem.

Oh, and I added a little halter ribbon to keep it up. I remember wearing these strapless dresses as a kid, and they were constantly falling down!

This project was a nice little quickie to keep me in the sewing spirit. The Pretty Pretty Princess will wear this over her bathing suit during our many lazy afternoons at the pool this summer. That is, of course, if it ever gets warm enough to swim here!!! :)

Total cost = $5.00 for the fabric remnant. Ribbon and thread were FREE!

Total time = 20 minutes (mostly spent choosing coordinating ribbon..)

Sewing Stalemate

2009-04-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

I finally found the motivation to sew again. It's been a long month, with vacation, school happenings, birthdays, Easter, etc.. and my sewing has suffered. But I have a book mixer coming up later this month and I wanted to wear my awesome new knee-high boots, so I had to create something fabulous to wear. I've had these two fabrics lying around for awhile, and they started begging me to make them into a skirt...

So I did.

But, I didn't measure the waistband (as usual), so the back of the band looks like this right now:

My refusal to take 5 seconds to use the measuring tape bites me in the butt again. There is appx. a 4" gap. Awesome. So, I'm thinking I will make a casing out of contrast fabric so that I can rock some elastic in this bad boy. Of course, if I would get over my stubborn resentment of zippers, my problem would be easier to fix. But, I'm spiteful like that.

Also, I'm considering some appliques on the plaid panels. I'm not a lover of all things plaid, so I have the urge to tack some images to the monotony of the pattern. We'll see if I can maintain any sense of motivation after I fix the waistband and sew the hem. I'm going to gamble that the next pics you see of this skirt will look shockingly similar to the ones posted here. Except that I will be wearing awesome boots.

Easy Eggy Easter

2009-04-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago my friend found the coolest Easter Egg project ever!! Over at Our Best Bites they posted instructions on how to use silk to dye eggs. Very cool stuff, and not too tough, either! So, my mom and I sat down today to take a stab at it. These are the final results:

Of course, it wasn't as super easy as we had hoped, but it really wasn't terrible. Our main issue was finding silk ties!! We went to Goodwill and our local community thrift store, and we walked out with only 2 ties and 3 belts. And by the way, $1.49 per tie at goodwill?? Isn't that a little steep?? Anywho, it was a frustrating hunt for the main material.

Also, we decided to blow the eggs instead of cooking them whole. That way, we are able to keep them for years to come. Ummmmm..... Have you ever blown eggs?? It sucks. A lot. But, I got through it and we now have eternal keepsakes. yay.

During the wrapping step we thought it would be easier to wet the fabric first, and we were SOOO right!! We got a snug fit which resulted in some really amazing detail in the images:

But, being the finicky women that we are, my mom and I decided to turn it up a notch with some embellishment:

And, VOILA! These eggs were pretty fun to make, and I could definitely have had my son help out. But, he was busy running my dad ragged, so my mom and I got to spend some peaceful moments crafting together. Isn't that what holidays are truly about?

Party Pandemonium

2009-04-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

Every year I make and decorate a birthday cake for my son. This year, we decided to throw a party for him so that he could celebrate with all of his Kindergarten friends. There were so many details and arrangements that had to be made, that I almost ordered a cake from the local bakery. But, the staff at the bakery was creatively stumped by our "mad science" theme, so I did my best to make my own vision come true.

I call this the "Experiment Eruption"cake, and I made the spewing "goo" out of melted sugar. It took some practice, but I was victorious in my hard candy making abilities. And, I found a super cool technique for making the candy bubble before it hardened. Pretty neat, huh?

The green "pool" on the top of the cake is lime jello, and the green drooly overflow is decorator gel. It wasn't my exact vision, but I feel like it turned out better than I expected since I have no real training in cake decorating.

Also, I found the coolest balloons at the local party store:

The party itself was totally exhausting, but I gave my son an experience that he will always remember. And, in the end, that's all that matters.

Toddler Rocker Cushion

2009-04-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

I have been a total sewing slacker lately. I was sick, and then I was on vacation, and then I was just lazy. I have that dress still taunting me from the sewing table, and I have been avoiding it like the plague. But, my dad showed up yesterday with a child's rocking chair and asked me to make a cushion for it. How could I turn down a request from my dad???

Here's what he brought me:
And this is the cushion I whipped up:

There's something about sitting on smiley face buttons that makes me giggle:

I really need to get my rear in gear, but my son's birthday party is on Sunday, and I have been using that as an excuse to stay away from the sewing machine. I promise I'll have some good stuff to post soon.

Rocket Man...

2009-04-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

Guess who's Kindergartener is going to the moon tomorrow?

My son's class is having a "Going to the Moon" party tomorrow. The teacher sent a sheet home a couple of weeks ago about making a jet pack, and since it seemed like a manly contraption, I put the resident Hottie Handyman in charge of design and execution:

He gets a little carried away sometimes... :)

But then again, so do I. The original design was missing something, so I took a stab at making it more exciting.Take note of the fiery yarn and ribbon straps:

We can't help but show up the generic-instruction-sheet-cereal-box-jetpacks. We are a crafty family, and I wont make apologies for that.

We also have a fantastic sense of humor:

Hump Day Holla!!

2009-04-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

A lot of bloggers do link posts every week, and I actually LOVE discovering the treasures in the links. I spend quite a bit of time coming across hidden little gems here on the vast expanse that is the internet, and I want to share some with you. I don't plan on going crazy with links. I just want to showcase some stuff that peaked my interest or made me say, "What in the world...?"

To start off, I am an avid window shopper on ArtFire. I have found some pretty cool stuff. Like, check out Myn's custom bags. She uses some fantastic fabrics and I am currently creating a list of justifications for buying one of her bags instead of making another one of my own:
Also on that site is a lady I am nearly obsessed with. For whatever reason, her creations make me believe that I will actually wear jewelry. Her fused glass rings and pendants promise glamour and grandeur:
And, finally, also from the ArtFire community comes Banana Jam - That's right, canned jam made out of bananas. It looks DELICIOUS!!! And, if it weren't for the scary shipping scenarios that I invent in my head (leaking banana goo on my porch..), I would already have a jar of this to review for you.

Next week I will post a better variety of links, but these items have been on my Hotlist for awhile, and I wanted to purge myself of the need to tell everyone about my fascination with kooky fabric, big rings, and canned bananas..

Dreams of knitting....

2009-03-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

Look what I found in the clearance section of the local outlet bookstore today!!! Can you believe I only paid $3 for this? Awesome.

And, since I don't know how to knit yet, the instructions are thorough yet non-threatening:

Plus, the book includes just about every stitch technique you can imagine. I was really surprised to see the double-point needle instructions, and that tutorial was the deciding factor for me. The ONLY reason I want to learn to knit is so that I can make thousands of cute and funky socks for myself!!

There are some pretty sweet patterns in here too:

And, what will inevitably be my new favorite little bag:

I love finding a bargain like this. My mother-in-law is supposed to teach me to knit sometime this summer, and now I have a guide to help me when she isn't around. Yay for thrifty shopping!!

Labor of Love, or Suffering for my Art?

2009-03-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with this Vogue design when JoAnn's had their pattern sale a few weeks ago. Had I known what kind of torment I was in for, I would have saved the $3.99.

I have to admit, that the trials and tribulations that I am enduring are my own fault. It all started with my determination that I would be able to use this pattern for both of my nieces (aged 1 and 2). Well, since I am notoriously lazy, this presented a pattern challenge for me. Normally, I just cut out the size I plan to use and resign myself to the fact that I will not be able to make it bigger without extra work. This time, I pulled out some long-neglected sewing tools that have been snoozing at the bottom of a bin for ages.

I have no idea what this paper is called, but one side is normal, and the other side has a chalky blue powder. I think I got it in a sewing kit a million years ago. I put the chalky paper under the pattern paper with the blue side against the fabric.

And then, I use the special bumpy wheel tool to trace over my size lines, thereby transferring the blue chalk to the fabric.

(I know that all of the experienced sewers on here are laughing at me right now. I am aware that there must be an easier way, but I generally learn the hard way..)

So, the wheelie tool created these little blue dashes. Can you see those okay?? No, me neither......

Which is why I pulled out my handy Spiderman washable marker. But, of course, that meant MORE work for me. *sigh*

Let's recap:

Cut out pattern
pin to fabric
Sandwich chalky paper between pattern and fabric
trace with wheel
un-pin
go over "barely-there" dashes with washable marker
cut fabric.

Mmmhmmm. A LOT of work so far. Oh, and I completely IGNORED the grain line markers, so I had the extra joy of trying to line up all 3 components so that they didn't have the print going wonky.

I was so happy to have cut those pieces successfully, I should have known that my bliss wouldn't last..

<---This is the contrast I was doing.

And, this is what I found when I opened my nicely folded coordinating fabric: ---->

Dummy! Dummy! I thought I had bought 2 yards of that fabric, but apparently not.

So, now I am trying to decide on a new contrast fabric. I'm leaning toward the green, but I'm almost too irritated to continue. I have to finish this dress by Thursday night, and I have a lot of work to do before then!! Cross your fingers that the storm has passed and it's all easy street from here..

I know what boys like..

2009-03-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

I know that it seems as if I never make any clothes for my own kid, but I swear I do. They just aren't as cute or involved as the dresses I make for my nieces.

Case in point, creepy spiders and superheroes rule in my house:

I considered recycling one of my old t-shirts into a shirt for The Bear, but none of my discards had blank fronts. So, I bought the shirt at Hobby Lobby, and attached my own applique. The shorts were made by hand from Spiderman fabric that the 5 year old picked out for himself.

I didn't love attaching an applique to jersey fabric, but I survived. And, the fusible webbing was a HUGE help in stabilizing.

He adores the new outfit, and is excited to wear it in Florida next week!!

Soap Cozies

2009-03-10T07:53:00.000-07:00

Do you remember my recently failed attempt at a beach bag? Yes, well, I have completely given up on that endeavor, and I wanted to find a use for the yarn. So, my 5 year old was taking a bath the other day, and I got an idea...

SOAP COZIES!!

Soap is always slipping out of little (and, occassionally, big) hands so I thought that making a handmade cover for the soap would be worth my time. They actually sell soap for kids that has this vinyl meshy cover on it, but I would rather save the $3 or so per bar and make my own.

So, I went to the handmade community to find some natural soap, and I found this totally awesome chick who makes soap from her bio-diesel processing discards. Here's what she says about it:

What's in a bar?
This soap is made from saponofied recycled vegetable oil. It's fat, lye and water, just like your great-grandparents made, with a small difference. The beautiful deep brown glycerin this bar is made of is a byproduct of the production of biodiesel fuel that powers my normal unmodified diesel VW Jetta. Since egg rolls and french fries were once cooked in the vegetable oil, this soap retains a rich brown color. The extra high glycerin content makes the bars softer than the usual bar soap. Bottom line is you get all the benefits of the excellent emollient glycerin: Gentle cleansing, soft skin.

Uses:
It’s a powerful degreaser and gentle enough for sensitive skin & for kids. But don’t limit yourself. Go crazy & see how much of this messy world you can clean up!

She sent me 3 bars for $1 (plus the cost of shipping). I got them in the mail yesterday and "cozied" them all last night:

I feel pretty good about my Mother Earth awareness right now. The soap is FANTASTIC, by the way. The bar smells a little musky, but it leaves no scent on your skin. And, it made my super sensitive skin very soft without giving me a rash of any sort. I definitely didn't experience ANY of the drying that happens with chemical-laden bar soap. I'm thinking that these will be a great giveaway idea if I ever get enough followers to this blog to make it fair. :) For now, I will use them at home and pass them out to friends and family.

Victory!!

2009-03-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

I was so super thrilled when I received the patterns that I ordered from AnarchyAndLace last week! I couldn't wait to get started on some clothes for myself. Up to this point, I have only made a couple of skirts, so I thought that starting with the dress would be best/easiest.

Of course, I chose some not-so-fabulous fabric that I didn't really care about so that I wouldn't have wasted pricey material on my first attempt at a dress.

The pattern was already cut to my size (yay), so I saved some time on that, but I am obviously going to have to make adjustments for future dresses.
First, look at the bunching of material on my hips. There is also a "pouchy" effect on the front. I'm definitely going to have to trim some fabric down in a few areas.

Also, where did my boobs go? The high-waist band acts as a corset across the bottom of my full bust. So, I get this weird mushed appearance. If my breasts were 10 years younger/perkier, or I was 3 sizes smaller, everything would be golden. But, alas, I will need to increase the bust size and throw in some darts on the next attempt.

Regardless of the minor improvements that will need to be made in the future, I am happy with how this turned out. And, I only had 1 seam casualty!

I think the most rewarding result of this effort is that I feel more confident about my abilities to make adult apparel (at least for myself). I have another dress to finish for Princess Peanut before the 20th, but after that I am devoting time to my own outfits. Hooray me!

Bogus Bag

2009-03-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

I recently picked up some Sugar 'n Cream yarn at a really good price that I wanted to make a beach bag out of.

This is the seemingly straightforward pattern that I chose:

Unfortunately, my outcome isn't exactly the same as the picture:

It looks like a watering can cozy. What happened?? Believe it or not, this is my second attempt at the bag. The first time around I didn't count stitches, so I was much more meticulous with the next try. Unbelievable. Something is wrong with that pattern, and I am devastated that have to take it all apart AGAIN!! Maybe it's a sign that I shouldn't crochet after Christmas....

Blogging Baloney

2009-03-06T20:46:00.001-08:00

I changed my background a little while back to a cutest blog on the block template, but because they are actually JPEGS (as explained to me, after the fact, by someone much more tecnologically savvy than me) it took longer for my page to load. As you can imagine, that annoyed me to no end. So, I decided to go back to a Pyzam template, and that's when the NIGHTMARE began!!

I am totally capable of copying and pasting. But, Blogger decided to punk out and give me an error code EVERYTIME I tried to paste the new code. EVERYTIME!! So, I went to the blogger-help-whatever-forum, and found a "fix" which seemed to work okay except that all of my widgets were deleted. *sigh* deleted.

Of course, I added everything back to the best of my early-onset-senility ability, but I was mad. Really mad. But, I did figure out how to get rid of the ugly orange bar at the top of my blog advertising Pyzam. Yay!

This is what I get for messing with stuff that didn't need messing with. Will I ever learn??

On a positive note, I added some new and interesting ladies to my blog roll (since the old blog roll was deleted. *sigh*).

Jedi Outfitter

2009-03-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

Amidst the worst hive outbreak I have ever seen, I subjected my itchy, swollen, bright pink 5 year old to a melee of children, strollers, and shockingly rude adults at a local Kid's Expo this weekend. He wanted to go. I swear. But, once we had been there for about an hour or so, I could see him overwhelmed and a little irritated at having to stand in forever-long lines for the jumpy things.

Thus, I was guilted in to an insanely expensive purchase of an item that has previously been strictly forbidden in my house:

The dreaded light saber. *sigh* And, as if spending enough money to feed a Haitian village wasn't enough, I had the midget bugging me to make a holder for it.

Finally, after watching him walk around with the 2 1/2 foot plastic sword stuck down the leg of his pants all night, I finally gave in:

The fabric was left over from a hoodie I made him a few months ago. I had some technical issues that were a result of trying to talk on the phone and sew at the same time, but other than that it was done pretty quick.

Somber Jedi face:

One of the cool things about having kids is that I cannot see myself ever making a light saber sheath without a 5 year old in my life. Now, I can market my services at Star Wars conventions nationwide!! :)

Etsy can kiss my butt......

2009-02-25T07:36:00.000-08:00

As I was waiting, impatiently, for contest winners to be published on a blog I follow/stalk yesterday, I got involved in some complex link-clicking that landed me on the COOLEST website ever!

Art Fire is an online marketplace for handmade products designed by artisans. Like Etsy, but without the confusing categories, snooty communities, and creepy commercial feel. Art Fire is like a neighborhood knitting circle where a bunch of old ladies are sitting around talking comfortably about the insane deal on yarn they found at the church yard sale over the weekend.

http://www.artfire.com/

It's very possible that this site is already ridiculously popular within the crafting community, and that I have been living under a rock. But, I knew nothing about it until recently, and after some serious browsing I fell in deep, deep lust with this site. Within 5 minutes I found 3 things that I HAD to buy:

Of course, you're like, "patterns? Big whoop.." And that leaves me to respond with, "$3.50 total for all 3 plus shipping!!!" Then you stare at me, mouth gaping, with a glazed look that indicates your extreme disbelief and impending euphoria over me finding such an amazing bargain and sharing this coveted information with you.

I think it's pretty obvious that I will be spending most of my time today taking photos and listing outfits for sale on the site. I'm going to dump Etsy like a sack of used tampons, and start my new endeavor as an Art Fire groupie. So, be prepared for a new listing link on the right side of this page showcasing my spring children's clothes.

Frilly Frosted Cupcake

2009-02-23T18:20:00.001-08:00

How much pink is too much pink??

This much pink:
Egad. I'm going to have frothy pink nightmares after this.

I bought the heart fabric on super clearance awhile back and after experiencing the linen-esque texture, I was dying to use it. But, I had no coordinating fabric until yesterday. I found this M'Liss Rae (more on her at the end of this post) print on sale, and even though I retardedly forgot the swatch of heart print to match it to, it turned out to be the perfect companion. A little too perfect, actually. Almost like twins with a diffent hair cut. Too much pink!!

But, I did get to practice my new applique technique on this dress, and that made me super psyched!!

Until I started sewing the applique on, that is. My generally agreeable sewing machine threw a mini-fit over the applique pattern I chose and decided that it did not want to make my life easier. So, my stitchery looks a little like I was sewing during a cab ride in New York:

I know that my imperfections aren't obvious. That's why I chose the pattern and fabrics the way that I did. I know, genius!! I'm confident that I will get better with practice and I can graduate to bolder images.

Total time was about 3 hours, and the total cost was a little higher than normal at around $3. Still not bad!

Now, M'Liss Rae.... Listen lady, I appreciate your terrific print that was vital in helping me complete dress #7 for Pretty Pretty Princess, but we need to chat about your name. Dropping the "e" and "a" from your name is ridiculous. An apostrophe is not an acceptable character in a proper name. It's like when Prince changed his moniker to that androgynous symbol. It's confusing and totally uncool. So, Melissa, I stongly urge you to rethink your marketing strategy because, quite frankly, it annoys me enough to not want to buy your products in the future. Think about it.

Doldrums....

2009-02-16T12:55:00.000-08:00

I have been hording this fabric for awhile just waiting for a bolt of inspiration to slam in to my brain, and when I saw the pictures of my new niece (who will be hereby referred to as Princess Peanut) I knew she had to be draped in this like a miniature greek goddess.

It turns out that I don't own a "greek goddess" draping pattern, so I used an old standby style that I love for 9-12mo. old girls. The only problem is that, upon completion, I felt like this is the MOST boring dress I have ever made. I mean, the fabric is cute, but so what? Where's the pizzazz? Where's the embellishment possibilities?

I, pathetically, added a decorative stitch that does nothing to excite the overall appearance.

I am totally bummed by this dress. Granted, it is a dress for an infant, but I still wanted it to be a little more special than just some fabric sewn into a pretty shape. I have some ribbon that would have been nice, but the only appropriate place for it is the hem, and I decided that would be even more creatively disturbing than my fancy stitchery. *sigh* I think I need to spend a few hours in the notions department of the fabric store to recharge my inspiration...

Funky Flower Girl

2009-02-15T11:27:00.000-08:00

Dress #6 for Pretty Pretty Princess is complete. I totally adore this dress pattern because it is super quick and very easy, and I think the style has just the right amount of twirliness to please a little girl.

I realized, after finishing this dress, that I've gone a little ribbon-mad lately. I'm hoping to curb my ribbon obsession with a new applique addiction that I am forming. Once I buy some fusible webbing be prepared for an onslought of applique'd outfits!!

Here's the ribbon I chose for this fabric:

And the total picture:

I think the ribbon gives it a "sporty" feel and it creates a cool contrast with the funky flowers.

Total time was only 2 1/2 hours (no annoying straps to turn!) and the Total Cost ended up being about $2 (the fabric was on clearance, and the ribbon was FREE!).

This is how the Pretty Pretty Princess will look in the dress...(I made one just like it to sell on Etsy last year, but she loved it so much that I gave it to her instead.)

T-Skirt: Round 2..

2009-02-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

Why didn't they tell us in math class that the subject matter would be useful when we are planning on making really cute skirts for ourselves? I may have actually paid attention and done my own work! But, alas, these skirts keep proving that I am terrible at math. After the first t-skirt, I sized down the pattern and was much more careful with waistband measurement. But, it was still TOO BIG!! I ended up having to make a casing and insert a drawstring. At least it isn't elastic this time, but still. The waist looks a little jacked up (which is why there are no pictures of it....again).

I think it still turned out pretty cute. And, I put the drawstring on the inside, so there's no "bulky belly syndrome." I really need to enlist my resident Hottie to help me with the math so that the next one turns out better. These skirts are too comfortable for me to give up because of some measurement issues.

More Babies on Fire...

2009-02-13T11:17:00.000-08:00

So, my Sister in law brought a new little princess into the world last week, and I was inspired to make her a little "Flame On!" outfit.

Let me just preface by saying that this is the first pattern I ever bought, and I forgot how much I HATED IT!! It wasn't until I started sewing that I remembered why this abomination of a poorly produced pattern was at the bottom of the pile. For example, I despise turning straps that are the size of spaghetti noodles:

Also, see that little bubble effect near the band on the left? Yeah, the pattern measurements suck.

But, I think the complete outfit looks okay. I'm only in "like" with it, though. Oh, and IGNORE the dots near the pocket. I have to wash the dress, and those will go away. Stop looking at them. Stop it!!

Total time: Who knows? The straps made me walk away from this in fury more than once, so I have no idea how long it finally took me to put it together.

Total cost: Previously used pattern, previously used fabric, free ribbon.... I guess, $0!!

Girl on Fire

2009-02-03T08:23:00.000-08:00

Okay, this post is a quickie since I have to get The Bear to the bus..

After using black fabric in the last dress I finished, I was still feeling the need for a little darkness. So, I pulled out some completely mismatched patterns (flames and flowers) and totally dug the way they coordinated:

This outfit ended up being a 2 piece rather than a dress, and I am thrilled with the results. I kept the embellishment to a minimum, and I completely excluded fancy stitchery. The flames are powerful enough as is:

The shorts seemed boring with just the black flower print fabric, so I added some racing stripes up the sides in the flame print:

And this is how the 2 pieces look separately. All I have left is to put the shorts on Pretty Pretty Princess so that I can close up the elastic on the waistband.

It may be a little much for a "girly girl," but I'm confident that my niece is badass enough to pull this off. This is what I would dress my own girl in if I had one.

Total time was 3 hours since the pattern was already cut and the sewing was super quick. Plus, Sergio was a champ, and ALL of the exposed seams are serged! VICTORY IS MINE!!

I have no idea what the cost is since I bought these fabrics last year, and the pattern was previously used.

I know I said I was making 5-ish outfits, but I still have 2 1/2 weeks until her birthday, and LOADS of ideas still floating around in my head. What will I make next???

Black & White & Buttons

2009-02-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

Dress #4 is officially complete. I have had this black with white fleur de lis-ush fabric remnant for ages, and I thought I would put it to use. Since black and white has such a formal feel, I tried to create a little whimsy appropriate for a 2 year old's dress. This is my button caterpillar:

And the dress in full ( I hate this picture. I wish I wasn't too lazy to bring the camera upstairs because then I wouldn't have to hang it on a chair.)

A close-up of the top of the dress. I obviously bought a bulk package of heart-shaped buttons..

The rick rack was really an afterthought. It went on during assembly, but it wasn't part of my original plan. I'm glad I added it, but, generally speaking, rick rack is so tacky.

I have no idea how long this took since I didn't get to do the dress in one day. But, it couldn't have taken me more than 4 hours. I used the serger on all of the seams, and I think that added time since I'm a dork and CONTINUED to forget to lift the spool holder thingy, so threads got stuck and broke and I had to re-thread. *sigh* I will get better with that beast, I just know it.

Total cost is on par with the others. About $2

On to the next....

My First T-Skirt

2009-01-25T18:46:00.001-08:00

I have a surplus of weird t-shirts lying around right now, and after doing some research online this morning, I found the perfect project to rid me of my t-shirt clutter - The T-Skirt!!!

So, I chose these three shirts:

And in less than 2 hours I created this:

And look who got "Sergio" to behave today:

I am mostly pleased with how the skirt turned out, but I really need to be more meticulous with my waistband measurements next time. I ended up making the band too big, and I had to use elastic (blech). It looks okay (even though I didn't include it in any of these pictures), but I want to do a better job next time. Here are my potential future skirts:

Dress #3

2009-01-24T19:24:00.000-08:00

As you can see, when I'm back in the swing of things I become consumed. As a matter of fact, if my sewing area wasn't right next to The Bear's bedroom I would be starting my next project right now. But, since I can't sew anymore tonight, I thought I would post the pics of the dress I put together this afternoon. Hot off the ironing board:

I put these fabrics together today after being bored by the combinations I had already put together. The magenta fabric (gotten for free from MIL, btw) was originally paired with a different material for a shorts outfit, but I really wanted to use the yellow, and they go so well together!!

Now, since I have used this pattern a few times before, the pieces were already cut, so that shaved some time off my total. Total time = 3 hours

Total cost = $1.00 (previously used pattern, clearance yellow fabric, free magenta fabric)

Back in the game...

2009-01-24T13:40:00.000-08:00

So, after a slight hiatus due to ribbon indecision, I finally finished dress #2. This is the ribbon I ultimately chose:

I am very pleased with how the dress turned out. These pictures are kind of crummy, but the ribbon provides the perfect kooky contrast to the fabric:

And I added a little dragonfly embellishment at the collar to indicate the front of the dress (since I don't use tags).

I actually serged the first two tiers of the skirt, but then "Sergio" threw a temper tantrum, so I left the last tier raw. With the ribbon being sewn on, the edge of the seam is pretty well tucked, resulting in minimal fraying (I hope).

The time on this dress was a little longer than the last one because of my putzing around with the serger, but I don't think I surpassed a total time of 5 hours from pattern cut to final stitch.

Total cost = $1.99 (I bought the ribbon on clearance with a gift card, so that was FREE!!)

The Serger Struggle

2009-01-18T20:36:00.000-08:00

So, project #2 for the pretty pretty princess' handmade wardrobe is this dress:

Made out of this fabric (I know, super cute):

And since the pattern involves some of this stuff (see below), I thought it would be cool to break out the hand-me-down serger.

Here is the demon machine born in the fiery pits of hell:

What's that you say? It looks like a regular, innocent serger? Hmmm.... Really? DID YOU SEE THIS????:

Yeah. That's right. Thread routes that look like a Boston street map (planned by the devil himself, of course). I thought I could handle it. I was positive and optimistic (totally outside my usual demeanor), and I had an owner's manual. What could go wrong?? Well.....an hour and a half later I found myself verbally bludgeoning the machine with a barrage of expletives while I cradled my bruised fingers. The damn thing wouldn't create a chain. It was laughing at me, mocking me, and injuring me, BUT NOT MAKING A CHAIN. You're a serger! Your sole job in life is to make a chain! What good is a serger that doesn't interlock the thread? I hate you, machine! You are the bane of my existence!!

And then my resident hotty handyman took pity on his physically (and emotionally) disabled wife and took a stab at getting my nemesis to function properly:

Of course he made it work (which made me dislike him a little bit in a temporary bout of feminist jealousy) and I was full of glee and joy and whatever else I was supposed to feel when a machine chooses to work for stranger rather than its owner.

So, I exacted my revenge on my nemesis by mastering tension, stitch length, and everything else non-threading-related to create the perfect overlock:

If the serger is lucky, I will put it to work on that dress tomorrow. But, I feel like it is still in need of some severe punishment for what it put me through, so I may just use some flat fell seams with my beautiful angel of a Singer right in front of the red-headed stepchild Riccar serger so that it can think about it's behavior.

Spring Sew-a-thon...

2009-01-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

I finally decided to create a sewing/crafty/crazy thought blog so that I can distinguish my individual identity from the "family picture" blog. Also, I felt like an ass posting my projects between pictures of the kids. Like, "Hey look at me! I'm great too!! I know the kids are cute, but what about meeeeeeee???" Seemed whiny and desperate.

Anywho, here I am, in the midst of January, finally starting on the pretty pretty princess' 2 year old birthday gifts. I trekked to JoAnn's the other day (the nearest one being about as close as China), and I found some super awesome bargains so I thought it would be a good time to start my spring sewing projects.

This is the first dress I have made so far. Well, not the first dress EVER, but the first dress for my niece's 2nd birthday. I will probably end up with about 4 or 5 outfits when I am done, but I am no where near done, so back to this dress..

I loved this cotton linen-y fabric because it has a watercolor/tie dye look too it, and I find that whimsically appealing. But, once I started cutting out pieces I realized that it may be a seizure inducer without some contrast fabric, and that's how the purple brush stroke cotton print ended up in there. But then, the original length of the pattern made the dress mumu-rific, so I cut it down and added some homemade bias tape, and Voila!! How cute are the little tulip-sleeves? (Totally my term, by the way. I am not a professional, and I have no idea what the tulip sleeves are actually called).

I think it's got a peasant girl, bohemian vibe and it is going to make the pretty pretty princess' hazel eyes pop right out!!

I also threw in some flirty stitchery because I'm crazy that way.

And a picture of my expert elastic placement and gathering technique in the sleeves....

Total project time was about 4 hours from pattern cutting to final stitch. Not bad considering that this is a brand new pattern!
Total cost was SUPER CHEAP!! The main fabric was on clearance at JoAnn's, and the clearance was on sale, so I got 3 million percent off and ended up paying, like, $1 per yard. This dress took less than a yard of material, plus the pattern was $0.99 (also on sale), and the thread I got for free from my MIL. Final tally, $1.99. Woo hoo!