ice pink stars

Simplicity 2211 top, craft & thrift purchases, Spring top ideas

2012-04-02T01:24:00.002-04:00

Hello!!!! Can you believe that I haven't updated this blog in 7 months? That's a really long time!! I didn't die. I've wanted to blog more often, but I just didn't know where to begin. A lot has happened since my last blog entry, but it would take a long time to catch up. So I'm just going to dive right in and stop feeling so guilty about neglecting my blog!

Can I start by showing off a few recent purchases? :)

little frames for (future!) embroideries, hair barrettes, adorable sewing-themed fabric,
Stitcher's Revolution embroidery pattern, and very colorful new thread

I found the little blue, pink, and green frames in the dollar section at Michaels craft store. I've seen a few crafters frame their embroidery in these, so that's my plan. The hair barrettes are for future rockabilly hair flowers, and I found them on sale at Hobby Lobby. The "Sew Crafty"embroidery pattern by Stitcher's Revolution is from Hobby Lobby too! I love all the images and hope to stitch 'em all up soon. The super bright thread came from Hancock Fabrics during a sale. They're so colorful in person! I didn't really need them, but had to buy them anyway.

And some new treasures I found at thrift stores...

my recent thriftin' treasures

I found some orange and yellow twin-sized bedsheets for cheap! I don't have plans for them yet, but I'm sure I'll use them in my sewing sometime soon. I love drinking morning coffee from my new "sexy senior citizen" mug. Found a childrens book with beautiful pictures, and a small wallet clutch. I'm using the large red purse to hold all of my foam hair rollers in. It's the perfect size, and I just store it underneath my bathroom sink. I've been using foam rollers in my hair a lot more recently, so this purse is definitely getting used!

Sometime back in February, I sewed a really quick and easy top. It was the Lisette (by Simplicity) 2211 pattern. After reading a few reviews online, I decided to do the top in a size 10 and the sleeves in a size 12. I read warnings about the sleeves feeling too tight and the blouse ending up really short! So I added an inch or two to the bottom hem... It still ended up being a little short on me. I love polka dots and decided to use a bedsheet. Here's the only picture I have of me wearing this top. And I'm doing some thrifting, of course.

Yes, my top (Simplicity 2211) was made from a bedsheet.
And yes, I might have an addiction to thrift stores..

I know it looks GROSS and disorganized behind me,
but I've actually found some great fabrics for sewing here! :)

I'm so excited about the warmer weather! I'm glad I don't have to lug around my coat everywhere, or warm up my car in the morning before heading to my classes. I want to do some serious Spring sewing and also get ready for the Summer. I love wearing skirts in warm weather, so I need to add some new skirts to my wardrobe very soon.

New Look 6104 ideas

I am *almost* finished with New Look 6104 in a red and white striped fabric. All I have left to do is the bottom hem of the blouse, and the buttonholes. The fit is great. It won't take me long to finish it, so I'll make sure to post pictures soon. The ruffled center is so cute, and my favorite part. I love this pattern so far that I already cut out a second version in a cotton blue gingham. Having a pattern waiting on me for my next project is always so tempting to just jump right into it, ha!

Sorbetto top & blue bird embroidery

2011-08-29T13:49:00.006-04:00

Yes - you get TWO entries in one day! I wanted to share with you my Sorbetto top and a bird embroidery that I did recently. Both were really fun to create.

The Sorbetto top has been everywhere on crafty/sewing blogs. I have seen sooooooooo many pretty versions of it! If you haven't heard about the Sorbetto top... it can be found here by Colette Patterns. And I should mention that it's free. Omg - yes, FREE! It's available for download so you just print it out, follow the directions and piece it all together and it's done. This was my first "downloaded" clothing pattern that I printed out, and I was surprised by how simple it was. I just had to jump on the Sorbetto wagon and make my own top:

Sorry - it was roughly 100 degrees outside.
I was sweating & swearing at husband to just TAKE THE PICTURE.

I used a very thin cotton pillowcase with a pink floral print for my Sorbetto top, white lace around the neckline and pearl buttons at the top. I had everything on hand, so it was a totally free clothing project and I sewed it in one night.

This is my "gotta pee pee" modeling pose.

I've made another Sorbetto top it red and white gingham, but I haven't worn it yet. When I do I'll remember to take pictures! This is definitely going to be a pattern that I will continue to use. I would like to make more for the Fall so I can just put on a sweater over it. So many wonderful versions of it and inspiration can be found here:

7 Days of Sorbetto by Sew Weekly
Colette Patterns on Flickr

Here's a little slow stitchin' I did for a gift. I found this bird embroidery pattern online somewhere (I'm trying to find the link but maybe I didn't bookmark it? Yikes!). It looked so cute, I had to embroider it:

I thought a light blue would be perfect for the bird :)

And a light pink for the flowers

My french knots look crazy, but I'm happy with it :) I've been saving hundreds of free embroidery patterns to my computer, but really haven't felt inspired enough to embroider. Maybe when the weather cools down and I can sit outside on my patio to do some hand-stitching? We'll see. I've got so many sewing projects that I want to do for FALL... and yards and yards of wool fabric begging to be used!

I hope to update again later this week and show off a red pencil skirt I'm finishing up now. Very va-va-voom vintage and highwaisted. Loving it so far! Although my butt looks like it's ready to bust the seams open.. very tight on my tush like a wiggle dress.

Retro "diner" placemats from nurses scrub top! And lots more sewing...

2011-08-29T12:46:00.001-04:00

So my last blog entry was extremely depressing... So sorry! But occasional weakness is the "norm" for Muscular Dystrophy, and I've been feeling so much better. I totally ignored this blog for weeks because I never know where to pick up at. My Fall semester at school has started and my classes are off to a great start :) Let me catch up with crafty stuff that I worked on in the past few weeks!

My apartment kitchen is small and perfect for just the two of us. I try to decorate it in a retro "diner" theme. I was thrifting one day and found this incredible nurse's scrub top for just $1.00 at a Goodwill. I couldn't pass up the kitschy print...

nurse scrub top for $1.00 at Goodwill

I love this...
Kitschy televisions and Hawaiian gals and TV DINNERS!

I knew exactly what I was going to make with it. My wonderful friend Marla recently sent me a package with all kinds of craft goodies - including craft books! In one of the books, there were directions on making kitchen placemats. Just what I needed for our dinner table. Here's a photo to show some of the pieces measured and cut out:

fabric pieces for 2 kitchen placemats

I used a simple patchwork sewing method to piece everything together, and I added a layer of interfacing in between - kind of sandwiched it so that the placemats would be more stiff. After sewing it all together (super easy and only took about an hour for both!) here's what I ended up with:

Topstitching in white thread is a little shaky,
but here's the placemats finished!

So the nurses scrub top was just enough fabric I needed to make 2 kitchen placemats, and I'm really happy with how they turned out! This was really fun to make, and now our meals aren't as boring. I've popped them in the washer and dryer a few times after spaghetti sauce and crumbs were added (lol I love my hubby's messy eating.. it must mean my cooking is decent, right?).

I wanted to make a few fabric coasters for my sister, who recently got her own booth at an antique/consignment/variety shop. She has a lot of handmade jewelry and painted furniture.. and hundreds of "hip" things for sale. I made these for her to sell... and I got to use up some of my fabric scraps that were too small to use for clothing!

Just a few of the fabric coaster sets I made...
These were so easy to sew!

Since I've been taking a break from sewing CLOTHING and I'm trying to use up my fabric scraps (they're taking over my entire fabric storage area), I thought about getting more familiar with patchwork. I'm just love the way it looks!! Patchwork looks so pretty in quilts, and there really aren't any "rules" when it comes to patchworking homemade things. I'm still learning, so I turned to one of my craft books that's been sitting in my collection for a few years... Last-Minute Fabric Gifts by Cynthia Treen. I picked up a few tips from the book. Check out this puppy:

polka-dot patchwork pillow I made for our bedroom :)

I used red corduroy fabric, a pillow form, and lots of polka dot scraps I've been saving for something tiny... like an outfit for a squirrel or... a patchwork project! I like that the pieces are kind of crooked and not perfect. It was really cool learning to do this easy patchwork project... ironing the seams and playing around with the placement of my scraps.

I hope to do more things like patchwork in coordinating colors (this pillow is cute, but not easy on the eyes. You know what I mean, right?). I think what I'm doing is actually easing my way into creating a quilt one day. I've always wanted to. One day. Some day. I don't know, maybe in a few years if I gain enough confidence and patience ;)

I've been up to a whole lot more... but I'll save it for my next entry! Thanks for not minding the blog hiatus. See ya soon!

not much sewing going on :\

2011-06-08T01:25:00.001-04:00

I've been taking new medicine for my Muscular Dystrophy, and the side effects have been awful. I am a lot weaker and have been glued to the couch for a few days. I'm so thankful that I have a sweet husband with so much patience. He has helped me with everything, including getting dressed and getting out of the house for some fresh air (and we tried out a new restaurant)!

The thought of getting any of my sewing supplies out seems exhausting. I've been resting, reading and looking at creative ideas online, hoping that when my energy comes back I'll be full of inspiration!

chubby "moon face" from new medicine! :P yuck

Taking a mini-break from crafting until I'm back to feeling normal again. See ya later, alligator.

Laundry sign (scrap fabric, a canvas, paint and Mod Podge)

2011-05-25T18:52:00.001-04:00

My apartment walls are extremely boring and we're not allowed to paint them. Booo! I needed something to spruce up my tiny laundry room.

Here's what I made:

Laundry sign using Mod Podge and scrap fabrics!

This was super easy and didn't cost much to make. I already had everything on hand, so this actually didn't cost me anything (yay - free!).

Here's what I used to make this sign:

- blank canvas found at Michaels craft store

- orange paint for the background

- black paint for the "Laundry" word

- scrap fabric for the sock, men's boxers and girly underwear

- trim, lace, a button and ribbon for decorating

- pen or pencil for sketching out my idea

- freezer paper (this was optional)

I had an idea of clothes hanging to dry, so I did a quick sketch.

Here's my canvas painted in a bright orange.

I used a paint tester bottle that I received free in the mail from Glidden's website.

This was a free sample they offered last year that I signed up for.

I used "Sunbaked Orange", but any acrylic paint would've worked.

I have sloppy handwriting, so I printed out the word "Laundry" in a fun font.

I used this font as an idea for my sketching in pencil.

After sketching out the lettering, I used black paint and a (tiny!) paintbrush for the word.

I sketched out a small pair of "underwear" on freezer paper (optional),

then ironed it to this pretty fabric scrap and cut out the underwear.

I thought this fabric looked girly, what do you think?

Again - I sketched out a pair of boxers on freezer paper,

then ironed it to fabric and cut it out.

If you're thinking WOW, THAT REALLY LOOKS LIKE UNDERWEAR FABRIC.

That's because it IS a pair of old men's boxers.

My husband had a pair that he wasn't wearing anymore. And yes, they were clean!

I would know since I do the laundry around this joint!

Moving on to the next step.

So I already painted the word "Laundry" in black.

I had some old trim that I thought looked like a clothesline and I hotglued it on.

Thin rope probably would've worked but I didn't have any :)

I placed my "clothing" where I wanted, then used a paintbrush and

Mod Podge to the wrong sides of my fabrics. I pressed each piece down firmly.

This took some time to dry...

Which gave me time to think that I probably should've used Mod Podge FABRIC,

but this regular Mod Podge worked fine :)

The fabric stuck to the canvas just the way I wanted it to.

After the Mod Podge dried, I picked out some lace trim I already had.

I used a glue gun to make some pretty frills on the "underwear"!

This little flower was also in my craft stash for some reason.

Cute, cute, cute.

I added white ribbon to the men's "boxers" and a button,

and added a little cutout where the junk goes. I have no idea what to call this.. but the pocket?

You know what I'm talking about.. the front part on men's boxers :)

I also painted several coats of Mod Podge on top of the fabric scraps.

I found out that this gives it a WET look, like wet clothes drying on a "clothesline"!

I love Mod Podge. It's so magical. I added about 3 coats for that wet look, then let it dry.

I know craft stores sell those tiny wooden clothespins, but I didn't have any!

Those would've looked great hotglued to the top of the "clothing" pieces.

It was about 3am when I made this so... no late-night runs to Walmart for me :)

I'm pretty happy with my new sign in my laundry room! I don't dread doing laundry or anything, it has always been a decent chore since it's just me and my husband. But now I love the surprise of this sign hanging up. It was a totally free crafting project. The best kind, right?

Recently I mentioned that I've been doing embroidery on the couch while my husband watches HBO's tv series Treme. I'm not a huge fan of the show, but I don't mind listening to the music while I stitch. Last Saturday we went to several yard sales and I found this frame. The lady selling it told me she made it a few years ago, and I just couldn't believe she was getting rid of it. Since we're on a New Orleans kick right now, I had to buy it:

handmade frame I found at a yard sale.
Just 75 cents! :)

Totally random, but I've been changing my blog layout. I created an about me page with some information about me. A crafty to-do list with tons of great tutorials/ideas that I hope to get around to someday. And a blog info page. Off to check on some of my favorite craft blogs now and do some reading :) See ya!

embroidery, houseplants and sleeping in late!

2011-05-23T19:12:00.001-04:00

My Spring semester is over and I'm taking a tiny break from school! I'm enjoying all this free time. Here's what I've been up to in the past couple of weeks:

sleeping in :)
sipping coffee until late at night
crafting!!! painting, sewing and embroidery
playing L.A. Noire on Playstation 3
checking out books from the library
hitting up yard sales on Saturday's
buying fruits from the flea market on weekends
letting my hair air-dry and do it's thang:

waking up to funky hair and not bothering to fix it :)

I've been trying to exercise more (yuuuuuck), so my husband and I have recently started taking "midnight strolls" through town. I'm too much of a scaredy cat to walk around by myself at night so it's always nice to have a scary husband by my side. We usually walk 1 mile or a little extra, but it flies by quickly because we talk the entire time and catch up with each other's day.

When we're not taking our daily exercise walks under the moon, we usually get in a mile-long walk at a local park in the evenings when the weather has cooled down. We have to occasionally dodge little league baseball games and crazy running-obsessed athletes on the track. One evening we ran into Peter Cottontail's cousin during our exercise walk:

oh hi, just sucking the life out of carrots.
carry on with your walk.

I love all the embroidery hoop "art" that I've seen floating around on craft blogs. They're so pretty, and a great way to use up all my awkward and huge embroidery hoops. There are far too many blogs to mention, so I'm not sure where I saw the idea at first. But I wanted some too! Here's a few that I made:

they need something else...

So after I painted the embroidery hoops black and picked out the fabrics to "frame", I hung them up on my apartment walls. They still looked boring to me! So I did a little searching online for more ideas. I'm so glad that I did because I found STENCILED EMBROIDERY HOOP WALL ART @ ModPodge Rocks!. I wish I would've thought of this before. How cute, right? I definitely want to do this now.

image is from Amy @ ModPodge Rocks!
blog post is here

Not sure what stencils I'll use, but I'm sure it'll spice up my hoops. I plan on using freezer paper and acrylic paint, so stay tuned :)

I bought new houseplants!!! I love houseplants so much because they're pretty and they clean the air from toxic farts! My biggest problem though, I admit, is buying houseplants without doing any research. I have killed many greenies because I later find out they needed tons of sunlight or they were super picky about humidity. I did my homework and actually read about what I was getting myself into :) Here's my new babies and their names.

working hard to clean the air.

I read that the fittonia (the middle red pot, aka "nerve plant") likes to stay moist and will literally stress out if it gets dry! The leaves will all drop and appear to be dead until it gets watered again. How prissy! My husband picked out the other two plants. I need to find new pots for them soon. I hope I can keep these greenies alive for a few months, that's my goal. Shouldn't be too hard, right?

One of my favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite craft bloggers Sara's art* house shared a picture of a polka dot comforter set on sale at Walmart. I fell in love with the red & the polka dots, so I quickly ran over to Walmart and snagged a set for my own bedroom!!! I just love how fun it looks and it was a great price! I've washed it several times now and it still looks great, even though online reviewers have bashed it and said it doesn't hold up very well. It's still as colorful and vibrant as the day I bought it, so I'm happy :) Here's the polka dot bedding set that I just loooooooove so much:

cheap, colorful and cute!
i love the POLKA DOTS :D

Like I mentioned before, I've been getting some embroidery done! Yay, embroidery :) So relaxing. My husband has been watching tv series of HBO's Treme, and I usually sit beside him on the couch and get some stitching done. I'm working on TWO projects right now. They're both gifts, so I won't be keeping them! One is for my sister and the other is for my mother's birthday. Want to see them? They're still works-in-progress:

WIP - gift for my sister to match her bathroom

WIP - gift for my mom's birthday
She loves all that "country stitched" decor,
so I'm doing this all in redwork.

I've got more things to type and PICTURES of a finished project coming up soon! I love having this break from school. I get so many crafty things accomplished! See ya soon :)

felt bunny toys, yard sale finds, W.I.P.

2011-03-24T11:22:00.002-04:00

I did some early Easter sewing... I made two felt bunnies! They're sooooooooo cute!

Mmm, a cupcake! Let's share :)
Nom nom nom nom

I found the (free!) pattern over at betz white's cashmere bunny tutorial. They were so easy to make and didn't take long at all. I used some felt material scraps and floral print fabrics from my scrap box.

backside of bunnies

I'm thinking of making a few of these for my husband's young nieces this Easter. Instead of using a button for the "eye", I'll just stitch with black embroidery thread. betz white recommends using cashmere, but I didn't have any. I used felt material instead :)

fluffy bunny tails

For the bunny tails, I used yarn to make a yo-yo. I stitched them on by hand. I may use pompoms next time, I'm not sure. But the little bunny tails (bunny butts!) look adorable, don't they?

bunny eyes and ears

I was hoping the bunny ears would come out floppy, but they're a little stiff from using the felt material. I may try to use something in my scraps that let them relax a little.. maybe enlarge the ear pattern so they'll flop down and have character. I used buttons for the eyes since I just made these little bunnies for home. Next time I'll stitch the eyes on with thread and give them to our nieces. No nightmares of them choking all because of my handmade gifts :-O Eeeek.. babies and drool and putting everything into their mouth! Buttons would be too risky for our baby nieces.

This week is my SPRING BREAK from school. No, I'm not hungover right now. And no, I'm not on the beach tanning my totally hot bod. I planned on sewing all of these beautiful things and getting ahead on Spring clothing patterns during my break, but I really haven't done much. I've been sleeping in late, wearing pajamas all day, cleaning the apartment and washing clothes.

I went to a yard sale last weekend and here's some cheap-o's I found:

vintage trim from a yard sale.
all of this was about 25cents!

I gently washed each piece by hand and let them air-dry. They had a terrible, musty, haunted-attic smell before! Now they're clean and ready to be used (hopefully for sewing garments? On the bottom of skirts, along apron pockets maybe?). Some of the lacy trims and white trims had to be thrown away... they were discolored and just too dirty to be used. Before tossing away an empty paper towel cardboard roll into the trash... I thought that it would be a great way of storing my trims! It works, and I may start saving a couple more empty paper towel rolls for future trim/ribbon finds.

I found this at a yard sale too. It's so cute, but I'm not sure what to use it for. I have several yards of this trim, so I cut out a piece of cardboard from a box that I was throwing away. Then I just wrapped it around and around the piece of cardboard and pinned it. When I bought it, this trim looked dirty and smelled old like the other trims. I handwashed it and let it air-dry, and the color looks so much better now. For some reason it reminds me of the circus? I have no idea what to do with this, but it's fun.

Also in my yard sale and thrift store finds are tons of FABRIC! I have so much new fabric and barely have any space to store it all. It has all been washed, dried, measured and folded. I'll take pictures of all my new fabric finds and share them!

Planning on getting more sewing done this week (Spring Break! Partaaaaaay!!! On my sewing machine) whenever I'm not snoozing or playing video games. Last night I cut out the pattern pieces of Simplicity 2599. The fabric I'm using is a light purple/lilac color. Not something I would normally use, but I'm getting into the Spring thing :) Wanting to dress a little more girly.

Simplicity 2599
"Misses top with trim variations"

Has anyone used this pattern before? Do you have any tips??

I've read several things good and bad over on PatternReview.com. It was also voted in as "A Best Pattern of 2010" on PatternReview. I figured it can't be too awful, right? I could really use some girly blouses in my wardrobe. I have mostly band t-shirts and Threadless tees. MUST HAVE MORE GIRLY TOPS. I love those ruffles too! I'm going to cut out a size 8 with the B cup pattern. I hope the ruffles aren't a pain to attach to the bodice. I'm going to make View D (yellow top in the pic above).

See ya next time :) Hope Spring has been inspiring you to get some sewing done too!

Simplicity 2444 dress - finished and LOVING IT!

2011-03-13T03:23:00.004-04:00

I recently finished a dress (yes, another dress) and I think this one has to be one of my favorite patterns! It was very easy and the fit came out nicely. Wanna see? :)

my version of Simplicity 2444

Pattern Description:
A fitted bodice and a full skirt. Simplicity 2444 is a Project Runway inspired dress, so there were several options of choosing no sleeves, short sleeves or longer sleeves. There were also different collar options, and the option of adding a large bow to the front.

Simplicity 2444 and the cotton fabric I used

Pattern Sizing:

I made the top bodice and bottom skirt in a size 10. Made my usual adjustment of taking off 4 inches from the bottom because of my short height.

Fabric Used:

This cute floral print caught my eye during a trip to Walmart. I liked the navy blue background and the colors of the floral design, so I bought a few yards at a cheap price! There's no stretch to this fabric, and it is all cotton.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

Absolutely. Like all Project Runway inspired patterns, there are several different options of making a clothing item your "own design". I chose sleeveless because I can't wait for Spring weather. I chose the simple neckline because I knew I wanted to add bias tape to it. I also chose not to add the optional bow in the front. I usually add my own store-bought belts to my outfits, so I said no thank you to the bow.

It has pockets - woohoo! :)

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Yes. They jumped around quite a bit for the different views, but I expected that with the Project Runway pattern and especially after reading some helpful online reviews.

What did you like about this pattern?

The pockets are wonderful! They blend in perfectly with the full skirt, so you'd never know they were there unless you heard the candy wrappers crinkling inside my pockets ;) They are roomy and make me feel very comfortable with my hands inside. Overall, this dress was very easy to make. I love the full skirt because it has a 50's feel to it, without having to use a vintage pattern. I like the option of choosing sleeves or making it sleeveless if I want. It's very versatile and would be fun to change around the design.

What did you NOT like about this pattern?

The neckline! It wasn't confusing, but it just came out so... awkward for me. There was a bulge-thing in the front that looked like excess fabric. I made the bodice in my size, but I was a little worried with the bodice fit. I checked some online reviews at PatternReview.com and thankfully, I wasn't the only one with this problem! Next time I make this I'm going to do what blogger little betty did. She has a great review, pictures of her muslin and pictures of her final dress :)

A perfect match!
Blue bias tape I added to the dress and blue thread I had on hand.

Pattern alterations or any changes you made:
I decided to skip out on making the neckline and sleeve facings. I just didn't feel like I needed them, and so this came out as a quick and easy sewing project. After I ran into the problem with the neckline, I lowered it by a few inches and added blue bias tape. I was going to add bias tape to the bottom hem of the full skirt but I didn't have enough. I love adding bias tape to my dresses and I thought this would be a fun addition.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes, I will absolutely be making this dress again. I want to try the different collars and making the short-sleeve version. And yes, I would recommend it to others! It's a fun dress to twirl around in. I like how I feel in a high-waist and full skirt.

Here's the dress with a thrift store belt.
And no, I'm not hiding anything behind my back..
What a strange pose!

Thanks for reading :) I just bought some vintage fabric at a flea market this weekend for $1.00 and it's in the dryer right now as I type this. Not sure what to do with it, but I plan on getting busy with another sewing project as soon as possible!

dress Butterick 5277 review & sneak-peek at a WIP!

2011-03-06T00:43:00.001-05:00

I've been a little busy with school lately (MIDTERMS! AAAH!) but I've been working on a few things. I finished this dress in January... the first clothing item I made in 2011. Yes, I know it's a little late for a review. But better now than never, right? Let's get started and I'll share some pictures of the progress, and then show off a work-in-progress of something else!

my version of Butterick 5277
(hair looks crazy, belt is store-bought)

Pattern Description:
(link to actual Butterick pattern) "Semi-fitted, lined dress, mid-knee has raglan sleeves and back zipper. A: self-fabric belt with buckle. B: attached mock front belt with buckle. C: collar with purchased pin."

I read a few reviews on PatternReview.com and this looked like a fast, easy dress to make. Hancock Fabrics had a $1 Butterick pattern sale, so this was one of many that I snagged for cheap cheap cheap!

Pattern Sizing:
I made this in a size 10, but should've made it in a size 8. My measurements almost always point me to a size 8, but for some reason I'm scared to death of it coming out too small. So I went up a number, which was a mistake. I had to make several modifications because it was too large for me.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Somewhat. I made View B (green dress on the front of pattern envelope) without making the attached belt. Besides my sizing issues, I also added red bias tape around the arms, neckline and bottom hem. I shortened the hem by 5 and a half inches! I'm very short, so I almost always have to shorten hems for skirts/dresses.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes. Extremely easy!

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I liked how easy this dress was to put together. It didn't take long at all to make. I also wanted to use up this fabric for an easy sheath dress. One thing I didn't like about this pattern was the darts in the front. They went very low, like below-the-hips low.

Fabric Used:
The pattern recommends using lightweight crepe, faille (I have no idea what this is), lightweight linen and lightweight tweed. I ignored that and used something that I found at a thrift store. I used a cotton/poly blend. I also used a zipper I found at a thrift store, and red bias tape purchased from a yard sale! So this was a quick and inexpensive dress :) Since I'm still new to using different types of fabric and exploring what's out there, I'm glad I didn't spend a lot on this. I'll save the $$$ fabric for a different pattern, maybe when I'm a bit more experienced too!

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
Let's see.. where should I begin? I mentioned before that I made a size 10 but should have cut out a size 8. The bust was too large for me, so I took that in slightly. The sleeves were too large for me. I shortened the bottom hem by 5 and a half inches because it was too long for me. I took in the waist on both sides by about an inch. I made this back in January, so I'm trying to remember anything else I had to change.

(dress is inside out, btw!)
Sleeves did NOT fit me at all. Too big!

(dress is inside out)
I had to pin the sleeves at the top where they fit comfortably on my shoulders.
Not hard to do, but took longer than what I expected >_<

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I don't mean to make Butterick 5277 sound horrible. It was very easy and quick to put together! I think I would've enjoyed this dress more if I made it in my correct size and used the recommended fabric. I may use this pattern again. I could use more sheath-type dresses, and I'm a big fan of any dresses that hug my curves :)

Here's a sneak-peek at a WIP (work-in-progress):

I've been working on another dress, Simplicity 2444. It's almost finished! I was so excited to try it on... I sewed the top bodice and bottom skirt together, and tried it on to see if it would fit. I actually didn't have the zipper sewed in yet, so I'm holding the back together!

Again, the zipper wasn't in yet. I was holding it together in the back :)

Simplicity 2444 is almost finished. I spent some lovely time adding bias tape to the edges, and I didn't have to make too many adjustments. A review of this dress and pictures coming soon! It's supposed to rain all weekend so I hope to get some sewing done. See you soon!

happy LOVE day!

2011-02-14T22:52:00.001-05:00

i didn't have my eyeglasses on

8-)

My lovely husband took me out to eat for lunch and a trip to the fabric store.

Got some new Simplicity patterns, so I'm looking forward to sewing new skirts soon!

Vogue 8280 dress - my progress so far.

2011-02-13T17:29:00.003-05:00

I planned on spending this lovely Sunday indoors and getting some major work done on this green flannel dress. I'd like to finish it soon, but it looks like I hit a roadblock.

Normally I pick sewing projects that don't require an inside lining. I'll sew them if I have to, or if I think a garment will look nicer with a lining. Since I'm working on becoming an "advanced" seamstress I know I have to get over my fear of adding a lining. They confuse me, okay? I just don't get it sometimes and this is exactly why I'm having a brainfart on this dress.

(cellphone pic)

I'm holding this up in place over a black tanktop,

but here's the front bodice finished!

This is lined with black satin inside, and bust fits great.

My progress so far:

all pieces cut, darts have been sewn and pressed.
front bodice is finished (lined with black satin, darts fit my chest).
back bodice--the upper part of the back of dress--is still getting worked on. Darts finished, lining finished. Just needs the arm straps (or the "flange"??) to be completed.

This is the BACK VIEW.

Yes... it totally looks like an alien or monster right now.

The back is fully lined and darts are finished.

Zipper will eventually get sewn in and go down the back.

Armholes look great, understitched the lining and ironed them.

But how do I connect the "flange"?

The instructions call for the strap-things ("flange") to be attached to the front bodice.

I'm super confused by the steps...

I took some great advice and stepped away for a bit. Maybe when I come back it will all make sense. But right now I'm confused by the instructions and the pictures. The lining and the flange and wrong-sides together, or right-sides? And understitch that and do a little dance like this and pull your hair out like that >_< I wish I had a fairy sewing godmother that could guide me along the way. It feels like I'm doing something all wrong when I pin the pieces together.

A little dramatic... I know.

I guess all I can do now is look online for some help. I feel stupid when I run into sewing problems like this.. honestly. I'm trying to get better and better at this, so I know it will make sense soon! I've even thought about hand-sewing it or loosely basting the pieces together? If I sew something together wrong, at least I can pick out the seams and try it over again differently? :) Oh well.

Going to do some school homework and re-heat last night's dinner... then back to the machine!!! See ya later alligator!

Okay, so it's been a few months...

2011-02-12T17:09:00.004-05:00

Hi. I am totally guilty of not updating my blog in MONTHS. Months! But the good news is that I'm still sewing and will be updating my blog as often as possible. It's one of my 2011 goals... sewing more garments (vintage-inspired and RTW-inspired) and updating this baby with pictures, reviews, hiccups and mistakes, sewing achievements and more. Time to stop procrastinating and ignoring this blog. The point of me starting a blog was to motivate me to sew more.

In the past few months I have been:

studying my butt off. I'm a full-time student majoring in Computer Tech. I'm already in my second semester and I love being back in school!
sewing a few things here and there. I hope to finish more things and stop setting them aside for whenever I'm "in the mood". It takes an enormous amount of time for me to prewash my fabrics, cut out patterns, sew them correctly and (almost always) make adjustments. I need more Spring clothing and if I plan on making them I need to get my butt into gear. Like yesterday.
thrifting, of course. I usually stop by on my way home from school, about once a week now. Not as often as I used to.
making new friends! :D And (un?)fortunately cutting out old friends that have gone in different directions. Some friendships expire like moldy milk, it just took me some time to realize it.
having more date-nights with hubby. More time visiting parks and going on small hikes. Nights spent on the couch having "Boardwalk Empire" marathons and pigging out on sweets.
trying out new recipes. A few things have turned into disasters, I won't lie.

Just recently found these at a Salvation Army thrift store.

About 2 yards of black/white fabric for 50 cents.

Two vintage patterns for 50 cents each. They're cute!

Green flannel dress I'm working on right now :]

Vogue 8280. I hope this doesn't make me look like a fat booger?

Vogue 8280 pattern pieces cut out.

Pieces are labeled, markings done in white chalk.

So far, the bodice is lined and finished.

Hope to finish this soon! Pics will come ASAP!

So... I'm sorry I have been a terrible, no good, awful updater. I WILL continue to update as much as possible with my crafty endeavors! Little blog, do you forgive me? See you soon :)

finished! retro "Butterick 5032" dress

2010-08-22T11:16:00.003-04:00

I've been meaning to show pictures of this finished dress, but I just haven't had the time! I'll tell why in just a second.

In an older blog entry (here), I showed my progress of the Butterick 5032 dress I was working on. Had some fitting issues and decided I hated the original LENGTH of the dress, but overall it was a great pattern. Here's some finished pictures and a short review!

my version of Butterick 5032

I used the pattern size 10, and I'm about a size 4 or 6 in RTW (I'm trying to sound experienced in the sewing community's lingo like I'm one of the cool kids, but I just learned that "RTW" means ready-to-wear clothing that you buy at clothing stores!).

I had to take in the waist by a few inches because it was a tad too big. Now it hugs my curves. The bust fit just fine with no alteration from the pattern, so no changes for the boobies. This is a perfect retro "wiggle dress" and was really fun to make! I decided not to make the tiny belt, but the directions looked very easy so I may come back to that later. Yes, I do plan on making this dress again in the future! Here's some details and more pics:

I promise this isn't me giving you the cold shoulder... unless you interrupt "Glee"!

Thank you for introducing me to this addictive show, Marla!

Fabrics used: For the inside bodice lining, I used a satin bed sheet in zebra print! Here's an in-progress pic (here) after I ironed on the interfacing. I could've used something to match the dress... but that's boring. So why not use a fun zebra print? :) For the actual dress, I used black gabardine fabric that I purchased at Hancock's.

Front & back of dress

Changes that I made: I didn't like the intended length of the dress (here's a picture). I'm very short so maybe that's why I didn't feel comfortable with the length? I believe I brought the bottom hem up about 5 inches. I stood in the mirror and marked with white chalk where I would like the hem to be.

I also did not add lining inside the bottom slit, but I think it looks just fine considering this was my first back slit - following directions! I usually just wing it, if you want me to be honest.

I had to take the waist in by several inches because it was too large for me. And like I said before, I didn't make the belt for this dress.. but maybe in the future. It really does have the retro shape and fitting of a 50's dress.

I really like the low back! The squared neckline in the front is beautiful, but the low back looks better I think. :)

Will I make this again? Yes! I definitely plan on making this dress again. You can bet your bottom dollar I will be using this pattern again. The directions were great! I can see this dress fitting into a Fall wardrobe by making this in plaid or argyle fabric. I also want to try lining the entire dress, not just the bodice like the pattern called for. That should add some extra warmth for Winter. Accessories like a tiny belt or jewelry isn't necessary, but I'll wear them anyway with this. A cardigan with this would look cute as hell - if the temperature ever decides to drop. It's much too hot for this dress right now in the gabardine fabric. Like above 99 degrees hot! Gross.

Here's some links with awesome reviews. These helped me:

"Butterick 5032" on PatternReview.com
Boo Dogg & Me's version
Kitty Couture's version

So I haven't been sewing anything else lately because... I've been a busy bee!

*****************

I start my FALL SEMESTER at school tomorrow morning.

And on top of that, my husband and I are MOVING!

*****************

All of my craft books, patterns, lovely sewing machine, Mod Podge, and my entire life is packed up inside cardboard boxes right now. We should be settled into our new crib (ha) by mid-September. I've been itching to sew again. I'd rather unpack my sewing machine before the coffee mugs! I'll try to update as much and as soon as I can. See ya! Gotta make the most of my "last day of Summer" before school starts tomorrow ;)

new MacBook & new (old) sewing patterns!

2010-08-09T17:58:00.004-04:00

I've got BIG news! I sold my old dinosaur laptop recently and have been using my husband's desktop computer for about a month or so. I researched several laptops and compared prices at stores, but didn't settle down with anything I found. I wanted to "go Mac and never come back", but I've always been a Windows PC girl. I needed to test a Mac out first, see if we click. So it was very exciting and very scary going into the Apple store to look at laptops. I spent about an hour in the store asking every question I could think of. Windows VS. Mac - it really wasn't that hard of a decision once I found out that it's so easy. I never thought I'd say this, but...

I bought a

MacBook Pro!

My Fall semester for school will be starting at the end of August, so I was in desperate need of a new laptop! I purchased a couple programs that I will be using, and they're very similar to Windows programs. I'm really enjoying it! I chose the 13-inch so it fits on my lap and is very easy to carry around with me. I'm very impressed by the Mac's ability to run several different applications at once without slowing down at all or having a lag. I do, however, need to learn the different shortcuts/commands on the keyboard and get used to Safari. Tonight I'll be moving all of my old pictures, Bookmarks, documents and important stuff over to this new baby. I love my new Mac daddy!

Here's something else that I've been having fun with. This is from "Photo Booth" and the built-in webcam on my new laptop:

Comic book KA-POW!

Creep-tastic! I hope you don't have nightmares of this face.

I've been wanting to show off this pattern that I received from sweet Debi ("Fashions from the Past" blog):

Gorgeous, right? I adore the buttons and the collar.

Thank you so much, Debi!

A beautiful vintage pattern (Advance 6353)

that traveled here all the way from Scotland!

I'd also like to share the buttload of vintage patterns I received as a gift from my sister! Free! All mine! Vintage patterns!!! My sister showed me a bag and asked, "Do you want them? If you can't use them then I'll just probably throw them away because they're so old." Aaahh! :) She gave me patterns that range from being made in the year 1940 (I'll get to this one in a second!), 1950's, 60's, 70's, and the 80's.

Here's my favorites from the stash:

Summer dress - I love this! And Hugh Hefner robe that reminds me of old porn.

Here's my favorite from the stash of oldies!

At the bottom it says "Slip for wedding dress June 13, 1940"

Vogue 8588 pattern in size 16, 34 bust. All pieces are included! This is the oldest pattern I have in my (growing) collection so far. The directions are vague, but I expected that after reading so many different helpful vintage-sewing blogs. I will be looking for fabric to do the slip in View A. Maybe a saucy nightgown to sleep in?

Here's the others, but I don't think I'll be using them anytime soon. See anything you like?

If you're interested in THESE patterns, or you want to do a trade - email me!

icepinkstars at gmail dot com

I don't mind giving info, sizes or more pics on a certain pattern!

I love my new vintage patterns and hope to stitch a few of them. Some of them look a little cheesy, but I know with the right fabric and a little altering.. I could make something hip for myself to wear :)

birthday, TWO WIP's, lots of pics

2010-08-06T14:11:00.003-04:00

This is going to be a lot of typing, I can just tell. I've got soooooo much to share!

In an earlier blog entry I mentioned that I had just cut out my pieces for a green Built By Wendy pattern (Simplicity 3835, minidress). I wanted to whip it out in, like, two hours because I wanted something cute to wear for my birthday weekend. But that was impossible. I have this problem where I DREAM of creating something magical on my sewing machine in just a few hours... but in reality, it takes me FO-EH-VA. Forever. I iron my hems, I walk my dog, I make more coffee, I check craft blogs online, I decide to organize or clean something, a day or two goes by where I feel like I don't understand sewing at all and I'll never be able to make/wear my own clothing, I kidnap somone, I leave the country for a year or two, I finally feel inspired again, then I get back to what I was creating.

So I didn't finish my Built By Wendy pattern in "a few hours". And that's okay because seriously, why do I even need a birthday dress? Husband and I packed an overnight bag and we left for Atlanta, Ga. We had a great time getting out of town. And I didn't need no stankin' dress! But here's pictures anyway:

This is as far as I got with the Built By Wendy pattern. Made the darts and attached the front piece to the two back pieces. No zipper installed yet, no sleeves attached, bottom hem still needs to be finished and pockets need to be sewed on.

still have LOTS to do before this dress is completed.
I'll get to it later :P

Hooray! I'm older! Happy birthday to me!

Wrinkles, stretch marks, HECK YEAH!

Cutie husband in Little 5 Points. Atlanta, Ga.

We shopped, ate yummy foods and re-applied deodorant every couple hours.

It was SO HOT.

The Clothing Warehouse in Little 5 Points. Atlanta, Ga.

Beautiful vintage clothing!

I picked up some goodies for my birthday ;)

My first time at Whipstitch in downtown Atlanta was great!

Brought home some Michael Miller and Robert Kaufman fabric!!

Husband and I had a wonderful time in Atlanta, despite the terrible heat. We went to several Value Village thrift stores, IKEA, the Young Blood Gallery and Boutique (so many cute handmade items!) and a few other places. I also went to my nearest Hancock Fabric store and picked up something... which brings us to another Work In Progress! Naughty, naughty girl - two different clothing WIP's at one time!!!! How dare you! I'mma tell yo' mama.

I found this great fabric on sale at Hancock's but I didn't know anything about it. I've never sewed anything with gabardine before, but I think I'm in love now! It was on sale so I grabbed a few yards. I searched online and several articles suggested doing a pre-wash before sewing. I washed it and dried it, then did another measurement and found that it didn't shrink at all like some websites said it might do! No wrinkles either. I didn't have to iron it. It feels very smooth to the touch and has a slight shine to it. I'm trying to learn about different fabrics and what they're mostly used for. I was so glad that I met GABARDINE! I have no idea how to pronounce it, but I'm still in love with this fabric.

Butterick 5032

Speaking of love, I've been dying to sew this pattern since I purchased it last month. I wanted to make the dress (also planning on making the cape in the future though!), but I wasn't sure what fabric to use. Until the black gabardine came home with me!
Vintage dress pattern and black gabardine = a perfect match.

Here's what I've completed so far with this Butterick 5032 retro-inspired pattern. This is the first pattern I've made an inside lining for. I've always skipped that part because I thought they were pointless, but I wanted to learn how to do it. Now I see that they can give more structure to a dress or make it look a different way entirely.The directions for making this lining were GREAT (as a lining first-timer). I understood everything, and now I see that it's not scary at all attaching it. I wanted something smooth inside since it would be touching my skin, so I used a zebra-print satin bedsheet for the lining! I wasn't using it for anything else, and my husband didn't want to sleep on a bed with tacky satin sheets. I love zebra-print, so it worked perfectly. The directions also said to use interfacing:

It needed to be ironed, but here's the lining ready to go inside the dress

Lining went in perfectly to the bodice part of the dress, the darts for the bust fit great and I did some topstitching with matching black thread. I thought the arm holes were going to be a little snug, but they fit just fine. I really like the neckline too.. it's got a great box-y squared shape! Here's the upper part of my dress, NOT attached to the bottom skirt and NO zipper installed yet. Just tryin' it on:

[side view]

I'm really pleased with the darts for the bust!

I was worried this 1950's inspired shape would look strange on my small chest.

Again, this is just the upper top (bodice) WITHOUT the zipper in the back or the skirt..

[front view]

Before I cut out the bottom part of this dress (the skirt), I checked on the pattern envelope for the finished measurements. Too long, of course! I'm very short, so I run into this problem with my height a lot. I folded my pattern pieces and nipped out 5 inches. That should hit below the knees quite nicely. I thought the 5in would be enough, but I still had a few problems...

[bottom of the dress, WITHOUT zipper]

Yeah... after taking off 5 inches from the bottom, it was still too long :\ I don't like this length at all. I prefer a shorter dress, but still keeping the retro-feel to it. So I'll be bringing the bottom hem up. It's also a bit large in the waist and hips (I tried showing how much I was pulling in). But I followed along with the pattern's directions and attached the bodice to the skirt and ta-da, we have a dress.. with a zipper still needing to be attached:

Still too large in the hips after both pieces attached at the waist :\

[dress, WITHOUT zipper attached]

Sorry, I tried doing a little Paint over my bra.. trying to keep a little class on this blog ;)

Anyway, where were we? The top fits great and the bottom fits so-so. I would like the waist and hips to be a bit more snug, something to where the "curvy" retro shape gets defined. So I'll be altering that, fixing the split so I can walk comfortably, attach the black zipper, and bring up the bottom hem so the dress is a little shorter. And then I'll be finished!

Whew.. enough blabbing about what I've been doing on the machine. Now I get to spell-check, publish and share my WIP-py stitchy stuff.

Hopefully I'll finish up the black dress this weekend and get husband to take some "finished" pictures of it. And (fingers crossed?) the green Built By Wendy pattern will get finished too. I kinda pushed that Built By Wendy dress project to the side ever since "Mad Men" has returned to tv. I'm falling deeper and deeper into vintage-clothing-obsession (VCO?) and just wait until I share the recent vintage sewing patterns I've received! Pictures coming soon!!!! Including a 1940's lingerie pattern, oh muh gudness... It's sooooo dreamy! See ya later, alligator.

patterns to add to the ol' wishlist

2010-08-05T00:36:00.003-04:00

Simplicity 2512

Simplicity 2406

Simplicity 2586

took some pictures on my cellphone of patterns I would love to sew (I usually keep a notepad in my purse to write this down).

and THEN i found an app on my cellphone for Blogger, so I'm excited to share these drool-worthy patterns! newbie Fall 2010 designs by Cynthia Rowley for Simplicity. so pretty!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.4.9

W.I.P. Built By Wendy mini-dress

2010-07-24T10:38:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to share what I've been doing this morning :)

Washed my fabric, ironed my fabric, pinned on pattern pieces following the grainline, marked all notches and cut everything out. Whew! I woke up this morning thinking about sewing, so I jumped out of bed to get an early start on this.

Built by Wendy pattern

Simplicity 3835

I'd like to finish this (view B, mini-dress with tie sleeves) before Monday. Next week is MY BIRTHDAY! I need something special to wear because hubby is taking me out of town for a few days. We have a lot planned :) I'm so excited!

Ralph sleeping on the job.

Btw - thank you, Amber (Ruffles and Roses), for letting me know that my blog comment form is NOT working correctly!!!! I'll try to fix this ASAP! This is the second time someone has alerted me about not being able to comment on my blog. It seems that some people can log into Blogspot and comment here, while others can't log in or the comment form messes up. I'll fix the coding soon! Thanks again, Amber!

Back to my machine now. With a fresh cup of coffee, of course. Need to pick out a similar color of greeeeeen in my thread collection to match this fabric. Hope to finish and upload pictures. Smell ya later!

yo-yo's for me-me! and McCall's 5799 dress!

2010-07-18T05:38:00.002-04:00

Got myself a new little weapon. This thing is awesome. I used a 40% off printable coupon at Michaels craft store to buy myself a Clover Yo-yo Maker. And let me just say... I've been throwin' out the yo-yo's left & right with this! I knew how to make yo-yo's stitching them by hand, but read online that the Clover tools help big time. And I'm here to tell you that it gets pretty addictive once you make your first yo-yo with this. Hubby and I watched a movie one night and I used some of my scrap fabric to make some yo-yo's. I just wanted to play around a little. Check 'em out:

the first yo-yo's I made with the Clover tool.

I wore this tie-dye shirt in high school.

What better use for it now except... yo-yo's! I love the colors.

Yes, another article of clothing I would never fit into again...

This too-small dress made great yo-yo's!

The pink and orange look great together, what do you think?

I've searched online for ideas and ended up getting even more addicted to these little cuties. I want to make a hanging garland of yo-yo's in bright colors, add yo-yo's to curtains and aprons, turn yo-yo's into brooches for sweaters (NO, NOT SWEATERS IN THE SUMMERTIME! Are you crazy?!). Yo-yo's are so much easier and faster to make with this Clover tool.

My last dress was from the Dick Tracy bed sheet. After finishing it, I quickly started sewing another dress. Have I mentioned how badly I need new clothes? It's a goal of mine to wear more things that I have made. I'm learning more and more as I go along. So an important lesson that I recently learned: NOT ALL DRESS SHAPES ARE FOR ME. Here's the dress I just finished:

McCall's 5799

Pattern size 14 - this came out to be too large for me!

This was the only size of this pattern at the store, but I was anxious to get started.

SO MUCH FREAKING ALTERING.

I'll never buy a pattern this big for myself again :(

I used the last of my bubblegum pink fabric on this dress :\ I have a few scraps left, but that's all that is left. This dress was extremely easy to make, but took so much longer because I had to take it in to fit me.. as well as keep the original shape and darts.

At least the hem stitching looks pretty :D

This was the only thing I liked about making it.

The changes that I made to this pattern: I didn't add any embellishments, although I planned on adding white trim to the neckline and bottom hem of dress. I didn't even IRON IT after finishing because I will probably never wear this.

Do I plan on making this dress again in the future? Probably not. The shape of this dress looked Mod on the picture. I thought a solid dress like this would be a great starter for many outfits! But no. The shape doesn't fit me at all. I have curves, and I prefer to show them! I don't want to look like a bathroom sign:

Oh well. I'm learning as I go :) And it's fun!

"That's the important part." Yeah, yeah...

DICK TRACY twin bed sheet = Butterick 5351 dress!

2010-07-17T18:02:00.005-04:00

I'm a HUGE fan of the bed sheets that were used in the early 1980's. The ones that my older brother had were PacMan, Super Man, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all kinds of cool cartoons. He got the best stuff. I got pink, ribbons and bows. Thanks, Momz. She had the best intentions! :P

So when I found a Dick Tracy twin flat sheet for just $1.00 at a thrift store in perfect condition (most 80's sheets I find are faded or look like they've been pissed on too many times?) I had to get it. I usually pass on these because I get grossed out by the idea of a child sleeping on it. Ew. But the colors were vibrant and I don't think it was ever used before. There were strong creases where it was probably kept folded up in a linen closet for ten years.

I used a Butterick 5351 pattern, Dress A

Pattern size 12 - which ended up being too big for me :\

It says "Fast & Easy" and it was fast and easy... sort of. It was easy because I already knew how to insert a zipper and add darts. The directions provide great images to follow along. It was NOT very fast because I ended up getting soooooo frustrated when I realized that if you cut your pattern pieces out, it doesn't matter that you stay on the grainline. It's also about the bed sheet's images that were in RANDOM PLACES! I didn't exactly plan that before I cut everything out. You'll see what I mean. Some faces got split down the middle.

And I didn't even plan on having a wristwatch right over the boobage, it just happened!

I added a thrift store belt to tighten the waist. Pattern size 12 was too big :\
But you see what I meant about the bed sheet's images getting chopped in certain spots?
I should've planned on that happening!

The changes that I made to the pattern: I didn't add any interfacing to the blue band on top, or the shoulder straps. I added a blue band to the bottom of the dress, and I was going to add a matching blue pocket... but ditched that idea. It's loose on me, but I don't think I'll be altering it right now. I like how comfortable it is for the summer!!! And if I eat a huge meal, I've got extra room in the stomach area :P haha

Do I plan on making this dress again in the future? Sure! :) Very easy pattern. I'll plan my fabric pieces out next time though. A polka dots print would be cute. This pattern is a keeper. I plan on doing another one of the dress choices... one of them requires elastic for the top! Fun.

image from dearoldhollywood

Can you believe that it's been TWENTY YEARS

since this movie was released?

:-O

And a big hello to the pervs that have
arrived here from Google searching the word "Dick".
Talk about disappointment... yeesh!

Dorothy dress - I won a giveaway! :)

2010-07-14T09:38:00.004-04:00

Guess what!!!! :D I won this amazing dress in a random giveaway! Amber @ Ruffles and Roses was having a giveaway on her blog. I was picked by random, and I couldn't believe it! ME - I won a handmade dress! It's called Dorothy and was inspired by "The Wizard of Oz", I think! Check out the freakin' blue gingham... how cute, right? Amber made this dress by re-fashioning a white tanktop and sewing a white elastic band to the waist and a gingham skirt. She made the adorable bow on the shoulder too.

Okay, so where's my basket? Has anyone seen it? Did Toto just take a dog crap in the Wicked Witch's castle? Am I melting in this ninety degree summer heat? Does any of this even matter when you've got a cute Dorothy dress on?

Okay, I didn't have any yellow brick roads nearby... so I had to settle on a cloudy, WINDY day against a depressing brick wall at my house.

As soon as I got Amber's package open, I stripped down to the granny panties and tried on my new Dorothy dress! It fits perfect! :)

I wore a vintage black slip underneath that was just the perfect length.

It's the stitched ruffles on the tanktop you're staring at, right?

Then, of course, Tin Man! You can totally buy me a drink!

I'm so happy about winning this dress, and I want to thank Amber for giving me the chance at one of her giveaways. Thank you so much, Amber!!! You are the sweetest. And I loved the card too <3

If you're interested in making your OWN dress like this... get your glittered red heels over to her TANK DRESS TUTORIAL! I would love to make one of these. They're so cute, and re-fashioning clothes is always FREE! ;) Great for my old tanktops that need a makeover. Looks like summer is going to be here for a loooooong time. And a girl needs some new clothes on the cheap, o-kay?

I just finished sewing a dress from pattern. Pictures are coming, just let me charge up my camera's batteries and beg my husband to take photos!

black tshirt re-fashion with eyelet trim!

2010-06-20T09:15:00.001-04:00

I've really been on a sewing kick lately! It's been so hot outside. I try spending my free time indoors to avoid any possible heat strokes.. and the A/C feels nice :) So here's a really quick sewing project I did in about an hour. This cost me $0 and zero change. The best part of re-fashioning something, right?

I've had this regular ol' black t-shirt in my closet for a million years now. Very boring and a touch too large for me (Old Navy sizes fit me strangely). Here's the shirt WITHOUT any alterations:

Craft room is crazy messy, forgive me!

I blame it on my sleeping cat... He's on the desk.

Several years ago my mom gave me Ziploc bags full of lace material and lace trim. Before pinning it on the shirt's neckline, I wanted to see for myself in the mirror what it might look like. Hmm... not too bad, actually! Let's use some of this ruffled eyelet trim.

"Dis might not look too bad... oh!! Almost dropped my camera!!"

The V-neckline was a little low (it STILL is, I admit) but I wanted a slight U-curve to it. I pinned this v-neck piece together and made a few stitches. Nothing pretty since it'll be covered by the white trim. I also took in the sides about an inch total (not pictured) so that it wasn't so big around my waist.

Making a U-curve with the neckline instead of the original V.

So after making the neckline not dip as low to my girls (!) I measured the neckline of the shirt with my measuring tape. I cut the trim to the length I needed and pinned it on. Guided it through my machine with a regular stitch, removing pins as I went.

Lookin' good so far... Are we finished yet?

I toldja this wouldn't take long at all. Finished! I think it looks much better now, and it fits better too! This shirt makes me feel like I'm dressing up, but still has the soft t-shirt feel. I think it would look great with a skirt or a pair of jeans.

Much more feminine now :)

new high-waisted skirt! New Look 6872

2010-06-12T18:09:00.007-04:00

This pattern (New Look 6872 by Simplicity) took me about a week to make. It would've taken me a day or two had I not decided to completely re-do the gathering and the zipper! I didn't like the way they looked the first go around, but I'm pleased with them now. This was a very easy sewing project, and I could really use some new skirts for this upcoming HOT summer! :)

New Look 6872, View D

I bought 2 yards (instead of using up some of the fabric I already have stored away, arggh!) of this pretty blue floral fabric that was on sale. Used a 9" white zipper, interfacing for the waist band, and matching blue thread.

A closer look at the fabric, and the zipper that I inserted TWICE :P

I could still use more practice on zippers. They're still a little scary to me!

The changes that I made to the pattern: there were pockets to go on the front... I decided not to use them because I thought it looked too apron-y. Not that there's anything wrong with aprons (ya know I lovez me some aprons!). I took in the top band by 1" to fit me better as high-waisted. Another thing, I'm a shorty gal... (barely over 5 feet!) so I made the bottom hem shorter to reach above my knees. Seriously, I can't wear any long skirts in the summer. Too hot! Sweaty knees and such. Just gross.

Do I plan on making this skirt again in the future? Absolutely, but maybe with a heavier fabric. It's easy to bunch up and look like a bubble (which is okay, but I don't need my butt looking any bigger...) so I'll probably use something with a heavier weight to it.

Hey, that looks familiar. What a great surprise!
I'm on One Pretty Thing's FLICKR FRIENDS ROUNDUP :)

Just wanted to say HELLO if you're visiting from One Pretty Thing!

Feel free to stay awhile!

I'll have some coffee brewing for us in no time :)

earrings in my mailbox

2010-06-05T15:41:00.005-04:00

Just wanted to share a picture. I received two beautiful pairs of earrings in the mail yesterday! I ordered "Cupcakes Roses in Red" and "Vintage Flower Studs in Lime Green" from Etsy store phul effect. Couldn't pick which one was my favorite, so I bought them both!

Pretty, huh? :) I love them.

birthday gifts for Mom

2010-06-05T11:11:00.004-04:00

Can't believe it's been soooooooooo long since my last blog entry! I have to admit that I've been putting this blog on the sidelines. That doesn't mean I haven't been crafting though ;)

I recently celebrated my mother's birthday and made her some gifts. "Handmade gifts, please!" she requested. I've been bookmarking a few websites that feature easy tutorials. I love seeing step-by-step directions, and finding ways to change it slightly. I'll list the websites that I found inspiration from, don't worry! :)

Here's an apron that I made for my mom. She loves to be in her kitchen trying out new recipes (hmm, like mother like daughter?) but she always jokes that her cellphone is usually ringing when she's in her kitchen with ingredients all over her hands. So I wanted to put a pocket in the front for my mom to put her cellphone in. The tutorial I used for this is "Ric Rac Half Apron How-to" from Just Another Day in Paradise's blog. Very easy to follow!

Ties in the front OR the back!

I used red bias tape for the straps.

This fabric reminds me of my mom and her style :)

I also made my mom a birthday card that I fell in love with after seeing "Tattoo Inspired Mother's Day Card" from lovely bud's blog! I always joke with my mom that I'm going to get one of those "MOM" tattoos on my arm from a real sketchy tattoo shop.. scary biker guys, cigarette butts on the floor, real dirty place ;) I loved leaving the frayed ends on this. I also didn't worry about making perfect stitches. Here's a birthday card that made her laugh:

Okay, so here's one more tutorial that I used. Since learning how easy it is to make a "fabric flower pin", I've already made about 5 of these! I have new barrettes for my hair and new pins for my cardigans (not that I'll be wearing a sweater anytime soon.. it's TOO HOT for poop's sake).

This is a great way to use up scraps instead of throwing them away. And it's easy enough to do in front of the TV or just lounging around. I didn't measure any of my material, just eyed it and guessed about how much I needed. Very easy tutorial over on The Storque on Etsy.com, "How-Tuesday: Fabric Flower Pin". Here's one I made for my mom:

I used my hot glue gun to attach

green felt "leaves" and a metal pin back.

Easy and addicting to make, and pretty to boot! :)

I won a giveaway!

2010-05-17T09:27:00.002-04:00

I recently entered a giveaway on a sweet friend's blog The Cat's Meow. It was random, so I kept my fingers crossed that I might win...

and I actually won the giveaway!!!! :)

Here's the zippered pouch I won from The Cat's Meow :)

Can't decide which side I love the most... These tropical pin-up gals are smokin'!

Marla let me know that I won her blog's giveaway and I could pick out any (yes... ANY!) pouch from her Etsy store. I knew exactly which one I wanted! She sells many zippered pouches with the cutest fabrics. I love her handmade goodies! So make sure you check out Blue Kitty Boutique on Etsy, and grab a few things while you're there. She's a sweetheart. Thanks again, Marla!

I've been a little busy with personal things in life right now and trying to find time to finish up some crafts that I started. And of course, this is usually about the time when I set something aside and start up a new project.. like this morning after my first cup of coffee! I should be finishing my other WIP's but I was anxious to start something new.

Here's a sneak-peak of what I started on this morning. I'm not giving any hints on what it could be!

This finished project (hmmm, what could it be?)

and my reason for using a funky Hunt's tomato sauce can!