A productive Easter Sunday!!

Well, yesterday I turned the BIG 5-0!!! I absolutely LOVE it!! I had a great day and we had dinner with friends last night!!

When we moved back to Nashville two years ago, DH and I were browsing through a garage sale and he spied a rather large box of sewing notions. The guy selling the stuff went into the house and literally filled this box which was about two feet high by two feet wide. I purchased this box o'goodies for the amazing low price of two dollars. It was a couple of days before I could go through my treasures. My treasures include grommet setters in various sizes, gobs of trims, buttons, pins,zippers, and thread. The elastic wasn't any good, but I loved looking at the packaging with prices from $0.15 to $0.65!!! Oh, how I wish those prices were still in effect today!!

I began working on a pencil skirt from some fabric I procured from my mom's stash. (Well, she wasn't using it......) I drafted the pattern from a skirt I bought at Goodwill last spring. I used a metal zipper from my treasure trove and thread on a wooden spool. (yep, the thread is in amazing shape!)

I have fallen in love with handpicked zippers. I read about how to do them on the internet. Although I am not a fan of hand sewing, my stitches are starting to look much better. I find that I am taking more time to give my garments a finished look. I used to take the  'get the damn the done' approach to my sewing. Now that I am sewing for the pure enjoyment of the task, I am relearning techniques. I love having the 'library' at my fingertips!

I have not had much experience with drafting patterns, so I am surfing the web doing research on how to create my own patterns. My inner fashion designer comes alive when daydreaming of projects to create.

Since this post has taken me all day to write, I have also managed to finish my skirt AND the refashion of my blouse. Pics to follow!!


Happy Sunday!!!

working.......

Well, seems I have neglected my little blog here. I started working last week and am still trying to get used to the daily grind routine. I did finish my yellow/red lattice print dress! I think it looks adorable!! I will get pics posted soon. I have done the pin curls for the night, so I hope to have a nice soft wave in the a.m.!! Working is great and I couldn't have asked for better hours...6 am to noon...talk about banker's hours, well, old school banker's hours anyway!

The project for this weeks challenge is to pick a female TV character for your inspiration. I have a few in mind that I could pull off. Number 1 on the list is Abby Scuito from NCIS. I love her Goth look and have several pieces that I have sewn in the past for my own goth look years ago.


I am also thinking of channeling Joan Holloway/Harris from Mad Men. I have the curves, but need a pattern. I'll have to see how the week plays out to determine which project I will have time to tackle.

Hope everyone had a fantabulous weekend!

Happy sewing and creating!!

No Sew Hat Pincushion Tutorial from The Sew Weekly

This is an adorable pincushion!

 

 

No Sew Hat Pincushion Tutorial

Last week, at the Alameda Antique Fair, I spied a cute little felt handcrafted pincushion for sale as part of a larger sewing notions lot. Since I didn't need the larger lot, I took a note on how to construct the pincushion and was able to whip it up in under 20 minutes. As part of 30 Days of Pincushions, I present this No-Sew Hat Pincushion tutorial.

Materials you'll need

• Felt, 36" x 1 1/2" with pinked edges (you can buy felt off the bolt); Felt round with 5" diameter
• Ribbon
• Flower or some other finishing touch
• Glue; either tacky, felt or glue gun will work
• Pinking sheers

Instructions

1. Take your 36" x 1 1/2" felt strip of felt and roll it tightly in a roll. Make sure that the edges are all aligned. When finished, take your glue and apply it to the edge of the outside piece. Press down and secure with a pin while it dries (unless you're using a glue gun and it dries instantly)
2. Apply glue to the bottom of the hat roll and press firmly onto your felt round (5" diameter with pinked edges).
3. Trim the hat with ribbon where the roll meets the round. Glue ribbon end and secure.
4. Decorate hat with a flower, button, decoration, etc...

Reprinted with permission from The Sew Weekly!! Anne Robishaw owner of etsy store Blushful is giving away an adorable Lucky Cat pincushion.

Refashion time!!

This week I have decided to take some of my thrifted clothes and refashion them to fit my lifestyle (and me). I am also working on some things to sell at a garage sale this weekend....if Mother Nature cooperates. Luckily, the place where I do my little flea market set up has a cover, so the rain wouldn't be much of a problem, but the traffic might be a little slow.
  

This past week, UFO's(unfinished objects) was the challenge on The Sew Weekly. My UFO was a skirt I had cut out and partially sewn for about 4 years. It is a vintage Vogue pattern that was intended to be a dress. I love the skirt and decided I would wear a skirt more than a dress, so it became a skirt. I also refashioned a 1950's style petticoat from a HUGE bridal petticoat. It gave the the skirt just what it needed.  

I have so much netting left over I am going to make a few more. My eldest daughter has discovered rockabilly and wants some swing dresses/skirts and possibly a petticoat. I also took a rayon broomstick skirt, shortened it, ironed it out, and made a lovely 50's inspired skirt. (Works great with the petticoat!)

We went to Mom's this weekend to help get her dryer working again. While DH worked on the dryer, I had Mom help me with a few alteration markings for my sunflower dress. ( I don't have a dress form, yet...I want to make one out of Duct tape, because I very cheap, thrifty.) She thinks it's a bit loud, but I think the fabric is absolutely DIVINE!! It is a semi-self drafted pattern and I can't wait to wear it!!

Here's a pic prior to the grand finale pics. What do you think? 

A close up of the fabric!


Housework is done, time to get started on some of my refashion projects..hint..one includes refashioning a bolero for my sunflower dress out of an old sweater.


Happy sewing dear friends!!