When life dumps lemons and you throw half back because you can (the rest become lemon meringue pie)

You know how you start something and have great intentions but then something happens to hiccup your progress? Then you find yourself living the procrastinator's dream; I'll get to it soon. But soon comes and goes and next thing you know it is fourteen days later and I am finally posting.

Sorry.

I have perfected excuses or really good reasons (depending which side of the optimist/pessimist glass you drink on).

I broke my phone. Badly.
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By accident, but I still broke it and living without a smart phone for two days with my three Things while being a very busy mom is not fun.

We had a tragedy in our community and lost some elementary school students.  It has effected us all and saddened us.  We got to see some of the best of people as well some of the worst. Taking it one day at a time, we are healing.

Plus school is coming to a close so that means more things to do, not less.

However, for all that has come to pass, It's done!

The two Ladybug dresses are done.

(...crickets...)

Huh?

Let's try that again.

I said, (coughs a little). My Ladybug Retro Dresses Are Done!

(silence)

Hmmm... No Hallelujah Chorus this time.

Maybe next time???

Anyways, here are the finished product...um sans her sash, but it's cute anyways!
(Pic)

Speaking of next time, I already have cut the fabric for the next one. pinned it, stitched it and am out of black Rick Rack.
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This one wasn't so much from my creative brain as it was a desire to have a Modcloth dress that I wasn't going to spend $100 on (I currently have spent $12.84 on four yards of fabric; I need buttons and more Rick Rack though).

So, I improvised.

Here is a picture of the original dress which they titled; Meow-ily We Go Dress

(pic)

But wait!  There's more (yes, imagine the cheesy infomercial guys voice).

I also finished my partner's PJ pants today!
(Pic)
So, for as much as I have tip-toed through the tulips, I have been busy.  Very busy.  And I have sewing projects to show for it!

And, Yes. I know there are (pics) everywhere yet no pics anywhere.  That will be changed asap.  But for now, I thought it best to let you know that I am indeed alive and kicking or something.

I might change my goal to writing every other day or two times a week.

So, you have been warned!  ;)

~Me

A request from my partner

I have been trying to do this blog and sewing, much to the amusement and frustration of my partner. He asked me today that once I was done with my current project if I could focus on the spring cleaning and sorting/purging that has been on the back burner indefinitely.

I really need to be the adult now and stop playing with my toys.

Grumble..grumble.

Sew, no sew.  I will have to step up my household chores and not start anew. Alas, my poor green tree dress is now on hold.

But, that doesn't mean that I can't post past projects.

Oh, and there are so many cute projects; quilts, PJ's, a baby jumper, past Halloween costumes, a dog outfit! The list goes on and on.

Plus there is my studio's progress that I can post.

And if that gets boring I can also post dream projects and fabrics.

*sigh*

From last night's posting, you can see I'm almost done.

From previous posts, you know I want to be done.

Now, I'm not so sure...

~Me

Finally, progress on the Ladybug dresses

You mean my ladybug dress?

Yes, (Thing 3) it's time to make your ladybug dress.

Really, it is!?!

Progress (finally)!

So here is a part of the process:

Step 1) The beginning. Figure out pattern and fabric of your dreams. This is when delusions of grandeur and angels singing, harps being played happen.  Enjoy it now, the rest maybe a downhill ride.

Step 2) Start shopping. Buy pattern of your dreams and hope (if it is a secondhand pattern) it is complete and in good condition. Heck, hope if it is store bought that it is complete.  It can happen.

Step3) Find and purchase fabric. Spend a lot more on fabric than you would like, silently cursing yourself for the total cost of it all while you are doing a little jig of happiness because the material is real, it is in your hands and not a figment of your over active imagination.

Step 4) Prep work. Do all the little mundane things in preparation to make a new garment; wash, dry and iron, iron and iron some more. By the way, did I mention that you need to iron it?

Best Press is an awesome spray starch. I have tried Lavender (swoon) and Peaches and Cream (Yum).  But a word of warning, the dye in Peaches tints whites. Perfect for this, not so for my vintage white hankies.

Step 5) Pattern placement and cutting!  This is fun.  I have a blast trying to place pattern pieces on the prepared fabric for optimal usage and minimal waste. Often, my placements are better than the suggested and I can squeeze out between 1/4 to a 1/2 of extra fabric!  Mind you, if it is one garment, I round up a half yard anyways, but if it is for multiple garments, I round down and still get extra! Don't ask me what happens when I make a big mistake and run out (something about Kleenexes, vodka and a stuffed teddy bear...).

 Making both shirts for Thing 1 and 2 and a dress for Thing 3.

 The more transparent paper is a purchased pattern where as the solid brown is a copy of the original 1956 girls dress pattern.

Three things that help me out most, Mark-B-Gone, Wonder Weights and a simple quilters ruler. The marker is a tad pricey, but worth it's weight in gold.  The weights hold my patterns down so I don't have to poke hole into them. and the clear ruler with grid saves my bacon time and time again.

Step 6) Pin fabric, not fingers.  I have had too many pins go under my cuticle and under my nail. Yes. OUCH! It hurts. But the bigger pain is when it gets stuck...and you have to look at it...and then you have to hope you put on your big girl panties 'cause you are the one pulling that pin out. Alone. But aside from that horror, when it happens, is small compared to the joy of piecing it together.  Almost.

Pinning bias tape to sleeve. Did I mention that these vintage patterns were in league with the bias tape makers? They must have been. They use it everywhere.

Collar work on Thing 3's dress. Slight variation in color that you won't see because it will be hidden inside the garment.

Step 7) Sewing at the machine.  Usually, I remember to pull the pins out as I stitch, sometimes I get carried away in the moment or loose one under a fold of fabric  Our costume shop would plow right over them like everything would plow through Mr. Bill (YouTube it). More often than not we would get "bobbin f*ck". And, no it is not pretty and sounds just as horrible as you can imagine. Often, you would break the needle and the pin would get jammed into the bobbin mechanism., hence the crass term.  Some of those pins were works of art, if you were able to extract them just right.  I do believe that we had a spot on the wall we taped them to. I have been rather fortunate (knocks on wood) and only broken needles--some in two places! But overall the sewing at the machine is a mixed blessing. You can go really fast compared to the hand stitching that you will need to do later on, yet, at times, the machine cannot go fast enough (especially on long, unending hems).

The is Thing 3's sleeve and it barely fit onto my sewing machine's arm.  I had to go back and resew a time or two more and each time was like, will it fit on this time?

Step 8) Ironing in between times. This is another blessing and a curse.  It is hard to have an iron at the ready when you have a few Things running around and under your ironing board.  Or better yet, hiding under the ironing board as they play "hide and seek".  The whole idea of my large, very hot and moderately heavy iron getting anywhere near them makes my skin crawl. Remember back to that one scene in Home Alone and the iron falling on the taller burglar's face. No way. So, you can imagine that trying to iron the seams open and flat in between stitching's can be a wee bit stressful. Though, it does make the process faster and smoother.

Step 9) Handiwork. Now that you have gotten to this point, it is almost done. The end is palatable. If there was a finish line, you might be able to see it and the adoring fans, come to cheer you to it's end. Yeah, I wish.  Anywho, I use to hate hand stitching. It was boring. It took too long. Are we there yet? Yet, now in my later years (geeze, I sound ancient) I have found a peace with it, even at times enjoying it (but if you ask me again, I'll deny it). It is at those times, that you can fix the small boo-boos and make it appear perfect.

 The inside seam edge that in time will fray and show. Time to hide it with a little stitch work.

All done. Now it is tucked away and won't fray with subsequent washings and general use.

Step 10a) Find a small thing that will inhibit your completion for another month or two. This one is mine. All mine. Maybe I was blessed like Ella in Ella Enchanted and had a crazy, inept fairy godmother that makes my projects last ten times longer than they need to. For instance, my darn collar (pulls hair, and bangs head on desk), will I ever get that (insert bad word here) thing done!?!? I am almost done with Thing 3's dress. I have proof! I need to complete the buttons in back and redo the collar, but then it's done! All done (maniacal laughter fills the room). There is the caplet and it too is almost done (creepy smile appears).

 Here is our Nafy. She is modeling the in-progress caplet. She is our version from the wonderful girls/women over at http://ourdolls.net/ and You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVd1jDW2dOI  My Things love Nafy and Pleasantville! If you have some time, check out their world. It amazes me each time.

Ah. It's cute. Don't deny it. Thing 3 loves to twirl in it. It has great twirl-ability!

Step 10b) Finish. The Hallelujah chorus fills the air. I breath a huge sign of relief and collapse, only to pick my head up and wonder which project is next. Repeat.

Easy, peasy, pumpkin breezy.  Right?

Here is my progress, just so you know my reason (excuse) for not posting these past few days. I've been a working on the bug dress...(sung to I've been working on the railroad). Also, You will be getting a small glimpse of me.

 Front view, new cat eye sunglasses and a pinned on collar. 

Back view with a collar in need of TLC (totally lost cause or tender loving care).

~Me

Too darn cute

Last year I asked Thing 1 and 3 what they would like me to make for Thing 3's Birthday.

They wanted a dress for her and her doll that was two shades of pink with hearts on it.

Yes, they were that specific.

I got to work.

I decided I would try the Pillow case dress. Usually, you reuse an old embroidered pillow case to showcase the design at the bottom edge of the dress and homemade lace too!

I wanted the simplicity of it all. I measured for her, her doll and her doll's bear. I made a pleated bottom ruffle and a head scarf of the same fabric. I used the darker shade of pink color to match the bias tape edges and the lightest pink for the ribbon color.

I think the final product is just too darn cute!

 Applejack's set

 Baby Bitty Bear's dress and scarf

Thing 3 with her doll and bear

I tacked each ribbon in the center so that they won't get pulled out, sewed the ends of the ribbons to prevent fraying and used the button hole on my machine to create ear holes for the Bitty Bear.

Genius.

I know.

But in hindsight, I should have sewn the bows for the doll and bear in place, making them static. Then using snaps or Velcro to close them instead of ribbons that constantly get undone. I would also replace Thing 3's head scarf ties with ribbon encased elastic. The darn thing just won't stay on well.

Otherwise, it's a really good/close to perfect summer dress and birthday gift.

One last look, just because!

~Me

It Started out as a Good Problem to Have

I started to seam rip and fit the dress' collar to me last night.  And as I measured and pinned I discovered something.

The dress is too BIG!!!

I literally was taking in an inch and a half per side (does a little happy dance)!

I don't know how it happened.  If I measured during a time of a lot of water retention or have I slimmed down that much?  Don't know, but I'll gladly take the outcome!

So today I got to work on the sides and then started in on the shoulder seams.  Much to my amusement, now that I have taken in so much around my middle, my shoulder seams and collar don't need to be taken in at all!  Which is great for the dress, but means that the collar needs to be let out.

No biggie.  I can handle that.

However, while I was sewing (try on, re-sew, try on) my brand new zipper broke!

I was stuck in my half completed dress!

Somehow I was able to wiggle it up over my chest and over my head.  But before I figured that out, this daunting thought plagued me; which one of my MALE neighbors (that are home right now) would I have to ask to help me?!?! (Not many women home today)

Not my top priority.  At all. And not on my bucket list, either.

You could just wait til your husband came home, right?

Um, no.  I have Thing 1 and 2 to pick up after their after school activities today.

Now I have to go to the fabric store, not only to get more fabric for Thing 3's dress and shirts, but a new hidden zipper as well.  I wonder if they do exchanges etc on that.  I've never had that happen before, but that doesn't mean that the occasional irregular product doesn't slip through.

It is just so frustrating because I could see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel for this dress!

...and I am getting really sick of this zipper. I guess the good thing is that that particular zipper is history; out with the old (broken) and in with the new.

Well, by the time this dress is done, I will be the master of hidden zippers!  :)

~Me

Woman on a mission

I really need to get that dress done for Thing 3 and myself.

I am getting antsy for it.  Plus, I really want to make the next set of dresses.

The greens, trees, polka-dots, oranges are really fun and I want that dress now-- maybe even more than my current dress.

Speaking of, I know what I need to do, I just need to do it.

Procrastination.

Write about other things, do other things, sing la-la-la and avoid the dress form in the room.

And to make things worse, my favorite, dream fabric store just announced the arrival of a new trunk collections that knocks my socks off!  More ideas are fluttering under the surface, waiting to pounce.

My goal is that both dresses will be done by the end of Mother's Day, this Sunday.

Which may indeed happen, plus a huge pile of other to-do things.  My husband said that he would take our Things to the grandparents for the weekend, leaving me to myself!  I was literally in shock, but I've since gotten over that and bounce between spa treatments, make-overs, eating out-multiple times, shopping sprees, a bottle of wine to myself or just cleaning and sewing peacefully.  I may leave the house to eat out once or go to a non-Thing friendly place (antique shopping) but I foresee a peaceful home stay and plenty accomplished.

At this time, that is a beautiful gift.

~Me

My Pattern Collection

I love collecting patterns.  They offer me ideas, sizes, cutting lines, styles and possibilities.

My partner would tell you that 1) I have too many, 2) I am obsessed and 3) I have more than a professional costume shop (aka I have too many).

Nonsense!

There's always room for Jell-O!  I mean, patterns!

Many years ago, I discovered these boxes at TJ Maxx.  It is the only store that carries the correct sizes.  They are from Tri-Coastal Designs, offer a variety of box styles and designs.

I now have fourteen boxes and I need at least four more!  One is a much larger size (hard to see it at this angle, it is the bottom left one), that I thought I bought by accident.  However, there are a few patterns envelopes that are jumbo in size and fit perfectly in this huge box.

A month ago, I thought of an idea to take office boxes and cover them with wrapping paper.  Office boxes are awesome for storage, but not so great to look at.  I bought three different wrapping designs and went to town.

Note to self, never buy glitter paper again.  EVER!  I find that "stuff" everywhere now (in picture below, it is the light-pink-with-tiny-white-glitter-grr-hearts).

I decided that I would swap my patterns into these, then put them in my new storage area--a shelf a foot plus from the ceiling.

Heavy boxes, plump full of patterns, above my head and in mass quantities did not go over well and as you can see they are now getting filled with lighter materials!

So, I put them all back in their original boxes.  I think they missed each other, anyways.

Where I had my patterns originally and now is much easier for me to move and find.  I have them all labeled with the kind of patterns inside a small, pretty, handled box.

An open pattern box view.

These boxes are adorable and way easier to deal with than those large office boxes. They are better suited for the oodles of ribbon pieces and scraps that I have amassed.  It is amazing to see the variety and a lot easier for a short person like me to get down from such heights (with help , of course!).

I am trying to catalog them.  I lately got three duplicates of the same size.  Oops.  If anyone has a good idea other than a spreadsheet, please let me know.  When I get that done, I can tell you how many I have...
It also doesn't help that I am terrible when it comes to putting patterns away, right away when I am done using them.  It's going to take me many hours to get all those pieces collected, ironed and put away. Hence, this huge mess that I keep talking about.

I'm going to get my sewing room put all back together then I will have to move it.  It was the old kitchen, now my sewing room to be torn apart and become a bedroom.

I better get cracking!  So I can enjoy the completed vision longer.

~Me

Have an Apron Fun Time!

Aprons crack me up.

They have an innate cuteness about most of them, plus if done well, there is function and beauty combined.

I believe that things can be functional and beautiful at once.  They need not be plain and functional, we can have both.  Why not? Flowers are beautiful and functional.  Teeth, when cared for, can be both beautiful and functional as well.  Just think back to the last time you say a set of teeth that needed some TLC...(let me guess, you wanted them fixed, didn't you?).

The big question is; whose idea of beauty are we going to aim for?  Or is there some median where people find mild attractiveness to stunningly beautiful that we can agree on.  Too philosophical?  Too early or late in the day?

Anywho... APRONS!

I have been collecting some aprons for a little while.  I made my first one for a Little Bo Peep costume as we only had a Thing 1 and he was a little lamb (he was beyond adorable).

Yes, it looks like I slept in it.  No, I didn't roll in the hay. Poor thing needs and iron. Stat!

The second one I made was for my niece (No picture, sorry).

My fourth was a Tasha Tudor inspired apron. A simple homespun orange gingham and I hand stitched the whole thing.

It's small and cute and it was crammed in with the towels.  That is why it is kinked to the side.

My third apron (yes I know I skipped around) was a test. Could I combine a fabric of great cuteness and vintage style in an apron?  The fabric has little cherub-like children on it, holding candy treats in vintage coloring.  I bought some yardage knowing I wanted an apron.  I also bought red rick-rack and pink-n-white striped fabric to accent it.  I finished that a few summers ago and love to wear it baking cookies.

I still want to add red bows to both neck tie bases.  I will need to add a close up of the fabric. It's too cute not to!

Matter of fact, I finished it and decided to use it. I made a batch of my husbands favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies to gift to my father-in-law and other workers as they were constructing our new garage.  One of the workers joked that I looked like Mother Goose...(not amused).

I have also inherited and collected from thrift stores a variety of vintage aprons to use and add to my collection.  Here are a few:

 Yellow gingham with cross stitch butterflies

 Plain light blue gingham

Orange gingham with cross stitch flower halves

I seriously ironed the above three. You can see the crease lines. I promise

In my youth and haste, I donated two decorative aprons that were not functional at all.  They were sheer and one of them had wedding bells on the tiny pocket (face palm moment).  Oh well, I hope the new owner(s) have been able to find a good use for them.

~Me

BRAINS! nom...nom...nom...

Yes, this is about Zombies.

No, I don't like zombies.

Period.

However, when Thing 2 wanted to be one for Halloween, I needed to make a peace with them (kind of).  I figured that if he wanted to be a Zombie that 1) he wouldn't be a contender for the fake prosthetics and corn syrup blood and 2) he was going to be cute, darn it!

A cute Zombie, how does one accomplish that?!?!?

Plants vs Zombies!  That's how!

I started idea shopping and found this:

I knew I had my model and inspiration!

Now I got to do some retail shopping!  Off to the thrift store!

I was able to find a white shirt, a red striped tie and sports coat that fit the bill.  Ironically, the cost of the clothing was minimal compared to that of the fabric and notions from the fabric store!

I bought black pipping, white netting, the stiffest interfacing material for shape and support and lastly grey and orange polar fleece.  This stuff is amazing.  It is perfect to wear when it is cold out, which our Minnesota Halloween's tend to be, it is easy to cut, easy to sew and it doesn't fray!  Just don't put it in the dryer, let it hang dry.  My dryer has a tendency to 'burn' polar fleece and that wonderful softness is now all scratchy!

Now was the tough part.  I needed to make my own pattern.  I started with head measurements of Thing 2, since it was going to be his head.  :)

Next I made a rough-to-scale-sketch of the face. I used small bowls to trace the big round eyes and folded it in half to make it symmetrical (except the mouth).  I used the face pattern to make the back of the head and then decided how to make the 3-D concept as I contemplated how it was going to actually be put on his head.

Since the Zombie head is rectangular in shape, the pattern was designed with that in mind with a circular opening for the human head to enter on the bottom.

Here is my sketchbook page and my original printed picture that I used.

My Sketchbook plans (chicken scratch to some, Foreign language to others)

 Original picture found

Picture next to back of original pattern piece I made

Here is my final, final Zombie head (many months later).  It has gone through some abuse and use from 3 little Things since October.  The stiff interfacing did it's job well back then but today, the edges are getting a little soft.  Since my dress form has no head, I used an ice cream bucket to help prop it up.

When I find the rest of my pattern pieces, I will post them.  Today, I happened upon the back piece when I was cleaning a section of my sewing room.  I might need to rename it to "The Studio".  A relation of mine gave me the idea and it sounds more upscale than just "room".  Perhaps by changing the name it will give the room and I illusions of grandeur... (cue dreamy music).  

In the mean time, here is some older pictures taken when it was originally made.  

 Finished head...now off to make a traffic cone!

Zombie Thing at computer

Thing 2 is much cutter than my dress form!

Oddly, I can't remember some of the specifics as to how I pieced it together, but I do know I made it in an afternoon!

~Me

Some cloudy days ahead

I want to post daily, but as I say, life happens.  Our wonderful MinneSNOWta has been wet and cold for most of April and now May  We are breaking records left and right.  I thought that it might because I still had April up on the calendar but changing it has not done any good.

I have been reorganizing my sewing room.  It is somewhat of a disaster at present.  On top of taking a small break from my dress to work on jammy pants for my partner.  He goes through them like crazy.  Before I know it the one I just made has more holes than Swiss cheese.

So between the reorganizing mess and the cold wet weather which is pushing everyone off and finding myself under the weather, I'm a little behind.

~Me

Time to break out the dancing shoes!

We are not doing a little happy dance today.

No.

We are doing the waltz, line dancing, twisting and a tango!

I've been hunting on Craigslist again and I have some new, amazing awesome finds.  So, boys and girls, it's time to do some dancing!

Two days ago I was able to get another pair of Dansko sandals for only $25!  Mind you these shoes retail easily around $100 and up.

They are a simple brown and in practically new condition- a steal.  

Yesterday, I was able to get an adjustable dress form.  Finally!

I have a dress form.  Cat meet world and dress form.

My old duct tape versions I had outgrown and the paper tape one that I want to make, takes at least four hours.  My partner wanted to do something else for those four hours. I can't blame him.

And today, I got my red Dansko sandals to match my retro dress.

I love the quilt, but alas, 'tis not mine.

I chose a different pair than I originally posted due to cost and color.  The original was a cherry red where my dress' red is a shade darker.  Perhaps, I can craft some simple accent to add to the front? Either way, they are still very nice.

With my new dress form, I will have an easier time fitting the collar which is giving me some trouble.  I had hoped to have it done by today, but life happens.  It would have been a lovely thing too since we literally got snow on May first.  Happy May Day!

~Me