Southern Knit Wit

Dessert Inspiration

2011-07-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Some desserts to cool you off as the weather gets warmer!

Turtle Brownie Ice Cream Dessert

Mud Slide Ice-Cream Cake

"Healthified" Turtle Ice Cream Cake

Banquet Dress – Part 4 – Finished

2011-05-15T20:16:00.001-05:00

It’s finished and over. Yay! So much stress to finish!!

Here’s how it ended up:

3 Layers in the skirt. 2 of chiffon and one of satin.
Each layer was two complete circles. (If you need an explanation on how I did this, just let me know!)
The neckline was a sweetheart neckline
Bodice was lined in cotton
The back neckline was round and swooped down as low as I could get it and still wear my normal bra with it.
The sash was made of chiffon and covered up the unsightly waist.
I added a waist stay on the inside and I think that helped so much!
I did a rolled hem on the bottom, although I wish I had gotten some wooly nylon to do that instead.
I made my own facings for the neckline and arms.
The flowers were made by burning chiffon and satin and tulle.
One of the chiffon layers was a different color, but it worked out okay.
If you make a dress like this, you’re gonna have some trouble getting enough fabric. I had to accumulate this fabric over several weeks. Waiting for coupons to come out and such.
Even with coupons, it was still pretty expensive, I’m scared to total everything up…maybe I won’t. heehee.
I made his tie as well. I used the pattern from the Purl Bee. I think it adds a nice touch.
It was fun to dance in. It was fairly low profile until he spun me around. Then it would swish out! fun!

Dress Inspiration

2011-03-14T09:36:00.000-05:00

So I know a lot of what I'm posting lately is just inspiration...but it's better than nothing! I got my sewing area mostly finished up. I will be posting pictures as soon as I can get them! It's from Verity Clothing. She got the pattern from the May 2009 issue of Burda Magazine. Isn't it lovely? I want to make one!!

But for now, here is a lovely dress I ran across.

Sewing Nook Inspiration

2011-03-04T16:31:00.000-06:00

I have decided that spring break is a perfect time to redo my sewing nook. It is connected to my room and is where I do all my creating. Here is what I want to do:

1.) Create a desk similar to this one. Mine will probably be in a L-shape. Mine will also be wider, and will probably have a file cabinet under one side and a shelf of some sort along the other. I might also secure the back against the wall using bracket of some sort. My grandma has the doors and shelves, so all I need to get is a file cabinet, and I just found one on craigslist for $8! I’m thinking about painting the table a teal/aqua color…

image from YoungHouseLove

Tutorial here

2.) Paint the walls. I am wanting to stripe the walls using the same color as my main room along with another slightly darker color. I want this room to be fun! This tutorial is also from Young House Love. LOVE their stuff! It looks to be fairly straightforward.

image from Young House Love

Tutorial here

3.) I am also working on some watercolors of dresses to hang on the wall. Kind of like this:

image from Young House Love

4. ) My grandma has an old window frame that I might incorporate in some way. I might do something like the picture, or I might just paint it and hang it on the wall.

image from Remodalholic

I’ve got some other ideas, but I guess that’s it for now!

Main Dish Recipe Ideas

2011-03-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Santa Fe Grilled Chicken

Ranch Chicken

Stacked Enchilada Bake

Bedroom Makeover

2011-02-25T10:07:00.001-06:00

When we moved into our house almost 3 years ago, I wanted to paint my room yellow. Unfortunately, I was talked into painting it some green color that I really don’t care for. As such, I have never bought matching bedding or really hung any pictures. But I am ready for a change! I am going to try to do this over the summer, so I am just in the planning stages at this point.

I am wanting to keep the decorating cost to $50 + whatever I can sell from my current décor (bedpreads, art, etc.). This is going to be the most challenging part about this project.

Here is what I am thinking for the paint color:

I am wanting a pinkish grayish tone. Something I can build on. I want it to be sophisticated, but able to work with a lot of different tones of pink too.

(although I really like the paint colors in almost all the pictures)

Fondant by Benjamin Moore (I would have it paint matched to a cheaper brand)

This wall color is really nice too! I am not sure what it is though, some sort of really pale pink. (I like the color in the picture with the daybed with the pink sheets as well)

Here is what I am thinking for bedding:This is gorgeous! But at $80, it is way out of my budget!This is another nice option. Both of these are from Target.

I have posted a tutorial for this in the past. I think it is from kojodesisgns. I saw the inspiration at Anthropologie yesterday and liked it a lot. The only thing I am worried about is the balled up parts being too hard.

There is a tutorial for this Anthro inspired bedspread here. I like the ruffles on it. And it would be a lot softer than the other option. I could make this for cheap too from sheets on clearance. And that will keep the cost down as well! If I can make it as a button-on cover that will go over a down comforter I will be extra happy! That way I could wash it easily too!

Art inspiration:

I am not sure what I will do for art yet. I want to be able to put some bold pieces in there too, but keep it sophisticated as well.

I will most likely be getting some crisp white furniture (I don’t have any right now). I also have a pink rug, and a bunch of frames that I need to use. I would also like to paint my sewing room, which is attached to my bedroom either a bright pink color or some other inspiring color. I also need to think about curtains for my windows and curtains to separate my sewing room from the rest of the room. I am excited!

(I am not sure where I got all these images, if they are your pictures and you want credit, just let me know and I will be glad to give it to you!!)

Spinach Pesto Manicotti

2011-02-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

Spinach Pesto Manicotti

Made this awhile back
Remember to not cook hamburger before stuffing
Make sure to cook noodles all the way done
I made basil pesto using this recipe
It turned out fairly tasty
Oh…I grew my own Basil…’cause I’m just that cool!

Adjustable Petticoat

2011-02-16T09:43:00.000-06:00

from Sew Retro

I would say that most people that wear voluminous skirts are after the perfect level of "poof." I have made several different petticoats in the past, never being completely happy with any one. I would love to try this though! She uses a skirt pattern and adds ruffles and tulle to give it some umph. (click on the picture for the tutorial)

Wood Burning Inspiration

2011-02-14T09:37:00.000-06:00

image and tutorial at Remodelaholic

Happy Valentines Day!!
Isn't that cool? I would definitely like to do something like that on our walls! And we already have a wood burning pen which makes it even cheaper...now maybe if I can scrounge up some wood from my Grandma's house...hmmm...
How about one of these verses for the kitchen?

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.- Prov. 15:17

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.- 1 Corinth. 10:31

Banquet Dress–Part 3–Muslin

2011-02-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

I have been working on this muslin here and there for quite some time now. I finished it up this morning. I cut the patterns I had talked about recently, but they didn’t look right on me.

So I ended up using the pattern on the left (Butterick 7304) for the bodice, since it had a dropped waist, and the pattern on the right (Butterick 6937) for the neckline. I just kinda did the back neckline by hand. I am really happy with how it turned out! I had to size down the bodice pattern, which is what took so long. I also ended up doing a sway-back adjustment. I need to start checking for that on all my clothing. Rgh.

So here is the muslin. I am going to look for fabric today to see which color would be best. Although I am thinking about the color of the background of the picture. We shall see.

Only Iron Once

2011-02-09T09:31:00.001-06:00

I ran across this tutorial the other day and thought some of you might want to see it! When I buy fabric for a project it always ends up balled up and wrinkled once it's been washed. I think this would allow me to iron it and then hang it up to prevent it from getting wrinkled again! The distance between the hooks would have to be strategic. 23" apart would probably be best. You could get 45" fabric folded in half on that. We shall see. :) It is definitely on my to do list!
Tutorial here.

Vogue 2960

2011-02-07T09:19:00.000-06:00

I found this fabulous brown suede-ish fabric at Wally World for $5 for the whole bolt (5 yards on a bolt)! So I decided on Vogue 2960 since I thought that the wrinkles in the fabric would work well with the under-bust gathers.

I don't know what our Hancocks problem is, but they seem to always have a shortage of the Vogue patterns in the smaller sizes! AGH! So I had to cut a size that was 3-4 sizes to big. So I definitely ran into some issues there. I also cut the back up a lot higher. I don't have a picture of it, cause it didn't turn out too interesting. Just a slight scoop neck. I also took out the buttons in the front, as it was just going to be too much for this dress!

The waist looks a lot better on. I ended up making a sash and a flower for my hair out of some blue taffeta I got off the clearance rack. :D
It is fully lined to give it some extra body. I ended up lining it with a dark pink sheet I got from target for a few dollars. It makes me happy just knowing that color is there. haha!
I'm pretty happy with it. I feel pretty when I wear it. There are a few details I would change if I did it over again, but I think a lot of the issues were from sizing down the pattern. Which I'm not really that great at. I would like to make it again sometime, but buy the right size first!

Valentine's Day Inspiration

2011-02-04T09:55:00.000-06:00

10 more days people! If you need some ideas, here are a few to get your creative juices flowing. :)


tutorial at Junkin' Junky

tutorial from Brassy Apple


tutorial from Flamingo Toes

Hope those help you out!

Additional Dessert Recipes

2011-01-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

More dessert recipes to delight your taste buds!

Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Impossibly Easy French Apple Dessert Squares

Chocolate and Caramel Oatmeal Bars

Banquet Dress – Part 2 – Patterns

2011-01-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

image from Sew Red Hot

This dress really caught my eye. Especially the bodice.

It is made from Vogue 1172. The bodice has princess seaming and nice sleeves/straps which I think will be perfect for my banquet dress.

I still want to do a double circle skirt though. I don’t think that should be very hard to draft.

Anthro-Inspired Bedpread

2011-01-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

Isn’t this comforter amazing? It’s made of jersey which would be super snuggly! I am really thinking of making one!

image and tutorial from Kojo Designs

Banquet Dress – Part 1 – Design

2011-01-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

The banquet rolls around once a year. And once it’s over I immediately start thinking about next year’s dress. We swing dance at the banquet, so it is imperative that I can dance in the dress. I ran across this dress from Refugee Crafter:

It’s gorgeous! Based on that, here is the sketch I came up with:

My version has:

Boat Neckline
Fully Lined Bodice (probably cotton)
Princess Seaming
A full circle skirt (the more I look at my inspiration, the more I think it is 2 circles around)
Chiffon on top (Inspiration has 4 layers in skirt)
Taffeta underneath
Rolled Hem with Serger for Skirt edge
Either full length or tea length. This is probably gonna depend on what size taffeta/chiffon I can find
Waist Stay

Possibilities:

Beading around neckline
chiffon sleeves
Possible chiffon layer on bodice too, if it needs it
Triple ribbons on upper layer of skirt
Boning?
Decide on lining for skirt – synthetic or cotton?

That’s what I have so far. Things might change. We’ll see. :)

Vintage Patterns

2011-01-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

During my recent shopping trip at the thrift store, I also picked up a bunch of vintage patterns for 25 cents apiece!!

Advance 2764 Short or Long-Sleeved Dress with Box Pleats

Vogue 5088 This one has multiple views, including a gathered skirt, pencil skirt, 3/4 length sleeves, sleeveless, and a jacket. This one will be lots of fun!

Vogue 5250 This one has an overblouse, but I don’t really care for it. I bought it mostly for the box pleated skirt.

Mccalls 3973 includes 5 different blouse patterns. I can’t wait to try some of these to go with skirts this spring/summer.

Butterick 4309 This one is from the ‘70’s maybe? I’m not sure. It is a 14, which in the 50’s patterns fits me fine, but I don’ think it is going to fit right in this pattern. I don’t know yet. I bought it mainly for the Raglan Sleeve T-shirt pattern on the right.

Simplicity 3637 CULOTTES!! Haha! I am excited to see what this looks like made up! They include “soft pleats” and a pocket. teehee.

Vintage Notions Motherload!

2011-01-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

I dropped by a local thrift store around the corner from me. They usually don’t have much, but I guess they just got some new stuff! I really got a lot of stuff! I think I got all this for $10. Which in my mind is well worth it, considering it would have cost a lot more than that at Hancocks. Vintage knitting needles, stretch lace, belt buckle kits, eyelet kit, and some vintage zippers. And some Scotch Sewing Tape…whatever that is. I’ll have to do some research on it.

Ruffly Petticoat Slip

2011-01-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

I have an unreasonable desire for my skirts to be full and sorta fluffy. I have an April Cornell slip that I really like. It is really thin and works well under all my skirts. However, it is a full slip and doesn’t work so nicely with all of my tops. I had made a long half slip for my banquet dress awhile back and decided. Here it is altered.

I started with a sketch (I’ll spare you the sketch…it was quite rudimentary). I ended up cutting strips of muslin and just sewing them straight onto the skirt without finishing the edges. I didn’t gather them first either, I just kinda bunched the strips up as they went under the presser foot.

Of course not finishing the edges produced this when I washed it.

It had a waistband, but it came up too high, so I cut it off and made a new one out of the muslin. I had to pleat the slip to get it to fit onto the waistband. I suppose I could have gathered it, but pleats don’t add as much bulk in the wrong spot.

I also added a couple rows of pintucking at the bottom to help with the length issue. Those are kinda hard to see, but they’re there!

For the closure I just stitched on a button and added a couple of button holes. I am SOOO pleased with my new machine (which I just realized I haven’t blogged about yet…whoops) and it’s button hole feature! I think it’s a one-step. In that you line everything up and push the pedal til it’s done. The button that you are using gets put into the foot itself so it knows how long to make it and everything. I made 2 perfect buttonholes on my first try! :giggle:

It works well under my skirts and adds a nice bit of floof without looking ridiculous. It really helps keep me warm too!

Tasty Dessert Recipes

2011-01-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

I get several recipe newsletters that contain very tasty looking recipes! I am highlighting some that I would like to try.

Iced Molasses Cookies

Malt Shoppe Memories Ice Cream Cookie Cake

This pie uses malt powder and crushed Whoppers, which I don’t really care for the taste of. I think that you could use Reese’s or possibly crushed Oreo’s.

Peanut Butter Rocky Road Brownies

Peanut-Topped Brownies with Maple Filling

Fudgy Frosted Brownie Cookies

Christmas Décor Tutorials

2011-01-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

Here are a few tutorials for Christmas decorating.Snowball Ornament from Martha Stewart

Yo-Yo Christmas Tree by Kiwi at Heart

Scrapbook Christmas Tree by Crate Paper

Snowman Family by Child Made Tutorials

Paper Tree from Daydream Designs

Map Tree from Mary Janes and Galoshes

Wax Paper Tree from Bower Power Blog

Simplicity 2758

2011-01-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

I had made a skirt several years ago that I just simply didn’t like. It didn’t fit quite right, didn’t fall to just the right length, stuff like that. So I decided to remake it!
     I decided on Simplicity 2758. I put on button tabs and the pleat in the front.
     It was fairly straightforward to make. Came together easily. However…it didn’t fit me. I would suggest taking a double look at the finished garment measurements and such. It ended up fitting my sister and looks good on her, so it was a happy ending after all! Still a little disappointing.
      This was the skirt I hemmed using the hem marker. I think it looks fantastic! The only thing I don’t like about this skirt is that the pleat may not be obvious enough. It looks like it’s a split skirt even though it’s not. Oh well. The blouses in that pattern are cute as well! And I might make one at some point.

Hem Marker Tutorial…sorta

2011-01-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hemming has always been my absolute least favorite thing to do! It’s hard to mark on your own, and then it takes forever to pin and forever again to sew. But I think I have found a solution! I wasn’t sure how to use the flappy thing on my dress form, but ran across this post by the Cupcake Goddess. So I decided to give it a shot. Mine is a little different, but it’s the same basic principle. Mark where you want the hem to hang.
Then adjust your marker arm to the correct height. I would recommend that you take note of which number it rests on. I had trouble with mine sliding a little, but this was easily kept in check by making sure it was on the same number.
Then just place your fabric between the 2 plastic sticks and your pin can go through the notched edge.
Somehow it bunches the fabric just right so that it goes through easily and catches twice to prevent the pin from sliding out. It worked really well!
Really takes the guess work out of it.
I especially tend to get my skirts shorter in the back because of derrière. But I think this will help. Although it wouldn’t work as well if the dress form is not almost the same size. I think mine is close enough to make it work. I can’t wait to make another skirt now!

Gift Bag from Newspaper

2011-01-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

I know this is coming a little late for the Holidays, but here is a cute tutorial I found on making gift bags.

From How About Orange – Gift Bags from Newspaper

Circle Skirt Inspiration

2010-12-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

Have you seen the skirts that Rosie’s Whimsy makes? They’re so pretty! Makes me want to make one right now.

All the images are from her etsy store where you can buy one if you want! Or she shares a tutorial for how to make one here. These would be so cute made in a heavier weight fabric for winter! With some cute tights and boots.

Steam Punk…ish

2010-12-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

Aren’t these cute in a weird sort of way? I think they’re what you call steam punk. But I have no idea! I think they’re neat, although I would never wear them.

Both Images from FanPlusFriend.com

Piano Bench Recover

2010-12-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

Our piano bench was really bothering me. It was a ‘70’s blue floral fabric. Which didn’t fit with our décor at all! So I decided to recover it. I looked at this tutorial to get a starting place. I knew I wanted to tuft it, so I measured and drilled 2 holes in the wood so I could get a needle through it. Then I added some extra foam and some batting and stapled that down. I used 1/4” staples, but longer would have definitely been better! I had to cover with the fabric twice. As the first time I did not get it centered the first time. The tufting was a little difficult. I covered buttons and had to get a long needle. The hard part was finding the hole in the wood on the way back through. I used some upholstery thread I had and knotted it onto a button to keep it from coming through the hole.If I had to do it again I would make the holes probably 1/2” instead. I think it turned out really cute though and definitely spruces the entry up!

Christmas Centerpiece - 2010

2010-12-25T12:26:00.001-06:00

Our Grandparents were coming in for the first Christmas in awhile and I wanted to do something special to decorate the table. I found a lot of inspiration around the web just by googling Christmas Centerpiece.

This is what we started with. My family and I went to Goodwill and the Goodwill Bargain Barn and picked up about $8 worth of decorations.

In Progress

Finished Project. I don’t like this picture, but it shows the different lamp shades.

Our Charlie Brown Tree.

All in all I think it was a smashing success! Everybody thought it was cute, and I was tickled with it.

Here’s a quick rundown of what I did:

Hang ornaments using clear thread
Switch out shades for a lighter color to lighten things up
Placed a couple of drops of Cinnamon Oil on 2 lightbulbs to make things smell good.
Piled ornaments in a hurricane-ish vase. (I got that for $1!!)
Made 3 white trees from cottonballs using this tutorial: A Fanciful Twist
Placed tea lights in canning jars floating in water. Made a really cute effect!
Clipped some evergreen from the yard to add some greenery.
Tried to keep things in groups of 3

Long time no see…

2010-12-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

It’s been a long time! Too long really. I have continued crafting, but school has taken its toll on my bloggy time. I’m excited to start back up again. I plan on typing out lots of blog posts during my break and releasing them slowly. So check back for new stuff!

This is a pencil pouch that was born of necessity. I throw it in my backpack when I leave for school. I made it from NoodleHead’s Tutorial. It turned out beautifully! I really like the touch that the contrasting zipper adds. I can’t wait to make more.

Formal Dress Inspiration – So lovely!

2010-09-19T21:26:00.001-05:00

image from Refugee Crafter

Isn’t this pretty? I really wish she would post more details on the actual construction of the dress! She said it has 2 full circles in the skirt. But I’m wondering if she means 2 circles for each layer, or one circle overlayed over the second circle? Either way, it is Satin with an overlay of Chiffon. I think it would be absolutely dreamy! The top would be easy since you could “frankenstein” the top from a modern formal dress pattern. And I love how it’s shorter to showcase the shoes as well!

Sizing standards…and the lack thereof

2010-09-05T21:34:00.001-05:00

Just got done shopping for some jeans. I have NEVER been so frustrated in my ENTIRE life! There is no industry standard for woman’s clothing at all. Most especially in jeans. I have found that a size 8 in one style is the same as a size 13 in another. Which is insane! I ended up buying size 13 jeans! And they are still the tiniest touch too small still. I, however, draw the lines at 13. I am not drastically overweight by any stretch of the imagination. I’ve got a 30” waist and 37” hips for goodness sakes! I should not have to buy size 13! But alas, that is the way the sizes work.

Somebody seriously needs to come up with some industry standards for jeans. For all women’s clothes really! Why do guys get to have their measurements in inches and we don’t?

:steps off soapbox: Thanks for listening (reading). :)

P.S. I was gonna put a picture of jeans on here…but it was extremely difficult to find one that was decent…and thus a pictureless post. :)

More Pottery Pieces

2010-08-25T22:17:00.002-05:00

     This is a spoon rest….that didn’t turn out how I wanted. The shape is pretty nice, but the coloring just didn’t turn out right. I glazed the bottom in emerade and the top in tobacco (maybe?).
     Anyways, the tobacco is a matte finish and it looked pretty bad. Uneven coverage and not smooth. So I glazed it again with another brown. It still didn’t look right, so I glazed it, yet again! This time with robin’s egg.
     I did an even coat of robin’s egg all over and then Mrs. Susie (our instructor) helped me to drizzle (I almost said to drool it over. :) heehee) the robin’s egg over the handle slightly. I think it turned out pretty good…acceptable at least. I’m not 100% happy with it, but at this point I’m just glad it’s done.
    I know not everybody likes the spoon rest. :P My mom politely informed me that it looked like a ladies’ butt.

This is a small jar with a lid. It is about 3”-4” tall. My sister and I both wear retainers and I wanted to make a cute jar to put them in while we are eating instead of a glass on top of the refrigerator. :P I think it looks pretty good. The colors are a little paler than I would have liked…I think I might re-glaze it next week.

Heads up…

2010-08-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

If you are not recieving the RedPlum Coupon insert – either in the mail or newspaper – then you can request that they put you on their mailing list. Just go here and sign up. It is supposed to take 6-8 weeks, but it’s better than not at all!!

Saturday Market Skirt – Choosing Fabrics

2010-08-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

So we went to pick out fabrics for our skirt sew-along today. Here is a picture of my choices. They were loosely based on the fabric on the far right. I think it will look nice! I am hoping that one blue on the left doesn’t seem as bright as it does in the picture.

Here are my cousin’s fabric choices. She is darker skinned than I am and thus chose some darker fabrics that will also work well in the fall.

I think we’re gonna try to sew tomorrow! I can’t wait! :)

Skirt Sew-Along…of sorts

2010-08-22T09:49:00.001-05:00

My Aunt, Cousin, and I are planning on making the Saturday Market Skirt this week before school starts. I have been thinking about it…and I think it could be made with fat quarters!

By my calculations it would take 14 Fat Quarters for one skirt. Plus fabric for the waistband. That’s not too bad. If fat quarters are $1.50 each…then that would mean that the skirt would cost about $21. Which really isn’t bad at all for a full length custom skirt.

I’m also thinking that I am going to add a zippered waist band. I have some skirts that I’ve made in the past that fit nicely and have a lined yoke with a zipper. I just don’t look good in elastic (who does really?) so I think this will be a good option for me. We shall see! I’m so excited about doing a project with somebody else too!!

(click on picture for source :) )

Vogue Dress Inspiration - Vogue 8470

2010-08-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

both images from Vogue

This dress has some really great lines, doesn't it! The circular skirt and the flutter sleeves! I love me some flutter sleeves!!!! I would really like to make this. Maybe next time Vogue goes on sale....

Cute Formal Dress Inspiration!

2010-08-13T08:00:00.021-05:00


image from fabulousmessvintage's etsy shop

Isn't this dress cute!? I think I definition need a version of this!

Some of the features I like about this dress are:

The sheer fabric. The chiffon is just lovely! The color is also nice and feminine as well.
The midriff bow. Very cute. :)
The gathered bust...which seems to be a theme here lately.
The nice thick straps to hide bra straps.
The soft skirt gathers.

Things I don't like:

I don't really care for the super deep hem. I think I would like it better if it had a narrow hem.
The weird arm sleeve thing. It just doesn't do it for me.
Length is just a little too short.

Considering the things that I don't like, this seems like an easy dress to make! Fairly simple in construction. The biggest issue would be lining it.

Grocery Shopping Trip to Kroger 8/12

2010-08-12T13:33:00.003-05:00

I had a great day at Kroger! So many deals this week! I have been using the Saving a Bundle and My Memphis Mommy blogs. They seem to be really helpful! Got to watch it sometimes though. Sometimes they tell you to use a coupon that has expired. :P But usually it works great! That's how I found all these deals. And sometimes you might check both sites for the same deal because one of them might have a lower price.
Keep in mind that anything under $.50 doubles. The stars (or asterisks or WHATEVER!) represent the items that are participating in the Mega Event Sale. You must buy 8 to get the price that is listed.
Anyways, here are the deals.

Transaction 1

**6 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks $1.49/ea

Use (3) $0.50/2 Fruit snack printable here, here, or here. (I managed to somehow use 4)
Load (3) $0.50/2 Fruit Snacks e-coupon from Cellfire, Shortcuts, and Kroger (I only used 2)
Buy 6, use 3 printable coupons and 3 e-coupons and pay $4.44 and earn a $3.00 OYNO. So you are basically paying $1.44 for 6, which equals $0.24 each! :insert evil laugh:

**2 Chex Mix $1.49/ea

Use (2) $0.50/1 Chex mix prinatble here, here, and here
Load (2) $0.50/1 Chex Mix Kroger e-coupon and Cellfire e-coupon here
FREE +$0.02 overage

PAY $5.09

EARN a $3.00 Register Reward
Actually spending $2.09
82 percent savings!

Transaction 2

**5 Nature Valley Granola Bars $1.99/ea

Buy 5 or more get $3.50 OYNO Catalina

Buy 3 Sweet & Salty Granola Bars
Use (3) $0.50/1 Sweet & Salty Bars printables here, or here and here
Buy 2 Granola Thins
Use (2) $0.50/1 Nature Valley Granola Thins printable or here and here
Load $0.75/2 & (3) $0.50/1 e-coupons from Cellfire, Shortcuts, and Kroger
Pay $2.70, EARN a $3.50 OYNO. After using the OYNO you will have made $0.80!!

**3 Hamburger Helper, $1.39

Use (2) $0.75/3 Hamburger Helper printable and here or in 8/8 SS
Load (1) $0.75/3 e-coupon here

Pay $1.92/3

SUBTOTAL $4.62
USE $3.00 OYNO
PAY $1.62

EARN a $3.50 Register Reward
Actually MAKING $1.38

Transaction 3

**2 Gardetto’s Snack Mix $1.49

Use (2) $0.50/1 printables or here
Load (1) e-coupon $0.50/1
$0.48 for Both

**1 Betty Crocker Warm Delights $1.49

Load (1) e-coupon $0.50/1
Use (2) $0.50/1 Printable
Watch for $1.00/2 peelie!!
$0.48 for Both with Peelie

**1 Nature Valley Nut Clusters $1.99

Use (1) $1/1 printable
Load (1) e-coupon $1/1
FREE

**2 Golden Graham Treat Bars $1.49
Use (2) $0.50/1 printable or here and here
Pay $0.49/ea

**2 Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, $1.69

Use (2) $.40/2 from 8/8 SS

Pay $2.58

** 1 Pillsbury Sweet Moments $1.99

Use (1) $1/1 Sweet Moments coupon from 8/8 SS or $1/1 Sweet Moment printable here or here
Load (1) e-coupon $1/1 Cellfire

FREE

**2 Pillsbury Toaster Strudel, $1.49
Use (1) $0.50/2 from 8/8 SS
Load (1) e-coupon $0.50/2 here
Pay $1.48/2

**1 Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers $1.38
Use $0.50/1 Green Giant printable
Pay $0.38

**2 El Paso Taco Shells $0.99
Load (1) $0.60/2 e-coupon

Pay $1.38/2

**2 Capri Sun $1.49/ea

SUBTOTAL $10.74
USE $3.50 OYNO
PAY $7.24

TOTAL PAID $13.95

TOTAL VALUE $51.66 based on sale price

PERCENT SAVED 73%

Colette Patterns - Chantilly - Take 4

2010-08-11T08:00:00.040-05:00

WHEW! It's finished! Finally! It took long enough. Needless to say...it didn't get done by the time I wanted to wear it (boo!!!!). It turned out pretty nice in the end. I'm not 100% happy with it, but I AM glad it's done! The fabric is cotton gauze that I discharged myself.

I learned some important things from this dress!!

DO A TISSUE FITTING!!!!!!! never again....I had a LOT of fitting issues with this pattern. If you are a C cup...then go for it! But if you are smaller than that, I recommend drafting this dress yourself.
I had major issues with the straps covering my bra straps. I ended up adding little strips of fabric with snaps to hold my bra farther in.
I also need to start double checking the length of dresses as well. I find that they are usually too short. I ended up adding a band of fabric on to this dress to make it 5" longer. It's much more comfortable to wear that way.
I think it would have looked a little bit better on my body style if I had lengthened the midriff band.
I am very happy with using cotton gauze! I will definitely try to use it in the future! It drapes so nice, but it definitely needs lined. I lined the top in this dress, but decided to skip the bottom lining since I knew that I have a half slip that I like that works just fine.

To re-cap....I won't be using this pattern again. I was impressed with the quality, but it just had too many fitting issues for me. I WOULD like to make something fairly similar in the future though!

Coupon Trip to Target & Walgreens

2010-08-10T14:09:00.002-05:00

I LOVE coupons!! Getting something for free or extra cheap is always exciting!!

This is what I got at Target. I had to go to the Super Target because the one that is close by does not have meat and they were also out of tape and sticky notes. Go figure! :P

18.4-oz. Hormel Always Tender original pork tenderloin $5.99
(08/01 SS) save $1.00/1
Final Price, $4.99

Post-it Super Sticky Notes $1.00 (Double check to make sure that these match the ones in the ad. I had issues with it and had to take it to customer service.)
Printable coupon save $1.00
Final Price, FREE

Scotch Magic Tape $0.50
(08/08 SS) save $1.00/3 (regional)
Final price, $0.17 each

Here is my trip to Walgreens. This is probably the most successful trip I have had there to date!

Transaction 1:

Buy 1 Dial NutriSkin Body Wash 16 oz. $3.99 earn $3.00 RR

Use $1/1 Dial Nutriskin Body Wash

PAY $3.36

EARN a $3.00 Register Reward

Transaction 2

Chewy Chips Ahoy Cookies (other Nabisco items on sale) 2/$5
$.75/2 from 8/8 SS
Final Price: 2/$4.25

Nivea Body Wash for Women $5.99, B1G1 free
$4/2 printable
Final Price: 2/$1.99

Kotex U $3.50
$2/1 from August coupon booklet
$1 printable
Final Price: $.50

Schick 3 Razor $7.99
$5 from 8/8 SS
Earn $2 RR
Apply for rebate of full purchase price
Final Price: FREE + $7 Rebate!

Subtotal: $22.48
Minus Coupons: $12.75
Minue $3 RR from 1st Transaction: $3
Total: $6.73 + $2 RR to use on next Transaction! PLUS send in $7.99 rebate! This scenario actually MAKES money!! :D Ahhh...I love making money. :D heehee

Pottery Pieces

2010-08-09T08:00:00.006-05:00

I have been taking a pottery class one day a week and have REALLY been enjoying it! I got a couple of my pieces back and thought I would show y'all. The top one is a butter dish, but I am planning on using it on my desk to hold paper clips or something. It has a lacey imprint with a faint plum color embedded in the indentions. The picture below is a bowl that turned out really well! It is a blueish greenish color and looks fantastic! Not sure what I'm gonna use it for yet...I am also about to start a class that will focus solely on throwing on the wheel. I'm really excited!

Copic Markers....I want some!

2010-08-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

All images from Yellena's etsy shop

Aren't these prints fantastic! I think I definitely need some!! However, the $40 price tag has me a bit off put. So...I think I can make some of my own! I have looked around a bit, and think that copic markers would be just the ticket! Now...to get my hands on some!

Hanging Pictures....Finally!!!

2010-08-05T17:25:00.000-05:00

So we have been in our house for almost 2 years. And we have 6 pictures on the wall....6!!! So...our walls have looked like this for 2 years! I know...it's depressing, isn't it? Very uninteresting. We had all of our frames crammed into a closet.
So...being the over-achiever that I am, I decided to pull out all the frames and paint them and hang them.

It's proving to be a little bit bigger job than I thought! I feel like I'm drowning in picture frames. Anyways, for the living room I cut the frames out of newspaper and taped those on the wall to check for placement and stuff.
Once I got those how I liked it I spray painted almost all of our frames with Krylon's Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint (which I LOVE). Then mom helped me finalize some pictures and put those in. Dad helped me to hang them.

I think it looks fantastic! It makes the house feel much more homey! I can't wait to get the others hung. I think we will paint the kitchen frames white, but other than that, I haven't decided on paint colors for the rest of them. We'll see. :)
The cross in the center really gives it a focal point. The table still needs a lot of work...I am thinking a cream colored runner and then some accessories on top. We used to keep about 20 frames on that table, but I don't think it looks so good like that.

The Great Closet Makeover!!!

2010-08-04T08:00:00.018-05:00

This is my closet before...pathetic, isn't it? I am on a rampage to get my room cleaned up during the summer. It's terribly unorganized and stuff was EVERYWHERE!! Now in my defense, I had already started cleaning out stuff, so some of this stuff isn't normally there.

The dreaded fabric shelf. (and yes, that's the crinoline I was working on, never finished it...something about it just isn't right...too poofy...lopsided...ugh)

And walla! The after! Much better, right? I still have to get some hangars for like 12 skirts, and I should really clean out a few of the hanging clothes, but I'm happy with it! I think it looks really good! I hope I can keep it up...

Fabric shelf after. Mom had a couple of plastic boxes that she let me use. One has my out-of-season clothes and the other has the majority of my fabric in it. Very heavy, but it looks a lot better!

This is the side shelf...and you'll just have to take my word for it...it looks a lot better now!

Wall Art

2010-08-02T08:00:00.013-05:00

image from Young House Love

I recently removed the hutch from my desk and now have an abundance of wall space to fill. I hung my white board up and that helped, but I still think it needs something. So I was excited to see Young House Love's new art project about their desk! I think I definitely need something similar. And I think it sounds relatively simple. And cheap as well! However...I am not sure my fan won't blow the art off....so I would have to find a way to secure it better.

Formal Banquet Dress - Inspiration

2010-07-31T08:00:00.020-05:00

image from TimelessVixenVintage

We have a formal banquet in my area every year in the spring. We have a big band and swing dance. It's very nice! Everybody wears a formal dress (or suit if you're a guy). Anyways, even though it's many many months away it's time to start thinking about what to wear. I found this beautiful polka dotted dress last year and thought it was amazing! It was listed for over $100, but it has sold now anyways. I was thinking about draping the pattern though...I wonder how hard it would be. It has a sweetheart neckline in the lining and the sheer top has a boat neckline (I think) that has two darts on each side. It also has a full gathered skirt. All-in-all it doesn't look too hard to draft. I'm mostly worried about the crinoline. It won't look right without one, but my luck with those has been less than spectacular. Perhaps I can buy one...or find a better pattern...

image from BellinaBridal

This dress is pretty as well. I like the bust gathering a lot. And the color is interesting. It seems to be a cream color with a sheer blue overlay. Very pretty.

Fabric Organizer from One Yard Wonders

2010-07-29T08:00:00.017-05:00

Isn't that fabric pretty? I'm really glad I used this fabric. Unfortunately, I am not happy with how this turned out. I think the directions were terribly confusing...and it is HUGE! I thought that each square would be 2" or so across...instead they are about 4". I think that I could probably design my own that is smaller...but I am not wanting to make another one. Either way, it is definitely usable and much better than some plastic thing!

Fabric Folding & Craft Room Organization Part 1

2010-07-27T08:00:00.017-05:00

image from turning turning

image from craft blog

So one of my main goals before school starts is to get my room and my craft nook organized. I have never been very good at keeping said nook organized. It's time for a clean sweep though. The first thing I think I will tackle is organizing the fabric. I think it needs to be folded all the same and organized somehow. And all the small stringy bits need cut off.

I am going to decide on one single fabric folding strategy (click the pictures for links). I think that will help me to stay organized!

Pottery Bowl Inspiration

2010-07-25T17:30:00.004-05:00

image from StudioElan

I am currently taking my second session of a pottery class. I took one last year before Christmas, but was unable to continue because of school. Anyways, I am really having a good time! These bowls were not made by me, but I plan on using the same color scheme next time I glaze. I think they are super lovely! They are for sale a their respective links. I will take a pic of my bowls once finished. I think that this glazing effect can be achieved by painting the outside of the bowl black, the inside a white of some sort, and a castille drip down. I think it will be super cute!!

image from StudioElan

Whoopie Pies

2010-07-23T08:00:00.005-05:00

image from Bakerella

Don't those look good? My mouth is watering! I think I should definitly make some of these as soon as possible! She even gives the recipe! SWEETNESS! :D

Camper Awesomeness

2010-07-21T08:00:00.007-05:00

image from Pink and Polka Dot

Super cool idea! If I had a camper I would do this. Nothing worse than being stuck in a tight space with hideous fabrics. Pretty stuff makes things so much nicer. :)

Coffee Table Inspiration

2010-07-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

image from HappyThings

Aren't these cute? I would totally put some of these on my coffee table! My parents have a undo hatred towards coffee tables....so we don't have one. Which means I haven't made these yet. Rgh. Oh well...one day I will have at LEAST one coffee table. :)

Super Cute Notebooks!!

2010-07-17T08:00:00.010-05:00

So I was in Barnes and Noble last night, and happened to look at their clearance section. They had some really cute spiral notebooks that were hardback! I think I might get one for school this semester. It would make things so much more fun. :)
On another school-related note...I am seriously considering (as in, I am about to buy) a pink laptop. :D Because...because....well why not?! You only live once! And I think it would be neat! I'll post a picture of it once I actually get it.

Desk Organizer Idea

2010-07-15T21:31:00.000-05:00

image from Craftzine

I recently removed the huge hutch from the top of my desk. I was wanting more desk space in preparation for the school year. So now I am on the lookout for a great bulletin board as well as some sort of shelf to go on the back wall to display art. I am now completely enthraled with desk organizers. I found this one and thought it was super cute! Uses recyclable materials as well!

Dress Inspiration

2010-07-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

image from Anthropologie

So the Chantilly dress isn't going as well as I would like....I don't want to talk about it yet....it's kind of a sore subject...Anyways! Here are some dresses that I thought were cute! I highly recommend clicking through and checking out the super cute details! I would love to make that creamish one!!

Colette Patterns - Chantilly - Take 3

2010-07-11T08:00:00.049-05:00

So I bought this fabric for the Chantilly Dress. It's cotton gauze and I got it for $2/yd. However, I wasn't happy with the color at all. And my mom didn't like it very much either. So I got interested in discharging with bleach. There is a very helpful article: here.

So last night I decided to do a test strip of the plum fabric and another orange fabric someone gave me. I also tested another vibrant pinkish fabric that I had, but I knew wasn't cotton. The bleach had a wonderful effect on the plum cotton gauze and the orange fabric, but not on the pink cotton blend fabric. I'm not sure why. :P

So after digging through the tupperware cabinet I found an old glass jar with a metal lid that I could punch holes into. I poured the bleach into there and shook it out like a salt/pepper shaker. It worked really well. I know they say to not use full strength bleach, but I wasn't getting a response with it diluted. I stopped the reaction by dunking it in a bucket of water and peroxide. I let it sit for about 10 minutes and then put both pieces of fabric into the washer machine.

Here are the results! The purple fabric ended up with whitish/pinkish dots.

The orange fabric now has yellow spots! I am really pleased with how they both turned out. I cut out the dress today and have begun sewing. Hopefully I can get it done in time! Just 2 more days. :P ack! I am thinking about not lining the skirt...we'll see.

Some notes about the pattern: the different sizes are sometimes hard to determine with all the lines. The darts were next to impossible to figure out. Careful analyzing them helped. I had some more things I wanted to say about the pattern, but have forgotten them now. I'll try to remember before I post again.

Colette Patterns - Chantilly - Take 2

2010-07-09T08:00:00.002-05:00

The pattern is here!! I'm so excited! Isn't the line drawing pretty? I am a little frustrated though. These patterns are designed for bigger busted women...so I will have to size it down...rgh. Sarai (creator of the patterns) says on the Flickr page that it is easy to size down, so that's good!!! Overall the pattern is VERY professional feeling. It makes me feel very pampered. :) Pampered=good feeling. I can't wait to get started!

Drop Waist Vintage Pattern

2010-07-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Isn't this gorgeous? I found this during a thrift store search. Apparently the shop owner has been throwing out old patterns!!! ACK! She only charged me 50 cents for this pattern, which is what it sold for back in the day. ;) It's a super cute drop waist full circle skirt dress. I am wanting to make the sleeveless version. The only problem is that it is a size to big, but I can definitely change that. It would be good practice.

Knit Dress Inspiration

2010-07-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

image from Jcrew

Isn't this dress pretty? I'd really like to make one just like this, but I can't find a pattern that is similar. So I'm thinking about draping it on my dress form. I don't think it would be too difficult. Looks like it's pretty much rectangular with three rows of rouching for waist definition. The back of this dress also has a V-neckline, but I think you could just as easily omit it.

While looking for similar patterns I did run across a couple of other ones.

There are some great versions of this dress out there if you check google!!

There are some really neat versions of this dress out there as well, but they are harder to find. Checking patternreview.com turned up the most results for me! This pattern doesn't look that great on the pattern cover, but the ones that I have seen look really neat!

Colette Patterns - Chantilly

2010-07-04T09:21:00.000-05:00

image from Colette Patterns

Aren't these versions of Colette Patterns Chantilly dress amazing? I like all of them! I ordered this pattern the other day, and hopefully it will get here Tuesday. I think the post office is closed Tuesday for the holiday....bummer....

image from Colette Patterns

image from TinyHappy

My cousin is getting married, and while I COULD just wear something I already have...what's the fun in that?! ;) So I'm thinking about heading out to Joanns today, I think they might be open...will have to call first. Oh! And I still have gift cards to there as well!

I am planning to make this out of some lightweight cotton. Either cotton lawn, cotton gauze, or a chiffon of some sort. Or maybe I will make one in each of these! heehee! Cotton gauze is on sale right now at Hancocks for $2/yd which is really good! However, it is just solid colors, and I was really wanting a pattern....covers flaws better. But I might get some anyways for a later dress since it is such a good price. When I was there I did have the lady cut some fabric for me and I was prepared to buy it, but I told her 4 1/2 yards and somehow she only cut 4 yards. Very frustrating!

I think this pattern will look great though. I like the design of it. I might have to size down the bodice some, since it is designed for a C-cup. :P But I think it will pretty easy to do with this style.

Saturday Market Skirt

2010-05-31T10:24:00.001-05:00

image from Simple Bounty

image from HyenaCart

    Isn't this skirt cute? It would make a great Spring or Fall skirt! I really want to make one sometime in the near future.

     Sandi Henderson has offered the pattern free here. She doesn't give yardage requirements since it is supposed to be made from scraps, but to use 11 different fabrics, and to make a medium, you would need 2/3 yards of each of the 11 fabrics, and of one of the fabrics you would need 1 yard. This works out through an XL as well...

     I can't wait!!

Simplicity 2600....Hopefully

2010-05-28T16:11:00.000-05:00

So after a 4-H trip last weekend, I have decided that I need a duffel bag.....a cute one of course. I was TRYING to not start a new project....but I bought fabric for a cotton Butterick 4919 today....heehee. So much for not starting a new project. I definitely am adding this to the make-one-day-list! So cute!

So Butterick 4919, I looked at Hobby Lobby yesterday and didn't find anything. So I checked Hancocks today and I found some $1.97/yd fabric! And its a cute multi-blue stripe! Super cute! There were 4 7/8 yards, but I'm supposed to have 5 1/8 yards. So I got it anyways and I'll just make it work. :) These patterns are often too long for me....so I'll try to tweak the length before cutting.

Gingher Scissors!!

2010-05-26T09:24:00.000-05:00

I graduated high school recently (YAY!). So Mrs. Nancy got me these scissors! That was a HUGE surprise!! She got me 2 smaller ones and 2 bigger ones. I can't remember the exact size...maybe 9" for the biggest one. It's the perfect size for my hands though! I can't wait to use them! I'm so glad she got them for me because I wouldn't ever get these for myself. Even with gift money. Thanks Mrs. Nancy!!!

I think I might make Butterick 4919 in a cotton in the shorter length. I've seen a couple of pictures of it done in cotton and short around bloggy land...I think it would look good!

Antique Spoon Plant Markers

2010-05-23T16:35:00.001-05:00

image from Shrimp Salad Circus

How awesome are these? Can you just see several pots lined up with herbs in them with these cute little plant markers? This might just be my next project! I even have a stamping set!! Now if I can only find some old spoons....hmm....

P.S. Tutorial from Shrimp Salad Circus

P.P.S. Idea originally found at How About Orange

May Goals

2010-05-12T14:02:00.002-05:00

So I'm gonna start posting about my unfinished projects once a month. Hopefully that will help me get my rear-end moving and get everything done! (yeah right, but I can always hope!)
P.S. I got this idea from CandiedFabrics.com

May Goals

Color Wheel Quilt (I started this 1.5 yrs ago...that's shameful!)
Union Civil War Jacket for Bryce
Brown Dress to Skirt (or generally just something wearable)
White Slip
Fix Darts in Grandpa's Old Shirt

Butterfly Art

2010-05-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

I've never posted this, but I've had it completed for a long time! I wanted to put it in a shadow box...but those are expensive, so this works just as well! I used a Martha Stewart punch for the butterflies. And I punched them from magazines. I got the idea from a blog somewhere...but I'm not sure where....hmm....

1940's Vintage Vanity - Restored

2010-05-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

So I've had this vanity for almost a year now. I discovered it on one of my adventures in my Grandma's garage. Apparently it used to be my Mom's and Aunt's but it was too tall so my Grandma cut off the legs (ACK!!!). But, since my Grandma keeps everything....she still had the legs she cut off! Haha! So, I glued those back on and filled that in. and Then I painted the whole thing the same color as the trim. I think it looks pretty good if I do say so myself!

     I still need to get a chair for it, so I'm gonna look at Goodwill or Salvation Army for that. I also lined the drawers with some cute scrapbook paper! I think it adds a little bit of interest! :D
     So anyways, I painted the whole thing and then was browsing Craigslist for a bench and ran across an almost identical vanity! From the 1940's!!! So I gave my Grandma a quick call....and apparently it used to be my Great-Grandma's vanity! Which totally adds to the cool factor! :D haha!
    I'm happy with how it turned out. I can't wait to use it! I wasn't going to use the mirror at first, but I'm glad I did!!!

Scrabble Necklace

2010-05-05T09:59:00.000-05:00

     So I gave this to my grandma for Christmas....and I JUST now got it back to take a picture of it! :D I used the grandkids' initials and put them in birth order. I think it turned out pretty cute! I didn't think she liked it very much, but she wore it to church this Sunday! It looked really good with a black skirt and a white blouse.
     There are a lot of tutorials out there for Scrabble Tile Pendents. I googled it and looked at several different tutorials to see how different people did them. Anyways, I didn't want to ruin our scrabble set, so I ended up looking at Michaels and found some little blocks of wood that had letters in them and everything! I used Diamond Glaze, but I couldn't find it at Hobby Lobby or Michaels. I ended up going to a scrapbook store for it. For the letters I downloaded a font that I liked and just sized it to the tiles. A tip for putting the Diamond Glaze on the tiles.....Don't get too much on there, you don't want run off; also, you can't hardly pop the bubbles, so just drag them off the side of the tile. I found the bails at Michaels, just glue those on with super glue.
     The pearls were an experience! I've never used head pins before. It really helps if you have the right tools!!!

Homemade Light Box

2010-04-26T08:00:00.002-05:00

Mom has done some selling on Ebay in the past, and is currently selling some stuff on Craigslist. She has always wanted a light box for this, and so I found a tutorial and I whipped one up! Here is the tutorial: Inexpensive Light Box. To find the box we went dumpster diving! We not only found some boxes, but also some other free stuff that was marked as "damaged/defective" behing Office Max. Just the packaging was messed up, so that was kinda exciting! Anyways, here is the light box without the lights on:

And with the lights on:

Obviousvly we still have a few kinks to work out with the lighting, but otherwise I am really tickled with it! I think if we just change the fabric on the top for something thinner and get some better lightbulbs it will be alright. Right now the fabric (which diffuses the light) is cut from some old polos (golf shirts) we had.

Custom Day Planner Cover

2010-04-24T12:47:00.002-05:00

I picked up my day planner to plan this week and realized I've never posted about my calendar cover! I didn't want a plain ol' day planner, and all the nice ones were pretty expensive. So I just bought the calendar I wanted and made a pretty cover for it.

The outside is a brown corduroy with a pink patchwork strip. It has a couple of pockets to hold in the planner which makes a nice little storage area for loose slips of paper as well. I am really happy with it! It makes me happy every time I pick it up. :)

Mccals 5094 - Finished

2010-04-04T15:16:00.001-05:00

I finished this last weekend, but just now got a chance to take pictures. I wore it to church this morning for Easter!! It turned out pretty good. I couldn't get the size range that I needed, so I made a 12. I really wear a 10. Anyways, it turned out okay. I took a lot out at the back center seam. I used a vintage sheet for the fabric thanks to Mrs. Debbie!! :D Thanks! The half circle skirt proves to be interesting in a good wind, but otherwise I am happy with it! I don't know that I will make it again, but it definitely turned out like the picture!
(there are two pictures of the front because the wind was blowing in one picture, so I got a better pic of the skirt)

Best Cheesecake Ever!....

2010-03-31T12:42:00.000-05:00

image from Betty Crocker

     Or at least that's what my dad says. I consider him a definite test of the food that I cook! This cheesecake uses a cake mix for the crust. It's delicious! In the recipe, it says lemon pudding, it is calling for the premade cups of pudding.....like in a pack of 4. They hang on racks near the jello.
     Make sure to let your cream cheese soften ALL the way! I learned that the hard way. I mixed it all in, but it was clumpy, so I decided (genius that I am) to run all the liquid batter through the sifter.....ok, ok, I can hear you laughing from here! Anyways, I don't recommend it! Do as I say, not as I do...please....for your own mental health! ;)
     The cool whip on top is easy and tastes really good. I piped little puffs of it all over the top. Really looks good for presentation.

So You Think You're Crafty?

2010-03-29T16:25:00.000-05:00

That's right! I'm competing again! Go check out all the awesome crafts at: SoYouThinkYoureCrafty.blogspot.com!

Menu Plan 3/7-3/14

2010-03-07T16:17:00.001-06:00

Photo by Miehana

So it's been a long week! I'm finally on spring break, and I am SOO ready for a break! I worked out in the yard with Dad for 5 solid hours yesterday. I did a total of 26 wheelbarrow loads of mulch all by myself! Needless to say, I am SOOOOO SORE TODAY! I feel like an old woman! Note to self: get more exercise!

So anyways, I plan to do a good bit of sewing this week....and sleeping! And cooking! I found the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. You can find it on Dash of Sass. I plan on making a couple of batches this week. I found that if you freeze them in a log shape they are extremely hard to cut (maybe because I didn't let it thaw). So I plan on rolling them into balls and "flash freezing" them (freezing uncovered for 10 mins or so and then bagging) instead. Yum yum!

So this week we have in the freezer:

one meal's worth of chicken

small pot roast

1.5 lbs beef

We also have lots of leftover spaghetti and meatballs left and plenty of uncooked rice. Oh...and noodles...lots and lots of noodles!

Soo....Here's the plan!

Dinner 1: Firehouse Enchiladas (with green sauce this time!)

Dinner 2: Spaghetti (using leftover meatballs)

Dinner 3: Hamburgers and French Fries

Dinner 4: Chicken Quesadillas

Dinner 5: Chicken and Rice in the oven

Dinner 6: Homemade Pizza

And of course the cookies! So that's it for this week!

Trash to Treasure

2010-03-04T13:26:00.001-06:00

     I whipped this cute skirt out last night. I serged everything but the waistband, and that is only 'cause I can't do a flet serger seam (called a flat-felled seam maybe?). I finally got the serger to gather the way I want. It took a lot of fiddling around. I'm not completely happy with it, but it works. :D I can't wait until spring! It is a fun skirt to twirl in too!
    Now the reason it is trash to treasure is that this fabric was a sheet from Salvation Army (which, btw is a lot nicer than Goodwill). It only costs 3 bucks! Score! :D I'm wanting to make a circle skirt as well and a sheet would be perfect for that. It is plenty wide enough and cheap as well!
     Now I'm off to work on a crinoline some!

P.S. I was going for a 2:1 ratio on each layer, but that didn't work out real well. I couldn't get enough control on my gathers. So I just gathered it as much as possible.
P.P.S. My tension on my sewing machine is shot. Kinda upset about it. I've got it rigged up for right now, but still is very frustrating. I don't know if it can be fixed or not. We'll see.......It's just not holding tension at all.

Dress Ideas

2010-03-03T08:00:00.002-06:00

It's getting to be spring time again....sort of. It's not anywhere warm enough yet, but I can still dream!

This dress would be really cute! It's got a fairly full skirt (maybe a full circle?), and I would make the version in the top left (minus the bows). Some embroidery added to that would be cute too! When I was looking at this dress in the pattern book, I think that the embroidery around the midriff is actually some lacey appliques! Those would be really easy!

Update: Forgot to add that this is Mccalls 5094.

Butterick 4919

2010-03-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

It's finished! Finally! I think it looks pretty good.

I added the ruffle. It snaps together in the back with a little snap. Not sure why the zip looks so wrinkly. rgh.

The neckline was way too low originally, so I think this was a good way to fix it....not that I'm biased or anything.

Full Length Shot ^^. This pattern has a full circle skirt, which I have discovered is really not fun. It was hard to get it even all the way around. I guess you shouldn't be able to notice that much though.

Midriff Detail ^^. The ties cross and then tie in the back.

     So I have learned that I really don't like working with slippery fabrics that much. Give me some good ol' cotton any day! I used polyester satin too...and it's REALLY staticky. I have a slip on in these pictures, but I'm planning on making a full circle (or close to it) skirt sometime soon. I think I might make a crinoline to go under this too.
     If you are making this pattern, here's some advice: The bodice is super confusing, but follow the directions exactly to the very end. The bodice front and back never actually connect. the bodice front wraps behind and closes with hook and eyes. Then the zipper covers that, then the ties, that are connected to the back, wrap around the front and tie in the back. It makes sense once you wear it, but until then it is rather confusing.

     I can't wait to wear this sometime!!!!
To see other posts about this dress:
B.O. Anyone?
Butterick 4919 - Part 2

Menu Plan 2/28-3/6

2010-02-27T12:17:00.000-06:00

Image from TakeaBreak

     I'm sorry if some of y'all are getting sick of these menu plans, but this is really the only outlet of domesticity I am getting at this point. I'm wrapping up Butterick 4919, and should have pictures sometime this week.

     I have been super tired the last couple of months, and it got really bad the past couple of weeks. So now I am taking unsulfered blackstrap molasses :gag: every day to increase my iron. It is really helping a lot! Before I started taking it I could have gone to sleep at 3 or so, but I have a lot of energy now. So if you are feeling tired, you might have your iron levels checked!

    Last week's food was pretty good. The spaghetti was the BEST spaghetti E.V.E.R.!!!!!!!! My family thought it was the best spaghetti they had ever had. The bacon and cheese topped chicken was pretty tasty too! The chicken noodle soup was okay. I made homemade noodles that were really good, but the soup was missing something....I'm just not sure what it is yet. The chicken nuggets left a lot to be desired. I think if I had added some extra seasoning and maybe some parmesan cheese to the breading it would have been better.

    Onto the menu: I need 5 meals for this week. I have a bag of rice in the pantry that needs cooked, but I am completely out of meat, so I am starting from square one.
Meats on Sale:
Chuck Pot Roast - $2.17/lb
Sanderson Farms Whole Fryer Chicken - $.77/lb
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - $1.99/lb
Whole chicken is FINALLY on sale! Yippee!!!! (great resource for crock pot recipes)
Dinner 1: Crockpot Rotisserie Style Chicken
Dinner 2: Garlic Chicken
Dinner 3: Spaghetti .....again!
Dinner 4: Chicken Parmesan
Dinner 5: Chicken Rice Casserole

     I'm seriously considering getting a bunch of whole chickens and cutting them up myself to seperate the breasts, thighs, legs, etc. This would be more cost effective, but a lot more work.

     Go make these! Hershey's Kiss Peanut Butter Cookies. Are you still sitting there? I'm serious! Go make those cookies! They are SOOO good! I cooked mine for 8 minutes and they were perfect!

Menu Plan 2/21-2/28

2010-02-21T14:27:00.001-06:00

Image by JollyPollyPickins

Last week's meals were really good (note to self: use only green enchilada sauce on enchiladas). I only got around to cooking the crockpot roast and the garlic chicken (which was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!) though. So, this week I plan to have some carry over from last week. We will have Pioneer Woman's lasagna for dinner tonight.
In the freezer:
1.5 lbs ground beef
small roast
LOTS of chicken (probably 2-3 meals worth)
Meat that is on sale in the Memphis area:
Chicken Breasts - $1.97/lb
Fresh Ground Chuck - $1.99/lb
Top Round Roast - $2.99/lb
Choice Beef for Stew - $2.99/lb
I only need 4 meals for this week:
Meal 1: Bacon and Cheese Topped Chicken
Meal 2: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Meal 3: Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade noodles
Meal 4: Crockpot Chicken Nuggets

Recipes for Later:
Crockpot Rotisserie Style Chicken (whole chicken is STILL not on sale!)

Grocery List:
Garlic
Parmesan Cheese
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
Spaghetti Noodles

Vintage Pattern Jackpot!

2010-02-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

So this past weekend my mom and I visited a couple of thrift shops. The first one we went to literally had pathways that were more narrow than my hips are. We were all walking sideways through the store. And the stuff was stacked almost all the way to the ceiling! It was kind of scary. Anyways, at the end my mom asked about vintage patterns and they said they had some in the back for $0.25!!! I was SOO excited! I got all the '50s patterns they had.
I really like this pattern ^^. I think it is cute. I don't know that I could pull of the neck tie, but I think I'll give it a shot!

This pattern ^^ is for a nightgown. I wear pajama pants to bed, so I won't be needing this one. I might use it for a jumping off point for a vintage slip. I am thinking about making some slips to sell....

I was really excited about this pattern ^^. I've always wanted a pair of '50s gloves, and now I can make some! I'm not sure about the sizing, I THINK they are a medium, but I am not positive how to measure my hand though...I'll figure it out!

I'm the most excited about this one ^^. I've never had a vintage skirt pattern before, and I especially like this one. I was looking at the back of the pattern earlier and it calls for lace and netting, but no liner, so I don't know what is up with that, but I can always wear a slip with it. I think it should be pretty fun to make...and quick.

All those for 50 cents! Can you believe it? I was super excited!

Menu Time!

2010-02-15T14:09:00.004-06:00

Image from X-Ray Delta One

Well, it's that time of the week again! Menu time! :D I actually look forward to planning the menus for the week. I like to find new recipes to try out and use some old ones. I end up cooking almost every dinner, so I might as well plan the dinners that I am going to have to cook, right?

So anyways, in the freezer we have:

1.5 lbs of ground beef

5 chicken breasts.

So, with that in mind here is a list of the meat that I found in the online sale flyer this week (this is only the meats that interested me, there are other meats on sale):

Boneless English Roast - $2.17 a lb.

Half Pork-Loin (bone-in) - $1.68 a lb.

Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts - $1.99 a lb.

Chicken Breast Tenders - $1.99 a lb.

Pork Tenderloin - $2.99 a lb.

Center Cut Pork Chops - $2.99 a lb.

Dinner 1: Garlic Oven-Fried Chicken Breasts with homemade bread (in bread machine) and Cowboy Potatoes (baked cubed potatoes with butter, garlic, and lots of bacon!) (use chicken tenders for this meal)

Dinner 2: Pioneer Woman's Lasagna with Salad

Dinner 3: Crock Pot Pot Roast with Rolls (with Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Butter), Mashed Potatoes, and Frozen Green Beans

Dinner 4: Bacon and Cheese Topped Chicken

Recipes to try later:

Crockpot Rotisserie Style Chicken

Deal Ideas:

Deal Saving Idea - Actually makes money!

General Mills Cereal $2.39

Use $1.00/2 General Mills printable

Use $1.00 Lucky Charms or Cinnamon Toast Crunch Printable
Use Reese's Puffs $0.55 e-coupon from Cellfire
Pay as low as $1.34 each

Walgreens:
Gillette Fusion $8.99
Receive $4.00 RR
(2/7, Proctor and Gamble insert) save $4.00
Final Price, $0.99

Pattern Storage

2010-02-14T08:00:00.001-06:00

So I am sure that everybody has their own ways of storing used patterns. I have tried until now to stuff the pattern back into the original envelope, but as most of you know, that is all but impossible. You think you have it squished down enough and then the entire side of the envelope rips. So I stumbled across this idea while looking for some vintage patterns. You simply cut the sides of the envelope and glue it to a manilla folder that has been stapled on the sides. That way it holds the pattern pieces. I think this is gonna work really well. I was already storing my patterns in a file box, so this isn't going to be a big deal. It is easy to flip through them and look at the pictures, or organize them by numbers and quickly find the right number. I think it is gonna work really well!

Overdying or Discharging?

2010-02-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

     A friend of mine gave me this fabric the other day. It is crossing guard orange. So, since directing traffic isn't in my near future, I need to decide what to do with it. It has a slight glitter woven into it, and there are about 3.5 yards, so it is enough to make a dress out of.
     I'm thinking about discharging or overdying it. Elizabeth did an excellent post about this awhile back h ere and here. I'm not really sure what I want to do to it at this point. I'll probably do a discharge soon just to see what it looks like.
    Has anyone done any discharging or dying, and do you have any tips? Otherwise, any ideas on what to do with this?

Butterick 4919 - Part 2

2010-02-11T08:00:00.005-06:00

     So I finally got a move on with Butterick 4919
! It's almost there. It is looking really good! It is super cute! I had some trouble putting the bodice together though. My advice to others: "Just keep doing EXACTLY what the instruction sheet says even if it sounds confusing. It will come together in the end.....hopefully." Apparently the front bodice and the back bodice don't actually join. The front bodice hooks in the back under the zipper. Then the zipper zips up. And THEN the ties go around.
The neckline was a little low cut (as pictured) for my taste. I just wasn't comfortable. So I added a really nifty ruffle around the entire neckline. It stands up straight and lays against my neck. I think it looks really sharp.
    The full skirt really looks nice though! It is proving to be a bugger to hem though. That's what I'm working on now. Then I just have some hand stitching and it will be done! I'll post the finished dress when I finish.
    On another note, my dress form is just THAT much too big around the torso. And I have it as small as it will go. I suppose I will grow into it. My hips are proportioned just right that the dress form doesn't like it too much....but I suppose I will grow into it! haha!

P.S. I have NO earthly idea where I am going to wear this, but I will figure something out! My mom was joking with me about this being my house-cleaning dress. heehee. :)

P.P.S. I forgot to mention too, that this fabric was $2 a yard and I had a 40% off coupon on top of that. So....it was $1.20 a yard, and it called for 6 yards or something like that. It's going to need a full length slip, because it is very staticky, but what can I say? It's a $15 dress. :giggles to self:

Lovely Dress!!!

2010-02-10T08:00:00.002-06:00

image from Anthropolgie

Isn't this the cutest dress ever? I found this via MakingitLovely.com which is another wonderful blog too!! I would love to find a dress pattern like that. The ruffles on the front and the tie back are amazing! It also comes in white and black. Maybe when the spring dress patterns are out I'll be able to find one!

Menu Planning!!!

2010-02-08T16:04:00.001-06:00

Well, today we had a snow day. We got about 3" of snow. (I know, I know, I can just hear everybody in the north laughing, but that's a lot for down here!) School was canceled so we had to find something to occupy ourselves. Last weekend it iced, so I got to plan a menu last week. It worked really well, and I felt really good about it! So today I sat down and designed another menu!

I love planning menus! I like to cook anyways, so this just gives me an excuse!
I wrote out the plan by hand last week, but this week I typed it up in a fancy font. :D I love it! :D Once I printed it out I also drew some hearts and some squiggles on it too.
And yes, just in case you are wondering, it does say "forage" on there. My mom doesn't like to cook, and we all lose incentive when my dad isn't home for dinner. So on the nights he works, I don't even bother to plan anything since we won't cook it anyways. We can eat leftovers or sandwiches or something. So, in case you can't see/read the menu, this is what we are having this week:
Monday
    - Forage
Tuesday
    - Bacon Wrapped Chicken in Crockpot with French Fries (that I got on sale last week for a $1 a bag) and a Vegetable
Wednesday
- Forage
Thursday
- Crockpot Roast (or pork chops, I'm gonna check the sales), bread machine rolls, mashed potatoes, and a vegetable.
Friday
- Hamburgers, macaroni and cheese (but i'm gonna add some bacon like her fancy macaroni recipe), and a vegetable (lima beans)
Saturday
    - Firehouse Enchiladas (I think I'm gonna use red enchilada sauce this time, just to mix things up a bit)
Sunday
   - Pizza....probably frozen. :) heehee!

So, I enjoy doing that! It was fun, and now I am looking forward to making dinners this week! On another note, don't you just H.A.T.E. it when you start a recipe and run out of ingredients in the middle of it! AGH! I realized after I started mixing ingredients that I couldn't find the vanilla....it sprouted legs and walked off I guess. So I borrowed some from my grandma, and got back home all excited to finish up the most amazing brownies ever! And then I realize we are out of eggs. Rgh. oh well. Maybe tomorrow....

Rag Quilt Inspiration

2010-02-07T18:56:00.001-06:00

So school is taking up most of my time nowadays....so I resort to looking at pretty pictures and dreaming about the day I can sew again! Ha! Oh well....I still have so many finished projects to photograph....I'll get around to them....someday.

I LOVE rag quilts! They are so soft and snuggly, not to mention easy to put together! Here is some inspiration for you!

Picture from Puppy Dog Tails

EXCELLENT tutorial at Puppy Dog Tails! Tutorial

Picture by OliveHill

I'm lovin' this one!!! ^^^ It's so cute! It used FreshCut by Heather Bailey. I would love to get my hands on some of that fabric!

Photo by ALaModeFabric

If that doesn't make you want to make one, I don't know what will!!!

Antique Vanity

2010-01-29T15:55:00.000-06:00

I spotted this antique vanity in my grandmother's (the same grandma I got the drawer blank to build my jewelry box from) garage this summer. Isn't it cool? Apparently she painted it for my mom and her sister when they were little. It has a mirror too, but I didn't get a picture of that. It was white, and I'm planning on painting it white again, but for some reason I started stripping it. I really really REALLY wish someone would have told me that I should have just painted over it, but oh well. It is mostly stripped and I am going to just sand the rest of it. I don't know about which color white to use though. Should I use a pure white, or an off-white, or...? A good friend of mine came over and helped me work on it some more last weekend. Hopefully we can work on it some more later on! It's so much more fun when somebody is out there to talk to!

It has a mirror that attaches to the top of the vanity, but I think it is just a tad bit too old fashined for my taste. So I am planning on finding an oval mirror instead. I'm keeping my eye on craigslist! :D Something similar the last picture.

Another thing I am wanting to do to this desk is add a drawer right behind the front panel. It's kind of a pipe dream, but we'll see! :D It's hollow behind there so I don't THINK it would be too hard. Of course....I didn't think stripping it would be too hard either. ha! Oh well, live and learn. Additionally, I am wanting to add dividers to a drawer, preferabbly the one in the middle, but otherwise it could be one of the top side drawers. I want to build dividers like I posted in my inspiration post earlier.

One another note, it has been snowing/icing/sleeting all day today, so I hope to get a bunch of creative things done! I've almost finished Butterick 4919, all I have left is to sew on the hooks/eyes and hem it! And maybe add some lace to the bodice for modesty....I haven't decided yet. :)

Oh, and cupcakes! My brother and I just finished baking some cupcakes that are due for some filling some time today!

The Hunt for the Perfect Jean....

2010-01-25T17:35:00.002-06:00

Who isn't always on the hunt for another pair of jeans? Jeans are my least favorite thing to shop for....until I discovered wide leg jeans! I found a pair of jeans at Target and they were so perfect.....except they were a size to small. They were on the clearance rack and everything, but alas, they did not have my size. So back to the drawing board I went. Maybe my problem is that I don't want to pay full price for anything.....yep...that's probably the problem. Anyways, I found a pair of pants today that are dressier. They are more of a gray twill, but I LOVE them!!!! I love the way wide-leg jeans fit me! They look kinda like the ones on the right (that is not me). They look like dress pants, but are made of a more casual material. They are made in denim too, sometimes. So that is what I'm on the hunt for right now! I'll need to hem them up, as they are about 4" too long. haha!

P.S. They do not look like this picture (or at least that's what I tell myself) as those are just a tad bit too 60's-70's for me. :)

Skirt Inspiration

2010-01-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

I LOVE skirts! I wear them almost everyday! Especially during the spring/summer! Here are a few of my favorites that I would like to make at some point.

Image from I Was Knit Together in My Mother's Womb

This skirt is so cute! It's a fairly plain a-line skirt, but the cargo pockets and the VERY cute godet in the back just make this skirt! The original pattern is here: http://www.hotpatterns.com/products/hp-1087-wong-singh-jones-kyoto-skir So cute! I'm going to add that to my list! It closes with a zipper AND an elastic waistband. I thought that was interesting.

Simplicity 4188

This is a cute skirt too! I love the really full versions. I'm more likely to make this skirt this spring since it is cheaper and I can get it locally. It takes either 3 1/4 or 3 3/4 yards of fabric, I can't tell on the digital copy.....too fuzzy. Mmmm....all those gores! That would be a design challenge, I haven't done any gores before, and the end product....oh la la!

This pattern is Butterick 6858. It's a vintage pattern that was made sometime during the 50's. I can't find the pattern; although I would definitely buy it in a heart beat! It comes with a pattern for a crinoline! I love the pattern illustration though. It's so dreamy. It is a full circle skirt. I hope to come up with a tutorial for a knee length circle skirt sometime VERY soon!

image from Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing

Gertie has a really cool blog! She is sewing through a vintage book. It's really cool! Anyways, she made this crazy awesome full gathered skirt. I really want to try it! The tutorial is here: Part 1 Part 2

And those shoes.....yummy!

image from Altered Cloth

This looks like a cute comfortable dress! It would be so simple to make too! It doesn't have any yardage requirements, so you would have to figure that out, but it should be pretty simple. The tutorial is here: Gathered Knit Skirt

So those are just a few things on my list! Hopefully I will have some finished skirts to show you eventually!

B.O. Anyone?

2010-01-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

As much as I LOVE this pattern, surely they could have drawn a better illustration! The lady in red looks like she is trying to be as graceful as possible while checking for body odor! Haha! This dress is so pretty though! It looks like a halter from the illustration, but if you look at the line drawings, it actually has a full back. Butterick 4919 is a retro reprint from 1952 :swoon:, but I wonder what the original pattern looks like.....hmm...
I am making it in a teal polyester satin. It is coming together rather quickly. I think I'm fixing to hit a road block though. I'm not sure where the side seams are supposed to go. Do they just hang loose? I'm not sure. I will try to take pictures of that step and post them as I know others have had the same problem. I think it will be cute though! I thought the neckline might be on the low cut side, but I think it will actually be just right. It has a full circle skirt too!! I'm really excited to finish it up!

Triple Word Score Anyone?

2010-01-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

Image from The Twice Remembered Cottage

While searching some blogs, I ran across this! Isn't that cool? She found a huge lot of scrabble tiles at a flea market and glued magnets on them. Then she created a magnetic board for them to stick to. I really want to make one of these. I think it would look great in our kitchen! Goodwill anyone?

P.S. Here is the tutorial: http://twiceremembered.blogspot.com/2010/01/make-your-own-magnet-board-make-your.html

Butterick 6937 - Vintage Dress! :D

2010-01-20T08:00:00.003-06:00

This is the third vintage dress I made. It's Vintage Butterick 6937. It has a sweetheart neckline, and a half circle skirt. It is really pretty! I definitely plan to make this one again! It's great for showcasing a fun fabric. This fabric has tiny little hearts, but they look like little flowers until you get closer. I love vintage patterns! I added the ruffle on the bottom because I didn't think it was long enough. Then it needed a little something extra so I added the sash. When I make this pattern again, I think I'll cut it a little longer (actually I just trimmed too much off, it was long enough in the first place) and I will use a lighter weight interfacing for the bodice facing. It is a little too stiff. I'm so excited about spring now! :D

Vintage Shirtdress....and it's PINK!!!

2010-01-18T08:00:00.002-06:00

So I made this dress sometime last year. The pattern is Advance 8365. I got this pattern off ebay. Isn't it lovely? I think I might eventually make another one with the lace and a more subtle fabric. My mom gasped when I brought home the fabric, but I like it! All those buttonholes though....whew. I did bound buttonholes since my machine only does 4 step buttonholes. I think next time I will borrow somebodies machine that does automatic holes. I really like it though, it is - in my mind at least - the epitomy of the 1950's. Soft feminine fabric, full skirt, and fitted bodice. I have a crinoline that I need to tweak to make it work, but I think it will look good with a crinoline too!

Inspiration

2010-01-17T19:56:00.000-06:00

After looking through this blog: http://knockoffwood.blogspot.com (which is TOTALLY awesome by the way!!) I have discovered that there is a Pottery Barn Teen. So I've been looking through their stuff, and it is all really pretty! Soooo over priced though! I think it would be easy to replicate some of it though! Here are some of the things that I thought especially neat.

Image from Pottery Barn Teen

So You Think You're Crafty?

2010-01-11T09:00:00.001-06:00

I am trying out for the crafty challenge at SoYouThinkYoureCrafty.blogspot.com! There is a new craft theme once a week and all the competitors come up with something crafty. Anyways, everbody votes on their favorite craft, and then the winner submits a tutorial for their craft, and the ~~loser~~ person with the least amount of votes is eliminated. But first you have to make it through the auditions! ha! So anyways, head on over and vote! I can't tell you which one is mine, but my loyal followers (few though they may be) will know! :D hopefully.....Anyways, go on over and vote! :D

Spring Fever

2010-01-10T13:57:00.002-06:00

I've always wanted to do a post with bullets, so here we go! :D

Spring Fever.....I've got it....bad! It's been so cold down here in the south! We've been blessed to get some days over freezing. I can't remember when it's been this cold! We had a snow warning, which down in the south means we buy out the bread and milk department at Kroger.
I wonder if Kroger is paying the weather men?
:teeth chatter:
I saw my first frozen lake! It was G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S.!!!!!!!!!!
:teeth chatter again:
For some reason I keep making spring dresses even though there is NO way I can wear them right now.
This dress is Butterick 5319 with a full lining, gathered bodice, and cute little puff sleeves. :D
It's the first fully lined dress I've done! :D Yay!
I had to make some alterations to the dress....It was designed for a slightly more :ahem: well-endowed lady! :P So I mostly just took up a total of 3" out of the shoulders. Of course I didn't think to do this until AFTER I got the sleeves sewn on. rgh.
Can't you just see this with a cute white or cream cardigan? yummy!
Invisible Zippers.....LOVE!!!
Excellent Invisible Zipper tutorial here: http://sewiknit.blogspot.com/2006/03/invisible-zipper-tutorial.html
Pockets.....two of them! heehee!
School starts again tomorrow. I'm taking a couple Dual Enrollment classes......Calculus I is one of them. I'm really dreading it. :P
My cousin wants me to copy off a pattern from his Civil War jacket that he uses for reenacting and make him a new one.
Next project....Butterick 4919. In a teal/turquoise satin. Spring fever...I'm tellin' ya'!

Reading the Back of a Commercial Pattern Tutorial

2010-01-04T20:14:00.006-06:00

I know that reading patterns covers can be difficult, so here is a tutorial on how to read them.

These numbers indicate the size ranges available in this pattern. This specific pattern is sized for sizes 8, 10, 12, and 14. Vintage patterns do not include this size range, instead they list only a size and a bust measurement (for women's patterns).
These are the different styles of the pattern available in this pattern packet. There are only 2 styles included in this pattern: with or without sleeves.
This is the pattern number. These numbers are re-used by the pattern-maker after several decades, but this is generally how the pattern is identified.
This is the area that holds the magic measurements! Take your measurements and check them against this area. Keep in mind that if you are making a skirt that you don't need to measure your bust. :) (Here is a good tutorial on how to take measurements: http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=471) Your measurements may not match up exactly. Also bear in mind that the pattern designers have already factored in some ease (extra room in the garment) to allow you some room to move around in the finished garment. Find the set of measurements that match up the best and follow the column up to the dress size that you will be using. Sometimes the pattern includes a set of finished measurements and it is helpful to look at these measurements. That way you can see how loose or tight it will fit when you are done.
Some patterns (mostly Butterick) include a difficulty level. This pattern is ranked as "easy"
This area gives a description of the dress. It will also tell you what the differences are between the different views (A, B, etc). For this pattern, both views are fully lined and have an A-lined skirt. Both views also include a contrast sash. View A has 2-piece cap sleeves with gathers, while view B has a sleeveless bodice. You will need to decide which view you would like to make. I will be making view A.
In this section, all the needed notions are listed. For this particular dress, I need a 14" zipper, hooks and eyes, and 1/2" seam binding.
Here is listed the recommended fabrics. Now you can always use a different fabric, but it may not look how the designers intended, and it may be harder to use, but it can also look fabulous! It just depends on the fabric and the pattern. Just use common sense. :) When it says with or without nap it is referring to fabric that looks or feels different when viewed from different angles (e.g. velvet and corduroy)
These are the different range of sizes available. BB is the one that I have purchased.
Locate the size that you have determined that you wear. Make sure to follow that same column all the way down!
This is the fabric section for view A. For 45" wide fabric (standard size) and a size 10 I need 2 yards of fabric, and 1 7/8" yards of lining. Always look over the whole fabric area, just to make sure that you didn't miss anything. For instance, for this pattern, there is the contrasting midriff and sash that require additional fabric to complete the dress. Interfacing may also be required.
Fabric section for view B.
Fabric requirement for the contrasting midriff and sash.
Interfacing requirements. This pattern calls for fusible interfacing for both views.
This is the width of the dress at the lower edge. This gives you an idea of the fullness of the finished skirt.
This gives the length of the dress starting at the back of the neck.
Line drawings of both views, front and back. These drawings can often give a better idea of the style. For instance, I wouldn't have known that the dress had a V in the back if I hadn't looked at these drawings.
Certain knit fabrics are "stretchier" than others. Since the designers had a certain knit in mind when they designed the pattern, they include guides to help you choose a knit fabric. The fabric must be able to stretch from the first marked point, to the second point when doubled.

I hope this helps some of you! Once you get acquainted with commercial paintings, then you can easily breeze through this process. If you can't see some of the numbers, then you should be able to click on the pictures to make them bigger. Let me know if you have any questions!

ANOTHER Vintage Dress

2010-01-02T08:00:00.002-06:00

Here is yet another vintage dress. I promise this is the last one for awhile. ;) At least until it warms up a touch. I am not sure what the number on this pattern is, but it is really cute. The actual dress didn't turn out as well as I would have liked though. Something about it is just not quite right. Maybe with a cute light blue cardigan? I think part of the problem is that the dress is too close to my actual skin color. I like the yellow dress on the pattern illustration. It looks like it has a sheer overlay, which would be so gorgeous!
I recently found the cutest vintage pattern in the same antique shop that I found this one. It is a junior size, and it's a shirtdress on top. It's so cute, but I opened the pattern and there is not an instruction sheet. So....I need to figure out what to do about that. Vintage patterns are pretty easy to sew from though. So we'll see. I have some other projects in the works right now that I need to finish first! Ha! I don't know if I will ever finish all my unfishned projects. Oh well. :D