Creepy Crawly Things and Plenty of Sewing

Ever since I went back to work for my old boss in California, my blogging has gone the way of the 8-Track Tape- Pretty much non existent. (Huh, I just realized some of you probably don’t even know what an 8 track tape is!) Thankfully my sewing is still alive and well and I post my current makes on Instagram, but having the time to sit down at a keyboard to write about them has eluded me. I think about it… miss it… but until today have not done it… again. I can’t even make the promise I will keep up because frankly, I have no idea what I will do!

 

I just recently moved my sewing room/ office to a new room in the house. My baby left the nest- so I painted her dark gray room pale spring green and moved in. (I miss her.) It is lonely here without here. She decided to move back to San Diego AFTER I gave my car to my eldest daughter. So, for the time being I am vehicle-less.  I don’t really go many places anyway- I mean you can get anything you want online now right?! So in between working, I sew and catch up on the shows I missed. (Totally hooked on The Handmaids Tale and Westworld).

Anyway, here is what I have been up to. I made three button down shirts for my son. DC Comics Villians, BB8, and Marvel. No pics- Tough getting those kids to send me pics! I also made shirts for all of my cousins’ boys. I made them pose for me!

I made a sweet Princess Purse:

 

Isn’t the cork great?! It is one of my favorite materials to work with when I make purses. Sews easily and has a great look. This one is literally cork colored (cork comes in other colors as well) with gold flecks. If you have not worked with it, and make purses or wallets I recommend trying it out!

I made myself some cute knit pajamas out of a french terry knit.

Made the Lucy top by Style Arc. I really love this top- it is flattering and perfect for work events. I work in french terry pjs or gym clothes (at home) but when I fly to San Diego for events I get to dress up!

I have a few other things I am working on- like this dress for my eldest daughter. It still needs lining and finishing but I have been waylaid!

Currently, I am working on my daughter’s wedding dress. I am pleased she asked but TERRIFIED. Especially since out of all my kids she is the one that is the most exacting and precise in her standards. And it’s her WEDDING dress. I have mocked up a bodice, which is actually the toughest part for me. Thankfully, I get her style and she gave me a lot to go on and so far she approves. I am worried anyway, and plan to focus most of my time on perfecting everything about it before I start cutting into the actual bridal fabric. Gah!! I am so nervous!

I have a mini notebook I am recording my makes in for 2018. I have made 33 items. WOW. I did not realize that! 🙂 I really should work on taking better pics and posting more! I certainly have the content!

And on that note, I will leave off with a few fun pics. (Those are so much easier to get!)

Made these Star Wars T-shirts for daughter #1 and daughter #3. We went to Disneyland for May the 4th- It was fun! (I wore Princess Leia)

Went to my first crawfish boil. In California we don’t eat crawfish. Or at least I never had. BUT heck, it is a BIG thing in Texas. Regardless, I have never tried it because, well, crawly things? My brother and I used to catch these in the creek back in the day. We called them crawdads and we did NOT eat them! We put them back… Anyway- I tried one. Just because you should always try something once. They were not my thing! But it was a fun day anyway!

Went to Stagecoach in Coachella Valley with my middle daughter. We had a blast! We are actually flying to Oregon end of July for another 3 day Country Music Festival… 🙂

 

And I bought two sweeeeet vintage patterns. Well, I don’t think the 90’s one can truly qualify for vintage yet but it is definitely “old.” I love them both- and had to have them. The Vogue pattern is straight out of the 80’s and is a Tamotsu Designer Dress. Something I would have worn and definitely something I would have made myself. I plan on making them both for me- AFTER wedding dress sewing!

 

See you soon! Happy Sewing…

Laurie

 

A Candy Dress and Lots of Travel!

All my good intentions flew out the window in February. But I have an excuse! I was home with my sewing machine less than 6 days the entire month! February turned out to be a big travel month for me and the first half of March is turning out to be just the same! I have been home 2 days and I head back out tomorrow. On a positive note, I will be home the 15th for a solid 5 weeks! 🙂 Yay for 5 weeks of sewing! 🙂

I have been keeping a notebook of my 2018 projects completed. Does anyone keep a list? I decided I wanted to remember all my makes for the year and keep track of how many items I complete. Especially since many of them I don’t make for myself- and well, I forget!

So far this year I have made 7 items. Not bad I suppose but I could be further along. You saw my Maleficent purse in my last post but I also made a red and white Hawaiian print “Lilo” shirt and a Lilo and Stitch drawstring bag for a “Disney Bound” trip to Disney land. (Been twice this year already and I always have to give a nod to Disney.)

My favorite of the 7 items was a sweet “candy” dress I made for a friends little girl. The ruffles were a pain but I knew I needed to have them! Ruffles and little girls are the best! (Well, I think so!)

My other exciting make was a blouse for the mom of the little girl wearing that dress. And it was exciting because I successfully made my first pattern! I have always wanted to design and make patterns so I am “in training.” When I was asked to bring an idea she had to life I decided it was time to try my hand at drafting. I am waiting for some better pics but here is a sneak peek. It is a tie front blouse and super cute for summer. I used a rayon challis and it drapes very nicely if I do say so myself!

When I get back home (I leave again tomorrow) I have a list of things I would like to complete in March. Among them- a Princess purse for my niece. (Doesn’t that cork look GREAT with that Princess fabric?)

 

A Pirates purse for ME:

And an essential oils travel bag for my eldest daughter and I. (I have become an essential oil user and I love them!) I got this kit from The Fabric Candy Shoppe– where I buy quite a bit of my fabric. (Including the Candy Fabric and the Pirates fabric above.) By the way, following fabric groups on Facebook can be dangerous to your wallet!

Some of the random things I did in February while I was out and about:

The castle at Disneyland at night. Love the lights at Disneyland!

Wine drinking in Oregon!

The Southwest COCO plane I was next to in Houston when I flew on Flight #1 to San Diego. Yes- besides working a lot in San Diego I also went to Disneyland, went to Oregon, and spent some great time with family and friends. But, I still missed sewing! And can’t wait to get back to it!

Isn’t this a great pattern? I just love the cut on this button down, collared blouse. It is feminine and pretty! I plan to make it real soon!

That’s about all for now. I hope to be back soon to share and visit with you all!

Happy Sewing!

Laurie xo
 

 

Ssssteampunk…

Every year, my brother and I and friends hit the Texas Renaissance Faire. It is a new tradition since I have only been here for 2 of them, but I have gone 4 times! It is so much fun I buy extra tickets and try and go at least twice during the 6 weekends it is here. And we dress up. If you are going to a Renn Faire you have to get the full experience and that means wear a costume! (Artsy pic because I had a new APP I wanted to play around with…) *This is a 2017 make but worth blogging about!

Each weekend is a different theme like Scottish Highlanders, Pirate Adventure, 1001 Dreams etc. This year they added a weekend called Hero’s and Villains and my brother decided he wanted to go full on Steampunk. Since he was willing to wear jodhpurs I was down for making him a great costume!!

Steampunk: “A style of design and fashion that combines historical elements with anachronistic technological features inspired by science fiction.”

I made the vest and the jodhpurs. The Jodhpurs were from the Butterick Making History line #B6340.

I made the longer length because I know he didn’t plan on wearing boots. This is TEXAS people… and it’s usually pretty warm. I have to say these jodhpurs were one of the hardest things I have ever made. #1- I have never made real pants even though I have them on my list. #2- I read some of the steps over and over again to understand them in my head, but still made mistakes. #3- There was quite a bit of seam ripping in a few places as I figured out what I was supposed to do. But in the end… it was worth it!

I used the leftover vest fabric to make fancy pockets that no-one will ever see… 🙂

 

I even used (fake) leather to make them harder on myself! By the way, these jodhpurs had 36 buttons I had to sew on and make buttonholes for. I really enjoyed the button shopping. Etsy has some amazing buttons! I actually found some vintage military buttons while I was shopping and hope to make myself something using them this year.

Not the best picture of the buttons in action. But you get the idea. 24 of those babies on the legs. It was quite a chore! Well worth it though! I have no picture of the buttons I used in the pocket area and waistband… Ah well!

The vest was an easy make and in my attempt to not wait until the last minute done several months before the jodhpurs. I used McCalls #2447- quite a nice men’s vest!

Do you see those pockets? I used my (fake) leather to trim them. 🙂 Aren’t they great? This fabric was a little slinky to work with but with a few tricks I was able to conquer it. I admit it takes patience though! I have been collecting silk to sew with but don’t feel confident enough yet- Maybe this year I will get a pair of silk pajamas!

I used more buttons from Etsy. I probably spent more on buttons then the fabric! He bought his shirt and the tie- I wanted to make an ascot but did not get to it! He also bought all that gear at a little shop at the Renaissance Faire to complete his costume.

Overall, I think it turned out pretty good. It has already been worn twice! (Faire and Halloween) I definitely want to make myself a Steampunk costume this year. Did you know there are “characters?” I decided I wanted to be a Steampunk Seamstress! Seems appropriate!

I will leave you with a few pictures of our fun times over the last 2 years. I was an elf twice (and a wench twice),  because after all that work (and a fancy Halloween costume for my middle daughter) I did not have time to make myself something new for 2017. But an elf works! And I made it!

I enjoy taking pictures with strangers in costume!  I also enjoyed the bawdy shows, the craft beer, looking at other people in costume, eating, and shopping for cool stuff! (Got a wooden flute this year.)

My goal is to have 3-4 well made costumes I can wear when the Renaissance Faire rolls around. I have lots in mind including the ever popular wench, a Steampunk Seamstress, and maybe an evil fairy! The Warrior elf was fun though! Best part this past Faire was a happy brother!

See you soon and Happy Sewing!

Laurie

 

Hello… Again!

Tags

#BlueCalla #Gerbera #Sewing #Family #pursemaking #sewexhausted

I thought I would say Hello since I have been gone for a very long time. I think about writing a post- but then I don’t. 2017 was an incredibly busy year. A new/ old job meant I spent almost half the year traveling and I found out it isn’t as glamorous as I thought it would be! Living out of a suitcase sucks! And there were many nights I was wishing I was in my own comfy queen sized bed! On a positive note since 95% of the time I travel to San Diego, I do get to see my family and friends a lot and that is a good thing. 🙂 I have been in Texas 2 years, and I still miss them incredibly!

In a nutshell- in 2017 I got to go to New York, San Francisco, Memphis, and Arkansas, visited the Redwoods on my first annual family vacation with my kiddos, 2 of my daughters are engaged and my eldest daughter is GETTING MARRIED this year (!), I lost a family member very close to my heart to suicide and I still think about him almost every day :(, I survived Hurricane Harvey, I started purse making and I love it, and I sewed a lot despite the travel, but not as much as I would have liked! But then do we ever sew as much as we would like? 😉

For 2018 I signed up to be a part of the Ready To Wear Fast with Goodbye Valentino. I participated a few years back as well and enjoyed being more thoughtful with my makes, fabric choices etc. This year I plan to really focus on getting more of my every day wear to be me made wear. On top of that I have wedding sewing! My daughter and I are in “talks” for me to make her gown. I am terrified! But if we start now that gives me 8 months!

Just so this does not become a no sewing post I would love to share my latest purse making! These are my 2nd and 3rd Blue Calla Gerbera Crossbody Purses I have made.  And the pattern is free! Now that my kidlets are grown up, I don’t have to carry such a big purse and these are easy to make! Yeah- I get they aren’t very grown-up but I love them anyway! I specifically made Maleficent for my trip to Disneyland last week. 🙂

My goal for the purses I make is to have them NOT look home made. I think by choosing the right materials, and using hardware I can do a decent job. I also did not want it to look like a tote bag, and just incorporate a bit of the fabric… The Gerbera works out great for that because it has a small panel which can be your focus!

I got the vinyl from JoAnns with a 50% of coupon. Only way to buy vinyl! I think she turned out pretty great!

I just bought a rivet press- Next I plan to conquer that as I think it would add another level of “professionalism!”

You know I HAD to add a little “Once Upon a Time” charm! 😀

At the same time I was making Maleficent, I made a second Snow White purse for my niece. She saw mine last year and begged me for one!

I used cork and the Snow White is actually a knit fabric I reinforced with extra interfacing. I lined it in black and white gingham because I thought it looked nice!

I have made 4 items this year so far! Currently I am finishing up a little girls “Candy Dress,” and have a robe cut out for my brother. I plan to cut myself a robe out as well and start my 2018 make list! I know it is already the 17th, which means I am kind of behind, so I better get busy! What are YOUR 2018 sewing plans?

I will leave you with a few photos from my Redwood Family Vacation… Happy 2018!

Yes, we stayed in this incredible house in the woods! It was amazing and perfect and we all had a great time exploring, enjoying s’mores and drinks by the fire pit in the evening, exploring the coast and the redwoods, and spending time together!

Sarir

 

See you soon! Really!

Happy Sewing!

Laurie

2016 is So Yesterday…

Tags

2017, Bernina, Rennaissaince costumes, sew exhausted, sewing

And 2017 is so today!

Warning– Long post… because it has been a while since I have blogged. Whenever I start a post like that (and it has been more than once), I feel as if I should repent.

“Forgive me readers, for I have sinned.”

My intentions have been good, but the actual doing has not always been on par. Ah well… 2016 and poor blogging are all in the past! 😉 Here is to a new year!

I had a pretty decent year! I have adjusted to life in Texas and actually find I like it here. There are things I miss about my life in CA… great weather, real tacos, the beach, real tacos… but I don’t mind. It has given my kids a chance to grow up and me a chance to do more of my own thing!

The only really major change in 2016 I have experienced is that I quit my job as an executive assistant in N. Houston, and now work virtually again for an old boss. I LOVE working virtually, especially since I drove an hour each way every day. That got old after a while!  But now, since my old boss who is now my new boss is based in San Diego I get to travel to my old stomping grounds. I actually spent 3 weeks there between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And am heading back in less than a week. I guess I kind of have the best of both worlds now. A better cost of living here in Houston AND I get to spend time with my friends and family in CA regularly- and eat tacos!

About the tacos- Mexican food in San Diego is different then Mexican food in Houston. Here, whenever I go to a Mexican restaurant they want to dump queso (melted cheese) on everything. Don’t get me wrong, queso has it’s place but I miss the good carne asada and carnitas street tacos I used to get. I have not found food like that here- although I am not saying it doesn’t exist!

Mmmmmm… Street tacos and a Craft Beer!

That said- there is plenty of good eating here… Really!

One of the best times I had this year was the Renaissance Faire I attended in November. It is touted as being one of the best in the nation- and I believe it! I had a fabulous time. I made my costume- I wanted to be an Elven Warrior and embrace the mystical side of the Renaissance.  I went all out and am happy I did. I can’t wait for next year! I have to share some of the photos I took- although I am having fun I did not think about taking actual GOOD photos of the costume so please forgive!

This first fellow Renn Faire attender was an Elf Murderer. (See the string of ears?) But he allowed me to keep mine!

The last pic is my brother- all decked out in a kilt. The best thing about this Renn Faire was there were quite a few people in amazing costumes, lots of hilarious shows, and one place that had craft beer! Woot woot!

And last but not least- one of my favorite photos is me with a Storm Trooper. The weekend we attended was Scottish weekend and we came across a group of Storm Troopers all sporting plaid. Pretty cool right?! (Damn, I am such a nerd!)

That’s a bit of my personal life in a nutshell- but how about my sewing life! Sewing is the real reason I come here to write. 🙂

I made these super cute pajamas for my girls. All they wanted for Christmas was matching Christmas jammies. I used the Carolyn PJ bottoms for all three- although Juliette wanted shorts w/ ruffles so instead of cuffs I added ruffles. Juliette has a boxy version of the Carolyn Top w/ 3 quarter sleeves for the top. They were a hit!

Two new machines came and joined me in my sewing room. Both are brand new and both are pretty exciting! I got a coverstitch machine- YAY!! Just a basic one but I love it already! I triple stitch hemmed some knits the other day and it was AMAZING!

And brand new to my desk- a Bernina 560E. I am beyond thrilled! It is a huge investment and I am super pleased with it so far. There is going to be a learning curve here but I am certain I am up for it. I will talk about the learning process in future blog posts- right now it is so new I have only sewed a straight line and some buttonholes!

As for sewing- I have been doing quite a bit, and have quite a few stash busting projects lined up. I joined the FB group SewAlongs and Sewing Contests and will be participating in the SSW:DS or “Seasonal Sew Wardrobe: Deep Stash Edition.” I have until April to sew a wardrobe from stash. Since I have LOTS of stashed fabrics and WAY too many stashed patterns I have lots to choose from. I already gathered up the fabrics I will be using.

Yes, 4 of those fabrics are black. But, I decided since I am happiest wearing black I needed to embrace it! When this wardrobe is done I will have a black skirt, a black dress, a black pair of pants, and a black blouse. It’s kinda perfect in my opinion. ALL those black items will easily flow into other wardrobes I build this year! Along with all that black I am making a solid bright pink blouse, a blouse AND skirt from the floral print, a bring pink knit top, and FINALLY I will be making my “Cityscape” Duster coat. I only have a few patterns chosen so far- A black Sewaholic Davey dress, Floral Sewaholic Hollyburn OR Gabriola, a sleeveless blouse from McCalls 7324 and the Burda Duster Coat. This wardrobe will be my March project. I have been losing weight and want to lose a few more before I make all that awesomeness.

January is “activewear” month for me. I am pulling from my stash again as I have TONS of fabric. Since I have started “running” (I use that term loosely as it is currently more a jog) and going to the gym I want more workout wear. There are quite a few great patterns out now and I have found some amazing fabrics! But I am going to save this for my next post!

I made quite a bit of awesomeness in 2016. I actually made over 30 short sleeved button down shirts for various men in my life. My son is now sporting at least 9, and my brother owns 5. (Minions and Star Wars!) I love making fun/ cool men’s shirts and have made everything from Jaws, Deadpool, Comic Books, and more. ANy cool fabric I can find I turn into a shirt.

Next up in the Men’s Shirt Making Queue- I found KISS fabric… Isn’t it AMAZING?!

It is all cut and ready to sew and will be my first make of 2017! (Typical- a make that is not for me!) I bought enough of this fabric to make myself a purse. I have started making purses for myself- since I want to experience fun fabric as well. I recently finished this Batman purse. If I am not using Batman, I am using my Nevermore Purse. Who needs Coach?!

I have to admit, I could go on and on… That’s what happens when one does not blog regularly. So, I will leave you with this bit of goodness on what has been going on in my life and I will be back soon with a review of my Batman purse, my Activewear plan, and a new men’s shirt or two!

Here is to new adventures, happy experiences and a WHOLE LOT of SEWING in 2017… I wish you all the best!

~Laurie

PS. I am on Instagram where I regularly post. If you use IG you can find me sewing here: https://www.instagram.com/lauriesue83/ … And drinking craft beer here: https://www.instagram.com/beersnobette/

PPS. Our new family member. Puppy cuteness!

I sewed on a Patch… Snoop Dogg…Carolyn PJS and other random things…

I sewed on a patch! And I thought I should share because I have neglected to share much of anything lately! Not that I have not been sewing but decent pictures are lacking and without the pictures, my heart isn’t into it. But… I did sew on a patch! 😀 A Bakfish Brewing patch on to a shirt for my brother. This is not the first one and it won’t be the last since he is an investor and Bakfish is now our local hang out. Speaking of beer, I got to pour beer for the customers one Saturday which was on my bucket list. Check!

I made 5 shirts for my cousins boys the last few months. But apparently I forgot to take a pic of the Batman shirt I made for #4. But here are 4 of them! I love making fun mens/ boys shirts. I am up to 19 and have a new one on the deck- special request from someone at the brewery. 😀

I made my eldest daughter a new vintage dress in a pretty challis.

My two eldest jumped out of a plane! YIKES!

I went to California for Stagecoach (three days of country music in Coachella) and not only did I see Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, The Doobie Brothers and a whole slew of other musicians and bands, but I also saw SNOOP DOGG… in da house! I had VIP tix so I was right up front in the pit! 😀

I made my eldest some SUPER CUTE Pikachu Carolyn PJ’s for her birthday. I have made three pairs of these now- someday I will make some for myself!

I survived my first Houston Flood! On that Monday morning did this Cali girl know to check the news? Nope. Even though it had rained ALL night long and she was nervous to drive in the rain did she still head to work? Yes… But Alas I only made it 20 minutes down the road. I just want to say when they say “Turn around don’t drown” they mean it. From experience, now that it has happened to me, you have NO clue how deep that puddle covering the road goes. It may start out just an inch or 2 high but can get deeper. The “puddle” i went through kept rising until it nearly stalled out my car- Thankfully I veered off and up the side of the road onto higher ground. Hyperventilated… called my brother who was going to be NO help since he drives a mini cooper. And lived to talk about it. The scary thing is THIS is a picture of the exit I take to get to work. SO thankful I never made it that day! That is a CRAZY amount of water! And yes- that is a street light that must be at least 20 feet in the air.

My cousin has chickens and they like to come in and visit.

I made 5 new Lane Raglans! Three for me!

I ran my first 5K!!!!! And did not walk ANY of it!

And because I ran my first 5K and decided I needed to work towards a half marathon I got a 2nd pair of running shoes. NEXT, I am going to start making myself some running clothes. There are some NICE patterns out there for that!

I got a new hat with LOTS of sparkle… That would be a delicious 10 Barrel Brew I am enjoying at Stagecoach.

Next on my list of sewing – some work tops… simple with a drapey neckline- from these PRETTY jersey knits I got from Fabric Mart. I needed to add some color into my generally black and black work wardrobe!

I think that’s enough updating for now… But seriously guys! I sewed on a patch!

😉

Laurie xo

~Reading The Law of Five by Robin Mahle

 

 

 

Batman Sunglass Case-Free Sewing Pattern EP. 2

Last August I started something that I decided to pick back up now that I am settled in to my new state and blogging again. I have a Pinterest board where I pin FREE sewing patterns and instead of just pinning I decided to MAKE one every month. Well, as you know life got away from me and I ended up moving which sidetracked me a bit, but never fear… Episode 2 is here!

If you missed “Episode 1” you can go here– I made 2 super cute Travel Cases for me and my middle daughter. They were fun to make and I love how they turned out. And when Holly traveled to Texas to see me at Christmas time she brought hers with her- so useful!!

This month I decided to make a sunglass case. I had a pair of sunglasses and they were all scratched up from being tossed in the glove box of my car, thrown into my purse, and all the other places my sunglasses inevitably end up. I bought two new pairs and when I didn’t find a sunglass case I liked I figured I would make my own!

Of course I went to Pinterest to find a free pattern. It’s a sunglass case and I didn’t feel like spending money on one! I found two, but one needed plastic canvas and I had already decided I was using what I had so I went with the 2nd one. (Here is a link to the first one in case you are interested- It has nice shaping due to the canvas. It would make a good looking case!)

I used this pattern for mine. Simple and quick! I had this made up in less than an hour!

The nice thing about this pattern is it all fits on one sheet of paper. The not so nice thing was no matter how hard I looked I could not find the directions and had to wing it!

I cut one of each piece from my main fabric (which happens to be Batman!), lining and fusible batting. After ironing on the batting I was ready to sew!

I sewed the bottom seams, right sides together, on both the lining and the main fabric.

I sewed the flap to the base piece (right sides together) on both the main piece and the lining. After that I just put the main sunglass case piece to the lining piece (right sides together!) and sewed them up leaving about a 2 inch opening so I could turn it right side out. 🙂

I hand stitched up the “hole” and then added a button and button hole. Boom! Completed. Simple, easy and useful! I have 2 pairs of sunglasses so I am going to make a second one with my Dr. Who fabric. And while I am at it I will probably make a few extras for gifts.

I have used it every day this week now that I am working away from home. I am pretty darn sure I have the BEST sunglass case ever! 🙂 Thanks Pattern Pile and Diane’s Vintage Zest!

In other sewing news, I did not have much time to sew this week. I am adjusting to my new job and being away from home for close to 12 hours! I am sewing today though! I’m working on my Jungle January Cardigan. I have a Pinterest board where I pin sewing inspirations and always loved this sweater from Chicos. I decided to take my animal print sweater knit (from my stash YAY!) and try to make one similar. Hopefully I will be able to blog about it next week!

I am using the Lark pattern but obviously I have had to make changes to it. Fingers crossed I succeed!

I also finished a Star Wars dress for Holly and a matching button down for her BF. They are winging their way to California and those kids better take some good photos so I can tell you all about them! Here is a sneaky peek!

Hope you all are sewing up great stuff in 2016! Have a stellar week and let me know what you are working on right now!

~Laurie xox

~Watching The Mysteries of Laura

Cherry Bomb for Christmas

Tags

cherry dress, cherry fabric, Ginger Dress, Indie Patterns, sew exhausted, sewing, Violette Fields

For the week of Christmas my 3 California kids came to visit. (Youngest was here in Texas.) It almost didn’t happen! Between them they have ONE safe car that would make it 1600 miles. The day before they were set to leave my eldest daughter was stopped behind a lot of traffic trying to get off the freeway at the mall. (Who goes to the mall at Christmas time?) Anyway, an SUV did not see the stopped traffic soon enough and slammed into her which pushed her into the car ahead of her. Thankfully she was ok- sore muscles and back and shocky but the hospital checked her out and said she would be ok. The car though- totaled. I was relieved she was wasn’t hurt but heartbroken because there was no way we could afford airfare the week of Christmas for three people. But my brother, who travels weekly for work, very kindly used his points and flew them out here last minute so Christmas was back on! (Without the stress of me worrying as my kidlets drove those 1600 miles!)

Christmas was GREAT and I was able to get a little sewing done for them while they were here. I have found it is much harder without their bodies for fittings but while they visited I took measurements and made a good fitting bodice for each to use. My son is easy- I just use the same shirt pattern! (Guess I should get a little more creative!)

That was a long intro! Now for the fun! I made middle daughter a cherry dress while she was here using the Violette Fields Ginger Dress. I love the vintage feel and Holly can totally carry off these styles. Plus, she wears every dress I make her! Heck, she loves every dress I make her and wants a closet full! Easy to sew for, easy to please. I am down with that! I named this dress Cherry Bomb… Yep, after the John Mellencamp song and well, it’s covered in cherries!

Violette Fields Ginger Dress

I actually got this cherry fabric at Walmart. It is a fun cotton print and fairly decent quality. Initially I was going to use solid red as the accent but found the green mini polka dot on a Joanns visit and changed my mind.

Seam in skirt

The dress was simple to make and I completed the sewing part in one day. The skirt is a circle skirt in 2 pieces. My fabric was not wide enough so I actually sewed two pieces together. I did my best to match up those cherries but it is slightly off. On a positive note I doubt very much ANYONE will notice. 🙂

The bodice is fully lined and I used my trusty serger to finish all of the inside seams. I debated on the zipper, but decided to go with a regular zip vs. invisible because I had one in my stash that would work. I have a shoe box crammed full of zippers and need to use one when I can instead of buy. Does anyone else have zipper stash?

Pockets!

I put pockets into everything now because Holly loves them. Sometimes I think she is more excited about the pockets then the dress! 😉 The pattern comes with pockets so it wasn’t any extra work really.

One of the things I love about Indie patterns is the sizing. Holly is a tiny girl and whenever I make her a Big 4 pattern I have to do quite a lot of fitting. They don’t even make her size it seems! Many of them start at an 8, some at 4. She is a 0-2. This bodice fit her PERFECT right out of the envelope.

I did change one thing on the dress. The actual pattern is halter style with the straps tied behind the neck. When she tried it on I decided to make them into straps for 2 reasons. #1- Stability- this bodice isn’t going anywhere! #2- I could place them exactly to hide her bra straps.

All in all I would say this is a highly successful dress. I can’t wait to make her another! Too bad it is rainy and cold in CA right now though. It will be a while before she can wear it!

I also made her a quick pair of PJ bottoms while she was here. And I added pockets! Holly is a girl after my own heart- we both love Dr. Who so I used Tardis flannel.

I did not tell her but I have JUST enough left to make a pair of jammie shorts too. I am going to make a knit top to go with them and mail them to her for her bday. Shhhhh….

McCalls 5791 with a few changes

I have completed 4 items in 2016 already. All baby dresses for family members. I miss making baby dresses so these were pretty fun! I used McCalls 5791 but added the ruffles and waistbands.

By the way, I have added a little “scorecard” on the left side of my blog so I can keep track of how many items I sew, how much stash I use, and how many miles I run for 2016. I am actually not sure yet if I am going to count yards or pieces on the stash count though. I started to measure my stash fabrics but got tired after 17 yards so I may just go by piece!

Hope your first week of 2016 has been good! Now I think I will get back to sewing!

~Laurie

~Listening to Big Star #1 Record- (Thanks Leila!)

9 Things for 2016- #2016makenine

I am way better at keeping up with things on Instagram and about a week ago I saw quite a lot of people posting their top nine photos for the year. I jumped right on that and enjoyed seeing what my top 9 photos were and seeing what other Sewists shared. Mine consisted of family, sewing and me! (Oh, and my messy stash pile- guess I got a lot of likes on that one!)

My nine most like IG photos for 2015

Then Rochelle from Lucky Lucille started the #2016makenine hashtag and well, I had to join in on that too! It gave me a chance to mull over some of the items I would like to make for myself during the year and am quite pleased with what I came up with!

As you know most of my sewing usually tends to be for my girls. I have also spent the last month making men’s shirts for my son and brother and a few friends (2 Walking Dead, One Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 1 StarWars and 1 Minions shirt,) but I would really like to add to my own wardrobe and here is what I came up with!

The Closet Case Files Carolyn Pj’s… These are a MUST for me this year. I made my cousin a pair for her birthday last year and loved making them. I used bright pink minnie mouse  cotton with black piping. They turned out perfect if I do say so myself and I intended to make myself a pair or two but did not get to them. This year- I will. I already have a creamy pink striped stain charmuese fabric for one pair and some Dr. Who fabric for a second pair. Can I just say I am thrilled I can find Dr Who fabric now? A year ago there was nothing out there! Now I have enough to make Holly a dress, myself a pair of PJ’s and Holly and I both a quilt. Tardis Jammies? Need I say more?

Minnie Mouse Carolyn Pjs

The Sewaholic Thurlows– I have had these on my list for a few years but have not felt up to the pants challenge. I saw these were on quite a few Sewists #2016makenine list so maybe we can all get together virtually and struggle through it together? I am all up for a Thurlow-Thon. 😉

For some odd reason I have a thing for outerwear. I have many jacket and coat patterns I want to make! But I don’t live where there is snow so how many jackets do I need? I thought this would fit the bill though so I plan to make the George and Ginger Keeping it Classy cape. A cape! I have wanted a cape for years. I once had a long grey wool one half finished- way back in the mid 90’s. I wish I still had that UFO (for the grey wool) but ah well. I will have to choose my fabric and timing wisely. Living in Texas means at least half the year is hot and humid so I will have no use for a cape more during those months. Right now we are in the 40’s and 50’s though and I sure could use a little warmth!

The McCalls pattern in the middle row is one of my favorite new patterns from the Big 4. I love everything about it! I figure one in a lighter weight Khaki or Chambray with those 3/4 sleeves will be a perfect addition to my wardrobe and one I can wear more often thanks to those shorter sleeves and the use of a cotton fabric. Take a look- there is also a gorgeous one in lace! Pretty cool how you can make two totally different garments just by using a different fabric!

The Jasper sweatshirt by Paprika Patterns. Love this sweatshirt/ sweater/ sweater dress! I tested one when it was released but failed on the pockets. Despite that failure I wear my pocketless one all the time. It is SO comfy and since it is already traced and fitted I feel like I need a second ASAP. I have fabric for a new one and this time I WILL succeed on those welt pockets!

The Burda suit in silver– There is something about this suit that calls to me. Do I have use for a suit? Well, I do not know yet! Possibly? I just know I love the lines of the jacket and the slacks. I guess when the time comes I will decide on the type of fabric and whether or not the jacket is necessary!

Greenstyle Sundance Jacket

 

The Greenstyle Sundance jacket. OMG… I LOVE this jacket. If you have never seen it the lines are amazing and it is definitely worth checking out. I have a purple Scuba knit I bought a long while back because I wanted to see what all the excitement was about! I got it on a super sale at Fabric Mart Fabrics not really knowing what I was going to do with it. Well, now I know!

The Megan Nielsen Culottes is another pattern I have had for a while. I like the idea of culottes! I will probably go super simple and make myself a black pair from a nice challis. I love the flow of challis!

Last but not least (and these are in NO specific order) is the Sewaholic Cordova jacket. Yeah- another jacket. But I really do not have ANY in my closet and every girl needs a few right? I will hopefully be able to find something in my stash for this. I am trying not to buy any fabric for two reasons. One- I have 7 containers of fabric and I would like to narrow it down to 3 by the end of the year (I am well aware this is a HUGE goal!) and Two- well I AM unemployed at the moment!

That concludes my Nine for 2016. And in between all these great makes I will be making myself a few more Renfrews (I have 7 so far), my daughters some dresses and PJ’s, my son a shirt or two (pacman and craft beer shirts) and a few quilts. Oh, and whatever else I fall in love with during 2016! I can pretty much guarantee that will happen!

What kind of sewing plans do you have for the coming year? Do you like to make plans or just wing it as the year goes along?! I have to confess I like to do both. Plans are good- and I will  be interested to see how many of these I complete during the year. But the one thing I DO know is… “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray…” (Robert Burns) and I am no exception to that!

Cheers to a productive year. Let’s sew like the wind!!

~Laurie

~Watching Murdoch Mysteries

PS. Just completed my first make of 2016… A SWEET baby dress for one of my fave cousins and his baby. He is a Seahawks fan. I am NOT… but for him I allowed some Seahawk fabric in my home!

 

Ch Ch Ch Changes…

Tags

moving to texas

2015 is almost over. I am not going to say it was the worst year ever (because it wasn’t) and I can’t say it was my best year ever either. What I WILL say is it is a year that encompassed a lot of changes in my life and whether they are good or bad remains to be seen!

First off- I was a terrible blogger. I thought about apologizing but I decided that it was nothing to be sorry for! Not blogging much just happened… And my “sewist” friends are also on Instagram and can pretty much keep up with me there. That said, I like to blog and now that my Year of Many Changes is coming to a close, I hope I can manage to do a bit better! We shall see!

I turned 50 this year. I don’t feel 50. But I AM 50. I do not really like that number. Half a century. Sheesh. How did that happen? I confess I am not really happy about it. Youth has a lot to be said for it! Of course I wish I knew then what I know now. But life does not work that way.

One of the biggest changes in my life is a move. I moved from sunny California to Texas. It was a BIG move for a variety of reasons. The hardest part of my move was leaving 3 of my children behind. It does not matter that they are 27,23 and 20. I miss them dreadfully. I love being a mom and needed and now, well I am a long distance mom and not needed so much any more. I moved because I AM 50, and living in CA on your own was tough. I lived paycheck to paycheck and started getting concerned about MY future. I spent the last 28 years worried about my kids and forgot to plan for me. The opportunity arose to come and live with my big brother and damn I took it. The move will give me an opportunity to start saving towards retirement. I do not want to work at Walmart when I am 75. I want to be sewing, drinking martinis with my friends, volunteering, and doing other cool things! So I packed up a 4 x 8 trailer and headed to a new state.

Things have been pretty good in Texas. I have been here 2 months. (I have to confess it feels like longer!) My youngest came with me. I was able to bring my job with me. 9 years at the same job although we were bought last year by a new company! Which brings me to my next change. 4 days before Christmas I got laid off. 😦 Boy was that a slap in the face. I guess I should be happy I made it through 15 months with the new company. But I am not…What I AM is realistic and should have known it was coming. But Christmas?? Well, that kinda sucked. (Although it has given me some extra time off to visit with my kids while they were here, sew lots and take up running.)

So, I go into 2016 50 years old, in a new state, and jobless. I also go into 2016 thankful! I am living in a brand new house with my own bedroom AND a 2nd bedroom I use as an office/ sewing room. My youngest is here with me in HER own room. My kids just left today for CA after spending the holidays with me. And I have the opportunity to start a brand new adventure. New state. New career. New challenges.

I never imagined I would leave California. I never imagined I would be laid off. Life can be a challenge sometimes when things don’t necessarily go the way you planned but I am viewing this as an opportunity to go forth and do lots of great stuff in 2016!

I would like to end this post with a picture of my super cool brother. Ya- that is his car… and yeah… I made him that shirt! #minions

Happy New Year! May you have many adventures in 2016!