It’s Baaaaaaaaaaackkkkkkk…

Tags

By Hand London, clothing, daughters, dress, fabric, fabrics, Fall Sewing, Family, projects, quilting, sew exhausted, sewing, vintage pattern

Hey Peeps… Long time, no chat. And long time, little sewing!

I deleted my last post but want to thank EVERYONE for the kind thoughts, advice, and reading material! They were all treasured. Guess every now and then it is nice to see that others DO care! I deleted it mostly because I was interviewing for a new job. I made it through all 4 “cuts” but did not get the job in the end. I was happy I made it that far. (Well I would have been HAPPIER had I gotten the job but…!) Anyway, it was for the Executive Asst position for the ceo of WordPress. And I thought it was better if my last blog post had not been one about the stress of my life and a panic attack! But I DID appreciate all the comments! xoxo So hugs to you all.

That said, I am still stressed and still working on making some changes but I seem to be handling things a bit better at the moment! I am hoping for a good job in Houston OR a higher paying job here in San Diego.

So, what’s back? I think my Sewing Mojo has been rekindling itself. I made a Fall List! I got pretty excited going through my fabric stash and choosing some things to make over the next few months. I am calling it my Fall Sewing List but I doubt we will get much of a Fall Season. Bums me out too because I sure would like to wear some long sleeves and tights! And maybe a scarf now and then. But alas it is 90 degrees as I write this. And on Monday it is supposed to be 103! YECK!

Anyway- here it is. My list in progress. I have more Christmas items to add to the list and who knows what else. But I think this is a pretty good start! By the way- the list is NOT in order. Except the top item happens to be almost ready to go! So, without further ado… My Fall List:

Whenever I think about the Lady Skater pattern by KitschyKoo I start singing “He was a Skater Boy.” Avril Lavigne. Totally not even my era of music but my girlies used to sing it. Well, I am going to have ME a Lady Skater in this realllllly awesome floral medium weight knit from Purple Seamstress Fabrics. Despite the sweet flowers I can feel a little rebellious wearing those skulls. LOVE this fabric! And I think I am going to have enough left over to make a 2nd Burda Sweatshirt. (Up next is going to be my first Burda Sweatshirt!)

I just loved this pattern in the most recent Burda magazine. Sadly it is my last issue. Happily this will be the first thing I have ACTUALLY made from the years worth of issues I have. This knit is a lighter weight slinky knit. I am going to use a similar solid black for the sleeves. If it turns out well I am going to use the leftover floral/ skull knit from above for a 2nd one. YAHOO for lightweight sweatshirts!

Ever since I bought this pattern on Etsy I have been dying to make it. I was just lacking some eyelet fabric! Then at the LA Bloggers Meetup I attended a few months back someone was graciously giving this one away. I snagged it knowing this sweet little 70’s number would finally get to be made up. It is for Holly- because that girl wears EVERYTHING I make her. All the time! Love sewing for someone who WEARS what I make! 😀

I bought this denim in Los Angeles when I was shopping with some fellow Sewists. At $3 a yard it LEAPED into my arms! I already have a lovely jade green lining in my stash AND I bought the zipper quite a while back as well. So this baby is ready to Rock N Roll. I am excited and nervous at the same time. It seems like a BIG project!

I know! I KNOW! It is FALL and I am making a swim suit? This is California, people. And she has been waiting PATIENTLY for a swimsuit all summer long. I NEED to get this made for Holly! (And now that I think about it I better go dig out the orange fabric Juliette got for HER swimsuit!)

I made this pattern already and LOVED it. I have yet to blog it- but will get to that soon. This black and white Aztec print is another knit I picked up from PURPLE SEAMSTRESS FABRICS. (She has GREAT knits- and if you follow her on FB you can be tempted DAILY! LOL) I am actually waffling between this Simplicity pattern and another BHL Anna dress. I have 3 of those already though. But I want ALL the Anna’s… so I may change my mind!

Speaking of BHL– I plan on making the new Holly jumpsuit for my Christmas outfit. Ya, here in California Christmas day is usually a lovely, sunshiny day. Blue skies and upper 70’s. So I thought- jumpsuit? Oh YA! (Watch we get some freakish weather this year and my lovely jumpsuit has to stay in the closet! lol)

Speaking of Christmas– We already have Holly’s dress all picked out. OK OK… I confess… This was supposed to be her dress LAST year but I never got to it. THIS year, IT”S ON! And I have everything I need! Boning- CHECK. Zipper- CHECK. Lining- CHECK. She is going to look darling in this! I have informed Juliette and Kadi that they better pick their dresses out SOON! I want them to be done PRE-DECEMBER. (So unlike me- usually my sewing machine is running the night before holiday dresses are needed!)

My son Casey has requested a few button down shirts for Christmas. He would like Chargers, Green Bay Packers and a Hawaiian print. I have had this particular fabric in my stash for at least 15 years! (We are talking Quillow days gang!) Anyway, it is going to get USED! Finally! And I should have enough left over for a pillowcase OR a pair of boxers. 🙂

Another item on my list is the McCalls 6966 Maxi skirt. This black and white stripe (again purchased from Purple Seamstress) has 1″ wide stripes. I have been wanting to make one of these for a while now- and it is time. I think I will make a black Sewaholic Renfrew to go with this. WAIT! I HAVE a black Sewaholic Renfrew! Woot Woot! A complete Me Made Outfit!

And finally… I am going to FINISH this Log Cabin Quilt. It was the VERY first quilt I ever made. And it has been languishing unfinished for 18 years or so. This can no longer languish! And it won’t! It is a twin size quilt and I always have batting in my stash so this quilt is going to finally get some snuggling this winter!

I am pretty happy with my list. I have a few hopefuls waiting in the wings. But they do not have fabric yet and the one thing I wanted to do when I created this list was start using up some of my stash. Especially since money is tight right now! But I feel like I have some GREAT pieces and am pleased to finally be making these up.

I also have quite a few unblogged items. A Marvel Comic dress, a Saltspring, a Gabriola skirt, several new tops, an ugly “yellow” dress, a turquoise jacket, a red jacket, a Simplicity Maxi dress… wow. I better stop. I see a long photo shoot in my near future!

Take care friends and Happy Sewing! xoxo

 

 

 

YOU Can be the BOSS of Me…. Pleeeease!

Tags

challenge, easy sewing projects, fabric, fabrics, Miss Bossy, Monthly Stitchers, patterns, projects, sew, sew exhausted, Simplicity

As many of you have already noticed I am sure… The Monthly Stitchers have a brilliant challenge for the month of March. And I am JUST sliding in my “voting post” with a few days left in the month. Whew… I confess I am a BIG lagger… I get so busy!

The concept is that SOME sewists MAY have some unused patterns and/ or stash lurking around in their garages and that if we happen to be one of “those” sewists, we could take the month of March and sew something up from that “stash.” BUT… there is always a BUT… we don’t get to pick. We get to put the vote to you. Our faithful and fabulous readers!

Now, I am not confessing to having loads of “stash…” Or loads of patterns…

Oh, who am I kidding. I have LOTS of projects I have planned but never accomplished. So, I chose 4 and will put the vote to you. 🙂  I am actually pretty darn excited to see what you pick for me!

#1- I have this cotton voile I purchased a “while” ago just waiting to be made up in to a blouse. Probably with some black buttons! I have enough to do a short sleeved version and really like this pattern I have had lurking around but never used… YET!

#2 . This is also a cotton voile. I admit I love the weight of voile and I really like to say voile. So, I have quite a bit of voile and will most likely add more voile to my collection. 😉 This one is black and white and grey. And don’t you just LOVE this Retro blouse?

#3. This is a sheer chiffon I bought last year as well. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the little birdies and it was definitely a purchase I made when I was trying to branch out from my “normal” fabric buys. It is light weight and sheer so I would either underline it or wear it sheer with a cami top. It reminds me of spring! I have enough to make the Short sleeve or the 3/4… Decisions decisions!

#4. This is a WILD denim weight fabric that I bought to make a blazer out of. I will be honest. I don’t even know yet if I LIKE the fabric- it was one of those “IamgoingintobuyacoolprinteddenimfabricandmakeablazerbutIdon’tlikeanythingsoIamgoingtosettle” moments. I settled and now I look at it and wonder how it will look made up. Guess I won’t know until I make it up!

Thanks for voting! I am off to vote on some more myself as I see a few new ones have popped up!

OH- and if you have not entered my Sew Grateful Giveaway please do so! I have some lovely dress patterns I am giving away and a piece of fabric. 🙂

Laurie xox

Welcome to the Jungle…

Tags

easy sewing projects, fabrics, ITY Knit, jungle january, Maxi dress, sew, sew exhausted, sewing, Simplicity 1623

Whew- Talk about cutting it close! I had high hopes to have this finished earlier in the month and a second make as well but my month did not turn out that way. I have been sewing, but it has been “stuff” for everyone else! Currently I am working on four flower girl dresses! But I did squuueeeeeeeze in this little number for ME for Jungle January! I could not miss joining Ms. Anne on her annual trek in to the fantastic, crazy, deep and mysterious jungle.

Simplicity 1623

I had this beautious piece of ITY Jersey Knit that I purchased from Fabric Mart. I had already decided that using it for a full on maxi dress could possibly be a little too much for me and my demure nature 😉 so decided to use it just for the bodice. I had Simplicity 1623 floating around and loved the MAXI dress. I ALMOST used a solid black knit for the skirt but upon reading the entire fabric recommendations realized the skirt was not a knit so I went out and bought some black challis from JoAnns with my trusty 50% off coupon. I briefly considered making that fabulous off the shoulder sleeve but thought it would be too much with that wild print!

Simplicity 1623

It took my 3-4 hours to make this dress- and most of that time was spent on the bodice! I did not do a “muslin” and I confess there are a few minor fit issues. But nothing that will prevent me from wearing it!

First off, I did not want to miss out on using the cheetah border print so I cut my sleeves against the grain. This made them a leeeetle snug in the arm because there was not as much give. I should have cut them a tad larger! (Or used a smaller seam allowance) But I LOVE the sleeves and am glad I did it.

Simplicity 1623

I also have a very small amount of bunching around the waist. I understand how to do a sway back adjustment on a “normal” bodice but this pattern needed it on the skirt pieces. My mind could not grasp HOW to do it. Anyone know of a good tutorial?It is difficult to see it because the skirt is black but I promise it’s there. Maybe it will disappear when I lose another 5-10 pounds?

Another thought I had was that I should have matched up my print a bit better on the front. There were so many shades of purple- from dark to practically white- and the bodice front was made up of 4 pieces. But I was reassured it looked good!

Simplicity 1623

I love a maxi. I have 5 of them now. I am considering cutting this dress shorter but am afraid. What if I don’t like it shorter?! But I am also afraid it won’t get much wear at this length. I mean seriously… where would I go in this? Hello Keanu Reeves- looking for a date any time soon?

Simplicity 1623

I for one am really sorry Jungle January is almost over and I will have to wait 11 more months to go on another trek! I have so enjoyed looking at all the makes, meeting new bloggers along the way, and being led through the jungle by our fearless tour guide. I gotta say it has been a fabulous journey! But I also understand I don’t have to refrain from using animal prints the other 11 months of the year. There are SO many awesome prints to be found right now!

~Laurie xox

~Working on flower girl dresses

~Listening to “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns & Roses (because it seemed appropriate!)

Top 5 Misses of 2013

Tags

easy sewing projects, fabric, fabrics, patterns, sew, sew exhausted, sewing

As I look back at the things I made in 2013 I find there are sadly some items that are definitely never worn. Initially I may have thought I liked them but when you don’t ever choose to remove them from the hangar and put them on your body it must mean something.

I think in the beginning of the year, when I actually made MYSELF something, I got so excited I just started making random things without really thinking about what I was making. I am still not sure why! I chose a few simple items so I could whip them up. Now don’t get me wrong! There is nothing wrong with simple and I totally LOVE the 2 simple Renfrews I finished in December of this year. But I made some things I NEVER wear… and that means they are misses in my book.

1. This skirt is a 90’s pattern- Vogue xxxx. I like the fabric- a nicely flowing challis. I like the length and I like the cut. What I don’t like is the side gathering on the yoke. I don’t even know WHAT I was thinking! I could have left the side gathering off and with MY hippy hips and thighs I did NOT need any gathering in that area. I have considered taking it apart and redoing it but I just don’t think I have the energy! I have NEVER worn this skirt…

2. I like my “David Bowie China Girl” shirt but I never wear it. I like the print but I don’t like that it is a quilting cotton. I do not like the way it feels and I do not like the fact that I feel decidedly plump in the shirt. Yes, I am decidedly plump but I don’t want to feel that way. I think if the shirt had been 2 inches longer it would have worked better. I would still like to make this top and wear it. But I want a chinese looking print in a knit and I want to lengthen it. (can’t find the perfect fabric tho. 😦 ) So this may end up as a refashion. Maybe a tote bag cuz like I said I DO like the fabric… just not on my body!

3. I really wanted a great costume to wear to Carnivale this year. But from the beginning things went wrong. I had an idea and theme in my head but when I went shopping I was having no luck finding that “idea.” Mainly the color I wanted was no where to be found. So I compromised what was in my head and some how I ended up with this green and brown. I don’t EVER wear brown. EVER… NEVER…It was a very lovely brown brocade but not for me. And the top besides being pretty cool? You can see my bra straps! I wore this to the Carnivale celebration at my favorite brewery but I was uncomfortable. Thankfully I had a mask on. This year I am making a red and black steampunk inspired dress… hopefully.

4. There is nothing wrong with this dress and I like it. But I never wear it. Oddly enough I have not worn a dress that shows my legs in years. I don’t know why. I am pretty sure I used to but somewhere along the way I drifted away from them and now when I think about wearing one I think my legs look weird. So I wear maxi skirts and dresses and slacks and jeans. And that’s it. I am pretty sure my kids have never seen me in a pair of shorts. (I really do not want to frighten them!) I am going to hold on to this dress because like I said I DO like it. I am hoping in 2014 I can get past this weird fear I have of showing my legs and wear it a few times.

5. I hate this shirt. I like the fabric- it is a sweater knit. BUT the cut of this top frankly sucks on my body. It does NOTHING for me! And I thought when I initially made it that I loved it and made 2 more- a dressy black and blue one and a white eyelet one. I have not worn either of those. EVER. I have worn the one below because despite the fact I feel like a dumpling in it it’s quite comfortable. Sighhh… I am probably never going to wear it again though.

And those are my TOP 5 misses. Thankfully I feel like I have learned a lot from my hits and misses. I realize it is like when I used to go shopping for clothes. You know how you just really want to buy those super cute things you know you normally don’t look good in because of the cut or color? So you grab a TON of those items and styles and go and try them all on. And realize when you look in the mirror you were right. No matter how cute they may look on someone else they don’t look good on you. So you drift back to colors and styles that do. That is sort of what I did with my sewing this year. I made some things I HOPED looked good on me despite the fact I had a feeling they wouldn’t. For 2014 I am going back to what I know works with me and my shape. And I am sticking to it!

Laurie xo

Top 5 Hits of 2013

Tags

Anna Dress, By Hand London, daughters, easy sewing projects, fabric, fabrics, patterns, sew, sew exhausted, sewing, Top 5 Hits of 2013

I have had a crazy few weeks! From Thanksgiving on I feel like I have been a busy girl! Which means I was very lacking in the sewing department. I only managed a few handmade gifts. I guess I need to start sooner! I did make a second Renfrew though. A 3/4 sleeve cowl necked one I wore to work and out for our Company Christmas party. (no pics yet!)

Then more craziness. I decided to do all of my shopping at night after the party and because the girls were actually still up I left everything in the car. Someone broke in and stole it all, including my coat and phone charger! 😦 Don’t leave things in cars! Not even in your own driveway!

Last Friday I went to Boise to see the Potato Bowl game with my brother and drink craft beer at 8 different breweries. (LOTS of fun) And then Christmas week my brother came here to San Diego where we enjoyed 75-80 degree weather and 11 more breweries.

I am back to “business as usual” now and thought I would attempt to post some of the Top Five of 2013 Gillian started so we could look back and look forward!

1. I made this dress for Holly, my middle daughter from vintage Simplicity 4432 for Fall for Cotton in September. I love the bright contemporary fabric in the full skirted dress (that I shortened a bit) and Holly loves it too. Wherever she wears it she gets compliments.

2. The By Hand London Anna Dress With a Twist. I made 3 of these this year, all in knit. And I have worn them all more than once. I love them. They are comfortable, flattering and the solid black one I made I dressed up last minute to wear to a Christmas party. They can be casual and dressy! This one is my blocked one because I was short on fabric! I wore it for my birthday lunch. 🙂

3. Simplicity 2250- The Millenium Falcon dress. I made this for Juliette. She loves it and she wears it which was quite a feat. Great fit, pretty fabric, and fully lined. 🙂4. Jungle January robe and PJ’s. Animal print meets silky satin.I felt very decadent in these!

5. Hip Hop Pants. I have made many pairs of these. They started out for my eldest daughter Kadi who is a Hip Hop teacher/ choreographer/ dancer. She asked me to make her a cool pair of “harem” style pants so I did. And then she wanted 10 more pairs. And then people wanted to buy them. So I have just listed a few pairs on Etsy. I love them because they are pretty simple and look pretty darn cool if I do say so myself! Kadi does not wear them just for dance. She dresses them up with a pair of strappy heels and wears them out!

And that is my Top 5… I looked back and found I did not have that much to choose from and hope that in 2014 I will do better!

Laurie  xox

Which Comes First- The Fabric or the Pattern?

Tags

clothing, easy sewing projects, fabric, fabrics, patterns, sew, sew exhausted, sewing

I am sure that must be an age old question. And one that frankly I still don’t know how to answer. So I was curious how others viewed it and thought I would put it out there for discussion.

I am torn. How many times are you shopping and see the most fabulous piece of fabric and think, “What could I make with that?” Do you buy it and “stash” it hoping the perfect idea formulates or do you pass it by because you “sew with focus” and it’s not on your list?

Do you evaluate your wardrobe and decide you need two new blouses, choose the pattern or patterns you’d like and then go off and find your fabric?

Or maybe you just buy piles of patterns you like, pick one you’d like to make and go find some fabric to use!

Maybe you have PILES and PILES of “stash fabric,” and when you decide to make something you choose from your pile and find a pattern you think will work?

Seems to me there are too many ways to answer this question! And no matter how I argue in the favor of one after a few minutes I am all too ready to jump over to the other side!

For me there is no rhyme or reason. Sometimes I am super focused and want to make a Holiday Dress. I go pattern looking and choose the perfect one. Then I go fabric and notion hunting and make my dress. But there is always that time I have found a pattern I LOVE and looked high and low and not found the correct fabric I had in my head and went with something else altogether.

You ever want to make something you already have the pattern for, search at stores and online and just can’t find the fabric you pictured and end up with 5 new pieces of fabric that you’re gonna make in to something neat?” (Ummm- I am pretty sure I don’t know ANYONE like that…)

I admit that sometimes I wish I only bought what I was going to use. There is a part of me that wants to be super organized and focused in my sewing, have a list, buy only what I need, sew it up and move on to the next project. But most of the time I am so happy I have patterns galore and a nice stash of fabric so I can sew on a whim. Sometimes I actually like that a thought comes to me in the middle of the night- “oh my gosh I just had a vision of the perfect little gingham dress for daughter #2 and I know I have that fabulous piece of fabric just waiting for me!” And I am all set to go. 😀

And having stash means when the budget is tight and I can’t spend I can still sew from what I already have. YAY!

I don’t think I answered the question… I think I just rambled on and on. But I did figure out that this is how I sew:

Scenario #1: The fabric came first.– While browsing through the online fabric stores (with NO intention of buying I am just bored), I see the most GORGEOUS, AWESOME aqua snake skin like jacquard that I MUST have. Ok… Ok… deep breath. What can I make from this? YES! I have that Burda Blazer pattern I bought on sale a few months back. How much fabric do I need? 2.5 yards? Perfect! And it is ON SALE!!!!!! Woo Hoo! OH! And isn’t Jungle January around the corner? Can I use an aqua snakeskin for Jungle January? Well no matter, I HAVE to have this!

Ok… What am I going to wear this blazer with? Dang, I have REALLY been wanting to make Jamie Christina’s Mission Maxi.… OMG! Wouldn’t this aqua snakeskin blazer look AMAZING over a black jersey knit Mission Maxi???? Please oh please let me find a good black jersey… OMG– They have a black jersey and it is ON SALE TOO! This is the best day ever! (and I order the Maxi dress pattern and 2 new pieces of fabric).  (All three of these items are on the way!)

Scenario #2: The pattern came first.– Today I am going to organize my patterns. Damn I have a LOT of patterns. Why do I keep buying patterns? I am NEVER going to be able to USE all these patterns. Maybe I should try to win the next pattern pyramid so I can give a few away?- but wait, that won’t work cuz I’ll get to add a few to my collection… Ohhhh, I LOVE this this 1940’s vintage nightgown pattern. I HAVE to make this pattern now!!! I remember when I bought this! Ok … Ok… Lets see- I don’t think I have the right piece of fabric to go with this. It really needs to be made from a lovely voile or cotton lawn… and some lace too! Fire up the computer and start looking. OMG- Fabric.com is having a voile sale!!! I am all over that… Look at that aqua cotton voile?! $3.99 a YARD. Geez I can’t pass that up! AND they are having a sale on lace too?! White lace and aqua voile would make the PERFECT vintage nightgown! I am SO excited! And sheesh- as long as I am paying for shipping I may as well order a few other pieces of fabric… He he he…  The ummm …extra fabrics are going in my stash? (This is up after I finish my red denim jacket- all washed and ready to go)

I am pretty sure I have lots of scenarios I could share… But I think I am going to go sew… I have LOTS of projects in my head I’d like to work on. Some I still need just the right fabric for!

xoxox

Laurie

Kicking up my Heels in an Anna Dress

Tags

Anna Dress, By Hand London, Country Fest, easy sewing projects, fabric, fabrics, McCalls 6401, patterns, sew exhausted, sewing, Simplicity, Simplicity 1538

I made an Anna dress for Countryfest. AND Frocktober!… This is actually Anna #3 for me. I have to say I have more than gotten my moneys worth from this By Hand London pattern. And I can’t promise you this is my last… because I LOVE it just as much now as my first one.

Anna Dress #3

I made this one in about 3 hours for Country Fest- a country music concert that features 5 artists/ bands and LOTS of people, food, alcohol and fun. I had gotten some snazzy new boots (I love birthdays) and wanted something other than boring old jeans to wear with them. An Anna dress with a thigh high slit seemed like it would fit the bill AGAIN! It would be comfortable, a little sexy and show off those boots!

I used a black polyester I had in my garage. I don’t now EXACTLY what type of fabric it is but it has raised embossed roses on it and is light weight enough to make a good maxi. (Too heavy of a jersey pulls the dress down when you make a maxi). The best thing about Anna #3 is I had to draft a new bodice. A size smaller. 😀 The length is a tad short I think but I used every inch of fabric so it will have to do.

As I was driving up to the rodeo grounds where the Fest was held I saw that 98% of the female attendees were wearing snug jeans or denim shorts and a plaid shirt. At first I thought I was sure gonna stand out. But then I decided I was comfy, happy, felt pretty darn cool in my dress and wasn’t going to worry about it! And you know what? It was all good! I never once felt out of place. I actually felt pretty darn special.

Frankly you have all seen pics and read my previous Anna posts, so, I decided to share with you my Country Fest experience instead! (Ok- I also was having so much fun I neglected to take pics!) And if you have NOT seen my other Anna dresses you can see my Anna that broke all the rules here and my Anna with a twist here!

My middle daughter Holly and her boyfriend Earl attended too. I made Holly’s shirt dress out of a purple cotton plaid she liked that matched her hat. I even put pearl snaps on it! 🙂 I used McCalls 6401. It’s a really cute pattern. Because I don’t have good detail pics (SORRY) I will just tell you the shoulders are gathered with a ribbon tie.

That belt she is wearing was my mom’s when she was young. Pretty sure it dates back to 60 something!

My friend Cheryle also attended with us and I made her a shirt in a nice Southwestern print cotton. Again, I used pearl button snaps. The pattern is Simplicity 1538. It is pretty much your basic button down L/S blouse pattern! She likes it enough she wants me to make more!

Again I am sorry I did not take better pics of the clothing! But I was too busy taking these pics and listening to music. (And of course drinking a few beers!)

The artists that we heard were John Pardi, Jana Kramer, Aaron Lewis (of Staind), Uncle Kracker (Woo hoo!) and Josh Turner. Lots of fun and I can’t wait until next year! (All the artists listed are linked to one of their songs in case you want to check them out!)

By the way- a year ago I hated country music. I am a Rock N Roll girl… I love Elvis, AC DC, Depeche Mode, practically everything 80’s, Frank Sinatra, and a whole lot more… PLUS I have a love for Alternative music as well- Blue October, System of a Down… and I sure love to listen to Beastie Boys too. But how I came to love Country music is a whole other story I will leave for another time. 😀 I guess I have eclectic taste in music!

Take care ya’all… and Happy Sewing!

~Laurie xo

Cool! A Giveaway!

Tags

blogging, easy sewing projects, fabrics, fashion, Giveaway, patterns, projects, sewing, vintage patterns

I have so many things to celebrate this month.. A year of it being just me… a year of blogging… a year of getting back to sewing and finding that sewing is definitely MY thing… a year of finding more of myself… a year of creating and getting excited about something again… a year of making new friends… and dang I could keep going but I will stop there!

I told myself when SewExhausted hit 10,000 views we would have a giveaway. Well, that time has come and here I am with even more to celebrate! And actually in the last week or 2 we have shot well over the 10K mark so I am lagging! But it seemed like a perfect month for it to land. We started the blog 3 years ago but it was pretty much ignored for 2 of those years. Last October though we got going “for reals.” And here we are! 🙂

FIRST.. THANK YOU to everyone who has ever read one of Sew Exhausted’s posts. I could not have this giveaway with out you! I truly enjoy writing and sewing, and being able to share what I create is just pretty darn cool. (This is where I thank the internet! lol)  Just being a part of the blogging world has been a joy. I LOVE to read blogs and see what you are making. I also get ideas and feel challenged to do better with my sewing when I read what you are up to, or cheer you on, or learn something new from you. Seeing you on Twitter, or Facebook, or Instagram makes my day! Joining in with you on various sew-alongs and challenges is great fun too. I finished TWO vintage dresses this last month because of you guys. 😀

Here is what I have for you. And if I could ask one thing it would make it all the grander. (I saw this recently on someone else’s blog for their anniversary giveaway and really liked it!) If you would like to be in the drawing, when you comment, please tell me one thing you like about my blog, and a suggestion on a way I could improve. (I know there is ALWAYS room for improvement!)

And now to the giveaways.

Giveaway #1- I have this fabric and pattern from Simplicity. 3 and 1/2 yards will do up ANY of these views in any of the sizes. (Just let me know which pattern size you want me to mail you if you are the winner!)

Giveaway #2 Three patterns in sizes 6-14. I love the flowy dress on the right. It would make a pretty spring dress or something pretty for a special occasion. The pattern with the skirts has some great options!

Giveaway #3 Three patterns in sizes 8-18. The middle one I have carried around for years but still never used it. I adore foofy skirts… but realize they just don’t look good on me. But I know they look fab on quite a few of you!

Giveaway #4 One yard of this plummy Marc Jacobs quilted suede. It is 60 wide so if you are in to vests it would make a GREAT one- or maybe a pencil skirt? It for sure will make a great suede bag. That is what I am doing with the other yard! You can use the pattern I included or use on of your choice if you are the winner!

Leave your comments and let me know which giveaways you like. If you want to be in for all 4 that’s good too! I will be drawing next week on the 11th so be sure to check back after that. I will also ship ANYWHERE.

OH- and another thing. Most bloggers I know love comments, and I am no exception to the rule. I get really excited when someone takes the time to leave an idea or suggestion, a compliment or an observation. I try to always respond. 🙂 To date I have 746 comments- of course half of those are mine but I really wanted to give one of my “comment makers” a gift as well. Those comments sure can make your day when you have posted something new whether it’s an epic fail or a fabulous success or even a cry for HELP.  🙂 My top commentor is Gjeometry! She has commented 38 times on my posts!

I’d also like to thank  SewingForFun  who comes in at 23 comments, Pretty Grievances  and my flicker sewing friend Shar who come in tied at 21 comments. Thank you so much ladies!

Whew… giving stuff away is fun and exhausting! And I have not even done the drawing yet!

Finally, I wanted to mention something else. For those of you that have been a reader for the last year you may wonder where Kerrielee (my sewing partner in crime and cousin) has been. You also know she is a momma to 5 kiddos 2-18 years old. Welllll… she and her hubby are in the process of adding #6 so she has been taking a break. I hope she isn’t too busy to come back, and I hope I will suffice for now!

xoxo Laurie

PS… I think I will do this EVERY October… it is MOST fun!

PPS. I have another Anna dress finished and an exciting new project. (Well, it is exciting to me anyway!) I will share soon!

Mrs. Teapot and an OOOPS… #FallForCotton

Tags

challenge, clothing, fabrics, Fall for Cotton, fashion, patterns, sew exhausted, Vintage, vintage dress, vintage patterns

I live on the West Coast, and it is 8:32 PM PDT. I figure I am good to go and will make the Fall For Cotton deadline. Right? I never thought about time differences and just knew I needed to be up by midnight- But midnight my time is good I hope!

I finished Holly’s vintage Fall For Cotton dress last week and you can read all about it here. Mine was next (although I squeezed in an Anna dress in between for my class reunion). My Fall For Cotton Vintage pattern came from Vintage Martini and I thought it was a great dress and would be suitable for me. It is Butterick 9499, and when I googled it, I got varying dates so am not certain. It is either late 1950’s or early 1960’s. Thoughts?

I went with a green cotton broadcloth, keeping in with the Fall For Cotton Challenge. I bought this a while back, and paid $1.99 a yard for it- which means this dress cost me about $10 bucks to make. 🙂

Cotton… I gotta say it needs same spray starch and a better pressing than I was able to give it. The dress was ready yesterday, but I had noone to take pics! Hence the barely made deadline!

When I came out in all my glory yesterday my youngest told me I looked like Mrs. Teapot. My eldest told me I looked like the lady who had a bunch of stuff in her suitcase. Ahhh, children! I let them BOTH know I felt like Beavers mother. (And I received blank stares) 🙂

I like the dress for the most part. The cuffs are fantastic… I covered my own buttons for both cuffs. The 2 buttons on the bodice came from my button jar. The belt is dreadful. I am going to make my own belt and make a few changes to the dress. I love the dress but I am not sure the pleated skirt is flattering to my shape. I am thinking about removing the skirt and making it an a-line skirt. I love the bodice and the collar though. And I really like the shade of green. 😀

I do have to confess to an “ooops.” I did not notice it until I was buttoning up the cuffs for picture time! I put one of the cuffs on backwards! Not sure where my head was at that moment but I guess I will have to remove it and see if I can fix it. I may have to make a whole new cuff though!

And this is my Fall For Cotton/ Mrs. Teapot/ Vintage dress. Should I change the skirt out to an a-line? And do you use spray starch to iron your 100% cotton dresses?

OH! By the way, this dress also takes care of one of my Sewlutions from Jan 1, 2013. I wanted to make 2 vintage dresses for myself in 2013… WHEW!

~Laurie

Sewing Camp

Tags

clothing, dress, easy sewing projects, fabric, fabrics, fashion, patterns, project, projects, sew exhausted, sewing, Vintage, vintage patterns, Vogue 8577

Camp… Do you remember going to camp as a kid? I was only able to go a few times during my childhood but those few times were awesome! When I was 14 I went to camp and focused on Astronomy for a whole week. I learned all about the constellations, took night hikes to view the stars and had a grand old time bonding with my fellow Astronomers. Fun times for sure!

As an adult some times we just don’t get to do some of those fun things we enjoyed as children. Mainly I suppose because we have so many responsibilities. Work… kids… households to maintain… Sometimes life can get a bit overwhelming! Well, a few weeks ago I realized I had 192 vacation/PTO hours collected. And upon doing a quick search of my employee handbook, and realizing I was going to start losing some of them if I did not use them,  I put in a request for a week off.

With no place to go, and funds being a bit too tight for gallivanting off to all those dream places on my list,  I decided to enjoy a blissful week at home. And because my 3 daughters are of an age where they do not require me to keep an eagle eye on them, I get to focus on me and what I enjoy doing.

And what could be better than a week of sewing?

I am just starting to come off a dry spell sewing wise. I found myself having trouble dredging up enough energy to sit at my machine and make something- and frankly that feeling lasted for close to 2 months! But, today I  finished a  little halter sundress for Holly- It is quite pretty if I do say so myself! And I am chomping at the bit to start on something new!

So, tonight I started choosing a few more “I have to make this” projects I have wanted to make. I have high hopes I will be able to finish all of these during “Sewing Camp.” AND I have high hopes I will be able to enjoy some time at the beach, walking and hiking, drinking some beers with my friends, and spending some quality time with my girls.

Up first, and I confess I already have it laid out and the pattern pieces ready to cut, is this little number for Juliette. I think this color is going to look amazing on her! I plan on doing the short version of C and can hopefully find some pretty white daisy buttons for it.

Then  I have this marvelous coat. Yes, it is from the 90’s era and I just adore it. The shorter coat in the top right is the view I plan on using. I got this pattern and a few others from the wonderful Katie at Kadiddlehopper thanks to a Twitter conversation we were having one day. She mailed them to me when I expressed interest. THANKS Katie! The fabric is a light weight plum colored wool/ rayon. Because I live in California I do not need thick, heavy, warm coats. But I LOVE coats and think this will be a nice one that I will actually be able to use in the “dead” of a Southern California winter. 😉

This pattern also came from Katie. I have a pretty floral challis that I think will be perfect for it. Ooo- I am so excited to have this skirt! I had a similar pattern way back in the 90’s I loved- and wore a lot. It has a solid black background and I’d like to find a short sweater type pattern that buttons in the back to make in black to go with it. (The one with the pattern shows a little skin and I am pretty certain I need to keep my skin covered!)

Vogue 8577 has also been lurking up at the top of my pattern pile waiting for it’s turn. I have a few shirt dress style patterns but want to try this one. I am not 100% certain it will look good on me. Those pockets are located right at my biggest problem area- But I am going to give it a go anyway. I have a very nice olive colored broadcloth and plan on adding red buttons. Yes, I can guarantee I will be sporting a pair of red pumps when I wear this dress. And I am breaking out of my little self imposed box with this olive dress. I have always liked the color but never owned anything olive. Olive and red… makes me smile! 😀

Finally, I have this ITY print in a dark navy, off- white and red that has been at the top of my fabric pile. If all goes as planned I hope to have a maxi dress accented with a red solid hanging in my closet by the end of Summer Sewing Camp.

I have more I would like to do but I did not want to overwhelm myself. The whole point of vacation is to relax and have fun. If I finish all of these and have time to spare I will gladly start on another project. After all, I have PLENTY waiting in the wings!

Take care! ~Laurie