What the Heck!

My kid works at Lowe's Hardware, and somehow the word has gotten out there that I sew. Everybody's calling me to do their alterations. Like I have time. Like I can say no.

I'd better make some serious money or I'm going to be really ticked. Maybe if I charge them an arm and a leg they'll leave me alone! LOL!

xoxox

New Twist, Old Idea

Here's a little video I did on hemming jeans. Enjoy!

I Have Decided . . .

to make a coat. (and to follow Jesus, but that's a different discussion and an old hymn, for those of you who didn't recognise it).

Anyway, it's gotten a bit chillier here on the NC/VA border, and I now have to walk from my car in a parking lot onto a school campus. The walk is far when it's cold.

So I'm thinking something about knee length or a bit above, that I can wear with a pair of jeans. Like a long black simple thing that doubles as a long jacket. Or deep pink, or orange, or a nice browny-beige. And fairly lightweight, and definitely NOT a trench. Nothing with a tie or belt.

I'm researching now, and have found these things:

This, but a bit shorter, above the knee:

Or perhaps this, longer:

Or maybe this. Not sure how I feel about the collar, though:

As I am currently so consumed by my biology class (I think my head may explode any minute now), any sewing I do will be to simply keep my sanity. I think this coat may be just the thing.

We'll see!

xoxox

In Search Of . . .

some ideas. I could use some help here.

I sponsor a Compassion International child in Haiti. She's about 7. I'd like to send her some homemade things, but what?

The problem is that it has to be flat. I have to be able to fit it into an envelope that's only 1/4" wide.

I've already sent paper dolls.

Any ideas?

Meanwhile, I'm buried under Barbie's dress re-do for a choir concert. It's "The Ed Sullivan Show" and she's singing "People" (by Barbra Streisand). She found a vintage dress online and asked me to copy it. I'll have to let you know if I actually get to doing it -- although I got a $30 wedding gown to revamp and lots of black tulle and satin. So far, schoolwork has prevailed, but I'm hoping to get to it in the next day or so.

More later.

xoxoxox

Anthropologie vs. Trudy of Hot Patterns

Here's something I find pretty interesting -- Trudy at HotPatterns had these designs coming out before Anthropologie's Fall offerings were out.

This lady is definitely ahead of the game! I love in all the YouTube clips when she talks about major designers and letting us know what's coming up in fashion.

And how great is it to view this stuff at Anthopologie's website, love it, and then know you can make it yourself?

I do have to say -- personal opinion here -- but I love Hot Patterns tops a little better than the Anthropologie tops.

However -- here are a few more Anthropologie tops that would be simply divine if you could make them yourself --

And a couple of cool accessories that are totally DIYable --

If I try any of these things, I'll post photos. And if you try any of these things, please do comment and leave your link below!

xoxox

Done.

I hate doing tulle and crinolines.

But it was so worth it --

What a Mess.

I didn't get much done last night. This is because of a well-known and widely detested fact:

YOU GOTTA BE A FLIPPIN' MECHANICAL GENIUS SOMETIMES JUST TO SEW.

I was trying to sew some net together, and the machine kept jamming. Simple fix: rethread. That fixed it pretty quickly -- but only after I took out the bobbin about 5 times, oiled the bobbin, removed the faceplate and blew out all the fuzz, replaced the faceplate, and tried again -- again -- again -- again -- again.

Very frustrating. Plus, the 2-hour premiere of House was on, so I gave up.

Here's what I was doing. Barbie chose a pattern for a dress, and I made it for her. Lots of changes to it, since the pattern is from 1954. Oh, oh, oh so cute, though!

One of Barbie's must-haves was a crinoline in order to pouf up the skirt. My solution? Sew some netting into the lining of the skirt (which the pattern did not require, but I thought it needed). Two rows oughtta do it, I thought.

So here's the pattern, Simplicity 4708, published 1954:

And here's the dress --

and here's the mess:

I also have a bit of trim to add to the jacket and skirt hem. That is, after I finish with all this netting and tulle on the underskirt. See that bunched up wad of white netting on the table? That's the second layer, under the blue. I cut long strips, and am attaching them to each other with strips of ribbon -- because my machine doesn't like trying to sew thread over what amounts to all the air between the spaces in the netting!

Wish me luck. It's gonna get worse before it gets better.

xoxox