Friday, October 31, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
A little reconstruction
I have been sewing quite a bit of my daughter's clothes lately, trying to play catch-up and get some dressier items ready for fall/winter and the upcoming holiday season. That said I tried a little experimentation on an Ottobre 2008 pattern. I really loved the top of it, especially the poufy sleeves and wanted to make it into a twirl dress.
So I took the shirt pattern, chopped off the bottom half and added a tiered twirl skirt to it instead. I like the result. Sleeves look a little long, but I think that's because she had her hands pulled up into the sleeves. The pattern called for shirring on the bodice, I added that but omitted the rows of ruffles right next to the button band. I knew she wouldn't go for those.
This was supposed to be the test dress but my daughter doesn't love this design enough to warrant a redo in the Tina Givens fabric I had originally planned for it, so on to plan B for that one. Still, I love how it turned out and despite her opinion, I happen to think this is a really lovely dress on her. 
The buttons are vintage faux pearl (aka lucite) ones I snagged from my Mom's stash (thanks again Mom). The fabric is Michael Miller's peppermint damask. I added a matching headband 'cause those are fun to make, so why not.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Three cheers for helping husbands
Specifically mine. He has been super helpful and supportive of my new ventures into the sewing business. I have been sewing for a long time, since I was a kid really, and started with a hand-me-down machine (much appreciated) from my Aunt. That thing pretty much lived in a closet unless it was needed and at that point it would occupy the kitchen table as a work space. As you might imagine, we did also need the kitchen table for meals - that system didn't really work out too well. Fast forward a couple of decades and I now have a nice converted armoire with fold-out tables for my machines and lots of storage for fabric stash underneath all courtesy of my helpful and handy hubby.
Sadly unrealistic view of how it should/could look:
Open Sesame
A.K.A: The Zone ~ More realistic look of it's usual state
We recently did a MAJOR reorganization. The room I sew in is in fact an office as we don't happen to have any extra rooms in our little 3 bedroom abode to spare for just sewing related endeavours. My little armoire of sewing was overflowing, so I cleaned out the office - there were lots of cabinets full of miscellaneous office stuff - much of which just needed to be pitched. So dear hubby helped and we cleared out 2 large cabinets of shelving for my stuff. I also brought over my organizer bins - the kind with the little drawers you pull out like you might find in a workshop or tackle box? Anyway, I had had them for years but they were living in my storage area and weren't really accessible. I pulled them out - cleaned out most of the junk from them and they are now living in the top shelf of the armoire and all my notions and tools are organized and in easy reach. Now as to the question of stash ~ I took the entire PILE of fabrics on the cutting table, and moved them into the newly emptied cabinets - so now everything is put away again. SOOOO Much nicer.
Sadly unrealistic view of how it should/could look:
Open Sesame
A.K.A: The Zone ~ More realistic look of it's usual state
We recently did a MAJOR reorganization. The room I sew in is in fact an office as we don't happen to have any extra rooms in our little 3 bedroom abode to spare for just sewing related endeavours. My little armoire of sewing was overflowing, so I cleaned out the office - there were lots of cabinets full of miscellaneous office stuff - much of which just needed to be pitched. So dear hubby helped and we cleared out 2 large cabinets of shelving for my stuff. I also brought over my organizer bins - the kind with the little drawers you pull out like you might find in a workshop or tackle box? Anyway, I had had them for years but they were living in my storage area and weren't really accessible. I pulled them out - cleaned out most of the junk from them and they are now living in the top shelf of the armoire and all my notions and tools are organized and in easy reach. Now as to the question of stash ~ I took the entire PILE of fabrics on the cutting table, and moved them into the newly emptied cabinets - so now everything is put away again. SOOOO Much nicer.
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