Sewing, Sewing, Sewing

I've been really in a sewing mood. It must be because February is fashion month, and the fashion node in my brain is responding to environmental signals. Or I'm just a big dork that likes to sew a lot!

I've been wanting to make my own jackets to wear to work for a while now. I work in a very cold, poorly constructed cement building. It doesn't matter how warm it might appear outside, it's guaranteed to be freezing in my lab. I have to dress in layers at work because, when I leave my lab to go just about anywhere else on campus, not only I get hot, but the people I work with all think I'm wacko for being bundled up all the time.

I need cute jackets that are warm but still fairly thin so I can move around and do my job. If hooded sweatshirts, and warm cozy sweat pants weren't so completely unflattering and slovenly looking, I would wear them to work everyday. The hooded sweatshirt with the Kangaroo-pouch really is the ideal upper body warming garment. I love them, I could write a whole blog about them... maybe someday.

I bought two vintage jacket patterns from Michelle over at Patterns from the Past. Patterns from the Past is really great. I've been buying vintage patterns from them for close to 10 years. I highly recommend checking them out. Anyway, I bought one car coat pattern with raglan sleeves, and one kinda fitted jacket pattern that is fully lined. The car coat is Kwik Sew 419. It has raglan sleeves and can be made single or double-breasted. I'm not a big fan of double breasted things on women, so I made the single breasted version.

As long as I can remember my mom had this plaid stuff in her fabric stash. I would rummage through things looking for something cute to make Barbie a new dress or some sort of garment to torture my cat, Muffin, with. And I would always get down to the big piece of plaid and realize I was at the bottom of the stash. Eventually I realized that it's probably some good fabric and I should save it for... something. So when I kinda took over her stash for her, I always had it at the bottom just like mom. Well, I finally washed it and cut into it. I think it's wool. Its really thin, but really warm. Perfect for my chilly lab.

For some reason I always put crazy deadlines on my sewing projects. I told my self I was going to make this last Monday night and wear it to work on Tuesday. I did, but Tuesday was miserable. I stayed up until 3 am, because I didn't actually start sewing until about 8:45 pm. Needless to say I was really tired by the time I got to the buttons. I didn't have any real buttons that would work, but I happened to have just the right size forms to make my own. I didn't even try to make the plaid match on them.

The other jacket pattern is a Simplicity pattern from the 70's, I'll post pictures of it when I start sewing.

My cousin Alex's girlfriend, Kim, gave me the cutest birthday card with a pink and green paper flower on it last month. I liked the colors so much I wanted to wear them. Kim is so crafty and talented. I thought I should make a Kimflower shirt, since she took the time to make me such a cute card. I made the paper flower into a broach, and bought some $1/yard pink and white polka-dot fabric. I had the green quilting cotton in my stash, so I just made some bias strips. I downloaded the Tara top pattern from Burda Style. I changed it a little to have kimono sleeves. The bottom is too wide, so I need to take a few inches off each side before I wear it. Burda Style is a really great source for free patterns. Anyone who sews should check it out.

My mom is the sweetest lady in the whole world. If she thought you might need it, she would give you the shirt off her back. So I wanted to make her a special shirt for her fun little get-away to Arizona this weekend. I always use Simplicity 4077 for her shirts. They just look really great on her.

I used a corduroy print that has just a little bit of stretch. And I found these great blue shank buttons.

(I really need to learn to take better pictures!)

Poor Little Black Dress

So, the most recent issue of Threads has been sitting on my nightstand taunting me with it's cover threatening about "Simple Steps to a Couture Dress!" And every time I read the article about "Little Black Dress from Start to Finish", I think that it's some kind of moral imperative that I have a Little Black Dress. And that, my Little Black Dress come as close to a couture garment as possible. After all the Threads article depicts a beautiful couture Little Black Dress being completed in less than four pages. I can do this! I have to do this!

I made myself a Little Black Dress with the intention of wearing it for Valentine's Day. The dress turned out great and fits really well, blah, blah, blah. But as soon as the dress was sewn I had completely moved on to a new obsession.

I must wear this dress only with leopard shoes. I don't know why, but I was convinced that this dress would never taste right without a side of leopard print pumps.

I went to every shoe store in North County Fair. No leopard pumps. I also didn't find any in the little junky shoe stores here in Escondido. My quest for leopard pumps was failing miserably. But, there was one option left, I had a gift card for stupid Victoria's Secret. I don't like stupid Victoria's Secret, their stuff is crap. But I figured, I have a gift card, if they have leopard pumps... we might have a deal. And they did! They were pretty cute T-strap velvet leopard print platform sandals. I ordered them a couple weeks before Valentine's Day (which should have been plenty of time) and thought I could rest easy.

Then I got an email from stupid Victoria's Secret. It said some nonsense about how my order couldn't be processed and they apologized that refunds would be issued promptly. Then, the next sentence said your item has been shipped and will arrive February 20. What?!?

I called stupid Victoria's Secret, and they were complete idiots on the phone and didn't know what was going on. I told them to cancel my order and that I was very unhappy. So they offered me a complete refund including shipping, and they threw in another gift card. That was a very nice, and unexpected gesture, except for the fact that their stuff is crap and I don't want to buy anything from them.

Now, I have no leopard shoes, and more stupid Victoria's Secret gift cards than I know what to do with.

My poor little black dress didn't get worn for Valentine's Day. I didn't have the leopard shoes and it was too cold. I wore some black slacks and a black shirt with black shoes (on the cutting edge of fashion, I know).

5-Day Weekend

I'm back to work after a nice long 5-day weekend. Mine was actually supposed to be a 4-day weekend for the Presidents' holidays, but Michael and I took Thursday day off for Valentine's Day. He booked us a room at the Hilton Harbor Island.

We had a great time! Michael really outdid himself!

The day was rainy and windy, which I really like. Since I'm a San Diego girl anything other than clear, sunny skies is kind of a novelty for me. On the way to the hotel we made a little stop and he got me something pretty and sparkly. Then when we got to our room, there were roses waiting for me! I am such a lucky girl!

(Sorry about the grainy cell phone pictures I forgot my camera)

 

My Mom met us in the parking lot before we went up to our room and gave us two Valentines gift baskets. They were stocked full of anything and everything we could possibly need. We had food and candy and drinks to last all night long. Thanks Mom!

There was even a rainbow in the afternoon before we went to the pool. (It's the yellow-looking streak on the horizon)

We went down to the pool in the evening as it was starting to get dark. On the way down, as people stared us like we were totally insane, Michael told them that we were from Alaska. I guess it's not as crazy for Alaskans to go swimming in windy rainy weather. But, really it was just funny to see the looks on their faces.

 

I was really cool to swim in that weather. The palm trees were whipping around in wind, and there was steam coming off the pool and jacuzzi. After we spent some time in the pool and jacuzzi, we had a really nice dinner (except for the weed salad) at the hotel restaurant.

That was the BEST Valentine's Day EVER! Thanks Honey!

Silly Seventies Sundress

Saturday morning while I was supposed to be finishing 3 baby quilts and/or making my dress for Valentine's Day, I decided to make one of my Mom's vintage patterns from 1977. It's a very groovy little sundress that takes no time at all to cut out and sew up. I love the pattern envelope because the girls look they should be out in a field singing about how they'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.

 

I made the shorter version, and I hemmed it even a little shorter. I used a really thin $1/yard cotton and I trimmed it in some blue cotton remnants that I had in my stash.

The dress is a little bit frumpy. But, it's ok, because I'll probably only wear it around the house and maybe to sleep in.

Vinny's Back

 

Well Vinny did his time outside for terrorizing Daphne and now he's a big, fluffy, happy house cat again.

 

When Vinny, Annie, and I came to live with Michael, Daphne, and Judo "Chuckwagon" Jones, the cats didn't really blend well. Four cats with four very different personalities is quite a juggling act. Daphne hated Annie because Annie would stare her down like the creepy, smelly kid on the playground; for some reason Vinny wigged out and got really violent with poor Daphne; Annie hissed at both Judo and Vinny for no apparent reason; and Judo just wanted to play and love everyone.

 

When Vinny slashed Daphne's nose and bit a chunk out of her ear, he became an outdoor cat. I was worried about him since he's almost 4 years old and has never been outside. But he absolutely loved it! He got all big and fluffy, and I think he gained a little confidence. We were letting him sleep in the downstairs bathroom when it rained, and usually he couldn't get back outside fast enough in the morning. But, after the last storm, he had no intentions of ever going outside again, so we let him stay. Now that he's back in the house he sprawls himself across the middle of the coffee table, and lounges on the couches likes he's Mufasa.

 

Vinny was the cat that lived under my bed for the first month that I had him. He always hid when I had company, and most of my friends had only seen pictures of him. Just this weekend, he actually came out and was cruising around the house while we had Alex and Kim over for dinner. Vinny is a new man! And he hasn't touched Daphne once.