This time last year, Neil and I were spending our honeymoon in Paris.. and I still miss it. Here are some photos from our trip that I wanted to share with you.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
etsy shop update! paisley, liberty print, and lace
This week is looking really positive. Besides the weather being wonderful, I'm in the middle of great projects, on the threshold of a few more, Easter is coming up, and Neil and I are heading out to pick up a new addition to our family on Wednesday. And I made two fun online purchases tonight that I'm really excited about.. a photo light kit for the shop and a great vintage sewing pattern that I'll be showing you all as soon as I get it in the mail. What are you guys excited about this week?
Happy Monday!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
sewing saturday no. 5.. handmade jumper progress! stitching the bodice, straps, and skirt
I'm pleased to report that I've made some solid progress on my jumper without any serious mess ups!
The three major steps I conquered this week were..
Marking.
Sewing.
And pressing.
Marking the pieces helped me a ton. While it took awhile to mark everything, I'm so glad I did. I grabbed my tape measurer and white pencil, measured the distance of everything on the pattern pieces, and recreated it on the fabric. Marking seam allowances and the prescribed pattern instruction dots makes sewing much easier.
And.. the sewing! It was by far the easiest step this week (and Amanda, you're right - the most time consuming is the cutting and measuring.. when you actually get to sew, it's just fun!).
My first sewing began with the bodice. The actual first stitch into the bodice was one of the front darts. Why did I expect darts to be difficult? Well, now you know, those who didn't already.. darts are super easy. I sewed four darts in all, two in the front part of the bodice and two in the back. I then stitched the three bodice pieces together at the side seams.
After the bodice was finished, I put together the shoulder straps by matching two shoulder strap pieces, right sides facing each other, and sewing on the seam allowance lines. I left the bottom part of the strap open and turned them inside out.
I then sewed the pockets. There was a fold line on the top.. I sewed 1/4 inch on the top line of the pocket, folded at the fold line so the right sides were facing together, and stitched along the seam allowance (no fabric together, just stitches on raw edges) on the sides and bottom. I then trimmed the edges of the pocket to 1/4 inch and turned it inside out. Then, I sewed the two pieces of the front skirt together.
My mom urged the importance of ironing when sewing, how intentional creases will make the job much easier.. and even the instructions told me to, so I pulled out our old iron (that had fallen behind our washer sometime last autumn - you can tell we do a lot of ironing), dusted it off, and put it to good use.
I pressed the back of the darts towards the center, ironed the seams flat on the insides (which I will soon cut with pinking shears when I find a store that sells them), pressed the edges of the pockets inward, and flattened out the shoulder straps.
And this is my progress!
Next week, I will sew the pockets to the skirt and hopefully finish up the skirt and attach it to the bodice. I've also got to sew the facing. I still have buttonholes and zippers to contend with, as well.. my main enemies. Fortunately, I have a buttonhole feature on my sewing machine, so it might be a lot simpler than I expect. A friend of mine suggested trying out the buttonhole function on a scrap piece of fabric before stitching it into the shoulder strap, so I'll be sure to do that first.
My friends Colleen, Lauren and I hit up the flea market this weekend! I had a very specific goal in mind when we were browsing.. I was going to find vintage sewing patterns. Did I find any really good ones? No. Did I buy a dress instead? Yes.
It's a prairie-style maxi dress from the 1970's, and I love it. I've been looking for a white summer dress for awhile. I'm going to do a bit of work on him.. mainly, take off the pink gingham detailing at the sleeves, cut the dress short, add a small sash at the waist, and maybe put a ruffle at the bottom. Maybe no ruffle. What do you think?
The funny thing is this dress is made out of the exact same fabric (except a different color - my fabric is a soft pink.. does anyone know the name of this fabric?) that I found in the Craigslist lot I purchased recently. And the vintage sewing patterns I was on the lookout for were mainly for that pink fabric I have.
So, I felt a little guilty buying a dress rather than buying patterns. Not that the dress wasn't a great deal, and not that it wasn't something I wasn't already searching for. Nonetheless, I still felt guilty.
The instant buyer's guilt got me thinking. Summer is an easy month for sewing. Shorts and tank tops seem much simpler than heavy coats or knit sweaters. What if I made it a goal this summer to not buy any clothes for myself at all? Rather, if I wanted something (a floral romper, velvet shorts), I had to make it myself?
I've been on a resolution kick since the New Year, and it's been working out for me. I'm a list person, like my grandpa, and resolutions are a bit like lists. If you record them in some form, you're going to stick to them more regularly.
Therefore, I'm making this resolution official. Beginning June 1st and ending September 1st, I will not be allowed to buy any new clothing. If I want any new pieces of clothing, I will have to make them myself.
(Technically, summer lasts from late June til late September, but I'm not a technical person.)
I'm allowing myself two contingencies attached to this resolution.. first, that I'm allowed to buy new intimate items if I need them (tights, underwear, the like). Second, I can buy clothing for myself from a thrift store (not a vintage store.. there's a difference) as long as I alter them in some way.
The point of this resolution is to encourage me to sew more and spend less. Also, with the deadline not until June, I've got time to practice my sewing skills before I commit my wardrobe to them.
So.. what are your thoughts?
Friday, March 26, 2010
blogger meet up.. meeting aya of strawberry koi!
On Aya..
1940's Junior's Plaid Dress
Tan Lace Up Oxfords from the Cactus Flower
Blue Cardigan from Target
On me..
Vintage Liberty Print Dress from The Cat's Pajamas Vintage
Gold Heart Locket from Forever21
Black Lace Up Heels from H&M
So, here is that secret meet up I've been alluding to.. last week, I had the chance to meet lovely Aya of Strawberry Koi and her husband, Thomas!
Man alive, were they sweet! We had a fantastic time. You would think blogger meet ups would be awkward and nerve wracking, but nerves wear away within minutes and then you find yourself in conversation with seriously interesting, seriously passionate people. Getting to know Aya and Thom was a blast.. the story of how they met, where they were before, and what dreams they're pursuing now was all a bit inspirational. There is nothing more motivating than meeting people who are pursuing what they love.
We went to Frothy Monkey for coffee and Local Honey for some quick vintage shopping. Then, we walked back to finish our coffee and to talk about everything - from SLR cameras to Anna Karenina. By the time we were done, we had nearly missed out on any good light for picture taking, but luckily, we snuck some photos in before the sun set.
And I apologize for the tangled 80's mess that is my hair.. it was a bit humid out that night. Big hair can be fun AND stupid.
I'm going to the monthly Tennessee Flea Market with my friends Colleen and Lauren tomorrow.. I can't wait! All of this sewing study has given me sewing cravings, so I'll be on the lookout for more vintage patterns to try out - namely, dresses with full skirts (there's a wedding coming up in April that I'd love to make a new dress for) and bloomers (a strange new trend that I'm tempted to try out). I'm so excited to dig through boxes of old patterns and actually understand some of what I'm reading.
Sewing Saturday post tomorrow!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
a prairie look.. railroad overalls and liberty print in the spring
Photos by Neil!
Vintage Striped Denim Overalls - Local Honey Vintage
Vintage Liberty Print Dress (worn as a blouse) - The Cat's Pajamas Vintage
White Thigh High Socks, Wide-Brimmed Straw Hat - Forever21
Cutout Lace Up Heels - Urban Outfitters
Here are the overalls and the dress I've been talking about.. and I love them both. Jessica and I made an Etsy trade (her shop is adorable.. check out this mohair cape, it's pure awesome) and I've been wearing the liberty print dress ever since.. even as a blouse sometimes, as you can see in these pictures. I wore it on its own to my fun blogger meet up that I'll post about in the near future, and I'm probably going to wear it out tonight to the movies with friends. I've seriously been wearing it too much.
And the striped overalls are another favorite, from Local Honey in Nashville! They might be the first pair of overalls I've ever owned. Like I said before, I've been searching for the ideal blouse to wear underneath (a white button up with ruffles, but not too ruffle-y, and three quarter length sleeves and maybe a high neck), and I haven't found it yet. So I improvised with this outfit because I loved the contrasting patterns. It's very Little House on the Prairie.
Imagine my surprise when Neil and I go to Borders the exact same night that we took these pictures and I find an awesome Nylon spread all about liberty prints and overalls. It was really beautiful and if I had caught it before we took pictures, I would have cited it as inspiration.. check it out, before the next issue comes out! Katy Perry's on the cover, but don't let that scare you away.
When we were at Borders, I also caught a glimpse of the latest British Vogue with Alexa Chung on the cover. It had great articles about a couple latest trends.. lacy, feminine items and a lot of whites/creams/nudes.. all so beautiful. The article on Alexa Chung was written by her and featured denim. I read most of it. I don't know. When people talk about jeans I lose interest, even if they throw in stuff about dungarees and chambray in the process.
I think I've gotten so sick of the prevalence of jeans.. sure, there is something elusive and kind of magical when you find the perfect pair of jeans simply because all jeans are shaped so differently and frankly, so are we.
But jeans are everywhere. Men and women and kids wear them to work and to church and to the movies and the grocery store and everywhere in between (I don't buy into the comfort myth.. I am a million times more comfortable in tights and an oversized button up or romper than I am in jeans). If you wear a dress or tailored trousers or a suit jacket or a skirt outside of a wedding, people ask you why you're dressing up. I remember in high school (and much of college), I had about seven or so identical pairs I cycled through. Long sleeved shirt, jeans. Cardigan and tank top, jeans. Different long sleeved shirt, jeans. I wore brightly colored socks just because I was desperate to add some personality to my wardrobe. I'm not vehemently against jeans, they can look spectacular and sometimes, a certain top or jacket calls for them. And everyone should probably own them. But they don't need to be an outfit staple every single day of the week, like they used to be for me.
I think that's enough ranting for today. Hope you guys are having a great week!