Merry Christmas!!!

Wishing You & your Family all the JOY & PEACE the Holiday brings!!!

Much Love, ~Victoria

Crash, Burn,.........and Recover!

By the time I got my legs into those leggings I knew something was wrong. The only thing I could hear in my mind was those fateful words "Houston, we have a problem".  And tried as I may, I pushed and pushed, and realized those leggings were just going to be too tight to even wear. How could I have made such a silly mistake?

My plan, as mentioned in my last post, was to whip up a quick pair of leggings (using McCall pattern 6173) to wear to a Christmas party at church on Tuesday. I wanted to pair it with a tunic, jacket & scarf. This should have been totally uneventful but a silly mistake of absent mindedly cutting the leggings out wrong (stretch going down instead of crosswise) messed the whole mission up. Totally my fault!

(Look at the width of that leg. This could've been easily mistaken for a sleeve! LOL!)

So I'm out a piece of really nice legging fabric. And all over a silly brain fart. Nevertheless, the evening was not lost and I still was able to put on another outfit for the party. I through on a funky tan jacket, blue screen T, Express dark denim jeans and brown boots.

Fast forward to today. I marched down to Jo-Ann's and was able to get more of the same legging fabric to replace the loss. Actually I bought 2 pieces! Yay me!!!! So I''m quite the happy camper. See, it's the Project Runway dark blue (denim look-alike) legging/jegging fabric. I don't own any skinny jeans but I suspect when I'm done making these my leggings will have the look of a skinny jean.

(Got my 2 pieces of jegging fabric !!! I'm too ecstatic!!!)

This whole situation got me thinking a bit. I'm actually happy it happened. For one, it showed me just how far I've come as a sewer. I remember the days I would be devastated over such a mistake and the loss of a prized piece of fabric. Trust me I was pretty hurt by this snafu and until today I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get my hands on more fabric. But I didn't internalize the issue and let it define me. I just brushed the issue off and decided to move on to the next thing. Maybe I'm not explaining it right, but I'm sure there are some of you out there who know exactly what I mean. It's nice to have the confidence to "recover" even after you've "crashed & burned". Also this scenario made me appreciate the checks & balances I have in place to avoid any major disasters, which for me are few and far in between. For one, I usually always make a muslin--especially for wovens & pants to ensure a good fit and save good fabric. Trust me mistakes happen, but I've heard the definition of craftsmanship is being able to cover one's mistakes (wink).

So I'm back at square one and need to make my leggings which I'll knock out in the next few days. It was nice to go through that little situation & learn more about myself. Not a big deal, but pretty cool. How about you..have you had a recent sewing snafu that you handled fairly well? Do share:)

Crazy love for Sweater Dresses!

I've mentioned before that I have a serious love for cute sweaters and plaid skirts during the fall and cold winter months. Another article of clothing that I simply can't live without are sweater dresses. I promise you I'd wear them several times a week if I had that many. They are a wardrobe staple for sure. You can dress them up or down. They wear well with tights, leggings, fancy boots, or flats. And I love to throw on a scarf with them to make them even more winter worthy.

Well a sweater dress is exactly what I wore to church today. It was a gray one in which I accessorized with a black belt, black striped tights, and suede boots with cute little buttons, and silver hoops. I was rather proud of my look--it was simple and yet cute--- and of course I LOVE the comfort and warmth that these dresses bring.
 

 (I thought I'd take my own pic at the store and give Hubby the day off.)

 ( I love the buttons on these cute little boots. They're kinda hard to see.)

 After church I had to run a few errands and ended up at my favorite store Ross Dress for Less. I believe that's where I purchased the sweater dress I was wearing and definitely the boots. I love to check out there shoes and clearance racks. I always get PHENOMENAL sales. You guy's know me, I'm all about being frugal. Anywho, I ran across a sweater dress that I wanted to have. It was by Calvin Klein and frankly every sweater dress I've seen of this brand I've wanted to have. They're just so gorgeous.

 (Such a cute Calvin Klein sweater dress. I loved the sleeves and waist ribbon belt)

 But the price wasn't where I wanted it. It wasn't worth $40 to me by far---$20 maybe, $15 is more like it:).

 So I skipped out on it for now. I'll keep checking back, one is bound to go on clearance soon. But I did run across 2 others that I liked and bought (I'm holding them in the first picture)---which combined was around $20. So I'm pretty happy with my bargain! I'm curious, what's your cold weather clothing staple????

Sewing Jots & Tittles 12.17.11

Wow it's been a little while since I did one of these post! Here's just a few things I've been focusing on.....

-Almost finished.....
I'm currently working on Simplicity 2305 and just have to add the skirt and zipper. I'd hoped to have it ready for a party last week but with back to back parties I just didn't make it in time. The fabric, which I love is a charmeuse from Jo-Ann's called "ostritch feathers". It's such a cool fabric.

-Time for a Coat
I might re-think that notion if we keep having 70 F temperatures. But while running through JC Penny to do some Black Friday returns I saw this coat. I love a bright colored coat with black buttons.

  I have to make at least 2 coats this Winter. Even if the weather isn't consistently cold:) Time to go rummaging through my coat patterns.


-You can always find things cheaper
I bought a fancy bra contraption for this dress. I wasn't happy that in a time crunch I ended up having to pay $30+ for it (including the bra). Well I ran across one of the devices I used at an outlet store and look at the price. It was $1.99. Searching when you have the time is usually always worth while.

-Nude Shoe
I've wanted a pair since this Summer. I ran across this Steve Madden pair at Burlington Outlet's. Although they're cute, I didn't want them as a platform and with a strap. I'll keep searching. Hope to find some soon.

-Edwardian shoe
I must admit that I love shoes and I particularly love unique one's but this shoe was a BIT over the top. Look at those ruffles! Over the top all right!!!

-Warm FLEECE NEEDED!
I'm heading back to Barrow, Alaska (it will be my 4th trip) in less than a month for a 2 week long research trip and am in need of some additional warm clothes. The temperature there could be anywhere between -20F to -60F. Either way it will be EXTREMELY cold, painfully so. I've got a great jacket, wind proof pants, polypropylene undergarments, etc. and just wanted to bring along some warm fleece hoodies to go with these other items.  A particular fleece that's really warm is the Polartec brand which is used in North Face & other high end hoodie companies. Those hoodies are way too expensive so I'm thinking about ordering the Polartec fleece and sewing my hoodies myself. I found a fabric mill HERE and will call on Monday. We'll see... Aside from that, does anyone have any suggestions on where I can get some deeply discounted North Face or REI fleece? I'd like some of their hats & gloves too.

-Angry Birds Formal
A friend sent me this photo and I just loved it. I'm not a fan of the game but I think this dress is pure genius.

The caption on the photo read "The wife of an executive at Rovio, the company that makes popular mobile game “Angry Birds” showed up to an event at the Finnish Presidential Palace wearing a dress suspiciously resembling the same foul-mood fowl". What do you think?


-Denim Jegging outfit
I plan to hopefully knock out a pair of denim jeggings on tomorrow to wear to an informal holiday party at my church on Tuesday. I plan to use this pattern, McCall 6173....

But I want to build and use this picture as my inspiration....

I'm thinking denim leggings, tunic, cute scarf, jacket, & boots. We'll see what I put together for the party:)



Here are a few non-sewing tidbits.....

-Gluten free goodies
Being gluten free means I often have to pass up the holiday work treats that are ever abundant each year. This year a friend and co-worker was kind enough to make me an entire gluten free platter of treats in addition to the normal treats for everyone else. That was too kind!!! Thanks Laura!!!

-My Hubby's many acts
For our church's interactive Christmas story my husband was an actor and played a Wise Man, Herod's advisor, & an Angel. It was a major production and 10 day/ 40+ hours committment (resulting in over 14,000 visitors.  It was an awesome production. I even got to do a little costume work and hope to contribute more the next go around.

-Funny pic
My hubby sent this to me the other day and I burst into spontaneous laughter. This has happened to me too many times....LOL!

-"Wee-One" posing
Now I know my daughter has witnessed me posing for my blog pictures but goodness I never looked like this. She poses for most of her pictures like this. Her posing is on a whole other level!!!

Seriously, I never taught her to pose like this. LOL!!!

Well that's it for me. What's been on your mind????

Vogue 8379--- Another Wrap Dress!

I recently made this pattern HERE and decided to crank out another version for a Holiday party I attended on tonight. I love this version with this fabric. When I bought this fabric I just KNEW it would be used for a wrap dress. Since I reviewed it a few days ago, I'm only going to show the pictures. I braved the cold and dark to bring these to you.....ok, maybe it's not quite that dramatic....but what else are you gonna do in a crunch to get the job done:) Here goes.....

(Fabric up close. Excuse the blurriness)

Ok, I think that's enough wrap dresses for one week. I REALLY want a black one but will hold off on it. So many other things to sew. On to the next thing.......

Senseless Fear......

I can't believe I spent the last year avoiding using my newly purchased blindstitch machine. That's right, you heard me right. A YEAR! I bought the thing this time last year and got it at a phenomenal year. It was used and was going on closeout. And to be honest with a custom sewing and alteration business it is a MUST. So with the price tag of $125 more than half off the original price and a few months of warranty I knew it was a steal. So I bought it. Got it in the mail. Looked at it. Stared it over some more. And it's sat on the corner of my sewing desk for a year.

(It's so cool, it even has a knee lift like my sewing machine)

Well you ask, "Why would you buy a piece of equipment and not use it right away"? Well I have a one word answer. FEAR. Ok, now I feel like a total idiot to come to such a conclusion but it's the truth. And I might as well be honest. Hey, if I can't be honest with you Guys than who can I be honest with? (Smile) Anywho, I decided on last night that I would take the time  to get the machine working since I had a few hems to do for a client and was running short on time. I oiled it up on yesterday and followed the manual doing the necessary machine adjustments. Well on tonight I finally figured out how to thread it correctly and VOILA'....the thing is the easiest machine to use. I made the most perfect hems and a job that I used to do by hand since I didn't like my conventional machine blindstitch, and took about 7 minutes total to hem 3 pants. That would have been an hour and a half job by hand. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS MACHINE!!!!

So I must admit that I feel so SILLY that I didn't just step out there and put this baby into use months ago. But I used my excuse of not being the machine tinkering type to procrastinate. And I know what else you're thinking. You're thinking that's a pretty lame excuse giving that I own like 3 different types of sewing machines--- a conventional, coverstitch & serger. But to that I empasize I was FEARFUL and when does FEAR (the senseless kind) EVER MAKE ANY SENSE! LOL! (sorry you just have to laugh at yourself sometimes.) It was the thought of the possible challenges of facing a new type of machine. And it actually turned out to be no challenge at all.

Moments like these make me wonder how many times in life have I robbed myself of opportunities and experiences because of that 4 letter word. How many sewing projects have I talked myself out of or risks I wouldn't take. I've been thinking alot about fear lately and am currently reading the book on overcoming your fears. It's funny, my blindstitch machine has served as a great example of senseless fear. This year I'm making  a greater effort to step into the unknown and not let my fears dictate where I go. I especially look forward to doing this with my sewing. The older I get I realize that life is too short. Why miss out on living. And you'll never KNOW the unknown until you actually venture out into it. Lastly, I leave a great quote that I ran across this week that's worth pondering.......

We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them.

-Titus Livius

I'm curious, what are your sewing fears? What has you stopped dead in your tracks that you feel you can't move past? How do yo plan to get over that hurdle? Do share.......

Blogoversary Giveaway Winner!!!!

Thanks SO much for all of your blogoversary wishes and for all those participating in the Giveaway!!! I'm hoping on being SUPER productive from now until my next blogoversary. With that said.....it's time to REVEAL the Winner!!!!

I used Random.Org to pick the number and the first one generated was #19. So commenter # 19 is thillsd.  Congratulations Lady!!!!

 The Mystery gift you won is..................(drum roll please)............

A $20 Gift Certificate to one of my favorite online fabric stores---Fabric.com!!! I thought to myself, let's just keep things simple and let the winner pick out their own gift. Hope you enjoy shopping thillsd!!! Please email me at www.tenthousandsewinghours@yahoo.com to give me your email address so I can pass on the gift certificate.

Thanks to all who participated!!! FYI: This giveaway isn't sponsored by Fabric.com--I hope to be lucky enough one day to gain these types of sponsors (wink).

Happy Sewing to you ALL!!!!

Vogue 8379---TNT Wrap Dress!

 I've been sewing my pants off lately and I've been anxiously waiting to sew this dress for some time. When I first bought this fabric online I knew it would be perfect for a wrap dress. I'm so delighted I was finally able to get around to making this dress. There's not much to be said about this dress! Simply stated, I LOVE IT!  I know it's a pretty popularly reviewed pattern of Sewing Pattern Review.com.  If you haven't used this pattern I recommend you give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

 (This dress gave me a chance to break in my new Nine West boots)

 Vogue 8379

Pattern Description:
Wrap front dress has soft pleats, side tie, and sleeve variations.

Pattern Sizing:
I made the size 12.

(Closer view. Notice anything interesting about the pattern on the bodice? I managed to get the pattern, throughout the dress, in the same direction except on the left side bodice (my right). The pattern goes down & not across. I nearly ran out of fabric with this dress and had to make due. Luckily, I could get away with it with this dress:)

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Absolutely!!!

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Super EASY!!! I cut this out on Friday night and sewed it up on Saturday. It's an easy pattern to assemble.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I loved everything!!! This pattern isn't highly reviewed for no reason!!!!

Fabric Used:
Poly lycra knit with red, black, & white geometric shapes.

(I love the vivid and bold colors. The shapes are pretty cool too!)

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I didn't make an alteration--except I sewed the bodice to the skirt with a 3/8" seam to give me a little more added length. I did add the collar (it's hard to see with the print anyway) and made the quarter length sleeve with the sleeve band. So my dress is a hybrid between views A & B.

(Back View)

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Absolutely! I've made it once before but never reviewed it. It's definitely a TNT wrap dress pattern.

Conclusion:
Great dress! A fun way to showcase cool knit prints!!!

It's my Blogoversary & A Giveaway!!!

Actually, yesterday was my 2 Year Blogoversary but I dragged in so late and was too tired to post. I couldn't let the time pass without honoring an achievement I'm well proud of. I'm SUPER excited that I've been around that long and I'm THANKFUL that you've hung in there with me through my sewing experiences offering both great comments and advice.

As with any anniversary I tend to get extremely sentimental and reflective. I feel so blessed to have sewing as a hobby that I'm SO passionate about. Ok, I 'm absolutely obsessed with it but you know you are too (wink)! I'm delighted to use have the ability to work on projects that help to improve my skills and help me get one hour closer to reaching my TEN THOUSAND SEWING HOURS goal!!! And I love the notion of giving back and using my skills to make garments for other people or even inspire them. Sigh.......needless to say my heart is very happy and I'm so excited for what the next year will bring. I hope it's full of many more challenges and that I grow tremendously as I strive to hone my craft.

I love the projects I've been taking on but I definitely want to push myself more next year. I'd love to get to the point where I'm getting 2 projects done a week or 3 within a 2 week period. I'd love to stock my closet full of pants and jackets I've made myself. And I want to do much more sewing for my little girl. Those are just a few of the goals I'll be pursuing in the next year.  So please expect bigger and better things as I try to raise the bar a little higher this year.

Ok, enough with all of the mushiness (smile)! To commemorate this milestone, you know me, I LOVE to give things away!!! Tis' ALWAYS better to give than to receive.

This year's giveaway is a SUPRISE!!!! Come on, you love those. Trust me, it will be nice. I'll announce exactly what it is by the end of the week.

To qualify for the Giveaway you need only do 2 things:


1. Become a follower if you're not already.
2. Answer the question below.

Question: What sewing related skill have you greatly improved on this year and which skill(s) are you planning to improve on next!


That's it!!! Plain and Simple! I'll announce the winner on Wednesday, December 7th.

My Answer: I feel like this year I've really improved in my ability to fit myself.  I like to wear alot of fitted dresses and tops so the skill of pattern tweeking is a necessity for me. I've recognized the common fitting issues I have with commercial patterns so it's easier now to go ahead and correct the issue on the pattern before I even do a tissue fit or muslin. I used to really stress about the fitting but I really feel at ease with it now and feel much more comfortable fitting dresses, skirts, and shirts. Where I'd like to improve my fitting is with pants. Although I've sewn a few pairs of pants before, I'm still working to tweak the fit perfectly on them. I hope by this time next year that fitting pants won't even make me break a sweat!!! I also want to make several jackets so I can make them flawlessly.

Ok, that's it for me. Thanks again for visiting and following along with me. I'm looking forward to another exciting year of sewing!!!!

Simplicity 3503---The Birthday Girl's Dress!!!

Ok, this is the 4th and final post detailing the Salsa birthday party dresses I made. Actually this is the most important one----the BIRTHDAY GIRL's DRESS! I finally got my hands on some of the pictures from Saturday night's party so you could see the dress I made for my co-worker and dear friend, Tina, who was celebrating her 40th Birthday----Salsa style!!!

 (Tina and I, both dresses made by me. My dress detailed in my last post)

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this dress! As I mentioned in my earlier post this is Simplicity 3503. The style and fabric print/colors were perfect for the occasion. Making a dress for her big celebration was such an honor and I'm so delighted it turned out perfectly. I LOVE sewing for others---it allows me to contribute to their special moments in a special way. She was an awesome muse and we were able to put our ideas together to decide on a style that would flatter her figure and give her just the amount of sexiness she was going for. Plus she's an excellent Salsa dancer and with so much dancing to do a the party, the dress had to be as comfortable as it was cute. I think this turned out GREAT!!! What do you think?

Also, I detailed the pattern adjustment and changes I made to her dress in an earlier post HERE.

Here's a few more parting pics.....

(The Bday's girl side dress view. Sorry, don't know what I was doing in this photo. Got caught trying to make a quick exit:)

  (dress w/o bolero)

(dancing shot)

The party was a success and I'm super excited that Tina's dress turned out well! It was great to make a dress fitting for someone who is both beautiful on the inside and outside:) Sigh....I love it when a great sewing plan/project comes together:)

Simplicity 2406---My Salsa Birthday Party Dress!!!

The Big Salsa themed 40th Birthday for my friend was on last night and I'm happy to say that it was a WONDERFUL party!!! The food, decorations and outfits were all quite lovely!!! And there was alot of Salsa dancing which made the environment so fun and festive. If you've been following along with me they you know I was in charge of making the Birthday girl a dress and one for myself (see last post). Well the Birthday girl's dress turned out quite lovely (everyone loved it---HOORAY) but I am waiting on all of the pictures so I can post them soon. The party was dimly lit so my poor cell phone didn't quite cut the picture taking since I didn't have a flash. Fortunately we had a photographer there:)  Anywho, in the meantime I'll post pics of my dress and review it.

I have to admit that I love this dress and think this look came together quite well. I was looking for something sexy and fun and this sure did fit the bill!!!

Pattern Description:
I made view B----Dress with gathered neckline, back slit, sleeves with shoulder openings and sash.

Pattern Sizing:
I cut the size 10 in my muslin but ended up adding a smidge in the hip since it was a bit snug.

(Front view)

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
A thousand times YES!!!!

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Very much so! Nothing complicated about it.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I liked how nicely drafted the pattern was and how well it went together. The revealed sleeves and back were sexy touch.

(Back View)

(Slit view up close)

FYI or TMI--LOL!: I had to purchase undergarments that would allow me to wear this dress without making them visible to the world. I ended up with this contraption. A new strapless bra to which I added clear straps and a low back extender which connected to the back of my bra pulled it down, wrapped it around the front and clipped in the front. I bought all of these items from I think a Bali, playtex outlet store.

 It worked but I still ended pinning about 1" out of my slit. I was so scared I would dance and one of the straps would come loose and hit someone in the eye! What a contraption indeed! LOL!

Fabric Used:
A polyester woven fabric from Jo-Ann's.  I was LOVE at first sight. I was insta
ntly drawn to the fabric colors and designs. I wanted the perfect fabric---one that would give the design the much needed crispness & volume.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I made a muslin which was a good idea for me. I'm extremely anal when it comes to fit. It turns out that I only made 2 adjustments.
1. I'm shortwaisted in the back so I shortened the length in the middle back of the dress by almost 2" and tapered to the sides.
2. Because my back is so short,  I also shortened my back slit by 3". I just folded the 3" out of the back facing and everything went together perfectly.

(Last but not least.....my shoes!!!! Love these!!!)

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I think I'd like to sew it again. Maybe in a solid color or in a denim fabric. It's a really cool dress. I love it and recommend it highly to others.

Conclusion:
Super cute dress! It fit the bill for my party and I received lots of compliments!!!!

Ok, that's my dress!!! Stay tuned for the Birthday Girl's dress---pictures coming SOON!!!

Salsa party dresses follow up Part II: One Down, One to go!

Please forgive me, since my initial Salsa party dress post things have been CRAZY!!!! So crazy I've been unable to visit you Guys in blog land like I've been wanting to. I've got to catch up with you and your projects!!!!

Nevertheless, things are moving right along and minus a few hiccups I'm making good timing with sewing the 2 dresses I describe in my initial post. As mentioned in that post, I have the extreme honor of sewing a Birthday party dress for a friend/co-worker  who will be celebrating her 40th bday at a Salsa themed party. I'll also be making my dress for the party. Well on last week I made a muslin (sample dress) for my client and we had a fitting which only required minor tweaks. Here's the dress. Unfortunately I'm not into putting pics of my clients in muslin's on my blog. Seriously, I'm only allowed to embarrass myself like that! LOL! Remember this is the pattern....

Here's the muslin (sample dress for fitting)...

 
The dress bust is a little large since it's 2 cup sizes larger than that of my dressform. My friend is a size 36 DD in the bust so that required me adding about 2" to the bust length to ensure the midriff fell at the base of her bust. That was all it took and the dress fit perfectly. Since I lengthened the front bodice I did the same for the back. But after further inspection notice she was short waisted in the back and I'd have to go and pinch out some of that length in the bodice back and midriff piece. Other than those 2 things the muslin looked great and the dress was a cinch to put together. I did sew 2 versions for myself not so long ago:)

I proceeded to cut out the actual fabric, assemble the dress, and schedule another fitting with my friend. The fitting went well and in addition to the 2 alterations above I realized that the fabric was a bit more stretchier than the muslin fabric so I'd need to take out an 1" in the upper bodice side seams. The dress is currently on my cutting table being operated on.....I mean altered. Here it is here.....

And I hope to be done with it in the next day. (Exhales, wiping sweat off brow). I'm happy that things are working out great. But on to the drama--you know there is anytime you have an important project going on. It seems I didn't have any major issue with my friend's dress (knocking on wood) but I had a few issues with my own. Remember, I wanted to make this dress......

Well I did---in muslin first. And boy did it turn out be a cutie! Please trust me on that. It's hard to tell from the pic, especially since unbleached cotton never really makes any design look attractive. But here it is....

Remember the dress looked like this....

Although this dress wasn't super easy to make it was pretty straightforward.. It had alot of steps and required tons of pleating but the neat design made it well worth it. The only problem is that the way the dress is made, you couldn't possibly lift your arms in it. It's not made for those maneuvers. The bodice is described as close fitting and the way it is cinched in right under the bust along with the sleeve design made it difficult to lift my arms. I recall reading this in another reviewer's post. Well it's a Salsa themed party and I hope to be doing alot of twirling (or trying to learn how rather) and didn't want the dress to inhibit this. So I had to find another dress---and STAT!!!!

So I searched..... And searched.......Searched some more! Went through all of my patterns and kept searching. Then I stumbled upon a pattern I'd attempted to make earlier but with the wrong type of fabric. Well I abandoned the project. But after much thinking realized this style would make for an alluring party dress. It turned out to be Simplicity 2406 view B--the one being modeled.

Then I had to turn my attention to finding the perfect fabric. I nearly drove myself MAD---seriously!!!  After MUCH searching and I mean MUCH--I finally stumbled on the RIGHT fabric for it. There were alot of suggested fabrics on the pattern envelope but I wanted a specific effect. I didn't want to make the dress out of charmeuse like I orinigally intended with Vogue 1207 (my original dress pick) since I wanted the dress to have less shine and more volume. I stumbled on a fabric at Jo-Ann's that had the right amount of weight and some great colors. I'm keeping it a secret for now. I'll reveal shortly.

Ok, that's it for now. I've got alterations and need to cut and sew my dress. Lots of work but I'm nearly half way there and am not worried too much.  So enough about me, what's been going on with you? Have any HUGE projects lately taking up your time?

Sewing Jots & Tittles 11.6.11

"Sewing Jots & Tittles" is my weekly post where I get to ramble on and on about sewing related stuff that's been on my mind. Take a peek if you dare......LOL!




Velour jumpsuit
-Thanks guys for all of your nice compliments regarding my jumpsuit. I absolutely love it! I had to do my usual early Saturday morning grocery shopping and guess what I grabbed to wear. So warm & convenient! Can't wait to make the next one. I'm on the hunt for charcoal grey velour (thanks for the suggestion Texan). I've always wanted one in that color. And I still need one in black.

But what I really loved about this pattern that I forgot to mention was that I got the opportunity to use my Velva board and boy did it make pressing the velour SO easy!

In the past, before I found the velva board, I would use a towel and although it worked ok it wasn't the greatest. I didn't get any weird smashed seams and imprints.  It's a shame they don't make and sell these anymore. I'm happy I was able to get my hands on it when I did.


Keeping Bright in the Cold!
-I still need some more cold weather wear, specifically for work. Since I work in a very casual environment I can't be dolled up for work but I still like to keep it cute and fun. This is something I wore to work the other day. I wore this red fleece vest and BRIGHT yellow knit shirt with khakis. Although I felt like a bottle of ketchup and mustard---LOL!!!--I loved the colors.

 
What can I say, I REALLY LOVE bright colors!!! It's my way of sticking my tongue out at the cold weather and hazy feel and look of fall and winter. It the suns not out constantly shining then I want my wardrobe to reflect that brightness.


I love the fleece vests and hope to make a few soon. I'd love to have them in very bright colors. This is the pattern I was eyeballin'.

New McCall Patterns
-I went to Hancock's for a return and stumbled on a pattern sale. They had the new McCall's. I grabbed up a bunch. These were my favorites....

 
Project Accessory
-There's a new spin off to the Project Runway franchise on Lifetime and it's called Project Accessory. I'm a little perplexed by that. It's a competition in similar Project Runway fashion but instead of clothes the contestants have to make accessories. I'm not to eager to check this one out, but it might be good. I barely was able to get the Project Runway season it (thanks God for online episodes). Speaking of which, the way that panned out was interesting. Who would've thought the least experienced sewer would be such a talented designer and win the competition. I guess experience isn't everything, huh?

Got my boots!!!!
-I was out today at Burlington Factory minding my own business and getting a refund when I mozied on over to the shoe section. Low and behold guess what I found. A pair of Nine West black dressy boots!!! I've ALWAYS wanted a pair but refused to pay in-store prices. Well there they were and for the great price of $59. I had a $23 gift card which knocked that price down even further. Well I swooped those up without any prejudice and I'm happy to say they are getting adjusted to their new home. I can't wait to wear them!!!

  (Sorry for the bad lighting)

Salsa party fabric change
-As I mentioned a few posts ago, I'm helping to coordinate a birthday bash for a friend with a Salsa theme. I'm making her and my dress. I'm working on her muslin now (expect details later) but I switched up the fabric I was planning to use for my dress. It was nice but didn't have that "Wow" factor I was looking for. So I searched my fabric stashed and Hancock Fabrics and Jo-Ann's. I turned up this little number at Jo-Ann's.

It's perfect!!! Surprisingly the colors are the same. It's also a charmeuse. I just like the sharpness of the pattern. I think it will show the design details alot better than the abstract print I originally picked.

Crochet shorts?!?!
-My hubby ran across this the other day and I nearly fell out my seat from laughter! He found this pic on the web. They describe the shorts as knitted but it looks crocheted to me. That aside it's just wrong for any many to wear this! It sure makes for a great laugh!!!

Well that's what's been on my mind. What's on yours??????