Tagged!

I picked this up and wanted to participate in the fun.....

RULES:

List 7 random things about yourself, pass the award to bloggers

and answer a couple of questions....

• I sleep with a nightlight
• I bought a car before I even had a license
• I have a widow's peak--but I constantly shave it off LOL! It's funny that my daughter has one too!
• I can't stand being cold--our humidity is so high that I freeze getting out of the shower.
• I'm an early riser (4-5am)---Am I the only one who likes the cooler air & sound of birds in the morning. It's so peaceful! LOL!
• I live by lists. My mind's all over the place and I've got to organize it on paper.
• I have a nose like a bloodhound! I can detect the faintest scents.

Q and A session

Favorite Color: Purple

Favorite Song: Unchained Melody, by the Righteous Brothers (I never really listen to it but when I do it does something to me!)

Favorite Dessert: Pineapple Upside down cake. I have yet to make a gluten free version of this.

Biggest Pet Peeve: It's a tie, NOSEY People & Instigators

When You are Upset, You: Get quiet and think. I'm a thinker & have to process things.

Your Favorite Pet: Cats--they're pretty self sufficient.

Black or white: Black

Biggest Fear: Living in fear and not becoming ALL that God purposed me to be!

Best Feature: My Loyalty

Everyday Attitude: Gratitude

What Is Perfection: Peace in every area of my life

Guilty Pleasure: Real Housewives (Atlanta, NJ, & NY). You can learn alot from observing the behavior of others! Human behavior really intrigues me!

Please feel free to play & pass along!

Tales from the Dressing Room........

I've decided to add "Tales from the Dressing Room" as a regular (and fun) feature to my blog which showcases my analysis of Ready to Wear (RTW) fashions. I really like trying on RTW clothes and analyzing their fit. I'm able to incorporate what I learn into what I sew for myself. Plus it's another easy way to figure out what works for me and to test drive new styles. It's funny because in the past I really dreaded going to Fitting Rooms, especially before I could sew. I was always disappointed when things wouldn't fit right or be off a little.Once I realized that I could customized my own clothing I stopped being disappointed with RTW. I  If I want something I can just go make it myself or I can choose to buy RTW at a good price. Having options has really relieved my stress and now I love dressing rooms. Anyway here's the first post:

I went into town this past Saturday to pick up elastic at Jo-Ann's and made a stop into TJ Maxx to see if there were any major clothes or shoes sales. I'm not one for buying clothes unless I can buy them for much cheaper that it will cost to make them. Case in point when I was in Florida a week or so ago I bought those 10 pieces of clothes for around $34 which averaged a a little over $3 a piece. Now that was a steal!!! Out of the clothes I purchased one item was a brown pair of comfortable capris which I paid only $6 for but retailed at around $40. Come on, at $6 I'd rather buy the capris and spend time sewing up something else.

So back to my story, I went to TJ Maxx and noticed that there were rack's of capri on clearance. During Spring & Summer, aside from dresses, capris are pretty much all that I wear---especially at work. I definitely could stand to get a few especially since they were on sale. I grabbed a few of them and went to the dressing room to try them on and here's what came of my efforts........

(I found this cute pair of black sateen capris with zippers at the hem. They fit like a glove and were very cute. Since I needed a pair of black capris I swooped these up to buy.)

(I thought I'd give some short shorts a try. Well once again I'm reminded why I don't like to wear short shorts. I just don't feel comfortable in them. I like short shorts, just not on myself. Since my legs are so long I just think capris balance out my body much better. I love to see others in them. If I were just a little thicker and a little shorter I'd sport these because they probably wouldn't look SO short on me.)

(Now this is more of my speed!!! I love cargo style capris with lots of top stitching, zippers, etc) These are just awesome and oh so comfortable.)

(Look at those details up close. These are great!!! To be honest with you I would hate to sew this. It would honestly drive me insane. There's more details on these pants than I'd care to sew up. Isn't that sad. But for $13 I'd gladly buy these.)

(I loved how these tan capris fit near my hips but the longer length aged me a bit. I needed a shorter, hipper style. So I had to skip on these.)

(These were cute cargo pants in black with a ruffled hem but they didn't not fit my backside well at all. They weren't contoured to fit my bottom and the lack of pants depth caused them to stick out away from my body instead of cup it.  Look at all that excess fabric. If I were wider and flatter in the seat then these would have fit me. But that's just not my body shape.)

(Well I started with 8 pairs of pants/capri/short. I don't have the best luck with finding pants & capris since I'm super picky about their fit. Being a seamstress will make you like that (wink)!)

(These are the only 2 capris that I ended up with and I'm happy with my finds.)

Well that was my dressing room adventures. I'll definitely have more in the future.....

What about you, do you like to try on clothes? If you sew, have you found it easier to face dressing room disappointments? Or do you like to skip the dressing room all together and take it home and return it if necessary (I often do this)? What say ye?

McCall's 6083 again......another jumpsuit!

As I mentioned in my sewing goals on yesterday I just completed another jumpsuit! I promise you this is the EASIEST thing to sew up. Just takes a few short hours. And it's SO comfortable. You may recall my black version. I've had it cut out and ready to sew for a couple of weeks. I finally was able to stitch it up a few days ago and wear it to a dinner party on last night. It was a big hit!!!  I have Erica B. to thank for the inspiration! I loved her gray version and since I didn't want to make it in another dark color like brown or a light color like white (which is TOO light and a dirt magnet), gray seemed like a better option for me. I think the fabric is a polyester knit in Heather gray. I do have a 3rd version in the works. It's cut out in navy blue suiting (I plan to sew it up before the months' end). I could wear one everyday!!! Ok that's going overboard LOL! You know what I mean.  I Jumpsuits!!!!

(My version is super long so I can wear it with heels. I'm wearing it with flip flops here.)

May /June 2011: 10,000 Sewing Hours Challenge Review &July/ Aug: 10,000 Hr. Challenge Goals

First of all, thanks so much for all of your nice comments about my Tracy Reese dress. You Guys are always so kind:)

I'm still trying to catch up on posts and although we're 11 days into the month and I've been working on my sewing challenges for the month. If you're new to my blog, you can see my 10,000 Sewing hours challenge outlined on the right side of my blog.  Before I get into July & August's sewing details  those here's a quick recap of my May and June sewing.
To be quite honest May and June were horrible sewing months for me. I ended up sewing 2 pieces---only 2---but they were 2 of my favorites....

 (McCalls 6380)

(Butterick 5600)

.... My normal monthly plan is around 6-8 pieces!  I even had 2 garments cut out and ready to be sewn but I just didn't get around to it and I did have 1 wadder (those white pants). BUT.... I spent alot of time doing sewing related activities. I discovered my style and created a Style Look Book which was a great turning point in helping me get focused on the type of sewing I need and prefer to do. So although May & June didn't produce more than a couple of garments it's given me the energy to be agressive with my July & August's sewing goals.

So for July and August here's a few sewing ideas that I've had in mind and have already began sewing up. I have to run out for a party so I don't have time to expound on the designs but you can see the pattern matched up with the fabrics I plan to use. This isn't the entire 2 months sewing plan but enough ideas to get me started.

I'm pretty excited that I've already completed 2 garments (the Tracy Reese dress from yesterday and another Jumpsuit in gray (I'll post pics soon). You see one slow couple of months really kicks me back into action. Before I leave town this week I plan to have 2 more pieces sewn up.  So that means I would've essentially sewn up 4 items in a little over a week. Again my "Wee-One" has been away at Grandma & Papa's house so I've been really able to compound some sewing hours and catch up!!!

Well I've got to run off to the party. I'm wearing my newly sewn gray jumpsuit so I get to be cute tonight (smile). Happy sewing.....

Vogue 1224--Another Great Tracy Reese dress!

I've had this multi color rayon jersey fabric in my stash for a few months and have been anxiously trying to find the right pattern to got with it. I was happy when I finally settled on this Tracy Reese dress. I think this simple yet pretty design shows off the beauty of the fabric and overall both help to make a cute and fun dress. Here's my review.....

 

Vogue 1224

Pattern Description:
Partially lined, pullover dress has short dolman sleeves, elasticized waistline and neckline with tie ends, stitched hems and above mid-knee length. Purchased stoppers for tie ends.

Pattern Sizing:
I cut a size 12 for the bodice and graded up to a 14 for the waist and skirt.

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

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Pretty much!

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
The sleeves and elasticized neckline.

(love that neckline!!!)

Fabric Used:
Rayon Jersey from Jo-Ann's. I think it came from one of the tribal collections.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
-I added about 7" to the length since this bad boy was pretty short and would extra short on me since I'm tall. I figured mid knee length would be good for me especially since I wanted to sometimes wear this to church.
-For the record I always end up using much less elastic than recommended. This rayon jersey was so stretchy that I had to tighten the elastic up a bit to keep the dress from stretching out of shape too much.
-Also I didn't use the casing pattern. Instead I created a casing out of the seam allowance. I made a 6/8" s.a. instead of the normal 5"8. I serged the s.a. edge and left a bit open to insert the elastic. I didn't bother sewing the casing to the skirt.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I think so, it's such a cute little dress. I'd love to make it in a solid color so the design details shows much better.


Conclusion:
Cute fun and quick little dress!

Style discovery / Look Book

I just finished cutting out 3 patterns (hoping to sew up a bunch before my vacation--will blog about later) and I thought I'd take a quick moment before bedtime to write a post I've been itching to write for the LONGEST! You may recall in May that I did 2 posts (Style Safari I & Style Safari II) which centered around my  my quest to better understand my style. Well over the last month I must say that I think I've figured it out. Mind you one's style is forever evolving but I really have come to define my style. The following words sums up my style pretty well:

Simple

Feminine

Colorful

Fun

Youthful

Classy w/ a little Sass (wink!)

Effortless

Timeless

Modern

Elegant (on special occasions)

These words definitely describe my style. For the most part you've seen my work. What do you think? Did I describe it well? Am I missing anything? I don't know of any particular style category that I would fit in but I'm not one for categorizing myself anyway. I love what I love. And I love to make clothes that make me feel as I've describe above.

Around the time I was exploring my style I also decided that I would create a "Style Look Book". I have to admit that this project, which will always be ongoing, helped me narrow down my style attributes. I started it about a couple of weeks ago. I had a ton of old fashion magazines that I was preparing to recycle and I'm so happy I didn't. I threw on " The Kennedy's" miniseries on Netflix (I loved watching this. It's interesting to learn from the lives other's have lived, especially such prominent figure) and began ripping out pages and cutting out looks that caught my eye. It was so therapeutic and relaxing and not to mention FUN! I found an old, unused photo album and thought it would be perfect. There's nothing fancy about it's exterior.....it's really boring.....

  

but we all know that the good stuff is inside. Take a look at a few of my pages......

(Cute looks from head to toe)

(Pretty dresses that make me salivate)

(Cool, laid back outfit ideas)

(Summer wear)

I've got tons more pictures and magazines to go through and add. Trust me by the time I'm done, and it may take a few years, there will be no empty spaces left.

I kept the construction and organization of this Style Look Book simple. I organized pictures based  on whether they were full outfits or separates and grouped them somewhat by season and category (fancy, casual, etc.) I have a habit of over complicating things and didn't want to do this with my Look Book. I mostly used old subscriptions of Lucky and Harper Bazaar magazines and found great materials in them. I LOVE my book!!! It's really inspired me to try some new looks and revamp some old ones.  Anywho.....how do you describe your style? Also, how do you get your style inspiration? Do you have a look book or style board?

Sewing Jots & Tittles 7.6.11---Orlando Edition

I made it back from Orlando and am trying to play catch up. Hubby & I dropped the "Wee-One" off with Grandma & Pa-Pa (she'll be staying with them for 11 days) and hung out for a few days in Orlando. Trust me when Grandma and Pa-Pa showed up, she was no longer my child anyway! LOL! You know what I mean! Gotta love the Grandparents:)

Anywho, I'm so behind on posting and sewing and will be definitely making several posts this week. I miss my little one but while she's away having fun with my In-Law's I can do alot of sewing---but I'll post about that later this week.

Here's some highlights from my quick weekend trip:

-We got to hang out Universal Studio's and Islands of Adventures and it's amazing all the different types of clothing I saw from a variety of people from various countries. I got a little inspiration and did some rough sketches (emphasizing the word rough) of outfits I wanted.  I couldn't find paper so the hotel stationary did the trick. You'll see some of these in my sewing plans later this week:)

I also saw a few dresses for sale within the parks that definitely tickled my fancy. I love maxi and strapless dresses in the summer time. Especially in loud and bold prints!!!

-I went to only one Jo-Ann. I know, I didn't go to all of the sewing stores in a 20 mile radius but I tried not to make this trip all about me LOL! But I have to admit it was the most pitiful thing. They hardly had anything. It was the sadest Jo-Ann's. This is all I left with. Upper left fabric is a cotton with great colors and the red and white palms are a cotton twill I think. Below are a few patterns I took interest in.

Mind you, I don't shop for fabrics all that much any more, but I love the thought of visiting a new Jo-Ann's and finding fabrics I hadn't seen at my local store. Not really the case here:(

-I hit the "mother lode" actually when we were leaving Orlando and stopped off in another city to grab a bite to eat. I hadn't shopped my entire trip--with the exception of food. I ran across a Beall's Outlet Clearance center. The building was almost empty except for a few racks of clothes that were drastically discounted. I got 10 pieces of clothes for like $37. It was crazy!!! Several cowl neck knit blouses for $2.40 ea. Two bathing suits (right) regularly $94 were marked down to $6. I sew my own bathing suits but will gladly buy cute one's at that price.

I also picked up a couple of novelty t-shirts and some brown capri's and striped top. The necklace was a cute bonus too. God blessed me to find some really great bargains and I'm always happy for that!!!!


I thought I'd try out another Beall's outlet across the street and picked up a few pieces of jewelry from there...

I love pretty medallions!!!

A fun highlight of the trip was I got to visit Joe's Crab Shack with a few family member who were also in town. What a fun and lively place. It was interesting to watch the servers stop what they were doing like every 15 minutes and dance to music. I haven't seen that many people dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in a while! LOL!We don't have one in Savannah so it was fun and the food was awesome. I loved the dungeness crab!!! Yum!

  I received a special bib for ordering one of the Crab steam pots.......

Hope you enjoyed your July 4th weekend!!!!