what i have been doing lately...

its been a while since i posted last. kind of a long while. so what have i been up to? 

I NOW HAVE THE COOLEST JOB EVER OF ALL TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE AND BEYOND!

my sister kathy, myself and our two best friends amanda and sofi started a little business together called nerd alert designs. maybe you've heard of us....
we are making vintage styled nerdy clothes, and wearable costumes. we opened up our etsy store on june 1st, and have since then blown the eff' up!
here are a few of our dresses- all of the patterns are drafted up by yours truly:

we also sold this dress to the lovely chloe dykstra which she wore on epic meal time:

and we have gotten featured all over the place! most recently we did a photo shoot and interview for miranda tv which should be out this week. 

i look like a toddler in this, but a badass toddler so it's ok!

so thats what i've been doing.. it's pretty much all of my time now, and i am lucky enough for it to even be my full time job! i'm still doing SOME sewing for myself, so i'll try to keep posting that here :)
i just wanted to let yall know where i disappeared to.

yeeeeeehaw! its a polyester dress!

if was to be only piece of polyester in my closet... you'd suppose it should be cute, right?
well, probably, but that's just too bad for me because i can't tell if this dress is ugly or not. i don't *think* that it is, but something about it just seems like it should be. something other than the fact that the fabric is polyester, like maybe it's the brown-purple-blue-black-white color combos....i just can't figure it out.
so, while the jury is still out deciding on if this dress is just a big turd or not, i dressed it up like a good ol' texan and have decided to wear it for a day while i make up my mind! so here it is, another version of simplicity 4637!

 nothing really wrong with it i guess.... just nothing special

 but at least i got all of the lines straight!

 

and i got to rock my super texan belt! yeeeeeeee hawwwww!

sluttin' it up

i am good at dressing two ways: like a toddler, and like a grandmother. pretty much that covers everything i wear, 24/7. i don't make a lot of practical things, and i certainly don't make a lot of sexy things.

part of that last part is because in the last couple of years, i've gone from a size 0 to a size 4... and it takes a while to get used to a new body. it's weird. so where i'm going with this- i did it! i made something sexy AND i feel amazing in it :)

isn't that cute..... AND a little provocative!?

that big white heart is a cut out, from the back, i look totally normal...

wait for it....

and then its a mega cleavage sneek attack!

growing boobs has been the very best part of gaining weight!

it's like a second puberty or something!

i looooove this dress! i think i got the pattern a few years back at a pattern sale, and it's just been sitting in my pattern mountain since then.

 butterick b5033

really wish i had used it sooner, because it was a really easy one! i just had to make a few adjustments to get the top i wanted, which by the way- was based on this photo:

i don't think i was too far off!

that's bernie dexter, if you don't know. i didn't know she existed until last week, but since then i have spent HOURS looking at her web site, drooling over practically everything on it. her clothes are ADORABLE! if you haven't checked her out yet, do it now. if i thought i could pull off that sultry pin up look, i would do it constantly.

le sigh...


oh wait! before i finish this up i wanted to share something. this is a little screen shot i took last week of the keywords people are typing in to find my blog and i just wanted to say WHAT THE FUCK????

i just, i just don't get it....

drunk blogging

yeah. it's friday night, 10:30, and i am drunk at home. uuuuugh......
this i what happens when work schedules, sewing schedules and tyler recording his band collide.
so, i didn't win the $164,000,000 lottery tonight, which means our dreams of myself, my sister and all of our friends running off to create the drunken adventure show 'broads abroad' is going to be on hold for a little while longer. also, we won't be buying any stock in franzia any time soon, either.

oops! this was actually last night....

so, for this drunk post, let me show you this dress i made for a wedding last week!

pro'lly shoulda ironed it... meh.

i felt like a little blue tulip in it! i was inspired by this vintage dress,

which i have no idea anymore where on the internet i found it, but that skirt was just SO cuute i had to make it! i used my favorite skirt pattern for the under skirt, and winged the rest. i don't know why i could figure out the rest of this dress, but the simple pencil skirt was too much... pro'lly i'm a dummy.

i really wanted for the 'top layer' of the dress to wrap around like a little robe or coat, but it was SO much easier to just sew it all together, so i did that instead. i wanted to have a little wiggle dress, with a poofy wrap dress over, but it just did not happen. i did get the 'look' right. if you pull down the little flaps, thats what you got. you can see from my little doodles what my big plans were.

oh, AND i made a cute belt to match- did you see that cute bow? yep. it's a belt.

some of you may notice (but i doubt it) that my dress form looks nice or possibly new- nope! chuck testa! i got my fabulous fit in the mail! my boyfriend, who happens to be the best boyfriend on the planet, got it for my for my birthday!
best. gift. ever.
obviously the first thing i did when it came in the mail was take out every single pad and stuff them into my clothes. i CAN'T be the only person who has done this, but the internet has led me to believe otherwise....

i think i over padded my belly....

either way, if you don't have one of these, BUY ONE. it is the best thing ever in the history of things.

...and now i am going to stop blogging before i further embarrass myself. that and there is an episode of x-files coming on that is cops + x files in ONE EPISODE. it's gonna be great! and, i am too drunk to be doing this anyways.

ok, ONE more post for the day and then i'm done

alrightie! big BIG thanks to cecili, victoria, and leah for all giving me the versatile blogger award! 

i am awkwardly giddy about this. actually, everytime i get a comment, or have a new follower, i just sit infront of my computer and make this totally stupid giggle/laugh thing that probably sounds sort of like "gawheeheehaaaaww..." it. is. silly.
but anyways, thanks gals!  

so first the rules:
add the badge to the winning blog page

thank the blogger who gave it

list the rules

list seven (7) random facts about yourself

pass on the award to fifteen (15) deserving and conscientious bloggers who are nominated for their diligence, demonstration skill, and achievements in the world of blogging anf specifically in the sewing related
category.

contact the nominated bloggers and let them know they are recipients

---------------------------------------------

and here are my seven facts!

1. i cry. i cry a LOT. sad movie? tears. happy movie? tears. wedding? tears. too much pms? tears. my sister makes a really funny face at me? tears. all dogs go to heaven? oh you better believe there are tears!

2. i have a pretty sweet dinosaur tattoo on my right butt cheek... when i got it, i called it a mega-sore-ass!

3. i own well over 60 incredible vintage hats, and don't really wear more than 15 of them in a year... maybe i am becoming a hoarder, but good GOD i hope not!

4. i love, and i mean LOVE the x files. i watch it all the time!

5. i have a lot freckles. i don't think you can tell in all of the photos i put up.... also i don't really put up photos all that often so you really probably CAN'T tell, but they are there, and they are everywhere!

6. my best friends and i first bonded over a mutual love of a porn parody we all had happened to see. we are obviously all disgusting people.

7. i have what could fill a FEW albums of cheesy songs i sing to my boyfriend about our dogs. my favorite and current hit is entitled 'dog guitar'

so those are my fun facts, and i would like to give out this fun award to the following people, in no particular order:

kyle at momentary madness!
claire at sew something vintage
susan at spare time for sewing
forrest at presser foot propaganda
emmi at the bar nothing (who made the most adorable lady and the tramp skirt on the planet, by the way)
allie at ice pink stars
lisette at what would nancy drew wear
kelsey at is that sew
sam at all things quilty
carla at the scientific seamstress
rachel at boo dogg and me
molly at molly's sewing and garage sale adventures
darla at retro ways
katie at the little red squirrel
and sorbet suprise!

i'm sure most of these fine folks already have been tagged, but it doesn't hurt to get it twice right? it just means you are more awesome! have fun!

20 minute skirt

so, i've had this gigantic old shirt in my sewing pile for a few months now. i got it out of a 'free clothes' box at a resale shop, it was pretty awful, but i thought it had some potential, and wouldn't you know it, i was right!
here is the before

and here is the after!

or one cute little one ;)

all i did was cut the shirt straight across, just beneath the armpit. then i cut two strips from the back of the shirt top for the waist band, sew them all together with a few little pleats, and run elastic through the top!
the bottom was already hemmed, obviously, so this only took me about 20 minutes! not bad at all, huh?

so i just wanted to share real quick....
'cause i'm really excited <3

new dress extravaganza!

i guess you cant really tell how much sewing i actually do, because i might be the worst blogger ever, but barely ever does a day go by that i am not on the sewing machine. i consider it my full time job. between the sewing i do for myself, etsy, montage, tailoring and custom sewing/dresses, i stay busy enough to keep myself happy and comfy! (well, i'd be more comfy if i wasn't the worst person on the planet with finances. seriously, it's bad)

right now i have on my plate a 3-piece suit for one friend and some light nighties for another friend's sickly grandmother, tons of mending and tailoring, wedding presents to make, a wedding dress coming up, a big wool coat, some crazy ninja pants, and my brother and his wife just found out their little twins they have on the way are going to be a boy and a girl-- so i have a LOT of baby sewing to do as well.

i get a little worried now and then that i am going to burn myself out on sewing, but only when things get like this. i think it's because i have this amazing book of new look dior, and in the beginning there is a little bio on him. i remember the first page i ever turned to in that book i read that he never really took up sewing because he was afraid it would ruin the passion he had for fashion. that pretty much scared the shit out of me. when nothing i am making is for myself, it gets a little sad. then, it really does feel like work and not like something i love... so the solution i came up with is this: for every 3 projects i take on, i have to make myself one awesome garment! so, get ready for the dress parade-- i have been a very busy bee!

my first project was this little skirt-

i could either have a party skirt here, or a used car lot skirt....

 

i self drafted the pattern because, well.... that shape isn't exactly rocket science. after it was sewn and put together, i cut out a shit-ton of little yellow, orange and red felt triangles, attached them to the skirt with a quick straight stitch after drawing out the line i wanted them to follow in chalk. then, i took the ribbon and sewed it on over the tops of the felt. in the back on the side there is a little bow where the ribbon ends meet. i took a photo, but i didn't iron this first and it looked like shit so just use your imagination....

next, i made this pretty dress from some vintage fabric in my stash

so soft, and so light! i wish i had more of the fabric :/

the pattern was fairly easy to use, but it turned out a bit large in the bodice and it didn't have too many ways to take it in easily, as there are no darts. another big problem; i made the skirt a complete circle skirt and wore this on what appeared to be the breeziest day ever.

my. ass. was. all over the place.

 fantastic. oh, check out the also un-ironed details on the top!

really nice when it's pressed....

i made a dress from the pattern once before, years ago... but had added in some darts. shoulda' done that again.... but this one is at least a lot nicer, and now i am like, 20 pounds bigger so i most definitely needed them way more then!

now, the next project is a simple denim skirt:

nothing too fancy... until i tie this AWESOME RIBBON AROUND IT!!!!

yep. now it's adorable

this was from the ever-popular-on-my-blog butterick 9633. i did shorten it quite a bit this time. it's spring time, which means highs in the 80's and 90's, humidity like crazy and is therefore time to raise my skirts out to keep my lady bit nice and cool!

that ribbon though-- i love it. if you guys go through as much ribbon as i do, and you are still buying it from the fabric store, you are crazy. GO TO A FLORAL WHOLESALER!!! those shops are like, neverland! you can get insane yardage for so cheap on grosgrain ribbons, decorative ribbons, tulle... EVERYTHING!!! i got that ribbon for about $11, but i also got like, 40 yards. i also got red and white grosgrain (the white is the one on the flag skirt) and a small navy polka dot grosgrain all for $2.49 each in 25 yard rolls. i can't stress how much i love it there. plus, candles are crazy cheap too.

now, next up is this little yellow lace dress- from advance 9825

the skirt seems so crooked. it isn't. really. i don't know what's going on there...

this is for once, not vintage or used or recycled fabric. i actually BOUGHT this. new. anyone who really knows me, knows i almost never buy myself new clothes, much less new fabrics... but this i just couldn't resist! i ended up wearing it out for a birthday dinner with tyler's family.

 important lesson learned that day about lace + kimono sleeves... 

serge your edges or expect a double armpit blowout!

 now last but not least, my st. patrick's day dress! it's green enough!

it is such a heavy canvas like material, i don't even need a crinoline- i just STAYS like that! 

if you can't tell by now. i love all things nautical. seriously. most of our house is decorated with whales, sea monsters or sailors... so of course this is fabric i had just layin' around....

and a lime zipper, for back up green

 this is another copy of simplicity 4637... but this fabric gives it a totally different look.

 and my ultra patriotic belt! hazaaaaaaah america!

so, that is where i am at for now. still overwhelmed, but at least i will look cute while i bust all of this stuff out like a god damn champ! whoop whoop!

gettin' stuff done!

i started this post a while back, and THOUGHT i saved it to finish later.... but obviously didn't. balls.

anywho.... so that market i mentioned a month ago came and went, and it was SO fun! the market was held in the beautiful space on the riverwalk just beneath a fabulous old theater. look at my cute little ol' booth!

i think it came out pretty cute! it actually looks a lot like a mini version of my living room....

those little doggie pillows were a real hit, and lemme just say, were a brilliant last minute idea! i seriously whipped those all up the night before the market out of all of the scrap fabric left from my dresses! 

there were even a few dresses for sale with matching pillows!

 i only ended up with a few left out of nearly 20! not bad at all :)

in other good news, i finally finished making a sari that i had started working on over a month ago! look at this beauty, in her beauty-ful sari!

i hope she doesn't mind my posting these....

it's before she was ready and before the final pressing so everything is a little poofy!

ok, and i should say a friend of mine corrected me that this isn't actually a sari, but an anarkali... but i don't want to embarrass myself trying to pronounce that so i'm calling it a sari! oh! i even made the churidar pants to go with it! i should have taken a photo of those... dammit! 

i am pretty happy with how this came out, and with the fit. this was one of those magical clients that is- to the eighth of an inch, the same exact size as i am, so fittings weren't even needed! it was amazing! courtney bought all of the supplies for her garment, but i went ahead and added in this pretty glass button detail from my button stash to the back.

 you know, just a little sumthin' sumthin'

now my big project is pulling a 3 piece suit out of my ass in a week. i've gotten all of the meticulous measuring down, most of the patterns cut, the fabric bought... i just have to sit down and finish it! only... i'm off for like 4 days in a row and am having a pretty hard time focusing on it. today i spent a LONG time cleaning off the top of my dresser and sorting out my crap-ton of jewelry.

see? its MOSTLY clean!

poor tyler, i don't know how he puts up with my messy messy self! so now i am off to ATTEMPT to focus on that suit, right after i dig this frito out of the keyboard, because i am not just messy, i am also a fat ass.