and now some new stuff!

last week i made two cute new dresses! it felt sooooo good. i haven't made myself anything since november... and as someone who NORMALLY makes at LEAST a garments per week for myself, i was going crazy. but, that's the holidays for ya! i made a pretty great new years dress, but i made it from a metallic brocade and photos do NOT do me or the dress any justice. i look like a baked potato in every photo i took. it was bad. so, instead of embarrassing myself, ill just post my other dress for now....

i made this cute black and white dress from some super soft vintage cotton i got a while back.

gotta say, i feel pretty damn cute in this....

also, those aren't orange stains. those are fluffs from another project

i used simplicity 1538,

view 2, obviously....

which i have had for a couple of years but never used. i don't know why i haven't... it was SO easy and only took a little bit of altering to get the fit right. needless to say, i will show up again in the near future.
the fabric i got from the mother theresa of sewing patterns, a woman named yvette. i don't think i've ever mentioned her, so let me tell you about ol' homegirl real quick...

so, when i first started sewing from vintage patterns in 2008, i put an ad on craigslist that said something like "i am looking for vintage sewing patterns, if you have any i would love to take them off you hands, blah, blah, blah, blah..." and like, the next day i had an email from a girl named yvette that said something like "oh, i have a few small boxes of patterns you can just have, you can pick them up or ill drop them off, blah, blah, blah, blah..." so we arranged a day for me to go get my "few small boxes" and let me just say, what an understatement.


she gave me like, 18 large postal boxes overflowing with patterns from the 1930's thru the 2000's, plus fabric, plus a machine carrying case, plus permission to use any of HER patterns anytime i needed.... and let me just tell you-- i would bet no one on the planet has such an incredible collection of early vogue and 1920's mccalls patterns!!! it will make you pee your pants its so amazing! so, i took home what was actually like, 1,000 patterns, sorted them out by date and type of garment, filed them into 22 boxes and started my pattern collection.... and then i lost all of her contact info.


fast forward to november 2011... and there i was cruising through craigslist again, looking for awesome estate sales and patterns.... and i saw an ad that said somthing like "looking for old vintage patterns, let me know your price, very interested in 1920s, blah, blah, blah, blah..." and i just had this feeling that even though i live in a city with 1.33 million residents, there are only two people who would make a post like that on san antonio craigslist... me and yvette. so, i took a shot in the dark and sent an email about how IF this was the person i thought it was, how greatful i was for the patterns, how i've made my living off of sewing because of her for the past 3 years, how appreciative i am for her generous gift... and more mushy stuff. and- IT WAS HER! she didn't just email me back, but she also said she had more stuff i can have!!!! AAAAAND- we have both moved since our last meeting and now we only live a mile and a half apart! ISN'T THAT NUTS??!!?!? so, i went over, and she gave me 4 sewing machines (two don't work, they are decoration for a friend's vintage shop now), lots of fabric (including the fabric my black and white dress is made of) and a couple hundred new patterns!!!! check it out-- here it is while i was sorting

what i brought home- all of those machines, 2 boxes, 4 bags and a sewing caddie

sorting out the complete patterns- yes, she goes through each pattern and marks 

what, if anything, is missing

 a more close up look at the 1930's - 1990's

 the highlights of the new 1930's and 40's patterns

isn't that all incredible??? this woman is a goddess. true story- i think i am in love.