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.

another puppy dress? HOW AM I 25???

so i am crawling around on the floor, cutting out a pattern and i realized all of a sudden that i let a week past without posting a new dress i made! so i stopped everything i was doing and stared at my camera that is RIGHT NEXT TO MY SEWING MACHINE and asked myself 'how have i not posted this dress?' so, here it is: the puppy dress!

arf! arf!

now, this is probably just more proof that i am in fact a giant toddler, but i don't care. (well i do a little, but not enough to not make and wear things like this) this is just the cutest damn dress i've made in a while!

 

i found the perfect buttons and trims to match! 

 the fabric is something i have had stashed away in my dwindling fabric hoard for a few years now... and i have been too terrified to use it. you know how when you get some really fantastic yardage, you get so scared of wasting it you can't use it? that's this. that's actually this and half of the rest of the fabric i have. anywho, i got it at the wimberly market days for like, $15 for about 3 yards. the pattern is (again) simplicity 4270... which makes this the 5th or 6th time i've made that dress! it is obviously my current favorite.

i also recently finished up a project i have been slooooooowwwwwlllllyyyy working on since summer- new shades for the living room! check these babies out!

i guess really this is just one baby, but still, you get it.

there are 4 windows in our living room, all the same size, so this wasn't too hard to do. first i decided this was what i wanted... then i just HAPPEN to find a whole bunch on craigslist (only 30 miles away!).... then it was all just cutting them to size and attaching them to new roller shades! it really should not have taken me so long, but you know what? i get distracted pretty damn easily so that's just how things go around here!
the other windows are the east coast, europe/africa/australia, and texas. they are all different styles, so it looks pretty great. i am very happy :)

now, that market i mentioned in my last post, you know- the one i was teaching a workshop at and was going to post all these great pictures from? let me sum it up for you real quick:

pppppppppppppffffffffffffffffftttttttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

in other words, it was stupid.

mainly, it just wasn't my 'scene,' but at least the little workshop went well! i am setting up this friday at another little market on the riverwalk downtown at taste of texas wines with a bunch of friends :) good thing this one is at a cool wine bar-- momma needs her craftin' juice!

a workshop and some babies, baby!

excited news! my brother kyle- who i mentioned was having a baby, is having twins! aaaaaah! i am so thrilled :) it was bound to happen sooner or later. twins run in his wife's family, and twins and triplets run in ours! in fact- kyle is a twin!

look at those sweet little peanuts!

i have known this for a few weeks now, so i should have posted about it already, but you know how i love to procrastinate! they should find out the sex(es) soon, so i will definitely post about that sooner since i already have a crap-ton of baby patterns set aside. i just need to know what colors to use....

in other news, i got all sorts of giddy last week when my friend kiki asked me if i would be interested in teaching a quick 1-hour workshop on how to use a vintage pattern at a d.i.y. clothing fest on the 21st! of course i said yes! i looooove teaching people how to sew! i think everyone should know how, it is soooo nice knowing that when i leave the house everyday, i am wearing something that no one else in the entire world has! it feels gooooooooooooood!

so, there is also going to be a market at the workshop. i've been busting my little hump to crank out a lot of new dresses, skirts and tops.... and i've also been raiding my own closet since i recently lost enough weight to not fit in some of my favorite handmade dresses! hopefully i will have a bunch of new photos of my market clothing and myself kicking workshop ass this weekend!

oh yeah, i got photos of my baked potato new years dress! enjoy!

i think its pretty obvious i don't like taking pictures of myself...

good thing booboo jumped in to make the pictures better!

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.

aaaannnnnnd.... I'M BACK!

it only took me 2 months....

so, i have obviously been super busy lately...my part time job is working in a toy department at a hippie store... so as you could imagine, between the holidays and christmas craftin, i have had basically no time. 

so, UPDATES!

-my brother kyle has recently learned to sew. so far he has been a god damn CHAMP! he's been taking awesome old suits and jackets and giving them a more modern/european fit. he even started (after i nagged the crap out of him) his own blog! i think he probably intended it to be a blog about everything... he also makes wine and beer and is a great writer, but it's really hard not to want to write just about sewing when you are doing such a bad ass job at it! right? so-- check out his blog! 

-also in kyle news, he and his beautiful wife are expecting their first baby! 

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! 

i will be the best aunt EVERRRRR!!!!! i already started sorting out my baby and maternity patterns! as soon as they find out the baby's sex, i will crank out so many outfits!!!!!

-oh! and my crack house is almost finished! in fact, check this out:

january 3, 2011

 january 3, 2012

not too shabby, huh? we moved in about two weeks after the first photo was taken. we still need to put on shutters and window screens.... and there is a little more of the house on the right that you can't see in these pictures- over there is the front door which i still need to paint red. on the inside we only have to finish the kitchen, and also our garage needs to be painted, but that is IT! once it is all done i'll post up before and after pictures that will knock your socks off!

aside from those things, i guess i don't really have anything. after my periods of no posting, i always feel like a little update needs to be done so my future ramblings will make *slightly* more sense. hopefully, this is a success!

not bad for a pair of curtains!

operation fall wedding guest dress accomplished! BOOYAH!

isn't that rad? i have been drooling over this dress 

from the tv show pushing daisies for a looooooooooooooong time now, and now i will drool no more! if you haven't seen that show, you should. even if you don't like the show itself, anna friel's (chuck) wardrobe is the most amazing thing i have ever seen! google it. i dare ya.

ok so the fabric i used i got from my momma last week with all of those cool patterns. she bought this one curtain panel at a yard sale, and when i started taking the seams and pleats out, we realized it was TWO panels doubled up! this was extra good because where were random paint sploches on one.

god i hope those are paint sploches. 

look at the texture of this fabric-- i think it makes the dress even more fabulous!

it isn't even itchy. i think it looks like it would be itchy or uncomfortable, but it isn't in the slightest!

ok so making this was easy and not so easy. it was a lot of frankensteining. the top is from simplicity 3430, the bottom is from simplicity 7995.... and the bubble skirt i drafted using my brain. its not hard. its a rectangle and a more different rectangle. anyone can do it. the worst part of this dress was trying to figure out how /where to put the zipper. i went with center back, and had to keep the top bubble layer open so that i could add tulle in there to poof it up if i want. which i do. and also i didnt want it to get flattened in a zipper. so, the top layer snaps together and the zipper is underneath! i hope that makes sense. you can kinda see it here....

the other worst part of this was when i kept breaking needles on my serger because i was so determined to serge all 4 layers of fabric at once and my serger was like "OOOOOOOMMMMFFFFGGGGG WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME???!?!! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!" and i was like, "DO IT BITCH! SERGE MY SHIT!" and then i WON. HA!

...so. i will be wearing this tonight to a wedding. nice photos to follow!

oh yeah! it has pockets. awwwww yeahhhhh!