Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Join me at the Swap!

You are invited to join me in Tilly's Shabby Vintage Swap

 http://tillyroseblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/tillys-shabby-vintage-swap.html

It sounds like so much fun and I could use some of that these days.  To participate just follow the link above and leave a comment that you wish you join the swap. Tilly's is a UK blog so you could end up shipping internationally and receiving from someone overseas.  See.  Told you this would be fun.

 The swap consists of five items as follows:
1) *A little something that's vintage or vintage style


...piece of fabric, haberdashery, china, linens etc

(It really doesn't have to be big and expensive)


2) *A little something with a shabby chic style (the possibilities are endless!!)


3) *Something brimming with loveliness...

I'll leave one that to all your wonderful imaginations!


4)*A little something that's full of colour and scrummy gorgeousness


5) *Lastly....a sweet little surprise for your swap partner

This blog is beautiful and I arrived here by following another blogger that had already received her swap package.  Isn't the internet just fabulous?

Monday, June 21, 2010

&%#@#%!!!! Sewing Machines

I have two sewing machines now and neither of them is working properly.  The Bernina my mom gave me was serviced and works well except the foot control needs to be replaced.  Oh it sews--in high speed only!  The Singer sewing machine has suddenly started skipping stitches, some stitches are an inch long! 

This has put a halt to my attempts to insert an invisible zipper.  It was not going well at at all so maybe a break is what I needed anyway.  I hope to get the zipper put in before I wear out the fabric though.

(It has been a really bad day so far and it is not even noon.  Dog #1 has to go back to the surgeon's tomorrow because her leg is inflamed, I flooded the crawl space under the house a bit changing a whole house filter, I have to go to the doctor with a hurt foot, and the list goes on. And did I mention the darn sewing machines are not working properly "GRIN".) Back to our regularly scheduled program. . . .

So for your viewing pleasure I will share with you some photos the Honey took this weekend.  He has been gardening and planting daylilies everywhere.  The newly planted lilies have their leaves trimmed back to help them get established.




















 

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Dress. . .

Yes, I know I said I was going to make a dress.  Even shared the pattern with you.  But when I laid the fabric out there was only 1 1/2 yards of 45 inches wide linen.  What?  I always buy at least 2 yards of a fabric. So then the search was on for a pattern that I could use and let me tell you that search went on forever it seemed. 

Behold :Simplicity 2372  The pattern for the skirt was just right for the fabric I had on hand.  Since this skirt looked to be rather close fitting I decide to cut it 2 sizes larger than I normally would.  Ok, ok, I admit it.  I been making and eating too many desserts. 

I paid attention to Sew A Beginner's latest post on her skirt making and followed some of her ideas.  The linen skirt is underlined with a cotton/poly broadcloth and I used lace hem tape.  While working on the skirt it occurred to me that I had a new purchased top that was just the right color to match this skirt.


Underlining, lace hem tape and I forgot to mention Hong Kong seams


I was rather concerned the the vent would be difficult but it was easy.  I tacked the very bottom of the vent closed because it was flapping open.


Ta Da!  Not too bad huh?


I also wanted to share some photos from a snazzy men's store in our town.  Although the photos are not great due to the reflection from the glass I wanted you to see the details on a couple of the shirts here.

Note the light mauve paisley print fabric with the darker buttonholes and buttons.
Also, the neck facing and cuff facing is a beautiful striped fabric.  Sorry the photos did not come out well enough to show you those details.  But look in the lower right hand corner of the photo below and you will see the inside of the cuff.

Next the shirt to the below has the facing fabric as a bold blue paisley against the white of the shirt.



And one final photo from this store with some great shoes and socks. I don't know whether a person is to wear those socks or eat them.  They remind me of sherbet--yummy!


Finally, I don't understand why I struggle so hard with that darn elastic in the skirt. I am thinking that inserting a zipper may be easier and involve a lot less cussing and fussing.  And if anyone out there can tell me how to load the pattern photos instead of just the link I would appreciate it.  Seems like I did it before . . .but how?

Friday, June 11, 2010

I won a blog giveaway!!!

I won a copy of "Dispatches from the Edge" written by Anderson Cooper.  This was a blog give away on "Kerrfect: A Blog of Glamour, Thriftiness and Crafts".  Jennifer is a young military wife who can get rather passionate on certain subjects from time to time (read "Dirtbag of the Day" for an example).  And don't get her started on "The Biggest Loser" ---she watches faithfully. But what I love most about her blog her are the thrifty buys that she shares with us and her crafts.

We share a love of books and bargains for sure.  Her most grand bargain to date has been a plus size mink coat purchased for $18.  Check out the photo of her seaman husband (Go Navy!) and you'll know these two are having too much fun together. Man in Mink makes me laugh every time.

Her blog addy is: http://travisandjennykerr.com/kerrfect/

Thanks guys for the book!

Blog, blog, blog

I really should have made this a cooking blog, then I would have had more successes to report. On a positive note I did wear my new grey dress to a  meeting this week.  No one laughed so I guess that is a relatively good sign.

No photos for you but I did cut out a top, yet again, wrong fabric/wrong pattern.  I figured that out when pinning the first two pieces together.  No need for further time investment on that dud.  Then this week I started a dress.  Good pattern (so it seems, but it could turn on me at any minute) but wrong darn fabric again!  So today I will start with that same pattern, new fabric and see how it goes.  I'll have to make a trip to Hobby Lobby for a lining material this morning. The dress fabric I plan to use is a linen blend, that should work--I think.

Butterick 5450 is the dress pattern I am using.  My fabric mistake was a woven mildly stretchy poly something.  But it will not hold a crease, the pleats bag open regardless of what I do, and this baby ravels faster that a speeding bullet.  Since I only assembled the top portion I still have the skirt material. The lining material was kinda likeable.  Almost a whisper of fabric but every pin hole seems to be permanent and it too ravels like crazy.

While I have not been able to do much towards sewing we have been gardening.  Three new crepe myrtle trees planted in a new island bed.  This was a ton of work but we had help from our really great neighbor.  Even so, the Honey ended up getting x-rays this week due to back pain so bad he missed work for 3 days.  Totally unlike him to miss work too.