Ruth's Youth

New Jewelry and a New Place to Put It!

2010-01-01T19:31:00.009-06:00

So on New Year's Eve, mom and I went thrifting and found a gorgeous pane of shutters. Sadly they only had one. I wonder what happened to the other?

I adjusted some Christmas ornament hooks to fit. At first I didn't know what to do with my Judith bangles but then I thought of this:

Here are three of my four new necklaces. I got all the parts on Etsy except the lobster claw clasp on the love letter necklace (charm from softcover). I figured I'd make it a long necklace at first but mom suggested that it would lay flatter if it were short so I had to go out to the Hob Lob.

3 different chains: tiny, medium textured, and big textured. I think I like the medium and tiny best in person. At first I thought I'd like the big best but the medium isn't that much smaller and it's cheaper and just the right size. The tiny is good for small charms but it tends to grab my hair (which will get cut and dyed to look like Emma Pillsbury's tomorrow! yay.)

I don't know how I feel about the "rape whistle"/"lezzy gym teacher" necklace. I think I'm only going to like it layered with other necklaces. And here's the 4th necklace (technically it was the 3rd to be made but 4th to be pictured). I had 6 of these crystal things but I like it with 5 of them. I used the big textured chain.

I love my new old shutters and my new necklaces (Christmas presies and handmade). Here's my earrings. I made the top two pairs (one of which I'm sure you'll recognize) and the feather barrette next to the J.Crew bangle.

Late Christmas Eve Project

2009-12-28T11:17:00.003-06:00

Sorry to get this one out late but I'm at the beach! Late night on Christmas Eve, Allison needed a new stocking (our old ones were really old and not really us anymore) so I decided to make one to match my "new" one that I got on eBay in a lot of vintage fabric and hankies and such. Here's mine:

So I got some scraps from her SC fabric, my SC duvet (that I made into luggage), and some floral flannel I bought to make a nightgown but never got around to making.

I stitched them into strips.

Ironed them.

Stitched the strips together and ironed them again.

Tada. A patchwork piece.

Cut the shape (with plenty o' room for a seam allowance).

Then I cut out the inside and back pieces and stitched the tops of the sides together before stitching the front and back together. Meaning I stitched the tops of the front inside and outside together before stitching the fronts and backs together at the sides. Don't forget to put the "right" sides together when you stitch.

Now the sides, and voila: A (fat, clubfoot) shabby chic stocking. (I stitched the circular crochet from a tablecloth on before stitching the front and back together). The crochet trim was attached to the top of the front first and then sewn into the side seams which was the second to last step (the ribbon loop for hanging was attached last with some tear mender because I was getting lazy).

A little crochet trim for the back, too.

I should have taken a picture of mine and Allison's together to show how fat hers is (which makes her laugh uncontrollably) but maybe some other time.

Bugs Suck!

2009-10-24T13:05:00.005-05:00

One cold morning I was going through my closet looking for and outfit when I thought a scarf would be a good addition to an outfit and I opened my drawer and what did I find? Some little gluttonous son of a bug ate my Ralph Lauren Purple Label cashmere pashmina!

Granted I got it for an amazing $5 at the outlet in Foley. I was shocked that they'd put a purple label cashmere pashmina in the $5 bin. Darn you bug!

A few weeks back I bought two Martha Stewart flower kits at Big Lots. I saw in their sale paper that they had some of her kits so I was hoping for the flower kit with the peonies but all they had that wasn't a child's kit (like pom pom animals or felt hairbands) was these black-eyed susans. I love yellow so I thought they'd be great centerpieces. Who could pass up a $2 bouquet?

Well I could. The first (and only) kit I completed took 4 nights to make. I spent about 2 to 4 hours each night working on them. Good grief! the tiny little petals were just so finicky! They didn't want to stay where you put them. I was as busy as a one-eyed cat watching five mouse holes. To get them to spread out evenly around the stem I had to tear them into groups of three. I eventually got a good technique going but it wasn't the most fun project I've ever done. The bouquet is at work on my desk so I don't have a picture. Sorry. All the while I was making them I was wanting to make these:

You can find the pattern here: http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/diy-decorations?contentid=4ae6b2974066f110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD#slide_26

These are a lot quicker (and more fun in my opinion) but obviously they weren't meant to be put on a stem in a vase.

After seeing a dress on Say Yes to the Dress that had flowers all over the bottom half (that the bride thought was ridiculous) I thought this would be a more laid back way of doing that look. Very Etsy. But to cover the entire bottom half of an a-line dress solely with these flowers packed close together I calculated it would take about 50 yards of muslin. Holy cow. You can get about 4.5 flowers out of one 45" wide yard of muslin.

But I did find some potted mums being sold on the side of the road for $1 (for the little ones). (I'll take a picture for the next post when I show you the scarf I made for Allison for her birthday.) Mums are probably my favorite flowers now. I love any kind of big fluffy full flower. So I bought a yellow one since I had a little over a dollar in change in my wallet. (Btw, the guy running this shindig was as queer as a football bat. Cracked me up because I wasn't expecting that voice to come out of such a gruff-looking guy.) I hope to have it on my desk once we move to the new building at work. But I've heard that I and my fellow peons will be in a big room in the interior of the building so no window for us. I just don't get that. You get more productive workers when you give them a plant or two and a window. Why can't you just make a building with offices around the perimeter and conference rooms, bathrooms, elevators, and stairs in the interior? Grr. Hopefully that's not true since the founder/owner himself said he didn't want the business to turn into a bunch of cubicles since it's not what's best for the people and therefore not what's best for the business. I guess I'll go visit the new building some day.

Fluted Earrings

2009-09-26T17:12:00.006-05:00

So I finally got all the tools and findings to make my earrings. I used the fluted grey beads from ReductionNation, bead caps from blacksheepbeads, and findings from Frenchworkshop.

I used these little do-lollies as bead caps and as the front for the earring base.

It was really hard to get a non-fuzzy picture. Sorry.

Here's mom's.

And I attached my coyote collar to my pretty new J.Crew peach puffer vest. I can't wait till it's cold enough to wear it.

And I got this idea over at artsy-crafty babe. Always a crowd-pleaser.

oh-hoh-hoh.

Jewelry Endeavors

2009-09-23T18:39:00.003-05:00

So I've bought lots of beads. Here are my first attempts at jewelry with them.

They seem a little dinky/awkward so I think I might use some brass wire to connect them instead of stretch cord.

I still don't have round-nose pliers yet so I can't finish my pretty earrings until I do. Sorry, no pictures yet. I've been pretty busy working so I haven't had much time to blog but I'd much rather have a full-time job than sit at home with no income. It's a blessing to be able to work for a day's wage. I finally finished the model I was working on but it had about 11 different buildings in it so I guess it's okay that it took me 3.5 weeks to finish it. The one I'm working on now only has about 3 buildings so that's much better. It'll probably still take a while since I have to share a computer with the new guy (I've got 2 weeks on him and still he's "the new guy" to me, haha) until he gets his on October 2nd... 3 weeks to get him a computer? Really? Oh well.

I find it really weird that I get to work the earliest for people around my age. (I'm usually about the 3rd person there.) I get there around 7:45 and the others don't get in till about 9 or later (some because they have classes though). I'm such an old woman. I don't go to bars, I'm usually asleep by 11 at the latest, and I wake up at 5:30 in the am, and I knit, sew and craft. I probably act like I'm 58. Though sometimes I act pretty immature, but not when it comes to responsibility... other than cleaning... I need to work on that.

Finished: Taupe Tiered Lace Camisole

2009-09-12T15:44:00.005-05:00

So I recently got a request for a taupe version of the lace cami in my shop. The buyer is the same size as me so it was easy to get the fit just right. The only problem is that I haven't heard from her since August 29th or received any payment from her. She said she wanted it on the 16th of this month (for her wedding reception). If she doesn't want it, I'm keeping it. Unless there's someone out there who wears a XS/S who's dying to purchase it. I love it and can't wait to wear it!

A New Stamp

2009-09-11T21:09:00.004-05:00

I got my custom stamp today! I made it just the right size to fit on 2" wide twill tape. I bought an ink pad today but it's not quite the color I wanted. I wanted more of a dark brown rather than the light brown I got but I read that the ColorBox brand (which didn't have a dark brown in the store) worked well for fabric so I sucked it up and paid the $7 for it. Here are my results (before heat setting).

The stamp itself looks a little janked (at least how they cut off the excess rubber) but it makes a great image!

I'll have to see how it holds up in the wash after heat setting.

Work, Work, Work... and I love it!

2009-09-05T11:07:00.004-05:00

I've finished my first week at work. I've actually picked up on it pretty quickly, but I feel like I'm working a little too slow. I think I'll get faster with practice though. I love technology.

Now I'm working on my first Etsy purchase. A taupe version of the tiered lace camisole. I bought the gray dye and mixed it with the taupe and here are the results. The 2 pieces of lace on the right were done with just the taupe so you can see how brown that was.

Here's the after. They haven't dried yet so once they do I'll see if I need to dye the muslin again.

But right now they look pretty good together. The denser parts of the lace don't take the dye as well so trying to get those darker just makes it look too dark (as seen in the other small test strip in the first picture). But I think I like how it does that so it doesn't just blend in to the point that you don't even see the lace.

We have a front loading washer and I wouldn't dare use my mom's brand new stainless sink for dying so I use this old crock pot for all my dyeing. It doesn't stain either!

The grey wasn't available in a liquid but I guess that's good since the liquid costs more.

First Day and 100th Post Winner

2009-09-01T18:25:00.006-05:00

I'm home from my first day at work! Yay, I've got a job! I can't wait till I get good at what I do. It actually looks pretty fun but I still have to learn some new software which I'm kinda excited about. I'm also really glad that I'm working with good people.

Anyways, the winner of the 100th Post Giveaway is:

Stephanie and Ashley!

I couldn't say no to my little or my big! So I'll let them duke it out over which color they want.
And for those of you who missed out, I'm still going to list a custom hat on Etsy.

I've decided to go with the 2nd logo which seems to be unanimously the best, and I've decided to leave it black and white. A nice classic combo. Now I need to order a stamp and some fabric ink for my first Etsy order! I've received a request for a lace cami in taupe (just like the J.Crew one) and I've already started on it. I've made the base but now that I see it, it just seems too dark to be taupe. Since I have to dye the lace taupe anyways I might as well use my white muslin and dye it along with the lace. I bought "taupe" RIT dye and cut off a test strip from the lace but it definitely turned out tan. Not at all the greyish brown I was expecting. The lace however was much prettier than I expected. More delicate and soft than I thought. I will definitely buy more if there seems to be a demand for the tops.

Here's the lace laying on top of the base. Obviously wouldn't work together right now but I'm going to dye the lace once I get some gray to mix with the "taupe" so I'll get an actual taupe.

So I'll just take this base apart and use it as a pattern for the new white one (since I freehanded this one).

Also, here's an update on the cardigan. I haven't worked on it since Thursday I think but here's how far I've gotten.

I hated how the instructions said to use a left slanting decrease on the right and vice-verse so I disregarded that and made the edges pretty by creating these "lines" with the matching slanted decrease.

I'll be sure to post once I've finished the lace cami (and the cardigan). Sadly I think I'll be posting less often since I've actually got a job now and that means less time for crafts. But it also means more money for crafting and shopping (but not much more since I'm saving as much as possible for a down payment on a house).

Cardigan Crazy

2009-08-26T15:00:00.004-05:00

I've started knitting a cardigan using the yellow alpaca I got a little while back. I brought my quilt downstairs and hunkered down in the master so I can keep an eye on the dog and the laundry.

I'm so glad I bought the quilt. The colors make me happy and it's just so soft, fluffy, and cozy.

Don't forget about the 100th post giveaway! You only have until the end of Monday to enter.

Treating Myself!

2009-08-25T14:16:00.006-05:00

I just got the job I was interviewing for! So I decided to finally treat myself to the Bella Hothouse bedding from Anthro (with my 15% off birthday coupon, of course).

I layered it on top of my chenille bedspread and topped it all off with the chenille eagle pillow that I made out of another spread (which I also used for my cake pincushion)

Here are some prints that I put on the wall behind my drafting table headboard. I got them on eBay for about $4 after shipping.

I bought one of the euro shams since I liked the pattern on it but I found a small stain on it. And seeing my eagle pillow with all of the other bedding, I may just return it. Idk.

I really like my table as the headboard. My mom doesn't like that it puts the bed so far from the wall (because of the legs) but I think that's the reason I like it. With it so far from the wall I don't worry about spiders as much. Which reminds me that I need to buy some bed stilts or whatever you call them to push my bed up a few inches (not more than about 5" though) so my spread isn't so close to the floor that bugs can crawl up it. We've had quite the critter problems lately (or at least we notice them more now). Check out the glue trap from the master bathroom:

Here we've got 3 crickets, 2 brown recluse, and a scorpion.

New Obsessions: Beads and Jewelry Making

2009-08-22T20:51:00.005-05:00

My mom and I went to J.Crew and she saw these earrings:

I had seen bead caps on Etsy before so I told her I could make some so now I'm on the hunt for beads and bead caps.

I thought these were absolutely gorgeous:

These are from the same seller and they would make a great bracelet. Very J.Crew.

And these are just too fun! They look like my favorite grapes!

I love these little carousel charms. But I don't think I could pull these off as jewelry.

There are so many options out there and an assortment like this would help me get a jump start on mixing and matching flower bead caps and beads.

A while back I saw these bobby pins on the front page and I just fell in love with everydayglory!

Here's another of my favorite items from everydayglory:

If you haven't entered last post's contest you'd better enter if you want one of my knit hats!

100th Post Giveaway!

2009-08-18T15:54:00.002-05:00

It's my 100th post! So I'm doing my first giveaway and going for a new look. And you're going to help me! I've created a few different options for my new header/logo (my branding basically). I knew I wanted something fun and youthful but a little bit retro. Thus the artist manikin and this font.

I like this one but I don't particularly like the way it looks when I put Ruth's and Youth side by side. I only like this one stacked. So I may just use it as a "profile pic" or whatever you call it and another design for the banner.

I like this one but I worry (like with all my options) that it's too simple. I feel like I should showcase all my design skills. But I know that over designing is an epic fail. I mostly just want it to be fun, retro, and recognizable.

This one's pretty straight forward. Which is probably what I don't like about it. I also worry that someone would try stealing my manikin image since the text could easily be cropped out.

And here it is in another color scheme I'm considering. I love having the soft gray as the background (for the logo and the blog itself) so you aren't staring at a white screen and hurting your eyes. And of course I love yellow. But the black and white is a classic and probably more retro.

So in exchange for your input on my new look (in the form of a comment on this post) I'll pick one of you (whoever has the best comment/suggestions/ideas) to receive one of my handknit hats!

You can chose the seafoam alpaca hat...

Or the yellow wool hat (if you don't like the button I can replace it with one just like the one on the seafoam one).

Rules: One comment (entry) per person. If you must comment a second time, that post cannot win unless you delete all your other comments (is that possible?). Don't bother with halfhearted posts either (ex: "Good job."). It's my blog and I make the hats so I can be as biased or fair as I want! To ensure that all my readers have the opportunity to enter, the contest will stay open until the end of Monday the 31st. Winner will be announced on September 1st. I might get a little antsy waiting that long but I'll do my best to be patient. I'll contact you for a shipping address unless I see you often enough that I can bring it to you myself. The hat that isn't chosen will be relisted on Etsy so if you don't win you can purchase a hat! I have quite a few colors that I can use to fill custom hat orders.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-08-17T13:59:00.000-05:00

So this past Friday was my birthday. Yay! I got this pretty new Wacom Intuous 4:

I also got some pretty flowers. Just today, I got the replacement yarn for some yarn that I ordered last December that was out of stock.

But... I got twice as much as I was supposed to get. I guess it's because she kept forgetting and it took so long (and that they're going out of business; i guess because most people hadn't heard of them).

So... do I ask her why or just accept that it was a gift for the wait?

I also got the Melissa Vivienne Westwood Mary Janes that I ordered on Gilt Group. But...

they're purple/fuchsia.

This is the color they advertised to be "pink":

This is the "pink" that they sent me:

It wasn't even a color that they advertised in their sale. Yes that's the color name written on the box and now that I've researched, this color is called "pink" and the other is "salmon" but it could have been GG not knowing that the salmon was called "salmon" because I would have called it "pink", too.

So I've informed them of their mistake and asked to be sent the salmon color but I'm assuming that they don't or won't send me the salmon. So I said that I'd accept the green color they sold or a refund. But if they won't do either of those, the color is starting to grow on me a little but I still don't know what I'd wear them with.

I've been working on a new logo so stay tuned for the next post. It's going to be extra special. You won't want to miss it!

New Beginnings

2009-08-13T18:21:00.000-05:00

So I've been trying to get my Etsy shop up and running with more than just the two hats I started with (which will go back up later when it cools down). Here's the lace top I made for mom:

I've also been wanting to make a better logo (if you can call what I have a logo). I'm thinking of using the manikin drawing I made a while back but I'm not sure what kind of vibe I want. I think I'd want to redo it once I have a tablet. I know that I want it to be a line drawing type of logo that I can have made into a rubber stamp:

To use with a fabric ink pad...

To make labels for my clothing on some twill tape.

I think it's important to have labels for my clothing and I'm sure not going to hand embroider each one. And I know I need a more eye-catching logo... I'd love to use yellow but I know it doesn't show up well against light colors. Rawr... What to do...

New Etsy Listing!

2009-08-12T12:12:00.000-05:00

I finally got pictures of my sister in the skirt we made for her. It's hard to get a time when everyone's free to get pictures of them in their clothes when it's daylight. (I still need to get one of mom in her Tiered Lace Camisole.) So now I've listed a custom version in my Etsy shop! Yay! Hopefully people will notice it and put it on the front page.

The shipping costs are based on USPS flat rate boxes. If I know you and see you fairly often I can make a reserved listing just for you so that I can list the shipping cost as $0 and just bring it directly to you.

Clean Slate

2009-08-11T18:36:00.000-05:00

I put the new desk where my old drafting table (an ugly laminate and metal one not one of the pretty old wooden ones). I decided to just clean the dirt off of it and leave it as is. I still want new hardware but I'm considering putting the old hardware back on until I find something pretty that's only 2.5" on center instead of 3" like everything else seems to be. A good bit of the dark marks came off so I'm quite happy.

Whilst disassembling the old table it collapsed on top of me and put a large dent in the wall...

and in the baseboard on the opposite wall.

And for your enjoyment here are the most recent pictures of Thelma Lou:

She likes napping in the hallway next to the bathroom.

Face right up against the baseboard.

Can't get enough of her antics.

The $7.50 Desk

2009-08-08T20:54:00.000-05:00

So here's the desk I got for $7.50 at the local thrift store (whose proceeds go to spaying and neutering pets). I looked at the tag and thought, "I know that can't be 750.00 and if they meant 75.00 they would have written another zero." I just had a hard time believing that they would price it at under $8. The drawers seemed a little wonky but if they had just taken them out they would have probably realized that they just weren't on their drawer glides.

Here's the one of the pulls. I took those off because I thought they just didn't fit the style of the desk (or my style for that matter). I think it would be really cute with some glass pulls.

Only 2 of the drawers look kinda funny where the pulls were.

Maybe just a little cleaning and they'll be okay.

I actually kinda like the fact that the paint is chipping. I think I'll just clean it and leave the paint like it is.

More Thrifting

2009-08-06T19:16:00.000-05:00

So I recently found a tutorial on Etsy on how to make felt beads from old wool sweaters (instead of roving wool). I also recently discovered how hard it is to find 100% wool sweaters in the South. I went to 6 thrift stores (large and small) and found ONE. Not one that was a color I liked, or in my price range, just one period. The majority were cotton, acrylic, ramie, or a combination there of. Ridiculous. So we'll see how that one works.

I found a red and cream polka dot silk skirt at one store for $3.50. Very vintage with the colors and the angled wrap. It's also very tiny in the waist and huge in the hips. I'm gonna have to take it in at the sides because it sticks out so much it makes my hips look huge.

I saw these headboards for $80 each (I think) but we have a coupon for 40% off this store so if I want either I'll bring the coupon next time.

Velvety. (But this one's king size so that's probably too big).

Fancy.

Not a fan of brass but it's nothing a can of spray paint can't fix.

I also found these really fun wingback chairs!

But sadly they want $125 each (and there isn't a coupon for this store). I guess that's a good price compared to retail but I just can't afford that right now and I certainly don't have a place for them right now.

They even have some fun quilting!

They would be so cute and Anthro if styled right in a room.

I also bought another crocheted blanket ($4) to keep warm at church, some eyelet trimmed king size pillowcases ($1), and an adorable desk in need of a new coat of paint and hardware for only $7.50! And the drawers are dovetailed! The only problem is that I have the drawers at home but not the desk because it wouldn't fit in the car. So Brian's gonna transport it for me. yay. I may not have a space for it but for $8 we can make a space.

Finished: Tiered Lace Camisole

2009-07-31T22:22:00.000-05:00

All done! And it looks great on my mommy! Sad I didn't get a picture of her in it but oh well. I actually finished it Wednesday but haven't gotten around to uploading until now because I took Sara out for her birthday on Thursday and went for a personal shopper appointment at J.Crew today. So many new cute things. Sadly most weren't in the store but there were lots of things I didn't see online (or didn't like online) but saw in the store and loved. Anyways here's the top before I trimmed and hemmed it:

Quite a bit extra at the top.

Once I cut all that off we made some really quick little rosettes out of the trimmings.

Looks very cute belted and with a cardigan. I love cardigans!

I think I'll list this on Etsy (a custom listing; this one belongs to mommy)!

Knock-off Tiered Lace Camisole

2009-07-28T16:29:00.001-05:00

Many J.Crew fans have been talking about the beautiful tiered lace camisole that recently appeared in the look book and sold out soon after even though it was almost $800. Granted the lace was exquisite; most people can't afford it. So I bought some lace on eBay which just got here today. I promptly cut and gathered each layer. Here I've arranged it on top of the silk pillowcase I got at the local thrift store for a mere 5o cents. A steal for pure silk with a heft to it.

The lace is a pretty, light natural pink. So it doesn't look as white as it does in the picture. The flash just plays up the shine of the embroidery too much. I'll be using the thick satin ribbon for the straps and a similar ribbon for the tie waist.

There won't be a zipper or buttons. It'll just slide right on. I didn't want to have to attach the side seams of the lace to the side seam of the cami because I don't think it would lay properly. So that's the reasoning behind that. All in all an easy, inexpensive project.

North Carolina

2009-07-25T20:46:00.000-05:00

Here are the pictures I took on the way back from Ashley's wedding. Sadly I forgot to bring my camera to the wedding so the only pictures I have are of the trip back, including some funny names.

Ef! land... haha

If only this one was Kernsville instead of Kernersville. I'm such a typographical nerd. I guess Kerners works, too.

Yadkinville!

Enka-Candler... hmm... close but not quite.

On many of the exit ramp areas they had planted hoards of yellow flowers. :) I love yellow flowers.

Lake Junaluska

Pretty mountains.

Gorgeous barn! I love how you can see more of the pretty land in the side mirror.

Huge white cross.

It was a long trek but well worth it!

Another Order

2009-07-23T22:23:00.000-05:00

So I got my second order (well 3rd if you include the one that was just swatches) from NearSea Naturals. Well, while mom and I were at Hancock looking for a fabric to upholster a headboard with I saw a basket weave fabric and I thought, "Well, heck, I saw a blanket just like this on NearSea Naturals for only $20 and it's organic!" (it was on sale at the time). So we bought two, one for the headboard and another just because it was such a good deal and who couldn't use another blanket? I also ordered some snap tape for my Lee feedsack dress so I can finally finish that.

Isn't the blanket so pretty?! I love texture! Obviously, I took a picture of it on top of my chenille bedspread. Sadly one of the blankets was kinda pilly, but nothing a little picking couldn't take care of. I'm glad I ordered both the larger and the smaller snap tape. Because the bigger snaps hurt to snap and are hard to get open but the small ones are much better. Then there's the idea that it should be hard to snap and unsnap so it doesn't come undone just by sitting down. Decisions, decisions.

I had an interview Wednesday and I'm hoping and praying that this is the one! It sounds like something I could pick up quickly and would like to do day after day. I don't care what I get paid as long as I have a job I enjoy with people I enjoy working with (everyone I met was great!). I hope I hear back soon.

Logo turned Save-the-Date

2009-07-20T15:03:00.000-05:00

Since the two letters weren't lined up perfectly horizontally I had a little space to continue with the names so I figured I'd turn the logo into a save-the-date.

Wedding Logo

2009-07-19T20:08:00.000-05:00

So I decided to make a logo for Stephanie and Jonathan's wedding.

I tried to use the font she chose for the invitations but the letters didn't line up as well as this font (which wasn't all that close to begin with either). But it shouldn't matter if they're the same font. In fact it adds a little interest/contrast. After all the principles of good graphic design are CRAP: Contrast, Repetition/Rhythm, Alignment, and Proximity.

I heart Laura.

I'm such a typography nerd.

2009-07-17T20:50:00.001-05:00

This shirt cracks me up. I just wish I had thought of it. I need to design my own nerd shirt...

btw... 4 fonts walk into a bar. The bartender shouts, "We don't want any of your type in here!"

ahahaha!

Zipper Frustration

2009-07-14T21:47:00.001-05:00

So every time I stitch the zipper back into my Lee feedsack dress it gets stuck. It works fine when it's not fully stitched in but once I think it's finished it pops open at the waist seam. So I'm thinking its the angles that it's stitched at and the bulk of the quilt. I don't think that anyway I stitch it (to get the shape I want) is going to work. I'm just gonna rip it out and use some snap tape. It'll add to the homesewn look anyways.

Sorry for the poor picture quality.

Silly Thelmie

2009-07-13T23:26:00.000-05:00

Here's some pictures of Thelma Lou for your enjoyment.

Sitting on her feet. What a gooseball.

We put 2 of her couch cushions on the floor so she could lay on them or get on and off the couch easier.

Queen of the Mountain

Modern Save-the-Date

2009-07-07T20:39:00.000-05:00

Here's a more modern clean line save-the-date I made today. I had sketched the idea a while back but just got to it today. I like it. It turned out well. I think I'll try it with other combos of letters. I love playing with typography.

Lee Feedsack Dress Progress

2009-07-07T14:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I started on my Lee Feeds feedsack dress since I finally had everything I needed (fabric-wise). I decided to model the top front after my J.Crew Kate dress.

It took me a while to get the pleats just right but I finally figured the angles out after many tries. At one point I just put it on to fine tune them but standing up so straight and sucking in for so long (a good 8 minutes or so) my abs hurt so bad! It took quite a while for them to feel better. So here's what I've got so far.

I still need to hem it, attach the remaining part of the feedsack print to the back hem, buy and attach the zipper, and trim some of the edges of the top once I figure out what to do with them. Which I'll probably use bias trim again. Idk, we'll see.

Here's the quilt back! I love it! When I first cut into the quilt it took me a few tries to actually make myself start cutting. I had to remind myself that I'd never use it on my bed (since it had that mildewy edge) and that I bought it specifically for this dress.

So far I'm pretty happy with it. I'll probably add some embroidery to the top front since it's so plain right now (especially considering the color of the entire dress). It's just such a pale background color that it needs something.

Cha-Ching

2009-07-05T23:15:00.001-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I just haven't really been doing anything post-worthy. I rearranged my room and I love it! It's not perfect just yet. There's still a tiny bit of decluttering left to do. This is something I would never post a before picture of so I don't think the after would have much of an effect without the before. We'll see what happens with that. But as of now I think I've figured out what Wacom tablet I want to buy. The Intuous4:

I'm pretty sick of using the trackpad on my laptop. It has worked for a while but I know if I want to do all the fancy drawings I need for graphic design, I need a tablet. At first I thought I'd get a Wacom Bamboo Fun but I've heard that it might as well have 3 levels of pressure sensitivity since it does a pretty poor job of that. If you just want a tablet for everyday use instead of a mouse then it's fine but if it's for serious drawing and design then you'd better step up and get the intuous which has 2048 pressure levels. It can sense a touch with as little as 1 gram of pressure so it seems to be worth the price. Especially if you consider all the software you get with it. Now I just have to decide if I wan't to pony up the $230 (for the small, which I've heard works best with laptops) or if I want to wait for my birthday (and not get the Clarisonic PLUS I've been eyeing).

Everyone Loves Cartoon Mice

2009-07-01T12:35:00.000-05:00

I quite like this one. Who doesn't like cartoon mice? Though I realize just because it's cute doesn't mean people will want it for their save-the-dates. People can be really picky about their weddings. After all it is their day!

Much Better.

2009-06-30T18:50:00.000-05:00

So I like this idea much better. I didn't spend a whole lot of time picking out the font but I think I like it. It took me a little while to figure out some of the shading but looking back it was really simple. I had sketched out the idea yesterday but was working on other things. I'm quite happy with this one.

Before I finished this I was feeling pretty crappy because it felt like I wasn't making any progress. But I'm feeling better now.

Motivation

2009-06-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

So this past weekend I went to Ashley's Bachelorette party. Very fun. While we were tubing I was talking to Amanda about graphic design, where to look for jobs, and my Etsy shop. She helped motivate me to get my graphic design going in my shop. So that's what I've been working on today. Looking for fonts, photoshop brushes, and such. My plan is to sell designs for invitations, save-the-dates, stationery and such so that people can print them out themselves. That way they feel like they're getting a better deal since they can't think that I'm overcharging them for paper or ink and they can use whatever paper they want. So to get all this up and running is going to take a while. I'll have to create sample images and print and photograph them (possibly on different colored paper to show the possibilities of each). And since I want to have more than 5 listings to show some variety and attract buyers looking for different purchases (wedding stationery vs. personal) it is going to take a while... A good long while before all of them are finished enough to list. So you might not hear much from me since I don't want to put up images of something I'm not proud of. Well, here's something I managed to come up with today:

Let me know what you think. I've been staring at it so long I don't know. I hate when that happens. I guess it's just kind straight-forward and expected when it comes to the layout. Sad. Back to the drawing board.

It's Done!

2009-06-25T20:19:00.000-05:00

I finished the pillowcase dress. I couldn't find a bias trim that matched my fabric so I bought the off-white color and dyed it with some coffee. It took a few test samples but I ended up getting the color just right!

The colors and the details don't show up all that well in the other pictures so mom took this one.

This is my entry for the Picnic Party contest over at Weardrobe.

If you look close at my right arm you can see what the burns look like now (which is pretty much how they looked the day after I got them).

In Progress: Blue Floral Homesewn Dress

2009-06-23T18:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I stitched the pillowcase to the muslin with some lime green embroidery thread to bring out the bright green in the pattern. Then I stitched the tube for the elastic waist. I'm still contemplating what kind of embellishments I want to add. I've definitely ruled out the quilt panel. Though I kinda feel like I should embroider a cute little bird near the hem. Tomorrow I'll have to go out and buy some bias tape for the edges. I can't wait till it's done (even though blue is my least favorite color).

I had some trouble taking pictures of it on me all by my lonesome. Once it's completely finished I'll definitely get mom to do another photoshoot for me! haha.

Thelma Lou was just lookin' too cute so I had to take a picture. I had a dream last night that some crazy woman was trying to steal her and run her over so I beat the living daylights out of her. No one hurts my Thelma Lou!

Preview: Blue Floral Homesewn Dress

2009-06-21T20:13:00.000-05:00

Here's what I've got so far of the dress I'm making out of muslin and a blue floral pillowcase. It's going to have an elastic waist (the ribbon is just for show right now), maybe a quilt plate near the bottom and one of the side seams. And maybe even some embroidery to give it even more of a homesewn repurposed look.

I'm going to just find some natural color bias seam binding for the edges. I want it to be simple and easy.

Homemade Mellow Yellow

2009-06-20T15:14:00.000-05:00

This is my entry for the Mellow Yellow contest over at What I Wore sponsored by Weardrobe. As my readers (all 3 or 4 of them) know, I drafted a pattern for and made this dress out of 2 feedsack pillowcases that I bought on eBay (and fully lined with a queen size sheet from a local thrift store). You can see the process here, here, here, here, and here.

The shoes are Cole Hann that I've gotten so much use out of. Very much worth the price.

The sunglasses are Dana Buchman.

The dog is Thelma Lou! She's about 8 years old now.

The light tortiseshell headband is J.Crew.

I love pockets! So I just had to make sure that it had deep pockets.

The ring is Juicy Couture and the bracelet is J.Crew.

I hope you enjoyed it! I wear it everywear. (Thanks to my momma for taking pictures!)

Epic Sad!

2009-06-18T23:10:00.001-05:00

The gorgeous flat file (that was out of my price range) that I've been watching for quite some time is gone! Someone bought it... epic sad! I doubt I'll ever find anything near as awesome and functional again...

It's finally here!

2009-06-18T19:16:00.000-05:00

My quilt is finally here after two weeks (10 business days)! Ridiculous for priority mail. It was postmarked this Monday. Averiescottage waited an entire week plus another weekend before shipment. Unless this seller has something I just can't live without (doubtful even though I love my new quilt) I will never work with him/her again. Communication wasn't all that great either. If I had a question I was usually answered that night but I didn't get an email saying that it had shipped and there wasn't a note/invoice in the box to say "thank you for your purchase". Grr...

Well I've picked out which one I'm going to use for my Lee Feeds feedsack dress.

The torn corner. Sad but still plenty of pieces I can use.

I believe I've redeemed myself in the realm of cooking tonight. A delicious pizza!

Not my forte...

2009-06-17T21:33:00.000-05:00

So I've considered myself pretty good at "housewife" stuff like sewing, knitting, decorating, painting, even woodworking and such (I'm okay at cleaning but it doesn't happen often). I even considered myself an okay cook (not a chef) but today I learned otherwise. My burger turned out okay but I didn't. Apparently you shouldn't but olive oil on the griddle and worchestershire sauce on your burger and then turn the worchestershire side over onto the griddle when you first put the burger down. Splashing. Onto the flame of the gas range and your arm. Catching fire. The fire went out on it's own after a few seconds but the droplets of hot oil on my arm wasn't so great. At first it wasn't so bad but once I was halfway into dinner I really started to feel it. So I've had to keep a cold pack on it all day and will have to keep that up all night. Oh well. It could be worse.

New Obsessions: Embroidery and Quilting

2009-06-15T21:19:00.000-05:00

So what started it all was browsing through Urban Outfitters' clearance section where I found this iron transfer for a quilt embroidery pattern. I had seen a vintage quilt that was similar on eBay but couldn't afford it so I thought this would be the perfect replacement. So remembering that UO's sale prices were usually higher than retail I searched for Aunt Martha's Americana Quilt pattern and found it and many more adorable transfers like Ernie the Elephant. So that's what's got me on that kick.

And these new Anthro dishtowels are the perfect combo of quilting (with vintage or repro feedsacks) and embroidery. Love them! But I'd rather make them since I'm broke.

Here's the quilt I bought on eBay. And it's late by the way. I'm not happy. It's been over 7 business days. She said it would be 6 to 7 business days for USPS priority mail which is ridiculous for priority from TN to northern AL which would normally take 1 to 2 days. So I'm not a happy camper.

I found these Windham fabrics (don't you just love the bunnies?!) called "Storybook" and....

"Feedsack". So I can try to get a lot of feedsack scraps on eBay (that might not go together) or I could get a "jelly roll" or stack of "fat quarters" of these (which aren't cheap but I do like).

And I love these monograms especially the one in the middle of the bottom row.

I really want to combine all this in a dress. A feedsack and muslin dress with an elastic waist decorated with one of my new dresden quilt panels and possibly some quilted embroidery and a cute little monogram like Lavern on the left.

The silouhette was inspired by these dresses. Though I think having more of the print fabric on top in a sweetheart shape makes it slightly more modern (maybe, idk). I don't know about the ruffle at the bottom, I think it's growing on me though.

And it's storming again...

Scaredy Dog

2009-06-14T00:32:00.000-05:00

I was doing some laundry during a thunderstorm so where did Thelma Lou have to be? In the laundry room at the center of all activity, of course.

She usually stares at nothing when she's scared like this. You can call her name all you want and she won't budge.

If you stay in one place long enough she'll eventually lay down.

Flower Update: Identified!

2009-06-10T18:12:00.000-05:00

I finally found out what those spherical yellow flowers are! They're Yellow Crespedia. I found it on DIY Bride.

Yay! I feel better now.

Odd Inspiration

2009-06-10T16:22:00.000-05:00

The other day my mom sent me a link to a fashion blog where she found some HUGE knits. I'm guessing the designer must have used her arms as needles or something to knit these.

So I was trying to figure out what she used but could never come up with a good enough guess. So I wondered what I could find that was huge so I decided to look for rope again (I had thought of this before but could never find the right name for this type of rope). Turns out it's "manila" rope.

It's certainly not cheap for the thicker rope and in lengths long enough to knit something out of (like a pillow or rug because I'm pretty sure no one wants this against their skin). I also found this yellow polypropylene rope that would make a statement in a room. Or as a grocery bag? (with smaller rope)

But I'll have to save this experiment for some other time when I have money.

Itching for Employment

2009-06-09T16:45:00.000-05:00

So I recently applied for a part-time sales position at Anthro (yay! except for the fact that I've found not so flattering things about them on blogs but some comments say otherwise so... whatever). And one night I got an idea in my head for a window display element. I should mention that my dream job of late is being a display coordinator at Anthropologie so this part-time job could help me get my foot in the door. So today I finally got around to trying out that idea. Thank goodness it didn't involve me buying (since I'm "broke"; down to the lowest level of savings I'm willing to go) or cutting or stitching of any kind. The first few pictures were taken with my phone since my camera wasn't charged at the time.

I took my sister's twin size quilt and wrapped it around Squishy Judy with one of my belts (I didn't care about matching I just picked one that I don't wear often and that I thought would fit).

I pinned the matching pillowcase to the front where the gap was. I didn't dislike the gap, I just wanted to see how it looked.

Obviously not the ideal location for pictures but it is good for keeping it out of the way.

I put some necklaces on her and took more pictures with my real camera later.

Without the flash...

with the flash.

I added the other swirl to the dress today. I don't know if I'll add any more. I guess this just isn't turning out as fabulous as I thought it would. If anyone disagrees let me know, I'd be happy to sell it to you!

I took Thelma Lou out for a second walk today and kept her in the yard. We wandered into the shade under the tree and she laid down and it was nice out in the shade so I went and sat on the stairs.

More Yellow Flowers

2009-06-06T19:50:00.000-05:00

These flowering bushes are in the backyard. Weird that I've never noticed them before. Maybe they're wild or something. But if anyone can tell me what they are, please do!

I like seeing these other flowers thrive even though it's kinda hidden behind the dead brambly-ness going on here.

Is there a botanist in the house?

2009-06-05T21:53:00.000-05:00

Can anyone tell me what these funny yellow flowers are? I think they are just so cute! My best guess is that they're just a yellow version of thistle but they're just so darn spherical! So I don't know for sure.

There's some yellow flowering bushes in the backyard that I also need an expert on. I'll have to take a picture tomorrow and post it.

Swirl progress

2009-06-04T20:41:00.001-05:00

I added a swirl to the dress today. I think I may take a little bit of it off since it's so big. Though I plan to add one or two more swirls. It took quite a long time to put that on since the needle got stuck from time to time in the thickness. I think I'm gonna put a smaller one on the other side up a little higher on the strap than this one. I'll figure out where to go from there.

Two Dresses in One Week!

2009-06-03T21:49:00.000-05:00

On Monday I started and finished my thermal dress/nightgown. Both of the patterns I pretty much freehanded.

I folded the fabric into quarters lengthwise so I wouldn't have to worry about cutting the pieces unevenly.

I modeled the dress after this top that I bought at a cheap trendy store a while back.

I traced the collar onto some leftover tissue paper (I always save the tissue paper from J.Crew and Anthro purchases).

Mom wasn't around so I took this one myself. I'll take some better pictures like the other dress later. It looks really cute when it's belted with the 2" wide organic twill tape I bought.

Same process as the other but a more dramatic slant since I didn't want to have it gathered very much at the waistband.

I laid one of my t-shirts on the fabric and cut out the front and back of the top. The waistband was just a rectangle. And I just kinda freehanded the neckline.

Now all I have left is the hem and the chenille swirls that I plan to stitch on.

(please excuse the lack of makeup and hairdo)

Oh! And sad news! Lavish Fibres (my favorite alpaca source) is closing shop. Where will I get my bulky alpaca yarn? I couldn't find alpaca at that price anywhere else (I guess that's why they're going out of business). So I don't know what I'll do when I run out.

Getting Close

2009-06-02T10:47:00.000-05:00

Gary (our neighbor) cut down more trees this weekend. I'd say it's about two-thirds of the way there. I can't wait till it's done!

I love being able to see the rolls of hay in the field even without the binoculars.

We can see even more of the bridge and the docks.

I finished my thermal dress/nightgown. I'll try and get good pictures asap. I really need a good location and photographer. I'm thinking I might get someone to take pictures in that field down there. Maybe Ashley from church?

Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt

2009-05-31T20:52:00.000-05:00

(FYI: This is my first and probably only post about recipes or cooking. This is very abnormal for me.)

We don't have a TCBY in town and we crave the peanut butter frozen yogurt so we set out to make a substitute. The first recipe we tried was just too peanut buttery (which I would have thought was impossible) but it was almost the same as eating cold peanut butter (no thanks). So we tried again.

You really don't need an ice cream machine for this. It didn't really make a difference for us. We just got frustrated with it and stuck the mix in the freezer which works just fine.

The better recipe was:
16 oz yogurt strained overnight (you end up with about half a cup after straining).
1/4 cup natural peanut butter (we used organic peanut butter made with nothing but peanuts)
1/3 cup raw sugar
and about 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
You can obviously double this (we just only had 16 oz yogurt at the time so that's what we went with). We're still trying to decide whether we need to add more sugar. It's definitely not the same as TCBY but we can't just travel an hour or two to the nearest one so it'll have to do.
Let me know if you create a better version.

Our huntin' dog.

The other night she all of a sudden got up and went to the other end of the room and stuck her nose between a laundry basket and the dresser so I knew she must have seen something. I sat on the bed and watched the floor and saw the mouse pop out from under the dresser and scatter to the laundry room (the dog stayed on the rug 2 feet away because she didn't even seem to notice this time) so I watched the laundry room from the stairs. A few minutes later he came out and started bouncing up the stairs until he either saw or heard me so he retreated. Then we put a peanut butter baited trap (the not nice kind) at the bottom of the stairs.... it got him. It wasn't very pleasant. So my nice trap in the bathroom was all for nothing. Oh well. At least he's not in the house anymore. And the dog helped.

Mouse Trap

2009-05-29T12:03:00.000-05:00

So last night Allison texted me from her room (about 4 feet from door to door) saying there was a mouse in her room. Eventually he ran out of her room even though the door was closed. So we don't know where he is now so I remembered this blog post from long ago that my mom sent me http://journal.chrisglass.com/2005/09/how_to_catch_a_.html So I cut a piece of cardboard from a large box and set this up in the bathroom (it's central to the upstairs and it won't get in the way in there).

Lots of peanut butter.

I'll let you know if it works. Let's hope so.

Lots of Plans

2009-05-28T21:15:00.000-05:00

So I've got many plans for dresses. Though I don't have all the materials I need just yet. I hope to make a floor-length thermal nightgown from the color-grown thermal fabric I recently bought from NearSea Naturals. As of 8pm it had arrived in Nashville so my fabric may be here tomorrow, fingers crossed. And with the interlock I bought I want to make a floor-length t-shirt gown with chenille swirls reminiscent of J.Crew's chiffon rosette tee here. (The chenille will come from an old rug that has started to unravel.)

That's it for the fabric from this purchase but I intend to order more. That will be when they get the Naval Stripe Rib Knit back in stock at the end of June. I have lots of ideas for that fabric such as a dress like this one from Anthro:

I also thought I could make a cute cardigan with a snap closure or even a racerback tank dress.

Speaking of Anthro, I went shopping today and bought a dress there. The Pieced Gauze Dress.

And it's sooo comfortable. I want to wear it everywhere. But it would be an awesome wedding dress, too (I'd prefer something just a little whiter).

I also want to make a layered eyelet ruffle dress with all the eyelet trim I got at the thrift stores last week (plus some from eBay hopefully). And don't forget my other feedsack dress that I still need material for (I'm thinking maybe some pink ticking stripe fabric that I dye in coffee so the white will be wheat and the pink will look like a faded red, hopefully). So lots of plans going on in my head right now. I love dresses!

Umm.. Can I have my yarn now?

2009-05-27T19:17:00.000-05:00

I was cleaning today and I found an old piece of paper that I wondered to myself why I was keeping it. I unfolded it and saw that it was about some yarn that I ordered 5 months ago (the day after Christmas) from Lavish Fibres. At the time I ordered they had run out of one of the colors I bought so that paper said that they would send it when they it in stock. Well they still don't have more. Not even of the colors they ran out of before the Walnut (greyish brown) color I ordered. I'm guessing they have to wait for the next shearing season or something. So... I'm trying to decide if I just want my money back at this point. I guess I'll just email them and ask them when they expect to get more yarn and if they say they're going out of business I'll have to decide whether I want my money back or if I want the yellow yarn that they still have in stock (which I also like). I really do hope they aren't going out of business since I love the yarn and the prices are cheaper than what I've found elsewhere. With it I've made the Urban Legend Skirt, the Groovy Sweater Dress and a few of the Aspen hats. I was hoping to finally get some of the colors I missed out on last time around (like the crimson colored "Ruby", the rich fuchsia color shown below, and more of the oatmeal color that everyone loves).

Flowers

2009-05-24T21:39:00.000-05:00

I tried out that new way to make fabric flowers and this is how they turned out. The set of two at the bottom were the first two. Then the three on the right then the three on the left. I made those pretty differently than the instructions. These flowers are pretty short though. It doesn't really bother me. Mom prefers them fluffier. I'm starting to think that for the effort that these might not be as worth it as the other kind but they do use less fabric but that's partially because they're smaller, too (about 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter and half an inch tall).

Yesterday I ordered fabric for some new dresses from NearSea Naturals. Hopefully I'll have enough left over to make a cardigan, too. We'll see.

Reclaiming Our View

2009-05-23T20:37:00.000-05:00

Today the neighbor started clearing the trees in our backyard (why he won't let us pay him I don't know). While he was down there he found tons of junk. How it got there I don't know. The most that we've put there ourselves was fruit or bread for the critters.

It's gotten out of control.

Here's the beginnings.

We can see the bridge again! (Well, they've added a new one since we could last see it years ago).

A few trees down later.

Long Day and It's Still Not Done

2009-05-21T22:27:00.000-05:00

I still have to hem the lining (after a little bit of a mishap but no worries). And I hope to fix the shoulders since they aren't sloped quite right. But that's all that's left!

Pockets!

Big Pockets.

Getting close.

Epic fail on getting the zipper lined up. After 2 more tries I got it just right.

Yay! I can wear it now!

If I slope the shoulders more I think it'll fix those wrinkles.

Otherwise I'm quite happy with it.

I finally found a tutorial for the rosettes that I've been looking for! It's from one of the blogs I follow: Sis Boom Day Dreams. You can find it here. It says to use their fabric which is pretty fabric but I'd rather use a dupioni silk or one of the pretty peace silks from NearSea Naturals.

Dress Progress...

2009-05-20T16:15:00.000-05:00

I worked on my dress today. I guess I'm about half way through. First I attached all the outsides together and the insides together.

When I tried to attach the inside to the outside it was awful. After I had attached the sides to the front and back I realized that probably wasn't the best way to do it but this is the part where I figured out it wouldn't work at all. But at least I knew ahead of time what the solution would be.

All the side pieces after I ripped them off. (How 'bout that old school "yikes" ruler underneath everything there? haha.)

I just used a basting stitch to put the outside and inside together at the sides where the other pieces would go.

Then the hard part I had to keep it half way turned right side out and go at it from both sides.
One side.

Two side.

Last edge of the neck.

The awkwardness of stitching the neck.

Yay! I finished the neck.

I stitched the side pieces to each other (outside and lining), then the lining to the outside, then the sides between the outside and lining. And then I gathered the bottom edges of the front and back. I gathered the skirt pieces, too.

Next will be the waistband, then the skirt and the zipper? I don't know which I need to do first... I'm still confused as to how Allison's dress was stitched. I need to cut some pockets, too. I have to have pockets. I love pockets. I don't know why but I do.

Done Cutting.

2009-05-19T20:14:00.000-05:00

After blogging last night I decided that the most economic option for my dress lining would be to use the white queen size sheet that I bought at the thrift store yesterday. I'll just have to get over the fact that it's 50% polyester. Oh well. I just can't afford the luxury of organic cotton lining right now (when there are so many other projects I'd rather spend it on).

To give you an idea of what the top will look like (the bottom of it will be gathered btw).

I still have about half the sheet left! I could use it to line my other feedsack dress, too.

I think I've got an idea of how to put it all together. It may take some trial and error (I hope not) but I'll deal. Yay, pretty dresses!

The Epic Thrift Trip and Fabric Swatches

2009-05-18T21:59:00.000-05:00

Last night I found a long list of all the thrift stores in the area. So I plotted them all out to find the most efficient route to drive. Some weren't open on Mondays or were too far away so I crossed those out. I went to 5 out of my list of 9. The first one that I didn't go to was a mission type one where I couldn't find the actual thrift shop. I walked into the sanctuary thinking "oh, crap" and everyone who worked there was busy talking to someone else so I just left. The next, I drove to the address but didn't see anything. And the other 2 I didn't go to were consignment shops and it was getting late so I just didn't care to either stop or find them.

Even thought I didn't set out to find eyelet trim I certainly did. At 3 different stores all for under $9.

This curtain with trim on 3 sides was $1.12 after discount (on sale that week apparently) and tax.

This twin bed skirt and pillowcase were $2.50 before tax. A steal for that much eyelet.

This queen sheet was $4. The most expensive thing I bought (especially per yard of eyelet) but still not bad considering I have all this fabric with it.

This pillowcase has a beautiful wide eyelet trim and it was only 50 cents.

I kinda wanted to buy this chair and paint it white. It was only $15.

I loved all the old metal hardware.

These dressers had so much detail. They were $70 and $90.

Nice dental molding. But plenty of missing pulls.

Nice dovetailed drawers and mostly hardwood (otherwise I wouldn't even consider them for that price).

This buffet and hutch combo was a whopping $275.

Dovetails and dental molding. I thought it would be really pretty if it were painted like this coffee table.

I hated that they were squished up against each other (and other furniture) so I couldn't take nice pictures. Oh well.

Here are the swatches I ordered from NearSea Naturals. (The stickers were placed on the back side of the fabric if there was one so for the right texture or sheen I showed the front.) The really shiny one is the Natural Hemp Silk Charmeuse. The one underneath it is the Natural Hemp/"Raw" Silk. The others in that row are different weights of their jersey which is nice. I really like the Comfy White Interlock but it's "currently out of stock". Their wide-width sheeting is soo cozy. I'd like to make some sheets for myself but I know I don't need new sheets.

I love these three (of course I'm a sucker for thermal and navy and natural stripes lately). Sadly the Naval Strip is also "currently out of stock". I sent them an email asking them if that meant that they intended or at least hoped to get more in stock.

These peace silks are nice, too. They aren't as shimmery as the pictures on the site show but still very luxurious and textured.

I don't know what to order first. They're all so nice. I think I might pick the Color Grown Stripe Thermal. I'd like to make a maxi dress out of it to lounge around the house in.

Doodles

2009-05-16T16:06:00.000-05:00

Okay, long story but here goes:
I was looking at a blog that I just recently added to my "reading material" called "Once Wed" which is a venue to buy and sell once used wedding dresses as well as a blog about weddings. (How I stumbled upon it is another long story in itself so I won't go into it.) I saw a picture of a hankie that was sent out as a save the date.

So cute! So I was looking for how to print on fabric (which I had found on another website previously). But I wanted to make a hankie that was just for me, not a save the date, just something pretty that looked like the vintage ones but with the organic cotton sheeting from NearSea Naturals. But I couldn't figure out where to find an image like those florals that I could just print straight to the fabric. And I thought "well, Illustrator has watercolor brushes and I remember seeing a tutorial on vectortuts on how to make a line drawing from a photo so I thought that might work. Then I remembered the cute little artist manikins that I also saw on Once Wed. So I decided that it would be really cute to have manikins dancing around the border of the hankie. I'm quite excited about this idea. I've already made a quick doodle of one but I soon rediscovered that drawing with a finger on a trackpad sucks and that to do it right I need a tablet (especially in my profession; why I didn't get one earlier I have no clue). So that's my new mission. To go to the apple store (or maybe eBay) and buy a wacom tablet. Because once I get used to it, illustrations will flow much easier.

Here's my doodle. Please don't try to steal it.

Stubborn Dog

2009-05-15T19:20:00.000-05:00

I took the dog for a short walk as I had done the days before. She only took a minute or two to turn around those days but today was different...

It all started the same. Exploring our front yard.

Then we continued our walk to the end of the pretty yard across the way.

Where I tried to turn her around like the other days...

But noooo.

I let her sit for a while.

I know she likes sunning herself.

Alright... we gotta go...

You're gonna get ticks...

I tugged and tugged and even had the neighbor try but it even took him a long time to get her home. We were out there for about 30 minutes for less than a 0.1 mile walk... Ridiculous.

Later during dinner I was walking from the kitchen to the other fridge when I thought I was about to step over a vacuum cleaner cord... not so. I knew something was wrong when it ended abruptly. It was a snake... in the house. Thank goodness I stopped. Before I could take his picture inside he moved so dad swept him out the door. Here he is around the loose bricks behind the planter on the porch.

Here's Thelma Lou on her couch a few days earlier. Much more adorable than being completely stubborn outside under the blazing sun.

My practice dress.

2009-05-13T16:41:00.000-05:00

I cut out my "muslin" and my other pattern pieces today. I'm quite happy with how they turned out. Now I just have to get up the nerve to start cutting the pillowcases. Actually, I have to find fabric for the lining first since the order that I sew them together in requires that I have both fabrics cut out before I start sewing. I'm still trying to figure out the exact order since some of the stitching seems almost impossible...

First I cut out the front panels and stitched them.

Next I cut the back panels and stitch them together and at the shoulders to the front.

I realize that this is the wrong order considering how the Anthro dress' lining was stitched and such.

The waistband and the side panels.

I stitched the side panels to the front and back and measured from there to find that the waistband would fit. I also tried the top on and I think it will fit (though it might could be a little smaller but I'd rather cut it a smidgen too big than too small).

This came in the mail today and I was bored so I flipped through it.

It's Sella! He taught at UA for a long time until his wife developed Alzheimer's so he had to retire and take care of her. I never had him for any of my classes which is both good and bad. Bad in that he is a very talented artist; and good in that he never sugar coated anything. My aunt (who is in her 60's I believe) idolized him when she studied at UA.

This picture is my favorite since he always wore his nice suits. He also gave everyone in his classes crap about not wearing clothes as nice as his, haha.

Drafting for my new dress.

2009-05-12T22:33:00.000-05:00

I've started trying to draft a pattern for my pillowcase feedsack dress. I measured Allison's Anthro dress and came up with these plans. I'm always scared to start cutting things so I may just make a muslin out of leftover drop cloth from my tulip skirt.

I was thinking about this same shape for the Lee Feeds feedsack but I still don't have everything I need for it. Still looking for the right quilt or fabric for the back panel.

I'm trying to figure out what to wear with my new J.Crew shorts. I love the retro stripe. I paired it with my navy "boyfriend" tee and my Max Studio blazer from many years ago.

I tried it with the white shirt first but I didn't like that. I like having the shirt act like the next stripe.

I think I like it better with my yellow blazer better than this Banana Republic jacket.

I kinda like it with my new Death Cab t-shirt, too. I really hate that Squishy Judy is fatter than me. I really need to fix that.

I took a couple of pictures of Lou last night. She usually lays down in the master bedroom when we're watching tv, getting ready for bed.

In Chinatown you can buy a bag of zippers this big for a dollar...

2009-05-11T19:09:00.000-05:00

Today I took out two more zippers for mom since you can't really tuck in a shirt that has a zipper in it.

All the zipper's I've amassed from mom's tops (minus 2 white ones that I used for the pillow case). Notice a trend, Mom?

One of my new obsessions is NearSea Naturals. They have lots of organic fabrics and yarns and such. I like my "boyfriend" tees from Target so much that I kinda wanna make a dress in an organic cotton.

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T22:05:00.000-05:00

During jury duty I started making another pair of socks which I decided would be Mom's present for this mother's day. I remembered that she said that she thought they were pretty. I got her some sour gummy worms, too, since that's been our junk food obsession recently.

The gift bag.

Old Projects: Twinkle Knits and Me In Them

2009-05-07T21:25:00.000-05:00

I finally took pictures of me actually wearing my Twinkle knits. First is the Groovy Sweater dress size S. (btw my measurements are approximately 33-28-35.5)

In Lavish Fibres Alpaca (Guava) Bulky, 3 strands held together. (I think it was 12 skeins... Or less, idk.)

The Evening Shell. In size S which fits well.

In Brown Sheep Burly Spun Lemon. It took 1 and a half skeins.

The Balthazar Vest. (without the detail on the sides since this was only my third project and I didn't quite understand counting when it came to yarnovers) In size XS which fits well.

In Cascade Magnum Blueberry (which sometimes looks purple).

Here's the free Kangaroo Tunic pattern from the Classic Elite website. In size S. (I tried the XS and it was too small).

In the beautiful Cascade Magnum Veridian. It has such a wonderful combination of green, blue, and even red. (it took 2.25 skeins)

Fyi this one and the vest were made back before I learned how to knit properly. My "teach yourself to knit" book taught me to knit into the back of the stitch instead of into the front thus the stitches are twisted on these. So my knitting is much better now.

And the Best Friend Cardigan. In size S which fits like an XS which is good since you don't want it too be too bulky.

In Lana Grande Ivory double stranded.

I didn't think my mom was getting my head in the picture so I didn't smile. Oh well.

So when fall and winter roll around again (or now even) and you're looking for a chunky knit feel free to request a custom item from me on Etsy. I would be happy to make something for you.

Death Cab, Jail, and a Lost Dog

2009-05-06T22:34:00.000-05:00

So the Death Cab concert last night was AWESOME! I would normally think of their music as kinda mellow but they were rockin' out! I wouldn't have recognized Ben Gibbard because he's lost so much weight and has grown his hair out. The lighting was amazing, too. The band that went first was okay. Then Matt Costa and his band were next; which I thouroughly enjoyed. Then the amazing Death Cab. I was so ticked that I forgot my camera and I didn't have time to go back and get it after jury duty.

Matt

Matt on the Piano

Death Cab! (after I figure out why my phone stopped taking pictures; it was full)

The drive home wasn't bad at all. I got home at about 12:45 but still had to be at jury duty at 9 am. Then at lunch time we went on our tour of the jail on top of the courthouse, then lunch at the prison, then the D-home. It was quite an experience.

My view from the vans they drove us around in.

I was glad that we didn't see the prisoners for too long. The stares creeped me out. I'm glad I didn't wear something too girly; just my new Death Cab shirt with a cardigan and my skinny jeans. The only time we were in the same room as any inmates was in the kitchen as they were working away. One of the female officers asked me if I was old enough to be on the grand jury. So many anecdotes so little time! I was so tired on the way home that I decided I was going to take a nap right when I got home. But of course not. I found a dog in the middle of my lane on my way up the mountain. Thank goodness no one was behind me. So I threw my car into park and got out and said "hey" and stuck my hand out for him to sniff and saw that he didn't have a collar so I said "you wanna go for a ride?" and he jumped right in. All the way home I heard him licking and biting himself because he was wet and itching so badly. He had some bugs on him. I don't know what kind. He probably had worms, too. Poor thing. He was really sweet though. At first he didn't want to get out of the car since it was so cozy compared to outside. That reminds me, I need to clean my back seat... Anyways, we called animal services and a lady came and got him. To get him out of the car we brought Themla Lou outside. He got out to greet her... not so hospitably. He growled at her as the hair on his back stood up so we kept them separate. But otherwise he was really sweet.

Poor cold, wet, tired, itchy doggy.

Sleepy, sleepy.

"You woke me for this. I don't appreciate having my picture taken."

"Who's there?"

It's the animal services lady.

The nice lady went to get him a leash.

She brought him a peanut butter cracker but he didn't take it. So he must not have been wandering for long. We plan to put up a sign or two to let the owner know where he is.

Feedsack Dress Plans

2009-05-04T20:31:00.001-05:00

Last night I was drawing out ideas for the feedsack I bought on eBay. I'm really excited about it. I just thought this one was so unusual and kinda funny.

I saw my sister's new anthro dress and I liked the shape alot so I decided I'd draft my own (shorter) pattern from her dress. Thank goodness it has the vertical stripes so I can measure out how wide each piece of fabric is even if it's gathered.

I think I'd use the "Manufactured by Stevens Milling Co. Broadway, N.C." on the waist band and from the top stars to "Poultry and Livestock" for the skirt. I still have to figure out where to put the bottom stars and text ("100 lbs. net" and "Poultry and Livestock") and the "100 lbs. net" at the top. Since I'm pretty sure I don't have enough fabric for the whole dress I'll have to find a fabric to go with it. Though I think I might try to find a quilted pillow cover or a cutter quilt so I can do something like this on the back.

Ashley's Wedding Present

2009-04-30T23:16:00.000-05:00

I'm glad I found a good item on Ashley's registry that was in my price range. When I give gifts I like to make it a "set". When Casey had her wedding shower I got her the cupcake pan and oven mitts that were on her registry so I also gave her red velvet cake mix and cream cheese frosting all displayed in a large lime green (her favorite color) bucket that she could chill her beverages in. So I got Ashley the set of wine glasses (12 for $10 surprisingly made in the U.S.) with my 20% off coupon and a bottle of wine to go with them. So I finally found a good way to attach the wine bottle to the bulky box of wine glasses.

I found a set of pillowcases from Walmart that I had saved for such an occasion. I slightly unfolded the first and slid the bottle into the pocket that the folds made. At first I tried it with the second pillow case covering the box but dad and Allison thought it would look better without.

So I just put the second one underneath the bottle for extra cushioning. Though I could just save it for another such occasion. Idk...

Together the glasses, wine, and pillowcases cost under $25 including tax!

Sparkly!

2009-04-29T21:53:00.000-05:00

I got my Etsy shoes a couple of days ago and I finally took "appreciation pictures" tonight.

Yay! They're finally stretched out enough to wear thanks to my mom's shoe stretchers.

And the feedsack that I bought came today. It needs a little cleaning but I'm going to research that more because I'm pretty sure if I wash it all the colors will run or get completely washed out. So I have to figure out a different way. Still contemplating what shape of dress and what other fabrics to use.

Eagle Pillow

2009-04-28T23:33:00.000-05:00

It's finished! It didn't take very long. It's going to be pretty hard to find a pillow that fits because it's huge. I might just use poly-fil if I can't find a good enough fit.

I called the lady at the employment agency and she said that the employer was calling potential employees and that she heard that he offered it to someone. I haven't received any calls so it obviously wasn't me. So back to the job boards.

Stubborn Dog

2009-04-27T20:16:00.000-05:00

I took the dog for a short walk and she got all stubborn and pulled herself out of her collar about 6 times. So I just thought "screw it, I'll just walk up the yard and see if she'll follow me." She did but then she plopped herself down in the shade. So I just sat down on the stairs and waited for her for a little while. Then I went to try again.

But to no avail so I sat down near her because she'll usually get up and get closer so that I'll pet her but she didn't.

Bored.

My view. And an update on the tree. They cleared a little bit more to expose the fire hydrant.

Two Projects In One Day!

2009-04-26T21:28:00.000-05:00

I finally made a pincushion! No more stray pins!

Here are the beginnings.

That's the bottom. No fabric yet. Just lots of batting and foam. I decided to use a dark red fabric for the bottom because the bottom of the cake is never frosted so I wanted it to be my favorite, red velvet!

It's pinished! haha.

I added one of those t-shirt flowers to the top.

Yay fuzzies.

Red Velvet!

No more stray pins.

Here's the quilt binding necklace.

I used a twill tape ribbon for the bow.

It's more of a crimson color than red.

Here's the design from the bedspread that I used for the cake. I'm gonna make a giant pillow for my bed (about 2' x 3').

It's much fluffier than it looks.

Here' the portion of the spread that laid on the pillows. It's gonna be the back.

I don't know if I'm gonna try to find a pillow that size and use a zipper or if I'm just going to stuff it with poly-fil and just stitch it up.

I love it when projects are quick, easy, and cute!

Skirt's done!

2009-04-25T13:51:00.000-05:00

I finished this skirt today. It only took me about half of each day for 3 days. Not bad! Especially considering the trouble I had with the zipper. I finally resolved that by ripping out the stitches that connected the bottom to the waistband at the zipper and folding the petal layer under so that it isn't connected to the zipper.

The seam ripper is one of my most frequently used tools.

Now the fold leaving a seam allowance for the zipper in the waistband and the bottom layer. I had to do a lot of careful maneuvering to get the stitches where I wanted them. (I guess I should have taken pictures while I was stitching).

Yay! I'm finished!

Oops... need to trim a thread.

I didn't fold the layers very well there after I put it on. All it needs is a little adjustment after I pull up the zipper and it lays just fine.

Overall I'm quite happy with it!

Next will either be a cake shaped pincushion out of an old chenille bedspread (an eBay find) or this quick little necklace that I'm going to make out of some old quilt binding (I think... some kinda edge binding) that I found. Etsy is great for inspiration!

New Skirt

2009-04-24T22:46:00.000-05:00

I found an old bookmark for this cute tulip skirt last night when I was cleaning out and organizing them and I just had the urge to start making it right then... so I did. I had been wanting to make a dress out of a dropcloth so I decided that this would be just the project for that.

Here are the pieces I cut out. I used the waistband from some random skirt pattern I had in my pattern drawer.

Here are the front, back, and petals put together.

Now with the waistband (which I had to adjust).

Now all that's left is to attach the zipper (which is a little complicated considering I want the petals layer separate from the under layer in the back) and attach the back of the waistband. Yay!
Today my mom and I went to Home Depot and got some flowers, seeds for a veggie garden, and some herb plants. Then we went to pick up the dog from the vet (she just needed a bath) and then we went to Publix because we forgot a few groceries. Out front they had some pretty hanging plants so we got two of those for the front porch. A stem of it fell off in the car so I handed it to my dad and he put it in this Jim Beam mini. And I thought it was so cute sitting there on the window sill near sunset so I just had to take pictures.

One More.

2009-04-23T14:11:00.000-05:00

Yay! I finished the second little bag!

Here's everything for the other big bag (the last one!) except I need to cut out the center pocket. For some reason I missed that one when I cut everything out (at least I still have the pattern piece).

This is to give you an idea of how much of a size difference there is between the little bag and the big bag.

I plan on making a bag like this (except with the really easy flowers from a previous post).

I have the fabrics, now I just have to find a frame on Etsy!

Luggage and Outfits

2009-04-22T22:35:00.000-05:00

Today I attached the sides to the last little bag. I still need to stitch the lining to it which shouldn't take long.

Tada!

I also picked out things to wear with my new J.Crew skirts.

With a v-neck tee, a long gold chain, and a cute pink J.Crew bracelet.

Here's my antique gold sequin top with the new army green skirt. I love how easy it is to pair J.Crew items from previous seasons with new seasons.

Here's my pumpkin Kate (I think) dress.

With a bejeweled grosgrain ribbon belt and a graduated gold filled necklace.

I don't know which one I'll wear to the gallery reception next weekend.

We Made It!

2009-04-21T22:06:00.000-05:00

I took Thelma Lou for one of her signature long walks today since it was only 60 degrees out and breezy when we left so I figured that today was a great day for a long walk. We ended up going all the way to the end of the street. 2.45 miles round trip! It took a little less than 2 hours.

I saw a pile of twigs and such... but in the pile were a few fake Christmas tree twigs, too. Weird.

Trotting along.

Almost to the end!

We made it! Time to climb in the wagon and head back.

Thelma Lou's Rocky Moment.

Tired but accomplished.

Heading home.

I saw these cute flowers and thought they'd be cute in tiny little pots as centerpieces.

Anyone know what they are? I feel like I should know this but I don't.

We were "greeted" by many dogs along the way.

This one was more polite. He did let out a bark or two when his mom showed up but then he quieted back down.

Recent Purchases

2009-04-20T19:42:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been looking on eBay and Etsy for cute things. I found a listing for 75+ yards of wide eyelet trims but it went for twice the price I was willing/able to pay for it. Very sad since it was so perfect. I've also been looking for vintage feedsack fabric because I love the texture of it so I found a set of 2 feedsack pillowcases that I won (yay!) and I bought a set of prints from the same seller since they were so cheap and cute, too.

I don't know if I'm going to use them as pillow cases or whether I want to make one into a skirt. We'll see.

I thought these Parisian street prints were cute. And the starting bid was only 99 cents so I bid $5 and ended up getting them for a little under $3 not including shipping or insurance (which I always get). Obviously they need frames but it might be cute to make frames out of the old deck.

I'm also waiting on these over-the-top shoes that I bought on Etsy.

I've also had my eye on this but I know I can't afford it right now but it's very tempting.

See? You can even open the drawers from either side! It would make such a great work table!

I finished one of my smaller bags but I didn't take a picture. I'll do that when I'm working on the other small one.

I've also got a few calls from the lady at VIP Personnel (employment agency) saying that she had 2 openings that might work for me. One is for a clerical job at an ad agency (because they want someone with experience at an ad agency so they don't have to train them) but it's also only temporary (I'm pretty sure this is the one that's temporary) which seems kinda pointless to shack up with family in Birmingham for a few weeks of work, but whatever. The other is an entry level graphic design position at a promotional product design company which would be permanent (and awesome!) but they're looking for someone that can be there practically tomorrow which is fine but I hope they're fine with letting me off in two weeks for my last week of jury duty.

The BFA Juried Exhibition

2009-04-19T21:32:00.000-05:00

Today I helped Adam set up his sculptures for the BFA show. I didn't help a whole lot; I mostly just dusted and carried stuff in. Sorry for the bad light. I don't know why that happened.

Here's the second floor of the studio where the show is being held. Fancy.

Adam saw this spot at the beginning of the stairs and thought it would be a great place to install his "Infestation" of nonfunctional teapots.

Two of his favorites out of the 45.

From the second floor.

They wouldn't let him mount his 4'x8' Mario walls on their walls so he had to make these supports to stand them up to 7' in an equilateral triangle in about 2 or 3 days.

"This One Time My Brother and I Totally Saved This Wicked Hot Princess" (because they're Italian plumbers, what else would they call her?)

"MARIO: Post Mushroom" (again sorry for the flash messing them up)

"Third battle: The dragon" (a reference to Beowulf; epic hero story)

A classmate of Adam's, Jeremy, does awesome clay work, too! I believe this one is the "god of money" (and is already sold)

This one is the "god of oil" and it's also already sold.

And this one is the "god of war"

With bullets down his back.

The public is invited to a reception for the exhibitors on Friday, May 1, 5:00 – 7:00 pm, at the Harrison Galleries, 2315 University Boulevard, in downtown Tuscaloosa.

If a tree falls....

2009-04-16T22:36:00.000-05:00

My dad and I were sitting in the kitchen watching the season premier of Deadliest Catch when we heard a few cracks and crunches. We both looked at each other, puzzled, but then I realized, "The tree!" It finally fell at a little before 10 tonight. It blocked the whole road.

Missed da bugger!

My favorite shot.

The poor fire hydrant.

The hydrant and the "spooks" as Allison calls them.

I had to go into Photoshop and bring the curves almost all the way up to get anything to show up even though I used the flash and one of the brightest flashlights we own (and we have awesome police grade flashlights).

Old/Continuing Project: Shabby Chic Luggage.. again

2009-04-16T19:20:00.000-05:00

Today was the dreaded task of adding the trim and attaching the sides. The worst task of sewing for me.

First I attached the pockets to the sides.

Then I had to measure my trim to see if I had enough for both little ones and the other big one. I had to stretch the smaller length but that gave me enough. I think that trim was discontinued so I had to make it work.

The ends aren't always easy to manage (but I later figured out that tear mender helps keep the edges from fraying) but they end up being hard to spot once the sides are on.

30 minutes later...

This is why I hate attaching the sides. I end up accidentally grabbing a bit of the body underneath the foot and getting it caught up in the seam and I have to rip out and redo that spot.

Another wrinkle.. (one of many)

Yay! Done with one! (2 more sides to go)

I still have to stitch the inside to the zipper.

Spending my $57.50

2009-04-15T18:27:00.000-05:00

I've been looking on Ebay and such for things to make dresses (or whatever) with. I keep telling myself that I need to stop but the thrill of making something pretty says "it's okay to look!" Recently I found 2 dresses on Etsy that I thought would be fun (and fairly cheap) to make.

I found this one first. I don't really care for how open the back is or that there are some darker tans in it, but I do like the overall concept.

I like that this one only has the ruffles on the bottom and that they're gathered instead of pleated.

So I've been hunting for lace and muslin. I found a listing for 114 yards of assorted colors (white through light tan) of muslin but it's $69 plus $20 for shipping (which is a good price for that much yardage but I don't need that much *sigh*). I think this dress would be really cute with layers of eyelet trim!

On a different note, here are the pictures of the few trees across the street that are leaning/falling.

They (at least 2 or 3) are lined up gettin' ready to kill Dad's car.

It looks like it's lurking, trying to sneak up on the car. What a creeper.

The break.

All the other trees leaned to the left. But Jeffery was different; so he leaned to the right.

Encroaching on the road.

If/when it falls I'll try to take pictures before they clean it up.