Tag Archives: organization

September Thoughts

What have I been up to? Lots of sewing in actuality. Lots of school. Lots of coffee drinking.

Curtains from flat sheets

I made some curtains from flat sheets from walmart. They were SUPER easy and quick. I made 5 panels for about 20 bucks, in an hour, while photographing the process to do a tutorial on it. Seriously quick.

Curtains from flat sheets

I bought fabric a year ago to make nice curtains for my whole house, and I got through two rooms. So these provide privacy, and I won’t have to worry about them too much as we paint the living room.

Tank into a dress 9/2012

This is one of those tank dresses you’ve seen a hundred times all over the internet. Its a black tank top that came attached to a jacket/cardigan thing I bought. Then I sewed on a yard of this neat fabric that I probably paid a dollar or two for on the Reg Tag table. Its not shiny and satiny on the front, it has a bit of a rough slub to it, but the back is shiny and slippery satin, so it will work with tights in the winter too I think.

Home decorating painting project

I’ve been doing some painting for projects.

Home decorating painting project

Newest addition to the hippo collection. Birthday gift from my momma. I think he’s going to be spray painted silver and hang out in the office.

Home decorating painting project

Before Shots

Home decorating painting project

Aren’t they just lovely?

Then I made a belt to go with the Jaime Dress:
Belt

belt

belt

MUCH better with a belt!

photo

I’ve even tried my hand at bread making. The only other time as an adult that I have tried to bake bread or rolls or breadlike items, they have had a strange resemblance to hockey pucks. That’s what happens if you only let it rise half the time. But not this time!

homemade bread that didn't turn out like a hockeypuck!

homemade bread that didn't turn out like a hockeypuck!

I made a simple elastic waist drindl skirt for a friend’s birthday. Loved this fabric. It was a lightweight voile from that Global something or another line at JoAnn’s.

Elastic waist drindl for a friend

Well that’s what I’ve been up to sewing wise. I’m trying to get my studio in order and organized so I can move it to a bigger room and shampoo the carpets. Its currently about half way done. School is keeping me super busy. I quit the regularly scheduled sewing job a while ago, it was SO not the right job for me. I’m glad I did that. I’ve got enough freelance work to keep me busy for the next few months, so that’s exciting. As always, my sewing to do list is a hundred times longer than the actual time I have to sew for myself. I find myself anxiously awaiting graduation. I’ve got quite the case of “senioritis” and I think mine is worse than all the kids I go to school with because I’ve been working at it for so much longer than them. This will pass, and I’m trying to enjoy it while its here.

Anyone have an interest in a tutorial for the curtains? Maybe it would be a good thing to increase readership.

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News, Everyone!

Well friends and neighbors, it’s day 2 of Me Made March! Woot!

So far, so good. I have suddenly realized that I haven’t made that many clothes, and am VERY glad I included refashioned clothes in my pledge.

News A: I finished marking and cutting out the Yellow sheet princess seam button down… (it needs a name, I’m going to call it my Joyce shirt.) I basted my first princess seam together! Yay! It wasn’t as terrifying as I expected. Probably because I hand basted it and nothing can be scary when hand basting.

Joyce shirt's princess seam basted together

I think it’s going to take a while to finish it, so I have devised a devious new way of keeping my projects together. I would like to avoid another loss like the pin tuck shirt. (See News B.)
DSC_0205

Joyce shirt in new organizational method
In the big 2 gallon ziptop on the left is the leftover scraps and pieces of the fabric. Inside that bag go the two smaller bags, one with the tissue pattern pieces & instructions, the other with the cut and marked fabric pieces.

News B: I found that dang pin tuck shirt. I suppose I’m going to have to finish it now. Yippee Skippeee.

News C: I’ve started a tunic. Its Simplicity 4149.

The Annie Top

I’m calling it the Annie Tunic because my friend Annie once wore a shirt very similar to it, when I was just learning how to sew in 2008 or 09 and it is the inspiration behind it.

I’m making it out of a crinkly black gauzy cotton. It looks like it should be pretty quick to put together once it’s cut.

This is how big the babies are!
(Completely unrelated to sewing – babies in the greenhouse- So tiny and cute!)

News D:I got my point and shoot digital camera back from being repaired today! Yay!

News E: I drafted a new skirt pattern. Its a pretty simple A line skirt, but I had to complicate it with trouser style pockets, a waistband, and a front full length button closure. To be honest, its a knock off of Colette’s Beignet skirt. I am SO pro-small business, especially sewing businesses, and I try to support them whenever I can. BUT the fact is, the pattern is not available in my size, and I wouldn’t look good in that pattern as it is, so I’d have to do some major overhaul to wear it. Its easier for me to just draft a similar skirt myself.

Colette’s Very Cool inspiration skirt:

Inspiration skirt

First skirt drafting -Charcoal skirt

Hopefully I’ll get the Annie shirt or the dang pin tuck shirt done soon. Ooh or maybe the charcoal skirt…! Happy Wednesday!

Craziest February Ever

A couple weeks ago, class was cancelled because of snow. As of like 3 days ago, the snow and ice was still making getting around on foot a problem.

And since my post on bleakness? It has been in the 50’s or 60’s! CRAZY! I wore flip flops last night and today! In February! In Indiana!

In other news friends and neighbors, I’ve done no sewing. I’ve been busy doing random other things, like putting away so many clothes that it cost $30 at the laundromat to get them clean. While doing that, I realized that I have a severe lack of storage for clothes. Not enough hangers for stuff that can be hung, and not enough drawers for all the stuff that needs to lay down, like sweaters. I have a ton of tee shirts as well, not like the cute kind, but you know, the unisex Go Team or whatever kind. And I have no place to put them.

Until now.

And now I'm organized!

They’re in a hang on the door shoe rack! It is working FABULOUSLY! You can see what shirt it is, and they’re rolled up so they don’t wrinkle, AND they aren’t taking up closet space!! HOORAY!

Tee Shirt storage!

That’s all I’ve got today!