Uuuuh....still way off...

Yeah....I finished 2 of the skirts on the list though! And just happened to make another maxi dress, this time lightweight black poly knit. And I broke my rule...Twice actually...I bought a bit of knit that I had been longing after because it's so deliciously soft. BUT I got it for a STEAL, like seriously. I got almost a yard and a half for $1.50. And the other breaking of the rule was last night when I worked. All the value fabrics and mark down fabrics were 60% off, plus 25% off that. So I got 3 different colored laces to make tops out of for $3.70. So really, not bad going down only $5. Right? Right?

Well, anyways. I got the 2 floral skirts done. Just simple elastic waist skirts. They were both the same print but in such different colors that they don't look the same unless you stare at them for a while. One was a bit longer than the other, so I made a really wide hem on it that I may have to take up a bit more...The blue one looks goo knee-length, but the coral and cream on I prefer shorter. But I'll leave it for now.

The maxi was a really simple tank style, may end up having to put elastic in the waist, may not. It's really really long, but I like having the option to make it extra blouse-y.

As for the lace, I cut the pieces all up last night and got the side seams sewn. I hemmed the sleeves this morning and just have the neck bindings left. I cut the necklines all different. The navy is a V-neck, the aqua (really bright 80's aqua) is a rounded neck (which might get cut a bit deeper), and the copper is a wide boat neck. I'm using the scraps I cut out of the sides as the neck binding. They should get done Thursday if not tonight after I get off work.

I've just been sewing up a bleeding storm and it has been fun.

Got a teensy bit sidetracked.

I went a bit off path this past week, but I have 4 pieces to show for it. I make the Le Sac dress and a maxi dress out of the knit from my AM and tore apart an old skirt that I made (serious monster of a skirt) and made a top and a skirt.

The Le Sac dress came together very quickly. It's literally a rectangular sack with a casing at the top. I didn't even have to do any shaping. Well, if I had it would have messed up the whole convertibility thing. Anyways, it came out cute and only took about 1 1/8 yards. Took about 1 hour, maybe a touch more because I was having an allergic reaction to the cat hair on the fabric.

The maxi came out a lot better than planned. I originally wanted to do a deep front and back scooped neckline, but ended up liking the simple neckline I cut just to be able to get my head through the hole. I made the bodice of the dress fitted in the bust and just slightly loose in the waist with an elasticated waist. I added some small embellishments to the shoulder with the left over strip I cut for the neck binding. I even added pockets. Took about 2 1/2 hours.

The skirt I tore apart was white and navy stripe knit. It was a beast. Seriously. It had 2 full yards of 60" wide material. Plus some scraps from the uneven edge because I was the first to get a piece off the bolt. It came out cute, but it was way too impractical for regular wear. So, last night I pulled it down and tore out all the seams and hems (30 feet of hem, mind you. My hand cramped) and started piecing together a simple skirt. The wonderful thing about the knit was that it had 4-way stretch, so I was able to piece together a strip to add to the bottom of the skirt with the stripes going vertically. I did the same with the top. Which was a very simple loose tunic type one.

The top I added one of the pockets from the original skirt (for my phone, nothing worse than not having a pocket) and an anchor out of red button. I was not aware that I was out of red buttons, but I was lucky enough that a pack of pink buttons I bought had ones dark enough to look like red. I just glued them on because I was really and have another allergic reaction to something.

So, all in all, I didn't get any of my listed projects done, but I made up for it by getting 4 other ones I had in mind done instead. I also have tomorrow off from work, so I may end up doing some of the simple skirts.

I have made a decision...

I am not going to by any more fabric. None. Absolutely none. Unless it is without a doubt absolutely necessary to finish a project. No more buying it just because it's on sale. I filled an 8 foot closet and still have fabric left over. I've only been really buying fabric for about 2 years. I need to finish the projects I have on my list and use up my stash. I tried to make it "I'll only buy fabric that I really really want..." But that would not have gone well. So I'm just cutting it off. It'll save me money and let me get through the fabric I already have.

Might as well make this a bit of an update too (again with the bullets).

• My best friend moved back from the other side of the state. Her roommates were...awful. She had to pay for everything because they weren't making much at their jobs. It was really bad...But she's back now!
• I did move in with my boy. It's a fricken' small apartment and we're already planning on moving in the Besty in October.
• My new boss is...bad. She just doesn't know how to run a store because she's never been a manager before. On top of that, a girl that was hired in December got promoted to assistant manager (I'm not upset about that) and she's not taking the job well either.
• My sister has moved back up here. She had issues with her roommate.

Not much else other than that I think.

Chambray Skirt and Skeleton Hoodie - DONE

End of the first week is near out and I managed to kick myself in gear and get 2 projects done.

First, Chambray Skirt.

Really quick project, I was just being a procrastinator on finishing.


Second, Skeleton Hoodie.

This one has taken me a full year to finish. It was a sweater my old roommates mother bought him and he didn't want it. So he gave it to me to have fun with. And have fun I did. The skull looks a bit crooked, well, because it was a bit uneven. If was originally the face of the hoodie and I cut it off and used the excess zipper to cover the curved edge. The skull was hand stitched on. I took the sleeves and added them to the hood, which I have fully removed and re-cut. Only problem with this that I have? It's waaaaaaaaaay to warm to even have it on for pictures.

Next project on the chopping block: Either the Victorian Jacket or the Aqua dress. Probably the dress. I may turn that into a top...

Okay, need to get my butt in gear.

I'm going to be trying to finish up a lot of my loose projects that are running around. So I'm setting up a goal, to finish at least 1 project a week, 2 if they are small. And I want to get pictures up of what I have finished.

I'll make a list, with a brief description of what it is and what needs to me done and check them off when I finish them.

Victorian Jacket - black and off white alternating pinstripe with a peplum, double breasted front, a wide collar and a contrasting red lining.
-finish putting together the shell and the lining, put everything together, button holes and buttons.      DONE


Shirt skirt - light blue chambray.    DONE

-finish the raw edge on top.


Skeleton Hoodie - refashion men's front zip up mask hoodie.    DONE

-take the bottom band in and reattach.

Aqua dress - remaking a dress I made for New Years.        DONE
-figure out what the hell I'm going to do with it...Which is mostly finishing the neckline and the sleeves and embellish.

Red plaid skirt - Red plaid straight skirt
-cut out the lining, and sew everything together.

Candy Corn dress - A dress I started making for work and hate with a passion.
-redesign it. I'm think cut the sleeves off and scoop the neck out. Redo the middle section.

Update: I'm adding 2 more projects that need to be done to this because I got 2 projects out of the way.

Pink Floral skirt - Simple elasticated skirt         DONE
Sew it.


Blue Floral skirt - Lined straight skirt         DONE
Cut out and sew

Post pictures of everything I have made since the Dragon skirt.

The last thing on my list is the make this jacket. I will not touch it until everything else on my list is done. Lost the original link. The pic is not mine. If anyone knows the link, please send it my way!

I have everything already in my stash to make this. I'll be making a mock up to get the pattern right out of teal corduroy and making it a bit shorter. I'll make the full length out of a black and gray plaid. My sister wants it out of "wasteland" brown. Which I surprising had the perfect fabric in my stash! So happy days! No has to buy anything! Maybe. I may have to go buy buttons and a zipper if the one I have isn't long enough, which I think it's too short...I also have the perfect pattern to mod too, the top part of it hits right where the pleats stop, so it'll be an easy pattern to lengthen and shorten as needed. And I'm rambling because this jacket has me seriously hot and bothered.

So...Hopefully I can get this all done before October! I set October as my deadline because that's when we either renew the lease on our apartment or move. I don't want to deal with pins in the move again. Hopefully, during this time I can get my Halloween costume done too. The last jacket, I probably won't get done before, though. I really don't want to start on it until everything else is done because it's going to take a few weeks to do. Because of the pattern drafting and the mock up.

UPDATE: Found the link here!

UPDATE - June 22: Only 2 pieces left! I may put them off a bit until I it heads towards fall. But then again, I might want to get them out of the way so I can get the jacket started and finished before fall!

Steveland Cleamer

Yesterday was the day my roommate and best friend left to move her stuff across the state. I barely held it together until she left. I didn't even make it back in the apartment after she left before I started crying. I started and just couldn't stop. I tried setting up my computer and upgrading it. It wasn't until my boyfriend took me to Fredmeyer's for Drain-o and to look at computer parts that I finally managed to stop crying. And I'm crying again right now.

Yesterday, I was just completely out of it all day. I couldn't function. I couldn't stomach food. I was just incredibly messed up. Caffeine, sleep deprivation and too much sugar seriously didn't improve the situation.

She left a lot of her treats and things behind which I've been systematically eating. I feel bad eating them and so fast, but I just really want them gone. First so they don't go bad and second that they'll just keep reminding me that she's gone. I'll see her again, but it's just not the same.

I went in her bedroom last night...It just looks so depressing. Small bits of trash everywhere and a few little things she didn't take with her. I almost broke down again last night, but managed to hold it together.

She's the only person I've every really considered to be my best friend. I've known her almost 6 years now. Every other friend I've ever had since my first friend when I was a kid hasn't lasted more that 2-3 at the most. I've just lost touch with them over time. I have a few friends. But none close, location-wise and emotionally. So this is killing me a bit. But I'll get over it, maybe.

She'll get internet and I'll be getting my phone soon. We'll have webcam movie watching days, rp days and sewing days. I'll be fine.


It really doesn't help that I've been incredibly stressed over work. We have a new manager with no current sewing experience. I'm worried about keeping my job. If I'll ever get promoted. If I'll get enough hours. Work has just been thrown through a loop, since the new manager knows nothing about the hours people need. It's just incredibly stressful. At least I've been sewing a bit.