PAW.1: Hospital Gown Chic

It may, because of the post title, sound like I've got something going on. No. I just made a choice of fabric and then pattern that ended up looking a little more like a hospital gown than actual gown. After looking at this picture you will quickly see the error of my ways.

I love this fabric. It has all the great things going for it. Lightweight, subtle print, chambray! But what to make out of it. I've been sitting on it for about 6 months and was stumped. With the hot weather upon us, and wanting to make something quick (this came together in about 4 hours), I chose to make this shift dress. See, it even says "Very Easy".

I whipped this thing together, serged my edges, and even added pockets. There was some nice top-stitch detail, so I went for a little punch and made it fluorescent yellow. This was a stroke of brilliance as you will see later on. Once I tried it on, the man said it looks like a hospital gown, and I must agree, it did. Maybe a belt.

In the end, I tried a few of my belts and then remembered the fluorescent yellow belt I bought years ago. Yay! It was perfect. The dress came together and was perfect for the hot Seattle day. I gave the belt a twist to hide the buckle, but that skinny little thing pulled this out from a near disaster and waste of such a great fabric.

PAW: Week Zero

I call it Week 0 since I had decided that I was going to start this project and make something for my expectant friend. So this is kinda a gimme. Yay me!

Let me start off by saying that I am so stoked she is having a little girl! I love little boys, too, don't get me wrong. My nephew is the greatest kid I know. But, aside from sewing him a fun costume, boys clothes are basically pants and t-shirts. The creativity comes in with the styling, but the patterns aren't that different. Girls patterns have a lot of pieces and techniques that make them more challenging to create.

That being said, I saw this pattern and knew I was going to make it for someone. I mean, look at the ruffles and the little mary-janes. How adorable.

I think what really spoke to me was the fabric on the package. It isn't overtly girl-y and looked modern. I ended up choosing to make the romper with limited ruffles on the rear, more of a playsuit if you will. But, the tiny bows kill me.

Fabric choice was critical. I was making this for a friend, after all. Ultimately, I ended up with a great cotton quilting fabric. It was a nice non-traditional girls color with great floral. I knew it was perfect. One 50% off coupon later, a couple yards were mine!





So the cutting, pinning, and sewing began. Overall, it was pretty easy to put together. I had to make some adjustments so I could do some finishing with the serger to keep the woven fabric from fraying after washing and wearing. One of the things I got to do was put in snaps. I remembered the story my mom tells about putting all the snaps in our baby overalls and loving it... or at least that's how she recalls it. I'm sure it was the memory of sitting with my grandma and doing it together, not the actual process of squeezing every snap together.

It's the first time I made shoes, too. Those were tough. Keeping all those little pieces in place with sewing through them was a small challenge. I think they turned out pretty cute and I want to make more. Believe me, I have a pattern for that!






































I am so excited to see her baby in this soon, since she is due next week! I will be sure to update with a picture of her in it. I'm nervous and hope it fits (at least for longer than one wear)!

Week One is next and I already know what I'm going to make. Woo hoo!

Pattern-a-week

I have a weakness and it is patterns. If Joann's is having a sale, I go in and buy 10 patterns (or more) at a time. This means that I have a rolling pattern cabinet to rival the fabric store and the fabric to go with it. Btw, if you want a really cool cabinet, check out the Habitat for Humanity Store in south Seattle. They had the best prices.

Starting this week, I'm embarking on a quest to sew at least one pattern a week. That means finding the time, cleaning up my work area, and actually doing it. I'm kinda looking forward to it.

One thing that sewing has taught me over the last few years is that:

1. I really like to do it. Each pattern is like a puzzle that I'm putting together. It may look really weird for a while, but in the end it comes out pretty neat.
2. Technique is important. I like to get "it" done, otherwise it may go into the craft closet of no return. Sometimes I short-cut and the garment never looks quite right. I have learned to take my time, even if that means ripping out a seam (more than once).
3. Sewing for others can be more satisfying than sewing for yourself. I find I spend more time getting the details right if it's more someone else. I also like the reaction of the receiver. There is nothing better than a handmade gift from the heart (oh, my. so corny!)
4. Sergers rock! If you are a sewer and don't have one, save up. I was lucky and got mine as a gift and I LOVE IT! There is nothing like the finishing touches that a serger adds. Keeps all those pesky wovens from fraying everywhere! 

My goal is to improve my skills, one pattern at a time. If in the end I have 52 new things, I'll be pretty stoked. There may be some new tips along the way or some longer term projects that get mixed in (like the quilt I started a year ago). The majority of things that will get done will be from my collected patterns, but I'm open to requests, if there is anyone so brave to want something handmade by me.

Now, on to the hard part.

the secret garden

After living in our townhome for 3 years, one on the biggest wasted spaces was the backyard. I have made efforts to improve it with new garden boxes, weeding, and ground cover. Over the years, though, the weeds had taken hold and it was becoming our outdoor garage. The time had come to make it a useful space and a better "room" for our house.

These before and afters should make it clear how much of an improvement one day of work can make. Much thanks to my mom and dad that came over and put in a lot of work.

Here is our yard in the morning. Notice the dying plants, extra stuff piled all over, and weeds, weeds, weeds. The only ones that truly enjoyed the yard were the pets; it was like a jungle for them.

By 6 o'clock, our yard had undergone a massive transformation.

Believe it or not, the cost was mostly sweat and dirt. I did this on a budget of about $150 - $200. We were able to repurpose the large pavers but had to supplement with a few more (the embossed ones). I built a new 7' garden box, added a lot more dirt, and threw some pebbles in there to fill in the gaps and we were almost there.

I still need to work on the path along the side of the house and add in some bark in the flower beds. Just now, the lilies are starting to bloom and the dahlia bulbs are coming up out of the ground. The last touch will be a little bistro set to sit at for drinks after work. Maybe a bbq will be in our future. Keep on the lookout for some tomatoes from the garden!

one year later, i'm back.

back for 2 things.

1. actually posting with things that are interesting/important to me
2. inspiration

Success!

I think the best thing about losing weight is being able to fit in your clothes again.

Before I began, I bought a shirt at J.Crew (as everyone knows, my favorite on- and off-line store) that was a size 10. It was my inspiration shirt. When I picked it up, I couldn't fit one boob in it. Now, I fit 2, plus the rest of my body. I was elated! The color is amazing for summer... and I love silk! Go natural fibers. You know you want one, so shop here: http://bit.ly/nwagnt


 Now comes this morning. There are a pair of jeans that I hold on to. A pair of black Citizens of Humanity straight leg denim. They are my holy grail of making my legs look long and my butt look 6 inches higher. I looked at them and thought, well maybe today. All I can say is that it was so satisfying to put them on and not have to suck it in. Today is a happy day!

I started back a the gym this week and I can feel myself getting stronger. It gives me more inspiration to keep going and reach my goals! So does getting back into my skinnier jeans.

Welcome home, Jamie!

This past week my friend, Jamie Despres, traveled to Costa Rica with Soles4Souls. In the village of La Carpio, she and a small group of volunteers distributed hundreds of shoes to children. Each volunteer washes the feet of the child before fitting them with a new pair of shoes. This pair of shoes can be the barrier they need from disease and illness that can end their lives.

I was proud to volunteer my time making small notebook for the kids. Maybe next year, I will be able to do more than that.

To see more about the trip, you can read Jamie's blog, The Best Shoes Are Free, or the Soles4Souls blog.