From Swap to Pizza Night

As you know Project Runway Season 9 has started and I am tickled pink. I am not a real big tv/reality person, but I just love this show! Yeah there is unnecessary drama, but I still love seeing the process of the design and garment from the start to finish. It is very inspirational, emotional and motivating for me.

This year I decided to have a Project Runway Premiere Pizza night. I made pizza from scratch and about 9 people came over to eat and watch the first episode. It was super fun and the pizza actually came out okay.

Since I was making this an event I of course had to wear something I made. At the last clothing swap I went to I got a lot of great pieces. One of them was this bright yellow Gordon's Gin cotton dress. It was sewn by a girl at the swap. I immediately saw it and had to have it. It was a little tight so I added a side zipper so that I could get in and out of it. So I wore a hand made dress that I got at a swap and I tailored it. If that doesn't say Project Runway then I don't know what does.

This Thursday I will be in my pj's on the couch with a glass of wine to watch it, next week who knows....

Rush Hour Outfit

Last Wednesday after work I started looking through all my thrift store finds that I have said I would alter and make modern and wearable. I found this long silver robe. I really liked the fabric, the tassel and zipper in front, but it is huge and not flattering. The cool part is that it is homemade, but not by me.

From this to this

I cut the back in half and then took much of the fabric off so it is more fitted. I cut fabric off the bottom and hemmed it. I rolled up the sleeves and added a belt. In less than an hour I made this cute little number!

I am excited to get back into sewing and redo more thrift store finds!

Ms. America wins Award

I was invited to the 17th Annual Billy Carter Softball Extravaganza by my man friend Drunkle Sam. What this event is, is a bunch of old friends getting together and playing baseball, bbqing and just having fun and being silly on the 4th.

The weather has been nice in SF this summer so it sounded to me like a perfect opportunity to make an outfit. I spotted a cute pattern on burda.com. It was bustier top. I used the pattern and followed some of the directions, but pretty much just pieced it together as I went. I added boning and some padding from a swimsuit to make the cups. I used some scratch red white and blue fabric as well as gingham. To make it fun I added baseball themed fabric and baseball buttons. On the front I added ribbon and red balls. Yay! It was fun to design and make :)

At one point I went to catch a ball and the snap in the back broke. But being the sewing dork I am I had thread and a needle and fixed it and was able to stay in the game!

For the shorts I found some red and white pants from Goodwill. They were too big so I took them in and cut them to be shorts. I made the back pockets and sewed them on with buttons. With the leftover gingham I made a belt to tie the outfit together. Then I wore a tiny 4th of July hat. It was a fun day! Both teams I was on lost, but I did win the Reinforcements Award!
Drunkle Sam looked hot with his awesome 4th outfit! Thanks Sam for a fun 4th!

An Unexpected Home Sweet Home

I have moved yet again, but I already feel at home. I never felt at home at the last two places, so this is a good start. I moved to Hayes Valley in the inner part of San Francisco. For almost 8 years I have lived in the outskirts of the city, where it has been mostly, quite, residential, families, no scenes and has parking. Now I live in Hayes Valley on a busy street and I hear the city out my window. The cars and sirens whizzing by actually make me feel happy and young. Yes I'm weird! My new sewing space is all set up and I love it. Every morning I wake up and feel inspired because I have a clean neat workable space. This is the creative space I have been wanting. My room has tall ceilings, a chandelier, fire place, bay windows and long curtains; all of which add to the lovely space.

I wouldn't have choose Hayes Valley for myself because the neighborhood is a little poshy, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity. It is a central location and close to most everything. My roommates are great! Super friendly, mature and fun. A few days ago we had a roommate dance party in the kitchen.

The neighborhood:

I look forward to creating my next projects in my new home...bikini, boat shade thing and a hairpiece.

A Simple Slip Back Into Sewing

Okay so I took the month of April off from sewing. I have been busy at work and enjoying life. But now this simple slip has got me thinking about sewing again. My coworker needed a slip to go under a dress she is going to wear to her brother's wedding. She came over with a linen fabric and trim and a bottle of wine and we made what resembles a slip.

I took a tight under dress that I already had and copied the outline on the fabric, making sure to add more seam allowances so that it wasn't tight. Then I sewed the two sides together, sewed on the trim at the bottom and cleaned up the edges.
Walla the slip!

In the 1900's, silk slips were born to be worn under clothes. Women nowadays don't really wear slips anymore. Women wear more pants now because clothes are not as thin and they are lined.

Here's a peek-a-boo of the slip on Sarah!

Last Day as a Twenty Something

6:15 am - Alarm goes off, hit snooze a couple times. What to wear? Oh yeah the same thing everyday!

7:00 am - Off load trees from the delivery at the office with Sarah, building muscles, feeling good.
7:30-11:00 - Sit on my butt and organize stuff for my next two plantings in my cubicle.

11:30- 12 - Meet a board member at Kaiser to mark 12 spots for trees. Yay!

12:30- 2:00 - Survey and work on 5 trees in Hayes Valley, that I planted in November. I should have brought a ladder. Oh well.

2-3:30 - Make calls and write e-mails for my upcoming plantings.

3:30 - 4:30 - Work my ass off at the gym, or should I say get an ass. :)

4:45 - Buy myself a Just Deserts cake, I deserve it!

5:15 - Shower my sweat off and look at my twenty something naked body one last time...
5:45 - Feeling good and high on life, dance around my room to 80's music, with my clothes on.

6:00 - Make a White Bean Fennel soup with many items from my CSA: fennel, onion, garlic,

chard, tomatoes...

6:30 - Wait for the soup to simmer and write on my blog. I wish I had a glass of wine, but I should save myself for tomorrow.

7:00 - Devour the soup. OMG it is so good! I have lunches for the rest of the week. I wonder what else I can eat, maybe some cake? I wish I had bought some good cheese and bread at the market :(

7:30 - I have no will power and eat a piece of cake.

7:30 - Sew the Rock N Roll dress (another post about this later) while listening to Radio Valencia

10:00 - Watch Bob's Burger's and some Dancing with the Star's on Hulu. I know Dancing with the Star's what? It's lame, but get sucked in....

10:45 - Think about tomorrow and how great the last week has been and drift into dream land...

Is that not what you expected for my last day as a twenty something? Well I thought it was a great last day!!!!!!!!

In my twenty's I had some very hard times, but also many good times. I am ready to say good bye to my twenty's and move onto a new chapter in my life in the dirty 30's club.

Birthday Suit

I started the curtains, but have not finished them. I like making things I can wear, so I am not surprised. I moved on to my Birthday Suit (outfit). It is exactly one week till I turn 30. My party is this Saturday and my outfit is actually done! This is what my room looked like as of this morning...

So I made a romper. A romper is a one-piece garment; a combo of a shirt & shorts. Rompers first a[ppoeared in the U.S. in the early 1900's as children's play suits, but now grown women wear them?????? I have always disliked them. I don't see the point. I like clothes that are simple and functional. Also, if you have to go to the bathroom, it takes a few extra seconds when wearing one of these.

Why would I want to wear one for my 30th?

Well I saw this new pattern, Mcalls 6331 with this 16 year old girl on the envelope and I said I can wear that better than her. 2nd I thought it might be fun to make. 3rd I still have the body for it. 4th I can wear whatever I want on my B-day so why not make something I haven't made yet.



I had these two pin-up camping fabrics that I think are hilarious. So I used the female camping pin-ups for the top of the romper and the male pin-ups for the shorts.

I added the sequined halter tie and a red zipper in back with a hook and eye.

I had the skinny blue belt that I think goes well with it.

I spent a few hours last night and some time today to make it. It was pretty easy to follow the pattern. I tried it on and it fit perfectly and I look damn hot in it! That was a surprise!!!!

The weather might be rainy on Saturday so I will pair it with some tights and boots and it's ready to wear in San Francisco.

Now I am ready for my Scavenger Hunt/Karaoke 30th Birthday Party!