Holiday craft idea #1: Funky Holiday Scarf

A group of friends and I sometimes get together and do crafternoons where we "make stuff, share ideas, drink yummy cocktails, and have fun!" One of our friends has taken the handmade pledge this year and in her words "basically means I will only gift things I make or I buy handmade...(stick it, corporate America and consumerism!!!)" So that means I am on the look out for cool crafts that we can make since the holidays are creeping up on us. This is a great project that I saw on-line. You use old scrap fabric and if you sew you have plenty of that. I think this would make a good gift for the holidays for that funky friend we all have.

Follow the link for instructions on how to make it.
http://www.burdastyle.com/projects/multi-fabric-scarf?image=70299

Not another dress

My sewing machine: Your making another dress?
Sally: Yes I am making another dress.
My sewing machine: Why?
Sally: Dresses are easier to make then tops or pants and more fun to wear.
My sewing machine: Don't you have enough dresses?
Sally: Yes, but I am going to another wedding.
My sewing machine: Can't you wear one you already made?
Sally: Yes, but it is fun to sew and every project I make I am trying to improve my skills. So there!

This is my new project for a wedding I am going to on Oct. 26th. I started working on it today. The 1st picture is the design of the dress and the 2nd is a stretch sateen fabric I am going to use for it.

My Sewing Bible

Two weeks ago I checked out an amazing sewing book from the library. It is actually the best sewing book I have seen and it just came out. It is a large book and covers every thing about sewing and many techniques. It is great because every technique has step by step photos. I am a very hand's on and visual person so this is great. Since the book just came out, I figured I couldn't find it used and it was a $40 book (sadly I can not afford that). I thought I would just renew the book till I couldn't renew it any longer and make copies of some of the pages. Atlas the reason why I am telling you this really intriguing story is that last week it came in the mail. A good friend saw my enthusiasm for the book and knew I would use it like crazy. He found a deal on-line and surprised me. It is very exciting for me. I will be using my new sewing bible all the time! If you want to learn how to sew or advance your skills I would recommend this book: The Sewing Book by Allison Smith

Coffee Date Dress Try #2

After watching The Fashion Show last season I was inspired by the winner Anna. Her creations are colorful, feminine and inspired by nature. Like the designer I want to be! So in honor and in inspiration I present to you my Coffee Date Dress. Well I guess it is more like an Espresso Date Dress because of the loud print. Since I don't drink coffee it should be my Date with the 60's Dress. It turned out a little too 60's Austin Powerish, but oh well. This is another burdastyle pattern I printed from the website. Ruffles seem to be back in fashion so how can you beat a seafoam colored ruffle. The ruffle is linen and the print is a cotton fabric in eggplant purple by Alexander Henry. I added 2 orange buttons (that my Mom brought back from Europe for me) on the back. Some fun things I got to learn how to do for this dress are: the invisible zipper in the back of the dress, an all-in-one facing, and the hem has a machine blind stitch. Your wondering where you wear such a loud dress like this, well I am going to wear it with the ladies of course and we will probably get into all kinds of Shenanigans. I have to say this has been a very hard dress to make and I thought it would have been easier since I have already made it once before.

P.S. My photo shoot was on the roof of my apartment.

Real Exciting!

Happy Monday! I know this probally isn't that exciting to most, but if you go to http://bitsandpieces.us/2009/08/26/how-a-sewing-machine-works/ it shows you how a sewing machine works.

Sally's Sewings On

• I cut out the fabric today for the new and hopefully improved Coffee Date dress. I will be working on it this week. Here's a sneak peak of the fabric:

• This week I was walking home from work and ran across a consignment shop in a ritzy neighborhood. That's a bad thing that I found it. It is called GoodBuys, but is still pretty fancy and expensive. I was inspired by these two dresses. I tried them on and took pictures so that I can try and make similar one's.
  
  
  
  
  
• I have made $28 on hemming and tailoring in the last 2 weeks. Some friends at my work found out I sew and they brought me some stuff. I hemmed a shirt and I tailored a jacket that turned out well, but when it came to the pants I struggled. Hopefully I can keep improving my skills so that I can make $ doing this to sustain my sewing hobby and to continue to make things for myself :)

Halloween it's not just for kids...

For the last four years I have really gone all out for Halloween. Bert's creativity with his Haunted House always inspires me to create a fun costume. Since Halloween is coming up (in two months) I have to start thinking about what I want to make. The only idea I have is to be Willie Wonka and sew a cool purple velvet coat, etc. If you have any cool unique costume ideas please leave a comment. Since this is a sewing blog here are my last 4 costumes I have made. You will see Bert's handmade costumes as well.

• Scary Princess
• Sandy the squirel from Spongebob (I won a costume contest for this one)
• Not a Happy Camper
• A bathing beauty from the 1920's