Back from Costa Rica

I’ve been quite the jetsetter this summer

The wedding was fantastic, I’ll have pictures to show ya’ll what I’ve been slaving over in 6 to 8 weeks, can’t wait to see all the pictures.

Lee and I are slowly getting our apartment in order, unpacking gifts, deciding where to put them, compiling a list of things we still need and writing thank you notes.  I want to have them all done by the end of the week so they can stop looming over me.

I am looking forward to this weekend when I might be able to sew something for myself, or at least plan some sewing for myself.  I need career clothes…for an as of yet undetermined career.  So if you see me sewing play clothes please remind me to make something appropriate for office wear.

I’m going to see how this new schedule with actual free time goes.  I’d really like to post here more often and if that works out I have a wonderful surprise planned for the future of this blog.

Leaving the Wedding Dress

No photos yet but I will tell you that I’m almost finished with my dress from the last post.  I worked on it for 6 hours straight yesterday.  Not doing any sewing for myself in the past 2 months meant I was ready to sit down and FOCUS!!!!!  I drafted the pattern, cut the pieces, sewed the bodice, added lace inserts, sewed the skirt, attached it, inserted the invisible zip (4 times!) and trimmed the lace for the hem.  HOW IS THAT FOR A PRODUCTIVE SUNDAY?  All I have left is the hem and minor fit adjustments and then it is finished.

I found my camera yesterday, but I can’t find the cord to connect my camera to my computer so I can’t show you the dress progress.  I figure the pictures my photographer takes will look a bajillion times better than any I can take anyway so you can wait for those.  You can also wait to see all the fabricy goodness in the wedding.

Today I sewed for about 30 seconds, to alter the dress I’m wearing on Friday to the rehearsal.  I found the perfect dress for the occasion for $13 but it was only available in a large, so I bought it and took it in real quick.

I’m eagerly awaiting the day when I have no more thank you notes to write and can sew to my hearts content everyday after work and twice on weekends!

The Silence is Broken

Hi All!

I’ve been super busy, working full time, moving twice, and planning all the last minute details for the wedding (t-minus 1 week!) I’ve hardly had a minute to sew, let alone post on this blog.  I’m not even entirely sure where my camera is right now so I don’t have any photos of anything I’ve done recently.

In this last week almost everything is finished so I think with the help of my mother I can make one last dress to wear as my going away dress at the end of the wedding.  After lots of dress shopping I finally fell in love with a dress that I can’t afford.

Problems with this dress:

1.  The color: not white or even ivory, it is called “cloud grey” and is darker in person than in their website photo.

2.  The pricetag: $298.

I think I can copy it by modifying the Lisette Passport dress pattern.

The plan is to get it cut out and pinned together tomorrow then sew as much as I can before handing it over to my mother to finish up while I’m working.  That being said it would be fantastic if I could finish the whole thing tomorrow, it being such a simple design and all.

We’ll see if I can squeeze this one in with all the chaos this week, if not I might have to break into my “emergency dress” fund and buy the BCBG dress.

Back from Paris…

I’m back from Paris and I have one more week off and lots of sewing and wedding things to do!  I’ll post later with some of the clothes that I made just in time to take with me to Paris, and some that I didn’t finish in time I’ll be finishing this week.  I’ll also start working on a bajillion yards of fabric bunting and the guestbook quilt for my wedding.  Today I’m going to try to finish my Chantilly dress, in AMH voile, then go fabric shopping for above mentioned wedding things.

I’m dreaming of an effortlessly chic wardrobe

I’ve been thinking alot lately about how to have an effortlessly chic wardrobe, about grabbing almost anything out of my closet, in any random combination and looking nice.  Of course I want as much of that wardrobe as possible to be handmade.  I think I got off to a good start with planning projects for the Spring Palette Challenge, even though I only completed 2 garments for the challenge.

I’d like to complete at least 3 new garments before I go to Paris, and here is what I’m thinking of:

1. another black skirt – I know I just finished that linen one with the elastic waist and I loved it when it was finished,  but it looks kind of frumpy after going through the wash a few times.  I also made that black rayon skirt last summer and LOVED it…to death, it died a few weeks ago and I need a replacement go to black skirt.  I’m thinking something like this skirt from J. Crew.  I’m going patternless on this one, something I haven’t done in a while. (honestly i haven’t gone patternless in a while for the sole reason that I’m out of pattern paper, lame, I know)
2. A boatneck t-shirt with cute buttons on the shoulders!  I have been eyeing this project in SEW U Homestretch since I bought the book.  I have some cream jersey thats been taking up one of my bolts that would make a nice t-shirt and I have tons of buttons laying around.  Also cream goes with almost everything
3. A dress, probably the Lisette passport dress, maybe even a few of those in a few different colors, or one solid, one all over print and one with contrasting colors/prints, if I have the time.

I also need to finish that secret project of mine.  I’d like to get the whole top done and get the sandwich basted together, then I can hand quilt and bind it on the 2 long plane rides I have coming up, or if I get the top finished early enough I can machine quilt it and hand bind it on the plane.  Either way that quilt is coming with me to occupy me on the plane.  The only other hand sewing project that I’m working on is way too super secret to bring on the plane (hint: its something for the wedding that I can’t let Lee see)

Speaking of the wedding, head over to kati365 to see my little seedlings that will hopefully be my wedding flowers.

What are the effortlessly chic items in your wardrobe, or the ones you wish you had?

New Daily Blog

Sometimes I feel like writing a post but it isn’t related to sewing or I want to write but I haven’t made anything to show you.  For these times I’ve started a new daily blog over at kati365, for all my day to day activities.  I’m hoping to post at least 1 picture and a small blurb everyday about what I’m doing or have done that day.  If you are interested great, if not fine.

I’m also testing out blogger because I’ve been thinking about switching for a long time but don’t want to make the leap just yet.

A rant on bras…

I went to a well known lingerie store yesterday intending to spend a couple hundred dollars on a bra to wear under my wedding dress, some honeymoon lingerie, etc.  I walked out without spending a dime.  Why?  Because every “sexy” bra had ridiculous amounts of padding, that i don’t need or want.  The only bras that were available without padding were full coverage cotton bras that were not what I was looking for to fit under my dress or to wear on my honeymoon.

After I left the store I got really mad at their designers and marketing, why do I need to add two or three cup sizes to be sexy?  Why can’t I be sexy the way I am?

I think after the wedding I’m going to put aside some time to learn to sew bras.

Stashbustin’

I bought one piece of new fabric today!  I got the grey chambray from the Lisette line of fabric at Joann, yes not only are there awesome Lisette patterns but all the fabric on the pattern envelope is available at Joann!  I got 1.5yds to make the Portfolio pants, I think they will be perfect for walking around Paris and I need more pants of the me made variety.  I also got the Passport dress and jacket pattern but I resisted buying fabric for it, because I need to use up more of my stash before buying any more new fabric.

More on pants….I printed out the Ellen pattern from Burdastyle and have 2 yards of black Italian wool that I have set aside for those pants.  I printed it out just after running out of tape, staples, and glue, so that is sitting on my desk until I pick up some sort of adhesive.

I’m on the hunt for an invisible zipper foot for my Brother sewing machine, does anyone know a good source for machine feet?

I am also psyched to announce that in 1 week and some change I will have nothing to do but sew for a week and a half!  Hopefully I’ll have lots to show for it!

Summer Sewing Plans

I’ve been planning my summer sewing, using only stash fabric so far.  I need to move through my stash because I may not have a designated sewing space when fiance and I move in together.  I’m trying to get it down to one bin of fabric, one bin of patterns and my sewing box (jam packed with notions) .

I’ll need several new items in my wardrobe this summer:

1. A 1 week wardrobe capsule for Paris

2.  Bridal shower dresses

3.  A rehearsal dinner dress

4. A going away outfit – to leave the reception in

5. A 1 week wardrobe capsule for Costa Rica

6.  Work clothes for the summer job

A lot of my stash fabric is actually fall/winter fabric but I need to get through it before I buy more fabric.  So I’ll be STASHBUSTIN’  For every 4 pieces of fabric I bust through, I can buy 1 new piece.

One area my wardrobe is seriously lacking is swimwear.  I made that adorable red and white polka dot swimsuit at the end of last summer, I’ll probably make another one of those for this summer.  I’m also thinking of buying one of Shabby Apples one piece swimsuits, they are super cute and some of them are affordable.

I’ll start off with Paris clothes and bridal shower clothes because I need them first!

Blog Neglect!

Oh my poor blog!  I’ve neglected you so much.  Just a few short weeks until I’m finally done with college and working on the weekends, then I’ll be sewing lots of wedding things and sharing!