i think i need an intervention...

i fell off the wagon again... i promised myself no more fabric (unless its clearance) until i destash... but last weekend and today proved me weak... time to start sewing lol

on a totally different subject.. check out what my sweet sweet friend sent me when she heard i couldnt find any in my after easter sale stalking... mmm mmm !!!

whats your favorite seasonal candy?



when you can't find the right outfit... make one

i have been eyeing nude colored heels for a while and desperately wanting a pair

everytime i see them i just dream...

for those of you who don't know me personally: i am very frugal and thrifty. the money i don't use to pay for school i save to pay to get me out of this city some day. if i cannot truly justify a purchse it does not happen. and "i want them" is not justification. BUT when theres a good sale i strike like a cobra!

so last night my aunt asked me to take her shopping. kmart had a bogo sale but didn't have the shoes in my size... i was sad =( we then stopped off at payless where i found the nude heels i want, in my size, on sale, and bogo

yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

so needless to say they are my new prized possession

i feel so empowered in them! i ran straight to my closet to find the perfect outfit to debut them in...

suddenly nothing felt right... i know what your thinking... im silly to think such neutral shoes didn't fit an outfit

just nothing felt right for the first time i wear them.

i then moved to my fabric stash trying to figure what i would do for my heels... i came across the left over scrap of fabric from the vintage style aiplane print i used to make my nephew his shorts. i knew this would be perfect!

1 hr later i had an awesome skirt and perfect outfit for the morning

i did get plenty of compliments on the way this all came together

i am more than pleased myself <3

what do you think of my last minute outfit?

the hem never ends!!! =P

I finally took a proper picture to show off my circle skirt...

this was the hardest hem to iron and sew and the hardest picture for me to take hahah

i swear the hem NEVER ends... when you think it should you see you aren't even close to half way

but it is sew worth it!

check out how much material is really on this skirt...

i will definitely be making more!

happy easter and good night... tomorrow i will be off to shop for clearance candy, cadbury eggs in particular

circle skirt and birthday gift

i managed to finish my personal challenge of a week in new lily bean boutique skirts

i finished off strong with a wonderful, super fun circle skirt

only problem is today was suuuuuuper windy but i didn't let that stop me haha. i wore my bloomers underneath =D i loooooooooove this skirt!

on another note, tomorrow is one of my dearest friend's birthdays. i have been procrastinating making her gift for over a month =/

i knew i wanted to make her a jewelry roll but hadn't even sketched out my plans.

after work i jetted to Joann's and bought what i needed then home to start my project from square one.

the blue ribbon up top is to hang necklaces and bracelets from. the bottom pocket will protect the charms of her necklaces. the roll is padded with 2 layers of fleece interfacing

i added a pocket with a velcro closure for rings and such

roll it up and tie it closed =D i am super pleased with how it turned out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAMMIE =D

halloweenie stripey skirt with ruffle

i challenged myself this week... i decided to make a new skirt for every work day...

so far i have done so and i have 1 day left (i really should be sewing now instead of blogging haha)

so yesterday i decided to make another elastic waistband pencil skirt (like my blue anchor one but with double the ruffle) and i took pictures for a tutorial as promised.

without further adieu... here's my new skirt

i marked my pattern with my tailor's chalk...

i took  my widest measurement around my bottom then added 2 inches (for seam allowance and ease of movement)

then cut a pattern that is as wide as your measurement and as long as you would like your skirt

i then measured my waist  and added 2 inches

then next step is the math and drafting. you subtract your waist from your widest measurement then divide by 2. example: there was a 6 inch difference for me, divided by 2 is 3 inches

so on EACH side of the width from the rectangle you just cut, mark 3 inches in. then grab a yardstick and draw a straight line from your 3 inch marks to the corner below it.

cut the excess off and you should have a trapezoid to your measurements...

you will use 2 trapezoids and then cut for the ruffle. i cut a 5 inch ruffle twice the length of the bottom of skirt

THE WIDER SIDE IS THE TOP HEM AND THE SKINNIER SIDE IS THE BOTTOM HEM

i had to cut 2 pieces to achieve the length of the ruffle

pins the skirt wrong sides together

sew up the sides and trim the excess

iron the seam to the side

then turn right sides together and iron seams flat

sew up the sides again then iron them flat

to see how i do my top hem inserting the elastic and bottom hem see tutorial here

DO NOT SEW BOTTOM HEM YET, just iron appropriately

now for the ruffle... first i sewed the 2 pieces together and ironed the seam flat

then fold the ruffle in half lengthwise right sides together and iron

to create the gathers for your ruffle you will want to sew using a straight stitch of the lonngest length. (my machine has a gathering foot so i put that attachment). sew the whole length of the ruffle.

you will then have to work it a bit to make it a true ruffle. hold the bottom stitch and manipulate the fabric in towards the center. slow and gentle so you do not break the stitches.

you want to make it so it is 2 inches longer than the bottom hem.

once you have it the length you want, use a tool to turn right sides out.

iron the ruffle to bring  the seam to the top and make it less of a tube. pin the ruffle to the bottom hem, right sides together.

sew the ruffle to the bottom hem. when you get to the open sides you will fold one side an inch in and then insert the unfolded one into the tube. sew down to secure them.

iron the hem flat as you can down

bask in your glory =D

fuuuuuuu fuuuuuuuuu

 now off to make a skirt for tomorrow... this week was sewwwww busy making a skirt a night but it was a fun challenge...

Fabric remnant 2 cute simple short skirt: tutorial

here i am with a new tutorial =D

this is the simplest skirt and great for beginners! and the best part is it only takes a piece of fabric and elastic

i must say... i have quickly become the elastic waistband queen haha

well here we go...

first off, i used a fabric remnant so i only need to cut the width (if you use a purchased by the bolt piece, just cut as long as you want your skirt to be, plus your seam allowances for bottom and top hems... i usually do 1 inch for bottom hem and 2 inches for top when using an elastic waistband)

so to determine the width you measure around the widest part of your bottom/hips. i measured 36 so i cut 38 inches to leave for 1/2 inch seam allowance and a smidge extra room to move (i am not aiming for a butt tight pencil skirt)

measure at least 3 spots 38 inches from one end and then you can line up your yardstick and mark your straight line to cut the width.

i use my rotary cutter to get the straightest line possible (be careful... i have cut myself a few times already)

match up the open ends, wrong sides together and pin together then sew a straight line down

trim the excess of your seam allowance as close as you can without snipping too close

iron the seam flat to one side

next flip right sides together, iron the seam flat, pin in place, and sew another straight line down

iron your seam flat to one side

now for your bottom hem... fold over approximately 1/2 inch as straight as you can and iron flat, working your way around the skirt

fold that edge over again and iron repeating the process the whole way around

you can now sew around the whole bottom hem. i prefer a zigzag stitch for hems

to finish it off you will want to hide your knots and strings. to do this use a hand sewing needle and bring the strings from the front side to the inside just under the sewn hem line

then bring the loose strings from the inside to the same place under the sewn hem line

you can then tie off in a hidden spot.

now to hem the top and put in your elastic band. you will want to repeat the process of  folding and ironing twice around the top but do not sew yet. take your elastic and measure it around where you want the skirt to sit. be sure to pull it as tight as you are going to want it (when it is loose it should be too short to go around you otherwise it will sit too loose and big at your waist) connect the ends of elastic with a zig zag stitch

next you start by securing the elastic to one part of the hemline.

you then find the spot exactly across from the first pin and stretch the elastic to pin in that spot

continue pinning halfway between each pin until you have 8 or so pins in (depends on how big or little the waistband is)

now to sew the top hem with eleastic in. this can be tricky... place your fabric where you want to begin (keep that zigzag stich so the thread won't break). i like to start with a pin just behind the foot. once you lower the foot you can stretch both sides as far as they go. hold firm and step on your pedal (slowly first, get used to how it feels) you will want to hold tight but move with the machine so the fabric still feeds evenly

you'll progress from pin to pin and will only need to concern yourself with what pins you are working between. (you will remove the pins as they approach the feeding plates... never sew over your needles and pins)

when you get to the end it should look like this...

you finish off your loose ends the same as the bottom hem

TA! DA!

(left) top hem (middle) french seam (right) bottom hem

and heres me after working in my fancy new polka dot skirt =P

i made another exactly the same yesterday except it is a bit shorter... i love the bleeding rose fabric pattern

update 4/23/12* I have since made these as well using 2 fat quarters. following the same steps though



id love to see your creations =D feel free to share pics and links to your work