i'm back!

I love old chenille bedspreads. Sometimes I like them on beds and sometimes I like them as bomb dresses. I can’t help feel that by refashioning the fabric into clothing, that I’m behaving just like asshole who rips down beautiful old barns only to make headboards for rich people. I scored this bedspread at Goodwill today for $2.99. After months of drooling over this yellow dress, it was meant to be. Sorry vintage bedspread lovers, this one is getting repurposed.

Yin

After weeks of illness & crazy moving, things are finally starting to calm down.  I still have a little bit of a cough, but not enough to scare people off of their mats so I decided to attend a class at Bliss Flow last night.  Part of my teacher training requires a minimum of two classes taught by BF Master Teachers and unfortunately my schedule only allows for two classes a week.  One of the classes is Yin Yoga.  Last night I attended that particular class and had my first experience with Yin.  I didn’t really know what to expect so I was glad that Marta (the instructor) explained a little bit at the beginning of class.  Basically it was fairly easy stretchy stuff but holy crap; they make you hold your poses for what feels like 20 minutes!  Really, though it was like 3 minutes each.  I really struggled with a few poses.  Not so much getting into them, but holding them.  Towards the end of the 3 minutes I would get very antsy and keep repositioning myself. I focused on my Ujjayi breath (yes I just googled the spelling-looks like I won’t be graduating anytime soon) to help me through it, but boy oh boy sometimes that didn’t even help.   On the flip side I was able to go really deep into some of the stretches.  Deeper than I’ve been able to go since I was in the 6th grade!  The Ujjay breathing (that one was from memory) really did help.  With about every other exhale I was able to go deeper without killing myself.  Imagine my total surprise when three quarters of the way thru my seated forward bend I felt my forehead graze my kneecaps!   All in all, it was a good “first day back” class.  Nothing too crazy, and it felt good with the right amount of pain

Oregon 1939

I promise to post photos of the reversible Dirndl I made for our German Fest the NEXT time I login... For now there is this.... like I need ANOTHER new inspirational piece to play off of!

Buttons & Pins!

Just a quick note!  I've got TONS of German buttons for your Oktoberfest needs up on my etsy site :)

http://fatcats.etsy.com

Bug Life

WOW!  I've been away a long time.  Things are always busy around here and my sewing has just fallen to they wayside right now.  I've made a few little things here & there, but nothing worth reporting.

My cousin Christopher got married a few weeks ago in Chicagoland.  I'm constantly low on funds (I would rather save up & travel) but I felt I needed to keep up with the big city folk, strictly style speaking of course.   No $$ for a fancy new outfit and everything in my closet just seems blah or just too dang vintage & crazy for a wedding.  So I decided to whip something up.   I've been sitting on this bug fabric forever just waiting for the right pattern to come along.

Then I stumbled upon Simplicity 2444 which seemed simple enough.  A classic design that got great reviews.  This was my first time working with pleats AND darts in the same dress without an aunt of friend helping me along.  I made the top portion out of a simple muslin so I could make sure it all fit ok.  All seemed ok, so I just used it as a liner for actual top portion of the dress.  Why is it when the "draft" version fits perfectly, the finished portion never does?  It was WAY to big and weird in the back.  I tried to fix it by adding some badly sewn darts in the upper portion.  Still no luck, so I had a co-worker pin up the straps a little.  This resulting in a higher than anticipated neckline, but it turned out alright.  Still a little big but workable.  I added a belt and that seemed to help.


I think the best part of this process, was using a vintage hem marker.  All you need is a friend, some pins and about 5 minutes.  My friend (who is a skilled tattoo artist / shop owner by trade) enthusiastically volunteered to help.   "You're never to old to learn a new skill" he said.  I think he is right, it turned out perfectly.  Thanks for your help Vinnie!

Let me tell you about my underclothes

Lately I've been into wearing pantelettes (not in a polygamist sort of way, but to keep warm).   Not only do they make me feel secretly cute & young, they make the Wisconsin winters more bearable while wearing a dress!  Not to mention you don't have to worry about being so dam lady like all of the time.  If I find myself sitting cross legged on a bar stool I'm not exactly showing off my business, if you know what I mean.  I wear them high on my waist while i'm at work so they don't peek out.  I'm not sure that it would matter, but I get enough funny looks as it is.

I'm not really a prairie dress sort of girl, but if it feels comfy, is made from natural fabrics, is somewhat flattering and doesn't make me itch, I'm pretty much game for anything.

I use to have a simply lovely prairie dress (circa 1970's) that I wore thin during the summer months.   I stopped wearing it because the boyfriend I had at the time (and his friends) gave me shit for it constantly.  Why the hell did I listen to them?  Further more why the hell were they all so concerned about what I had on my back?  People don't make any sense sometimes.  And that guy was dumb anyway.  Two words:  Parliament cigarettes.  That's all I have to say about him.

Back to the subject at hand.  I've started cranking out my own line of these lovely "unmentionables" so stay tuned.  Just out of muslin, scrap & cheap lace for now.  My goal is to someday get my hands on some Belgium linen for a decent price.  Is it pathetic that I scour the discount section at Restoration Hardware just to find some sheets to rip up and turn into underwear?

here they are with my paw print dress.  Found the pattern online for free.  The top is too tight and needs to be fixed. (I'll have to take the liner out-dam!).  The muslin fit perfectly, but the finished product doesn't let me breathe.

Royal Obsession

With the engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton my royal obsession has surfaced yet again.  Here is the first in what will probably be a series of royal fashion blog posts.

We’ll start with Queen Elizabeth:

I think my favorite part about Queen Elizabeth (fashion wise) is that she married in 1947 and became queen in 1953.  As the most photographed woman of that era there are TONS of photos of her wearing FABOULUS gowns.  If it weren’t for her uncle giving up the throne for a twice divorced American, Wallis Simpson (who was one of the most well dressed ladies in history-we’ll get to her later) she would never had been queen.

and my favorite

She served in the World War II as a truck mechanic and is the last surviving head of state in the world to have served in WWII.

The fabric for her wedding gown required ration coupons as the country hadn’t yet recovered from the war.

Her coronation gown

She wears a lot of yellow and bright colors which I just love as there are about 3 people on the planet that can pull off yellow.

Bellatrix Lestrange & Pneumonia

Bellatrix costume for a ten year old.

Finally get to use some of my fun new stitches!

First time using Grommets.  I should have also taken a photo of the giant cut on my finger.

my creepy mannequin has a much bigger waist than my niece.

Over the last few months i've been stuck in an on again-off again battle with my health.  I've gained a ton of weight because of this; or maybe it's the other way around.  Now i'm stuck at home with the Flu & Pneumonia.  I've got a million designs in my head and I really want to get busy sewing.  In the meantime though, I need to get healthy.  I need to get back into shape.  I need to start eating less and exercising more.  I need to breathe deeply and stand up straight again.

Very sick at home.

Stuck at home with the flu & pneumonia... favorite things today

Cat Hat Season! Complete with little bell in one ear.

Email sewgasm@gmail.com for ordering information

Matt and Kim - "LESSONS LEARNED" (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Nothing new…

I still haven’t had a single second to play with my sewing machine.   So much for this sewing blog (no wonder I only have 5 followers).   I did do some last minute adjustments to my vintage dirndl for Gemutlichkeit, but that’s not very exciting so I didn’t take any photos.  I got it from eBay just in time for the festival.  The skirt was so tight that I had to let it out.  I’ve never let anything out before, only taken things in (yeah, I’ve reached that part of my life - getting wider).  The material is wool with a satin liner.  Thankfully it was handmade, so taking the stitches out was super easy.  Also, whoever made it was VERY generous with their seam allowance, so I was able to let it out two full inches.  I have photos of me wearing it; however they were taking at about 1:00 a.m. and let’s just say I was fully loaded at the time. 

We’ve got loads of yard work to do this weekend and a house that looks like a bomb went off inside.  Next weekend I have two craft fairs back to back,  so I don’t see any sewing time in the near future for me L.   

Here is what inspires me today