June Dress....in October

Wow, it was a beautiful fall day today! Good thing I am finishing up a light weight linen dress :). It seems that life has interfered with my grand dress making plans. I recently started a new job and that has monopolized all my time until today. Finally, I got behind my sewing machine and raced the needle through some fabric.

When I had sewn together the initial pieces of the dress, I wasn't too impressed. Actually, that is probably why it took me so long to finish it. It was looking too tunic-esk and that wasn't what I had envisioned.

After starting and stopping twice today, I finally hit some inspiration. By chance, I decided to make a fold down the front of the dress and it looked good! I pinned it and sewed it (being totally aware that I would probably have to take the whole thing out). This happens a lot when I am sewing! And my winging-it style of sewing continues by this random reinforcement of good outcomes. Remember my motto: Measure never, cut thrice!

It is clear from my dress making that I like V-necks, so why fight it. I also managed to get pockets in there. I'm still having trouble with the pockets stretching across my hips. Perhaps I need to move the them up and in, so that they aren't fighting my shapely body. I'm also struggling with collars. Actually, I hate them. It is the one place everyone looks and it is so easy to make a mistake on! I still think I can get around it without doing it the traditional way. This might be my collar making undoing. :)

This dress fits almost all the requirements I have in dresses. It is a nice print, has sleeves, pockets, and could be worn to work or for fun. All it is missing is a liner. However, in summer I probably won't need it.

Hopefully, I'll have to the time to catch up on all my dresses this month. I'm going to try at least. Let's see if I can sneak in some costume making!

Let the leather working begin!

As some of you know, my grandfather loved leather working. I was the recipient of more than one awesomely made leather product growing up and I've liked it ever since. I decided last year that I would really like to learn how to make bags, belts, and sandals out of leather. So to help speed along the process, Paw-paw gave me a kit for a handbag he bought in the 1970s, along with a few books. I was pretty excited to get working on it.

So before going on vacation I spend several nights pounding it out (pun totally intended!). It was easy enough to do since instructions were included. First, you just get the leather wet. Then trace a design on the the wet leather and adding whatever embellishments you want. Then you let it dry, sew up all the pieces (which turned out the be the worst and most time consuming part). And voila! you have a new handbag.

I really loved making it and I have so many ideas for other bags. I'm going to take it home this summer and see if Paw-paw can give me any pointers. I have lots of questions and I want to learn how to make it look more professional. Making a belt is also on the agenda

May Dress - Better late than never

It seems I've fallen behind in my dress making. While I found it easy to whip up a dress in a weekend during the winter and spring, summer has brought new challenges. I've been trying to make the most of the good weather, which mean sitting on my deck and staring out into the bay with a tasty drink in my hand. Also, I just got a puppy. There is nothing more distracting than a puppy. He is so darn cute! I really had tried to finish May's dress before going on vacation but what I ended up making wasn't what I had envisioned. The dress that came out was a bit strange for an everyday dress. It is made out of a cotton, linen blend. I loved the pink and green stripes, however it turned out to be too casual looking to wear out of the house. Therefore I made my first nightgown. It's less gown than I would like it to be but it's light weight and comfy.

Everyday in Manhattan is a fashion show and recently I have noticed women wearing dresses with contrasting tops and bottoms. I decided to see how this would work out. So I took the basic shape of the March dress and put a dark pink top with a light pink skirt. The top is made out of the same jersey material I used for February's dress and the bottom is new material. I think the color combination is fantastic but I look a bit like a 1950s housewife. I think it would have been better not to make a gathered skirt but just make more of a pencil skirt.

I'm less happy with this overall but it might grow on me. Not all experiments are successful but I'm going to keep at it. I've still got button holes and many other techniques to try out.

April Showers and April Flowers

While the rain poured outside, I decided to get crackin on April's dress. Inspired by my co-worker, who is in love with linen, I checked out a store on 39th street; Grey Line Linen. I found a lovely, embroidered white and pink fabric to become my April dress.

I wanted something that would be fun for summer, so I decided to make a sleeveless dress. I found a pattern in my book and started to chop, chop, chop. After 4 hours on this rainy Sunday, I finished the dress.

This was by far the fastest dress I've sewn. I used the same pattern as February's dress but this time I wanted to make sure that the hip width was not as tight as before. I cut the dress a little bit wider but in the end it was too wide, so I had to take it in. However, that allowed me to make very nice pockets. I was quite happy with them this time. The one thing that I'm not sure I like or not is that the dress is quite loose fitting. Typically, dresses feel cumbersome after wearing them all day but in a loose fitting dress, I may not be itching to get out of it. This is definitely an experiment I am willing to try.

Beach Bag

My newest crochet project. I can't wait to cruise the beach scene with an inch thick layer of suncreen (SPF 50) in my linen skirt and awesome beach bag. Here I come Jersey Shore summer!

Fun with elastic

I've been toying with the idea of folding a piece of fabric in half, cutting a hole in the middle for my head, sewing up the sides (leaving holes for my arms), and just adding an elastic band for shape. However, I've never made anything with elastic, so this skirt was practice.

I had some left-over linen, so I went to work.

I watched a few youtube videos to get a basic idea of what to do. What I realized is that you have to make the garment slightly bigger than your size (not a problem). Then, when you put the elastic through the machine, you have to stretch it while sewing. This terrified me because I was afraid of snapping off the needle (I shouldn't list all the clumsy things I have done while sewing, most involving pain to my fingers! So the fear was justified). Also if you pull on the front of the elastic band while sewing, this negates the dog-feed movement and you'll end up sewing in one place! Finally, I realized you have to stretch it out from the from and back of the needle. After that, I just watched the magic happen.

An elastic band in my skirt!


The finished product.


I made this skirt in the gathered skirt method with was a waste of time. The elastic band creates the desired ripples, just making the previous made waves mute. I wanted a skirt that was gathered looking and the elastic created that on it's own. I put a muslin lining in it, so I can wear colored underpants. :) And that's about it.

I see some pajama pants or even linen pants in the future!

A Jewerly Making Post

Recently, a fellow crafter, teacher, and student all rolled into one left New York. It made me sad to see her go but she gave me some good advice. In one of our parting conversations she encouraged me to post about all the things that I make, not just dresses. I am truly my very own sweat-shop worker and am constantly making things. Every time I see something new I excitedly want to make it. So if you run into me and you are wearing something super cute and I look like I'm spacing out, don't worry, I'm just working out how to make whatever it is that has captivated me. I don't know why I like making things so much. It isn't to show off or to somehow make people think I am smarter than I am (most of what I make is incredibly simple, thus the reason I do it). I make things because I love making things. That's the whole motivation. When you see me and I won't stop talking about whatever project it is that I am on, just know its not anything other than an internal making-motor deep in my chest that won't turn off. You can tell me to let it idle for a while and we can talk about something else. :)

Ok, rant done. Back to jewelry making.

I work in the fashion district which is probably fate. There is nowhere better to be to be inspired. Everyday I pass these bead shops to and from Port Authority and I can't help but stop in. Then I struck it lucky when one of my co-workers offered to teach an earring making class. From there I just haven't stopped. Here is a what I've been up to. (Disclaimer I'm not a photographer).

The collection:


This is the first thing I made. I wanted a cute necklace to match my black strapless dress for a friend's wedding. I ended up making one small necklace and then a long one. Good for work and black tie affairs.


In the next shopping trip I found these turquoise colored beads and needed to make something with it. I love this necklace and made earrings to match.


When I've got a couple of colors on and don't know what will match, I throw on this necklace. It's made from multi-colored beads and spacers. Simple and cute. That's the way I roll.


The reason I bought these beads was because I wanted to make a going away present. When I finished the necklace, I didn't want to give it away. It was super cute and all the dresses I've made of late are either pink or green. So, I made one more for me! And now it reminds me of the person I made it for originally. (Smile).


This is the necklace that 13-year-old Leslie wanted to wear. Nothing like never growing up.


I needed some red in my wardrobe and when I wear this with March's dress, it looks fantastic.


First pair of earrings ever!


These are the second pair of earrings I made in my co-worker's jewelry making class. In another situations I might have painted someone's nails that exact same color combination! I'm sorry!! This color combo must be in my subconscious.


When I was in 6th grade someone gave me a charm bracelet and I lost it immediately. I literally had it for like a day. I was totally bummed. Thus, I've made my own. It's nautical themed which makes it borderline cheesy living on the Jersey shore but I love it.


I tortured Greg all night shaking it in front of his face while he made something with diodes (which sounds like a made up word anyway, he should pay attention to me!).


Finally, this monstrosity is my most recent creation. I love it. I reminds me of a Mad Men or a 50s housewife. I don't know why that's appealing but it is!


If you see anything you'd like, I'll gladly make it for you! If you're up for it, I love craft exchanges (you make something, I make something).

That's jewelry making! I'm sure I'll post more later!!