A Winter Wrap Up.

This fall I did two big things in my wardrobe. The first thing I did was take a pledge not to buy myself any new clothes. If I wanted or needed anything I had to get it second hand or make it. The second thing I did was to embark on a color palette challenge which was suppose to guide my choices in what to make and wear.

This was the palette:

Both things are over though the way I shop and sew has forever been changed and for the better. I won't get on my soap box since I've gone on about it before but I definitely have a better wardrobe and a way more defined style then ever before. I have such nicer brands of RTW clothing and my sewing skills are about three times better then when I started, as is my confidence.

After the kids were born I really went through a frumpy frump stage. I felt like the things I could afford would always just look blah on me. But now I see that there are so many options!!!! Not to mention all the cool second hand boutiques and Indie sewing companies I've discovered along the way.

Okay, keep in mind my camera's not great and keep in mind my palette as you take a tour of my fall "closet".

Here you see the items I made. A dress, bolero (jacket), shirt, more casual skirt, and scarf with matching fingerless gloves. I think I did well with the colors. But wait until you see everything together!

I couldn't get a good photo of everything so here is one of the shirt paired with a handed down jacket. Also a black Anne Taylor cardigan (oh how I love cardigans) and it doesn't show up but an absolutely fabulous pair of Chico jeans.

A London Fogg dress, A super elegant vintage slip, A beautiful Talbots blouse (it would have looked great with my unfinished skir0t. And a Limited sweater paired with the skirt.

Here is a close up of the slip because it is truly the prettiest thing I own. I think I got it for $12 at an antiques shop in MD, and wasn't sure if it would fit. It does it fits! I feel so amazingly pretty in that thing you can't imagine.

Tada! The pink cardigan was also a Limited brand from this fall. It's my most versatile piece, surprisingly. You can see it will transition right into spring nicely.

Having made such thoughtful pieces with my own hands and having discovered so many great upscale pieces makes me feel good. This is the most put together my wardrobe has ever been. And this isn't including all my amazing accessories and things given to me as gifts.

There are a lot of people who helped to encourage me along the way but I want to give a special thanks to My husband for letting me use our money and all the sewing time and taking lots and lots of outfit pics. I want to thank my friend Beki for suggesting we take the "no new clothes" challenge together. And, to my sister Heather for not only being the most encouraging about my wardrobe endeavors but also for showing me that you can get away with a lot as long as you wear it with confidence.

My UFO.

Isn't this pretty? If I ever finish mine
it will be done in grey wool.

First let me start by explaining that a UFO is an unfinished project not a space craft, though, when I was six my cousin and I were convinced we had seen one of those too. Anyway, I have one. A big one and it's basically the reason I haven't done one of those fall/winter roundup posts about all the things I've made to wear. Because for some reason I keep thinking I'll finish it.

Yea, I'm not going to finish it, not this season anyway. I mean I've already moved on to my spring/summer wardrobe (yes we have snow on the ground, and no I won't let that deter me).

What happened was that I bought this really expensive wool fabric for the skirt. So expensive that even with a 50% off coupon it was still more then I normally spend. Because it was so expensive I measured myself just to make sure that I was the size I normally am for that particular companies patterns. That is when I discovered what I wish I had never known; my waist is about three sizes bigger then my hips and bust. Oh the agony!!!! Because the skirt was more form fitting then anything I've ever made I would need to draft the pattern and make a muslin. Yea, I don't really know what those things mean either. Let's be real people I don't have time to make a fake garment to see if it fits right before I make the real one. I barely have time to make the real garment.

One of the wisest friends I have told me that she wouldn't have measured and would have just made the skirt in the size she thought she was. There is a verse in scripture about following Godly advice and I wish that I had done so. And here's another thing about pattern sizes. They are totally WACK! I'm sorry to get all belligerent but they are not even close to the same as ready-to-wear garments. I don't care if simplicity patterns are on sale for $3 I won't buy it if it says I'm a size 100! (Slight exaggeration here but not much) It's one of the reasons (among many) that I love Colette Patterns because their measurements are closer to a regular size. I can admit I'm a size 12 but I will never be able to admit that I'm a size 100!

I felt like I learned a foreign language when I finally
learned how to read the back of pattern envelopes.

Where was I anyway? Oh yea my skirt. So I've decided to put it away until next fall. I have added to my daily walks, yoga three times a week and an abs workout I found on pinterest (we all know if it's on pinterest then it can't fail). I've also added to my diet, cookies and donuts but that's another story and surely won't interfere with project "flatter stomach". This makes more frugal sense to me too because surely by next fall I will have lost all the weight I will ever want to loose so I will be able to wear this skirt indefinitely. Please note that last line was meant to be read with just a touch of sarcasm. 

Sewing and Books.

I love books. I love to read. I thank my parents for that because even when we didn't have any money they would let me pick out a book at the store. They read to us and encouraged our reading so much. Oh the smell of new books! The only smell that's better is the smell of old books (Why don't in-between books smell?)!

I also love to sew. I don't know why because no one in my family sews very much. Although, again, my mom really fostered this love of creating and crafting things. I always got some sort of craft for Christmas and my birthday and when I was little I would make my own sewing cards out of paper. I would draw a picture and then sew it with her needle and thread. Awww thanks mom!

So it should be no surprise that I love sewing books (not making them but books on the topic). Books about sewing. Books with great pictures of sewing. Old books about sewing. Books books books. I have at least fourteen books about sewing and I've only been really really into sewing for a few years. When I am having a bad day I'll just sit in the back yard on my swing and look at the pictures in my sewing books dreaming up new ideas and projects...   ...   ...  Sorry I was lost in thought for a minute (Oh for it to be warm enough to sit outside).

I also love the old sewing books. I have a pretty cute collection of those almost all of them given to me as gifts by my sister Courtney so that's pretty cool.

My old sewing books nestled next
to a few of my favorite new ones.

Stitched in Time by Alicia Paulson.

Do you love a certain kind of books? Do you find yourself being drawn to buy a certain type of book over and over? If so what is it? I think you can learn a lot about a person by the books they read and buy.

Well Howdy Ma'am. Are You a Quick Draw with that Sewing Machine?

"Well yes in fact I am." I say blushing. The cowboy/ninja warrior saunters off with his new holster and all his weapons.

Are you confused? Let me start again. My oldest son is into all heroes. Actually, both sons are into heroes. Currently Power Rangers is at the top of their list but really any thing that wields a weapon and kills bad guys is totally cool. So when my SuperH came up to me asking if there was a way he could have his guns on his hips like they do "in the fighting game." I got to tell him that there was a thing that did that and it's called a "holster" and that I would make him one. I like it when I get to be the cool mom.

He wasn't mad, this is his
"tough guy" pose. Very intimidating.

This is an example of why if you sew and have children there should always be squares of felt in your stash. I took a brown and grey felt square folded it in half traced around two different guns and cut it out. I sewed up the side cut two slits in the back and fed a belt through.  After that I made a scaber for a sword too because you never know when your going to need guns and a sword.

I know that there are moms out there who don't allow weapons in there homes and to them I say "does that work?" (not in a snotty way but a totally confused way.) Because my boys can literally make anything into a weapon. Conster's favorite toy is a plastic yellow tent peg that he uses as a sword. I know a mom who gave up trying to keep guns out of her house when she saw them chew their pb&j into the shape of a gun and chase each other around the table (that is a true story).

That's the tent peg. He lays it on his bedside table
every night and gets it first thing in the morning.

So if your a mom like me and you have boys like mine, this holster will make you totally awesome for about four minutes which is exactly two minutes longer then normal, and I'll take what I can. Also it's so easy!

Well I better mosey. Hope your skies are not cloudy all day.

The Blouse is Done!!!

Lace on the sleeves, down the front and as trim along the bottom.

This shirt, as you probably know, has been taking a long time. It cost me much brain power and gave me a very wounded finger. Actually, finger aside, it was a pretty pleasant project to work on. I took my time got great advice my sewing friends and came up with a decent shirt to wear.

There is lace along the back but you can't see it very good.
Also this is my "Edwardian" hair

I live in great fear that all shirts I make look like pajamas. I guess I'm just drawn to that light and girly fabric that seems only appropriate for pajamas in women. This top was no exception and I think if it had matching pants (which it won't there is no more fabric or lace) it would definitely look like a swanky pair of lounge wear.

What it was suppose to be, however, was something completely different. This blouse started it's life out as a super soft, light, cotton, japanese fabric that I fell in love with. Then it became an Easter dress that I made using a vintage pattern. I hate the dress. Old patterns assume you know what your doing and when I made this dress I had no idea what I was doing. I mean any kind of skill you practice means your going to get better which makes this dress just... blech. But I still love the fabric. So I thought, "it's an entire dress why not make it into a shirt? Surely there is enough fabric." Well, there really wasn't but I made it work!

The lace is so cool I wish you could see it better.

I had in mind a cross between a light girl inspired summer top that would breath and be a joy to wear. And something inspired by "Downtown Abbey". To be honest I've never actually seen "Downtown Abbey". But literally all the sewing blogs I read go on and on about it so I totally do feel like a fan of it. I'm like a collateral fan? It's in my netflix queue I just haven't gotten around to watching it yet. I did however see and love an episode of "Dr. Who" that took place in that same time era and am a big fan of "Anne of Green Gables" and "The Secret Garden", so you get the idea. Edwardian period clothing.

I used vintage lace and vintage buttons both picked up during an antique/junking trip with my mommy. I lowered the neckline from the original pattern (the sorbetto top, I've made it three times now) added sleeves and had to piece together the front and back instead of cutting it on the fold.

I'm not 100% pleased with it. I mean when am I ever? I know it's flaws and it's more flower child then "Anne with an E" but I think it will be a pleasant enough top to wear this summer.

What do you think? Honestly if you just think that it's too pajamas I want to know! But if you think it's wearable I'd like to know that too.

Dinner.

This is what I've been working on.
Vintage lace and buttons.

I've been pretty quiet in the blogging world lately. After the fourteen days of valentines I became about as slow as a snail. I've been working on a summer blouse and (am so close to being done with it) figured that I would be finished any minute and would blog about that.

However, because I am so slow, I still haven't finished it! I will say after the crafting spree of February it has been really nice taking my time with this project. Instead of finishing the blouse this afternoon I made dinner. And not my regular everything-in-one-dish dinner, this one had three sides two of which were vegetables (wife and mom points). It looked so homey served with my very small (hoping it grows) robin egg blue pyrex dishes I thought I would share.

I love the blue place settings.

In the sweet potatoes I substituted
plain soygurt for the sour cream.

The meal was from Martha Stewart's "Every Day Food" magazine. Along with some biscuits. It's so hard to get out of the chicken and hamburger rut of cooking so using pork ribs was pretty fun (even if I don't love the texture of pork). Everything turned out good and even got good reviews from the kids and husband.

Fourteen Days of Valentines Day Fourteen and Thirteen (oops).

Last Night I crawled into bed after a long and fulfilling day and realized I had forgotten to blog! Oops! I did do something yesterday but got so wrapped up in living I forgot to post it. So real quick, Day thirteen was a day devoted to helping my best friend move into her new apartment. I got a way later start then I wanted but now that she lives so close I could stay until much later. Along with my two hands I also took her a jar of homemade chai concentrate because she likes chai and this stuff is sooooo wonderful. I hope she uses it up in good health!

Today is Valentines day and what have I learned after fourteen days of cooking and gifting and all around love spreading (That sounded awkward didn't it)? I learned that next year I should start this project a little bit sooner then on February 1st. Not too much because I like the day-to-day tasks and how that sort of kept me in the moment but a few of the projects took more then one day so a little extra time would allow me to slow down and enjoy it a little more (I did enjoy it don't misunderstand me).

I learned that people are so sweet and appreciative and all those lovely comments made me feel so happy to be doing this project. Not that we should do things to get praised or anything but I'm sure you other moms know how sometimes we just feel very under appreciated. It was nice to get appreciated.

It was even nicer to get to make someone's day brighter. Doing this every day forced me to really think about what I love and value in the people around me. It really helped me to realize how many people I have in my life that I care about and that care about me. Seriously the worst thing about the project was that I barely made a dent in the things I'd like to do for other people. Every day I thought of something else I could do for someone else. And I felt so bad that only three people would get to have one of my giveaways.  I know that any holiday can get overblown in this country and that hallmark does want to make a profit today BUT love IS an AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL thing. It's a real gift that we humans get to experience. Given from God to us and then from us to each other... is just so magical.

So today I'm making dinner for the family and a couple of friends. Nothing fancy good chili (per Brian's request) homemade bread (it's look ridiculous but hopefully tastes good) and dairy free German Chocolate Cake. I'm going to feel grateful that I have a warm home, a loving husband and so many people to love. I hope your Valentines reminds you of God's love for you and your love for others!

And The Winners of the Fourteen Days of Valentines Giveaway Are....

Coffee Sleeve and Gift card: Jen B!!!!

Nestlace: Gerri Sue!!!!!

Embroidered Valentines: Courtney Smallwood!!

Normally I would post their comments but everyone had such wonderful things to say it would take up a lot of room go here to read them and every one else's.