And for my mom I made a bag for her to take to her knitting group–without taking a photo. I also made her a fascinator so she can have a something to wear to the horse races. She requested black and white. I put it on a headband and it is super cute. She’s going to try it out a wedding this weekend, so we’ll see.

My photos don’t do it justice. It is fun, whimsy and totally impractical. Hopefully I will have an opportunity to wear it besides while watching the royal wedding at home. I’m certain I’ll have a spot or two of tea as well. Will you be watching?

Last Spring, I took a class to learn French Pattern Drafting or Moulage. Since then I’ve had a custom fitted block to work with and I haven’t. **Hang head in shame.**

Knowing I wanted to sew more for myself, I knew if I put my sloper on tag board, it would at least be more useable. Ultimately, I hoped it would help me sew more. Little did I know how that would come to pass.

I thought a bit in the back of my mind about making a dress for Easter. The task seemed daunting and I some sewing projects on my 30 before 30 list already, so I was concerned about adding more. I was checking out pinterest an addicting and awesome collection of beautiful images from the web and saw this dress.

I went to look at my fabric stash and spotted a two-yard bit of pre-washed silk noil in dark green that I found for free a few months earlier. I took the fabric and worked with it, still unsure of what would come. I cut a strip lengthwise and pressed it. The design idea was still very much percolating in my head, but I was thinking of the ruffles for sure. I tore another strip, but this one was unintentionally crosswise, and therefore much shorter in length. Then I tore a third strip lengthwise. I pressed all of the strips and worked with my serger to get a nice stitch on six thicknesses of fabric.

I was off and creating. Next I pulled out my newly traced tagboard slopers and used chalk and the tagboard directly onto the fabric and traced out a nice shaped front and back. I added a bit of flare for kicks.

I sewed them together at the sides and shoulders with a beautiful French seam and tried the dress on. I had pressed the dress a few times and all traces of chalk disappeared, so I tried it on one way, then the other to determine what I’d use for the front and back.

and these,

and now I have this.

How would you finish the seams on the inside? I am looking to use a woven, but may switch to knit just because it doesn’t ravel. The fit is getting there, the design is getting there–but I’m just not sure what to do on the execution.

I tried bias binding and it is okay, but not ideal. The bias binding feels too stiff and too rigid for the rest of the garment. I have to clip a lot of the curves so rolling it over or self-encasing the seam doesn’t work either. My other thoughts include a skinny 2-thread overlock or zig zag. Can you think of any other options?

I love the grey and purple fabric. The main bag is like a men’s shaving kit with a huge opening so I can find everything super-easily.

Here’s the case for brushes.

Here is the case for eyeliners and mascara.

Here is one of the smaller cases closed. I just have to flip the top back to open it.

I love that both cases are super easy to find things and secure when not in use. My previous cases were roll-up cases like those for crayons. My brushes and eyeliners kept falling out and getting mixed up.

Scotch has decided the old case makes a pretty good cat toy. He is obsessed with anything long and ribbon-like. I’ve seen him dragging an ipod around the house by the ear buds before. It is as funny as it sounds.

I love the new case. It is ironic my usual make-up routine includes some lip gloss and that is pretty much it.

You never know.

Then an amazing opportunity presented itself. The princess and her prince were to go on a quest to a treacherous land. A land covered in snow in the winter. Being from the Bay area this princess and prince were a little concerned to spend a few days without their sunshine. They decided they would have to risk it as the quest was too important. It was too special.

In preparation for the quest the fabric was resurrected. The princess amazed herself with her designing ability and just like a Disney princess eyeballed and cut out a pattern straight on the fabric. There were not any chirping birds pulling threaded needles through the fabric, but there were kitties. Two orange kitties supervised the entire project.

It turned out pretty cute, though there was concern the little man the little suit was intended for, was growing too quickly. Thankfully it wasn’t ultimately an issue.

So the princess and prince packed up the little suit and their things and travelled a long, long, long ways into the snowy, wintery kingdom of Iowa. There, they reunited with some of their dearest and bestest buddies they hadn’t seen in over two years!

The weekend flew by so fast. The quest on their journey was completed swiftly and victorious without problem–though the unfamiliar substance did fall from the sky and was quite perplexing to the prince and his princess.

The little man was baptized with zest by the prince, yet he didn’t cry and was very brave. The gang was reunited and much fun was had.

The little man had an equally adorable older sister, a little princess, but so much fun was had by the prince and princess that not a photo was taken of her. The little princess was generous and covered her mom, dad, little brother, the prince, and the princess with stickers. Two of the stickers ended up in our suitcase and now we think of the little man and his little princess sister daily.

Appropriately the sticker was of another princess. Are you getting confused yet?

Since the prince likes to make all stories about him, he decided to get very, very ill a few hours before the princess and he journeyed back to California. He was so ill it took all the kings horses and all the kings men three bags of saline before he was remotely hydrated again. It was not a fun time at all for the worrisome princess.

Here is the prince with one of the two very coveted ice pops he consumed that day. Notice the bin on his knees in case his body decided to reject the ice pop. Thankfully the potentency of his anti-nausea medicine was stronger than his body’s nasty virus and the bin wasn’t needed.

Unfortunately the prince has not been feeling well ever since and the worrisome princess continues to worry. Thankfully, the most recent news out of all of the kings horses and all of the kings mens’ mouths is positive and the prince should live a long life.

The End.

Have you heard about this show “All on the Line?”

http://www.sundancechannel.com/all-on-the-line/

I found the best write-ups from here.

http://tomandlorenzo2.blogspot.com/2011/04/all-on-line-kara-janx.html

http://tomandlorenzo2.blogspot.com/2011/03/all-on-line-e1-radenroro.html

Looks like I’m going to have to make dinner for a friend with cable tv so I can watch–or else I can buy episodes for $2.99 on iTunes. Have you watched? What do you think?

Step One: Lay out T-Shirt on a cutting mat and cut strips with a rotary cutter. My T-shirt had no side seams, so I didn’t have to tie the stripes in a loop–if you have side seams, you’d need to do this.

Step Two: Remove strips one by one and stretch out so they roll up.

Step Three: Tie strips into bundles as large or small as you desire with a smaller strip. If you had to the tie them in loops to begin with you can wrap the small strip over the knot to hide it.

Step Four: Wear with pride.

This is actually quite a cute alternative to the ever popular scarf trend. At least I still wear scarves like they aren’t going out of style. I never claimed to be a trendsetter, though.

Peace,

^-^

Next, play around with some ideas. I did do this–but without taking pictures. Then make Valentine and repeat.

Lastly, add candy so people really appreciate them.

Peace,

^-^

A long time ago,  a beautiful princess was given this Decades of Style pant pattern for her birthday. The princess dutifully traced the pattern, cut the toile (fitting garment), then left the project to rot in The Pit of Unfinished and Forgotten Projects. She went about her life very happily and frolicked to and fro.

One day several months later the princess was offered her choice of some very delicious and very free fabrics. The princess hawed and hemmed trying to decide. She realized her birthday was quickly approaching–how rude to have received a very spectacular pant pattern gift last year and not have finished the pants. The princess set her eyes on the goal–finish those pants before another candle was added to her cake. This goal helped her select a generous portion of linen material perfect for the pants.

The toile and pattern were retrieved from The Pit of Unfinished and Forgotten Projects and she worked diligently on them. Amazingly very few and minor changes were needed after fitting the toile and the work began swiftly on the final pants. Alas much celebrating occurred in the land of the princess when the pants were finished. The deadline was just barely missed, but the pants were exhibited at a gathering of royalty from the area.

The princess had much fun and continues to go about her life very happily and frolic to and fro. A few short weeks later, the princess got word from a fellow princess in a faraway land. A royal request was heralded.

To Be Continued…