Big News!

I have been accepted to the Go West Craft Fest!  It's at the Woodlands on Saturday, September 7.  I am thrilled and can't wait!

Sneak peek!

Here's a little preview of what I'll be bringing to Mt. Airy Finally Friday this friday, July 26.

Recycled tshirt bag

Crossbody bag with recycled tshirt pocket

On the left, a crossbody bag with a pocket detail re-used from a damaged vintage dress.  Right, a crossbody bag made from some funny fabric I found in a bargain basement.

Zipper pouch made from vintage polyester.

Potluck placemat, with silverware and a pocket for napkins.  Made from a vintage tablecloth.

Crayon caddies.  Keep the kids busy at restaurants and on long car trips!

I hope you'll come out and say hello Friday evening, from 6pm to 8pm.  I don't have my exact location yet, but I'll update when I get that information.

Vacation wardrobe planning: patterns

While working on this beach wardrobe, I've been asking myself what types of activities I plan to do on this trip.  Plenty of beach and pool lounging, that's a given.  I'd also like to take a side trip to Ocracoke village and browse the quaint shops, have a nice grown up dinner with my husband, go horse spotting on the 4x4 beach, and maybe a bit of biking if I can get my bike in rideable condition before the trip.

So, I'm going to want a lot of shorts or capri pants.  To wear with those, I want something different from the tshirts and shapeless tanks I usually default to. 

I snatched up this Gertie pattern right when it came out months ago, but haven't made it yet.  Back when I was a teen, I loved tie-front tops.  Then years of fat shaming chipped away at my self confidence until I was hiding in huge, shapless tees.  I want to break out of this pattern of dressing.  And how cute are the pants!

I think this housedress, shortened a bit, would make an awesome swimsuit cover-up. This might be a good candidate for the retro novelty cotton, if there's enough.

Here are some candidates for shorts.  I love the look of the outfit in the original 1960's pattern, but I'm not sure if I can manage the alterations.  I've done a FBA, but haven't tinkered with pants patterns much.  So I may use the pattern on the bottom instead.  I may also make up some capri's with the Butterick pattern on top, but I have to cut that one down a size, since I made some earlier this summer that ended up so big I swam in them.  WTF is with all the ease in some patterns?
I'm also considering adding the modern McCall's shorts to the mix, because I like shorter shorts as well.

Dresses for date night/aimless browsing.  I've been wanting a maxi all summer.  Can't decide between doing the short sleeved or sleeveless version of the faux wrap one.

Tops:  I think I'm going to give the tank from this 1970's "seams slimmer" a try.  I also plan a couple tie front tops, maybe a sleeveless top from the plus size pattern referenced earlier, and a flowy peasant-y blouse like this:

That's all I got for now.  Happy sewing!

Vacation wardrobe planning-fabric

As I mentioned previously, I'm attempting a mini-vacation wardrobe.  I want the overall feel to be vintage, but after reviewing my fabrics and patterns, it won't fit together like a perfect capsule.  I'm so jealous of the perfectly curated capsule wardrobes I see on polyvore.  If only I could have such great style.

So here's the fabrics I'd like to use:

I picked these up at a yard sale.  They're so fresh and summery looking.  I'm thinking bermuda shorts, or some high waisted shorter shorts.

A nice dark denim for some capri pants.

I bought this poly-cotton blend for another project and then never used it.  Tie front top, maybe?

This was pulled from my mom's stash, where it had rested for the last 20 odd years.  It's a lightweight denim and I have a ton of it.  I'm thinking a kitchy beach tote, and some shorts for the kiddo.  If I had the right pattern, it would make a rockin' playsuit.  But I've only got 3 weeks to work.

A nice lightweight twill from the same stash.  I'm thinking shorts of some kind.

I had to grab this awesome remnant from the sale table at Gaffney's.  Only problem is, there wasn't quite enough left for a dress.  Funky cover-up?  Novelty blouse?

I may have to buy some fabric to fill in the gaps, but this gives me a starting point.  Next, I'll discuss the patterns I plan to use.  Happy Sewing!

Back in town!

Hi everyone!  I've just arrived back from a much needed vacation in the deep woods with no access to the internet.  I found the break quite refreshing.  I never realized how much my facebooking addiction had taken over my life.  Sometimes it's good to be in a cave away from all media.

Now that I'm back home, I've got a few items on my schedule.  On July 26th, I'll be selling my purses at Mt. Airy Final-ly Friday.  More info forthcoming.

Also, I'm fortunate enough to have another vacation on the horizon.  My husband's family makes a biennial trip to the Outer Banks, and this is a beach year!  I've decided to sew up a vintage inspired beach capsule wardrobe.  I'll supplement with a few purchased items, but I'd like the bulk to be me-made.  I'm still in the planning stages, but I'll be sure to share which patterns I'll use and some glamour shots of the fabrics. 

Hope everyone is staying cool in the heat of this summer!(or warm in the winter for southern hemisphere visitors).