Halloweenification!

If you recall, I am going to be the High Life girl in the moon for Halloween. I ripped the end off of a box of beer bottles, for inspiration.

I ordered the straw hat online on Sunday, so that should be on its way. I also bought 5 yards of red cotton, just to be safe. So far, I have made the circle skirt and part of the jacket. Granted, it looks like a whole bunch of nothing, but I have made the fronts and back, with all of the princess seams. I mastered those making my navy blue dress, so I blasted through that last night.

The skirt is super simple, and I made it on Sunday, zipper included.

So I need to:

1. Finish the jacket

2. Make the black and gold top

3. Make the sash with hearts.

4. Sew on all the ribbon.

5. Make hat red.

And ta-da! Done!

Then, I am making T-Rex a tiny Napoleon army uniform too. It'll be AMAZING!

Cupcake Dress Pictures

This is my pattern:

From a distance, by a fountain in City Park.

Closer. I think it's impossible to get a picture without the wiener dog in it.

Close-up of the bodice. Those are really buttonholes, although it it not necessary to use them to put it on.

The belt I made, which is really cute.

The back of the dress:

Sitting in the sun.

And, on a fun note, imitating the pose of fountain girl.

I am really happy with this dress. I think it needs one more snap on the side to close up the flap, but I am going to do that now and then wear it some time this week!

Thoughts?

Amazing Vintage Dress Finds!!!

I went to three garage sales in Metairie this morning with Andrew. We also got him a Blackberry for his birthday. That took forever- cell phone stores are so stupid.

This was at the last sale we went to- three awesome, new-with-tags, vintage Swirl dresses. I was looking at a rack of clothes at the estate sale, and the lady next to me said "those are so cute, but they're a 16." I looked anyways, and they are a vintage 16- a world of difference!

Here's the tag: "in just 25 seconds you'll be lovely in this"

It is as easy as it says to put on.

These are the store tags: Maison Blanche, an old department store on Canal St that is out of business.

Inside tags:

Dress #1: A light blue with some discoloration along the stomach and on the tie. If it can't be soaked out with Oxyclean, I can always dye it a little darker blue. Look at the giant pockets! One website said it's probably from the 50s or early 60s if it had big, patch pockets and a below-knee length skirt, which all three do.

Beautiful detail along the collar and the tops of the pockets.

They all have swirly buttons.
Dress # 2: a medium blue hounds tooth with ribbon details.

Up-close:

Dress # 3: A dark blue and green plaid.

I don't know what this detail is called, but I do know I would never have the patience to sew it.

And some other stuff: corn on the cob holders and a Flintstones glass.

And, the cutest little mug ever. Always drink your milk!!!
Today I will wash the dresses, since they have that musty old house stink. The do all need to be hemmed, since they hit me at the bottom of my calf, which is such a flattering look....

Tomorrow I will have pictures of my completed cupcake dress! I do think these dresses deserve their own photo shoots as I fix them up, right?

Oh, p.s.- They were $9 total!

Cupcake Dress Update

I know some people are bored with work-in-progress updates; if that's you, goodbye! :)

I have been sewing so slowly lately with school. School isn't overwhelming me like last year, but it is time consuming. Plus, I have had some unfortunate after club late nights- two times parents didn't come pick up their child until after 6pm- when the club ends at 4:30! We are legally not allowed to leave until the kids are picked up, obviously, so it was unfortunate!

However, I have made the skirt for my dress. Now all I need to do is to sew the skirt to the bodice, make two buttonholes and sew on the snaps and buttons. I hope I can finish this tomorrow!

Dress overall- remember, the skirt isn't attached, so it won't be crooked.

The giant, awesome collar.
The buttons I chose for it out of my stash.
The many-pleated skirt. They are in little groups of three, maybe 30 total?

It definitely is now the Cupcake Dress because it is so poofy and pink. I will look like a big dorky cupcake in it. I doubt it will help me look 26, and not a middle school student, but oh well! You only live once!

A walk around the block

I finished to bodice of my pink dress, and was going to post a picture. I left the usb cord plugged in though, and it always drains the whole battery. Does anyone else's camera do that? Pah.

So, I will instead give you the story of my afternoon walk with the dog around the block. From the perspective of T-Rex, of course.

Exit door, race to the first corner to see if the cat is there to be chased or smelled. Smell cat.

Walk the next side to the second corner, smell things, pee.

At second corner, stop and dig in heels; refuse to walk farther. Act terrified, even though we walk this route every SINGLE day. Be dragged by the neck around corner by Molly, evil Molly.

Hesitantly walk the next side of block, poop. Try to kick it onto Molly. Try to run in the street while she picks it up. Try to walk back the way we came.

Be dragged or encouraged to the third corner, while being terrified by the sounds of high school students playing basketball at the school.

Race around the third corner, with hair on back in mohawk, ready to bark at German Shepherds. Pull Molly like a sled dog.

Bark, be scolded.

Race down the street towards home and around last corner.

Run across yard, go inside and go back to sleep.

The end.

Next up- Simplicity 2549

This is my fabric. Looking at my closet I was struck by how many blah work clothes I have in neutral colors. Ick. I know everyone else will be sewing for fall, but I have so much brown, black, navy and gray already. I want more color! Plus, in New Orleans, it sometimes begins to get chilly around the end of October, so I still have a solid month of summer dress weather.

Recently, my students pointed out that blue must be my favorite color because I wear it a LOT. And they were right. Many of my dresses I've made are shades of blue. Therefore, this one will be PINK! The color is slightly off in the picture, it is very baby, pretty pink with tiny black dots. It is just a quilter's cotton, but I have had my fill of slippery fabrics lately.

This is my pattern- Simplicity 2549. From 1958, according to the interwebs. I am making the full, pleated skirt. I made the bodice and tried it on. Although it is a 34 bust, it looks like it will be a decent fit.

Don't you think it will be cute with my black flower belt I just made? I pulled out all my pink buttons, and I am still pondering the two for the front.

McCalls 1087- 1943 fabric covered sewing box

I picked up this pattern at an estate sale in Oregon two summers ago. I don't remember how much it cost, it was one of those pile of stuff for 3 bucks times. It is for "3 styles of fabric covered sewing boxes with removable slipcovers!" Maybe in 1943 (when it was issued) that would count as removable, but when that requires ripping out all my hand-stitching and then re-sewing it, I personally would not call it removable. Ha!

The fabric is a cute cotton from Jo-Ann. It has two pockets that are divided into smaller pockets.

I put the pins and needle on the inside of the lid because I am a follower- that's what they did on the pattern envelope. It is kind of flopsy mopsy. I bet if I went back and followed the directions correctly, you sew the corners up and then sew the two pieces together down the middle. Mine is kind of loose and the bottom interior is lumpy. Oh well.

This is my example piece for Wednesday's sewing club. It will teach them to sew a nearly invisible stitch on the outside (pockets) and a whip-stitch (corners and joining the two main pouch sections).

This is my preview of my other cool belt I made. You will see it on when I finish my next dress!