keeping it in the family

i finished the dress, but have yet to post anything because i am in the middle of moving/starting a new job/moving away from my husband and dog for a month/decluttering.

so i have been a little busy, BUT my sister jamie over at gummy worm belly (i know, it's a funny name. that runs in the family too) has been crafting up a storm. while i use primarily fabric and thread, she is a needle and yarn lady.

AND LOOK WHAT SHE MADE!

oh ma gosh. it is so cute. a grandpa baby cardigan. head on over to her blog to check it out, plus get a peek inside of her crafty life. which is really green and cool and stuff. (i might also think it is extra cool because she is my older sister and i have always thought she is wayyy cooler than other people).

stay tuned for the rest of the dress. i SWEAR it will be up in the next two weeks.

deal?

deal.

oh and happy fourth this weekend :D

darling dress: part one

remember those measurements i was taking? well, today i put them to the test! i made the bodice today, and i figured we could tackle that part first (since it is a little difficult detail-oriented).

so, off we go!

well, first off- max was way in to this fabric (he has good taste) so it took longer than expected to cut

1. with your fabric folded in half, use your measurements to cut your bodice (why didn't i take a picture of this? i don't know...i blame max.) a measurement i missed in the picture was the length of the overall bodice, which for me was 16" (don't forget seam allowance)

2.  take both of your bodice pieces, and make the sleeves. what i like to do is just lay my two bodice pieces down to show what the curve will be, and cut from there. that way, i know it will fit!

3. take a nap. oh wait, only if you are dog! unless you feel sleepy, then go ahead and take a nap. no judgment.

4. next, make the yoke for your collar, i wanted a simple crew neck-ish neckline, but you could do anything here. using your bodice piece, cut around the neckline and behind to make a little yoke

5. with pretty sides together, pin (one side at a time) the yoke to the bodice and sewwww

6. pin your sleeve tops together and sew

7. now this can be tricky so take your time. pin your sleeve into the armhole. make sure they line up together nicely. then sew!

8. wow, you're almost done! now pin the sides together and sew up the side and down the sleeve

9. after that, make a hem on both sleeves. remember to make sure they are equal BEFORE sewing. unlike me. who has one sleeve 4" and one sleeve 3.75". whatevz.

(sneaky side tip: the front of my machine comes off, so i take it off to do sleeves so i don't accidentally sew my sleeve shut (which i have done before. twice.))

10. pin down the yoke and SLOWLY sew around the neckline

11. voila! a bodice! now, at this point i wanted a break so it isn't completely finished (we still need darts and a slit down the back) but i figured this was a good stopping point.

( i know what you're thinking...what the heck is on her table? don't know, don't care :) )

good job! you are almost all the way to your darling dress! tune in for part two soon :)

oh and here is a picture of max for your viewing pleasure

darling dress: part 1/2

one thing i have learned over the past few years is to not rush things, or you end up screwing it up. like my dad always says, "proper prior planning prevents poor performance." so i am taking this project nice and slow.

don't hate on my drawing skillz, i know they are inadequate.

it doesn't help that someone keeps wanting to cuddle while i measure.

and here he sleeping in....as usual.

i am hoping to start sewing next week, so check back in soon :)

....hello? is anyone still listening?

well, hello. it's been a few years, hasn't it? i have been busy, but trust me i missed you....

i have been thinking about restarting my blog over the last few months and a recent dewing project really reminded me how much i love sewing.

and how much i miss it.

and how much i miss sharing it with whoever wants to listen.

but before we get into that....can i give you an update on my life?

so, i did do grad school- and it was the hardest thing i ever had to do.

i also chopped my hair off....

after that i landed a job at a local elementary school. being a first year teacher wasn't as hard as grad school, but it definitely wasn't easy.

over the last summer, we added someone to our clan- our little max! 

i love him. a lot a lot. like, most people say obsessed....well, call it what you want.

this last year was my second year teaching and i felt like my head was finally above water.

we are preparing to move and are starting to go through all of our old stuff and i came across my fabric stash and longed to make a dress out of fabric i have had for about four years. so....be looking for that in the next month or so.

and you know what? every post might not have a tutorial, but i hope you still come along for the journey. crafty parts and life parts, ya dig?

it feels good to be back.