Fall...

Well, I'm already back in that routine of super-slow week days and super-fast weekends. It hasn't been like this for four years, but it's amazing at how it's exactly like public school. I didn't have time to do anything I wanted to do this weekend, which includes sewing or watching an old movie. I had to do homework...worksheets, reading, and an essay. Good grief.

I've said it before, but I am so ready for fall! I don't know whether it's the fact that Simplicity has updated their website with fall patterns, that I've become obsessed with the fall and Christmas fabrics at Hobby Lobby, that I had hot cream of chicken soup for supper, or that I've been overcome with the strange desire to wear a warm jacket. I'm just ready for fall. I'm sick of humid, sticky 85-90 degree weather. I long for cool weather!

I also long for some free time to sew. I'll admit, I did have some extra time today. But I've been in the process of switching my iTunes library from my parents' computer to my new laptop (a long process that didn't go exactly as planned). And I listen to my iPod when I'm sewing, and all of the songs were temporarily off of my iPod. So I couldn't really sew this afternoon. It wouldn't have been the same. So I spent the whole afternoon adding CD's that didn't go through. I haven't sewn hardly anything in a week now, and it's driving me crazy. I seriously want to make that vintage Butterick dress and attempt a winter coat, not to mention wallets and totes that people want.

Until next time,
Kristin (missvintagegirl)

Awake and alive...

I haven't had a lot of free time, but I wanted to post so nobody would think something terrible had happened to me at college. College hasn't killed me yet...I'm still here. Although I did almost get hit (in my car, not on foot) today, with someone going the wrong way in the parking lot and nearly backing into me. Apparently, community college students (from age 18 to 50) are scary drivers. I've liked my classes so far, and today was my last "new" class. So now I've been to every one of my classes at least once. All of my teachers seem really nice and fun, which makes me more excited about the classes. The only one I'm not too sure about is college composition. I like to write. I like to write in my blog, in my journal, or letters. I also don't mind essay-type writing too much, as long as only the teacher is going to see it. But in this class, sometimes we read our writing aloud (she did say we could pass if we wanted to, though), and sometimes we trade papers and evaluate each other's. Why is it so much harder to know that someone your own age is going to be reading your paper? I get along well with adults, and I get along well with kids. It's people my age that are the problem, LOL. Or at least, the ones I feel most insecure around. But maybe I can handle this...

I've already seen ways that God is working and helping me through this experience. And it's only my third day (tomorrow I have classes, but then I've made it through my first week of college!). I've already been pushed out of my comfort zone a lot. I've had to accept more responsibility and become much more independent. I've been having to drive by myself to town (which I didn't do much of before this week) and learn how to deal with new places and crazy drivers (I had someone blowing the horn at me today because I was being cautious at an intersection) and unfamiliar situations (like where to park when every parking lot is full). I've had to meet new people and talk to them and start to get to know them, and I've had to reacquaint myself with old friends. I've had to get up in front of 30 people and introduce myself and tell about myself. I've had to ask for help. These may all seem like minor things, but to me they're pretty huge. And then tonight in our teen class at church, we watched a sermon from Jentzen Franklin about fighting fear. About risking looking stupid or being rejected or failing because we need to fight our fears and take opportunities that God gives us. He said that often our scariest moments are our biggest opportunities (he even mentioned the fear of public speaking). I need God to help me fight my fears, because I have oh-so-many of them.

I got the new Skillet CD, "Awake," today. It came out Monday, I believe. I was a little anxious, because the reviews I had read (from Jesus Freak Hideout) weren't that great. But I actually really like it so far. Some of the songs sound a little similar, but most of the time they do on CD's until you really listen to them a lot. I just love Skillet.

Until next time,
Kristin (missvintagegirl)

First day...

So, today was my first day of community college, the day I've been worried about for the past year and obsessed with for the past month. It went pretty well. I should have realized that today would be a good day just by the fact that I actually managed to eat breakfast this morning. =) Anyway, I only had two classes, but I was in town all day, and I'm completely exhausted. I even went to bed early last night, but a terrible thunderstorm with a ton of rain kept me awake for a while (I love thunderstorms, but over the past month, we've had about three big storms that about scared me to death). I think I'm going to really like those two classes especially. The teachers are so nice and I was surprised to see a family friend who I've known since I was 4 or 5, probably, in my first class. I can't even explain the relief I felt to recognize one face, LOL. I was freaking out by that time because of the parking situation. Apparently, they're desperately lacking in parking spaces. I drove around for five or ten minutes and was nearly late for class because I couldn't find a spot. I hope it won't be like this all the time. It was complete chaos over there today, with people walking everywhere and cars everywhere. I saw a very near-accident a few times. It was crazy. That was the most nerve-wracking and stressful part of my day.

I like the personal, secluded feeling of the children's center. I like having classes with all girls who are in the child care program (and of course it's all girls...the unnecessary boys' bathroom in the class has become a storage room). Tomorrow and Wednesday, I'm afraid, I'll be thrown out into the real world, with all sorts of students in my classes (they're more basic classes). I got spoiled today, and I can't help but feel that the rest of my week won't go nearly as happily or smoothly as today did. Anyway, besides parking, I guess today was a good first day of college.

Until next time,
Kristin (missvintagegirl)

Let's try this again...

Here we go. Finally, pictures of the patchwork bag, made from Simplicity 2617 (I think).

The front, then the back, which is slightly different.

Closeups of the fabrics used and the decorative stitching.

The inside has a zipper. This is the first zippered pocket I've made in a purse. Even though it took me two tries to get it right, I'm pretty happy with it. Please ignore how the stripes don't line up in the bottom. You can't see the bottom when it's full of junk, anyway.

Well, tomorrow is my first day of community college. I'm actually not nervous at this exact moment, which is amazing. I can't guarantee how I'll feel in the morning, though. But tomorrow shouldn't be bad at all. Only two classes, with a big gap in between, and Mom's coming to town later, too. So me and her are going to run errands between classes. I'll just be glad when I figure out how things are going to be and get in the routine. This suspense and not knowing what to expect is what kills me. Everyone please pray for me this week, that God will give me peace and bless my first week and that this will be a great experience for me. I guess I'll probably write about my first day after I get home tomorrow...

Until next time,
Kristin (missvintagegirl)

Patchwork and movies...

First of all, I have pictures of this wallet I made today...I made one like it before but it was sold before I remembered to get pictures of it.

I've been getting lots of compliments on my sewing lately, which makes me feel really good about it. I'm realizing that sewing is one of those things that I truly love to do, like reading or playing the piano. It's so satisfying to make something, whether for myself or for someone else. Today was Maya's birthday party, and we gave her the blanket and little pocketbook. She loved them and had the purse slung over her arm, even while she was being pushed on her new tricycle (with her new dress-up shoes on). It was adorable. I also got several new requests to make for people, including tote bags and wallets.

Second of all, I was going to have pictures of my new patchwork bag, hence the title of the post, but I'm having technical difficulties. I'll try again tomorrow.

I got some more old movies from the library: "Woman of the Year," "The Parent Trap," "The Absent-Minded Professor," "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," and "Rebel Without a Cause." The only one I had seen before is the last one, but I do really like James Dean, and it's been so long, that I wanted to see it again. I know, I was a sadly deprived child never to have seen the original "Parent Trap" movie. I grew up loving the remake, and now I can't decide which I like better. The remake goes along suprisingly well with the original. But the original has those catchy songs...

Cheesy, I know, but I just love it. How could you not love Disney cheesiness? Same thing with "The Absent-Minded Professor," except not quite as good. I loved "Woman of the Year." I don't even particularly like Katherine Hepburn most of the time, but her and Spencer Tracy make a perfect, however unlikely, couple. I've loved all of their movies. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" was okay. It has a good moral about the love of money. Anyway, it's always exciting to see "new" old movies. =)

Until next time,
Kristin (missvintagegirl)

Freshman Preview and strange musicals...

Today I went to Freshman Preview at school. I was feeling fine (except for that fact that I couldn't eat many of my Frosted Mini Wheats) until we got there. Mom went with me, but she went with the other parents into a separate assembly. I had to suck it up and walk into that auditorium by myself, and that was not easy. Some popular music was blasting (only one song of which I had heard before, of course) and it was full of strangers. Well, technically not all strangers. I actually saw a ton of people that I went to school with, from kindergarten to middle school. But apparently they didn't recognize/remember me. In school, I was always the quiet, smart girl. I'm a serious observer and people watcher, so I basically remember everyone I ever went to school with. But I don't think they remember me, because I was a wallflower. Am a wallflower. Anyway, I found a safe seat (feeling a little sorry for myself, as almost everyone else there had friends with them and I was alone) and waited for the fun to begin. Ha. It was boring. I think everyone who has anything to do with the college spoke, and they all basically said the same thing. I listened, alright, because there was nothing else to do. Then finally, lunch time came. They only had sodas to drink, and I haven't had a soft drink in two years. We had to get water from the water fountain. I felt like a little kid again. All in all, it wasn't what I had hoped it would be. It didn't really give me a preview of what to expect come Monday. So now there's nothing to do but wait and see.

This week I got some old movies from the library: "The Pajama Game," "Kiss Me, Kate," "Herbie Rides Again," and "West Side Story. The first two were alright, pretty good. I haven't got to watch Herbie yet, and they're due back tomorrow. "West Side Story" was weird. To say the least. I have very mixed feelings about it. I'm learning that "classic" movies, that are supposedly some of the best movies ever filmed, aren't always good (sometimes it's the obscure ones that are real treasures). Sometimes they're quite depressing and disappointing, such as "Gone With the Wind" (the most wasted four hours of my life, but that's another post entirely). "West Side Story" didn't quite live up the hype, for me at least. Okay, I love musicals. I don't care if they're not realistic. I don't care if people really don't dance in the rain or break out in song. That's just part of musicals...they were most famous during the war years when people needed an escape from reality and needed happy endings. But "West Side Story" was pushing it even for me. A tough inner-city neighborhood with two violent, rival gangs is not a good setting for a musical. Tough gang members in tight clothes carrying knives and guns do not dance down the street or sing in front of each other. It was strange. I liked some parts of the movie. I liked "America," the version of "Tonight" that everyone sings on the way to the rumble, and the very end. But other than that, I'm not too sure how I feel about it.

I made my patchwork bag, and it turned out very nice. I haven't taken any pictures of it yet, but maybe by tomorrow. I'm very anxious to start working on my dress. I'm using brown fabric with pink polka dots, the same I used on Mom's tote. Hopefully I'll have enough fabric left between the dress and her tote to make a clutch to match it. I love clutches; they're so 1930's...clutches and gloves and hats, all matching, LOL. It would be perfect with a retro dress. I might start on it tomorrow, but maybe not. I've got to make a few wallets, including one for my aunt.

Until next time,
Kristin (missvintagegirl)

New projects and Elvis...

Today is the anniversary of Elvis' death, which is pretty sad. He died 32 years ago today. It's Elvis day on Turner Classic's "Summer Under the Stars" (each day in August they play all movies from a different actor/actress), so they've been showing his movies all day and will until about 2:00 am I think. So everyone who gets TCM (unfortunately we don't), watch an Elvis movie just for the fun of it. =) They're not very good, but at least you'll get a laugh. It's sort of weird, because until yesterday I didn't realize what today was. But this week I've watched two or three Elvis movies. I seem to subconciously know when it's getting close to a significant Elvis day. Strange. Maybe a side-effect of being a fan for so long.

Even though I've spent most of the past two weeks sewing (an apron, three wallets, a tote bag, a pocketbook, and a blanket), I'm itching to start a new project. It probably didn't help that I spent a lot of time this afternoon on Craftster and several sewing blogs getting all inspired. =) These are my next two projects...I've got the materials for the bag, but not for the dress.

I'm going to make the bottom one, in black/turquoise colors.

I love this vintage-style dress. I'm going to make the one on the right. Of course it's exaggerated in the drawing, but I've seen pictures online of it that people have made, and it's beautiful. It has a lovely full, gathered skirt like you'd see on "I Love Lucy" or "The Andy Griffith Show." The bottom of the skirt is about 100 inches! I'm really excited. I might even try this one in muslin before I make it in the real fabric, since my dresses never seem to fit me exactly right. But maybe not...it takes almost 4 yards. Anyway, I'll probably start on the bag tomorrow.

Until next time,
Kristin (missvintagegirl)

Laptops and blankets...

Yesterday I spent most of the morning finishing the last of Maya's birthday presents. It's a Fancy Nancy blanket. I don't have a picture of it spread out, because my cedar chest isn't big enough and the light is even more terrible in the kitchen.


It's so cute, and I'm happy with the way it turned out, especially since I just winged it. It's a little over two feet by three feet. One side is Fancy Nancy flannel material. The other side is pink broadcloth with a cut-out of the flannel appliqued in a corner, and there's a layer of fusible fleece in between (which made it a little too stiff, but I think it'll soften up after it's been washed). The corners are rounded and it's held together by pink bias tape around the edge.

The fabric on that side isn't wrinkled under the bias tape...I don't know why it looks like that.

And then just before lunch, I had a lovely surprise. I was thinking about ordering a new laptop, because of my poor dead 6 year-old one. But a few weeks ago, my parents told me that since we're supposed to get financial aid for school, that they would get me a laptop. So we ordered a new Dell Inspiron 14. It originally wasn't supposed to come until next week, but it was shipped early and got here yesterday! It's so lovely. Such a huge improvement over my old one! And I hope I'll be able to use it a lot with school stuff. I'm really impressed with it so far.

Isn't it wonderful? Just kidding, this is my old monster. It feels like it weighs twice as much as the new one.

I'm sorry for the lack of good pictures. It's a lot prettier than the picture. It's really shiny and thin.
This is closer to the actual color, but it's even darker and more purplish/pinkish than this picture.

So shiny that it's reflecting my closet doors. It's too bad that it'll never be this clean again.

I've been spending a lot of time figuring out things on it (it's a lot different from my old one) and switching over some documents from the old one. I really need to get offline now and clean my room, which hasn't been dusted in years (not really, but from the dust on my TV you would think it). Or begin transferring my iTunes from my parents' computer to this one... =)

I've been watching some Elvis movies over the past few days. Poor Elvis. I've always read that he wanted to be a serious actor, like James Dean, but the only roles they would give him were ones to bring in a lot of money. So that means that he plays nearly the same character in all 30-some movies. He's always a tough, carefree, race car driving, say-one-wrong-thing-to-me-and-I'll-punch-your-nose, singing, guitar playing, karate chopping, chick magnet, nightclub singer. Always. Except in his last movie (I think "Change of Habit"-how ironic!), where I believe he plays a doctor who does not get the girl (because she's a nun), and in a few others where he might play a slight variation...like a pilot or scuba-diver. I'm not making fun of Elvis. I'm making fun of the people who came up with those scripts.

Until next time,

Kristin (missvintagegirl)

Gifts and spiders...

I finally got some pictures of all the things I've been sewing last week and this week. First, Mom's birthday gifts...a tote, a wallet, and an apron (which I don't have pictures of yet).

Brown with pink polka dots and coordinating lining fabric. It also has a pocket and magnetic closure. Don't you just love polka dots? Sewing this made me want a polka dot skirt or dress or something.

Matching wallet. I wanted the snap tab to be the same fabric as the outside, but wasn't paying attention. I put the snap on the wrong side, so here's how it ended up.

By the way, in making this wallet, I had my first experience with a bent and broken needle. It was rather interesting...I still have the needle (because I'm a dork like that), so maybe I'll get a picture of it and tell my harrowing tale.

Today I made wallet for my cousin to give as a birthday gift (don't have a picture, but it's the same fabric as my first big wallet). I also made this adorable purse and wallet for Miss Maya, who turned two yesterday. She's on vacation, so I haven't got to give it to her yet. I'm so happy with the way it turned out, especially since I had to make some adjustments to make it toddler-sized. It's a version of the Buttercup Bag, and the pictures just can't show how adorable it is. Maya is such a girly girl, and I think she'll really like it. I'm also making her a Fancy Nancy blanket tomorrow (hopefully...I'm sort of making it up as I go along).

Showing the pleats. And the mini matching wallet:

Spiders really freak me out. I don't know if this comes from Aragog or the spider that nearly eats Frodo (can't remember its name...what is it with huge, man-eating spiders in books, anyway?) or what. The woods around here are infested with them, as are the brooder houses. This morning in the kitchen, I was in socks and stepped on something sort of soft that crunched. I looked down and was horrified to see that it was a spider-a big one, and even worse, it wasn't completely dead. Then I felt guilty because I didn't mean to crush it and my grandma had to put it out of its misery (I don't hate spiders, I'm just scared of them). That nearly scarred me for life. So where am I going with this gruesome spider talk? Well, the other week, me and Mom were going to the thrift store when a spider dropped down at me from the ceiling of my car. This is the second time this has happened ("You know why?" my dad said. "Because it's a Bug." Joke of the day.), and I handled it quite well as we were already in the parking lot. I tried to knock the spider into the floorboard, and thought I did, because I couldn't see it anywhere. So me and Mom went into the store and looked around for a few minutes. When we're walking toward the door to leave, I notice something on my shoulder. Guess what it is? The same spider from my car. Not a little spider either, and it's sitting on my shoulder for a free ride like it's my pet or something. I managed to brush it off without causing a scene. Maybe I'm like Spidergirl or something, because they're drawn to me.

I'm trying to remain calm about starting college in a few days. I'm okay until I realize how quickly the days are slipping away, and I don't feel so prepared. I need God to breathe some courage on me, like Aslan gives to Lucy.

Lucy buried her head in his mane to hide from his face. But there must have been magic in his mane. She could feel lion-strength going into her. Quite suddenly she sat up.
"I'm sorry, Aslan," she said. "I'm ready now." -Prince Caspian

"Jane Eyre" and rewatched movies...

I feel so guilty about neglecting my blog for this long. Almost every evening I planned to get on, but something always happened. Most often it was that I couldn't pull myself away from my sewing machine or my book. See, I've been in a reading and sewing frenzy over the past week. I was making several things for Mom's birthday. I really want to put up some pictures, and I can, now that I've given her her presents. I'll try to take some tomorrow. I made her an apron out of this adorable black, red, and white apron fabric she's been admiring. It has red bias tape trim, which turned out a lot better than I thought it would. I also made her a pink and brown tote and matching wallet. So that took up a lot of time last week. Besides the fact that I was reading "Jane Eyre," a lovely and very interesting book! It was similar to Jane Austen's books, in a way, except darker and more suspenseful. I read it in less than a week, because I just had to find out what was going to happen, while it took me over two weeks to read "Black" (a thriller). I guess that just shows that this is the kind of story that interests me. It was so good! I liked the plot and the characters and, of course the ending. There was one point a little over halfway through, when I really disliked the book a lot, because I couldn't figure out how things could work out in a happy way, and I thought that Jane was going to make a really big, silly mistake. But everything came together in the end. "Jane Eyre" definitely measured up to all of my expectations. Now I'm getting ready to tackle the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This will be my second time all the way through, if I can make it, LOL. I love the stories, but the books are so detailed and long! When I read all three a few summers ago, it took me well over a month.

This weekend I rented two movies that I had seen before, and that I felt very differently about..."Miss Potter" and "Becoming Jane." I loved "Miss Potter" the first time I saw it, even though I've never been especially interested in Beatrix Potter. It's just a good, sweet, clean movie. Very sad, though, after a certain point. I had to keep grabbing tissues. It has a hopeful ending, though. Then there's "Becoming Jane." I really wanted to like it. It's about my favorite author (she ties with C.S. Lewis), plus it has country dances, lovely old houses, and beautiful, green countryside. It even has Anne Hathaway, who I like very much, and James McAvoy, aka Mr. Tumnus and the hero in "Penelope" (not to mention Mrs. Weasley and Professor McGonagall from HP). But still, I didn't like it the first time, and I didn't like it this time. I just don't think that Jane Austen was really like that. I think that she was bold and fiesty and outspoken, like she was portrayed. But, as far as I can tell, she was a Christian who wouldn't have made the choices they had her make in "Becoming Jane." The biggest thing is, I don't think she would have fallen for (and nearly married) a guy like Tom Lefroy was portrayed...a guy with very flawed morals. Or I hope she wouldn't have, anyway. I like the end and certain other parts of the movie, but overall, it disappoints me. Too bad. A movie of Jane Austen's life could have been really good!

Until next time,
Kristin (missvintagegirl)

"Black" and school shopping...

I've just now finished reading "Black," by Ted Dekker, and I'm trying to decide how I feel about it. It was lent to me by my Sunday school teacher, who is a huge Dekker fan. I've read two (well, one of his and one he co-wrote) of his books, and while they're not exactly my style, they're good. Now this one was so bizarre and weird, but I liked how parts of it made sense and fell into place. I like it when things fall into place and can't stand when there are loose ends left, which is sort of how the book ended. In a way. Of course, there are two other books in the series, and one soon to be released that is the beginning and the end of the other stories, thus making it the "Circle Trilogy." Pretty clever, I have to admit, but I can't read this kind of book too often. It starts to mess with your head and it's a little too deep for me. I guess I'm shallow, LOL. Anyway, now that I've read it, I'm glad that I'm free to start one of my other summer reading books...maybe "Jane Eyre"? I've been wanting to read that one for quite a while.

Me and Mom have to go shopping for school clothes sometime pretty soon. It's been four years since I've been in public school, and I haven't had to have many clothes since then. That should give you an idea of what my closet looks like...quite a few things that I haven't worn in 4 years and that don't fit me anymore, and then a very few outfits that I love and wear all the time. I wish I had a quirky sense of style, sort of a mix of Luna Lovegood and Penelope. I see cute, unique clothes, but I'm not brave enough to wear them. Part of me keeps thinking, here's a new start. The majority of people at community college have never seen or met me before. I can choose what to wear and how to act to make people perceive me a certain way. But then I think of how fake that would be, and how exhausting it would be to keep up that act. Maybe I'm already putting on an act, in a small way. It would be so freeing to just be myself, be the genuine person God created me to be. And to tell the truth, I'm already quirky enough without acting or dressing like Luna. At least she isn't obsessed with what others think...she's not afraid to be herself. So while we're out shopping (probably unsuccessfully. Either I'm picky or there's some clothing company conspiracy to refuse to make clothes that fit me.) for jeans and shoes, I'll try to fight the temptation to worry what the world thinks of me and to fit their paperdoll (as Natalie would say) mold.

Until next time,
Kristin (missvintagegirl)

New wallets...

I made these wallets over the past few days...a small one and large one. The large one turned out really well-probably the best of that style I've made so far. It's my favorite at least. =) I'd like to make a skirt out of that blue/brown polka dot fabric, but I don't know if I could find a matching shirt.









I sold four of my wallets this week. =) One large one and three small. I've also (sort of) started working on a few surprises for Mom's birthday next weekend. In fact, that's what I should be doing now, instead of blogging. I've only got a week.

Here lately I've been looking around at laptop prices. My poor Dell has practically died, but since it's been mine since 2003, I guess it's about time. I think it has a virus (or more likely, several, by the looks of it). I'd really love to have a new laptop, especially since we have high speed internet now, and I have one of those wireless router things. But the Dell Inspiron 14 I'm looking at will drain the graduation money in my bank account, even with all the special deals they're offering now. It's so lovely, especially the purple color available. The thought of having to put all my pictures and everything on a new computer is sort of scary, though. And it's even worse when I realize how much fabric or sheet music or some of the other things I love I could buy with that much money.

I've realized that I'm tired of summer. I'm ready for my favorite season...fall. I'm tired of hot, sticky weather and flip-flops and mosquitoes and everyone going on vacation except us (farmers, unfortunately, can't go on vacation until the fall/winter) and shorts (I don't wear shorts. But I'm tired of seeing shorts, especially elderly people in shorts, which is usually not only immodest but also mentally disturbing.) I'm ready for fall, for cool mornings and fresh breezes and pumpkin-scented candles and colorful, dry leaves and boots and jeans and scarves and sweaters and apples and trips to the mountains. Doesn't it sound just lovely?

Until next time,
Kristin (missvintagegirl)