

Tuesday, March 29, 2011
I like Target.

Saturday, March 26, 2011
Obsolete.
Here are just a few things that the list pretty much says will be obsolete for kids born this year: books, magazines, newspapers, travel agents, CDs, picture frames (non-digital ones), letters and mail.
The article fails to recognize one major fact, though: some of us refuse to let this happen.

But I'm the girl who not only still watches VHS tapes (though, after having our VCR spit out and unwind three tapes this week, I will admit DVDs are an improvement there) but *gasp* listens to records. Which were considered "obsolete" years before I was born.
I'm the girl who gets so excited about checking the mail, whether I find a note, a package, a magazine, or even just junk mail in the box.
I'm the girl who will never, ever buy an e-reader of any kind because of the way they seem to be hurting the book printing industry. Real books that you can hold and smell and pass on are special. That's one of the reasons why I love bookbinding.
I'm the girl who reluctantly owns an old cell phone- solely for the purpose of calling and letting my mom know when I've reached my destination. I'm the girl who has never sent a text message in her life and doesn't plan to.
So call me stubborn, but I'm determined that the things in that article will not apply to me, or to the children I hope to have someday. Sooner or later, people will have to realize that technological advancements are not always advancements or improvements, and that one of the best things we can do is look back and learn from the way things used to be.
That's just my opinion. As for me, I'll hold on tightly to my real books, black and white photographs, and dusty albums.

Friday, March 25, 2011
Work in progress.
Remember, though. I was watching N&S while stitching. So I did spend a fair amount of time glancing up at the screen and at a certain Mr. Thornton. :)
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Better late than never.
{I had almost finished wrapping the hoop when I ran out of green ribbon.}

Watching Brigadoon is always interesting for me. I bought it years ago, without having ever seen it before, merely for Gene Kelly. It's an interesting plot with a fantasy twist. But most of the songs aren't that great and most of the cast seems to be over-acting (or maybe it's just the fake Scottish accents that make it seem that way). Also, I do not find Van Johnson's character very likable.

Saturday, March 19, 2011
Embroidered inspirations.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The swing dress.
1. First muslin. I never bothered with making a muslin mock-up before. It is so worth it!
2. First time altering a pattern. I shortened the bodice by an inch, adjusted the sleeve ease, shortened the sleeves a little, shortened the skirt by 1 inch, and added .5 inch to all the side seams-which, in the end, may not have been necessary.
3. First time underlining a fabric.
4. First time inserting an invisible zipper in the side of a dress. Or a dress period. This was only my second invisible zipper, and unfortunately, it didn't turn out quite as perfect as my first did. But it's good enough.
5. First time finishing the fabric edges before I started sewing. I used the overcast stitch on my machine on every single piece after I cut it out. It seemed like an absolute pain at the time, but it made things so easier to work with! Plus, I didn't have to struggle trying to finish the seams after the dress was sewn.
As far as changes/alterations go, I also left off the back ties and the shoulder pads. I can always go back and add the shoulder pads later, but I think it looks fine.
The next stressful part was hand washing the fabric. I've never hand washed fabric in my life. But this rayon challis is dry clean only, and I didn't want to deal with that. I tried a sample in the wash, but it shrunk like crazy. So I washed approx. 4 yards of thin fabric in cool water with a little Woolite in our kitchen sink. Yeah. Have you ever tried to rinse the detergent out of 4 yards of heavy, dripping fabric? It was not easy or fun. I had water everywhere, and I realized that the red in the fabric was bleeding. So some of the white flowers are now pink, but it's not noticeable. I was trying to be so careful, because I had read online just minutes earlier that rayon is a very sensitive fabric (sensitive to warm water, a warm dryer, a warm iron, and the list goes on). I lugged the fabric outside to hang it on the line. That was one of those days when the wind was blowing ridiculously. I used all of the clothespins we own so the fabric wouldn't blow away. I stood there and watched the fabric whipping and sliding around and could only think of how it was going to get damaged. After a few minutes, I bought it back inside and draped it across the empty pack-n-play to dry. A real adventure. :)
The actual sewing of the dress was simple after that. The pattern is really great, though I would have been lost with Casey's tutorial for the shoulder seams. Somehow, all of the seams that were a little off or didn't match up quite right in the muslin evened out in the real dress and fit perfectly.
Thanks so much to Casey for hosting this swing dress sew along! I would have never been brave enough to attempt all of the alterations, muslin, etc. that I tried this time if it hadn't been for her advice, tutorials, and the knowledge that there were lots of other people out there attempting this, too. :) Sewing this dress has made me a little more confident when it comes to sewing my own clothes.

Sunday, March 13, 2011
Boxes of Books {Part 1}
{I read Baby-Sitter's Club and children's historical fiction...now I'm taking child care classes and I love vintage. Coincidence?}

Saturday, March 12, 2011
Fantastic Mr. Fox.



Sunday, March 6, 2011
Audrey.
Her dress is this adorable Valentine's Day fabric that was on clearance for only $3 a yard back in February. It's printed like vintage valentines! I got at least a yard of it, and her dress only took a little. I originally intended for her to wear yellow, because it's my favorite color, but when I saw this fabric next to the red gingham, it was perfect. I couldn't help but put them together.}

Friday, March 4, 2011
General craftiness.
