Bitter Betty Blogs

Made It Myself Monday: Market Umbrella Bean Tent

2008-07-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

I have done a fair amount of gardening this year.. which is very evident in the scant amount of clothing I have made. (Another shining example of You can have it All... but not all at once.)

I had a bit of an epiphany when I was putting in the garden and cleaning out the storage area at the same time. We had a canvas market umbrella that had a fine frame but the cover was shot. I kept thinking I would sew a new cover but that is not the kind of item that makes it to the top of my sewing priority list too easily...
So, my husband said, "Should we toss this? We have too much junk!"

"I'm Going to Use That!"

"When?"
"I will use it today."

And I did~!

Bamboo poles are the uprights tied with twine. I planted climbing peas in march and two kinds of beans shortly there after. Those blossoms are from the Scarlett Runners.When the peas were done, the beans swiftly took over and I couldn't be more pleased.

And especially for Susan:

Gratuitous puppy cheesecake photo.

Made It Myself Monday: The Commitments

2008-07-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

What 2 weeks since I posted? Oy. The Summer. It's crazed.

And I have Been Very Busy.
The only question remains, "who's training who?"

I also took a photography workshop.. and loved it.
Need to finish the last few assignments.
But maybe next week.

I decided to keep an older commitment to myself as well:

Last holiday season ( Yes, I am talking about it now...still, again, already.) I was Stressed Out. Not awful stress, but really busy. I committed myself to Handmade Holidays and I made something like 43 presents. I was cramming crafting into each spare second. The house was a wreck. We didn't get to baking until it was Way Late, leaving gobs of unfinished cookies lingering well into my New Years Resolutions (and the retreat of all the people who were supposed to help me eat them!)...
and I said to myself,
"Self, next year let's be done before Thanksgiving."
Now my self has heard this all before, and my self thinks that often I am full of crap, under the guise of good intentions. But I surprised myself.
I have a plan... And I am making headway.

My plan is to give consumables. Stuff that is practical and doesn't last forever. Like jam, home canned tomatoes, and chutney ( this is must be done in summer stuff) also, potholders, dishtowels, candles, and calendars. Usable. Practical. Non Clutter. I'm making "Kitchen Baskets". Last month I made jam, this month, potholders: Betty Does Batch Crafting.

I am going to post my progress here. Probably ruining any major surprises for my blog reading loved ones... But if I can help even a couple more people have a Holiday Season that is full of more joy and less stress... I am sure I will be forgiven by those who love and know me well. (Especially once they try that jam!)

And speaking of PotHolders.... You could get some ideas from Pretty Little Potholders.

It's just the latest book that I am proud to be associated with...
I even made the back cover.

so? anyone else wanna be done really early?

Strawberry Lime Jam ( Tutorial Tuesday stand in)

2008-06-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Lime Jam
(I totally went 100% organic on this one and used no pectin as well...
it worked astonishingly well!)

4 baskets ripe strawberries-cleaned and cut up
4 cups sugar
1/3 cup lime juice
zest of one lime
1 tbsp butter

Sterilize your jars and keep hot in boiling water in your canning pot or time your dishwasher to end just before the canning part. I have to start mine about 15 minutes earlier than I start my stove. Heat your rings and lids in a pot of water and put 2 small plates in the freezer.

Place the berries in a big pot and mash them up with a potato masher or slotted spoon. Pour in all the sugar and stir. Put on medium high heat, add lime juice and zest and stir until all the sugar is dissolved . Stir often, and watch for any signs of burning. As the mixture begins to really boil put in the butter. This is optional, but it cuts out the foam, which I really like. Let boil (stirring quite often, or constantly if you are a worry wart, like me.) If you have a good thermometer, you want the jam to get to 220 degrees, but you also can check to see if it leaves a thick coating on a metal spoon when dipped in.

When it seems like it might be ready, do the plate test: take a cold plate from your freezer and dribble some juice, letting it sun down the plate. Count to 5 and then draw a line with your finger through the line of juice keeping the plate tipped up. If the lines don't reconnect, you are ready to can.
Fill a clean sterilized jar with jam, leaving a 1/4 inch gap at the top. Be sure to wipe the rim and place a lid and ring on and finger tighten the lid. Fill all your jars and then put in boiling water in the canning pot for 5 minutes. Remove with tongs and check for seal. If they don't seal quickly (1-3 minutes.. ) double check that the ring is tight and the turn upside down. Turn over after 10 minutes. If it still doesn't seal, refrigerate, and eat that one first!

Here are some more beautiful "artichokes in bloom" pics.
( click to enlarge.. it's worth it.)

I really can't imagine why all this deliciousness was allowed to turn into all this beauty, but I sure am glad I got to see it! (almost as glad as if I had gotten to eat it!)

The etsy update is coming, with lace necklaces, utili-obis, and sign language sampler kits but it has been delayed by a combination of a power outage, internets failing, and photography class homework. The Bitter Betty Industries prognosticators are guessing sometime between tomorrow night and Friday... Stay tuned to this blog for further info!

What's Happenin' Wednesday: How to fill some days off blogging.

2008-06-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

So what do I do when not updating the world at large with my generalized craftiness?

1) Make 24 jars of ridiculously delicious organic strawberry jam. Flavor some with lime, flavor some with basil, flavor some with mint. Make labels and wrap for Christmas presents. But keep many many jars for personal consumption as well. Need the recipe?

2) Do some new landscaping. Lots and Lots of it, actually. Hardscaping is, in fact, rather hard.
3)Pull Weeds... A Lot. 100 gallons of them.
4) Keep the clothes off the bedroom floor for 8 consecutive days. And make the bed before noon.
5) Try your hand at some weak attempts at spring cleaning. Don't surrender the hope, but make only a little headway.
6) Do Mystical Artichoke Experiments; force an artichoke to bloom with no water after being cut and drying out for 3 weeks, simply by moving it to the cookbook area.

7) Embroider more sign language samplers.

8) Finish some cool jewelry.
9) Enjoy the first days of summer by torturing your sweet kid by doing "summer home schooling".
10) Make ginger lemon cookies with same kid for father's day present.
11) Ruin your husband's birthday cake. Total flop.
12) Plant drought tolerant flowers. ( I'm cheating here... I think this actually falls under the landscape listing.)
13) Make really yummy dinners from the Farm Share veggie box.
Pasta with tofu sausage, spinach, pine nuts and dried cranberries.
Grilled pineapple, shrimp and tofu salad with mint over spicy peanut noodles.
Heavenly omelette's with asparagus, scallions and smoked salmon with goat cheese and spring potatoes and carrots roasted with oregano and lemon,
and eat well but don't photograph a single one.
14) Clean off the deck. (Including putting the Christmas Tree stand away. OMG!)
15) Take 6 boxes of stuff to Goodwill.
16) Bring 3 bags of stuff back.

17) Go to the spa with a group of lady friends.
18) While you are there, drink too much before dinner and swipe a bike-surrey thing with your sister as accomplice.
19) Put it back where you found it, after a joy ride around the parking lot, because you're rowdy- not evil.
20) Get completely addicted to "Lost" on dvd.
21)Craft here and there in an attempt to decrease the stash and finally update the poor languishing etsy shop.

22)Finally finish the limoncello and decide to try a different recipe next time.
23) Feel a little guilty for not keeping up with the blog.

PS: To the sweet people who asked about the lace necklaces: They will be in my Etsy shop. Monday is my goal date.

WIP: More Tatter's Necklaces and the summer reading program

2008-06-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

under construction

shades of white

wild flowers in the orchard

Summer is Upon Me.
And I never even finished spring cleaning.

What a summer this looks like it will be. Busy. Hot. Interesting.

I am definitely going to have to admit to myself that I need to adopt my "Summer Blogging Schedule". I will post about once a week. Twice, if I'm lucky.

But that's bound to be okay with you folks... I bet you will be busy too.

Anybody reading anything good this summer?

I have:
"The Fig Eater" by Jody Shields
"prep" by Curtis Sittenfeld
and
"Crossing to Safety" by Wallace Stegner,
as well as, all of "His Dark Materials" by Phillip Pullman.

I just finished "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. I really liked it.
I have been really obsessed with stories that are set in the depression.
This one is just resonant and brutal and a real page turner.

Come on... what's on your list?

Tutorial Tuesday: Standing... No, Really.. you might be blowing it.

2008-05-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

Well, It isn't just standing, it is the all important Hand on Hip stance, specifically.

Brought to you from The Nurse's Guide to Charm..
The same wild bunch who brought you "How to Remove Your Coat"...

click on them... make them bigger
this is info you need to read.

Picture me standing over my computer in "the thinker's position"
trrryyying to wrap my brain around all this juicy new info..
I mean screw the dieting and excercise!
Strategic hand placement Is The Way.

and don't even get me started on "Expressing Pertness"
where I'm from, we call that "Sass".
And you know what Sass will get you!?!
Friends like me, that's what.

I now must mosey off into Tutorial Tuesday's Sunset,
in the perfect, practiced and learned "cowboy hand postion"..
Adios, Amigos
and happy trails.

( so much fun, I hardly miss Sally at all...)

New Vintage Wardrobe: The Anniversary Dress

2008-05-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

Simplicity 4257: The Anniversary dress.
The dress that took me out in San Francisco in style with my man.
( Love Ya, Chuck! Lucky 13, Baby!)

This simple dress gave me fits. It was the perfect size, so that wasn't it. I sewed it up all twisted at one point. Had to take it all apart. Why? because I was really excited. This was a dressier dress than I have tried before. And I wanted there to be all sorts of fancy details. Well, I tried to add on that removeabale collar at 3 or 4 points... but at the last second I cut it off becase it just looked much better without it. So I had to make do with what it did have:

I did make the belt with a thrifted vintage bet kit and I added covered buttons on the sleeves. The fabric was vintage and thrifted, as were the trims. I even did a nice couture finished touch and made thread covered hooks and eyes,* and made those knotted thread belt loops*...
I learned how in a vintage sewing manual and it did make me feel like a really truly seamstress, after all.

( *look for that a week from Tuesday in tutorial form!)

Bitter Betty Industries would like to thank our sponsors and supporters:
especially
Little Lovelies for the pattern donation, and
Becktress for the superior shoe shopping services.
Thanks, Ladies.

* with Vinyl Brought to you by Thrift Thursday!

Sally Stitch: The Final Post

2008-05-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

click on the images to enlarge to legible...

Oh Sally, and Dear Mrs. Home Maker...
What will Tuesday be like without you?

("The name of my dressmaker? Why, Yes! It's Me!")

(Saying nothing of the brilliant and handsome Mr. Home Maker...
or 'Homie' as I like to call him.)

Now, go sew something.
Make Sally Proud.

Thrift Thursday on Friday (with commentary on my lateness)

2008-05-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been slacking off on the posts lately.
I have been working on some new stuff for another book
and making those Vintage Smock Videos.
The last videos are going up on Sew Mama Sew on Monday and I have to say I am kind of relieved. Obviously, I am a huge ham but when you have to edit your own video that you shot of yourself, it gets a little all "too much me-for too long a time-in my own face". I was blissfully in denial that my eyes wrinkled up so much or that my diction is not as up to snuff as I would like.
Anyway that's why I have no new photos of my Anniversary Dress up yet,
but I will try and bribe you to keep reading with this:

Here's two weeks worth of thrift store loot!
I was trying to drop donations off every time I picked up anything but at this point I need to do a couple of make up drop offs as we have been lackadaisical about continuing to edit our stuff. And I have always been able to squeeze in some quality thrift time.

Don't you love the colors?

A gang of middle school students killed my last hand mixer on a rainy day cookie making bender. I loved the color of this one and these crazy egg beater attachments crack me up.
You should see them shimmy on "whip".

Umm, yes... More suitcases.
But they were orange and a matched set. I resisted for 2 weeks and then succumbed.
The set was a slightly ridiculous 25.00. But I was no match for their orange allure.

and I couldn't leave a face like this alone at the thrift store.

Especially when it was attached to the rest of this juicy zoo barkcloth goodness.
A "diaper storage hanger" that will become something for a kid to wear.
Too fun to hang in a closet!
At least a yard of salvageable material.

I'll have more on that candy jar and desk lap in another post..

Who gets the tracing wheels?
That would be Ms. Cleaver and Peitseoga...
Email me your addresses, ladies and they will be on their way...
Michelle and Lindy get the next two I find.

Milo made sure it wasn't rigged.

Tutorial Tuesday with Sally Stitch- Cutting It Up

2008-05-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

Golly.. I need to make some bound buttonholes too... But I didn't practice first.
Man, why do I ever ignore Sally? I always end up paying in the long run!

( I did get a couple extra tracing wheels at the thrift store.. I'll send one to one lucky commenter. It really is a great way to transfer darts.)

For My Mom

2008-05-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day.

Where I'm From.

I am from the hand-me-down, green bell bottoms, Sears catalog school shopping and shelves lined with children's books.

I am from the house in the woods , rough hewn, modern, full of windows.

I am from the homegrown tomato, shooting star, granite boulder, the sugar pine tree, monkey flower, lake.

I am from get your hands dirty, creative and not quite graceful, from Anna and Gary and Ruth.

I am from the well read and curious.

From the santa claus, easter bunny, tooth fairy, wizard of oz and from being clever, exceptional, funny and hard to live with.

I am from the understanding that god is everywhere, in everything and everyone. Including you and me and that rock and your cat. From it's your job to be good, and take care of the world you live in. pick up trash and recycle.

I'm from Los Angeles, Ohio, brownies and blackberry jam.

From the Christmas presents that disappear if you look at them too soon and my sister covering her eyes all through breakfast, from the year my other sister spent in Sweden and the long distance call that made her feel even further away: talk- delay -talk -delay.

I am from being on my own at 17 . From a real dad who wasn't really real at all, and a step dad who made up for everything.

I am from the library of congress, blue ribbon quilts, newspaper clippings of theater productions, handmade rag dolls, campfire songs, faded Polaroid pictures, crocheted baby clothes, homemade outfits and pyrex pie plates. These things that are priceless and worth nothing without the history they represent. our history.

This poem was made using this template.

I am using it to say to my mom, I am proud of where I'm from.
I love you, Mom.

Guess What

2008-05-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

I'm in a book...

No... not just my nose in there...

My actual name, attached to my actual craft.

with lots of other Really Cool People.

Feel free to ask for my autograph...
Really, I practically AM somebody now.
(At least I'm closer than I was before!)

Tutorial Tuesday: Sally Stitch Does Measurements and Pattern Alteration

2008-05-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

Another handy chapter from our good friend Sally-
Fix your pattern before you cut your fabric.

( don't forget: click on each image to enlarge for legibility.)

Sorry about "no robots"... My computer is acting up lately. I have had a rough time with uploading to Flickr too. Computer maintenance is in my near future. Oh, Joy.

On the bright side my smock pattern and video are up on Sew Mama Sew!

The written instructions will be up really soon and I would love to see ya'll "Smocking Out"..
The project has excellent stash busting possibilities!

Maker Faire: Fashion 2

2008-05-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

Oh, I can't believe I forgot 2 of my favorites... Original and handmade.

The wet felt maker. I love the dress, the garters, the hair... and she was about as nice as a person could be. She said she thought maybe there was 4 lbs of roving in her dress.
That's cool. Or warm.. or what ever.

... if they got their hat at Target... I will eat one of mine.

There was tons of Steampunk stuff too... all will be on Flickr someday soon.

Maker Faire: Fashion

2008-05-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

Hey gang! Was at the Maker Faire Yesterday. Man, I love the Maker Faire. There really isn't anything more crowded, more controlled chaotic, more over stimulating (in a good way) than a day spent with 12,000 creative and curious people and the inventions that some of them have made.

Here are some prime examples of Maker Faire Fashion:

You know it is all good when a girl can coordinate her top, her handbag and her beverage, thereby employing my current favorite styling technique.

Best friend share hair dye.
80's.. it still looks cute on young people.
Not on me.

well coordinated neutrals... cool indy t.
(edit: oops! apparently Target t.. but cute and well matched.)

sparkly member of the bike dancing team.
She does bike tricks in a sequin mini.
Props, people. Give her props.

I like a couple that is coordinated without being matchy-matchy.
These guys have their own indy clothes company...
Bunnywarez.
I am considering a kitty hat. But am not sure where I'd wear it,
as the club scene is over for me,
unless you are talking Garden Club or Lawn Bowling Club.

arm warmers and a tank... over-alls and cute hair. I liked it. I like it.

and this guy? he is my new modeling super hero.

People watching supreme... and there were robots.
But more on that tomorrow.

New Vintage # 18: Don't Drink and Dress

2008-05-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

1967 Simplicity 7382...
It's a Wardrobe Malfunction looking for a place to happen.

Actually finished over the winter, I just hung it in the closet.
Green and deep winter pasty just don't mix.

Sure, it looks like a party dress...

But this bad boy gaps like nobody's business.
Wear your good bra and most conservative undies...
That's all I'm saying.

and stay sober and alert or you'll be giving away the farm.

I do believe a few of those clear snaps,
strategically placed, might make this workable...
Or it will be a fairly cute bathing suit cover-up.
But straight off the pattern?
Yipes!

And Hey Erin... It does have pockets.
Or maybe I should say half pockets.
These are more shallow than my aspirations of super modeling.

But nothing says 'Betty' like cute contrasting facings and bias tape edging.
Messy on the outside,
but oh-so-tidy on the inside.

Our Next New Vintage Adventure will be:
The Anniversary Dress..
But I wonder if the Hub would prefer this one?

Thrift Thursday: The Frame Game

2008-05-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I am beginning to see how it works with me.
If One Is Good, Then 3 Must Be Better.

frame tack board covered with upholstery fabric
and filled with acetate pages from a anatomy book in bulldog clips

Can't pass up a nice frame anymore. I fill them with pinboards, so I can have a great casually ever-changing art display. Frames without glass come cheap, Homosote board (noise dampening fiber board) bigger than your car is 10.00 and batting and fabric tend to be spilling out of the craft cave.

board covered with vintage pillowcase, usually filled with the pattern I am sewing up.

It takes about 25 minutes and a box knife, straight edge and a staple gun to make these.

You've seen this... but I did thrift up some new brooches since it's last appearance.
(Oooh.. these are a bit blurry. soorrry.)

Grab those frames! Make yourself a gallery of delights. Just buy every little print you see on etsy and change them out weekly.

I'd get

This One,

This One,

and This One ...

Just for starters.

And A Huge Hurray and Thanks to GeekCraft who featured the robot doll I made for my nephew, way back when, and to Craftzine who picked it up...
super-groovy. I'm all a twitter!

Oh- PS:
Hey... Anybody else going to the Maker Faire this Weekend?
I never miss it. My kid would kill me.
Email me if you wanna meet up.
I'm going Saturday for sure and we'll see what Sunday brings.

WIP Wednesday: OMG

2008-04-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

Today:

Photo shoot for New Vintage for Fashion Friday..
Video Shoot for Sew Mama Sew Vintage smock sew along...
Doing mad exercise to try and get my spandex license reinstated...
Finishing two cute Amy Butler patterns for the Amy Butler trunk show on May 9th and 10th at Luminous Threads...
Excavating the 'fridgerator to get ready for the next box of veg from my CSA...
Speed cleaning (if you do it fast it also counts as exercise. Finally,two of my least favorite activities in one package, Hurray!)
Signing the kid up for guitar lessons And comic drawing lessons to go with his robotics and film special effects and animation classes for the summer...
trying to limit my sugar... (If I am working this hard I am going to need sugar, I think.)

Yes... I don't have time to take pictures for this post, so here:

That sums it up nicely.

I will be doing a birdie girl and lace crown tutorial sometime fairly soon. But I have to get this to do list whittled down first..

stay tuned.

Tutorial Tuesday: Tea Cart Yourself Over Here

2008-04-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

This couple is Red Hot in their casual LeisureWear.
Is that a romper she's wearing?
Fashion Genius, the romper.
Not very flattering and impossible to pee.
I'll probably make one, one day.
Just 'cause.

This is another fun project from
Mechanix Illustrated How To Encyclopedia, 1961.

( just click on the photos to enlarge to legible!)

But seriously, this cart would be so cool if I had a little craft studio. So handy.
I'd paint it a glossy sky blue and
put all my cream colored thrifted planters
on there with craft supplies in them.
I just love stuff on casters, don't you?
Makes your whole house a little more like an amusement park.

Speaking of 'Like an Amusement Park'...
My mail box over flowed last week with lovely surprises.

I got a music swap package from charming Caitlin.
She spoiled me with great music,
and also a sweet little hankie,
and some cool cards wrapped in tons of everyone's favorite twine.
I put one in the mail back on Monday... sorry for the delay, partner!

And from my friend Lindy: Another vintage Sewing Manual!!!
Singer! 192? Super Cute! and she also made me a great card.
Lindy spoils me and helps me spread sewing Joy across the universe. She is the one who found Sally Stitch for us all.

If ya'll want another look at my loot... I will be posting more pics on Flicker in a bit here.

New Vintage # 17: The Sporty Shirt Knit-Wit

2008-04-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

Got This One at the flea market last summer. So stinkin' cute!!

Simplicity 1227. What do you think 1956-7?
That's my guess.

And I actually made it last year in the fall. I used a ribbed knit jersey-ish stuff. I decided that I needed to embellish it with some cool big black rick rack.

"Excuse Me ma'am, Fashion Police. I am sorry but it seems like we have a problem. Apparently you have added a point of visual interest on your garment that corresponds directly with a Figure Flaw. And I am sorry ma'am but it seems like your Spandex License has expired."

"But Officer! I made this shirt myself! The pattern was so cute... and the stretch pants are only for the photo shoot.. I swear! It's like a vintage thing."

"I'm sorry Ma'am, you'll have to come with us. We have no choice but to book you on one count of "If you wore it the last time it was in style: Don't Do It Again" and 2nd Degree Belly Embellishment."

The pattern was pretty easy. That made up for the challenge of sewing my first knit on a standard sewing machine. That was okay too. Do-able. Just use the right needle and never stretch the fabric . Be prepare to hand roll the hems. Here is where I really wanted a serger. the fabric is thick so it seems bulky. I used a zig zag overlock stitch on the raw inside edges and so far it hasn't frayed. But in all honesty, I don't wear this all that often. I guess I just hate getting stopped by the Fashion Police.

I think I will try the pattern again sometime with a less challenging fabric... Because I am just dying to look like those sassy girls on the cover. I bet the fashion police give them a merit badge.

Tutorial Tuesday: Sewing Stuff You Need

2008-04-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

If you don't have all this stuff... just put on your shoes and go to the store.
This is your list of Equipment for Efficiency.
You must own it all.

white sewing manual 1947
please click images to make bigger

I have been doing a lot of brooding over a dress form that resembles my figure more exactly (duct tape vs adjustable vs paper mache...) and this tip here for making an existing dress form match your figure looks good to me. A padded muslin over a smaller form... duh. That makes sense. If I try it, I'll let you know how it goes. First I need to get a nice smaller form somewhere.
(Do you hear me thrift gods?)

Actually this is is great starter list... but it doesn't mention how important a decent iron, ironing board and sleeve board are. Personally I couldn't sew a garment without them. Now If I could just get my family to quit eating I could use that big dining room table as a cutting table. And I could save all that time on cooking too.
Now That is Efficiency.

Made It Myself Monday: birdie girl

2008-04-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

For Michelle... for her Birthday.

Just what a grown woman who has no space for tchotchkes needs...

Oh well, maybe she can go on the Christmas tree.

Happy Birthday Michelle. So glad we are friends.

New Vintage Wardrobe # 16: The Tree Dress

2008-04-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you have the perfect pattern and the perfect fabric in your stash for a long while, and you know they were destined to be together, but it is months before you are ready to dive in...

That is how it was for me and the tree dress.
I bought this fabric off the e-bay.

( Just a reminder..
if you click on an image it gets much bigger...
Just one of those Blogger extras!)

It's old. 50's I think, maybe 60's. It's narrower than the current 44 inch standard. It's just 36 inches. It is really cute with these pink and blue and green illustrator-y trees all over it. I bought it when I very first started this sewing for myself.
Anyway it is somewhat irreplaceable (at least I'd never seen it's like before...) and I didn't want to mess it up until I felt really sure of my skills.

The pattern is Simplicity 5962 from 1965.

(That collar! It's the collar!)

This was also off e-bay. My first pattern "lot". It was a good investment. I got a few really great patterns in there, including my first shirtwaist and my mod shift.

This was a great, easy pattern. I am a perfect Simplicity size 14...
so I didn't need to alter it at all. Hurrah for that!

The curves on the collar were tricky and if I did this dress again I would definitely clip the curves and trim the seam allowance even more on those, and maybe use a lighter weight fusible inner facing.

I used a medium weight because it looked on the pattern like the collar needed some body to it. However, that decision helped me to retain my title: I am the crown princess of sewing overkill.
I haven't made the belt and tie yet, but I still plan to make them in black.
(You know... like View 2...)

But since I already wore it to a baby shower so I figured it was done enough to show.

But for practicalities sake I do recommend a fuller skirt for tree climbing.

Thanks again to my photographer!

P.S. I am bound an determined to learn all the feet for my sewing machine...
On this project the new feet I used were:

my overlock foot:

handy but there was a learning curve...
It folds the raw edge and does a cool semi-serger thingy to finish inside edges.

and my blind hem stitch foot:

Check it out, the left side is the outside and the right side is the inside.

Thanks to craftapple for the tutorial, that made me feel brave enough to try it.

And Yesterday I forgot to Thank Erin At Dress-a-Day for linking to my dear Sally Stitch... And Michelle for pointing her in my direction...
"Hi" Dress A Day folks! Thanks for stopping by!

Thrift Thursday and Thank You Thursday two...

2008-04-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

Howdy and welcome to another episode of Thrift Thursday, where I share my obsessive and potentially problematic junque habit with you...

Today: My Luggage Baggage

This week brings two new vintage suitcase acquisitions. The grey and the white lovelies in the photo below. The large blue suitcase is from a month ago. The gray was 2.00 and the blue and white were 3.00 each. All are non smelly which is very important as I do use my luggage as storage... and old suitcases can be quite offensive in the odor department. ( A few days in the bright sunshine wide open can eliminate this in some cases.. and Febreze can occasionally be helpful. But some are truly just Beyond Hope.

I also have all my older luggage which I have been collecting for 20 years now.
(yipes...there's a number for you!)

Another angle?

This one was a present from a friend who came to visit me during our brief adventure living in lovely Portland, O....

I love how it is mended with staples and bailing wire... Like someone escaped hard times with just the contents of this case. And when it started to fail, mending was the only option. A nice strong reminder in our disposable society, when things get tough you can always make do with what you already have.

and as an added bonus I got a great enamel bowl (.99 cents) which I have used for the world's prettiest compost scrap bowl, until I get a little "lead checker" thing.
I have my suspicions.
And I am losing brain cells fast enough without with any help from toxins.

And Now The Thanks Portion!

Thanks to the lovely Marilyn of Pulp Sushi who showed all my pictures of the stuff on my walls .. and to all the great people who left comments there. Yeah! How cool to get such nice feedback.

And Super Thanks to Sew Mama Sew who posted their interview with Me this week. Thanks to anyone who wandered over from there. Welcome and leave a little breadcrumb trail in my comments so I can come and visit you!

Tune In Tomorrow,
for New Vintage Wackiness!!!
( I kid you not!)

WIP Wednesday: What's Up These Days at My House

2008-04-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

I am working on the dress for my anniversary date. Nearly done, but I am having trouble with the "removable collar." It is basted in when you want to wear it , which is fine, but I am having such a hard time getting it centered properly. I have re-basted 3 times. I would love an adjustable dress form. That would have really helped.
I have a beautiful dress form ,
but she and I can't share clothes.

Lemons are in season, I've been collecting.

The gardening is falling a bit behind.. These are for my pumpkin patch.
Today marks the 3rd day I have planned to get them in the ground.

This is why I have been collecting lemons. Stage 1 Home made Lemoncello, Now I patiently wait for 4 weeks for stage 2 of Homemade Lemoncello. If this batch comes out well, this will be a Handmade Holidaze 2008 project.
You can start trying to get on my good side now.

And I hope to cut out a New Vintage dress...
I washed and ironed and there's still daylight!