Window Seat... Finished

I had grand plans for showing you step-by-step how I made this window seat, and those all flew out the window when I got the full-time job in September. I'm settling in to the job, but still exhausted, so the best I can do is let you know that it is finally finished. Just in time for the holidays!!

The dogs both love it, but only Danny really likes to have his picture taken. The blue bolster bit is already covered with dog fur. The good news is that it is washable. The coppery front cushion is faux leather (aka vinyl) and just be wiped off should doggy paw prints (or worse) appear.

While I think it does look great (applause! applause!) I feel I should confess that there is some half-assed shenanigans going on in the parts that you can't see. If I paid someone to make it, I would be unhappy. As it is, I'm thrilled! Long live imperfection!!

Now I must head off to my destiny of ensuring that bridal parties around the southeast (and indeed, the entire country) look their very best!

Road Trip: New Orleans, Part II

So, recapping the New Orleans trip... Thursday, driving to NOLA. Friday, helping build a Habitat house. Saturday, gutting a house.

Gutting? It's pretty much as bad as it sounds, but has to be done, and it can make such a difference to a family that wants to rebuild. The houses that were being gutted were flooded up to the rooflines and higher during Hurricane Isaac which happened just 2 months ago.

Our volunteer group was still using the organization of RHINO, Rebuilding Hope in New Orleans, this time partnered with the St. Bernard Project. We met with our group at the Braithwaite Auditorium, and then headed to the house. The owners were there, and planned to rebuild. According to our SBP representative, Alex, this was an "easy" one. The fridge and food had been removed, and, well, actually, all the other belongings had too (clothes, furniture, etc). All except one water-logged sofa. There was still running water in the house (running water in the pipes, I mean), and the owner had cleaned the bathroom as best she could, so we had indoor facilities. That meant a lot. Trust me.

Our job. Simple. Take a crowbar/sledge hammer to the drywall. Pull it down. Pull out the moldy insulation. Don't scream when you see cockroaches. Shovel the debris into a wheelbarrow. Dump into a trailer which is pulled to the end of the driveway where it was deposited for pick up later.

  

Cute frog clinging to the wall near the ceiling. We saw lots of these and tried to rescue them and toss them outside. They were hard to catch though.

Extended view of the frog. You can see that we tried to leave him a little wall to cling too, if only temporarily.

Blurry, pile o'debris

Our "facilities" sans walls. Yep, as we tore down the walls, we quickly realized that our privacy would kinda be compromised. Of course, we girls can be creative, so we made our own kind of privacy.

The owners were so grateful to have this job done, and they can get on with rebuilding.

Road Trip: New Orleans, Part I

Before I started my wonderful, but time-consuming, never able to do anything else but work and recover, full-time job, I had decided to go with husband Roland on one of our church's mission trips. Roland had actually planned this one, and one of his criteria for choosing the location of the trip was comfortable accommodations. Lo and behold, the RHINO outreach ministry out of St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, founded in September 2005, 3 weeks after Hurricane Katrina, totally fit the bill.

Last Thursday, we arrived in New Orleans and checked into the Brent House Hotel, where all the volunteers are housed. We were treated to a dinner and NOLA hospitality at a home of 2 of St. Charles Presbyterian's parishioners.

Friday, we headed over to our Habitat for Humanity build that was partnered with RHINO. This house was almost done, but there was still work to be done. My contribution involved painting. First the concrete footings that held up the house, and then interior doors. I actually painted the doors with a couple of other folks from a South Carolina group, and we painted outdoors. In the heat and sun. Which had the advantage of drying the paint quickly.

Anyway, I do have some pictures...

 The house we worked on, a typical shotgun style home. See those curlicue decorative things up in the corners on the porch. I caulked around them! Never caulked before, but yes, it's really easy.

The concrete was poured on Friday which made getting up on the porch kind of challenging, considering the step planks hadn't been installed.

Roland was measuring and cutting the planks for the porch steps. He's the one in the gray tee-shirt. I wanted to document that he had all his fingers both before and after using the power saw.

Our group. Me on the left with super cute and sweaty hair. And those awesome khakis I'm wearing did belong to my son. Guess they're mine now.

So that was Friday, Saturday we did something entirely different. I'm saving that post for part 2.

Catching Up

Well, who knew it was going to be such an adjustment to working full-time? My hat is off to all sewing bloggers who hold down a full-time job and manage to also be prolific sewists! I'm exhausted after working 8 hours, and on my days off (which are not the weekend, but mid-week) I'm catching up on everything else but sewing. Like sleep, laundry, grocery shopping, ... you get the idea. Now that Roland is the stay at home spouse, we're in negotiations for a new division of duties, though, so fingers crossed that will all go smoothly. I think with a little hand holding, he'll even figure out what you do in a kitchen. And, truthfully, probably be even better at cooking than I am (which is a low bar, by the way).

With that out of the way, do you remember the saga of my new kitchen window seats? Way back when, the project stalled after I had made their muslin covers. There was fabric to choose, blah, blah, blah. I'm happy to report that I have one of them covered! And have started on the other, with kind of a plan to make 3 cushions into one. We'll see if it works. And the fabric? Nothing that I showed you at all. You see, with the window seat being primarily a dog perch, we decided on a faux leather from fabric.com that can just be wiped off. Voila!

Excuse the bad photo. It's kind of a coppery color, and really looks good with the painting on the wall (which you can't see). We're still waiting for the table to be delivered, so, well, that's all I have to say about that.

I've got some black knit from my stash ready to be whipped up into a renfrew, and though I have probably lost my mind, I'm going to attempt to do the Thurlow sew along hosted by Lauren of Lladybird fame. Click on the badge in the sidebar and you'll go right to the details. This will be a good excuse to get a great pair of trousers. I'm sorry to say that they will be ... black. As will a couple skirts I have in the queue. Do not come here for gorgeous prints. Well, at least not at the moment.

Oh, almost forgot! The lovely Denise at the Blue Gardenia featured me recently (well, back in September) in her "sew to dress" feature, along with an adorable McCall's pattern, perfect for my new shop girl persona. Please go take a look if you missed it previously.

I've missed my sewing and blogging friends, and will attempt to post now and then, but trust that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, but am simply to tired to even type. And if you need a bridesmaid dress or mother of the bride dress and, the horrors, aren't making it yourself (hee hee), drop in and see me at Bridals by Lori in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Yes, it's the bridal salon in Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta. I'm not on TV, though, so don't get all excited. Should that happen, believe me, I'll let y'all know!!

Also, I'm still reading your blogs... just can't comment as often because sometimes its just a quick read on my phone. Trust me, you all rock at all your projects!!

Big News

Oh, so many plans to sew. I've traced the Sewaholic Alma blouse. And one of my vintage patterns. And then I get a call Thursday evening. That leads to an interview on Friday afternoon. Which leads to an offer for a job that I'm starting Monday!

Monday!!

That's tomorrow!

You read that right!

The job is in a local bridal salon not 10 minutes from my house, and I will be working in the Mother of the Bride/Bridesmaid/Special Occasion department. I'm really excited!! I've needed something to get me out of the house. As much as I love my Etsy shop (which will continue), and my Etsy online friends, and my blogging friends, I need to talk to live people face to face.

The downside:

You can only wear solid black. I had to do some emergency shopping yesterday, and you are seeing the results of the shopping plus me pulling out every wearable black item in my closet. I've set up this work closet in Laura's room, and now I'll have a work dressing room.

I've also pulled out several pieces of black fabric that I have, and there will be some sewing. I know it's not all that exciting, and of course, when I'm not working, I will probably not wear a stitch of black, so you will see color again. Soon, I promise! At least once my mind and my body get used to the routine.

Do you know that it's been 25 years since I've worked at a full time job? It's going to be a shock!!

Tonight though, we're headed out to a celebratory dinner. And I don't think I'll wear black!

Happy 25th Birthday to my Baby Girl!

I think that must be a typo! How can she actually be 25?!!

Happy Birthday, Laura!

Fall 2007

June 5, 2010

July 6, 2012

And, for your listening pleasure, the #1 song September 9, 1987:

Red Dress Revealed -- Vogue 2692

Oops, I bet you didn't even know I was making a red dress! Well, I am. Or I did.

This is the pattern I used:

Hmmm, from the 60s, I think. I started this in May, I think and there is so much I've forgotten about the construction, but I do remember that I bought it from Denise, Miss Blue Gardenia herself!

Mine is red ponte knit, deliciously thick, but part of the reason I put it aside. It's actually quite warm, which makes it a great spring or fall dress, but definitely not a summer in Atlanta dress. And I made it with short sleeves. I think I used the long sleeve pattern, and used that as a guide for a short sleeve. Wanna see?

Necklace: Earlybird Creations
Bracelets: Amy Fine Design 

I did make a muslin, but don't remember much about the  alterations. Of course widening at the waist. The original size is a Bust 36, so I didn't have to do anything there. For some inexplicable reason, I lengthened the bodice, and now it is too long. Not really sure what I was smoking when I did that! I'm also certain that I shortened it. Oddly, even the 60s "mini" skirts are often too long for me. Was everyone super tall back then?

I made the recommended bound buttonholes. This is a Paris Original after all!

I am not the huge bound buttonhole fan that many other sewing bloggers are. For one, you make them first. For a skirt such as this, with somewhat unusual placement, if I were doing regular buttonholes I would have spaced them a little differently, or just made 3. My solution to that odd buttonhole placed so closely to the hem edge is to just leave it unbuttoned. There is a button under there, though.

I made the belt, but it is narrower than the pattern simply because I used a vintage buckle I already had in the stash and it was smaller. It makes the width about 1" which is good for me anyway. I also kind of made up my own belt making technique, using the thick black cotton pique from my Mad Men dress. On the back of the belt, I used a 7/8" wide satin ribbon, and even though the belt itself is curved I didn't have any problems with it.

 Yesterday, I pulled the dress off my dress form to finish it. Turned out all I had to do was finish the back of the buttonholes, sew on the buttons and hand sew the hem (which was already pinned up). Really? Yippee!!