8/20/2014: DIY Dress Form or Ready Made?

I really want a dress form but they are so darn expensive, so I am really tempted to make my own from either paper tape or duct tape.

Another possibility would be to purchase an adjustable dress form. This one by Dritz is only slightly smaller than my measurements (34-27-37) so it wouldn't take that much adjusting (in theory). Amazon is selling it for $99, which I don't really want to fork over at the moment.

But just look:

Want.

8/16/2014: Lovely Presser Feet Set

Excuse me while I drool over this set of presser feet on Amazon. 32 feet for 40 bucks. Plus right now free ruffler. Not like I need a ruffler but free with purchase.

So many, I just want the whole thing…I will have to wait until I order my new machine bc yah well. Can't just let them collect dust.

Oh and I was browsing on the CS6000i again today and noticed that it includes a walking foot. Just for fun they throw it in, so nice of them. So in the spirit of helping me remember what comes with my future sewing machine, I will catalog it here:

8/16/2014: The National City Fabric District?? + Fabric Haul

My hubs and I were trying to figure out which swap meet to go to today for lack of better things to do. We go to Koby's Swap Meet because it's close to where we live, but we when considering others, the choices were pretty much the Spring Valley Swap Meet (which boasts a beer garden and good nachos), and the National City Swap Meet (which boasts, apparently, very CHEAP FABRIC!!). According to Yelp, the National City Swap Meet is the place for Fabric in San Diego. Cheap like $2 per yard cheap.

We got to the swap meet around 10ish this morning, sweltering hot already mind you. The booths were mixed in, but there was one general aisle with fabrics. There were bolts and bolts, most $2 per yard. There were also piles of fabric remnants at most booths with fabric pieces ranging from 1/2 a yard to over 3 yards. It was amazing but I haven't been to L.A. so I haven't experienced the real deal quite yet.

Anyway, it was still awesome! Here are some pics I snapped:

8/14/2014: Pattern Haul

August 7-9 Joann's had some huge sale like they always do, but this time they included a 5 for $5 simplicity pattern sale. So it is not that I exactly needed patterns or anything, but you really can't pass up $1 patterns when they are normally so much more. So I got 10.  I apologize for the less than great quality of these pictures.

I am very excited about this one - #1: Simplicity 1325

 I includes a sweet jumper/romper, a long sleeve shirt, questionable pants, and a jacket. That jumper looks super cute, and I since have a navy long sleeve shirt I can wear with it, that is probably what I will make first.

8/13/2014: Simplicity 3833 Preview

I swear I am working on a project. I am sewing the (possibly, I have sleeves cut) sleeveless version of Simplicity 3833, which is a retro reprint I picked up in my pattern haul from Joann's 5 for $5 sale.

This pattern appears to be very popular around the internet, so I have had no problem finding examples of this already sewn. I actually have the whole dress sewn already. It is too long, so it needs hemming, and I need to add neck and armhole facing… possibly a little more taking at the waist. I know it is a shift dress but eh.

Here is a little peeky at my first ever lapped zipper. I started out following the package instructions but soon realized they would not be sufficient. I turned to google for a tutorial instead. The fabric is a discount buy from Joann's. I think it was possibly quilting fabric but it is not itchy which is a plus. I love the pattern, husband of course does not. Oh well, this will likely be my date dress for Friday (our anniversary)!

7/31/2014: Floral Pencil Skirt

Last weekend I purchased some new fabric at Joann's.

My husband has compared this to a table cloth, curtains, or old woman bathroom wallpaper. He is not exactly wrong, but I still love it. I got 1 2/3 yards, so I decided to make a pencil skirt (I still have a yard left over). 

I made a pattern from a skirt I already own that is a little shorter. When I pieced the skirt together, I had originally put the zipper on the side, but after 3 tries with unfavorable results, I sewed a seam up the back of the skirt and put the zipper in the back. Much better. I also chose not to do a waistband, but instead just did a simple 1/4 inch rolled waist. When I was finished, I did a 1 inch hem. My zipper and my thread were dusty rose, but it would have looked nicer to chose the background light blue color.

I wore it to work yesterday and styled it with a skinny aqua belt. It's pretty cute but it gets wrinkled very easily.

7/31/2014: Ariel's SightSeeing Dress Part 2

My past 2 costumes have looked kind of homemade so I wanted to make a more professional looking costume this year. I started out by going to Yardage Town to pick up some fabric. I have never been there so I wanted to check it out. Needless to say I was unimpressed by the dinginess of the store and the lack of interest the sales people showed in their customers. I would choose Joann's over Yardage Town any day. I picked up some satin and charmeuse for the top and the skirt.

I tried sewing with the light blue charmeuse and it kept bunching up. I think I was not using the right tension settings on my machine, but I abandoned that fabric in favor of a different, more study satin. As for the darker turquoise satin, I only bought 2 yards and that was really not enough. I don't know what I was thinking. So I had to buy more skirt fabric as well…$$$$$$$!