SEWING RAGE!!

Have you ever been sewing and made a mistake so big, so hideous, so un-fixable that you entered into a self induced sewing rage complete with quick toss of the seam ripper across the room? I would have been able to answer no had you asked me this question half an hour ago but that is just no so anymore.

 For the past week or so I have been working on a Simplicity Project runway dress, and today I was nearing completion. Last night I selected one my beloved vintage metal zippers that matched oh so perfectly, and today I attempted to sew the zipper into the dress. my first attempt didn't go so well, so I took a break, ripped it out, and resewed. The second attempt wasn't perfect, but I deemed it decent, and went to open up the basted together seam... Does anyone see where this is going?

I ATTEMPTED TO OPEN UP THE SEAM WITH A LITTLE TOO MUCH FORCE, AND MANAGED TO SLICE A HUGE GASH AT LEAST SIX INCHES LONG IN MY DRESS!!!


This is what went through my mind as I chucked the seam ripper...$%*(@#%^*&^%%@!#$^&*&()^%#@@#$%&*()(*&^%$#@!@$&*()(*&^%^()(*&@#$##$%^*&^^&*^%$#@#$%^&*()(*&^!!

 Please tell me I am not the only one who has ever ruined a project in the home stretch? Has anyone else made an awful, un-fixable mistake?

Don't worry, I retrieved the seam ripper but it is on strict probation until further notice.

I wish you all happy, mistake free sewing!


UPDATE: I DO have enough fabric to re-cut the piece that I sliced through. Only time will tell if I actually end up finishing this or if it ends up in the "I'll get to it one day" pile. :]

1957 Florida Fashions Catalog

Last summer I went to a beast of an estate auction and was able to come home with hundreds of zippers, more vintage juice glasses than I will ever be able to use, a trunk load of vintage Tupperware, and a plethora of other knick-nacks and what-nots. One thing that I brought home was a box of random papers, which happened to include this wonderful catalog, quite a few ration stamps from WWII, and a whole heap of junk mail from the 80s.

Each and every time I look through this booklet I imagine myself sitting by the pool at my 50s ranch style house, sipping an iced beverage, and picking out all the wonderful dresses I plan on wearing to all of the fabulous parties and backyard barbecues that I will attend. I decided that I would share this wonderful catalog with my lovely readers so that you too can imagine yourself in your own 50's fantasy.

Note: This catalog is about 50 pages so I am going to break it up into a few separate posts, so stay tuned for more to come!

I need one of those polka dot dresses in my life!
Blue dress: $6.98 which is ~$53 in today's money
Polka dot dress: $8.98 which is ~ $68 in today's money

These little dresses look so sweet, and given their pastel colors they would make wonderful Easter dresses. It seems that less than $7 would have gotten you both the dress and the cardigan. Once again, $7 in 1957 ( the year this was published) is about $53 today.

( I had a little harder time getting decent pictures of the black and white pages.)
Those play suits, which the catalog calls shortalls or rompers, are so cute. It would be very interesting choosing a color without seeing it, especially with their color descriptions simply stating things like red of blue.

This may just be my favorite page from the catalog, though I am sure I will pick half a dozen other favorites as I post these.
The dress in the lower right corner sold for $3.98 which is about $30 today.
Below is a more zoomed in picture of the 2pc "weekender" shown in the middle of the page.

It seems that this "weekender" is a pair of shorts that have a removable skirt that buttons on top of the shorts. How cool is that? (Note: When you read how cool is that you must use your best Ina Garten voice to impersonate her saying how easy is that.)  The weekender also retailed for $3.98 or about $30 today.

I will post the rest of the pictures over the next few days.

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts. Which ones are your favorites? Would you wear these styles today?

Happy Sewing!

Exposed Zipper on a Shirt? Thumbs up or Thumbs Down?

Today, readers, I come to you all with a question. Do you like the trend of exposed zippers in clothing? What if that exposed zipper is in a shirt? How about if the exposed zipper runs down the front of a shirt? Before your mind wanders off on a hot pursuit to find the answers to those questions allow me to give you a little background to why I am asking such questions.

A few days ago I decided to sit down in the floor and proceed to dump out two giant containers of vintage patterns into my lap. With a smile on my face and joy in my heart I cheerfully dug through all my vintage goodies with no particular goal in mind. After a few minutes I happened upon a little gem from the 70s, 1975 to be exact.. The pattern includes a long sleeved dress, a short fluttery sleeve top, and bell bottom elastic waist pants. Before you fall off your computer chair in horror, allow me to comfort you by saying that I do not intend to make those pants..ever. The top, which includes a zipper down the center front, is the garment that caught my eye. As soon as I realized it had a zipper I started thinking of a modern trend : exposed zippers.

Would this pattern be a perfect way to marry a retro pattern and a modern trend or are these two entities best left to their own little corners of the world? There seems to be lots of pictures out there of dresses with exposed zippers running down the front, but I am coming up nearly empty on shirts containing the design feature.

This little number by Guess has an exposed zipper down the front, though this dress is not something I would wear.

Here is my lovely little retro gem.

I tried to get a better, closer up picture of the shirt, though it it a bit on the blurry side.  Try to picture this without the too tight scarf and gold belt as I would most certainly not be recreating those elements in my own top. I was thinking I could make it in crepe backed satin for the fabric and perhaps a vintage zipper with silver metal teeth. Thumbs up or thumbs down to that idea?

 Do you like the trend of exposed zippers? What do you think of my crazy little plot to make that shirt with an exposed zipper?  I'd love to hear your opinions so speak up!

Happy Sewing!!

Better "Bitter Housewife" Pictures

I was able to take a few more pictures of my apron today, since it is now bright and sunny outside as opposed to yesterday's gloomy thunderstorms.

I love love love the buttons on the back of the apron!

 
Happy Sewing!

The "Bitter Housewife" Apron

After much sewing and even more "unsewing" I finally finished another apron! I have decided to deem this the "bitter housewife" apron, because I will never be able to look at my apron without a tiny bit of bitterness. I picked up this project over a week ago thinking it would be a fun and quick project that would take me two days tops. It did prove to be relatively easy, until I got to the horrid waistband directions, which sent me into a tailspin of despair. In the end I conquered and ended up with a cute little apron with a lot of retro flair!

Here is the pattern I used, Butterick 4087. Mine is slightly different than the envelope because I left off the ric-rac trim and also decided to eliminate the pockets. When I first looked at the picture I though that this apron had actual pockets which made me quite excited, but once I cut the pieces out they were just patch pockets, really tiny patch pockets.

Here is my finished apron. Tomorrow, I should be able to take some more pictures outside where there is better light. It has been thundering, lightening, and raining here for two days so I wasn't able to go outside for pics. Also, the fabric is navy with tiny white polka dots, which seems to throw my camera into a frenzy when I am trying to get a pic.

Happy Sewing!

Yipee! An award!

I won! I won! I won! Well, sort of anyways. The lovely Mary, who blogs at Idle Fancy, was so kind to pass on the stylish blogger award to me. If you haven't seen her blog I suggest you check it out, it's wonderful. Not one to disappoint, I decided to answer the questions and pass it on to others who write inspirational and informative blogs.

1. I am an accounting major, but my dream job is to be an event and party planner. Right now I am on track to become either a certified public accountant or a certified financial planner, neither of which conjures up images of glamor and fun. I do enjoy the numbers and formulas that come with those professions, but what I really dream of is fabulous parties and events that I made happen. Not many people know this what I really want to do, ya'll can keep a secret right?

2. I love Tupperware!  I have mentioned this love in a few posts before but I have never publicly declared my love for the brightly colored plastic. I do enjoy the modern stuff, but the vintage stuff really makes my heart squeal with glee. Servalier bowls in shades of avocado, burnt orange, and harvest gold make me heart smile.  I have Cake takers, pie takers, cupcake carriers, Pick-a-delis, cereal blows, mustard and ketchup bottles, and much much more.

3. I HATE onions! Seriously, I loath the things. There is not a more vile, smelly, horrid tasting food on the planet.  The stench of onions is enough to send me running for cover. If I accidentally get one of those hell spawn in my mouth I will pitch a fit that could rival that of any child going through the terrible twos.  Keep the onions away and I promise to stay calm.

4. I love cheesy and/or tasteless TV shows. The worse the show is, the more I seem to like it. Is a Jersey Shore marathon on? Sign me up! I can't get enough of shows like Cops, World's Wildest Police Videos, and dumb criminal shows. Extra points will be awarded if B list celebrities are hired to add their commentary to the show. I'll take Dog the Bounty Hunter, Real Housewives, or Rock of Love over any critically acclaimed drama. Well, with the exception of Mad Men, which might be the only show I watch that I should even admit to.

5. I love the oldies when it comes to music. Though I am in my 20's I don't own an Ipod, instead I have a good old fashioned record player. There happens to still be a record store where I live, even though it is at a flea market. The downside however, is that is is in a rather sleazy part of town, so I never venture there without at least one other person and my trusty pepper spray stashed in my pocket. I prefer the 80's when it comes to music, especially 80's "hair bands", though I do like some 70's music, including, gasp, some disco. My favorite band happens to be The Eagles, and I am happy to report that I own every single record they have released.

6. I have to actively stop myself from dressing like Joan Rivers.  My motto was is the more sparkle the better! I have never seen a garment that was sequined, sparkled, was glittery, or bedazzled that I didn't love at first sight. I once proudly brought home from the thrift store a black crew neck sweater that had multi-colored sequined bows on it, and proceeded to wear it to both a college class and Christmas Eve dinner. In hindsight, I probably looked like a fool, but I suppose it made me happy for the time being. Nowdays, I must ask myself, would Joan Rivers wear this? If the answer is yes, I must place it back on the thrift store rack and step away slowly.

7. I love estate sales, yard sales, and thrift stores. While this may not be so unexpected it is certainly true. I am not a morning person, but estate sales and yard sales are something that I will drag myself out of bed for. If you are patient and persistent there are some great deals and amazing retro goodies to be had. At one goldmine of a sale, I bought 12, yes 12, articles of vintage clothing from the 60's for only $3 a piece. I got 10 dresses, a vintage playsuit, and a lovely vintage jacket, which all happened to be in my size! To say it was the deal of the century would be a gross understatement.

Thanks again to Mary for passing the award on to me. Now it's my turn to pass the award on to seven lovely bloggers. If posting this sort of thing isn't really your cup of tea don't worry I won't be upset in the slightest if you don't fill it out.  It's all for fun anyways.

I nominate the following lovely blogs, in no particular order. ( I am not sure I know everyone's name so forgive me if I don't get your actual name exactly right.)
1. Allie from Ice Pink Stars
2. JillyBe from JillyBeJoyful
3. Meg from Meg the Grand
4. Justine from Sew Country Chick
5. Dfr from Sewing Miss Adventure
6. Heather from Sewing on Pins
7. Ashley from Refurl Sewing

In other sewing related news, I should have another apron to show the blogging world tomorrow. I would have had it done tonight had I not had to spend so much quality time with my seam ripper today.

Happy Sewing!

Spring Inspiration with some Fabulous Dresses!

Earlier this week my aunt sent me a link to the Lily Pulitzer website. Oh my goodness gracious! When you click that link, and I know you will, your eyes are in for a delicious treat of absolutely precious spring and summer dresses. Since seeing them for the fist time the other day my mind seems to always be wandering from the task at hand to that gorgeous collection of dresses. Luckily for those of us who know how to sew, some of the styles could easily be recreated with the help of out trusty sewing machines. Given the prices of these dresses, the only way I will be getting one is if it comes off my sewing machine. I have been exploring the internet in hopes of finding some similar fabric. It seems that Amy Butler has quite a few fabrics that, while not exact, are very similar to the Lily Pulitzer collection. Granted, the Any Butler fabric is quilting cotton, but with the right pattern that doesn't need a lot of drape I don't really see a problem with using quilter's cotton.

Here are my picks that have my mouth watering just looking at them. Well, maybe my mouth is watering because it's dinner time and I'm hungry. Well, either way take a look at this collection of fabulousness.


1. Wouldn't this dress be so adorable for a summer picnic? Perhaps I'd be a tad overdressed if I did wear it to a picnic, but since I plan of being as gaudy and over the top as Joan Rivers when I'm 70 I think I could use the practice.  $148

2. Next up is another great summer dress. This dress might be a bit hard to recreate in quilter's cotton because the original is in silk jersey. Nonetheless, it is still cute.

3. Here is another lovely number. I adore the print of this dress and it seems to turn up frequently throughout all the garments. I think a dress like this could work with a quilter's cotton. $248

4. I love yellow, and this dress fits the bill perfectly. The bill that would ensue from ordering this dress however would not be so perfect. $198

5. I love this little dress! A dress that looks like a perfectly pink cloud of cotton candy? Where do I sign up? $228

6. A cute summer dress with sleeves is hard to come by, but this one would certainly fit the bill. While I have nothing against showing my arms, and I wear a lot of sleeveless in the summer, some occasions really do call for a dress that covers your arms. Sadly, I have not found any similar fabric to recreate this one at home. $148

7. For some reason this dress makes me think of Woodstock, free love, and flower children. My generation will never experience these things but that won't stop me from dressing like I am. $278

8. The eye candy just keeps on coming! I need need need one of these and I think it could be recreated. $268

9. This dress is retro mod inspired fabulosity at it's best! I want one! Actually, I want one of all of them. $178

10. I love the lace embellishments that some many of these dresses have, and this one is no exception. Despite the fact that I currently have hundreds of yards of lace in mu closet I have been scouring Etsy for the perfect lace to recreate these dresses. $268

11. Now, for my favorite dress in the entire collection. Lately, it seems that I cannot get enough navy, so naturally this dress and I experienced love at first sight. It really is perfect with the exception of that pesky little price tag. $278

Here are the fabrics that I have found that could be used to make some similar dresses.

1. Amy Butler rose fabric. $8.98/yd

2. Another Amy Butler rose print in a slightly different shade. $8.98/yd

3. This fabric is similar to the second dress in the lineup. $8.98/yd

 Hopefully this weekend I will have time to look on a few more websites for more fabric that would work.

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on the dresses. Do you love 'em or hate 'em? Happy sewing and have a wonderful weekend!