Thursday, September 29, 2011

Halloween 2011: Part 2.3

**Watching the 7,500th episode of The Price is Right. This is my favorite game show. Every time I watch it I remember my grandmother. She watched it EVERY day. Probably because it came on before her "stories". I was a little skeptical when Drew Carey took over but he's doing a great job stepping into Bob Barker's shoes. Going to a taping of The Price Is Right is definitely on my bucket list.**

I know you might be thinking, "When is she going to get to Halloween 2011: Part 3?" I'm not sure. Maybe the clothing will be Part 2, the hat creation will be Part 3 (hat is on it's way, hoping it arrives later this week), jewelry selection will be Part 4, and final product Part 5? How does that sound to you?

Another day off to spend all day sewing. I will be taking the jacket in a little bit since it's baggier than I anticipated and I will need to make sure I do the exact same alterations to the lining so it fits right. BUT, before we get to that, I discovered another DELICIOUS pancake recipe from Chocolate-Covered Katie, Banana Pancakes for One. Super mega delish!!! I topped mine with the other half of banana, a little butter and some honey.

3:00pm and the lining is going in.

4:30pm: Lining is in, turned and pressed. Time for sleeves and sleeve flanges. Break in 1 hour for water aerobics (aka water boot camp when instructed by Wendy).
  
9:20pm: Home. Sore. Dinner. Dessert (Chocolate-Covered Katie strikes again with Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip). Watching Top Model. Getting back to the sewing machine - continuing with sleeves!

10:30pm: Sleeve Flanges on (ok it really didn't take me over an hour, I had to pay attention to Top Model and do a little surfing).

11:11pm: The part I've been dreading (that I haven't mentioned) - the french seam. ::insert sinister music:: Luckily I know how to do a french seam (even without reading the instructions), I've done one before, but that was in college (over 10 years ago, probably closer to 14 or 15). Organza ruffles for the collar and sleeve cuffs. Here goes nothing.
OK, that wasn't as bad as I thought, was just these small seams that had to be done. I should have been more worried about hemming the organza...
Yeah! Big pain in the ass when you can see straight through the fabric. This is just the sleeve ruffles. I didn't think to get matching thread for the organza so I used some off-white thread from a sewing kit. There was just enough to do the hem and 90% of the gathering stitches on the sleeve ruffles. Will have to stop at Jo-Ann's on Friday after work for more thread.

Tested out the main sleeve and will be taking out a portion of the seam at the upper arm to give about a 1/4" more room for comfort, but I see the clock says 12:12am so it will have to wait til tomorrow night.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Halloween 2011: Part 2.2

Breakfast this yesterday morning was so delicious I have to tell you where to get the recipe. Check out Chocolate Covered Katie's blog for her Double Chocolate Brownie Batter Pancakes. Guilt free chocolate pancakes!!!!
That's a little molasses on top, not chocolate syrup.

1:00pm
Remember when I said I was 80% done cutting the jacket out? Yeah well that was just for the outer fabric. I still have the lining and interfacing to go. Just now getting started on all the panels of pleats for the skirt. Today may just be another day of cutting.
 Lining cutting in progress.

4:58pm
FINALLY done cutting!!! Gotta give my back a rest before staring up the sewing machine.


**Watching "Sweet Home Alabama".  I love this movie!!! I remember taking my aunt to see it in the theater and when they first show the inside of  Melanie's parent's  trailer my aunt slapped her hand down on top of mine as exclaimed "OH MY GOD!..... We had all of that stuff!!!" (in her very southern accent). It's true!! The green plaid recliner.... I'm sitting in it right now. It belonged to my Da (what I called my grandfather on my dad's side) and it is the most comfortable recliner ever!**

{a nightfall and work day later}


Jacket got about 20% done before crashing into bed last night. Now to get started again.

{2 1/2 hours later}

Outer shell of jacket done except for sleeves. Might take it in a little bit in the sides so that it's not cinched completely shut in the back to begin with, but will have to take good notes on what I do so I can do the same to the lining. Main concern is not loosing any breadth across the shoulders or roominess of the sleeves, both areas that I run into trouble with.

Pocket detail (I've done so much 18th Century research the past few days for next year's costume that looking at this makes me want to embroider that pocket flap).

Back

Close up of the back for lacing.

Calling it quits for tonight. Hoping for another good night's sleep (2 in a row so far, let's see if the upstairs neighbors are finally taking their noise violation warnings to heart and try for 3 nights in a row of uninterrupted sleep).

Monday, September 26, 2011

Halloween 2011: Part 2

7:40pm :
**Watching "Avatar" for background noise and eating leftover Skinny Zuccini Ziti for dinner**

But first I need space to work :)

8:25pm :
Table is cleared and ready to cut.

Buuuuuut I still have to cut out the pattern. (Good thing Avatar's getting to the good part.)

Time to test out my new scissors! (Haven't had a new pair in .... way too long. So, I used my last 40% off coupon and "splurged" (yeah right, it was a cheap set, I know it's nothing special but at least they will cut which is more than I can say for my remaining pairs of scissors.)

Sookie waits patiently for another ball of tissue paper scrap to get made. (She doesn't play with them the way my old cat Lilly did - I would have to leave them out for days waiting on her to tire of them - but she does run and investigate them)

Cut 9????????????? Are you serious??? The pleated panel on the bottom of the skirt takes 9 panels! Geez, now  I'm not so sure I want to start with the skirt.

(Dear Facebook, get out of my line of sight, I still have 2 more sheets of pattern pieces to cut out. No wait, it's just one sheet left, but it's all the big pieces!)

9:15pm :
Pattern cut out. Whew! Lots of pieces. I hope I have enough pins for everything.

10:06pm :
**New movie. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"**
And maybe a dessert break. I think One Bowl Chocolate Chip Cookies for Two are in order. Well, minus the chocolate chips because I don't have any.


Ruby has found herself a tent and taken up residence.

Oh Look!!! Cookies are ready!
Hmm.. a little too cakey for my personal preference. Next time I will omit the extra tablespoon of flour. I thought about it after I had already dumped in the flour and started mixing. Not bad taste wise considering there's no chocolate chips. Drinking (light) chocolate soy milk to make up for the lack of chips.

11:33pm : 
Stiiiiiiiillllll cutting. I'm not even done cutting out the jacket yet, much less the skirt and its NINE panels of pleating!

12:41pm :
Harry Potter's over and I'm done for the night. Coat is about 80% cut out and Skirt is about 25% cut out. Will resume cutting and writing in the morning,.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Halloween 2011: Part 1

**Watching "We're Not Married" 1952, Marilyn Monroe, Zsa Zsa Gabor. Cat sleeping behind me in the chair so I can't sit back.**
 This is Ruby and I keep getting little claws in my lower back as she kneads.

Today Yesterday I purchased the beginnings of this year's Halloween costume. I consider this a late start, but it seems this is what always happens. (Sorry, I started writing this last night then looked at the clock and saw it was almost 1am and I was only about half way done.)

This is the pattern I will be making. (bought this a few months back)


If you recall, I had been thinking about going with this silky fabric.
I liked the color and the shimmer but I wasn't 100% in love with it for the structure of the dress. So I got to looking at Broadcloth while I was buying lining for a corset for next year's costume (don't look at me like that, if it' going to get done properly I have to start now!)

I decided on Deep Tan, which was as close to the color of the silky stuff as I could get.  And those are the 3 choices I was deciding upon for buttons. Have to wait til Sunday tomorrow to get the fabric because I have a 50% off coupon that's not good til then.


But with all my 40% off coupons I got my contrasting lining (I went with the Posh Apparel Lining since it was the same price as the crappy nylon lining, this stuff felt a lot better.) in Potting Soil, Organza for the ruffle in Champagne, zipper, thread and 2 set of buttons. That's right, 40% on each item. With everything else I got, my total started at $46 and ended up at $27!!!! (All this plus fabric and lining for the Marie Antoinette corset and some necklace chain)

**Cute movie. Definitely recommend watching if you have Netflix**

 And of course Sookie had to check things out. I'm not sure that's an approving face though.


Here's all the stuff together. I think the shoes and the shawl I'm knitting will add the needed splash of color.

A better shot of the shoes. Found at a thrift store at 50% off for about $3!!!!

A closer look at the buttons I chose. (I have no idea why this picture is showing up vertically - it's horizontal on my desktop but it keep uploading vertical.)
I thought that the background of the buttons mimicked the texture of the broadcloth nicely

This will be my accessory. It is an antique parasol "stick" (bought this way). If anyone knows how to transplant the skeleton of a working umbrella onto this stick, the information would be greatly appreciated!

A close up of the the handle.

And check out the engraving on the end!!!

Here's the fabrics I selected for the Marie Antoinette corset, along with some inspiration pieces that might be part of the wig when we get to that part.

Here's my loot from the thrift stores.
Finally found a broiler pan so I can make some tasty meals. The green vase I want to make into mini garden with moss and such. The canisters and candlestick will become homemade apothecary jars. The tea cup is for pictures of earrings. And the jar of beads is AWESOME!!! And was only 99cents!!!!!

I opened it before going to bed and WOW!!! There's a lot of terrific beads!!! Still need to finish sorting through them and photographing them.

OK time for dinner, it's been a long day but the greatest thing did happen - Ohio Roller Girls (ranked #10 in the North Central region) BEAT Cincinnati (ranked #5 in the same region) 131-105!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Freezer Organization

On my quest tonight to find the items to make my own Apothecary Jars, I ended up with stops at Hobby Lobby,  $ Deals, Family Dollar and Dollar General, and turns out I was right next to a Dollar Tree (that was the intended $ destination) when I was at Hobby Lobby.

Got distracted momentarily by this
while walking through Hobby Lobby.

Found the E6000 glue in the jewelry section while picking up some more clasps and some bail plates and bobby pins with bezels to try something new (not at the same time).

Only found the candle sticks at $ Deals
Had I saw some of the other tutorials before shopping, I would have taken a look at the prices on the unfinished wood pieces. I was not able to find the jars at any of the stores (didn't look at Hobby Lobby because I knew I wouldn't like the price).

The only plus side to all the stops (other that all the dollar stores being in the same strip center) was that I finally found a shelf to organize my freezer with (been looking for something for several weeks now).
Just the size and price I was looking for.

So I cleaned out the freezer...

This is what I started with...

My mom and aunt would be happy, I wiped down the freezer after I emptied it.

And the shelf fit just how I was hoping

Then it was like playing Tetris trying to get everything to go back in just so.

This is what I have now...

Now that it's organized I know that I have phyllo dough AND puff pastry sheets, and I'm half way through my venison sausage :::sad face:::.

And now I have to wait til Friday to try and find the jars. Will hit up some thrift stores with my fingers crossed.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Dreary Lazy Day

**Watching "Cash In The Attic" and drinking another Pumpkin Shake**

What a beautiful, lovely, .... rainy .... day off. Gray gray gray!! I slept in then watched the remainder of Let's Make a Deal and then The Price Is Right. Finally I started to be productive. Today ended up being product photo day. I tried to use my "new" (read used) 3rd light but forgot I hadn't bought a new modeling lamp for it yet and then I didn't feel like re-metering the other 2 lights so I put it away again and just worked with my normal set up.

This piece may not even get listed.
My newest derby little sister has said she wants to buy my watch gear earrings so I've sent her this picture to see if she wants the matching necklace. I REALLY like this necklace so one day I might en up making one for myself.

Still working on this piece but I decided to take a picture of it anyway.
 I think it needs something else on the bottom but it's raised so much I can't get a jump ring around it. I might get some wire and try a wire wrap and then attach some more beads.

Got all my fascinators photographed too.
This is one of my favorites. I have one for myself that's even bigger. Mine is a large pink and white peony with a full pink ostrich plume (it will more than likely end up as part of the Marie Antoinette costume).

And finally photographed this apron that's been waiting to be photographed and listed for nearly 2 years now.
Once I finish cleaning off the dining room table I can get back to work on the other aprons. One is cut out and ready to sew, then I've got fabric for 2-3 more (one's Elvis themed!).

And lastly, I forgot to post what I bought at the Gahanna Flea market yesterday.
On my way to leave I found a lady with piles of junk jewelry she was selling for 50 cents a piece. All this cost me $3!!!