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Showing posts from July, 2011

Finished Project: The 50's Peach Dress!

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Hello! This is the finished dress I made from the complicated 50s dress pattern in my previous posts. I wore this to a wedding yesterday. It was 105 degrees outside, so I was very glad not to be wearing black!  It's not my standard skirt block, It's the one that comes with the pattern, just upsized for my hips. I like the flow. The hem is hand sewn with the nylon horsebraid to make that hem lay full. I also made the matching belt. I am crazy about the green and peach color combo. haha no zips. I hate zips. They poke me.   The length is tea length.    The button is from Mema's sewing cabinet. My Mema would have loved this dress. She liked pastels.  And of course, I am now a full 1940s reject with platinum and purple hair!  Complete with full bang wave and spit curl. I have had to completely adjust my makeups. I am wearing pale lavender eye shade and coral lippy. It goes better with the pale hair.   And I hade to got a tad lighter on the brow pencil.  Cute, no?

Two Reasons to be HONKED OFF at a *Certain* Fabric Chain!!!

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And by honked off- I mean ANGRY. ENOJADO (in espanol). pic randomly selected from internets Reason 1: I bought fabric on sale three weeks ago via the internets from FABRIC CHAIN .. 6 yards total. I went to wash it yesterday, and guess what.....the bastards gave me 5 continuous yards then 1 yard by itself! THE HORROR! I made my dress ok, but I was worried about not having enough. I rearranged my cutting so the 4 full skirt pieces took up the 5 yards, and the bodices cut out on the singe yard. What a dirty trick right??!! I paid for, what I thought, was 6 continuous yards! pic also result of random google search Reason 2. They be messin wit my Mama! My Mama went in yesterday to buy fabric for a quilt. She went up to the counter and they told her they won't sell her the fabric! Then they accused her of taking expensive fabric and winding it around a cheap fabric bolt to rip off FABRIC CHAIN! WHAT???!! Mom just picked up a bolt of cute teddy Bear fabric and it was marked $6 like all t

The Pattern Hack!

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Today I drafted my basic bodice sloper into a basic princess seam bodice. I found instructions by googling. Basically, you cut out both darts, and then rotate your bust dart down from a slash in the armhole, then add your seam allowances. The muslin fit well and I am pleased. Next I will attempt to change this into a shoulder princess seam. I need a shoulder princess seam to make a pinafore dress!

Do You Watch Project Runway??? New Season starts in ONE week! My fav picks:

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I only started watching about 2 seasons ago. I do love this show!! I am aware that for some watchers, the older seasons were better. I still enjoy ANY show on TV that feature sewing.... and drama....! Not Picky here! I took a look at the next cast and i just adore BECKY ROSS Look how cute SHE is! AND....SHE MADE THIS!! HOLY SMACKERS!!! Also I love these designs by contestant Fallene Wells I am looking forward to an interesting season!!! How about you all? Any favorites for the new cast?

Wearable Muslin: The Adorable Complicated 50s Dress!

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In my previous post, I bitched a tad about the fit on this dress. I still am working out how I can add 3.5 inches to the sleeves on this crazy pattern. The pattern I am borrowing from the lovely Raven (a collector and seamstress). It's a 50 bust! I set it on top of my sloper and just saw I just needed to add a bit to the side seams to make this fit! I also had to drop the waist an inch. I did a small amount of slash and spread on the sleeves, but really cant get enough width because of the design. number 2 there is the front and back yoke and sleeves in one piece Here is a wearable muslin on the bodice. The skirt portion is from another dress I made. I just cut it off that dress and sewed it to this bodice. It's windy, the dress actually lays nicer than this. I wore it to work! Everything on the bodice fits quite well except the arms. Too tight. To fix this in the muslin I created slits in the sleeves to allow for my arms to move. I want to fix this a better way before I make t

Calling All Pattern Fitting Gurus!

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Yo Mama! I need your helpz! See the pattern above where the yoke is the same pattern piece as the sleeve??? I am having an issue with a similar construction! Mine doesn't have a collar, and the yoke is square on front and back. Also my front neckline is V shaped. But the construction is the same..... Imagine, if you will, the front yoke, sleeve, and the back yoke are ALL ONE PIECE! The shoulder center has a dart the forms what would normally be the shoulder seam. The dart releases at the apex of the sleeve cap. I just made a test fit of a early 50s pattern with this design, and while it fits well everywhere else, the sleeves are WAY TOO TIGHT! I dealt with this by adding slits up the sleeves, so I can wear the muslin. But I need to fix this! I already slashed and spread all along the sleeve as much as I could. I got about 2.5 inches with this method. The problem here is the usual slash and spread down the sleeve center is not possible because the yoke is attached! Spreading the s

Vintage Chubbies!!! The 60s Edition!

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What a DOLLFACE!!! While surfing blogger today, one of my fav bloggers, The Hair Hall of Fame had this chubby beauty posted! HOLY HAIR! YESSSSSSSSS!!! I am am totally diggin the round specs. <3

Step Right Up:See the Universal Horror Dress in ACTION!

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 See the frightening guitar riffs as they Terrify the Audience!  Watch as the faces melt off the rockstars in horror!  Run before the beasts catch up to you!  Scream as the mob of the undead converge upon you! (that dude in the jeans and black shirt in front of the stage kissed me) STEP RIGHT UP LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! MONSTERS AND MAYHEM! Ya know, a typical Saturday night for moi...

Finished Project: The FRANKENHOOKER SHIRT for my husband!

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  Hello! I have made my husband a few shirts from this simple Simplicity men's shirt pattern. This one is UBER HOT! Just like my hubby!   The shirt is a medium weight cotton. The under collar and the inside facing is an older Alexander Henry print with skulls and roses. I added studs to the front shirt pocket for some bling. Studs for moi stud! The best part! THE FRANKENHHOOKER is a back patch (screen printed) I bought on the internet a few years ago. It's a crazy B movie about a girl injured in a freak accident and her boyfriend patches her back together using parts of dead hookers! WIN! I LOVE B MOVIES. The last awesome detail is the under collar, if popped up, it reveals the skull print. Isn't it THE HOTTEST?? STAY GLAM! ps- I am working on the most amazing pattern, resizing it up! I have two shows (one is a battle of the bands, wish me luck!) this weekend, and then 2 weeks off to sew it up! Maybe more instruction videos..

Update on the Lost 50s Shirtwaist Dress!

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IT HAS ARRIVED IN CALIFORNIA AT MY SWAP PARTNER"S HOUSE!!! She told me that she loves it very much and it's a tad big in the waist and she is going to take it in herself.  WHEW.

HOW TO MAKE WEDDING HAIR !

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Wedding hair is easy. Hot rollers for 15 minutes and then pile it all on top like Betty Grable, pin with bobby pins, like 100 of them, and spray that bitch. Avoid wind, babies, and open flames! Glue on lashes, PARTY ON!

40s Hair

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Have a glam 4th of July Babies! I did ultra glam hair and falsies today!