Category — Ramblings

As a girl I always looked forward to Easter and not just because I got to hunt eggs and eat candy.  I loved Easter because I got to dress up.  Sometimes I got to wear the white shoes or sandals, gloves, tights, and sometimes even a hat.  But, no matter what I always had a dress that was sewn by my grandmother.

My grandmother had 4 granddaughters at that time.  She faithfully made us all dresses that matched each year.  The only difference would be the color.  Guaranteed there would always be layers and lace, better to twirl with.  Since I was the oldest I usually got to pick out the dress and fabric.  That was always a fun experience for me.  Going to Wal-Mart in the next town and sitting in front of the big pattern books looking at all the pretty dresses.  Then we would go to pick out the fabric and all the trimmings.  When we get back to the house she would pull out the measuring tape and take down our measurements.  My grandmother always had little notebooks that she jotted things down in.  I came across one in her stuff not to long ago.  In it were several of our measurements but also addresses, telephone numbers and recipes,  There was even a recipe for making pickles.  Which, I am going to try if I can get my cucumbers in the garden to grow this year.  I love looking at the things she wrote down, what she thought was important.

So, this year I decided I was going to carry on the tradition and make my nieces their Easter Dresses.  I was lucky enough to receive a cute pattern from a friend who was not going to use it.  It was so cute I thought it would be perfect for Project Easter Dress.  I surfed the net looking for the perfect fabrics and had decided on a few.  My sister and I went to the fabric store to get the fabric I had picked out.  And like any other time I walk into a fabric store, I get mesmerized  by all the pretty colors and quickly want to buy more than I can afford.  Luckily my sister was there to help me focus and find just the right fabric for this project.

Now that it is spring break I finally had some time to sit down and delve into this pattern.  It was filled with things I’ve never done before.  Ruffles, layers, rolled hems, and shiring.  I had to make a special trip to the fabric store to purchase a rolled hem foot and elastic thread.  It took me 2 days and a lot of seam ripping (I think everything I sewed eventually came back out) I finally finished the 1st dress.  I am very proud of the way it turned out and learned a lot along the way.

I thought I post a couple of tutorials on the different techniques I learned if anyone is interested.  So, What do you think?  Was Project Easter Dress a success?

I started on my new design today.  So far I’ve mostly sewn for toddlers and I am trying to branch out into larger sizes.  My oldest niece we be turning 7 on the 14th.  It’s important that my sewing and design ability grows with her.  She is at the age right now that she absolutely loves to wear and try on things that I have made for her.  I’m trying to make her as many things as possible because who knows when she will start to turn my clothes down for brand names.  Of coarse one could always hope that one day I WOULD be considered a brand name some day.

Mallory in the Chloe Peasant Blouse

So, I finished cutting out my new design today and I get going pretty good.  Then I realize that I don’t have the right size zipper or the right color of thread.  I hate having to stop mid project to run and get supplies, but I need to pick up a few other things from the store anyway.

Off to the store I go.  Of coarse it takes me an hour before I can get back and get back to it.  Again, I was going along pretty good. Then I get a wild hair and decide that I need to download some music from iTunes.  Only one problem, I can’t find my USB cord for my ipod.  Being one not to let things go, I tear up the house looking for it.  Seriously, there are only so many places it could be.  I looked in every box, every draw, the garage, the trash, and even accused my cat of hiding it from me.  The very last place left for me to possibly look was under the couch cushions.  And there it was.  Stuffed about as far back as it could go between the middle cushions.  I also found my missing finger nail file and two, not one, but two bottles of nail polish that I have also been looking for, for days.  Despite her denials I still think it was my cat.  Needless to say I didn’t get much else done on my dress today and I since I will be out of town for the weekend it will have to wait till next week.  But, I thought I’d give you a sneak peak.

Until next time

~Halfs

This weekend I am meeting up with some of my old college friends. I am so excited! It has been about 6 months since the last time we got together and I’m really looking forward to hanging out with my pals. We are going to The Gaylord Texan outside of Dallas.

I’ve never been there but have heard some fabulous things about it.  Indoor shopping, spas, and bars.  The rooms are suppose to be beautiful and I think they overlook  Lake Grapevine. There will be a Superbowl Party too!!!  Bonus, it’s all free!

The best part about the whole thing is getting to share it with my friends and  forgetting about life for a couple of days.  Here’s to a stress free weekend!  I’ll take pictures and share the fabulousness of the Gaylord when I get back.

Hope you have a stress free weekend too!

~Halfs

Recently, I was lucky enough to get my grandmother’s serger. I don’t remember when she got it. I know it was before she had her stroke, so it must have been in the 90′s. She is gone now so I can’t ask her but my grandfather keeps saying that it’s brand new, which totally cracks me up. I was really excited to get it. I know that it would really help me with my shop.

I had a hard time finding a manual for it but finally tracked one down. Before I even begin to learn to use it, it needs to be cleaned. It smells musty and hasn’t been used in over 10 years. I don’t know where I should take it or how much it would even cost to get it cleaned.

I was able to find an old book my grandmother had about different serger techniques and she even had a notebook from a class she took with pieces of fabric attached where she tried out the different techniques.  It was neat to see something she was trying to learn and read her notes from the class.

I hope that one day I can sew as well as she did.  She was very talented and I wish I could go back and soak in all of her knowledge.  I guess I’ll just have to use the jewels she left behind and see where that can take me.

If anyone knows anything about this serger please let me know.  I could use all the help I can get.

Until next time,

~Halfs

I woke up again this morning to a very nice surprise.  I was included in this beautiful Treasury

“Lone Star Spotlight”

If You are from Texas and would like more information on how to join the Etsy Texas Street Team visit http://etsytx.blogspot.com/

Last night I was up late finishing off the final pages of the last Twilight book. Even though I was tired I only had a few chapters left and it was finally getting to the good part. At around 1am I turned out the light and tried to settle down by watching Lost reruns. Needless to say it was a while before I got to sleep. Things I wanted to do for my shop kept creeping up in my mind. I just couldn’t shut it all off. At 2am I gave up and took a tylenolPM. I knew that would knock me out and it did. At around 8am I started to wake up. The sun was shinning bright but my mind was still dark. I closed my eyes and before I knew it I was out again. Finally an hour later I dragged my butt out of bed and went to make coffee and set down at my computer. I checked my email just like I do every morning and noticed an esty convo in my email set a 6am. Strange, I haven’t been getting many convos since Christmas was over. The email was from another shop letting me know I was on the Front Page.   I was shocked, amazed, bewildered, delighted!!!!

Immediately I went to the front page to see, but it was already gone. I missed it completely.  OMG!!!  I was on the front page and I missed it.  Then I was off to Craft Cult to see how many views I got. My jaw dropped to the floor. I couldn’t believe how much traffic I got for just a few hours on the front page. Here are the reults:

This item got 211 views and 10 hearts

The shop got 198 visits from 37 countries

717 total page views and 8 new shop hearts

in 4 hours!

Compared to last week

111 visits to the shop from 10 countries

and 228 page views and maybe 2 shop hearts

I had heard about the views the front page could give.  I never thought I would actually get to see it for myself.  I’m delighted about the fact so many new people have discovered my shop and it has given me the kick in the butt I needed.  I’ve had a real hard time getting motivated to make new things.  I’ve mostly been working on my website and blog.  I really need to get back to making new things to keep my shop fresh.  This week I will sew something.  A new design has been dancing around in my head.  I need to get it on paper then under the needle.  It’s about time.

A big Thank You to CaitlinSainio for putting my push pins in her gorgeous treasury.  And to shopjude for letting me know I was on the front page.  Visit their shops if you get a chance.

until next time,

~halfs

Like many others that have made the Handmade Pledge, I decided for Christmas everyone one would get handmade gifts. I did have some things from other Etsy crafters picked out but lacked the $$$ to buy them. So, all of these gifts would have to be made by me. Of course, being the Christmas season I was very busy filling customer orders and studying for finals. My own gift making kept being put off. Frantic on Christmas Eve eve, I was up late sewing, ironing, and wrapping. I sewed a record five garments that day. After spitting them out that quick I can only hope the don’t fall apart after the first wash.

Finally, I got everyone’s gift completed with the exception of one. I continued to put it off because I knew I would not see them at Christmas and would most likely have to mail the gift. Then Christmas rolled into New Year’s with more family, this time at my house. So then of course, I needed to time to recuperate from all of the family togetherness. Sleep and peace and quiet were top on my priority list.  Now it’s January 11th!!!  Yikes!  How did I let it go this long?  At this rate I was going to have to rename this gift from a Christmas gift to a Valentine’s Day gift.  So this morning, whether I felt like it or not, I got up and finished the over due gift.  The sad part is there was not a whole lot left to do.  Just a few stitches and a couple of glue dabs and I was done.  I had put it off so long I had forgotten how little needed finishing.  So, I guess what I’m trying to say is…Sis, it’s in the mail.