Little black dress

I have been thrift store shopping a lot lately. I have always enjoyed thrifting, and I find that I enjoy it even more now that I have learned a lot more about altering clothing. When I go to the thrift store, I love to just walk down each aisle and feel the clothing. That is usually how I determine if something is worth looking at more closely. Most thrift stores are packed full of cheap knit shirts that are usually stretched out and faded. They have a lot of that stretchy polyester stuff too. I pretty much never even glance at those. But what's great about thrift stores is they also have a lot of older clothing, and often older women clothing, which means it was probably bought at a nice department store and is something of better quality. Sure it may be six sizes too big, but that is where sewing comes in handy these days. Rather than pay the fortune for the same nice quality by buying it brand new, I can just buy it gently used and make a few alterations.

Here is my most recent project:

As you can see, there is nothing too great about this dress. At least at first glance. It is way too big, too long, and overall looks pretty terrible on me. But, it was perfect for what I wanted. I found that my closet was lacking a plain black dress, and decided that was something I could probably find at the thrift store and alter. I wanted a basic shift dress, so I bought an oversized dress so that it would give me some extra room and not be too tight once I made the needed adjustments (although you cant tell by the pictures, this dress would have been fitted if worn on the right body). I also always have the problem of finding dresses that I love, but that aren't long enough for me, so it is helpful to find a dress with lots of extra length so I can tailor it to fit my long legs. The fabric and construction of this dress are also in excellent condition. It isn't lined, but is a thick fabric that drapes well when worn and doesn't require any extra layers. Plus, no lining makes it infinitely easier to alter.

Here is the finished product:

Ta-dah! A basic black shift dress that cost me $8 at the thrift store and a few hours of sewing. Not too bad if I do say so myself. Can't wait to find my next project. 

A few things

One of my goals this year is to improve my sewing skills. I have been sewing more from patterns lately as well as learning better alteration techniques for ready-to-wear clothes. As I have learned more I have been able to duplicate a few things that I have seen online but could never bring myself to spend the money on. And since we are on a definite tight budget these days, sewing and altering my own clothes has saved lots of money while still allowing me to get some new things. 

The first big project was inspired by this dress:

Dress seen on Corilynn

I loved it, but priced at $145, it was just too much. 

So, I found a similar pattern and fabric and made my own:

Not a perfect match, but for my first time making something like this, I think it turned out pretty well (also note that I am not a model nor a photographer, plus Luke likes to be in the pictures too).

Next, I saw this dress (also inspired by a more expensive ready-to-wear dress):

Dress seen on Merricks Art

 I decided I could use my same pattern from above, tweak it a little and make it my own.

Here was the outcome:

I have learned so much from working on these projects, and it has really improved my sewing skills. 

I'm looking forward to doing more in the future, and will be posting pictures soon of some alterations I made to a $4 thrift store find. 

Until then, happy sewing!

Another makeover

I've spent the past week working on a new dresser/changing table for Luke's room. It sure was a good decision to choose an apartment with a big balcony, because I have been spending a lot of time out there with a paintbrush lately.

In our AZ apartment we had a twin bed set up in Luke's room for when family came to visit (or if I was just too tired to make it back to my own bed) and since we didn't have a changing table, we usually just kept the changing pad on one end of the bed and would change Luke there. When we moved to Utah we decided that we didn't want to keep the twin bed anymore, but without it we lost our makeshift changning table and have just been changing Luke on the floor. I have been on the hunt for the perfect dresser that could also double as a changing table, but then just be used as a dresser again when our kids don't wear diapers anymore. Again, ksl classifieds provided just the item I was looking for.

Before:

While it definitely needed some work, I loved this dresser for lots of reasons. It is a good sturdy piece of furniture and just the right height for changing diapers. The  changing pad fits perfectly on top and the railing along the back and sides helps it from sliding around. The drawers needed a little tightening up, but they have plenty of room for diapers, clothes, and extra blankets. And best of all, it only cost me $30. 

It took longer to complete this project than the desk I did a few weeks ago because it needed a little more work. I wanted to change all the pulls to knobs, so I first had to fill the extra holes and drill new ones in the top drawer. Then I tightened up all the tracks on the drawers with gorilla glue and added new side guides to help support them whne they are pulled out. Painting the primer took the longest because the dresser was stained such a dark color and I planned to paint it a light color later on so I had to get it covered really well. I initially thought I would paint the dresser white, but in the end went with a mint green color. It doesn't exactly match Luke's other decor, but it's neutral enough to look nice in his room now, and work for another baby (boy or girl) later on. 

After:

I'm really happy with the outcome, and especially happy to be up off the floor when changing diapers. I'd call that another DIY success.

New things and projects

Something about living in a nicer apartment makes us want to have nicer things. I guess that makes sense. Most of our furniture is either hand-me-down from one of our families, or thrift store finds, so none of it really goes together and most of it is pretty beat up. We decided that the couch we had was no longer practical (it was really more of a love seat and could only fit two people comfortably) and since something about sitting on a used couch (and by used, I mean a couch that comes from a stranger or Goodwill, the couch we had was used by Phil's brother, but that was ok) grossed us both out we decided to splurge on a new couch and then save money on everything else we wanted by  painting or refinishing in some way.

After a couple of weeks of looking around and comparing prices. we found a couch we really liked. And, even better it was on clearance. Normally priced at $1000, it was marked down to $499. Plus, we received a $250 gift card when we signed the lease to our apartment, so we used that toward the couch and so only paid $250 for it! I love good deals.

Old couch Before (in our AZ apartment):

New couch After (I'm planning on sewing new, colorful throw pillows soon):

With a nice couch that will hopefully last us forever (because we aren't going to have money to buy another one anytime soon) I have been trying to find ways to update our other stuff. My first project was our desk. I wanted to get it done first because it sits in our living room and is noticeable right when you enter the apartment. It is a desk that Phil has had since high school, and nothing too special, but I sure love how it turned out (although I don't think these pictures do it justice).

Before:

After:

I had originally hoped to replace the knobs and pulls with shiny silver ones, but I haven't found any I like yet (and that don't cost an arm and a leg) so I just reattached the original hardware. It doesn't look too bad for now (I also am thinking about just spray painting them silver, but haven't decided yet).

My next goal is to finish up Luke's room with a dresser-turned-changing table project that I will hopefully be able to start this weekend. Happy 4th and DIY! 

Clean house again and a dream

The garage sale that we participated in this past weekend went pretty well; Phil and I made about $100, which is not bad considering it was all on items that we were just going to donate anyway. Its amazing what people will buy, and how much they will pay. Doing the sale made me want to look for more ways to earn money from home.

One goal I have been working on is improving my sewing so that one day I can start charging for alterations. There are a lot of businesses that I would not want to run out of my home, but sewing is something I have always really enjoyed and wouldn't mind doing as more than just a hobby. I have altered many of my own clothes, and a few for friends, but I don't feel confident enough to try to advertise for "real business".

Not many people know how to sew anymore, at least not clothing. And altering ready-to-wear clothing is a whole different game than sewing from a pattern (which I am also trying to get better at). The only way to really learn is to be taught by someone, or maybe by a lot of trial and error. I have a dream that maybe one day I can work as an apprentice of sorts in a tailor shop and learn all the tricks of the trade, and then start my own small business.

Until then, I will just have to keep selling our old stuff and sewing my own clothes.

Clean house

I like to organize. That is not to say that our house is always neat and tidy, I still make my share of messes (just ask Phil), but I like to go through, sort, and get rid of things. A lot. (You should have seen me in my pregnant nesting stage, all things cluttered were unsafe). For me, organizing and getting rid of items is therapeutic. I always feel better when I have done some good sorting and throwing out.

I like to follow a few steps when I decide to clean something out:

1. I prepare myself for things to get messier before they get cleaner. When organizing or cleaning anything, it usually requires pulling all items out (of a cupboard, box, drawer, etc) so I can see what I have. It always seems a little chaotic at first. But don't worry, it gets better. 
2. Make piles. As I sort, I usually have a keep, maybe, and a throw away pile. I go through the whole mess and put each piece in its pile, then put it in its place once I'm done. 
3. When deciding what to keep (usually the items in the maybe pile) I ask myself: "Is it useful? Is it beautiful?" If I answer yes to either of these then I will probably keep it. But its important to not be too vague, even to yourself. Useful should mean its something I actually use, not just something that could be useful because I don't want to throw it out. And beautiful means that I currently find it beautiful, or that it helps to beautify my home/office/self/etc. Something that I loved in seventh grade may not still be beautiful in the sense I am using it here.
4. Finally, everything has a place (Phil is big on this). Once I have gone through my piles, I consider this as I am putting things back. Even if I initially put the item in my keep pile, and I find it useful and/or beautiful, if I have nowhere to put it, it defeats the purpose. I think this is where my biggest desire to throw things out comes from. I don't like things to just be out. I want them to have a spot. So, if I can't figure out how to store an item appropriately, it will probably end up going to Goodwill.

We almost always have a donation bag or box around our house because we get rid of items pretty frequently. It a great way to clean out the house, and contribute to your favorite thrift store. However, in an effort to make a little extra money (see why here), we started saving our donation items over the past couple of months to participate in a garage sale with some friends from church. That sale will be happening this weekend. Can't wait to see what sells and what we make!

Making the Most of Your Clothes - Part Two: Minor Repairs 1

So now that you have cleaned out that closet, you may have be feeling a bit lighter on the clothing side. Its ok. Part of the point of this series is to help you appreciate the clothing that you already have. We live in a consumer driven, "gotta have it NOW" kind of world. But the fact is, most of us probably don't have the money to have all those clothes that we see on the fashion blogs we love so much. And hopefully, we are also unwilling to go into debt to get them. So we have to make do with what we have.

Learning how to do some minor repairs can make your favorite items last just that much longer. To start with, knowing how to sew a few simple stitches can sure come in handy. Even if you don't have a machine, hand sewing can work on most little repairs.

Somehow, I've had too many shirts come out of the dryer with little holes in them. I'm not sure how it happens, maybe I am washing them with something rough that snags them, but I just bought this shirt a couple months ago and didn't want to get rid of it already because of this little hole.

The best way to repair a hole like this is to use a single strand of thread, you don't even need to knot it at the end because the stitches you will make are pretty much like one big knot (usually you would double up the thread and tie it together at the end). Also, this repair works best on knit fabric (like cottony t-shirt material). It would not work on silk or very sheer fabrics.

 To start, turn the shirt inside out and start stitching on one end of the hole, making sure not to pull the thread all the way through (once you make your first full stitch the thread will be secure).

 Overcast stitches (like a loop around the hole) are best for this tip of repair because it pulls the fabric back together. Try to make your stitches as close together as possible and as close to the edge of the fabric as possible.

After you have sewn all the way down the hole, sew back up to where you started to really secure it. This also helps to tighten up any spots that maybe you missed with your first few stitches.

Once you have finished sewing up the hole, knot off your fabric by making a loop and pulling your thread through the loop. Do this a couple of times and you wont need to worry about the stitches coming undone.

Snip off the excess thread and you're done! You can barely see the stitches when you turn the shirt right side out, and now its fit to wear again.

Making the Most of Your Clothes - Part One: Clean out your closet

As it has become much harder to get out and take fabulous pictures of myself now that I have a little one in tow, I thought I would devote some time to some fashiony tips that have helped me stretch my budget and make the most of my clothes.

Part One: Clean out your closet.

I have discovered that sometimes it can actually be better to have fewer clothes. (I know, I know, what is this crazy talk?) I have never had a lot of money, and so sometimes it can be hard to buy all of the items I would like to have in my closet. Because of this I have often given into the "its a good deal" syndrome and have bought something just because it was a good price and I was able to get more for my money (but not really), not because it was the thing I really wanted.

For the past year or so I have been really trying to make an effort to buy fewer, but better quality clothing. In addition to that, I regularly clean out my closet. It has taken me a while to sufficiently pare it down, but it is now only contains items that I really like and really wear. I have less than I used to, but oddly, it feels like more. Maybe its because I am not sifting through old clothes that I don't like, or that don't fit, trying to find something to wear. I used to do this thing where I would "save" my favorite clothes for special occasions and wear my old, less cute stuff on just regular days. But I never really felt happy in them. Now, because I only own pieces that I really like, I am happy with my outfit pretty much everyday, no matter what I wear. So, I recommend that you clean out that closet and see how it makes you feel.  Here are some tips:

Get rid of items that:

• Don't fit
• It may not fit because you have gained or lost weight, or it may be an item that just doesn't fit your body type (ie: a maxi skirt on short legs, or a shirt in your size that just doesn't fit across your broad shoulders)
• It may be an item that once fit but has since shrunk in the laundry, or stretched out from use
• You haven't worn for over 1 year
• Look, the truth is you are just not going to wear it. If its been over a year its time to let it go. Go on. You can do it.
• Have irreparable damage (holes, broken zippers, stains that won't come out)
• If you can sew, rips on seams, lost buttons, or minor alterations can all be taken care of, but any damage greater than that probably means its time to retire the item
• Looks worn out from excessive wear
• Sometimes we just wear clothes out. And you can tell. So even if its your very favorite item, if its pilling (although there is a trick for that that I will share later), stretched out, faded, has armpit stains, or any other signs of much love, it may be time to say goodbye.

I know this may seem difficult, but cleaning must come first before any other tips will be effective. Heck, you may even find some stuff in there that you forgot about. If nothing else, cleaning is therapeutic, and you will be on your way to fully appreciating your wardrobe. 

Easter dress

Remember this?

With some hard work, and a few mistakes, I managed to get it all put together, and I just love how it turned out.

White tee: H&M

Skirt: Simplicity Pattern 1697

Scarf: Spain (the country)

Heels: Call it Spring

My mom used to make me a new Easter dress every year when I was little. It always turned out to be my favorite dress for the whole next year. I remember one in particular. It was a blue fabric with pink flowers and the cuffs and collar were pink and white checkered.  I loved it and remember wearing it all the time. 

Well, it wasn't planned, but once I got going on making this skirt, I decided I wanted to wear it for Easter and was luckily able to get it finished just in time. All the pieces came together pretty easily, and (thank goodness for technology) my mom skyped herself sewing a zipper onto some fabric so that I could follow along on my own sewing machine until I got that zipper in place. 

I love how it turned out, and I love that its yet another good memory I get to share with my mom of us sewing together. Happy Easter everyone.

DIY: dress-turned-skirt

My mom is quite the seamstress. She has been sewing since she was a teenager, and from the time I was very little I can remember her making me clothes and piecing quilts. She taught me to sew when I was young, but I never got very good at it. I mostly stuck with hand sewing because it was easier and I could do it by myself without needing help with the machine. I used to sew little clothes for my dolls out of scraps and then as I got older I started to make alterations to my own clothes. I finally bought my own sewing machine about two years ago and it was one of the best investments I have every made. I am by no means an expert, but I try to make clothes go as far as possible, (if I don't mess them up first). 

I have had this dress for a couple of years and while I liked it when I first bought it, I grew tired of it pretty quickly and haven't worn it for months. I didn't like how the top half fit me, but I still felt like the bottom half had potential and wasn't ready to completely get rid of it. 

Starting with a seam ripper I separated the top half from the bottom, the elastic came off with it, so I had to pin it back on to the skirt. For projects like this I would recommend buying a pack of thread like the one below. It says the spools are for hand sewing, but I got it to stay on my machine and there was more than plenty for this project but now I don't have a whole spool left of purple thread that I will never use again (plus I have 23 other colors for other projects!).

I sewed the elastic back on and then folded over the top and sewed it again, and wah lah! Brand new skirt!

Shirt: Old Navy

Dress turned Skirt: DownEast Basics

Ankle Booties: Call it Spring

Pocketwatch Locket: Touché

Happy Halloween!

I LOVE Halloween.  I think I love it more each year.  I especially love dressing up, and for me the fun is in finding/making the costumes. Phil doesn't want to have to work, he just wants an easy costume that he can put on and be done, but I don't just want any old store-bought costume.  Which is ironic because when I was a kid I always thought the store-bought costumes were the best, but my mom (wisely) was never willing to spend the money and always made my costumes. They were of course way better and much nicer than anything I could have bought at Wal-Mart, but its only recently that I'm really starting to appreciate her hard work. 

These days, I pride myself on being able to find everything we need to dress up at the D.I.  Even better if I can find something ridiculous and alter it into something great. I also really like have couples costumes. A few years ago Phil and I dressed up as Princess Peach and Mario and his roommate Brian was Luigi. 

My dress was a giant size 20 that I found at the D.I. and took in by hand!  So grateful to have a sewing machine now!

Then last year we dressed up as Gnomeo and Juliet, which was really fun except that people kept mistaking us for either Smurfs or Keebler Elves.  

A combination of D.I. alterations and clothing we already owned.  I made our gnome hats out of felt.

This year I wanted to have a theme again, its just more fun that way. We were thinking for a while that we could be the Mad Hatter and Alice in Wonderland, but I wasn't thrilled with the idea and we were on such a tight budget I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to make our costumes good enough.  Finally, after searching online for ideas, I got the idea to be Sandy and Danny from Grease. I of course decided I would be the "good" Sandy which would be an easier costume, not to mention more appropriate for our Ward party. Phil's costume was what made me really excited though.  As you all know, he is attending Thunderbird School of Global Management. Well, all the students at Thunderbird are called T-Birds and what could be more iconic than Danny's T-Bird jacket?  

After a mishap with spray paint, I was able to use acrylics to paint the "T-Bird" logo on Phil's jacket.  I told him he should just start wearing it to school, I think its awesome!

My skirt was made from a large yellow muumuu dress.  The sweater and all of Phil's costume were also bought at Goodwill. 

Happy Halloween!

October, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

I love October. I think I love it more each year. October means fall weather, scarves, boots, sweaters, General Conference, Halloween, and my Birthday. So many good things in one month! Although, it has been a little different here in Arizona--I have yet to don a scarf, boots or a sweater, and the leaves haven't changed a bit--but its still October. 

Also good in October:

The Balloon Fiesta

Pumpkin everything

Haunted Houses

Candy

The State Fair

I will be turning 25 tomorrow. I can't believe it.  Suddenly, I find that more and more often I can talk about things that happened 10 years ago and then be shocked that that something was actually 10 years ago. I know I'm not old, but wow, a quarter of a century is a big deal right?

Well to celebrate, Phil took me to the Arizona State Fair with my brother Nate, sister-in-law Theresa and nephew Kaiden.  Sometimes I actually feel that every year I get older, I am actually becoming more childlike.  As in, 10 years ago, I would not have been nearly so excited to go to the State Fair. But now,  now when I'm 25, you would think I was a five-year-old in a toy store. I know for readers' sake pictures on a blog are much appreciated, but as you know I'm pretty terrible at capturing moments on film (or memory stick, as it were).  I just love to enjoy the moment instead of worrying about getting everyone to pose.  So, I have no pictures to offer showing how much fun we had, you'll just have to take my word for it. 

Oh wait, except one, of a chicken.  

Are you surprised that my favorite part of the fair was the chickens?  Besides look at her!  She is so fluffy!

We walked through all of the over priced food stands, saw the rides, and walked through the weird infomercial section where people try to sell you things you don't need. We played in Toddler Town with Kaiden, saw the Home Arts exhibits, and then headed over to the Animal Barns.  I really did love the chickens, as I always do. Nate and Theresa bought Kaiden a stuffed duck that he saw and really wanted and then when we passed the ducks in the Barn he held his stuffed duck up to their cages and said "ducky, quack quack!!"  So cute.  

We all ate way too much. Theresa and I had Navajo tacos, Phil had a gigantic corn dog, and Nate had the Giant Western Sausage.  It was delicious. We watched a hypnotist for a while as well as some pig races. I had a great time. We finished the night off watching a movie at Nate and Theresa's and eating root beer floats. 

Also, Nate and Theresa got me this adorable sewing basket and a giant tomato pin cushion. I love it and am excited to fill it up with crafts!    

See, didn't I say that October is the best month?

Trash and Treasure

Do you remember when you were in elementary school and someone would ask you who your favorite teacher was?  and it was always the teacher you had that year?  When you were in first grade it was your first grade teacher, in second your second grade teacher, and so on.  But, that all changed for me when I hit fourth grade.  Mrs. Finley was my favorite teacher that year, and the year after that, and the year after that.  15 years later she is still my favorite teacher. She was so creative and I still remember things I learned and activities we did as if they were yesterday. 

We memorized a lot, but not just times tables or spelling words, we memorized poems like "Sea Fever" by John Masefield, and speeches from Shakespeare, and the Gettysburg Address, and the Preamble to the Constitution.  Mrs. Finley taught us manners.  And I don't just mean she reminded us to say "may I go to the bathroom" instead of "can I go to the bathroom"  I mean she set up a full size table in her classroom set with plates and cups and fancy silverware and we sat down at it and learned proper etiquette.  We studied Ellis Island, and then recreated it.  We all were given characters to play and had to come to school dressed as if we were immigrants from our respective countries migrating to America.  I was Bridget O'Reilly from Ireland.  I had two sets of twins (I had to borrow some dolls from my friends and carry them to school) but my husband had died.  We all had to pack suitcases and bring them to school and Mrs. Finley would search them as if she was a real guard at Ellis Island.  Some students were inspected and told they had a disease and could not enter.  One was found to have silverware in her suitcase and was accused of stealing it. We had to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and Preamble and know all kinds of facts about America to be allowed to come in.  I learned way more that day than I would have just reading a book. 

I could go on and on about all the incredible things she did to peak our learning, but this post is already getting a bit lengthy and I do actually have a point. 

So what is bringing on all this nostalgia you ask?

One of our projects was this:

Yes, that's right.  Each of us made an entire doll house out of, basically stuff people throw away, in fourth grade, in a matter of weeks.  This one is mine.

The dollhouse (the boys made castles, by the way) was inspired by the early 1900's Victorian Era. 

This is the nursery. The bed is made of a little soap box covered with felt.

Next, the bathroom.  See the little old-fashioned toilet in the back? The toilet seat part was a little creamer cup and the bathtub was made out of two little cups cut in half and glued back together to make more of an oval shape.

 The sink was made of one of those little cups that chocolates come in.

This was the other bedroom, the older sister's room. You can see the little hat on the bed and the tiny perfume bottles made from beads and pins stuck into the vanity which was made out of a tea box covered in fabric.  

Oh, and recognize that little white stand in the corner by the fireplace (made of a kleenex box)?  Thats one of those little plastic table things that comes in the middle of your pizza when its delivered.

 This is the parlor.  Another kleenex box fireplace and cardboard furniture.  The things on the wall, as well as the plants, rug and little lamp were all cutouts from magazines.  

This is the dining room.  The cake was made from a variety of lids, the top layer being a toothpaste cap. I like the chandelier, also a magazine cutout.

 And finally, the kitchen.  Actually, this isn't my favorite room because I feel like it's kind of boring, but the little sink is cute.  It's a little sauce box that you would get from someplace like McDonalds with sweet and sour sauce in it, cleaned out and put into that brown box with the "faux marble" top. 

We colored floors (wood and tile patterns) for days and used wall paper for the back wall of each room.  The frame of the house is made out of cardboard bolts that fabric is wrapped around at a fabric stores. 

I don't know where Mrs. Finley got these ideas, but I'm sure grateful I got to be in her class. 

After I moved on to fifth and sixth grade I still loved and played with my dollhouse.  With time it got moved to a corner of my closet and finally out to the garage.  Then, when my mom was here visiting a couple of weeks ago, my dad insisted she bring it to me.  The plan was that I would clean it up (it had gotten pretty dusty), take some pictures for memory's sake and then throw it away.

But now that it's here and so cute, I haven't quite been able to bring myself to just toss it out.  What do you think? To keep or not to keep?