I’m kind of obsessed with mustard colored things lately.
Like this adorable apron from Anthropologie.
Even the soup I made yesterday matches!
So is anyone really shocked that I’m making another Kelly skirt and in mustard?
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A Kelly craze
I’ve been seeing all kinds of Kelly skirts all over Pinterest for ages. On Friday I went to the fabric store for some thread and somehow left with the Kelly skirt pattern. Whoops.
Then I dug through my fabric at home and found some fabric that seemed perfect for it and cranked out this one!
I used a some sort of twill that I had lying around, and stole the buttons off of a dress my sister gave me that I’ve been altering. Since there’s only one button on the waistband, I added a snap button right below the top button to keep that area flush. I also shortened it by about 6″ because I look terrible in longer skirts.
The waistband is a tiny bit too big but otherwise I love how it turned out!
Then the other day I was at the other fabric store getting some buttons and somehow ended up leaving with a gorgeous salmon-y coral pink linen blend, with which I made a second Kelly skirt. Whoops.
Apparently this one needs a snap button too.
This fabric is lighter and more flowy than the first one, and I shortened the waistband a little so it fits perfectly. The only problem is that now I’m totally ready for spring.
Anddd I may have bought some mustard colored sateen for a third one. Any ideas on what color/kind of buttons to use for that one?
Clutter
A few months ago I bought a cork board thinking it would be a great way to organize and display sewing inspirations and dress designs I wanted to make. I have a few sketchbooks but sometimes I forget about projects I wanted to work on if they’re not right in front of my face.
Anyway, then life got busy and my desk got cluttered and I started pinning all kinds of random junk like receipts and movie ticket stubs to my cork board. Not so pretty.
The other day I received a new order of fabric (yee!) and added it to the mountain of fabric I bought while at home and suddenly felt overwhelmed and not sure which project to start with. I decided to go through and cut a swatch of each and then draw a simple sketch with notes for each one, kind of like a catalogue. (This is only a quarter of the fabrics I have to go through..) When projects are done, I’m going to take them off the board and collect them in a small notebook.
I love the way it looks now! Plus, my brain feels so much better.
*In other news, welcome to the nearly completed new layout! I added a contact page with an email form and am still working on small edits here and there. I’m also not quite sure why photos aren’t showing up on previous post previews but have been trying to fix them one by one.
Happy New Year!
2012 was a pretty sweet year.
I finally learned to make non-historical/fantasy dresses that I can wear in public. I moved into a sweet new apartment that I got to paint and decorate. I was a featured member at Burdastyle. I made my first bag and then forgot to blog about it. I switched to an iPhone and fell ridiculously in love with it. I started working out regularly and completely changed my eating habits and am feeling really great about the progress I’ve made. I learned how to make a bun on top of my head before I go to bed that makes my hair wavy when I wake up in the morning. I also stopped wearing pants.
And now for the New Years’ resolutions:
1) I have four more weeks until school starts and tons of crafting projects I want to finish in that time, particularly room-decor related ones. My window box, bedskirt, and cork board especially. And I want to put up my wall art that’s been sitting in boxes since September.
2) I want to make more time for crafting and experimenting with crafts. I have a list of projects I want to do and crafts I want to try about a mile long and there is no reason I shouldn’t be able to squeeze them in.
3) BLOG MORE. No, srsly. I keep meaning to and the reason I don’t is always related to a lack of photos. So really, this one should be “Take moar photos.”
4) Continue this whole no pants thing. Not counting yoga pants and the three times I had to wear slacks to internship interviews, I haven’t worn pants in about two months. Skirts and dresses with tights and leggings are the way forward.
5) Continue to eat clean and work out at least 4-5 times a week. Before I came home for the holidays I was running 13 miles a week and lifting 5 days a week and felt awesome. I want to keep that up.
6) I want to revamp my blog. I’m kind of tired of the color scheme and the general layout of it. So look for changes in the near future.
7) Paint nails more. I have a terrible habit of either painting only one hand and then forgetting to do the other or going months and months without painting them at all.
8) Start The Halloween Costumes early enough that they actually get done this year. Boyfriend and I picked out a set of couples costumes that we wanted to do for Halloween two years ago and I’ve completely failed two years in a row. This is the year it’s going to happen. I’m starting no later than April. I’m not joking.
9) Read more books, especially ones I haven’t read yet. I’ve been listening to the Eye of the World on audiobook so there’s a good start!
10) Go on more dates, explore more of the east coast, have fun in the snow! Boyfriend and I went to Montreal in March and France in July but haven’t really done any traveling since. We’ve talked about going to Toronto and New York and Hawaii and I want to make at least some of that happen.
A special friend
Today I want you to meet a very special friend of mine.
This was my first sewing project ever. I was about six years old and I asked my mom for a needle, some thread, and some scrap fabric, and this is what I came up with.
I’m going to be honest, I’m kind of impressed with the amount of detail six year old me put into this. She’s even got tiny bits of fabric glued on for her paws! And her dress just makes me weep in cuteness. I’m not quite sure why her head is square though.
She doesn’t have a name, but she’s my specialest teddy bear.
Have you come across any ancient creations from your childhood?