I hate being sick.

HATE IT.

I have asthma, which means anytime I get even the silghtest bit of a sinus or cold type thing, it has the potential to explode. It did this week.
Being dependent on medicines is awful, and I hate putting this much into my body. But I have no choice.

Sorry for ranting... I'll do a real post later to make up for it.

Revisiting the list...

I was not very successful, at all.... Here's my list from late November. Blue means done, green means I may not do it after all... I'll give you a reason.

Sewing:

Fix-its
-hem 4+ pairs of pants( Turns out they don't all need hems. Maybe 1. Wearing and washing for a month made a difference)
-do something w/ buttonholes on peacoat(TOO COLD to give up my warmest jacket. It'll go on the way back burner, and I will think about it come the thaw.)
-take in waists on 4+ pr pants, sew back pockets shut and cut out on some
-take in black cocktail dress(I decided to give it to Goodwill. Wasn't going to be flattering enough to bother.)

Making/Finishing
-red dress for formal in Jan.
-SWAP pieces (need to decide if I really have the time/resources to follow along...)
-sweater-knit dress(The sweater knit I wanted to make this out of is no longer available...)
-chocolate dress
-Hello Sailor pants
-chocolate cord skirt
-tan linen skirt... need to find fun way to dress it up, it's a plain jane thing right now... maybe some kickpleats in a contrast w/ matching contrast waistband?
-red pants
-tops for Swap? I have sketches and I'd draft patterns or find them... no clue yet.
-silvery-gold Dupioni dress for formal in April
-blue herringbone purse
-curtain fix(took em down. They'd block too much light no matter what.)
-draft pullover pattern
-messenger bag
-2 laundry bags for grads to fill with:
-fleece blankets(they got them for Christmas from Nana)
-a book about college
-notepad, envelopes, stamps
-smaller bags: tote for the girl, messenger for the boy

Pad and adjust dressform from Salvation Army... In really good shape just a bit small! Will be SO nice for hems and things...(The wheels still work so she won't need it as much as I thought.)

Scrapbooking:
-Order pictures for events this year
-organize paper stash-- figure that one out...
-Pages!
-update table of contents
-2-pg spread of childhood... need to see if pics to fill gaps exist! (started)
-Finish camp 05
-Finish Decathlon
-Finish Epworth 06
-Finish grad/prom 06
-camp 06
-last summer, look back
-Freshman year:
-Sorority fun times
-Friends and craziness, Rocky Horror
-Family
-Summer
-Nessie's wedding
-Sophomore Year
-Internship staff and fun times
-sorority fun times... family tree w/littles!
-Friends
-Tgiving/Christmas w/ family
-fun times
-Summer... first sermon!
-Junior Year
-Sorority fun times
-Friends
-Visit w.Grandma

Knitting:
Learn to purl


Yeah. No huge accomplishments... And I want to add stuff to the list!

I put my SWAP in italics, because it has evolved into the wardrobe for my trip to Turkey this summer... While some of those will still work, others are no longer practical... The nice warm thick fabrics can stay in the stash for a little longer. And I am making organizing a priority in all of this. No more not being able to access this stuff. Or not knowing what fabrics I have. I'll have to photograph the scrapbook stuff organized... Not gonna lie, I am definately a fan! I was able to take it with me to Michigan and scrapbook lots!

So before I conquer that list I'm gonna conquer this one:
-Catalog stash... No buying till I do!
-Help get Tartuffe up. Sew for the play as much as possible. MY stuff can wait, but we can't have naked actors!
-Finish table.
-Clean room. Keep it that way.

oooh chilly chilly!

We are in the midst of an ice storm... Can I tell you how much fun it was walking to class today, sliding all over the place?

My school is notorious for NEVER cancelling class, but, the University closed at 1:30 today. And were hesitant, I hear, to have classes tomorrow. I feel like the world is one big icicle. This is outside of my front door:
The power is out on half of campus, and the lines are covered in icicles... Makes me want to make beef pot pies with my leftover pot roast, then curl up with a book and not move. If classes are cancelled tomorrow, I will spend a portion of the evening doing just that. But with a cup of tea, because it's too late to bake.

Kay, so my thoughts on the dress... Last post for Sunset Spun, Pattern Review style.

Pattern Description:
Self-made... I used an old dress with great lines and loved it
Pattern Sizing:
The original was teeniny. I had to add 4 inches from the waist up. Drafting the underlayers first would have made for better sizing all around... The hem was crazy too. I would have measured and leveled more in the first fitting of the muslin.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
I started out with a concept drawing which the finished project did look lots like. I made some changes along the way, but I made the pattern so I am entitled.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Um. About that. I was flying by the seat of my pants. My "instructions" were pieced together from prior knowlege, formalwear and bridal sewing books, SG suggestions, and some nifty blogs. But if I wrote them down, they would probably be really simple.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
The lines, the lines... LOVED the line. Changed the lines up top, but there is NOTHING to beat a full 50s line in the skirt and waist sometimes.
Fabric Used:
red taffeta for the outside, rust sheerish from scrap bin in shop for contrast, poly lining for lining, red tuelle, glod tuelle, red crinoline, red cotton for undrelining, and grosgrain ribbon for boning channels. Boning and cups don't count, but I thought they felt lonely.
Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
It's mine. I'm allowed. It was as much about making it work as it was about changing, and I think the biggest thing was the underlining and the zipper placement. I moved it to the side. I'd also test opacity.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Well, sewing the exact same thing would be difficult... I didn't realy make lining pieces. If I did it again, I'd end up playing and changing things, but isn't that how we grow?

The Dress. Complete.

Here it is... In sihlouette... The only full picture of the dress. Sorry! But it was full and fun, and the ruffle peeked out just enough, and I may try to convince a friend to do a shoot for me.

Once the lining was together, the dress came together farly quickly till I got to the straps... They were a PITA! There were some nervous minutes where I didn't know if the dress would fit once everything was together, but it did, if being a little tighter than I remembered... Looked pretty great though.

I finished the dress at 4:15 that day, and then got back to my room to do hair and makeup only to see that one of the straps was twisted! So I did my hair and makeup in 15 minutes, (Ben Nye stage cake makeup is a Godsend... the key to skipping concealer and worth every penny) and then ran back to the shop, did a messy quickfix that was necessary but I already regret... I had to be at rehearsal 10 minutes from when I got to the shop.

During warmups I made a flower out of tuelle to cloak my messy quickfix, which added rather than detracted, and after rehearsal I made very instant teardrop earrings and necklace using clear thread, and was on my way!

Formal was fun. The Boy treated me to an AMAZING dinner at Malone's, which is one of the top 10 steakhouses in the US. It was yummy... I had bacon-wrapped filet medallions and asparagus. YUM! We followed that up with lots of fun-filled dancing, including some twirls... I love to spin in dresses like this... And it was a good night! I think we are going to try to take some dance classes since we both had fun.

I will do a Pattern-review type post soonish on this. After I have time to let it simmer.

I am also in the process of beginning to catalog the stash... not as big an endeavor for me as for some, but big enough, what with classes and the homework I should be doing now.

Sewing on Air

The lining is done. Last night, after 3 tries and a lesson in how to use a hem tool, I leveled a sadly uneven hem... And as a result, I got the right length, and a funky circle. Over 10 yards of tuelle had been stitched together to make it easier to work with since they were 2 different lengths and colors, and 190 pins later, were ready to be attatched. I did the math... the skirt is about 170 inches around... so close to 2 inches of tuelle to one inch of lining. That's a LOT of tuelle, and my boss comented that it was like sewing air.

At least it was pretty air.


But wait! There's MORE pretty air... I also completed the petticoat this morning, and ALL of the lining parts have now been stitched! They are on the mannequin, waiting for me to come see them right now and take their picture and finish the pretty covering for them... Which just needs a zipper before attatchment and a hem....

So less blogging, more sewing... AND making jewelry.

progress and a complication

Okay progress:
-Petticoat started- top 2 layers are attached, pinning the 3rd tonight... attaching tomorrow
-bodice and dress attached
-3 gores that were screwy are ripped and repinned
-bottom ruffle for lining is halfway stitched together. A step I forgot to mention, but is well worth the time.

Still WAY not as far ahead as I wanted to be, due to some very impromptu complications that resulted in losing a night of sewing to re-arranging my room... And a trip to go snowtubing! I had never even been sledding, so it was LOTS of fun... I am pretty excited about the whole idea at the moment.

Off to finish cleanup, and the necklace/earring set I am hoping will match the dress... No buying accessories! Wardrobe Refashion says so... And I don't generally wear a lot of gold/amber tones, and my red stuff is the wrong red. Still got quite a bit to do! But Midnight was finished in the eleventh hour too. Maybe it's just these dresses named after times of day...

stash and hair

No more buying fabric till I know what I have...

I am afraid I have a stash. And I know every sewer(sewist?) has one, but I'm only 20... and kinda afraid a lot of mine is junk, or pieces too small to really be of use. And I don't know what I have, or how to organize it. Any ideas?

And more fun: These are the bobby pin hair doodahs actually against my hair... excuse the poor picture quality. It's not easy to photograph the back of your head!

What do you think? Would these work tucked in an updo?

My life this week:

I just posted that with no words... Note to self: Don't push enter on a title in Blogger.

Kay, here goes...

Wednesday:
Sewed some... The main pieces(read: the body, not the gores)went together Wednesday, and I wound up tuelle to make the hem ruffle...
Thursday:
Didn't sew. It was a crazy day and I was sleepy. But I did pin the top and middle layers of crinoline for the petticoat. I am probly going to do the ribbon treatment for all of the seams in the crinoline, not because it's next to my skin, but just because the devil is in the details and I want the devil all over this dress.
Friday:
I was exhausted, and found a streak of masochism in myself, because I put all 8 gores in in one sitting... The first one was rough, but they went in better and better with each one. I have to move 2 or 3 down, and this is where I wish I had done some type of marking on the muslin to transfer to the dress. They didn't all go in at the same place in the seam, so a few are wonky. Dots or tacks at the same distance from the waist on every piece would have helped a great deal.
I also added to the stash to the tune of 7 patterns and 6 yards of fabric...Hancock's has a great sale on patterns right now. But more on that to come.
Today:
Didn't sew, but did pull some knitting out. It was fun.
And I am going to count and see how many yards of fabric I have so I can do a yards in/garments out type of thing from now on. This'll (hopefully)help me get better with the sewing journals!

And the week till next Wednesday:

Tomorrow:
Church nursery, some cleanup/sewing time, youth group, MLK community service at church, dinner with the boy, maybe a movie... Studying has to happen. So does(sigh) pressing the seams. I hate pressing sometimes...
Monday:
No class so I will sew, and hopefully have it put-on-able to do the nasty task of leveling the hem, at least for the lining. I am going to do a tiny hem in the taffeta, by machine(I know, I know...that's cheating), and the lining hem will be finished with 2 colors of netting.
Tuesday:
Insert petticoat. Level top hem.
Wednesday:
Put in top hem, finish hair thingies... Still don't know if I like them. What do you think?
Thursday:
steam, check everything, bead, if I am on schedule
Friday:
Wear the dress to formal. Take lots of pictures. Finalize a name.

Now I leave you with a question:
do these accessories work? Would you wear a necklace? Earrings are gonna for sure happen... Do I bother with a clutch or make the boy be pockets?

We go together...

...Like rama-lama-lama di-dinkity-dinky dong...

Can I tell you how much I love sewing with fifties lines in fun fabrics? I mean, it's amazing how much more optomistic I have been once I started putting the Taffeta together. Funny how I guessed I'd need a boost in sewing mojo right about now and I do.

However, I have no fun, new pictures to show you of the process... You aren't missing much though. No pretty stuff yet, and I am AWFUL at photographing fabric.

However, I will take a walk down memory lane and show you a picture of the last dress I made... I am thinking about making a 3-or-4 piece series with these dresses. This one is called Midnight Swept.
It is darker without a flash on, and there is a post to come of construction techniques(ha ha), what I liked, and what I didn't.
I entered it into a school art show, and while it didn't win a prize, compliments resounded. And it was an honor to get into the show. I am thinking that the red dress will be known as Sunset Dance, but I am still thinking. I know it is Sunset, but the second half of the name eludes me. I was SO excited when I thought of a name for Midnight. I feel like something that is as big a part of my life and my calendar as this was deserves a name. I admit, I got attatched.

Have you ever gotten attatched to something you made?

Delurking Day

I am jumping on the bandwagon, mostly out of curiosity... Oddly and ironically I found this on Cass's blog, where I lurk because the photography is interesting and so is the cooking website.

DELURK!

The Official Delurking Day is today. I want to know who reads these silly rambles of mine... The counter at the bottom of the page hit that high if a number for SOME reason...

So take the plunge. The folks at Rude Cactus who started this tradition say...

So all of you out there - lurkers, frequent commenters, new readers or anyone in between - open up the comments and say hi. And if you have a blog of your own, be sure to let everyone know that it's Delurking Day.

I'll even make it easy on you and ask you a question... How did you find me? What made you keep reading?

c'mon, make your way out of lurkdom...

bones, bows, and toes!

You all are patient people... It has its reward!

Pictures from adventures in the land of boning:

The green lines are where I put bones after I tried it on and then took it off and took the picture.
I was hoping it would make for more of a smooth line, and not have me sacrificing too much comfort, and I have to say !
I still move and bend, and I feel like nothing is going to go where it shouldn't, so I am probably more comfortable with the bones than I would be without them.
And I talked about it in a previous post, but I really don't feel them. Like it's comfortable.

.....I must be an anachronism. Bones are comfortable?? Or I can think of it as having all of the curving and filing ends as being the reason... That suits my vanity just fine.

You all have given me much food for thought on the business of accessories as well. One of my favorite ways to accessorize is using my hair. I know it sounds strange, but for special occasions I will make bobby pins that are adorned to go with the dress. Here is one thought for this dress. I used some of the gold tuelle to make florets, and attatched beads to one... the other two are a bit more floaty. They'll be right at home in my curls, and if the tuelle is together enough, will actually show up. I also remembered a pair of shoes I bought to wear with a dress I borrowed from a friend last year. They are by Chinese Laundry, and the heel measures just under 4 inches,and in my mind qualifies as a stiletto with a width under 1/2 an inch on one side. which would put me pretty close to taller than the boy, but I don't think he'll mind:
He'll be pretty excited... And speak of the devil, he's 3 minutes away, and I havn't seen him in almost a month, so bye!

Thank YOU!

You, dear reader, deserve much thanks.

I know I am not the best about writing about sewing/crafty things on a regular basis, but to know that people look at this blog, come back to it on a regular basis, and are kind enough to offer advice and encouragement is pretty awesome. That little counter tells me there really are people that read this, and your comments tell me you like what you are reading, and I hope it stays that way. I love your comments, and I'm trying to get better about making sure you can leave them, and that I can get back to you. All in time.

I want to make this something you want to see, and read, and enjoy... So ask me questions, challenge me, make me think! And I love reading your blogs too. I like taking that time in my day to see what you are up to.

The blogging community is nifty, and I am glad we're all in it together, as the encouragement I find here is invaluble. The advice is pretty sweet too.

So here's to you. Come back and see me.

dem bones, dem bones...

There are 11.

That's no lie. 11.

I used grosgrain ribbon channels, and cut and shaped 11 bones. 6 in back and 5 in front. Then I put the underlining on...
And it didn't bother me at all. The bones were plastic, and because I rounded them and placed them where they were, it just felt good. Supported.

The dress is going well, despite life's craziness... I am done with the lining till I put the whole thing together, and the real fabric is laying on the ginormous table, pattern on it, to be cut. I'm excited about how good the underlining feels though! The bones are SO nice, and it feels GOOD.

Or I'm crazy. This is life since Wednesday:

W: Class, sewing, running errands, auditions, baking, white elephant exchange, a glass of wine/conversation to get rid of excess cookies etc., homework, bed.
T: Class, sewing, waiting for callback list, sewing, brief food moment, sewing, callbacks, decorating, homework, sleep.
F: workout, class, sewing, waiting for cast list, cast meeting, sewing, shower, decorating, Dance of the Decades, fun with friends, cleanup time, and I am headed for dreamland now!

Tomorrow I am cutting the taffeta! And I have no Stage Manager duties so I should have time to sew!

I got this from Kelly at Mama's Mess

I have done the stuff in bold, and my comments are in red. You are more than welcome to play along...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch I taught myself to draw, and I am teaching myself to draft patterns.
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning so dehydrated I needed an IV... blech.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing Just in the climbing gyms.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted I painted it myself for an art class
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt I started to...
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating kinda? My family is raising a cow, and we named it Brisket. And I have caught fish other people ate.
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous I met the sidekick from Walker, Texas Ranger when I was little.
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby I'm 20...
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

More on the dress later!

the pledge

I, Sarah, pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 months. I pledge that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoted, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings!
Signed,
Sarah ...dun dun dun...

If you know me well, you know I LOVE shopping. Love it. Online, in stores... I just really like to shop. So, as a way to encourage myself to sew instead, I took the pledge. I have LOTS of material already, and tons of things that Mom pulled outta her closet before she packed me up and sent me off. I also have a trip to Turkey to save for, and to outfit myself for. So this really is for the best. But I am suffering from withdrawls... I almost bought gloves and 2 scarves today, but I put them back. It's tougher than I thought.

At least I am still allowed to buy fabric and thrift shop. Wish me luck!


Note: I am going to publish this, despite having already written about my pledge, for the sheer fact that I sat here and wrote it, and as a reminder to me...

An actual sewing post.

There are red things cut and even sewn together... See that on the left?? It's the muslin. Cut apart. After 6 fittings. Now I am cutting things out. And even sewing! It seems like sometimes I never get to the sewing. Here's how it's gone:

Thursday: Fitting at home. Bust is a problem.
Friday: Packing and laundry meant no-sew... Boo.
Saturday: Driving for 10 hours and spending the night with the boy's sister meant no-sew...
Sunday: Church, unpacking, and helping with youth group meant no-sew...
Monday: Cutting and class... Lots of futzing with layout, a circle skirt for lining(which I think I am going to end up cutting down somehow... Starts getting full too fast.
Tuesday: A trip to Hancock's for boning, horsehair, underlining, and netting. SEWING!! I cut out AND stitched the underlining, and fitted it before adding the cups.

I feel like such a tease. This is not the real deal, but the underlining of the bodice and the skirt lining... Note, I am using sew-in cups... a bit of a copout, but at the same time not really. It took a long time to make it this far, and a million and one fittings weren't making it look right without them... So today I bought them and in they went.

I am thinking of including something to add more support to the girls... thus eliminating a big fitting problem. the solution may end up being this bra that Victoria Secret makes. I am doing the back-and-forth thing... Maybe a fitting tomorrow will be the determinant.
Who am I kidding? Time will be too. I already have the cups. They need to go in sooner rather than later. I am starting to feel the crunch a bit... only 18 days!

My last shot for the day will show you the contrast, which is to the right, and the tuelle for my peekaboo ruffles on the petticoat! I am going to layer the gold and the red for a 4" ruffle as the "hem" on the lining. The rest will be stiffer stuff, but this is too fun to miss. I want to carry those gorgeous tones through to the bottom of the dress and maybe bead a bit to really set them off... I am getting pretty excited!

The formal is on the 24th, and the boy doesn;t read the blog so he has no idea what the dress looks like... It'll be fun to surprise him.

My parting question:

What color shoes does one wear with such a dress? Silver or gold jewelry?

2008 in review

Okay, folks... Here is my look back at 2008. The SewCraftBlog network led me to Inexpicable Candor and this quiz... I think better when answering questions sometimes, so here we go... You might get pictures where appropriate.

What did you do in 2008 that you have never done before?
I built a set of shelves not from a box.

Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Maybe? I resolved to pray more and live healthier, but it's been a roller-coaster. This year I will be setting goals instead of making resolutions.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
I don't think so... BUT one couple got pregnant, and there were many a December 07 baby...

Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no.

What countries did you visit?
Sadly none... But I plan to this year.

What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
travel plans, sanity, and quality time with friends, not in meetings.

What dates from 2008 will stay etched on your memory? Why?
April 19, my first date with the boy. July 6, my first sermon.

What was your biggest acheivement?

Your biggest failure?
Overcommitting myself... Not spending enough time with the people I really care about
I procrastinated too, and didn't plan my time well.

Did you suffer injury or illness?
Unfortunately, yes, but less than 2007...

What was the best thing you bought?
my toaster oven, or the iPod to car thingy

Whose behavior merited celebration? the boy's... He made some goals and stuck to them, and I am SO proud of him.
My younger brother also did lots of growing up and is becoming a fine young man even though I feel really old using that expression...

Whose made you appalled and depressed?
Mine. I didn't live up to my potential, and I spent SO much time doing other things when I could have been with people. I REALLY didn't have my priorities in order, and I didn't behave towards others as I should have.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate last year?
I try very hard not to hate... I am afraid there are people I have pushed away that think I hate them.

What did you get really really excited about?
Lots of things... I have a chance to go to Turkey this year, and a cousin coming next year, and a wonderful family, both through genetics and through friends. My directing made me really happy, and so did my dress, Midnight Swept, being included in the student art show after I wore it to a sorority formal.
Blogging is also pretty high on the list... I LOVE being able to "meet" SO many sewers! And non-sewers! Having readers and realizing I have readers was pretty awesome.

What song will always remind you of 2008?
I have playlists, not songs... I don't know that one stands out.

What do you wish you had done more of?
Spent time with people who I care about. Had an open mind. Kept my temper under control.

What do you wish you'd done less of? Go to meetings. Procrastinate. Make mountains out of molehills.

How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas eve was a candlelight service, and Christmas day was with family in 2 different places.

Did you fall in love in 2008?
I did.

What was your favorite TV program?
Brothers and Sisters

What was the best book you read?
The Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig

What was your greatest musical discovery?
the iPod and having the ability to match music with moods and trade music with friends. The Juno soundtrack was pretty amazing, and so was Across the Universe.

What did you want and get? an iPod, a car, a toaster oven, and new "house" stuff: Bed, bath, and kitchen.

What did you want and not get?
an iPod docking station and finished projects

What did you do on your birthday? How old were you?
I was actually at a wedding rehearsal and bachelorette party... We celebrated my bday a week late.(I won't show you the party, but this is the reception) I turned 20.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A real apartment. Of my own. With a real kitchen and a comfy bed.

How would you describe your fashion concept of 2008? I started to head toward smart casual over jeans-and-tees college grubby stuff with less hoodies and more jackets... more skirts too, and I really began to pay attention to fit of things and lean towards better fit through constructing and altering my own things.

What political issue stirred you the most?
Proposition 8 was big, and so were healthcare and education. I was pretty fortunate to be on a politically inclined, liberal arts campus for a historic time in American history.

What kept you sane?
My boy. My friends. My journal.

Who did you miss? My family, and my friend K while she was abroad.

Who was the best new person you met?
I got to know some first-years pretty well... There is not one person I met this year, outside of the boy and the new babies, who really stands out. I am fortunate to be surrounded by lots of people, and have met SO many people this year, many of whom are in the boy's family and welcomed me with open arms when we started dating.

Tell us a valuble life lesson you learned in 2008.
Don't overcommit, and keep your mind more open than your schedule.

Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? both.
b) thinner or fatter? neither.
c) richer or poorer?umm... both? I have less money but I have a car.

My SWAP inspiration, courtesy of Polyvore... I LOVE this thing! Just google polyvore if you are curious.

This is a base for an easy-travel wardrobe for a trip to Turkey... 5 weeks studying abroad!

The tan skirt could be a refashion of a silk skirt that my mom gave me from the depths of her closet. The white... I really want a white skirt, no matter how impractical. Dresses will also be really nice to have, I will probably take 2 or 3.

I plan to use LOTS of cottons though. It'll kinda be necessary to make it washable. And breathable.

I also did my best to make it more conservative, not so much exposed... or easily camisoles underneath to make things appropriate.

So we will see how this actualizes... If you have any idea of where to find patterns like these send them my way!

I'm back....

School started today... Classes are oficially in session, which means there are textbooks to be bought and a dress to sew... I am about to kick it into high gear. The red dress is for a formal that is in two weeks, and the last fitting of the muslin was one of my last nights at home. I am also excited to announce a pledge that says lots about the way the new year will go... With Wardrobe Refashion. I lurked for a while, and it's pretty cool...

I am making a 2-month pledge to not shop for new clothes... Which will mean some interesting up-cycle projects, hopefully.... I have already gone thrifting in Mom's closet, and in mine... Maybe this will mean some alterations will come off the list....

Oh well. Goals and more of the red dress to come soon. I am going to attempt to spend at least an hour every day on it, so as not to spend a horrendous amount of last-minute time on it.