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.

I know, I know....

Bad Sarah.

No blog posts in quite a while, and Google Reader says I have 91 blogs to read! Shame on me!

But I have been spending some awesome times with Mom and my younger brother... and I was in the Christmas Eve service at church, which seems to be becoming a bit of a tradition...

On the crafting front, I have an awesome skirt in progress for a cousin... She got the pieces in a box for Christmas and before I did a 5 or 6-tiered gathered skirt, I wanted to know she'd like the colors.

I also have some other presents up my sleeve... more on them later.

Right now I have to go wash up after helping my mom in the calf barn feeding her 4-legged babies... She takes care of the milk cow's calves so that they can drink milk replacer and we can drink their milk. I bottle-fed 3 today, and did buckets and watered lots...

Pictures soon! Food now....

I am enjoying my family and crafting LOTS... Pictures to come, so sorry I have neglected you guys but family first. We are playing Taboo and I am typing between turns, but this is a REALLY fun game. Here we are earlier. Even the littlest ones.

Done!!!!

I am interrupting my regularly-scheduled posting to inform you, dear reader, that I am DONE!!!

As in no more, that is all.... And I am oh-so-happy about it. And pulling out the sewing machine while I stay with Boy's family for a weekend or so and making a frenzy of Christmas presents and reclaiming some awesome garments.

So post with pictures to come. For now imagine me doing a giant happy dance in my pajamas because I slept WAY in after not sleeping for 40 hours... In my defense, I was up by noon...

Family Traditions

Nicki, over at Mimi's Room, posted about Christmas traditions today, and challenged her readers to do the same. So I did. And now I wanna hear about yours. Write a whole post if you like, but here's my challenge: Comment on this post with your favorite element of your family tradition, pretty please...

Every Christmas, there are certain things we as a family get together to do... In my extended family on my mom's side, we draw names from a hat, and have a Secret Santa... More often than not that side of the family ALL gathers for Thanksgiving, and so we have Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. It's quite a feat to get everyone together, as my mom is the youngest of 5, and there are 17 grandchildren and 3 great-grands... The catch is that half of the grandkids are grown. I am in the middle and 20... And it is an adventure to get us all together and feed us all out of one kitchen... Thank goodness for double ovens.
This is just grandchildren and great-grandchildren... There were 7 adults and a few friends too... One family was missing last year. And everyone in this picture went to the movies after dinner and we saw Enchanted.
The adults cleaned up and hung out while all of us were gone, minus the baby I am holding... btw, not mine. Her proud daddy is standing right next to me... And the third great-grand was born about a month after this was taken.

We do have one really awesome tradition on a smaller scale... In my family, we put Jesus in the manger on Christmas Eve after a candlelight service, and we get to open one present each... Then we put on PJs, wait up for Santa, and have latkes and Pancakes Christmas morning.

my attempt at a tutiorial

As it is finals week, the last thing I want to do is learn something. But if you scrapbook, this might help you as much as it helped me! This page needed some help so I made a kind of woven paper to fill up spaces in my cousin's graduation... Pen just wouldn't cut it. I used a rotary cutter to make strips no smaller than 1/8 of an inch, and no larger than 3/8, and this AMAZING glue roller-ball pen... We're talking amazing. I wove the paper like we wove placemats for grade school... Over under over under! It was a bit tedious, but the impact is nice. The open weave in Naval Academy colors is exactly what this page needed.
Glue keeps pieces together after cuts.