I'm Moving!

Nope, we're not moving houses again, but I am moving blogs. Same blog, new address:

I Was Never Meant to be a Theologian

So update any bookmarks, cause new posts will be at the new website.

Last Wishes

Dear World:

When I die of boredom...

Since Ben will be non-functioning due his devastation over my demise, please look after my dogs and cat. If they are hit by a car, you can bury them in any of the backyards where we have lived - I'm sure the current tenants won't mind.

I would like a Jazz funeral in the New Orleans-style, despite my lack of ragin’-Cajun blood.

Comfort my mother. As her baby child, she will be unconsolable, but I think a visit from Bully and a high-five from the current MSU coach (of any sport, but preferably all of them) will fix her right on up.

I want to be buried with a bowl of chocolate syrup over a little chocolate ice cream in one hand, and a spoon in the other.

I would like a Miller High Life in my other hand.

I would like someone to name a child (boy or girl) in my honor...not after me, but after one of my favorite names ever: Zula Mae. And make sure the he/she grows up saying "y'all" and "ain't."

I would like a Facebook page in my honor, to raise awareness over the monumental rise in deaths due to boredom in recent years.

I would also like a Twitter #hashtag in my honor. I think #mostawesomechickever will do. And you may use it to reminisce about all the great times we had together.

Oh, hey look...I made it through the day after all. Almost the weekend!

Yes, it is designer.

I finished the shirt I was working on. And it didn't turn out like I meant it too, but I like how it turned out anyway.

Mine

goober smile!

I think my next step will be to hire models for my pictures

I made this from scratch. Which is why it didn't quite turn out like the picture in my head...I cut the neckline too low, so I'll have to wear it with an undershirt. But besides that it works! It's kind of fun making t-shirts from scratch. The options are limitless.

And now it's time for a little math lesson. That Anthropologie shirt I posted in an earlier post? That costs $58. (HOLY CRAP! how is it even possible for a t-shirt to cost that friggin much?!) I bought all that t-shirt material for about $2.50, and maybe used half of it on this shirt. So that would mean I made a (somewhat) similar shirt for $56.75 less. Ok, if I do get better this could seriously be a lucrative hobby. (Do people really spend that much on clothes? Really? Like normal people? Really?)

Oh, if I could just stay home and sew all day long!

Ben is always the first that gets to see my finished products. Of course, he has no choice. His response to this one was: "It looks kind of weird. But it's like those designer t-shirts we saw."

Yes, exactly what I was going for. And my own design too!

And all is right with the world again...

Fighting Fabric

Working with new fabric can be a beautiful experience, where all feels right with the world, and suddenly I see myself opening a clothing line with a store front and French runway shows (ok, that never happens)...or it can be a horrendous debacle that makes me want to swear off sewing forever (this happens a lot).

And the latter is what happened with the knit fabric I bought last weekend. Quick sewing fact: there are woven fabrics (like dress shirts are made out of) and there are knit fabrics (like t-shirt material). Up until this point I have only ever used woven material. Cotton woven is pretty easy to work with, but it doesn't have the drape, hang, or stretch of knit fabric. The stretch aspect is why I'd never attempted knit fabric cause I had no clue how to work with stretchy stuff.

Turns out that's not the hard part. Actually sewing the material is fine. It was cutting it out that drove me crazy. T-shirt material sticks to itself. Trying to cut out a large skirt is very hard when it won't stay where I want it. I spent all last Saturday trying to get the fabric laid out straight, and gave up without getting anything cut. Then I played Mario Kart Wii and cussed a blue streak at Princess Peach and many other beloved Nintendo characters for making me lose. After that, Ben cut me off and we watched tv.

Sunday I attempted again. Finally figured if I cut the fabric into smaller pieces (I had been trying to work with 2.5 yards at one time), I could manage it better. That actually worked, but then I decided to not worry about a pattern this time around and just play with the material and see if I could even sew it correctly.

And like I said, turns out it's not that hard to sew. I'm making a shirt, and it will actually probably come out alright. And the really fun part is I can put my own embellishments on it! No plain ol' t-shirt for me.

I read several random peoples' sewing blogs to keep me inspired and interested (linked on the left if any other crafters are interested). One cool thing that many of these bloggers do is create high-end looks for less. Find a t-shirt at J. Crew or Anthropologie? Don't want to pay the exorbitant amount for it? Make it yourself for a fraction of the cost. It's genius. And will fill up the world with stylish, money savvy people.

Anywho, hopefully I'll have my shirt finished and pictures this weekend. Below are some ideas I've been mulling over to come up with my own design.

Anthropologie

Modcloth

Modcloth

I'm really diggin pleats right now, so we shall see what turns out...

Saving some green. And I don't mean the Earth.

Made a trip to Hancock Fabrics yesterday for new project supplies.

Fabric $0.95/yard, patterns for $1 each. I love good deals!!! (Hoping to do bottom right pattern as my next project)

Then we stopped by Big Lots for some essentials

Now I can have clean hair for $1.65.

National Sewing Month

Did you know we have a national sewing month? Neither did I! Though it doesn't surprise me since we have holidays for every type of family relation. And a groundhog.

But while searching the web for sewing tips and tricks as I often like to do, I stumbled across the website for National Sewing Month. Per the website, "the observance of National Sewing Month began in 1982 with a proclamation from President Ronald Reagan declaring September as National Sewing Month 'in recognition of the importance of home sewing to our Nation.' "

And there's even a contest. And boy, do I love winning things. Ergo, I love contests.

Here's the flyer for this year's contest:

Anybody out there that sews (I think that’d be you, Laura Lindeman, if you’re reading!) should have some fun and enter the contest. I’m going to. Rules and deadlines are posted on the website. And they have some neat free projects and articles for anyone interested.

I needed a new project, so this is good incentive to get started on something.

Dress Success!

I have pictures of the dress I just finished (and wore to work today)

My inspiration was this dress below that I bought a couple years ago. It was one of my favorite dresses but doesn't fit anymore. So I decided to make my own version.

And here's the final product

I am happy with it, and very proud of the tucks on the middle front panel. Which just shows my lines are getting straighter

In other news, my cousin's 4 year old birthday party had a surprise visitor.

That's tween sensation Justin Beiber for those of you (me included) that didn't know. He's a little taller in person than I expected. We're tight now.

Project Runway

Last Thursday was the season premiere for Project Runway Season 9. I haven't watched this show in years...I didn't even realize it was still on. But it is still on and comes on Lifetime now, which is odd cause I thought they only showed overly dramatic made-for-TV movies...Anywho, Project Runway is like all those other reality TV show competitions, except in this one they're not cooking or wooing, they're SEWING!

I'd like to say I'm not a fan of reality TV, but I watch it nonetheless...so I guess it's my guilty pleasure. But this one is uniquely interesting cause it's about several designers that have different challenges every week of things to sew. For example, a challenge on a previous season was to take a hideous bridesmaid dress and refashion it into a nice dress normal people would actually wear. Then of course people get eliminated and there's eventually a winner and they get some big prize.

It's a little dramatic. I just want to watch them sew and see what how it all turns out, I don't care too much for the interpersonal drama. But I still enjoy it, and it keeps me motivated to sew. I've been sewing non-stop and finished a dress today. Hope to have pictures soon!

A Little Ditty in My Head...

I love music. I have no musical ability whatsoever, but I did use to dance…which is somewhat related, right? Well, I at least have rhythm.

When I was younger, my sister took me to tons of concerts. Some of my favorite memories are of our road trips to concerts, waiting outside to get in early and be at the front of the crowd, and standing for 3+ hours in hot sweaty crowds of people screaming out the lyrics along with the band on stage. Though I probably have permanent hearing loss from the times we spent in front of blaring speakers, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. There’s just something invigorating about literally feeling the music reverberate through your body, and dancing without a care.

Now my music enjoyment is limited to doing a boogie in my office chair while streaming Pandora radio on my iPhone at work. But thank goodness for Pandora! Without it, my music horizons would be severely stunted. If you don’t know of Pandora, it’s a radio that creates a station around music you like. You don’t get to choose what you hear, it just plays songs similar to the ones you tell it you like. And that’s the best thing about Pandora: it introduces me to new music! And the cool thing is you can build the station around multiple musical influences. For example, the station I listen to is Mumford & Sons combined with Florence + the Machine. After many attempts, this is my ideal station. Pretty much everything they play I love.

Now I can’t make it through the day without my Pandora station. And I’m infuriated when the bad cell service in my office building interrupts my soundtrack. But I make do.

And because I feel the need to show you how cool I am because I listen to cool music, here is a list of bands I’ve discovered through Pandora that are worth checking out:

Florence + the Machine

Regina Spektor

Kate Nash

Lily Allen

Vampire Weekend

Old 97s

Adele

Two Door Cinema Club

Josh Ritter

The bad thing is, now that I’ve found all these artists, I’d like to own their albums to avoid the aforementioned musical interruptions, but it’s too much money to buy them all. I guess I’ll just count to ten and wait for my signal to come back.

A Successful Experiment

After this dress I made, I had a good bit of fabric left over. Turns out, to make a baby outfit doesn't take much fabric at all. So I decided to play around with it and maybe make a skirt. And something actually turned out.

I didn't feel like putting any closures on it, so the waste-band just ties. It was pretty simple, and I actually like it. I wore it to work today.

In other news our garden is flourishing!

Our cucumber plant is growing like crazy!

These plants are too neat - they shoot out these tendrils and grab whatever they can

It's produced many flowers but no fruit yet. 

Our jalapenos! (Ok, we bought the plant with a couple already on it, but we've kept it alive!)

Our lovely basil with flowers. I've been told to pick the flowers off so it will keep growing