Happy Veteran's Day!

I am a veteran. My husband is a veteran. My husband and I both come from families of veterans.
My husband and I were both in the Air Force, which is how we met. We didn't work together, so there was no conflict of interest. The way we met was through a mutual friend since he and I were in different squadrons. We've been together for 8 years as of December 1st.

My mom was in the Navy. So I was a Navy Brat for a few years. My step-dad was in the Air Force for 23 years, and retired January 1st this year.

My mom's parents were both in the Air Force, which is how they met. My grandfather had fallen down a flight of stairs (he worked in Air Traffic Control) and my grandmother was one of the nurses that took care of him. They married shortly after.

My husband's mom was in the Army. My husband's dad was in the Marine Corps.

I have an aunt and 2 uncles (both on Mom's side) that were also in the Navy. My uncles both retired after 20+ years.

My husband has uncles that were in the Marine Corp too, and his grandfather (his mom's dad) was also in the military (I think the Army).

So, as a veteran and a member of family of veterans, I say to you: Happy Veterans Day!

My kids know about Veteran's Day and they know about the veterans in their family. When they popped out of their beds this morning there were shouts of "It's Friday!" "Happy Veteran's Day!". So, I asked the boys, "Do you know what to do when you meet a veteran?". "No ma'am," is the response I got. I said, "You shake their hand and you say 'Thank you for your service to our country'." So thinking they would do that at school today, I was surprised when my 8 year old said "Hey Mom!" and stuck his hand out for a handshake. I shook his hand and he proudly said "Thank you for your service Mommy!". Things that make you go "Awwwww".

Here's some picture of me and my vet when we were in Basic Training. He went in January 2001 and I went in November 2001.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, have a good laugh at those BCGs (Birth Control Glasses)

Catching up my blog and my sewing (pic heavy)

Here's the truth: I haven't been blogging because I have barely been sewing.
September and October were filled with sewing for three Costume Swaps (AG over 18, AG Playthings, and The AG Dollhouse). Here's what I made:

For my assignment on AG Over 18, this is Kaylee the mechanic from the series Firefly and movie Serenity. 

Here's the inspiration:

For AG Playthings I made Mulan's training ao and I also made her guardian Mushu:

Inspiration:

My clay skills are more geared towards doll scaled food, but I don't think I did too terribly bad on Mushu:

He broke during the baking process, so I have to glue his legs, tail, and butt back on. His head is where I think my best work. I could not get his arms to work for me, and once he was done baking I got the wonderful idea that I should have used toothpicks as armature for him. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20.

For The AG Dollhouse, it was pretty easy. Well, the idea was easy. The fabric, well, it was knit, so it presented a challenge. I overcame the challenge brought on by the knits fabrics, and cranked out not one, but three Star Trek uniforms.

(Please excuse the organized chaos that is my sewing bookshelf.) 

We have Security in red (you never want to wear a red shirt when being beamed down to a planet), Science and Medical in blue, and Command in yellow/gold (funky shade of green funky fabric in The Original Series). Oh, and the badges are accurate to the show:

Inspiration came from The Original Series (that I haven't watched) and the Star Trek movie that was released in 2009 (they have an unnamed sequel coming out next year according to IMDB.com)

The Original Series (with Shatner and Nemoy)

Star Trek 2009 (I love Simon Pegg! Great casting decision!)

In other sewing news, I've made a dog coat (last month):

to match this car (race simulator now):

And my most current project (as in the day before yesterday):

I made it with my Cricut. Well, I cut the Christmas tree out of the fabric with my Cricut, ironed the fabric to the felt stocking I made, and then applique stitched around the Christmas tree negative. The Christmas tree that was cut out is on another stocking that is in the process:

Oh, and in non-sewing related crafty news, I took a painting class at a local shop called Bottles N Brushes, and I made this:

It's acrylic on canvas. I plan on making the dress out of silk (I have the perfect polka dot silk in mind) and tulle; doll scale of course.

In Scrapbooking, I scraplifted (ever so slightly) a layout to make this: 

And then I made Turkey themed Artist Trading Cards (ATCs):

(Yes, that's real machine stitching you see there)

And this ATC, from one Tim Holtz stamp:

This 8x8 layout was part of a challenge one crop night (the week before Halloween). Pick a Teresa Collins Halloween paper, a random Halloween paper, a random embellishment, and a Halloween sticker and make a layout with it all.

I'm still not happy with mine, but everybody else loved it.

Oh, and the theme for October's ATCs was breast cancer awareness. My boss and I worked on the idea of this one together, and it is pretty dang awesome:

The ta-tas are part of a small pom-pom trim. The background is camo fabric adhered to plain white cardstock and then spritzed with Glimmer Mist.

This was a quick personal challenge with the new Fall seasonal Tim Holtz Distress Inks and some $1 Halloween stamps:

The witch and the trim at the bottom are from the same wide ribbon that was in my boss's ribbon stash.

This is the last real and completed layout I made (August):

My ultrasound from when I was pregnant with Noah, my youngest, who is now 6. I think it needs a little ink on the yellow letters to help them "pop" a little bit.

Okay, that's it, I'm all caught up now. If you've made it this far in my post, I appreciate it. :)

Now, to attack my sewing table since it is covered with so much stuff that I can't see the top of the table. Eeek!

Until next time....

Teaser post

I've been here, just haven't had time to sit down and post. I guess you can say that September is the beginning of  chaos and the end of the year. LOL! It's not really "downhill from there" but more like starting the wind up to Christmas.
I have a few costumes in the works, and participated in 3 costume swaps this year, so pictures soon, I promise. Well, I'm not sure how "soon" it will be, but I'll get them up here eventually. It's been hard to get pictures (or at least decent pictures) since it seems to be raining all the dang time. I'll take rain over 100* F.
See you hopefully sooner, rather than later.

Halloween is right around the corner (and so is my birthday)

Oh September, I've missed you! As I said last September, this is my favorite month of the year. This year has 3 added bonuses. 
1. My Seester is coming into town for a week (she's the one I road-tripped with/moved to Denver in November).
2. Me, Momma, and said Seester have a spa day planned at the Sanctuary Spa on Kiawah Island.
3. One of my cousins is getting married (albeit on my grandma's birthday which is the day after mine, thus fore it kind of throws a small wrench in my birthday weekend plans, but hey, I'll make it to the wedding and every where else I plan to go that weekend.


I'm participating in two costume swaps this season, and I already have one of my assignments, so I am currently working on that one. I started it yesterday and will be finished with it tonight. It's brocade, so I want to finish it as soon as possible since it frays like crazy. My saying today has been "Oh brocades, why must we have such a love/hate relationship? I love the way you look but I hate the way you fray."


Cheesy, I know, but it explains my feelings about that type of fabric.


I'm still working on curtains for everybody else, and will eventually get back to the curtains for my room and the boys' room. 


So yep, that's what I'm up to in the sewing room.

Being unproductive sucks!

So, apparently I have to be sick to be productive. Since my last post the only sewing I've done is repairs and alterations on human clothes. Popped seam here, add button and button hole there, and make straight leg pants into skinny jeans. I even fixed the pocket on an Aeropostale hoodie. I'm working on turning a sheet in a curtain this week. Yep, my neighbors are enjoying bringing me out of my comfort zone. One day soon I'm going to have a couple of the girls over to raid my fabric stash and teach them how to make some PJ pants for themselves. I also want to teach them how to sew buttons, since I think every body should know how to do that.
In doll clothes news, I sent out my Summer Sewing Swap outfits, and received mine too. Here's what I sent out on AG Playthings:

My take on Molly's Polka Dot outfit (Seen here). More pics: Click here!

and on AG Dollhouse

Pucker blue satin and burnt orange satin dress with cropped jacket. More pics: Click here!

And here's what I got in return:

From AG Playthings: Molly's camp outfit and Capture the Flag gear.

More pics: Click here!

From AG Dollhouse: an outfit for Josefina.
More pics: Click Here!






So, the kids went back to school on the 15th. I should have gotten some sewing between then and now, but I haven't. I have no idea why I've been so unmotivated with all of this free time. I've gone from working 4 days a week back to working 3 days a week. I've been really tired lately, and I don't know why.
I hope this sewing funk ends soon. Halloween sewing season is upon us, and I need to get busy!

Productive while being sick? Yep

I can't believe I haven't updated my blog since my weekend trip to GA.
Here's a brief rundown for that weekend;
Friday: have lunch with hubby at his work and swap cars. Drive. Stop right outside of Columbia to help with a car accident for 2 hours. Drive. Hang out with Grandma.
Saturday: Attend services for the Colonel in Atlanta. Lunch with friend from school and his family in Athens. Stop by High School Reunion in Madison for an hour. Pick up my little man from his grandparents between Madison and Greensboro. Stop for dinner at Waffle House in Greensboro. Hang out with Grandma.
Sunday: Hang out with Grandma and leave after lunch. Drive. Arrive home in time for dinner. Sleep.

I literally went non-stop that weekend.

Since then, I've been pretty creative. I have made an outfit for the Sewing Swap on AG Playthings. I am participating in a Sewing Swap on AG Dollhouse too, but once I read my assignment, I knew I had the perfect outfit in stock, so that is what I'll be sending. It's still something that I made, and it is perfect for what they asked for, so I'm pretty happy. I hope the recipient is too.

I woke up sick on Thursday. I went to the doctor, thinking it was Strep Throat, and after a swab test and a CBC, they said it wasn't and that it was probably just a virus. I spent the rest of the day feeling like crap, and Friday was only slightly better. Over the weekend I've been slowly getting better. And somehow, even though I felt like total crap, I was able to sit down at my sewing desk and complete two dresses that I had cut out weeks ago and that have been sitting in my In Progress Box since then. I took pictures of them today and listed them on Etsy already.

I've made this pattern before:

I have another one cut out and will try to get to it next. It's a purple print with pink hems, bodice, and pockets.

Oh, there's just 1 more week until the kids go back to school! I must make myself get more sewing done this school year than I did last school year.

Until next time....
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I'm leaving on a jet plane...

Well, not a jet plane, but I am taking a weekend vacation. I'm heading to my home state of Georgia for a three day weekend. Now, as with every trip I take anywhere, I do my best to plan it out and try to cram as much stuff into as little time as possible. While gone this weekend I'm going to spend time with my grandmother (who had a a meeting with a surgeon today to schedule a lumpectomy on her breast today), attend my 10 year high school reunion, attend the funeral of one of my high school teachers who was a big influence in my life, and pick up my son from his grandparents house. I'm going to try and get together with some friends and have a night on the town, but we'll see how my schedule is looking at that time,
I've been able to get some sewing done this week. I participating in the Summer Sewing Swap on AG Playthings, and then today I signed up for a Sewing & Craft Swap on AG Dollhouse. My assignment for AG Playthings is perfect for me. As soon as I read it I had the perfect fabric in mind and I mentally started mixing and matching patterns. The cutting is done, and 3 out of 5 pieces are done. I should receive my AG Dollhouse assignment when I get back into town Sunday night.
With each Sewing Swap I participate in, I like to make something that shows off the techniques I am good at, but I also like to throw in a "never tried this before" technique in there too. So far, for the AG Playthings assignment, I've upcycled a tee shirt into undies, and I've used my new ruffle foot to make pleats. The verdicts: I still don't like knits, and I am going to need a lot of practice with my ruffle foot.

Well, off to finish packing my bag!

Summer Sewing Swap begins!

The other day I received my assignment for the Summer Sewing Swap on AG Playthings. I can't give too much detail, but I am super stoked about it. What I found really funny (in a good way) is that I asked for a 1940's outfit, and so did the person that was assigned to me.
So, the fabrics have been picked out, the patterns to mix and match have been picked out, and then the cutting began today.
Cutting out fabric is the hardest part of sewing. My hands and wrists have been hurting me a lot lately. Naproxen and Ibuprofen have been my best friends over the last few weeks. I have some padded braces I wear on my wrists/hands at night, and that helps since it keep me from curling my hands and wrists up while I sleep. I also use my paraffin wax to help ease the pain my hands.
 Now reading that last paragraph, you would think I was an old lady, right? Well, sorry to disappoint, but I'll be only be 28 in 2 months. So, it looks like I have about 60-70 more years of this. Really? Well, that just sucks.
My grandmother is almost 83 (she'll be 83 the day after I turn 28), and she still sews, crochets, and knits. About 10 years ago she was forced to retire from over 50 years of being an RN due to her back giving her problems. So now, she crafts during the week, and sells her wares and creations at a flea market on the weekends. She has arthritis too, and I know her hands give her trouble too, so I'm going to quit my bitching and just suck it up. Besides, the more you use it, the less it should hurt, right?
So, at the moment I'm taking a break from leaning over my table cutting out my fabric, but my back is feeling better already, so I'm headed back to the desk.
Maybe I can get my sweet hubby to do some of the cutting for me today. :)

Now available in Canada!

So, over the weekend I got an Etsy message from another member asking if I would be willing to ship to Canada. I didn't have it available on my listings since I wasn't sure how to calculate it. Well, I got it all figured out, and I now ship to Canada! I ship USPS First Class to Canada since shipping via USPS Priority is at least $20. For the United States I still prefer to ship via USPS Priority Mail.
So, the member who contacted me had good reason for it, she wanted 4 of my outfits. So on Monday afternoon I dropped off the Nutcracker Fritz costume, the Medieval inspired princess dress, the Polo shirt and pleated skirt set, and the 1824 Southwestern set.

I've been working on a new Popover Dress pattern from Oliver+S. My first attempt came out too snug since I didn't adjust the scale when printing. That error resulted in a Pop Her Head Off to Pop it Over Her Torso Dress instead of a Popover Dress. The end result is still cute, but I'm going to offer it for slim 18" dolls like Magic Attic and such.

Here it is on my "skinny" AG Elizabeth (the newer ones are slimmer than the older ones):

I think I may just cut the back open and insert some Velcro so it's much easier to get it off and on.

Going to try to get the opposite fabric version done this week, and will post it if I do. During one of our storms over the weekend I was able to get several items cut out, so it will be much easier to get things done this week since all I have to do it reach into my In Progress box and pick something.

Until next time...

Not only did I.....

Not only did I finish the Harry Potter robe the other day, I got it listed on Etsy. And not only did I get it listed on Etsy, but I listed two other items from my inventory too.

Check it out: here!

I had planned on listing the shirt and skirt set as separates, but once I put them on the doll to model, I kind of liked them together. Hopefully they'll sell easier together than separate. Hopefully something sells!

I also picked up a new free pattern from Oliver + S, and am excited to try it out. I got the pattern printed out, but now the hard part comes: picking a fabric.


Sorry for the short post (I'm sure you're glad though since I'm usually long winded). I'm off to get to work on the house, take care of the kids, and try to escape to my sewing area today.