Stuff I want Really Bad But Can't Afford...

In other words, a Wishlist.  This stuff I found so adorable I just had to share, and maybe some of you will be lucky enough to buy.

I was on facebook, as always, and on the corner of my screen there was an add for a sight called "ModCloth" so I checked it out... and just about died of "Iwant-itis"

So here we are. Things I wanted:

http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Accessories/Wallets/I+Let+My+Tape+Rock+Wallet

Cute? oh no. Frickin adorable!

http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Tops/Perfect+Pair+Cardigan

slippers.. on... cardigans?? Oh my!!!

http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Bottoms/Sea+Level+Romper

A sailor romper!!!! I love nautical! And I LOVEEEE rompers!

Shown here: 

see? rompers= <3

http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Accessories/Umbrellas/Panda+monium+Umbrella

self explainitory.

And finally, for the ones I want very mostest! My biggest vice, the one item of clothing that makes me all weak in the knees and all that jazz

http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Accessories/Mana+Toes+Socks

I really. really. really. really. LOVE. socks. Tall socks with adorable patterns specifically. I want these so bad it hurts!! I just gotta convince dad to let me use his credit card.....

And The Winner Is::

Thats right! I've done the drawing at 12:00 last night!

(hey cut me some slack, I was emergency babysitting, and it was really late!)

And the winner is!!??

Drum Roll Please

Yes indeed! Yay! (Applaud now!) He's the very first winner of my very first give away!

Now Jabacue, because you are the very first loser or my very first give away, I still wanna send you something and a celebration and a thanks for being awesome with me!

Unfortunately I don't know what yet.

But I SHALL find something acceptable! And then I will tell you so you too can have a little something to show for being the first... erm... loser... But it'll awesome. Pinky Promise!

Anyways, congrats Mickey!

(Want a baggie? Just orderriee!)

Give Away

Yes, I closed it thursday at midnight!

Unfortunately this is county fair week so I haven't got to do the drawing yet!

I have to do it tomorrow or later tonight. I've been busy busy busy!
(I won grand champion turkey, so I have to be at the fair almost all day :[ ) But don't worry! I shall draw as soon as I can! As I type this, I'm on my way back out to the fair.

I'm so excited to have new followers! Thanks everyone! Bear with me while I get through this chaos!

Don't Forget

..to enter the give away! It ends next Thursday.

Thats all I really have to post today, I'm on my way to the hospital now because my jaw and lymph nodes have been swollen for 3 days. Probably nothing serious. Just incredibly annoying. Anyways. I'll post more later. :]

Super Shopper Thursday

Sorry I didn't post yesterday! I only  had time in the morning to check up on things before I was out the door!

See, one day a month, Hancock Fabrics sells a certain brand of patterns for 99c, which is a crazy awesome deal if you do some research before you go! Yesterday happened to be McCall's.

(A quick note about patterns; the two BEST brands you can get in my opinion are McCalls and Vogue. They have really clear instructions and awesome styles, plus sections for beginner sewers. If you want QUALITY in patterns, McCalls or Vogue is the way to go.)

So at 9am me, mother, and little brother(the kid has an affection for the soft arts....), were up and headed to Hancocks.

And when we got there, there was a happy 1/2 off sale sign!!!! Meaning, certain tables of fabric were half price! I'm talking stuff thats 12 and 15 bucks a yard. Yeah. Excuse me while I happy dance.

Soooo (I giggle every time I use that word on this blog...) Me and Mom went nuts. Also, fancy shmancy 'spensive uphostery and home decorator fabric remnants were under $4 a yard (usually they are 10+ per yard)

We got there at tenish. We left at one thirty.

This is what I got::

Those two patterns? they were originally 15 and 17 bucks. I got them for 99c each!

Hmm, so starting at the left, the two paisly patterns. They were originally 6.99 a yard. On the half off table.. But the lady didn't know how to ring it up and she got frustrated. I paid 5 bucks for both pieces. I think I'll quilt them and make a few cosmetic bags to sell here? Yesh?

The green, Im making myself a cardigan, because I do love cardigans, and I'm always cold. See the black and pink and the batting? Can you say more poodle bags? I have like 4 orders for them already. I just gotta quilt the black and heave ho away we go!

And the black and gray stripey stuff, thats for little brother. He's kinds of excited for his new laptop. And he wanted a lap top bag. My bad. he wanted a "laptop bag, but for like.. well... a boy." His bag will be prototype two. And hopefully the final one!

I spent 28.01

But my day was not done! See, before we left, mom spotted an add in the paper for a sewing machine. I've been wanting my very own for quite awhile, but now I NEED one because there isn't one in the dress shop I work at. I have to take everything home and use my moms.

But you can't just buy any old machine. See, the older machines with metal parts are the most dependable, and usually they're easy to fix if something is wrong. Otherwise you have to pay $75 just to have it looked at. 

Anyways, this machine she saw was perfect. I called the lady and she wanted $30 bucks for it, but she was at work so I wait until she got home. 

She called me about 4 and said she couldn't get it working, so she would just give it to me if I still wanted it.

Weeeeeelllllll

It was an offer I couldn't refuse.

She still had the original book and all the accessories, a bazillion bobbins and some other fancy doodads.

I spent the rest of the evening cleaning out 10+ years of dust and neglect. I got it all oiled up, turned on, and it worked.

 Perfectly.

Also it came with the original cabinet in near perfect condition. I am one happy lady.

Then I stayed up way to late watching movies with my two best friends.

Gerard Butler is the hottest man in Hollywood.

p.s Dont forget to enter the give away!

My Very First Give Away Ever!!

The time has come! The time is now!

I am giving away this pink and black, retro, quilted messenger bag! Great for... Well, anything! purse, laptop case, school bag, present, whatever you want it to be!

I almost kept it... But then I remembered that I can just make myself another one.

So now its your chance to get one for free! Yes indeedy. Because after this give away, it'll only be available for by order for the price of $30(plus shipping)
Anyways. On to how to get this bad boy:

#1:: You MUST be a follower of THIS blog
#2:: Enter by posting One (1) comment before Thursday August 4th. Tell me you think its adorable, or what I else I should make that you would buy, or that I'm brilliant, or that you just really want the damn bag.
 (I'll enter your name twice if you mention it on your blog! just make sure you let me know!)
#3:: Hold your breath or dance around or cross your fingers or rub some one's buzz cut... Whatever brings you luck.

I'll announce the winner first thing Friday August 5th!

Can't wait? Want more?
I can do the same design in Purses($25), Laptop Cases(Coming Soon! I'm still working on my custom design, around $40), and Cosmetic Bags(Coming Soon! $TBA) as well as the messenger bag. Just email crazy_chic360@sbcglobal.net with what you really really really want.


I've used lots of exclamation points! Are we excited yet?!

Accomplishment of the Day

Today I finished lap-top bag prototype #1.

It was ok, but I'm not crazy about it.

Back to the drawing board to alter it and make it better!

Also. I'm gonna start the give away item today.

Wee!

Something New

Today I went on a sewing adventure!

Those Vera Bradley bags are everywhere! And EVERYONE has one. Well... Everyone but me. Why? Because  all they are is overpriced handbags made out of quilted fabric. Whoo. *insert crappy fireworks and canned applause here* Sure. They're adorable. I love them. But the price? Its re-donk-ulous. Especially since I've seen people quilting their own fabric. So today I decided to quilt my own. Just to see if I could. And if successful, add quilted bags to the my inventory. (Which I am slowly assembling)

It's cake. Today I give myself an A+

Rose's Are Red

This is one of my favorite patterns. Mostly because it can be made formal or casual and out of any type of fabric.

I actually made this one for my brother's summer wedding. He gave us all about a weeks notice.

So me and mom whipped up a few cotton maxi dresses. :]

The Sweetheart Neckline is flattering on just about all body types. It makes small busts look larger, contains large busts, Makes wide shoulders look narrower, and pair with the halter strap, my narrow shoulders look wider.

 Because is a cotton dress, its completely washable. And the more you wash it the softer it gets!

The little sash accent piece is nothing more than a length of ribbon with iron- on interfacing on the length that sits on my waist. (thats to keep the ribbon from folding over and loosing its structural integrity. One of the few this that I actually use iron-on for.

Finally, is the lining. With dark textiles and patterns, its not always necessary, but I don't even like the feel of seams rubbing. For a good, soft, cheap, low maintenance, easy to work with lining, I swear by an plain old sheet. I save all my sheets off my bed when I get new ones. They're already worn and soft, and you save quite a bit that way. Think its boring? Dress it up with a lace hem!

DYI Alteration: Letting In A Blouse

Alterations are one of the most wanted fields in the fashion industry. Mainly because so few people do them anymore.

Truthfully, they can be a hassle. And most people would rather just make a garment to fit rather than alter another whose construction may, or may not be compatible with the wanted alteration.

I happen to be one of the few people who still do alterations. Mainly because I'm used to altering everything I buy because I'm very narrow-backed and everything falls off my shoulders.

However, a common problem people experience is that they find a "fitted" top that fits fine in the shoulders but not in the waist.
The technique I'm going to show can also be used to make a regular t into a babydoll.

I'm demonstrating on a button down, simply because it was easier to work with, but this method can be transferred to virtually any blouse with straight side seams.

Materials:
Blouse that you want to be fitted.
Pins
A marking pen
Fray Check
Thread
Scissors
Sewing Machine
Serger(optional, but always a great thing to have in your arsenal of sewing supplies)

The first thing you'll want to do is measure and pin how much you want the curve to take in. Something like this:

Make sure that your curve is gradual, starting from under the sleeve and ending at the hem.

Next, Draw a line where the shirt is pinned:

Here I used the purple "disappearing" ink pen because the line is only need for a short amount of time.

Now run a basting thread along the line you've drawn. This is a precautionary step so that you can check the fit before continuing:

In the case of this shirt, the care tag is in the side seam. Use a thread pick and take it out now to get it out of the way.

Now before you set it down someplace (lets face it... some of those suckers are freakin tiny) go ahead and pin it somewhere in the middle of the garment. I prefer center front where you can miss it. (im apt to overlooking things like that at times)

Once you've check the fit run a regular line of stitching alongside the basted line:

Clip the line of stitching threads. But NOT the basting threads yet. Fray Check the stitching line to prevent pulling stitches later when you wear it.

I doubt I would be able to function without Fray Check in my inventory. It's great for working with fabrics that fray easily and saving a otherwise ruined seam.

The next step is to trim the excess away from the stitching line. Because inside curves are so hard to sight, trimming gives you a clear mark. Make sure you leave plenty of space for your serge seam to finish the edge:

Now is a good time to go ahead and pull out your basting threads. Or you can wait until after you serge, its really up to you.

From here, finish the edge with a basic three thread serge. Three thread serge seams, while excellent for finishing a seam, they aren't the most sturdy of seams, which is why the other line of stitching was put in.

For this seam I disengaged my blade, since I already trimmed the seam. This way if a mistake was made it would be easily reversible.

 Your finished seam will  look something like this:

Now just a quick press:

And Viola!

You now have a fitted blouse, and only you know that it wasn't bought that way!

Enjoy!

It's the Simple Things In Life

We all have those days when getting dressed is simply too much effort and all you wanna do is wander around in  a t shirt right?

Well... I have them anyways. A lot of them.

So when It comes to days like that, as far as I'm concerned, nothing beats a simple cotton dress. My wardrobe is full of them! (Most of them are handmade, but I will admit to buying a few)

One of my absolute favorites is this simple little thing:

Theres nothing complex about it. It works with all sorts of patterns and colors and body types. And I feel really cute in it! So if some attractive stranger comes to the door on a day I wear this, no worries. :]

However, I did make one small alteration. 

If yo look very close you can see where I took a tuck in the center back. I have very narrow shoulders!

Something else thats really cool about this dress? If I'm sun burnt from too many hours in the lake, It can be off-the-shoulder. So really.. I have two dresses in one!

Give 'Em the Ole Razzle Dazzle

First thing's first; I want to do a give away.. as soon as I get a few more followers...

Starting a blog is like a turtle on its back for awhile, regardless. Please send me ideas for a give away! Something I can make or put together that all sorts of people would want. These are the few ideas I've come up with:

Aprons

Lap top carrier

Quilted bags (the Vera Bradly Style, eh?)

All ideas are welcome!

And on to the Razzle Dazzle- ing

Say hello to my prom dress. By far the craziest thing I've ever attempted and succeeded. 

It took three days to cut out and three weeks to finish and every bit of patience and intelligence I had.

I think I burned more calories just reading the instructions than I did with all the dancing I did all year.

Here is the finished project:

Yes, there are twelve miles of ruffles there.

And the back

I LOVE the side detailing. Thats really the reason I picked this pattern

And of course: The Shoe:

It was really my best friend's she from homecoming...but no one looks at shoes!

They lasted about three songs on dance floor and were off.

In the end:

It Rocked.

A Few of the Basics

I figured I'd start off my new blog with a few of my basic items.

If you're coming over from my other blog, you might recognize some of them, but there are plenty of new ones too!

Here we go!

This first dress isn't something I made at all really.

You see, my dear old granny (who's a saint and makes great carmel corn) brought me this skirt that used to be her favorite as a girl. But Grandma can't wear this skirt anymore because she did the hug-able grandma thing.

Problem was, grandma's skirt was hideous (in my eyes). Regardless, it fit really well and I liked the styling quite a bit. (You'll find I'm quite a sucker for classiv/vintage styles.) And no one wants to get rid of a gift from Grandma...

So I layed it out on a white sheet (white draws out the colors in a pattern) and i sat back and thought of what to do with it. So looked at the colors and the patterns and decided it wouldn't make a good mini skirt, or a panel dress. And none of the colors matched and nothing looked good as a clash.

Well, then I had to go to a concert and while I was there, I saw a girl wearing one of those new tank top- skirt dresses. And all of those dresses were paired with just two boring solid colors. But now I knew what to do with the skirt of many horrors colors.

So I bought a black tank top. (Black being the best color to work with in that skirt). and I stitched it to the skirt. But it was missing something... So I added a chocolate brown sash.

and.

*drumroll*

TADA!

Who would have thought this combination would work?

Not my most favorite or challenging work, but I like it well enough and now I can wear it on Sundays when I visit Grandma.

And so it Began

Hey all!
Due to my new job, which has recently opened a world of opportunity for me, I'm starting this blog to share my journey as a seamstress.

I'm exploring the world of fashion design and taking you all with me, so feel free to throw in ideas, advice, information, questions, comments, snide remarks, or whatever.

Also, most of these first posts will be all about what I've done for myself because I haven't had many opportunities to do anyone else, HOWEVER that will be changing in time! :]