Continuing Education

Guess what?

I'm taking some classes.

No, no, I'm not going back to college, I'm just doing some continuing education. It's through the San Diego Community College district. It's called SDCE. I'd say the majority of their classes are free. Some have a very low fee. You know what the best part is (besides being free)? They have sewing classes! Go figure. Take a look:

See that one on the bottom? "Swim Suit Construction"? Yup. I'm taking it. The instructor is top notch.

They have classes in other semesters, too. I'm working on a one piece right now. Hopefully it will be better than last  years swimsuit fail. I'm not drafting a pattern for this one. That was far too ambitious. I'm using a pattern. Should be done this week.

But. My point being: use your local educational resources. Did I mention these classes are free? Not just in San Diego.

Here's the link again in case you forgot: San Diego Continuing Education

Hats. Maybe I'll make one?

I decided to start with a visual.

HAT MAKING!!!! Wait to watch it until you finish this post.

This is a video on threadbanger. I made a hat like this about...oh, maybe three years ago? I think I wore it around my house two times and then ended up throwing it away because I wasn't really into it. And it was small. I looked around for the website that used then but I can't remember what is was. This video is about the same.

I want to make a hat. I know.. it's like, whaaaat? But the other day I got a wild hair (I won't finish this idiom) and wanted to make a hat. I think this started when I saw people wearing cute fedoras. I used to wear fedoras back when I was a teenager and I was the most ska things to ever happen to the greater Cincinnati area. Yeah. I was on fire.

you can visit their site here

I am so up to my eyeballs in projects right now. Do  you ever feel like you spend more time looking at things to make and other creative things than actually making things? I'm feeling that way.

I have to admit this post doesn't serve a lot of purposes

On the to-do list  (yes I write down a to-do list. I get it from my dad)

~Finish my flowered raglan dress

~Work on  my swimsuit

~Re-cut my tweed dress

~Draft a hat pattern

More to come soon? I'm sure.

Sea Foam Green Skirt

I actually made this skirt a while ago. Not a long while but I haven't posted much sewing lately.

I haven't been doing a ton of sewing lately to be honest....whoops

 

This skirt is very....sea foam.

It's also the only A-line skirt that fits me. My other ones are too baggy.

 

It's one of those articles of clothing that is difficult to wear. Just because it's hard to find things that it doesn't look too insane with. I'm not sure I'm succeeding at this. It might just be an insane skirt anyway. I had this fabric in my stash for about... 3 years. So I'm glad I finally used it. I do like the color, but sometimes I don't pick good/appropriate fabrics (but I'm getting better at this).

Potato Project v1.6

Oh my lovely potato. How I love thee.

 

June 19, 2011

 

Have you noticed how it's changed?

Me too.

The water is getting really cloudy. It's starting to be disconcerting. I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do about this situation.

I like the quantitative changes.

Potato Project v1.5

I'm  little bit behind in my Potato Projet. It was an exciting week,

what with throwing Chris a surprise party and all.

The bottom is starting to get full of roots.

June 13, 2011

The bud on the side is starting to grow not too.

I'm loving this.

One of my Favorite Authors

Roald Dahl

(1916-1990)

Roald Dahl had an amazing life. Don't believe me? Read Boy and Going Solo:

He was a little trouble maker. I love the cover of Boy: him holding a dead rat. Read the book, you won't be disappointed. Once you read his two autobiographies then you can pick up so many themes in his books that he draws right from his childhood and life.

 Did you know he lived in Africa while working for Shell Oil? He saw a tiger pick up a woman and walk off with here, but then he let her go, completely unscathed.

Did you know he served as a fighter pilot in WW2? He crashed on his very first flight because he ran out of fuel and was in the middle of the desert; his face was so swollen that he couldn't see for 6 weeks.

A boy with a Norwegian grandmother goes to England on holiday. Sound familiar?

Recently reread this and then watched the movie. Angelica Houston much?

But my favorite has to be:

So many great stories. They have the interesting, intriguing feeling of a Dahl story, just condensed.  They are all so great but I think I'd have to say that "The Hitchhiker" is my favorite. The ending is perfect.

And this last one:

I remember reading this story with my mom when I was a kid. What could be better than a father-son duo that add sleeping potion to raisins and feed them to pheasants so as to capture them.

There are so many other wonderful Dahl books including, but not limited to:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Matilda

The Twits

James and the Giant Peach

The BFG

The Enormous Crocodile

The Magic Finger

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me

Fantastic Mr. Fox

(do you think it's a coincidence that many were made into movies?)

He was rather prolific. I'm very into his stories right now. I'll probably read them all. And I think everyone should too.

(just cause it's sweet)

Update on my (faux) Chenile Blanket

I found the in progress pictures that I had been looking for. Apparently they were on my work computer. I'd complete forgotten about putting them on there.

I loved the fabric when I saw it. I'm so glad I chose it.

It started to shift and I tried to keep it all lined up. That ended up being a poor choice.

Between this one and the first one you can kind of tell that the fabric got distorted. The first side (started at the middle and worked my way out from one side, then the other) was fine. It stay on grain fairly well. However, when I did the second half I must have been pulling it out too much. It was a trapezoid on one side. If I make one of these again, I'll know not to try straighten it out too much- just let it move naturally.

After one million hours of cutting and sore spots on my hands.

I can't believe my camera strap is in the picture...

This was the SECOND spool of thread. Almost two whole spools of thread for this blanket.

Here's my original post about the finished blanket

Technical Difficulties

Temporarily having some technical difficulties with the blog. Hopefully I will have this fixed soon.

I think I have a problem. . .

. . . with drafts. Many, many drafts.

Yeah I might have an issue with finishing things.

You don't have to tell me. I realize how bad this is.

Potato Project v1.5

 

June 10, 2011

The (what once was a tiny eye) side is starting to sprout green buds. I'm in love with this.

(I hate that the tone of this picture is different)

See the white roots forming?

Potato Project v1.4

June 8, 2011

 

I really don't like taking pictures indoors, but I had to take one because it's changing everyday.

Also, this way you can see the purple roots coming out of the bottom. So I guess it's not all bad.

Potato Project v1.3

June 7, 2011

Just look at that tentacle!

It amazes me that it has leaves growing in water. I never expected that.

This is what summer means to me

How do I make this a reality?

source for image. (from potterbarn?not sure)

Shoe Insole Addition

I got this idea from Grosgain:

You take dirty, nasty insoled shoes such as exhibit a:

(I was almost to embarrassed to post this picture...but I decided I wasn't. Don't judge me.)

And turn it into something much, much better; exhibit b:

Here's the original inspiration.

Obviously, little more than what I did. But I thought I pulled it off pretty well. I wish I'd had some pinking shears on hand to edge the insole...also I couldn't find the sticky-back foam.

But hey!

Not too shabby. (Definitely not as shabby as before)

(Faux)Chenile Baby Blanket

I'm sooo confused because I  swear I had photos of this in progress.... I'm looking everywhere and getting nothing. Blargh.

I made this for my sister for her baby, my nephew. Unfortunately he came a few weeks early. Her due date was May 10th, and so I thought anytime I could mail it before the 5th would be a good idea. Wrong. She had him on April 27th. Let me just tell you it was not finished April 27th. But I did finish it!! Yes I did. And it came out beautfully, even if my fingers felt like they were going to bleed from cutting all those lines.

(so all I've got are these not so great pictures, considering I mailed off to my sister)

I love the colors (and thankfully she does too) I'd seen it online but I got the directions/specfic idea from Dana Made It. It really is amazing when you wash it and all the little lines look AMAZING.  It was definitely worth it.

Potato Project v1.2

So this is the second installment in my potato project.

I love that it's only been a few days and it looks different.

(you know I love that tentacle coming out the bottom. I've never seen that before.)

Summer Skirts at Anthopologie

Not sure if you've looked lately but Anthropologie has some great skirts this summer. I know that Anthropologie has had a lot of attention over the past year or so- really rocketing in popularity. And for a number of reasons I don't really care for them... BUT... I looked on their website because I was looking up a particular skirt that a friend of mine bought and saw a lot of cute ones. And by that I mean ones that I will probably take inspiration from. I haven't been sewing as often as I'd like and I think a skirt is just the ticket. I'm wearing skirts about 3-4/7 these days. That's substantial.

This one has seam details in the front instead of darts.

Really not into the color on this one but I do like the detail.

I think I'd omit the ruffle, but I'm for the angled buttons/pleats.

  

 I hope paperbag waists are still in vogue because I like them. . . 

I think anthropologie agrees.

 New England sea scape, anyone?

Can you tell I think A-lines right now? I have a lot of pencil skirts, but a-lines say summer to me.

And to save the best for last....This AWESOME green lace skirts. I should have bought some of that eyelet in another color and made a skirt like this. That's right up my alley (as my Dad would say : )

source