Do I need a dress form?

Well I know I don't need one but I certainly do want one?

Do they make sewing patterns easier? Even slightly?

How about repairs?

Does experiments in draping become fun? (That question probably comes from too much 'Project Runway')

I snagged a dress form off of Craigslist once and as most deals go it was ok. It was old... very old but adjustable... though larger than my size but it still was a great deal. I figured experimenting with a cheap version would make spending the big money for a nice new one really worth it. With the adjustable dials not working and the size being too big to really 'make' anything I ended up junking it but now I'm hankering for the real deal...

Is it worth it?

Image courtesy of thesewingoutlet.com

French Macarons on the 1st Try

I am a huge macaron fan but I've been afraid to take the big step and try my hand at making these delicious wondefuls.

I am an avid baker but macarons, or rather the recipes I've seen have always seemed to make the process seem extremely daunting but I was willing to give it a try. I used Martha Stewart's Parisian Macaron recipe and I am delighted with the results.

I made a few tweaks, such as taking out the salt and replacing with cream of tartar. Also, I made the filling with almond extract and added almond meal (I like almonds). And I added some crushed almonds to the outside on some.... Yes I love almonds

When I was done I placed them all in my deviled egg carrier for easy transport.

YUM!!

99 Thanks

Once again the 99 Cent Store comes through in a pinch. If you live outside the serving area of the 99 Cent Store then you just don't know what you're missing; though My Mom, who lives in Virginia, swears by the Dollar Tree, which I've also visited and yeah it's good BUT at not everything is 99 cents.

 

When I picked up the two shirts for my ruffled shirt I also nabbed 2 red shirts with what I call a crinkly texture. Perfect for another t-shirt refashion following Tea Rose Home and her T-Shirt Makeover. The white peaking through was already part of the shirt so I opted to use white thread for the rosettes. I think it'll 'fray' up nicely with a good wash and then it'll really POP.

 

What do you guys think? Have you re-fashioned your own tees?

 

We're on Not Just a Housewife's Linky Party #29 and

Ruffled Shirt

I recently became a follower of Tea Rose Home and her nifty blog. Her tutorials are awesome and extremely affordable, dare I say cheap. I nabbed two t-shirts from the 99 Cent Store and threw this together following her popular ruffled shirt tutorial. Super easy and quite adorable. I took a little too much from the neckline but it was my first go so the cardigan is mandatory at this point but it was great to see a finished product. I paired with my fav multicolor cardigan and I was off to work.

The 99 doesn't disappoint... I also got some red tees that I'll experiment with later in this week :)


Currently part of the Link Party on:

birds of a feather

I think people appreciate gifts you make just a little more than something you buy. I know my Grandmother does. She taught me to sew many years ago so I think it tickles her that lately all my gifts to her all handmade. This year I decided to add some decoration to her Christmas tree and make her some little bird garlands that I saw on SMS's Christmas in July post. I followed the tutorial to a tee and even bought the exact color felt and buttons. It was just too cute to divert from. I wanted to make sure this was a task I could accomplish well so I made a few with some scrap felt just to see how they turned out. Not too shabby but Grandma's turned out slightly better, sadly I forgot to snap a pick before I packed them up.

a classic modern tote

Purses. Handbags. Totes. Clutches. I love bags! If I'm not buying a new purse just because then I'm scouring the web for fun tutorials to make my own bags. This classic tote tutorial from Sew Mama Sew was incredibly easy to follow. I ended up making a few as Christmas gifts but I made one for myself to carry all my goodies to/from work everyday. I picked up the fabric from of all places, an eBay store: Emerald City Fabrics. I stumbled upon them a few months ago. I like the array of fabric choices, especially those kitschy ones by Michael Miller.

 

Coffee Cozy

I tend to sew small on most occasions. Meaning I like smaller projects for the most part. I really like that start and finish to be within the same week or night even. So I tend to seek out projects that I can do quickly and possibly over and over to make gifts for friends and family. The coffee cozy was perfect. Sew4home has a great step-by-step for one that I tweaked for my beginner-ness. I made the Scrap It: Ruffled Hot Cup Jacket with some scrap fat quarters I had laying around and it turned out great for my needs. Most days it sits on my desk under my iPhone, its a great vibration mode muffler :-) But today my iced coffee was way too cold for me so I grabbed and used it. Success!