Fini! Almost...

*

Almost, I didn't plan ahead very well.

I started this project without picking out all my fabric. So hopefully the fabric I ordered today goes well with the rest of the shirt or I'm fucked!

Ok, that's an exaggeration, but you get what I'm saying.

But all the sewing has gone off without a hitch. Things are looking up.

Sleeves are becoming not a pain in the ass.

*

Collars are the next project to tackle. This one isn't too hot.

*

Kinda plain.

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*-Eventually I'll need to come to the realization that I need to hire a model. One day.

Patterns, soul sucking demons.

This was one of the pictures that popped up when I searched for "Soul sucking demon."

I decided that being the skilled seamstress and clothing maker that I am, that my next project would be to design a pattern for myself and then make a piece of clothing with that very pattern. Little did I know when I started at the beginning of this week that by the end my soul would be gone. Poof!

A footnote on my experience, it's recommended to have a mannequin or at least something people shaped. This also removes a step at the beginning.

What is recommended*:

1- Design a piece of clothing. Preferably something within your means of doing.

2- Drape fabric to get the desired look. Pin in place.

3- Cut fabric.

4- Lay out fabric pieces on pattern paper, trace. Add pattern shapes and lingo.

5- Celebrate

*- This is highly abbreviated.

What I did*:

1- Take my measurements. Feel accomplished, go to sleep.

2- Use 'How To Make Sewing Patterns**' to learn how to make draw out a pattern. Take a nap.

3- Wake up. Compare pattern to my body.

4- Pin the pattern to fabric anyway and improvise. This is how I role.

5- Pin and Sew.

*- Again, highly abbreviated.

**- This book is amazing.

I took a few liberties. In general it worked, it's not the best method or the most efficient and hopefully for my sake I get better at it. The best thing I can suggest is to buy the book I mentioned above. It gives a great overview of shaping fabric on a body and the basics of pattern making. One small word about the book is that's it's old, 70's old. So it's pretty much ancient technology. But for serious, because it's older the style of the patterns he lays out are slightly outdated. As long as you go in knowing that going in, it's no big deal. I didn't so this is how my pattern turned out.

The second line up is the waist line and also where the book recommends the bottom of the pattern should be. Hmm... So, I tried to modify it last minute to make is longer, that's the bottom line, but even that wasn't long enough for me. I ended modifying it even further once I got it on the fabric. Knowing how short he suggests the pattern to be the front portion turned out better.

Here's the design in muslin, not the most attractive fabric, but hopefully once I transfer it to "real" fabric it'll look nicer. Right now it just looks like a very large onesie.

I'll keep you updated.

Sewing Project 5!

And the second project I've actually showed you! Hooray! I should do a round up of stuff I made last year... We'll see.

But here it is!

Sorry for the super awkward picture.

I tried, I mean really tried to take pictures of this shirt on a hanger, but they looked terribad. It is at this point in time impossible for my to take pictures of clothing on hangers.

Here's some close ups of my stitching, this is the collar. Not the best stitching ever, but I want a record out there if and when I start making progress. And I like being honest with you guys!

Here's the sleeve. This being my first project with Robot I used a different stitch for every part to see how they looked. Some were so tedious to rip out, so I'll make sure I've got my shit together before I use those again.

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My next project create my own pattern! Away!

3 Weeks!

It's already and only three weeks into the new year at the same time. Such a weird feeling. And so far my goal of being more present on here is failing miserably, but I wanted to start my new posts with an introduction to my new friend, so that will be my excuse as to why I'm three weeks behind.

Meet Robot.

He's named that cause of the amazing noises he makes. I'll put a video at the bottom so you can hear too. And yes he has a mustache, what self respecting sewing machine doesn't.

I have lots of plans for Robot and I, and not just picnics in the park, but grown up, serious plans, that I'll be sharing here as they start happening. Right now my life is full of lists and "to do's." It's exciting, but very daunting.

Until there's more news I'm gonna leave you with Robot noises.

Hearts.

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He's so cute.

Gift Guides

I love the internet if only because of the gift guides.

Presents with me are hit or miss, I'm either amazing or terrible at picking something out. So gift guides for those hard to shops fors save my butt this time of year.

That is definitely one of my life goals is to put together a great gift guide.

But in the mean time these are the places I've been visiting multiple times daily.

Cup of Jo- She has the cutest guides with the cutest names!

Rifle Paper Co's blog- Super snazzy, I love the guide for brothers so manly! It makes me want to grow a mustache just looking at it!

Greedy Girl- I'm almost positive this whole website is the most gorgeous gift guide ever.

Wit+Delight as well as {frolic!} are both great places to go as well, if only to browse their pretty pictures.

- -- - -- - -- -

My absent-ism will hopefully subside soon. I've been lazy.

December

I used to hate December.

Don't get me wrong I love the Christmas season and as far as I'm concerned Christmas starts right after the Thanksgiving leftovers are in the fridge. I hated the desolation, December is so dark and lonely looking and cold. Ironically enough when winter rolls around I become a night owl foregoing all sunlight in favor of sleep.

But I've changed my tune as the years have gone by and I'm not sure why. I guess it's the change of scenery. So, I'm feeling very good about this upcoming month, excited even. Which is an incredibly welcome change.

Happy December!

Running Red Lights

I like to run yellow lights.

It's the high I seek in life. I get this magical feeling that I'm seeing things I wouldn't have otherwise seen if I had been stuck at the light. Those few moments right after are the best, the sky, the cars everything is new and something I would have never seen before. Not only that but it pushes your whole world forward, for the rest of my life I'm seeing things 30 seconds (maybe more or less depending on the light) before I would normally see them. My whole life is being lived in the future and it rocks!

Note: I am not under the influence of any substances.

Poof.

I like to disappear for blocks of time. It makes me seem mysterious.

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Hylinn bought a motorcycle way back in June and has been riding it to work ever since he tried to get his brother to teach him how to ride, hit a curb and crashed it. It wasn't anything serious, a sprained wrist and a dented fuel tank. He's since taken a class, passed the test and actually gotten his license.

Last Thursday was the first time I rode with him and it is surreal. Riding in a car, to me, is like being in a bubble. For example, I drive my roommate back and forth to work almost everyday, but I've never actually been there, to all the road in between our apartment and the mall. I've never actually set foot on that stretch of land before in my life and still haven't, but riding a motorcycle down that same stretch of road cements everything in my mind. It takes all the pieces I've seen and only just noticed and affixes them there as touchable, real objects and actual space. Definitely not what I was expecting my first time riding.

I'm not gonna lie, it's scary the first time and probably for awhile after, but I'm not experienced enough to say.

Sounds like me and sex. Badum Chhh.*

*That's supposed to be the bad joke noise, my onomatopoeia skills are rusty.

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You can also smell everything, good and bad.

This is also like sex.

Lethargy

Apparently, wearing face paint three days in a row for a majority of the day makes my face unhappy and when my face gets unhappy it gets a weird rash....

Sorry no pictures, it would make your face unhappy and I don't want it to spread.

I've been recovering and being lazy. Just sitting around in the house, watching Law and Order SVU and making pillows.

Proof! That I've actually made something.

It doesn't help that Hylinn got to work from home on Thursday. Which is so much fun!

*

This is how I found him after I got home from doing something, I can't remember.

I hope this becomes more regular.

*Look at that sweet white balance!

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Fun Fact!

I took pictures almost everyday in October. That's pretty sweet.

The Rally

Hylinn and I went to the rally in DC this weekend. Specifically the Rally to Restore Sanity and Keep Fear Alive. We were really far from the stage so it was basically like watching it at home with a horrible view of the television.

But you don't exactly go to a rally for the view, you go for the people.

And there were a lot of people.

Like Ben Franklin.

And druids.

The people on the porta potties.

People with signs.

Ah, taxes everywhere in this bitch!

If you ever have a chance definitely make an effort to get to a rally whatever your political affiliation, they're inspiring.