Yes, the year began with a real bang...
I was car number 3.
I'm thankful that no one was in the passenger seat.
That door caved in to the point I wasn't able to open my glove box.
The car is in the shop and I hope to have it back before the week is out.
And then there's this....
Beautiful snow!
We don't get much of the "white stuff" here in TN so when we do,
it's a big deal.
The birds are hard to see, but there was a ton of female cardinals about.
And did you know...
... chickens do not like snow?
At least ours don't.
These poor babies have been cooped up all week. They would not
take one step out into the snow. They were glad to see the snow melt.
We keep a heat lamp on them so they have a toasty place to stay.
Okay...enough of all that...
Upcycle Project!
I ran to Goodwill a few weeks ago and found this suede skirt.
It was 1/2 price so I only plaid $2 for it I think.
I knew I wanted to make a bag of some sort, so I scouted out
the purse section for a bag with good handles.
The bag was $6 if I remember correctly.
The skirt was lined so I decided to use the lining for the bag's interior.
I used a pattern I'd been wanting to try.
McCall's 7334 is the one I used.
I used a fusible fabric stiffener to help the suede hold it's shape.
Here's the end product:
Not to shabby, huh?
And a project I promised to share:
I had finished the top, but wanted to wait until I had the embroidery work finished before I shared this with you. I told you it would be worth the wait. I hope I didn't disappoint.
These photos don't show the colors very well, but at least you can see the
hand work. I'm pleased with how it turned out.
This was a Tina Givens pattern that I tweaked.
And finally...This is a Marcy Tilton dress I made.
The pattern is Vogue 9112.
I am petite...coming in at just under 5'.
This pattern didn't have provisions for shortening, but
I knew it would be too long if I didn't alter it some how.
I ended up lining the pattern pieces up at the waistline.
I drew a line across each piece with pencil.
I used that as my altering point hoping it would work.
I think I shortened it by about 3 inches,
and I only made that one alteration.
It did make the side panel piece look weird
as I cut it out. I was concerned about
getting things going together correctly,
but I think it turned out just right.
And it has pockets too!!
This pattern may look intimidating, but I can assure you it was not too complicated.
I wouldn't recommend it as a beginner project, but for those who've been constructing
garments for a while, this one is fun to put together.
The fabric is cotton. I'm a cotton gal. I knew the collar would show
the wrong side of the fabric. I didn't want the wrong side to show, so I
sewed a facing on this piece and it works fine.
What do you think?
I encourage you to broaden your horizons in 2018.
Try something new.
Work on a project that challenges you.
Always move forward in your abilities.
I find it rewarding, and I think you will too.
See you soon!
I have 2 pairs of pants to share with you next round.
