Monday, June 27, 2011

Phone charging pocket

I was looking around on Pinterest last week and saw this! What an AWESOME idea!!! I'm sure just like us, everyone has that area on the counter, or a table, where all the junk collects (junk mail, papers, keys, etc.). Well, that's where I charge my phone. So, when I saw that phone charging holder thing (not sure what it's called since the blog it's on is in German!), I knew I needed to make me one! Of course, my isn't quite the same. I think the one I saw is made of felt, which I don't have and don't feel like going to buy, I just used some fabric I have already. I didn't have a pattern to work with, so I just winged it! I'm not very good with the whole seam allowance, but hey, my phone fits!

Crap! I just rememberd I ordered a cover for my phone (Steve and I just got new phones, and we both got the same one, so I needed to get a cover so he won't accidentally take mine), so it might not fit in the cool little charging pocket I just made!!!! Ugh! Oh well. If it doesn't fit, I'll just have to make another one! :)  That's fine with me; there are a couple things I would do differently if I do make another one (like make it wider!)

I know I just posted earlier about wanting to finish my dress, but I find so many cool things online that I want to make for myself (or Tristen) that it's hard to stick with one project that takes forever, when I can whip something up like my charging phone pocket!

Getting closer!!!

I'm getting closer to finishing my dress!!! Yesterday I got the zipper on the main fabric (not without using my seam ripper a couple times, of course!). I was able to put it on, and guess what....It finally looks like a dress!!! All I have left to do now is to sew the lining to the zipper (which I think I may end up doing by hand, unless I figure out a way to do it on my machine), finish the back seam on both layers, and then hem both layers. I really want to finish it this week, but we'll see how that goes. I don't do any sewing after Steve gets home from work, and I can't do it while Tristen is awake. So, that leaves me with like a hour during nap time. Not quite enough "me" time, especially since some days I use that Tristen-free time to do some cleaning that I can't do while she's awake. Sweeping and mopping while a 2yr old is running around is like shoveling while it's still snowing! :)


Thursday, June 16, 2011

I need a dressform!

Now that everyone but me is asleep, I figured I'd mess around with the dress I started for myself. I cut the lining of the skirt earlier when Tristen was napping, so I decided I'd pin the darts and the pieces together. Held it up, and it looks ok. I then pinned the skirt to the bodice that I'm almost done with and the I held it up to me again. I swear, I need about 6 arms to get the idea of how the dress will look finished! Trying to hold the back together and not look deformed is pretty hard! I then decided to pin it onto my bra in a couple spots (which helped) and then I was able to put a couple pins in the back. Now it's looking like a dress! We'll see if I get a chance durning nap time tomorrow to cut out the main fabric for the skirt. This whole dressmaking process would be a lot easier if I had a dressform! Yeah right! Like there is any room in our little apartment for one! I guess I should finish this dress first, and maybe sew a couple more, before I really decide to get one. Who knows, this one might turn out HORRIBLE and I may never want to sew anything for myself again!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Dresses for Tristen

Well, I really wanted to keep up with blogging since I started this one, but we've been all over since Steve got home. When we were back home last month, I was able to make Tristen a dress!

I kinda just went with it, and didn't use a pattern for this. It was a little long, so I finally fixed the hem on it last week when I was making her this other dress...



Steve got a couple of these white t-shirts (which neither of us would wear). I used just about the whole shirt for her dress except the neck, sleeves, the "old navy" and flag. It was pretty easy to do because I didn't have to hem the bottom since that was the bottom of the shirt, and I didn't have to sew the sides. I basically held the shirt up to Tristen to see where to cut for it to be a good length. I cut straight on the front (to be the dress back) right below the flag, and then on the back of the shirt I cut a couple inches higher and rounded the sides. Then from there, I shirred around the dress ( I just kept going until it looked like a good length for the bodice. Finally I cut strips from what was left on the back of the shirt, sewed them together to create one large strip and sewed it around the back and under arms on the bodice, and then crossed it on the back and sewed the ends on!

It's a little too white, and I've been thinking of something to put on it, maybe just on the skirt part. I'm in no hurry to do that though, cuz it's cute on her just the way it it is!

On another note, I got three fabrics when we were in Kauai, one to make a dress for Tristen (of course!), but the other two I plan on making something for myself! Hopefully they turn out!  :)

btw, Has anyone heard of Pinterest? I am TOTALLY addicted!