Okay that is me being all celebration-y. I sewed 4 bridesmaid's dresses, 4 junior bridesmaid's dresses, one flower girl dress (which was definitely more of an alteration of a dress I previously made...but still counts!) and one bride's dress. And veil. And it isn't even July yet. So there. I did it.
The past couple of weeks I would wake up in the morning with bridal dress anxiety and could not get back to sleep and would have to get up and sew. I would just be lying there thinking that I had to hem something or put a zipper in or what have you and no matter how hard I tried to think of something else, I could not get that thought out of my mind. So that's gone. I don't seem to be having any anxiety about hemming Al's pants or taking my dress in. I'll get around to that.
Maybe now that I'm done with major sewing I can also hang up all the things for my sewing room wall....thimble cabinet, thread and bobbin holders, bulletin board...maybe I can get that done on Friday afternoon. Now that we're just 2 weeks ahead of the wedding, it may be time to start the major cleaning. Cleaning that includes interiors of stove and fridge. Making sure that cobwebs around the ceilings are gone. Steam cleaning the carpets...I would so rather have them replaced. "Sorry, I don't want to vacuum these ever again, just rip em out and replace with hardwoods." Oh, sorry, I was having my lottery winner fantasy day dream again.
Oh, another word about the dress. Did you know that sewing patterns are sized for B cups? How many people out there are that size? Why do they not warn you, or tell you how you can adjust your patterns to fit someone larger? (the majority of women I would say) Thanks to this website's tutorial, (sewmamasew.com) the wedding dress fits. I would still be struggling with fit if I hadn't found this site. Can anyone say serendipitous?
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
It Must be Summer if We've Got the Air Conditioning on...
...either that, or spring is very humid. Yes, it is humid consistently, and although I am not a big fan of air conditioning in warmer weather, I am an unpleasant person when its humid. Everyone is spared my unpleasantness when the air conditioning is on. Although I do tend to look longingly at the back porch. (I could be sitting out there reading a magazine and enjoying the flowers blooming in the garden!) Please humidity, go away a bit.
I'm workin on the dress. The important dress. I am actually researching how to put the boning in correctly. The whole bodice is quite a piece of construction if you do it right. I may have an engineering degree when its all over. We dropped the waist about 4 inches which is a huge change to the look of this dress. It may end up looking quite different from what we envisioned. As long as it looks good.
As a back up I have a white bedsheet and white duct tape. Its called draping.
I am sort of thinking I may not wear my vintage hat which makes me sort of sad, because if you can't wear a hat to a wedding, well then, where can you wear a hat? As a matter of fact after being pooped on a by a pigeon with excellent aim at A.J.'s wedding, I would even say that wearing a hat is advisable. That was right before we got into the church. And all over my hair! Damn pigeons.
My dress was to be the last one I made, but now I am wondering if I will really have time to make myself a dress. Attention must be paid to the bride's dress and I do not want to rush it. (okay, the bodice is done- fetch me the bedazzler!) Also, when I looked at Joann Fabric the other day, I did not see fabric I liked in the color I wanted. Actually, I found the perfect color and pattern but the fabric was so heavy...unadvisable for July.
The better half and I went suit/dress shopping the other week which was a painful experience. My daughters know all too well that I am at my most impatient if I have to wait for someone to try things on. It turns on my boredom overheating sign or something. I also do not like pushy salespeople and lines for trying things on. The place we found the suit had lines for the dressing room, so after trying on the jacket we went to Dillards to look for a dress for me. (after promising we would come back to try on the suit). Right away the saleswoman was offering to help me. After finding out that I was a Mother of the Bride, (thanks Al!) she tried steering me toward these bespangled long dresses that screamed MOTHER OF THE BRIDE!!! I HATE those dresses...H-A-T-E! As in barf and yuck. She kept offering her "help" and I just wanted to be left alone to try on...it added a whole new dimension of pressure and unpleasantness to the experience.
We also stopped at the Dillards at Fallen Timbers where the saleslady was just pleasant, not pushy, and only as helpful as I needed her to be...Thank God! Unfortunately, I didn't find a dress there either. Again, bedsheet and duct tape. Afterall Duct Tape comes in so many attractive colors now...maybe Tiffany Blue!
The good thing was that Al found a suit that looks lovely on him. I need to hem the pants. (Duct tape again!)
I am in the process of refinishing a coffee table for Kristin's apartment. It was considerably less of a buy than the other things we found the previous week because of its really lousy scratched up condition. I should have talked him down to 5 bucks. Anyways...its closer to being done and will look so much nicer than the cardboard box she is using now.
Oh, Summer Reading Program has started at work. We are very busy. So there's that too. I remember a time, so very long ago when summers were long weeks of time spent at the pool and playing kickball in Janet Craig's backyard. Oh sweet nostalgia.
I'm workin on the dress. The important dress. I am actually researching how to put the boning in correctly. The whole bodice is quite a piece of construction if you do it right. I may have an engineering degree when its all over. We dropped the waist about 4 inches which is a huge change to the look of this dress. It may end up looking quite different from what we envisioned. As long as it looks good.
As a back up I have a white bedsheet and white duct tape. Its called draping.
I am sort of thinking I may not wear my vintage hat which makes me sort of sad, because if you can't wear a hat to a wedding, well then, where can you wear a hat? As a matter of fact after being pooped on a by a pigeon with excellent aim at A.J.'s wedding, I would even say that wearing a hat is advisable. That was right before we got into the church. And all over my hair! Damn pigeons.
My dress was to be the last one I made, but now I am wondering if I will really have time to make myself a dress. Attention must be paid to the bride's dress and I do not want to rush it. (okay, the bodice is done- fetch me the bedazzler!) Also, when I looked at Joann Fabric the other day, I did not see fabric I liked in the color I wanted. Actually, I found the perfect color and pattern but the fabric was so heavy...unadvisable for July.
The better half and I went suit/dress shopping the other week which was a painful experience. My daughters know all too well that I am at my most impatient if I have to wait for someone to try things on. It turns on my boredom overheating sign or something. I also do not like pushy salespeople and lines for trying things on. The place we found the suit had lines for the dressing room, so after trying on the jacket we went to Dillards to look for a dress for me. (after promising we would come back to try on the suit). Right away the saleswoman was offering to help me. After finding out that I was a Mother of the Bride, (thanks Al!) she tried steering me toward these bespangled long dresses that screamed MOTHER OF THE BRIDE!!! I HATE those dresses...H-A-T-E! As in barf and yuck. She kept offering her "help" and I just wanted to be left alone to try on...it added a whole new dimension of pressure and unpleasantness to the experience.
We also stopped at the Dillards at Fallen Timbers where the saleslady was just pleasant, not pushy, and only as helpful as I needed her to be...Thank God! Unfortunately, I didn't find a dress there either. Again, bedsheet and duct tape. Afterall Duct Tape comes in so many attractive colors now...maybe Tiffany Blue!
The good thing was that Al found a suit that looks lovely on him. I need to hem the pants. (Duct tape again!)
I am in the process of refinishing a coffee table for Kristin's apartment. It was considerably less of a buy than the other things we found the previous week because of its really lousy scratched up condition. I should have talked him down to 5 bucks. Anyways...its closer to being done and will look so much nicer than the cardboard box she is using now.
Oh, Summer Reading Program has started at work. We are very busy. So there's that too. I remember a time, so very long ago when summers were long weeks of time spent at the pool and playing kickball in Janet Craig's backyard. Oh sweet nostalgia.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Spring Break! Spring Break!
Good Lord, I didn't post at all last month. Okay, so blogging is one thing I am not accomplishing every day. I sewed a bridesmaids dress yesterday. I made another sample bodice to send to Leann, (the first was too small). I sewed Lil an Easter dress last Saturday from an old pattern of mine. So I am definitely sewing and enjoying it.
This past week I had a week off. We took an actual spring break trip which is a first for me. We went to Chicago and I enjoyed it and would go back. Maybe fewer museums next time, although I would go back to the Art Institute in a heartbeat. One of my favorite moments of this trip was climbing the staircase to the Impressionist galleries and seeing "Paris Street; Rainy Day" ahead. I was so thrilled I almost cried. Everywhere we went in that museum were paintings and artwork I was familiar with. It wasn't until we got home that I realized that the game "Masterpiece" used only artwork from the Art Institute of Chicago. I used these paintings to decorate my Barbie houses! (Apparently Al had this game too)
Just a word about the Shedd Aquarium's dolphin show. No, one word won't do it. Dissapointing? Hokey? Over-produced? Stupid? Yes, all of the above. The show is called Fantasea and pretends to pull a random girl out of the audience and about three seconds into that you realize that this girl is a plant. The trainers are dressed in these hideous costumes, they bring these panicked penguins down in front of the audience where hardly anyone can see them, they ask do you like Belugas? Do you like sea lions? And then there are neither sea lions or Belugas in the show. We really wanted to see the belugas and the new calf and his Mother were not on display...which I understand, but you couldn't provide a video camera for people to view them? After paying 30 bucks a person to get in? I really left the Shedd feeling ripped off. The whole audience was like..."That was it? We paid extra for that?" I wonder if Second City does a parody of this show...they should, it was so terrible.
I needed Friday as a mental health day (read: totally lazy do nothing day) and then I felt like sewing again. I have to wake up early if I'm going to sew. If I sleep past nine, the day is shot and I've lost all motivation. I am definitely an early morning type of person.
So tomorrow is back to work and I am sort of motivated to get my butt in gear for Summer Reading Program. Oh so much to do. And oh so much to do at home. It will get done.
This past week I had a week off. We took an actual spring break trip which is a first for me. We went to Chicago and I enjoyed it and would go back. Maybe fewer museums next time, although I would go back to the Art Institute in a heartbeat. One of my favorite moments of this trip was climbing the staircase to the Impressionist galleries and seeing "Paris Street; Rainy Day" ahead. I was so thrilled I almost cried. Everywhere we went in that museum were paintings and artwork I was familiar with. It wasn't until we got home that I realized that the game "Masterpiece" used only artwork from the Art Institute of Chicago. I used these paintings to decorate my Barbie houses! (Apparently Al had this game too)
Just a word about the Shedd Aquarium's dolphin show. No, one word won't do it. Dissapointing? Hokey? Over-produced? Stupid? Yes, all of the above. The show is called Fantasea and pretends to pull a random girl out of the audience and about three seconds into that you realize that this girl is a plant. The trainers are dressed in these hideous costumes, they bring these panicked penguins down in front of the audience where hardly anyone can see them, they ask do you like Belugas? Do you like sea lions? And then there are neither sea lions or Belugas in the show. We really wanted to see the belugas and the new calf and his Mother were not on display...which I understand, but you couldn't provide a video camera for people to view them? After paying 30 bucks a person to get in? I really left the Shedd feeling ripped off. The whole audience was like..."That was it? We paid extra for that?" I wonder if Second City does a parody of this show...they should, it was so terrible.
I needed Friday as a mental health day (read: totally lazy do nothing day) and then I felt like sewing again. I have to wake up early if I'm going to sew. If I sleep past nine, the day is shot and I've lost all motivation. I am definitely an early morning type of person.
So tomorrow is back to work and I am sort of motivated to get my butt in gear for Summer Reading Program. Oh so much to do. And oh so much to do at home. It will get done.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
When you are not being too active, you tend to think more about TV
I have to say that I am finding the Olympics fairly interesting so far. Sports I didn't care for so much are now more interesting, or is it just better coverage? The woman's slalom last night kicked butt, especially the finals runs when the women really went for it. The wipeouts were just awesome. One comment I have about slalom though is that all these women are future knee replacement candidates...oof. Short track skating was absolutely tense too. At one point I wouldn't let Al leave the room because the last time he left the room a bunch of skaters wiped out. (yeah, sorry Canada, that was Al's fault)
The opening ceremonies were pretty good too. A lot of dancing which doesn't translate well to TV, but the special effects could be pretty spectacular. The moment where the whales swam across the floor of the stadium was a big highlight for me. I also liked the aerialist above the prairies where the music was "Both Sides Now"...that was lovely. K.D. Lang went a little long for me though I liked her song. I've just heard better versions. I felt sorry for the person who didn't get to help light the torch when her pillar didn't go up. I thought maybe one of the other "chosen" could've shared their pillar with her. But no, they were all like, "This is my pillar and I'm going to light it all by myself." Think if someone would've shared, that would've have been a much nicer Olympic moment that people would've remembered.
A couple weeks ago I remember sort of sighing and saying to myself that this was just not going to be a very snowy winter. So ha to me. I will be perfectly fine if I don't have to shovel for awhile. Last week I had a very sore shoulder and neck from moving that heavy snow around. I also had a snow day though which was pretty nice. I made oatmeal/raisin cookies so Al would come home safe in the bad weather...it worked!
Tomorrow night is the first night of the Westminster Dog Show...another TV favorite. I don't have a dog and don't ever plan to have one, but I sure like this annual show. Its the dog Olympics . Actually its more like the canine Miss Universe, but dogs are so much more interesting.
Okay. I'm out of things to say.
The opening ceremonies were pretty good too. A lot of dancing which doesn't translate well to TV, but the special effects could be pretty spectacular. The moment where the whales swam across the floor of the stadium was a big highlight for me. I also liked the aerialist above the prairies where the music was "Both Sides Now"...that was lovely. K.D. Lang went a little long for me though I liked her song. I've just heard better versions. I felt sorry for the person who didn't get to help light the torch when her pillar didn't go up. I thought maybe one of the other "chosen" could've shared their pillar with her. But no, they were all like, "This is my pillar and I'm going to light it all by myself." Think if someone would've shared, that would've have been a much nicer Olympic moment that people would've remembered.
A couple weeks ago I remember sort of sighing and saying to myself that this was just not going to be a very snowy winter. So ha to me. I will be perfectly fine if I don't have to shovel for awhile. Last week I had a very sore shoulder and neck from moving that heavy snow around. I also had a snow day though which was pretty nice. I made oatmeal/raisin cookies so Al would come home safe in the bad weather...it worked!
Tomorrow night is the first night of the Westminster Dog Show...another TV favorite. I don't have a dog and don't ever plan to have one, but I sure like this annual show. Its the dog Olympics . Actually its more like the canine Miss Universe, but dogs are so much more interesting.
Okay. I'm out of things to say.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
On break...but not broken
The home computer is being oh so slow lately, and since I am as impatient as ever, I have been staying off of it. So, I am actually at work right now, but on break, which is funny considering I have been here since 11:00 am, and it is now 7:37 pm. Oops.
We just had someone in here who was making nose-blowing sounds, without the aid of a tissue. I did not look at him, but it sounded like he was making snot-rockets near the DVDs. Susan reports he was actually picking his nose and eating it. I washed my hands with hand sanitizer after he left and after Susan told me that delightful news I wished I could wash my eyes with hand sanitizer too. The pain of that might make me forget the visual I now have. Bleagh.
I am about done with my first Bridesmaids dress and I think Jess's will be next. Although I have to say, I think Kelly should come over and get the measurements thing over with. I am pretty happy with how it looks and it was not too difficult either. 4 pattern pieces!
Also, I am happy sewing in my finished sewing room. The blue is a very tranquil color. And for those of you who have been around me while I sew, you know that tranquil is a good thing. The only problem is that it is supposed to be a cat-free zone, but the cats seem to find their way in to hang out with me while I sew. I need a good lint brush. And a white wastebasket.
Okay, short post...time to close here.
By the way, I forgot to celebrate national footbreaking month. Both Jane and Janet have broken their feet and apparently forgot to invite me to join them. So I am snubbing them both and refuse to participate. So there.
p.s. Kristin says there are 3 ladies at her school with broken feet. And one of them has a daughter with a broken foot.
We just had someone in here who was making nose-blowing sounds, without the aid of a tissue. I did not look at him, but it sounded like he was making snot-rockets near the DVDs. Susan reports he was actually picking his nose and eating it. I washed my hands with hand sanitizer after he left and after Susan told me that delightful news I wished I could wash my eyes with hand sanitizer too. The pain of that might make me forget the visual I now have. Bleagh.
I am about done with my first Bridesmaids dress and I think Jess's will be next. Although I have to say, I think Kelly should come over and get the measurements thing over with. I am pretty happy with how it looks and it was not too difficult either. 4 pattern pieces!
Also, I am happy sewing in my finished sewing room. The blue is a very tranquil color. And for those of you who have been around me while I sew, you know that tranquil is a good thing. The only problem is that it is supposed to be a cat-free zone, but the cats seem to find their way in to hang out with me while I sew. I need a good lint brush. And a white wastebasket.
Okay, short post...time to close here.
By the way, I forgot to celebrate national footbreaking month. Both Jane and Janet have broken their feet and apparently forgot to invite me to join them. So I am snubbing them both and refuse to participate. So there.
p.s. Kristin says there are 3 ladies at her school with broken feet. And one of them has a daughter with a broken foot.
Friday, January 8, 2010
There's this flaky white stuff falling from the sky...
Oh, how lame. I am talking about the weather. That is what I talk about with patrons I don't know very well. Scuse me please. Its just that you never quite get over the thrill of a snow day. Schools are shut here. I really get no benefit from that though (aside from hearing Lilly yell YEAH! when the school called to notify - good thing it was an automated call) considering that my workplace is shut on Fridays anyway. Still, it is sort of pretty out there.
I assembled my dress forms or mannequins or whatever you would call them. One is red and one is grey and even though they are headless, I sort of feel that they should have names. Ruby would be an obvious one for the red one, but then I thought of a beloved childhood book, "Ann Likes Red" ( A blue dress Ann? No, said Ann, "I like red". A red dress instead.) So the bigger is probably Ann. Scarlett is another possibility. I'm sort of leaning towards Charlotte for the smaller grey one. Maybe I should consider famous headless people? Marie Antoinette, Ann Boleyn, Jayne Mansfield? Ick. Maybe not.
I finally sent my Christmas cards yesterday. I know its late, but I didn't want to not send them. The problem is that I found ones I liked just the week of Christmas and I was already too busy then. I sent my thank you notes in the morning along with bills, and then wrote the rest of the cards during my lunch break at work and mailed them on the way home.
There was a lot of snow on the way home and I found that my scraper had completely broken off my snow brush. I did find a squeegee in the car that sort of took care of the ice. I drove home slowly, but it was definitely not the worst drive I've ever had. The bad ones are at night when its snowing so hard that all you can see is the huge white flakes coming towards you...its sort of hypnotizing.
We may go to Home Depot to get some easy shelf making materials. Easy means laminated boards and crates. I also want to go to Joanne Fabrics and look for more $1.99 patterns. Oh Joanne Fabrics, why are you leaving us? Now, when I need you more than ever? I may break down and buy the aisle runner at 40% off today. Or maybe I will be lucky and it will be 50% off. Or maybe they will be all gone. It's a crap shoot.
Waiting for Miss Kristin to come home from her first job interview. Drive carefully Kitten. Drive carefully Kari the-already-employed. Lilly's got her eye on the sledding hill today...Weeeeeee!
I see hot cocoa in her future.
I assembled my dress forms or mannequins or whatever you would call them. One is red and one is grey and even though they are headless, I sort of feel that they should have names. Ruby would be an obvious one for the red one, but then I thought of a beloved childhood book, "Ann Likes Red" ( A blue dress Ann? No, said Ann, "I like red". A red dress instead.) So the bigger is probably Ann. Scarlett is another possibility. I'm sort of leaning towards Charlotte for the smaller grey one. Maybe I should consider famous headless people? Marie Antoinette, Ann Boleyn, Jayne Mansfield? Ick. Maybe not.
I finally sent my Christmas cards yesterday. I know its late, but I didn't want to not send them. The problem is that I found ones I liked just the week of Christmas and I was already too busy then. I sent my thank you notes in the morning along with bills, and then wrote the rest of the cards during my lunch break at work and mailed them on the way home.
There was a lot of snow on the way home and I found that my scraper had completely broken off my snow brush. I did find a squeegee in the car that sort of took care of the ice. I drove home slowly, but it was definitely not the worst drive I've ever had. The bad ones are at night when its snowing so hard that all you can see is the huge white flakes coming towards you...its sort of hypnotizing.
We may go to Home Depot to get some easy shelf making materials. Easy means laminated boards and crates. I also want to go to Joanne Fabrics and look for more $1.99 patterns. Oh Joanne Fabrics, why are you leaving us? Now, when I need you more than ever? I may break down and buy the aisle runner at 40% off today. Or maybe I will be lucky and it will be 50% off. Or maybe they will be all gone. It's a crap shoot.
Waiting for Miss Kristin to come home from her first job interview. Drive carefully Kitten. Drive carefully Kari the-already-employed. Lilly's got her eye on the sledding hill today...Weeeeeee!
I see hot cocoa in her future.
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