May I admire you again today?

For Halloween this year, I decided to forgo my hippie roots, and let the true 80's child shine through. I'm going to make Andie's prom dress from Pretty in Pink.

In researching the how to, what, and huh (?), I found nothing, NOTHING! in regards to others making this dress. No one that all my Googling (funny how that's a verb now) has reproduced this dress. This movie came out 25 years ago? Or, if they did, they didn't post it anywhere so that others could see the awesome that this project entails. Boo

So, other than pictures of the original, I have found some comments on the iconic garment. Some boards were complaining on the sack-like structure of the dress, some were mad that she cut up Iona's classic 60's dress in the first place, and you know what I realized? That dress is pretty ugly! Maybe that's why no one has made it. It's a little too ugly to bare (Otis Redding ref, btw). As much knowledge of dress making and fashion Andie had, she constructed a pretty plain, sack-like dress to wear to prom. If I find the right fabric, I could whip up a copy in an afternoon. But, this isn't the complete reason for today's post.

While reading fashion boards, and interviews with Duckie about he got the shaft (I agree), I remembered the music. Psychadelic Furs, New Order, Echo and the Bunnyman, Otis, The Smiths, INXS, and OMD. When anyone hears Please... by the Smiths, who doesn't picture Duckie sitting on the floor in agony cuz she fell for Blain? What kid did not practice his dance to Otis at Trax? There even was an episode of Gilmore Girls where they showed the opening credits soundtracked by the ' Furs following the train across the tracks. Finally, OMD playing at the prom. 'Nuff said. Did you know they had to play that song like 6 times to get it to cover the whole prom scene?

My point is, music moves us. I use it when I work so that I keep up a good pace. Music inspires us. It gives us the idea to create skirts with dancing turtles on them. It reminds us that a bad day sewing is better than a good day at the office. And it causes us to remember awesome Brat Pack movies that force us to make and wear really ugly prom dresses for Halloween!

Either way, in the words of New Order, "It's called love, and it belongs to us..."

Peace

Ps- And because this is mainly a clothing blog, here is a picture of the prom scene in all it's 80's prom horrors. Is that girl wearing a peach Scarlett O' Hara dress?

I'm a hippie, not a farmer...

A little off topic...

Many of my hippie friends may not know that I was born on a farm. (Not technically, but I lived on one till I was 5) I have always fancied myself a city dweller, but things change over time. I never wanted to own my own home, but now I can't wait. The thought of having any animal wilder than a dog was always a bleh thought to me. Now, I think of my father's ability to raise a cow from a calf and then eat it, is admirable. I read Jenna Woginrich's book Made From Scratch where she learned to made her own clothes, and keep bees, raise chickens, and while it's not in that book, she eventually learned to raise sheep for sheering.

I love going to the farmer's market. I love the idea of fresh eggs, though I'm not sure I can tell the difference. I marvel at the idea of taking a tour through Estes Park on horseback, even though I'm technically afraid of them. I can't wait to go to the pick-your-own farm to pick fresh raspberries (for Will) and strawberries (for Me).

So, while I am afraid of horses, have not milked a cow since I was 5, and get annoyed at my neighbors rooster waking me up at dawn, I have more respect for those who do fancy themselves farmers and homesteaders.

From this moment on, I strive to continue making clothing (which I'm sure is my best talent), look for the perfect Victorian home to raise future hippies and possible homesteaders, learn to can food, and work on painting my thumbs the perfect shade of green. And I will continue to enjoy my vegetarian, guitar/banjo playing, bee keeping, sweater knitting, goat/cow milking family and friends.

Peace

SATIN LIVES! (the satin stitch, that is)

(In the style of Charlie Brown Christmas) "Christmas time is gone... I drank too much egg nogg....)

Well, too much traveling has left my sewing machine dusty and neglected. This week, I thought I'd try my first attempt at applique. This is one of those times in my life where I have over analyzed, read the instructions too many times, researched, etc my self into a frenzy. I bought the heat bond paper months ago, have read the instructions about a thousand times but have been just to (scarred?) to try it. Today's blog post is about that experience. 

Attempt 1: Ok, got the design. I chose an Ohm because it's not too hard to cut out, and it would look gorgeous with the blue floral fabric I have chosen. So I traced the design on the back of the heat bond paper, I got myself a new iron for Christmas for this specific purpose, and ironed the paper onto the back of the floral fabric. Hmmm... sticks pretty good. I think this is going well. Cut out the design, cuts pretty good.... Oh crap! I didn't reverse the design when I traced it out on the paper. Cut to 2.

Attempt 2: Ok, got everything the correct direction, and ironed the cut-out onto the lovely peacock blue corduroy. Time to do a satin stitch around the design to secure it on the fabric. Satin stitch a couple of cms, "S*%^! Why isn't my satin stitch working. It's supposed to be smooth, not skip a place every 3rd stitch." I tried the button hole stitch on my machine. "Crap! I can't use this!" The button hole stitch bunches up the thread and when I cut the thread out to start all over, the corduroy shows every mark my walking presser foot has made touching the fabric. Grrrrr

Attempt3: Cut out whole new applique, iron onto the corduroy, so now I'm just gonna hand embroider a chain stitch around the border of the applique. Ok, this works! Wahoo!

Damn. Now it hits me that I have to take my machine in have adjusted, or at the very least, find out why my satin stitch does not work. Boo

I should have tried this out before Christmas.  

And just because I thought it was hilarious in the movie, and inspired the naming of today's post...

Cannibalizing fabric

Yesterday I started working on a purse that I started months ago. The issue was not that the purse was too ugly to finish, just life got in the way. I moved, work, etc. So Thursday night I pulled out this patchwork purse and realized that it was off, somehow. My usual 5 combo patch had been used, only the 5th patch didn't look right. The purse, so far, consisted of purple and light green and some light turquoise. The 5th patch, however, was an orange with bright yellow birds. If I were not a color whore (a term most affectionately coined by my friend Jennie) I would not give a flying rat, but since I am, I do. So after going through my cache and finding the perfect substitution, I decided to trade a new print for the ugly former one. In the process of exchanging said 5th print, the blocks got a little out of whack. Now, I know that patchwork does not have to be perfect, I mean I am a hippy. Isn't that, after all, why we got into this business? But, I sometimes think that patchwork is a great outlet for the inner engineer in me to come out. Sooo, I went to the store and bought some purple thread to do a zig zag on top of the seams to hide this. Great idea, right?

Wrong! Apparently, my machine needs adjusted. Straight stitches come out perfect. Zig zag, not so much. Boo hooo. After hours (ok, 20 minutes) of groaning and complaining, I decided to put the purse away for the night.

Last night while I was attempting sleep, or in a drug induced dream, I decided to cut up said purse, making the blocks smaller, and starting over from scratch. In the process of doing so, Will (my better half?) said I was cannibalizing the purse to make a new one. This led to a lengthy discussion about cannibalism and if patients who have received a donated organ are cannibals (according to the dictionary, they are), So, I will continue to work on my cannibalized purse, and see what happens.

Or, I'll just turn it into a skirt.

Peace

PS, the pic of the purse in it's in transition state before I starting messing with it is at the bottom of the previous post.

Craft ADD

Today I had a little ADD with my projects. I have 3 patchwork purses I'm working on and instead of working on them, I decided to start 2 more. Going through my fabric cache, I found the patches for a turquoise purse I wanted to start, some blue twill for another purse and the beginnings of an apron top I started forever ago.

Here is the start of the turquoise bucket bag.

  

This is the image I want to embroider onto navy twill for another purse that is not a pattern I've used before.

Probably minus the rat.

 Here is part of an apron top I've been working on. I've done more patchwork on it, just this is a little piece. I was going to make this into a skirt, but changed my mind.

  

These are 2 of the 3 bucket bags I need to finish.

Ug... I need to finish...

Peace