Stud earring holder

Winter 2012/13
Stud earring holder (I did not make the box, sadly)
Difficulties - None, really. Though oh my gosh this used more polyester filler than I thought it would!

I don't know what it is, but I am incapable of taking my stud earrings out and actually putting them back onto my jewelry tree. A few weeks ago, I realized that the ring holders that come in jewelry boxes would also work for stud earrings. Yeah, I'm not the next Einstein here, but it was definitely an a-ha moment for me. So, I decided that instead of buying one, I would make something like this. I was originally going to make a larger one, but I realized I really don't have that many stud earrings. But I started just with two pieces of fleece that I bought as a remnant at JoAnn's. One piece was longer than the other, and I measured every inch on the short piece and every 1 3/4 inches on the long piece. I matched up the lines and pinned it along them.

Since I was stuffing this, I made sure to use the smallest, tightest stitches as I sewed along each line. I then sewed one side shut, stuffed each pocket with cheap crafter's filler, and sewed the other side shut. Simple. Easy. When it was all stuffed and done, I simply smooshed it into a box I already had. In this case, the box was a BEAUTIFUL handmade box from my woodworking uncle. Placed my studs along the creases between pockets, et voila!

(Oh and by the way, this is my first post of a craft I JUST made, not something old. Congratulate me. Whee!)

K

'50s Buttondown Dress

Summer 2009
1950's style buttoned dress
Pattern - Butterick B5315
Difficulties - I. Hate. Buttonholes. I JUST learned how to do them properly with my sewing machine, so I struggled with the buttenholes for this dress. Also, in the back there is an area where you use the same fabric to line, and since the contrast in the pattern is apparent, you can kind of see the pattern behind the fabric. Kind of annoying, but not major.

This is the dress that I wear all the time. While living in Chicago, I fell in love with '50s and '60s style, and this dress is just that. The fabric, which I LOVE, came again from Vogue Fabrics in Evanston, IL. The dress itself is fairly easy. It has pleats, and buttonholes, and sharp seams, but nothing annoying. I'm planning on making this dress in tons of fabrics and selling it on Etsy, so watch out for it!

K

UPDATE: Instead of creating a new post, I wanted to share my second version of the same dress, just sleeveless. I realized that the dress was a little Minnie Mouse-ish because of the pattern, but I think  leaving off the sleeves was a suuuuper cute solution. This one is the first non-costume sewing I've done for someone else, so I'll know soon whether it fits her! Oh yeah, and hand-made buttons!

Personalized Chess Set

Winter 2011
Personalized Chess Set
Difficulties - No huge difficulties, except for stupid Princess Peach. Making ridiculous cartoon hair three dimensional was a pain the bum. Stupid Peach. Also, pugs are not easy. But I was happier with them than I was with Peach.

I made this as a Christmas gift for my brother and sister-in-law, all made from polymer clay. I made bases for each side, (blue, gray and black for his and red, brown and orange for hers, ) and based all the pieces off their interests. His included handlebar mustaches, the Hitchhiker's Guide logo, Adventure Time characters, and a piece based off one of his drawings. Hers included balls of yarn, dress forms, laptop computers, and pirate flags. And for their kings and queens, he had Mario and she had Princess Peach, and he had a fawn pug and she had a black pug. In total, I was really, really pleased with how it all came out, and I would love to make more for other people.

K

Renn Faire Costume #1

Fall 2010
1st Renn Faire costume
Pattern - The base skirt is something bought, the overlay was from scratch, the blouse was a variation of McCall's 2242 peasant blouse, and the bodice was Simplicity 3618
Difficulties - I originally made the bodice WAY too big. I made the mistake of taking it in on the side seams, making the underarms too small. D'oh. Also, the blouse was originally long sleeved, but was way too hot, but I like how it looked being short sleeved with the frills.

Every day clothes are great, but costuming is so much more fun. I get to be gaudy and over the top, and there's no better place for such silliness than the Maryland Renaissance Festival. This is a totally different costume than what it was originally meant to be, but I loved how fun and whimsical it ended up. The bodice itself was way too large, so I have taken it in several times, and the fabric I used for the blouse was suppppper heavy. Originally the blouse was long sleeved, but I took the sleeves off and added the unfinished fabric strips instead. I'm wearing an everyday short black skirt, with a belt with fabric strips over top. Lot's of fun. I feel like a fairy in it!

K

Pencil Skirt

Summer 2009
Pencil Skirt
Pattern - My first home made pattern! I looked at the shape of fabric cuts from a pencil skirt I owned, adjusted the shape to reflect some snugness the bought skirt had, and cut the pattern from muslin
Difficulties I had - Creating my first pattern was certainly a learning curve, and I should have chosen a fabric with at least some give
Changes I made - None and all, since this was from scratch

My first handmade pattern! The fabric had no give, which caused the seams to come loose the first time I wore it. Really, the skirt should be made with a spandex/cotton blend, but I was able to restitch the seams on this one to reinforce it, and it worked fine. (Okay, actually, really, it should have give AND be done with a serger, but I made due with this.) I was pretty pleased with the outcome, and was able to wear my creation to the office often!

K

Summer dress

Front view

 Chest Detail

Back view with keyhole detail

Summer 2009
Jersey Dress #2
Pattern - Butterick B5178
Difficulties - None, really. Stretchy fabric is still a pain, but this was much more manageable fabric
Changes I made - Hemmed the skirt to be the correct length for me, otherwise nothing

This is one of my favorite dresses, and probably the one I wear the most often. This jersey wasn't as slick, so it was much easier to sew. The elastic gathering and keyhole in the back add for fun details, and I was thrilled with the fabric I found. (The fabric was from Vogue Fabrics in Evanston, IL, amazing place.) The only thing I would like to amend about this pattern is that because of my proportions, the second band of elastic doesn't quite lay below my chest, so it causes the dress to lay further out than my actual tummy. Just goes to show that the dress would be a good maternity dress I guess? This pattern has a second variation in a full length, and when I have time I'll probably make a second dress at that length with the amendments to my chest measurement.

What I learned - This was good for teaching me a different idea for gathering. I detest gathering. Hate it. Despise it.  But this wasn't gathering, it was relying on lightweight elastic to create the shape. I haven't used this technique in other pieces, but I feel like the trick will come in handy down the line.

Jersey Dress

Spring 2009
Jersey Dress
Pattern: Butterick B5278
Difficulties: The fabric was just way too stretchy.
Changes I made: The dress is meant to be one color or pattern, but I thought two-toned was the way to go.

Overall, I love what this dress looks like, but it was the perfect example of me picking the wrong fabric. I used jersey that was nearly spandex, in that it was so slippery and so stretchy. This caused a lot of puckering and bad seams. I was able to go back and fix a few of the problems, but at the end of the day, the dress isn't one I wear. Making this dress again is high priority for me these days, especially since my current job requires long sleeves to cover my tattoos.

What I learned: Fabric is something I often overlook. I find something pretty, and don't necessarily think through whether it's the right fabric for the project. This was a rude awakening in that matter.

K