Projects & Portraits

#recycled_tshirt project:  cut an animal t-shirt in half, sew to front of hoodie or jacket.  Because of stretch and not enough pins, (PIN MORE THAN I DO IF YOU CARE) his nose is slightly UN-aligned.  But I love colors: brown jacket someone gave me that had some stains on front & clearance t-shirt I never would have worn.  This I will wear.

 More recycled t-shirt projects:  simple circle necklaces, hand sewn, using neck ribbing or bottom hem, or sometimes sleeve hem as ribbons to tie around neck.  They help make shirts modest without wearing another layer underneath.

Sam before his first group date!  He turned 16 this summer, and he and Alan from seminary class went bowling with 2 girls from stake!

Happy Father's Day!

(photo credit:  Roxie Jane with our new camera)

Taken last night, before going to Wilson-Powell wedding reception. 

And a glimpse of how to take a $7.00 thrifted dress and make it modest: extend the sleeves, fill in the front, add silk-ripped flower necklace.

Pillowcase Skirts

Spider Man pillowcase skirt with contrasting pocket (this was actually a valance, but same fabric-polyester from thrift store).

Pillowcase (sideways) with purple t-shirt fabric at bottom to give needed length.

And the back.  Exposed colored elastic at top makes this a super fast project:  stretch and sew right to top.  I used the bottom of a too-big t-shirt for purple hem--so no hemming.  The thing that takes the longest is unpicking pillowcase top, bottom, and folded hem where pillow goes in.  That becomes the width of skirt.

Neon dinosaurs, two pillowcases so hemmed edge where pillow goes in is the bottom hem.  I unpicked top and bottom of pillowcase and just cut edge opposite pillow opening and sewed the two pillowcases together, so this one is a little fuller.  Notice pink elastic at top?  Tuesday Morning had great "baby" elastic for cheap.

And last one to show you today is Archie and Friends.  There is a pocket on the left so you can't see the modesty skirts I applique added to the girls' mini skirts...Purple heart elastic on the top of this one.

Red, White, & Blue SUPER Dress!

It started with me looking on-line for "cowl neck dress patterns free" and I found the "Eva" dress which I thought looked easy to sew, beautiful lines...Then I signed up for the "Your Style Rocks" site to get access to the pattern, and looked at The Opulent Poppy blog to see the Eva who designed the dress--she made a super modest one out of vintage yellow cotton.  (Hurrah for MODEST WOMEN!)

Printed out all 54 or so pages of the pattern in my size.  Carefully taped them together, cut them out, and started looking for stretchy fabric in my fabric storage.  Nothing in yardage, and being thrifty makes you more creative/desperate...

I had recently gone through all the boy's t-shirts with Stewart as we looked for post-mission clothes for him.  Superman was in a Sam-doesn't-want pile and too big for Stewart (he likes to wear correct size, slim & trim and not baggy) and the Nebraska map fabric was a too-small-but-Roxie-didn't-want pile.  Instead of using top of pattern I used a tissue-weight t-shirt that was way too low on it's own. 

When Suzanna saw the skirt portion she was immediately complimentary and interested so I made it to fit her.  She wore it to Church Sunday with a red belt that cinched in the middle more on her hourglass figure and she got many, many compliments.  The Young Women's president couldn't believe I made it and wanted the YW to learn, use their old YW camp t-shirts.  Actually her parting quote was "You should PIN it!"

The front portion of skirt is one t-shirt--one without side seams so I cut the pattern as it fit under the left arm-pit and wrapped around the right side onto the back of the t-shirt.

Mixing & matching other cast-off t-shirts and stretchy fabric tops I made 2 other dresses, a turquoise & bright neon yellow one I love and a modern polka-dotted yellow & gray & black & white.  They went together quickly because I was using a t-shirt or stretchy top that is finished and using the t-shirt hems for the hem of the dress.  It is a color-blocked look, very comfortable, totally me. 

So where is the picture?  I need to be a little braver to wear it, because it is so wild, new, artsy.  I say it is totally me and then I get nervous, embarassed a little, not wanting the attention I know I will get.  I need some confidence-boosting cheerleaders.  John loves it, it is modest, maybe a little sexy because I look like a woman in it, with girl parts, instead of hiding.

I altered this top after Cardigan Empire's suggestion that cowl necks are perfect for my Delicious Apple Middle body shape, and felt pretty on our date to Star Trek movies (Saturday matinee with all the kids in tow, so it was more a family outing than a date-date).

(Dirty mirror needs to be cleaned.)  Did not want to wear a tank top or another t-shirt underneath so sewed in another fuschia modesty bib layer (another t-shirt) just under the cowl to bring the neckline up higher.

Save those t-shirts, even with holes!  The Superman dress has two hearts appliqued on random cities to patch over two tiny holes.  If you don't think you will make anything with those t-shirts, donate them to me, and I will hand-craft one for you (or me!).

Found Something New

Me in the center (brother John on left, cousin Charlene on right) wearing my newest favorite shirt: "Green Envelope Los Angeles" black soft jersey with salmon peach neckline and flat exposed zipper in back of neck.  $2.50 @ thrift store, score!

Fashion can be frustrating.  First of all, trying to be a modern, stylish woman who is MODEST poses huge challenges today.  I want a dress that doesn't show my cleavage, or my underarm to the world.  And it needs to come to my knees, without that walking slit.  Did I mention sleeves?  And no belly or back showing.  Must have some shoulder coverage, and collar bone area is tricky, it cannot be too wide at the neck (forget boat necks). 

Add to all of that modesty needs/requirements/desires (so much more comfortable when you don't have to twitch to make sure you are covered) I would really like to look cute.  Up that to "pretty."  NOT dowdy, frumpy, old-fashioned, clue-less.  I don't need to be trendy cutting-edge fashion runway (who can afford that?).  I don't want to be too classic/traditional, even though I am conservative religiously and value-wise.  I don't want to be too frilly/romantic/sexy.  I like Bohemian, artsy, and modern looks.  Some romantic, but not too much frills and ruffles.  Maybe I am fashionly moody?

Modest, in-style, and then we get to FIT.  For my body.  Now.  Today.  Not in 5 years when I am the target-weight-health I would prefer.  It has to fit right, right now.

Let me introduce Sister Bagley of Cardigan Empire:  click on Cardigan Empire or the "soft delicious center" red apple button on my right side-bar.  I read through her Cardigan Empire Preview blog and was blown away.  She is a great writer, dresser, fashion consultant, clever, witty, funny, fun, and stylish!  I want to share with everyone, all my girlfriends, sisters, daughters! 

It was so nice to read words of affirmation that I can be pretty, now.  Feel pretty, dress the part, act it, be it.  She says it so well, so if you have a measuring tape and an hour (or more!), see what you learn.  There is a little bit of math, but it all makes great sense.

PLUS I love her mid-century home!  They have done a fantastic job re-modeling an Arizona rancher, into a sweet home sweet home that I love!  Some great ideas.

Time to shake up that closet!

Prom Dress Gets "Sleeves"

Cut off long ties of dress (and sew stumped ends together), create SLEEVES (with a little more lace added from recycling another shirt)!

Better Than Barbie

This cute black netting shirt was in a love bag from Tauna from Sue.  Under scraps of feedsacks, doilies, glitter paint.  Love the exposed zipper in back.  Fit Em perfectly, over her Shade modesty undershirt.  And I realized, all that early practice playing dolls, dressing them, was NOTHING compared to having beautiful daughters to dress up!

And always look at the bottom of the bag!  Some treasures are buried deep.

Modesty

Scalloped Bermudas, trace circle shape in pen along wrong side bottom edge and cut and fray-check.
I was in a thrift store and saw an artist friend I haven't seen for awhile. "I was just thinking about you this morning!" she said. She was trying to find modest patterns on-line, "...you know, like Amish, or Mormon!" I laughed happily with her. It is good to be known for that. She was buying linen sleeveless dresses to cut up the back and convert to cute aprons--great idea that I want to try.

I've added lots of sleeves to store/thrifted dresses. Made many shrugs. But making it available to friends, seminary students going to dances....

I would love to help do something like this here, locally. I asked my daughters what they think about it.

Anyone else interested locally? All sizes needed. Old prom or bridesmaid dresses would work, too. I would dedicate a room in our home for this project.

Flowers & Belly Bands

For a friend's baby shower I made these yellow coffee filter roses. I am not a coffee drinker, and it took me awhile to find them in the dollar store (not used to looking for them). $1 for 150 filters=150 flowers. I cannot re-find the original coffee filter tutorial that I learned from to make these rosebuds...There is a good link through M(artha) S(tewart) to a mom who sells them if you google the subject. Or, if you come by my house, I will show you how I did it. Not hard. ANY color possible! Two of my sisters-by-marriage are currently gestating. Luanna and I brainstormed for good, affordable gifts, and she said the thing she loved the most were the hacked belly bands I made her during her last pregnancy. These did not exist 10 years ago when I was having my 6th baby. Rather than starting from stretchy-fabric-scratch, I found some super stretchy t-shirts, and hacked them.

Literally.

Cut the shirt right below the armpits, both layers. Zig-zag stitch around the opening, leave the already-hemmed bottom as the edge that shows, and you have a stretchy tube-belt. Good support, good coverage for that peek-a-boo tummy.

$1.25 for t-shirt from thrift store vs. $30+ range for the original.

Almost embarrassing to admit, but I really, really like these. Now. For me. And my NOT-pregnant-just-chunky, shirts-not-quite-long-enough-for-my-current body.

VERY convenient. Does wonders for modesty so you can stretch without showing skin. Nice with pants, skirts. See the above photo, that darker, under shirt, that was once a t-shirt. Biggest advantage is how low you can wear it, without the layers and heat of a tank top.

Find the stretchiest, smallest tshirt that will fit around your waist. Cut. Try it on. Most of the t-shirt knits do not need to be zig-zagged if they do not unravel, so you can wear it as is.

After Church

I'm about to lose my earring in my left ear.

Seeing the picture I posted for yesterday, I realized it was buttoned a little low. This is more comfortable looking for me.