Monday, May 23, 2011

Loving the Maxi Dress

So right now I'm currently obsessed with maxi dresses, thanks in large part to the warmer weather. Don't know what a maxi dress is? Well, it is the name given to a dress that is very long (touching the floor for some people while others it hits the ankles but usually nothing shorter than that) and most brands have at least one in their summer collection.

I found two at Ross that are actually long enough to fit my 5"9 frame. But for the most part it's very hard to find dresses that are at least ankle length on me. So I decided to make one myself, that way I can get it the perfect length.

So I found the above pattern for $3 at Joann's and the fabric I believe was $7.99 a yard. I am so excited to get started and see how this dress turns out! I'll keep you all posted with the results. :)

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Hello New Friend!

Hello new friend!

It's been quite a while and I've gone through a bit of drama, but I finally have a sewing machine in my hands. And the best part is that it is not only new but it also has 25 different stitches! This is a Brother XL-2600i free arm sewing machine and I bought it online at Walmart for under $100 (including tax and shipping - although I bought it during a free shipping promotion).

I was originally going to borrow my sister-in-law's machine, but it broke and she is in the process of moving so that was a no go. Then my other sister-in-law told me that I could have one of her machines, she has more than one and they are not being used at the moment. Well, her busy schedule prevented that from happening. That's when I turned to thrift shops and Craigslist. I called a bunch of thrift shops but none had any on their shelves. Then I actually found a used machine for $30 on Craigslist but after a week of back and forth emails the seller pulled the plug at the last minute. UGH! So I decided to say "Screw you" to all my frustrations and bought myself a belated Mother's Day present. Yay!

This afternoon my present arrived on my doorstep but I wasn't able to pull it out of its box until after Alex went to bed. I'm like a kid in a candy store. I have so many projects that I've been eyeing but definitely first up on the list is a fitted play yard sheet. The ones on Alex's play yard don't fit very well and I'm too cheap to spend more than $5 on a new fitted one. After that, it's on to Betty's quilt. I can't wait to show you all my latest creations! :)