Vacation and post #100

Turns out my last blog post, showing my birthday dress finished in all it's glory was my hundredth blog post here! And I didn't even notice until now... Bummer! Guess I'll have to do something special for maybe... number 111.

On another note, I am today off for my first real vacation lasting longer than a week in... well a couple of years. Not that I am going far, just off to my parents place to work on some very different construction than I usually do... We're making a front porch! Can't wait to finally be away from my computer and desk, just be outdoors.

Who knows, I might even get some sewing done on a rainy day!

Finished and modeled: Birthday dress 2013!

And so, I am no longer twenty-something... (but to be honest, turning 30 feels great).

It took two small scraps of amazing fabric, a very long zipper, some polyester satin (more of a lining fabric actually) and half an old sheet (for actual lining), vintage hand made lace, and some silk and satin ribbon... about five hours of machine sewing, one broken needle - one hour swearing about needles breaking on Sunday afternoon when you have zero extras - and about four to five hours hand sewing... this is the result!

Birthday dress hand sewing

Sunday afternoon and the sewing machine needle breaks. I had no extras (how utterly stupid!!) so guess what? I finished putting the dress together, including sewing in a 80 cm long zipper... by hand.

Tomorrow I turn 30 (finally a grownup, at least on paper...) and I'll put some good pics of me in the dress up here then. Oh and by the way: yes, the zipper is on the outside of the dress on purpose.

Here are some snapshots of last nights hard work!

Birthday dress 2013 sneak peak

Today I started making my birthday dress for this year... And not a day too early, considering that it has to be finished in less than a week!

Being me (wildly optimistic, that is) I decided to draft something out of a few fabric scraps that I really love.

I got the top half almost done today... Here's a little sneak peak on the fabrics and inspirations (no high flying plans at all, right?)

New project for spring!

I just started working on this really cute classic Vogue Americana / Teal Traina dress.

So happy I had fabric that looks a lot like the pattern cover dress! It's vintage heavy... something. It's not natural fibers anyway.

Time has been hard to find lately but I hope to get better at sneaking in a half hour of sewing every now and then. With a little luck this dress will be finished in a week or two!

Hand sewn Smartphone case

So - as usual winter means I lose most inspiration to make things. But yesterday I got off my butt (or not really considering I stayed on my couch sewing this) and made a case for my new Smartphone!

I used a scrap from an old curtain, some green lining fabric and a vintage button. Braided heavy cotton thread closes the case.

It's not much, bit it's cute and I made it, yay!