Flower Hair Bobby Pins: Or Why I Wanna Dress Like a Fairy Princess

Is there anything wrong with wanting to dress like I'm straight out of a fantasy novel? Because some days, I try and do just that. I wish I had more sheer, flowing, romantic clothes in my closet for those days. And, of course, accessories covered in flowers.

Luckily, that last wish was easy to accomplish. I had a big strand of fake flowers in my room that I'd been meaning to use for a while; I just didn't know what for. After buying a new package of bobby pins, they finally had a purpose.

This was so easy to do; I just hotglued the flower to the top of the pin and waited for it to dry. The one thing I wish I could change is how much glue it took to adhere the flowers; I feel like it's kind of noticeable when I'm wearing them. They kept falling off if I used less, though, so I guess I'll live with it.

I've mostly been using these to secure up a simple bun- my go-to hair style when I'm working or just need my hair out of my face. I'd like to pin them throughout a braid, but I'm a little worried they'd fall out throughout the day. Overall, I love how they turned out, and how easy and quick it was to put them together. And I like how they've been making my outfits just a tad more fairy princess-y :)

Sorry for the blatant laptop photo.... Getting real photos in a dorm room can be a challenge.

How I feel about alterations, plus some random finance stuff.

You guys, I've only been working at Formal Fantasy for two weeks, but I'm already enjoying it there a lot. Mainly because I'm getting to learn so much new stuff about alterations/repairs; it's practically like I'm getting paid to take an extra sewing class!

Okay, okay, that description may be pushing it a bit. But seriously, I feel so lucky to have a job where I get to sew for money. I love seam-ripping open fancy prom dresses and figuring out how to change them and put them back together so they look like nothing ever happened. It's challenging but fascinating. The only downside (and this is a small one) is that I have to stop and work with real people occasionally; I guess that's just my secret introverted nature coming through, though.

Picture from here.

Besides gushing about my new job, though, I had another topic to bring up. Do any of you guys have student loans taken out, or have you had to pay off student loans in the past? How long did it take you to pay them off? Any feelings/tips/tricks about making financial ends meet in college? It hadn't occurred to me until fairly recently how serious loans really are. I guess I  never really thought too much about finances, or how to earn more money, because until going to college I didn't have a reason to. I've been reading up on a ton of financial blogs lately to try and get inspiration about saving, budgeting, and paying off loans, and I guess at the end of the day it just comes down to discipline. College is expensive.

An Apology!

Oh my gosh, it has been so long since I posted here, and for that I apologize! I definitely let life get in the way of keeping up a blog, which was exactly what I was trying NOT to do. In the past several weeks (months?) a lot of exciting stuff's been going on for me, which is really encouraging me to start blogging again. I really don't wanna give up on a project before it's even gotten started, you know?

So, since I last posted, I have:

• Finished two summer classes --including, ewwww, chemistry-- and got A's in both. 
• Worked more than ever before (30+ hours a week), which was a definite change of pace from my old, lazy summer days in years past. 
• Started my sophomore year of college! 
• Purchased a $700 dressmaker's mannequin for my sewing classes. Yes, it was required. And yes, I am in love with it. More on that later.
• Gotten a second job as a tailor (!!!) at a dress store called Formal Fantasy. In order to be more responsible and actually earn a decent amount of money, I'm also staying on at American Eagle. Lots of hours plus lots of homework? Bring it on.
• Started learning how to drape, and I am in love. My draping class is intense; we have to drape, create the pattern, transfer, cut and sew a bodice and skirt in muslin. Every. Week. I am absolutely loving it, though, and there's pretty much no kind of homework I enjoy more than the sewing kind.

Okay, I think that's everything. With all the exciting things I have happening, I have more content to blog about than ever. So it's my goal to start up again, and this time, stick with it for good- no more month- long breaks from posting! 

To wrap it up, here's a quick picture of me and the boyfriend over the summer. We're both wearing something I made: for me it's the patterned shorts, and for him it's the button down. Have a great week, you guys :)

Good News

So I got my letter in the mail a few days ago saying that I passed my college's Apparel Design Review! At the end of last year (my freshman year), we had to submit a ton of stuff, including garments we'd made, sewing samples, essays, and a photoshop presentation board for our professors to review. Passing this means that I can go on to higher-level classes and that I'm now an official Apparel Design major.

I'm so excited because next semester I'll be taking draping, and I'll finally learn how to make my own patterns. I have wanted to know how to create patterns for so long now, and while I can draft simple, straightforward things on my own (like this top), I can hardly wait to expand my skills. It will be awesome to no longer be limited by my inability to create patterns.

So since I know I've passed, I need to order my professional dressmaker's mannequin. It's a big investment (a little over $400!) but I need it for my college classes, and I know I'll continue to use it later in life. I can hardly wait to receive a life-sized mannequin from the UPS guy, haha.

That's about it: I've been really busy lately doing summer-y activities like going tubing at the lake and staying up really late watching movies. Here's to a great week :)

Pajama Pants: DONE!

Sometimes, a garment that should be the easiest thing to make ends up being crazy difficult for no real reason. That was kinda my experience with these pajama pants. 

I think the main reason for the unexpected difficulty was because of all the alterations I ended up making to the pattern. I used Butterick 3698, a unisex pajama pattern, because it looked like exactly what I wanted (and I liked that it had a fly). Cutting the pants out was pretty annoying, since I kind of hate matching plaids, but over all I'd say that part turned out pretty well.

I think he likes them! Also, isn't he a good model?

That's when things got interesting. In the pattern, each pant leg is just one piece with an inseam; there are no outer side seams on these guys. However, as I had planned on adding pockets, this was a problem. So I just cut a side seam in anyway, and sewed in the in-seam pockets with a very small seam allowance. 

But then I sewed the inseam as well, and looked at the legs. They were huge. Like, I had even cut out a size smaller than he normally wears, and the legs were still so baggy they looked like clown pants. I know pjs need to be baggy, but really? This was insanity. So I went back and took and extra inch off each leg, which helped quite a bit. They're still quite loose, but at least they look like normal pajama pants now.

I also didn't like how the pattern gave the fly instructions. There was a lot of excess fabric, which I trimmed back. The pattern also didn't call for any sort of closure, but the fly was gaping so dramatically that he couldn't have worn them anywhere if I didn't add something. Two buttons did the trick nicely, though.

Finally, I did the waist band a little differently; after sewing the elastic in, I did three rows of topstitching over it for a more professional look. This is really easy to do, and will make any elastic waistband look a ton better; just stretch the waistband out till the elastic is taut and sew over it. After you're done, it will probably have stretched out a bit, but that's okay. Just hold an iron over the waistband and steam the heck out of it; you can actually watch the waistband shrink back to the right size! Cooooooool.

I'm really happy with how they turned out, but more importantly, so is Andy! I don't think I'd use this pattern again, because of the few odd little things I mentioned. However, I did enjoy how quickly these pants came together. Now I'm gonna make something else for myself; I'm currently starting on a clutch that's gonna be super lacy and girly. I hope you guys had an awesome weekend! :)

Quick Update

So in the past few days, I've been really, really productive. I've had to work a lot (haven't had a day free off from work or school in.... Umm... I think two weeks). However, I still managed to cut out Andy's pajama pants (with the plaid perfectly matched!) and sew them in two days.

I think that's the quickest I've finished a project in a long time. And guys? It felt awesome. I know that pajama pants aren't exactly the trickiest thing to make, but still. I loved going straight from cutting the pieces out to constructing; normally I take a few day's downtime in between these steps, for some reason. I loved watching them come together and being able to give him the finished product within the same week.

Then, a few days ago, I went to a garage sale and scored a garbage bag full of fabric- probably around 20 yards total- for $5. Some of it's hideous, but the majority is actually really great; several vintage floral bedsheets, and yards and yards of lace (including a huge piece of crazy violet lace that MUST be made into a party dress). All this new fabric seriously got my creative juices flowing; I'm so excited to start new projects from it!

Expect to see more soon. I'm gonna force the boyfriend to do a photo shoot in his pj pants. Hope you guys have a great week!

A Ravenclaw Scarf.

How are you guys? Today I had to deliver my first speech in Speech class. That was rather nerve-wracking. I've also been working a lot and my last few shifts have been what can only be described at retail hell. Here's hoping next week brings less stress!

I really love making Harry Potter scarves. I think this is around the 8th one I've made (but only the second Ravenclaw! Normally people want Gryffindor). After making a set of all four for one of my good guy friends, a lot more people I knew started wanting them. They're the perfect nerdy winter accessory, really. And guys, I don't care that the series has concluded, I'll never lose my Harry Potter fan pride.

Knitting in the summer has always been kind of weird to me. It's so hot outside that working on anything wintery seems just wrong. But  thinking about it logically, it's a pretty good idea: if I can get a few projects under my belt now, they'll be ready as soon as it starts to get chilly again! And knitted stuff makes awesome presents (I'm thinking of Mrs. Weasley and her gorgeously ugly homemade sweaters), so I could get some of my Christmas gift list knocked out several months in advance.

 

Anyway, back to this particular Ravenclaw scarf. Super easy to do; it's just a 1x1 rib knit. I worked on it mainly while watching episodes of The Bachelorette (judge if you will, but it's quite addicting). The finishing touch was fringe, and lots of it; I don't think a Harry Potter scarf is complete without it. I can never get tired of making these.