Feather Skirt

Last year I found (and fell in love with) this great feather skirt DIY from PS I Made This.

 But sadly, I could never find any feather trim like this.  So I had a skirt ready to go

but it sat trimless, waiting for its feathers.

Until the fateful day I met these ladies:

And by layering them together I achieved not the full on feather skirt but a pretty fun cousin to it.

Here's how it looked on

FYI-  I tried fabric gluing like the DYI shows and it was a MESS!!!  Better to sew it (now that I can)

Bernina!

Last night I finally carved out some time to sit down with my new Bernina. It's not new new, but it was my grandmothers and when she passed away this fall my aunt thought I would have some real fun with it.

But then it sat in my laundry room for over 2 months.

Over Christmas I determined that the only way I would really make time to use it would be to get it out where I would see it. So I claimed a small corner of my office for sewing. (no comments on the fact that I will see something when in my office 20xs more than I will see it in my laundry room.)

I had originally made the table to hide the dog's cage underneath but then found another spot for her that she likes better.  I can store my fabric underneath the skirt and for a seat I'm using the stool from my grandmother's house that my dad remembers climbing on as a child.  It's made for a nice little spot for crafting.

So last night I finally got the time to sit down and see what she could do.

Oh my goodness my aunt was right!  This is going to be fun.  Look at these amazing stitches the machine can do!

I used a different colored thread on the bobbin so I could see how it stitches as well and I think the look turned out pretty fun. Kind of Southwest-like in these colors.

It was too much not to do a project last night.  So I rummaged through my scraps to see what I might have that would be big enough for a project.

And I was able to find enough neutral canvas to pair with some dishtowels I'd bought at Target so I could make this dishtowel apron.

The original blog calls for regular fabric for the ties but I didn't have enough pretty fabric on hand (and it was already too late to go and procure some).  But I did have plain canvas and a fun new machine.  So I made my own embroidery on the canvas.

I did the two colored stitching like with my test fabric- orange in the bobbin and pink on the top.  I'm pretty pleased with the results.

Here's how the whole thing looks.

And I know so you don't have to tell me that the whole apron of the pants look went out in 2004.  I know that. But I have to say, I'm liking the versatility of the look. 

What I mean is, I am a professional and I'm a mom.  I work from home and at any time could be meeting with clients or frankly when I'm at the grocery store or anywhere, everyone I meet is a potential client and so I need to look nice.  However, I'm a full time, from home mom, so power suits and office attire doesn't really work either.  But the apron- this apron over a plain white shirt and pair of jeans and the look becomes something so much more than a white shirt and jeans.  It's like a scarf for my belly. See:

Thanks to LK for taking the picture.  And I either chopped the head off because a) it's a paper doll effect where you can put your head on the picture and see if you like the look for yourself or b) I thought my face looked goofy.  Your choice.

I'm looking forward to many more fun sewing projects!

Random Thought Thursday: Earth Day

What time is it: 625P

Where am I: OK Gold Gymnatics. Squeezing 30 minutes of watching Geo in before running to pick up C ... I am officially a "stay-in-the-car-mom". What would that be? SITCM?

Last ate: Home-made chicken and rice soup. I'd planned on chicken salad but the cold front required an audible.

Listening to: the hum of parents comparing children and lives as they, like me, "watch" their children

Thoughts: Tomorrow is Earth Day. I can perfectly remember Earth Day of my 5th grade year. I am standing by the water fountain ... The night before I hadn't put away my shoes and thus couldn't find them in time for school ... Mom was not happy... Sent me to school wearing the first pair of shoes she could find.... So, I'm wearing one size too big, bright blue rain boots ... Paired nicely with dark leggings and an oversized, long sleeved white shirt ... It has a duck or some strange cartoon creature on the front ... Standing their wishing I could spend the day in the bathroom (yes, even I can actually be embarrassed by "fashion"). ... But you know ... I don't remember losing my shoes again after that.

Happy Earth Day

Me and Jamie Lee

What is is with me that has me on the coldest day of the year

shearing my hair

Maybe I'll die it gray and pretend I'm Jamie Lee

Pardon Me While I Zip Back Up

Thanks for indulging me in my little electronic transparency last night.  I don't often let it all hang out like that- but I suppose that means I'm trusting you more :)

Frankly, I'm going to blame it all on the leaves.

We have a showing today (pray for a sale!) and with the way the wind has been sweeping down the plains, the black jack oaks in the front yard had dumped a load of leaves.  (I never thought I would long for the tree-less days of MWC).  I knew by the time LK (who is normally captain of raking around these parts) got home it would be too dark for any real productive work on the leaves and I wanted the house to look great for this afternoon.

I know that leaves make me sick, I know that an hour and half with my face in them and I my brain would no longer be getting adequate oxygen.  But with the desire for a leaf-less lawn and the captain out of pocket- what else was I to do?

I guess my impromptu leaf-mold shield was not as effective as planned.  Basically all it did was have the neighbors wondering if I've converted.

More Accessories From Scrap Fabric

Mondo I am not, but I have been having fun with scrap fabric and turning it into different clothing accessories.  I call this one Ode to Japan, the fabric is left over outdoor fabric from when I recovered my outdoor furniture.

I held it together in the back with a rubber band and then wrapped some twine around me and around the rubber band.

I also wrapped some twine around a bobby pin and put it in my hair.

You'll find me weeping silently in the corner for the world of fashion

I know I've been pretty silent this week and even managed to some how miss Random Thought Thursday. I've been up to my eyeballs over at the new house painting so the new carpet can come in.

But that's not what this post is about.  This post is my little vocal protest of WHAT!!!!! Who in the world says this is the future of fashion

I'm sorry, but 1985 called and wants their mom-waist line pants back.  And while you're sending things back, I think I had that color of lipstick in junior high.  It didn't look good then either.

Maybe that's why Geo kept calling the show Project Runaway - because all sense of fashion done run away from Gretchen.

And further more, if You Want Me to Wear What? doesn't do a post discussing her line, I will be even further disappointed.

I'm sure it's that the judges didn't like that Mondo didn't "listen" to them and you know how those high and mighty get when they don't get listened to.  But if she is the "future of fashion," all I have to say is look for me in all sorts of out of fashion clothing.

For the Love of Burlap

Don't tell LK but I think I'm in love with burlap.  Last week I had a luncheon to go to and decided to spruce up some black pumps I'd had lying around looking a bit, well, understated.  So armed with my hot glue gun and some purpley-red ribbon I had left over from a project way back whenever, I set to work and made this shoe embellishment

And then I decided to add hot glue a little rosette and burlap to a bobby pin to carry the look through

And to keep with the rule of three, I wrapped a bracelet with the ribbon and burlap

The ladies at the Starbucks where I stopped before driving to the luncheon raved.  And if you're not impressing the ladies at Starbucks ....

When the House Projects Are Complete ...

Creativity seeps into every other moment in my life.  Today's little creativity project- trying to make a fray-scrap necklace I saw online.

I was pretty pleased with the results, but the true test was the reaction out in public -- which was all thumbs up (and best part- it was made from what I had around the house aka 100% free)

Mandy's Photo Challenge

Mandy has asked us to submit our worst.  If I had the picture from 6th grade with the big (oh man I mean big!) blue glasses and early 90s bangs that still lived in their hairspray-lovin' world, I would submit that one.  But I don't have a clue where it is- and mom if you're reading this does not mean I'm asking for you to bring down more of my keepsake items.  Seriously! I'm not.
So this one is of me in 9th grade wearing a dress made of mustard yellow carpet material and combat boots with my short black hair taken when my friends and I were pretending to be models during a sleepover one night.  My mom threw the dress away one weekend when I went out of town.

But I'm guessing me with short, black hair wearing weird clothes doesn't seem out of the ordinary for anyone who has known me for any length of time.  So here's one to shock you-- me with long hair and very little make up. (insert scream here!) This was on the day I went and donated 9 inches to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths. (pictured on the right, my SIL, Flower, who grew out her hair with me)

And even though it's not part of the challenge, but as a measure of comparison- me with my short hair.  Now when I see someone with super cute long hair, I'll come to this post and remember why I'm not going to go down that road.

Hope you're not too traumatized!

Spring Now?

A few weeks ago I declared Spring. Now! Which worked great ... until we had the weekend snow storm.  Well in case you were wondering - I stuck to my guns, showed Mother Nature who was boss, and wore a tank top despite the weather! (Wore it underneath my long sleeve shirt, sweater and coat- but details details right?)

At least for now it looks like spring is back in the air.

The Death of a Good Pair of Shoes

Now, by good I don't mean orthopedic or in any way comfortable; but good as in memorable, dare I say fashionable, and fun.

For 7 weeks in the fall of 2000 I lived in the town of Hitachi-Taga, Japan with my Japanese host-family. Many things were memorable about my time with them and my time in Japan (another post for another day), but one of the things I loved about the women in Japan was their choice in shoes. I mean, for those of you who have met me in person, you might find it hard to believe that I am actually only 5'7" given that I'm roughly 5'9"-5'10" when wearing most of the shoes in my closet (and that height doesn't even factor in the couple of additional inches my hair gives me!). So to say I adore a good high heel shoe is an understatement. But these girls- man! They rocked the high heels!

So, when in Rome, right?

I knew I needed to come home with an excellent pair of Japanese platform high heels. The one problem I did not take into account is that my 5'7" American body comes complete with size 8 1/2 feet which are huge compared to most of the size 6 and below feet the majority of Japanese women have. While on the quest for my Japanese shoes my お姉さん Toko would continually shake her head and say "American feet too big for Japanese shoes." And most of the store owners would turn us away, knowing that to try and fit my feet would be a waste of their time.

But then, I found them. In some nondescript off the strip shopping center I found a pair of brown platform loafers that would fit. They weren't as glamours as I had hoped but they worked, and in the realm of extremely tall platform shoes they could actually be "practical."

So I bought them. And for nearly a decade I've worn them here and there, more at some times than others, but each time I wore them they represented to me all the adventures I had during my stay in Japan.

Until last night.

Last night I was out with the fam at a gathering of some 200 people I know on various levels of closeness and friendship, having a lovely conversation with one of them about life and children, when a sudden loss of balance and BAM! One of my wonderful Japanese shoes split in half and I was suddenly lopsided by a good three inches. (Hint, when wearing decade old 3 inch platform shoes it is best to remember not to keep most of your weight on one foot while pressing sideways on the other. Bad things are bound to occur from this stance).

So there I am with a split shoe trying to decide my next move.

Do I take off the shoes and walk around barefoot. Sure it's the winter but I'm inside so it's okay. Right?

Or, do I hold on briefly to the person with whom I was speaking, carefully place the broken pieces together, and remain in that very spot like part of the decor, speaking with whomever would come to me until it was time to go.

Option one could have worked if I had had the foresight to wear socks with my big tall shoes. But I didn't and by 9 pm, after a full day of wearing the Japanese beauties, my feet were funky! (And yes, I did just admit to the world at large, I have stinky feet). So to take off the shoes would mean an immediate need for departure from our evening out so as to spare those in attendance from The Funk.

And since option 2 would allow me to stay a little longer without the concern of stinky feet, I went with it. And it actually worked well. But unfortunately there was no exit strategy as part of this plan. And there is no real way to walk from one side of a large fellowship center to the other in shoes where the top is no longer attached to the bottom. So at the end of the evening, I took my cue from Romy and drug myself out of there.