My Next Tutorial Will Be......

I have it all figured out. Sort of... ;) I know what I WANT to make it just remains to be seen if I can actually DO it.

Let me give you an idea. :)

It starts with these 2 fabrics (that I got for $1 a piece in the remnants bin at Hancock's!!!!) -



I want to try to merge these two looks-

The Sound of Music Collared Romper from ShopRuche.com

Morning at the Manor Top from ChicWish.com.  I found this on Pinterest and the link doesn't seem to work for the blouse. :/ Maybe it's just sold out?

Anyway... I want to make this for c1. I think it would be awfully cute IF I can pull it off. LOL

If I have enough of the blue left over I want to make c2 some dressy shorts. Maybe... Not sure if they would look right or not. What do you think? Blue rayon(ish) shorts for a boy? Will it work???

I ordered a couple of patterns a few days ago and I wish they would hurry up and get here!!! I am anxious to start one of them!!

These are the two I ordered-

McCall's 6362

I want to make view A in a bad, bad way. And then maybe mix the bodice from A with C. :)

Butterick's 5046

I fell in love with this one. I want ALL the views! ;)

I reallllly need to make a trip to Hancock's or Joann's. I am in bad need of bias tape. I went through some of my patterns and it seems that every single one that I really want to make needs bias tape!  And I need to pick up some nice buttons. And a zipper foot. And..... LOL The list just keeps growing! ;) OH!! And today is my cousin's Birthday!!(Happy Birthday, Amy!!) and I want to make her some PJ pants. She really likes the owls that I made and I want to either find some owl fabric OR monkeys. OOH! I wonder if I can find sock monkeys??? That would be AWESOME!!! Don't worry, it's not a secret. ;)

Retro Butterick '47 Is DONE!!!!

YAY!! It's all done! :) Well, I think I need to add a couple of snaps above the zipper, but other than that, IT'S DONE! :)



As you can see, there's a bit of a gap over on my left side where the zipper is located. I'll just add a couple of snaps there above the zipper and it'll be just right! :)

Apparently this is pattern is very flattering for my body type. As soon as I came downstairs d said, "Ooh! It makes you look thinner!" I may need to make 10 or 100 more from this pattern. ;)

Check out those shoes!! Those are the pair that I got FREE from Sears for using my reward points!! YAY!!

Here's a back view of the Retro Butterick '47 B5209



The dress is a little bunchy in the back but that's due to me being so short-waisted! LOL

So, there's another vintage/retro pattern to mark as done! YAY!

Next up will be my purse. And if things go well I'll be posting a tutorial for that tonight or tomorrow. Wish me luck! ;)

Here are the fabrics I'll be using.



I had a lovely navy blue that I wanted to use but it picked up SOOOOO much lint that I decided not to use it! The blue here is what is left over from the What a Hoot skirt and the gold and cream is what I won from Handmade by Hilani. I'm a little nervous about this... I have never made a purse before and I don't think it will be as simple as d's bag.... But I'm gonna try! ;)

I think after the purse and tops for me I will make some play clothes for the cs. I'll be sure to post tutorials when I do!

Retro Butterick '47 Is ALMOST Done!

YAY!!! Just the zipper, hemming and pressing left to be done! :) I hate putting in the zipper. Without a zipper foot it's a NIGHTMARE of pinning, sewing and ripping, pinning, sewing and ripping.... SIGH.... I really need to remember to get one next time I'm near Joann's or Hancocks.

The pattern has been SUPER easy to follow and so far the fit is excellent since I went down 2 sizes on the bodice... LOL

Anyway, I should finish that up this evening!! Then I will be making myself a purse! :) YAY!! I really need a new one for summer! I'll be putting up a tutorial for that if everything goes well... LOL You never know... ;)

After that I think I might have to try one of the vintage patterns Mrs. H gave me. Maybe the blouse...



See & Sew 5133

I really need some more tops! OH!! And I want to try this one, too!!



McCall's M6467

And I still have some retro/vintage rereleases that I HAVE to do!! LOL

We didn't have church today. We had more violent storms come through last night and they knocked out the power at the church. Too bad the storms didn't cool us off. It's still hotter than HECK out there. I hate summer.... I reallllly, reallllllllly do. Give me snow!! LOL

So, what are YOU working on??

I'm BAAAAACK....to Sewing!

SHEW!!! It feels SO good to be sewing again!!! I have really missed it this past week!! I haven't gotten very far with the Retro Butterick '47 B5209 but at least it's a start!!
















I can't wait to get this one done!! I think it will end up being my favorite so far!! :)

Oh my goodness! I just realized! It has been more than a WEEK since I have been in a fabric store..... Oh my GOSH!! Am I sick? Someone call a doctor!! I think there's something wrong with me!!! YILES!!!  ;)

There are some great sales going on for McCall's, Vogue and Butterick patterns! All clearance and out-of-print patterns for $1.99!!! And there are some retro/vintage patterns in that! :) Make sure to click on the clearance and out-of-print links instead of the sale link. It was acting sort of wonky last night. :/

I managed to actually read a whole book last week! YAY!! I finally read the latest in the Sookie Stackhouse series, Deadlocked.  It was SOOOO good! I just love that series. But I felt that it ended on sort of a cliffhanger in a way. :/

I am behind on my True Blood viewing. I watched the first episode of this season but haven't had a chance to watch the others. I have to fix that!! LOL Even though the series is SOOO far removed from the books I just can't stop watching! But I do wish they would make MORE of an effort... This season seems to be going even farther away from the books.

OH! I have a better picture of that weird almost entirely white skunk!!



Isn't that weird!! He isn't very afraid of us, either. NOT good! Not good AT ALL!!! We need to figure out a way to discourage him from coming to eat in our yard!!

We had some major storms move through area last night. A lot of people are out of power and the heat is AWFUL!! I hope you all are OK!! We were lucky and managed to keep power and had no damage. SHEW!!!!

We ended VBS last night. My group of little people did SO well with the program!! They managed to remember most of the words and movements to all the songs!! I was so proud of them! There were some moments, though, where I thought we might lose them. LOL They started to get pretty rowdy a time or ten. ;) But they did great. I hope they all come back for Sunday School and church. I'm going to miss them.

So, how are YOU spending the weekend? Working on any cool projects? Reading any great books?? Seen any good movies?? LOL

What I've Been Up To Lately

If you've been following along you know all about our VBS this week. It's been SOOOOO much fun but also SOOOOO exhausting!! LOL The kids are great though. I am definitely going to do this again next year. One little boy hugged me tonight and said, "Mrs. Stacy, you are my favorite teacher EVER!" It brought tears to my eyes. Sweet little people.

My youngest is in my VBS class, that's the main reason I took the 4s and 5s. He is extremely shy and I knew there was no way he would ever participate otherwise. He surprised us all tonight. He got up in front of all the VBS kids and said his Bible memory verse!! Into the microphone!!! And won a gift certificate to Chick-Fil-A for chicken nuggets! His favorite food! LOL Of course, I had to stand up there with him, but still!! It was so amazing that he got past his fear and did that. I am so proud of my little guy. 

Here are a few pics of what I've been up to. I actually got to starting cutting the fabric for the Retro Butterick '47 today!! YAY!! Hoping to finish the cutting tomorrow and possibly start sewing it on Friday! :) YAY!! I am missing my sewing. ;) It's definitely my therapy. 



Bonnie "helping" me with the cutting.... SIGH......



My pitiful sign outside of my VBS classroom. Hey, I was in a hurry! ;) I looked all over for airplane stickers to put in there and couldn't find them ANY WHERE! 



My classroom door. It looks MUCH better than my pitiful sign. LOL  (This was before my printer went out.)



C2 getting his picture taken at VBS. :)



That is the almost entirely white skunk that keeps coming into our yard. Anyone know how to get rid of those things??? 

Sooooo, what have YOU been doing lately??? Working on any projects?? Leave me a comment and let me know!!

Patterns, Patterns and More Patterns

SHEW!!! I am EXHAUSTED!!! And it was only the first night of VBS! LOL To quote d, "It was like trying to herd cats with ADHD." LOL I think that's an apt comparison.  We had nine 4 and 5 yr olds! NINE! But I had 3 helpers. I don't even want to think about how it would have gone without them! LOL But it was FUN!!!! Tonight ought to be, too!

Music was our first stop after the opening BUT the music system wasn't working properly. That led to the other ladies and me trying to think of every church song we ever sang as kids.  We sang "Jesus Loves Me" several times. ;)

OH! D got a compliment on the bag I made for her! YAY!! :) She was thrilled!

A sweet friend from church gave me some patterns last night! YAY!!! Check them out!

















YAY!!! I <3 retro patterns!! :)

I am HOPING to start cutting the fabric for the Retro Butterick '47  B5209 tonight, BUT that will all depend on how much energy I have left over..... LOL

The cats are very put out with me. There's been no sewing for them to sleep on or mess with! LOL

C1 isn't wearing something made by me today. Is it crazy that I feel sad when she wears something store bought?? LOL She has tons of store bought clothes in her closet but I just LOVE it when she wears something that I made for her.  Oh, well.... Maybe tomorrow. ;)

Upcoming Projects

This is going to be a VERY busy week for me. Vacation Bible School starts tomorrow and I will be teaching the 4 and 5 year olds! I'm a little nervous and VERY excited!!!! I spent part of the afternoon fixing up my room. :) I'll take some pictures tomorrow once I have it all finished.

This week I will be working on.....



Retro Butterick '47 B 5209 - I LOVE that hat!!!!

I'll be using this fabric!



And at some point I want to make d a purse out of this....



I'll also be attempting a purse for myself out of this......

That is the fabric I won from Handmade by Hilani. I think it will go nicely with a navy blue. :)

It will probably be a slow week sewing wise but I will at least post some great patterns and fabric pictures to keep you entertained. And when I DO make the purses I will be sure to include tutorials. ;)

I hope you all are enjoying the tutorials. I would LOVE to know if anyone has tried one out.

Don't forget to check out my Pinterest boards. TONS of great stuff there!!!

c1 wore her Fab Mod Dress to church this morning. She loved it. It looked very comfy. I wore this with my petticoat. It was nice and comfy in the heat! :)

So, what are YOU working on????

Ooooh!! More Retro Butterick!!

Looky at what I grabbed at Hancock's today!!!



The Retro Butterick '60 - B5747 for $1.99



The Retro Butterick '47 - B5209 for $1.99

AND



The Retro Butterick  '46 - B5281 - $1.99

I was in a hurry so I might have to go back and see if they have the other Retro Buttericks while the sale is still on!! :)) They also have the McCall's patterns on sale for $1.99.

It's been another busy day of running around like crazy!! I haven't gotten a chance to do a bit of sewing!! WAH!!! But I do know what my next project will be..... AND there will be a tutorial if it turns out right. LOL Fingers crossed!!!

Have you all seen THIS???



SIGH.... Isn't it GORGEOUS???? SIGH..... I think I will start making my Christmas list soon. It's never to early, right??? LOL Simplicity has a retro line, too!! I NEED THEM!!!! LOL

Check this one out. It's not retro but it has that certain look to it. Well, at least I think so... LOL



Another to add to my Christmas list! LOL

Here's another modern pattern that looks like it walked straight out of history.



For more vintage patterns, real or reissues, check out my Pinterest boards. My Crafting and Sewing Ideas board is FULL of them! ;)



Hoping to have a tutorial for you tomorrow, if I can get the cats off the fabric....





SIGH...............

Retro Butterick '53 5708 Is DONE!!!

Well... I guess it turned out OK. I am NOT crazy about the fit in the shoulders. I am not a linebacker, people.. LOL I maybe have a little extra (OK, A LOT extra) fluff to me but it's not in my shoulders! LOL Well, maybe a little bit but not THAT much. ;)

Anyway, the pattern was extremely easy. Easy to follow, easy to sew, easy all the way around. If you are looking for a retro pattern to start with this would be the one I suggest. The bodice is fully lined so it makes it much easier. No rolled hems! ;)  The fit is great everywhere (EXCEPT THE SHOULDERS).

I really like the fabric I used. I like the way it feels and they way it "took", if you know what I mean... LOL  I will definitely be making this one again in the future. And next time I will know to add a couple of darts! ;)

I wish the pictures would show the colors better. :/ That yellow is awesome with the red flower detail!! LOL

Here, this shows the fabric better -





And here is the dress actually on me. (Cringing at pictures of myself.)





Yep, I have the ARMS of a linebacker, just not the shoulders. LOL!!

Snot!! She didn't get my shoes in the shot!! I got them FREE from Sears and I <3 them!!!









Tonight I will be working on something for c1. I have no idea what to call it... Maybe a skort all??? Just a skort? A dress/skort with a vintage feel?? Maybe you can help me with the name tomorrow. I'll be putting up a tutorial for it. ;)

This is fabric I'll be using-



I hope it turns out the way I have it in my mind.... LOL

And that the cats leave me in peace... SNORT! That will never happen! Who am I trying to kid?????

So, what are YOU working on??? Leave me a comment!