Flip This Pattern

Have you heard about Flip This Pattern? It's a really amazing year long series that the girls over at francessuzanne are putting together!  

The way it's going to work is that every month for a year, there will be a different pattern that 3-4 different bloggers are going to sew up into their very own snazzed up version, and then by the end of the month the viewers at home with get the chance to vote for their favorite take on the pattern! (not to mention the great sew along competition that everyone can participate in!) 

The very awesome part is, Ashley and Emily have asked me to participate as one of the guest pattern flippers! 

Mommy's Apron Strings | Winter Wonderings | doguincho | SoCalSewingMom |  nest full of eggs

cathgrace | Welcome to the Mouse House | S is for Sewing | Sewing Like Mad | Elegance & Elephants | Call ajaire Little Kids Grow | Daisy Chain Creations | Once Upon a Notion | Handmade Martini | iCandy handmade | you & mie If only they would Nap |  Foster Ramblings | Designs by Sessa | Shaffer Sisters {Jo} | greendoodle | Shaffer Sisters {Al} Siestas & Sewing | mama says sew | Sewing Mama RaeAnna | sewVery | Nap Time Crafters | {lbg studio} Shaffer Sisters {Scary} | Sweeter Than Cupcakes | Once Upon a Sewing Machine | Crafty Cupboard | The Powell Family

Aren't there some killer fun names in this bunch? I am excited and intimidated for my month!
(I'm up in July in case you were wondering) 

 | Pattern Anthology  Figgy's | Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop | Shwin Designs | Clever Charlotte  Violette Field Threads | Blank Slate Patterns | Heidi & Finn | The Cottage Mama

Anyway, I am so excited for this series, how fun is it to be able to watch something progress for a whole year, and to get to see some really fun takes on the same pattern! (Thinking caps and outside of the box thinking is a must for this series!!!) 

What do you think? are you going to sew along this year with Flip This Pattern?

A Knock Off Dress in the Making........

I have just received some fabric in the mail to make a dress that I have been thinking about for ages, The Truly Me Chevron Maxi Dress by Bunnies Picnic. 

(the picture can be clicked on and is a link to the pinterest pin, but the dress can be found at it's source here.) Other than the fact that the original dress is sold out which means I cannot get my hands on it anyway, the main reason I wanted to make this dress rather than buy it, was because I didn't feel like there was quite enough coverage in the top (mostly the back of the dress, but the front scoop neck is a little low for my taste too.) The original dress is made out of jersey, but I couldn't find any knit fabric in the right sort of stripe, so I am using quilter's cotton instead. 

I got the blue and cream faux shibori from Joann's ages ago before we moved to Korea, but the stripe just arrived today from fabric.com. I know the faux shibori isn't quite the same as the original dress, but I like it anyway, and this way I don't have to dye anything :) 

Anyway, I am going to try to come up with a pattern for a top I like, and then will try to do a tutorial on my version of the dress. Any suggestions for keeping the spirit of the dress, while adding a little more coverage for a little girl to be able to play comfortably in??? 

Finished "Home is Where" Sign

I was able to finish my sign this weekend, it took a lot of lettering - so we can never move again because I am OVER the hand painting :)  Actually it shouldn't be that big a deal from here on, because I will only have one at a time now that I am caught up. 

It's sort of funny to see the last 13 years summed up; Isaac was at all of these bases with us, but Emmie was only from Hill AFB forward, lots and lots of packing/unpacking went into this list, and we have been enjoying the adventure!

Home is Where.....

I've been working on a new project today......

The plaque is from Hobby Lobby (Yay! for them shipping APO) and I first painted it black, and then hand painted the white lettering. Next I sanded it back a little, and then sealed the whole thing with a clear poly. This is only part 1 of the project, as I am now hand lettering 7 more smaller pieces of wood with all the places we have lived with the Air Force. (I am hanging this outside my door, opposite a wreath that I just made, and will have a tutorial for.)

I certainly didn't invent this type of sign, but I really like how this one is turning out, usually these are red white and blue, or military service colors, but I like the black and white, and the more simple feel.

Breaks Etc.......

So I know I've been missing, but I haven't been lazing about, just taking a break from blogging for a bit (not actually on purpose, I've just been super busy and taking pictures and editing them, then writing a post just wasn't making the cut.) 

We got back from China, and the kids went back to school while I have been trying to finish a lot of projects around the house (I sort of let things slip during So You Think You're Crafty and Project Run and Play.) I have also been closing out the fiscal year for my volunteer position in the Osan Air Force Base Officer's Spouse's Club (I'm the Welfare Committee Chairperson) so that is involving a lot of buckling down with numbers and record keeping for my doomsday report. (Not my strength.) 

Anyway, around the house some of the changes I have made have been to the hallway, I bought and had framed a giant map of the world. The kids are loving using white board markers to write about where they've been, where people they love are, and where they would like to go. (If you are wondering how big the map is, it is about 56" by 33" framed) 

And then in my entryway I shopped around my house to make a new collage of stuff (I had things here before, they just weren't working, and I moved a table so we had more room here.)

My sister brought me chair pads from IKEA when she came; they were plain cream ones that I asked her to pick up for me, because I already had the velvet fabric for them here in Korea (I brought it with me when I came) It's a lovely woven fabric with a velvet pile in the teal blue parts (which explains the dark spot, it's not a stain, the velvet is just brushed backwards in some spots.) I like the modern print with all the more antique stuff in my house, I think it's the pop I needed to youthen it up.  

 And then I also made 2 throw cushions for my recliners, I made plain pillows from the crewel embroidered fabric that is in my curtains, and then made a pillowcase out of a vintage grain-sack (I even found one with my kids initials on it) that buttons on with antique mother of pearl buttons. (I've never seen another pillow quite like this, but I am pretty happy with how they worked out even if they are a little unusual.)

I still need to paint my dining table, but when I do, that will be the final task in my living/dining room so I will try to take pictures of it all then.

I am trying to get to my craft storage area, finishing off the family room, and Isaac's bedroom too, over the next little bit (although that will have a few tutorials associated with it) I really do plan to share our vacation pictures, I am just trying to prioritize what needs to be done, with what I would like to do over the next little bit (I am much more unplugged than usual right now.)

Anyway, while I have been away have I missed anything exciting?

Emmie the Chef

We are back from China! We have actually been back a couple of days, but since it still has been spring break, I haven't been on the internet much. But as all good things must come to an end, everyone is back at school and work now, so I am trying to clean the house and catch up with photo editing so I can share our China pictures. 

To prove I am not dead, I have a couple of pictures to share, (sorry if you are on instagram, because I already shared one of these over there.) Emmie has joined the cooking club at school, and obviously needed a chef's outfit (tell me we are not the only family that needs specialty outfits for everything?) 

 I made her a quick and dirty double-breasted smock off of a t-shirt pattern I had (I just split the front and added some length to the middle) and although you can't see all the details, there are side vents, and 10 buttons down the front. The collar was just one I threw together, since a t-shirt pattern obviously wouldn't have one like this. The sleeves are full length, but Emmie assures me that all chef's fold their sleeves back. I used my Embroidery machine to embroider her name on the front.

The apron has 2 pockets built into the front, and it was made from a 1/2 yard of Japanese fabric I have had in my stash for ages. The hat is just a circle of muslin gathered into a band. 

I am pretty sure she will be the only one dressed up (Emmie is in middle school, but because she skipped a grade, she is only 10; I love the fact that she just doesn't buy into any of the middle school popularity, what's cool/what's not, stuff yet) but she has been practicing her French chef accent, so I bet no one even notices the outfit because she will be too busy saying "magnifique!"and "héhéhé" as she whisks things!

Sarah's Maxi Dress

Remember when I showed pictures of us at the beach and said that Sarah had let me take some pictures of the dress we made her? Here are the pictures of the dress we made her!

 We used Butterick B5763 to make the dress, altering only the sleeves, the length, and the fabric choice. (She is a great sister because it was FREEZING, and she was a good sport to take her coat off for me!)

Sarah is over 6' tall, and has a hard time finding maxi dresses that are long enough for her, so she was excited to get a custom length one.

 The alteration we made to the sleeves was to pull them in tighter, the pattern had flutter sleeves, but Sarah prefers to have the tighter fit so that her arm hole doesn't gape at all for modesty's sake.

The buttons down the front are vintage plastic ones I had, and the fabric is some we picked up at Dongdaemun on our girl's weekend. The belt is a circle of wide elastic that I made a buckle for (the buckle was made just like my hair clips, but without the clip portion, and sewn directly to the elastic instead.) The dress pattern called for a woven fabric, but we used a comfy knit instead. (I just stabilized the placket with fusible interfacing before sewing it, and then pulled the extra interfacing off when it was done.

And the reason I couldn't share the pictures before, is because my beautiful sister is baking her first baby, and at the time hadn't told anyone yet! (She told family over Easter, and then FB on April Fool's day to be funny, needless to say there were some skeptics!)  She was about 13 weeks along in these pictures, so she has only the tiniest of bumps, but this dress should fit her all along her pregnancy! We are soooooo excited for this new and already loved little one, and Sarah is such a sweet and lovely pregnant lady. I was so glad I got to share a little of this pregnancy with her! (Sarah and her husband Scott have been married for 4 years, so the extended family have all been quietly vibrating, waiting for a new little one to come along, and we are so excited about the perfect timing they chose!)

We miss you already Sarah, and are so excited to keep up with your baby news!

I am going to be gone for the next week, the kids are on spring-break and we are going to CHINA!!!! So I think things will be a little quiet around here, (since I am not a great planner, and I didn't schedule a bunch of posts to run for me!)