Lovely blouse! What.....this old sheet?

Every now and again, we all need a second chance.  So too, did this 1950's fitted twin sheet that was discovered at the local Salvation Army.

It was one of those blah kinds of winter days.  The kind where you turn on all of your home's interior lights in hopes of escaping that haze of salty gray lurking out the front door.  It was blah and I was feeling extra spicy that afternoon, so I scoffed at Winter's weathered face and thought, "You can take Spring away from the girl, but you can't take the girl away from Spring!"  And on the note of spring and green, why not do a little repurposing?  And so I give to you:

Before you email to ask, no, I didn't make that wonderful pillow in the background.  Homegoods--LOVE it!

It's a blousy top that's reminiscent of a ballerina.  I envision Sabrina running through flower fields with the sun passing through its voluminous ruffles.  If only we were somewhere near flower fields!

Today's happiness:  Due to an old sheet being so sheer, I originally planned on fully lining the whole thing.  But after I cut out all of the cotton lining, I realized this would be way too HEAVY with all that lining.  So I made up a pristine all white dress out of it that looks just like this but with a third tier added for length.  If you have beach photos on your brain for this next year, it may be just the dress for your little snow beach angel.  Email me at: aLaModish@gmail.com

Roosters part deux

If you read my last posting, you will recall that I vowed to make both my daughter and son Christmas pajamas.  This is monumental because I never sew for my poor boy.

So to satisfy any potential curiosity, I have dutifully posted a picture of his recently completed senior citizen costume.  Please note the full monogram on the left breast and the bathroom reading material in the right pocket.

And a recap of Sabrina's jammies.  Note the ties on her jammies are the same as his fabric :)

Both of their fabrics have black, green, and red.  This is what I refer to as an "APM", or Accidental Perfect  Match.

I hope that all of you have a splendid holiday!  If I don't see you before then, have a happy New Year too.

Today's happiness:  Completely unrelated, but happy nonetheless.  I found a good use for the drink carriers from McDonald's today.  Put cups in all four slots, flip it over, and BAM!  Instant castle for Woody and Buzz.  Add a fabric napkin (flag) to a turret (cup) on top, and then you're really getting fancy.

But what will the roosters say?!

I must say that it's been a long while since I've sewn something just for fun.  At least a month :)  But I've been a little inspirationally challenged, I guess you could say.  Feeling a little overworked and overwhelmed and ZAP!!  There went my creative itch.  Until...I realized that Christmas is less than two weeks away, and my kids don't have any homemade pajamas yet!  Oh, and I saw some super cute scotty dog fabric during my last trip to the fabric store.

Sabrina is the benefactor of a really long Christmas nightgown that features funky little pups perfectly poised for Christmas.  Gavin is going to look like a little old man in his black, green, and red plaid pajama bottoms, paired with a monogrammed robe in matching fabric.  Here is Sabrina's nightwear:

I thought this angle looked artsier, but it kind of distorts the shape of the gown.

And here it is at an angle where you can actually tell what it looks like:

If you look closely, you can see where the dogs in the center are half one color and half another.  That's where the seam is. I like that it turned out just a little "off."

So with all of the fervor over what my children will be wearing as thoughts of sugar plums are dancing in their heads, it made me laugh to myself.  I slave at the sewing machine so they look like little dolls on Christmas morning, while I intentionally dodge the camera for fear of what the early morning roosters might think of my hair.  I mean, it's not that I don't care at all.  Sometimes I even think far enough in advance to wear my hair straight on Christmas Eve to guarantee that it will still look good on Christmas Morning (Heaven forbid I mousse up my post-pregnancy curls the day before; that style has absolutely no PP {Post Pillow} longevity.)

Today's happiness:  Even if my children don't pass down all of their tediously hand made articles of love to their children, at least I'll have some satisfaction in knowing that the roosters, if not hens, were jealous of their Christmas morning digs.

She believed she could....

so she did.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/valentinadesign?ref=seller_info

Wow, what a liberating 3 days it's been.  Free from work.  Free from stress.  Free from solitude.  My best friend of twenty years has flown up to visit for four whole days!  I feel fortunate to have know someone for this long, let alone to have maintained this relationship.  It's changed; oh how it's changed.  But lovely all the same.

So in one of our much missed conversations this weekend, my (above) framed inspiration became a point of discussion.  It's in the corner of my work studio.  You can't see it when you walk in.  Because it's not really meant for you to see.  It's strategically placed where I can see it from my sewing table with a quick sidewards glance.  Just a note of encouragement to myself on those rough days when I feel like I just can't.  And so she and I got to talking about the plight of the stay-at-home-mother.  The desire to be with your children, but wanting to make some income too.  And the seeming lack of work in that job market.  And so we brainstormed about her gifts and what could be done with them.  And you know what's interesting?  It was me that was quick to reel off one talent of hers after the next.  Not her.  Which made me wonder, "At what point in our confidence-inspired childhoods do we forsake the truth for the lie?"  The lie that we can't.  It's too hard.  That won't work.  I'm not good at that.....

Of course, this is absolutely no slight on my friend.  I truly think that most of us think this way.  We are afraid and slow to take action because we just don't think it's possible.  

So I encouraged her--the next time you get the slightest inkling that you might find something interesting, Go with it!  Let your mind go down that road, and anytime you get to a "roadblock" of why it couldn't work, turn directions and keep going, and you'll get there.  *If you want to.*

Today's happiness:  I have one more day of childish fun til it's back to the SDF airport for her.  But we are making the most of it by having a "date" tonight :) .  Dinner suggestions?