I have done it again!

The other day, I was browsing the craigslist ads, under the arts and crafts section, when I saw what I was looking for. **High quality fabric, dollar a box/bag** JACKPOT! I went over with a few friends, and left almost 3 hours later. We went through 3 storage units, and walked away with a goldmine. The lady who owned the fabric had passed away, and their kids had no clue what to do with the fabric. The sorting took a while, but I walked away with amazing deals. I now have enough fabric to sew anything I can imagine, without having to go to the craft store. So excited!

First ETSY sale

I have made my first ETSY sale! I have a custom order for a Pettiskirt, and will have it shipped out by Monday. Thank you Shelby for being patient while I am learning how to use my account. I look forward to seeing the finished product, and will post pictures as soon as I am done! Whoot Whoot

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Onceuponadressup

Etsy Shop Open!!!

I have finally opened my ETSY shop. Now that the kids are in school, I have a little more time on my hands. Swing by the shop when you have a chance, and tell all your friends.


http://www.etsy.com/shop/Onceuponadressup

Dr. Seuss

One of my good friends, who lives in Las Vegas with her beautiful daughter and husband, is a little crazy when it comes to party planning. She decided for her daughter Maddies 3rd Birthday party, they would have a Dr. Seuss party. She called and asked if I could make an “Ollie” dress in the fabric she chose. I took the measurements over the phone and got to work. The results were better than I thought. The dress is darling, and about as “Dr. Seuss” as you can get. Love it!

The "Ollie" Dress is Born

My oldest sister Heather (Artistic Images by Heather) asked if I could make her little girl Olivia a “party dress” for her 1st birthday. She had an idea of what she wanted, but no pattern matched the image in her head. We went to our local fabric store to pick out the fabric together. (Heather knows what colors/prints photograph the best) Once we bought all the fabric, she let me take over. It took a few days for all the pieces to come out of my brain, and onto my sketch pad. Once I had the idea onto paper, I made my pattern. (I have never made my own pattern before, and it was a really long process.) I can now make the pattern from size ½ - 6, {and bigger if needed} It is my best selling design to date. Since the first dress was made for my niece Olivia, I thought it should be named after her. And so, the “Ollie” dress was born…

Artistic Images by Heather

My sister, Heather Gurrini, (aka; Artistic Images by Heather) is a genius when it comes to taking pictures. She did my wedding, along with any other big event in my family’s life. She is also responsible for almost all my pictures on my website/facebook. She is an amazing sister, friend and photographer. Thank you Heather for all your help, and the extra push I needed to get my dresses out into cyberspace. I love you tons.

http://www.artisticimagesbyheather.com/

Princess and the Frog: Part 2

THE DRESS IS DONE!!! After 2 weeks of sewing, and trying to figure out how I wanted this dress to look, I’m done! Whoot whoot! The dress looks amazing. I had to make it into 2 separate pieces, so that the “lily” lays flat. Kira was kind enough to let me borrow her coloring book for a reference guide. Now I will have to make her one…

(Both of the dresses are about 3/4 sizes to big for Kira, but you get the idea...)

Princess and the Frog

Another friend just called and asked if I could make her 2 little girls dress ups for their birthday party. The first dress will be a Cinderella dress (one of my favorite Disney Princesses) and the next dress will be a Princess and the Frog. I have looked for a few patterns at the store for the PATF (Princess and the Frog) dress, and there is not anything out there. I will be making my own pattern for the dress. Wish me luck…

Craigslist Score

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Craigslist! I am always searching through the “free” section and the “arts and crafts”. The other day, I hit the mother lode. There was a listing for miscellaneous fabric. I looked at the ad a few times, but never contacted the seller. 3 or 4 days later, the listing was still there, so I emailed and asked if it is still available. IT WAS!!! I ended up with 16, 25 gallon totes of fabric. Some of it is very retro, but overall, it was a score. I now have a stock pile of fabric, and the possibilities are endless!

Quilting

I just don’t know how they do it! I have never fully understood why you would cut a large piece of fabric into little pieces, and then sew it back together. I decided I would give it a try with some old pants that no longer fit. It took me over a year to get all the pieces sewn together. It was the very definition of “a work in progress”. The quilt is on my son’s bed now, and he says that he loves it. (He also has never seen another quilt) So for the time being, that project is crossed off my list, and I seem to be onto bigger and better things.

Bloomers are a Hit

I am loving my bloomers and slips. They are so fun to make, and with these, simple is better. It is so easy to add a ruffle here, place a bow there, or simply hem the bottom. I have started making “green” bloomers and slips. Goodwill thrift has been good to me. I scan the store, looking for high thread count sheets. It is my way of using “recycled” material. (However, if you want new/un-used fabric, you just have to ask.) Here is my favorite set!

Snow Day

Last night we got about 5 inches of snow. I have turned the heater up, and am going into my sewing room with one goal in mind; Finish all my undergarments. I am adjusting the patterns that I have, trying to create a “new” look. I will let you all know how it goes.

Everyone needs a First…

For Kira’s 3rd birthday party, we had a Tea Party. (I can’t believe my little girl is 3 *sigh*) On the invitations, we asked everyone to wear a dress up/ costume. My niece, Olivia is only 8 months old, and had no dress up. I didn’t want her to feel left out, so I sewed a dress up of her own. I love the results, so I thought I would share…

Aladdin Costume

Brodie brought me an Aladdin book the other day, and asked if I could make him a costume. He normally wants nothing to do with my sewing, so I jumped at the chance. He picked the classic Aladdin, “street rat” look. By the end of the day, he has a new costume, and I have a happy little boy :)

New Brother Sewing Machine

I love my new machine. It seems to do everything. It has great decorative stitches, and it is very easy to thread. I have always had White or Singer machines (since that is what my family tends to buy.) However, I am now a fan of Brother! The machine runs so smooth and quiet. Three cheers for Brother Project Runway Special Edition!

Brodie is 4

I can NOT believe that Brodie is now 4. Wow, where have the years gone? I love you so much Brodie.

Problem with my machine

I am a little sad today. I've been sewing a ton with my new Singer machine. It runs great for all the basic stitches, but I have been having problems with the decorative stitches. I double checked the handbook to see if it was something I was doing, and everything was in order, but the machine was not running correct. I had to take it back to the store. I ended up trading my machine for the Brother Project Runway model. I was a little leery about buying a Brother sewing machine. I will let you know how the machine holds up!

Fashion Design

My Sister-in-law, whom teaches Home Economics, for a local high school, just called and asked me to help teach her fashion design class. We get to pick our own curriculum, which will be challenging. The skill level in the class starts at beginners, who have never touched a sewing machine, to the few who know how to read patterns. I am excited to help her with this course, and will up-date everyone on our progress. I am so excited!

Happy New Year

I am sure everyone is trying to decide if they will actually have a resolution this year. I normally don’t have one. However… this year will be the Year of the Blog. I want to start selling my dress ups, so a blog seems like a step in the right direction. My goal is to post at least once a week. I hope at the end of the year, I will to have 50 followers, and my own ETSY site. Wish me luck…