Vintage Pattern PJs--Part One

I like to obsess.  I obsess over where we'll live, what our weekend plans are, what I'm sewing.  I obsess on Pinterest, on Flickr, in my Google Reader.  I prefer to think that I "collect," that I'm collecting pictures of Japanese fabric because I want to know what's out there and available (and not because I ordered some from Singapore last week.  No, never!!).  

Last weekend, I became obsessed with vintage patterns.  

A Warm Weekend!

Hello folks!  It's finally warm here.  We've gone through a week without temperatures getting below 65 as the high, so I think we're in the clear.  I hope so, anyway.  It's been absolutely gorgeous here, but apparently the pollen isn't going anywhere, because I'm dying.

Nick and I went to Secondhand Story books in Rockville yesterday.  I thought it would be like my beloved Chamblin's in Jacksonville, where everything is neatly organized and there are some fun things hidden along the way (jokes about Dali or Yankees, etc.), but, um, not so much.  First of all, it's pretty much a warehouse, which is fine, but I feel like that isn't the best storage option for books?  However, I'm not the professional, so what do I know?  And there are mostly antique books there, not as big of a current selection.  I got a few books, though, and some pictures, which I also edited on this newfangled Picasa/Picnik team.  Technology, friends.

That last picture is of my loot.  I'm not really reading much fiction anymore, and haven't since I graduated college a couple years ago, but I've been meaning to read Cross Creek for a while.

I also started and finished the Ice Cream dress for Savannah this weekend.  Previously, I had cut out the pattern wrong and given up, but Friday afternoon I cut out the last panel and started stitching it up.  There were a few setbacks along the way, mostly due to my ignorance, but it's done now!

Savannah is seven, but she wears somewhere between a 4 and 5, so I made a 5 and lengthened it 1.5 inches.  She and her brother are tall, skinny kids.  Hopefully it won't be too big, and hopefully she also won't think it's too cutesy.  That girl has sass running through her veins, so I always worry she won't think anything is cool enough for her.

It's also Mother's Day, and I am far, far away from my mother this year, so I hope she has a great day.  I've already spoken to her a few times but it isn't the same as being there.  I can't wait to see her and my dad next month.  I don't like being this far away.

Enjoy your Sundays, yall!

The Socialite Dress

I can't believe I forgot to tell everyone I finished the Anna Maria Horner Socialite dress!  Remember when I said I wouldn't be sewing until Jake and Kali were gone?  Well...I lied.  They were gone for hours Saturday and Sunday nights, which gave us plenty of time to watch movies, fart around on the internet and sew.  Well mostly I sewed and he listened to the machine.

I apologize for the crap picture.  There are few places in our apartment to hang something, so I keep resorting to the bifold doors near the bathroom.  I should just buy some of those 3M sticky hooks and keep one on the wall at all times.

I made it with Joel Dewberry Nature Valley fabric that I picked up at StitchDC in February.  To be completely honest with you, I wasn't very excited about sewing this.  I bought the pattern when I first decided to start sewing and picked up the fabric on a whim.  I put it off and put it off (and read the review at Sew, Mama, Sew millions of times) and finally said, "No more!"  And I went for it.

I'm...content with the results.  I like the look of the dress.  It'll work well into fall, if it ever decides to warm up here.  I don't like how I had to hand sew the facing.  That was awful because I'm a terrible hand-sewer.  I also don't like that the medium, though it said it would fit, is very, very tight across the chest.  I'm guessing the gathering has something to do with it, but it's also the saving grace: while it feels tight, so tight that Nicholas had to help me get it on and off, it doesn't look like it.  These boobs aren't going anywhere, so I'll just have to handle it.

In short, I'm not making another.  I'm sending my cousin Jesse the pattern and, if the facing didn't look so godawful, I'd send her the dress as well.  Oh well.  I'll get some use out of it, I'm sure.

So now I'm not sure what to do next.  I think I'm abandoning the baby clothes for my former co-worker because, well, I just don't care about it anymore.  I only cut out one fabric instead of all three, and if anyone I know is having a boy, I'll just finish them up pretty quickly for them.  I do have a charm pack waiting on me, so maybe I'll start that.  And I have my Betz White sewing class coming in just over a week, which I'm really looking forward to.  Vintage pillowcases becoming baby clothes and lady skirts?  Count me in.

(One final note: if anyone loves Tina Fey as much as I do, check out the review of her new book, Bossypants, over at Slate.  You don't need to agree with the message as long as you find the excerpts pretty effing funny.)

Friday Friday

Man, still no followers.  I'm getting a little discouraged over here.

This Friday has dragged.  If I could manually stretch out the letters there, I would.  I feel like I've been at work forever.  It's probably only because Jake and Kali are en route to BWI as I type, so I'm naturally a little anxious, but there's no need to really rush home because it'll take another hour from the airport to my apartment, and by then I'll be home even if I leave late.  Which I won't.

I'll keep it light, because I'd like to get back to my blogs, but also because I accidentally took a picture of myself on my phone with flash and I'm temporarily blind.

• I bought these fabrics today:

Joel Dewberry's Aviary 2 Collection Lattice and Cloud9's Naturewalk Collection.  Both are from Hawthorne Threads, which I love.  It bums me out that DC's seriously lacking in the fabric store department (StitchDC will never see my pretty little face again) but then I remember that I have great online fabric stores to sift through until I'm back home in the textile-rich South.

• Is anyone else dying to get out of town?  I think the cold snap has given me cabin fever.  Too bad gas is practically the price of gold or I'd hoof it to Philly or Charlottesville for the weekend.
• I can't sew again until the middle of next week because of the wonderful visit.  I love Jake and Kali; please don't get me wrong!  But I miss my sewing.
• I think I've eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every single day this week.  I'm eleven.

So that's that.  I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend, and I'll see everyone on Tuesday!