Memorial Day Weekend

Really?  It's over already?  I remember talking to Elizabeth back in February about how we wouldn't have a day off until Memorial Day - weeks, months, practically years away!  And now it's over and tomorrow is June and ohmygod it'll be Christmas before we know it.  I'm not ready, I can tell you that much.

It was a fantastic weekend, though.  I worked from home half of the day Friday, after having meetings and meetings and meetings all week, which was a nice way to end it all.  I also decided while working from home that I wouldn't focus on cleaning - Nick will be home this weekend and can do it then.  Instead, 16 and Pregnant was my background music and I spent hours building spreadsheets and merging cells.  Sounds boring, but I kind of like that tedious stuff to clear my head.

Anyway, let's get cracking on what I did over the weekend:

Friday night after dinner (black bean tortilla pie), I set to work on an Oliver + S Ice Cream top for Miss Grace, using Heather Ross Far Far Away II.  Have I already posted about this?  I don't think I have.  Sorry for the poor quality; apparently my flash wasn't a fan.  Anyway, it's Sleeping Beauty themed, and the yoke is roses.  The back button is from a pair of Gap jeans I haven't worn in years.  I finished it in only a few hours, which was refreshing.

Saturday was a big day.  Here's a little back story: Montgomery County, Maryland, has ridiculous alcohol taxes.  You will easily pay $16 for a six-pack of beer.  Nick and I drink craft beers, so we're used to paying more, but it's completely ridiculous.  They're also upping the tax come January.  Ugh.

So we went to Total Wine in Alexandria.  We loved Total Wine in Jacksonville but haven't been since we moved.  The GPS must have known it was a beautiful day, because instead of taking us along 495, it took us on Clara Barton Parkway, along the C&O Canal, through Georgetown and Rosslyn and past Arlington Cemetery.  It was quite a sight, considering Rolling Thunder was in town.  Anyway, that second picture is of all our beer and cider from Total Wine--and it cost us about a third of what it would have been here in MoCo.  Sorry to bootleg, but we're on a budget.

After Total Wine, we went to District Taco in Arlington.  I frequent the DT Food Truck when it's here in Rosslyn.  They have awesome burritos.  This time I got a bowl and chips and a Boylan soda.  They don't have any Coke or Pepsi products, just Boylan!  Everything is also fresh and made right there, including the chips.  I can't wait to go back.

That last picture is of the Oliver + S Family Reunion dress for Grace, made with Anna Maria Horner.  I'm very happy with how this dress ended up, though I did have an issue with the hem facing.  The directions say to "cut 2 on fold," but there's so much extra fabric, I think that's a misprint.  I made it work--lots of easing and what essentially looks like an inside ruffle--so hopefully Grace won't think it's the most terrible thing she's ever seen!

Sunday...Sunday...what'd we do Sunday?  Oh, we went grocery shopping, which is always an adventure.  I also cut out the Colette Patterns Sorbetto top, which is free through that link.  We had decided to finally go see a movie together--the first in ten months of dating--so we went to Five Guys for dinner and saw Bridesmaids.  People, this movie is amazing.  If you haven't seen it yet, you must, as soon as possible.  I'm not normally a Kristen Wiig fan (based solely on her SNL characters), but this movie made me love her, Maya Rudolph, everyone.  Go see it!

Also, I asked Nick for that hot pink KitchenAid mixer seen above, but so far, it hasn't arrived.  It would look fantastic next to my blue mixer.

Yesterday, Memorial Day, we went to National Harbor.  It was a hell of an adventure getting there though.  I had to go to the Harley-Davidson store to pick up some presents for Aidan, Savannah's brother.  There was no way I was only showing up with gifts for her, and if I'd have made him clothes, he probably would have slapped me.  So I decided to get him a Harley shirt and a toy because he's obsessed with my dad's and his dad's bikes. 

We set out to go to Old Glory HD in Laurel, about 11 miles away.  On the way there, my hubcap came off on the Beltway.  Thankfully it didn't kill anyone, but still--and now my car is pretty ghetto.  Anyway, so we get there, and it's closed for Memorial Day.  Oh, okay.  Considering, again, that Rolling Thunder is in town, we're pretty surprised.  So I call Annapolis HD--it's closed too.  I finally call the National Harbor HD, and thankfully they're open, but my GPS doesn't recognize the address.  We got lost no fewer than five times in NE Washington, D.C.  Interesting, let me tell you.

Anyway, so we went there, I picked up a few things, we ate lunch.  The above pictures are from National Harbor; the first is "The Awakening," a huge statue that used to be at Hain's Point in DC, where I had seen it ten years ago when we first moved here.  The second is the Peeps store.  Yep, Peeps, those little marshmallow dudes my mom loves so much.  I'm not into them, but the next time my mom's up, we may need to go there.

I also sewed together the Sorbetto top, which I'm less than thrilled with.  It's a free pattern, so I'll go with it, but it's very short.  I have the shortest waist known to man--how does this look on normal people?  I made it with some cheap gingham I bought at JoAnn's Saturday.  Nick likes it, I'm more "meh."

I also cut out another Ice Cream dress from Sherbet Pips for Grace.  I'd like to get that done tonight and tomorrow so I can pack it up with her other outfits.

So it was a busy weekend!  Sorry to bore you--hopefully I didn't.  This week is busy, and the next few weeks are full with family and friends.  And before I know it, it will be July.  Oh my god...

My First Taste of Heather Ross

That title sounds wrong, but it isn't.  Sorry to get your hopes up.

It's been an insane week.  Long days at the office, running running running everywhere, still making dinner and taking care of the apartment, and falling asleep on the couch.  Not necessarily in that order.  Now I'm exhausted and my belly hurts, most likely because of my week.

Monday evening I cut out an Ice Cream top and a Family Reunion dress for Grace.  This afternoon, once my internet cut out, I finally was able to start working on them.

That's the kind of week it's been.

This is the Ice Cream top, made with Heather Ross's Far Far Away II, featuring Sleeping Beauty and roses.  I bought it on sale last week at Pink Chalk and decided, while it's hell trying to get gathers to take (I broke each and every one of the tails), I love the artistry enough to keep using her fabrics.  I'd actually like more to make other things for Grace, and not just the upcoming Far Far Away III (with Snow White) but also the VW vans, the grasshoppers and the mermaids.

In summer 2009 when I lived in Savannah, my mom visited me and we went to Fabrika, an indie fabric store a few blocks from my apartment.  She bought some Mendocino prints and I don't believe either of us knew just what it was, but we knew we loved it.  She eventually made a Serendipity Studio dress out of them.  Now?  They're $40 a yard, or something equally as ridiculous.  I should've invested.

Anyway, back to the top.  So the gathering was less than fun.  Because it's a heavier, linen/canvas-type weight instead of quilting cotton, the gathering stitches just ripped right now.  But I tried to do what I could and then ease in the rest, and hopefully no one thinks it's too godawful. 

The button on the back is from a pair of Gap jeans I don't even have anymore, but I found the extra buttons a couple weeks ago.  I thought it went well without being too cute or taking away from the HR design.

Also, it only took me like two hours to make this.  Usually it takes longer than that to gather everything up, but I guess because I cut everything out, it gave me a headstart.

On another note--it's Memorial Day weekend!  I plan on buying and drinking beer, seeing Bridesmaids, eating Five Guys, getting ready for Florida and sewing.  I have the Family Reunion dress, plus the free Colette tank pattern for myself, as well as anything else for Grace I can fit in--maybe her Sherbet Pips Ice Cream dress?

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!  See you next week!

Me Tired

It's been a crazy week so far, and it's only Wednesday, but I wanted to pop in and tell everyone, yes, I'm still alive, though I'm not sewing because I just don't have the time or energy.  Though I do have two outfits for Grace cut out and waiting! 

With my other blogs, I tended to ignore them for months, and I'd rather not do that here, so this is my way of reminding myself to update, update, update!

Source

Also, that guy up there is your friend.  Consult him frequently.

Fabric Friday

I just wanted to share a picture real quick of the fabric I received today.  All fabrics were bought on sale at Pink Chalk Fabric earlier this week.  The Ice Cream Dress pattern was bought directly from Oliver + S on sale (it's the smaller size range), and the Puppet Show pattern was bought over the phone from Pieces and Patches in Lexington, SC, because I'm a freak and decided I needed it so badly.  So.  Badly.

I'm still waiting on some Sherbet Pips yardage from Sew Mama Sew, but maybe that will come this weekend.

God, I love shopping.  And sales.  Retail therapy at its finest.

Lotus Pond dress

I finished my first summer dress last night, Simplicity 2584.  I modified it a bit, but all in all, I'm pretty happy.

The fabric is Kona Solids and Amy Butler's Lotus collection, which I've had in my stash for roughly four years and bought before I could even sew, holding onto the hopes that my mom would make me something (Ha!).  I never knew what to do with it--purse?  skirt?  shirt?--but finally it came to me after buying this pattern in February.  I think it's a light, fun print without being childish.

I made view B but modified it to be more like view D.  First, I omitted the sleeves.  Summer is hot, and if I want sleeves, I'll grab a cardigan.  I also omitted the tuck at the bottom.  I started folding to see what it would look like, but, with the patter, it would have messed up the flow. 

It's the length of view B, but I snatched D's armhole binding to finish the arms.  I also ended up taking it in even more.  Boxy isn't a good look for me.

Finally, I decided it didn't need a back zipper, once I read reviews that so many others were doing this.  After a quick Googling (just cut on the fold), I was done.

It took me about two days to sew, but that's because I was sewing between work and dinner, and still working on dinner in the mean time.  I'm a crazy multi-tasker, so I'd sew and press, turn on the oven to preheat, sew a little more, get the water boiling, sew some more, etc.  What do people do with only one project?

I have a ton of both materials left over, so it may become an Ice Cream Dress for Grace.  I have been all about the stash-bustin' lately, mostly to make room for all the Aneela Hooey, Anna Maria Horner and Heather Ross I just bought.  (On sale, don't freak.)  (Though I can't imagine why you'd freak unless you were Nick, and he's already heard about my process and still doesn't care.)

What's next?  I don't know.  I have a hard time making things for myself because, well, do I really want to face my measurements?  No.  No I do not.  Also it's hard for me to choose just one project.  So I have a pile of fabric for me and a pile of fabric for Grace and I'll go from there.  I have some new patterns coming in this week, so maybe that will jumpstart things.  Also, did you not see how much fabric I just bought?  Good god!