Project: Bicycle Dress

This image again is from www.Lladybird.com.
I named it the bicycle dress- because if you look closer- there are actually little bikes on the fabric.

(Okay- can we pause for a moment and gush at the beautiful detailing - her hem is amazing!)

I liked the shape and details of this dress and would like to recreate something inspired by this outfit. Mine will have sleeves and wont be white... but it will have the waistband and button details with the hem ribbon too.

flower accessory

So... sew.... SO sorry I haven't been bloggin!
I have been very good... on ... staying off the computer!

I challenged our family to an "un-plugged" summer.

This is actually a post I made months ago, when I was still interpreting. (My client went home for the Summer.)

Enjoy! have a great summer! And we'll resume in a few weeks!


So you know I am obsessed with all things floral and ruffly lately....

I wanted to make a flower ruffle shirt.. and started experimenting with different flower construction.

Here I made a simple pin- to add to a sweater.








I cut out individual pedals. (I folded the fabric multiple times and cut once... so they were all the same shape.)

Then I made a pedal chain.. by single stitching them together...(slightly overlapping them.)

I pulled the top string... to gather them closer together...

You could just use THAT as a flower... but I wanted something a little MORE...

So I made an additional flower... a rose

and added it on top.

This is the sweater and dress I made it for.

I think it adds just the right touch....

(now... just need to do my hair and make-up and I am ready to go!)

update: This is one reason why I bought Kristina's book!
I don't want my creations to look "homespun".

A TRUE Fashion challenge

Okay-


You know I am kinda a challenge- ... freak.


I love it when people challenge themselves... make up different rules of life.


It's like a game.... makes life fun playing...





Anyway-


This challenge was called THE UNIFORM challenge.


One gal


bought 7 of the SAME DRESS and challenged herself to wear it EVERYDAY for a YEAR!!!





As if that isn't a challenge enough...


She had to make it look different every day- without buying anything NEW!







Here are some of my favorites.


(Okay- not so much the pants one... but I liked she paired it up with pants too... and didn't wear it as a dress every day.)




Isn't she adorable?

The wheels in my head are spinning!

Power of Goals

You know how much I love the Personal Progress Program.

It is all about helping us become our BEST and reaching our full potential.

Goals are like that.

I was reading in Preach My Gospel: The Missionary Guide.

They have a section on "Using Your Time Wisely".

I thought I could learn something - about how to set goals.

It says, "Goals reflect the desires of our hearts and our vision of what we can accomplish.

Through goals and plans our hopes are transformed into ACTION."

Elder M Russell Ballard said in a talk for Young Adults 1981

"I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don't set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential.

When one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, (s)he will then be able to make a great difference in the results (s)he attains in this life."

I think that would be SO TRAGIC!
 

To meet Heavenly Father- and have full remembrance of my life, and pre-exsistance and see

with clarity, the talents and abilities I was blessed with... born with

and realize... I could have, should have, done so much more

yet I didn't tap into my resources/talents/ abilities and develop them!

I was too pre-occupied with latest trends.

I was too self absorbed- worried what other people would think

whatever... it is that keeps me from doing those things I should.

Just plain procrastination.

I'll get to it-

later.

If you've gotten side tracked from Personal Progress... jump back in!

Set a goal to work on this month!

You'll be glad you did!

Individual Worth: Self Worth

This month's theme is Individual Worth.

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God"
Doctrine & Covenants 18:10

This month's Theme:

"I am of infinite worth with my own divine mission, which I will strive to fulfill."

I was reading my scriptures, preparing for a talk and the story of

Jacob and Esau came to my mind.

Do you know this story?

It is found around Genesis 25

BASICALLY:

Jacob and Esau are twins.

Esau was born first

therefore he had the "birthright"- being the oldest.

I don't know ALL the implications of this but what I understand....

this means- when their father died Esau would get all the land/possessions

of his father and be the next patriarch of the family.

One day Esau comes stumbling into Jacob's camp.

Esau has been out hunting and hasn't eaten for a while.

Starving- he asks for some food from Jacob.

Jacob agrees to feed Esau in exchange for Esau's birthright.

Esau agrees.

(To satisfy his immediate hunger.)

(Maybe he didn't think his birthright could be transferred?

I don't think he thought about the seriousness of this fleeting decision.)

It got me thinking.

What do I sell my birthright for?

We are all daughters of Heavenly Father

with a birthright to live with Him again.

We have infinite potential to do good

to be our best, to reach our full potential

When we sin- we sell our birthright

When I am lazy and allow myself to sleep in, watch TV all day

instead of doing good, developing my talents, put effort into learning

I fall short of my potential.

The good news is- Jesus Christ is always there

to help us get back on track.

If we've sinned- we can repent!

if we fall short- we can change!

Don't let immediate gratification- distract you from your bright potential.

When tempted to do something wrong--

ask yourself:

"Is this worth my birthright?"

Don't sell yourself short.

Don't settle for anything less- than those things

that help you remain pure and worthy!

Because you are of infinite worth!

Adorable BELT from a TIE?

Finally- I am playing with ties!
This was one of my first ideas... when I started this blog.

Here I am wearing it to work...
I really like the idea of a tie for a belt- but does it look homespun?? or just flat out strange??

Here is my tie-

ready to be made into something new- and adorable.

And two belt rings.

( I cut the old belt off- and made my headband-- you can see that HERE.)

Cut your tie- to the length you would like... and keep the fAT end to make your rose.

Fold over the belt rings and sew.

Then finish your cut edge-- by folding and sewing.

Next open up the FAT side of the tie-- and make a square piece of fabric.

(if you fold a triangle and cut the excess off... it makes a square.)

Then turn the fabric- right sides together and sew up two sides... (but don't back stitch- you are going to pull threads to gather into a Rosebud.)

Then turn it right-side out... and gather - by pulling one thread.

push the tip of the top of the "mountain"- into itself... and it makes a rose... see?

turn it over and I hand stitched the back together and shut.

It's not rocket science--- it doesn't have to look great either.

Then I placed it on my belt and hand stitched it to the belt.

 SEW simple!


I'll let you decide. if this belt is adorable or not.

I ultimately decided against this look (at my age) but younger gals might be able to pull this off!

My Headband Version

Remember Disney's adorable headbands made out of ribbon and doo-dads?

I found in a belt that had this adorable lace detail.

I cut it... measured my head

added some elastic

with my sewing machine- I used the zig-zag stitch to attach the elastic

Here is my headband.

SEW - simple

and

SO cute!