helicopters!

here's the new bag i just posted in my shop.
i'm really falling in love with just about all the fabric by echino, a japanese import.
it was once thought of by me as too expensive.  but if i don't OVERBUY!, it's just fine!

the fabric also comes in other colors:

i'm gonna go out on a limb here and say i really love the black & neutral!!

so fun.

banana nana

what a great day this was!  an outdoor wedding!  celebrating love, partnership, tradition, family, and good friends.

there's something special about outdoor weddings.  and today proved my point.

a beautiful day: full of love, happiness, laughter, food, and an overall great time with friends.

you can't tell by this picture, but it was 142 degrees outside.

here i am with my sweet friends, leslie and chanel.  these are girls i can count on. 

the bride, kristen, and me. 

kristen is one of my favorite people.  i am usually laughing and laughing hard when i'm around her.  she's very kind, she strives for positivity, and she has cats named after asian food!  kristen is good people.

shortly after the bar opened, we started hearing an older woman at the next table.  she wore a beautiful yellow dress.  the dress combined with her age won her the nickname "banana nana".  she made several wobbly trips to the bar and became what one would refer to as an "angry drunk".  she got mad at her golden girls and decided to gossip about them loudly at our table with my friend, chanel.  while gossipping, she sloshed her drink back and forth.  in a slurred rage, she ended up dumping her drink down the front of chanel's dress.  oh dear.  i still don't think she knows. she wasn't done yet when she came around the table to me.  i didn't dare take my eye off her drink....

woops, banana nana!!

i love this picture of the girls trying to supress their laughter after the banana nana incidents.

dark and shadowy. the heat affected almost all of the pictures!! 

hi julie, michele, and jessica!!  everyone was here!  except vanessa and carrie who were definitely missed!!!

i know these posts have been about the dress, but this day was such a special time, it almost feels off topic to talk about it. but is it off topic to talk about how pretty and comfortable i felt in this dress???  a win, for sure.  

here's my clutch and my shoes.

by the end of the day, the skies finally opened up and the downpour arrived

bra straps and tanlines

so after nearly an hour of frustration last night and quitting 4 times, i'm very happy with how this beauty is turning out.
this is the pleating along the neck. 

lookie here:  pockets!! 

((do you have any idea how hard it is to take a picture of your own hand in your pocket???))

why does my arm look like elephant skin?

after seeing this, i applied some nivea.

here's a top view.  ((again self portrait = difficult))

and the neckline.  i think it's just about my favorite part of the dress. still needs some finishing touches. 
a snip snip here and a tide pen there.

still to complete: 

bias tape on the arm openings, and a hem!  i'm nearly there. 

as you can see, my biggest worry will be bra straps and tanlines.

i'm really getting excited now!!

the namesake:

the dress chronicles (continued)

it's coming along....


int. er. fac. ing.



my supervisor. kakey the kat.




the zipper wasn't as bad as my nightmares.



here it is starting to take some shape......sorta. 
jake, look at the dress.  jake....this way.





stay tuned tomorrow for pleats, side seams, and pockets.

Gordon Gartrell

my friend is getting married this weekend!! beautiful summer weekend, outdoor wedding....

i felt like this was a good chance to make a summery dress...

the sleeveless one.

cute, right? looks easy, right??

i've chosen my fabric, i've cut it out....

now i'm terrified.

i can make bags - bags are square. straight lines.

this dress has interfacing and pleats and *GASP* a zipper....

what if after all my work, the dress looks like this???

So you think you can Quilt....

quilting can't be that hard right??
look how cute.
now, just sew lines into it!
easy. right??


sigh.....
this is a nightmare.
these two lines took me 45 minutes and they're a MESS:

so i came up with a new plan and bought some tools.
i'm gonna hand quilt it. it should be easy right? just sew some lines into it...!
we'll see.....

We now join this project already in progress....

i'm great at starting projects.

i'm horrible at finishing them.

there are about 94 half finished projects lying around my living room.

maybe if i show them off, they'll finish a little more quickly....

this one is taking forever. but it's super cute and bright! can't wait until it's done.

this one will be super cozy to cuddle up with. just a few more rows.....

this blankie was started at the request of my friend dayday. if you know dayday, then you know what's coming next.... :D

this one was intended as a baby blanket but started out too wide so now it's a regular person blanket. there's a huge mistake in the color progression and i didn't notice i did it until i was well past it. can you see it?? ugh. once again....just a few more rows!

love these colors together. the wave pattern makes it interesting.
just a few more rows.


maybe now that i've shared, these will be finished up in a hurry - - or i'll just start another project.....