The Make-Over of a Fashion Failure

Once upon a time, there lived a little laptop. Her name was StarDaughter (known affectionately as "Dottie" by those who loved her), and she...how do I put this politely?...she just didn't know how to put outfits together correctly. On her best days, she came to work looking like this:

And on her worst days...you just don't even want to see it! I think everyone would agree that blackonblackonblackonblack just isn't the right style for her, but how do you just tell someone that? I finally worked up enough courage to broach the subject of identifying her personal beauty profile, and she jumped at the chance to get some advice from me (you all know what extensive fashion training I've had). First, we went over her proper color palette. 

Then, one sunny, Saturday morning, Maddy and I began to work our magic. I asked Madeline to assist me because, while I unquestionably hold the best eye for color combinations, Maddy is my top fashion consultant. Naturally, the two of us wore our most inspiring designer clothes to give Dottie confidence as we began work.

After opening her eyes to how revolutionary bright colors can be, I gave Dottie a couple weeks to adjust to her new wardrobe hues before completing her look with some snazzy accessories. With her new style sense, Dottie has become an entirely new laptop, finally free to live the life of which she had always dreamed.

World, meet StarDaughter. The most fashionable, most colorful, most Hawaiian laptop on the earth!

Sweater Makeover! :)

Hello, everyone! Today I'm linking up with Kirsteen's Make-it Monday!



A few weeks ago, I received this lovely-colored sweater from a friend:

Now, I realize that there are a variety of arm sizes in the world, but the size of the cuff made it nigh-impossible for any of the girls in our family to fit the sleeve onto the upper arm. A true dilemma, since the sleeves were a bit shorter that 3/4 length!

So I cut off the binding, re-hemmed the sleeves...


(Yes, most people would have tried to choose a thread that matched...but I like pink!)

 Added lace to the sleeves and bottom edge, and made some lacy flowers!

Ta-dah! (Unfortunately, this is the only pic I have for you, as my camera battery just died. :)

That, my friends, is what I worked on this week. Thus ends my first experimentation with cutting up + sewing store-bought clothes! :D

Happy Monday!

It's Finished!

Hooray! Today I finished my "gift" for the Craft Exchange. I tried something I'd never done before: designed a pillow! I was happy with how it turned out - especially considering it was made entirely out of a couple scraps (some from Joann's, some I already had, and an old skirt! :)

Bonus for happiness: It was dazzlingly sunny today! :)

Aaaaahhhhh!!!

Looky-look what came in the mail today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, 14 delicious skeins of silk-wool for the robe I'm making! Three cheers for a mother who looks at bargains even when she's not particularly planning on buying! :) I got these here for a fraction of the original price...and finding this many for sale was amazing, too, since its not being made anymore! Oooohh, sooo soft and lovely...can't wait to get working on it! :)

Operation Clean Out the Closet!

The other day, I made a list of summer goals. You know, things I would like to (or need to!) have done by the end of summer (which is in only two months, by the way!!!). Here are a few of the items that made the list:

- Create a student lesson plan of composer/musical era information for the 2011/2012 school year (because I want my students to learn more than just how to play songs - I want them to learn where they came from!)

- Finish reading So Much More, Kingdom of the Cults, and Bleak House (of course, I had to have a classic in the mix!)

- Memorize the Declaration of Independence (because I've always wanted to, and now seems as good a time as any)

- Finish all crochet/knitting projects...

...*ahem* And this is where the post title comes in. You see, I love to crochet, knit, and sew. Really, I do. But when, at the end of some project, it becomes necessary for me to make an executive decision (do I like the sweater this length, or should I pull it out and make it longer? Is this really the length I want the sleeves? Should I try sewing the edging on in a different way?), I often solve my dilemma by sticking it in the closet to sit while I "think about it." And...sometimes I start a new project and the old is left collecting dust. And sometimes this means the old project sits there for quite a while. And sometimes this happens multiple times, and I'm left with multiple "old projects."

But only sometimes, mind.

However, it has come to my attention that it may be necessary for me to, well, do something about it! Namely, dig all those "old projects" out of the closet and finish them up! Here are the nuggets that surfaced from my mining. :)

1. Crochet Wool Skirt

My puzzle with this was whether I wanted to machine-sew the side seam and sew a lining into the skirt, or just put elastic on the waist and call it good. I've decided elastic in the name of "easy," with the knowledge that I can always rip it out and try again if I hate it. :)

2. Knit Silk-Wool Robe

Now, I LOVE this project, and would finish it in a heartbeat, if possible. But the simple fact is, who has the $$ to buy 20-30 skeins of half-silk-half-wool yarn in one sitting? So, I work on it as I can...this may not be completed at the end of summer, but I had to show you!

3. 1800s Knit Wool Shawl

I got this pattern from Fort Vancouver. It was written out by one of the mistresses of a Young Ladies' School in Scotland in the mid-1800s. The reason this project is undone is because I'm not sure how to edge it. I don't know how to pick up the ends and knit an edging, and I'm hesitant to just crochet around it. Hmm...Still haven't decided on a solution yet, but I will by August!

4. Crochet Merino Wool "Swing Jacket"

This project is undone because, sadly, I'm just a little short of blue wool, and consequently am in the midst of deciding how much to edge it with the burgundy. Another one I have yet to figure out...

5. Knit Wool "Bed Jacket" (aka, another sweater)

If nothing else, this post will inform you that I'm always cold, and like wool. :) Dilemma with this lovely pattern? I knit the edging a bit long, knowing it would felt, and planning to simply snip off the extra length. Just to be contrary, the wool didn't felt completely, and I'm consequently a bit wary about this cutting business. Guess I'll have to, though! If it doesn't work, I get to knit another five feet of edging - *groan* - so I hope it works!

6. Crochet Cotton Table Doily

This is my most pressing of projects, and one for which I didn't have to do any digging. It's a wedding gift for my violin teacher (I missed the wedding while I was in Utah...SO sad), and I am going to a reception in about two weeks, so it is first on the list to complete!

7. Crochet Chunky-Cotton, Super-Fun, Happy-Colored Pillow

Ok, so I really like this project! :) The front of the pillow is crocheted cotton, and for some fun texture-diversity I plan on sewing a satin backing. Procrastination point? I can't decide how I want the flowers! White squares? Green squares? Piled-up in a heap at the center? O-so-lame a reason to not have it finished, I know. But which would you do?



(No, the tails on the flowers are not permanent...they will disappear when the pillow is done!:)

 



And that is Operation Clean Out the Closet!

What's on your summer to-do list?

Why I Missed My Monday Post

My spare moments have been rather preoccupied with this...

and this...

and, most especially, this:

So much to be done! Count me as a stranger to blogland until after Friday. See you then!

O, The Wonderful Things That a Girl Can Do...

...with some spools of thread... 

...and paints and things too!

Grandma sent us a tin of wooden spools of thread, so we spent the afternoon making wee people for the Twinkles' doll house! Aren't they too cute? :)

Meet Lucy and Polly! :)