Dressy Dish Towels

 I should probably explain what  "Dressy Dish Towels" are. They are dish towels that I have made over to look like little dresses that hang off your oven handle or whatever handle is available in whichever room you choose. They just have to have a bar to hang over, though I am working on another design that will make it so it can hang on circular handles too. They have velcro at  the waist so they can open up, slip over the handle, and close again so they don't fall off the door when you are using either the door or the towel.
  I had an order for some "Dressy Dish Towels" from a friend.  They wanted something Christmasy. You wouldn't believe how many stores didn't have any Christmas towels! -_-  I went to a few stores before getting to Hobby Lobby and finding these cute towels. I LOVE Hobby Lobby!!! Even better...they were half off!!! YAYY!!  Without further ado here are the finished towel dresses.

 

Two sides of the same dress. Front and back view for comparison. 

 

Front view is very much in the spirit of Christmas.

Here is the back view. After Christmas is over you can just turn it around and you have a pretty winter dress.

Contessa Valerie Brewer

I DID IT!!!!!! : D      I got the dress done last night just in time for the big day. I hope you enjoy.
This is my 1873 inspired look. The belt and shirt are authentic in cut and style. The trim around the neckline and hem are also historically accurate.

The pleating on the hem took 9 yards. That was a LOT of hand stitching for all those points!

It took me an hour to get my hair done. I made the fascinator that morning. I was giving it a final once over and though I needed a little something in my hair.

 I love how some mirror shots turn out! This is so "Mirror, Mirror on the wall..."

And this looked like there was a ship behind me and I was stuck in a mirror!! How cool is that?!?

 I love our expressions here!! That is my friend that was Pitch from the movie Rise of the Guardians. She was FABULOUS!!!! She nailed it!

Just a pose I though would lend itself to the look of the dress.

Thank you for stopping by and sharing this time with me! I hope you enjoyed these pictures as much as I did getting ready for them!  

Corset and corset cover.

I just made a corset and a corset cover. It was definitely a learning experience!!! I altered the  pattern so much I could probably sell it as a new pattern and not get in any trouble for it. The corset was made from an old dress I had laying around for such an occasion.  I've had the lace for years just waiting for a corset. The lace is now very happy! : D  There are mistakes but that is alright because they won't be there  in the next one I make. One such mistake problem is that it should have been at least 2 inches smaller. When I lace it up it closes in the back instead of leaving a space as it's supposed too do so I'll know to fix that for next time.

The corset looks a little funny in this picture but that's only because she doesn't squish the same way I do. It looks just fine on a squish-able person.  Yeah.

 This is my corset cover. I actually kinda like it. I know it's not completely historically accurate but I'm sure they experimented with the design and fit back then so I'm just keeping in that spirit. :P It was made from an old curtain (regular Scarlet O'Hara). It makes me smile...

 Wow!! That makes my shoulders look broad....oh well. :D

                                 Next step is to finish my dress before Halloween....one week from                                                       today........HAHAHAHAHA!!!!           

Perfect Pleater!

I just made my first pleater board! I'm so happy to have one now since I'm working on a 1872 inspired look. They had the prettiest pleats in the 1870-1890's! I can hardly wait to get started though I imagine by the time I'm half way through I'll be ready to be done with the whole thing!!  :D

Shabby chic!

My friend bought a kit for a shabby chic lap throw at AC Moore and asked me to make it for her. I am happy to say that I finished one and I love how it looks! So girly and feminine.  I can just picture someone using the blanket while sitting curled up on a couch with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book! Now I want one! XD

Medieval dress

Almost done and I'm so excited! My brother got me the material for my birthday and now my dress is almost wearable! I have wanted a medieval dress for a while now. It's nice to have it in reach. I still have work to do such as making the belt, pouch, dagger holder, wrist cuffs, and maybe working on shoes to wear with it....  not sure about the shoes yet. 

I know this isn't an authentic medieval outfit but I think if they had thought of it they would have made some that looked like this.

 I know! The pink doesn't go but I needed something to lace the back up with and that was what I had on hand!

 All the seams on the outside of the cape look like this. I like the way it looks!

BIRTHDAY DRESS!!!

I finished the dress just in time to wear it today for my birthday!!

Independence Day fascinator.

Okay, I see the theme these post are taking but I'm having so much fun making fascinators I just can't stop! I decided I needed one for tomorrow as it is Independence Day and I should look spiffy for that wonderful day. So I went to my sewing/crafting room and brain stormed. After I took some ibuprofen to ease the ache I came up with this! TA DA!!!!
It's supposed to look like fireworks or sparklers. I had gotten the white feathers on but there was a gap in the front that was just begging for something so jazz it up a little, a little pizzazz so I started looking through my accessories bins and came across this pretty pendant. I took the tassel off the end help it up and said 'perfect!' it was just what I was looking for. I then took little white beads and glued them on randomly to set it off just. I think this is my favorite fascinator! I love how it turned out and can hardly wait to wear it tomorrow!

            HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY EVERYONE!!!!!!!

New Fascinators.

I decided to try to make some new fascinators. I made one in 'steampunk' style and the other was inspired by Marie Antoinette.
I am sooo tempted to call this one 'Catching fire"  I know it's a rip off of the hunger games book but it just seem to fit this so well! Look at the red gem in the middle like the heart of a furnace and the orange-ish feather coming up like flames. And for the record that is a humming bird NOT a mocking jay.

 This is supposed to look like  a ship sailing on the water. I crumpled the blue satin and glued it in place to give it the moving water effect.....I didn't have a boat so I made it from felt. yeah..... -_-  I didn't have sails  either sooo....feathers. haha! She would probably laugh!

Here is the back view. I rather like the back. I had the starfish for years and years not knowing what to do with it so I'm happy to have finally found something to use it with. and of course what nautical hat is complete without a big bow?

 I hope you enjoyed seeing my craziness!

Shadow Box Sewing Room

My first real shadow box I have ever attempted is done!!! I love how it turned out. There are a few things I learned so next time I could do a better job but that's all part of the process!

It's a room with a view.

 Check out that pattern ready to be cut out and sewn. The pattern envelope and other pattern pieces are sticking out from under the sewing machine. Yes, the rest of the pattern pieces are printed on the paper.

 I think out of everything I am most proud of the sewing machine and I didn't even do much! I added the thread to the spool and the needle. The needle used to be a bent pin.

DYE!!

This is the first time I have dyed anything. I am very happy with how it turned out.

 Final product. Washed, dried, and pretty yellow!

New Sunday skirt.

I saw this material at Joann's and fell in love! Being the little piggy that I am I bought all that they had left on the bolt and went whee whee all the the way home. No really, I said, "wheee!!!" around all the curves. Anyway! This is the finished product. All I have to do now is to make a top to go with it so I can actually wear it....hhmmm.

Here is a better view of the border print.

Bustle is finished. Washed and ironed.

YES!!!!! Look at that bustle! Haha, that's probably what the neighbors were thinking when I took my dress form out and posed it for pictures. That and that I had probably lost my mind. :D

 All those ruffles. *dreamy sigh*

Front view!

Okay, I did feel a little stupid laying on the ground under the bustle skirt to get a picture. I am really hoping none of the neighbors saw me.

Here you see the 5 boning channels.

                                                           
                                                               What darling little hems!