New York, New York

Spring break is over, and I'm back to the reality of school and studying. It was the most amazing spring break I have ever had! New York City blew my mind! We had nineteen people total, and we drove three minivans. It was quite the adventure. I have never been in a car that long with people who are not related to me. I would not trade the adventure for anything. I gained so much on the trip - stronger friendships and lifetime experiences.

I took this as we were driving over the George Washington Bridge...New York City!!!

 

Most of our week was spent doing mission work at a K-8 school in Harlem. We did office work, which included covering books, entering data, and recording audio books. We also played with the kids at recess and we had a 5th grade reading buddy.

On our very first day in New York, we got to tour the city. It was an amazing experience and one I will not forget. We started at the top part of Manhattan and made our way down. We saw Central Park, St. Patrick's Cathedral, FAO Schwarz, Times Square, Chinatown, Little Italy, Ground Zero and the Statue of Liberty all in one day! It was a long day, but it was so much fun. I would definitely do it again. Of course, we also got to ride the subway. That was an interesting experience. Most of the time it was fun, but other times it was so jammed packed you couldn't move left, right, forwards or backwards. We all made it safely on and off though, which was good. I sure wouldn't want to get lost in New York City!

Although NYC was amazing, I don't think I could ever live there. It is too big for me! I hope I can go back someday, though!

Here is a song for you to enjoy..."New York, New York" sung by Frank Sinatra! The van I was in listened to it as we were coming into the city and again as we left.





Enjoy!!

~Elizabeth

A new start

My last post was in November 2011. Four months! It is a new year and I am back. This time I hope to be back for good. My blog has a new name...The College Seamstress. What do you think? I am a college student and a seamstress, so I thought it would fit perfectly.

College has been teaching me so many life lessons and not all of them have to do with academics. I thought I'd share some of those lessons with you for my "first" post on this "new" blog.

In no particular order, here they are:

1. Make time for things other than studying. Take time to de-stress! This is so important! My classes are hard, and it seems like I never have enough time in the day, but if I want to do something badly enough, it will happen. For example, last week I sewed a skirt. I have been making time to work out at the fitness center here at college. Both of those things help me when I am stressed.

2. Go on new adventures. I have the opportunity to go on a mission trip with a wonderful group of people over spring break, which starts tomorrow (YAY for spring break!!). We will be driving to the east coast. I have never been to that part of the U.S. before and I am excited to go new places.

3. Family is important. Since coming to college I have realized this more than ever. I talk to my family at least once a day, even if it's only for a few minutes. I didn't realize how close I was to my family until coming here.

4. Your roommate does not have to be your best friend, but communication is key! If I only learned one thing from living with a roommate, it is that communication is key. If you don't communicate with each other, neither of you will know what is going on. Things will go much smoother if you communicate.

5. Have fun! College is important. You should want to do well in your classes, but it doesn't mean you have to study 24-7. Take some time on the weekends to just hang out with friends and not think about classes.

There you have it. This is my start into what I hope will be a successful blogging year! I hope to post about some sewing projects soon after spring break!

~Elizabeth

Fall Fashion Challenge - Day 6

Shirt: thrift store
Plaid skirt: gift from my mom
boots: thrift store

Today's challenge was to wear a fall trend. I chose to wear plaid. My mom just surprised me with the skirt last week. I think it may be one of my new favorite skirts for fall. It's flannel and perfect for the chilly weather here! I added the pink shirt so there would be color in my outfit. What do you think?

Fall Fashion Challenge - Day 5

Today is actually day 6 of the fall fashion challenge over at Bramblewood Fashion, but I didn't have time to take pictures, as I was driving home from college most of the day so I could spend the weekend at home! My pictures are much better this time. My mom was very nice and took them for me. Day 5 was polka dots, but I don't have any polka dots in my wardrobe, so I wore a skirt with a large print on it.

Shirt: thrift store

skirt: gift from my mom

boots: thrift store

Today's challenge, is favorite fall trends and I'll post about that soon!

~Elizabeth

Fall Fashion Challenge - Day 1

Hello, dear neglected blog! It's been four months since I've last posted, but I am back. I recently came across Bramblewood Fashion. It is a lovely blog, and Ashley, the blog owner is hosting a fashion week, where you post pictures of your outfits. I've decided to participate. Today there is no challenge; you could wear whatever you like. Below are pictures of my outfit. I'm sorry for the quality of the pictures. I was having a very hard time with the self-timer and my poorly lit room!

Skirt: Coldwater Creek, gift

Shirt: Thirft store

Boots: recent thrift store find! $4

Up close picture of one boot

I hope you enjoy these pictures! As this is my sewing blog, I'm hoping to post about some projects I did over the summer. College is keeping me busy, but I'll try not to neglect my blog!

~Elizabeth

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy (early) fourth of July!! I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write, but I have been busy sewing. Also, I am officially graduated from high school! Yay!! It feels great, but at the same time I can hardly believe it. It seems like yesterday that I started high school...

Today, I have two projects to show you. One is a pink and white purse made from my own pattern. The lady that is buying it from me wanted the outside to look like a quilt, or checkered. I cut out 3.5" by 3.5" squares, sewed them together and made a bag.

Front of the bag. The back side is exactly the same, minus the pocket.



Inside of the bag. I love the pink fabric with white leaves!


Next up, something for myself! It is called "Daily Doodler" and the pattern describes it as "A personal portable organizer." The pattern is from This and That patterns. I have made three from the pattern already for gifts, so I decided it was time to make one for myself. I love the pattern! It is so quick and easy!!

Front of my daily doodler. The small rectangles that make up the blocks are mostly scraps.

The back, so you can see all the pretty colors!

The inside. There are three pockets, including a zippered pocket. The notepad will be useful for jotting things down! I will definitely be bringing it to college with me!

That is all I have for you right now. I hope you have a wonderful fourth of July weekend! I will be enjoying time with my family.

~Elizabeth

New Skirt!

Hello!

It has been a few days since my last post, but I've been busy sewing! Yesterday, I finished a skirt that I have been trying to make. It took me three tries, but I finally got it right! The skirt is from the pattern "Stella Strip Skirt," by Serendipity Studio. There aren't any pattern pieces because the skirt is made entirely from 2 1/2 inch strips. You can make it any length you would like. The skirt has pleats, and it was my first time working with pleats. That is one reason I messed up on the first try. I sewed the pleats backwards!! It was very upsetting at first, especially since I used my favorite fabric. I decided to try again. The pleats looked great, but it didn't fit! I made the wrong size!! Finally on my third try, everything went well. I sewed the pleats the right way, I made the right size and I only had to use the seam ripper for minor mistakes. I had one issue with the waistband though. The waistband has four rows of 3/8" elastic, and it was supposed to lay flat. Well, mine wasn't laying flat so I emailed the designer, Kay Whitt. She is a genius! She knew right away what the problem was - I didn't pull the first two rows of elastic tight enough. Sure enough, after I did that the problem was fixed.

Without further ado, here are pictures of my new skirt.

Me wearing my new skirt.

Close up of my new skirt.

I hope you enjoyed looking at the pictures! This skirt was very easy to make, once I made it the right size and understood the pleats. It took me two days to make. I will be wearing it for my high school graduation and entering in the fair for my 4-H clothing project!