I'm still here!

Hello everyone! It's been awhile, but I'm still here! These past few weeks have been very busy and exciting. So far, I am surviving the nursing program. It is hard, but it is also doable. It isn't nearly as hard as they made it sound at orientation and it is a lot easier now compared to the first week of classes. Everyone was so overwhelmed during the first week, but now we know more of what to expect. 

These are all my books for first semester. Now, you can see why I haven't been doing any sewing! These books have taken over my life! Just kidding, not quite. It's impossible to read all of them, but they are good resources to have, especially since some of them cover the same information. We have e-books too, which is a huge relief for my back!

Hopefully, I will be able to do a little sewing this semester. I have heard from other students and the professors that it is important to take time for yourself. I'm also participating in a Valentine's Day mug swap hosted by Sew Caroline and Rags to Stitches. I bought my partner's goodies today, and I'll be blogging about it on Valentine's Day!

I hope you're all staying warm! We're supposed to get 6-9 inches of snow tomorrow! It would be so great to have a day off of school. What's the weather like where you are?

~Elizabeth

The Bebe Dress

Today was a fairly warm and wet day in Minnesota. However, I didn't let the rain stop me from having a photoshoot wearing my new dress! The best part is, the umbrella matches my dress perfectly! The dress is The Bebe Dress from Serendipity Studio. I got the pattern and the fabric for my birthday last summer and I just got started making it after Christmas. My mom did a wonderful job picking out the fabric - it has my favorite colors in it!

I wanted to finish this dress before the new year, so I could say I made two dresses in 2012. Although I was up sewing on New Year's eve, I didn't get it all done. Now I can say this is my first clothing project in 2013!

This is the second dress I've made, and the fit is perfect. I did make a muslin because I didn't want to mess anything up. Kay Whitt's patterns are always so easy to follow. I did ask her a few questions and she responded very quickly! The only changes I made were lengthening the skirt (since the pattern is made for someone with a height of 5'4 and I am 5'7). I also made an XS bodice and a S skirt, since my measurements didn't match up exactly and the pattern provides directions for doing so.

There are several variations provided in the pattern! I made mine with a pleated skirt, the shorter sleeve, a contrasting waistline band, and a bias hemband. There are darts in the front and side bodice too. The dress has an invisible zipper, which I had several problems with.

It was fun taking pictures in the rain!

The zipper seemed to go in alright. I used Kay's fabulous tutorial for putting an invisible zipper in with a regular zipper foot. I have put a few invisible zippers in before, so I had an idea of what I needed to do. First, I ended up sewing one side of the zipper on backwards, so I had to take it out. That was the only minor (or so it seemed) problem I ran into at that point. I finished the dress, put in the facing and the hemband and everything seemed fine. The dress looked great! Until....

I tried the dress on, the zipper got stuck and it broke! I could not believe it! All that work and the zipper decides to break. No matter how hard we tried, the zipper would not budge. I was very upset and I ended up putting the dress away for a few days. After an email to Kay Whitt, she told me I could leave the facings in but I would have to take the back seam out in order to replace the zipper.

 

I have to admit, it was a pain to replace the zipper, especially with the facings still in place. Once I sat down to finally do it, it didn't take too long though. The worst part was ripping it out. The zipper stops about 1/2 inch from the top of the back as you can see in the above photo. It's the only thing I don't like about the dress, but it's not really noticeable. Does anyone have any tips for making the top of the zipper look neat on a dress? This is something I need to work on in future projects.

This dress will definitely be a new favorite. I plan on wearing it a lot this coming spring and summer. I might even make another dress with this pattern - the gathered version would be fun to try.

Here's a close up of my earrings. My aunt made them and gave them to me for Christmas. I think they are very pretty and they go well with my new dress! 

~Elizabeth

Little Dresses

 Hello everyone! Recently, I have been busy sewing little dresses for my baby sister. It is so much fun to sew little dresses because they are so cute and they take such little fabric!

First up, is her Christmas dress, which is actually two dresses in one!

 I used the Shortcake Reversible Romper and Dress pattern from The Cottage Mama. This was my first time using the pattern, but it was very easy to follow. It is fully lined, so there are no exposed seams, which makes it fully reversible. I made a size 6 month, and I was able to use fabric from the scrap pile. There are no buttonholes or zippers, so it is very simple and the straps tie at the top.

 I made another Shortcake Reversible Dress, but this one is more springy.

 There is an option to add ric-rac and other trims. I think I want to try some embellishments if I use this pattern again. Ruffles would be fun too! It is a simple dress, but it provides lots of opportunity to make it your own.

My sisters and I on Christmas Day!

The third dress is another pattern from The Cottage Mama - The Janey Jumper. I have made this pattern before, so I knew what to expect. It was very easy and there are lots of variations to choose from including ruffles, scallops, or patchwork. I chose to make the ruffle variation for this dress.

The pattern was very easy to follow and very straight forward. I love the little details with the topstitching around the neck and armholes and the button closure on the back. This dress is also fully lined, so there are no seams exposed. I used a pinking shears when I trimmed the seams, especially around the neck and armholes. I used fabric from the scrap pile for this dress too.

Isn't she just adorable?

What have you been sewing lately?

~Elizabeth

Happy New Year!

Happy 2013!!

 

I hope you are all having a wonderful start to the new year. 2012 was a great year and I am looking forward to what 2013 will bring! I worked in the morning and then had a nice relaxing day with my family.

I have been sewing quite a bit during my break from school, so I will be showing you some new projects soon!

 

Happy New Year!

 

~Elizabeth

Zipper Pouch Sewing Swap

Awhile back, I participated in a sewing swap that was put on by Heather of The Sewing Loft. We could make any kind of purse, pouch, or bag as long as it had a zipper. I used the Open Wide Zipper Pouch tutorial from Anna of Noodlehead. It was so easy to make and there are three different sizes to choose from. I have made a couple other zipper pouches using this same tutorial. My partner's favorite color is red, so I decided to use that color in her bag.

 

I made the small size, which is about 9 x 6 inches tall when finished. It is very roomy too.

 

 

My partner made me this adorable coin purse! I love the colors and it is the perfect size. Now I won't lose all my coins in my purse!

 

 Here's the inside - the lining is very pretty.  

 

I had so much fun participating in this swap! It is just as fun making something for someone as it is receiving something especially if it is a surprise package coming in the mail!

 

~Elizabeth

 

St. Nicholas Day Surprise

Today, is the feast of St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra in the third century. He was a very kind and wealthy man, giving much of what he had to the poor and needy. He is the real Santa Claus.

As one story goes, there was a man who had three daughters. In order to get married, they had to have money - a dowry. The man was very poor and did not have any money, so it seemed as though his daughters would be sold into slavery. However, one night a they found a bag of gold by their fireplace. The next night, a second bag of gold was found and then a third. The three daughters had their dowries and would not be sold into slavery. Nicholas was the one who had given the gold to the man and his daughters. That is how the tradition of putting your shoes out on the eve of St. Nicholas Day came about.

Over my Thanksgiving break, I made three zippered pouches for my roommates. I wanted it to be a Christmas gift for them because they are such wonderful roommates! We leave for break before Christmas, so I decided to surprise them with their gifts for St. Nicholas Day. I wrapped their gifts up in pretty paper and decorative gift bags.


Here they are, all packaged up!

Once they leave for school, I will put them in their rooms, and they will have a surprise waiting for them when they get home later today!

Roommate #1 will get this lovely Girlfriend Zipper Pouch. It is just the right size and it even has pockets inside! If you want to make one, you can find the tutorial at Blue Susan Makes. It was super easy and fun too! I love the ruffle detail on the front.

 

 

Roommate #2 will get this awesome pencil pouch! It is perfect for her since she wants to be a teacher. The numbers are perfect too, because she loves math! It is super easy to follow and you can find the tutorial at Gwenny Penny. I will be making several more of these!

 

 

Roommate #3 is from South Korea, and she loves anything I sew. She has watched me sew and wants me to teach her! I decided to make her this open wide zipper pouch from Noodlehead. The fun thing about this tutorial is you can choose from 3 different sizes to make. I was going to make a medium but I made a mistake when cutting, so I had to make a small. This is another great tutorial that I will be using again!

 

 

 

 My crafty and thoughtful sister wanted to make something for all of my roommates too. She made these felt Christmas tree ornaments. Aren't they so cute? She did a great job!

 

 

 

I know my roommates will love their surprises! Have you been sewing any Christmas gifts lately?

 

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

 

~Elizabeth

 

Sweet N Sour Meat Loaf

A few weeks ago, I signed up for a recipe swap hosted by Ashley, of Chevron Stitches. I was really excited for this swap because I'm always looking for new recipes and I love cooking/baking. I was paired up with Holly from NY (check out her blog here!). She sent me a recipe for Sweet N Sour Meat Loaf, which I was really excited about because meat loaf is one of my favorite things! It's so yummy. However, I have never made it myself. I have only eaten it when my mom makes it for dinner, so this gave me the perfect opportunity to try something new in the kitchen!

The recipe was very easy to make and easy to follow. I just followed everything it said. I did leave out Soy Sauce, however, because I didn't have any. I also used apple cider vinegar instead of plain vinegar, because that's all I had on hand.

Here's the recipe:

Sweet N Sour Meat Loaf

2 cups water
5 TBS brown sugar
5 TBS Vinegar
2 TBS Cornstarch
2 TBS Corn Syrup
2 TBS Soy Sauce
1 TSP Salt

Meat Loaf:
2 eggs
2 Tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 lbs ground beef

Instructions:
In a saucepan combine the first seven ingredients: bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the first six meat loaf ingredients: add 2/3 of the reserved sauce and mix well. Add ground beef and mix well. Pat into two greased loaf pans. Pour the remaining sauce over the loaves. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and thermometer reaches 160 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

The meat loaf was so delicious!! My roommates came home as it was cooking in the oven and they said it smelled so good! They both tried it and really liked it too.
Thanks for the recipe Holly! I will definetely be making this again. It was so delicious and easy to make!

~Elizabeth