oh sew lovely

aprons!

2011-05-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

I made these two aprons for my friend's sister and I'm pretty happy with the results.

P.S. Sorry for the icky photos, I was too lazy to deal with my camera settings lol.

mint chocolate chip dress

2011-05-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

a.k.a. The Million Mistakes Dress

Only read the below paragraph if you have way too much time on your hands ;)

I cut this dress out a month ago, and promptly forgot about it. Then when I started working on it again I decided that the bodice would look amazing with a bias tape trim. Yeah, wrong! I chose a bright yellow (should have used the baby blue) from my stash and was horrified when I saw the final combo of brown and yellow. So I gave up and considered cutting it up (to show the dress who was boss of course). Thankfully I didn't cut it up, and instead came back to it last weekend. I turned the ugly bias to the inside, top-stitched and was relatively happy with the result. After attaching the skirt and putting in the invisible zipper I got the brilliant idea that the skirt need to be shorter. And of course I decided to just guess at how much shorter, instead of putting it on. FAIL! I cut off way too much and once again abandoned the dress. My mom gave me the brilliant idea to use a pretty fabric for the bottom and I chose this Amy Butler (?) scallop print. And the dress looked great until I decided to hem it with bright pink thread. I still have to rip out the hem and redo it white, but overall I'm pretty happy with the dress, and even more happy that I'm finally done with it. <3

have a happy weekend!

where do I even start?

2011-05-08T21:54:00.000-07:00

Well first off, it is Mother's Day, so obviously this post is going to be about my mom :) A lot of you have been asking how she's doing with the cancer (thanks :)) She is in remission!!!!!!!!! We, meaning our little family of three, knew she would be fine. But it was such a relief to meet with her doctor and hear the words come out of a professional's mouth :)

I was planning on being super mushy so my Mommy would know how much I love her. But as I was looking through pictures I realized that she already knows, because she loves me as much as I love her. Okay, already getting teary-eyed. But really, she is amazing and I can't even imagine what my life would be like without her. For 21 years she has protected me as much as possible, and pushed me to always do better. She is my BFF.

Here are some photos of us from the last few years. Maybe next year I'll scan the photos of us from my childhood :)

Hope you had a lovely day with your mum <3

spray paint magic

2011-05-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

I found these plant stands in an alley and have wanted to paint them for a long time now, and I finally got around to it last weekend. I love how a simple coat of paint can transform something from icky to beautiful :)

Before:

After:

date night dress?

2011-05-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

Ikat is one of my favorite prints, after florals and polka dots of course. My mom bought this fabric for me in the Summer of 2009, and I was going to make a maxi dress out of it. Well it's been 2 years and I finally used it to make this cute dress for a date tonight :) I sort of used this pattern, but really only for the bodice, and I did away with the ginormous ruffles.

So here's the funny thing, I hate how this dress looks on me and will not be wearing it on my date tonight. The neckline is too low, the hem is too high, and the gathers at my tummy are not doing me any favors. I love the dress, the fabrics, my beautiful invisible zipper. But it makes me look fat, and according to my mom my eyes just don't sparkle when I put it on. So this dress will be going to my friend, Rachel. She is petite, lacks any type of tummy, and is sure to sparkle in this dress :)

Enjoy this beautiful day.

from Columbia with love

2011-05-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

The second I saw this dress I fell in love with it. My parents brought it back from Columbia for me, and it is just perfect. Well almost perfect. The sleeves made me look like I had the broadest shoulders ever.

So I gently seam-ripped the sleeves, being careful not to tear the beautiful crochet work, and then finished the armholes with seam binding. Now I have a beautiful flowy dress that I'm sure I'll be living in come Summer time :)

Just look at the beautiful neckline!

note to self: MUST learn to crochet soon.

a quick little re-fashion

2011-04-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Goodwill had all dresses on sale for $5.99. I may have gone to at least 4 or 5 Goodwills around LA in one week and bought at least 15 dresses. It is possible ;) Some of the dresses were perfect as-is, but some were in need of a little help. I'm pretty sure the dress below is a child's dress, but it fits, so who cares lol. It had this weird shirt attached that made me look like a five year old.

So I just cut the top out, and voila! a simple summer dress. I'm such a lover of stripes. I know they supposedly add visual weight, but for some reason I feel that I look thinner in horizontal stripes.

So looking forward to Summer <3

wedding dress shopping

2011-01-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

I've spent the past two Monday afternoons with my lovely friend Stephanie while she picked out a wedding dress. We had so much fun and she found a beautiful (and my favorite lol) dress that is absolutely perfect for her June wedding. I love Steph because she's not a bridezilla. She didn't freak out if I told her that I hated a dress that she had picked out, or the time I told her the waistband of one of the dresses looked like it was holding a bunch of folded up napkins.

This is what I wore:

sweater: thrifted, top: thrifted, leggings: Target, boots: Target, bag: Urban Outfitters

I really wish we had gotten a picture of the seamstress looking really confused as I ran around in a long veil. lol.

what a lovely day.

happy 2011

2011-01-04T14:22:00.000-08:00

Long time no post. So I have a quick little money saving sewing tip for all of you.

Because I sew A LOT it's really expensive to buy tiny spools of thread, and my machine is not equipped to use serger thread. So I did something about it ;)

I simply put a spool of serger thread in a (cute vintage) coffee cup and threaded my machine as usual.

The placement of the coffee cup and where you start threading may be different depending on how your machine is set up. Don't be afraid to fool around with the placement and your tension until you get it just right :)

happy sewing.

so womanly ;)

2010-11-19T16:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Ovaries,

I know you hate me because I don't plan on using you for children. Sorry my heart aches for the orphans in Ethiopia instead of birthing my "own" babies. But do you really have to cause me so much pain!?!? I'm only 21, shouldn't I have a few years before I start getting cysts? So in conclusion... Leave me the F alone! The pain sucks!

Love,

Your Home For Now

a funny quote

2010-11-18T09:41:00.000-08:00

This summer I taught several kids sewing classes to sweet little girls that were full of funny thoughts. I've been meaning to post this one since then, so here it is.

"I don't really like being Christian, well except for Jesus. He's really awesome!"

-Little V

and here's another...

"Live, Love, Sew; That The Way We Roll."

-Little P

some thoughts

2010-11-17T21:40:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is one week away from Thanksgiving, which is one month away from Christmas, which is basically the end of 2010! I just looked at my goals for this year, and pretty much I have failed. But I feel mixed because I have accomplished a lot and been through hellish times. So am I really a failure because I didn't accomplish those goals? Or did my goals just change? Let's review my goals...

1. Lose at least 25 lbs.
So I gained 10lbs because I'm an emotional eater and my mom had cancer. Now I have 35lbs to lose and I am 20lbs over the most I thought I would ever weigh.

2. Cook at least 1 meal a week.
Yeah, um that I really did fail at ;)

3. Blog at least once a week.
Ooh another fail, but at the same time not a fail because I just didn't want to.

4. Teach Bella to sit, stay, come, down, roll over, shake, and speak.
She can sit and down when I have a treat, and come when she feels like it. She does this adorable version of roll over where she rolls onto her back and looks at me like, "Is this good enough?", and it always is.

~~5. Get my real estate license and sell/buy 1 house.~~
Um what was I thinking lol? So not in my future :)

6. Stay in control of my spending.
For the most part I totally rocked at this. But I may have had a brief Iced Soy Latte addiction that I'm still battling.

7. Buy a car.
My pretty Prius :) Currently I'm getting 43.6 mph. You know you're jealous.

8. Get a tattoo.
I still have time for this one.

9. Find a charity to believe in and give to.
check.

10. Stop cursing like a sailor.
Well on the positive side, I don't curse in front of clients?

Well I think it's a combo, I failed at some and my goal changed.

have an oh sew lovely day ;)

P.S. My Mommy's cancer is all gone!!!!!!! Remission baby!!!!!!!!!!!

Magnolia Bakery finally opens in LA!!!

2010-07-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

So the Friday before last I was able to attend the pre-opening party at Magnolia Bakery with the lovely Sasha. Guests were given free reign of the desserts, champagne, and picture taking, and it was lovely. If you're not familiar with Magnolia they basically started the cupcake craze when they appeared in an episode of Sex In The City. But it turns out that they have other amazing creations too, like banana pudding, amazing cheesecakes, the blueberry jamboree (my favorite), cookies, cakes, ice box pies, and so much more. The owner is really sweet, and smart because he totally had me addicted before they even opened up. Oh the joys of working on 3rd St and getting free samples :)

So in love with the ceiling. Sounds odd but the ceiling is just so fun.

This picture doesn't even capture how pretty it is inside.

Pretty sprinkles :)

I'm so in love with her scarf! I asked her if she made it but it turns out it's vintage.

Seriously the BEST banana pudding ever!

Yes, that dog is eating a Red Velvet cake. lol.

Stuffing my face with the Blueberry Jamboree. Yummy.

Magnolia Bakery is located at the corner of West 3rd St. and Orlando in LA.

beautiful video

2010-06-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

cancer sucks, but her attitude doesn't

2010-06-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

January my amazing mom found the tiniest of lumps in her right breast.

February she was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer.

April a double mastectomy was performed.

May was spent healing, both physically and emotionally.

June chemo started, along with the loss of her hair.

Although it has been a roller coaster ride we have tried to stay as positive as possible, and it has really helped. The moments of pity and anger are normal and totally ok, we just try not to linger in them for too long. The type of breast cancer that my mom had ("had" because there is not a trace of it left in her body) is the rarest, but we were blessed because she found it in its earliest stage.

My Mommy is amazing, my BFF and always there for me. She has guided me through everything and taught me so much :) I'm so proud of the way that she has chosen to approach this sucky situation. She'll be the first to admit that its easier for her to be negative rather than positive, but she is trying so hard now to look on the bright side. I love her forever :)

My Daddy is pretty awesome too :) He shaved his head to show his support for my mom.

Our "bald" heads :)

What's for dinner?

2010-06-13T22:49:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been on a quesadilla kick, they're quick and satisfy my cravings for "real" food. Currently I'm making my quesadillas with organic tortillas, peppered or crumbled goat cheese (SO yummy, and a little goes a long way), and pico de gallo salsa. These ingredients are way better, in taste and health, than the normal cheddar cheese and beef/chicken.

I tend to eat the same food for a while until I get sick of it, and then move on to another thing and then again get sick of it. Are you seeing a pattern? I just might have a bit of an addictive personality. lol. Either that, or I get comfortable with a routine.

On a side note I'm LOVING that Blogger has finally added new and customizable page designs. I think I might change this design and layout way to often like I did in high school with my myspace. Seriously, I would change it like every week. lol.

Well here's to a lovely week :)

this will make you lol

2010-06-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

I found this on A CUP OF JO, one of my favorite blogs, and I could not stop laughing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do :)

fashion blogger?

2010-06-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

So I would love to be a hardcore fashion blogger that has an American Apparel ad on my blog and wears really uncomfortable shoes. lol. Hopefully that will happen one day. When I was a little girl I dreamed of becoming a super model, but then I didn't grow very tall and realized that I love food way to much. I'm hoping that my love of posing and just being in front of a camera will come back. But I just feel kind of awkward when I'm the only one in a picture. I guess I'll just keep forcing Bella to be in my pictures too. lol.

This picture was taken in Los Feliz, currently my favorite part of LA <3

You know that school that they use as an exterior shot in almost every TV show ever made? Well I found it one day while driving through Los Feliz. I'm sure I could have just googled it, but stumbling upon it was so much more exciting :) Somehow I was able to talk Dani into taking a bunch of pics of me with my pretty new camera. Here are a few of my favorites:

(I had a brilliant idea to jump over Bella, luckily I did not land on her when she made a run for it)

have an oh sew lovely day

Flickr

2010-06-02T17:59:00.001-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

too long!

2010-05-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

Hello World :) I really am determined to blog more. lol. I just need to get my camera fixed and then I'll be good to go :) So I thought I'd give a quick update on my goals for this year....

1. Lose at least 25 lbs.
Um, I gained 10 so I now have 35 to loose :/

2. Cook at least 1 meal a week.
Does salad count?

3. Blog at least once a week.
Hahaha. That's a good one. I'm starting now!

4. Teach Bella to sit, stay, come, down, roll over, shake, and speak.
She can sit, stay, come, and down. But only when she wants to or I have food. She also heels and doesn't pee quite so much when she freaks out.

5. Get my real estate license and sell/buy 1 house.
Um what was I thinking? Soooo not for me. Instead I changed up my business, and now make more money and am a happy person again :)

6. Stay in control of my spending.
Check! Although I have started buying new clothing which I'm determined to stop. I have a million projects that are just waiting for me.

7. Buy a car.
'07 Prius!!! woot woot. I love, love, love my car :)

8. Get a tattoo.
I'm going to have a little thread spool done on the left side of my ribs at some point this month! I'm trying to get my Daddy to draw it for me, but he almost had a mini stroke when I asked him. But seriously, his face totally spasmed and he looked super scared.

9. Find a charity to believe in and give to.
I have found the charity, now I just need to give. I plan on sponsoring a little girl first and then a little boy :) Check it out: Children's HopeChest

10. Stop cursing like a sailor.
This really depends on the moment, but I am really trying lol.

So overall I'd say that I'm doing a pretty good job on my goals :) Here's a pic of me eating some Diddy Reese in Westwood. Pic taken by the oh sew lovely Dani :) I think I look like a little kid in this pic.

2010

2010-01-01T17:07:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010 lovelies! I thought that I'd post my goals for 2010 :)

1. Lose at least 25 lbs.
2. Cook at least 1 meal a week.
3. Blog at least once a week.
4. Teach Bella to sit, stay, come, down, roll over, shake, and speak.
5. Get my real estate license and sell/buy 1 house.
6. Stay in control of my spending.
7. Buy a car.
8. Get a tattoo.
9. Find a charity to believe in and give to.
10. Stop cursing like a sailor.

Here's to an oh sew lovely year!

hello again

2009-12-29T20:29:00.000-08:00

I hope that you all had a lovely Christmas. These last few months have been a whirlwind of both good and bad for me. But as always I'm ready for a new year to start, and optimistic about what I will accomplish.

For my 20th birthday in October my parents gave me this:

Her name is Bella, and I cannot describe the amount of joy she brings into my life. I really wanted a dog, but I had no idea that I would absolutely fall in love with this little crazy ball of fur. If you are floundering in life and have the money (the vet visits are pricey), I highly recommend rescuing a dog :)

More to come in 2010 :)

last week

2009-09-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

What did I do last week?

Made 21 pillows for a wedding.

Went to a screening of "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" with my Daddy.

Celebrated Courtney's 20th birthday.

I can't wait for to see what this week will bring.

t-shirt quilt

2009-09-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

Shirley had me make this quilt for her daughter Julia who will be going to college in Chicago. Shirley is an total sweetheart and has been secretly keeping Julia's t-shirts after she out grew them. I really hope that Julia likes the quilt and has an amazing time in Chicago <3

AromA

2009-09-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was spent with Danielle searching for vintage clothing that was actually worth buying. In the process we stumbled upon an amazing estate sale in Beverly Hills in the coolest house. It was a bit stuck in the 70s, but it was so gorgeous and HUGE!

Then it was off to the Melrose Trading Post (or whatever they're calling it now), and as usual we were quite dissapointed. Several thrift stores later I came to the conclusion that West Hollywood is just not my place, and so we went back over the hill and into Studio City :)

We spent the rest of the day at AromA just people watching and having a simply wonderful time.

have an oh sew lovely day.

photo by Danielle

well hello there

2009-09-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

I really am trying to post more, life just seems to get in the way ;) Pictures of projects and life tomorrow. Until then, have an oh sew lovely day.

(yummy breakfast at AromA)

pretty fabric

2009-08-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my latest creation. I made it today at the lounge between cleaning and teaching a beginner class. Have an oh sew lovely day.

it's been a LONG time

2009-08-14T21:37:00.000-07:00

Hello Loves. Well I doubt that a single soul actually reads this blog any more. But that is about to change because I've been inspired to create a lovely blog.

So what have I been up to since my last post? Hmm. Well... I opened The Sewing Lounge in beautiful Burbank, CA. The lounge has become my life and I love it (most of the time lol) :)

Please check back soon. For now I leave you with a picture of my life...

hello again

2009-01-12T08:40:00.000-08:00

Well I've meant to post but I've just been so busy lately. But a good busy because my dreams are starting to come true and I'm slowly but surely starting my business. yay! Today I start my last quarter at FiDM! I'm so excited and can't wait for my last day on March 23rd!

Have a lovely day :)

baby gifts

2009-01-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

So this a jumper that I bought at the thrift store, it just wouldn't button over my tatas. lol. But I loved that it was a polka doted corduroy so I decided to make it into a skirt. I love it but I still haven't worn it yet.

I made the beanies for the lady that owns the shop next to the shop that I work at. She has 5 month old boy and girl twins and I thought the argyle would be perfect for them. They were really simple. I used a pattern from burdastyle.com and then cut them from an old sweater of mine and a sweater that I dug out of a dumpster (don't worry I washed it first).

This is a baby blanket that I made for my boss's new baby boy. It was a quilted comforter from the 70s. I simply cut it down, quilted some more, and then added the edging.

P.S. That's not my sewing machine. It's the machine that I use at work and I love how it looks, but I hate how it sews. :)

Wardrobe Refashion

2009-01-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

I pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 months. I pledge that i shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovated, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings!

Christmas Time

2008-12-14T10:51:00.000-08:00

Because of final projects, finals, and work I've been to busy to sew lately. But I thought I'd post a refashion that I did a while ago.

I dug this dress out of the dumpster at my local thrift store because I knew that I could do something with it. When I found out that I would be spending Christmas on a cruise ship in Mexico I knew exactly what to do. I made a cute little cover-up. All I had to do was take the sleeves off and take the bottom part off. Very little sewing was needed because of the lace. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I hope that you have a lovely Christmas :)

homework

2008-12-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

I would much rather be sewing one of my several projects right now. Or playing with my pretty "new to me" serger :)

But instead I am doing homework at Starbucks because I needed to get out of my apartment and I have soooooooo much homework. This a video of an annoying man that has been talking loudly on his cell while he walks around, I found it amusing and I thought that you might too. He has been doing this for the past 10 minutes. lol.

have a lovely day

first post

2008-12-02T22:34:00.000-08:00

So this is my first post on this blog. I say this blog because I had another blog that I set up but I then forgot the password and what email address I had used. oops.

Basically I'll be posting about my sewing adventures and anything I find interesting.

Please come back soon, I promise things will get better :)

(It's a Small World)