Thursday, April 4, 2013

I Sewed With Elastic Thread!

First, thank you all so much for your really in depth advice about makeup. Based on your responses, I went out and got an eyeliner pencil, mascara and light colored eye shadow and some neutral lip gloss in a shade called "nude". I found some tutorials online about how to apply eyeshadow and basic makeup. So, I tried it all out. I got some ivory concealer and already had some clear powder.

I don't think I will use the 3 colors of eyeshadow the tutorial I found said to use. I got a package that had 2 colorways, each with 3 shades. I tried the lighter of the 2 colors using the various colors for browbone, eyelid and crease as per the tutorial but it was waaaaaayy too much. The very light violet by itself looks okay, and the eyeliner looks sort of okay (almost too much though) and the mascara looks okay. The lipgloss is a huge improvement over the lipstick - thanks for suggesting that! It's enough to make me look like I am dressed up, but hopefully not enough to make people stop and think "oh my gosh she looks so weird she doesn't normally look like that does she??"

Anyway, I also got some new fabric to make a different dress for the wedding. I had wanted to make my own dress anyway, but couldn't find fabric I liked/could afford and so in desperation I went out and got that bright green dress. It *is* a cute dress but guess what? I found some fabric I liked! And it was only $1.50 a yard in the Wal Mart bargain bin. It's a really pretty pale silvery-blue-green. It is super lightweight so I'm lining it and am making the Grecian Sundress from the free Tanit-Isis pattern.
It's so cute when she pulls up to a standing position because she looks impossibly tiny to be standing on her own two little legs. 

It calls for shirring with elastic thread - something I had never done before. I got the thread and was scared to try to use it. I like the shirred look but usually obtain that through other ways, like casings and elastic, or stretching-elastic-as-you-sew-it or something like that. I had a little bit of yellow calico left from a project I did this week for a friend from church and so I decided to try out the shirring technique on a small garment since it wouldn't be as big of a waste if it didn't come out right.

But it *did* come out!

I was excited and thrilled. I am still nervous about using it on my dress but I hope it comes out like I plan. If not, well, I always have the bright green dress I can wear instead.

For the dress I cut a narrow rectangle approximately double her waist measure in width and from her armpit to just below her knee in length. I hemmed the top normally and then shirred for about 4". I attached a ruffle at the bottom of the skirt (double the width of the skirt) and then made little ruffled shoulder straps to attach at the top. It seriously took an hour, maybe. So easy! But such cute results.

Love,
Sarah

6 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness that little yellow dress on your darling is adorable! Good luck on your new dress!

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  2. Love the little dress! Very cute details!

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  3. I have nominated you for an inspiring blogger award

    www.historyseamstress.wordpress.com

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  4. P.S. So it actually is a Grecian inspired pattern...
    And oh my, please do not smile in a modern fashion! It's not a modern fashion, it's just a modern American fashion (I'm Czech, so I know), and honestly, if it's not you, why bother? I like the way you smile in that photo with your daughter much more. ;-)

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  5. Hana-Marmota, haha, thanks for the advice. ;) I'm glad to know this is just a modern American fashion - it really feels so fake and it is really NOT me. Sure they may be times I smile like that spontaneously but to plaster that on your face whenever someone holds up a camera? Ugh...not me...but I know everyone else will be smiling like that. Maybe the fad for big smiles will fade out as time passes. Hopefully! It's not flattering to many.

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  6. I am trying to contact you as I would like to use one of your photos (the coif ones) for a portarait. If you get this message please contact me so that I can ask your permission to use the photots. Adrian Jordan U.K.
    ajordan@mercianart,com

    my website is mercianart.com

    many thanks

    Adrian

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your lovely thoughts!