Oh, sewing....my first love! I so enjoy the beginning, the middle, the finished product "end"! Love it all.
A tiny linen tablecloth, but that
embroidery caught my eye. Great thrift store find! And so, the
beginning....
Now, I love the pillowcase dress, and it has been a crowd-pleaser for
sure, so I kept in in mind while thinking about what to do with such a
neat find. As the season dictates, longer sleeves are appropriate, and
this one had just the right amount to satisfy both the dress length and
sleeves. Bonus!
I cut off the top of the tablecloth for the sleeves, after measuring to make sure the length of the dress would be enough..
The front needed something, so I found a bit of plaid from my stash and made it the center front.
To
make the raglan-style sleeves, I just cut diagonally on the corners of
the dress body and the sleeves. After attaching the sleeves to the
body, I cut a slight curve in the top of the sleeve.
Found some vintage bias tape I had picked up at Burley Park a few years ago and applied, then pulled a length of elastic through the casing.
The sleeves were a bit too long, so I added a length of elastic inside near the elbows, giving the upper arm area a little bit of a pouf.
The fabric is linen, possibly a cotton blend, and it would be perfect for a party or play! Can be found at Kindel & Company, marked at $24. Stay tuned and look for tshirt-lined sweaters coming up soon as well. Love and peace to all of you, my friends!
Yes, I still sew. But I have side projects and ideas and DIY ADD that need attention.
Since I started repurposing fabric like it's my job, it has made me think way outside the box and the big box stores. You can make that? Really? What the stink!?! It has opened up possibilities beyond sewing and the kitchen (four years ago, I was smug thinking I knew how to make taco seasoning packets from scratch... I like humble beginnings).
What else can a person make if they are so inclined?
I'm so inclined.
So beauty stuff got really interesting. One site in particular has me in awe and keeps me inspired....www.crunchybetty.com. Great reading, great recipes and inspiration abounding. She has a book, "Food on Your Face", which is on my Christmas list. I don't mean to gush, but you know how some people admire actors and celebrities? Bloggers are my celebrities! I love that talented people take the time to write and share their abilities and their genius. I have a lineup of bookmarks at the top of my browser of my favorite blogs so I can get there really quick-like. Because of ideas from blogs, I'm fascinated by what I can pass in the HBC aisle these days . Fun fact about me: I have been shampoo-free for 3 years now. You can
back away quickly when you hear this, but it's true, and I'm not
filthy. Didn't know it was feasible, and I can't fathom going back. But I digress....
There was once a day when I wouldn't leave the house/dorm room/apartment/camper without "my face". I'm far less concerned about it in recent years, but it is still nice to have the option. I vowed at one point that I would never be so poor that I couldn't purchase mascara. I have blonde eyelashes, so that leads to questions about my health and well-being when I appear washed out due to lack of mascara. However, I worry about putting scary chemicals so close to my eyes, and I remember the old myth about bat guano as an ingredient.....
And.....google it as fast as my stubby little fingers can manage. After perusing for a bit, one concoction caught my attention: Aloe vera gel and activated charcoal. Hey! I have that!
Trial and (messy) error, I got a good consistency. So I mixed up a batch and put it in a jar. The next day, it was watery and had a grey goo covering it. Sick. I tried it again with a super-clean, steamy jar. Again, next day, gross gloop. Necessary to make one batch at a time? Makes it pretty tempting to go with store-bought or skip it altogether, and I'm over the top, freaky weird about not giving up on homemade. And at last....I have it!
Ta-da! DIY, homemade mascara!
In a cute little jar, combine....
1 teaspoon activated charcoal
1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
1 pinch salt
Mix thoroughly but carefully, it can get messy. Scoop out a bit onto your palm and use an old mascara wand to apply. When ready to apply the next day, if it is a little dry, scoop a little onto your hand and add a drop of aloe vera gel and mix.
In conclusion:
It has now lasted me 4 days, sans grey flora. It takes an extra minute to prepare compared to store-bought, but it isn't about the 60 seconds of inconvenience for a granola-phile like myself. My lashes look nice, and I'm convinced that are longer since I've started using this recipe. Like so long they are almost tangled and need to be combed. If anybody tries this, will you comment on eyelash growth? It might just be wishful thinking, so I'd like some other opinions. I would also love to hear about your DIY stuff if you'd like to share, so do feel free to comment. Check out www.crunchybetty.com if you want more ideas about changing up your routine.
Now back to my sewing machine. Halloween is just around the corner and I have costumes to make.
http://doodahkids.blogspot.com/2012/10/i-made-mascara-eurekaaaaaaaeeeeh-maybe.html
