Just one week's growth!

These were planted exactly a week ago. Look at those cucumbers! There are two types of tomatos, two types of cucs, yellow squash, zuchini, marigolds and zinnias here. I'm trying to go the cheap route and start as much as I can from seeds. So far things are going well!

Monster Monday

Dex just has to find a way to be involved in whatever is going on...

This is him in my sewing machine carrier, wrapped up in quilt blocks I was piecing together. Kitty heaven.

I gave Molly a really stupid-looking haircut over the weekend. She's in hiding for now. I keep telling her if her momma loved her more she'd have gotten a better hair cut...

My droid is perverting my communication!

I replaced the trusty dusty blackberry curve with a droid pro about a month ago. Love, love, love. Except the spell check on my text messaging. It turns "Dex" into "sex" and "pedis" into "penis". So... when talking about my cat or asking my girlfriend if she's up for pedicures... yeah... This is where I learn to look before I hit send.

I love technology.

Monster Monday

Yes, I know. Its Tuesday. However, due to technical difficulty, I wasn't able to upload a picture of Molly McGee yesterday and I'm having the same problems today. Such is life. And so this week, there's only Dex.



I took this picture of Dexter over the weekend. I was given this quilt made out of some sort of nasty poly-acrylic fabric and it is headed to the thrift store where someone who does not know and appreciate the value of good cotton quilts will enjoy it more than the closet of my spare bedroom ever will. But first, it was well-loved by a certain kitty of mine. Sorry Dex, its not staying.

B4789

I've been holding onto this post for a few days waiting for my neighbor's internet signal to strengthen. No such luck. So unfortunately, you get crappy blackberry pictures. This will end soon. I promise. I'm having my own internet installed in the next month.

This dress, a Maggie London from Butterick, was hands down the easiest dress I've ever made. Four pieces, no sleeves to set, no gathers, just a little twist and some seams through the underbust and up the sides and you've got a dress. A great fitting dress. I was surprised and impressed.





I made this one out of an ITY knit from Denver Fabrics that I've had in my stash for about a year. Great pattern for a material like this. Especially in a print where you don't need to worry about matching the pattern. The only thing I would do differently if I made this again would be to leave out the center back seam and cut on a fold. Its an unnecessary seem.

How to Re-Wear a Bridesmaid's Dress

I've mentioned my love for RIT dye previously. Once again, let me proclaim its awesomeness.

Anyone who has shelled out the big bucks for a bridesmaid dress can understand the sinking feeling you get when yet another one of your friends excitedly bestows the honor of attending her in her wedding upon you. Oh yay, I'm so happy for you! But geez another dress I'll never wear that will cost me more than my entire wardrobe... (Slight exageration) And we've all heard the, "Oh just shorten it and you can wear it again!" mantra. Ummm... no. No you can't. It still looks like a bridesmaid dress in a color I would never purchase for myself in a polyester no one but a bridesmaid has worn since the '90s.

Well, here's a trick that might help those of you with one of the cotton-blend dresses that were so popular from David's Bridal the last several bridal seasons.

RIT dye. It won't dye the lining, zipper, or thread, so pick a color that works with the origininal color of the dress. I chose black, but the final product came out navy. Just follow the directions on the package and you'll go from this:





To this:





With very little effort or extra moolah involved.

I also added a little rosette made from some fabric I had lying around my studio. I used my gathering foot to sew the blue satin to the polka-dot sheer and then gathered by hand into a rosette and tacked it on the waistband of the skirt. Cheap and cheerful and really helps the dress look less like bridal-party-wear.



Ps. Excuse the crappy blackberry pics in the bathroom mirror with my laundry drying behind me. Its what happens when your brand new dryer starts shooting sparks.

Monster Monday

Dexter the inspector. Checking my measurements.


I can definitely see where the phrase, "curiosity killed the cat" comes from.

This one is Molly ontop of the "spare airmattress" and the lump next to her is Dexter underneath the comforter.