Who has too much fabric?

Trick question…

There is no such thing as too much fabric.

This week I moved back into college for my final year as an undergraduate, so the stash I brought up is rather small.

I just got a bit more though! Some is for my costuming, and some is for other purposes.

lace shirt

Last weekend I was out thrifting and found this lovely stretch lace gold shirt. I’m not interested in wearing the shirt, but the lace will be perfect for my Belle outfit!

susan

This was going to be the fabric for my Susan costume, but unfortunately the fabric is a bit too bright. I found it on Fabric.com, here, and the fabric is named Turquoise Slipper Satin. Next time there’s a good sale on the fabric, I’m going to get it in Baby Blue, if I don’t find other appropriate fabric first.

trim

This trim will be a part of one of my costumes, most likely my Susan one, and it’s still awesome even if I can’t include it.

ouat

This brown lightweight knit is going to be for another wearable muslin for my Belle dress. The previous muslin was made out of a thick knit, but I want to try it with a slightly thinner one to test out how it would hang. I might also make myself a skirt or something with the extra.

In other fabric news, I’ve gotten quite a bit of yummy fabric for my own personal clothing usage!

tee

I’m planning on making a nice short sleeved shirt out of this soft navy blue fabric.

mint

When I was on this fabric shopping “trip” online, this mint lacy fabric was one of my first finds, which I want to make into a cardigan, or something cardigan like.

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I thought this brown knit would also make a nice cardigan/shawl like garment. Most of my wardrobe consists of these, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have more, right?

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And finally , I got this really neat bias binding, which I may use to bind seams on dresses and jackets and such.

So that’s my new additions to my stash, and now there must be some project working to use this and everything up!

It’s back!

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After nearly eight and a half months of hiatus, my Etsy shop is back up and running, featuring my handcrafted jewelry, and my hand-illustrated quotes!

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I actually set it up a few days ago, but I was slowly adjusting listings and re-listing items, but I finally have fifty or so of my items back up for sale, which allows me to take a step back and breathe a bit.

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My shop and this blog won’t have a ton in common, as I made this blog to highlight all of my craft hobbies, and the shop only makes up a bit, but when I have big news that I can’t believe happen with my shop, I’m probably going to share!

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Like the day after I reopened my shop when I got an order! Thanks to Steph in New Zealand!

She bought my hand-illustrated Christopher Robin quote.

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My excitement was hardly contained, until I realized that I had already packed all my supplies. That was no problem though… Just a little sifting time.

I got the quote off the next day, allowing me to work on finishing the re-listing of the shop!

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It’s ready to show off, so I’m going to link to it again here!

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Re-acquaintances

It’s been a long time now since I’ve been home, with my stash.

It’s also been a while since I’ve posted. Flying around to far places tends to mean lots of mess back at home! I’ve been cleaning. And marveling at my large and uncontrolled stash.

My stash for anything and everything, really.

Yarn

Fabric

Beads

For that matter, old makeup and clothing.

yarn stash 1

I’m going to be a senior in college this upcoming fall. The impending moving out phase will be happening soon. I don’t really want to drop any of these stashes, except perhaps the old makeup stash. I really should just clean that out.

It’s time to really clean up my stuff, and see exactly what I have.

yarn stash 2

I figure that I have enough stuff that I’d like to share that I’ll have a bunch of posts for this set.

For my yarn stash, I’ll be sharing the yarn that I have plans for, and the projects that have a bit of work done will also be shared.

yarn stash 3

My largest ufo project stash is included with my fabrics, so those will all be documented in their own posts eventually, but I’ll give you some peeks before then! My other fabrics will be divided like yarn, and I’ll let you know if I have plans for any of it!

fabric stash

Beads, beads, beads.

Do you like it? My projects for these are a little less planned, so it doesn’t get another post. I already took the opportunity to show you my creative process, or my attempt to at least, so you can probably tell that.

bead stash

As for the rest of my planning…

I’ll be working with some of my clothing to make it more appealing for me to wear, because some of it just doesn’t fit right. If I do anything particularly interesting, I’ll let you know. Even if not, I’ll probably make up a fun before and after post. A lot of it is just going to have to go.

You don’t have to see that though. Just the fun stuff, I promise!

Well that’s all for now! Got some more work to do!

I will leave you with a picture of my notions!

notions stash

T Minus One Year

In one year I’ll have a bachelor’s degree, and hopefully some sort of employment.

I’ll have had this blog for a year and four months or so.

I’ll also be going to Comic Con.

Which was the main inspiration for starting this blog in the first place.

I wanted to let you know what is to come in the next year, in a more updated and compact list than I have before.

Costuming:

TARDIS costume – Doctor Who

one year plancorded petticoat

bum roll

console skirt

bustled overskirt

underbust corset

high necked sleeveless shirt

sleeveless shrug with dangling pearl “sleeves”

time rotor necklace

hair embellishment of some sort

television monitor purse (which will attach to the corset

spats for my t-straps

Belle – Once Upon A Time

one year planLace and knit skater dress

embellishment necklace

Queen Susan – Narnia: Prince Caspian

one year planwhite underdress

blue overdress

potentially a quiver – like object

Claudia – Warehouse 13

finishedfinishing off the vest – lining and a new zipper

necklace of some sort

Steampunk base costume – potentially for Halloween. Or life in general.

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corset waist skirt

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Short sleeved high necked button down shirt – emerald green? I like this simple version of the drawing

Corded Petticoat with Corset

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short corded petticoat

Sewing:

UFO #2 – Velvet and Lace Vintage Dress

Kaylee inspired dress – Firefly

Ballroom dancing gown

Refashioned Ready To Wears (so I’m willing to be ready to wear them.)

Knitting/Crochet:

Lacy slouchy hats

Thick shawl

Some necklace making, some quote illustrations, some cards, some leatherwork.

The reason I can’t finish projects

Is because I’ve got too many going at once.

Much too many.

Because I love to start projects.

The satisfaction I get at the end, when I finish them, can barely compare. Except in some cases. Rarely.

I can’t think of an example right now…

So, here are some examples of projects I’d like to start.

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One that I’m going to start soon is a dress inspired by Kaylee’s origin story dress, in the episode “Out of Gas” and “The Message” of the show Firefly.

I’ve got the fabric I’ll use for it, but I haven’t done the proper research yet, but I’m going to start soon. Hopefully.

amy's red hoodielink

I’m also a big fan right now of Amy Pond’s red hoodie that she wears in a few of the early episodes of Doctor Who 2005’s fifth series.

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And I love Kaylee’s turquoise brocade mandarin jacket in the first episode of Firefly.

But I also am interesting in working on: Jayne’s blue sun shirt (Firefly), Amy’s black and yellow sleeveless shirt (Doctor Who), HG Well’s vest in the rocket episode (Warehouse 13). Enough of the frosting. I’m also interested in making some culottes, and some nice trousers. I’m also planning a high waisted skirt for a stealth steampunk look. And I am musing over the idea of creating a ballroom dance dress. I really enjoy dancing, and the waltz is my absolute favorite. But I don’t have anything to dance in for competitions!

I’ve got more ideas, but I’m going to continue on in another direction.

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This past June I happened to find this awesome pennanular brooch at a medieval craft fair, and I have almost nothing to use it with. It’s quite heavy, made of iron I think, so I need something substantial to wear it with. I only have one item that fits this bill, but I’d like to be able to use it with a shawl for when I don’t quite need a sweater.

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I’d also like to work on some lacy hats. I’ve never liked wearing hats, but with the amount of bad hair days I seem to attract, I’m willing to give them a try. And lacy and slouchy hats can look quite cute. The one above is the first in my queue.

There are some other types of projects I’d like to work on as well.

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I’m bringing my sewing things with me to college this upcoming year, but I’ll need an ironing board to go with my iron. I have been seeing a pin go around on Pinterest the past few weeks about an ironing board tv tray table. That sounds like fun!

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I’m also planning on making myself a dressform. Likely out of duct tape, but I also have hopes for a form like this one. Being as I’m unwilling to pay damages for drilling a hole in the ceiling I’m also planning to make a stand for these to lie on and unless I find an awesome coat rack, I’ll probably make it out of pvc, like in this link! Or perhaps I’ll buy an umbrella stand, like this post suggests, to support a slightly smaller stand!

Whew. This is an awful long post, but I’ve saved my biggest project ideas for last.

I already have a thriving jewelry business called BeadsAndQuotes up on Etsy, though its on vacation until mid-August or so. I’m hoping to begin making my own clasps and earring wires, and expand some of my stock. Don’t even get me started on my project ideas for that.

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As part of my jewelry business, I’ve also made illustrated quotes, like the one above, which I love to do but doesn’t quite fit in with a jewelry business. So I’ve been considering opening up a different shop to sell geeky cards and my illustrated quotes.

I’ve also really enjoyed my work with leather. It’s such an interesting and totally different kind of medium, and I would love to continue working with it, but I wouldn’t feel right selling it in either my current shop, or my proposed card shop.

And this isn’t even taking into account my job… or my schooling… or having a life.

Do you have any advice or suggestions?

Whooshes and Swooshes

It’s been a month or two since I updated you on my TARDIS necklace.

It’s not quite my fault. Moving out of a dorm in another country to head home, then leaving nearly immediately to go to an internship practically just as far away. Things get away from you. I’m just happy I managed to remember to pack beading supplies for this leg of my travels.

desk

But, I remembered to pack white thread this time, so I won’t be using clear beads and black thread. It was definitely on my list of things to not forget, in my whirl of packing and unpacking.

plans

I’ve started again, this time with clear beads and white thread, and I’ve covered one faux pearl already. The faux pearls are how I am keeping the shape of the time rotor. I happen to have both silver and gold pearls on hand, but because the costume is mostly gold/warm toned, I’m sticking with the gold ones.

But the title of the post is whooshes and swooshes. We’ve gotten the whoosh, the sound that the TARDIS’s time rotor makes.

Now for the swoosh.

firstI’m working on part of my Belle necklace, a kind of beading muslin, much like the first time rotor necklace I made.

I already had some 15/0 seed beads on hand, which was my part of the original plan (in my head at least).

I began to work on the pattern I had created, but I realize now in hind sight that perhaps I should have started the planning on paper designed for peyote stitch designs. Because my hand drawings are not even or turning out very swoosh shaped…

pacmanI almost feel like I’m making a Pacman block.

I’m planning on printing out a sheet or two of peyote stitch paper, using this handy print out.

I’ll be working on these for the next few days, at least until I receive the thread for my serger! Then I’ll get to work on some of my other costuming and other sewing plans!

What light from yonder umbilicus breaks?

I’ve made a bit of progress on the Farnsworth, and the painting is all done. That’s always a big plus.

But today I want to show you what progress I’ve made on something else.

supplies

This summer I don’t have access to my normal sewing supplies, as my summer employment required a flight. My sewing machine would not terribly like my suitcase. And its a bit too heavy. And I’ve got too much fabric to fit into one suitcase, let alone bring clothing to wear along with it.

This also means that I’m not planning on doing any subtle cosplay, as the major components of my wardrobe aren’t with me. And its much too hot here to wear jeans.

But none of this has stopped me from working on my plans.

It just happened to… slow them.

I bought this sewing kit from Amazon, and its a  nice little starter kit. If you are new to sewing, and want something to work with for simple handsewing, this may be a good deal for you, but mostly I needed the scissors and the pins. I’ve had experience with enough unsharpened scissors and cutting fabric for me to need to invest in another fabric pair, even if the kit overall was cheap.

But anyway, back to the point of this post. I have begun work on my white vest for my Claudia costume.

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I was going to try to find an online pattern, and while waiting for my Amazon package I did some extensive searching, but I came up with very few patterns that were close enough to help. I decided instead to make a pattern based on my measurements.

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This is what I came up with.

pattern

I knew it would be a bit wonky, because I’ve rarely created a pattern that was wearable the first time, so I decided to make a muslin. I took an old sheet, traced my pattern, and gave some extra fabric space in the areas I suspected needed to be enlarged.

I unfortunately forgot to take a picture of this step. I was too excited and started sewing immediately. Hand-sewing.

On the plus side, my stitches are becoming more even?

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Here’s what the muslin looks like when I’m wearing it. For being a first drafted pattern and handsewn by a machine lover, I think its a pretty good effort! I’m not quite sure if I want to do anything about the shoulders. The muslin makes the shoulder seam lift up a bit, and I think that might look okay with the final fabric. I’m going to increase the width of the fabric in the front, because I want to have a fairly wide inside seam there, so there is a nice appearance when the collar is folded over.

afront1The front will match, I promise, it just was being too picky for pictures.

I found this awesome fabric a few years ago for my quilting stash, but I haven’t quite figured out how to use it yet. Granted, I’ve been without my sewing machine for all but two months of the year since then.

The fabric is a neon yellow-ish Gatorade color, with a floral pattern in black. Kind of a combination of this fabric, if this one was the background yellow. And without the stripes.

Claudia would love this fabric.

I’ve decided to line my vest in said fabric.

I’ve loved the idea of lining demure jackets and coats in crazy fabric, and this is my first opportunity to try.

I’ve got a heavy lead on a bid for a serger machine on ebay, and so I’m holding off until I know the outcome of that before I cut the fabric and move on, but if I am to handsew it, I’ll be using this technique to build a sturdy garment.

So that’s what I’ve got and where I’m going. Now that I’ve decided on my lining, the project won’t be fully finished until August, when I get back to my fabric stash.

Next step? Seam rip the muslin.

Inspiration has struck!

I have decided to make a somewhat major change in my costuming plans in regards to my TARDIS.

My costume was originally supposed to have a golden underbust corset with a seafoam blouse and a copper bolero. There is one problem.

That assumes that I already have a working underbust corset, but even though I haven’t quite finished the one I left at home, I am 97.4% sure that said corset will not be up to my standards to be included in this costume, even if it happens to fit. It’s my first one after all, and though I may call myself at least an intermediate quilter I am certainly not an advanced costumer. This adventure will undoubtedly contain many odd and instantaneous changes, as I find out what I can and can’t do and I will work on my skills as I go.

So I’ll be working on a new corset for this costume, to gain experience and to make a better costume.

3screenshot from Warehouse 13 Season 3 Episode 11/12

I’m inspired by the outfits that HG Wells wears in Warehouse 13, when she is at work.

Particularly this one (and apologies for the blurriness):

1screenshot from Warehouse 13 Season 3 Episode 11/12

This led me to find a nice pattern, as the vest laces up in the back, which makes it not quite a typical vest. I then found a wonderful  corset tutorial.

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I already have a suiting fabric that I’ll be making a working muslin with, in preparation for a golden colored corset vest. It’s possible in making the muslin I’ll decide to skip the corset in favor of a vest, but that will be seen when I start work on it.

Because I’m changing the corset, I’ve decided to look for a blouse that is a little closer on the neck, one a little closer in nature to the Victorian time period. Unless I make one. That’s still an option.

I’ve also decided to scrap the bolero, to save space in what will end up as my suitcase, to save time, and to save a minor amount of heat sweltering. Instead of wearing the bolero with the cape on top, I’m planning to make a cape like this one:

cape

link (ETA link no longer works)

The police box banner will then run along the hood, with the instructions on the back of the cape. The cape will be held on the shoulders of the corset vest by a miniature broach-like apparatus I’ll be creating, using the drop earrings and possibly some suspender closures. We’ll see how it goes when I get that far!

I’m also planning on learning a bit about leatherwork, and creating some wristbands to supplement my costumes, and for me to wear in real life. Always a handy idea.

I’m specifically thinking about doing this because I really enjoy large faced watches, but my wrist is quite tiny, which means that not only can I not wear a men’s watch because it’s too big, but also because it’s really really too big. The clasp on my dad’s watch is nearly as long as the flat of my wrist. By making my own watchband, in a TARDIS friendly steampunk design, not only can I learn new skills, but I can solve a problem for myself.

In other news, I have bought fabric to use for my Belle capelet, and it should be arriving at home in the next few days. When I return in a few weeks I will take a picture to show you!

Spring cleaning… and packing.

I’ve been cleaning up my room, and deciding well in advance what stuff is going to be making the return trip with me, when I return to the US after my semester abroad.
It’s also given me a chance to figure out what I’ve bought here that I’m planning to use in my costumes.

t straps2 I already let you know that I got fantastic brown t-strap heels, which I’m planning on using for my Belle get-up. They might also be repurposed into my TARDIS outfit.

I’ve also mentioned about my fabric that I bought, which will likely be part of my TARDIS dress, and sadly has already been packed while escaping without a new photograph.

hoodie2

I also am planning on taking a hoodie with me, for me to take apart and use for my Claudia outfit. I bought the hoodie for another comfy layer to wear in my dorms, because I didn’t pack enough warm comfy clothing for just hanging out. Because of the obnoxiously bright white zipper down the front, I’m unwilling to go anywhere in it, and will continue to feel that way. I also have sweatshirts that I prefer sitting for me at home, I just didn’t bring them with me. So this hoodie is for destroying!

work

This is definitely coming home, hopefully in a more finished capacity.

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This will also be taking the return trip, also in hopefully more finished capacities.boot2Sadly, these boots will not be making the trip. They would have been perfect for my TARDIS costume, but because they’ve died a few times over, needed some glueing to be worn, and because I’ve added some extra layers of glue these boots likely wouldn’t make it through another season of wear. So they are staying.

slippers

And these will not be returning. I just wanted to see if you guys were still reading. As much as I loved my one euro IKEA slippers, they are a little too grungy to be part of my pack.

high tops2

I’ve been wearing these adorable knockoff high tops, with a brown faux leather material. I find them fantastically comfortable, and mighty handy in the rain. Perhaps they will be my shoes for Claudia!

trousers2

And this pair of skinny black trousers are probably going to be my bottoms for my Claudia outfit. They aren’t jeans, but thin-ish cotton, so it’ll be much better in the San Diego heat, and also much more in character with Claudia!

I have purchased many things here which shall definitely be returning. I’ve nearly overhauled my wardrobe. Still have a lot of black though… I guess that’s the issue with working in a theater. Black attracts me like dust to a figurine. But I stopped buying black clothing halfway through the semester! Baby steps.

suitcaseThis is my third attempt at repacking, and I still didn’t fit everything yet…

Here’s to carrying a heavy suitcase home.

Yummies! Pancakes!

I’m taking exams for the next two weeks.

There is nothing like finals to make me hungry. I mean, I’m pretty sure I’m hungry all the time, anyway. But I feel that making delicious food is the best way to procrastinate on studying.

My first exam isn’t until Tuesday. Whyever should I start studying now! That’s four days early? Because I should, but… well, I’m not. At least not so far.

Last night I cooked up some chicken. My friends and I have been ordering large quantities of groceries, and predominately freezing the meat so we can use it later, so I have a freezer drawer filled with chicken and casserole steaks. So I used some of the chicken, but because I was defrosting it, I first immersed it in a soy sauce and brown sugar mixture, then filled the rest of the bowl up with water around the chicken. Maybe not the best way of marinading, but I was trying to avoid freezer burn! Because the living space I’m in doesn’t have an oven, just a hob/stove, I “fryed” the chicken, but it was just a frying pan with a lid. I forgot to flip the chicken, and it still cooked through deliciously! I ate it too fast to get a picture.

couscous

This morning I made couscous. I’ve never done so before, and I can’t imagine why I haven’t! If all I have to do is pour boiling water over the stuff and some butter and salt, why don’t I do so all the time? I can’t imagine. I have certainly been a couscous lover forever, but if I knew it was this easy to make, I would have started to make it when I was seven and first introduced.

And now I’m cooking that wonderful breakfast, or really every meal food, pancakes!

milk and tea

Because I’m running on low supplies, finishing up my last weeks studying abroad, I’m out of eggs, butter, and I’m almost out of milk. But that doesn’t stop me from my pancakes!

mix

I’m tweaking a recipe I found through a Google search. Because Google is awesome!

My eggless pancake recipe, tweaked for the ingredients I have on hand!

Here’s the original: courtesy of Rak’s Kitchen

1 cup of flour

Dash of brown sugar, but definitely less than a tablespoon, because I’m a bad guesstimator

Dash of salt, about half a teaspoon

About one third of a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, because I don’t have baking soda

1 cup of milk – I had just enough!

About 1 tablespoon of oil.

(I also included some leftover loose tea I had. More on that later.)

Because I know how to follow a recipe, but choose to ignore it, I started with the milk. I then added the tea. It was apple flavored, and gave the milk a wonderful smell!

Then I added all of the dry ingredients, and finally the oil.

I let it rest for about ten minutes, as instructed. I used this time to whip up another batch of the dry mix, without the tea, for the next time I need pancakes, which may or may not be in a few hours. Hopefully tomorrow, but the convenience store around the corner is kinda open until midnight. Because I’ll need more milk.

Then I heated up the frypan with the most non-stick coating still present, and the least amount of metal scores, and then added some oil. Honestly too much oil, so temper yourself newbies. In fact, I really don’t like to oil my pancake pan, but because there is no real nonstick coating in this kitchen (it runs away with its coating tail between its legs in fear), I can’t do anything without it.

I cooked ’em up like normal pancakes, and then enjoyed them with my warm chocolate drink!

first few

My first few didn’t come out all that good looking, but they still tasted good!getting better

I say warm chocolate drink, because honestly, its not chocolatey or milky enough to be hot chocolate, and its not cold or chocolatey enough to be chocolate milk, so I have decided on warm chocolate drink.

final

And in regards to tea. I love tea. I tend to have more tea than other drinks. But sometimes a tea just doesn’t end up getting drunk. Or I’m in a non-loose tea friendly environment. The last time I used a reusable tea bag for my loose tea, my roommate threw it out. And that was mostly the end of my loose tea escapades this semester. I’m trying to use up some of my tea that isn’t my favorite. I’ve been trying to use up as much tea as possible before buying more, but that doesn’t always work out…

In hindsight, my tea idea was good, but I should hydrate the tea first, so I’m not trying to bite down on an overly dried apple chunk. Beware

And now I’m going to enjoy my pancakes and hopefully study!

Oh, and my obligatory costume update. These used to be dangles from some earrings my grandmother had given me, and they are going to end up on the shoulders of my miniature jacket for my TARDIS costume, as inspired by last week’s episode of Doctor Who. The machine making contraption… thing.

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Anyway… Bye!