Spell, Stitch & Splinter

Nothing like a post about Halloween in late November! Whenever the boyfriend and I do costumes, we pick a show/movie/fandom theme to be inspired by.  In the past it was Game of Thrones (2 years in a row even) and we made medieval inspired outfits here and here . This year, with the Hobbit movies rekindling our love of all things Tolkien, we decided to be elves. My boyfriend loves to take things to the next level, and using his knowledge of elven lore, directed me on how to make him into a dark elf. He's styled after the Mirkwood elf king Thranduil, but if he had a love for black instead of silver. Move Accuracy? We throw that out the window! The coat uses Simplicity 1552 as a base which I then altered to fit his taste.  He wanted it to be fitted through the chest and waist, so I added darts to the back and took in fabric on the sides, making the shape less boxy. The fabric was a black faux snakeskin suede. He loves it - he feels like he hunted down a...

Truffle front This dress has been an experience in hubris and not cutting corners. Truffle side At first glance the dress looks okay, but those gaping underarms will forever haunt my dreams. And the back has a little bit of bagginess by the shoulder blades. This all equates horrible in my book. Truffle back Two things led to this disaster. First, I lost weight since the last Colette pattern I made. With my Pastille I cut an 18 and did an 1 inch FBA. The resulting bodice was nearly perfect. But this time, I cut a size 16 for the Truffle skirt, yet still cut an 18 for the bodice, thinking this would save me a FBA. Wrong!  Lesson learned, don't cut a bodice for my full bust, but go a size or two down and adjust. This way it'll fit through the shoulders and armholes. Instead, my version has gaping armholes. You can also see the side seam pulling forwards The other issue was I completely forgot about the swayback adjustment I made to the Pastille. I was so ...

 Couple costuming! A huge reason why I sew as much as I do is my wonderful boyfriend. In 2011 we co-purchased a sewing machine so I could make our halloween costumes. He had a vision for a Game of Thrones cape but lacked the skills to make it himself. This cape was completely his brainchild. The creation process consisted mostly of him telling me what he wanted and me telling him what was actually possible. The bottom section is a "bear" fur and the top is a "cheetah" print fur (or is it a leopard?). The lining is black crepe back satin and we added some flannel as a warmth layer in between. Inside the shoulders The chain across the front is just decorative. Instead, the cape stays on with some elastic that stretches from one shoulder to the other. Its great, you can have lots of movement and the cape will never shift from it's position. I also made him the vest as well (Simplicity 4923). Its made from a lightweight black suede with some...

Last minute travel is never easy, especially when you need to book airline tickets. I had two weeks to purchase a roundtrip ticket for a quick visit to my family, but I am on a tight budget.  So what affordable option did I find? Spirit Airlines. For those who don't know, Spirit Airlines is a super cheap, no frills airline.  Your ticket includes your air fare and that's it.  You pay extra for luggage, comfortable seats, water, peanuts, even for them to print your boarding pass! The only thing you're allowed to carry for free is a personal item (purse, laptop bag, etc) that's no bigger than 14" x 15" x 16". If you don't pay for your carry on ahead of time, it cost $100 at the gate. But I am a super thrifty shopper, and a $130 round trip from Atlanta to Houston was too good to pass up.  So I figured I could get around their rules.  I printed my own pass, ate a big meal before flying, suffered though non-reclining seats, and crammed as mu...

Thrifted Infinity Dress One of the first pieces of real clothing I ever made for myself was an infinity dress.  Up until that point I had only ever made costumes for conventions and halloween, but I wanted to make something I could wear everyday.  Not yet ready to dive into muslins and fittings, I decided to go for a knit fabric and a simple pattern. I wore it on Bourbon St in New Orleans! Now this first one I actually did not make.  I found it in a thrift store for 7 bucks! It was listed as a Medium (and I am most definitely a Large/Extra Large) but I bought it anyways.  I managed to shimmy it over my backside (with minimal ripping) and as long as I wear an undershirt with it, it's fine! The basic shape of an infinity dress is pretty forgiving and this dress convinced me to go ahead with making my own. And my first results were... Yes, I'm in the kitchen. It has the best lighting. ... not the best, but it was okay. I was crazy proud at the time. I eve...