Curly to Straight and back again...

This winter I decided to straighten my hair because I needed a trim... REALLY BAD. After the hack job the "salon that shall not be named" did on my hair for my birthday and just TIME, I need a trim super super bad but I didn't feel like vetting curly salons to get a DevaCut. My first DevaCut experience left me in tears and very angry about the money i spent so I didn't feel like wasting my time. (sn: I don't think DevaCut salons are bad but find a stylist that does YOUR KIND OF HAIR)

I know I said that I don't do heat but I say a lot of things when it comes to my hair so i'm going to stop saying "never" lol. The last time I straightened my hair was when I was transitioning in December of 2012. Anyway, I found this stylist through a friend of mine. I've had very bad experiences with stylists so I decided that I would wash/dc/detangle my hair at home and then I went to the salon so that he (the stylist) could blow dry and straighten my hair. I'm very happy with the decision I made and this salon experience went without incident *praise Him!*

When he straightened my hair he only did one pass with the flat-iron and was able to get bone straight results. My hair looks thick in its natural state but my individual strands are really thin. I've never had problem getting bone straight results ever. He trimmed a smidge more than an inch off all over but when I got home I sat in the mirror for a couple of hours and did a serious dusting. I basically cut off the single strand knots and split ends that were left off each individual strand.  That resulted in an additional 2 inches being cut off in a lot of places.

Basically I cut off all my growth between June and December lol . It's okay though. Now that I've gotten the trim, I notice that my hair doesn't shed as half as much as it used to and it's stronger so I know that it's going to grow back. I've changed my goal from #WLby25 to #WLat25 . I think I'll be able to reach my natural waist by December if I don't have any serious set backs. *fingers crossed*

Somewhere over the Rainbow..

My sewing table is a MESS. And I didn't make this mess just for this picture. It's been like this for weeks. Aside from some new fabric on there, I have been staring at a growing pile of UFO's.... all because spring won't come!  This isn't the longest winter ever but it's definitely been the most unproductive.

I've started many projects. Unfortunately when I get near the end I get distracted and move on to something else because the weather won't permit me to wear what i'm making! It's all very cruel, really. So I've bid my time watching Game of Thrones and House of Cards til the warmth comes back with my sew-jo.

I've also bought fabric! My last fabric purchase was the 1st of October so I think I've practiced some great restraint lol. Not that I need more fabric.....

I just saw a shiny Fabric Mart sale email for knits that hit a weak spot. So I ended up getting 22yards of different knit fabric and 17 yards of wool suitings. I also got 2.5 yards of some pebbled coating that I will probably use to make something specific that I have in mind... not a coat lol

I know I had a lot of fabric in my stash already but I realized that a lot of the patterns that I have and would wear required some plain fabric that would make me wear the garment often. Alot of the fabric I already have is very patterned or very textured lol Fabricss that don't make well for many hard-working 9-5 garments.

Last weekend I went to NY to visit The McCall Pattern. Meg gave me a tour and I met many of the people that work behind the scenes. It was pretty eye-opening. When I think BIG4 I think of some huge untouchable company with factories and offices and people all over the country.... nah lol. They do all they're work right there in NY. One big floor of employees putting in work to run a largely successful company. It was refreshing. Being able to laugh with some of them and ask questions to others. Everyone knew everyone and everyone was important. I like them lol

Anyway, Meg convinced me to go to the Garment District when I left there. I did (even though I didn't want to lol) and I came upon H&M fabrics where I found some faux-leather for 8.99/yd. I snagged 2 yards and decided that was enough money for me to spend lool. I did go up to Mood too but I was so overwhelmed that I walked around and then walked right out. lol I think that Mood is one of those places where you need to go in with a plan. I'll try that next time.

Anyway, that's all that's going on here. Starting tomorrow the temperature here in the DMV is supposed to go up and STAY up for at least 2 weeks! I really want it to get warmer so that I can go running. I've gained a bit of weight since December and my measurements aren't quite what they were before so that is also keeping me from the sewing machine lol. T-25 isn't really cutting it. Running should help when the sun returns. Hopefully my sew-jo (and blog-jo for that matter) will come back with it! *crosses fingers*

Talk to you soon :-)

Denim Never Dies in the Jungle....

It's February already!! But I've got a score to settle with January... The TMS challenge for January 2015 is/was "Denim Never Dies", which was perfect because I had decided that I needed to make more pants in 2015 and I had JUST bought the Ginger Jeans pattern by Closet Case Files. A little bit after the challenge announcement, they added a bonus challenge to celebrate their pink rebranding! I had some pink denim in my stash so I was just a "Ready Freddy".

Like I said, this is the Ginger Jeans pattern by Closet Case Files. I made View A, the low rise with the stove pipe leg. I cut a straight size 12. This was a wearable muslin for me so I just wanted to see what the pattern would look like made straight up. I made no modifications.  I did take some flat measurements of a pair of jeans I really like to see how they related and the measurements were very very close. 

UFO game on FLEEK! - Simplicity 1364

Well hellllooooooooo, everybody! It's been a few weeks! I was sick for a couple then my mind went into sewing overdrive lol. I've been sewing and cutting patterns and cutting fabric like it's my job! lol Which is obviously a good thing because that means I have things to share!

So, UPDATE: I did finish all 5 unselfish UFO's before I started working on anything for myself! HOLLA! I don't have pics of the jeans for mom or the curtains for the lovely lady but I have pics of the blanket and the shirt and dress I made for my mother!

the baby LOVED the blanket

See&Sew 5203

First time using my walking foot. I think I did pretty good. The pic is taken from the side so some of them seem like they don't match... they do lol

what a nice narrow hem

Self-drafted. The skirt fabric is heavy so the dress gets weighed down on a hanger. Now she can be twinsies with me!!

The dress and shirt got done in January... sue me lol The important things is they got done. And I have been able to be selfishly productive with a clear conscious lol

The first thing I have to share for 2015 is a UFO that I had from AUGUST when I was supposed to be participating in this blogger hop for the Needles&Fashion group....Yea, never happened smh. Fortunately for me, I got a kick in the butt when sewcialists said the theme for January was dots! I think my shirt looks kind of cow-y but I don't actually think it's cow fabric lol. It looks like dots to me. Albeit wonky dots, but dots nonetheless! Just let me be great lol

2015! New Year, Same Goals!

Happy New Year, everyone! It seems like this holiday season snuck up on us and is gone just like that! It's like I was on the phone with 2014 and 2015 walked in the door and I never finished my original conversation lol. As I reflect on 2014, I can truly say that I don't have any regrets. I learned soooo much about sewing and met so many wonderful people as a result of this hobby as well.  I started sewing from patterns this year and started getting really serious about learning proper techniques. As a result, my stash of notions and tools has grown TREMENDOUSLY. My blog turned 1 in 2014 and I got to host my first giveaway! I traveled internationally a bit (Panama, DR, PR) and hosted a couple of meetups (1, 2)!

I made 28 items this year! I'm even amazed at that because it doesn't feel like I did lool

Merry Christmas!! - LBD & Simplicity 1325

Helloooo! I hope that all of you had a Merry Christmas and were able to spend it with the with people that you love and make you happy! I had an amazing day yesterday with my family and friends. The older I get, the less excited I am about holidays but I do appreciate having time off to just BE with my family. And I thank God for Jesus and all of the blessings that came with that gift alone :-D. 

A couple of weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to make a dress for Christmas but I knew that I wouldn't have a lot of time. My mom and I were recently going through clothes and deciding what we could give away, when I came upon a stretch velvet little black dress that my mom had when she was my age. Just a basic tank dress. I decided to use it as an easy upcycle project and turn the dress from a basic LBD to something a bit more glamorous and appropriate for the season.

This:

To THIS:

My Singer is finally in tune!

You see what I did there? lol

YES! I FINALLY took my vintage Singer to the shop to get it cleaned and tuned up and now it is ready!

To be honest, when it was given to me, I didn't even really explore what was in the box. Not the original box. The box full of dust and cobwebs that was reused to house the sewing machine and it's bits and pieces. I never even plugged it in to see if it works because of all of the dust. I'm a little bougie lol I decided when I found a shop to take it to, they would deal with all of that lol.

Anway, this Singer 5528 was gifted to me by my mother. It has 6 different stitches and 4 more for creating buttonholes. All metal everything, this joint ways like fifty-eleven pounds forreal.