Still sewing + "making it work"

Howdy folks!...Y'all can probably guess what I'm doing by now; watching Judge Judy and sewing stuff up...I had been working on a new collared shirt and just like my life it was an adventure...a FUN one, but still an adventure just the same....the shirt is Butterick's B5526, View D heavily modified...I basically just used the pattern as a guide.....I started the shirt and everything was going well; or so I thought....I ended up cutting it too small and had to get a little innovative....In other words, MsKRS, the Designer had to step in....the pattern itself, I must say is totally cool, the view I cut has princess seams **my FAVORITE** and plenty of buttons, pockets and other additions....its has 5 views in total (friggin' awesome)....but I just wanted this one to be plain since the fabric is seersucker and tiny checked....busy, ummm yes indeed but I LOVE THE FABRIC, well A LOT.....so I decided early into making the shirt that I wouldn't add the buttons.....I guess my mind already knew that I would cut the shirt too small so the no buttons idea went hand in hand with that....
To finish up my new shirt I went to my neighborhood JoAnn's (ugghhhh JoAnn's and I have a love/hate relationship) for some elastic and of course they didn't have what I was looking for...I should have just gone to Hancock's but I didn't feel like going that far...the color I wanted was all gone, and it looked like it had been that way for a while....so the crafty beast that lives inside of me came out and said: Make it work! (in Tim Gunn's voice)...is Tim Gunn the crafty beast that lives inside of me?...nahhhhh but I heard his voice anyway.....so I grabbed some regular elastic and some fabric dye....the elastic matched perfectly when I was done! (which almost NEVER happens)....I added it to the front in place of the buttons....it fits perfectly and I cant wait to wear it...its effin' awesome!!!!!
Now you may also notice an infinity scarf around the neck of Pink Cookie adorning my new shirt....well yep, I made that too....no pattern though, they're so easy that you really don't need one....I made the scarf last year though out of some soft knit fabric I had in my stash, and have worn it several times...I've just never taken a picture...I wear my creations every single day so IMO, that is just too many pictures to take....I'm MsKRS, NOT Vanity Smurf! LOL!  I told myself I would take more photos though, because after all that is one of the points of me sharing....I want to make myself a new bag too...maybe I'll have one to show you next go 'round....Have y'all been adding to your wardrobes?...what are you pairing together these days?...share with me!.... okay, photos now, talk to you good folks soon!
~~MsKRS~~

Front view, tried this baby on and its saweeeeettttt! fits very well....

 

 Infinity scarf coolness...its sooo soft...cost me under a buck to make it!!!!...now THAT'S frugal fashion at its finest! (tongue twister; say that 5 times fast! lol)

Back shot; princess seams makes things purty!

Can you see the princess seam?...I love, love, love princess seams!

Such pretty views...I know I'm going to end up making all of em...

I've been busy?

Good evening all!...I haven't posted in a little while with what I call some good reasons....Now how is everybody before I start rambling?....I hope everything is well and I've been all right; been involved in some cool stuff too....First let me tell you about our picnic....remember the
 HAPPY BLACK GIRL picnic I mentioned a little while ago?....well the turnout was just awesome!...I loved every single minute of it and I cant wait to hang with the folks that I met that day....Of course I was late getting there so my picnic basket wasn't how I intended it to be....My huny came with me too (usually the cause of all my late arrivals) so we ended up having to settle for some sandwiches from Blimpie's, chips, and sweet tea....but you should have seen some of the baskets....I spied everything from whole roasted chicken to super healthy cucumber and lemon water!....we had it all; LOVE totally included....HUGE SHOUT OUT TO DEVOYA MAYO; she is a semi-"new" friend (I met her last year sometime and its been on ever since) that is literally FULL OF ADVENTURE....I'm just lucky that she asks me to tag along sometimes....
I'm also working on a super cute shirt with princess seams in the front and the back (of course; I LOVE princess seams) but it is now a UFO (unfinished object)...I didn't snap any photos of my shirt in progress; I guess because its not done.....I have the buttons/buttonholes and the cuffs left to finish....My new hem gauge from Wawak has the hem speaking to people! (its THAT nice y'all forreal)...I love it and it totally helps; I really needed it in my sewing room.....I'll take photos when I finish it up which is hopefully soon....
I haven't really felt like taking any pictures of myself; I don't want folks to get tired of looking at me....and I also don't want to appear like a one-hit wonder (only showing my sewing stuff) because I really do have a lot of coolness I do around here and my jack rabbit life...(my Mama used to say I live like a jack rabbit; I have a tendency to run wild sometimes)....She admired that about me and she told me all the time...
Courtesy of Ms. Mayo again I was invited to another cool event in our downtown area called Dinner at the Library...Yes yall, food, books and talking about crafts...I was Devoya's guest there; even had a  name tag printed up waiting for me!....We talked about crafty goodness and met other like-minded and curious folks...it was a nice atmosphere (afterall, it was at the library) and a good time....It was somewhat formal I guess because I did see a couple people that looked pretty sharp....
Me, I just wore some wedges, wide-legged jeans, and my
HAPPY BLACK GIRL t-shirt....I got a couple side eyes but then again when do I not?....Some folks are just that way....(shrugs shoulders)....I didn't take photos at this event; it just didn't seem appropriate....
I just finished a apple cobbler a little while ago too....the apples look soooo good around this time of year; you can tell its apple season.....I grabbed 6 Granny Smith apples the other night when I was getting some dinner stuff....I always eat and use the green apples; I love the tartness....when I was slicing the apples for the cobbler I was snacking 'em up and I kept one to eat later (I used 5 apples for my cobbler).....I did a crispier crust this go 'round too....I wasn't feeling the bready crust this time....it came out nice...its cooling now, I'm going to eat a piece in a few....well okay y'all I have rambled on and on....photos now....
~~MsKRS~~

 peeling AND eating 'em up....I even bit a corner off one of the cores...hehehehehehe

 at this stage is when I have to restrain myself so that I have enough fruit for what I'm actually cooking...

 Cinnamon-y, sugary Granny Smith's.....

All done....;)

It's a bird! It's a plane! Its Super MsKRS!

Good afternoon everybody!...How is everything going?...I hope well; I'm all right except my allergies are once again irritating me....and no one knows why I decided to get not one cat but two knowing how my allergies are (shaking my head in my own disbelief).....I got up and cleaned the barrage of cat hair and other germs from my house yesterday and after that I decided to sew myself an outfit....Sewing is guilt-free when all the other junk is done....
Remember when I said I was going to make a cape for myself?...well I did...I did yesterday...well, its a cape shirt....I had some boucle' I wanted to use initially but when I got ready to sew it up it just screamed blazer and skirt!...I spotted another piece of fabric and then another and I thought hmmmm cape shirt and skirt?....why yes, don't mind if I do.....I was going to make the cape as outerwear but my sewing plans ALWAYS change....the fabric always wants to do something else; and I let it have its way like ALL THE TIME....
For my cape shirt I used a rust-colored pashmina and a silky feeling tie dye fabric for my skirt.....I copped both fabrics from Hancock's.....the skirt is supposed to be A-line but Pink Cookie is such a skinny arse that you can barely tell....it should show better when I wear it...and this button thing?  I have to toot my own horn and say its effortless, for me it really is...Did I mention that I friggin' LOVE this outfit?....for those that don't know me well, retro/vintage is one of my absolute faves....hence even the thought of making a cape....(well besides that fact that Super Girl is another one of my alter egos)....so damned elegant and lady-like....and this outfit (the skirt does) sports three Pantone Fall 2013 colors which are: Koi, Samba, and Carafe....go check 'em out when you get a chance...the Spring 2014 colors are already introduced too!!!!!...If I left anything out or you wanna know more about my new fit let me know...I'm always ready to talk sewing!....got a few pictures for you good people and I'll talk to y'all soon!
P.S. My next post will probably be about our
HAPPY BLACK GIRL End of Summer picnic
coming up this weekend....I'm going to take plenty of photos so y'all don't feel left out....
okay pictures of my Super Girl outfit now!

Side view of my sawweeeeetttt outfit....the arm holes didn't want to show for some reason....

 

 Check out these awesome buttons from my Mama's stash.....

See the colors I mentioned?...

MINE....;)

Scrap HAPPY

How's every body's evening going?...Mine is just fine; just looking at the Golden Girls and getting ready to finish going through all my scraps from almost three years of sewing....yes, I have THAT many doggone scraps of fabric....I liked looking through 'em though; I remember each and every project I completed with each piece...even the very first one....ahhhhh nostalgia coolness....
Anyway, I'd been thinking to myself since my babygirl isn't always here anymore (she works now and spends a lot of time with her boyfriend) I figured I may as well take over the bathroom and give it a makeover....I don't feel guilty now because ever since she was little girl I did the bathroom in a lot of kids' attire; the rubber ducky theme, pink polka dots, and even the Brats once adorned my loo....I know I mentioned I love elephants before and that is going to be the staple I decorate around...I have a couple of elephant pictures to hang other little things to do....I originally wanted to feature my newly decorated bathroom and the new stuff all together but after I finished the rug, I decided to feature it on its own...Yeah, its THAT cool imo....
The rug is why I drug out all my scraps....I looked through them and found some cool scraps to work with....I cut strips from the scrap fabrics I used but not in any uniform size....they were however on the longer side; I'm sure if you used shorter ones they would work just as good....I used some kinda weird fabric I bought last year sometime as a base...it has a rubber backing and it kinda looked like drapes on the fabric side...I don't know what is really is but it was absolutely perfect for my rug project....and my huny is always messing with me saying you just buy any kind of fabric don't you?...I always smile and say I'll use it one of these days and I always do....I used quite a bit of scraps too but it didn't even put a dent in the scrap pile I have left...This scrappy rug is also my OWN idea from my OWN noggin....I just thought I'd mention that before someone decides to claim it as their own (its been A LOT of that going on lately)....and if you wanna know how I made it, just ask!....its super duper easy!....I'll also share photos of my the bathroom when I finish adding stuff to it...probably in a couple days....the spray paint is drying on another project I did for the makeover too....
I'll talk to you good folks soon, hopefully I'll be getting on around to Hancock's Fabrics tomorrow...I want this jacket pattern from Burda and some faux leather to whip it up.....or maybe I'll use a soft suede; its on sale for 60% off....Pictures now.....
~~MsKRS~~

the beginning....it took about two or three days...I probably could have finished it in one or two but I kept stopping...

 the scrap pile....I need to finish going through this heap....

 Isn't she a beaut??!!...I LOVE how this rug came out.....I really do...

 My new scrappy rug again....

 the underside....my huny said Hey babe you can put it on this side too...ummm NO babe....the other side only lol...