The new Elder of my Sewing Room & other goings on

Heyyyyyy everybody!  Long time no write huh?...super bad blogger lady but please forgive me; I've been out of the cyber world for a minute...Sometimes the Internet can be a bit too much you know?...but how I've missed sharing my tidbits though so here I go again....First off, I've been thrifting and SCORING BIG TIME!....Found some awesome pieces of fabric and other vintage notions that I'm just itching to work with....I've already made a dress out of one of the fabrics I found and it just says Mad Men allllll over it...my goal nowadays usually....I didnt take any pictures of my dress with my camera though; I just shared it on my Instagram (just in case you wanna see it)....made a new cape too but I had been hoarding that fabric for a while..go 'head on over there and check 'em out when you get a minute....oh, my Instagram name is mskrs_stitches...I believe that's how you find me or you may be able to just search my name I suppose....I also have a new dress on Belle needing the zipper put in and a hemming....and that leads me to how it may just come out effin' perfect this time.....I just have to use this baby to do it....read on....
Now let me say that I have always liked the older machines; I guess its really no different than the rest of the oldies stuff I like huh?....so of course I've always wanted an "old" sewing machine....Anybody that knows me well KNOWS I can be impulsive...so the other night I took to my local Craig's List in search of a "new" machine I could snag....Lucky me; I damn near instantly found one as soon as I typed in "sewing machine"....I called him right away (it had been listed for 2 months already) and he said it was still available....I made arrangements to grab it from the very next day when I got off work....Make a long story short its here and has taken its rightful place in my sewing space...and I cannot explain how much I love this machine....I have to get some bobbins cause I don't have any to fit....Oh and its a Singer!...It takes Touch and Sew bobbins and I have nothing of the sort....got a bowl full for my other machines but for this one ummm nawwww....I have to go brave the irritations of JoAnn's tomorrow and its get to stitchin' for me.....my new machine does so much and has so many awesome features...the manual is a real book; NOT a pamphlet.....script lettering, buttonholes to write home about, and even monograms!....I totally get why people own more than one machine...they truly all do something different (I now have 3 machines and a serger).....
Well okay I gotta knock this one more work day out for the week so I'm going to get some Zzzzzzz...
Pictures of my handsome new addition now....
~~MsKRS~~

check him out....just as handsome as he wanna be...(hehehehehe)

Up close and personal....oh and I gotta track down a slide plate too....hopefully it'll be easy as finding the bobbins....

A couple of feet and the one of the manuals..."back then" the machines came with two books...the other one is kinda damaged though with it being so old....I'm going to fix it though; with a little tape...I tried to use one of my other bobbins but neither style worked....

it has a stale smell so closed it with these natural helpers inside...they helped almost immediately....

cleaning and oiling; it was quite fuzzy....

My Bigmama, a New Look revisited, and my Mad Men obsession continues.....

Good evening all!..I'm just sitting here enjoying my last few hours of relaxation before I head off to start the work week in the morning...I decided to write this post because I really wanted to share other stuff besides my cool new dress....I don't know if I've mentioned it before but my family is chock full of seamstresses, quilters, and tailors; yayyyy me amiright? (on my Daddy's side of the family)....A little tidbit of information that made my instant take to sewing out of the clear Blue sky much easier to understand....My Mama sewed for us too when my Brother and me were little....
My Auntie Brenda (my Daddy's Sister) was cleaning out some closets at my Bigmama's house and found a suitcase full of fabric....She of course called me and I came and picked it up....In my mind I KNEW that fabric was going to literally throw me right back into my Mad Men obsession.....I have been forever obsessed with the older styles; like the 50's and 60's and when Mad Men came out with that killer story line AND killer fashion I was hooked....I immediately started to look for patterns and fabric to whip up similar stuff....My Bigmama's suitcase though; was fulla' fabric that actually came from that era....Nothing but Mad Men stuff; there was no other way (or at least I didn't feel the need to look for one).....Sooooo last night at 11:32 pm I decided to start a new dress (yeah, in the middle of the night smh), my trusty New Look Pattern #0167...it has five super vintage-y views and I've sewn the majority of them....I whipped up View C and I promise you its that neckline that gets me every time....IMO, you don't have to accessorize as much when you have super cool design features on your clothes...
I used a very sturdy, Olive green, tartan kinda fabric; however I don't know what kind it is....its so and strong and awesome....it kinda reminds me of denim....it sewed up real nice because its so easy to work with so the dress was finished this afternoon....I put the sleeves on and hemmed it and was done....it photographed a kind of pea green but its really more Olive...I'm still in the market for a camera that takes sharper piccies....
I'm thinking I'll pair my new dress with some Navy boots I have in my shoe stash....I'll take more pictures later when I wear it too; if I don't add the photos to this post I'll make a short one and just share this one again with it....
I LOVE THIS DRESS....I LOVE THIS DRESS....DID I SAY I LOVE THIS DRESS?....not only is it from my beloved Bigmama's fabric stash, it's also satisfies my need to dress from another era, and lets me show off one of my favorite New Look Patterns once again.....Yasssssssssss....and of course I added more retro coolness by taking to my vintage zipper stash....and my luck allowed me to have a 22" zipper in Navy....Yeah baby!!!!! (in my Austin Powers voice)....the fabric smelled kind of stale so after I finished sewing it I put it in the wash and air dried it.....its now damn near perfect....
Well let me share these pictures because I can literally talk about my sewing and the ties that bind for-ever.....I'll share myself modeling it soon as I can but for now Pink Cookie has to assist....Belle didn't wear it well this go 'round....Que Sera Sera right?
~~MsKRS~~

the beginning, well at the end of the night....the sewing bug is very rude around here....just bites whenever it wants and the only way to stop the biting is to get on up and sew....sheesh...lol

Pattern pieces getting laid out....My Bigmama had at least three yards of this fabric in her stash....I wonder what she was going to do with it?....probably caught it on sale and just bought it...

I do that A LOT....

all cut out and ready to go!

Vintage goodness; booty from one of my thrift store trips....installed like magic too! ;)

just need to add the sleeves....it was three in the morning when I said okay I'll finish "tomorrow"....I didn't choose the sewing life, the sewing life chose me! (LMAO)

Neckline awesomeness....

the finished product, aaaaaand a very sh*tty picture of it.....excuse it; I swear I'll take better ones  later when I wear it......

My Bigmama would be proud.....Her grandbaby SEWS.....

Shot of that zipper.....Vintage everything...well, the boots are new.....

A "WTF" post

First off, let me say that I'm sorry I'm NOT sorry about this post....Earlier today, I experienced something quite annoying to say the least....Now if you've been following along or just "met" me then you know I AM A HAPPY BLACK GIRL.....I write about it, I live it, and I don't mind who knows....that is what I have always been ever since I could remember because my parents made sure I was...and no, not material sh*t but REAL LOVE....this made my brother and myself very happy and mentally sound kids....in fact, their teachings are the reason why I didn't flash today when I was referred to as "the Black girl"....now it may seem like I'm contradicting myself but this episode was blatant disrespect....there is a fine line that wise people do NOT cross when referring to folks and earlier this person sprinted over that line on purpose.....

I guess this post is about the still remaining stupidity of some folks when it comes to interacting with Black people....why is it so damned hard for folks to relax and talk like they do when they are addressing someone else?....I know exactly why; but I won't share because I for one don't generalize....I'm still "feeling some kinda way" about what was said to me earlier and I obviously have NOT gotten over it....I always flip out and cringe when I'm researching my ancestors and learn exactly how they were treated; however the shame about it is that there are folks who wouldn't mind if it were the same as it was...like the bi*ch I encountered earlier.....so. fukken. horrible. 

This is a vent post; just a bunch of rambling because I felt like I had to do something to get this sh*t out of my head....when I really want to bust hers....

Yeah, I'm a Black girl, a Black Woman to be exact....I also happen to be a human being with feelings, a mother, a sister, a friend, a blood born seamstress, and much more....So if your eyes are lacking clear vision when you look at me then turn your face that way......My name is Christy.....

~~MsKRS~~

A Tulle skirt, some cool heels, and a DIY charm bracelet

Good afternoon everybody!...I'm sitting here watching my team (the Oakland Raiders) give another game away on this beautiful Sunday afternoon....at least the sun is shining right?.....Its somewhat Fall-y around here (a few leaves have turned colors and fallen) but the temperatures allow you to still wear what your warm weather gear if you want to....the night gets a little cool but nothing to worry about just yet....I made a tulle skirt a couple weeks back but I didn't feel like writing a blog post about it.....I put it on my Instagram but no where else...but that didnt stop me from swooning over it....I mean I immediately fell in ABSOLUTE LOVE with it as soon as it was done...I mean the puffiness and girly feel to it just sewed me up (pun intended)....it was another project that I felt I should have done a tutorial because it was fun to make and not at all difficult.....the princess feel was in full effect I tell you what! LOL!....
My heels inspired the skirt; I knew I would have to bring them out some kind of way as they are basic but pretty still....I probably should have taken a close-up of them too but of course I didn't.....Just know that they are quite awesome and were a bargain too!
I also made my own charm bracelet around the same time I made the skirt....I went to JoAnn's (yall know I dont care for them like at all) to get some charm bracelet stuff 'cause they are the only ones with that kinda thing around here that I know of.....and for once in life they didnt piss me off; maybe because I didnt go in there for anything sewing related....I ended up finding some super cool charms and my Huny helped me put it together....lets just say: I LOVE MY NEW BRACELET but I took some pretty sh*tty pictures of it though...its awesome in real life I promise...I swear this sewing and crafty stuff is just the best thing ever...you can literally have anything you want....I like that....I like it a lot....Sharing now; cause I'm trying to see what this man is doing on Cheaters LMMAOOOOOOOooooo
~~MsKRS~~

Simplicity Back in the Day and my own doings....

Howdy, howdy, howdy!..I'm up wide awake when I should be winding down for the work week....My goodness I have had the absolute worst allergies this weekend too...OMGGGGG talk about annoying as hell!!!!!...I finally had to go and get something because I was just miserable....I still am a little bit, but I wanted to write....uggghhh....You would think I'd be used to it; having allergies my entire life so bad but each flare up is the pits....I've sneezed so much my chest hurts.....damn!!!!!...
As horrible as my sinuses are treating me I felt like taking pictures for some reason...of all days, today while I suffered so greatly with effin' allergies I felt like taking some pictures!...go figure......While I sneezed through them all my Sweetest managed to take a few pictures...please excuse them as they kinda jacked up and there was nothing I could really do about it but I wanted to take them anyway....the whole picture thing happened on a fluke too because I only got dressed to ride with my Sweetest to spend his birthday gift cards at Olive Garden (I didn't get Olive Garden though; I don't like it but my Huny did)....before I got dressed I was in my bed totally suffering...He coaxed me out of bed with promises of Sweet Tea and food...Good thing sewing is I and I is most definitely sewing; so much that I rarely wear anything I haven't sewn myself...and I always seem to have something to wear....I've sewn so many comfortable pieces and its cool as eva' to be able throw 'em on and be all right!...Yeah, I IS SEWING BAYBEE....hehehehehehe....
Now I made this top sometime last year; its an old school Simplicity pattern (#5933 to be exact) that I grabbed on one of my many trips to my local thrift stores....the skirt is a MsKRS original; its just a simple, pattern-less pencil skirt I made a while back too....the fabrics used all came from Hancock's Fabrics (MY FAVORITE FABRIC STORE **here locally**), the lace too...came out of my stash.....my shoes are Steve Madden but I grabbed mine up at Ross one day my Sweetest and I were at Sprout's...Score yeah?!.....the skirt fabric is a knit, the lace back and the micro polka dot fabric for the front of the top has a stretch rayon feel to it (the top fabrics)...and both were remnants...the pattern called for knits but both the lace is stretchy and I cut the front piece on the bias...I'm sure I actually made both of these pieces last year sometime....I wear my creations every day but I just can so not take pictures everyday...my moods just will not allow it....and I end up showing 'em all some time or another anyway....hence this here post! (smile)...well let me share some I-need-a-better-camera photos with you good people and I bid you all farewell until next time....
~~MsKRS~~
P.S. Meet my new friend Belle too! (my new dress form)....Pink Cookie (my 1st dress form) and I are more than happy to have her with us in my sewing room! (wink-wink)

My sneeze affected smile...smh....I feel like Rudolph (the red-nosed reindeer)....shirt kinda wrinkly too with all the violent sneezing going on....I swear I ironed it, I swear....

Back shot....

Side One....

MsKRS 

(trying not to sneeze)

Side Two....

Pic I took while waiting in the car for my Huny to get his food....and my beloved Pixie reusable bag....camera effects courtesy of the Sun itself.....ahhh good ole' nature....

Pink Cookie, MsKRS, and Belle!...BESTIES OKAY!....and my Huny's Olive Garden bag of bread sticks...He insists on eating at my cutting table when were upstairs (I love him anyway smh)....I'm convinced he just likes the coolness that surrounds him when he's in my sewing space...yeah, that's right what it is....

Thrifty MsKRS

Good evening all!...I know I haven't blogged in a while (forgive me) but I've been doing the paid gig thing and using my free time living away from my laptop lately...I've of course still been sewing though and actually feel "behind" because I haven't shown so many things....they'll debut in their own time like always though, they always do....
Sooo I say that to say I haven't taken any pictures of myself (just haven't been in the mood nor had the time; or so it seems) however I couldn't help but share my thrifty finds I scored today....Besides sewing, another one of my favorite things to do is go thrifting...Even as a kid I loved it; I would always tag along with my Bigmama when she would go....I mean every single time...I visited those same thrift stores we used to go to this afternoon and like always I found some goodness....I snagged a buncha' vintage zippers; I always seem to find those when I go....and lots of other cool stuff....I even got a new pack of tracing paper; and its the same pack I had from my Mom's stash!!!!...the GOOD kind....got a couple brand new McCall's patterns yayyyy...copped some power awesome Egyptian wall hangings and a couple handmade bowls for my sewing room what-nots.....I didn't take all the sewing goodness though; I left some for my fellow thrifters looking for treasure....
ahhhhh thrifting at its FINEST...
I was looking for some refashions too but nothing caught my eye like that...I checked out a few blazers but decided not to get one....they just didn't grab me...I also had my eye out for a small dresser drawer I could refinish with no luck.....I want like two or three drawers for my fabrics.....
Well let me share the wealth of my beyond awesome local thrift stores with you good folks and I'll talk to you soon....I aim to make my first tulle skirt and charm bracelet this evening so maybe I'll talk about that next....pictures now...
~~MsKRS~~

OMGGGG check out my bowls and wall hangings...could they be more awesome? (in my Chandler Bing voice) 

Sewing booty....

Yeah buddy....my garments feel so much more "me" when I add old school stuff to 'em...

that 95 cents tag on my tracing paper is everything....well to me it is...brings back memories while I'm making more...yep, sewing is my life on top of life....

I even found some frogs!!!!! I'm going to try and dye them though...I don't think I'll be needing them to be mustard yellow; I just don't....

Tie me up, tie me down...The Tie Front Strapless Dress

Howdy folks and how's it going?...I'm all right; been checking out a day's worth of football and taking in all the excitement...I took off earlier to have a game brewski or two with my fellow fans but I cut the festivities short this afternoon and headed back home....and whadaya know?...I decided to crank out a blog post!....TBH, the only reason I took off this afternoon in the first place is because this go 'round I was responsible for the beers and ice...You simply CANNOT back peddle if you volunteered to bring the game brews....so I showed up and had a good time....
Now Christine Haynes' patterns steals the show again this time with her simple, strapless dress dubbed "The Tie Front Strapless Dress" of course featured in her Chic and Simple Sewing book...I used a Zebra printed knit fabric I've of course been hoarding since early this Spring....Yall, this dress is beyond comfortable and darlin'....I mean beyond forreal....I put my own spin on on it, as I always do with any pattern; this time to give the front a sort of gored look (the pattern suggested cutting the same two pieces to make the dress)....and I also put the tie on the side instead of the middle....the knit fabric I used is one of those soft ones, and the dress can definitely be worn for other purposes such as a swim suit cover up or a gown....the beauty of this little garment is that it can be used as those and still be worn in public!!!...I whipped it up last night because I wanted to sew but I was on the "instant gratification" thing so I picked something simple....As said before, Ms. Haynes is all about simple yet stylish....she used a silky fabric in her book so I knew a knit would suffice and also hang just fine...and it did....
Well I have get ready for the other world (the one that doesnt involve sewing) so I'll talk to you good folks later...Check me out though in my piccies and what are you sneaking in for the last warm days and National Sewing Month?...Share links with me!
~~MsKRS~~

Sew-y, Inky MsKRS

Didnt take much fabric the way I cut it...

MsKRS Stitches

"Selfie" annoyance, National Sewing Month, and ink

Well howdy everybody!..I was sitting here watching Judge Mathis and I thought about it being National Sewing Month once again...I am just too excited that sewing is recognized for a month!...Gives us sewing folks another reason to whip stuff up....Since I've been blogging about my sewing stuff I do try to write more during the month of September; but that doesn't mean that thought manifests hehehe wishful thinking but I am off to a good start amIrigggghhhhttt?
Its not at all looking anything like Fall around here (temperatures are still in the 100s to high 90s) so I don't have any projects for that season to show...Buuuuutttttt I am going to make a brightly colored blazer for my first project of the season change to keep my spirits up....I love sunshine and sorry (not sorry) that I do not at all look forward to days without any....Bright sewing projects more than lift my spirits though, and I'll be all right.....
Now remember when I said I was going to get some sewing-related ink?...well I did a week or so ago (its still healing AND itching); although I took three of thee sh*ttiest pictures of it to show it to yall (I refused to take any more than that because they got worse and worse IMO).....anybody that knows me personally knows that I simply cannot stand "selfies"! (that's probably why they didn't come out right cause I don't like taking 'em no way)....I won't go all into why but I just don't care for endlessly taking pictures of myself....My Babygirl is of the "selfie generation" and she would crack up so loud at me poking fun of her and countless other "selfie" addicts....She has since calmed down on the "selfies" though; maybe she's becoming a bit more mature....you know, having to work and handle business the time gets away from you IDK but every now and then she snaps one or two, or seven! LOLOLOL!...
Just thought I'd mention that my tattoo artist guy is just so awesome; its like he read my mind...I love the way the old school Singer machines look and of course I have a replica on my arm (without telling him)....I told him the items; like the collage you know, and he drew it up...He sent a picture of it before I got it and I was so HAPPY!...I cannot believe that he drew an old school sewing machine without even knowing I loved them....I like when folks just "get it" you know?.....and I LOVE ARTISTS of any kind and he is one of the reasons why....People that are super awesome at what they do, I can definitely dig it....From the folks that sew to the folks that tattoo, paint, garden, hell even make duct tape art I love ya!...and THANK YOU!...You make the world much, much more interesting and sweet....now let me share these horrendous pictures; I might get my Sweetest to take a few better pictures and add them to this post if he has time.....I probably should....
~~MsKRS~~

"Easy" never is, well patterns that is and some other stuff.....

First of all Good Evening everybody! I'm still around and been sewing away too....but I just have so not felt like taking any pictures!....sometimes I just get that way....Even my pictures for this post are kinda forced because I was so damned hungry when I took them....not complaining; just saying....right after I took 'em though I went to have some eats and fast! (Mexican food)....

How has everyone been?....Good, good I hope....

Now this post is about a McCall's pattern again, and I must say again (if I haven't said it before) that the patterns labeled as "Easy" NEVER are....I learned that so early in the game and that sew fact just proves itself over and over....I don't know if its the pattern instructions that aren't clear or if its the pieces themselves...all I know is that the "easy" patterns require quite a bit more skills than they imply....

So about a month ago I decided to whip up McCall's 6955 View A....OMGosssshhh...the process of making this dress was crazy...First of all this dress was originally a UFO; so I should further explain why I just finished this dress a week ago after having it cut out and partially sewn for a month or so....I didn't know it needed more than the usual amount of fabric I always buy which is 2 1/2 yards....now if I know what I'm making ahead of time I grab more if I need to but I really didn't realize this dress was going to take almost 6 1/2 yards!...I went to Hancock's three times for this dress and I still had to go to my stash for the hem band (its a dark navy wash stretch denim I'd been hoarding)...resorted to my stash for part of the lining too....I made a Navy blue sash to match (I didn't wear it with the dress today)the yard of fabric I grabbed after work one day thinking it would be enough to finish the dress; ummm no....only after I went ahead and started sewing it up did I understand why it needed so much fabric....its essentially a circle skirt with a lined bodice attached with a hem band....okay, pattern yardage forgiven and I LOVE the flounce....the back of the dress is super cute too; kinda drawn in....I used a super cool vintage zipper for the back too...this dress ended up being pretty awesome for all the trouble and I really do dig the lil' floral lovely....Sewing is like that sometimes...

Another little milestone in my sewing life is that I bought my first Burda Style magazine...I've never sewn with a Burda pattern before (they look quite daunting) and of course I grabbed the new Fall Sew Stylish....Burda mag has 20 full sized patterns enclosed and Sew Stylish is introducing ideas for sewing with Fall knits...Well let me share my piccies now because I'm rambling like I always tend to do and I really wanna read my mags hehehehehe!..

P.S. I just got a new sewing related tattoo (remember I said I was going to?) a week ago but I'll save that for the next post...and National Sewing Month starts tomorrow...what's on the machine y'all? 

~~MsKRS~~

the beginning...right before I did the most dreaded part of sewing IMO..cutting the damned pattern pieces out and reading the unclear instructions for little to no avail...blahhhhh

my vintage Talon zipper I used for this dress....I got this on one of my thrifting trips....I love em so much I don't even like using 'em but when I do the outcome is always good!...yayyy me amiright?!?! (SMILE) 

side view; you can kinda see my new ink but I didn't take a close up (shrugs shoulders) I will though...

Back shot....back of the dress totally cute huh?....My favorite part of the dress; and the shoulder straps (I added a lil' MsKRS flair to 'em)....

See all the fabric?....geez....but provides for plenty of flounce to the ounce though! LOL! gotta love it....

they say Summer is going away soon we know not just yet...and its still 100 + degrees 'round these parts; thus my Pumpkin-colored mani/pedi...Us ladies in this little corner of the world can rock sundresses for at least another month or so....California Sun!!!!! 

Sewing girl information.....