New Look patterns = My FAVE

Good afternoon yall!...I'm just doing my usual right now which is watching Judge Judy (she's one of my favorite gals) and sewing...yesterday I scored pretty big at Hancock's Fabrics; also bought a couple of new patterns....New Look Patterns that is...(they are from Simplicity's line)....New Look patterns have since become my favorite...I am always grabbing 'em before I even realize they are New Look patterns...they are very nice patterns that can be modified to fit anyone's taste...
I started on a new dress last night and finished it a little while ago...I was able to practice darts again; which came out damn near perfect and also installed an invisible zipper for the first time...I am the Sugar Honey Iced Tea for that one...it came out very well...not too different from a regular zipper; its just a little twist to it....this dress boasts another cool neckline too!...the necklines on the dresses I have been making are super cool!...this dress is no exception!  Let me share the photos now...I wanna go back into my sewing room to start on another project!
XOXOXOX
**MsKRS**

a shot of the invisible zipper!...yeah, I got mad skills...lol

super cool neckline...

New Look pattern 0167 View C

New Look pattern 0167

MsKRS' purty new dress!

A different view = View B

Hi all!...I may seem to be posting a lot this month however March is Craft Month and I do consider sewing to be a craft so I'm participating too....I am going to try to whip up or work on something sewing related or crafty each day this month...Today was no exception because as soon as I woke up I went into my sewing room and started working on a new dress...I flipped through my patterns and my New Look pattern grabbed again; only I made a different view...(remember my Gray dress I blogged about a little while ago?....this is the same pattern but just a few differences....
View B, the sleeveless version caught my eye this go 'round so I started whipping it up...I just finished it a while ago and this is one crazy dress...but I LOVE it!..(what does that say about me? wait, don't answer that lol)...that super cool neckline that this pattern displays was again called on to make this dress pop...I also used some funky fabrics to make it even crazier...
I learned a lot while making this one...On my Gray dress I omitted the zipper but for this one I installed it....I also was able to practice my hook and eye installation again...Pleating was also required which I must say I'm getting better at....
Now I know this version was supposedly sleeveless but when I was whipping this baby up I was playing around with the armhole facings and like the frilly way it looked when they were flipped out....I like them tucked in also which actually gives me two looks out of this dress!...How cool is that?...well let me share then...
**MsKRS**

My new dress with the armholes tucked in

A shot of the back of the dress with the armholes flipped out...sorry for the quality of the photos..Im kinda tired this evening...

with the armholes flipped out...cute huh?...

This is the back of the dress...

Pleats!...nice ones too!...

View B down in the right hand corner...the linen colored one...

Orange is the new Green

Good evening everybody!...I am doing my usual; cooking, cleaning, laundry, sewing, and of course trying my hand at good ideas....I love green living, the recycling thing is taken seriously in my house....everyone knows that we recycle everything we can...My family really tries to do our little part...My daughter loves, loves, loves oranges, tangerines, tangelos; basically anything orange and she has been eating Cuties (little seedless, easy-peel, tangerines) ever since she and I can remember and nowadays is no different (Remember she is 18!)...every time I go to the grocery store I have to bring some Cuties back...I mean she eats them by the boat loads...(she is so pumped full of Vitamin C that she almost never gets sick)....I noticed the green cleaner trend and thought I would jump on the bandwagon...Since my babygirl eats so many of them and I just saw a homemade recipe for orange cleaner I decided I would try my hand at a batch....Now the cleaners I have been seeing are great but they don't have any soap in them...I kinda know why because the soaps are usually not "green" enough with the dyes and other ingredients that an all-natural cleaner would warrant...However, if I don't see bubbles when I clean I feel I'm not doing a well-enough job; which is one of the reasons I have stayed away from the natural cleaners in the first place...I know they are just too mild for my taste and they may not be as "green" as they claim.....Since my daughter just so happened to be eating Cuties this evening I had her save the peelings and gathered my items to make my own batch of orange cleaner....
Now the secret (if you can call it that) to MY orange cleaner is a free and clear dish soap...free and clear meaning no dyes and no artificial ingredients....I bought the free and clear soap from Target on my last trip although I don't usually buy that one...(I like the Apple scent)...but I'm glad I did because I needed it for my cleaner idea....
Here is what I did: I filled a jar with the tangerine peelings, poured White vinegar in to the top, and added 20 drops of free and clear dish soap....now I play the waiting game...I am going to cure it for about two weeks to make sure to get all those good, essential oils out of those peelings....oh, and dont forget to halve what ever portion of the cleaner you use with water....Okay, enough rambling, I have a couple of pictures to show yall...
XOXOXO
MsKRS

MsKRS' Orange Cleaner....:)

the ingredients I used for my orange cleaner....

Butterick Beauties

Hey yall!....Last night I started on my dress and finished it sometime early this morning...at like 2 am this morning...I never worry about the time though, as long as I'm sewing....I opted to whip up another dress from one of my new patterns I ordered from Butterick's new line of patterns....I whipped up the See & Sew B5871 View A....It came together pretty easily just like the pattern indicated...My Mother used to like sewing with Butterick Patterns too and now I know why...they are easy to understand and can be modified easily...Which is great for me because I almost never make the pattern how its written...I always put my own spin on em'....this dress is no exception...I used a seersucker type fabric that has a slight stretch...the pattern called for a knit fabric but I just didn't see this pattern looking Spring-y using a knit...I like the way it came out; maybe I will try a printed knit on View B....Well let me share the photos now so I can get back in my sewing room...maybe I can whip up something else today!....;)
XOXOXOX
MsKRS

Purty dress

A shot of the back

Super cool neckline!

My new Butterick Patterns...

You aint nothin' but a houndstooth skirt?

Good afternoon folks!...I'm going to run a few errands today including getting my daughter some new glasses and picking up a few things from Target...This is my outfit this afternoon with my self-drafted skirt, Bucket Bag (courtesy of Ms. Lisa Lam's Bucket Bag pattern), and my DIY necklace...Now all these things have been showcased before on the blog but I have since started to show photos of me actually wearing the cool stuff I whip up...I just measured myself for the skirt and it came out nice...I used the leftover fabric to make a cool sash to match...My bag I made a while ago with some sweet elephant fabric (I love elephants; have I ever shared that fact about myself?) and my necklace is a new creation I made a couple weeks ago....I feel so accomplished when I wear my own clothes and I know that no one will "match" me!...not that I mind that..;)
Well I guess I will share the photos now....
~~MsKRS~~
XOXOXOXOX

Certain blogs lead to Bread Pudding

Good evening folks!....Some of you know I like sweets every now and then but they have to be super tasty; hence my Sugar Donut Muffins I have been baking so much lately (they are featured on another post)....Since I can now make the muffins in my sleep I was onto finding something else to whip up....Earlier, while not particularly looking for any specific recipe I saw a few for Bread Pudding (I was on Pinterest)...Even one of my sewing friends tweeted about her family enjoying some tonight....Now while my palate believes it likes Bread Pudding, I seem to always be disappointed when I get my hands on some....One time my huny and me went out to Famous Dave's one night....To make a long story short I didn't care for the food or the dessert which just so happened to be Bread Pudding...theirs had a Cognac sauce which grossed it out even more because it made it soggy...I tried it again at a potluck and I didn't like it then either...this one had some sort of caramel sauce that was waaaayyyy too sweet and the bread part of it seemed undercooked...But knowing that I really do like sweet breads (not brains! lol!) of course I opted to finally try my own hand at making it...It came out really tasty!...I made a few variations of course to fit my taste but the recipe is super cool and easy..I believe it is meant to be served with Cool Whip or whipped cream but I'm thinking ice cream!!!!!...Is that too much?.hahahahaha!...I'm sharing the link to find the recipe...I hope the pretty lady wont mind over at: 2wired2tired.com (to find the recipe for this dessert and other tidbits as well!)...Photo of my Bread Pudding below:

MsKRS is so profesh

Hi folks!...I finally got the opportunity to debut my new dress I whipped up a few weeks back...I had a couple of appointments so I decided that my new dress would be perfect for 'em....I love, love, love this dress....I will be making more of this dress for sure...I made view C and there are 4 more views to make from the same pattern (New Look 0110)....This is my first dress I ever made from a commercial pattern which always seem so hard for me to understand....this one was fairly easy and the results can only get better with more practice...I was proud of myself and I am totally cool with actually seeing my sewing skills improve with every project....I also made my clutch too...I have made the clutch before though; it is Amy Butler's Charm Clutch pattern....the clutch came out well too because I have made it before....this sewing thing; has become MY thing...now and basically forever....okay ramble over, photos now....
xoxoxox
MsKRS

tried to show the super cool neckline...it reminded me of my Mom's dresses she used to wear...I love vintage stuff...especially when it has potential to still look this nice!

:)

:)

the pattern....I made the one featured on the model...the sleeveless one is next for Spring....

MsKRS' Apron + The shortest blog post ever

My apron!...I have to go cook so I cant say much but I still wanted to share...whadaya think?

New top + 16 bean soup + a messy sewing room

Hiiiiii!  Good evening everybody!!!!....this post is a bit earlier than I usually post because I have forced myself out of my sewing room to do it...I just have so many ideas in my head right now I needed to take a break anyway...my brain is so LOUD.....it helps tremendously when I'm sewing though and for that I'm grateful...Anyway my sewing magazines strike again with some inspiration on a new top I made last night....The other day I went to get some interfacing and I always buy remnants because I swear one day I am going to start a quilt top...(I will, don't snicker I will! LOL)...anyway I spotted a Gray knit fabric in the remnants and grabbed it up...it turned out to be a good sized piece, a yard even and I decided to make something with it....while looking through my sewing mags I saw the Trendy Top in Sew It All Volume 3; I was supposed to have made this little top for quite some time since Sew It All is almost on its 6th volume!...well I followed the super simple directions and came up a cool addition to my wardrobe for a fraction of the cost...(the yard of fabric was 80 cents!!!!!)...I also used a necklace piece I've had since I started sewing to make a new piece of jewelry I may pair with it when I get ready to wear it...
Since my sewing and crafting part of my brain doesn't really rest of course I kept on making stuff..While going through my vintage sewing notions I noticed a little Ziplock bag of snaps that were perfect for me to repair one of favorite pairs of heels...I also went all Crafty Chica on 'em and glittered em up too!...I cant wait to wear 'em....(I didn't take a photo of the shoes, (or the soup; all the different beans were kinda cool looking) for some odd reason...maybe I can show em when I wear em and remind you of this post)....
Well I have to go and finish the rest of the food and tidy of my sewing room....Photos now ummmkay?! LOL
XOXOXOXO
~~MsKRS~~

side view one

front view...sheer knit fabric will be very breezy and comfortable when it heats up...

I tried to show the necklace piece I used to make a new necklace for myself...

side view two

 

the inspiration...top instructions can be found in Sew It All Volume 3 as well as other cool projects to whip up!

Melancholy day + ME + My designs

Hi everybody!...I usually always use or wear something I have created everyday and today was no different...Me and my huny had to go to Target and the grocery store today and this was my outfit of the day (OOTD)....We try and go to those places during the week because it is always so packed on the weekends...today was no different...while we were rushing I forgot my washing soap, some cheese (block and slices), some seasoning salt, and a couple of other things....basically some of the more important things I meant to get....and I didnt feel like going back...I will more than likely go on back next week when the hustle and bustle dies down and the after-Super Bowl sales start!....
Well I just wanted to share my outfit and a couple of my latest creations using my fabric paints!....(I've shown this shirt on my dressform before)...Talk to you all soon! :D
XOXOXOXOX
~~MsKRS~~

Me, MsKRS

Top and bag designed by Me, MsKRS

Me showing off the details of my new top....

Happy Mushrooms by MsKRS

I whipped this at my daughter's request...She "mustache" you if you like it with a fox?...in a box?...with a Lox?...( courtesy of the Dr. Suess fabric lining)...:)

"Blossom"ing skills

the front

side shot

the back

a shot of the interior

 

Good evening all!...of course I am up again messing around in my sewing room...I usually opt for quick projects because I like instant gratification when I sew....but this go 'round I wanted a "project"...My first sewing book was Amy Butler's Style Stitches and her Blossom bag has always been soooooo darling to me...but how cute I thought it was is just how intimidating the pattern was to me....there are plenty of steps and material when it comes to making one of her bags....now while they call for a buncha stuff the finished bag is just snazzy!!...when I first started sewing she was one of the first bag ladies I discovered....I am on the hunt for her Kalencom bag patterns here locally...my little vac and sew shop may stock them by Summer....at least I hope they do...I have been able to nab a couple of her individual patterns there before....it took me around four days to complete this bag and I my stitching skills are advancing...I am starting to understand more about sewing as a whole...basically, sewing is getting cooler by the minute!!...Glad to be on board!!...Rambling?..yep, like always.......
XOXOXOXOX
**MsKRS**

Sewing LOVE Infinity & Muffins

Hey everybody!...with all the buzzard luck I had been having my sewing mojo had wavered...only a little though because I sleep right next to my sewing room!...full view of it at all times...I had my dress fabric and pattern pieces ready to go for almost three weeks...well of course if I'm not actually sewing I am almost always doing something sewing-related so that's what happened last night...I'm skimming my sewing magazines and the sewing bug takes a big, giant bite out of me and I of course obey by going right on in my sewing room...but it was 11 o'clock at night though!!!!!...but for me it doesn't matter as I will sew at any time of the day or night..but this dress thing had me up until 6 am this morning messing around with hems and sleeves....so blissful for me though because sewing really makes me feel better; it IS my therapy....In another post I included the pattern...I am starting to get along with them but I still will always love to whip up my own...it seems that I do that anyway because every single item I have ever made I have modified it to fit my own personality and skills set....my skills are improving....I installed my first hook and eye set on this dress as well as a few buttons....I love hand sewing too and I do it a lot because some things just cant be completed without it...I did a couple of repairs for my brother and my friend and my hand sewn stitches are must say are exquisite....that is what I have done the longest though...I surprised myself....;)
Now this isn't all that sewing related but I am crafty too and I do consider baking to be a craft....a cool one at that...I discovered a yummy muffin recipe within the last 2-3 weeks and my house has been a'buzz ever since...they are called Sugar Donut Muffins and they are GOOOOOOODDDD!!!!!...my daughter loves muffins ever since she was a little girl (she is 18 now) and this recipe did not fail her...my huny couldn't stay out of em either! LOL!...I found the recipe at stylishcuisine.com and I'm glad I did...the secret ingredient to these muffins is the nutmeg and they just would not be as good without it....check out that site for this recipe and plenty more...browse around when time permits; I will include the link to make it easier (http://stylishcuisine.com/?p=1242)  well you know I hate to ramble so I will share the photos of my new dress and those super tasty muffins....Love, Peace, and Sewing!
XOXOXOXOX
**MsKRS**

front shot...

shot of the back...you can barely see my hook and eye installation but it is there...lol

close up of the collar and button from my Mom's collection of buttons I inherited...

shot of the super cool Britex buttons I installed on the cuffs...I love buttons!...have I ever shared that? ;)

Sugar donut muffins....DELICIOUS.....

Feeling DOWN

Evening all...How is everybody doing?...Me, I feel so scattered...I usually don't share too much personal stuff on my blog; while I vent I don't want to bring anyone down too much....But I don't know where else to share when I just don't feel like verbally saying anything except for here...I use this blog as my personal diary more and more it seems...
My daughter's father passed away....That is all I will say about that as there is really no need to elaborate....there just doesn't seem to be a need...My school situation is horrifying right now too and STILL no job....when it rains it pours.....All I can do is look forward to better days because there are always, always going to be ups and downs....always.....I have been keeping extra busy just trying to keep my sanity....and I did notice that the results have been quite nice...I guess pain really does beget treasure sometimes....
the services were bittersweet for him....my daughter's eyes seem to have lost some of the spark...it may or may not come back....
I will share the photos now....
Talk to everyone as soon as I can...
~~MsKRS~~

pickle jar turned utensil holder

 

pretty top (pattern used)

self-drafted pretty top

fabric paint love; all done free-hand

 

New year = New projects to whip up

Howdy everybody!..Happy holidays and new year to you all....I never make resolutions because I know there will be ups and downs and rounds and rounds as long as you are alive...I just hope to live healthy, love much, and be peaceful....Now with the shiny new year here comes many thoughts of sewing and new projects; well at least for me it does...(I cant seem to think of much else these days)....I have a new project in mind too...its a commercial pattern; ick because I don't really like patterns but the dresses were too pretty to pass up AND I need to expand my skills anyway so I opted for a 5 style dress pattern from Simplicity's New Look line....One of my sewing friends mentioned that I should try Burda patterns and she could not have been more right...they have some really cool patterns; I just hope I can maneuver through them...I also wanted to spruce up my home with some handmade jazz too...I have to make some window treatments this Spring; I hope I am able to find some breezy fabric that brightens up the areas I'll put them in...
I little birdie told me that there is another Sew It All coming out which makes this the 6th volume and I'm itching to get my hands on it....I may try and sew through it...
I was going to sew this evening but I decided I should drop a line or two instead...but not before I de-fuzzed and oiled my machine for tomorrow's projects...My visit to Hancock's today again proved very fruitful; I love that place....well any place where there is fabric, books, and friendly people....Well I have talked enough right!?  Of course I have a photo or two of my latest creations and ideas....Talk to you good folks soon!
XOXOXOXOX
**MsKRS**

My first garment project of 2013...I will show photos of the finished dress when its completed; I plan to sew it up later on....

Wrist warmers....an idea from one of my sewing mags...

A "just because" photo of two of my pincushions...the yellow one was made by my mother and the red one was made by me!...I sure wish she was here..but everything I have ever made was whipped up with her machine...Bittersweet....