I just love the vintage stuff; a lot.....

Good evening all!...I've been in the streets as my elders would say since I got off work yesterday and I can say I'm tired now....Its my birthday weekend (my actual birthday is Monday) so I decided to go visiting my friends...it was one of my friend's birthday today I went over there and spent the day with her....Now as you all know I LOVE VINTAGE and anything "old school" and sewing and patterns don't hardly ever disappoint....I'm showcasing Simplicity's remake of one of their Jiffy patterns; #1609 View C....I made this dress quite some time ago and had only worn it once to my Sweetest's Aunt's wedding....I decided to wear it today because I just felt vintage-y.....and I've been watching Mad Men since I got Netflix a few weeks ago so I fell right back in total love with that era's fashion.....I also found some Jellies (shoes) that I wore as a child as well as my daughter...as soon as I saw 'em I knew I had to have em...so all the way old school is what I was today....
I loved sewing this dress...it has 4 darts on the front and shoulder darts too...the reason its called a Jiffy pattern is because it only has two main pattern pieces....but the details are just awesome....I whipped it up out of some super cool Pique I found at Hancock's of course...they also had Pink but I opted for the Blue.....I could hardly photograph the details well enough while wearing the dress but I wrote a blog post about it when I finished a while back and those photos were better at showing the awesome little details I love so much about this dress...I have a matching sash but I didn't wear it today..its beyond comfortable and I'll definitely be getting a few more wears out of it before the Summer ends.....let me know if you want to read about it and I'll post the link....Do you have a favorite style to sew?...If you do, what is it?....I'll talk to you good people soon!
~~MsKRS~~

A Singer and a simple tote

Good evening everybody!...I do hope all is well....I'm just sitting here kinda just relaxing in my sewing room and drinking some lemon water that I probably put too many lemons in....I need another bottle of water to get all the goodness out of the lemons because they are definitely still lemony!...this little post will only have a couple of pictures as it is to only introduce my new bestie and show off a purse I whipped up in an hour last night before I went to bed last night...
Now my new bestie is a guy and his name is Greyson...Here he is...

Now is he not thee cutest?...I got him earlier in the week and tried him out last night to make a bag....Here's my new bag.....

Darling huh?...LOL just kidding but I made this to check out my new machine...I should make a tute for this one; its just so easy and I feel I should share....its patternless; I just winged it with my OG bag making skills and came up with this..It really is a 1-hour bag...I put my stuff in it as soon as I finished it!...while doing that I noticed I need a new wallet...I may whip myself up a new one this weekend....my new machine sews so tough and strong; that's why I assumed it was a guy! lol....my other machine softly sews; I actually sewed my finger when I first started sewing and it didn't even bleed...Now if I do that with my new machine I may have to pay for an emergency room visit!!

Yep, its THAT BRAWNY.....

I didn't really need a new machine but I was once again a "victim" (I love online shopping btw) of online shopping...I'm always, always, always looking at sewing stuff and fabric online and I know I should've been asleep at the time I placed the order...but alas, I have it now and I LOVE IT!....I have to buy a few more feet; my other one has all the feet but this one only has 3 or 4....ordering those this weekend....I hope they're not too expensive...I missed making bags for a moment and forgot how much I love making 'em....I don't make as many as I used to...Well I'll say see you later for now, but I'll chat soon!

~~MsKRS~~

Knits and Old School Simplicity

Good evening everybody!...I guess I can share that this is my birthday month and I'm excited this go' round...it may be due to the scales of life ain't always tipped too far in the wrong way all the time lately.....now don't get me wrong; sh*t happens like all the time and always will...but nowadays its usually not the end of the world hahahaha!...I noticed that when I'm happier I blog a little more....I like that....
Anyway, I decided a little while ago to write a quick blog post to share my latest creation out of my stash of knits....Its been overly HOT like it always is around this time (110 degrees just today and its still burning up outside) so tight, stuffy clothes are NOT on the menu these days...knits are always soft and breathable and my subconscious must have been guiding me on my latest fabric shopping sprees...I have quite a few knits in my stash right now and I'm about to sew 'em all up....the sewing bug was biting the other day so I reached for my old school maxi dress pattern (it debuted in 1993) and whipped it up; with some modifications....I've made this style before but I did different sleeves with a printed knit...I blogged about it recently...I needed something speedy and nice and Simplicity's 8479 View 4 is just awesome....Its essentially only two pieces but I always cut the back in two pieces...I just like the distinction from the front and back; it looks much better to me....it boasts the "1-Hour dress" label and they're on the money...its super fast to whip up....I got another story to tell but I'll wait 'til this weekend to share again....
Pictures now; I gotta get my gear ready for tomorrow....talk to you good folks soon...but before I go; I have a question....why is so many people not all that excited about sewing with knit fabric?...I ask because I've never had an apprehension....I guess when you dont know to be scared you're not huh?...how you yall feel about sewing with knits?....like it or nahhh?...why or why not?....
~~MsKRS~~

MsKRS

My mini skirt days are back with the Summer heat and my top.....

Side view....

the first time I modified the pattern.....(a few weeks ago I believe)

McCall's even rings on holidays!

Howdy folks and how is everyone doing on this fine day?....I'm all right, not at all hungover from the Red, White, and Blue pitcher of Sangria my friend and I happily sipped on yesterday for the festivities....We didn't really celebrate, we hardly ever do because its hard to forget the real but any excuse to have fun with friends and/or family is good enough for me!....I take full advantage every chance I get....My friend and I both were off work from our paid gigs so we had a simple dinner and some spirits.....and of course some awesome conversations about whatever came across our minds.....
I finally got to wear my Red, White, and Blue handkerchief printed dress I originally whipped up for this same holiday last year....My Sweetest pissed me off last year so I didn't get dressed and didn't go anywhere either so there it sat until this year....I loved it so much though when I finished it, even when I saw the printed denim at my store (Hancock's Fabrics) I knew a couple yards were definitely coming home with me....I also knew it would be a dress of some kind....I ended up making McCall's M6741 View A.....I must have had some sewing fairies in my sewing room with me that day because I made this dress pretty damned good....I did re-hem it and fixed the arm holes up a bit before I wore it yesterday....I kinda wanted them a little cleaner.....the rolled hem wasn't working for me after all....it really made me feel festive and vintage and I LOVED it....my Sweetest called me an "old lady that's pretty" which he tends to do because I love vintage looking clothing and sew and wear it every chance I get....and my "clogs" as he called them were actually pretty to him too although he talked about how ugly they were when he first saw them! LOL!....I swear he reminds me of why its important to be YOURSELF always because listening to him will having me looking really mediocre; all the time!!!!!......Vintage MsKRS is ME and I am HER....and for the most part he gets it....
I loved making this dress and I believe I blogged about it when I whipped it up last year too...if you want the link to that post just let me know; I don't feel like finding it right now....(lazy? why yes, yes I am)...Okay pictures now yall....
I'll talk to you good folks soon!....I have a new sewing machine on its way which means projects galore....I'll have a buncha stuff to show yall!...Did anybody make anything especially for the holiday?....Let me see it if you did!
~~MsKRS~~

a dress with pockets?....of course! 

I used a shiny, Red material that sparkles for the bottom of the dress....made the colors POP just right....

Old school Simplicity, a re-fashion, and MsKRS

Good afternoon everybody!...I hope all is well on this Father's Day....My Daddy has since passed on so I've since stop planning to do anything....When I had my Daddy I would get him a Father's Day tie cake from Baskin Robbins every year....Now my Daddy had adult onset diabetes which meant that he wasn't really supposed to have cake; let alone a whole one but he looked for that cake anyway...One year I took a little too long to deliver it and he called me and said "Hey! Now where's my cake?"....I had to tell him that I was on my way with it as we spoke!...I loved my Daddy and I'll always be a Daddy's girl no matter how long I live....However, my Sweetest still has his Dad and his Grandpa so that's what this afternoon was about this go 'round...
We all met each other at Sal's (a Mexican food restaurant) and chowed down on some good food and caught up with everybody...We are now full of salsa, chips, and the fixins' we parted ways until next time.....
I had to make something cute to wear; so when I got up this morning I went straight to my sewing room and to my fabric stash....I was thinking about what something I could whip up easily and my Pinterest account came to mind....I had pinned an outfit with an extra long tank with extreme side slits which the girl paired with some booty shorts...Since I wouldn't be caught dead in "booty shorts" I refashioned some cropped jeans into some shorts that were a little above the knee...After I cut them off I shredded them a little more with a razor blade which will probably show better when the come out of the wash next time....They were were already distressed; which is a style that has rolled back around lately....made my refashion right on time...I didn't have a lot of time to whip something up so I used my Simplicity 8479; which is a 1 hour pattern (its probably out of print by now; it was introduced in '93...I'm sure you can find another similar pattern nowadays though with no problem)....I made View 4 but I altered it a bit...For instance; instead of cutting the back piece on the fold; I cut two pieces and sewed them together...it looks better like that IMO and it makes the front easily identifiable from the back....I used a rolled hem on the neck and armholes and serged the inside to clean up the seams....and of course added the super long side slits to make the top stand out....and it really does whip up in an hour or less; its super fast even though I added an extra piece....Have you folks sewn anything up that you noticed from Pinterest?...Who has a Pinterest account I can follow?....Share it with me!.....Yep, I'm rambling again so let me share the flicks before I think of something else to tell you LOL!....
Talk to you good people soon!
~~MsKRS~~

a shot of the back.....

Side view.....

MsKRS; I've copped a buncha knits lately so this outfit has a good chance of reappearing in a different shade or print....

Ayyyyyyeeeeeee!

the "look down" pose us bloggers just have to include! LOL

Just trying to show how cool my shorts are (wink-wink)

Its safe to say I LOVE McCall's callers

Good afternoon everybody!...I'm super hungry so this post will be short and sweet; I'm trying to go get something to eat....I believe I want breakfast food right now but I'm not sure....I kinda want a buffet too; I feel really greedy today....I just finished McCall's M6751 View D again; this time in a Orange knit fabric I had in my stash....I'm sure I bought it from Hancock's Fabrics though...that's where the majority of my fabric comes from....My skirt is a knit fabric too; and self-drafted....I just started cutting the fabric one day and this skirt is the result..it has some sparkly stuff on it too but its hard to see in the pictures.....the skirt only has two side seams and an elastic waist; I didnt finish the hem because I knew it would just curl up anyway in the wash.....and my cool Chucks with my girl Cheetara on 'em though!....(She's one of my alter egos ever since I was a little girl).....I love, love, love these shoes; I got em from Journey last year sometime....
Okay its time to go get some chow now, and here are the piccies.....
I'll talk to you good people later and please share with me if you've sewn some good stuff lately....I love looking at other folks creations....
~~MsKRS~~

MsKRS and another McCall's caller

Well good evening everybody!  How's it going and stuff?...I'm doing all right; and feeling good because I'm sewing....that's how I know I'm feeling like myself is when I cant help but sew.....Within the last month I've copped at least 12-15 new patterns...some from my recent thrifting trips and some from Hancock's....I took my time sifting through the patterns this go' round; maybe because I had the stores to myself...some trips were on my lunch break...what did I eat for lunch you ask?...some gummy worms and a water! hahahahaahaha!.....I always try to make a good dinner though when I do myself like that for lunch....but I really grabbed some good ones; and was even able to find some Fashion Star ones that I thought were discontinued....I recently cleaned my sewing room too and purged two big bags of scraps I had been hoarding for waaaaaayyyyy too long and threw away other unnecessary stuff I had thrown in there....my sewing space can breath again! Whew!....
This evening I decided to make myself a new a top...I need one for tomorrow; a few of my besties are having a cookout...My friend got a new place and invited everyone over this weekend for fun and festivities!...I bought some printed pants a few weeks ago from Ross but I didn't get a shirt; matter of fact I didn't even look...and I didn't have one I wanted to pair with the pants in my closet....I could have actually sewn the pants I bought with no problem buuuuuut they were only like $11 dollars and I hadn't seen that particular chevron printed fabric...soooooo I grabbed 'em up......McCall's M6751 View D to the rescue for the top dilemma though....I went to my stash and grabbed a yard of some aqua-colored stretch lace from Hancock's the other day and it turned out perfect for the project....it sewed up quick too; it only had two pattern pieces with no facings or anything...I serged the inside seams to clean 'em up....that serger boy I tell ya'; I love that thing and my Auntie is thee BEST for sending it to me....the lace fabric will come in handy too being as though its supposed to be 100+ degrees tomorrow here, Lawd....
Well I'll share the pictures now and stop my rambling....y'all know how I can go on with my sewing stuff (wink-wink)...talk to you good people soon!
~~MsKRS~~

the before...those are my new Mundial pinking shears...they're pretty cool! 

Front view...I left the basting stitches in...smh...I gotta get those out and re-press...damn.....

Side View....

a back shot...its one of those hi-low numbers....whatcha' think?....(try to ignore the basting stitches when you consider....;)

basting stitches removed and re-pressed....looks MUCH better....I swear my mind moves too fast when I sew sometimes...I already have the next project on my table.  ;)

MsKRS and the Midi Dress

OMGGGGGGG I'm soooo sorry for the too long hiatus from my modest little blog....I've since been forced to deal with one of the necessary evils of life; I finally snagged a gig....It has seriously, dangerously, seriously, and horribly cut into my sewing time....there is always a flip side though....I've been thrifting a lot lately and coming up with some super cute things....I copped quite a few old school patterns on those trips too....I'm ready for sewing whenever I get to go in my sewing room....I don't feel like its lonely though (my sewing room) because I still have to do some kinda sewing....Mending is whats been on the board....my serger is just the bee's knees for that kinda stuff....I've been ordering good stuff from Wawak too; although I now feel that I need an "L" ruler and some #9 needles....if you sew you NEED to get familiar with those folks; Wawak that is.....they have thee best customer service and anything you may need to sew whether its for home sewing or on the industrial level...they are AWESOME.....My childhood friend Keith even dropped me off a purty little sewing box filled with notions but that's another post...I'll save it....now this post is about my floral midi dress...yall remember when I posted about it?....here is the link if yall wanna read about it:

http://mskrspinkstitches.blogspot.com/2014/04/april-showers-brings-mskrs-pretty.html
 (I dont know why its not highlighted but I guess you can just copy and paste it in your browsers)

this post is just showing me wearing it....my Sweetest took a set of the worst piccies this go' round so I only have a few...but the few I have will do....I definitely should have participated in the MeMadeMay'14 thingy this year but time just got away from me....I literally wear my creations every day so I guess I didn't need a month to show em off; just keep doing what I do to let folks see....of course I was going to Target and a couple other places...I even went to the library and copped a couple of sewing books....also had a bill I didn't know I had and didn't know why either....I paid it anyway; I don't want ANY restrictions from a place full of books!!!!!....well here they are and I'll talk to you good folks soon I promise.....

MsKRS.....

I'm dipped when they see me.....(wink-wink)

yep, sometimes, just sometimes I wear flats.....;)

my trademark wrist o' bangles.....

MsKRS is manic again; Mad Men Mania that is......(pic heavy)

Good afternoon everybody....I'm sitting here watching re-runs of Sex and the City and thinking of new stuff to sew up....Every time I think of my next outfit this maxi dress with extreme side splits and booty shorts keeps popping up....now when I go in my sewing room and get going I'm almost certain that I still wont make that....LOL...Sewing is funny like that....I finally got a paid gig and I start next Monday....I'm not all that excited about it but I'm not all that irritated either....I knew after the Blood Moon I would crash and/or burn and the crash seems to have set in sometime yesterday....I went and celebrated another misguided holiday with my loved ones, enjoyed myself, and got home early....I just felt the crash setting in....A REAL MOON CHILD FORREAL.....but I did watch Mad Men last night and loved it of course...I probably stopped following the story line a long time ago because of the fashion...I still know whats going on though and Peggy irritated me last night....she's still a sweetheart though hahaha!....
Now this post is about basically a wearable muslin I whipped up a while ago and I just love its country style....its Mad Men-ish because of the neckline and print IMO....I love it a lot and its totally comfortable...I blogged about the dress a while ago but I didn't give it much attention....I believe Blogger was acting up so I may have put the photos on FB, I cant remember.......this fabric was thrifted on one of my many trips to the thrift store and I was quite surprised that it was a big enough piece to actually make a dress...I thought "muslin fabric" when I grabbed the bags of fabric that day....its always cool to make something right the first time around and the fabric isn't too hideous to wear.....I have a load of laundry going, my sewing room needs tidying, and my mind's eye needs to be rested...I'll talk to you good folks soon!..Oh and the first set of photos (the ones of my with no shoes are when I first finished it last year sometime) are going to be included too...the ones with my lovely wedges I'm showing too; I went to Target and Sprout...I needed some more Fage.....;)
**MsKRS**
P.S. I would like to partipate in this years Me Made May and I believe I will....now who's going to take all my flicks?....check out my photos now....and did I say how much I LOVE MAD MEN?....well, I do...almost as much as sewing....(insert hearts and smiles here)

I wanted to leave the zipper exposed because I just think its sooooo cool...its a vintage, metal-toothed zipper from J & P Coats!.....besides the collar, that zipper is thee best feature of this dress...for something that was meant to be a muslin, its pretty damned cool....;)

Indian Summer? Nahhhh Spring just arrived!

Howdy folks and good afternoon to ya!...this post can be looked at as a continuance from my last post about my modified Indian Summer dress (pattern by the lovely Christine Haynes).....I decided to wear it today and whadaya know, I also felt like taking pictures....I contribute my huge amount of energy to the Blood Moon last night and my bowl of Fage, pineapple, strawberries, and honey.....Yes, we ARE Ag Country (our nickname for our area) and our fresh fruit **and veggies** are always in abundance....I take full advantage like all the time; I believe I can live off fruit if I had to (I wouldn't feel punished at all)....The honey came from a local honey guy and I I copped a few bottles on one of my many trips to Farmer's Market....He has cool honey flavors like Pomegranate Blossom, Avocado, and Stonefruit...I bought so many he gave me a free bottle!.....We really are the shizzzznit when it comes to that kinda stuff....one of the good things I can boast about in this city in which I was born and raised....
Now on to this dress....I explained in the last post that I modified it a bit to MY tastes which meant eliminating the straps and using a woven fabric instead of the usual cotton....I just love it yall!...I really do...I like when my creations come out cool; I tend to wear them out which is the point of it all right?....I paired it with a wrist full o' bangles (like I always rock) and some cool wedges...I LOVE WEDGES; that's it and that's all...and the wedges gave this outfit a much needed color pop as my flowers are blushing a bit....My sweetest has been taking my pictures so if they are crazy I blame him hehehehe....j/k he's doing all right in my opinion; I just need to get a snazzier camera....I've been looking around too.....Well let me share the flicks now; Judge Judy comes on in 20 minutes and yall know thats my girl forreal! LOL!
Talk to you good people soon! (maybe around Easter time)
**MsKRS**
P.S.  Check out my belt too and of course its DIY....Sew now and foreva' baby! :)

 Another awesome pattern from my Chic and Simple Sewing book by Christine Haynes....

 Now yall know I made my belt too right?....Yeah, I'm tight like that...LOL!

 Lawd my hair is so out of control these days.....the natural hair journey is real yall....

 the dress is swirly and girly....my kinda dress

the lovely Christine Haynes' Chic and Simple Sewing book; her Indian Summer dress pattern....LOVE