Handworks Crochet and then Some!

The Original jeans on the left... My copy on the right! This is what I'm entering for the contest! Not because I think I will win.. I know I won't because I've seen some amazing knockoffs the women on PR have made... I'm entering just because I'm so happy with my results! Being jean obsessed and all!!

This is what we woke up to here in K-Town today... it was my poodles 1st snow... Be'Be' run back in the house but as you can see Lil' Pac here is loving it! So this morning I finished up another one of my "hired" projects... Pretty, isn't it? She wants to trim and decorate it herself. She just needed me to construct it for her... Gathered halter bra top.. straight skirt with gathers on one side down the hip... the other side just has gathers above the slit, darts for shaping on the backside, invisible zipper.... This skirt is actually a BWOF pattern.. altered ofcourse! The only thing I don't like about it is the fake ties she wanted at the back of the halter and the back hanging down... but whatever.. its her costume! I think she is going to trim and decorate it with AB crystals.. it will be stunning on her! I have another hired project (actually I have several!!) but its my turn for something!!! Esp. since the Bald Man is on his way to Chatt-Town with h...

TIPNUT.COM picked my tutorial on How to make Toggle Buttons for their tip of the day!!! If you've not been to this site its really nice!! With everything from How to Crochet to an Easy Change Purse pattern, recipes, house hold hints... you name it!! Check it out! Plus they're extra awesome for adding my tutorial!! hahaha

Yup! They are all done... and I couldn't be more pleased with the fit.... Copying RTW may be the smartest sewing thing I've done... that and learning to make my own Bellydance Costumes.... I mean crazy belly dance costumes start at around $150 for the plain boring ones and for the Unique, non "cookie cutter" ones they go to the thousands! yuk! I personally perfer a vacation to a costume... I know this comes as a shock to anyone who doesn't belly dance.. it also comes as a shock to people who start to bellydance!!! I needed to learn to make jeans... I live my life in them! Jeans and knit shirts! And good designer jeans cost alot... but now I can just do this..... yay!!!! Since the original jeans were a non stretch woven and these are a stretch they could be a little tighter... and now if only I could find some higher quality denim!!! This denim is from Joanns and I can already tell by the end of the day my jeans are going to be stretched and loose... ofcourse they...

These are for the PR Knockoff contest.. copied from my favorite, wore out Mudd jeans.. they are almost done! I am making this pair from a black/red metallic stretch denim.. since they're stretch I've had to take them in an inch instead of the 1/2 inch I used for the non stretch pair I made a few weeks ago... I should be able to finish them up tomorrow..... Then I have to get back to work on other peoples sewing! I have so much to do!

That Fabulous copying technique!!! Gotta love it! Today I copied and made one of my favorite basic shirts you see here to the left... and my favorite yoga pants!! I love yoga pants!!! BWOF had a yoga pants pattern a few months ago that just didn't work out but these... well just look... I added a metallic decorative latter stitch to the bottom of the pants to give them a dressed up look.. so now I can wear them out too! And thats what I did tonight... wore this outfit out to one of me n' The Bald Mans favorite sushi restaurants.. where the hostess complemented my outfit as soon as we walked in... telling me how much she liked my outfit and how stylish it was... yay! go me! go me! hahahaha

This was the most fun party me and the Bald Man have ever hosted!!! The party have 2 parts.. the early group and the late group... To the left here we have the early group... They had to leave around 9:45 to go dance at a fund raiser at UT.... We had a few guests that came early AND stayed late!! Check out the guys above in the Guys Belly Dance Off... hahahaha Then we have the late group! My party people! The most fun party ever.. and there will be more in the future! Between my camera and Sam's camera we have ALOT of pics.. There's no way to post so many directly on my blog so I started an album just for this party and here is the link The Big Hairy Belly Dance Party Album Thanks to all who came and made this party a great time and a great memory!

No sewing today....... I must prepare....... because.......... Its time for The Big Hairy Belly Dance Party... the party themed for belly dancers and the fake hair they love! Here are the purses I made for the prizes/surprizes... along with some fringe pieces that I might put in the purses and hip scarves. Don't know... we're planning to play Twister and a few other "belly dance" games Sonja came up with... maybe I need a video camera for this party... you know.. for America's Funniest Home Videos... So far there are 18 bellydancers coming and 6 guys... we're a little unbalanced here... I made the Bald Man call some of his friends because I don't want him to go crazy with only giggling bellydancers with fake hair for him to talk to... ofcourse most guys would probably say this is not a bad thing... Now I have to decide which wig/hair piece will I wear myself??? and more importantly which wig will I put on the Bald Man??? hahaha Stay tuned for party pictur...

This purse to the left here is from Butterick pattern 4822 and I hate it... not the purse .. for some reason I hated making it! I had to make myself finish it! I hate UFOs... so I pulled through it... then I threw away this part of the pattern... never to be made again by me... I'd like to try the ruffle purse that is included in this pattern.. that looks like something I would enjoy making... the peacock my mighty machine did on this purse is really pretty though. Then I started on another red SWAP top... first I had my mighty machine to embroidery this little design... it was a challange because this fabric is a super light weight knit! Pain in the a**!!! I threw away 3 other tries before this one finally sewed out all the way! Tomorrow I will post a pic of the completed shirt.. I like it alot! I have to work on OPS (other peoples stuff) tomorrow and maybe some little prizes for my upcoming party on FRIDAY!

Yesterday I spent 4 hours working on the beautiful coat you see here to the right..... its not for me. Its for a local bellydancer in town who hired me to make it for her... she asked for a major change on it from the original pattern... she didn't want laces on it... from that comes fitting issues!! Which is why it took 4 hours instead of 2 1/2! It is beautiful though! It looks even better on her I need to remember to get picture when she picks up! So all I had time to do for myself is this sad little pot holder... which really my embroidery machine sewed out while I made the coat!

I did it!!! I copied my RTW good fitting Mud jeans that were falling apart to make the good fitting pair to the left you see!!! Thank You Laura from http://laurasewingroom.blogspot.com/ for giving me the link that helped me do this... here is the link for the copying Copy/Rub off RTW This was a little time consuming to do but worth it!!! Because they fit! No muslin to make, no alterations... unless theres something you want to change about the rtw... So really it was no more time consuming than using a pattern you have to alter... I plan to use this copy method on some other favorite jeans as well as some tops and blouses I love. I may even try copying a favorite jacket! This is an awesome technique.. I also made a new purse/tote this weekend... using the "machine" to embroidery this cute flapper girl.. her dress is cut to be all fringy!! This NL pattern never stops producing great purses for me! I made the bias binding to match the inside... th...

First 2pac and Be'Be' got all nice and done up at the groomers! See how adorable they are!!! I danced at Mirage Friday... non eventful... same ol' same ol' Saturday me n' the Bald Man went out!!! We have decided I should only dance 1 night a week... 2 nights.. being Friday and Saturday is ruining our weekends! Through the week Bald Man works so hard and now coaches his Lacrosse team.. I'm sewing most days, for myself and for business... Speaking of sewing I will post pics of my new 'jeans'!!!! Pattern copied from a well fitted pair of rtw I have had for years!!! You can kinda see them in this pic! Thanks to Laura at http://laurasewingroom.blogspot.com . I emailed her after I saw her fabulous pair of copied rtw and asked her to please share technique for this!!! Thank You Laura!!!!

I made this little purse this morning... bellydancer embroidery! How cute... with brocade handle, inside pocket and trim... I'm thinking the little belly dancer needs some tiny rhinestones on her costume though... what do you think??? I made this to be one of the prizes for my upcoming belly dance party ... aka.. The Big Hairy Belly Dance Party! where belly dancers will gather at my house with their fake hair on... the fake hair can be ulgy, pretty, a full wig, pony tail... whatever! We're going to play a few silly belly dance games and I thought it would be nice if we had some bellydance prizes for the winners!! Should be fun!

Here is the Ugly on purpose top on me... it actually looks pretty good from the front with all thats been done to it... And now here's the ugly on purpose part... the key hole back with gathers...yikes!!!! Looking at it in the pic I'm thinking I can do something else to bring it back to just a plain red top instead on ugly on purpose.... we'll see.... right now I'm tired of messing with it!

You know how sometimes designers make clothes that are really ugly on purpose... but no one cares that its ugly because someone fabulous made it.. or someone famous wore something like it so now its trendy. And the critics give the ugly outfit rave reviews because the designer is SO creative!!! Well, I've decided thats what this shirt is all about... its not finished in the picture.... and its ugly on purpose.... Ok... not on purpose. What happened was I decide its time to introduce the other color into my SWAP... after adding some red thread couching to the jacket I made,, its time for the red! My Swap is browns, blacks, tans for the base...turquiose and red for my jewel colors... I love red and turquiose together!! Anyways back to the ugly on purpose top. I ordered this pattern you see above... its from Peggy Sagers Sihouette patterns. Its unique because it has different pattern pieces for cup sizes... B-D. I'm thinking "wow, this should be a great fit!" I always...

This is what I made in crochet class yesterday.. and I haven't really decided if I like to crochet.... its okay I guess... it just seems to take a long time... not as long as knitting!! I want to be able to make certain things with crochet though... like lacey looking boleros! There's just so much sitting down involved with crochet and knitting... with sewing I'm up switching from serger to machine... getting other pattern pieces... checking marks, fitting... setting zippers, making buttons... more fitting... pressing and more pressing... It involves moving around... Also I hate trying to read a crochet pattern! They're so confusing!!! So I just don't know if its going to work out for me... I wish I could make a bolero with serger crochet!

Well, its all done but the trim at the bottom.. I ran out of thread! And the sewing store has to order more... I put a zipper where buttons usually go.. it fits nicely around the underbust.. the laces really give it a corset feel. I'm pleased with it and I hope the dance who wants one will be to! I'm making a shirt to go with it.. after all this work on it I'm planning to wear it out! Other boring work news..... I'm all caught up,,, greek tunics are done, skirt, bra top and gauntlets for other dancer.. done!

I worked all day on this muslin for the Ghawazi coat... its almost done! The pattern I have for it is terrible!! I cut out the "small" pattern and still had to take off about 7 inches!!! Tomorrow I should be able to finish it up and start the real one for the bellydancer who needs it! I also spent time draping the greek tunics I've got to get done... no fun sewing for me today... On a more fun note..... I got these in the mail!!!! My Islander Sewing systems DVD's and book I won on ebay!!! All brand new! For way less than what they cost on the web site. I love islander sewing dvd's.. its because of they're dvd's I can put in any kind of zipper and make pretty pointy collars! I also got these patterns in the mail. They will be used for my Swap! I can't wait to try the Silhouettes! It has cup sizes included! Thats got to help with my chest fitting issues! The Birch Street pattern I actually got last Thursday at the All About Sewing store here in town.....

Lets see.... this last week I worked on some of the sewing jobs I've been hired to do... I made a costume cover-up for a dancer... I wish I had taken a pic of it because it turned out beautiful! I made a mermaid skirt, and started this green bellydance bra top for a dancer here in town... and I've started working on the muslin for her Ghawazee coat.. which is the big mess you see here in black. Whats a Ghawazee coat?? Here's a picture of one all done and decorated Ghawazee Coat Pic They're used for certain mid eastern folk dances. They are beautiful when they're done right.. And I'm having another go 'round with jeans pattern M5142 Veiw A The last pair fit well in the back but the front was a little baggy for me and the waist band gapped. The fit on these is much better. I altered the front by taking about an inch off where the waist band meets the pants.. helped tremendously with the baggy front... and to fix the gapped waist band I used the waist band mea...

Its the Bald Mans birthday!!!!! So after I was done dancing at Mirage Saturday we decided to go meet up with some friends, Sarah and Omar, we've not seen in a few months at a little jazz club in west Knox called 4620... It was also Sarahs birthday! She turned the big 20! And the guy in the hat... thats Omar! They are from Syria... and they are fabulous! The Bald Man and I have been missing them! And btw, I made the shirt I have on from a vogue pattern.. it was very easy... I made my pants too,, can't see them but the were from a BWOF... We had a great time seeing these two! So many birthdays, so many wonderful Aquarius people! (like me!!!)