Handworks Crochet and then Some!

Lisa of Canberra, Australia made me the cutest shabby chic handbag! And I love it! The swap was to make a handbag useing thrift store type goods... mine is actually finished but I don't want to post it until I know my swap partner has received it. When you join a swap on swap bot you get to see who your sending to and who's sending to you!!! Lisa says in the card that she pieced together old dresses and scraps to make my bag. It has a vinyl interior and a zipper top... AND she even put a little note book inside covered with textured paper. A wonderful, unique, handmade, handbag all the way from Australia! How cool is Swap-Bot! Check out Lisa's blogs (aka, Ninaribena) One is all about the crafty talented people of Canberra, Au and the other one is about Lisa's own craftiness and swaps http://canberrasgotstyle.blogspot.com/ http://ninaribenamakes.blogspot.com/ And yes, Lisa, this makes up for my sad swap! lol!

So I was free from dancing last weekend...... But Friday we went to Mirage anyways to see Sonja and smoke a hooka (aka dessert without calories!) Here she is with her hubby... Mr. and Mrs. Tree Hugger! Gotta love'em! But really I wanna talk about what I wore and how awesome I am for finding a $180 pair of jeans in Rag-A-Rama thrift store for $25. LOL! Paige Denim.... all the rage in the latest greatest denim! My review: Not su' much... They lost their shape pretty quickly and so I tied this scarf around my hips. Also they are supposed to make your a** look awesome... again.... not su'much. My Allen B's and my own jean creations make my backside look much better.... So in conclusion and my opinion: Paige denim jeans are all HYPE! But if you can find them in a thrift store... why not??? They are the latest trend in jeans... The shirt I'm wearing is a handmade creation from the same store... $14. The bolero, I made.

A visit to Goodwill a couple of weeks scored me these OOP patterns here to the left for .20 cents! The vogue pattern is what I've been working on... This has consumed my sewing time... I have never made a "suit" type outfit. This isn't really a suit.. but its about as "suit" as your going to see me in! With my adjustments and embellishments I'm actually making it more cocktail style. The top is slightly structured and semi fitted. The skirt is a calf length with a large flare ... which I have lengthened to the floor, making it a mermaid style skirt . I also added a slit up the side to the lower part of the thigh. It will have lace embroidery going up the slit and on a side back skirt panel. I also plan to place some small gunmetal gray crystals along the embroidery. I have added rows of top stitching to the collar with matching blue/grey embroidery thread. I am making this for the formal dinner I have to attend with the Bald Man at one of the boat deal...

First! Clothes I made and wore in ATL! I actually made this skirt I'm wearing last fall from a BWOF... and no I don't remember which one and yep, I'm to lazy to go look! lol! The top I made last week from a BWOF too.. I've made this simple T shirt 4 times now.. Love it! To the right... I love the skirt! Its a BWOF wrap skirt. I got the fabric up in Boston... The t is from the same BWOF pattern as the one above... I am not loving the black t with this skirt and I'm going to have to make something else to go with it. The bolero is a Burda pattern, the fabric is from Miami. I added serger crochet to the sleeves and I'm loving it! Gotta make a different shirt though.... Divan is the place to be in ATL on Sunday night... as you can see from these 2 pics! There's nothing quite like hanging out and all of a sudden someone breaks out into drum beats.. Now thats entertainment!!!! And it sounded SO good! Atlanta always amazes me.... and makes me happy! Here we are b...

It was a great night... Sam and The Bald Man both got some awesome shots of me... which is very good because I really need to update my web site since I've changed my "look" yet again! The best part of last Friday was the very wonderful Arabic people from Chattanooga came to see me!!! And! They brought me back gifts from their recent trip to Morocco!!!!! Check me out above and to the left in the awesome Galabaya (pretty sure I spelled this wrong!) from Morocco! I love it... beautiful embroidery... and the fabric is a soft silk! I think it is silk.. These are really super wonderful people and I do feel honored that they thought of me on their trip. They also brought me back a DVD of Moroccan music and dance!! Some people are SO sweet!!!

I seriously have so many pictures to post since last time I blogged! I have made several tops/dresses... I bellydanced at the restaurant.... I went to ATL.... Tons of photos!!!!! I will post soon... I asked The Bald Man yesterday... "what has happened to all my time?" I swear it seems like I have none! Sewing, food preparation/preserving, gardening, my son, bellydancing, yoga, Bald Man... yep... these things take time. But here's a punch needle I did a while back and forgot to post... I have no ideal what I will do with it .. much like all my other punch needle projects. I love to do'em though....

Be warned! This is a long post since its been forever since I've posted anything on either of my blogs! I have actually finished 2 dresses but here is the one I was making for church on the right... I love it! It came out super nice... not to low in the front.... and it was easy! Yay! New Look patterns! See I have been sewing! Just not taking pics and posting often enough! And a New Look purse... Love it too... Brocade and a great snake skin vinyl I got up in Boston! In other news.... My son got a hair cut! Trust me... this is news! And here he is on the left holding little 2-Pac... and 2-pac is wearing pants... lol! My lil' pac does love to wear clothes but this was to much! Some purple roses from Bald Man here on the right... See... the sweetest man ever! He surprised me with these the other day... no reason... just because! New Member of the family!!!!! This below is our new chinchilla Powder. Isn't she beautiful??? Now Laura over at SewatSea surprised me last week wi...

Lovely, beautiful... ahhh, yes... my garden is finally done!!!! After much drama with landscapers... I have a gorgeous garden!!! And below, all sweaty and dirtier than I've ever seen him, is the wonderful Bald Man who thought up the landscape plan... dealt with the hateful "I'm retiring in 2 weeks!" landscaper... and he even put in a soaker hose watering system! Yep, I sure do love my man! Wasn't it nice of the landscaper to leave ALL this compost all over my back yard... a pile of it! What a mess! But, Bald Man is shoveling it up so Brian can put it on the little garden spot up front and so I can use it for more garden projects I have in mind! So its all good!! Here's a not so happy moment... remember on Swap-bot.com how much fun I had when I received my swap??? Jackie went through so much trouble to make sure I had things I would like... the black poodle beanie baby (y'all know I love my poodle babies) sparkly rhinestones I can use for costumes, a pa...

The dress I've been working on forever!!! Not because its hard... because I've just been so busy! Here's the top part of the dress... I have to hand sew on the braided trim. I'm really loving the dress. To the left you can see it was a shirt pattern and I just lengthened it. Problem: I made this for a church dress... but on me it fits to low. I might try bringing it together and closing it up some... we'll see. I got the fabric from a store called Rex in Miami... awesome store if you're in the area! Last night I cut out a couple of patterns I want to make soon... Butterick 5132 a Chetta B design. And young Burda 7875... a pattern of 4 different boleros!!

I have been sewing today...some.... my dress is turning out nice! I was checking out Faye's blog over at http://fayessewingadventure.blogspot.com/ , I noticed she had tagged me awhile back and I forgot about it... so here goes! 1. Ten years ago..... I was raising my then 4 yr old son and taking bellydance classes... not knowing just another year and I would be dancing professionally in Atlanta! 2. Jobs I have held: Waitress Bus girl check out girl at K mart zipper maker (in a sewing factory) worked at Arbys, Wendy's, Capt. D's, and Hardee's (this explains why I don't eat fast food!) Yoga instructor Bellydancer (performer, teacher) costume designer doll maker ( for the Smokey Mt. Cat House) worked at Books a million in the coffee shop (loved it too, it just didn't pay enough) Cocktail waitress Shooter girl Esthetition 3. Places I have lived ...