Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Long over due/Saltspring Sewalong

Well folks just as soon as I get started on this blogging journey I go into hiding for a month. I have been a busy little bee with my very first CrossFit competition,


 
getting ready for school and with school starting for all four children. There has not been much time for sewing.
                                                                  Well... I'm BACK!!!!!
I am now cutting myself a little time everyday to my sewing. It is wonderful to have an hour after the lunch dishes are done and before I pick the kids up from school to sew. Way back in August I signed myself up to do a sewalong for the Sewaholic Saltspring dress. Every day was a new step. Well needless to say my competition was the weekend of the 16th (and the start of the sewalong) and it took me a week after to step anywhere.
Then school happened with all the craziness that comes with it and here I am.
Finally, I worked everyday for the last two weeks and I am all done.

 
What can I say about this pattern. It is wonderful. Tasia at sewaholic is a genius. She creates patterns for pear shaped bodies and really takes the time to make patterns for everyday wearing. This dress is made from 3.5 yards of Valori Wells Novella rayon challis called "Aqua Rain" from Fabric.com. It is smooth like butter, with little aqua and yellow "raindrops" all over.  I almost didn't want to cut it, but pet it for all time, it is that soft.
 
 
I cut a size four top and a zero bottom. I also made attached straps instead of two that you tie together. I think it made it more of a grown-up look were as the two ties reminded me of the sundresses I wore as a kid in the 80's.
 
Also Tasia thinks of everything for the cool blousing. The outside is cut bigger then the lining which make no showing of boobage, because of this cool effect.
 
 
 
The zipper also goes in in a really cool way and I didn't have to make a separate casing for the elastic (which I hate doing by the way).
My only regret is that I did not line the skirt. This fabric is SUPER see through. Like Princess Diana  on the nursery school playground see through. Good thing for me I still own a slip from a million years ago that is not to heavy to wear with this awesome dress.
 
I could just go on forever, but my next project is calling my name.....
 


Thursday, August 8, 2013

Throw Back Thursday

Well as it is Thursday I am going to do a throw back of a dress I made..... All the way back to last week. It has been so busy around my crazy abode that I forgot to show you my new dress. The pattern is Belladone Dress from Deer and Doe. This beautiful independent pattern design comes all the way from France and is printed on recycled paper and comes in beautiful packaging. The directions are super easy to follow and are clearly written and this dress has POCKETS. To me all dresses should have pockets.
 I cut a strait 38 as I have read from other blogs that this dress is strait forward. I through caution to the wind and did not make a muslin.

I made the dress with a left over piece of stretchy denim I bought from Fabric.com. I made it work from only about a yard and a half of 54 inch fabric. I also made the bias tape from a dress I SHOULD have made a muslin for and had to scrap.

Ok without further adieu (see there I used my high school French) is my awesomeness of a dress.

 
Please excuse my slouchy weirdness of this front view. My husband and I were taking these pictures quickly before we headed off to an appointment.
 
 
What more can I say about this pattern? Ok I can find a lot more... I love that it is sleeveless. Here in the Texas heat it is great. I always have a sweater on hand for the indoor places that freeze me out. I love that there are no facings or linings for this dress too. It is also some what plain in the front, but then you get this....
 
 
Here is a close up of this sweet feature.
 
 
Also here is one on my dress form that shows that the neck sits flat and not all wompy, like on the live model.
 
 
Well that's it for throwback Thursday and this great dress pattern. I know that I will be making more of these. I might try going with a fancy material next time....
 
 
 
 

Saturday, August 3, 2013

How I Honor

I CrossFit. I love CrossFit and every so often we as a whole group we honor our fallen heroes. This is what I did today.

Photo: As we all prepare to kick-off the events this weekend, please consider changing your profile picture to our logo.  It is a simple way to show the families that we remember their loved ones as we approach the 8.6.11 anniversary.

 
I was really hot here in North West Houston today, but it was nothing compared to what out men and women go through everyday in our armed forces.  So to honor them my partner and myself ran 400m with a 25 pound plate, lifted a 65 pound barbell over our head in what is called a thruster, jumped on a 20 inch box, and do burpees with a plate, as many times as we could for 31 minutes.
 
 
This is my partner and I BEFORE we started.
 
See how great we look. We are ready for with world with a smile. I was nervous. I am ALWAYS nervous before these types of workouts. I want to do better then my best for the people that died to let me live free in this country and I also want to do my best for my partner.
 
 
 
This is at the END of 31 minutes.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
These are from in between.
 
So there I will end this post as I could go on forever about how hard, HOT, sweaty, and fun this Saturday morning was.
 

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Hello

Hello blogging world. This is my very first post and I am excited and a bit scared to get started. I wanted to introduce myself....
My name is Casandra. I live in the great state of Texas and I have four great kids and one wonderful husband. I am a domestic goddess that takes cares of everything from cooking to cleaning to being the underwear fairy. It is a lot of hard work, but I would not have it any other way.
I am starting this blog as mostly (90%) sewing and the rest (10%) everything else that comes along with my crazy life.
I hope to post a few times a week so stay tuned for upcoming fun as I am not the best at computer stuff and all that the blogging world has to offer.
If anyone ever has tips and tricks I am all ears.