Mojo.... BACK

Peace

I don't know how and I don't know why, but my sewing mojo has returned and returned with a vengeance!

Wednesday is my physical degree born day. I will be Culture Cipher. Yeesh. Doesn't even sound right. But one of my own personal traditions is that I treat myself to a new outfit for that day. Normally I store buy something, But this year, I believe I will wear one of the new skirts, if I don't complete my party dress. And the likelihood that I will complete my party dress is low... very low; but you never know....

Yesterday I made 2 skirts! And not from patterns that I had already cut out. Nope. I made them from scratch. (Cut pattern, cut fabric sewed them up) And I didn't start until 3 pm and broke to cook and eat dinner and watch the Real Housewives of Atlanta.

One skirt was just a refashion from a pair of pants. I stopped wearing pants 5 years ago. Not for religious reasons. I have this aggressive tomboy streak that gets me confused for a lesbian. Though there is nothing wrong with lesbians, I am NOT one. I noticed that I behave decidedly more feminine when I wear skirts/dresses rather than pants. So I stopped wearing them. Hoping my inner girly-girl would take over. And she did!

The pants came from a box of my late husbands clothes. I have no idea how they got mixed in with his clothes. In the box I found a gold sweater suit that I remember loving! But of course, it was a pantsuit; and it had the nerve to be unwashed! Well not anymore. The suit got washed and the pants got converted to a below the knee (3/4ths) skirt that I am currently wearing as I type this. This quick project reminded me of why I don't like to fool around with sweater material. Still looks nice though. The God said I looked like his professional Earth this morning.

Aside....***PET PEEVE ALERT*** I do not work in a corporate environment. I dress 'business casual.' I hate when people see me in the occasional suit and say, "You look professional today." that's some bull. I look professional EVERY day. I just don't wear a suit every day. Suits aren't the only career-wear available. And I resent people insisting that women should dress like men to be taken seriously. That's that inner girly-girl bitching. Back to the build....

The second of my projects was a Simplicity skirt whose pattern I scored at a $1.99 Hancock's sale. While scouring all my blogs, I found 2 sistas/sisters who sew and one of their projects inspired me. It was of a Black and white printed skirt with a green blouse. The skirt was so plain, I didn't think I needed a pattern for it. And I might not have needed it, but since I had it I used it. I actually bought the pattern for the blouse. I am bad with blouses and jackets but not dresses. Go figure.

The thing that had me worried was I knew I only had 2 yards of the black and white fabric (I was also concerned that the fabric might be a lining fabric, but the store didn't give me guidance and the fabric is very heavy, though silky/slimy). The store in which I purchased it has closed it's doors. I suspect they've moved. This store does that... A lot. Anywho... The back of the pattern called for 3 yards for the skirt. And I knew I would have to grade it up 2 sizes. I was worried that 2 yards wasn't going to be enough. BUT... The fabric was deep. Meaning, the length and not the measured part was deep. I ain't crazy I checked before I cut it; and it worked out. The only thing I screwed up was the band. It came short about 3 inches. I graded the skirt, but forgot to grade the band. SWS. Sewing while sleepy. And I didn't have enough fabric and interfacing to do it over. So I improvised. I added a tie with french seams so it looks deliberate. I showed it to the God and he doesn't even see where I boo booed. Cool. He says it looks like me, whatever that means.

I did not begin work on born day party dress yet. The pattern is cut and the fabric is on the bedroom sofa. That's how I start. I will need to have it done by Wednesday evening and the only thing I will do on Wednesday other than chill, is the deposition at 9am. We shall see how things progress. I'm not forcing my self to rush it. When I rush I make mistakes.

So my new garment to wear probably will be my new black and white printed skirt! I'm thinking, I'll wear it with a black turtleneck and some boots. I can also wear it with a hot pink turtle neck and a black sweater cardigan I got from a previous born day. But the deposition paperwork says to dress conservatively.

On another note, The robe I made for the God is a big hit! Not just with my God but with the righteous community as well. Who knew? God posted it on Facebook and now a lot of men want one. Y'all know I don't like sewing for others but I will make righteous apparel for others. Not for any other reason but I want to see our Nation grow. And if I can be a vehicle for that, I will suck up personal discomfort to see that happen. The God even set up a PayPal account and we are flirting with getting an Etsy account.

I'm not sure if I have mentioned this in this blog before, or even out loud... But... I want to start a clothing line for modest urban women. I know I struggled the first year with how I dressed when I got KOS. I wanted to reflect, but I didn't want to look different than myself. I have finally figured it out, but since I sew I would like to assist other women and make some money at the same time. I used to date a dude who put out a short lived clothing line. I wish we were on better terms so that I could ask him how he did it. I am currently clueless. I have the business plan, clothes, designs even a logo, but no ideas how to progress from that point.

So... If you want a righteous robe... it's $50 from scratch, $20 for me to put a flag on a pre-existing robe and $35 if you supply me the material. Also, I can add a flag to anything that you have that you want a flag added to for the same $20. Remember I was going to add a flag to a denim jacket, but the jacket shrunk. Yeah, it's the jacket's fault.

I need to hit the lottery!



Peace

Here She Comes.... shoulda been posted before today

Peace

After all the hullaballo about me losing my mojo and finishing up all these unfinished projects laying around my sewing room. After all of that... I have the nerve and unmitigated gall to be at a complete loss with where to go next. Insanity.

My born day is on Wednesday. Yes I will be Culture Cipher years old. Yeesh. I had a nice day planned with the God. Culminating in a nice dinner and movie to celebrate. And guess what? I have to go sit for a deposition! Damn!

I was hit from behind. My car was 6 days old. I was sitting at a stop light waiting to turn left when a car full of people hit me from behind. My car was 6 days old. It was an open and shut case. My car was 6 days old. I had to go to traffic court (and miss a 1/2 day at work in addition to missing work the day it happened). He hit me from behind. I didn't do anything wrong. My car was 6 days old. The insurance company needs to anty up for my damages. My car was 6 days old. But they are fighting me every step of the way. Just settle already! My car was 6 days old!

Guess when the deposition is scheduled for? You guessed it. Next Wednesday. Crap! I was off that day. I was planning to make a party dress for my outing. Now I think I should ammend that to make a cute outfit to wear to the deposition. I know I can still go out after ward, but it is the principle of the whole thing. And I'm not wearing a party dress to a deposition. But what does one wear? I want to look honest. I have been planning to sew a black and white printed skirt and a green blouse. That might be deposition cute. But I still need my party dress for the evening. Decisons decisions.

I will figure this out. Stay tuned



Peace

UFOs? What UFOs?

Peace Y'all!

I had an epiphany! Yeah that's what I am going to call it.

I finished the God's robe. He loves it. I want to complain, but I can't. It looks better than I thought it would and the addition of the Universal wasn't that hard. he's thrilled, so I am thrilled.






I decided to not do the jacket for me. Well the jacket decided. I bought that jacket maybe 4 months ago... And for some reason, it's too small. 4 months. I'm disgusted. So that project completed itself.

As far as the quilt goes, there is no rush. I'll finish that when I finish it. It will probably end up as a keep busy project.

So now that I'm finished with the robe, I can move on to my fall sewing. The 1st thing being a party dress for me. My 40th born day will be here next Wednesday. The God is taking me to dinner. I'm a be cute in Simplicity 2497 in an aubergine color. I will wear that with some intensely high patent leather heels and my mother in laws mink stole. I'm a look 40. Funny thing is I have to work and work hard up until that day. That particular day I'm taking off. So I won't have a lot of time to get it done. But I will and I will be cute!

A little bit each day, and it all gets done.



Peace

You Know What They Say About Women With Big Feet ...

I have big feet. I hit a size 10 when i was 10. I wasn't even 5 feet then. People called me a duck. Yet another reason for me to learn to fight.

My feet are pretty much the same size. I fluctuate between 9.5 and 11, depending on how the shoe is made. I also made it up to 5'4".

I went shopping today for some 5-finger shoes. I tried a woman's 10... too tight. A woman's 11... to tight. A man's 42.... fit. Damn.

While in the store, I saw a bunch of shoes that I kind of liked. Mind you it was not a department store. This was more of an eclectic shop with Crocs and Birkenstocks. I am truly thinking about getting a pair of these ugly shoes. Y'all don't know how much my feet hurt. They hurt a lot all the time. Department store shoes have failed me. Maybe the time has come for me to accept my lot in life and begin acquiring a couple of few of these ugly beasts.

I'll keep you posted.



Peace

More on the Mojo

The reason I'm updating this so soon is because I won't be at work again until November 1st. It's unlikely I'll update over the weekend. Especially this one. It's a rally weekend.

I did 2 things last night that I hoped would restore my mojo. I cleaned and rearranged my sewing room (I'm counting that as 1 thing). And I put in a stereo. It really helped. Maybe I changed the feng shui.

My dream for my sewing room is to one day become a nursery. A lot of the items in there currently, will be used for a nursey should that ever happen. The cabinet where I keep my stash will hopefully one day be painted white and decoupaged for use as a baby's wardrobe. The location of my notions, will with luck one day be a dedicated changing table. And the table that is currently supporting the stereo and patterns will become a side table to go next to the rocking chair I don't own yet because I am not yet pregnant.

Ever since I bought the house with my late 1st husband that was the plan for that room. It became a sewing room by default. He didn't care for the messiness of sewing so close to the front door. The plan was put on hold when he returned to the essence, and ressurected with my current God. We shall see. If and when I need to move all my sewing stuff out, the downstairs office will receive a new door (messiness again) and a new desk for my passion. I have already begun tricking the closet out to support my stash. I don't want to completey finish it because I don't want to start loading it up or have to de-assemble it should the bundle never arrive. I will be 40, 2 weeks from yesterday.

I forced myself to work on the God's robe. I pulled out the ugly contrasting trim. The fabric doesn't even match the fabric of the robe. It's jersey knit! Only to find that there isn't enough fabric for a contrasting belt! I ain't buying no more. I pulled some remnants from the making of the robe and cut up an old black t-shirt. Between the remnents and the shirt, the belt will get finished. I'm not even sure the belt will be looped on the outside. I'm putting a large Universal flag on the back of the robe that shouldn't be disturbed by a belt. I might put the loops on the inside of the robe and have them emerge from the sides. We'll see.

I cut out the shapes for the Universal for both the robe and the jacket. I did not cut the rays for the jacket or the star for either. Stars are hard and I started working late. Once the room became more user friendly, I went in there and began the process of piecing parts together. All the rays for the robe are together and the sun has it's crescent moon and 7-pointed 7. So far so good, although I am not crazy about the color of the gold thread. It didn't match exactly. When I do my jacket, I will try clear thread and see what that looks like. Another thing I noticed was that the cream fabric is relatively sheer. The rays are gold and black. If I don't do something, they will be seen through the Universal. Now you may say, "Big deal, it's a robe." I said the same thing, but I wouldn't want any thing I was wearing to look half assed. So I will line it with something. Initially I thought white, but now I'm thinking something darker, like black or brown. That will totally hide the base of the rays, give the cream more warmth and make the crescent moon pop a little more. Again, we'll see.

See why I said the addition of the stereo helped? I stayed in that room longer than I would have normally. I worked until midnight and I have to get up at 5:30 am. Yeah I'm tired, but it's a good tired. One laced with accomplishments. I have a small TV that would be nice in there, but it's an old TV and I'd have to bust out my coverter box to get infomercials. Cable and satellite has us by the balls, do they not? TV is supposed to be free. I usually watch videos on my laptop, but I have seen all the ones I have and The God's movies are scary. Plus, since he can 'acquire' movies, there is no need to continue my relationship with my bootlegger. So there is just the music. And so far so good.

Hopefully tonight I will finish the robe and the jacket before Sunday. Project Runway finale come on this evening. Making me wish there was a TV in the sewing room. (Go Andy or Mondo!) There may be sewing before and/or after. And I am off tomorrow....

When I finish (notice I didn't say, If I finish) I will take a pic of both garments and post them. I probably could do that before the weekend is out... maybe. I'm not saying I found my mojo. I'm just saying I think I know where it migh be hiding.




Peace

Lost Mojo Reward

Peace Folks....

Have y'all seen my mojo? I swear I had it a minute ago.

I have so many unfinished items on the table. Remeber I said that I wanted to finish everything in August so that I could focus on fall sewing? Well that was a dream. It kills me to not live up to the 11:14. B.U.T. I rather just not finish projects than do a shitty job on them and then have no usefulness for me.

I have the God's bathrobe hanging on the bedroom door, taunting me. All it needs is a collar and the flag. I allowed the God to choose his own contrasting color for said robe and he choose.... Black. I hate it. A royal blue robe with black collar, belt and cuffs. I know it's not my robe, but it's still an ugly combo in my estimation. But I must push on.

I still have the flag to add to my denim jacket. You would think I would jump on it since that is what I need to do with the robe. But the flag for my jacket is way smaller than the flag for his robe. I actually had an inspiration. Ideas but no desire to work them. I plan to bedazzle aspects of the flag. My thoughts were to bedazzle all the golden aspects. The moon and the half rays. Then bedazzle my name at the bottom. Mad cool right? I found someone with a bedazzler. All I have to do is find the dazzles.

And then there is the baby quilt.... 2 years ago I began the painful process of making a quilt for a former friend. I let her pick out her colors. I never do that. I hate quilting. But folks ask me to make quilts like I love to. I will NOT make big items for other people, but I will teach them to do it for themselves. When they see how much work is involved they usually back off. There is a reason why it took several grown women to make 1 quilt. Should I agree to make something, I usually take complete creative control. If I gotta be trapped in the sewing room doing piddly, and slow sewing, I ought to enjoy the colors, right? But no.... I broke my own rules (11:14) and let her pick colors I never would. I designed the quilt, though. Lavender, blue and camoflage. Really? I purchased all the stuff (fabric, batting, special thread) out of my own pocket and proceeded to cut it all out. The design calls for 4 big squares... 24", but each square is very intriquite. I took me 3 hours to sew one completed square. That doesn't include the decorated trim or the back of the quilt. After I had completed about 1/3 the damn thing, the FF called and said she didn't want anymore blankets. WTF! She KNEW I was making a custom quilt. See why she is former and not current? The God kept me from slapping the taste out of her mouth by suggesting we use it for our own children or sell it for money. He likes it, but I would never use it for my children because I will be putting bad energy into it. But I started it, and it's all cut out. What else can I do with the pieces other than finish it?

These projects feel like a sword over my head. They are keeping me from starting the new stuff I want to do. Remember I have a list of fall projects. I just swapped out my winter clothes and I always take that time to discard things I don't intend to wear. Also, you rarely see me plan for casual/weekend sewing. That's because when my work clothes wear down, they get shifted to casual/weekend wear. I tend to be more dressed than other people in general in the casual cipher (I got that from my 1st husband who only owned 1 pair of jeans and 1 pair of sneakers that he bought at a gas station. He used both to do yardwork and that's it). I'm running low on nice clothes!

My bornday is coming up and I always wear something new on that day. I wanted to make something, but I don't think I have the time. If I did, it would be a lovely gray dress that I could wear my pearls with..... Looks like I may have to buy something. Last weekend I had 4 days off and did nothing!!! NOTHING Damnit!!!! I'm sick about it. I could have finished everything. I slept. This weekend has rally Sunday in it and I like to do a big dinner on the rally days for my Universe. The rally is usually about 4-5 hours , a half hour away from the kingdom. Prearing for the event itself and making a proper vegetarian dinner takes time away from sewing. And I KNOW the God will not be cool with going out to dinner. Crap!

I never feel like sewing when I get home from work. No surprise when it takes me 90 minutes to get home then I have to cook dinner. I have nothing after that. And this week, I have the moon to greet me, and her campanion... cramps. There is nothing in the tank.

This stuff has to get finished. Folks be like, just start and the mojo will come back. Not really. My workmanship is crappy when I do it like that. And I never really learned how to bypass the "I don't give a fucks". I really don't know what to do. I suppose I will take a bit of my late mother in law's advice... "If you do a little bit everyday, it all gets done." I will try to give it 30 minutes a day the rest of the working week. We shall see.....



Peace

V1202: My Cherry is Gone!

I did it! I busted my cherry! I sewed a vogue pattern!!!!!

I'm not saying I sewed it well. But I did complete it very close to the pattern directions. I am very excited!!!!

OK.... to the details.... It is Vogue 1202, the wrap shirt. It is amazing on the envelope. And the pattern itself was $30! But you know me... I got it on sale for $3.99. The fabric is a brown or burgundy (I can't tell) knit. Very similar to the color on the envelope. It has an open back, and since I wear a J-cup, I have NO business looking at anything that is supposed to be worn without a bra. I will wear a shirt underneath it. I don't care.


Pattern Description:
A crazy modern open backed turtle neck

Pattern Sizing:
12-18. I cut 18 I should have cut a 16. When you wear it for a minute, it loosens up.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Hell no!

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
This is my kind of top. Not vintage but very stylish

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I made a bunch. I couldn't figure out how to do the back. I spent weeks sewing and pulling out the stitches. Finally, I put a band on the back, took out the ruffles on the front piece, finish the edges and use it as a tie.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes. Definitely to an experienced sewist. Not saying I am a professional, but I can do a little something something.

Conclusion:
I love this shirt. Not in my wickedest nightmares will I ever attempt to make the skirt. I looked at the pattern and got chills. Besides, my hips are too big to concern myself with that.



Positive Education Corrects All Errors!