New Etsy Items

So with all the sewing I've been doing, I've decided to re-start my Etsy store. I've gotten a couple ties added (child and adult size), as well as a silk zippered pouch for makeup/money/whatever. I'll be adding stuff as I go.

I am hoping to get some business doing commissioned work, but custom Etsy orders would be great, too. I will be adding more and more items to the shop as I go, so check in often to see new stuff!

Completed Projects

Here are two of the finished commissioned projects. The buttons on the dress make it perfect. And the vintage hand-embroidered lace trim circa 1940's is amazing.

The child size bow tie turned out well, and has 2 snaps for adjustment (and so Tisha doesn't have to tie the bow each time). I'll try to make the bow perfect so she can just use it that way.

Delilah loved the bow tie. I might have to make her one.

Tie One On

Bow ties are classic and contemporary, all at the same time. Dress them up or dress them down-the possibilities are endless.

To its devotees the bow tie suggests iconoclasm of an Old World sort, a fusty adherence to a contrarian point of view. The bow tie hints at intellectualism, real or feigned, and sometimes suggests technical acumen, perhaps because it is so hard to tie. Bow ties are worn by magicians, country doctors, lawyers and professors and by people hoping to look like the above. But perhaps most of all, wearing a bow tie is a way of broadcasting an aggressive lack of concern for what other people think."

—Warren St John, The New York Times I've recently gotten several bow tie orders. The first was for a child size, for use in the photo shoot that my friend is holding. I also have 3 adult orders in different colours. I am hoping to get some more orders, as they are fun to make, and not as involved as clothing. I might have to spread more into accessories for a change of pace. I use silk-it's available in a wonderful array of shimmery, beautiful colours. From black to red, purple, green...the solid colours are amazing. I'm still searching for a source of patterned/polka dot silk. I might also check out the taffeta selection at Len's Mill. The best part of a bow tie is that it's unexpected. Obviously, a bow tie is the norm with tuxedos, but with a regular sports coat or even just a button up shirt and jeans? It's a great way to show a bit of personality. I decided to put the bow ties on sale at my Etsy shop. Here's a link:

Projects in Progress

So as I mentioned, I am currently working on a large commission which involves (at least) 4 dresses and a boy's bow tie. I've finished one dress and am almost done the 2nd. Here are some in-progress photos.

The yellow dress was the first dress to be sewn up. It actually has halter ties-it's not strapless. ;)

The seafoam green dress is almost done now, all that is left is finishing the inside side seams to prevent fraying, and the bottom hem-I'll be adding vintage hand-sewn lace embroidery. I plan on taking about 4 inches off the bottom to allow room for the lace so it doesn't drag on the floor. And some buttons at the top for embellishment. It should be awesome when it's done-not bad considering I didn't use a commercial pattern! And the sleeves turned out PERFECTLY! Whew!

Sewing, sewing, sewing

I've been commissioned by an old school friend - who happens to be a professional photographer-to make 4 dresses for an upcoming photo shoot. The dresses are to be made to fit a 6 month, 12 month, 18 month, and 24 month old. The four dresses are all of different design, so it's not like I'm using the same pattern to make all 4. Each one will have it's own unique twist, whether it's vintage lace, trim, ribbon, buttons, or ruffles. The shoot is coming up this summer, so I have a bit of time to get them done.

In addition to the dresses, I will also be making a little boy's bowtie (or two) for the same shoot. And maybe a newsboy cap.

Having announced the commission on Facebook, I immediately got orders for 3 full-sized bowties, one of which is due to be delivered this weekend. So I suppose I better get started on it. I'm kind of hesitant to cut into the beautiful silk I purchased--I don't want to mess it up. But I guess I have to, if I'm going to sew it!

So far I've completed two dresses (but only one counts for the commission, since the two dresses were practically identical in size and design-one was for practice) and have one that I already made that is suitable for the project. So technically I only have two to make, but I will likely make more than that. Just for funsies.

I have one in process right now--I made the pattern myself, and am learning how to make gathered sleeves, too. Should be fun. Haha. I'm more than a little intimidated by the idea, but we'll see how that goes. Once I get this dress completed, I'll make a tiny 3-6 month size shirred sundress to ease my brain. Easy to make the pattern, easy to sew the shirring detail. Just a little time consuming. THEN I'll start on the final dress, which will be completed using an actual PATTERN! A store-bought, commercial pattern! Almost unheard of-I generally make all the patterns for D's stuff using online tutorials, or I just wing it. Fun times.

Pictures will follow, as long as the customer doesn't mind.

MAY 1-7, 2010 = Spring Top Week

I've joined another challenge. And this one isn't about reducing your paper towel consumption, or replacing all your regular lightbulbs with CFLs. No, this is a sewing challenge. A TOP sewing challenge, to be precise. Made by Rae has issued a Spring Top Week challenge. Go over to see the details if you're interested!

Anyone who knows me will be aware that I've been in a bit of a sewing frenzy, lately. I've made D halter tops, 2 sun dresses, and about a billion pairs of pants. Well, that "sewing for someone else" phase is over, for now. I will attempt to make myself not one, but several shirts. Nice light summery shirts, and maybe a dressy one or two. We'll see.

In any case, I started my first one last night. True to form, I don't actually have a pattern, but will be using a tutorial I found online (actually my friend found it for me). Here is the link to the pattern. I've picked my fabric and got started on it last night. I'll use a lovely cream on cream dahlia print for the straps and (in typical me fashion) army green (ish) for the body of the shirt. We'll see how it turns out!

To cement the deal, I have challenged my friend Melanie to a little challenge of our own: we'll each wear a top of our making on our IKEA day trip we're doing the first week of April. I've thrown down the gauntlet!

Rules for a lifestyle of healthy eating

I've done a lot of research and have practical experience with fitness and weight loss. I've been active in sports most of my life, from being a small child participating in gymnastics and soccer, floor hockey and other intramural sports, to being on a travel team for soccer. Then I transitioned into gym activities (cardio and other classes, and weight training).

Only recently have I joined SparkPeople online. It's a free resource that-honestly-is the best thing I've done in a long long time. If you don't know what it is, it's an online community and resource that is simply irreplaceable. You have forums and articles and the support of millions of other people, but you also have a nutrition tracker (where you can track every thing you eat so you can fix and maintain your eating habits), a fitness tracker, and free videos that show you everything from how to make the perfect meal to how to perform a bicep curl with free weight. There are even full-length exercise videos available for free. FREE!

I've learned that losing weight-and maintaining your goal weight-is 20% exercise (cardio and weight training) and 80% diet. You can work out all you want, but if you eat crap, you're never going to drop those pounds.

Last night I was awake, thinking about the 3 most important things I've learned when it comes to diet. And when I say "diet", I don't mean "Only eat ______ for 3 days" or starving yourself. "Diet" to me means lifestyle. Eating to live, not living to eat. In any case, here are the three things that I feel are MOST important to being successful in being healthy and being at a healthy weight:

1) PORTION CONTROL - this is, for me, probably the most important thing to be aware of when eating. Most people eat WAY too much. A regular serving of rice or pasta is 1/2 cup, not those huge bowls piled high that you get in a restaurant. Also, that bottle of soda you're about to drink actually has 2.5 servings in it, so when you read the nutritional info on the side, you need to multiply it to get the actual count. Tricky.

2) EAT SMART - sure, you have a range of calories you should consume in a day. Mine is set according to my activity level, current weight, and nursing status. I aim to consume between 1800-2400 calories a day. I try to stay near the low end, but some days I just want more, so I go into the higher end. I'm still seeing weight loss, so it's working.

Having said that, the part about being smart is this: 100 calories of crap isn't going to do much for you by way of filling you up or providing any nutritional value. Have your treat of a couple pieces of dark chocolate, if you have a craving, but don't eat that entire family-sized chocolate bar.

Eating smart also includes healthy fats: almonds and other nuts, olive oil, butter, full-fat milk products, lean meats, and coconut oil. We don't eat any other type of oil. Highly-processed vegetable oils contain nothing good for you. In addition, you need to eat fat. Fat is instrumental in delivering many vitamins (A,D,E and K) as well as making you feel fuller for longer. I dispute the lipid hypothesis in that eating fat makes you fat-I think eating unhealthy fats make you fat. Think McDonalds, highly processed foods, and high-fructose corn syrup. Disgusting stuff.

3) DRINK WATER. I can't stress how important this is. Not only does virtually every function of your body require adequate amounts of water to be at optimum levels, but drinking water makes you feel full. Many times when I felt "hungry", I was simply thirsty. It's amazing how much better I felt (and looked) once I started drinking 8-10 glasses (or more) a day. Lines that have been on my face for YEARS look shallower and in some cases have even disappeared. My hair is shiny. I have tons more energy, and I feel great. I think a large part of that is due to my increased intake of water.

The first thing I do when I get up in the morning (after bathroom break and weighing in) is to drink a full glass of water. Then I drink my coffee, have some breakfast, and have another glass. I keep a 750 mL glass jar with lid full of water through the day and drink at least 3 of them. I drink a glass of water before each meal and that ensures I don't overeat.

I barely miss drinking other beverages. I would much rather EAT my calories instead of drinking them. Of course, once in a while, I'll have a bit of juice or a half-glass of soda. Most of the time, a glass of kombucha totally cures my craving for a coke. Otherwise, water totally satisfies me. Sometimes I'll throw a bit of lemon or lime into the jar or pitcher of water for a bit of added flavour and some vitamin C.

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All in all, I think these three things are the most important things I need to do in order to be successful at losing and keeping the weight off. Follow these rules and you should be on the track to good health. Good luck!