T-shirt Skirt

So much for posting on a regular basis! I swear I have every intention to do so, I have no idea what happens. I mean I have the post ideas in my head and I even take the pictures for the post but somehow I find myself realizing that it has been weeks since I last posted and I want o kick myself in the pants for being such a slacker. Grrrrr!!!!

My apologies. Now to the real topic of this post. Prior to leaving for Hawaii I made a couple of skirts to take with me on the trip. I made the skirts out of old t-shirts donated by my loving husband :) I got the idea from a Thread Banger tutorial. I decided to make a four-panel skirt rather than a three-panel one as seen in the tutorial.

I don't have many sewing tools and trinkets so to make the panel patterns I cut open a paper bag and used that as my pattern paper. I measured, drew and cut out my pattern and used it to cut out the panel pieces from the old t-shirts. The tutorial is pretty good, so if you want to make one just follow along with Vanina.

Here is the front of the two skirts I made.

And the back.

It's wrinkly because I wear it all the time. So comfy!

First clothing project a SUCCESS!!!

Wedding Details

Four months, and three days ago I married a charming and handsome man. Way out of my league! But I ain't gonna let him in on that. *wink* Anyway, he was kind enough to not only let me runaway with the wedding details, but he actually helped make most of them happen.

My wedding was a poster child for the D.I.Y. community. Well maybe that is an exaggeration. I didn't make my own dress, nor the dresses of my bridesmaids, but I made A LOT of things! There were two main reason for this: 1. We were on a budget and this was one way to cut costs, 2. I am pretty picky and finding things I liked became a nightmare. So after making the decision to go crafty for the big day, I went out to the local bookstore bought the current issue of Martha Stewart Weddings, (actually my friend Maria got it for me as an engagement present- Thanks Maria!) and pretty much slept with that baby under my pillow for the next nine months!

The boutonnieres at the top were inspired by the MSW mag. I used fabrics and foliage that supported my wedding theme (who knew there was such a thing, but apparently there is). The colors were orange, chocolate and turquoisey-blue-ish. As you can imagine my wedding was full of bright colors, and fall themed items, think fall on a farm and you kind of have an idea of what the big day looked like. With the help of my hubby, my pals, and my family we put together the wedding of my dreams! But can you believe it I forgot to take pictures of it all???

On the day of, and the days leading up to, I completely spaced out on that important detail. I guess I kept telling myself that I would take pictures later, and I lived that way all the way through to the Big Day. And on that day, well most women will agree, you can hardly remember to put your earrings on let alone document the day! That is what photographers are for, after all. And my photographers were amazing! But alas, I don't have a digital copy of their beautiful images, so here I present the few salvaged items I recently found.





These are the tulips we used as our centerpieces. We bought the tulips from the LA Flower District, and arranged them ourselves in glass milk bottles. The bottles were collected from the local grocer over a period of 6 months, and since I don't do dairy, my pals and hubby stepped up to the plate. The flowers were placed atop handmade fabric squares in fabric that also matched the color scheme, and the milk bottles were tied in coordinating ribbon.



These were the bouquets. No your eyes do not deceive you, there are indeed 8 bouquets. Yikes! The one tied in white ribbon was mine, and the other seven were for: 2 of Jonathan's sisters, and 4 of my pals, and one extra for the bouquet toss. We also bought these beauties at the flower district. My friend Paola, and my mom's childhood friend Karina put these bouquet's together. I actually copied Paola's wedding bouquets, which we also made ourselves, though she used deep purple carnations- gorgeous! So Paola was a pro at this, and I give her all the credit for making them turn out so lovely. They are exactly what I wanted!

For those who might be interested, Gerber daisies, and tulips are my favorite types of flowers! And I was so lucky that they came in orange, to match my wedding colors. These are just a few of the long list of things we made. If I can find more pictures I will post them, but that is all for now...Other handmade items included:
wedding veil
pew decorations
invitations
save the date cards
bridesmaid gifts
bride's evening shawl
tent decorations
pie/cake stands

That's all I can think of, but it is plenty! I am so glad I chose to go the D.I.Y. route, because now I feel more adventurous. I have learned that I really enjoy stamping, and scrap booking. I have learned that I can do much more than I thought with needles and thread. And most importantly I have learned that I really truly love doing these things. There is something so satisfying about working with your hands, and seeing your finished work. Just make something you really love, and the fun is therein. Go ahead, give it a try!

How do you express yourself creatively?

So a few weeks back Jonathan's friends were visiting from Alaska. Since they couldn't make it to our wedding, they wanted to take us out for dinner to celebrate. I was a wee bit nervous, because I always feel like such a kid around some of Jonathan's friends, like this couple. I know it's silly, they are only around five years older than I am, it really isn't that big of a difference as far as the numbers go, but it is more like they are older than in me in stages of life. See I just got married, they have been married for five plus years. They have two girls, I have have two plants. You see what I mean? There is a stage of life that they have entered that suddenly makes them more mature. Like when my little brother had a son, suddenly he was the sage elder imparting wisdom on my life. Maybe I am too synical, maybe in these life stages so much growth happens that you really do mature exponentially. I dunno. Still I can't help but feeling like a high school kid, happily reading comics, and researching new bands, and living with relatively few responsibilities, while people around my age are buying houses, having babies, or planning on having babies. I don't regret my life, I am happy with it, but I can't explain this sense of inferiority when I interact with these "adults". Ah, silly girl, you are just a slow blooming flower, and even when you do bloom, you will likely be a bright orange in a mostly lavender field.

Well on to the the dinner. The dinner was YUM! We went to a British Pub and I had a cornish pasty, with mashed potatoes, and steamed veggies. So good. And we were all so stuffed that we shared a sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Yes, I broke my dairy fast for this tempting dish. So worth it! We didn't want the night to end, so we went to a nearby jazz bar and had a few drinks, and chatted the night away.

It was during this time of conversation that the question posed in the title was asked of me. We had been discussing the musical career and endeavors of my husband, and then of his sister, both talented songwriters and musicians. I also have dabbled in music, and to this I believe the friends were hinting when they asked me, "So, Susanne, how do you express yourself creatively?" And I , in my most sincere tone, replied, "Oh, I crochet, and I craft." Their expressions quickly moved from interest to confusion. Noting their perplexed countenances, I realized, my reponse was unexpected, and dare I say it, even unbelievable. Crochet??? Can that really be considered a form of creative exression??? Admittedly it lacks the glamour that acting, dancing, or songwriting maintain, and it might even evoke images of granny sitting in a rocking chair watching day-time soaps, BUT that was my honest initial response.

After this flub, I tried to defend the craft, and show them how it is a valid art form. But that was going nowhere, so I cleared my throat and said, "And I write songs and sing too." And there it was, the response they wanted. And we then were able to have a short discussion about my creative endeavors, you know the legitimate ones.

Funny thing is , I really believe that crochet and music are wonderful creative outlets for me. I love them both. I enter seasons with each. There are seasons when, if I have any free time, I have my guitar in hand and I belt out songs that make me cry, much to my neighbor's dismay, I am sure. And there are seasons when I just can't stop crocheting, and I am adventurously trying new and more complicated patterns, adjusting them here and there so that they suit my fancy, and loving it! Both are true forms of creative expression, for me anyway. How about you? How do you express yourself creatively? I promise not to judge. *wink*

This is how I expressed myself creatively this week:

Not bad, huh?