Upcycling - First Try

After I finished my blog post last Saturday, I drove to Goodwill and went a little crazy. Well, I only spent $25, but I swear I was only looking around for about 4 minutes. I had to stop once I had picked out 4 things and had only made it to two small sections of the store. My first stop was in the sleepwear, where I bought a big aqua nightgown. I headed into the suits and outerwear section and bought a yellow with white polka dots skirt set. Also, a horrible dress that made a not-so-horrible skirt! Fair warning, this post has lots of pictures.

Tell me this would not look
cute for fall with a pair
of skinny jeans and boots.

I bought this jacket and have no plans to alter it. It's just awesome. It is a dark mustard with faux leather trim. The left side comes across with a belt that loops through the rings on the other side. J Momma (my mother-in-law) told me that it looks like a movie theatre usher jacket. When you see me wear it, just ask me for some candy and popcorn.

The Evil One

In short -

1. I am now one semester away from graduation!

2. I've started looking at farms at which to intern. This search is a little nuts, because there are a ton just in the area we'd like to work. Also, thinking about the logistics of moving is daunting.

3. I'm trying to learn how to sew.

4. We signed up for another art fair (next weekend!)

5. I am reading The $100 Startup.

6. And the Games of Thrones series. Okay, that one isn't especially newsworthy, but is also challenging. Each book is about 1,000 pages long!

My first doll (circa 1989)

More about learning how to sew...  I like doing paintings, but one of my dreams is to design clothing. I'll admit, I've been inspired by Project Runway (from raw medium to high fashion, lickety split!), but I also grew up in a household where making clothes was very normal. Well, my mom made them. But I began sewing small things from a young age, and have, from time to time, tried my hand at mending or hemming, as well as designed a tablecloth with placemats and napkins a while back. 

I have never made anything to wear on my person, however. And I am picky, picky, picky about clothes. I'm picky about color. fit. washability. too-trendy details. I like more classic silhouettes and details, like a pretty neckline (yay!) versus the newest shirt tail length (eh). Because I like to put colors and pretty details together, and because I think clothing should be very flattering, I feel that I could bring a unique perspective to apparel and perhaps have some success.

That's the plan, anyway.

The evil jacket.

I made the rookie mistake of choosing a difficult pattern to start out with. A jacket. For my first project. Now please, explain to me, why I would choose a jacket - with lapels (!!!!!) - over, say, a tube top? How many seams could one possibly imagine would go into one strapless top? I'll tell you, because I've thought about it: one. Add a hem and some elastic and you're done. But noooooo. I had to go for this little number. It's a good thing I have some help, because these patterns are clearly designed for sewing experts. The lingo is not beginner-friendly. Stay-stitching, ease-stitching, ball-point needles (which I purchased and forgot to use), reference dots, straight seam binding vs. double fold (the wrong kind which the fabric store lady counseled me to buy)... It's too much. 

I'm thinking I may go grab some tube-top fabric today.