Coming in Summer 08

I first found The Naughty Secretary http://www.naughtysecretaryclub.com/shop/ online after watching THE coolest idea for a necklace EVER on Crafters Coast to Coast ……..

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_accessories_jewelry/article/0,,HGTV_3225_3263016,00.html

Also, check out Austin Craft Mafia….

http://www.austincraftmafia.com/main.html

Cool TV Shows…

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_dclb

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/shows_dkng/

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_hclvr/

Now, to be perfectly honest…(and you know The Wannabe keeps it real…can’t believe I just said that)…some of the neatest people with the coolest crafts appear on programs that require some silliness. I know this. Frankly, there are times that I knit, crochet or paint very sternly!

Well, maybe not THAT sternly.

I’ll just say that there are a few craft programs that….well…require participants to dance and make dumb faces, eventually making them all seem mentally challenged rather than craft-happy. I realize I may be directing you to one or two of those. However, if I could put up with some of the silliness at Weight Watchers, I can put up with it from DIY. Luckily, Tivo allows you to fast forward. If I could somehow apply that to Weight Watchers meetings, I might still be attending!

Marking Fabric

For beginning sewers like me, marking requires a bit of thought and lots of advice.    Actually, I could really use an expert in my dining room with me guiding me.  NOT going to happen, BUT after reading and rereading every section in every sewing book that I own and trying and failing a FEW times to mark and recognize my own marks UNsuccessfully, I was quite pleased this morning to find THIS post at Another Creation.    And with a twist!!!  I’ll be trying this after I visit the Crayola aisle.

http://anothercreation.blogspot.com/

Claire McCardell

Inspired by this post at Dress A Day, I began doing a little research on Claire McCardell.

http://www.dressaday.com/2008/06/meet-our-advertisers-3-marge-at-born.html

I must confess, I’d never heard of her. What a shame. You’ll think so too when you read this….

http://www.squidoo.com/clairemccardell

Scroll down and don’t miss the article at TIME magazine. Incredible that even in the world of fashion, women don’t get proper credit. We should all know this woman’s name, because like as not, many of us are wearing clothes that she inspired. I never got a real idea of what American Sportswear was all about UNTIL I read about its history and the major role Claire McCardell played.

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/amsp/ho_1997.193.2.htm

Little Mister’s Shorts

In all his glory………………………

He was really proud.  These are a little big on him, but I suspect he’ll have some growing time over the summer and they’ll fit perfectly by fall, which is as good as summer here in Austin.

I used this pattern…..

It was SUPER-easy.  Only 2 pieces if I recall correctly.  Yes, I know this is a pajama pattern, but I wasn’t happy with the other patterns for little boys that I found.   And let me say here and now, there are almost NO patterns for boys out there.

Pattern was bought at Lanetz.   Lady who runs THAT place is wonderfully nice, which is a huge plus in my book.

http://www.lanetzliving.net/

Sale at Hancocks

Butterick patterns. AGAIN!

I’m thinking this will probably get made once 10 more pounds are gone. Blouseyness, you know.

I’m thinking that View B would be perfect for 6 or 7 little tops to discourage my reaching for DH’s oversized t-shirts. You read correctly. “Let herself go” doesn’t begin to describe the downward spiral that began after Child #2 was born and I stopped working. I can tell DH doesn’t like me wearing his shirts and probably thinks I don’t have to look SO dowdy. At least, that’s what I was telling myself as I was charging my new stash to his credit card. Am I bad?

I’m most inclined to do something like View D, SINCE my clothes are mostly prints.

Is There a Doctor in the House?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/SinuPulse_Pulsating_Nasal_Irrigation_System.jpg

OR….

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=188408&catid=12203

According to the folks at Roby Institute here in Austin, I’ll benefit from nasal irrigation.  They’d prefer I use a waterpik, but I’m wondering if a little cheap Netipot would work.  Many people seem to think so.    Playing detective in pursuit of the cause of my allergic reactions (hypersensitivity) involves some money.  DH has already bought me new pillows but none for himself.  If our pillows are causing problems, wouldn’t his in such close proximity to mine be just as much of  a trigger?  We’re also supposed to buy a cheap little fan with a filter on it instead of using our ceiling fans  Oh, they just suggested a whole lot of changes all of which we intend to make, BUT other things keep occuring to me.  For instance, cheapo miniblinds attract a huge amount of dust.  Wouldn’t it be better to actually have some curtains that I could take down and wash in the machine?

Oh, and there’s a diet involved, too.  Just when I had my Weight Watchers Core working well for everyone…..It’s just a five-day diet after which foods will be re-introduced to help track down any food allergies.  Still…..if I HAVE to stick to a diet, I really like for there to be a big pay-off.  Like 20 pounds gone in a week.

We pay a big price for living in Austin.

All that to say this—–no progress on any sewing or knitting or crochet for the past week or so.  BUT, it has not been put away and never will.  The Wannabe Craftster will survive.

Well, she will either survive or will ask to be put to sleep when she returns to the doctor.

Fixing Sissie’s Lunch

This doesn’t look exactly like the lunchbox Sissie used to carry when she was a teenager, but it’s the best picture I could find on the net. You’d better believe I wanted one just like it. Or better yet, I wanted Sissie’s. Everything she did was cool, I thought. She went to camp with a funky little suitcase, which I coveted, of course. She had a funky seventies pillowcase, which I wanted. And she got to go to school and carry her lunch in this darling little case in my favorite color—red!

This is the story of how my imagination compromised Sissie’s dignity.

One morning, as Sissie was preparing to go to school, I was inspired to remove her lunch from the case and pack it F-U-L-L of…what else? My underwear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was pretending to take a trip, and it was made all the more real, because I was in reality riding along in our VW “Bug” in the backseat as my daddy drove Sissie to school.

I watched (having forgotten about my morning play as easily as children tend to do) as Sissie stepped out of the car, began walking toward the school which was, of course, SWIMMING with teenagers when…..oh what happened? That lunchbox popped open like a jack-in-the-box and out flew panties EVERYWHERE!

All I remember after that was teenagers laughing and pointing as Sissie frantically gathered my underwear off the road and stuffed it back in the lunchbox.

I’m amazed she still speaks to me, but I think she blocked this out of her memory. She probably comforts herself by believing I dreamed this. Or, as she often says, after raising children, she can’t BE embarrassed anymore.

If you like the lunchbox, head on over to Ebay. It’s a classic, anyway. Just don’t stuff it full of underwear.

http://stores.ebay.com/F-C-Inc

“Progress” on McCalls 5654

I toyed with the idea of naming this post “Sunday-Go-To-Meetin’-Pleatin’”, but even I found that to be too hokey.  The fabric is a little meet-me-in-the-churchyard, but I wanted an inexpensive easy print to work on, and at the time I was happier with it than I was after I cut it out.  Hey, at least it isn’t floral, which is what most dresses in my closet were before the big purge.  Anyway, here it is in all its glory plus some seriously shoddy pleating and basting.  I know.  I know.  Feast your eyes.

Oh, and I’m making Figure B.

Wish me luck.  I’m onto pockets now.

Sale at Hancocks

This is something I could see myself wearing through a good bit of weight loss. (BTW, that Weight Watchers Core program is working, and DH finds it pretty easy to adjust to. We feel a lot better, too.)

This is probably my favorite of the bunch for this score. In my case, sympathy for the general public should steer me away from the sleeveless options. BUT, we’ve already got record temperatures here in Austin, and 3/4 sleeves is just too hot for me. I am comforted by the fact that I won’t join those with VERY questionable tastes who expose less than perfect midriffs, at the very least. Sorry, but it had to be said. I hope that wasn’t mean.

Another sleeveless top pattern. There is something about this that reminds me of a bathing suit, but I’m hoping to hide some ugliness under the generous fabric. My prayer is that nobody asks me if I’m pregnant. If someone does, I’m planning on rewarding them with heaving sobs. Again, I hate to show my big ole arms, but hopefully, that bit of ugliness won’t be lasting much longer.

Sleeveless, but you could definitely make a case for WARDROBE STAPLE with this one.

I’m not even sure why I bought this last one. It’s cute enough. Maybe, I thought defining the waistline (props to Clinton and Stacy) would help me appear slimmer. I’m not sure. When patterns are 99 cents, you just go for it.

So, right now, I’m working on a dress with inverted pleats. Once I get that done, for better or worse, the challenge will be pockets on the same dress and then……a zipper. I’ve never put one in…..ANYTHING! Wish me luck.