More mosaics

  This time little box for my friend's birthday.  My cousin recently gifted me some pretty tiles she found for sale at a farmer's market.  Unlike my prior mosaic adventures, for the first time I was using "scrap" glass.  While I did not have the pleasure of speaking to the supplier myself, these were clearly remnants and pieces of broken colored glassware.  Some appeared to have spent some time in the tumble to remove sharp edges too.  I had fun looking at the variations of color.  But it was difficult for me to do any non-abstract design as the pieces are not uniform in depth and were larger that prefabricated tiles.  In the end I decided to sort them and create a gradient color scheme.  I was actually surprised that I ended up using most of my stash.  Glass goes fast with closely arranged patters I suppose.

   The underlying box was purchased at Joanns, and the grout was left over from my prior project.  I decided to deepen the color of the wood with few coats of rub on stain that I picked up from home depot (used on my coffee table project).  And I am quite pleased with the end result.  I hope my friend is too.  Also it made for a perfect holder for the other presents I found for her: a few bottles of OPI polish from the Muppet Collection (from Nordstrom Rack) and the most darling tiny "pitchers" (single serving milk holders) in the shape of an elephant and bunny (from Beacon's Closet)

Handmade Jewelry: Earrings

  

Buying Supplies
This can easily add up very quickly so I like to try to have a project in mind before I start dropping $$.  I am currently working in gold tone metal, but I think I may try gold fill in the future.  Here are the supplies I either already had or purchased for my project.   I already have a set of tools so there was no additional cost there, but wire cutters and shapers can be found at any craft/jewelry making store or even hardware store!

Designing & Executing

whew!  they match

working my way around the loop

I decided to go for something relatively simple without much wire bending.  I tend to design on the fly, as I go along--as a result I spend a good amount of time adjusting and undoing (i.e. ill fated alternating purple colored beads... looked clownish).  Earrings are always tricky when there is a lot of working or detail simply because the pair needs to match (or at least that is usually the goal).  I decided to go with alternative small blue faceted beads and gold tone seed beads, with a large droplet facet cut stone in a charcoal.  I didn't need to worry much about spacing as the beads occupied more or less the entire round.  The excess I used to connect to the hooks.

The finished product

Another Project
This time with tumbled green stones, gold tone wire, and small floral metal beads.  This look was achieved through lots of wire wrapping.

Sewing: 50s style dress

When I first found this pattern I knew it was perfect for me.  Full circle skirt, cute bias detailing, overall vintage 50s look.  As I am still a beginner sewer I limited myself to a more manageable cotton fabric.  Generally I tend to shop on ebay for fabrics, because the variety is vast and I am still a little intimidated by the fabric outlets in NYC's fashion district.   Plus I was able to get 5 yards of this fabric for a good price.

The bias tape was also from a nice ebay seller (wenze001) who I believe makes her own "tape".  This way I was really able to match the color well.  Although I did buy both a bright orange and a green and decided to make the choice in person.  

In the end I went with green, and I think it was a better fit for the vintage/traditional design.   I wish I had taken more photos of the process but it was a pretty simple pattern with basic steps.  Cutting pattern, cutting cloth, sewing darts, etc.  Here it is before I added the bias tape.  I must admit I don't use the dress form at all for sizing purposes, but this did come in good use to hang the garment so the fabric could settle before I worked on the hem.  Considering its been used as a glorified coat rack for most of the years I've owned it, it's actually moving up in functionality at least.   Next with bias added.

I headed over to M&J Trimming on 6th Ave which is just a WONDERLAND of notions.  Not cheap, but they seem to have everything jammed into the store from floor to ceiling filled with buttons, trimming, ribbon, applique, etc etc.  I picked up these darling green buttons ($2 each) and a package of large snaps ($7 package).

detail of the buttons

Here is the finished product!  I'm quite proud as this is the first dress I have made in years, and first dress that I actually really was careful about seams, hems, overlocking the edges, etc.

arm loop created by wrapping of fabric

H&M Dress

I am definitely one of those people that feels happier when purchasing an item on sale even if I am already shopping on a relatively inexpensive store.  Whether H&M or Prada, I gravitate to the SALE rack like a moth to a flame.  Lucky for my pocketbook it was H&M this time.  I was very drawn to the pretty pattern of the skirt part of this dress as well as the overall fall look and it's sale price of $14.95 (originally 24.95).  I couldn't decide which color I like better so I tried on both, and it fit so well that I decided to get both!  They will be perfect for fall layering with a scarf or vest or sweater, with tights and ballerina flats or boots.  It's a great price, so I guess style wise it wasn't everyone's cup of tea--but it was a perfect fit for mine.  Added bonus I think it could be worn to work or out on the weekend.

I thought it was extremely flattering for my pear shape (perhaps a little help from dressing room mirror), and for a size small, I believe it runs large.  I typically wear 2-4 on top and 4-6 on bottom in other brands (H&M I am typically 4-6/S top and 6-8/M bottoms), and have a defined waist. I found the medium to be awkwardly baggy and ill-fitting in the top and waist.

Bottom is 100% Rayon, top is 95% cotton 5% spandex. Machine washable, which gets a gold star in my book.

Amigarumi: Part 2

More amigarumi.  This time two cute animals for my sister and her husband.  The tiny legs for the turtle and the never ending tentacles for the octopus were the most frustrating.  I purchase safety eyes on ebay so that once I feel comfortable my stitches are tight enough I can start gifting to the babies that have been increasingly popping up in my family and friend circles =D.