DIY: A Starry Night Dress (Yes, Another One)

Lemme share with y'all a lil story about a crazy person who THINKS she can sew but is totes winging it 99.2% of the time. Look, kids, I come by this know-it-all-but-don't-know-nuthin' attitude naturally. How about I paint a picture for ya: I've been living in the Nashville area for something close to 20 years now. Every single time my dear sweet crazy mama comes to visit, she gets lost. Like, WAY lost. Like, calling me after driving 40 miles past my house, lost. Mind you, I've not moved anywhere different in the last 7 years. The roads have not mysteriously changed. I don't live in the Bermuda Triangle. This woman, who owns both a GPS and has Siri on speed dial (I know that's not really a "thing" but whateves), REFUSES to use either of these modern-day handy dandy devices because she THINKS she knows where she's going. 

 Kinda like her daughter. Who THINKS she knows how to sew. 

Riddle me this: Would a fur realz stitcher create a Franken-Dress with a mashup of 6 patterns?! Me thinks not. 

In other news, some bird was DYING for some air time, y'all. Get that fine feathered friend on The Voice, stat!

In other-other news, there is not a single solitary photo of me standing still like a normal person. I blame that enormous circle skirt and yellow crinoline. You try wearing that combo and not spinning yourself silly!

So let's start with the dress pattern that likes to shatter dreams, ruin lives and drive folks to drink (it's a short drive, y'all. It don't take much): Butterick B5606. Like, whut the heck. It looks all easy peasy, right? Well, lemme tell you, it's a lie. I hit a road block on the SECOND STEP. I watched tutorials. I read blog posts. I laughed. I cried. I shook my hands at the heavens and wondered just how Butterick had managed to dupe me into another dress pattern again (it's been a while...but my distaste for Butterick goes WAY back). I'll tell you how: it was That Bow. 

 That's all I really wanted outta that dress, that bow. I was determined to make it happen even if I wasn't about to learn how to sew a gusset or whatever that nonsense Butterick Step 2 was taking about. 

So I did the unthinkable. Serious Sewists, plug your ears: I cut the pattern apart. That's right, I cut off the long tail in the pattern that makes the bow and I used it to cut out the yellow strips for the bow. I had no idea just how I was gonna make that yellow bow happen but I was determined. 

And that's when I busted out my trusty tried and true Simpliciy 8087. This one never lets me down. It's my go-to because I'm a fan of that waistband. I used the pattern for the waist and the back bodice from here. Then, again, I did something crazy: I cut the back of this pattern to match that of Butterick. Yep, I cut a big ole honkin' curve outta the back of the bodice pattern (I've since taped it back together, stop sweating) to accommodate the open bowed back. Then I did some magical trickery (read: I'm too lazy to type it all out) and shazam! I had a bowed back and a big ole waistband!

Now if you follow me on Instagram, then you know this dress had short sleeves instead of capped for a while. It just made the dress seem too heavy and matronly. So I used yet another pattern for the cap sleeves and pockets (YAZ, Y'ALL. This thing has pockets!) 

So I only used this pattern for a hot minute for the front bodice. I don't know what I did wrong but my neckline comes up way higher than hers. Just sayin'. 

Like, see?

The Anna Maria Full Circle Skirt is my go-to for a circle skirt pattern. I love it because, unlike my vintage circle skirt patterns, it's a modern length. I did add three inches to the bottom of the pattern to get this length. And I did have to bust out the Scout Tee just to make a wee bias tape to hide a mistake on the bodice. Because I was at the end of my seam-rippin' rope, kids. 

Yellow chucks and crinoline come courtesy of Amazon. That crinoline was delivered to my doorstep on Sunday!

So, here she is! ANOTHER Starry Night Dress (my other one here)! One made without the help of Siri or a GPS...just like my mama done taught me. Until next time, if you see a crazy lady about 40 mile south of Nashville, send her my way, would you please? 

 

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DIY: Needle-Felted Decor, Part 1

Might we please have a lil confession time up in here? Cuz I need to unpack some stuff and I don't mean those boxes that have been in my garage since we moved seven years ago (real talk: those boxes ain't never gonna see the light of day, y'all, let's just be honest). 

Confession Numero Uno: Not only am I crummy housekeeper, I'm also pretty sucktastic at that whole decorating thingie too. You can't be good at everything, y'all (hair flip). And I most def have a big fat hairy list of items at which I am no bueno: cooking, cleaning, yard maintenance and, you guessed it, decorating. I mean, I can decorate  an art room like nobody's biznatch but working on our house has me all...

I just can't even. I don't even know where to start. In fact, we've got this one room that normal folk be calling a bonus room which I've dubbed the BOGUS room. It's just one more space for me to not clean and not decorate. I did attempt bedazzling it when we first moved in and painted up these round paintings which have that lovely early-2000's color palette...

AND that's pretty much all I ever did to that room. In fact, every time I wandered into the bonus room with a lil decorating on my mind, I'd take one look around and be all...

Now I know I sound totes ungrateful as many folk don't have a surplus of space. And lately, I've been working on a Super Top Secret Project (details to come!) in which the bonus room has become a great place to stretch out and work. For that reason, I'm really putting my heart into making this space one that I love to come to and work in. And I decided my first order of business was updating those horrible round painting thingies. 

 Now if you've been hanging around this here blog for a hawt minute then you know I love all things Mary Blair. I've created paintings inspired by her, made necklaces, you name it. So I decided I wanted to Mary Blair-ize the bonus room! But I wasn't feeling very certain I wanted to invest a ton o' time into it if I wasn't gonna love it. So I uprooted these white and gold plate/frame thingies I found for cheap at TJMaxx several months ago and decided to create some wee needle felted sketches! The above is what my sewing table looked like before...

And then after. Now imagine that as MY ENTIRE HOUSE and you've pretty much got the picture. Say a lil prayer and light a candle for my hubs, would ya?

After a little bit of playing around, I came up with this! I was super pleased. Y'all know I'm a big fan of needle felting as it's just about the most easiest thing in the world. In fact, I always find myself needle felting to excess in the winter months. Check out last week's DIY! 

 Just a lil closer look. 

I wasn't as in love with this one but I figured, eh, it's just a sketch. I'm sure to change it up quite a bit when I design the larger format circle. 

 I like needle felting on patchworked pieces of fabric. One of my first wall pieces from needle felting was done that way. I like how it adds just another layer to the design. 

Even though I still had one more little needle felted sketch to complete, I decided to dive right in to the making of my first large wall hanging. Mostly cuz I knew I'd have the help of this bad boy...

What you see here is not a sewing machine but something far more magical: a needle felting machine! That's right, y'all, like a rare rainbow farting unicorn, they do exist! The hubs got it for me for Christmas for not too much dinero on el Amazons. 

I love the thing. All I had to do was just tack some of the roving into place and slide it under the half dozen needles on that machine, hit the pedal and let the machine do the stabbing. It isn't great for detail work so I do resort to my trusty Clover needle felting pen for that. 

 But it's fab at blocking in large areas for me and look!

 One down! Only two more to go!

 C'mon, man! How about a lil power of positive thinkerin'?!

Okay, confession numero dos: this is pretty much how I feel. However, I'm determined-ish to follow this through and have at least one room in our house that looks decorated and finished. I'll keep all y'all posted. 

Until then, y'all!

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DIY: A Needle Felted Emojis Dress

If you're anything like me (which, if that be the case, the funny farm is gonna be full up soon), then you find that you can do all of your communicating in emojis. They truly say it all. I even turned in my most recent lesson plan completely emoji-fied and it was more comprehensible than most. Turns out there is an emoji for all of the latest edu-buzzwords! Hint: it's the one that looks like a steamy pile o' pooh.

In other less stinky news...

THIS blog that you are reading right now when you probably should be doing twenty other way better things, won first place down at the Art of Educations Art Teacherin' Blog o' the Year. Say whuuuut? Thank you so much for all of your encouragement and support! It truly means the world to me, I love all y'all! AND I love the other blogs -n- buddies that won and were nominated, each and everyone has it's own unique and art-mazing voice. If you follow the linky-loo above, it will lead you down a rabbit hole of art blog-tanasticness!

This is my best, "oh gee, thanks, AOE" pose while I greedily snatch that badge outta their hands and slap it on my blog. I didn't want 'em goin' all Steve Harvey on me and pass it along to someone else, y'all!

In other exciting news, I had the AMAZING opportunity to chat with one of my art bloggy besties, Patty Palmer recently! She is the most incredible art teacherin'/entrepreneur there is and I was thrilled when she asked if I'd like to be apart of her podcast. She's had some big stars on her 'cast like The Great Jessica Balsley and The Amazing Heidi Easley. My chat with Patty will go live on her blog on Thursday. You can drop by and listen anytime for free (as well as listen to those past podcasts I mentioned)!

But enough about all that, let's get back to our originally scheduled blog-cast: A Needle Felted Emojis Dress!

I actually wore this bad boy to jury duty today, sans wig. After the nice lecture the judge gave us about how much he appreciated us answering our call of civic duty, I was all, geesh. Now I can't wear my wig, totes guilt-trip! I even toned down my attire yesterday only to have a woman give me the up/down, pat my arm and say, "Oh, honey. You have nothing to worry about. They won't pick you." When she spotted me today, her eyeballs hit the floor. I was all, "But lady! I'm not even wearing my rainbow wig!"

So whilst I was stabbing away at this dress (which is what you do for needle felting. Go here for videos and deets, y'all), I got to thinking. I should make plethora of emojis that express my emotions during one solitary art class. Because, let's face it, even in my thirty minute art classes, I run the gamut of the following emotions, er, emojis...

CRAY EMOJI: This is how the kids usually find me, jacked up on coffee and ready to create! It should come as no surprise that I'm often referred to as "That Crazy Art Teacher" by the kids. My fave thing is when we get a new student. At times, I've found the other kids giving them a warning at the door before I even meet them. Or just giving them a slow reassuring nod when we are seated on the floor. You know, one that says, "We aren't dealing with an adult that knows how to adult. It's okay. We'll be the grown up for the next 30 minutes."

EMBARRASSED EMOJI: Although, there are those times when they manage to even out-crazy we art teachers. Like that time a group of my kindergarteners decided that my Mr. Sketch Markers must taste as good as they smell (word to the wise: NEVER buy the scented markers unless you want kinders slobbering all over them!). Or how 'bout the time another kindergartener (um, do you see a pattern here? It's always the kindergarteners that manage to out cray the cray, amiright?) decided that the best way to solve getting paint on her was to just go topless whilst painting. While a parent volunteer was in the room. I don't think I've EVER referred to the dress code until that day when I said, "WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE WITHOUT OUR SHIRTS IN ART CLASS!" 

DORK-MODE EMOJI: You know we all got into this art teacherin' biz cuz we are such dorks for all things art. I love nerding it up, chatting with the kids about art history, technique, whateves. In one convo with, you guessed it, a kindergarten class, I was explaining Roy G. Biv. When I asked the kids what the "V" stood for, they were stumped. I prompted them with, "You know, looks like purple, starts with the letter V?" It was then that one girl shouted out, "VAGENTA!" and my face went straight to THE SCREAM emoji...

All the kids thought she was correct so they ALL started saying "vagenta" and I almost died. Look, I dunno what vagenta is but I'm pretty sure that if you got it, you outta get yourself to the OB-GYN. I bet they make a cream for that. 

LOVE EMOJI: But, who am I kidding. From fourth grade all the way down to those crazy kindergarteners, I do love 'em all. And you know we are lurved by them. 

SMOOCHES EMOJI: But, let's be honest, there are those times that we do love to see 'em go. BYE Felicias! Smell ya next time!

On a dif note, I gotta tell you a lil secret. That's a wig. I KNOW, TOTES HAD YOU FOOLED (insert wink emoji). I've been toying with the idea of investing in wigs (because they are pricy, y'all!) because I love the thought of being able to change my hairstyle without doing a thing to my hair. I actually suffer from hair-cut-phobia as I've not updated my do in, like, eonzz. I purchased this one here if y'all are interested in being twinzies. Until next time (insert smooches/bye Felicia emoji)! 

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