My goal this summer was to stitch up one dress a week. After sewing this beast a couple of weeks ago...I've since changed my lifetime achievement goals. BECAUSE THIS DRESS WAS A MOTHER-LOVIN' BEAST.
Here, lemme show you why:
Now look, don't get me wrong. I LOVE this dress and wanna wear it every day and make about a million more in a variety of colors. But.You.All. I cherish the sliver of sanity I like to think I have left. And therefore I will not be making another dress like this for a while. It's gonna be like the Halley's Comet of Dresses that only makes an appearance every 75 years.
I started with a sketch...where all bad things take form:
And, like, I'm kinda thrilled that my dress actually kinda-sorta looks like my drawing. That NEVER happens! Mostly because my drawing looks bananas but also because I can't sew and 99.9% of the time, I'm just winging it.
I decided to go with a 1950's pattern bodice and my trusty Anna Maria Horner circle skirt pattern. Now the 50's pattern did lead me astray as it had me install these horrible, puffy-topped, too-long sleeves that had me lookin' VERY 1980's Working Girl. I mean, I had shoulders for DAYS. I promptly ripped them out and went with a cap sleeve.
But the sleeves were the least of my worries. It was THE APPLIQUE. What in the world was I thinking?! I cut out and appliqued no fewer than 29 sprinkles. I think that was how many there were. I dunno. TOO DANG MANY, THAT'S HOW MANY. I'm sorry for shouting but if you had to live thru this, YOU'D.SHOUT.TOO.
Okay, I thought. Bodice done. Surely the skirt will be easier as it's only too colors. Well, first of all: Don't call me Surely. AND no. A circle skirt is massive...and appliquing around that alone takes a bit. Add the squiggly line of melting ice cream and you have a project that takes FOR.EVE.RRR.
Insert all the annoyed face emoji's here.
But once the skirt was complete, I was in the homestretch. Just had to attach the top and bottom, throw in a zipper, toss in a hem and BOOM! Done! 3 hours later...
Hurray!
Lady at the grocery: What are you supposed to be? Me (going all existential on her): I don't even know anymore. Lady at the grocery, shaking her head: No, I mean, are you in a costume? Me: No. Literally, that's all I had. I was so tired from sewing, I couldn't even give her more than a NAW, LADY. THIS HERE IS MY ENSEMBLE. Now, move, I gotta go figure out what I'm supposed to be!
Now, I say all this because y'all know good and well I'm gonna have to applique me some more dresses...I have them all sketched out and ready to go. Wish me luck!
I got a joke for you: Crazy art teacher walks into Walmart and sees these:
Totally ignoring the words "beach towels", she immediately thinks CIRCLE SKIRT and the rest is extra pepperoni history...
Now if you've been around this blog during the holidays, then you already know that I have a thing for buying tree skirts and making them into lady skirts. When I spotted these round beach towels, I thought of doing the same. I mean, why should such an amazing print like this be limited to just the beach?!
While stitching last night, I filmed the process so you could see just how stinkin' easy it was. I wasn't quite sure if it was all gonna work out so at the time, I only bought the pizza towel. Y'all better believe I went back to day and bought ALL OF THE REST OF THE TOWELS. Can you even blame me?
I totally went to Walmart in my skirt. As I was leaving the house, a neighbor drove by and shouted "is that a PIZZA skirt?! AWESOME!" I didn't get much attention while at Walmart (I mean, it's WALMART, there's a whole website dedicated to the crazy stuff people wear there. Pretty sure I flew under the radar!) but I did get a lot of giggles and stares from little kids. Which means my students are gonna love it.
I can't wait to wear this skirt during the upcoming school year...we just might have to make Pizza Pillows again!
I'll keep you posted on the many more beach towels to circle skirts to come! If you decide to make one, the supplies are: * One round beach towel. Mine was 58" in diameter, the perfect length. * One circle skirt pattern. I used Anna Maria Horner's circle skirt pattern in the video. Any one would work. You could probably even find a tutorial online to make the pattern yourself! * One 7" zipper. * Fabric for the waistband.
And the steps are just as easy. I'd go through them all but, meh, I'm lazy. Just watch the video, y'all! And have fun!
Oh, snap! This just in: Walmart commented on my IG...AND quoted the one and only Tim Gunn! WHHHHHAAAAAA. I'm dead.
Today I'm excited to share that I'm guest blogging over on the amazing Spoonflower! If you are not familiar, you really outta be. Spoonflower is the magical place where you can design and print your own fabrics, gift wrap and more. I've not ventured down that avenue (yet) but I have purchased fabric created by other creatives there. Case in point, this fabric from dmitriylo.
This was another dress I created at the start of the school year with fabric from Spoonflower. This fabric was created by seasonofvictory.
So hop on over to the Spoonflower blog and read more about the making of this dress...and how it helped inspire an entire art room transformation!
Happy October 1st, guys and gals! I'm SO EXCITED that my favorite month which is also home to my favorite holiday is FINALLY here! I've been sharing my favorite DIY's for the season as well as my favorite art projects for kids...and today I'm sharing my TOP TEN SPOOKY ENSEMBLES! Can you tell I'm excited based on my excessive use of the caps lock and the exclamation points? Sorry, I just can't control myself.
But before I go any further, I have some super spooky and fun news to share with you: I've been chosen by Treetopia to one of their 2017 Halloween Queens! What does that mean? Well, that they sent me a CANDY CORN CHRISTMAS TREE which I've just spent the last 48 hours crafting and decorating. And you'll be able to catch a sneak peek right here tomorrow on October 9th. I'm so excited to also share that I'll be hosting a HUGE giveaway then. Ya'll won't wanna miss this!
I will admit, I'm mighty nervous...I mean, check out this line up! If you are not familiar with these DIY rock stars, then hop on over to their blogs! BriteandBubbly is an ABSOLUTE DOLL, y'all have to check out her blog. 100directions blogger Jen is a girl after my own heart: her blog really is going in 100 directions and I love them all! Chloe at CelebrateandDecorate has such a fun and colorful blog that I cannot wait to explore more. If y'all are looking for some fun DIY's for yourself to create for your home, Natalie at Natalme has some amazing ideas. CraftyLumberJacks is AMAZING...I just got lost exploring their blog and all of their amazing ideas for Halloween. JenniferPerkins is where I get so much inspirations...she's a girl after my own heart with her love of anything vintage, weird, colorful and...well, weird. I'm thrilled to be in such good company!
So be sure to pop back by tomorrow on October 9th for some fun news! Until then...let's talk Spook-tastic Ensembles!
Zombie Dress! I found this amazing Walking Dead-esque fabric at Joann's last season and knew I had to make a dress! I wore it to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios. Mitch snapped the photo...knowing full well that there was a psychotic chain saw gal with great hair creepin' up behind me. More details on the fabric and the dress pattern used right here.
Needle Felted Haunted Mansion Eyeball Pants! Okay, I know that's a lengthy description but that's exactly what these bad boys are. I found the stretchy pants at Target and knew right away that they'd make the perfect Haunted Mansion pants...as the print reminded me of the creepy-eyeball wall paper at the place. The Haunted Mansion at Disney is one of my most favorite things ever. I was so excited to create these pants. And, PANTS! I never wear 'em. In fact, I have three pairs and this is one of them. More details here.
El Dia de los Muertos Dress! I've actually made a couple...I love all things Day of the Dead. These planters were super fun to paint as well. I'm excited to wear this dress this year. But I'm on a heels boycott so, sadly, I won't be wearing the dress with those super cute heels! More dress and planter details here.
Monster Mash Dress! I think one of the reasons I love Halloween so much is because of the music. It's like Christmas music in that we listen to the same songs every year...and they bring back so many fun memories. Monster Mash makes me think of bobbing for apples, trick or treatin' and wearing our costumes to school. This fabric inspired me so much, I needle felted a matching sweater! More here.
Classic Horror Movies Dress! The classic Universal Studios horror movies are my favorite thing ever. Well, maybe not the movies so much as just looking at the posters, the movie stills and photos Boris Karloff getting into so many amazingly spooky characters. This fabric is some of my favorite and I always get stopped when wearing this dress. You can read about it right here.
The Scream! Granted, this dress wasn't intended to be a Halloween dress, but I'm gonna stretch and say that it qualifies as Munch's the Scream is spooky as all get out. Not to mention, despite the fact that this dress is sleeveless, it's COMPLETELY made of felted wool on the front thereby making it the hottest sleeveless dress in history. It's been confirmed. Read all about it here.
Another el Dia de los Muertos Dress! I had a lot of fun adding the colorful pompoms to the bottom of this dress. I'm telling you, seeing the colorful art of this holiday makes me so happy. I wish I had more of it in my home! For now, I'll have to settle on this here dress. Read all about it here.
Black Cat! I knew as soon as I spotted this curtain fabric at IKEA that it was coming home with me and becoming a dress. I now am ruined for fabric because of this dress...because now all I wanna sew with is big and bold print (preferably from IKEA because it's so incredibly inexpensive!). More about this cat-astic dress here.
Naughty Kitty Club Jacket! Okay, so one could argue that this is not Halloween specific but I disagree. If you know your vintage Halloween cat decorations (what?! You don't!? Shame on you!) then you'll recognize this cat. He's the one on most vintage Halloween decor. I loved him so much, I decided to needle felt him onto the back of this cheapo jacket. More here.
Spooky Owl Sweater! Have you noticed a trend? In the fall, I LOVE to get back into needle felting! Every season, I return to it and don't stop stabbing stuff (ahem) until spring. I'm excited to get back into needle felting soon...just don't know what I'll be up to yet! More about this simple project here.
Now y'all have a super start to the best month ever! AND remember to pop back by here tomorrow for a HUGE giveaway and some exciting fun-ness to share. Until then!
Seeing as how the premise of this blog used to be all about what I wear as an art teacher, it should come as no surprise that I LOVE me a themed dress up day! It's spirit week and today was Career Day. I decided to go as myself: Artist/Art Teacher! They are one in the same, says me.
In true procrastinator fashion, I started painting this pantsuit at, oh, about 9:30pm last night. I found it a couple of weeks ago at Goodwill and my mom-in-law was like, YOU GOTTA GET THIS. Well, she didn't say it like that, but she was pretty persuasive. It didn't take much arm twisting. Believe it or not, my first year teaching art, I LIVED in a pair of Oshkosh B'gosh forest green corduroy overalls that I found at the thrift. I wish I still had those suckers. I loved 'em.
Anyway, when I spotted the 'suit, I knew I'd have to upgrade it somehow. I left is sitting in my closet until Career Day Eve when I decided to paint it...yay! I had so much fun wearing it today. It's a RARE occasion when I wear pants...and this pantsuit, with it's mom-jeans, extra-long front part, isn't exactly the most flattering of ensembles. But it was so super comfy! That is until I had to go to the bathroom. Then it was like wrestling myself outta a straight jacket while my bladder screamed bloody murder.
By the way, the jacket was a purchase from Gap Kids a couple years back. I had the kids add more splatters to it when they splattered this skirt for me.
And the palette beret was felted many moons ago...you can find it here.
I love using Tulip Brand paint for my fabric paint because it really does keep it's vibrant color even after washing. Check out the dress I created with the Tulip paint here.
My favorite part of the day was seeing all these sweet cuties dressed up as Artists/Art Teachers too!
Hey there, friends! After a week hiatus, I'll be back with you on Wednesday, August 9th at 8pm CST on Facebook LIVE! We'll be talking about all things Back to School: Rules, Routines and Life After Summer Vacation (sigh). I'll also be hosting a giveaway and sharing some fun news. So be sure and drop by right here (liking/following the page will insure that I pop up in your feed).
For the last couple of years, I've been making Back to Art Teacherin' Dresses. I thought it was something I'd just recently started doing...but it turns out that this is an ongoing thang. At a school PD today a buddy asked, "How many dresses do you think you have, Stephens?" I didn't have an answer. I'd prob be embarrassed to admit just how many stinkin' dresses I have. I started purchasing vintage dresses many moons ago at thrift and resale shops. When I learned how to sew about 5 years ago, I just added more dresses to the collection...without doing any weeding. I just can't bare to part with a good ole fit and flair number, y'all.
My very first Back to Art Teacherin' dress was this number. I rarely wear it now as, in my increasingly tacky eyes, it's a bit boring. From there, I've been hooked on creating a dress that helps me get pumped and excited about the new school year. I can't go out and buy back to school clothes as my overflowing closet is evidence that this gal don't need no more garb. However, I can shop for some super cute fabric and make a dress of my own, right?
Feast your eyes on this mega-goodness. I'm gonna be honest, I'm starting to become a little bit disenchanted with the usual fabric options. Most fabric patterns are cute...but small. Since sewing with the big and bold patterns from IKEA, I've been on the hunt for more Large Marge prints. So I hopped over to Spoonflower and used the search bar to look for a pencil print. And that's when I found this mega-goodness.
Here's a short clip of me twirling in slow mo and fast mo (is that a thing? Who is this Moe and why is he so fast and slow?!). When wearing a circle skirt, it is the law that one must twirl no fewer than 29 times, hourly. Look, I don't write the rules, I just follow 'em.
Having a deadline, like Meet the Teacher Night, gave me the inspiration to burn the midnight oil (and the early morning, em, oil? Grease? What do they burn in the early morning? Whatever it is, it stinks) and finish this bad boy. Let's face it, that print makes the dress. I LOVE the retro look of it!
It's the best twirling dress this side of the Mississippi.
Some of my other Back to Art Teacherin' dresses include this number created from fabric found in JoAnn's discount area. I loved it for it's marker-scribble feel. This dress made me happy with the print but I feel like I'm about to fly away with those sleeve things. I don't wear this one very often as I don't find the bodice as flattering as I would have liked. But this van Gogh-inspired dress has all of my fave features: a fitted bodice, a giant waist band and BOWZ. Cuz I like big bows and I cannot lie.
Everyone has their own way about getting excited about their "jobs" (can we really call art teacherin' a "job"?! I mean, it's like the best thing ever AND they pay us!). My way is sewing up a fun dress. Your way might be decorating your art room, painting your nails in a rainbow pattern, creating a sign for your art room. Whatever it is, dive in! Do it! It will make you happy and, as we all know, Happy Art Teacher, Happy Life...or something like that.
In short, you do you...and bring that what you be doin' to your art room. I promise you that it will not only inspire your young artists but those around you as well.
