DIY: Standardized Dress-ting

Okay, y'all. Before you start in on the "OMGahhh, how you get all this sewing stuff done?!" I gotta confess: I started this dress over the summer. 'Twas gonna be apart of my Fall Back-to-Schoolin' 2014 Collection (yes, such a thing actually exists in my wee mind). But when I got just a breath away from being finished (like, we're talking a zip and a hem. You'll notice I never did get to that hem. Ahem.), I up and quit on this here number. I can't even remember why, y'all. But if I were to guess, I'd say something glittery caught my eye and I dropped the dress like an ole stinky non-glittery sock. Howeverness, with my sweet students getting ready to enter into Standardized Testingland, I decided to finish what I've now dubbed my Standardized Dress-ting Ensemble. 

Get those No. 2 pencils (shoes) sharpened, y'all, and try to ignore my inappropriately low neckline. Nothing to see there, folks, move along, move along. 

So I got a wild hair at Joann's whilst pattern shopping and scooped up this number. Like, why? I know I just can't/shouldn't do low V-necks. I've never in my life owned a cleavage nor have I ever developed beyond that of a 12 year-old girl in the upper lady lumps department. But I just swooned at the pretties on the pattern package and was sold. Le sigh. Maybe the Boob Fairy will come to visit if I leave my training bra under my pillow. What y'all think? 

Let's talk about something I do have plenty of: fabric! So the fabric I used for this dress was from my stash, believe it or not. Which means if you want the same, you gonna have to hit either ebaytown or etsyville. This here pencil fabric is Kaffe Fassett and I love the retro-y color palette. I did find some here for y'all. 

I am so totes in lurve with this fabric mostly cuz it really reminds me of elementary school and the one subject I was super good at: Cursive Handwriting. I didn't have art classes growing up so those purple ditto sheets where I practiced my loops and letters made me so stinkin' happy. Of course, these days, cursive writing has been taken out of most curriculums which is a stinkin' shame as research shows that it enhances reading. I was jotting down notes just today while teaching a class and one of my fourth grade students quipped, "I have no idea what you just wrote. I can't read cursive." What a shame! I've decided to introduce cursive writing my last week of art teacherin' this year. How about y'all? Do you write in cursive? Have you ever created a cursive writing lesson or incorporated it somehow?

 Oh, pardon moi. Lemme step off my cursive-y, boobless soap box and get on with the post at hand, ermkay? So, like, let's talk about that unfinished hem. I did surge the thang but I wasn't sure about length and I was just to excited to share it with you to wait. But if you look at the photo on el lefto, you'll notice a break in the fabric where my crinoline ends. I think that would be a great length to hem my dress. Whuh bout y'all?

I am glad I gave this pattern a go because I do keep recycling the same pattern. So this was like a learning experience or whatever. I guess. 

 I am highly aware of my right boob gap. Zup wit dat?!

 Whateves, let's talk pencil crown, shall we? 

 For this baby, I used a thick headband and my stash of golf pencils. You know from my (nonexistent) golfing days. I sharpened a bunch of those bad boys (which makes for the best Back-to-School smelling crown everrrrr.)

And just started gluing 'em all over the headband. In a semi-sensical order. I think the kids are gonna totally dig it. 

By the way, this is my second year to Dress for the Test. Last year I felted a coupla testy numbers like this top.

 And that sweater. 

And there you have it! A Standardized Dress-ting number for all y'all bubble-fillin', test-takin', rather-be-cursive-writing kids out there. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a freshly sharpened pencil crown I need to sniff, er, I mean, polish. Chao! 

DIY: A Marker-Tastic Art Teacherin' Dress

 I dunno if you've noticed or not but things have gotten quite a bit...stitchy around here. I've moved into week two of Snow Daze (fingers crossed we return tomorrow, y'all) which means I've had extra time for the important things in life:

House cleaning? Negative. 
Dress-Making? Affirmative. 

It's called priorities, y'all. And I've gots 'em.

By the way, can I make a confession that's not really a confession because I betcha have figured it out already: I'm breathing down the neck of 40 and I still like to play dress up. Is that awkward? Should I seek out a support group? I'm guessing it will be the most superbly dressed support group in all the land, riiiiight? Who's hosting the first meeting, y'all and will there be cookies and grape-flavored adult drank? Count me in.

 No, you aren't experiencing deja vu. Yes, you've seen this dress pattern three times. Ahem. Remember when I done tole you last week I was making three dresses outta this pattern? There was this Mondrian number, this colored pencil piece and now whatcha got here. Do I have to tell ya that I totes dig this dress pattern? I mean, it has everything I love in a dress: a form-fittin' bodice, a fat flouncy skirt and, of course, a big ole bow. Puurrr-fectimacation.

So when I shop for fabrics, I usually buy first, think later. My hands move much faster than my brain when it comes to swiping that credit card through the lil reader. My hands are all, "hurry before that sluggish gray mass between her ears finds out we just dropped coin on even more fabric!" I usually walk outta the fabric store like I'm waking up from a dream. "Whuh just happened and who just stuck three yards of marker fabric in my bag?" Meanwhile my hands are all high-fiving each other (which looks quite ridiculous to be standing in the parking lot of a craft store clapping at your confused self, but, such is my life).

I actually scored that sweet marker fabric from here. Sadly, they are all out of the green but do have some lovely orange on super sale. The chevron came from a local shop but I did find a similar one here for you. 

 If this looks a pinch familiar that's cuz I totally used a gray version in my pencil dress. I just love this print so! You can find this orange goodness here. 

After throwing all of these prints together, I realize I look a lil bit like a can of Mountain Dew meets Orange Crush. Which I see no problem with atall. But I am from the South so you know that stuff is our equivalent to water. If you think I'm fibbin', go google yourself "Mountain Dew Mouth" and tell me I'm lying. Go on. I'll wait.

 Nuther refill of Dew-Crush anyone? No? How bout just a cuppa sugar with a splash of syrup and drizzle of honey. Something to dip your Moonpie in, y'all. 

 I'll have you know that this here is the only dress outta the three where I didn't screw up the pleats. And there were only, like 9 pleats, y'all. Le sigh. 

To finish off my Dew-Crush-tasticness, I decided to wear this palette hat I felted ages ago. It was just a thrifted find that I gave a lil make over to. That craft was super simple. You can go here for all the gory deets. 

In my pics you totes can't see my shoes but here they are! I painted these ages ago and they are starting to show some wear. Mostly cuz I painted them with acrylic and I shoulda gone with some sort of leather paint. You can check these out along with some other wacky painted footwear here. 

 And there you have it, another freaking dress thanks to my Snow Days/Sew Days. If you aren't a stitcher and have found these posts not your cup of tea, my sincerest apologies. I do hope to be back to art teacherin' sometime this decade. In the meantime, I've got a house to not clean and another dress to complete! Later, y'all!

What the Art Teacher Wore #132, Giveaway Winner and a Sewing Swap!

 Monday-ish: So this prolly isn't something one should wear on a Monday morning. Instead a night out on the town in the 1950's or something. But, you know, that's how I roll. The kids loved this scarf from UncommonGoods although a coworker did say it looked as though I'd deflated a globe. Which I thought was hilarious cuz it kinda does! dress: vintage, Buffalo Exchange; scarf: UncommonGoods

Hey there, y'all! Can I just dive right in and tell you what a wild week I've had (and then I'll get to the giveaway winner, pinky-swear/spit-shake)? I mean, it started out as your average art-teacherin' week that is til Tuesday when I was given the honor of District Teacher of the Year. Like, whuh? It went down a lil sumpin like this:

I was in the middle of a third grade class. And we were all over the place. Some kids were finishing a painting project, a couple others were creating miniature Ojo de Dios to accompany their large one, and one rando always-finished-first girl had started weaving on my large loom. All this was going down when outta the corner of my eye, I spy my principals, superintendent and an entourage of folk outside my door with balloons. BALLOONS, people. And it's not even my birthday. 

"Mrs. Stephens! Do you know why we're here?" I was asked when the mob walked in the door. To be honest, back of my mind, I see a dude with a buncha balloons, I'm half expecting a big fat check from Publisher's Clearing House, y'all. 

"Um," trying frantically to think of something, ANYTHING, to say, "You're taking us all to Chuck-E-Cheese?!" To which a couple kids cheered while the rest looked at me mortified. Even they knew better than to say something so ridiculous.

Because I was no help, the question was posed to the kids who replied, "Because she's Teacher of the Year!"

"Oh but now she's also District Teacher of the Year!" 

Stunned silence by both me and the kids. Maybe one of them cheered. The rest just looked as astonished as me. 

After it all finally clicked, we snapped a ton of pics with me and the kids and had a grand ole time. It was such a pleasant surprise. I mean, I work with outstanding educators in a school district that is renowned for it's awesomeness. To be recognized by my school was one thing but by my district...well, that's just incredible. 

Happy Surprise Tuesday: Such a fun and surreal kind of day. And of course it was the day I decided to skip hair-washing in exchange for more rolling around "I don't wanna go to school!" time. Which is always to no avail as the only one in the house is the cat who just gazes at me momentarily and then proceeds to clean her rear. sweater: made by me, DIY here; dress and tights: TJMaxx; belt: UncommonGoods; gold dotted boots: made by me, DIY here

On a dif note, can I totes confuse you and completely switch gears? Please? I mean, if you've read this blog before, you know the drill: it's ADD-enhanced for your reading dis-pleasure. A while back, an art teacher friend threw out the idea of a fabric swap. AND a while-while back, I threw out the idea of doing another Sew-Along this time for Dress-A-Girl-Around-the-World. By the way, the Dress a Girl dress is a simple pillowcase number, perfect for beginner sewers. So! I made this lil clip to explain my wild and crazy idea. Here ya go:

So! If you are interested, all you gotta do is the following:

1. Leave your email in the comments along with the state you live in. I'd love to pair you with someone close so you won't have to pay extra for shipping.

2. I'll send you an email introducing you and your swap partner by the end of next week. Y'all can chat and decide how much fab fabric to send and when. Remember the minimum to making a dress is one yard. But you might want to do one yard of two types of fabrics. This way your sewing buddy can create a pocket or a ruffle with the extra fabric.

3. Send out your goodies by mid-February. This way your partner can receive them in time to start stitching! I'll be sharing the Dress-A-Girl dress making steps on this here blog soon. So you won't wanna wait, y'all!

And that's it! I do hope you'll consider joining the fun. Just leave your email and state in the comments below!

 Wacky Wednesday: I dunno even know what made this day wacky apart from that it was Wednesday. Sorry, I got nuthin. sweater: vintage; tights and top: Target; pencil skirt: Anthro, last year; scrabble "Artsy" necklace: from my buddy Phyl over at There's a Dragon in my Art Room! Thanks, Phyl!

Thurs-daze: When I was a kid, Thursday was my ab fab day of the week. It was the day before Friday and it was the night of the Cosby Show and that was my jam, y'all. I think I still have a soft spot for ole Thursdays for that very reason. sweater and shoes: thrifted; palette belt: etsy; necklace: The Paper Source; floral still life skirt: Anthro

And the winner of the UncommonGoods $50 Giveaway is...

Allison of Artfully Yours! She wrote: 

"Your blog has me very intrigued about needle felting! I am a fellow art teacher and would totally get the hedgehog needle felting kit...my daughter would love those cute little guys too!"

Congrats, Allison! Big thanks to UncommonGoods and all who entered to win!  

What the Art Teacher Wore #122 and Aw, Alpacas!

Abstract Monday: I'm taking my second graders to The Frist Center next Tuesday to see the Kandinsky exhibit. I wore this here number to chat with the kids about our trip and all that we'd see. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly and that I don't experience my usual night-before-the-field-trip-nightmares. Anyone else have those?! Kandinsky dress: made by me, DIY here; sweater and shoes: thrifted; tights: Target; hair clip: made by me; belt: Pin Up Girl Clothing

Whut's happenin, kids?! Just trying to stay warm and muscle my way through this last week before Thanksgiving Break. We are fortunate in my school district to get the ENTIRE week off for the holiday (don't hate. I DID got back to school at the end of July, remember?) so I've just got five days of schoolin' until 5 days of relaxin. Not that I'm counting down the hours/minutes/seconds or anything. Ahem.

This past week was kinda a wacky one. I had some sort of craziness every evening after school which was fun but wiped me out. So much so that I fell into a 2 hour coma sometime after lunch yesterday. I'm looking forward to a less-thrill/more-chill week before el break-o.

In other news, I had the opportunity to visit an alpaca farm Friday afternoon! I met the owner of the farm at a craft fair and made mention that I'd love to purchase some alpaca roving. Before I knew it, Suzie Conn, the owner of Willow Creek Alpacas, was inviting me out to her place to "meet the animals!". She was kind enough to allow me to snap a million photos and make short videos. I can't wait to share them with the kids before we begin our needle felting unit! In the meantime, I thought you might be interested in meeting these sweet creatures as well.

OH! And before I forget: I'll be holding a GIVEAWAY this week! So be sure to come back on Tuesday for more details, kids. Until then, have a great week!

 Willow Creek Farm is located in College Grove, Tennessee. The owners Suzie and Gary have 14 alpacas and have been raising them for the last 8 years. When I asked Suzie how they got their start, she said she saw an alpaca at a fair and decided she wanted one. After doing her homework, she bought her first one (for $15,000! But that was then. Now they go for about $2000). She now raises them and knits beautiful scarves and hats with their wool. 

The alpacas are very curious creatures. They immediately walked up to me however it was mostly cuz they thought I might have food. They are very skiddish so quick movements kinda freak them out. They're also not fans of being touched which is a total bummer. I was able to touch the wool on the back of one and, y'all. That is some seriously thick fur! I don't think I've ever felt fur that soft, warm and dense.

Tuesday: This was the last day of my after school clay class. I can't wait to show you some of the kids wild and wacky creations. This week, I'll show you how we created ceramic turkeys (or peacocks in some cases) with the help of a fall leaf. Each creation is just as creative and hilarious as the wee artist. dress: vintage, Buffalo Exchange; bow belt: Pin Up Girl Clothing; tights: Target; shoes: Dolls by Nina; necklace: Franklin Farmers Market

Ridiculous amount of cuteness, amirite?!

Windy Wednesday: Y'all, it's, like, winter here or something. And it's really crampin' my style. I just stay in a constant state of three-layers-of-tights/stacked-scarf coldness. I've been outta Indiana too long for this kinda cold, y'all. Where's my 60 degree November weather at, yo?! jacket: For-never21; Monet-wannabe dress: vintage, thrifted; belt: Anthro; boots: old, Seychelles

Y'all. I must apologize. I'm currently ADDICTED to creating memes. This here would be Exhibit A., B. and C.

 OMG, that face, I'm dying. The alpaca don't have top teeth in the front, just bottom. Their upper lip can separate and pick up even the smallest bits of food like tweezers. 

 Thursday-ness: I have to help out with math in fourth grade every so often. Which is RIDICULOUS as I'm THE WORST at math. I did have a funny convo with one student. He got the answer "52" and he said, "that's the age of my dad." To which I replied, "Huh, my mom is 58." And he was all, "whuh?! That means they are only 5 years apart. And I'm only 10! And you are, well, kinda old." After I forgave that "old" business, he asked how old my mom was when I was born. When I told him 17, he replied knowingly, "Ah, a teenage pregnancy. It happens." Bwahaha! dress: Modcloth; pencil sweater: DIY here

Alpaca Farm Friday!: Don't you worry, I didn't wear THIS to the farm although I couldn't resist wearing this skirt to school on Friday. I mean, hello, it has alpacas on it! (okay, so they might be llamas but whateves). I did change into some lovely long johns, leg warmers and a down jacket for the trip to the farm. It was a might bit chilly but so worth the cold to see these sweet guys and gals. sweater: Anthro, thrifted; belt, shirt and skirt: Anthro, not thrifted, unfortunately

This little baby alpaca (only one year old!) was easily my favorite. Thanks for dropping by, guys!