Typical Busy Fall

During which my laptop needs a clean-up and is therefore currently out of service, I decide to again participate in National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org/-- that's for YOU, Dana! I'm just in the planning stages right now...), I work on bringing my Etsy back to life, store up some stock for the holidays, and we decide to paint the entire upstairs of our house. (My floor and walls are going to be GREEN! It will be amazing.) Oh yes, and I also muddle through my junior year.

Because my laptop is waiting to be picked up from the technician's, I won't be able to show you pictures until after Sunday. But I figured I would quickly update at least to let you know what's been going on. And when I do post pictures I should have some good shots from a photo shoot with fall colors, along with my lovely low-quality self-timer ones taken with a sheet backdrop in my sewing room-- don't we love those?

Ren fest costume!

I went to the Renaissance the second weekend of this month with my friend Sophie. It was awesome! Unfortunately, I never did get a chance to make a costume from Prince Caspian like I'd been hoping, but I improvised with what I had to make my outfit. While Sophie was at school the week before we went (I was staying with her for a mini vacation), I made this dress out of a couple twin-sized bottom sheets. I'd meant to grab the larger size topsheets, but I made do quite well.

The white chemise was extremely simple-- I make it huge and then gathered the neckline with elastic. The sleeves are also extra large, gathered at the top to fit the armhole, and gathered at the bottom with elastic. When pushed up to my elbows, it poofs out over, creating an awesome look. The skirt wasn't very full, but since it was just an underskirt, it was okay in appearances-- just annoying to the wearer. :)

The over dress was loosely based on a bodice Sophie'd purchased at the festival a few years back. I made it smaller, lengthened it for the skirt, and added only two bones, on either side of the lacing. The fit is pretty good, but I do need to correct the back. It worked perfectly for the day, though, although my footwear (black and white polkadotted converse...) was probably not appropriate. :P

Epic action shot!!

I wish we'd remembered out cameras-- and as of yet I do not have a photo of Sophie's costume, but I can describe it because it was awesome. She went as a faerie, and we made wings with coathangers, tights and ribbon using the tutorial at Threadbanger. She put her bodice over a poofy sleeved shirt (styled much like my chemise) and a tie-skirt for her underskirt. The overskirt was a cloth belt we pinned a billion scarves and fabric scraps to, making it very full and poofy. She had the best ideas for the costume, it was awesome. I'll bug her about sending me pictures, how does that sound??

I'll be posting every-day wear soon, so keep checking back!

A couple older t-shirt surgeries

Because, no, I still have not found the camera cable, I'm still posting a couple older pictures. It's really not much, but still fun.

First, a corset-like shirt. I resized it, cut slits up the back, and stitched in hand-made eyelet tape. Of course, later I found out that fabric stores actually sell premade eyelet tape. Go figure. To cover up the logo in the front I put a patch printed with a jolly roger-- my hand carved stamp.

And then this is another thing I made when I was just learning about all this t-shirt reconstruction stuff. I made Snow White sleeves for this top, and added a white hood. The sleeves turned out a little wonky due to bad technique, but I still love it. It makes me feel like a princess! Haha. :)

Ron Paul button! Oh yeah.

This is it for now, but there'll be more to come soon. ^^

Blast from the Past

I can't find my camera or my camera cable this time, so I'm resorting to old photos. I know it sounds like I'm making stuff up every time I "lose" my camera cable, but seriously, I can't find it. Not even kidding. ;)


I never realized summer could fly by this fast! In a week it'll be August, and then school will start and my jobs will be over. If you're hoping for a litte update on my life, look no further! Before I get to the good stuff, I'll bore you with my entire life story. Won't this be fun?

Joking aside, my summer is going really well, albeit quickly. I love working at the stables, and I decided that for now, three days a week is just right. I can only get up early so many times! But I do love the horsies, and even the poo scooping isn't that bad. I'm sad that there's only five or six weeks left! Other things worth mentioning: scooping ice cream at my other job is ah-mazing, and blueberries make the world a lot nicer. That is all.

Okay, what you've all been waiting for: pictures! As you know, I'm super into costumes, and have made quite a few. Here are a few that I've done...

A huge, pink, cupcake dress (with a hoopskirt underneath!) from Phantom of the Opera.





My Halloween costume last year, which was inspired by Elphaba's dress in the musical Wicked. I made up my own version, drafted the pattern, hand painted the cheesecloth for the embellishments, and hand gathered the strips and strips of the cheesecloth. It didn't really turn out exactly how I envisioned--- I wanted a lot more embellishments and for it to look like things were growing off of the costume, almost like black moss or something. Sorry for the blurriness of the pictures!

Okay, and finally this is the first dress (pretty much the first thing, actually) I'd ever made. It's a tan cotton peasant's dress, made with a Simplicity pattern (although I can't recall which one). I stitched my finger when I made this dress, too, but after putting a band-aid on it, I continued sewing. :) A few months after I made the dress I drafted the pattern for the green/gold bodice from a friend's bodice she'd bought at the Ren-fest. So, first thing I'd made, first pattern I'd drafted. It's a pretty monumental costume. ;)

I will post more pictures soon, I really will! I mean, recent pictures. Hope everyone is having a great summer!

Several Things...

I know it's been a month since I posted, and I don't even have a bunch of things to show this time around... just a few. I'll get some pictures taken soon and post the rest. Unfortunately (but as expected), I haven't had as much time to sew this month. I started a new job (working at a stables! I love it, by the way.), and of course, there are all the normal busy summer things happening around here. Still, I've gotten a couple things made, and after a over a week without internet I can finally post here and update my Etsy shop.

This one is a jumper top out of strawberry-patterned yellow jersey knit. I love this fabric! I wish I'd gotten more of it, but I have enough to make a couple other things out of it. In fact, Doris (my dress form) is currently wearing a fancy tanktop that is in the works, also made out of this fabric. The jumper top here is modeled by my lovely friend Sophie who was very willing to help me out one day.

Another jumper top! I had quite a bit of this fabric, so I played around with it. I really love this one and don't want to sell it! These are going faster, and I really like making them.

This dress was a bit of a headache, but I'm fairly pleased with the result. Fairly being the key word. I made it up as I went along, and it turned out really well for not having done a mock-up before hand. It's just that it didn't turn out precisely as I invisioned, which is always a little irritating. Because I just estimated sizing, it's a little too small on me. But anyway, about it: I used up almost all of this light blue fabric, giving it a cross-over top, crossed spaghetti straps, a fitted drop waist, and a handkerchief hem. I added silver buttons and a black lace/black jersey insert in the v of the bust. It's extremely flattering and elegant, and as always, I don't believe wrong can be done with this fabric.

In case you were curious, my pop can tab dress is coming along well. I have three recycle shed sources that I can raid now and again, and I currently have 7 inches of the front piece, and about 500 loose, unwoven tabs waiting to be put to use.

And that's it for now. Of course, I have other things to post, but I'll save those for a later time. Sorry it's been so long! These things will probably be up for sale this week, so if you want to check out my shop... www.mateycouture.etsy.com!