Sure-fit Designs™ Fit and Burda Style

I am finally ready to show you my latest creation.  It is not another blouse, I promise!  If I was built like Sarah of Goodbye Valentino or Glenda of Sure-fit Designs™ or Peggy Sagers, I would make a dress every day.

When I was young, I was built like that; but let's face it, the clock isn't turning back any time soon. 

BUT, I did make this dress just because I wanted to see if I could change my SFD blueprint into this style.  I received an email a few weeks ago from someplace, and it had new Burda patterns to look at.  I usually dislike Burda patterns immensely for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which is that they are usually displayed on young girls the size of a toothpick.  Then there is the way the patterns come with colliding railroad track drawings and no seam allowances.  Good heavens!!!  I do good to get my garments to suit me without those issues.

This is the first video I made for you.  It shows HOW I turned my SFD blueprint into the Burda style.

Not ONLY did I make a dress,
I tried the color-blocking thing.
I don't really like color-blocking most of the time.  Peggy Sagers has done some that looks really nice, but she is really good at figuring out what looks good.

I recommend her video from this past Monday night on "Sewing Slim".  It is very informative.  She talks about how to wear a long necklace. and she is so RIGHT about that.  I was surprised at the difference even on her.  She is very tall, and you would think nothing could make her look less thin than she is.  The idea is to DRAW THE EYE.  I am going to have to watch my own eyes and see what they are drawn to when they look at other people's clothing.  Just because I love to sew, doesn't mean I have a clue about design.

HERE is the shift dress from the Burda catalog.  Don't you think I look JUST LIKE THAT in mine!?  LOL! Let's hope that darling child NEVER sees my version of her tiny little shift dress.

Here are some pics of mine.

This one is BEFORE the pockets were added:

This is AFTER I added the pockets this morning:

Here's a pocket-sampler I did to see if I should make the pockets DARK or LIGHT.  I may have made the wrong choice.  Oh, well.  I still learned a lot.  If I didn't have to go back to work tomorrow, I would whip up another one -- a SOLID one.

ANYWAY, here is the video I made for you just a little while ago.  The dress is all done, and I think it is nice.  It is very comfortable.  Not sure if I should shorten it or leave it alone. 

If I make this again, it will NOT be color-blocked.  I think my bust dart looks a tad too high, but so does Blondie's in that picture which is quite a shock since when you are young, your boobs are up under your chin.

I've got to get up out of this chair, and get SOME form of exercise!  Think I'll start on the trampoline.

Hugs, Joy

My Newest "Peggy" Blouse

I have something else I really want to show you, but I can't yet.  It takes more time than I have tonight to blog.  I worked all day at the store -- came home and fixed supper -- cleaned up the kitchen -- and I'm ready to go to bed! 

Not really, but the thought did cross my mind.

I managed to get this new blouse ironed and on my body to wear to work this morning, so I very hurriedly made you a video of me wearing it.  A video says so much more -- good and bad. 

I tried something new with the shoulder slope, and I think it really worked!  I'll tell you about it after you watch my video, so you can tell me if you think it worked.

I have a subcription -- very cheap, if I remember right -- to Threads Insider.  Following is the link to Shoulder Slope lessons.  VERY helpful.  I had to watch it 5 or 6 times before I could follow what she was telling me.  Then, I finally just tried it, and it made sense.  I think it did a great job of pulling all the folds out of the back of my blouse from my shoulder to under my arms.  If you sew, this is MOST IMPORTANT THING #1 you need to know how to do -- in MY opinion.

http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/29839/teach-yourself-to-sew-season-3

Gotta run.  Will try to find time tomorrow.

Hugs, Joy

Hello on Thursday -- Just Talkin'

Yes, it's me!  I have a moment to remember that I have a blog.  I have been SO BUSY -- not SEW busy -- lately at our store, Family Medical Supply.  One reason I try NOT to go to our store unless I have to is because of the things I find that require more of my attention.

Ignorance really is BLISS, you know.

I have found several things that require my immediate attention since returning to work to hire two new people.  It seems the two old people left quite a bit of unfinished business -- and in one case -- "not done at all" business!

It turns out that it is really a GOOD thing that the two who left, left.  Sometimes, change is good.

We own 60 boat and RV storage units about 10 miles from our house here.  My husband bought them from a friend of ours years ago, and that friend died in an accident shortly after we purchased them.  Jerry thought they would be a good investment.  Jerry assured me it would "run itself".  Riiiiiiiiiiight!  It runs itself via Joy-power. 

The name of the business is "Affordable Boat & RV Storage", named after a store I used to buy framed pictures from called" Affordable Art and Frame".  I decided it would be a good "A" name so we would be first in the directory.  If you were to -- for some insane reason -- want to rent a unit from us, you would call a number in the phone directory under "Affordable Boat & RV Storage".  When your call was answered, the girl on the other end would say "Family Medical Supply, This is Candi (or Gracie, or ...)".

So how nutty is that!?

If you decided to actually GO TO Affordable Boat & RV Storage -- instead of calling -- you would not find a soul there.  There is an electric gate that you could not get through, and nobody to talk to. 

Howeven nuttier is that!?

The thing is, our friend told us he would help us rent the units because he still owned a business right next door to it.  The only problem with that is, he is dead!

ANYWAY -- I think I had a point there SOMEwhere.  Oh, yes.  The girl that left to have a baby was in charge of AB&RV Storage.  She had a VERY hard time learning this part of her job.  I have gathered up all the files and information and contracts and have gone over them with a fine-tooth comb.  AS USUAL, I am finding all kinds of issues that need to be addressed. 

Things like:

 Locks on buildings, but nothing inside the building.

 Automatic invoicing in the computer for the last 3 years to people who moved out 3 years ago.

Open invoices for over $8,000.  Just a quick glance showed me $2500 of it that I KNOW was paid off years ago.

Buildings that have NO lock, but the long-lost renter left their junk inside.  One has a dishwasher in it.  One has a bunch of old desks in it.

I'm sure you get the gist of this whole scenario by now, so you understand what I am doing all day long so I can't sew very much right now.

That is what I've been TRYING to tell you.

I haven't had time to sew or take pictures. 

Besides AB&RV Storage, I have Family Medical Supply tasks to correct and then teach.  I have the GIGANTIC Policy and Procedure Manual that has to be kept up to date along with half a dozen other logs and books.

Thought I better explain my short absence and assure you I will be back as soon as possible.  A weekend is coming up.  I just may get that new blouse ironed and photographed.  OR, maybe I will wear it to work tomorrow, and I can get a picture that way.  We shall see.

Until soon.

Hugs, Joy

Zoe Asked Me About SFD

When one of my readers replies to an old post, I cannot see the reply unless I go to a different section of Blogger and look at just comments.  Today I found a question from Zoe.  She wants to know if I have made anything from SFD besides blouses and how the fit was.

Zoe, you must be a new reader of my blog, or you would have been showered day after day with my diffferent garments from the different kits I have.  I own the Dress Kit -- the Shirt Kit -- and the Pants Kit.  I have used them all so much, my envelopes are practically falling apart.  I may have to reinforce them soon.

Let me try to pull up some pics quickly of each type of garment for you.

Here are some pants:

Here is a dress.  I think I've made only two dresses so far.  I seldom -- if ever -- wear one.

The shirts -- made from the Shirt Kit -- have NO BUST DART.  I can't find a single shirt picture at the moment.  I think I made most of my "shirts" at my other house.  Actually, I may have added a bust dart to them.  Glenda has a video about that.

I've made dozens of blouses from the Dress Kit because I like to have a bust dart.  That includes knit tops.  Here are just a few.  Someday, I'm going to line them all up together and take a picture for Glenda.

 

Gotta get.  Jerry has the TV warmed up.  He has worked so hard all day today cleaning up his barn.  I've done my usual "hard work" in my sewing room. 

Hugs, Joy

Swingin' and An Embassy at Home

Remember that song about the boy and the girl, and he saw her and "she was swiiiiiiiiiingin'"?  I've been singing that ever since last night when Jerry hung my new porch swing up on the new porch roof.  I can only remember that one line, but I'm singing it anyway.

I am SO excited about my new swing, I actually made a video of myself swinging in it. 

Before you watch it, you must swear that you will never use this against me in a court of law!  (-;

My "You Tube" button is not working today, so I'm afraid you will have to click on the link.  I was really surprised that I'm not the ONLY person to make a video of a swing.  Sadly, however, most of them have babies swinging in them or nobody. 

Evidently, a Granny swinging in a swing is not really something videos are made of -- until now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAuyPCb6qNM

And, of course, since it is Sunday, Jerry and I "went to church" this morning via GETV.org.  The son, Matthew, preached this morning.  The message was awesome, as usual.  The sermon in a nutshell was that we should make our homes Embassies of Heaven.  Even though the world is going to Hell at high speed these days, we can still have "our world" in our homes. 

Christians are not OF this world, but we are IN it.

I was taught that as a child, and I FOR SURE am one that doesn't "fit" into this world.  There are a whole bunch of people who will be happy to confirm that, I'm sure!  I was raised in Sunday School and Church, and we raised our kids in Sunday School and Church, and our kids sort of did that.  One is consistent, and the other .....  I'll just leave it at that.

The day could come -- and maybe soon -- when Christians are forbidden to even serve God in their homes.  Matthew said that the Government is already talking about churches having ASSIGNED pastors to their pulpit because they don't pay taxes.  It won't be long until the churches are like the schools.  Full of false-teaching, liberal politics and terror.  People will attend, but they will never know God. 

I better get my blouse finished.  It is all done except for one sleeve, buttons and buttonholes.  I bet I'll have a picture by tomorrow.  After this one, I'm making knits.

God Bless our servicemen all over the world, and be with the families who must live without them. 

Hugs, Joy

Snakes and Foamy Stuff

Hello everyone!  I've been busy at the store and with patio roof construction all week.  So far, the hammer and nail people have broken FOUR of my vases.  I was very nice and told them not to worry about them.  I should have moved them to a safe place, so it is really my fault I suppose. 

WHAT is with this Summer and snakes!!!??? 

My daughter has found several in her house.  I have had one in my attic, and four in the back yard.  The snakes don't seem to care for the hammer and nail people, and they keep crawling out from underneath my patio.  At least three of them won't be crawling anymore, but who knows how many relatives they left under there.

I was thinking about the snakes a while ago, and I remember that foam stuff that Jerry tried to put in the boobs of my dress form.  Remember that?  Here's a reminder:

He sprayed the stuff inside one of my bras.  When it dried, he took the "boobs" out and put them on a chair.  The stuff kept squirting out for a long time.  It was hilarious!

If you would like to read the saga of my homemade dress form, you can find it here:  http://www.joyful-expressions.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-christmas-present-michelinatina.html

Anyway,

I was thinking we could use this stuff and spray it in the holes under the cement where the snakes are coming out.  That would seal the holes up, and they couldn't get out anymore.  I'm going to ask Jerry about it when he gets home. 

He will probably tell me I'm insane.  Oh, well.  It won't be the first time I've been told that, and I doubt it will be the last! 

It's a long weekend so I doubt anyone will be sitting at their computer looking at my blog.  Jerry and I are doing what we always do:  nothing.  Nobody is coming, and we aren't going.  We shall sit on our covered patio and talk about stuff.  Hence, I shall cut this short and go iron some blouses.  I am in the middle of a new blouse, so I'll show it to you next week.

Have a GREAT weekend!

Hugs, Joy



Broken Hearts and Tornados

Guess WHERE we went to church Sunday morning?

On our patio, of course!  It was a gorgeous, perfect morning.  Slight breeze and just the right temperature.  I put my Ipad on the table that the contractors put up for me so I could use it if I wanted to.  How nice!  I brought up GETV.org on the Ipad and got it ready for the sunday morning service.  I was AMAZED at the excellent reception.  It was like God sent a computer nerd angel to make sure we had no interruptions in transmission.  Usually, we have many.

Hagee, Sr. was in London, so Matt, the son, preached yesterday.  The sermon was entitled "What Do You Do With A Broken Heart".  It was very well done with Matthew using a very fun prop that totally infused the message into my brain.  I LOVE it when a speaker uses props.  If you would like to hear a great sermon, please check for it at www.getv.org.  It is available now.  It will be the Sunday Morning Message on 05-19-13 by Matthew Hagee.

Yesterday was the devastating tornado in Moore, OK.  We drive right through that town every time we go to our other house.  Jerry will be driving by all of that tomorrow on his way home.  Hope the traffic is moving freely by then.  It took some of our employees 2 or 3 hours to get home from our store last night.  Bill was on a motorcycle.  He said it was awful sitting in traffic that long on a motorcycle.  Phylly had no electricity when she got home, but it was back on in a few hours.  Phylly lives a stone's throw away from Moore, and Bill lives South of Moore.  So very heartbreaking about the children in the school.  As my daughter said, they are all with Jesus now, so it isn't bad for the kids.  But the parents.  I can't imagine the sorrow.  My prayer is that this will draw all of the people involved close to the heart of God.

I had to work at our store yesterday and today and tomorrow and until I have a full house again.  Gracie -- my employee who just had a baby -- FINALLY called us today.  She has been sick for the entire 3 weeks, and her Mother has been taking care of her.  Her Mother would not let her make any phone calls.  She said her Mom just left today.  Also, the baby has a heart murmur, and Gracie has to take her to a Heart Specialist this week.  We told her we love her and to please come back as soon as she can.  Her brother came to the store today and picked up all her gifts and her paycheck.

On top of all that, the newest employee, Candice, was out this Monday and today because she found out her boyfriend was cheating on her.  If she doesn't show up for work tomorrow, she is going to find out she doesn't have a job either.  That made 3 employees out today. Of course, all of that is NOTHING compared to what those people in Moore are facing, and I am thankful this is my worst problem right now.

Back soon.

Hugs, Joy