Modern Day Scarlet O'Hara

After a second thought, I think this skirt fabric is actually... a curtain.  That makes me Scarlet O'Hara.  Although, I wish I had a beautiful green and gold velvet ball gown to visit Rhett Butler. 

I need my hair trimmed baaaad.  I already trimmed my bangs on my own because they were unruly.  One day hair... I'll be able to get you a good trim, color touch up, and reshaping.  Just keep surviving though.

Writing this the night before and I'm deliriously tired. 

Top: Old Navy
Necklace: Claire's
Skirt: made it myself
Shoes: Banana Republic, TJ Maxx

Ginger's Do Have Souls!

I finally did it.  I dyed my hair red.  I have been talking about it for months though, so it was time for me to put some money where my mouth is and go for it.  Even though I was feeling like being spontaneous, I wasn't even that spontaneous.  When I was in my freshman year of college, I actually dyed my hair this exact same color for a the entire year.  That was the only other time in my life that I had been a red head.

Also, this skirt is the fourth item in my 100 days of sewing.  I am trying to sew ten items in the last 100 days of my no shopping challenge.  I had this fabric sitting in my stash.  It looks like it came off a bed skirt or a curtain.  I'm not sure, but I loved the pattern on the fabric and couldn't wait to make it into a skirt.

Beatles T-shirt: Forever 21
Skirt: made by me!
Shoes: Dillard's

Project Three: Sew 10 Items in 100 days.

I should have called this challenge, how big of a mess can Alyson make of her house in 10 days.  It got pretty bad Sunday when I was finishing up my clutch.   So far the interviews are going well, but I am exhausted from talking about how wonderful I am and what kind of skills I have.  Thanks to some serious coffee this morning for perking me up enough to do it all over again.  However, as soon as I got done this morning, I came back to my house and slept... It was great.

 Sew What! Skirts: 16 Simple Styles You Can Make with Fabulous Fabrics

Let's talk about this project.  I had been wanting a full black skirt for a while to wear when I needed to look a little nicer.  However, I had always wanted to try making a wrap skirt.  In this book, I found instructions on how to make a half circle wrap skirt.  The instructions were clear and easy for me to understand.  The greatest thing about this book, no patterns.  All of the instructions are using measurements, which I enjoy more than paper patterns all over the place.  The instructions are also easily adaptable to make the clothes look however you want!

As for the rest of my outfit:
Blue tank: Gap
Mary Janes: Nine West

Project Two: Sew 10 Items in 100 Days

Another project kicks the dust!  I have one I will be photographing tomorrow.  This is project two.  A clutch.  While I was in Austin over Christmas, my mom bought me some really cute fat quarters for fun scraps.  The colors are amazing, but helloooo... animal print! Literally.  Those are animals!  Overall the project took me about 6-7 hours to complete from beginning to end.  There were a lot of pieces to cut out and figure out.  Then also the instructions were a little freaky.  I got scared at one point, oh and a broke another needle.  I should really stop doing that.

This little clutch guy was thick.  Lots of interfacing (it keeps it stiff)... heavy weight fabric...  and even lining!  Its lined!  I didn't take a picture of the lining because its black but ya know what... its in there and there is a pocket too.  I'm in love.

So this week is shaping up quite nicely.  One short job interview today and then two tomorrow.  My "big one" is tomorrow.  Its for a job that I really really really really really want.  (Not the Yelp! job that one is like a dream job or something!)  My weekend was pretty lame.  I went to the tomato festival and then left the tomato festival.  It is really just way too hot outside to be walking around crowded east Nashville at noon.  Why can't the tomato festival be at night?  ooooohhhh...

Oh and you may notice something in my pictures.  It isn't a lighting effect, I'm actually glowing.  I got a spray tan, for the first and maybe only time in my life.  Its really odd to go to sleep one color and wake up another.  But I am pleased.

Project One: Sew 10 Items in 100 days

Project one is knocked out.  And this was a double whammy too because this dress was successfully my first knit item to sew, EVER!  I also designed this dress too.  (Look out Project Runway!)  I used a dress that I had as a guide and drew out a pattern directly on to some muslin.  I fitted it to my dress form and kept in mind that this would stretch.  Then last night I was figuring out the correct tensions for my serger and I forgot to put the cutting knife back up (first a serger makes those awesome overlocked seams on your t-shirt... go ahead and turn your shirt inside out... yeah that.  Secondly, it also has a knife that trims away the extra fabric for you.)  So the serger got jammed and I broke BOTH of my needles.  This was after I had to rethread the serger which is a pain in the butt.  However, I was proud of myself.  I didn't get mad or angry at myself.  I didn't feel like a failure.  It was an easy mistake to make and I wasn't about to let myself feel bad.  So, I decided to stop for the night.

This morning I woke up at 6:30, just took the rounded needle out of my regular sewing machine and put it on the serger, and finished it up before my interview at 10:00 am.  I LOVE IT!  I love how it can look casual or dressy.

Speaking of interviews.  I have had a lot in the past few days.  I had one on Monday, two yesterday and then two today.  The one on Monday was a job at a salon and it would be incredible.  You know when you just connect with people.  That's kind of what happened.  I feel like I just connected so well with them!  Then yesterday, my first interview was pretty awful.  I am incredibly friendly and bubbly and perky during job interviews, but this dude who interviewed me was a downer.  I walked out of there and kind of just wanted to cry!  Needless to say, I doubt I will be a dance instructor.  Then I had another interview that went REALLY well, and they called me back for a second interview, which I am going to today.  Then I had an interview with a job placement agency this morning for a job they contacted me about to do some contract stuff.

Overall, I have been really busy!  I am hoping a job will happen soon.  And I'm sure it will.  I have definitely applied for a lot of positions all over town.

Okay so my next sewing projects... black half circle wrap skirt (yes!), then a pair of black trousers (with an elastic waist... so easy), and then order some swatches for the Cynthia Rowley dress.  I am excited!

100 days... 100 nights

Ladies and (some) gentlemen... let the countdown begin!  I have less that 100 days left of my year without shopping. 

100... 100 days...  WHAT?!

As I was thinking about my 100 days left of this challenge, I thought to myself.  "Gee, I didn't do as much sewing as I thought I would..."  Well, how can I fix this?  I can sew.  I am going to try and complete at least 10 sewing projects before my 100 days are up.  So far, my first project is already underway.  I am draping and designing a t-shirt dress.  And sorry, but I'm not going to do a tutorial or anything, this is not that kind of blog and there are women out there that do a much better job at it than me (such as Gertie, she's amazing you should really just look at what she can do with fabric and it will blow you away!).

I plan on completing my dress tonight and also a skirt too because I have two job interviews tomorrow and I do not really have anything to wear.  So that right there is two projects down. 

After those two projects, I will be moving on to this dress:

However, I am having a hard time deciding on the color.  At first I thought to do it cobalt blue, however, I also wanted to make sure it was on trend for fall.  After doing some research of fall lines and fall fashions, I am thinking that cobalt may not be the way to go.  Now, I'm thinking of doing a cranberry or a deep wine color instead.  Or even a deep saturated military green would be really great too.  I'm on the search for the perfect fabric and will probably order some swatches here soon.