LONG Archive list

I had an AMAZING Christmas, filled with family, friends, good food, and wonderful gifts that are going to make my life better 🙂 I got a coffee maker, which I am enjoying right now. I got a lot of great LONG socks to keep my feet warm this winter, some really interesting fruit and nut mixes (macadamia with ginger, almonds, cranberries…. mmm…) My favorite part about Christmas was that I got to see both my family AND Rob’s. I didn’t get to see my Dad, and a few other people that I usually see over the holidays, but I did get to see a LOT of people that I care about and I had a lot of fun.

But this isn’t a Christmas post…despite how I may have led things off …I realized a while ago that I STILL haven’t posted any of my “archive” clothes. I haven’t posted the clothes that I worked so hard on, and spent a good long while taking pictures of specifically with the hope of putting them on my blog. Well, better late than never, right?

This is a sweater I made, a few years ago, for myself. I followed a pattern for SOME of the construction, but eventually gave it up to make up something more “my own”. I’m happy with the result. This sweater uses the same color pattern as Rob’s sweater (still in progress) so I’m exited to wear them side-by-side and see how we look together. The colors may clash…but the theme is the same. We’ll have to see….

These are some summer knits I made over 4 years ago. They ended up being mostly too warm to wear during the summer. I keep them more for memory now than anything else. This first is knit with a baby pink/white yarn and has black chenille stripes. It’s VERY soft. I don’t like how chunky the black chenille yarn ended up looking in some spots… all in all I’m satisfied probably about 5 out of 10 with this project.

The next summer sweater I made was a halter top style. I used an INCREDIBLY soft blue/purple/lilac yarn and I’m really happy with how it looks knit. The variations in the colors work well. I like how the shirt looks, but I’m not entirely satisfied with it. I made it as an experiment, and it has that sort of look to it, I think. “Trying something new”

What do you think?

My favorite part about this top is that I MADE a button out of yarn, for the back of the shirt. You can see a little of it in the picture to the left, but I’ll put a close-up down below also, because I think it’s worth it. I don’t remember at ALL how I did it, other than that it was very organic feeling, and I could probably replicate it again by sitting for a while and playing with some yarn and a sewing needle.

I used the same yarn for a trim around the edges of the sweater, which I think gives it a nice handmade look.

The next few are dresses that I’ve made over the last few years.
I have a few of them, so I’ll put them in a list format now.
I think they’ll be more fun to look at that way.

This one is the first (of this style) that I made. I wasn’t sure, as I was working, if it would be For Me, or if it would be For Sale. In the end, because it was the first and I spent a good time figuring out for best to do the beading I decided to keep it.

I’m glad I did!! I really like how the beading looks.

This next one is one of my favorites! I’m a big fan of red/black/white, anything that has to be laced up, AND this dress has two easy-access spots for my insulin pump!

This dress is just for me!!

There are two stripes of beads down the front,
red to match the dress, and a baby blue to bring out my eyes….
Yeah, being a seamstress and being able to control minute details!! W00t!

It’s a bit hard to see the blue in this picture…but it is quite blue-tiful !!
….haha….ha?

This is the back, where I used a ribbon that matches some of the thread I used AND the beading in the front, to lace up, cinch, and tie in the back.
I am ENTIRELY happy with this dress. For me. Not professional quality. Perfect for ME.

This dress was actually the VERY FIRST one I made by myself. My Mom was the one that taught me to sew. We had made a few dresses together when I was REALLY young, that I wore to school. But this was the first that I made alone, following a pattern for the first time, and using a sewing machine by myself. I am quite proud of my results 🙂

I find the lines between pride, bragging, and humility to be VERY hazy.
When I’ve worked on something as hard as I did this dress though, I know
I’ve got a right to be proud and even to brag a little!

I made the dress, and this cloak (below) in the same sewing stretch. The trim on the dress matches the fabric of the cloak. My mission was to make something that I could wear to King Richard’s Faire, when we all went that year.
Mission: Accomplished

This next one was last year’s Halloween Costume. I was aiming for some sort of Pirate. I think this dress is AWESOME. Pirate? Not so sure…but definitely beautiful, and one of a kind.

I think I may wear it this year for New Year’s Eve. I’m contemplating going to a Halloween themed New Year’s party and dressing up as a Weregoth.

Weregoth: one who is uncontrollably transformed into a goth on the full moon.
Heh heh heh heh…

And…FINALLY, last but not least…the last dress I have pictures of!!

Autumn colors, cool print on the front…I like this dress!! It is actually the only one that I have pictures of that I currently have for sale. I’ve sold a number of dresses now, but most of them got to the store and are sold before I have a chance to take out my camera.

It’s a size S/M , and has some stretch to it. It will probably look best on someone with approximately a 32-34″ bust, 28-32″ waist, and hips…as wide or narrow as you’ve got them. This dress is great at flattering a variety of body types. I like the layered, fuller skirted dresses.

Can you tell??

This dress even has POCKETS!!

So…that’s it for my archive. Wow, this was a long post. At least it’s full of pretty things to look at and maybe be inspired by. I’m glad to finally have this part of my life documented, saved, and checked off my check list. Thanks for reading!!