Through My Lens

May 14, 2012

I thought I’d share what I do when I’m not working, cooking, gardening or sewing. Yep, it’s official, I’ve picked up another hobby: photography. Here are a few shots from this weekend.

There are so many frogs around my in-laws’ house. I spotted this little guy on the siding above a bush.

Isn’t he so cute?

I love the colors of the dragonflies around here.

The details on the wings are amazing. This inspires me to make a lacy top of some sort.

Aliens are real, my friends! Check out the head in the picture above. this guy has eyes in the back of his head!

Finally, I got some really good photos of Newton.

He did pretty well with staying in one place for a few seconds. It’s a real rarity that he’ll allow anybody to take pictures of him, especially ones with him sitting still and looking into the camera. Normally, he turns away from the camera like he thinks it will steal his soul.

The photo shoot was short-lived though, as he spotted something and was gone immediately after this pictures was taken.

This planter is at my in-laws’ house. I suggested they make their tree stumps  into planters, and they liked the idea. So lovely!

Reminder: I’m running in the Warrior Dash next weekend, and I’m raising money on behalf of St. Jude. If you would like to help, you can make a donation here. Any amount helps to make a difference. If you’re interested, the raffle for a dress sewn by me is still going. Thank you for considering helping the children of St. Jude!

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Talking with Turtles 60s Mod Dress

May 12, 2012

Dress details

This project is in honor of my turtle friend that I made last weekend (more details later in the post, if you’re interested).

I used McCalls 2390 (one of the patterns from the free batch I received) from the 1960s, a vintage thrifted double-knit and buttons from G Street Fabrics.

The total cost for the dress was about $4.

I altered the neckline, added a bit of width to the hips, and shortened the hemline.

I know that the color and geometric pattern on the dress is not an exact match to the turtle’s shell, but I associate the project with that turtle. Probably because of the yellow markings and the fact that a dress is sort of like a shell.

Yes, I somehow managed to screw up the armholes (one is bigger than the other), even though I measured everything meticulously. I didn’t even realize it until looking at these photos. Oh well. Mistakes happen, and it’s an easy fix.

Despite the dress being made from a double-knit–which usually equates to stuffy–it’ll probably get a lot of wear this summer. It’s pretty breathable for a double-knit. Now I have an excuse to buy another pair of shoes, too. I could use a pair of dark blue shoes or, even better, yellow shoes to go with the dress.

Am I crazy for talking to turtles?

Here in Southern Maryland we come across a lot of wildlife, and last week I made friends with one of my favorite creatures.

A majestic and wise looking wood turtle.

He looked like he had logged a few years, but he was unafraid and pretty amiable.

As long as I was talking to him softly, he didn’t go in his shell while I inched closer to snap photos. So, I shared some of my secrets with him, knowing they’d be safe.

He was surprisingly affirming. Plus, turtles aren’t judgmental. I could tell this old guy anything and he wouldn’t flinch.

Me: “I have an embarrassing nervous habit.”

Turtle…let’s call him Wilfred (That one’s for you Sarah, if you’re reading. :) ): “Don’t we all?”

Oh, by the way, in my head this turtle sounded like Ben Stein.

Me: “No, this is something really weird. I mostly grew out of it, but occasionally I do it subconsciously…I play with my eyelashes.”

Wilfred: “So? I hide in my shell when I’m nervous.”

Me: “The last piece of chocolate Alex was just looking for…It was me, I ate it.”

Wilfred: “I know, you have chocolate at the corners of your mouth. So what’s the problem?”

Then, I decided to really test his ability to remain unwavering.

Me: “I may have unwittingly eaten one of your cousins once when I was in China. I didn’t know what was in the soup. I thought I should apologize.”

Wilfred: “That’s it, I’m out of here!”

I think I blew the chances of him coming back to visit from time to time.

Does anyone else love turtles as much as I do? They have an air of wisdom about them, and they offer endless fodder for metaphors about life. The one characteristic of turtles that always sticks out to me is their tenacity. For everything in life they must be determined and hopeful. After all, it may take an hour to go less than a  quarter of a mile.

I look at the turtle and wonder, why can’t I have that much resolve in my life? Pardon the pun, but a “slow and steady” mentality does not come easy to me. It’s the reason I sometimes burn out or injure myself when I start a new exercise routine, striving for immediate results by jumping in too hard and too fast. It’s also the reason I usually steer clear of crafts like knitting and embroidering. So, I commend all you tenacious turtles out there!

Upcoming

I’ll have a post coming up about the “costume” I plan to wear for the Warrior Dash next weekend. The Warrior Dash benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. I am raising money on behalf of St. Jude, and if you would like to help, you can make a donation here. Any amount helps to make a difference. If you would like to make a donation and enter a raffle for a dress sewn by me, please see this post. Thank you for considering helping the children of St. Jude!

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Floral wrap button back dress

May 8, 2012

I made this dress a couple of weeks ago, but neglected to share it.

Apparently, I was averse to looking at the camera the day I took these pictures. Geez!

Unfortunately, I chose one of the worst days to take pictures and couldn’t get the lighting right. Plus, I was impatient to get them done. So, I admit these aren’t the best photographs, but they serve their purpose.

I used a cotton floral fabric that was gifted to me by a friend (Thanks, Jan! :) ) I used a pattern from the lot that I picked up for free through Craigslist, Simplicity 8827.

So, the dress was essentially cost-free, except for the thread. Man, I love it when that happens!

The style is very ’60s, which I love. I made some adjustments to the pattern. I took the sides in a tad, adjusted the neckline and waist darts and shortened the hemline a bit (even the mini version was too long for me!). I’m not perfectly content because I ended up with a neckline that is too wide for my taste, and my slip strap keeps coming out of the sleeve. But hey, you sew and learn.

There are snaps on the inside to keep the dress closed and the hem even. I used the snap tool  that I found at an estate sale for the first time. It makes snap a snap!

I made a belt with the same floral fabric for when I feel like changing it up.

I’m working on about three different things at the moment, and I can’t wait to share them. How about you? What sewing projects, or general projects, do you have on the table?

Just a reminder: Check out this post to enter a raffle for a chance to win the Daydreamer Dress. The entry requirement is a small donation made directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

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Daydreamer Dress Raffle for St. Jude

May 4, 2012

I mentioned a few months back that I was planning to do the Warrior Dash in May. I officially signed up for the race a couple of weeks ago, and I’m so excited that my husband will be doing it with me, along with my sister-in-law and her husband.

I also signed up to be a St. Jude Warrior. So, to help raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, I have planned a raffle for this month.

You are, of course, welcome to donate any amount to St. Jude without entering the raffle. Please follow this link if you would like to help.

The first raffle is for this fun and sweet sundress.

(Entry details at the bottom of the post)

Dress details:

I designed and created this dress, using a self-drafted pattern and blue and white striped shirting material.

I made it to fit sizes small to medium.

The following are the approximate measurements with dress lying flat: bust-17″, waist-14.5″, hips-free, length-35″. For reference, my bust and waist measurements are 35.5″ and 27.5″. So, you can see that the dress will work for different sizes.

The straps cross in the back

and there is elastic at the top of the bodice to allow for a range of sizes.

There are sixteen little burgundy buttons down the front for closure.

The skirt is a “not-quite-circle” skirt, and when the dress is buttoned there is a chevron effect on the front of the skirt.

The seams are serged for durability and the skirt has a rolled hem.

 

Entry requirements:

To enter the raffle

1.) Make a $5 donation to St. Jude (Every $5 counts as separate entry). Please follow this link to donate. If the link does not work, please copy and paste this URL: www.mystjudeevent.org/beccaburt. You’ll be helping to save children’s lives and, as an added bonus, you’ll have the chance to win something!

2.) Once you enter the raffle, let me know that you made a donation by commenting on this post. If your donation was more than $5, let me know so I count every $5 as a separate entry (If you would prefer not to broadcast the amount, you can send me an email at rbverityclothing@gmail.com). Please leave your email in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. **Please do not forget to comment, because this is how I’m counting entries!** I’d love any help spreading the word on your blog, on Facebook, Twitter, whatever.

Deadline for entry is two weeks from now: Friday, May 18th, at 10:00 PM.

The winner will be chosen by random number generator. I will announce the winner on Saturday, May 19th.

Even if the dress won’t fit you, you probably know of someone who the dress will fit. Maybe you could give it as a gift. Remember, your donation and entry is helping children,  so even if you don’t have a use for the dress, you’ll be helping St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital save lives.

**Again, if you have no use for the dress, please still consider giving any amount to help St. Jude anyway. Follow this link if you would like to help.

Let’s help St. Jude and good luck!

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“Better late than never” dress

April 9, 2012

This was my Easter dress this year. It was bright and perfect for such a celebratory day.

I had another dress that I was planning to wear, but I couldn’t quite get it finished (I’ll post about that dress soon).

I started making this dress a little over a year ago, and put it aside for one reason or another. In my effort to make progress on my UFO pile, I pulled it out about a month ago.

I originally cut out the bodice pieces from the pattern below.

I had only stitched the darts, shoulder seams and side seams of the bodice. When I grabbed the bodice from the UFO pile and tried it on, I found that I needed to do some alterations. I lowered and changed the shape of the neckline, and cut some excess material from the armholes. I went with fewer buttonholes, as well.

I made my own covered buttons using material from the sleeve of a thrifted dress (it will show up in a future post). The belt is also from that dress.

The end result is a lovely spring/summer dress.

I know what some of you might be thinking. And, yes, this dress does look a bit like a baseball uniform, but I love it. If you could see the material in person, the baseball uniform comparison would probably be even more solidified. The turquoise stripe material is a vintage poly-blend that I found in a thrift store last year.

The total cost for this dress (including the fabric, buttons, thread and pattern) was between $1 and $2. Not bad.

On Saturday, after I ran in a local 5K…

There were about 350 people, and some of them were dressed in Easter costumes. It was anything but boring.

To change up the braid tradition, I dressed my ponytail up with small braids on each side.

…Alex, Newton and I putted around on the boat for a little while.

I almost fell in a few times trying to get pictures of the dress.

Even though it might look like it, I wasn’t faking losing my balance in these pictures. It was a windy day and the boat was really rocking.

Newton is really starting to like going on the boat.

He was falling asleep standing up by the time we got ready to head home. :)

Yesterday, Alex and I went to church for a joyful and hope-filled Easter service (He is risen indeed!).

Then, we went over to my in-laws and had fun cooking a delicious meal of ham, scalloped potatoes and asparagus.
It was a lovely weekend. How was your Easter weekend?

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An outfit for boating and gardening

April 5, 2012

I recently made this outfit for boat outings and working in the yard.

I didn’t wear it when we went boating yesterday (more on that at the end) because we went in the evening and it was a bit cool when we were moving.

The shorts were made from the bottom part of the skirt on this dress.

I found the dress at the thrift store in Nashville at Christmas. I’ll use the rest of it eventually.

I used the shorts pattern that I drafted last summer, and added a white rib-knit waistband.

I made the tank top from a turquoise stripe rib knit that I’ve been hoarding for several years.

I drafted the shirt pattern from an old tank top, and after a few tweaks here and there, I achieved a nice fit.

This will be perfect for future boat outings.

Speaking of boating, we went out on my in-laws’ boat for the first time yesterday evening. It was a lovely evening! It was a bit chilly when we were moving, but with a sweatshirt it was comfortable.

I think Newton enjoyed it the most.

He kept balancing on the edge, trying to catch water in his mouth. Here are some shots of him doing it, for those of you who don’t mind looking at dog bums.

I thought he would be scared, but he seemed to love the experience.

We saw some lovely homes on the water.

Wrap around decks on both levels... Drool!

And the sunset was beautiful.

See those small pools of ripples on the top right side of the photo? Those were little fish jumping out. Unfortunately, they were jumping out to get all the mosquitoes that emerged at dusk.

 

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Recent adventures in thriftiness

April 1, 2012

A few of my recent finds…

Lounge Chairs

Last weekend, I came across these lounge chairs at a flea market.

As soon as I saw them, I knew they were destined to make their home in Alex’s office out at the shop. At $20, I consider this pair quite the steal.

Now I need to find a small table to match them.

JELD-WEN sliding door

We found a new JELD-WEN sliding door on Craigslist for a great deal, as well. It has the cool mini-blinds between the panes of glass. We paid half of what they normally cost at a home improvement store.

Sewing patterns

And on the same day we picked up the sliding door, I picked up some sewing patterns for myself. Someone had listed sewing patterns for free in the same area on Craigslist. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity for free patterns.

When I picked them up, the gal said that she had contemplated throwing them out. I couldn’t believe that anyone would throw these pieces of history away! I’m so glad I saved them.

There are some real gems in the bunch.

There are also a lot of really cute children’s patterns from the 60s. One day I’ll get to use them.

Free Bushel Basket

The other day I was looking through pallets in the business park where Alex’s shop is located, and I found this bushel/basket.

It’s not in the best shape, but I can still use it as a container for some plants (once I line it with plastic and drill a few more holes in the bottom.

Free Scissors
One other random free item that I found was a pair of scissors. Alex needed a pair of scissors out at the shop, so it was rather lucky that I happened to find some. I found them in the grass beside the road while out running, but decided to throw them back down and come back for them later (I had the “never run with scissors” rule engrained into me, and I didn’t want to set a bad example for any children I might pass ;) ).

They cut well, and as you can see from the picture, they aren’t in bad shape (just a few bite marks from a dog or something).

Estate Sale Sewing Goodies

This weekend I went to an estate sale and found a few sewing books and patterns.

I may have to do a short blog series, sharing the lessons in the Singer Sewing Skills book (pictured below).

The little envelopes still have materials for the corresponding lessons in the book! I LOVE finding unique sewing items like this.

Vintage spice cabinet

I also found this unique spice cabinet at the estate sale.

One one side of the door there is a chart that shows which spices to use on which foods.

On the inside, there is a chart that shows which spices go together and lists the characteristics of different spices. It’s so cool!

Vintage pins and earrings to make necklaces

Finally, this Saturday I went to a different flea market and came away with some nesting stainless steel mixing bowls and a large Pyrex mixing bowl. I also found some vintage pins, a key and earrings, which I plan to make into necklaces.

I’ve had a successful couple of weeks on the thrifting and salvaging front. Has anyone else found anything fun recently that you’d like to share about?

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It’s spring!

March 29, 2012

Spring means it’s time to bring out the warm-weather outfits…

I'm almost done with covering the closet doors in the background of this picture. I'm covering the doors for both closets..

…time to enjoy the re-emergence of my potted plants (Yay! :) )…

…and time to take tons of photographs.

 

My favorite flowering tree is the Saucer Magnolia. Here are two trees with different blossom shades.

And here are some pictures of Newton doing his thing.

I hope you all are enjoying spring as much as I am!

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Polka dots for spring

March 26, 2012

I found this vintage polka dot dress at the thrift store for $5. That’s more than I am usually willing to pay, but I tried it on at the store and I envisioned what it could be, so I decided $5 wasn’t so bad.

I’m sorry I don’t have a before picture with the dress on me, but this was a bit of a last-minute project that I started the night before I wanted the dress.

In general, it was a bit too small. It had boning which was poking into me and sticking out in places. You can see the end of the boning poking through the lining in the picture below.

The boning also made the dress look a bit to snug at the waist, and the skirt was a bit tighter than what I consider comfortable at the hips.

The first thing I did was remove the boning from the lining.

The lining at the bodice had holes in it and wasn’t really necessary.

So, I cut it away and left enough to fold under and hand stitch it down on the inside of the dress.

Since the material had stretch to it, I decided a zipper wasn’t really necessary.

The deconstruction aftermath

I also removed the skirt from the bodice. Since the skirt was a longer a-line originally, I knew that if I just cut away the top part of the skirt I would have a looser fitting skirt that was about knee-length. This method also ensured that I wouldn’t have to do any hemming. So, I cut away about 8 inches from the top of the skirt.

I sewed up the back of the bodice, and pinned the bodice and the skirt together. The bodice opening was now smaller than the skirt opening, so I stretched the skirt as I sewed to fit the bodice opening.

I could’ve gathered the skirt and then added it, but then there wouldn’t have been enough stretch at the seam and I would’ve needed to re-insert the zipper.

Lastly, I folded the loose lining under and hand-stitched it down to the inside of the dress.

This was the most tedious part, but I just conquered it over the course of an hour while watching a couple of TV shows.

In the end, I have a dress that will probably get a lot of wear and I finished the reconstruction in one evening (about three hours).

Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures of the first time I wore it (My hair was curled, and the little hair comb looked much cuter), but here are some pictures of the dress on me.

I apologize for the condition of my hair and face. I’ve been spending more time working with Alex out at the shop (helping him assemble routers and machining parts on the mill), and I’ve really been enjoying it. I took these pictures during a quick break, so if there are any metal chips in my hair, that’s why. And no, I don’t wear dresses to work at the shop (I just brought the dress with me). I just want to make sure I still get some blogging in here and there. ;)

 

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The bees are back in town

March 20, 2012

Spring is here! There are so many trees blooming and animals and insects moving.

This blooming tree is on the right side of our house.

I can look out at it from my sewing room. It’s a treat to write, sip my coffee and look out the window at such a lovely sight.

There are many more trees and plants blooming, but I’ll add a separate post with spring photographs.

We had such a mild winter that it isn’t a surprise that lots of plants have bloomed early and quickly. The weather here has been really warm over the past few weeks, but this week has been a bit too warm. I would prefer that it stay in the 60s, and not climb into the high 70s. I want to have a least a month of that wonderful spring weather.

Although I’ve been thinking about how much I love spring over the past few days, I’ve also been paranoid about the return of the bugs. We’ve had the occasional ladybug, spider, moth and even one of the bugs pictured below, which I have dubbed “shield bugs” (there’s usually about one new shield bug in our house at least once a week in spring and summer).

source--http://www.pest-control.com/other-pests/stink-bug/

I had one crawling on me just the other night while I was cooking. I didn’t realize it until I went to scratch what I thought was an itch and flicked the bug to the ground. Newton came running in and tried to eat it, but he spit it out and acted like the bug had expelled something into his mouth.

After researching them, I discovered that they are stink bugs. Eeewww! No wonder the house often smells like it did when we first moved in. It wasn’t just the old, stuffy house smell. It was these little buggers.

Occasionally, we get these green ones too.

source--http://weblogs.dailypress.com/features/gardening/diggin-in/2011/04/

Despite the influx of bugs however, to my everlasting thankfulness, there had been no wasps.

Friday morning that all changed.

I brought my husband some breakfast while he sat in the living room. As I was walking back toward the kitchen, I saw something in my peripheral vision moving along parallel to my face.  Then I heard the buzz as it inched closer to my face. I jumped and let out an involuntary scream (a sort of eeeeeoooowhoooowhoo), because I knew even before I had seen it head on that it was one of my sworn enemies.

I’ve been awaiting this moment for the past few weeks. Folks, we have officially had our first encounter. I imagine this wasp and all the others come out humming about my demise, keeping time with the buzz of their wings.

They’ve been taunting me. They’re constantly crawling around outside on the storm windows, feigning the inability to get inside.

For those of you who missed my blogging during the summer of last year and don’t know about my irrational fear of these arthropods, let me enlighten you. There may be a conspiracy against me that is being perpetrated by all bees and wasps. Each of the wasps in our house and every bee and wasp outside is armed and at the ready.

I began to make slow progress in conquering this fear last year, but I have regressed. The bees and wasps must be quite pleased to have woken up to this unexpected boon. Now they can have more fun tormenting me.

They’re probably singing their own song to the tune of “The Boys are Back in Town”:

Guess who just got back today

Them buzzin’ bees who’d been hidin’ away

Haven’t changed, haven’t time to play.

 And yeah, most think we arthropods are crazy.

 

We were asking if you was around

How you was, where you could be found

Learned you were hanging out uptown

Sewin’ away like crazy.

 

The bees are back in town…

 

You know that chick that used to be frightened a lot

Every night she’d be shaking over our evil plot.

Man when I tell you she was scared, she was distraught

I mean she was screamin’.

 

Then one time over in our space

Well this chick came up and raked leaves with a happy face

Man, we just flew about the place

Even if she don’t know we’ll get her.

 

The bees are back in town…

 Spread the buzz around

Guess who’s back in town.

 You spread the buzz around.

 

Friday night we’ll be prepped to kill

Down at that old car grill

The shrieks will flow and her terror spill

And if the bees want to fight you’d better let ‘em.

 

The crickets and frogs chirpin’ out our favorite song

The nights are getting warmer, it won’t be long

Won’t be long till summer comes

Now that the bees are here again

 

The bees are back in town…

Spread the buzz around

The bees are back in town.

The bees are back, the bees are back…

 

That’s, right. I actually spent time writing their theme song in my head while cleaning the other day.

I might be crazy.

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