Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Revamp.

I am working on revamping my blog. Not like just a new header and stuff, which I do probably too often, but a full-on overhaul. Gotta bring the blog up to 2015! I'm excited and also in way over my head, ha! Apparently one must look stupid multiple times to learn anything about the Internet these days. I'm ok with it. I considered waiting until I had everything ready and then having a big unveiling, but let's get real, I'm not that cool. Haha!

I am working through the Blog Design Love 2.0 e-course by A Beautiful Mess and am learning a lot! I'm happy to say it's worth the $45. In case you were waffling ;)  So, bit by bit, you'll see the blog start to change. Hopefully.

Some small, but exciting thing happened in my sewing room over the weekend! For my birthday, Casey bought me a TV for my sewing room, along with a Roku since we don't have cable. It's so nice to have up there! I often listen to music or podcasts while I sew, but I get into certain shows occasionally too. Right now, Murdoch Mysteries is my go-to sewing show! And sometimes Kelby hangs out up there with me and watches Ninja Turtles. I love that cartoon, I admit it.

This is what my space looked like before. I know, a mess.

But then Casey built me a shelf and now it's sooo much nicer! 

The shelf spans the length of the wall too, so I have extra space! I think I might finally snatch some of the cute prints on Etsy I've had my eye on and make my walls happy. 

I love this shot of Kelby and Casey when they were putting up the shelf:

 I put that on Instagram. You can find me on Instagram as nikkischreiner. I love Instagram and I like finding new people to follow! You should also follow Barbiestyle because it's awesome. And Prissy_Pig. I also follow Target! It's weird to follow a store, maybe, but they have the most creative photos! 

If you follow me there, you'll get to see this kind of hilarity from time to time. 

Cheers :)

Let's catch up!

Yesterday, I determined to make time today to take pictures of the things I've made over the last few months! And I did it. I thought about stretching these four things into four posts this week, but who am I kidding? If I don't do it now, I might not have time the rest of the week. However, I do feel ready to pick blogging back up on a more regular basis. In all honesty, I was considering giving this up and took a break to see if I missed it enough to keep going. And I really, really did! I've had this blog for nine years! Sheesh. I am considering some changes, though. I am starting to look into things like domain names and branding and coding and ... I think I need a class. Haha.

Moving right along!

I walked into FabricMart last month and couldn't believe it, they had just gotten a gorgeous pile of fabrics from Cotton & Steel. It had been a long time since I made clothing out of quilting cotton, but I couldn't leave these butterflies behind. I envisioned a Summer dress out of it, but I have really drifted away from the fitted bodice/cute, full gathered skirt. I settled on the bodice from New Look 6184. I was nervous about that fitted skirt, though. Straight fitted skirts tend not to work out on me. I'd recently tried Simplicity 1876 and it ended up being a wadder. The bodice was awful (not only did the overlay look super weird, but who wants to wear an entirely interfaced bodice in the heat of summer??) , but the skirt portion was great! I tossed that pattern, but slipped the skirt pieces into the side of my pattern bin. I'm so glad I did that because it turned out great meshing these two patterns together!

 (I swear my legs are not orange, they are reflecting the walls on my lanai!!)

I think it's very flattering and I really love that fabric! I added a vintage crochet trim to the waistline, which really topped it off. I have a ginormous piece of medium-weight denim that I've been wondering what to do with. I think I'd like to take this skirt pattern, add a waistband and turn it into a high-wasted denim skirt, inspired by the one below that I spotted on Pinterest. What do you think?

Next up, I actually made this dress a little while ago, but I wear it so much, it always seemed to be in the laundry when I wanted to take pics and blog about it! I think I need to remember to slip a photo op in on the days when I wear things for real. 

I'm actually pretty sure this rayon, also found at my FabricMart is a Cotton & Steel print too? That company is my fabric style-crush right now, haha! I used Butterick 5784, which I made once before (out of a polyester, what was I thinking??) but this time I left off the shoulder detail. It's so easy to wear, I just love it! I've used this same pattern for a basic striped knit top too and it turned out great. I think this is my tried and true shift dress pattern! (Btw, both necklaces in the above photos are from Stitchfix! Still loving that service so much.)

Third dress: I found this solid rayon at my little quilt store in Kaimuki. I used McCall's 7093, from the new collection and found a piece of this soft cotton lace in my bin for the contrast sleeves. I love it, but it's clearly too short for anything other than a special date night, which is exactly what I made it for ;) 

 The reason it's so short is because it's supposed to be a top! It's soooo long, though, right? I went ahead and wore it on our Valentines date, but I'm going to look for a lace trim that matches the sleeves and add it to the bottom. If I can't find any, I'll go ahead and cut it into a top. Either way, the pattern is a winner and I'll definitely make it again!

Last, but in no way least, because it might be my new favorite thing to wear, I made a flannel shirt. Seems weird, I know, but I'm actually visiting the mainland in a couple weeks, where I might actually get to wear it, and since my fabric stash has dwindled to scrounge-whatever-fabric-I-can because I-have-to-sew-for-my-sanity status, I thought this was a great time to make something out of it. Also, it's not a super thick flannel (but it's SO soft!) so I think I might have more occasion to wear it here than I think. I cannot say enough good things about McCall's 6436. It's too bad the cover photo and drawings are so bland because the possibilities for this pattern are so basic and endless. I already have another version cut out, which will be my fourth version of this pattern! This shirt is sooooo cozy, I just want to wear it all the time.

Speaking of my trip to the mainland, I am SO EXCITED to go fabric shopping!!!! It's not that I have zero options here, I have a few, but you have no idea what a difference sales and coupons make until you have to rely on a fabric store that simply does not offer any and you can only afford one piece of fabric at a time! 

I'm also going to get my hair cut while I'm there. I'm so ready for that. I tried wearing my hair down the other day and it was mistake, it was so hot. It ends up on top of my head every day. I'm ready for a change. 

Have a happy Monday, y'all! For all those super tired of winter right now, I am sincerely sorry for the warm weather photos!!!