Fauna's Regency Gown

I did it! 

This summer I had the goal of making three fabulous Jane Austen-style dresses for my and my friends, and yesterday I put the final stitches in dress #3! 

In other words, I am immensely proud of myself and my accomplishments. 

Pictures? I think yes.

Okay, before you look, allow me to apologize for the wrinkles. I forgot to steam it beforehand, and then afterwards I decided I loved how my cat was in most of the pictures looking all cute, so those are the pictures you'll be seeing. I will steam it before wearing, however! 

Front view.

Back view. 

Closer view of back. Note the trim - lots of poky pins, let me tell you!

Closer front view. Again, the trim turned out nicely, I think, and also the sleeves. 

Transparent kitty :) And angled view of dress profile. 

I must say, this dress is my favorite of the three. That's a good thing, since it's mine! The fabric is a little better quality - softer - and I fully lined this one. Plus, it was the last of three so I had plenty of practice to get this one right. Not to say I didn't still make a couple of mistakes, but nothing too noticeable. 

Now I'm thrilled to have this project over with so I can move on to other projects before my summer is over. It's a little overwhelming to think that I go back to school in a little over a month! But I won't think about that now. Too much to do!

"You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing, and dance, and write poems, and suffer, and understand, for all that is life." ~Jiddu Krishnamurti

Flora's Regency Gown

I finished dress #2!!!

Honestly, I'm pleased with how it turned out. I love the simplicity of the white fabric with little pink flowers. Simple but beautiful. 

Of course, I had to elaborate a bit with some trims and colored buttons, but it still maintains it's air of innocent elegance. 

Okay, okay - pictures! 

My apologies that the lighting isn't better - I'm a sewer, not a photographer! Although photography is a skill I would like to advance...someday ;) 

For now, I'm satisfied with these:

View of dress from the front.

View of dress from the side/back. 

Closer view of back detailing.

So there you have it! Flora and Merryweather are complete, so now I get to start on Fauna's(mine!). I'm excited to make the green dress. Saving the best for last, right? ha!

In other news, although from the outside my life may seem very peaceful and perhaps a bit boring, I have been finding multiple reasons to be delighted lately. 

First reason: summer reading!

Maybe I mentioned in an earlier post that I was trying to read the entire "Harry Potter" series this summer...maybe I didn't, but there you are! Well, I met my goal last week after days of reading and being mentally in Harry Potter land all the time, I set down the 7th book with a sigh of happiness. Not only was it an excellent read, but I was so relieved that everything was resolved and the stress and drama was over! And, as much as I enjoyed the journey, it's now been fun to get to read other things!

~"Rapunzel Let Down" by Regina Doman. I've been wanting to read this book ever since I heard it was being written, and I finally got to! I think it took me less than a day, I was so engrossed. Amazing, amazing book. I loved it!

~"Stealing The Preacher" by Karen Witemeyer. I've read a couple of her other books and loved them, so it was with great anticipation I devoured this book the other day! Oh, so delightful. Lots of amusement (made me laugh SO many times!) and such a charming story. 

I'm between books at the moment, but I have a pile of possibilities waiting for me :) 

Second reason I've been delighted:

Shopping! 

Mom took me shopping yesterday. We had a lovely day! She took me into her favorite thrift stores, where I found a lovely dress that I hope to alter, and a really neat silk skirt made in India that I just couldn't resist. Then we went to the Mall and browsed the shops. The truly thrilling experience of the day, however, was going into Claire's and getting my ears pierced for the first time! I was technically allowed to get it done once I turned 18, but it never seemed right. So here I am with two little sparkly jewels in my ears, and I'm happy :) 

The day wouldn't have been complete without food, of course. We had lunch at this cute little cafe - it had a very relaxed atmosphere, and I wouldn't mind going back again. Really yummy sandwich! 

Then we got Qdoba for the whole family. I love their lime chips! haha

Well, now I've rambled on for a long time about things that don't really matter to you, but which I felt like saying anyway. I hope your summer has been as delightful as mine!

"Why was it that thoughts and plans always made more sense when confined to one's ming than when they exited one's mouth?"~Karen Witemeyer, Stealing The Preacher

Merryweather's Regency Gown

Greetings! 

Since we are still very close to the date, I think I can still say "Happy Independence Day" to anyone reading this :) 
My family and I had a very peaceful, quiet day at home - played some bocce ball, taught the puppy the wonders of chasing a soccer ball, watched the "Capitol Fourth" concert on tv...mostly, though, we cooked (and then ate) delicious food. My largest contribution was what turned out as a rather lovely cherry-blueberry pie. (I meant it to have a lemon-y crust, but guess who forgot to put the lemon in....*blushes*) 

My pie :) We still get to eat the other half tonight....exciting!

Anyway. I've been meaning to share more about my regency dress projects! I've been busy. Well, I was busy for about 3 1/2 days, during which I mostly constructed the first of these gowns. Then I had to put the project on hold for a while until my mother returned from a lengthy trip so I could ask her how to do something on it - my knowledge in seamstress-y stuff is limited, okay? - and then I kept putting it off until the other day when it took me less than an afternoon to put the finishing touches on what I think turned out as a rather pleasing and pretty regency gown. 

Of course I have pictures!

Here's the front. 

And here's the back. I love how the little buttons look!

I did take a couple of pictures as I was putting it together, but nothing really interesting. If you wanted to know, I used this Simplicity pattern, almost completely as instructed. Overall I found the pattern good to work with, although I found a couple of the instructions confusing or limited in descriptions. A more experienced seamstress would not have needed these, though, so it's all good ;)

The white and pink material for the second dress has already been cut into pieces, and I've had a good start on the bodice, so wait for pictures of that lovely project! And now my sister beckons me with the prospect of nutella and coffee, so I must depart for now. 

"We're all human, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving." ~J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Elements of Summer

Greetings!

Yes, I am home after surviving my first year of college and have been loving the relaxation of summer and lovely time with my family and friends.

Now, I'm beginning to really get serious about some projects that I've been looking forward to doing all year long. Indeed, thinking about these projects would get me through some of my toughest homework assignments when it seemed like the winter would never. end.

But it did! And now is the time to accomplish the things I've been dreaming about.

First I finished the dress that I started last August. It's been hanging on Maxine for almost a year just waiting to be hemmed, poor thing. Anyway, it turned out really well and I hemmed it up on Saturday, so here are a couple of pictures:

Here's the overall look. Sorry about the terrible lighting!

A closer look at how the front looks. 

And here's the back. 

So there you have it! I was pleased with it and wore it for Mass on Sunday morning (that was the incentive needed to finally hem it at 11:00 the night before...) and it was very comfortable for playing piano in :) 

Now I've moved on to a new and very exciting project. First, a slight back-story. 

I believe I talked about this in an earlier post, but as that was a few months ago, I'll review. (Yes, I know I've been silent for over two months. I'm sorry!) 

Anyway...I made two very close friends at college, and we identify ourselves with the three good fairies in Sleeping Beauty - Flora, Fauna (that's me!), and Merryweather. We also take delight in all things Jane Austen and on spring break we had a dress-up party where we invaded the costume collection in my closet and had a blast. 

However, I've never made a 'Jane Austen-style' dress before - a fashion otherwise known as "Regency" from the early 1800's. 

In what seemed a quite natural train of thought, somehow we (probably me) came up with the idea of sewing three dresses in the regency style and also incorporate themes of the three fairies - mostly for color inspiration. 

We had a couple of design sessions (Again, mostly me) where we came up with some ideas, and would talk about how fun it would be to dress up and have a tea party, maybe a photo shoot, etc. And hey, if we ever need a costume for Halloween next year, this would be perfect! 

I think my friends didn't quite think I was serious about accomplishing this what might seem an enormous task to non-sewers of constructing three long dresses, but I clung to the hope of playing with fabric and making something new and was very much in earnest. 

Anyone who has followed this blog for a while knows that I love to make costume dresses just for fun. They usually end up being Medieval, so it's going to be fun and challenging to branch out from that habit. 

Last week my lovely mother and I went into JoAnn Fabrics (a dangerous place for us, to be sure) and by the time we exited we had a delightful pile of fabrics that were destined to become Regency costume dresses. 

Pretty sure there was a permanent grin on my face for a while after that, I was so excited!

Of course I haven't had a chance to start on anything for a week, but today I was home all day and decided to tackle the first dress. I decided to start with Merryweather, and it was fun to find all the pattern pieces cutting everything out. It took me most of my afternoon just cutting al the pieces out, but that is a huge piece done and I'm eager to begin sewing - hopefully tomorrow. 

Here's a picture of the three dress fabrics:

Blue & Yellow=Merryweather, Pink & White=Flora, Green & Natural=Fauna

I'm very excited to see what the dresses turn out to be like :) I have great expectations, naturally. 

Wanna know what can make sewing even more fun? Listening to awesome music, of course! Lately the inspirational playlist has included The Piano Guys, Dallas String Quartet, 2Cellos, and Lindsey Stirling. I brought my nice speakers downstairs so I can listen to these amazing artists with quality sound...it's EPIC. And very motivational. 

Here are a few of my favorites: 

Lindsey Stirling - 'Elements'

The Piano Guys - 'Code Name Vivaldi'

Dallas String Quartet - 'Viva La Vida'

2Cellos - 'Smooth Criminal'

And so many more....those are just to wet your appetite ;) Or at the least simply to clue you in to what I've been listening to! 

"A friend is one who knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow." ~William Shakespeare

Of Easter and such.

Sometimes, methinks, writing on my blog can get my brain working a bit better for homework, so I'll try it now :)

Yes, I'm supposed to be writing a paper right now. Fun fact? Not due for almost two weeks, but it's one of those "get this done sometime this semester" things, so I decided earlier today that I should accomplish it tonight since I have the time.

But maybe it'd be better to put it off a bit more. I tend to be more motivated the night before things are due.

...

So, how was your Easter?!?!? Mine was simple fabulous. I had SUCH a wonderful time being home, relaxing, cooking, dressing up, going to church, dying eggs, and cuddling with my kitty.

I even took pictures! Now THAT is rare, I know. I'm trying to get better about pulling my camera out, though.

Okay, I have a LOT of pictures to share, so bear with me. And mostly, they're random - if you want to see the fun outfits my sister and I pulled off, you can visit Trudi's blog, since she already posted some lovely pictures.

Okay, first of all, I had a more interesting ride home than most might manage. My friend (remember Flora from my road trip adventure?) well, Flora's dad decided to pick us up in his plane! It was SO. AWESOME. I'd never flown before, so it was extra special. Took a short length of time, too. Then my mom picked me up at their house, and it was lovely to return home after much excitement.

Watching our ride arrive...

Lovely views of the snow-covered lands of Minnesota...

On Good Friday, we made the traditional Hot Cross Buns :) 

I braided the rest of the dough into a huge cross. 

It baked up beautifully. And tasted delicious. ;)

I dyed 2 dozen eggs :) 

Trudi's puppy, Francie, has SO much energy. 

Mom loves to make centerpieces for the table. 

My outfit during the day on Saturday...

Interrupting Bootsy's nap. 

Actually got some relatively decent shots of her...

Like I said - ENERGY. 

Such a model ;)

So sleepy. 

So yeah, that was my Easter. Watched "The Hobbit" Sunday night, and then returned to school on Monday. Now I'm procrastinating about the 'school' part, but so far it hasn't been so bad being back. I have fun at school. Right now I'm working on figuring out my schedule for next fall. Seems ridiculous to be thinking about that already - the time FLIES. 

"Music is a code that opens a door to a world everybody interprets differently because our aesthetic and sensory values are different and each generation has to discover its own." ~Yo-Yo Ma.  

In Great Anticipation...

In case you were ever wondering, I rarely, if ever, plan what I'm going to say on this blog before posting. What you see here are my thoughts, typed out as they come into my mind, going 'splat' on the page.

It's my favorite way to write.

Splat.

So here we go again.

Today, I'm thinking about the delightful fact that it is Friday. And that I made it through this week. And that the reason I made it through this week is all thanks to God. Because He's awesome.

What is this leading to? On Sunday we begin my favorite week of the entire church year: Holy Week!!!

From the Passion and palms on Palm Sunday, to the traditional Sedar-style meal on Holy Thursday followed by the lovely beginning of the Triduum, to Good Friday - usually with hot cross buns - and the melancholy service, to the waiting of Holy Saturday, filled with preparation, which climaxes at the Easter Vigil celebration after dark, with candles and incense and lots of music and awesomeness, and then you get to party all day on Sunday, with feasting and games and candy and more music and more prayer...

I just love how each day has a theme, and a mood and a particular moment that you remember and reflect on. I love that you go to church four days in a row, wearing a different and fun outfit to each one, and seeing the same people there and celebrating the beauty that is the Catholic church with those that you love.

 I love both the ancient, traditional and sacred side of Easter (gives me thrills every year!) and the spring-y, yummy, party side of Easter.

To me, dying eggs is super important, and so is venerating the cross on Good Friday. All the different things that we do, that I have done throughout my life, represent Easter to me, and I look forward to it all the Lenten season.

So, while maybe I'm messing up in this post on the technicalities and proper terminology, I just wanted to express how excited I am for Holy Week to begin.

Added bonus - I get to go home from college for four days, which has be SUPER THRILLED. I miss home, I miss my family, I miss my cat. I can hardly wait to get home and just....glomp everyone.

And yes, glomp is a word. In the urban dictionary. haha!

Counting down the days to getting home, and for Easter!!!

“What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again.” ~Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay

Spring Break = Road Trip

Rather ironic that it's called spring break when everything is still covered in snow...

This semester has been going swimmingly, I think. Mostly. I've been working on staying positive about all my deadlines and stressful projects, and right now I've avoiding a paper by writing this blog. Call it warming up the writing muscle, kinda like I have to warm up my voice or fingers before my music lessons.

We'll go with that, anyway. ;)

I had a wonderful spring break. I hope you all had a good time, as well - whether you too had a spring break from school work, or whether you were continuing on with your routine. It's March! Spring is coming! (the huge snow-fall that I barely got back to campus in yesterday contradicts me, but I have faith.)

Thought I'd share a bit about what I did for my break. Two of my closest friends and myself left campus together and 'road-tripped' to each others houses, spending two days at each house and meeting the families.

We had So. Much. Fun!

We started with Stations at my friend (since I don't have their permission to use their names on this blog, for safety reasons lets call them Flora and Merryweather. I'm Fauna in this trio.) Merryweather's house/church, and it was an excellent beginning. At her house, we watched The Fellowship of the Ring (Flora had never seen The Lord of the Rings, so it was a purpose in the week to catch her up - with the extended editions, of course!), went to the Mall of America (I'd never been - it did not disappoint!), went swimming, and had a wonderful time eating her dad's delicious chili.

The chocolate chip cookies we made after midnight on Saturday kept us happy for the rest of the trip, too.

On Sunday we went to Flora's house. It was very different being out in the country after the taste of city life, but it was relaxing and fun. We went snowmobiling, knitted, sang, and watched The Two Towers, among other things. On Tuesday, we stayed an extra day because we were snowed in. We made the most of it, however, and watched more movies, played games, and even started The Return of the King!

Wednesday morning found us getting up before 6AM (what!) to get an early start on the road to my house, since we were a day behind schedule. We made it to the barn safely, and then there was a fun-filled day, helped with my mother's delightful hostess skills, with lots of fine dining (thanks to my sister Trudi, who makes delicious food!!!), a dress-up party, and a tour of my itty-bitty town - complete with touristy pictures!

My fellow fairies departed on Thursday, and I spent a delightful-yet too-few days with my family. On Friday my mother took me shopping. She shouldn't have, because I convinced her to get me way more than I technically needed, but we had a wonderful time and I'm very happy with my new clothes. My favorite purchase of the day? New eyeglasses!!! Yes, they are cuter and I can see better. Plus they're comfy, so I can actually wear them! Much improved.

A highlight of my weekend was watching the new Celtic Thunder concert, Mythology, with my sister - we love them so! And the show was so good we watched it twice! haha I kinda wish we'd watched it a third time...very excited to see the other half, since it's only part of the concert on the first DVD. Oh well, I can handle the anticipation.

Sunday morning dawned stormy, but we made it to church for 10:30 Mass, and left from there to make the usually 6-hour trek to my school, but it took an extra hour (not too bad, really) and some stressful driving for Dad, but they got me here. I have awesome parents - just saying. They even stopped at a Wal Mart to re-stock my dark chocolate supply! No complaints from this girl.

Well, now I'd better stop distracting myself - although it's been might fun! - and get to work on that school work.

Not sure who said this, but someone pinned it and I thought it suited me:

"Don't change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you."

True story.