minty fresh + HomeEc update

Remember that outfit I bought on super clearance at Target? Well, it's pretty much the cutest thing ever. I love the dress because it's a little bit longer than most of my others, so I don't have to worry about my booty showing!

Dress: Target ($13)
Cardigan: Target ($10)
Flats: Target ($12)

I still can't believe the dress and the sweater are both extra smalls! I haven't worn anything with that label in... maybe forever? Just goes to show how different sizing is depending on the company. Both these pieces were made by Merona, which (in my opinion) is targeted for women in their late 20s-40s. I usually don't like their pieces because they're a little formal for me, but these two are perfect!

(I really like this picture, but I had to crop out some MAJOR boobie action. Oh well!)

Since I had the day off today, I made a trip to Hobby Lobby for some crafty goods. I bought a bunch of clearance yarn (for my Etsy fall line!), some fabric, and the notions I needed to make the latest HomeEc project that sparked my interest! I've never successfully installed a zipper. Once I tried to put one into a handknit sweater, but it was just bad news. This time, though, things turned out pretty well!

I used fabric scraps that my mom sent me.
They both look vintage, but I'm not sure about that.

I'm really proud of myself with this one! It took some figuring out on my part, some of the instructions weren't as clear (to me) as they could have been, so I had to logically work through it. Normally I would have tried following the directions even if it didn't seem right, and then would have gotten mad when it didn't work.

I'm going to keep it in my craft box that I have next to the couch to keep all my crochet hooks and knitting needles in. Most nights you can find me crafting on the couch until the wee hours of the morning, but the second I set my hook or needle down it's gone. Well now those babies are staying put because they're going straight into their case!

Something else awesome happened today: Chris got a job! If you've been reading for a while, you know that he's had a really hard time finding employment since we moved home. He's asked me not to share where he'll be working, but I can tell you that while it isn't exactly perfect, it'll definitely help our situation, which means, overall, a more happy Susannah!

It looks like it's going to storm soon, which doesn't jive well with our grilling-out dinner plans. So we better hurry up!

<3

HomeEc.

Some of you may have heard of the awesomeness that is HomeEc, taught by Leigh-Ann, Rachel, and Courtney. If you aren't sure what it is, basically those three lovely ladies decided to teach an sewing course online in blog format. You can enroll in the class and pay a small(ish) fee, and gain access to tons of project tutorials, help videos, discussions with other students, and even live chats with your teachers! I was super excited about this class because I've been wanting to learn how to sew. I've known how to sew for a while, but I wanted it to become something I was more excited about, and something that I was more confident in. I'd love to become one of those instinctive sewers, where I can do anything without any trepidation. I signed up for the class the day it opened, and I've been so excited! Due to some financial restraints I've gone a little slower with the projects than some of my classmates, but it's ok because these posts will be up for a whole year!

The first project I did through the class was double sided napkins. I used a crazy mod floral print and a regular black and white houndstooth pattern. I really liked the way they looked together, and it was one of those things where at 2am I decided I needed to start sewing these because I was so excited! Unfortunately, I didn't realize how important good cutting equipment was at that point. I cute these squares on the carpet, with fairly dull scissors, using a measuring tape as my guide! Let me just tell you, that was not a good idea! They were really uneven, and it made it really hard to sew nice lines. Well, the next day I called my grandma and borrowed her self-healing mat and bought myself a rotary cutter, and it is so much easier!

One of the projects I was most excited about when I signed up was the ironing board cover. I didn't even have an ironing board until three days ago, but I knew that I would buy one eventually and that I'd HAVE to cover it with the lemon print fabric I've been obsessing over for the last few months! I've seriously been saving it and cherishing it since March or April, and everything I've thought of using it for hasn't been good enough, until now!

I had originally only bought a yard of it, but luckily JoAnn's still has it in stock so I bought two more yards to make the cover. I still need to find ironing board clips for the underside to make it nice and taut.

My little sewing corner. I got the spool holder on sale at JoAnn's for half off (so I spent $7.49), plus I got 40% off of the lemon print fabric, so I ended up saving a whole bunch of money! I really can't wait until I fill up the spool holder with all the colors of the rainbow!

My little stash is growing, but it's nothing compared to my yarn stash!

Remember how my mom sends me boxes of vintage goodies every once in a while? She always throws in a few little fabric scraps, some of which are pretty vintage patterns. It's always a little bit of a bummer though, because some of the fabric is amazing, but the pieces I have are too tiny to use! Now they have a nice home in my little suitcase though, so I can look at them whenever I want!

I tried to do a video tour of my craft room today, and ohmygosh it was embarrassing! I said things wrong, held the camera and unattractive angles, and awkwardly talked about things. I don't know if I'll post it, or maybe I'll shooting it again if it's something you guys are interested in...?