Thursday, September 30, 2010

I Guess This is Another Teaser Post...




So, I know I mentioned showing sewing results or possibly my sewing room - it is full of goodies, it's true!
Well, today is another teaser - tomorrow will be different, I swear!
After seeing all these beautiful sweaters popping up and thinking about all the blustery weather on its way in, I had been thinking A LOT about learning to knit. So, it was sheer happenstance that while errand shopping I found a very, very cheap skein of yarn for practice!
I had the needles and the how-to books, now it's time to finally do it.

By the way, I got those needle caps along with a large box of vintage sewing notions and they're supposed to be rubber...Haha, I think I'm going to have to settle for framing them because the years haven't been so kind to them. (Of course I tried testing one when I very well knew what would happen; me: 'oh crap, oh crap' and pulling the needle out before it cracked in half. I guess sometimes a girl just has to try, right?)

Tomorrow, results! Wish me luck!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

First project



Here's a peep of what I'm working on currently. It's a 40s Hollywood Pattern. This is my first vintage skirt pattern, but the instructions look pretty straightforward. The only odd thing about them is that it looks as though the skirt and belt are sewn SEPARATELY AND THEN WORN TOGETHER - WHAT?! (I am definitely sewing them together)

The fabric is vintage and it feels a bit thin so I'm contemplating lining it. Anyone reading this have any tips? I've heard that this is pretty easy and I'm thinking it'd help save the skirt from an early death, especially since I'm turning it into more of a pencil skirt. I think the corduroy is too stiff to sit right otherwise.

Look out for another picture update tomorrow on progress and possibly you'll meet my sewing room...

Introducing Myself

The easiest way is to start with a name and a purpose right? I'm Nancy and I'm starting this blog, like many, as a motivator and a way to track progress (even if it's just documentation of me running in circles.)

Here we go:
  • Learn to (make time to?!) sew all these vintage patterns I seem to be hoarding - I could really use a wardrobe that expresses my style more
  • Really boost my combat sports training.
  • Find some balance between the two
So I'll mostly be posting about vintage sewing or MMA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_martial_arts.) That seems simple enough for a start.

Here's a little more background if you want it:

I currently have two jobs - both are off and on. Most the time I hang sheetrock and do drywall finishwork - the type of work that gives a girl Rosie style biceps! For my other job, I try to work toward making an (even just okay) living off of selling vintage things on Etsy. It's mostly patterns right now, but I'm hoarding dresses too, haha...Is there a pattern here?

Most of my time outside of working is spent training combat sports. I train Muay Thai, Submission Wrestling, and Jiu-Jitsu. I started about a year and a half ago but a lot of time has been recovering from newcomer injuries and, then there's been switching gyms three times, which hasn't really made for the most ideal training situation. So on the list is getting more training time in.

My sewing experience basically boils down to punk using floss to fix everything and a little sloppy skirt-making years back. I have a really big interest in 1930s and 40s style and started collecting sewing patterns midway through the year. I have a habit of getting pretty excited about the patterns and what they could become and then just being a combination of lazy and tired after practice and/or work and now school too (did I mention I just started going full time a week ago?) No more! I think posting my progress and projects will help get me on the right track with these projects.

Intro out of the way and on to the more interesting stuff...