Sewing Advice From A Cat

I have agreed to participate in a sewing challenge sponsored by Silhouette Patterns an independent pattern company.

http://www.silhouettepatterns.com/

 For this challenge I have been given the hypothetical scenario that I am on my way to a beach wedding and that I can only take a carry on suit case with me. I have to make an outfit for 3 events: a rehearsal brunch, the wedding and a morning after breakfast. I have been supplied with 5 fabrics, none of which I would have purposely purchased, and I have to use some of each but cannot use any others for main garment fabric. I have a $25 budget for notions but my patterns are unlimited and free (but they must come from the sponsoring pattern companies). Oh and one garment has to be visibly worn with all 3 outfits and another has to be reversible.

Easy eh?

Well I got the fabric in the other day and had it spread out on my bed as I planned my outfits. I left for about 2 seconds and came back to find this:

Oadie snoozing on all my new fabric.

Oadie!!

You want to help?

Well then do you have any advice?

What’s that you say?

“Sleep on it?”

Great Oadie, that’s awesome advise. 

 It might be more awesome if I didn’t think you meant it quite so literally.

Happy Sleeping

~Melisa & Cordelia

Twila's New Dress

So do you remember reading about Twila’s new dress?

If not you can read all about it here:

Twila

Last time we visited the dress I was at the muslin stage and there wasn’t a whole lot to look at.

But sense then I have finished the dress and Twila has worn it to a ball.

Or was it a banquet?

A celebration?

A party?

Point is Twila wore it and judging by the pictures she looked stunning.

Here she is all gussied up.

We used a red brocade for the sleeves and yolk.

And black for the body.

 

The dress has a slight cowl which I weighed down with a few nickels.

BEAUTIFUL!!!

Until Next Time

~Melisa & Cordelia

Tangled

I just saw the new Disney Princess movie Tangled, cause I’m a 5 year old girl, and it was AWESOME. In fact it rocked the socks off every other Disney Princess movie including my all time favorites The Little Mermaid and Beauty and The Beast.

Here are the top 10 reasons why this movie is superior to all other princess movies.

10.Rapunzel is the all time best fairy tale ever and it’s about frickin time someone made a movie of it.

9. Rapunzel’s side kick critter who serves no purpose other than comic relief is actually legitimately funny. And he doesn’t talk, which is a serious breath of fresh air.

8. There is an evil thug who has a cupcake tattoo.

7. There is no price charming. Instead we have an orphaned criminal turned good by the end of the film.

6. Mr. Love Interest actually uses the line “How you doin?” in attempt to schmooze Rapunzel.

5. Rapunzel’s weapon of choice is a cast iron skillet and she uses it well and often--especially on Mr. Love Interest.

4. She is a bad ass who spends a significant amount of time cliff diving, talking her way out of sticky situations, and healing people with her magic hair.

3. In fact she does most of the saving.

2. Rapunzel has a dream and it’s NOT that some man will save her, or walk into her life.

And the number 1 reason why Tangled is the best Disney princess movie EVER?!?!?!

Wait

For

It

 

1. Rapunzel SEWS!!!!.

Enough said.

So thank you Disney for finally making a princess who is smart, funny, independent, clever, strong and wanting more out of life than a man.

Oh and half way through the movie I had to chuckle cause I realized I was using this:

My Rapunzel messenger bag.

You can read all about it here:

Rapunzel Messenger

Happy Movie Going

~Melisa & Cordelia

Tie One On Day

It's Tie One On Day!

Here's a poem to celebrate with.
~~~~~~~~
When I used to visit Grandma.
I was very much impressed,
by her all-purpose apron,
and the power it possessed.
She used it for a basket,
when she gathered up the eggs,
and flapped it as a weapon,
when hens pecked her feet and legs.
She used it for a hot pad,
to remove a steaming pan,
and when her brow was heated,
she used it for a fan.
It dried our childish tears,
when we'd scrape a knee and cry,
and made a hiding place
when the little ones were shy.
Farm produce took in season,
in the summer, spring and fall,
found its way into the kitchen
from Grandma's carry all.


~Author Unknown
~~~~~


Today is Tie One On Day, so I handed out the aprons I have been making.


Here are the final aprons.


The AC.
It is called the AC cause it went to my Aunt Connie.

I'm in love with this fabric.

Aunt Connie seams to like it too.
Thanks for posing Aunt Connie!

 Here she is with my dog Milly (the black one) and my cousin Ozzy.

I usually don't dress my dog up, but she is old and she has a short hair cut and she shivers every morning so I had to get something worm for her.

This is the Owl Attack apron.

It went to Tia Pam because she gave me an owl candle.

I couldn't resist the rick rack.

So I added it to the waistband.

And the pocket.

Cordelia tried to take credit for the apron.

Wait, I made the apron!

I don't think Tia Pam believed her.

  As I was busy running around making and delivering aprons Oadie held down the fort and took care of business back at the studio.

Um, Oadie, I told you to sort those files, not sleep on them.

Sort. 

Not sleep.

What a help.  A demotion may be in order.

Happy Tie One On Day

~Melisa & Cordelia

Tie One On Day-- History as Told by Cordelia

Here is A Brief History of the Apron as told by Cordelia.

I did make her do some research so hopefully we are not totally full of bad facts.

“Aprons have been around almost forever—the Bible, in fact, reports that Adam and Eve fashioned aprons from fig leaves. And while Neolithic bloggers didn’t exist to confirm this, cave dwellers cooking near open fires must have placed something across their laps for protection. The point is, no one can say for sure when the first apron was invented, but it’s a safe bet that five minutes after Grog sewed the last stitch through a flint-knapping apron made of saber-tooth tiger hide, Ogga said, “Ooh, I like the ties behind the neck! I want one just like it, but add something to hold berries and stuff.”

Taken from the book A is for Apron by Nathalie Mornu.

Originally people started wearing aprons for necessity. Clothing was expensive and time consuming to make and difficult to replace, so most people only had a few changes of clothing and took care of what they had. Thus the apron was born, and it evolved to meet the needs of their wearer’s jobs. Interesting fact, it is believed MEN were the original wearers! Blacksmiths, fishermen, farmers and butchers wore full-fronted, thick leather or oiled aprons to deflect sparks, animal muck and salt water.

Nineteenth-century mothers are often remembered for using aprons to dry hands, wipe children’s faces, carry picked apples, feed chickens or shoo cats. Not that apron shooing works on my cat. Trust me I tried and all Oadie die was try to eat the apron ties and then pounce on the skirt.

After World War II, the rising number of house hold appliances and strong economy gave housewives plenty of leisure time to whip together stylish aprons. Chic patterns emerged and the apron became a medium for women to show off their sewing skills.

Microwave = Free time.

Free time +

=

But then feminist longed for equality and refused to wear this icon of the housewife and the apron fell out of fashion. However, women of today have totally transformed the apron and it is making a huge comeback. With the new curve hugging shapes, sassy prints and dramatic embellishments, these puppies “are not made for gravy stains anymore, sister!”

So whip up an apron or two and go celebrate Tie One On Day tomorrow. You’ll be glad you did.

Here are a few aprons I intend to pass out:

The Nan.  I call this The Nan cause it went to my student Nan.

The Francoise:  This apron will go to my neighbor Pamela who has a french room which is decorated in black and white.  This apron will fit right in!

I had to get some rick rack in there somehow!

Happy Tie One On Day!

~Melisa & Cordelia



Tie One On Day--The Robot

Just a quick reminder:  Wednesday (also known as Thanksgiving Eve) is Tie One On Day!

Tie One On Day, is a day to celebrate aprons, and the spirit of women of earlier generations who wore aprons as part of their daily wardrobe.

This day recognizes aprons as a symbol of family, home and mothering and recognizes that the women (and men) who wore aprons helped make America great.

But what makes Tie One On Day so fabulous is how it is celebrated.

On this day, one should wrap a loaf of bread in an apron, tuck a prayer or note of hope in the pocket and, while wearing your own apron, deliver the bundle to someone in spiritual or physical need.

According to EllynAnne, a founder of Tie One On Day, “no matter which way you turn out of your own front door, someone who is deserving of a hug is very close by.”

So, in preparation of Tie One On Day, I encourage all of you to make an apron, bake a loaf of bread (or any other tasty treat) and spread some joy.

I have been busy making aprons to share with family and friends but still have more to go! 

Here's a few of my favorite apron books which are filled to the brim with ridiculously cute aprons to get you inspired.

And here is my first apron. I like to call it The Robot, because it has Robot fabric. Tehehe. I'm so clever it hurts sometimes.

 

See all those robots lined up in straight little rows.

How cute.

I used a lot of rick rack because I was in a rick rack kind of mood.

I'm not going to tell you who this apron is for because I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I'll give you a hint:  she is an engineer, her fiancee works on robots and she may or may not be my future sister in law.  But that's all I'm saying.

Go make an apron, it's fun!

Happy Tie One On Day,

~Melisa & Cordelia