Christmas Eve

I'm waiting for the bus to go to work bit what I want to be doing is finishing my chitstmas sewing! Yes that's right your not alone in having a list of sewing and crocheting that you had wanted to have done for the hoilday. Don't worry it's ok not just because there are a lot of us that are in the same boat but because chitstmas isn't about the gifts, it's about the birth of Jesus, and after all the wiseman didn't get to Jesus till close to two years after this birth. This is why many people give gifts till two weeks after Christmas Day. So in truth you still have two weeks to get things finished . 

Today at the work shop

Got this great shirt done and mailed out today.

 But then I did have to take some time out to enjoy the great day outside. It truly was great out, 

Hockey game

Has a great time at the hockey the other day, after all there's nothing as fun as hockey 

First night of Hanukkah

Enjoying the frist night of Hanukkah with loved ones, and some homemade matzoh ball soup. I hope that all of you have a safe and happy hoilday season and may we fine some peace and hope in the year to come. 

Thanksgiving

So on this day of giving thanks I'm lucky to be giving thanks with good friends and thier family. I'm very thankfull to be include as family. If I was at home I would be working so this or that most be a sign this is a day to just be, in the day. It's the first time I haven't been one of the people cooking. I almost don't know what todo with my time. It truly was a great day of time with good friends and food. After all it hard to have a bad day when playing with a happy heathy baby. I hope that we all stop and think before we shop about what the holidays are truly about. It's not the things that we give and get but the people that we share this time with that it's all about.

What's new In the work room

Here's the newest thing that I'm working on. This great knit dress with 3/4 sleeves  and a pop of color on the top, with the skirt that falls just about the knee or will when the hem is in.

Look for this and much more in my etsy shop, at misschastains.etsy.com

Craft fair

for the first time in the 3 years that I have lived in AZ,  I had my shop at at craft fair! This weekend what a great day it was. It was great to talk with so many young women that want to learn  this art that I love so much. It was also in for me to see so many people buying soap from my mom(I love her soaps but then she is my mom) the one thing that I didn't like care for is how people for some reason believe that if it's not mass made it should cost nothing. If I sell a sweeter for $40 I'm that's me taking a cut most of the time that's just the cost of the yarn, not my time for making or designing it. I make no two the same it's a art! Same with sewing yes you can go to a big box store and buy a top for $20 or under but if you want to have something custom made for you it's going to cost you more. If for no other reason then the cost of fabric. Take the football shirt I made a few mos. back for my boyfriend the fabric is $10 a yard then add in the cost of my time. I just wish that people would understand that it has a value that something hand made is not the same as home made.
view my etsy shop, at misschastains.etsy.com

Thrift store fabric skirt

So a few weeks back I found that great gray fabric that's I talked about before at the goodwill thrift store, I got it on an on sale day. I new it would be just enough to make new skirt for work. It did take me longer then I thought it would just because I have been so busy. Along with that I added vintage couture techniques. As you can see one thing was to change the zipper to snaps, you can also use hook and eyes as well. This was some that was done more in the late 40's thur the 50's as a couture closer and even today hook and eyes are still thought of as more of a couture closer then a zipper. The pattern that I used didn't have the change for this. But ones you do it with one pattern you'll be able to change this with any pattern. So what pattern did I use? For that I used a retro Butterrick patter number B5557. So I'm sure your think wow that's a costly pattern and you would be right about that, so how do you save on sewing patterns after all with some patterns being over $30 usd, it can really add up. Here's a few things you can do, buy them on sale! When Joann's puts them on .99cents or some times Vogue can be higher up to $5 for them but that's still a big savings. So what else can you do, but from the pattern Company it self, yes you can do this go to the website for the company you are looking at,this is going to be the best way I have found to save on patterns. You can also find them at thrift shops, or eBay, at a good cost. If you get patterns from a thrift shop you do run a bigger risk of having pieces missing, and same with eBay so when buying patterns on eBay always find out if it has been cut/ used. Most patterns have more then one size in them however most people cut out the size they need at the time so you may not have the other sizes anymore. These are ways I have found for saving on patterns. So back to the skirt, it has fastly become a go to for me and for this reason I'll be making other out of blue fabric I also found at the thrift store. Classes coming soon!

happy sewing!! 

Look for much more in my etsy shop, at misschastains.etsy.com








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Holidays are coming fast

The holidays are fastly coming upon us, faster then we know. If your planing to give gifts that you your self make it's time to start on them. The last thing you want to do is start out making things for the ones we love for the holidays and end stressing out over what should be giving you joy. This is when it's good to know and be true to what your able to do. If you want to crochet then when picking a pattern pick something that not only shows off the stitches that your able to do well but that is easy for you to do. It's ok if you make the same scarf for all your friends if that's what your good at making. Far to offend we turn our holiy days in to days that are all about getting bigger rhinos and more things then we need. That's why I try to make as many of the gifts I give as I can as well as I don't give a lot of gifts to everyone. If this is something your going to try its time to start on them. It's a great time to think about who your giving gifts to, who they really are as people. When your making gifts you not only are able to put your love in to things but your able to really personalize to who your making things for, so you can make something that they will want. But if your not able to make gifts but want to give hand crafted gifts it's also the time to start looking for them, they offend take longer to get then mass produced items do because they are offend not made till you order them, however Some are things that the craft artist makes and has on hand (in thier online shop) so they shop when you order. There are great websites to find hand crafted items being that I my self have an esty shop ( misschastains.etsy.com)  that is the site I go to first. However if you have a gift in mind you can always look up artist on line that make the kind of thing your looking for.

Sewing on a budget

I offend  hear people talk about how it cost so much to se for your self. How ever it doesn't have to and if your using all the great couture techniques to make that top quality you can, your saving so much more to then if you were to buy something made using high end couture techniques. Sewing on a budget doesn't have to look homemade if you take the time it should look hand made. That's what I believe the maturity of home sewers are missing the little techniques that make something look handmade vs homemade. But for right now lest talk about the budget,with most fabric stores selling fabric for $5 dalliers on the low end and up to $50 or more on the high end, it can very easily feel as if it coat a small fortune to sew for your self.  One of the mist import thing for sewing on a shoestring budget is the use of coupons, Hobby Lobby and Joann's both have apps that you can receive coupons for you can use an in-store or online. You don't have to get ever thing you need at one time if you know that the  project you're working on is going to take you a few weeks before you need some of your notions wait to get them and use your coupons then on those and the coupons you have now some of the other things that you need that way everything can be bought with a coupon. Other things are shop what most people feel are nontraditional places for fabric, now not all WalMart store carries fabric anymore but the ones that do often have one dollar and two dollar yard fabrics that are very nice, as well as offend lower prices on notions. But for those that are wanted to save even more on fabric one of the best places to look are local thrift stores, I offend find good fabrics there now it's never a whole lot of fabric but it's usually enough to make a top or a skirt with. Yesterday I just picked up a piece of fabric that it ended up being about a yard and a half of 60 inch wide lightweight gray suiting fabric great for a new skirt for work. I ended up getting it for $2.99, a big saves over the fabric store where it sells for about $9 a yard, an over all great savings. Sewing on a budget and having the highest quality you can is much like everything else in life you have to shop around and take your time putting a little bit of effort and work into see the great result. After I get this skirt sewn up all be sure to share how it came out.

view my etsy shop, at misschastains.etsy.com

making a sweater its own

so this last week I told you all that I was working on a new sweater. well its all done but sadly its back to being 100 here in AZ, so I will not be wearing it any time soon it seams. I put my own twits on a patter that is in this months issue of Inside Crochet. doing little changes is a great way to make the same sweater over and over but never truly have the same sweater. each one is its own

Crocheting to a happy you

It's kind of funny, how much crocheting just makes me happy. Even when I'm tired and busy making time to work with my hands just makes me a happier person that's for sure. Most likely it makes me happier because it's relaxing to me, and after all when we are more relaxed we are happier people. Even with work the start of classes and my mother surgery I have ben able to in the past week by the time it's all done that it's to have made a new sweater. It's always fun to see how things will work out, as you make them. You have an idea in your mind about what it's going to turn out like and sometimes it does sometimes it doesn't and that can be good and bad, it's really a 50/50 on if it turning out in aother way is something you like there for being good. One of them being when your working with a multicolored yarn, because they way the color block out if always going to be different depending upon the pattern that you are makin. But even then you could make they same pattern with the same kind out yarn over and over and not end up with the same color pattern. That's one of the things I love about yarn like that, really makes things unique. But then all crochet is truly unique for no two people make something the same the stitches of one person to other always have a unique twist to the. In the next few days when I have my swaeter all done I will put up photos to show the frog clouser and talk about how to make your own for your fall crocheted sweaters.

Just a day

As tired as I am after a long day at work and a long week with life, it's great to spend some time draping. It gives me Energy to set my dress from to my measurements and creating a pattern that I've design. By far some of the best classes I've ever taken where draping learning to do you it properly makes it so much more fun. As well as efficient now that I know how to do it I use less fabric definitely a great savings for as much as I love to do it!

DIY natural wall hanger for tapestrycovered wire that looks like bark that was purchased at hobby lobbycovered wire that looks like wood

So about sixs months ago, I found this Great Wall hanging at my local GoodWill for less then $5.00 dollars. But I wasn't sure where I was going to hang it, one day I looked at this small wall and thought that's where it needs to hang. The issue was how am I going to hang it the tapestry is almost as wide as the wall is. Then when cleaning up my yard after a storm I was picking up some sticks and it hit me that's what I should use to hang my tapestry. Heres know I did it.
 1) cut the sticks as long as you want and fill down the edges
     I did mine with about 2" on each side
2) put the stick in the hanging pocket if your haning doesn't have one you can saw on on or use drapery clips, the stick acts as a drapery  bar
3) then I used  covered wire that looks like wood,wrapped it around one end, about 12" from the end I made a loop to then matched the space on the other side and wrapped it around the other end of the stick.

4) then I used wire cover moss and wrapped  it around the stick and up the first wire to the other side.

5) put nail in wall and hang to enjoy!

I picked up my supplies at Hobby Lobby but you can also get them at Joann's.

When I first fell in love with history and costuming

As I watch the movie Lincoln again tonight it occurs to me just when it was that I fell in love with not only History but costuming. When I was in 4th gread, decided to memorize and recite the Gettysburg address for the schoolwide talent show. Now memorizing it was not just enough for me, I had to look the part and so I searched and searched and ended up having to make my own top hat; beard and pulled together my own suit from secondhand store fines. Of course it was not movie quality costuming but it still sparked my love for both history and costuming all and one shoot and I have never looked back. It was shortly after this that I made a reproduction of felicity the American girls costuming. Then moved on to civil war/Dickensian as well as renaissance costuming. But still to this day the one that means the most was named Lincoln, I can still recite the words;They still send shivers down my spine. 

Sharing the love of art

The best part of art is sharing the love of it with others. This summer I had my little cousin staying with me, after a few days of him seeing me paint on fabrics and crochet. He asked if he could learn to crochet so I pulled out the bins of yarn and my hooks , the look of joy when I said pick what yarn you want. he was a fast learner working on getting his chain just right  till he got his fist crochet blister. But still that didnt stop his creative spirit, he just took some time and started painting fabric, till his hand was feeling better then back to crocheting he went. Then he said the cuties thing to me , he told me that he loved crocheting and that he was hooked. There is no better feeling then to share  the love for any art. So no matter boy or girl encourage all art you never know what they will love. Let them try all till they find what their passion is  let them bee who they are not who you want them to be !

the way to deal with life

Right now more then ever I feel as if my life is not my own, try as I may being a full time textile artist, just isn't paying the bills. Now I know many people would say give up but that's not what I will ever do or tell other artist to do! When things are hard that's when you most make your art, its where you find yourself, you don't find it at the job that pays the bills that's just a place you go because you most. But you find your self in the late hours and sleepless nights that you have your art in your hands, when you feel lost your art finds you and some how makes you believe that it will all be ok. you see in being who you are, not who the world says to be is where you find yourself your heart your soul, as artist we most never give in to this world or change for it, we most make the world change and believe in art the way it use to! Art takes a way the lines that keep us from being at peace, it lets us take with each other with out words for art needs no word, its a feeling that every one has with in them if they only believe in them self's. That's why more then ever I find the only way to be at peace in this world is to make art, to be true to my self no matter what else I am doing, for if you give up your self for money in this world you have lost your self your soul.

Appliqué uses on dance costume

There are many uses for appliqués; it's a great thing to use to spruce up costumes, formal gowns purses, headbands really it's  uses are end less. Much like painting on something it's a great at to make something that was mass produce a one of a kind.

Look for this and much more in my etsy shop, at misschastains.etsy.com

New things in the shop

So I wanted to share some new things that are in my shop! Painting is always a fun thing to do to give something a kick. But what as even more fun was having my little cousin and his great eye help with the photos.

This and much more can be found at  Misschastains.etsy.com make sure you take a look new things are being added all the time so keep checking back

Designing with CRPS and other Chronic pain disorders in mind

For years I have been sewing and crocheting for myself with my fibromyalgia, in mind when it comes to construction and fibers that feel the best for me. A long with that I have designed and made things for my mother for just about as long as I have been sewing and crocheting. But over the past year the things that I designed for her have had to change, because she developed CRPS, so now fabrics can be painful, often feeling too tight and restricting a long  to hot or to cold. Seams are an issue as well, Hot feeling scratching sandpaper on her skin, but the biggest issue is the easy of getting clothing on and off by her self, everything has to be easy to put on  because she is unable to work her hands in the same way people with out CRPS are able to. After talking with her about the new things she would like in her wardrobe, I got to thinking there are millions of people that suffer from this disease, that have many of the same issues with their clothing. As I work on her new line of clothing I would like to hear from other CRPS sufferers on.
1) what is your number one issue with clothes
2) what fabrics are best for you are natural fibers better than synthetic for you?

A little of fabric goes a long way

It doesn’t take much to give something old  a bit of a new look with your own flair sometimes just a little bit of fabric, can be all you need. what I used here was just  one yard of 60 inch wide upholstery fabric. What an up date it made on this Teak wood chairs, the wood was great but I just could not live with the vintage gold fabric that was on it from the late 80s, it really needed an up date that was more my style. It was a very easy to do DYI, a little but if hand sewing and they were done. .but as much as I love them I no longer have room for them so they are up for sale on eba

Giving things new life

Giving things new life

Most of the time in the world we live in things dont all ways find new life. It is an easy thing to do, by added paint to things, beads, lace and so on. 

Here this Black Frederick's of Hollywood dream corset  found new life with a little painting of flowers and feminine symbol  and bead work, along with making it in to a self lancing corset. These changes make it unique and individual,giving it a little bit of something and make it stand out from all the other ones that were mass-produced to be just the same.

Not only does adding a new Touch to things make them new to you, but it makes it you. The first time you paint on fabric you may want to try something like a grocery  bag, or t-shirt. Jeans are also a fun thing to try different embellishments with. You have to keep in mind that the sky is the  limit when it comes to what you can do. Just go for it and try maybe you like it, you just need to step out and be you.  

this unique one-of-a-kind corset, along with custom-made corsets are  available at my etsy shop, misschastains.etsy.com : stop by and take a look.

 If you dont see something you where looking for email me about it, as well as keep looking back I'm adding new things all the time.

  also if there are any sewing, crochet, embroidery or other needle art topics that you are interested in that you would like me to cover just email me. 

Ten easy steps to a self lacing corset

There is nothing as hard as trying to put your corset on by your self, if you have ever tried to do this you know just want I'm talking about. After many years of wearing corsets for both linger and for reenacting using corsets that were nice but not made to fit my body and that were lace up the back needing someone else to help me put them on. I found historical info own what is oven called a self lacing corset. After making a historical 1860's corset and found it to be one of te best thing. It take putting on a corset from being an impossible or hard thing to do, to a fast and easy thing. It's easy to change any corset in to a self lacing corset, here is a list of what you'll need

Supplies needed:

1) lacing (ribbon) get more then you think you need , I start with about 5yrds

2) one hook from a hook and eye set made

3) sewing needle and thread

4) last but not Least, a corset :) lol

Instruction:

Step 1) First decide do you want your help on the right or left side of your corset.

Step 2) After you decided on what side, place the hook facing down, On center front Approximately one hand with down from your waist, sew in place by hand. (You want you make sure it is not going to move around because the hook is going to be holding your lacing Securely in place.)

Step 3) take your ribbon or lacing and cut in to two Equal in length pieces

Step 4) Take the two pieces of ribbon and tie Them together at one end in a bow secured

Step 5) starting at the top of your corset  grommets, lace the first untied end thu the right Side and one thu the left Side. And continue leasing like a shoe at approximately halfway down

Step 6) take the end of your lacking that is on the right side and lace it to the next grommet down on the right side, so the you have a loop that's on the out side of your corset. Then do the same thing on the left side.

Step 7) Continue leasing to the bottom the same way you did the top

Step 8) DO NOT CUT!!!  The Excess in leasing or ribbon at this time, tie the ends in a bow the same way you did for the top.

Step 9) Even out the lacing and pull through at the loops, So that the loops are loosely hanging, so that you'll be able to pull then once your corset is on and Closed in front

Step 10) put your corset it on, close the busk or do the hook and eyes what ever it is you have. It will fit to big at this point. To Fit take the loops that you have at the back waist and pull them, in  just the same way you would a shoe top and bottom halfs. Bring loops around to Front Tye Tightly Place tye under hook to secure it it place.

 There you have it in ten easy steps a self lacing corset. Now you'll want to wear your corset it all the time!

For costume corsets be sure to look at my etsy shop, misschastains.etsy.com

The number one thing to keep in mind when making things for other people

The number one thing that people ask me is, How do I get my loved ones to like the things I make them? I follow it up by asking well what kind of things have you made for them? The answers I get most is “i used this fabric that I liked or this yarn that I just loved”. 

What I tell them is what I will till you, when making anything for others its not about what you like, you most think about what they like. I my self wouldn't use NFL fabric, for my self but when at the fabric store with my boyfriend he saw fabric in his team, and wow was he happy he wanted to know if I could make something for him, i said how about a Hawaiian style button down shirt that you like. When it was all done he couldn't have been happier, every time he wears it he not only gets to talk about his team but he gets to say my girlfriend made it for me. 

The point here is to think about the person your making things for, what they like, what they wear. Just because its not something you would want doesn't mean that they wouldn't love it. Here are some photos of him in the shirt.

After making it for him and hearing from people how much they like it I have added it to my etsy shop,at                                (  misschastains.etsy.com )Visit the shop and see what more there is you never know what you will find being that I am adding new things.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/185345311/made-to-order-mens-hawaiian-style-shirt

Thinking out side the boxes

Having a love for all things from the past, when I decided to go for it and get a sewing box, not one of them that cute little and great if your just putting a few things in but I was looking for one, that I would be able to put whatever I was working on in along with all my tools. So I spent weeks looking at thrift shops and resale shops till I found this great vintage over night case in great close to new shape. It makes for a great go with me sewing boxes and gives that added retro look that I love. one more way that I set my self aside from others. After all I believe why be like every one else for there is no true fun in that

When to start sewing

This afternoon I was thinking about when I started sewing. You see I started sewing because I was having a hard time with math in Second  grade , being that I really didn’t want to spend my summer in summer school working on math. My mother had the idea to teach me to sew. What and idea it was, I have never stopped sewing, in fact it has become my life my love and my living. I was seven years old at the time I learned to read a pattern work out my size granted sizing at that age is so much easier then as a teen or adult; but it was the building blocks for that, along with learning to stay on a budget that was giving to me. All useful skills for life, a most in life as I see it. This is why when people ask me when is a good age for their kids to start sewing I always say they are never to young, its like all other art and you need to foster the creative mind of the young, in what ever they are drawn to. That being said your also never to old to learn that goes for all things. You just need to have the heart and desire to do it. Now I am in no way saying that I became a math star but Im able to use math in a practical function way for everyday life, and to me that means so much more, because I had fun learning at the same time I found my love of working with fiber