Overalls are a GO!!

I have been obsessing over trying to make a pair of 1940's style overalls...seemed like they'd be comfy and flattering to my ... um ... more rubenesque figure.  Sadly, I couldn't use a vintage pattern, for several reasons.  Can't afford to purchase one, and I'm pretty sure that once I bought one I wouldn't be able to bring myself to cut it up.  *L*  And, finally, those girls in the 40's where a bit skinnier than I am so I would have to do some major modifications. So, in true Trixie fashion I morphed a couple of other patterns into what I was looking for.
Using Betty the dress dummy is AWESOME...why I never made one of those before is a mystery.  It made sizing so much easier!  She's not quite as "soft" as I am, but what a great tool to have!
My husband got me a book for Christmas called Sewing for Plus Size by Barbara Deck.  What a great book.
She shows you how to correctly alter patterns to fit us bigger gals.  I tried my hand at moving the darts on the front of my overalls and wouldn't you know it....it worked!  *L*  So, it would seem that my sewing skills are advancing again just by using the right tools and information....who knew??
I had a few hiccups with the overalls...this is the second incarnation of them.  I buggered the zipper a bit and my next pair will have a slightly longer crotch....but they're really comfy, I look sorta dressy while still being able to wear overalls.  So great!

 Hubby and I went searching junk stores yesterday.  I love second hand stores...you find the best stuff for very little money.  I have a bad habit of buying way too much stuff though, because I look at things with a slightly different eye than most.  I look for fabric prints and textures that I love because I know that I can modify it into something I will wear and/or that will fit.  I managed to get away from our shopping trip with two pairs of shoes, one pink plaid shirt and a lavender twin set.
I am most proud of my shoe finds.  The first pair was a black modern take on a vintage oxford.  I LOVE them and I only paid 3 bucks for them!  My second find...and probably the coolest, was a pair of maryjane style Keens!  I have been trying to figure out a way I could score a pair of those, but they're 85 dollar shoes...just couldn't justify it.  However, I found a brand new pair at the second hand store for $1.50.  SCORE!!

I'm going to modify the pink plaid into something a little more form fitting and rockabilly....it's a 5X long sleeved button up....lots of fabric...I can do something with that so check back!

Day 7 - Trixie's back baby!!

No makeup and pink hair!

I have gone and done it...I dyed my hair pink and black....AGAIN!!  Whoo Hoo!!
I'm having a "down" kind of day.  Not sure what the deal is...nothing happened...had a pretty mellow day.  I was a bit productive.  I slept until 10...because I'm spoiled and I don't work on Fridays.  I got up and worked on my overalls.  Betty the dress form, had her first job today of sizing my overalls.  She's currently wearing a blouse I'm working on.  The overalls are coming together great!  Soon, very soon there will be pictures of me wearing them.

Day 5...I am addicted to nail art!!

There..I said it...out loud...in a public-ish forum!!  I am addicted to nail art.  I've worn freakishly long acrylic nails for years.  Paid out the nose for them too.  Then it occurred to me one day that I could do them myself...how hard could it be? *L*  So I've been doing my own nails for about 6 or 7 years!  It's way cheaper and I don't have to explain to the lady that YES I do want them that long....and YES I can function properly with them that long....and YES I can type, tie my shoes, put on jewelry and open pop cans with them that long!!  *L*
My thoughts on it is...the longer, the flashier, the trashier, the brighter the better!!!  And since no one in the small town I live in is willing to do my nails the way I want them I started hand painting them myself!!

The only downside is that my friends and daughters now want their nails done all the time...so I suffer from burn out from time to time which means that my own nail maintenance falls to the wayside.

Pictures of nails past:

Oops...missed a day!

So I missed a day of blogging already!!  Dang it....and it was partly my fault partly the fault of the building I work in. The heat was out in my office for two days making for a very miserable Trixie!!  My boss sent me to buy space heaters so we could at least function...so $100 later I was huddled in front of my brand new desk heater...which ran for approximately 3 minutes before knocking out the power to only my office!  This effectively killed the phone system, knocked out the internet, and shut down my computer and printer!  Took them an hour to find the breaker box.  Finally, power gets turned back on...me huddled in front of my desk heater again...tried to print something...BANG...no power again!  This time there isn't anyone in the building with the key to the breaker box so I got to go home an hour early!!  I haven't been doing any sewing or crafty stuff as I've been coming home and bundling up in my chair with a blanket and warm socks and trying to bribe the dogs to lay on my feet!!
This morning we have power AND heat!!  Whoo hoo!!

I did manage to get my daughters acrylic nails on yesterday.  I'm going to finish painting them tonight...since my girl has a love of long trashy nails just like her momma!!  I have two people asking to get their nails done as well....perhaps I should start to charge for this stuff!!

I got a bonus from one of my bosses for christmas so I bought myself a pretty new bauble!!  It's hard to tell in the picture but the stones are pink!!  I am obsessed with pink!  I have a beautiful wedding set, gold...diamonds, but I've been feeling that Trixie should wear something big and flashy.....and pink!  *L*

My Christmas present to me!!!

Day 3...Watch out for that holiday poundage!!

So we are back on track with our "lifestyle change".  We've opted to NOT call it a diet  *L*.  I gained a whopping 10.8 pounds over the holidays.  DAMN!!  Not gonna beat myself up though....them were some darn good cookies!!
Not a whole lot going on at the moment.  First day back to work for the new year and we showed up to a broken boiler.  Our office is in the upstairs of a post office...a historic building built in I think 1910...it would seem the boiler is just as old.  The office is a balmy 42 degrees!!  We're all sitting around with runny noses and our coats on!!  My boss keeps referring to everyone as "my comrade" then went out and purchased two egg rolls from the gas station hot case to keep in his pockets to warm his hands!  *L*

Day 2...so lazy!!

I accomplished about nothing today.  I did manage to get part of the sewing room picked up and I tightened up and replaced my friend Polly's hair extensions.  That's about it.  My neck is still out so I'm not really able to do much.  Tomorrow will be a better day!

I think I'll call it a night early, take some Aleve and go to bed and watch some tv!

365 Project....and we're off....

All dolled up for New Years

Happy New Year!!!  We had no kids for a change so we decided on a grown-up night.  My husband and I went to the bar with a couple of friends.  My husband bought me lots of rockabilly clothes for Christmas, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to wear something super cute!!  I even dug out my cherry print bra that I bought last year and never wore.  We went dancing, had a few drinks and rung in the new year with some good friends.

My duct tape dummy, Betty, is all finished.  So tomorrow I will tidy the sewing room and begin my projects!!