My first dress;

It's the first beautiful day in weeks!!

So... i decided a couple of weeks ago, in the dark snowy cold, that i wanted to start making my own clothing. I thought it would be a good challenge, plus i'm always looking for ways to dress up, you know me.
& i found this pattern from 1946 on ebay, which is so flattering and fun. Then i went to Canvas Works, in downtown Olympia & picked out a very cute fabric that i'd been eyeing for a few weeks.
Being a novice sewer, i was really intimidated to sew a full garment, but i ended up having only a couple of snags (so to speak). No doubt the women in my family were acting as unconscious patron saints, guiding me through the project.






I started sewing on saturday and finished this morning! As you can see there are pleats, darts and gathers along the front of the dress, that give it shape.
I'm really happy with it! & excited to make my next project, which is a pair of knitted slippers for eric.
Thanks to Eric the babytron, for taking the pictures!

the cowl;

since it's cold outside, i made this cowl. i'm going to make another in chunky yarn, for riding my bike. it only took a few hours to make, & i feel really satisfied. it also pulls up over my head, for hoodlum action.

the cuddle-fish

here is the finally finished, and as yet unnamed, cuttlefish that i started making for my boyfriend around christmas. i got frustrated because i couldn't find a pattern online and gave up, with only a few tentacles left... but yesterday we watched a documentary on cuttlefish and i was re-inspired to make him one. so here's the "cuddle-fish" as a valentines day present, he served well.
if you're looking to make one, i saw a pattern on etsy that is much cuter than mine. Happy knitting!

first list;

my parallel, generic
cooking
organic food
vintage clothing
aprons
playing the banjo
vegetable gardening
painting
i-ching
dao te ching
cactus gardens
my mothers 1940's sewing machine
my grandmothers typewriter
pin-ups
fishing
water
having babies (in the future)
knitting
making clothing
1950s dresses
trees
pearls
native plants
dancing (only after copious amounts of coffee)
leonard cohen
gabriel garcia marquez
pablo neruda
saul williams
patti smith
khalil gibran
roses
paper cranes