I Heart Aprons

I really do. They are so useful. I've always been (to my mother's great annoyance) one of those people who wipe their hands on their clothes constantly. Wearing an apron is the perfect way for me to avoid getting junk all over my jeans, and plus they're so adorable. I found an awesome tutorial through sewing republic that teaches you how to make an easy and adorable apron that you can wear around your kitchen or (as I do) in the sewing room. Enjoy!

Embellishing Cheap Gloves

And the winner is...

So the drawing happened today! Thank you to everyone who entered - you truly made my week!

I don't have a printer, so I wrote all your names on little pieces of paper


Then, I put all your little names in a little hat (yeah, I went with the hat instead of the bag. I think it was a bold choice)


Then came the moment, but first we had to shake things up



And then we actually did the drawing (is this suspenseful to anyone besides me?)


And the winner is...

Yes, the picture is doctored - I admit, I added those dinosaurs. Congratulations to Bunny B - you won the dress! As for the rest of you, you know what? You warmed the cockles of my little heart, so I'm working on some consolation prizes for you. Especially you, Todd. My mom and all her friends are very sad you did not win. They were rooting for you. You will all get an email about it shortly.

Awesome Pattern Alert

Hey check out this new pattern available for free on Burda.com. I think it's absolutely beautiful and the best thing about it is you can totally make it your own by choosing your own fabric, shortening, lengthening etc.



Check out this beautiful dress!

Homecoming Under $50 Etsy Style

In case anyone missed it over the weekend, the dress is finished and the giveaway has begun. Don't forget to enter The Homecoming Dress Giveaway, ending Friday. :)

In the hunt for a modest homecoming/formal dress, there is one place that maybe many of you have not thought to look yet. Etsy. It's a website where sellers and buyers of handmade goods have an absolute heyday. You can find anything there - and it's all handmade. I found tons of great dresses there just searching for formal dresses. I only picked the ones that were both modest and under $50, and I found so many I just had to stop. Definitely go check it out if you are still looking for the perfect, unique dress.

My favorites:

This classy, vintage-style number is from etsy seller CassiesAttic for only $34.99



This one, from seller cutiepieboutique, is going for $42.00


But I love this one (going for $40) from the same seller even more. It's fun, it's flirty, it's way different, and let's face it, it's adorable.




This dress (for $45) is amazing, but you've got to see her other stuff. It's a little more expensive, but not nearly what it's worth. Seller LeTreMadine has beautiful renaissance, period, and even elven dresses. I'd say this one is so worth shelling out the extra bucks.


There's also this fun forties piece from the same seller, for only $35.00:






Those are only some of the gorgeous, handmade dresses out there available through Etsy. Definitely go check it out! You can also find gorgeous handmade jewelry to match your gorgeous handmade dress.

Homecoming Dress Giveaway: Starting Now

So, I finally finished it! It took way longer than the week I had planned, but I'm actually very happy with the results. I put it on today and felt giddy. Tee hee. Happy day. So, without any further ado, here it is:

Front:


(ladybug not included)

And back:




Sorry the back picture is a little weird - I didn't have anyone here to help me fix the bow. But you can get the idea right?

My mom pointed out I need to mention the size. It fits me, so it's about a size 6 - 8. The dress and the lining are both made of stretchy material, so it could possibly work for a 10. The best thing is the cut of it is quite forgiving to us large-hipped types, but would also look good on the not-so-large-hipped types. :)

See the original dress and post here.


Ok, so here are the rules for the giveaway.

1. Anyone can enter.

2. You can enter more than once.

3. To enter, comment on this post, saying something along the lines of, "hey there I'm entering." I will print out all the comments, cut them each out individually (because I'm awesome like that) and then draw one out of a hat (or bag, still haven't decided that crucial point) and the one I draw out will be the lucky winner.

4. Please don't post anonymously, because then I won't know who the prize goes to.

5. After I choose the winner (randomly) I will post that person's name with a great congratulatory message. That person can then contact me privately and give me the information of where to send the dress.

6. You can enter the drawing from now until next Friday, when I will do the drawing. Good luck!

More Modest Homecoming Under $50: Vintage Style

For the second installment of homecoming under $50, I thought I'd get a little creative with my searches and find some vintage dresses for you ladies. Here are a few I found on ebay:

I'm not sure how vintage this one really is, but it has a sort of throwback to that era style. I thought it was cute anyway, and its starting bid is 23.99



What I thought when I saw this one was "Holy awesomeness!!" Wow! It's got only 4 hours left for bidding and it's going for $30.00. I wish I had somewhere to wear it!


This one makes me think of some southern belle or something. It's here on ebay, with a starting bid of 19.99 and the bidding ends Saturday.


This pretty and simple ebay item can be found here. With three hours left on the auction, it's going for just 3.99.


This vintage number from the 70's can be found here on ebay for the "buy it now" price of 39.99.


This is not vintage or period, but I found it and thought someone might appreciate a $10 homecoming dress:

This little black dress from Target is a steal at 9.99. Dress it up with pretty jewelry, maybe a slip from vintage hem, fancy hair, and you've got yourself a cheap, modest homecoming outfit.



And one more non-vintagey one. I found this one for 46.50 in the sale section of Shabby Apple's site (such cute dresses) It's a little more casual, but it's so cute:

Modest Homecoming Under $50

So, I'm still hiding from the dress, but not idly. I'm formulating ideas and things should be done soon. Meanwhile, since I noticed that many people are finding my site on a search for modest and cheap homecoming gowns, I decided to go on a little search of my own and see what I could round up for under 50 dollars. I know how incredibly frustrating it is to find a modest dress without spending a lot of money. So, I've done a little of the legwork for you and hopefully something will strike your fancy. The links will take you to the site where you can buy or bid on the dress.

The worst first:

If you're looking to really stand out at homecoming and have a little fun, you might try this eighties style dress on sale for 29.00 at cybernet plaza




Then there's this cute, sort of baby-dollish dress from PromGirl for 38.00.


Now for the ones I actually like:

This one comes from Discount Dressup, and I think it's quite cute, nice color and simple design, selling for 39.99



And if you want to go for the classic little black dress, this one from Chadwicks is on sale for 39.99. Pair it with a slip like this one from Vintage Hem and you could fancy it up a bit and make sure it's long enough.

Don't forget to try ebay for a unique dress and possibly really good deal. Here are some current auctions I found:

Someone still looking for a kimono-style dress? Well here's one going for a starting bid of 39.99 or you could skip the auction and buy it now for 49.99.


I also really love this classy formal that has a starting bid of 9.99 and two days left on the auction.



This one is probably my favorite of them all, but you're going to have to act quick. The bid closes in four hours. The going price is 39.99.



Well, hopefully these gave you some ideas of some dresses or some places to look. I wish you all success finding something that makes you feel beautiful on your special day.

Shh... I'm Hiding!

Um... ok, I don't see it anywhere. I think I can talk safely about it now. What's it, you ask? That dress, that nightmare with such great potential dress! So I had hoped to finish the homecoming dress project in a week but, per usual, I have taken on something way beyond my skill level. My skill level is like a .37 out of 100, so it's not hard to do. But here I am with a beautifully dyed dress with a lining from h-e-double hockeysticks and tulle out my ears and NOTHING IS WORKING. But, I still have some emergency backup plans to try and maybe the dress will still come out looking halfway decent. Wish me luck. Maybe it will be done this weekend? That is, if I can get my courage up and stop hiding from it.

Mittens!

Ok, maybe it's a little early to be getting all worked up over mittens, but I found these at the farmer's market on Saturday and they just totally won me over. A local lady makes them out of old wool sweaters and lines them with fleece from old jackets. Mine are lovely, all mismatchy and with the cutest buttons. Here, see for yourself:

I tried to get these pictures in a cute little collage or something, but I got impatient, so forgive the weird format. Anyway, if you live here in Provo, stop by the farmer's market on Saturdays and see if you can get yourself a pair.

Kimono-Style Hoodie Tutorial

Hi everyone. So, what with having a few extra English lessons this week and a visit from my brother in law, I haven't had a chance to work on the dress at all since dyeing the fabric. So, hopefully I will be able to finish it this weekend and put it up for all of you to enter the drawing really soon. Sorry for the delay. (Mostly sorry because I am just as curious as the next person to see how this is going to work out.)

Meanwhile, I have found an awesome tutorial for you guys through Craftster.com. You can learn how to make this awesome hoodie:


Just follow this link to get the instructions and give it a go! I can't wait to try mine... as soon as this dress is finished.

In other news, I got a huge box full of clothes from a friend who is moving so I have my next dress project all lined up. Who here likes pink? Or should we dye it again...

Dress Update and Eliza Magazine

So, things with the dress are going well. I went to Joann's on Saturday and bought fabric for the lining and the lengthening bits, ribbon, and dye. The colors I had planned did not exactly work out - I found a much more tempting fabric in a different color - shall I give it away or surprise you all once it's done?
Sunday I made the pattern for the lining, which was time-intensive but fun when it finally worked out. So far so good.
Monday I did the actual dyeing of the dress, and I am extremely pleased with the results. I've never dyed anything before (unless you count tie-dyed t-shirts), so I was more than a little worried, but the color came out exactly as I hoped it would.
So, now it's just making the lining and putting on the finishing touches.

Also, today, I wanted to tell you guys about Eliza magazine. I think I may have mentioned it before, but I don't think I gushed enough. This is a magazine that showcases fashion and other feminine interests (forgive me if that's a little stereotyping on my part) but with a distinct focus on modesty and high standards. The fact that they exist and are doing well makes me feel good about the world we live in. Read this to learn more about them. They have an awesome blog as well as quarterly issues.

Dress Inspiration

I want to make a dress that looks like this but longer and with sleeves. Need ideas!

Homecoming Dresses: Sale at Great Lengths

Well, since not everyone can win a dress (sad, but true), I wanted to highlight some other sources for homecoming attire. Happily, Great Lengths Shorts is having a sale on many of their beautiful, modest semi-formal and formal dresses.

My picks:



(Though I really hate those shoes. Really hate them.)