It's Only July

I've recently been seeing some things in the store/on the internet that are...  dismaying.  Even though it is only July, fall/winter clothing has already begun to make an appearance.  And then I realized... summer is halfway over.

My solution to this discovery?  Getting out a brightly colored sewing project that was stashed in my closet (yay for continued stash busting!), and looking at summer clothes on Pinterest.  Maybe it's time to start thinking about fall fashion, but I'm not ready yet!

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/seamsforadesire/mayo2012/IMG_6524.jpg

http://capecodcollegiate.tumblr.com/post/30660123699

There's still another month and a half of summer!  Enjoy your summer fashions!

The Quilting Stash

When I saw Bonnie and Camille's line "Happy Go Lucky" at my favorite local quilt store, it was love at first sight.  I knew I wanted some.  It didn't take long for me to become a fan of both of their fabric collections and blogs (check them out for some great inspiration!).  And since "Happy-Go-Lucky" was my first love, I indulged in my first precuts.

Four charm packs later, I decided they were perfect for a pinwheel quilt.  It will be my first experience with precuts, and I'm very much looking forward to it!   It's next on my list after I finish my nearly pieced Marmalade Squares quilt.

I also adore Bonnie and Camille's new line, "April Showers."  Unfortunately none of the quilt stores I usually visit carry any!  I even looked along the way when my sisters and I took a 17hr road trip to visit some good friends, but it was not to be found anywhere I stopped!

I had decided to order some online (even though I prefer supporting local stores) when, on the way home from my grandma's house, my sister suggested we stop in a little store we were passing but had not previously visited.   I'm so glad we stopped, because they had an April Showers jelly roll!  (And now I know of another great quilt shop ~25min away!)

I really wanted yardage to make this cheerful quilt, but I'm happy to have found anything from the collection.  Not completely sure what this jelly roll with eventually turn into, but with two other quilts to finish, I have some time to decide.  :) And in the meantime, I get great joy from just looking at it!

Happy Independence Day!!!

New Fabric!

New fabric time!  Because I've nearly finished my current quilting project - and that means it's nearly time to use my adorable duckling fat quarter.  Yay!

I decided to use the free pattern/tutorial for the Marmalade Squares Quilt from Moda Bake Shop because I love bright colored fabrics on white backgrounds.  :)  So excited about this project!

Be Bold, Be Bright

Recently I've done a lot of Pinterest searches for "bright skirts", "bright, full skirt", "brightly colored skirt", and so on.  This may or may not be related to a sewing project I'm working on...  But you'll see that when it's finished.  For right now I'm here to share some of the inspiration I've discovered.

http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-Belted-Full-Midi-Skirt/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=2340309&cid=13632&sh=0&pge=4&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Bright+pink&r=2

http://www.simplyboldblog.com/2012/01/do-you-subscribe-to-nordstroms-catalog.html

I love each and every one of these.  Bright colors are just so fun!

http://www.merricksart.com/2013/05/sunshine.html

http://www.simplyboldblog.com/2012/01/do-you-subscribe-to-nordstroms-catalog.html

And I rediscovered one of my favorite photo shoots of Jennifer Lawrence.  This yellow skirt is serving as current inspiration, but the whole photo shoot is great.  Her hair and clothes are simply perfect!

ppsl-05-jennifer-lawrence-cov.jpg

What's inspiring you this week?

Dress Beginnings

While trying on some dresses as Old Navy I found one I really liked, but would have preferred it to be a little longer on me.  So I decided to make my own!

New Look 6936 was almost exactly what I wanted, but the sleeves weren't quite right and I wanted the waist to be closer to my actual waist instead of empire.  My mom had a vintage 70s pattern in her sewing stash that had a perfect sleeve shape, but I didn't particularly care for the neckline options.  So I decided to be brave and try to combine the two patterns to get the look I want.

After an evening of drafting, I think the two combined rather well!  I'm hoping it goes together quickly and without mishap so I can wear it to a conference next weekend.  :)

Now if this little guy would just move off my fabric so I can sew...  Who am I kidding?  I'll let him sit there as long as he wants.  :)

Dress Corilynn

I recently found myself on Dress Corilynn admiring some very lovely skirts.  Just check out the really cute pictures scrolling on her site header.  Instant love.  :)

I recommend checking out the blog.  I haven't read much yet, but I really like what I was able to read quickly.  I'll definitely be visiting her site again!

Pencil Skirt Inspiration

I love pencil skirts.  Neutrals, bright colors, it doesn't matter...

 

http://www.studentswife.com/

http://www.kendieveryday.com/

http://www.extrapetite.com/

Now don't you want one, too?  :)

Winter Inspriation

Here's what I'm feeling inspired by today - I love all the bright colors.  :)

I'm feeling ready for freezing temperatures, lots of Christmas lights, snow piled on the ground, a warm fire, and all the other things that make winter Winter.  This is one of my favorite times of year!  Hope you are enjoying the beginning of the Christmas season!

Sorry, I haven't had much time to put together posts this week...  I've started working on my Eowyn vest, so I'll be sure and give you an update soon!

Orange Tights

Found this picture which I believe is a JCrew model and was feeling so inspired by it!  I'm a lover of tights, especially colored tights.  I think it's great how they took a neutral, preppy outfit and added splashes of color with the bright pink belt and burnt orange tights.  It looks really cute and really nice!

This served as the inspiration I needed to go ahead and buy some tights from Target (their $5 tights are the best price I've found, and they come in a variety of colors) and I'm so glad that I got them!  :)

Hat Inspiration

I tend to be a sucker for hats and right now am feeling inspired to wear them more often.  They can add such a cute touch to an outfit, instantly transforming it from basic to adorable.

Some of my main inspiration has been MJ in Spiderman 2, Sarah in I Am Number Four, Claire in Elizabethtown, and recently Gwen from The Amazing Spiderman.  (I’m not necessarily recommending any of these movies, you can find reviews here)  They all manage to look so sweet and trendy, pairing them with everything from graphic tees to cardigans to dresses.  They really add something to an outfit!

Looking at these and other photos have really put me in the mood to knit, hence the hat I started a couple days ago.  I'm planning to do a fair amount of knitting in the near future so as to improve my skills to the point of fulfilling my dream to knit myself a long sweater...  :o)

Photos from kinopoisk.ru

Summer Inspiration

Wow. I can't believe I haven't posted in a month! I'm so sorry to all of my dear blog friends! I'll try to get back into the habit of posting regularly!

At the moment I seem to be in a dresses mood... summer dresses. With flip-flops... Or cute hemp-heeled sandals... Bright colors, full skirts, perfect for almost any occasion, and lots of fun to wear!

There are great selections at two of my favorite places to shop - Old Navy...





...and Target.





Yes, I like stripes. Can you tell?

I'm thinking about trying to make my own knit dress this year, but I'm not sure if I am brave enough to work with stretchy fabric.

In other words, I'm very excited today because I've pulled my flip-flops out and am hyped about wearing them again, and Celtic Thunder's newest CD finally arrived from Ireland; it makes me happy. :o)