So my family has been out of town on vacation but since I'm a grown up now and just started my new job I had to stay home. However, this meant I had full control over the fridge, pantry, and meals! Now I hate lasagna, cause all that cheese is weird textured and gross, but I love cheesey sauces so I whipped up a super cheesey alfredo-like sauce to use instead and layered it with spinach, artichokes, tomatos and portabella mushrooms. The sauce was by far the most difficult thing and was almost a massive disaster: this is what I started with...

2[ish?] cups of milk
3 slices provolone
1 slice muenster

So I boiled the milk and added cheese. HUGE DISASTER. I had milk and melted cheese completely seperate from each other so I added:

1 cup parmesean
Lots of roux [butter and flour thickening mixture, is that the right word?]
1tbsp fresh minced garlic
1tsp ground thyme
1tps oregano
And then I whisked the crap out of it until it got creamy on very low heat and it actually worked.

So I buttered my pan, and got to work!
My layers went:
sauce
noodles
artichokes
sauce
noodles
portabella mushrooms
sauce
noodles
fresh spinach
sauce
noodles
tomatos
rest of sauce
shredded mozzarella and parsley



Cooked for 25 minutes at 350F and it was the most delicious thing ever! Only thing I didn't really enjoy was the sauce turned really thin in the oven [see plate above dominated by sauce], possibly from the juice from the tomatos? So I'd definately make the sauce thicker next time before I bake it to account for vegetable liquid

Ok, so this took me about three weeks to complete. It was waaaaay too labor intensive, but i finished it! I'll show you the pictures then you can read all my hard work I put into it.

That's the front, obviously. All of those gathers are hand tacked down [hence my hate of handsewing] Also, it is weaved, the back is better, but the front is also weaved.

There you can see the pretty lining fabric i used, cause the hem wasn't even haha oh well.
Thats the best picture I can find of the back, but it's weaved and twisted and wonderful. I am quite proud of it. Basically I took six strips of chiffony fabric and roll hemmed both sides [which was 42 YARDS, no joke] and then draped it into a weave on madeline, my duck tape dress form, and then hand sewed it all down. Then I sewed in these triangular panels into the skirt to make it larger and this weird gathery thing happened in the skirt, but I liked it so i was pleased. Then I roll hemmed the bottom with was a lot more yards. I took a while. Also, all the seams are French Seams. Which I learned, I kinda like. Overall, I wish the front was tacked down more so you could actually tell I have a body under there instead of just flowing off of it, but I still liked it =] There are also front pickups in it so I wouldn't trip on it at the dance, but I can't seem to find a picture, I'll post one if I find it though.

Also, just for kicks, this is what happens when you go to Cub at five in the morning for ice cream after prom

Ok, so recently i purchased a TON of lace at a thrift store for less than three bucks. I plan on making this dress with one of the laces i got... http://www.unique-vintage.com/authentic-vintage-peach-layered-lace-wiggle-dress-size-p-7292.html
but am unsure of what to do with the rest of it.

I have about 36/37 yds of that. It's a LIGHT pink/peach color and its what i plan to use for that vintage dress

And I have at least 12 yds of that white lace, any ideas?
I am also wondering how you attatch lace? I've done it both by machine and by hand but by hand takes FOREVER! So while it's less noticeable, it is really worth it?
Also, what is stretch lace seam binding for? The stuff that looks like...

I have a ton of it but I just use it for decoration, does it actually have a purpose?
I also found this super, super stretchy thin lace that to me seems like it would serve no purpose, cause it's not very decorative, any ideas what it's for? I was thinking maybe lingerie or something?

Thanks for your imput!

ok. so i woke up this morning ready for my PSEO classes AND my high school classes that started today, and then i realized that i didn't have a bag to use for my high school classes since i didn't want to carry around my four college textbooks when i didn't need them. therefore, i used a crappy bag today with the knowledge that when i get home i was going to make an awesome one! and i did, well i think so at least. i loosely based it off of this tutorial from DisneyP, i just switched some steps around to make it easier and made it bigger and such to fit my books/folders. anyways, here's the tute... http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=318796.0

and pictures
the whole thing...

the awesome lining...

my vintage cresty buttons...

and my bag in comparison to me =]


I am so excited to go to school tomorrow and show it off!
C&C welcome and appreciated =]

ok.
1. To start out with cut a rectangle of fabric about 1 3/4 around your bust by roughly 30" [you can lengthen it or shorten it if you wish]
2. cut this large rectangle in half so you have two peices of fabric that go almost all the way around you by 30"
3. place fabric with right sides facing as if you are going to sew the seam that you just cut back up [which is exactly what you are going to do actually]. pin the seams together
like so...

4. sew up the seams until about 5-6" from the top and backstitch to secure stitch. then continue sewing up to the top using a basting stitch like shown...


repeat on the other side doing the same thing
5. iron the seams open [including basting]

6. unpick basting ONLY after it is suffeciently ironed as this will make the next step 10x easier.

7. sew along what you just unpicked at 1/4" and MAKE SURE YOU BACKSTITCH AT THE BEGINNING!!! or your dress may fall apart...

8. make a casing for your ribbon/string at the top. i pressed mine down 1" and then sewed 1/4" from the bottom edge

9. press up and sew your hem [again, i pressed up 1" and sewed at 1/4"]

10. string your ribbon or string through the upper casing and tada! you're finished! =] wear it many different ways. you can see different ways to wear it here... http://store.americanapparel.net/rsa0300.html
and more detailed instructions here: http://bspoetry.blogspot.com/2008/07/le-sac-dress.html

what your dress looks like flat and not put on...


here are the two i made =]


and one more picture just cause

well im just finishing up two quarters of fashion, fabric, and contruction classes and these are the good things that came out of it.

vintage maxidress:


its a black floral print made from this 1975 pattern:

i had to shorten it five inches cause im only 5'2" but i like it.

easter dress:

pattern detail

pocket/lace detail


awkward pajama top that i altered to fit me, well kinda:

that looks fairly normal right? well, i can't figure out how to make the sleeves less fat. they are about twice the size of my arm as seen here:

it just looks super awkward.
and awesome lace heart pockets =]