0 When We Were Young... My Turn!!!

Hey folks!

Are you feelin' a little nostalgic? 

I'm over at Suz's place, Sewpony for a little reminiscing of my fondest childhood memory. Come on over and hang out!

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11 Wrap Dress in Stretch

Alrighty...

are you ready for another outfit for moi?

I'm really late posting about this baby. Really late, like last Thanksgiving late. Is it the lack of proper equipment to take self portraits? Um, yah. Is it insecurities and just feeling, "blah" about self pics? Um, yah. Is it laziness and finding every excuse not do it? Yah and YAH.

I knew some day I had to share this and someday is now.

via Gaia Conceptions on Etsy

Look at this beauty. NO, not the lady! The dress. Yes...

that one. *sigh* I have been eyeing this for a looong time. I had to have it. One way or another, I had to have this dress, but the price... ouch.

What a mood killer.

So after many-MANY days (more like months) of oohing and aahing over the dress. I finally decided to replicate it. See my smile? Yesss... I am most pleased.

Oh, hi there.

This is as sexy as it gets, folks. HA! 

*blushing* 

I have a big butt... junk-in-the-trunk... bah-dunk-a-dunk... whatever you wanna call it, and wearing a wrap dress is a great fit to compliment my body type.

I used organic jersey cotton knit and the pattern itself was actually pretty easy to figure out. What's so special about this dress that made me swoon? The versatility and ease of wearing. I got two different ways of wearing it as a dress and one sweet cover-up...

all in one!

Guaranteed, this will NOT be the only one I'll make.

I am one happy woman.

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31 Washi Dress #3

My latest Washi dress... numero 3!

See my little peek-a-boo contrast fabric on the sleeve? I had originally wanted to make the sleeve fold up so that the contrast is more visible, but given my buff arms (don't be jelly) I need to alter the sleeve in order to do so properly.

Next time...

*darn!*

I guess I have to make another one.

I'm in love with the piping detail and the skirt band. 

Oh my gosh, have you seen Rae's collar tie on her latest Washi?!

Prerequisite for next dress:

1. folded cap sleeve

2. tie collar

MUST.MAKE.MORE.

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Have a lovely Monday, folks!

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31 Dear Ms. Rae, Thank You.

       Dear Ms. Rae,

I would like to express my sincerest gratitude and utmost appreciation for your Washi Dress pattern. I am beside myself due to the simplicity and beauty of this design. 

I have been sewing for many years and have great respect for good design but alas I am puzzled...

How were you able to design such a dress to tailor fit my body? How were you able to obtain my measurements? How did you know what design would work best for me? 

Honestly, you could have just made the dress to fit ALL women, but instead, you chose me as the foundation for your creation. I am at a loss for words.

So instead of running at the mouth, filling the sky with joy and reverence, allow me to show you my deepest thanks with these last few pictures...

Sending you much love,

Venus

p.s., I give you full permission to use my measurements for future designs. *wink*

10 Portrait Mug Custom Order

Every Christmas I like to give handmade gifts for several reasons. ONE: We is po'. TWO: NOTHING compares to handmade. THREE: I'm pretty crafty so why not exploit my talents. FOUR: My family is narcissistic. HA! Scratch the last reason- I kid!!! So when I decided to paint everyone's portrait and give it a Victorian feel, it was a big hit.

Since then I have been thinking about offering portrait mugs in the shop. I wasn't sure how the product would take, if anyone would be interested in something like this. Also the logistics of it all... the cost per ceramic, the paint, the firing and my time has to be accounted for and all priced accordingly.  Until I got an email from a web-friend and pattern tester to my Miss Jenny Apron pattern, Rebecca.

After seeing my mugs via Flickr and blog, she wanted one of her boyfriend for his birthday.

A dapper young man.

Special requests: Victorian style, he has a fondness for cycling and is a HUGE fan of the Boston Red Sox.

His family are big and I mean BIG fans, so much so the family built a 1/3rd scale Fenway Park on their property. Yes, you read it correctly.
Fenway Park.
1/3rd scale.
On property.
Check it out HERE.

You can see how I work my magic on creating these mugs HERE.
I have seen other ways of painting or transferring designs onto mugs or other ceramic pieces using sharpie pens and I have yet to try them out.
Have you tried it?
If so, does it really work?
I'm going to try this out myself and see if I can create such intricate designs. If it works, I'll let you know and perhaps another tutorial may be in order. We shall see...
SO the question still lies, should I sell custom portrait mugs? Thoughts? Ideas? I'd love to hear.
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P.S., Thanks Rebecca for letting me create something wonderful for you!!!

14 In The Garden

If I'm not sewing or on the computer, you'll find me in the garden with Lala.

Growing up, our backyard was filled with different kinds of fruit trees and vegetables. It was wonderful. In the summer I would go out everyday and with a ladder en tote, pick a colander full of the sweetest japanese plums you have ever tasted. Yummm!

Born on a farm in the Philippines, my mom has a love for gardening. Anything she touches thrives and bears glorious fruit or vegetables or flowers. Seriously... I think her blood is green. When I was little, I would watch her as she happily squats low to the ground, weeding and talking to her plants. I had to be on my toes, because my mom would throw worms at me for her entertainment. Funny lady.

Now it's my turn.

No, not throwing worms, but gardening.

This is my first year at gardening and I have to admit, I'm not too shabby. *pat-pat on the back*

Planter #1 I have the bigger plants. Have you ever had kabocha squash? It's a Japanese winter squash and it's dee-lish! It's sweet and great in soups.

How about cucamelons... heard of them? I've just learned about them this year. They look like tiny watermelons, like the size of large grapes. Some describe the taste as lemony cucumbers and is perfect for salads and pickling. Check out this video.

Out of everything in my garden, this by far is the one fruit I cannot wait to have. Boy, wouldn't it stink if I didn't like it? NAH! That won't happen.

I've got quite a few cucumbers growing. Slice these babies up with a splash of rice vinegar, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and you got yourself a little piece of heaven.

I have plans for these pumpkins...
pumpkin pies, pumpkin donuts... 

So far I've counted 10 kabochas. 10!!! Mmm... that's a lot of soup.

Planter #2 is pretty full. Lala and I just pulled some carrots and look...

They're nubs! Perhaps I pulled them too early? Any ideas to grow long carrots?

The first ichiban eggplant flower. These are the long and slender eggplants. My MIL likes to BBQ them and then mash it up and add lemon juice, coconut milk and salt. It's SO good.

Here's the italian eggplant flower. I'm scared to touch these flowers, as they have tiny thorns on the backside.

Ahhh... cherry tomatoes, Lala's favorite.

Lala loves to be in the backyard. I'll set up her little water bin and while she plays

I'll play too.

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