1) I would like to learn how to sew... and by "sew", I mean, be able to sew, alter, upcycle, and design. (I think it runs in my family.... My mom can sew, my Auntie Sandra can sew, and my grandma can sew. I also "borrow" good sewing vibes from Aunt Tami and Aunt Rhonda.)
2) I would like to learn how to play the piano... and then the violin. I have always wanted to be able to share some sort of musical ability... but I don't have any as of yet. (Hence, this list).
3) I want to learn how to write children's literature. I am taking an Intro to Children's Lit course this semester and it really fascinates me. I would love to be creative and write children's stories based on challenges they face in the world today.
4) Photography. I could never paint or sculpt, but I think I could do photography. I would love to learn how to look at the world from a different angle. :)
5) I want to learn the proper way to swim... I made it to maroon when I was a kid and I could swim to save my life, but I have always wanted to learn all the proper techniques and swim strokes. I would love to be able to go to the pool before school or an exam and swim lengths. It would be a way to clear the mind and work the body...
Anyways, this is not really what this post is all about. And, the list goes much longer, but I am getting off track.
The other day, I went into Forever 21. I don't really shop there very often because the store always seems such a mess.... but there are some real treasures to be found there if you are willing to look. Anyways, I had to go to the mall to get a book for school (that cost 55 bucks, bleh) and I decided to look around. I have been avoiding the malls lately in an attempt to stop the accumulation of STUFF. No, this is not a spending strike that you hear about all over the blogosphere these days.... It is just an attempt to simplify my life. It actually feels pretty good. I even went through my closet and gave away a bunch of stuff that I love, but never wear. (How tragic is that? Having pretty things hang in your closet... and never wearing them). Anways... we were talking about my trip to the mall... I stopped in a store to take a peek and I stumbled across these...
I fell in love with them... And they were my inspiration for my first project on the road to accumulating more talents. (ha!) I love the silver and light blue together.
So, I decided to make a dress for MYSELF that matched the idea/color scheme of these earrings! (I have not sewn something for myself since the pj's in high school).
I won't lie... it took me a long time to sew this dress. (Like 5 hours) But I would like to just mention that, since I am trying to get better at sewing, I wouldn't cut any corners on the project. I ironed, pinned, marked, re-ironed, pinned again, and ironed again. And here is the finished product:
Front View:
(There are pleats on the front that are hard to see in the photo).
From the Back:
(As you can see, modelling is not currently one of my talents... but, I did figure out how to use the self-timer on my camera! That's something to be proud of I think...)
It is definitely not the most flattering dress out there, but, man, is it comfy! And I made it out of a lightweight wool fabric that was "like butter"!
I think it will look really cute with a belt and cardigan. Good thing I have both of those at home (since I am avoiding malls at the moment).
Do you want to know the best part? Well, 2 "best parts" really.
1) It turned out exactly how it was supposed to... that has never happened to me before!
2) Total cost? Including the earings, this outfit cost a total of $4.75. Beat that Banana!
