Tiki NIGHTMARE

The "nightmare" conversation goes something like this:

X: So Claire (me) what are you working on at the moment?

Me: STILL the tiki dress

X: Wow- you have been working on that dress for two months.

Me: *gives mean look* Yea, I know. I had to unpick the zipper, the bodice, and the side wraps. Reattach the side wraps and shorten the bodice by 3 inches.

X: Aren't you 6' tall?

Me: Yea- I usually have to LENGTHEN the bodice. Apparently this pattern was made for Yao Ming.

X: Well you put the zipper back in so you are all done now, right?

Me: NOOOO! The wraps are not sitting correctly so I now have to put little snaps on the bust line and some how tack the sash down on the side seam so they don't pucker. Which all needs to be done by hand *stabbing motion* I have given up on the boning in it too. Maybe I will just rip the sashes off. *sigh* (Any helpful ideas on the sash would be greatly appreciated!)

Meanwhile, I have 2 other projects waiting for me and TWO new machines to play with. Maybe I can make a tiki torch out of this dress! What really burns me (heh) is that I paid quite a bit for this pattern. I am going to need one of these (bel0w) when I am done!

Yay!

I know, I am a nerd but I am so happy I have 5 followers!

Here are the things in the works this week:

1. Cupcake dress
2. Finish this stinkin' tiki dress
3. Copy a vintage pattern. Does anyone know where I can get pattern tracing paper that is cheap?? I bought some from JoAnn's for $2.75 a yard!
4. My serger class (Rich got me a class with my Serger :)
5. Getting a new sewing machine. Costco has a Singer Brilliance on special for $130! Over 100 stitches.
6. Using my new Steam Mop I got this weekend.
   
7. Going to Frankie's Tiki Room. If you are ever in Vegas you must try it.

I wonder how much of this I will actually get done!?

Once again, so happy I have followers.

What Color Top?

I am planning on making Simplicity 3748 with some cupcake material (please ignore the wrinkles- I haven't pressed it yet) that I have had FOREVER. I wanted to make something funky and fun for the summer. I am sure my birthday at the end of the month had SOMETHING to do with it! ;) But my question is, pink or yellow halter top for this? I plan on making the bolero and the halter top in the same color and making the cuffs in the cupcake pattern. SO what do you think, pink or yellow??

Shag Me Salon Las Vegas Review

I do not post reviews on my blog but in this case I feel like I have to... yea- it was THAT BAD!

After much "shopping around" and reading reviews I opted to go to this Salon. I was super excited due to all the fab reviews- I have never been so wrong! I now have to go and get color correction due to this establishment. Here's the scoop...

I walk in 10min early, as I always do, to see a child sitting at the receptionist chair. I say, "Hello I have an appointment with Sam." The little girl (who come to find out is the owners child) rolls her eyes and says, "Pfft Sam has no appointments today." To which her mother interjects (with no apology mind you) that my stylist had been switched to Erica. This should have been a sign to walk out, I decided to stay. As I am sitting there the owner burned a client with a flat iron and the stylist (I use that term loosely) I was working with was fixing a guys hair. I was finally seen 15min later than my appointment. Which I had made a week before. I am explaining what I want using rockabilly icons and this girl hadn't a clue. Thank goodness I had pictures! Anywho- I explain what I was doing with my hair and even the level and shade I was at and that I wanted beige natural tones. In addition I say I use "purple" shampoo to stop brassiness all stylists know you have to adjust the toner accordingly. Erica begins cutting (she dry cut my hair) while she was cutting her HANDS WERE SHAKING! She luckily didn't butcher my hair but left a lot of dead ends and really only cleaned up the front. Erica then went to the back to make my coloring and it seriously took her 20min to come back. She was setting up for my highlights and was struggling. I remind her that my highlights had no pattern and they were being used to break up the black (I am lightening my hair). She rinses out my hair and does not put toner over the highlights! They are BRIGHT BLEACHED BLONDE! I ask her, "Are we going to put a toner over this? These highlights are much too bright" This is AFTER I have already told her I am not a fan of highlights that we were using them to break up the deep rooted color. "Oh Oh" she says and puts toner over them.... We go and rinse another time... as she is blowing out my hair (even her hair dryer skills were laughable) I see a blue-green tinge... as it gets a little dryer ALL of my highlights are green/blue! I am like "Ummmm why is this happening?" "Oh OH" she says and pulls me back to the wash basin again. She then pulls SANDY (the one that gets the raves) back into the back room and is gone for 15min. THEN pulls the owner to the back. The owner comes back while Sandy and Erica are still back there and while I am sitting there the owner laughs and says, " haha you will have something to chuckle about! You sure you didn't want blueish hair?" NOT the answer I wanted from the OWNER. They then have to apply a soap cap, more bleach on my already bleached hair, and retone the highlights AGAIN. As we are blowing out my hair for the third time now I see more blue! She calls the owner and sandy over and they insist that its only my imagination. The owner adds that the highlights aren't the same shade but she suggested leaving it bc of all the correction already going on in my hair. Then the owner actually had to TELL Erica to flat iron my hair then they left!... ok fine... So Erica goes to flat iron my hair and I had to stop her. MY HAIR WAS STILL WET! All of you know that is a no no. I had to show Erica where the wet spots were! I was finally done (after 5 hours!) and go home. It looked good. I wasn't worried. Then it started turning colors! I have only washed it once WITH purple shampoo and I have huge spots of brassiness in addition to blue/green. Oh and did I mention she ended up turning my hair DARKER after I specifically said I was lightening my hair. I now am going tomorrow to a color correction pro to get this fixed.

in a nut shell- she covered my highlights in the front of my bangs... did not carry my highlights through,... used a demi permanent... and in the end TURNED MY HAIR BLUE/GREEN!

Halloween Costume

I know you are all like, "Seriously, Halloween??" BUT I am taking advantage of having my summer off to complete this costume. I had purchased all the stuff I needed for it last year September time but due to school (work) I never got around to making it and went as the Bride of Frankenstein instead. So this year I am on it! Mermaid here I come! I am using Simplicity 4043 (below) and some mermaid-e looking fabric. I hope the satin does not give me a headache!

Birthday Serger

I am so excited - I will be getting a Husqvarna Serger 200s for my birthday!I have a list of things I want to do with it. I do need to get my Halloween costume done first! Any words of advice for a first time serger?

Black and White

I finally finished the black and white dress from my May 8th post. I ended up having to take in the waist as well. But I think it came out pretty cute. I would like to make a wide brimmed black hat to go along with it!

The Facts
Fabric: Cotton from Joann's Fabrics. $4 a yard... 6 yards ($24)
Lining- white broadcloth from Joann's scrap bin $3.
Pattern: Butterick Retro 5603 choice C
Year: c. 1956
Notions: 16" zipper and a whooooole lot of bias tape (not called for in the pattern)
Time to complete: I lost count! I put it away and came back to it. To steal a term a "UFO"
First worn: July 2nd
Wear again? Yes!