Showing posts with label embroidered dress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label embroidered dress. Show all posts

Sunday, December 1, 2013

DIY: An Embroidered Fall Blouse

   
I'm interrupting my own blog post to share a coupla things with you: I was recently interviewed by The Art of Education about my (often disturbing) wardrobe choices and how I use that as a teaching tool in the art room. Jessica of AOE wrote such a flattering article, I can't thank her enough (check's in the mail, gurl)! I'd also like to announce that I'll be one of the presenters at The Art of Education's online conference! You can keep up with details of this on my facebook page and The Art of Education's page as well. Okay, back to my usual ramblingness.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday (for which I had a whole week off! Don't hate. Ain't my fault the Turkey Fairy don't like you), hubs and I traveled quite a bit. Our first stint was out to California where we hiked, shopped and Disneyland'ed ourselves silly. Possible travel post to come if I can shake this lazy-itis I've been fighting off for the last, oh, 38 years. 

Now I know I've told ya that I really only embroidery when we travel. It's not my most fave craft in the whole wide world but it does travel well so I like to partake when flying or road trippin. And I was actually looking forward to that long flight back to Tennessee to finish this bad boy...that is until our 4:50pm flight was delayed until 8pm. Which wouldn't be that big-o-deal except for the fact that we'd been there since 2pm because hubs is an ever-so-slight spazz-o when it comes to getting the airport in a timely fashion. Because, when traveling with that dude, there is no "fashionably late" there's only "awkwardly early".
Airplane embroidery studio. Turn on that overhead light, drop down that drink table and get to stitchin.
When we finally boarded the plane (which was now slated to land at the lovely hour of 1:30am) and got ourselves settled in, the captain decides to get on the intercom and play Comedy Hour:

Cap: Folks, this is your captain speaking (really?! Why must they always introduce themselves that way? I mean, who else in the world addresses people as "folks" besides an airplane captain?) We're sorry for the delay. We had to change planes because the plane we just landed practically EXPLODED when we hit the runway!

Plane "Folks": Awkward silence. Uncomfortable shifting. Random cough.

Cap: So! We are gonna fly this plane super fast and make up for lost time (yes, he actually used the words "super fast". Terminology learned in flight school, I'm sure ).
Now, for some reason, I've developed this slight fear of flying over the last couple of years. It really only flairs up when we hit turbulence and I just know the whole plane is going to go down in one big ole ball of flames. Which is why I love sitting in the exit row. Not so I can be some sort of hero (despite what I swear to the stewardess) but because I wanna get off first in true so-long-suckas fashion. So, when things started to get a little bumpy, I went all white-knuckle on the arm rests and Capt. Comedian got on the intercom:

Cap: Folks, this is your captain speaking (really?). Things are going to get a bit bumpy due to some winds out of the Northeast (why do they think we care about this stuff?! I don't give a flip where the winds are coming from, just fly around 'em and make the plane stop bouncing like a trampoline!) So I'm going to ask that you stay seated and buckle your safety belts. Thank you. 
(and then...the worst happens...)

Cap: Flight attendants, discontinue drink services (um, excuse me?! I'm expected to survive this Airplane Bounce House without my grown-up bevvy?!). Take your seats imm--

 And, then, like outta some airplane horror movie, the intercom cuts him short and goes to static for the next 10 seconds. And he never gets back on the intercom.

The lady across the aisle does the sign of the cross. I'd follow suit if my nails weren't digging into the thighs of the stranger to my right. He doesn't even notice because he's fervently reading the safety manual like he's cramming for an exam.
I love this super sweet book and it's illustrations. This Japanese author uses poems and stories to explain how to draw the animals. I used her illustrations of deer as the inspiration for my embroidery.
Needless to say, this story ended with us (practically crash) landing at the lovely hour of 2am with the pilot delivering this epic summary as we frantically unbuckled our safety beats, unsilenced our cell phones and yanked carry-ons outta the overhead: 

Well, folks, we made it. 

Seriously? Have they thought about making these pilots take a mandatory speech class? 

 Whatevers, my embroidery was complete. Speaking of, since this is a DIY post, I suppose I should chat a moment about that, doncha think? I've had this dress (that's right, this isn't a blouse at all but a too short and clingy dress that, after wearing as a dress just once and receiving the evil eye from grandmas everywhere, I banned to the back of my closet). This dress is the sister to this navy number which I also embroidered a while back. That one's a size up and slightly less grandma-offensive.

I settled on a fall theme for this brown dress. Using a white colored pencil, I sketched out my design directly onto the cotton and set to work. You can read how-to directions of stitches in this post where I embroidered a wee necklace.

By the way, these photos were not taken in Cali. After returning home for just a day, my mom drove down from Indiana (thanks, mom!) and we drove to Birmingham to stay with my in-laws (thanks, in-laws!) for Thanksgiving. This is the view outside their lovely home.
I always convince myself that embroidery takes no time at all when it truly takes me forever. Especially all of those doggone fall leaves. Which is the reason I really only embroider when I have to like when we travel.

I've spent some time debating whether or not that squirrel should stay or go. I can't decide if he belongs or he's outta place. Whatcha think?

One thing I do know: he's not givin' up that nut.
Once the embroidery was complete, I decided the plain dark brown buttons had to go. But I only had a few of these yellowish brown ones...so I decided to alternate.
And there you have it! One fall-ish embroidered blouse/dress for your December 1st viewing pleasure. Whoops, sorry. Totally meant to share this with you sooner. Now this blouse/dress is tucked away with the rest of my fall wardrobe (what, you don't organize your closet by seasons?) I've busted out the Christmas wear and I'm ready to showcase my most tackiest of attire!

Well, folks, until then, avoid those nasty winds outta the Northeast and have a great week!
Read more »

Sunday, June 24, 2012

What the Art Teacher Wore #22

Last Minute Bag Packing Monday: Yeah, I've gotten really bad at bag-packing-procrastination lately. Which means each trip I manage to come home with a new umbrella, toothbrush and a pair of shades. dress: thrifted Target dress that I added the big bow to last summer; hair clips: H & M
Well, hello, er, guten tag, amigos (what, you didn't know I was trilingual?). I thought I'd share with you what I wore around the states and Deutschland this week. I found these wonderful vintage vacation advertisements for Germany that I just had to share as well. My apologies for the photos, they aren't my best work. But the model was experiencing some serious jet-lag and gelato-hangovers so I did what I could. 

I do hope you have a lovely week. I'll be back shortly as I have a little traveling craft I've been working on that I'm excited to share. Until then, auf wiedersehen!
The weather has been absolutely lovely here. It's that perfect spring time temperature without any humidity like we have back in Nashville. Images via pinterest.

Flying Day and Night: Knowing that I'd be traveling by car and plane for 12 hours, I decided to wear the comfiest thing I could. dress: Gap with embroidery DIY you can read about here; tights: Target; sandals: DIY you can read about here.
I actually love a long plane ride. We don't have cable at Casa de Cassie so that wee telly and I do a lot of catching up on those 8 hour flights.
Dinner in Neustadt an der Aisch Wednesday: The company that my hubs works for is located in this sweet village. We snapped this photo on our walk home from a very filling traditional German dinner at a local brewery. sweater: vintage, thrifted; dress: vintage, Pre-Post Modern in Nashville; bag: Anthropologie, last winter
I love this country, especially in the summer. I have visited two other times in the late fall...which has been wonderful because of the Christmas Markets...but so chilly! The summer here means delightful temps and sunset at 10pm.
Guided Tour Thursday: I was so excited to have a sweet friend guide me through Rothenburg. Photos of my adventures there (as well as Jes') soon. sweater: Target, old; dress: thrifted vintage; belt and flower clip: H & M
But when my tour guide had to work, I was left to my own devices...that's right, me on the autobahn in a VW, of course! Thankfully I was once again in good company and bossed around by a GPS. 
Nuremberg, I Think I Love You: Okay, I know I do. I've visited three days in a row! It's the most delightful town. I've been through castles, churches, an artist's studio and shops. Lots and lots of shops. I was so excited to score my second pair of Irregular Choice shoes -- eep! sweater: Target, old; dress: Anthropologie, a couple years old; best shoes for walking on cobble stoned streets: Chacos, of course
I even managed to find some vintage Nuremberg postcards today in an "antik" shop. Vintage postcards are my fave, especially those with writing and postage, so fun.








Read more »

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

DIY: Floral Embroidery

So, do you remember that floral embroidery sneak-peak I shared with you here? Well, I finally finished it! But if you want to read more, you'll have to head over to one of my favorite blogs, The Little Red Squirrel.

Sweet Katie, the creative mind behind The Little Red Squirrel, is on vacation in Paris (I had to photoshop my green-with-envy face) and asked me if I wouldn't mind being a guest blogger for her. I shared with her readers my floral embroidery DIY. I do hope you'll take a look and add her blog to your blog reader, it's fantastic!

And thanks again, Katie, it was a delight. Enjoy your holiday!
Read more »