Project Run and Play week 2, Fashion Icon Challenge

I decided to go with Esther Williams as my fashion icon for this weeks challenge (entirely influenced by the fact that I have been watching her movies as I have been unpacking.) and a swimsuit was perfect for Emmie, as she had a growth spurt this summer, and became too long in the body for all of her old suits!

I made this this morning, since I was debating whether or not to take the time to sew along (we've had A LOT going on around here, both of my kids each just skipped a grade, so 4 weeks into the school year Isaac is now an 11 year-old 7th grader and Emmie is now a 10 year-old 6th Grader, {there is an entire story behind this that I hope to share eventually, I just need to sit down and write it} and we have had meetings after meetings, getting them set up with classes and schedules, and tests, etc. not to mention a tsunami, and the house that is still full of boxes....... so naturally I stopped what I should have been doing, and sewed something!) But I thought I would be sad if I didn't try to do SOMETHING, and since I had all the stuff in my stash (stash busting counts as unpacking right?) I took a couple of hours and made the swimsuit for her! (I love how fast swimsuits are to make!)

 This swimsuit is made from a red and white polka-dot nylon spandex that I got in Philly about 2 years ago for $1 for 4 yards.  (can I not tell you how I love her little girl stance! She still has a little belly that she doesn't hold in, and legs for miles!)

 I used fold over elastic for the ties,

 and to go across the front, back, and around the arm holes. (The suit is also fully lined in a tan swimsuit lining fabric.)

 I went with ties to hopefully get a little more flexibility and time out of this swimsuit!, the front has an overlay, that has gathering at the bust to give it a V shape.

 Emmie almost always swims with a swim cap (usually just boring Speedo ones) because her hair gets into an awful mess if it isn't held up in the pool, and she doesn't like how goggles pull her hair without a cap. I made her this one so that it comfortably accommodated her large bun, and as per her request, I added a chin strap, so that the weight of her wet hair didn't drag the cap off (a problem with her other caps) I added the rosette as flatly as I could, so she can still wear goggles if she wants to!

 I love how red looks with this baby girl's eyes, she is just staring at you through a pool of blue! The overlay is gathered all down the sides, with a skirt like hem at the bottom.

I love the silhouette of vintage 40's swimsuits on the booty, so modest, and cute (having a cute little bottom probably doesn't hurt either!) I felt like the broad shoulders was a super 40's look too, as they loved to show off Esther Williams' broad swimmer's back in her movie costumes!

My favorite picture of her doesn't even show off the suit, I like the top left one where she is trying to do synchronized swimming...... she's such a funny doll, I love sewing for her!

Well, it's midnight here, I had better go to bed, we are going to have a late night tomorrow, as we head off to the Air Force Ball in Seoul tomorrow in the early afternoon!

Out and About in Korea!

Yesterday Paul and I went out for a drive while the kids were in school, and it was so lovely we took them back today. I wish I could tell you the name of the place we found, but I am afraid I couldn't read the signs!



This is a statue from a Buddhist Temple that we found on the side of the road by a lake!



There were stunning terraces on the way up to the temple, and on the left you can see where we found the statue!



We found the temple by seeing this blingy gold Buddha from the street, it was so shiny! (we couldn't get close because there was construction.)



This Pagoda was from the 9th century and it was saved from destruction by being hidden during a war with the Japanese in the 16th century, and then moved to this spot before the man made lake was flooded (otherwise it would have been underwater)

It was so beautiful, and so fun to leave boxes behind for the morning, and get the kids out in the beautiful weather, and start to absorb the culture of our beautiful host country!

P.S. I thought this was quite funny, we stopped into an antique store, and Emmie found this round stone decoration,



I asked her what she thought it was, and her answer was "Antique DVD?" 21st century child much?

It's Project Run and Play Time Again!!!

So I didn't make it into this season of Project Run and Play (actually quite a relief with what we have going on here at the house, I'm still in box land looking like an episode of hoarders) but that doesn't mean I can't try to be part of the sew along this season! I can't guarantee that I'll do every week, as I really need to get some stuff done around here - but I made/am making clothes for Emmie for school anyway, so I am just doing them to sort of match the Project Run and Play themes. Week one is Pattern Remix, and I made Emmie this red dress,

 As inspired (I'm using this loosely, as stripy things are the only real thing they have in common!) by Katy Dills lovely "It's Okay to be Biased" skirt tutorial. The dress is made out of a sheer printed knit, with a red cotton knit underneath.

 The front has a panel of black tricot strips that are gathered and sewn down with black bias strips. The red trim on the front really isn't wonky, the puff at the front just made it look that way in a couple of the pictures.

 (Notice the Korean stone thingy in the background. Photo shoots here are going to be interesting I think, as there are certainly a lot of cool things to stand by anyway! This one is by the front of my apartment building.)

 The dress just pulls over the head (yay knits) and is tied in the back with a simple bow.

 You can see the bias strips, and the color effect really well here I think,

 I left the sleeves unlined.

 I made this project entirely out of things from my stash (the floral fabric is actually at least 9 or 10 years old!) so it was nice to get some good use out of stuff I have toted around FOREVER!

I added a gathered strip to each sleeve, and the waist, with a red floral trim over the top, which really finished the dress off nicely I think!

I didn't faithfully reproduce the bias strips on the inspiration skirt, because this dress will need to make it through the wash without shredding at all (I really only make things for Emmie that can handle a lot of play, and washing, since she doesn't distinguish between fancy clothes, and play clothes!) But I did do my take on strips, and bias was used in this project, so I am not sure how much of a stretch I went with, but at least I got sewing!

Make sure you go to flickr to look at all the other entrants, they are super fun!

Not The Post That Was Supposed To Be Here.....

I've been so excited all this week about the post I was going I write today, it was going to have cute pictures of my moving truck arriving, crates being opened, and my hose taking shape while Paul and I directed a symphony of movers....... Um the only trouble is, that's not quite how things have gone.

I opened the door at 7:40 this morning, so I could send Emmie on her way to school, with the intention of cleaning up after breakfast, getting Isaac out the door, running to the store to get some drinks for the movers, and then I was going to wait for the housing movers to come and remove all of the loaner furniture we have been using, so that our household goods could be brought in at 11:00. Paul had to run into work this morning to give a briefing, but was supposed to be back by 8:30, so we had plenty of time to do everything.

Except, when I opened the door at 7:40 this morning, the household goods movers were standing on the doorstep waiting to move 16 giant shipping crates worth of stuff into my house. They immediately started moving the government furniture into the hallway, and then moving our household goods inside. I hadn't even vacuumed yet. I then spent the next almost 2 house with people shouting box numbers at me so that I could mark down on the inventory sheet what was here.

Paul was frantically called at 8:30, he didn't answer. He was @&*#! Texted at 9:00 when he hadn't come home yet, and then I almost cried when he called at 9:30 saying he was on his way home. Stuff was going crazy in the house as all of my walls were getting banged, about 50% of the furniture is visibly damaged, and I have anxiety about stuff getting ruined as it is, let alone watching people lean antique pieces this way and that......

Paul ran in and managed to let me escape to go buy those drinks so I didn't have to watch the chaos, and when I got back he handed me money to go get a pedicure and he sent me off again, which was so amazing of him because I really was on the verge of tears after hearing something drop, what sounds like cursing in Korean, and then "it was already broken" in English, for the 5th or 6th time of the morning. I'm not to return home until after the movers leave, so that I can then survey the damages, and take pictures in order to document everything for insurance, since I notice everything.

As a side note, most harassing pedicure ever too, I keep turning the massage chair off because I don't like them, and the lady (who only speaks Korean) keeps Turing it back on, so now I am shaking and being poked in the back and bottom while trying to type, and she's really being rough! I came to the place on base because I wasn't feeling like I should wander too far afield, but now I wish I had been more adventurous, as I have heard wonderful things about those salons...... I'm not sure if I'm just being an Eeyore or not, but it's not quite as successful as hoped for.

Anyway, stuff's here, it just remains to be seen if my sanity remains intact! Sorry about any typos, I'm shaking and typing from my phone, and doubt I'll fix any mistakes later on, they can stand as a record of my unexpected morning.