PROJECT RUN & PLAY CHALLENGE ONE: bias strip challenge

So do you ever feel like you're having one of those "naked in public" dreams?  Oh, and, in that dream, are you wearing only a pair of tap shoes, up on stage, with the spotlight on you in a huuuuuge fancy theater, but with an audience of like 3 people?  I don't know why I chose the number "three" but the imagery works for me.  You had no routine planned and all of the sudden you're expected to put on a show!

I stand before you on that stage.  And here is my awkward little dance.

[insert crickets]

They always say "when it rains, it pours" and brother I am in a friggin hurricane!! 

bathroom cabinet portrait; take one

annnnnnd take two

is it weird that I'm in love with Azy's pose in this pic?!

Sigh, my little fuzzy headed Ponyo ;-)

Geez Louise!  I thought after the madness of Azriella's birthday party (and that laborious dress) I would be able to breath a little.  But here's my list of crap in allllll it's glory (and it really is quite glorious!!!):

• So You Think You're Crafty. Yeay!! Whoo-hoo!! I'm finally competing is something and for such an awesome one to boot! I mean, overall, is there a bigger competition of crafting out there on the interwebs?? Well, not really. I have to come up with challenges week to week and I am thinking outside of my "fabric box" for this one! Every Monday new voting; every Thursday I have to have a new project made, photographed, blogged, and html emailed! That in of itself would keep one busy! but then, my "shiny new toy" competition that I covet so much, the awesome, bittersweet chocolate of a sewing competition that I am completely at the mercy of is also running during the exact same time!! You guessed it: PR&P!!!

• Project Run & Play. I can't think of one person that sews for their children that does NOT know about this competition!!! The ultimate "lookie what I made" competition (besides elsie marley's Kids Sewing Week challenge which, can you believe it, IS ALSO COMING UP SOON!!) I wrap up so much emotion and thread and love and fabric and time and tremendous effort into Project Run & Play. I absolutelywould have never gained as many wonderful sewing peers had it not been for PR&P!!!! Without a doubt, I love how it allows you to break in to the sewing scene and ogle at all the other talented sew-ers out there! I have only just sewed along but I treat it very very seriously and even though I am super busy with SYTYC, I AM STILL GOING TO BE DOING MY BEST TO SEW ALONG WEEK TO WEEK!!!!!! Crazy? Yes. I mean, imagine if I finished my Rainbow Dash dress in time for the auditions like I originally planned? What if I made it passed auditions and was a bonafide official contestant on this season?!! I can't fathom how busy I would have been!!!!

• Esty. The day before Azriella's party, I got an email from a super nice lady that wanted her birthday dress lol. Long story short, she needed to have it by the 12th. I got the email on the 2nd and really didn't think it would be possible to do: I didn't have any of that organdy left and if you read the behind the seams you know that I had a train-wreck of trouble trying to make Azriella's work in at all! Welp! She really wanted that dress, so on the 5th of September, I went out to buy fabric and make the dress. Keep in mind that I work a few nights a week too. Oh, and Azriella started back at school that week. . . . . Hold the phone- another order on Etsy?? The strawberry halter dress. Wait! Why stop there!?!? Another inquiry about making a larger "Smile & Wave" dress (Which I am in the process of making). And wait, what's this you say??? There's more?? Another inquiry on the friggin Rainbow Dash dress (seriously, I LOVE LOVE LOVE all the sweet regards about the dress and am highly flattered about the amount of people that want to buy Azriella's dress from her (Ha!) but I had never planned on making another one of those blasted things!!!! I mean some of it is super fun, but I just plain old wasn't prepared for all the requests!!!) I actually think that sweet lady has lost interest (at least for now) because I said it would take about a month to complete what with the previous orders I have. Did I say I was done? NOPE! My absolutely FABULOUS older sister promoted my little shop to a friend of hers and I am now at this very moment making a dress for her birthday girl by the end of the month as well!! PEOPLE: I NEVER EVER GET ETSY ORDERS, LMAO!!! This is not only insane (in that absolute best possible way!!) but exciting and wonderful and a whole plethora of other emotions!!!

But my list is not done:

• Birthday dress for me. "Damn, mom, you never make anything for me." That'd be what I'd say if I were talking to myself lol. I never make anything special for myself. I had all these grandiose plans and order all this wonderful fabric to make myself a super awesome fantastic dress for my birthday. But all that wayyyyy more important stuff happened and it didn't help that my fabric came super late. Meanwhile back at the ranch, my birthday has passed, but don't you fret: I'M STILL MAKING THAT DRESS!! I just don't know when, now :-(

my "birthday cake".  birthday cake fudge layered on top of peanut butter fudge.  ridiculously good!  thanks for making it Jon!

• HALLOWEEN COSTUMES FOR THE FOUR OF US!!? Every year since I learned to sew, I have made us family themed Halloween costumes. Well, last year, only the baby and Az got new ones because of our whole "moving across country" debacle, I had nary a penny or minute to make much of anything. So this year I'm going all out, so watch out Portland, we're gonna rock you world with an anime theme (and gothic lolita/witch theme, lol Azriella really wants to be a witch?!) So tack that all to my list o' stuff to do!!

On top of all that, my hard drive on my laptop crashed.

I know, total jaw dropping stuff, right?!!  But I managed to get all my stuff to disks and to Jon's computer before I had to get a new one.  Thank goodness it is covered under warranty!!

I think I'm forgetting some stuff (hahah how could that be?!) but it'll come to me later.  In the meantime here are a list of people I want to look directly in the eye (you know, over the interwebs) and tell them "thank you" or that "I'm thinking about you."

• Mom, I'm sorry I haven't called as much as I should, I know: I'm a horrible daughter ;-) I promise to do my best at being better soon. I love you so much.

• Aleksa, thank you thank you thank you for all that you do. You are such an awesome sister and you being here for Azy's birthday truly made it special. You were such an amazing help, to boot!

• Linda, I love you. I would like to apologize to you too for the lack of phone calls! I will fill you in soon on all the other minutia of our little lives!

• Max, girl, you absolutely brighten the crap outta my day with your responses!!! I had a whole dream about you and Australia the other night because I read your comment on Skirt as Top right before I went to sleep!! I want to see more little girl pics! You are by far one of my absolute favorite people in our sewing community in the bloggiverse and I am so grateful to have you as a friend!! I really wish you lived closer!!!!!!!!! Many many xoxo...!

• Emily, you are such a sweetie pie for being such an avid follower!! I loved your bias strip dress this week!! I sure do like sewing along with you!! It's gonna be a great season together!!

• Jessica, one more time, thank you for the feature! I feel I owe you one of those "sweet but awkwardly too tight and five seconds too long" kind of hugs! It's a good thing you live far away, for your sake, that is ;-)

Okay!  Next and last on the list: 

LET'S LOOK AT SOME PICTURES!!!???!!!!!! WHOOO-HOOO!!!

I call this dress:

the last days of summer

Bias strip dress.  Ha!  Can you even believe I made another bias strip dress after having done this one and this one?!  I mean, for crying out loud: how do you reinvent the wheel!!!!????!

I had a notion to do something really different with it.  I can only imagine what I could have done if I wasn't packed to the gills with other stuff!!

I decided I wanted to do a scene.  My dad is an artist (I don't think I've ever mentioned that on here yet) and even though I can't draw worth a damn, I really think I was channeling him while I was making this dress.  I also decided early on that I was going to use the sweet tartan dress as my canvas.  I couldn't wait to share my sketches with Kristin!  Literally, I emailed them to her as soon as I drew them up.

baby photobomb

I did my ever loving crazy quilting for the stitching and squiggle topstiching for the sun rays.  I wanted to use that adorable striped fabric for the under skirt because it looked like stems.  And I thought "floral bias tape. extra wide" so it would look like a flower garden, kissed but the sun.

For the top I wanted to do a cross over for the front and the back and with that, a sky scene, complete with clouds!  And while I was doing my blue strips last night, I looked out at the sunset and saw the prettiest pink sky; the kind you see right before the sun completely disappears.  So, I added a couple of pink strips to my skyline too, haha!

Overall, I really like it and so does Azy!  She was passed out long before I finished last night so I couldn't model it on her.  I mean it was like 2am.  And if you are a master at taking interior photos at that time of night, please share with me your secrets.  Because even with my fancy new camera (I got a Nikon DSLR for my birthday!!!  Holy cow!  Watch out for better photos coming your way soon!), I couldn't make that dress look as adorable as I was trying.  Dresses just look better when kids are stuffed into them, am I right?!

countdown to plopping down in mommie lap, in 3..2..1...

I think it is high time I end this loooooooonnnnng post and get back to the dreaded list! Wish me luck with it all!!

HUGS & STITCHES,

KAT