Monday I did a new manicure with a matte topper and I was very much enjoying it but also starting to get a bit bored, so instead of taking it all off this morning I just added a couple coats of a fancy topper and a quick dry top coat and it's good as new. We're choosing to ignore the edge wear and save a mani that wasn't even chipped.
Day 1: shirt I made and leggings I didn't - was in mom mode all day
Day 2: thrifted shirt and pants I made
Day 3: thrifted shirt again (it's got bunnies) and pants I made, not the same ones
Day 4: made everything, yes it's day 3's pants.
I'm off tomorrow and won't be online much.
When I was merely a preteen my sister had a matte navy polish that I loved. It was so elegant and beautiful and she was surprisingly generous with it. I probably used half her bottle.
Had to fill this square with a navy polish and a matte topper. Bonus is that it matches both my knitting and my quilt.
Big enough to pick or let it go a couple days? Also please ignore the sunflowers a chipmunk keeps planting. I can't reach them without some serious yoga.
Saturday before gardening: everything is RTW, top is my go to shirt for painting and gardening. Very comfy, over a decade old, kinda gross. Bike shorts from Costco. Arm covers are from Amazon and they really do help with the itchies.
Saturday after a shower: shorts and top made by me. In need of a nap after working out in the humidity.
Sunday: shorts and top made by me again. I have spent the day sewing, going school supply shopping, and folding laundry.
I was playing with this pantone zodiac thingy and was inspired. I was able to pull the green and purple but that pale mint and the gorgeous red orange just didn't pan out.
The mustard I subbed in made it quite autumnal and I'm going to have to remember this combo.
Monday: made shirt and pants
Tuesday: thrifted shirt and pants
Wednesday: band shirt, made the shorts with leftovers from Mondays pants. Work from home day.
Thursday: thrifted shirt, same pants as Monday
Friday: made shirt (Dinosaurs!) and thrifted pants
Bonus: Saturday after my haircut
Had to do some swatches on paper before setting on a base color but I'm having a lot of fun with this. Already dreading removal of the glitter.
Amusing myself with the random things I can find to hold. These Aldi protein bars are not very good.
Day 1. Thrifted jacket, tank top made from a thrifted shirt, pants I made.
Day 2. Thrifted shirt and pants
Day 3. band shirt (Sungaze, out of Cincinnati, they are good), skirt I made.
Day 4. Shirt I made, thrifted pants.
Saturday I'm getting a haircut so maybe next week it'll be more interesting (or the same with less hair).
Bit sheerer than I planned, will layer it next time.
Reminds me of those watercolor botanical designs you see all over.
Sewing machine needles come in a variety of sizes and types and many of the problems I see online are caused by using the wrong needle type.
Generally when you buy a machine it comes with universal needles in the box. Universal is a misnomer. They are very useful on a wide variety of woven fabrics. Universal needles in a size 12 are what I use for anything that is a medium weight woven.
Jeans needles are for heavy fabrics like denim and canvas. Generally I go up to a 14 or 16 in a jeans needle.
Microtex needles are super sharp. They are excellent for woven fabrics that are delicate, snag easily, or are tightly woven. I use them on silks, satin, and cotton poplins. When all else fails on a fabric, try a microtex. Microtex come in larger sizes and can be used on heavy fabrics. Microtex needles need replaced more frequently than other needle types.
Ballpoint or Jersey needles are the same thing, usually they are labeled as ballpoint in the US and Jersey elsewhere. Ballpoint needles are appropriate for stable knit such as cotton jersey with no or minimal stretch fibers added.
Stretch needles are similar to ballpoint needles in the sense that they are for knit fabrics. Stretch needles are intended for fabrics with a higher stretch fiber percentage and in addition to that they work well on more stable knits. They are what I keep in stock for working with the widest variety of knit fabrics. I usually buy 11 or 12 in stretch needles.
Super stretch are for super stretchy problem child knits, I have not tried these as they are relatively new on the market but I will be picking up a pack before I make swimwear again.
In addition to the types above there are a great many other needles with specific uses. Within each type there is a range of sizes and the needle size should be chosen to match your fabric and thread.
Needles are consumables and will become gradually dull as you sew. The rule of thumb is that you need to replace after roughly 8 hours of run time. If you have been using a needle for a while and things start to go wrong or the machine sound changes, the first step on troubleshooting is a new needle. Old needles can damage your fabric and are more likely to break.
I also want to advise against buying off brand needles and included in that category are Singer branded needles. I personally only buy schmetz and organ brand needles and I buy exclusively off wawak.com (US and Canada only).
Schmetz has a good guide to machine needle types. https://www.schmetzneedles.com/pages/sewing-machine-needle-chart
Wawak also has a guide on matching thread tex size to needles
https://blog.wawak.com/post/sewing-machine-needle-and-thread-size-chart
Everything but the shoes made by me. It's hot as hades so we're just surviving at home. Have AC but the system is from 1999 and can only do so much.
The colors and transition of this thermal reminds me of the popsicles my kid has been eating all week. Could have also hit glitter bomb and pool floaty too.
Someday he's going to find out that you're allowed to eat popsicles anywhere but the bathtub.
Might be stretching the theme but I like it. I feel like a femme fatale which is funny for me who usually dresses like a Dad in the 90s.
1: Monday - dress I made a few years back, bit too small but it still works.
2: Tuesday - T-shirt and pants I made, button down I thrifted
3: work from home Wednesday, made the shorts, T-shirt is a localish shoegaze band.
4: Thursday pants and shirt I made, boots because it was a huge thunderstorm when I left the house.
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Friday is not pictured and I don't even remember what I wore. Did not leave the house. Spent the holiday sewing, making terrible inedible bread, doing laundry, and taking care of a kid with a tummy bug.
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If you look at my post history you'll find that I've been trying to make sourdough work for months now. I have at this point made about a dozen loaves and had maybe 3 or 4 turn out edible.
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I haven't had a win in a month and I'm tired of dumping time and money into it. I'm not having fun. I'll stick with yeast from now on.
To be entirely fair, I did not have this particular shade at home before today but I am low buy and this was a planned purchase where I made a list and waited on a sale and I feel pretty okay about that.
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Less in my favor is that I do have a very similar shade of teal with purple shimmer, but without the glittery bits in.
Salad with chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, and. Roasted edamame. Dressing is some stuff - mostly olive oil and lemon juice, but I also threw in honey and Dijon mustard. If you replicate I recommend adding the edamame right before chowing down.
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Enjoyed with a Dr Pepper cream soda zero sugar and a variety of packaged snackies.
Nobody ever said it had to be a sandy ocean so I dipped into my pruglies. I love a prugly polish.
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Whole outfit made by me.
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Patterns are a heavily altered Helen's closet Gilbert (they have since released a camp collar shirt that is almost identical to my hacks so I'd recommend that rather than messing about like I did). Fabric is a rayon linen blend from fabricmart deadstock
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Shorts are the Anna Allen Helene jeans in a stretch denim, probably also from fabricmart.