Saturday, September 25, 2010

jessie homemaker?

naww...but i did make some stuff this week. in keeping with my 4 simple goals, i've been trying [read: struggling] to make meals for dinner. a couple months ago i found a recipe in real simple for this cheesy chicken concoction and i thought, "hmm...josh might actually like that!" so this week i decided to finally make it.


it looks a little weird but trust me, it was delish. i couldnt find the recipe online [they probably dont put it online because it's in the mag? idk] but if you want the recipe you can email me.

now...a few weeks ago we were watching project runway and then josh goes, "why dont you ever make me anything?" and i was like "umm....you've never asked?" and then he asked me to make him a tshirt that would fit him perfectly. i figured a t-shirt would be pretty easy, and set off to buy some knit fabric the next day. i didn't have a coupon for joann's, so the materials ended up being about $10 per shirt (i bought enough to make 3). i took one of josh's favorite shirts that fits him pretty close to perfect, and traced it (i used wrapping paper for the pattern, haha). i was really nervous about the sleeves, but they actually ended up perfect..

the HARDEST part for me was the stupid collar. i scoured the web for tips and tricks and how i should do it exactly. i redid that collar so many times i wanted to rip up the shirt. the first time i couldn't even stretch it right to line up at all. the second time it was too small and josh couldn't even get his head through. then times 3-5 it made it look like a turtleneck. that was a lot of seam-ripping. finally, the 6th time it looked semi-normal. i had him try it on and the collar was a tiny bit too big for his liking, and you could see part of his undershirt (which is one of his biggest pet peeves, and the major reason he wanted me to make him shirts). so, i improvised. i cut the collar and down into the shirt, and then sewed it off to the side. it created an obvious pucker, but i was SO sick of it by then i didn't even care. i added buttons and voila...a modern shirt? after all that work, it only turned out ok.


determined to make a better shirt, yesterday i started shirt #2. i finished it today, and the collar turned out perfect THE FIRST TIME! i ignored the instructions i found online and just winged it myself. and voila: perfection. i sewed a little pattern on the front and after it's washed it will [hopefully] fit perfect. [i guess practice really does make perfect? or somewhat close to it...]

bad picture, horrible lighting, yada yada. sorry.

also, i made another elastic waist skirt. it was just so easy, i had to do another one. i'm planning on wearing it to church tomorrow, so maybe i'll do an outfit post for it or something. i'm glad i've been sewing more, and i hope to keep getting better and better as i keep sewing and trying new and challenging projects. and if you ever see josh and he's wearing one of my shirts, please just tell him it looks good. for my sake, not his. haha ♥

7 comments:

Liv said...

you did great! isn't it nice having simple goals? i don't feel like a failure at stuff when i picke goals that are fun and attainable.

Claire Kiefer said...

Amazing! You did an excellent job and Josh is one lucky fellow to have a lady who sews custom shirts for him. :) Eager to see you skirt, too <3

Emelro said...

you inspire me. no really, you do. i want to be just like you when i grow up!

Unknown said...

it looks delicious. I love cheese so much. im really hoping my housemate comes home with some smoked cheese from town! i think that shirt looks really good.. i like it.

Unknown said...

Wow, you did an awesome job on those shirts. Maybe I'll make one for my mister one of these days.

Oh, My Darling said...

Loving the update on your 4 simple goals!

kelli g. { bug miscellany } said...

that's pretty freakin' sweet right there. i always thought making a t-shirt would be one of the hardest things to make. it seems so simple, but i tend to think the simpler something seems, the more difficult it *actually* is. BUT. this looks cool!
too bad you don't live closer and could teach me how to use my grandma's sewing machine that's been sitting unattended for the last decade or so... :P