The 2 a.m. skirt

In an attempt to add a bit more creativity and fun to our lives, a few of my friends and I have decided to start a monthly get together/crafty/creativity/girls' night.  The idea being we get together and do something creative.  The first of our adventures was hosted by Nikki.

This is Nikki.  She's plating the amazing cheesecake-stuffed strawberries that she made. So delish!!  :)

Nikki is quite a creative gal.  She is an amazing seamstress.  She is a jurried artisan at Tamarack.  She designs her own fabric and has started her own design label.  Oh, and she's a graphic designer in her "real" life.  She's won some contests for her graphic work as well. I'm sure there's a host of other things that she's done too....  not to mention being a fab-o mother of four!  Aaaand.... Everytime we get together, she makes me laugh!   (It also helps that her hubby and my hubby are good friends.)  yay!  But I digress...

The first night of creativity was a JUMP start for me.  I haven't done much thinking outside of THE box in a while.  And what a jump our first night was...  sewing.

C-girl decided to officially name our evening.

Did I mention that I don't know how to sew?!  Umm...  yeah.  (Other than that time in high school where I borrowed Dad's machine to try to make a skirt...  ended up taping the sides so that I could wear it ONCE.) 

But I was game and actually have a sewing machine.  What?!  Yep, I got a wild burr about two years ago and asked for a machine for Christmas.  I never used it.  In particular, I thought I had returned it for credit at JoAnnLand....  I found it still sealed in the box on a random shelf in the basement.  Good luck for me!

Me!  (Photo by C-girl)

Here's the point of the bloggie blog where many others would give you a step by step log of how we made our project - a skirt.  (Oh yes, we did.)  But...  I'mma notta gonna to do that.  Why?  For a number of reasons.  First, the skirt step by step that we used can be found here.  Secondly, I was too busy to take pictures. Thirdly, this really isn't that kinda blog (at least right now). 

Nikki teaching me - brave woman that she is!  (Photo by C-girl)

A note on pictures...  I took about three to six pictures that night.  But Nikki's stepdaughter, let's call her C-girl (to protect the innocent, ya know), showed a keen interest in my camera.  I let her go wild.  She had a blast.  And I actually got some pictures of myself!  weee!  That's rare around the ol' manor. 

C-girl took nearly 200 photos.  I told her that was the beauty of digital!!  Take and take and take and scrap what doesn't work. 

I think my hand looks just like my Mom's in this picture. (C-girl)

Creative needle shot. (C-girl)

Sewing.  (C-girl)

Our first craft-a-palooza was so very fun!  We ate delicious treats!  We gabbed like girls do.  Nikki showed me how to operate my sewing machine.  And we made skirts.  Ok, well, C-girl and Nikki made skirts.  I got pretty darn close to making a skirt.  Close enough that I really think I'll be able to finish it here.  :)  (That's why I entitled this "The 2 a.m. skirt"  for we joked that if we stayed up til 2 a.m. surely we'd finish.)  No, we didn't stay up that late.

Working.  (both by C-girl)

I was so inspired by our fabric night, that I ran to JoAnnLand the next day to buy some more permanent supplies - seam ripper, seam measuring thingie, and of course, MORE fabric!!!  Because now that I have almost made something.... I can surely redo my BEDROOM!?!  Well, seriously, that's the plan.  Anyone can make a pillow, right?! 

YES, I CAN!  :)

For whatever reason, I like this one.  (C-girl)

Our next night of creativity is planned for the IDES of MARCH....  and we're already bucking the system.  There's a Celtic-rock-inspired band playing downtown that night.  I think it's a great reason to think outside of the box, listen to some good tunes and drink a pint or two! 

 

The cat.  Because every house needs a good cat.  (C-girl)

Oh, and you're not crazy...  I started this whole thing talking about multiple "friends." There really is a good group of us, but only Nikki and I could get together that night to sew.  Carolina came after teaching yoga and chatted with us, which was fun.  We may need to move our creative nights around on the schedule to accomodate.  *I'll post pictures of the skirt when I finish it.  Which may be awhile...  since I discovered I sewed a pocket on backwards and have to undo the top and reverse said pocket....  oy vey.  Perhaps this is a test of patience too.  ;)