A New Year

     The semester has officially begun! I can't believe how quickly that happened, but I am very excited for what this year has to offer. I am moved in, and my room is completely put together. One of the advantages of being a returning student is that I don't have to participate in all of the Launch activities; which basically means that I was able to spend all day Saturday putting my room to rights. As I have mentioned my need for cleanliness before, you can imagine how wonderful it was for me to have no clutter while I slept. I felt bad for my new roommate, Mackenzie, who is a freshman and did have to be out in the heat.

     My suite-mates and I had to get a first day of school picture (sadly, Mackenzie was not present). I don't believe that this dress has ever made it onto the blog, which is quite shocking. It is several years old now, and I made it from Vintage Vogue 1172. I love it, but my one complaint would be that the shoulders are rather restrictive. Other than that, it went together beautifully. I do love Vogue patterns.

     It is interesting to be back in school. I love being able to see all of my friends again, and there is nothing like a fresh start to get one excited! I am determined to make this year even better than last year. The starting place for that goal is in putting myself out there more. I want to have a large circle of great friends, and I have everything I need for that right here. It is basically up to me to put myself out there and develop the friendships I already have, and make new friendships with those I haven't met yet.  Again, there is nothing quite like a new beginning. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be here, and there are such fantastic people to know and love all around me.
Whether you are going to school yourself, or have young ones who are; enjoy the wonderful year of learning ahead of you!
Lots of love!

I'm a Wanderer, Oh, a Wanderer

     Can you believe it? I sure can't. School is starting again. I have spent the last two days packing up my life yet again, and the space that my life takes is quite shocking. Rachael is moving into an apartment this year with two other girls, and is therefore taking a couch and her twin bed. I, on the other hand, am bringing no furniture. For one thing, there isn't any room; for another, I have furniture waiting in a garage for me there; and for another, I now have a roommate who is going to bring a chair. I am bringing some couch cushions (pretty ones at that) for floor lounging; and I am taking my sewing machine. I learned that lesson the hard way, as some of you will remember. It'll be a tight squeeze to get everything in, but then again, when isn't it?
     I have been trying to figure out what to say. The summer has been fast and slow, lazy and busy, overwhelming and easy-going. I don't know how to describe what it has been. I worked at a pizza place all summer, and my hours were always 4:30 to about 8:00 or 9:00. It is interesting how those hours leave so much time, but also manage to limit one so much. Now, I am not complaining; you see, I loved that job. It was a good job, with good people to work with. I find that I can enjoy most things in life if I like the people I am surrounded by. In July, we had visitors, a lot of them; that was also the month that I didn't appreciate my job as much. Many outings were cut short because of my hours, and precious time was not spent with those who live across the map from me.

     It seems that the last moments are the most precious moments. The closer that I come to leaving home, the more I love it. My family, my church, and my workplace are going to be missed; it always seems that friendships, old and new, blossom at the very moment they must be left. However, life must move forward, and in all reality, I am excited to begin a new year. Adventure is in my blood, and I detest stagnation. So, though it is hard to part, adventure is calling. To those I am leaving behind, know that I love you. So, here's to home, and here's to adventure.

Lots of love to all of you

     I have shared this blouse at least once before, and I wear it regularly. However, did I ever mention that there is a matching skirt? Perhaps not. I love this set, but some changes are in order. I need to change the pleating so that it lays better. The current shape it gives is not always pleasant. 

     So, I realized that Vintage Perfect had a birthday! August 1 marked exactly one year. I looked back over everything that I have shared here, and though it's far from perfect still, I am pleased with the progress that has been made. Some of the photography in my earlier posts is so horrendous it made me laugh!

     One of the main reasons I started this blog was as a means of recording my life. I want something to look back on that will tell my story to me in the future. Today I am young, and I don't want to forget what it is like. 

     Thank you for sharing in this with me. Thank you for caring enough to return and read what I have said. Thank you for being present. 

Lots of love. 

Seeing Green

     Well look at me; all good and posting regularly again! As I mentioned last time, I have a new dress finished. This one, unlike the others I have been working on, can be worn in summer or winter. Ergo, I have some pictures.

     I wore this to go and officially get Rachael's wedding dress. We had found it the week before, but our Dad hadn't seen it. But, I can't tell you anything about her dress, except that she looks gorgeous! However, I can talk for ages about my dress! 

     First things first, I used Retro Butterick b5747. It was a pretty simple pattern to use. My main issues were more with time to sew, and the ability to sew buttons on straight. I am far too OCD to deal with buttons, but they look so pretty; especially self fabric covered ones! Rather than bother with actual buttons, I found some 1" washers and used them. To cover them, I cut out a square of the fabric big enough to wrap around, and haphazardly sewed it on. The backs of my buttons are dreadful, but they don't show at all, so it doesn't matter. 

     I am very pleased with how it all turned out. The fabric is on the hefty side, and it has a tiny bit of stretch to it, which makes it comfortable. I love that the stiffness of the fabric gives so much body to the skirt, I'm not even wearing a petticoat here. When I first started this, I wasn't sure if it would be a dress I could wear in winter. I then had the idea of making a black dickey as well as the green. I still may do this eventually, but after I finished the dress and tried it on, I realized that this shade of green is quite suitable for winter. Also, the thickness of the fabric means that, paired with a muslin petticoat and some tights, it will not be too flimsy either. This dress has a lot of interfacing; in the collar, the waistband, and the armhole and front facings.  I didn't feel like bothering with real interfacing, and I used muslin instead. I think that that is my new go to interfacing now, it worked marvelously! All in all, I would say that this dress will do very well all year long. There is nothing like a practical and pretty dress to make me happy!

     On a different note, I would love to hear your opinions - about the dress, yes - but also about this space. What are your favorite types of posts from me? Would you prefer more step by step looks at the actual construction of my dresses, or do you like to see the finished product and hear some details then? Is it interesting to you to hear about the places I have gone, or would you rather hear my thoughts on life? Thank you for your feedback!

Lots of love!