Fixit Friday #52

ORIGINAL
Please click on any image for a larger view.

This week's picture over at I Heart Faces was a beautiful and artistic image to begin with. It didn't require any work. It was just a chance to use your imagination and play around. I decided to use some of the presets that I created in Lightroom to edit the picture. Other than that, the only editing I did was to crop, clone out the signs, and in two pictures, I added a lens flare.

I call the above preset "Aqua Light". That's because it brightens the image and highlights the aqua tones and saturates the greens. Then I added a lens flare and texture for interest.

I call this preset "Boystown". The tones are brown and golden.

I call this preset "Purplelicious" because it brings out purple tones in the shadows. I think it gives the image a wintery feel.


This final version was a variation of "Boystown" with a copper brush texture and a sun flare. I cropped it on an angle just for fun.

To see other great edits, go to I Heart Faces.

My First Sewing Project in Over a Year

This past weekend I was eager to try out my new sewing cabinet and cutting table. My husband had been complaining for several weeks about the lack of curtains over a pair of french doors we have that face the street. While I have never made curtains, it sounded like a fun project, so I did a little research and came up with a very simple design. As it turned out, I made a mistake with the length and had to omit a top layer that I planned on including. I was frustrated, but I think they turned out just fine anyway.

I wonder what this coming weekend may have in store.

I am Back

Not much has happened design-wise in the past year or so. I became sidetracked with my day job (as an engineer) and we have been trying to sell our home. I had a fantastic room dedicated to sewing in my previous home. It was an entire wall of counters and storage space. The space between the counter and the ceiling was a continuous sheet of glass looking out into the back yard. It was amazing.

Aside from that special gem of a sewing room, I had been desperate to sell that home and start anew. Two months ago, we moved into another home in the same town and just a few blocks away. It's still a large and comfortable home, but I don't have a set up to accommodate sewing or design.

This weekend I began a project to change all that. I purchased a sewing cabinet, unassembled, and then began the long slow process of putting it all together. Now it is complete and I am one step closer to getting back into the saddle. I think I will take it slow at first. I have a couple of projects that I need to knock out (curtains and clothes for the girls) before I get back to original designs. The good news is that I still have some designs in my head that have been waiting patiently for me to bring them to life. Hopefully, this is the year.

Blue Pearl

Here is my entry in this week's Photo Challenge from I ♥ Faces.





To view other entries, hop on over to I ♥ Faces

Introducing the Umbrella Dress

Hopefully, this Memorial Day weekend will be a productive one. The final design for the Umbrella Dress is getting close and the Diamond Skirt is about to get an accessory, a matching top. The top will be super-simple to construct in a matter of minutes. It will include an applique diamond on the front to coordinate with the skirt's diamond element.

Here are some sneak previews of the Umbrella Dress.

Coming Soon

In the coming months, I will be starting a new business venture designing children's clothing patterns. A full website is in the works and I am working to put together several more boutique-style patterns before we launch.

My designs are geared mostly toward young girls' clothing, especially dresses. I have two little girls myself and I just love mixing complimentary fabrics in unique combinations. These patterns will be aimed toward beginners and advanced beginners.

For now, I will leave you with some pictures of my first two designs, the Forget Me Knot Dress and the Diamond Skirt. Thanks for visiting.