Fugue Fighter

Voilá!: http://fuguefighter.blogspot.com

Days Are Gone

Hello there, friends! 

If you know me at all, then you know that this blog is grossly out of date. In the past (almost) six months since my last update, a LOT has changed for the better. I feel so happy, healthy, and much more confident. In fact, I feel the happiest I've ever felt ever. Change is a great thing.

I've realized, though, that the format of this blog is pretty hard to keep up with. While I LOVE writing long prose about my sewing projects and anything else, I feel that I have made it so that that is all I can do on this blog. Because of this, I have started designing a new blog! My hope for this new blog is for it to act as my online journal. Every January 1st, my New Years Resolution is to keep a journal. As all resolutions go, I keep it up for a couple of weeks, then forget about it. With this new blog, I vow to write a post 

every. single. day. 

I don't care if a blog post is three words long or ten million. I've realized that I'm in the time of my life where I want to start recording everything--even the most trivial details. I don't care if I just write about the amount of dust on the books at the library or the cute boy who works at the front of the library (I'm looking at you, hot hipster sweater boy with the cute face) or the lack of general happiness in the library (can you tell I spend my life in Northwestern's University Library yet? Because I do.) I want my new blog to just be my not-so-personal journal. I want people to comment on it, start conversations with me, discuss things. I want to be able to look back at this blog in years to come and to reminisce or cry or laugh. 

So, that's what I'm gonna do. I'll still update this blog occasionally. But just know that "occasionally" proooooooobably means once a year. Keep checking this blog for now for the link to my new blog as I finish designing it these next couple of days. Thanks for reading so far. I can't wait for the journeys that I'm sure will unfold soon on my new blog.

&never stop creating&

Sydney :)

About Today

Alright, alright, alright. I know. I'm horrible. I'm the worst. This blog hasn't been updated practically since Edison invented the light bulb. I'm sorry! But, you know, these things take time for me. I become obsessive with them. I find that I can't finally publish a post until I've read it through at least five times and have checked for every possible error (although, I'm sure this post is riddled with errors). 

So, here we are. 

I'm home from Northwestern for the summer now, and I've been sewing up a storm. I've sewn more in the past couple of days than I have *probably* sewn all year. Sad, I know, but that's the life of a Northwestern student. 

StudystudystudyEATstudystudystudySLEEPstudystudystudyHAVEFUNstudystudystudy

Needless to say, Main Library and I became great friends this year (shout out to my favorite desk cubicle in 3 South!). Before I get to the project I made most recently, I want to give a little recap of what's been going on in my life since I last updated this old thing back in January. Spoiler alert: I'm more in love with Northwestern now, than I was six months ago. How is that possible, you may ask? Well, my dad has a theory they put something in the water. This theory hasn't been tested, but I'm inclined to believe it...

So, I braved my first Evanston winter. This may shock you, but it was really, really cold. Stupid lake effect. 

Just look at that face of sheer happiness as I walked to class. (Internal monologue: "Why didn't I go to UC Berkeley?")

Joined the coolest sorority, got the best Pledge Mama, and met some really inspiring new friends:

Chi Omega, Yours Forever.

I danced for 30 hours straight to help raise money for the Danny Did Foundation. Northwestern ended up raising $1,214,632. Just let that sink in for a second. It was the most exhausting thing I've ever done in my life, but once that final total was posted at the end, all the throbbing in my knees was worth it. 

I danced with my residential college's team, Willard, and I'm so excited to be a DM co-captain for Willard this next year! I don't know if the Northwestern community is ready for some of my moves...

I studied my butt off, spent hours in the Inorganic Chemistry lab and the library (of course), declared my Psychology major, and, well, often dozed off. But, c'mon! Power naps are really effective, right? Yeah, let's go with that...

Any LOST fans out there might notice something peculiar about the sequence of numbers I found scribbled on the wall in front of me, as I was studying in Main Library...creepy. Where's Desmond when you need him?

I had some fun in between the stress of midterms, finals, labs, and papers. Chicago adventures, a lot of concerts, chilling by the Lakefill, long walks with friends late at night (*early morning?), stumbling upon the beautiful Bahai'i Temple, and chilling on set of an awesome TV show, watching some really talented film majors do their thing. With all of these activities, I created a lot of really happy memories to deter the anguish of academia.

Wondering why there are a bunch of people wrestling in a kiddie pool filled with pudding? Yeah, that was Woo-au Luau. I could explain, or I could just tell you that my residential college is the best. WOO SHACK!

I fell for one of my best guy friends. I know, cliché, right? Well in the words of Icona Pop, "I don't care. I love it!". Jon is a Radio, TV, and Film major who I met through my best friend Allie S. He also has a TV show that he created and does with his two best friends called Carpe Diem that just started this past Spring. Jon fills me with a new kind of happiness that I hadn't found until he came along. He's one of the funniest guys I know, incredibly intelligent, creative, and above all, what attracted me to him is his caring heart and concern for others. Not a lot of eighteen-year-old guys have that quality, but he does. And I consider myself very, very lucky.

I mean, c'mon, how cute is he?!

And, of course, I couldn't have survived the rigor and stress of Northwestern without the incredible support of these goons. A photo collage can only hold so many photos, so of course there are many more people and pictures I wish I could have fit. For the sake of brevity, however, here are some of my favorite photos. 

Polka Party, sword fighting Vassilis R., El rides, formals, beauty sessions with Jacob R., Norbucks runs, late-night talks with Allie S., Sarah R. (my froomie!), and Allie A., and all sorts of tomfoolery. These are just some of my friends, and I love them all.

So now, it's time to show you all what I've sewn recently. For this blog post, I'm just going to talk about one project, but just know that more blog posts will be coming at the end of this week and in the coming weeks, as well. 

A long time ago, my wonderfully talented and kind co-worker and friend, April Rhodes, came to work in a beautiful blouse that she had sewn. I asked her what the pattern was, and she told me it was The Wiksten Tank. It wasn't until recently that I actually bought the pattern online and decided to make it for myself.

It took me FOR-EVER to cut and paste the pattern together. I do prefer online PDFs to actual patterns, though. Pattern paper is a gift from Satan, I swear.

It's hard to tell in this photo, but I chose an adorable fox print fabric from the Indian Summer collection at Sew to Speak for my tank. Once the fabric was washed and pressed, I began tracing my pattern.

Sorry all of my photos are pretty crappy. I would die to have a nice camera instead of just my iPhone camera. 

Boom!

 And here's a better look at the fabric I chose. I'm really happy with it.

Gettin' a little bit foxy, amiright?

 Then I went on to sew the arm seams...

Side note: these pins are the best. In my opinion, that is.

 Then, once the side and arm seams were sewn, I fit my tank on my dress form Betsey (yes, I named my dress form. Go ahead, judge me.) to make sure it would fit well before hemming and putting the finishing touches on the neckline and arm holes.

Then, it was on to finishing those arm holes. Just a lot of pressing, folding, and pressing again. I can't tell you how many times I burnt my fingers on the iron. And, how many times I shouted some obscene words...

And once it was all pressed, I was ready to sew it up and be done!

 Just a little final pressing, and..........

..........The Wiksten Tank was complete!

Awkward selfie of me in the final product in my backyard.

I'm really happy with the final product, and it feels good to make something for myself that I can actually wear and be proud of. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE sewing for others (in fact, often I prefer it to sewing for myself), but every once in awhile, it's nice to TREAT MAH SELF! (Parks and Rec reference? Anyone? Anoyone?) There's something about sewing, for me, that fills me with a great sense of fulfillment and happiness. I'm so excited to continue my marathon sewing for the rest of the summer (which, for me, is until the end of September!) and to make others happy through the art of sewing. 

Thank you so much for reading this, stay tuned for more blog posts coming very soon, and, as always, I hope this blog post finds you all in great health and happiness.

Love always,

Sydney

<3

On Top of the World

Hello, my dear readers. First of all, I owe you all a huge apology. It has been WAY too long since my last blog post, and for this I am so, so sorry. Lately, I have been working on a wide array of projects including sexy man pajama pants for my friend Jacob, my quilt that never seems to end, knitting projects, and other small things. Because there is not one specific project that I'm focusing on, this blog post will rather just be a life update. I'm sorry if this seems like a repeat from what I post on Facebook daily. I hope you find it entertaining and I promise that one of my 2013 resolutions is to update my blog more often and with more sewing projects. Happy reading!

So, here we go:

In my last blog post, I talked of saying goodbye to friends as they left for college. Well, so much has changed since then. I have now finished my first quarter at Northwestern University, and I have to say: it is everything I could ask for in a college and so much more. I really could not be attending a more perfect school. Needless to say, I'm in love with it. And quite possibly the largest factor that has contributed to my pure enjoyment is the wonderful friends I've made. Here they are in all their goofy glory:

Three-fourths of these photos were taken at Willard Formal: the dance that was put on by my dorm in November.

Clockwise from top left: Mayank reading to Marshall on his birthday, Willard Formal chillin', Sarah and I riding the El into Chicago, and more Willard formal pics. 

Angela, Yari, Nicole, and I in Chicago for our Surrealist Art field trip, crazy strong Vassilis taking a break from his ninja card-throwing skills to pick me up, Natalie (best roommate ever) and I, and Sarah and I on the roof of Willard during the first snow.

Allie and I being our crazy selves, the best FUP small group counselor Mike showing his FUP love at Cheesie's, Allie, Caroline, and I about to enjoy some Zoba noodles, and Jacob pretending to be Rachel Maddow (hahaha!). 

Sarah and Matt "twinning" in their finals week Northwestern sweats, my crazy guy friends (again at Willard Formal), Football Man David holding Nick, and Hope and I during the first snow, as Hope attempts to collect a snow ball on his afro. 

All of these people are truly amazing. I am so lucky to have such incredible friends, and there are many more wonderful friends of whom I don't have pictures. So, if you're reading this and attend Northwestern, I suggest you become with these people ASAP if you're not already. They're amazing and have greatly contributed to my Northwestern experience so far. Or, you could just come to the third floor of Willard. We're a crazy bunch (a typical night includes some boys trying to climb the walls, Vassilis throwing cards, Nick belting out his beloved Classical music, and all the girls trying to control the boys).

I have tons of favorite moments from this past quarter, but here are a few:

For Halloween, my friend Caroline and I dressed up as the noble crime fighting duo Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy! (The superheroes from Spongebob Squarepants). Oh, and we won the Willard costume contest so that was pretty cool.

Favorite moment number two: one night I wanted to sew something, but I wanted to hang out with my friends, too. This was the compromise, haha. And the amount of people in my room in this photo is really not too unusual. It has to be because of our baked potato bean bag chair or Natalie's winning smile. :)


Favorite moment number three: my 19th birthday. Although my birthday this year fell on the Saturday before Finals Week, my friends still threw me a wonderful party. My mom even ordered me a birthday cake from an Evanston bakery! Because of my loving parents, Allie, Sarah, Natalie, and the rest of my friends, this birthday was one of the best I've had.



Favorite moment number four: doing anything with my two besties Sarah and Allie. Whether it was camping out in the library, talking about boys (yes, sometimes we are that stereotypical), going for runs (*power walks) around the lakefill at midnight, or just being silly, these gals are really the best.

Classes this past quarter were challenging, but I survived and learned what to improve on and what to continue doing. As it turns out, being a pre-med Biology and Psychology major at NU is not easy. Who would have thought?! (*over-exaggerated sarcasm*) Besides my schoolwork, I play lead trombone in the NU Community Jazz Program, I am a writer for Northwestern's STITCH Fashion Magazine and Blog (www.stitchfashion.com), and am a member of Happiness Club. Also, when I get back to campus next week, I am participating in the sorority rush! I'm both excited and nervous for it, considering I never really thought of myself as a stereotypical sorority girl. Since I've been at school, I've learned that sororities are completely different at Northwestern than any other school, and I'm hoping to find a sorority that will be the perfect match for me!


For now, I am really enjoying being home and being able to stock up on sleep. Lord knows when I get back to school, sleep will be at a minimum. At the beginning of break, I was able to see some of my siblings, along with my adorable niece Maya. I have also been working at my beloved job at Sew to Speak and have been enjoying the beautiful, Ohio snow. Also, being able to hang out with my wonderful parents and high school friends has been amazing.


I really mean it when I say that right now I am the happiest I have ever been--which is saying a lot considering I'm usually a pretty happy person. I'm sorry this post has been so sappy; I just wanted to give a life update to those interested. I promise there will be more sewing posts this year.



Thanks for reading and I hope this finds all of you in great health and happiness!

<3,
 Sydney

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

As the end of summertime has come for the majority of the population, my fellow Northwestern University students and I have pretty much been sitting at home, twiddling our thumbs. All of our friends have started at their respective universities, and as we scroll through Facebook as a break from our all-day Netflix marathons, we become instantly jealous of all those who post pics of their dorms, new friends, and awesome college lives.

Now, don't get me wrong: I'm definitely enjoying being home with my family awhile longer, especially with my brother's wedding coming up this Saturday in my backyard. I feel, however, as if it's time for me to start the next chapter of my life with my fellow Wildcats. I am ready to make new friends and new memories.

Last week, when my best friend Ruth W. left for St. Olaf College, I was really sad to say goodbye, and nervous that I would lose her. She then reminded me of a little Girl Scout tune that helped to make me feel a little less sad that she was leaving. You may recognize the tune:

Ruth and I: the bestest of buds.

"Make new friends, but keep the old

One is silver and the other's gold."

(*Note*: Ruth sang this in a completely sarcastic tone.)

In preparation for Ruth's departure, I wanted to sew her something that she could use in her dorm room, that would also remind her of me and all the awesome memories and inside jokes we have formed over the years. I decided to make Ruth a pillow. But anyone who knows me, knows that I can't just make a plain pillow. I had to add some spice.  

So, in order to do this, I decided to make the front of the pillow covered with appliqués that represented our different inside jokes and memories. Ruth came into Sew to Speak to pick out the fabric she wanted the body of her pillow to be and chose these two fabulous prints.

This one is called "Forget Me Not" by Amy Butler. How fitting!

All she knew was that I was making her a pillow. The rest was a secret.

So, I went home, dug through my enormous scrap pile, and began cutting out different appliqués for different memories. And here they are in the process:

The grey circles above are rocks. It's best I don't explain that joke, or else my already apparent nerdiness will show even more.

Appliqués everywhere! Also, see my NU Snuggie in the background?

I used Wonder Under to first bond the appliqués to the pillow fabric, then I topstitched to add extra security and a little bit of decoration.

After hours of cutting, piecing, designing, thinking, ironing, and sewing, I finished sewing all the appliqués onto the front of the pillow. Then, I used Perle Cotton thread to add little details to some of the appliqués:

A little television, complete with hand sewn antenna and dials. 

The Bossum: a possum/badger hybrid. I don't know how to explain this.

A telephone, representing our ridiculous phone calls either procrastinating homework, talking about nothing, or talking about everything.

A coffee mug, representing our frequent trips to Stauf's: an amazing coffee shop in Grandview.

And here is the whole front of the pillow before it was sewn to the back:

Before applying the appliqués, I used a Log Cabin quilting method that I learned from my dear friend, quilter, and co-worker Mary Dugan. This way, I could incorporate both fabrics and really frame the appliqués.

After this, I sewed the piping onto the back piece of the pillow:

With some concentration and a lot of stuffing, here was the final result:

Front

Back

I think Ruth liked it. :)

Ruth loves very simple styles, so I made the back of the pillow with just the yellow fabric, and no added flair. This way, if she gets tired of all of the action on the front, she can simply flip it over and have a nice, clean pillow. This project was SO much fun to make and reminisce on all of our memories!

Now, on to the project I made for my other best friend, Hannah S. 

Hannah and I in the photo booth at prom this past year.

Unfortunately, Hannah had to leave extra early to audition for the Ohio University Marching Band (and not only did she make it, but she is the first trumpet on the field!). I didn't have enough time to sew something for her prior to her leaving, but a couple weeks before she left, she came to Sew to Speak and picked out these two lovely fabrics:

Hannah had no clue what I was going to make. I knew just the perfect thing for her: a zipper pouch that could be used as a pencil case, makeup case--really anything! I recently took a class on how to make this little zipper pouch at Sew to Speak, and I love it! It's super easy, and really satisfying. Here's the pouch in the making:

Sandwiching the zipper with the lining and the outer fabric.

The top stitching.

Unfortunately, I was so concentrated on the sewing, that I forgot to take pictures of the rest of the process, but here is the finished product:

A peak inside the pouch to see the lining.

Voilá!

Ruth and Hannah are both absolutely incredible people. They have always been there for me through the rough and happy times to provide a listening ear, good advice, and constant humor. I know that they're going to succeed throughout college and beyond in whatever they choose to do. I love them both like sisters, and I hope our close friendships last forever. They mean the world to me, so I wanted to sew them both something to show them that. So, Northwestern kids: if you feel sad that your friends are away at college making new friends, just remember that you'll always keep your best friends from high school. And pretty soon, new college friends will be coming: and I can't wait!

Thanks for reading!

-Sydney