aka Chesty LaRue

Even Better Than the Real Thing (but pillowcases can't fly you to Lake Como)

Good afternoon to all you BlogHerNot-ters!  I am terribly excited to be participating in 2008's festivities.

I came to the party rather late, only finding out about it at the last minute, and therefore could not participate as an instructor.  But then I read the comments on MommyPie's post, and someone said (and rightly so) that there should be SWAG. 

And I thought, "I can do THAT!" 

So my contribution to the fun is a personalized pillowcase with a picture of the KeyNote Speaker Himself or The Special Guest, whichever you prefer.  It will also feature the winner's name embroidered as such:  WINNER + GEORGE = 4-EVER and "BlogHerNot 2008." 

You can see my previous pilowcase efforts at the very beginning of this blog, at the beginning of April, 2008.  For some reason Typepad won't let me link to my own post.  Odd.  (Those of you who are creative types can make your own, using my easy to follow instructions.  Or not.)

I believe the plan is to comment on MommyPie's post that is linked at the beginning of this post, and then she will choose the winner after BlogHerNot ends this weekend. 

So remember, this is for posterity, so be honest.  Desperate might even be good.

Looking forward to reading the entries!  And do come back again and visit here at aka Chesty Larue.  We often have snacks.

(Just to clarify, this is a gift to the winner, and no money will exchange hands, thus not violating any copyright laws, and landing my ass in the slammer, without a pillow.  And far from Lake Como.)

The Fairest in the Land

As has been previously mentioned, my good buddy A here (hair-cutter of the fabulous new 13-year-old look) is the new Princess of the MN Ren Fest this year.  Consequently, she needs clothing.  I was fortunate in that she asked me to make one of her outfits for her, and she also asked me to retrofit an outfit that had been made previously by another costumer.

Turns out the person who had made this outfit originally thought she had a 42 inch chest and 28 inch waist.  Nothing fit properly in the bodice, and it was pretty bland, as costumes go, and especially for those of Royal Stature.  So I basically had to take apart the bodice and make it MUCH TINIER for herself, a rather wee person. 

When I saw this color combination together I admit I did a double-take and was all, "Hello color blindness!"  But she explained to me that the Royal Court has to wear red and blue (preferably a crimson and dark blue combo) and that she had this available for use as a mudder.  The idea is of course to take an older outfit and use it specifically for when it rains or the weather is particularly nasty.  When you think that they are outside for 10-14 hours every weekend (both days) for 8 weekends in a row, you would see the necessity of having multiple outfits for varied weather. 

Since this outfit (despite being bright and colorful) was lacking in BLING, we needed to tart it up a bit and bring it up to Royal Stature Level.  We did so with trim and with some creative sewing on my part.

The overskirt got trim added to it, which was difficult in that the one trim was metallic, the velvet is acetate, and was not stabilized, giving it the slightly wavy look you see.  An iron and the heavier mud flap at the bottom should take care of the curling effect.  The back of the underskirt (the black and silver fabric) is now gone, and replaced with black cotton, except for a 5 inch band of the original material at the bottom, so that will show in case it peeps out under the skirt.  This is a very traditional method of underskirts/kirtles (see The Tudor Tailor for details).  I am using that fabric to make new sleeves that will hang down from the shoulders of the bodice and attach at elbow and wrist with shiny little buttons.  I also trimmed the hell out of the bodice, added the black with silver and black trim upper section to the front "V" (otherwise it was a little TOO tarty for Royalty - not the black lace, that is an undergarment), and am putting a mud flap on each of the skirts.  A mud flap is a strip of fabric that gets torn off at the end of the season and replaced each year.  It is to absorb mud, dirt, etc. and keep the main gown from getting dragged on the ground.

She will wear a partlett underneath, and then to top it all off, her Swarovski Crystal Tiara on top.  It really doesn't get any better than that.

The outfit should be complete on Sunday, and I will take more pictures then and post them.  Other costuming pictures coming tomorrow, as well as The Lost Boys for this weekend (WOOT) and next week is My Hair Through The Years (a la Mrs. G.) since I will then have a working scanner (DOUBLE WOOT).

Go about your business.

Just another day of torture here at aka Chesty Larue

 

(Action shot!  Grip that bedpost harder, Scarlett!  Poor A getting tied into her corset.  She has a 25.5 inch waist in this thing, which looks to be roughly the size of my THIGH in this picture.  Sheesh - nice camera angle.)

Actual photos coming tomorrow of A's re-worked formal Princess mudder.  (A mudder is an older costume that is worn specifically for when it rains and is MUDDY, thus MUDDER.)  Partletts ahoy as well, and all that jazz.

And success!  I have The Lost Boys Movie in my hot little hands, courtesy of The Chick.  Expect Vampire Hotties sometime this weekend.

Where the Magic Happens

Welcome to aka Chesty Larue.  If you are new to the blog, check out the first post which describes a little bit of what goes on around here on a daily basis.  (Truthfully?  What goes on around here is typically dog yodeling, cleaning the kitchen, something falling from my very tall shelves onto my head, and procrastinating by reading TWOP.  There may also be some sort of chocolate product involved, but only if the day ends in Y.) 

I am also quite fond of parentheses.

Since this post is dedicated to my office space, we should start with a photo of where I spend most of my time, chained to a black adjustable office chair:

 

(Shh!  Ignore the Taco Bell and DQ wrappers in the trash.  Focus instead on the outrageously expensive sewing machine and auto-threading serger.  Ahhh.)

I am a seamstress by trade, with an emphasis in costuming.   Which means that December is really quiet, and I sleep about 5 hours total in August and September.  Which makes me REALLY scary looking come Halloween.  Unfortunately we live on a very busy street and we get NO trick-or-treaters.  Which is good or bad, depending, in terms of then having an entire bowl of Halloween candy all to myself.

(I seem to have acquired a quotation collection.  I started with one quote on a wooden tile from my Grandfather, which reads:  "DO SOMETHING.  Lead, follow, or get out of the way."  I live my life by that motto.  Then other people started giving me more items with quotes on them.  These are some of my favorites.  The Chick gave me the second and third ones.)

Previously I was a partner in a business working in the Scottish Garment Industry, but have gone solo over the past year.  (Really, I worked with LOTS and LOTS of tartan.  I WILL win any game of Name That Tartan.  And yes, I am willing to wager actual cash. Euros not accepted.)  When I started doing this work full-time, it was decided that I needed space to myself in order to Create, especially since there is a dearth of sewing mice available.  (I think they unionized or something.)

(I love these little pins.  Not only are they easy to grasp for those suffering from Dreaded Diseases that cause you to lose sensation in your fingertips, they are also just plain cute.  And cheap.  Behind them is my bobbin winder which is a MIRACLE INVENTION.  I save more time with that thing while embroidering than anything else.  The marks on the desk?  From the eyelet puncher.  This is why my desktop is a melamine board from Home Depot.)

In order to have a space to myself, I moved my oldest daughter, G, out of her tiny bedroom and moved all of my Crappe in.  Which turned out to be quite a lot of Crappe. (We did give G a new bedroom and not just make her live in the hall.  She has too much stuff to live in the hall.)

 

(Notice how all the shelves are nicely organized except for the 4 which contain active projects.)

I find that having everything visible is very helpful to me in locating items.  And having others locate them when what comes out of my mouth often sounds like, "You know, the thing?  With the hook?  That goes in the fabric?  And then you pull it and it goes inside out?  Its in that one drawer, over there.  No, the other drawer."

I like to surround myself with motivational things. Whether this is a poster from the BEST CONCERT EVER featuring the Very Hot Sting: 

Or artwork made by the Children:

(This particular piece of art represents the many facets of my life - the costuming, El Jefe with his shiny bald spot, the MS ribbon, the dog, the two children, my dream home, and a margarita. Sniff.  I love them.)

Or gifts from friends:

(Decoupaged by N.  N, the Chick and I in our finery.)

Or LOTS and LOTS of bright thread:

When you get right down to it, though, I spend most of my spare time sitting right here, procrastinating:

(Look!  I cleaned my desk for you people.)

I get some of my best ideas from reading blogs, and surfing the web.  Some people find Nirvana in the shower.  I find it on You Tube and Wikipedia TFoAK (The Font of All Knowledge).

As much as I love to do the actual sewing itself, I also like to read about it.  I call it being better informed about my job.  Others call it "excessive and obsessive."  Those others know to ply me with chocolate when it comes time for their bodice to be sewn. 

Like all people of the Sewing Arts, I have an admittedly excessive stash of patterns and fabric.  (This is just the bin of currently used patterns.)  I know many people who prefer to drape part or all of their garments.  I prefer to start with a pattern and go off creatively from there.  It works for me.

There is a reason that people say that the person who dies with the biggest fabric stash wins.  (I cropped this picture too.)  

(Gutermann thread, the best there is.  They also make very nice beads.)

I love to create new things, as well as help others realize their dreams (such as going to the Ren Fest in costume, which was the Chick's dream, and which really kind of started it all).  I have made a Shark-boy costume, a Pirates of the Caribbean costume, and (I'm not even kidding here) the dress that Gabriel's fiancee was wearing when she (SPOILER!) died in the church fire in the movie The Patriot. 

(Soon to be a court gown for the Princess of the MN Ren Fest.)

And I like to make things for the people that I love:

(The Wizard of Oz quilt for my Mother's birthday.)

Creativity is messy.  You can easily wind up looking at your cutting table and wondering where you are going to fit the fabric for your Anne of Cleves costume since you are busy cutting partletts, as well as trying to remember to bring your laundry downstairs. 

You might also be wondering when you are going to have the time to cut the beads off of the Joan Collins Dynesty-era shirt you found at the thrift store.  And looking at the dog hair, you think that it may be time to officially turf the dog from the sewing room. 

(The little rock garden that I see right outside my window.)

I love this room.  And I hate this room.  I have to take vacations away from my home sometimes to force myself to take a break, as the room is ALWAYS THERE and I am ALWAYS IN IT.  It always has something in it that needs to be done. 

And yet I like having this space all to myself, with "my things about me."  I like knowing that everything I need is right here. 

So the next time I read a blog post on German dowager princesses and am compelled to create a Cranach-style gown, or someone comes to me and says, "LaRue?  I have decided that I want to be a Raven for the Bristol Ren Fest, " I will know that I am well prepared. 

And if not?  I can just lock myself in here, alone. 

Although I should probably buy a mini-fridge first.

(I would like to thank Manager Mom for organizing the Office Open House.  Check her blog for more open house stories.)

Wrapped Up in my Work

  

Check out those biceps.  And you thought sewing was for the weak.

Working on The Chick's pettiskirt for her Raven costume.  If anyone has a better way to wrangle chiffon/georgette/sheer fabric, do let me know.  I am planning on doing a photo essay of my office and its miniscule proportions later this week.  I know you are all filled with anticipation.

And no, I don't dye my hair.  Can't you tell by my virtually non-existent eyebrows and translucent skin?

No again, Matilda is NOT my size.  HAH!  Maybe when I was 12. 

Yet Again With The Sewing

This is a picture of the lovely A, who is my model, friend and the object of hero worship from my children.  She is far cooler than me and can also style their hair as she is legally certified to do so.  She is wearing a mix of stuff I have made, and stuff she has purchased.

The leather bodice  - purchased at the MN Ren Fest.  Same with the hat and belt.  The boots I believe were purchased online.  The velvet knickers were her Mom's from back in the 70's.  The black and white skirts and the white chemise with the drawstring sleeves were made by me. 

El Jefe is rather fond of the idea of a leather bodice.  When I told him the cost ($135) he immediately put it on his list of items for which he is planning on winning money in Vegas.  I believe it is actually higher up than accessories for the Wii.  Which just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

If you happen to attend the MN Ren Fest this year, you can see Miss A there as well.  But don't look for her amongst the pirates - she got upgraded to royalty this year and is the new Princess, complete with Swarovski crystal tiara.  Formal court gown photos to be posted later. 

My question - which is better?  Pirate or princess?  One involves wearing leather and being naughty, and the other involves dressing up, wearing jewels, and making others wait on you. 

Personally, I think its a tie.  What about you?

She Wore an Itsy-Bitsy Teeny-Weeny Gold Lame Chiffon Pettiskirt

It has been a busy spring here at the LaRue household.  Sudden surgery, business trips, A-Honor Rolls (go G!) and LOTS and LOTS of sewing. 

Some of the sewing I have basically brought upon myself (see Festival, Renaissance).  Some of it I am being paid for (see Post, Today's).  And some of it is stuff I have been working on for YEARS and have finally gotten off of my dead ass to complete (see Dress, Anatomy of a Renaissance). 

Today I am going to display the latest of my creations, the Pettiskirt.

(That's Lillian 2.0, my child-sized dummy in the back there.) 

Don't get all excited, I did not invent these.  They are, however, the most popular dress-up item for the under-6 set in the Boutique Children's World today.  They also can run you around $75+.  I am making this particular one to go under a dancing outfit for someone. 

They take SCADS of yardage of fabric, and if you don't have a ruffler for your sewing machine (which I currently do not) they can take LOTS of time gathering those individual ruffles and sewing them on. 

Should you want to make your own, I suggest you go to The Domestic Diva's Blog and follow the instructions she has there.  The link to Martha's site has instructions for an 18-24m size, although the video is helpful.  You want the link below the picture - it tells how to measure to make a pettiskirt for someone of any size, such as the 15-year-old I am making mine for.

Turns out the original one I made for said 15-year-old is not quite long enough in the back, so I made her a different skirt, and finished this one for someone else.  However, since I had children specifically so they would wait on me, do my chores and model for me (and I need to work on those first two still) I borrowed the smaller one and made her pose:

 

Everyone should wear jeans with chiffon.  Its the new fashion - I'm sure I've seen Sarah Jessica Parker wearing something like that somewhere.

Basically, a chiffon pettiskirt (with gold lame silk dupioni waistband) should take you 4-4.5 hours if you do not have a ruffler attachment for either your sewing machine or serger.  Particularly since you have to roll the edges of the chiffon on the end ruffles.  That can take forever, as you should have around 35 yards in that last little 2 inch ruffle.  But the results are worth it, and I GUARANTEE that anyone under the age of 10 will drool over it.  My 10-year-old (above) who claims to be too old for such things thought FOR SURE that I had made this for her.  Which is very sweet in a "its all about me" kind of 10-year-old way.

More pictures of work in progress to come.  Also, I am excited to announce a joint venture with the Cheap Chick coming soon - a blog that is basically just for the two of us to talk about things.  If you want to read it and find it funny, well, hey!  Good for you!  Hope you enjoy it.  But it is essentially just for the two of us to talk about whatever we feel like discussing.  It should premiere later this week. 

And hey!  Send pictures or post comments about what you all are making.  Its fun to share.  Mrs. Dremen, my kindergarten teacher said so. 

If Only I Had Super Jazz Hands*

The Chick has a post up about Super Powers and I thought how swell it would be to have Super Jazz Hands.  Just think of the possibilities....

She was also harassing telling me that I should post more pictures of work in progress, so here goes:

Did you know it takes 4 yards to make a single ruff for my wrist?  And its not like I have these huge meaty wrists either.  I like to think they are dainty.

The sleeves that are going to be attached to that silver beaded bodice I posted pix of previously.  (say that really fast 10 times - posted pix of previously.... go ahead, I'll wait.)  They are heavily beaded and embroidered, made of velvet and lined with satin so they are SOFT.

The Passion of the Chick.

No, seriously, I have no idea what she was going for here.  However, it does nicely display the sleeves.

More beading fun this weekend, and then OOH!  Sleeve puffs for Monday.  Bet you can't wait.  Until then, stop by Friday for Flashback Friday.  It will be fun.  But not as fun as SUPER JAZZ HANDS!

 

Anatomy of a Renaissance Gown - A Photo Essay

This past weekend there was a gathering at Casa Larue in preparation for the Renaissance Festival.  Those who live in MN know that the Faire isn't until late August.  Why then are we preparing early?  For several reasons: 

1.  I force everyone to go in costume every year in a NEW costume, because I am pushy that way.

2.  I sew the majority of the costumes and I didn't want to sew everything over a 3 day period this year.

Consequently we have had little get togethers that involved Margaritas, snacks and sewing.  (But never mixing alcohol with the grommeting machine.  Bad things, man.)  Saturday was Skirt & Chemise Day for 2008:  The Year of the Wench, if you must know.  And we all have wench names, like the Spice Girls.  I'm Busty Wench. 

Like you're surprised.

At this event were Standing Still and the Cheap Chick.  Standing Still kept marveling over my quick sewing, and what beautiful things we were creating.  The Chick responded, "Its really not that exciting after you've seen it over and over.  It looses its allure." 

Where the magic happens, sometimes.

Standing Still wanted to know how I came up with some of my ideas, and I thought I would do a little photo exercise for those of you yearning to know more about what goes on in my head. 

FIRST - You must have something that gives you inspiration.

Awhile back this little movie came out that won a whole bunch of Oscars and had fabulous period clothing in it, such as this:

And this:

Princess Buttercup?  You've lost your dress.

Seamstresses everywhere were leaving little puddles of drool next to their movie seats, and someone at Simplicity took notice, creating this for the sewing masses:

(THOSE WHO LIKE TO SEW SHOULD READ THIS.  THOSE WHO DON'T SHOULD SKIP AHEAD.)  Yes, it is very similar to the movie dresses.  No, it is not very historically accurate.  However, it was one of the first patterns with a bum roll, farthingale, and fully-boned bodice from a major pattern house.  The fact that the bodice pattern is WAY off in terms of sizing and that the dress itself is a bitch to put together is well known amongst seamstresses, and there are various sites all over the Internet explaining its short-comings and how to alter the dress to make it more accurate for the re-enactor.  Margo Anderson, a Goddess in the Re-Enactment Designing field has the best commentary on this particular pattern.  If you have any interest in sewing, read this and check out her designs.  They are fabulous.

Being that there was now a pattern to refer to (I tend to like to start from a pattern and then go crazy from there), fabric was purchased and an Idea was born.  And like most of my ideas, it was Over The Top.

Several other images from the movie were also inspirational:

I want this fabric.  Badly.

A great view of the front of the dress and all of its individual pieces.

A nice ruff and partlett, albeit fantasy-esque. 

and

What?  You're telling me you don't find that inspirational?

(An aside here - I thought Gwyneth was rather insipid in this movie.  But that's just my opinion.)

Seriously - as much as I love Colin Firth, if you had to choose between Mr. Fiennes above there, or this:

Which would you choose?  The ridiculously rich yet boorish buffoon, or the hot starving adulterous playwright?  EXACTLY my point.

Anyway, work started on the outfit inspired by this and then it stopped.  For about 2 years.  It sat in a corner and stared at me mockingly as I finished other projects instead.  Part of the reason it did not get worked on sooner is this:

There are around 1000 pearls on there, I am guessing.  Probably more.  Estimation was never my strong suit.  I had done the first 1/3 and then left it as the enormity of it was a bit overwhelming.  And then El Jefe went on a business trip, I was recovering from gallbladder surgery, and I had a ton of time on my hands.  And thus it is finished.  A close-up view for you:

Yes, I believe this does fall under masochistic.

Just when you thought it was safe to put away your thimble... bwa ha ha - seamstress humor.

While I was at it, I finished up the bodice beading as well:

Just to clarify - I did not make this bodice.  It was something I inherited when I left my previous business.  I did all the hand sewing of the beaded and black trims, as well as the pearls on the front.  I am also finishing it.  It has about 4 yards of boning in it.  It is like the front grill of a Mack Truck.  I think it could stop a bullet.

Then, because there are never enough things to bead, I beaded the trim for the overskirt:

Isn't that ribbon amazing?  eBay, people, eBay. 

Then I got together all of the trims in the house to figure out what was going to go on the little tufted bits on the shoulders that attach to the bodice.  Here are the current contenders:

I'm rather fond of the mirrored one, myself.

Then I got some lovely floating chiffon which I decided I was going to use to make a cape to go with:

It is going to be embroidered along the edges, like this one:

Pretty cool, huh?  (Again, I can only accept partial responsibility for this outfit - but the HOURS of embroidery on that cape was worth it.)

I also bought some beautiful white handkerchief weight linen for the chemise for underneath:

And one can't forget accessories:

The pearls were $2.00 each on clearance and are from Hilary Duff's jewelry line.  The boxed jewel sets were $2.98 each at Savers.  The little package is metal tips for the end of cording.  I am thinking I am going to take the pearl necklaces apart and make them into a girdle, as worn in this picture by Queen Elizabeth I, from the Inspirational Movie:

OK, you can't see it, but I promise she is wearing one.  And how much does this outfit ROCK?  She has a peacock feather ruff, a loudly colored crown made to LOOK like peacock feathers, and an outrageous gown AND velvet cloak so heavily beaded she probably couldn't bend over. 

I think I need a peacock feather ruff, is what I think.  Wouldn't it look good with jeans?

You would think this is as good as it could get.  Au contraire.  It gets better.  Look:

What is that?  Doesn't it look like she has sparklers sticking out of her neck?  Or the pieces to a really tiny fake Christmas tree?  And someone put what looks like little tiny bones in her hair, and she is wearing BRAIDED FABRIC sleeves made out of silk.  Again the beading is so intense that she probably crinkles when she walks.

And the final fabulous outfit:

I count 4 separate ruffs there.  She also looks like she stuck all her knitting needles in her hair for safe keeping.  And she ripped down my Grandmother's old curtains (a la Maria Von Trapp) and had them fashioned into a formal gown, complete with little peplum bodice.  And she seems to be wearing about a dozen rings.  It just does not get any better than this, my friend.

And thus you can see some of what goes on in the creation of a formal gown.  All of those individual pieces shown in the pictures above will eventually become a gown similar to the pattern, or more accurately, similar to the aqua colored gown.  The final product will have aspects of all of those gowns, mainly because it is pretty dull to exactly copy something.  That is what imagination and creativity are for.  That is why I spent hours beading that silver skirt.  Because I'm crazy, and because it is my creative interpretation of the gowns from that movie. 

So check back regularly - I will be posting pictures as it is completed.  And most conveniently, it is being made to fit me.  Lucky, eh?

Now I just need to figure out what kind of hat to wear with it.

Yeah, not so much.

The Shaun Cassidy Pillowcase: A Photo Tutorial

Several posts back I mentioned that as a young child I had a thing for Shaun Cassidy.  (It was the 70's.  It was either him or Andy Gibb.)  My Fabulous Mother knew of this infatuation (and likely thought it cute in an 8 year old) and purchased a pillowcase with Shaun's face plastered all over it.  I LOVED that pillowcase with a true and wholesome love.

Sadly the pillowcase is now gone, and no, they don't even have them on eBay, I looked.  No photographic evidence remains of it today.  But I hold it's memory in my heart, right next to the deep and unnatural love I have for my label-maker. 

Since some people posted/e-mailed/called me to ask about this wonderful pillowcase, I decided that as a Public Service Announcement (PSA) I would show all of you how you could make your own.  It is incredibly easy and requires no sewing skill whatsoever.  If you have opposable thumbs and a computer, you can make this pillowcase. If you don't have opposable thumbs, well, shit, I'm sorry.  You've got bigger problems than living without a Shaun Cassidy pillowcase. 

(All images below will increase in size when clicked for easier viewing.  I do this because I care.)

You will need the following:

A package of iron-on transfer paper.  I personally like the June Tailor brand called 'Print 'n Press' that they sell at my home-away-from-home, Joann Fabrics.  It has 3 sheets of 8.5 x 11 inch paper and costs $5.99.  If you are more thrifty than I, you can use a coupon.  Also, June Tailor makes transfer paper specifically for black fabric as well.

Secondly, you will need an ink-jet printer if you are using the June Tailor transfer sheets.  You may be able to use a laser printer depending on the transfer paper you have purchased.

Thirdly, you will need an iron and ironing board.  I know they are likely gathering dust somewhere, but drag them out, clean them off and set them up.  Just remember to turn the iron off when leaving the room.  aka Chesty Larue is not liable for any fires resulting from your poor memory.  aka Chesty Larue has her own bad memory, which is why she has an iron that turns itself off. 

Lastly, you need pillowcases:

These are from Target's 'Room Essentials' line.  They are standard size, and are 20 x 30 inches and 60% cotton/40% polyester.  You want to have more cotton than polyester in your fabric blend.  All cotton is the best, but tends to shrink when washed.  This set of 2 cases costs $4.99.

You should always prewash and dry any fabric item you are going to sew on that has cotton in it.  For the purposes of this exercise, I am throwing caution to the wind and proceeding directly ahead with the demonstration. 

You must choose a picture of the person in question that you would like to have on your pillowcase.  It could be a boyfriend/girlfriend/movie star/puppy/Muppet, it really doesn't matter.  As long as you have an image on your computer, you can use it. 

Next you need to open up a photo/paint program.  I suppose you could also do this in Microsoft Word, but I am too lazy to find out.  Today we are using Microsoft Publisher, a nifty little program that came with my computer, as I would normally be too cheap to go out and purchase anything else.  You need to insert/bring up/whatever the picture onto the screen, and adjust it proportionally to fill the space. 

You could proceed directly to the printing phase of this demonstration, but why not add a little personalized touch?  In Publisher there is a little thing called WordArt.  When you click on the box and pull it up, it looks like this:

Choose one of the nifty WordArt designs, and type in the words you would like to display on the picture, like so:

I have used the Blackadder font here, because it reminds me of pirates.  Aaargh.  When you click on the button, the computer will automatically place the WordArt on the picture.  Drag it to where you would like it to go.  It will then look like this:

See?  He loves you. 

Next you need to save the wording and the photo as a group, and then save the group as a picture.  Your Help Section can explain this much better than I can, so we are moving on.  Next you need to flip the picture in reverse, so that the picture (and writing) are backwards, as such:

Now he evol's you. 

You are now ready to proceed with printing.  Take the transfer paper out of the package and insert one piece into your printer.  Make sure it is facing the right way.  The June Tailor paper has a line on the back side of the paper to help with this:

OK, already, I'll clean my desk.  Geez.

Hit print on your computer and watch the magic happen:

Let the paper dry for about 30 minutes.  Trim around the edge if you would like.  Go crazy with the pinking shears or scrap-booking scissors.  I don't care.

Then you need to heat up your iron.  Set it to the highest cotton setting, with NO steam, or his lovely face will wind up bubbly, and no one wants that.

aka Chesty Larue uses the Rowenta Professional Luxe Iron.  It is ungodly expensive, but fabulous.

Next you need to iron your pillowcase.  This serves several purposes.  First, it removes any moisture from the fabric.  Second, it eliminates wrinkles.  Thirdly, it quells the OCD urges. 

Yes, my iron appears to be unattended.  Remember that whole auto shut-off thing I mentioned?  However, do NOT leave your iron flat on any surface while turned on, and do not leave it unattended.  Bad Things will happen.  Trust me, I know.

Next you must position your transfer sheet image side down on the pillowcase where you want it to go.  Shaun was smack in the center of my pillowcase, but I have decided to move this guy to the right, so I can sleep on the left and stare dreamily at him all night long.

You then must move the iron in circular motions around the paper, firmly, for 15-20 seconds per section.  With the June Tailor paper you can choose to remove the paper immediately after ironing for a satin finish, or wait until it has cooled for a glossy finish.  Since I am impatient, I removed it right away.

The pillowcase is now complete. 

But if you feel that he needs a little more glitz, something a bit more flashy, you can sew on trim, or use fabric glue or iron-on tape. 

However, I am a purist, and sleeping with that crap on my pillow would drive me insane.  Maybe if it was a throw pillow.  But that would defeat the purpose of sleeping on it, so whatever. 

Insert your pillow into the pillowcase, and cuddle up next to your boyfriend/girlfriend/movie star/puppy/Muppet. 

Remember that you still have 2 sheets of transfer paper left.  You could put another picture on the other side of the pillowcase on the left, so you can be staring at him even if you turn over.  There are LOTS of options, but let's keep it clean, shall we? 

When cleaning your pillowcase you will need to turn it inside out, wash in cold/warm water, using color-safe detergent with no bleach or fabric softener.  Remove right away from the washer, or the colors might bleed.  If they do bleed, wash again right away.  Then tumble dry low (still inside out) or air dry.  Should your OCD rear its ugly head and you want to iron it again after washing, cover the transfer with a silicone slip sheet (?? Do YOU own one of these?  I don't.) or a piece of parchment paper.  The paper should be cool before you remove it.

Should you use a photograph that you did not personally take yourself, it should be for PERSONAL USE ONLY.  Because otherwise you get into Fair Use territory of Copyright Law, and they will not let you bring your pillowcase to prison. 

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial.  Remember that you do not always need to sew to be able to produce something fabulous.   I believe in you.  Really.  Mostly. If you have any questions, let me know.  But not right now.  I'm taking a nap.