08 Aug Where am I ? and… a Susan Khalje Giveaway!
Many thanks to all who have contacted me either regarding my whereabouts or who have been in my place...
August 2014
08 Jul Butterick 5889
I just returned from the new Kate Spade outlet store located 20 minutes from my house, and all I found was this necklace featuring a bitten-off popsicle. The store carried zero shoes and the handbags were designed for the outlet store. Maybe you’re wondering if I am wearing anything besides turquoise, aqua and white this summer. In the past I have been consumed by orange, but this year I’m drawn to anything resembling serenity ;) Inspired by a friend’s RTW top made from a similar fabric, I recently ordered this lovely Tilda French Viscose knit from the Marcy Tilton website, an online store loaded with beautiful high...
02 Jul J McLaughlin Refashion
Posted at 07:54h
in Ready to Wear Fast, Ready-to-Wear Fast 2014, Refashioning Clothes, sewing clothes, Sewing Tops
0 Comments
The RTW Fasters and I are halfway through our pledge to abstain from buying ready-to-wear clothes during 2014! Lots of the women are knocking it out of the ballpark sewing incredible clothes too. I've found reaching the halfway point serves as a great incentive in achieving nearly every goal I've set out to accomplish, and I celebrated the six-month marker by cleaning out my closet. :) While I've questioned the wisdom about going on the RTW Fast during the same year of my child's wedding, the closet exercise proved my decision sound. Closet organization generates a different type of creative pleasure for me. I do not...
21 Jun MoB Beginnings…
Posted at 13:30h
in Craftsy, sewing bloggers, sewing blogs, Sewing Dresses, Susan Khalje Sewing Class, Uncategorized, Vogue Sewing Patterns
90 Comments
Mother “When are you going to start on your dress, Sarah? I’m getting worried.” Me “Today. As soon as we finish up at the lampshade store. ” …..and so after months of procrastination accompanied by some angst, I began the Mother of the Bride dress on Tuesday afternoon. It’s true, I’ve been putting it off while hoping to achieve the elusive perfect weight, shape, size etc……….. I mean what if I lose an inch in my waist after I make the dress? In March I asked for your help in finding fabric and a pattern for my Mother of the Bride...
15 Jun Dare to Wear
When I started sewing again in August 2011, I vowed to wear my clothes in public. I’ve been true to my word with two exceptions - here and here. While a job well done should be reason enough to do one’s best, knowing that others will see (and judge) my clothes is one of the incentives to get it right. Hubby and I spent the weekend in Charleston, SC, where my daughter and her fiancé were honored with a party hosted by friends of the groom’s parents. I packed a Me-Made suitcase and hoped for the best. Clockwise from the top left: The...
12 Jun Theory Striped Maxi
Posted at 01:15h
in Mood Fabrics, New Look Sewing Patterns, Sewing Dresses, sewing with knits, Uncategorized, Yellow
0 Comments
Once again, the spirits of Marcy the Medium have influenced my fabric selection! “You need more yellow in your life,” she stated. I think I ordered the best yellow a n y t h i n g ever available, for Mood Fabrics' Theory Light Canary Striped Viscose Ponte Blend has more than surpassed my expectations! I wasn’t ready to put away the pattern from my last project (New Look 6210) quite yet - especially since the fit had been tweaked to perfection. Besides, I had set out to make a maxi and ended up with a short dress. The phenomenal drape of this fabric begged...
05 Jun Pucci Pucci Poo!
You might think I made myself a little nighty and I can understand why. It's a muslin that I completed from start to finish and I think I'll wear it as a bathing suit coverup. Here is the pattern, and here is the dress. I succumbed to temptation during my trip to Baltimore in April and bought a piece of Pucci silk jersey from Mendel Goldberg. The owner, Alice Goldberg drove to Baltimore from NYC with a trunk full of fabric, and I filed in line with my other classmates to relieve her from her heavy load ;) Sewing Pucci silk jersey was a brand...
06 May The 30 Day Dress
……… also known as the Baltimore dress is completed. I had the pleasure of taking it apart again only to discover the opportunities for alterations were limited…… but maybe my 30 day investment needed little else than minor adjustments. After separating the skirt from the bodice and removing the top ruffle, I removed all of the gathering threads and started over. Most of the gathers in the skirt were replaced with darts giving me a smoother fit around the waist. I cut 14 inches of width off of the ruffle but sadly realized my new vision for the dress looked disproportionate. The decrease...
01 Mar New Look 6910
Posted at 08:14h
in clothing designers, Mood Fabrics, New Look Sewing Patterns, Sewing Dresses, silk, Uncategorized, Yellow
132 Comments
It’s the time…. of the season…. when love runs high…… That means all things wedding around here. With two twenty-something daughters, the fun never stops as someone is always getting engaged or married. Three years ago the wedding season caught me off guard and I spent a fortune outfitting everyone for wedding related occasions. Now, I’m always in the Mood for a wedding. Sewing has given me access to the world’s greatest designers in an entirely new dimension, especially when sewing with fabric from Mood! I’m wearing Carolina Herrera to the next wedding :) (check out Mood’s Carolina Herrera fabrics here) I love Carolina Herrera so...
22 Feb Tips and Clips
Do you keep a Sewing Diary, sew your muslins with one-inch seams, or keep a pad of post-it notes beside your machine? The 2014 RTW Fasters are rocking the sewing scene with some fabulous frocks and I asked them to share some of their secrets to successful sewing. Following are 48 of their Favorite Tips from techniques to practical and even philosophical advice. The first clip, from a Singer Sewing Manual was offered more for amusement, but I find it could be quite helpful if re-written for the 21st century! Does anyone want to give it a try? ;) While I don't...