Author: goodbyevalentino

20 Feb Garment #5 – Undecided

"What are you making?" asked the dignified Mood Fabrics sales associate. "Pajamas." I replied. "Shame on you,"  he responded with a wink. The soft shirting fabric with subtle stripes seemed a perfect choice for a pair of men's style pajamas, but what did I know. I meditated on the comment for nearly two years before cutting the fabric and combining two patterns from my stash: Butterick's 5526 shirt pattern, view C , and Simplicity 7092 for the pajama pants. My friend who offers professional embroidery services made a beautiful  4 1/2" monogram for the pocket. Nearing the end of the shirt construction, I modeled for my...

Read More

11 Feb New Inspiration and an Arctic Blast Giveaway

If only I had waited a year before making this dress I could have had this new Vogue pattern right at my fingertips - LOL ;) Maybe you remember when I made this dress last January 2015. Inspired by an Akris Punto dress on the Neiman Marcus website for $995, (photo above) I altered a pattern to achieve a similar look. The new collection of Vogue Patterns now offers the Akris Punto knockoff in full minus the pockets. I really love the set-in sleeves along with the rounded hemline, and plan to give it a try in a different color combo for another...

Read More

08 Feb The New Forty – Garment # 4

Dear Readers, Forgive my unexplained absence. I knew Mimi's  January 9th wedding would set me back a few days,  but around the time of the wedding my beloved father, Don Welch, became very ill and died on January 22. I lost my focus on sewing. Dad was too great of a man to be described in a few words, and though I owe so much to my wonderful father, I especially credit him with inspiring me to think outside of the box and to be an original. As life returns to a new normal, I decided to complete a sewing project I...

Read More

21 Dec Garment # 3 – Warm Winter Whites

'Twas five days before Christmas and all through the yard the creatures were glowing and waving at cars. Greetings, Dear Readers! I'm not sure when I've had so much fun sewing. With the tacky Christmas sweater craze long gone, I knew it was time for a new festive sweater set. For garment #3 I ordered this Italian Cream Wavy Blended Wool Knit from Mood Fabrics. It is a very stable knit and slightly heavier than what I was expecting, but when it arrived I knew it would be compatible with the furry trim in my stash. My cardigan pattern is McCall's 6844, View B , an easy and...

Read More

05 Dec Garment 1 – Butterick 6103

The completion of Garment #1 was delayed due to the recent death of my mother-in-law, Elizabeth Neuburger. "Lib" lived to the age of 92 and remained young at heart until the end. Though boating was her passion later in life, she sewed beautifully and especially loved to needlepoint. Our family has a treasure of beautiful Christmas stockings and lovely smocked dresses that money cannot buy. This post is dedicated to Lib.         Greetings :) Well, here it is, the first of 40. In approximately 345 days, I'll be celebrating the new 40 with 40 new garments made by moi.  I’m beginning the challenge...

Read More

05 Nov McCall’s 6884

Just one look - that's all it took ~~~~ It's true, one look at this fabulous viscose jersey was all it took to convince me I needed a new wrap dress. This medium-weight viscose was my first fabric purchase in Florence, and I would have bought much more if only the store was willing to ship. A tax voucher was all the handsome Italian at Valli Tessuti could offer me. After uncareful consideration, I concluded the voucher signified a generous discount, and I left the store with four beautiful pieces of fabric - two silks and two viscose. McCall's 6884 was waiting for me at home. At...

Read More