Author: goodbyevalentino

19 Jul Keep on the Sunny Side – Vogue 8570

Posted at 16:55h in Mood Fabrics, sewing blogs, Vogue Sewing Patterns, Yellow by goodbyevalentino 77 Comments

When the blue tracing lines unexpectedly transferred from the silk organza underlining to the seam line of my gorgeous 4-ply silk crepe, I did not cry, open a bottle or eat a gallon of ice cream. I returned to my sewing room and began undoing two days of work until a storm took out the power, forcing me to get out my flashlight. After I removed the catch-stitching, ripped apart the seams and discarded the underlining, I started over. …..and that’s the short version. It’s great to be a part of the living again after being holed up for days trying to save this beautiful...

15 Jul 68 Garments and 8 Pairs of Shoes

Posted at 08:47h in sewing blogs, sewing clothes, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 46 Comments

I recently read an interview on The Pattern Review website with Elizabeth Cline, the author of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion. I have not read the book, though I plan to. Eventually ending up on Elizabeth’s blog I learned Americans buy 20.5 billion garments a year or 68 garments and 8 pairs of shoes per person. S e r i o u s l y ? I have been sewing rather maniacally this year making all of my clothes and let’s see……. just how many items have I made during the last 10 and a half months? 15 skirts, 15 dresses, 20 tops, and 7 pants which...

12 Jul McCalls 3830

Posted at 23:30h in McCall's Sewing Pattern, Mood Fabrics, sewing clothes, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 83 Comments

I recently bought the August – September issue of Vogue Patterns magazine. When sewing blogger Robin Denning announced her new position as Editor of the magazine I immediately renewed my lapsed subscription, however, after catching a glimpse of pages 76 - 83, I wasn’t willing to wait for it to arrive and bought a copy. This issue provided me with instant inspiration along with a solution to a four-month dilemma! In March I ordered this fabric based on the jpeg below. H e l l o……….. “Too bold.” I said. “Too bright……too big……..too much…..” The 7 magazine pages filled with big bold stripes changed my...

07 Jul One $ Wonder(ful)

Posted at 14:44h in Refashioning Clothes by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

My mother gave me this dress some time ago. She bought it for $1.00 at a thrift store and thought the dress might look cute if I hemmed it. O k a y y y y y … I thought it had potential, but a little hem seemed like just the beginning, or perhaps the grand finale. The fit was acceptable in bust but was too big elsewhere. After releasing a few stitches of the bust lining, I was able to adjust the bodice. Following the stitching lines I removed two inches from the upper bodice through the hips. I then tapered the lower...

04 Jul Red, White and ………

Posted at 07:49h in Mood Fabrics, sewing blogs, sewing clothes, Vogue Sewing Patterns by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

No, this isn't a costume, but if I had a torch I might be in business! H A P P Y F O U R T H O F J U L Y ! ! ! I discovered this great jersey on the Mood Fabric website, and paired it with this Vogue pattern just in time for America’s Independence Day. Generally I can envision the end result of a sewing project before I start, but not so with this one! Gathered shoulders, ruching and oversize red zebra jersey were all new to me from a sewing and fashion standpoint. Would you believe pages 3 and...

30 Jun Memorable or Forgettable? Vogue 8570

Posted at 00:12h in Fashion Sewing, Kate Spade, Mood Fabrics, sewing blog, sewing clothes, Uncategorized, Vogue Sewing Patterns by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

"Fashion is made to become unfashionable." Coco Chanel I tried to keep this quote in mind while admiring Kate Spade’s new black and white paisley garments. This snappy print is featured all over the website in the form of a skirt, a top, a dress, handbags and other accessories all seen here. Fun, yes! Classic, no! Would I have if I indulged in one of these memorable pieces of clothing if I were shopping this year? I’d like to think not at $238.00 for the skirt, $238.00 for top, $398.00 for the dress and now $498.00 for a silk dress of the same print at Saks, but who...

21 Jun Carpe Diem

Posted at 08:41h in Refashioning Clothes by goodbyevalentino 39 Comments

Carpe Diem does not mean ‘fish of the day' As I relaxed under the umbrella taking in the surrounding beach activities, the wind blew my current issue of InStyle magazine to a page of celebrities wearing skinny floral pants and jeans. In particular, the pants on the right reminded me of a pair of pants I had packed for this week at the beach …… only I bought them in 2006… and they weren’t skinny legs… and they were stretched out from 6 years of constant wear…. The gang was out fishing leaving me free to get my sewing machine out of the...

18 Jun Orange Blossom Special – Vogue 8648

Posted at 20:43h in Mood Fabrics, Vogue Sewing Patterns by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

Over the weekend my husband and I bumped into a couple of friends. I happened to be wearing Vogue 8648, and the male half of the couple told me how nice I looked in my shift. Before I could politely thank him, my husband took over the conversation. “That is no shift. Sarah is wearing a couture dress that she made. The dress has 21 pieces that are lined and underlined. She did a lot of the work by hand and it took her a very long time to make it.” Had I recently accused him of not paying attention to me...

16 Jun Tidbits

Posted at 07:33h in Ruffles, sewing blog, Style Arc Patterns, Uncategorized, Vogue Sewing Patterns by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

I’m sewing Vogue 8648 again . It’s not quite the S H I B U I that it was the first time around, partly because I have omitted the silk organza underlining, thus saving me hours or perhaps days of work. In the meantime several tidbits of information and inspiration have surfaced that I wanted to share…….. Today I had the pleasure of reading a comment from Lexley. That would be Lexley who inspired the cute Style Arc Lexley blouse ! I’ve often wondered about the names of clothing articles , particularly with Kate Spade and Lilly Pulitzer who name all of the...

11 Jun Style Arc Lexley Blouse

Posted at 17:15h in Mood Fabrics, Ruffles, sewing blog, sewing clothes, Sewing Tops, Style Arc Patterns, Tunic, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

“Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.” Richard and Karen Carpenter Not really………………… I have been out-of-town for nearly two weeks and came home inspired by the beautiful tunics I saw on women of all ages ……. on the beach, on the streets, in restaurants and concerts. Upon returning home, I headed directly to the sewing machine and finished this tunic just in time for heavy downpours on this dreary Monday afternoon. Earlier this spring I placed my second order from Style Arc which included the Lexley Blouse and Dress. I experienced a setback upon receiving the pattern when I realized the ruffles are intentionally...