Author: goodbyevalentino

07 Mar Orange Pique

Posted at 22:26h in sewing blogs, Style Arc Patterns by goodbyevalentino 24 Comments

Well, I made these orange/red pique pants from fabric in my stash using this wonderful Style Arc pattern again . The pants turned out great, but sadly I have n o t h i n g but a couple of white tops to wear with them. I'm going to consider this unadorned photo a blank canvas - maybe like one of those paper dolls you cut out and dress up with different clothes. I’m noticing red and orange pants everywhere this spring combined with vivid colors, and I look forward to sewing new tops in new colors for my new pants. As I enter my seventh month of abstention from buying...

01 Mar YELLOW

Posted at 18:33h in Amy Butler, Fabric, sewing blog, Style Arc Patterns, Yellow by goodbyevalentino 44 Comments

“You need to be wearing more yellow,” stated the young woman upon handing me my Chakra portrait. S A Y W H A T ? I know what you’re thinking...

25 Feb One Award + Two Legs =

Posted at 08:52h in sewing blog, sewing blogs, Vogue Sewing Patterns by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

…… a l e n g t h y p o s t , but please stay! Yesterday I received a lovely message from Beth at Chic Envelopments who awarded me a Versatile Blogger Award. Many thanks, Beth! I started following Chic Envelopments after reading the cheerful Mitten Madness post. Since then Beth has launched a new Etsy Shop with beautiful handmade cards. Check it out! The rules to abide by when accepting a Versatile Blogger Award are listed below: 1. Add the award to your blog 2. Thank the blogger who gave it to you. 3. Mention 7 random things about yourself. 4. List the rules. 5....

21 Feb LAST WINTER DRESS

Posted at 06:57h in Mood Fabrics, New Look Sewing Patterns, sewing blogs, sewing patterns by goodbyevalentino 27 Comments

Mardi Gras, anyone? Tonight I’m attending a Mardi Gras carnival that serves as a fundraiser for the Healing Arts program in my community. Last year was our first annual Mardi Gras carnival and I wore a brown and black dress. Yuk. Why would I show up in brown and black when most people were in costumes or festive Mardi Gras colors? Possibly because I’ve been attending pancake suppers through the years and didn’t know what to wear, or else I just didn’t have anything to wear. This year I made a purple dress using this New Look pattern. I was hesitant about sewing another New Look pattern after this, but...

19 Feb Austerity or Abundance?

Posted at 08:34h in clothes, sewing blogs by goodbyevalentino 25 Comments

I was at a social gathering over the weekend wearing my Red Ruffle Dress when a friend made reference to my year of "austerity". Now, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, but I thought this was an interesting choice of words for I’ve felt anything but austere. Based on some of the definitions and synonyms for austerity and austere, I suppose the word can be applied to my abstention from buying ready-to-wear clothing for a year. AUSTERITY 1. Economy measure 2. Severity or plainness 3. Enforced thrift AUSTERE 1. Suggesting physical hardship 2. Unsmiling 3. Plain and without luxury 4. Plain in style or design Sewing clothes rather than buying clothing...

14 Feb Red Ruffles

Posted at 06:14h in clothing designers, Mood Fabrics, sewing blog, Vogue Sewing Patterns by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

I can’t explain my sudden attraction to red, but in a just a few weeks I’ve gone from a person who rarely wore red to someone who can’t get enough of it. H a p p y V a l e n t i n e ’ s D a y ! If I could select any outfit I wanted for Valentine’s Day, I would choose a red Valentino dress with ruffles. Believe me, I know this is no Valentino, but the spirit of Valentino’s feminine designs motivated this latest sewing project! This Very Easy Vogue pattern was in my stash...

08 Feb WORTH IT

Posted at 13:51h in New Look Sewing Patterns, sewing blog, skirt pattern by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

Four years ago I bought this skirt at a Worth trunk show. Worth is one of my favorite clothing lines, but the clothes are expensive and I consider my Worth purchases to be very special. At the show I tried on a sample several sizes larger than what I usually wear. After the Worth representative carefully adjusted the skirt to my body with clothespins, I pictured myself wearing this beautiful silk skirt everywhere and bought it. I n e v e r w o r e t h i s s k i r t. When the skirt arrived...

05 Feb Grandmother’s Sheet

Posted at 14:29h in sewing blog, sewing patterns, Simplicity Patterns, Tunic by goodbyevalentino 46 Comments

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. One .. two….. t h r e e times in a row now for this Cynthia Rowley pattern by Simplicity! I can’t seem to put this pattern down ...

01 Feb Lots of Love

Posted at 17:40h in Amy Butler, sewing blog, Simplicity Patterns by goodbyevalentino 39 Comments

“Where do you plan to wear this?” were the first words my husband spoke upon seeing this dress. I have no idea where I plan to wear this dress, but I’m sure something will come up. Does it really matter? Don’t we find ways to wear the clothes we really like? I wasn’t ready to put this Simplicity pattern away and had just enough of this tangerine and lavender fabric from Amy Butler’s L O V E collection to make the dress. I’ve had the fabric for nearly two years just waiting for the right pattern to come along. After finishing the aqua...

29 Jan La Primavera

Posted at 12:01h in Amy Butler, clothing designers, sewing blog, Simplicity Patterns by goodbyevalentino 26 Comments

Dead perennials + leaves in the pool = w i n t e r in South Carolina; t h e p e r f e c t t i m e t o g e t r e a d y f o r s p r i n g ! I think it’s safe to say that over the last 5 months I have memorized the online pattern stores of Vogue, McCalls, Butterick and Simplicity, so when I saw this very cute dress on LaRoque’s Facebook page, I knew where to go. This Simplicity...