Goodbye Valentino

09 Apr Almost Cocktail Attire

Posted at 18:48h in New Look Sewing Patterns, Refashioning Clothes, sewing blogs, Sewing Skirts, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 54 Comments

In my next life I'd like to live in a historic house in Charleston with a decorative gate and creeping fig wall. Perhaps you follow Teggy French, one of my favorite fashion bloggers. Last fall her social media led me to Shein, a website of inexpensive clothing where I purchased a ruffled bell sleeve top. When it arrived I hated everything about it...

03 Apr Saint James Dress

Posted at 10:02h in Fashion Sewing by goodbyevalentino 120 Comments

Knowing I can sew a garment for a tiny fraction of the retail price of a simply thrills me, and is one of the reasons I continue to sew. I knew I could make the $200 Saint James Toledo striped dress I saw in a boutique in Charlotte,but I didn't know that Mood Fabrics stocked Saint James knits ~ the very same fabrics! Upon finding Burda 6722, I knew it was meant to be. Described as a ponte, Mood offers the Saint James knits in several colors, and I chose the white background with black stripes. I rarely sew Burda patterns (no reason in...

18 Mar Birdie and Me

Posted at 09:38h in Ruffles, Simplicity Patterns, skirt pattern, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 56 Comments

Greetings from the desert! A beautiful baby and gorgeous warm weather greeted us upon our arrival to Scottsdale. Can life get better than this? I've been asked countless times if I plan to sew for Birdie (now 6 months). The answer is YES, but I have decided not to smock again. It's been a long time since I've attempted to sew baby clothes, and while times have changed, baby patterns have not! After a 25 year break, I was led back to The Children's Corner patterns and discovered many of the cute patterns I sewed for Katie and Mimi are now online waiting to be...

10 Mar The French Jacket Experience (guest post) Julie Starr

Posted at 09:13h in Fashion Sewing, French Jacket, Sewing Jackets by goodbyevalentino 78 Comments

My friend and co-author, Julie Starr dedicates each January (+) to sewing a couture garment. She's hooked on French Jackets and generously shares her experience below. Enjoy :) The allure of the classic French jacket - its mystique has captivated for years. Long before rediscovering garment sewing several years ago I admired this garment for its timeless elegance on the outside, never understanding that the magic on the inside is the real story. Quilting lofty boucle to silk lining with rows of stitches that are all but invisible from the outside produces a sumptuous quality double layer that hugs the body...

05 Mar 3 Dresses 3 Fits 3 Looks

Posted at 10:18h in Ruffles, Sewing Books, Sewing Dresses, sewing patterns, The Tunic Bible, Tunics, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 47 Comments

Maybe you go through color phases like I do. I don't know where they come. Two years ago I was all about orange but lately I've been partial to blue and green. Recently, the delightful fabric designer Jennifer Paganelli sent Julie and me selections from her Hotel Frederiksted collection. We each made a tunic for one of our book signings at Quiltcon in Savannah last week. The fabrics are quilting cotton which isn't always recognized as garment friendly, but one can have fun with the great prints found in quilting cotton, and create cute casual garments! Here's mine. I decided to make a...

20 Feb Mood Fabrics Giveaway Winner

Posted at 07:29h in Goodbye Valentino Giveaway, Mood Fabrics, Mood Sewing Network by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

Happy Monday, especially to Jean Humphries, winner of the Mood Fabrics giveaway :) Jean, please confirm your email with me no later than Wednesday, February 22 or a new winner will be selected. Congratulations! Many thanks to all who participated in the giveaway and again to whomever voted in the African Print Challenge. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your thoughtful and very kind comments and will be responding now that the giveaway is completed. My next post will feature a beautiful make by my friend and co-author, Julie Starr ( not a tunic!) Best wishes to all for a lovely week....

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