Fashion Sewing

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...

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...

24 Jan The Latest

Posted at 21:19h in McCall's Sewing Pattern, sewing blog, sewing blogs, sewing patterns, Sewing Tops, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 28 Comments

One top costs $150.00 and the other is $29.99. Why is that? In March of 2011 I bought the blue and white top at J. McLaughlin in Charleston, SC. I thought $150.00 was expensive for a spandex top, but the sales clerk explained to me it was made of fine French swimsuit fabric, and somehow I justified my purchase. I love the top and have worn it repeatedly since I bought it. This McCall’s pattern reminded me of my J McLaughlin top, and I anticipated replicating it. I bought fine Korean swimsuit fabric – seriously, it...

21 Jan Ebony and Ivory

Posted at 22:14h in Mood Fabrics, sewing blog, sewing patterns, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

Some people are influenced by what they read. Some people are influenced by what they hear. And some people are influenced by what they see. Since I started, over four months ago, sewing my clothes instead of buying my clothes for a year, I’ve become absolutely obsessed about my wardrobe. Even though I spent a fortune on clothes in the past, I never had an obsession about them. During the last four and a half months I have been abnormally aware of my visual surroundings, but only recently have I realized their impact on my life. While visiting NY in December, I lingered around the...

14 Jan MISSON(I) ACCOMPLISHED

Posted at 07:20h in clothing designers, Uncategorized, Vogue Sewing Patterns by goodbyevalentino 19 Comments

It’s done. I love it, and I’m glad it’s over. My Missonish fabric has become a dress! It was one of those sewing projects that didn’t come together until the very end…. as in when I basted the hem in place. I glanced over nearly 100 reviews of this very popular Very Easy Vogue 8379 pattern on the Pattern Review website before retrieving it from my pattern stash. One promise I made to myself during this 365 day challenge is that I will not be in a hurry when I sew, and I dutifully made a muslin of the top before I cut the fabric...

08 Jan REDEMPTION

Posted at 08:00h in Fashion Sewing by goodbyevalentino 14 Comments

Do I ever feel better! I wasn’t willing to go through the weekend agitated by my setback and got back to work, but first things first. When I turned on my computer yesterday morning I knew immediately that a positive experience had emerged from my unsuccessful New Look dress project. The kind comments from my Goodbye Valentino followers and Pattern Review friends truly lifted my spirits sending me back to the sewing machine. Thank you so much – You are absolutely wonderful. As you can tell I wasn’t about to sew another too tight dress and erred on the side of generosity. I bought this...

06 Jan Reality Check

Posted at 09:24h in Fabric, Fashion Sewing, New Look Sewing Patterns by goodbyevalentino 20 Comments

So excited to sew knits on my new machine I bought the following pattern. I love the simplicity of this little dress and decided to try it out with a rust cotton knit from my stash before cutting my new Missoni fabric. I wanted to create a simple prototype for the many knit dresses I will be making this year. Since the dress was described as close fitting I cut out the pattern two sizes larger than my measurements indicated, knowing it would be too big. W R O N G I could barely squeeze into this thing even with my industrial strength...

31 Dec Celebrating Creative Spirits

Posted at 18:13h in clothes, Simplicity Patterns by goodbyevalentino 11 Comments

Greetings from Edisto Beach, SC – the perfect place to usher in the New Year! I’m wearing my second serger product – Simplicity 2603. I had no idea I liked red so much until I gave up buying clothes and started sewing again! NEVER would I have bought such a bold piece of clothing. NEVER would I have splurged on something with limited holiday appeal. And NEVER would I have bought something just for the fun of it! As I reflect on 2011 in front of an especially stunning sunset, I question the importance of my mighty goal of abstaining from buying ready to wear clothes for...

29 Dec Nice and Easy

Posted at 10:20h in clothes, Vogue Sewing Patterns by goodbyevalentino 14 Comments

Is it over yet? The company is gone, the tree is dead, the house is a mess and Santa brought me a new serger! To clean the house or sew: that is the question. ...