Fashion Sewing

22 Dec In the MOOD

Posted at 19:26h in Fabric, Mood Fabrics, shopping, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 10 Comments

I’m envious of anyone who finds time to sew clothes in December! I’ve not sewn since early December - but I've not bought a single item of clothing either. However, this week I had the good fortune to take a quick trip to New York, and visited Mood Fabrics for the first time! Swatch was hilarious running up and down the aisles, and the store was awesome in the truest sense of the word. I fell hard for the jerseys…. I fell hard for the silks……. I would have fallen for everything if I had been alone. Thank goodness I was with another woman, the wife...

07 Dec Tis the Season to Wear Red

Posted at 15:45h in clothing designers, Fabric, sewing patterns, skirt pattern, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 9 Comments

Ah… D e c e m b e r ! If you’re a woman it’s stressful - period. So busy was I making the evening gown last month, that I gave zero thought to holiday apparel. Hoping to find time to make something…. anything……. to add a little splash to my ho – hum holiday wardrobe, I stopped by Mary Jo’s last weekend while traveling. I bought the brightest red I could find in the store. Then I bought this pattern. Last month I became intrigued with the Badgley Mischka evening gowns and the designer name caught my eye. What I really like is...

30 Nov Three Months and Still Sewing

Posted at 15:07h in clothes, Fabric, Fashion Sewing, Kate Spade, sewing patterns, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 13 Comments

What can I say other than I like blouses with ruffles! I made this silk dupioni top in a hurry, and now, I wish I had planned a holiday wardrobe because I truly don’t have one other than a couple of dresses. About the top – its an old Butterick pattern which was pretty simple but I changed the flounce to a ruffle to better frame my neck and dress it up a bit. I also added a sash because I didn't care for the tie. Last night I wore it with winter white wool pants and these Kate Spade shoes...

26 Nov The Big Ball

Posted at 11:36h in clothes, Fashion Sewing by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

As promised I’m posting a picture of the group in full regalia! What? Why yes, of course the ruching above the knee is intentional. It’s really difficult to do you know……… In all seriousness, it was a great evening and well worth the $48.00 investment. Was the dress worth the investment of nearly three weeks?? And why is it that my greatest efforts of time and largest amount of money are devoted to special event attire? I’m looking forward to making clothes I can wear everyday again. Two weeks ago a friend told me that since I gave up shopping for a year and...

20 Nov Robe de Soirée

Posted at 18:44h in clothes, clothing designers, Fabric, Fashion Sewing, sewing patterns, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 22 Comments

It has been eighteen days since my last post! Making an evening gown consumed every precious free moment I’ve had – physically, intellectually and emotionally. The ball is in five days and the dress is finished! Up until making this gown I have really enjoyed sewing again, but I put such pressure on myself to make a dress that will match up to the others (including the ones I bought for my daughters) the experience has been stressful, but I persevered. Other than several dyslexic incidents brought about from working on a one-shoulder dress, this Butterick pattern was easy enough and presented no...

31 Oct The Great American Apparel Diet

Posted at 07:57h in Fashion Sewing by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

Over the weekend upon hearing about my blog, a friend told me that she and a group participated in The Great American Apparel Diet during Lent 2011. I never knew this organization existed, but two years ago I did the same thing on my own during Lent. I made it until Easter but quickly learned this diet was not the way for me to go, for I indulged in some serious shopping shortly after Easter making up for whatever I didn’t spend during those six weeks. I l o v e sewing clothes again. Deprivation from shopping for clothes has been...

26 Oct BASICS is not a dirty word

Posted at 19:48h in Fashion Sewing by goodbyevalentino 7 Comments

Now, I know there is nothing unique about this skirt, and I took dozens of pics trying to capture its special qualities. There are none. What is special, is that I found a skirt pattern that fits well, as well as one that I really like! I suppose if one sews long enough, one will have a collection of go-to patterns. I now have three but this is the only one I have not altered in any fashion, and the fit truly resembles the Simplicity pattern photo, although I omitted the front pockets. As a person committed to sewing my own clothes...

24 Oct I must make an evening gown

Posted at 23:07h in clothes, Fashion Sewing, sewing patterns by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

I was hoping to tackle the more ambitious projects towards the latter part of the year but here I am in the second month faced with a challenge that has brought my momentum to a standstill…………….. an evening gown…….. for a ball……….. the day after Thanksgiving……… h e l p . I would have considered an exception to my year of no shopping but both of my daughters are going and you guessed it…………. they need new gowns too. I’ll buy their dresses and make mine - something is wrong with this picture. The last time the entire family went to...

22 Oct Seventeen Years Later

Posted at 12:01h in clothes, clothing designers, Fabric, Fashion Sewing, Kate Spade, Simplicity Patterns by goodbyevalentino 12 Comments

Well, I did it! I am now wearing the beautiful silk that I’ve been afraid to touch for 17 years. I finished it just in time to take on a business trip with my husband to Palm Springs and wore it last night. Making this top from some polyester in my stash a few weeks ago gave me the confidence I needed to pick up my scissors. I’m grateful for the inspiration from LaRoque in Columbia, SC, and doubt I would have noticed this Simplicity Cynthia Rowley pattern without first admiring these cute tops designed by Annabelle...

17 Oct Talbots & Kate Spade

Posted at 22:21h in Fashion Sewing by goodbyevalentino 11 Comments

If I like Kate Spade so much, then why is my wardrobe brimming with clothes from Talbots? [caption id="attachment_284" align="aligncenter" width="127"] I love Kate Spade's color combinations![/caption] I’ve been in a wardrobe rut for a while. My mother worked at Talbots until she earned a lifetime 40% discount, hence many of my clothes are from Talbots. I’ve been in such a Talbots rut that I have bought things on my own without the 40% discount. It’s easy…. the sizes are reliable… and of course, they are good old basics which have added up to a predictable and unexciting wardrobe. I’m not knocking...