sewing bloggers

28 Jan Meet Andrea Birkan

Posted at 20:44h in Fashion Sewing, Refashioning Clothes, sewing bloggers by goodbyevalentino 57 Comments

Dear Readers, You must meet Andrea Birkan, a 2014 and 2015 RTW Faster! Andrea's garments display such inspirational creativity that I asked her to write a guest post. I'm writing very little to avoid spoiling the lovely text and photos to follow. Read on to learn more about Andrea, and visit her blog at: http://sewbusy.weebly.com Enjoy! _________________________________________ I discovered Sarah’s blog while searching for some fabric off the Mood Fabrics website one morning, and have been an avid reader of the blog ever since. I’ve always had a love for sewing, but she really inspired me to get back to sewing on a daily basis. By doing...

05 Nov Guest Post from So Sew Simple & the Marcy Tilton Giveaway Winner!

Posted at 21:44h in Goodbye Valentino Giveaway, Ready-to-Wear Fast 2014, sewing bloggers, sewing blogs, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 29 Comments

I still find it hard to believe that nearly 400 lovely women joined me for the 2014 Ready-to-Wear Fast! In January, I created a 'Secret' Facebook page for the RTW Fasters. The lively news feed which features all things sewing has served as a source of support and encouragement during the year, and has created a spirit of camaraderie among the group. Now in month 11, the RTW Fasters have sewn quite a collection of garments. Equally as important, they are approaching a huge achievement which extends beyond their new clothes. Today, I'm pleased to introduce Denise from the blog So Sew Simple. Denise has made some great garments this year and...

21 Jun MoB Beginnings…

Posted at 13:30h in Craftsy, sewing bloggers, sewing blogs, Sewing Dresses, Susan Khalje Sewing Class, Uncategorized, Vogue Sewing Patterns by goodbyevalentino 90 Comments

Mother “When are you going to start on your dress, Sarah? I’m getting worried.” Me “Today. As soon as we finish up at the lampshade store. ” …..and so after months of procrastination accompanied by some angst, I began the Mother of the Bride dress on Tuesday afternoon. It’s true, I’ve been putting it off while hoping to achieve the elusive perfect weight, shape, size etc……….. I mean what if I lose an inch in my waist after I make the dress? In March I asked for your help in finding fabric and a pattern for my Mother of the Bride...

22 Feb Tips and Clips

Posted at 10:16h in Ready-to-Wear Fast 2014, sewing bloggers, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 55 Comments

Do you keep a Sewing Diary, sew your muslins with one-inch seams, or keep a pad of post-it notes beside your machine? The 2014 RTW Fasters are rocking the sewing scene with some fabulous frocks and I asked them to share some of their secrets to successful sewing. Following are 48 of their Favorite Tips from techniques to practical and even philosophical advice. The first clip, from a Singer Sewing Manual was offered more for amusement, but I find it could be quite helpful if re-written for the 21st century! Does anyone want to give it a try? ;) While I don't...

06 Feb Marfy + Mood = Love

Posted at 10:00h in Mood Fabrics, sewing bloggers, sewing blogs, Sewing Tops, silk, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 79 Comments

Have you made your Marfy yet? Thanks to Leisa Stanton of A Challenging Sew, I had no more excuses to avoid the chic Italian patterns without instructions. Not only are three free patterns available for downloads on the Marfy website, but Leisa is providing sew-a-longs for the patterns on her blog and just completed the top sew-a-long. How do you like it? The pattern is Marfy 1913, and after two muslins I was ready to cut my Thakoon silk crepe de chine from Mood Fabrics. When the silk arrived in July, I was tempted to make my 5th sleeveless ruffled top. “No! No! No!” exclaimed the...

20 Aug Vogue 8833

Posted at 08:43h in Mood Fabrics, sewing bloggers, Sewing Tops, Uncategorized, Vogue Sewing Patterns by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

I often think my Fall wardrobe is practically non-existent – most likely because I look like I’m coming down with something when I wear those traditional, Fall earth-tone colors. Fortunately the Pantone Fall 2013 report brings new colors to the mix translating into exciting possibilities for my closet! My first Fall sewing project needed to be a go-to garment. Being a lover of silk, I ordered this crepe de chine from Mood Fabrics by Thakoon - the gorgeous colors enhance every pair of pants I own! True, the fabric would make a beautiful special occasion garment, but I'll feel special each time this luxurious...

04 Jun It’s June Too Soon!

Posted at 21:52h in sewing bloggers, sewing blogs, sewing clothes, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 55 Comments

Dear Readers, The conclusion of Me-Made-May '13 was over four days ago, however, my Me-Made-May '13 page fizzled out shortly after mid-month ...

14 Apr The Oonaballoona Dress

Posted at 07:39h in McCall's Sewing Pattern, Mood Fabrics, sewing bloggers, Sewing Dresses, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 135 Comments

In the first week of December, Oonaballoona, that sassy woman from Kalkatroona sent me a piece of fabric I had admired just a few weeks earlier. For readers post November 14th……….. During my one and only meetup with Oonaballoona, my husband's camera broke while in her hands at Mood Fabrics. Oonaballoona erroneously blamed herself, and three weeks later this tropical banana leaf jersey arrived at my house along with a chocolate bar for hubby . Or is feathers? The woman does love her feathers………. Whatever it is I wanted to savor every inch of this fun print, and I’m celebrating the return of warm weather...

09 Apr The Regis Dress

Posted at 11:30h in Craftsy, Mood Fabrics, sewing bloggers, sewing blogs, Sewing Dresses, Sewing with Lace, silk, Uncategorized, Vogue Sewing Patterns by goodbyevalentino 203 Comments

Sometimes I make embarrassing mistakes, and for a while I thought ordering this white cotton/nylon lace from Mood Fabrics was one of those times. The flat lace reminded me of a tablecloth upon pulling it out of the box, revealing my inexperience in selecting lace. What can I say - I felt stupid for placing such an order when so many beautiful laces were available. B u t w h a t ’ s a g i r l t o d o ? After three worrisome weeks, I bought my first bottle of Rit Dye. Thirty minutes later….....

23 Mar Mood Sewing Network Lace Challenge

Posted at 10:04h in Craftsy, Mood Fabrics, sewing blog, sewing bloggers, Sewing Dresses, Sewing with Lace, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 120 Comments

While Tory Burch may refer to her Ginevra dress as the little lace sundress in the classic shade of navy, I’m calling my new navy lace dress my Easter dress, and it better warm up or I'm in trouble. This is my completed project for the Mood Sewing Network lace challenge and I must say I’m pleased. Inspired by the Tory Burch Ginevra dress, I ordered this navy cotton lace from Mood, and was set to go until I saw - and touched the actual dress in a store. I suddenly lost confidence fearing I could never make a dress that favorably compared...