Goodbye Valentino

24 Aug Serendipitous Silk & More

Posted at 08:10h in Mood Fabrics, silk by goodbyevalentino 96 Comments

My dear friend Libby teaches abroad every summer - this year she taught in Bangkok. On an outing to the National Museum, the lost driver dropped Libby and her class off at the wrong location. They found themselves at the Jim Thompson House & Museum instead. Jim Thompson, an American architect who was stationed in Thailand during World War II, created an international business exporting Thai silk. While wandering through a local market in Bangkok, Jim Thompson spotted Thai silk. Captivated by its beauty he traced its origin to a Muslim community where the weavers were making silk by hand. His discovery not...

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...

18 Aug The Quest for Perfection, Simplicity 4149

Posted at 22:05h in sewing blogs, Sewing Tops, Simplicity Patterns, Tunic, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 118 Comments

“It’s a risky project with a lot of potential opportunities for disaster.” Hubby has been watching way too much Project Runway. “….. and you need to think about ¾ length sleeves.” ___________________________ Somehow, someway and someday I’m going to have the perfect tunic pattern. Encouraged by Julie Starr’s success, (who is also on the same quest), with Simplicity 4149, I decided to give it a try. Here’s my muslin after I made my standard adjustments to shorten the bodice – far from perfect. The darts are too low and the back is enormous. The front is ok, but I wanted to reduce...