shopping Tag

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...

30 Sep Ruffles!

Posted at 12:41h in clothes, clothing designers, DIY Clothes, Fabric, Fashion Sewing, sewing patterns, shopping by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

I’m ending the first month of my one year promise to make and not buy clothes with ruffles! Around a year ago I saw these beautiful tops on the LaRoque website. When I recently discovered this Simplicity pattern I thought I had a close match and decided to put my newly learned Cal Patch skills to work. I spent $9.00 on this pattern solely for the neckline and the ruffle – definitely a worthwhile investment. I’ve...

18 Sep Obsessions

Posted at 15:02h in clothes, clothing designers, Fabric, Fashion Sewing, New Look Sewing Patterns, sewing patterns, shopping, Uncategorized by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

Hmmmm…….. I’m feeling divided. My goal is to make clothes and not buy clothes for one year. Through my self imposed challenge which will save me lots and lots of money, improve my sewing skills and give me a new sense of accomplishment, I’ve become more obsessed about clothes than I’ve ever been before. This obsession isn’t what I was expecting but here I am. I remind myself that I’ve got enough clothes for a year even if I don’t make anything! This challenge isn’t about seeing how many clothes I can make in a year but to remove myself from the endless...

15 Sep The Top of Many Lessons

Posted at 00:56h in clothes, clothing designers, DIY Clothes, Fabric, Fashion Sewing, New Look Sewing Patterns, sewing patterns by goodbyevalentino 3 Comments

Oh my goodness. I thought this would be sooooo simple – loose fitting, no zippers, darts or buttonholes. My first Peasant Top. I know it's not the Milly top I posted, but I like it. My mother gave me the silk over 10 years ago, and I used a New Look pattern which I bought last year but never made. The Lessons………. From Cal Patch – measure and make a “muslin” for fitting purposes. I’m so glad I did this because I did make some simple fitting alterations such as adding two inches to the length From the muslin I decided to use elastic with...

13 Sep 350 More Days

Posted at 23:13h in clothes, clothing designers, Fashion Sewing, shopping by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

Well, it’s been two weeks since I bought any clothes – only 50 more weeks to go. Instead of thinking about what to buy for fall, I’ve had to turn inward and look at what I have….. and what I have needs some variety. There is definitely too much black and too much lime green. This challenge I’ve given myself is definitely stirring the creative juices. I think about how to make everything I see in magazines, in stores and on websites! I’ve made or redesigned four skirts in the last two weeks, so it’s time for something else. A top, maybe? I...

07 Sep Inspiration

Posted at 21:37h in Amy Butler, clothes, Fabric, Fashion Sewing, shopping by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

Last year I was searching for retailers carrying Amy Butler’s fabrics and came across a business that continuously inspires me. The shop is LaRoque in Columbia, SC and is owned by the young and talented dress designer, Annabelle LaRoque. Six months after learning to sew she left her corporate job to sew and design clothes. I finally visited her store yesterday which overflowed with Annabelle's terrific sense of style. [caption id="attachment_58" align="alignnone" width="200" caption="LaRoque skirt and wrap top"][/caption] LaRoque’s clothes are just great and Annabelle's perseverance is paying off with her wholesale line now available in dozens of stores throughout the Southeast....

31 Aug HERE GOES……………..

Posted at 13:07h in clothes, Fashion Sewing, shopping by goodbyevalentino 0 Comments

We women who enjoy clothes and can usually justify a new purchase, and I have had lots of reasons to shop during the past year. Whether is was my best friend’s daughter’s wedding or my daughter’s best friend’s wedding I was buying a Milly dress here, a Lilly dress there and then came the Valentino. How I have loved my first Valentino dress! Did I mention I have two daughters? Shopping, shopping, shopping...