Behind The Seams

I'VE MOVED!

2007-01-30T11:18:00.000-05:00

Good morning, fellow sewing enthusiasts! Please come and visit me on my new Wordpress blog:

Behind The Seams

Hot Patterns Cosmopolitan Dress

2007-01-12T10:18:00.000-05:00

I know I've been promising to upload photos of my Cosmopolitan Dress for nearly two months and hear they are - finally! Honestly, I have to say that this is my very favorite new pattern of 2006. It is sophisticated, sexy, well drafted and quick and easy to sew. Without a doubt, it is the most flattering dress I have made in a looong time!

I literally whipped this up in a few hours on Thanksgiving day - just in time to wear to dinner! Because I was using a rayon/lycra knit (from Textile Studios) I made a straight 8 without any alterations except to the length.

The only other change I made was to the neckline. Instead of using the facings I opted for a quick-and-easy turned and stitched finish. I serged some lingerie elastic into the neckline and then used my blindstitch machine to secure it. I took the smallest bite possible with my needle for a neat, invisible finish that hugs my neckline.

On the pattern envelope, this dress looks like nothing more than a-line with a long belt. But, it has a beautiful inset waist and the long ties are sewn into the side seams - it is gorgeous!

When it rains, it pours

2007-01-12T08:58:00.000-05:00

Tigger had been my constant companion since 1997. He followed me everywhere, literally slept on top of me every night, never missed an opportunity to curl up on my lap and licked and nuzzled me when I was sad. Three years ago, we almost lost him to a severe case of kidney stones. He had surgery to allow him to pass the stones more easily and was doing great until a few months ago when he had another severe episode. I was so thrilled when he made another miraculous recovery. All was well until Wednesday morning. I took him to the animal hospital, they fixed him up and I brought him home. And I knew deep down inside that this was it.

Yesterday afternoon, my poor little Tigger's body just gave out. His kidneys were shot, he was bleeding internally and his other organs were failing him. It was with great sadness and a heavy heart that I had to put him down. He was only 10 years old. Those of you who have pets know how hard it is to say goodbye to a special furry friend.

Happy Holidays

2006-11-27T17:39:00.000-05:00

I have spent the last few days decorating the inside of my house. Christmas decorations always cheer me up so now I can enjoy them for the next 5 or 6 weeks. I won't be decorating the outside this year (aside from door wreaths and poinsettias) as, 13 months after hurricane Wilma, they will finally be starting on my new roof this week! I can finally say goodbye to buckets, leaks and ceiling stains and will gladly put up with the mess and the noise.

BTW, I made the Hot Patterns Cosmopolitan Dress on Thanksgiving and it is FABULOUS! I will post some pics and a review as soon as I'm able. Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season - hopefully, I will be back with you shortly.

On hiatus

2006-11-24T18:17:00.000-05:00

Hello dear readers,
I am going through a very difficult personal time right now and need to take some time off. I hope you understand. I may pop up now and again on TheSewingDivas - must keep up my end you see. :-)

Since so many of you have asked, it looks like my son's liver problems are clearing up and he does not have hepatitis - thank heavens! The doctor feels that he had viral mononucleosis which was not caught at the student health center in Tallahassee. We are thankful that he is feeling much better and will soon be his old self. Thank you all for your kind words and well wishes.

Patience, please!

2006-11-07T15:26:00.000-05:00

I feel so bad that I have had absolutely no time to post here or at The Sewing Divas since last week. I have become extremely busy with work and my house remodel. Also, my son has been sick for the past month and drove home this past Friday so I've been taking care of him as well. We spent the better part of today at the doctor's office and lab to find out what is wrong with him. He thinks he has mono but I think he is just suffering from a little Freshman Depression. Let's face it, no matter how independent, mature and well-adjusted you are, it's tough starting a whole new life in a new city. I was shocked when he said he was very homesick - none of us expected that from him. He's going home tomorrow but will be flying back next Friday for 10 days over Thanksgiving and then he'll have a long Christmas break soon thereafter. I suspect he'll have a whole new outlook once he goes back to school in January. So, hang in there ladies, I'll be back shortly!

Designer Bead Embroidery

2006-11-02T17:52:00.000-05:00

Diva Phyllis and Diva Georgene have inspired me to add a little embellishment to some of my garments. Machine embroidery is my day job but I'm a bit lost when it comes to other embellishments like beading. I am a huge Kenneth King fan so it was only natural for me to order his brand-new beading book. Like everything Kenneth does, it is meticulous, thorough and loaded with wonderful beading patterns that seem a little less intimidating now. Best of all, this means I can build a bead stash once again! I used to do some bead weaving but purged my stash years ago - no time like the present to check out the local bead shops again.

This book is available for $16.47 from Amazon.com.

Embroidered cotton from Kashi

2006-11-02T13:58:00.000-05:00

When Diva Ann was in NYC with fellow sewing fanatics Carolyn and Barbara, she found this beautiful embroidered cotton voile for me at Kashi's (Metro Textiles).

The colors look a bit off in the photo, I'm afraid. The red is a very deep red and the green is a light olive. I know this doesn't look like "my" colors but my eyes are a bright olive green so it works very well for me - good call, Ann! I receive lots of compliments every time I wear olive so I've vowed to add more to my wardrobe. You really can't see it very well but the fabric is embroidered with gold metallic thread. This will make a great shirt.

A Sew-Along it is!

2006-10-30T10:21:00.000-05:00

Several people have mentioned that it would be fun to take the weekly designer-inspiration piece and have a sew-along! I love that idea! I am going to host the sew-along over at The Sewing Divas. I'll be using the Hot Patterns Plain & Simple Tee as the base for several designer tops. You can use it or another tried-and-true basic tee pattern.

It will take me a few days to get the materials together so hang in there!

Aren't you glad you sew? Blumarine

2006-10-27T10:07:00.000-04:00

I absolutely love snoop shopping so I thought it might be fun to start a weekly feature showcasing an expensive designer garment that would be easy for us to duplicate (oops, is that a run-on sentence?). Sound like fun?

Today's garment is a rayon/lycra knit from Blumarine with a retail price of $1,070 (all photos are from eluxury.com). While I would never spend that much on a tee (let's face it, that's what it is), it's important to note the little details that make it special. Details which you and I can easily duplicate in our own sewing rooms for a small fraction of the retail price (so that we can spend the $1000 or so we save on more fabric).

Granted, it would be impossible to find the same print but easy enough to find something that would give the same luxurious feel. The neckline of this top is trimmed in leather - how impractical is that? Since the binding is so narrow, it would be easy to get the same look with a faux leather. I, personally, would choose Ultraleather because it has good stretch across the grain making it perfect for this application. Believe me, no one will know it isn't the real thing. Additionally, since I cannot get away without a bra, I'd narrow the neckline just a bit to hide my straps.

The neckline is trimmed with two large and eight small crystals at the center front. Yay! An excuse to buy sparkly things!

The sleeve opening is also trimmed out in leather and features button-and-loop closures trimmed with crystals. I have a nice little stash of expensive crystal buttons purchased during my employment at Maggi's For Fine Fabrics in Boca Raton (known as THE place to buy buttons in the tri-county area). Maggi's may have closed but I have a good portion of the inventory right here! If they are washable, this might be a good project to use them on since my formalwear days are practically non-existent.

A A A D D

2006-10-25T14:49:00.000-04:00

Well, finally, there's a name for my affliction: Age Activated Attention
Deficit Disorder. Yes, I have it. Last week, I had lunch with my friend Vivian and was telling her that I have to write everything down and make lots of lists - otherwise, the day goes by without my accomplishing anything I'd set out to do. This morning she sent me an email explaining the proper name for my disease: AAADD.

The email came at just the right moment too. But first, a little background: I received a $100 gift card for Home Depot this week. I'm a chronic DIYer and spend an awful lot of time and money there. I've been wanting to upgrade my wonderful 14.4V Ryobi drill with their new 18V One+ drill. The 18V One+ battery fits a myriad of tools: circular saws, jig saws, routers, reciprocating saws and more. I've been lusting after it for about a month but figured I'd just put it on my Christmas list. Well, since I'm famous for losing/misplacing gift cards I figured I'd better rush right over to Home Depot this morning and spend that sucker!

I immediately went to the tool department and grabbed the drill/flashlight combo pack (which comes in a nifty suitcase) and, seeing the fabulous right-angle drill, grab that as well. Hey, I'm in a mood to splurge! I pick up a few other things on my list, wait in line, pay, get in my car and drive home. When I get home I realize that I failed to use my gift card. Then I received the email. Apparently, pinning notes to my shirt is the next step.

It's here!

2006-10-24T11:47:00.000-04:00

Some of you may remember me saying that I'd purchased a 2nd coverstitch machine - a flatbed - some months ago. Well, my friend (and mechanic extraordinaire) has been busy (as have I) so I didn't pester him about the machine. I stopped by the shop last Wednesday to drop off some fabric and was excited that the machine was being delivered that afternoon. He finished building the stand yesterday and DH brought her home this morning. He wants to know what in the world is inside this machine that makes it so unbelievably heavy (the stand actually has steel reinforcement rods). I guess weight of the metal parts and the casting add up. Still, it's hard to believe that this weighs so much more than my walking-foot machine. I told him to be thankful we have a single-story house!

Since I'll use the flatbed much more than the binder, I upgraded to the 8800 series. Not that I'll ever need it but it will sew 6000 stitches per minute. Yikes!

And now that's it, I'm officially out of space. I'm sure my husband is thankful for that!

She's all set up and ready to go and I just realized I forgot to put the rubber feet on the stand. :-O Fiddle dee dee, I'll think about that tomorrow. I don't dare ask DH to lift this tank twice in one day!

New shears!

2006-10-23T15:53:00.000-04:00

I didn't really feel like sewing when I returned home yesterday afternoon. But, I did want to do something sewing-related so I made permanent patterns of a couple of my newer favorites. I have all of the usual pattern making tools: bunny punch, notcher, tracing wheel and screw punch. But, after struggling once again to cut out heavy poster board (I know, I've finally decided to break down and buy a large roll of oak tag) with my Fiskars I decided it was time for some serious shears.

So, I headed off to the store this afternoon to treat myself to a pair of shears for pattern making only. When I told my friend Greg (of Azar's Sewing Center in Davie, Florida) what I wanted them for, he recommended the knife edge Mundial 12NPKE. I thought a 12" shear would be a bit much for me to handle but they are very comfortable and cut the heavy paper easily. No more raggedy edges!

UPDATE 10/24/06: Kelly asked about other patternmaking tools - I apologize, I just assume everyone knows what I'm talking about. Guess I know what that makes me. ;-) I will allow expert patternmaker Kathleen Fasanella to fill you in! Kathleen discusses the basic patternmaking tools here, in her post entitled Tools and Supplies. She left out my favorite thing, the bunny punch (my nickname is Bunny) but discusses it in another post entitled - what else? - Bunny Punch. Here you can also see the hooks that are used to hang the patterns and keep all the pieces of each style together.

When I visited Simplicity last year, I noticed that all of their paper sample patterns were hung on hooks so their use isn't limited to oak tag patterns. I must mention that Simplicity's NYC staff not only gave our group a fascinating tour but were incredibly gracious as well. If I lived in New York, I'd beg them for a job! For decades I disliked Simplicity patterns but they have made such wonderful changes to their product line in recent years that they have become one of my favorites.

Hallo Strand!

2006-10-18T21:49:00.000-04:00

I'm headed to the beach for a few days' R&R. Just an excuse to lay around, read, sip umbrella drinks and nap, really. See you when I get back!

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot!

2006-10-16T20:57:00.000-04:00

Woohoo! The Hot Patterns arrived today! I wanted them all but only ordered the Cosmopolitan Dress:

and Flippy Skirt:

for now. I have *cough, cough* several HPs in progress and really, really need to finish my UFOs before buying too many more patterns. Couldn't resist these two though! If only I could look like Beyonce wearing the Cosmopolitan dress....

I knew this was a must-have after seeing it on Erica B.'s blog, Hook & Needles.

Metro Textile samples

2006-10-13T15:25:00.000-04:00

I received these samples from Kashi this week. These are gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous cottons! Unfortunately, they are not my color. :-( The shirred fabric is a very delicate voile (or gauze) and is elasticated. The pintucked fabric is cotton batiste. They go together beautifully! If you're interested in these, you can give Kashi a call at 212-290-0418. I'm not affiliated with Metro Textiles - just a very happy customer!

Happy Day!

2006-10-13T09:57:00.000-04:00

My baby is coming home from college today and I'm so excited! I haven't seen him in over a month, since Labor Day weekend. After this visit I won't see him again until Thanksgiving. :-( He's bringing home the bar stools from his apartment so that I can reupholster them. Fun, huh? At least I stopped him from bringing home all the dining chairs as well! I guess I know what I'll be doing over the Thanksgiving break.....

Mit Glitz

2006-10-10T22:53:00.000-04:00

A few years ago, a friend of mine had a Swiss girlfriend who looooved sparkle - everything had to be mit Glitz! Last weekend I was whipping up some new casual tops (I just cleaned out my closet and am in need!) and came across two sparkley iron ons that I had purchased at Ben Raymond's a long time ago. Sometimes, I am inexplicably drawn to glittery things and so I bought these stars with no clue as to what I'd ever use them for.

No one could argue the fact that most knit tops don't have a very long lifespan. This is not investment dressing, to be sure. I decided to live a little and pulled out my favorite pattern (out-of-print Kwik-Sew 2643), two gorgeous rayon/lycra fabrics (the green from www.emmaonesock.com and the beige from www.casualelegancefabric.com ) and heat-sealed those stars on before I could change my mind. You know what? I like them! Sometimes it's fun to try something different.

Package from Kashi!

2006-10-10T14:41:00.000-04:00

I love ordering fabric from Kashi at Metro Textiles in NYC! Where else can a Sewing Diva get top-quality fabric at discount prices *and* receive personalized service? Once Kashi knows what you like you can expect to receive calls to alert you to new inventory. Isn't that great? Here's what I received today:

Swiss-cheese eyelet in white - 6 yards: I will save this for next summer. It's destined to become a full-skirted wrap dress.

Brown eyelet - 3 yards (with 6 more coming!): I'm planning on making a skirt out of this. I envision something fitted through the hip and full at the hem. Although it is October, it's still pretty hot here so I'll be able to wear this for awhile. I'll make a dress out of the 6 yards I have coming from the 2nd shipment but probably not until next Spring.

Waves eyelet - 3 yards: This I bought sight unseen, Kashi made it sound so pretty. I'm going to make a shirt out of this - it's really even prettier than I thought it would be. A white eyelet shirt will go with so many things!

I was so excited to hear that Kashi had some good-quality cotton eyelets. I've been looking for them all summer! Except for the nice black piece I bought from him this past Spring, most of the other eyelets I've seen have been pretty awful - poly/cotton with horrible stingy embroidery. Oh, I did find a gorgeous broderie Anglaise for $200/yd but passed on it. Kashi's eyelets were $14/yd for the whites and $10/yd for the brown - such a deal! I know he is again out of the brown, but I believe he still has the whites. He also still has some of the beautiful brown velvet eyelet I bought a few weeks ago. Call him at (212)290-0418 8:00-6:00 Monday-Friday, Eastern time. Reasonable shipping rates too!

Yesterday afternoon a little bird flew into the French doors in my living room. It managed to bounce off the glass and grab onto one of my patio chairs. I was a little worried about it because it was obviously pretty stunned. Here in the photo you can see how it's little eyes are mere slits. It stayed like this, motionless, for several minutes before shaking it's little head and opening it's eyes all the way.

My four cats were quite entertained by the little bird. It was pretty funny to see them all lined up against the doors watching Kitty Television. I was so relieved that it was alright and able to fly away a few minutes later.

What's on my nightstand?

2006-10-08T14:50:00.000-04:00

The Beautiful Fall: Lagerfeld, Saint Laurent, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris

I just started this book which, unfortunately, did not arrive in time for my mini beach vacation. I am just beginning to comprehend the genius that was Yves St. Laurent.

Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution

Diva Phyllis is already reading this book, she made it sound so good that I had to buy it. The Marie Antoinette feature in the September issue of Vogue really piqued my interest in the book and the movie.

Debut: Yves Saint Laurent 1962

I miss you too!

2006-10-08T12:12:00.000-04:00

I've received so many nice messages and emails after my recent departure from an online sewing community (which shall remain nameless). I am so touched by your support and, yes, I do miss so many of you! However, after a year of unpleasantries, this latest incident was simply the final straw for me. I cannot continue to support a site whose owner condones that sort of behaviour and hope you understand that I had to move on.

On a more positive note, I've been hanging out at Stitcher's Guild (link on the sidebar) when I'm feeling chatty. Maybe I'll see you there!

Hot Patterns Sunshine Top

2006-10-04T10:24:00.000-04:00

Finally, here is the photo of my completed HP Sunshine Top. To be honest, I generally wear fitted tops because fuller ones can sometimes look too maternity on figures like mine but I LOOOOOVE this top! The cut actually makes me look slimmer and smaller busted - it's a real winner. The secret is the cut and depth of the neckline. Beware that this is probably not something you'll wear to the office as it is (it is in the Weekender collection, after all) although the neckline would be very easy to raise if you so desire.

This pattern uses the new HP sizing. I used a size 10 because that's what I normally use in HP tops and dresses. I should have tried on my Hippie Chick Dress before beginning because, due to weight loss, it was a little too large through the upper chest. As in the Big 4, an 8 is the best size for me to start with. As always, I had to make a full bust adjustment as I didn't have enough room in the front even with the gathers. I am very pleased with the fit except for one tiny issue that my fellow Sewing Divas helped me work out. I will show those alterations as soon as I redraw the pattern. I'll tell you, it is such a luxury to be able to bounce these things off of my very talented sewing friends. The thing I love most about sewing is the constant learning of new skills. I've been sewing for years and still have so much to learn! How nice that we never lose those Aha! moments.

One thing you'll want to be aware of in this top is the length. Hot Patterns are drafted for a tall woman - I am just under 5'4" with most of my shortness being above the waist. I cut about 3" off to finish the top at mid hip. Otherwise, this pattern was well drafted and went together without a hitch.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the metallic transfer is the Blomster Print from Shop Onion. I use a lot of transfers in my business and can assure you that these are of the highest quality.

Wow, I'm honored!

2006-10-03T14:06:00.000-04:00

Fellow Sewing Diva Mary Beth found this article about top sewing sites on the web today: Ten Best Sewing Blogs

I was thrilled that the Sewing Divas were mentioned and about fell out of my chair to see my personal blog mentioned. Needless to say, this has made my day. :-)

No big surprise - I'm mostly right-brained

2006-09-30T18:56:00.000-04:00

You Are 25% Left Brained, 75% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning.
Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.
If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic.
Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet.

The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility.
Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way.
If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art.
Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

One last time - McCall's 5137

2006-09-24T13:32:00.000-04:00

I hadn't planned on making this dress yet again but when I tore the hemline of my magenta dress, I decided to whip another one up yesterday. You see, I'm headed to the beach today for a couple of days and these little rayon dresses are so nice to toss on. The fabric is a rayon challis with a hand-painted look that I purchased from Elia's Fabrics in Miami a few years ago. Oh yes, I've heard the rumors that this style is going out fast but am blissfully unconcerned! This is, after all, a summer dress with a short lifespan. Be back in a few days - I hope to return refreshed and rarin' to go. Stay tuned for the Hot Patterns Sunshine Top!

PS: My email box is jam-packed! If you've recently sent me an email, I am going to try to get through all of my mail this week. No emails about Project Runway, please! I won't get to see this week's episode until Friday. Auf Wiedersehen!

Tutorial: Convertible Collar with Yoke

2006-09-23T10:47:00.000-04:00

A few days ago I was asked to republish the convertible collar tutorial that I had on my now-defunct GigiSews.com site - here it is! As always, it's so much easier to use 1/4" seam allowances in this area. Your stitching will be easier, more accurate and you won't have to trim. Here, I am using Kwik-Sew 2935 which includes 1/4" seam allowances throughout.

I've increased the seam allowances in some areas (the side seams and sometimes the armscye) to give me the option of using flat-felled seams or even plain seams, depending on the project. There's nothing wrong with using a 1/4" throughout but I think that larger seam allowances and other seam finishes add more perceived value to the garment. Still, all of your enclosed seams should be 1/4" - always, IMO.

With the exception of the collar, do not press anything until the end.

Step 1: Construct the collar. I always put a large X with chalk on the undercollar so as not to mix them up.

Step 2: Construct the inner yoke/front facing unit. The inner edges of your facings should be finished in some manner. Here, I've simply turned in 1/4" and edgestitched.

Step 3: Attach the outer yoke to the front and back sections.

Step 4: Sew the collar into the neckline with a 1/8" seam (so that you won't have to remove any stitching later). Once you get the hang of this you may be able to skip this step. I still do it because I'm not a big fan of pinning. Having the collar sewn into position gives me one less piece to keep an eye on. Make sure the under collar is next to the outer yoke before sewing.

Step 5: Attach the inner yoke/front facing unit to the shirt/collar unit. I often sew this in two steps, first stitching across the neckline/collar and then down the facings/front edges.

Step 6: Now you'll need to sew the front yoke seam. Many pattern directions will tell you to slipstitch or topstitch this seam. I sew it by machine from the inside. Hold the raw edges together as they should be sewn and fold the shirt inside. The outer edges will be easy, it gets trickier as you get close to the neckline. You only need to concern yourself with stitching just past the facing edge - don't worry about getting right up to the neckline because you won't be able to.

Step 7: I'm sorry (again) for the blurriness of this photo. This is the front yoke seam pinned and ready to sew.

Step 8: Once this seam is sewn you will have a small unsewn area next to the collar. I just leave it as is. If it bothers you, you can certainly sew it up by hand - if you'll be edgestitching the yoke that will take care of it as well.

Step 9: Lay the shirt out flat, right side up, with the front facing you. Roll the back of the shirt up into the outer yoke area.

Step 10: Pull the fronts off to the side and bring the inner yoke around to meet the outer yoke.

Step 11: Here's what it will look like - ready to be sewn.

Step 12: Turn everything right side out. Now you can press!

Finished! A nice, neat collar/yoke area completely finished by machine.

My hunky model. ;-) Notice that the design matches across the button opening. I always think that's a nice touch - and it's so very easy. Material for a future tutorial?

Bah!

2006-09-21T11:31:00.000-04:00

Good morning, my fellow sewing enthusiasts! Ah, so much to post if only Blogger would let me upload photos! Even Mozilla Firefox hasn't been able to help me the past couple of days. I have one long tutorial to post - don't get too excited as it's a repost of the convertible collar technique from the defunct GigiSews.com site. I was asked to repost it here and am only too happy to oblige. Then, there's my Sunshine Top. I hope I'll be able to upload before I head to the beach on Sunday! Grrrr.

Whew!

2006-09-20T09:28:00.000-04:00

So I spent a very boring and frustrating day in the jury pool yesterday. I was called for a panel just before lunch but put back into the pool because the case settled. There were about 4 or 5 cases that settled after jurors were selected for the panels. My best friend is a lawyer who represents the insurance companies in personal injury cases - I bet most of the cases that settle at the 11th hour are PI cases. The plaintiffs hold out until the very last moment in hopes of being offered more money. I guess that either the defense offers a bit more money or the plaintiffs take the money on the table and run.

At around 3:00 I was selected for another panel. I immediately had a bad feeling that we were dealing with a criminal case because 50 jurors were selected for the panel. I was right - murder in the 1st degree! The defendant was charged with murdering a woman during a robbery. People close to me know that I am very opinionated about murder and the death penalty, with good reason. You see, in 1989 a very close family member was murdered during a robbery. This is a happy blog so I won't go into it any more than that - I'll just say that not a day goes by that I don't think about her and how much I miss her. Naturally, I was dismissed two hours later. I was very relieved as I think it would have been too much for me to handle emotionally. Today I am back to thinking happy thoughts! :-)

Almost finished!

2006-09-18T22:56:00.000-04:00

First, I want to thank all of you for your wonderful, generous comments! I'll admit I was feeling a bit down but who could possibly feel bad with so many encouraging visitors? Certainly not me. Thank you all!

So, what am I almost finished with? Well, I'm very nearly caught up with my work. I have been literally working day and night! I'm still working right now, trying to get a few last minute things finished as I've been called for jury duty tomorrow. Hopefully, I won't be needed. I served on a jury for an entire week a few years ago. While interesting, it was a personal nightmare because I can't sit still that long. I have two speeds: high and off. So, we'll see. I just always wonder what's going on with jury selection - I don't know one other person who has ever served on a jury besides me.

Provided they don't chain me to a seat in the jury box, I will be sewing on Wednesday, Thursday AND Friday - yippee! I am doing the happy-happy joy-joy dance right now! I'll finish up my Sunshine Top and probably cut out another one. I'm headed to the beach on Sunday for four days. The hand-beading I have planned for the next Sunshine Top will be a good take-along project. I'm also going to try to get something cut out that doesn't need a serger and take that along as well. My DH will likely be running back and forth to the restaurant so my Bernina will be my surrogate companion for some of the time. ;-) I no longer have a portable serger and don't feel like taking *that* much stuff with me anyway. Maybe I'll fit and cut out a shirt before I go and plan on making flat-felled seams. I know it sounds weird that I'm taking sewing to the beach with me but I'm not much of a sun-lover so my big Panama hat and I won't be spending more than an hour or two on the sand with a good book. I'll be the pasty one slathering 40 SPF all over herself - under an umbrella. ;-)

Mrs. Know-It-All

2006-09-16T19:24:00.000-04:00

It never fails. Whenever you feel pretty good about yourself something happens that makes you feel very, very small. I've been a member of an online sewing community for the past five years. I absolutey loved the site and it's members and spent many happy hours there looking at people's projects, showing my own and chatting about sewing. I even ran the Expert Forum (a title I was never comfortable with because I'm certainly not an expert) for several years - until my work load became so great that I could no longer handle it. Still, I was very active on the message boards when I was able. I'm certainly not a sewing expert - I will be the first one to tell you that. Instead, I consider myself a sewing student - always studying, always learning, always experimenting. Sewing does come naturally to me, that I will admit. Even back in Home Ec my fellow students always asked me for help. Not because I knew everything but because I was always finished before everyone else.

I'm no longer participating at the site but am still lurking, looking at people's projects and keeping up with what's going on. Now I wish I had just made a clean break. It's pretty humiliating to find out that while you thought you were being helpful, answering people's questions, so many thought you were just being a know-it-all and blowing your own horn. I wish I could go back and delete everything I've ever written. Actually, I could - but that would be entirely misconstrued. Then people would say that I was worried about someone stealing my ideas. They aren't my ideas at all, just things I've learned over the years. Luckily, the way the site is growing I know that I will disappear into cyberspace in short order - a small comfort.

Last week, Mary Beth and I were joking that, if left to our own devices, we might become sewing hermits. Right now, that sounds like a pretty swell idea. I have a small note hung to the right of my desk that reads "sewing washes from the soul the dust of everyday life". Now that's good advice. Time to buck up and sew something.

Where the action is

2006-09-16T18:02:00.000-04:00

Some of you have never seen my sewing room and here it is. I know I'm not the only sewer who enjoys looking at everyone's sewing spaces - or am I? The bones of this room have been about the same for ten years but it received a facelift last year in the way of new paint, new hardware, a new floor and wonderful water hyacinth baskets for organizing. It's so nice not to lose pins in carpeting!

Here's the view from the door. That wonderful little Bernette 334DS serger you see in the foreground has been sold since I took these pictures. I was feeling guilty that such a great machine had been sitting idle since the day I bought my industrial serger. I firmly believe that machines need to be used and loved.

The shelves above the industrial serger didn't always hang so high. I moved them up in order to fit my industrial embroidery machine underneath back in 1999. That machine is now housed in my converted garage with my 6-head and the rest of my industrials. Just a quick walk to the other side of the house. I never bothered to lower the shelves back down. It doesn't bother me and gives me more room for my thread racks.

Here's the view to the right - pressing surface, small cutting area (which is usually just piled with fabric) and my Horn thread cabinet. I sure wish the thread cabinet had only deep drawers so that I could fit all of my serger thread in it. I have way too much regular sewing thread to fit so those shallow drawers on top are kind of useless. They hold tools and my knitting needles (I've been learning to knit for several years but haven't progressed past garter stitch).

Here's a little peek into my shop. The 6-head embroidery machine takes center stage, of course. She's about 13 feet long. We actually built the room around her. We layed the carpet, painted, had air conditioning installed and then brought the machine in with a forklift (well, WE didn't, the rigging company did it) and had the fourth wall put up. I usually stay out of here on the weekends - I have to go "home" sometime - but I am swamped with work so the machines are running as I sit here and type.

Okay, I've shown you mine - now show me yours!

WWTS?

2006-09-14T23:28:00.000-04:00

What Would Tim Say? There's not been too much going on in the sewing room lately that I can share with you. I've been working a lot and now have many UFOs hanging around. I need to be inspired. I need Tim Gunn! I never get tired of seeing or listening to Tim Gunn. I want to know what Tim Gunn thinks of my various projects. Will I hear "this is looking beautiful!" or will I get the dreaded "this is a bit Junior" or worse, "it's looking like Holly Hobby" or "carved out of a big log"? Mon Dieu! I think I need a picture of Tim to hang on my sewing room wall - preferably one where he is stroking his chin as he often does, deep in thought. If anybody can prompt me to "make it work" it's Tim!

I hope I don't get into trouble "borrowing" this photo of Tim from Bravo's website. He looks so handsome but it's not what I'm looking for. I'll have to take a nice screen shot from one of my TiVo'd episodes. Or maybe I can join the Tim Gunn Fan Club and send away for an autographed 8x10 glossy. Now, that would be awesome!

Yes, still......

2006-09-12T15:40:00.000-04:00

I'm still swamped with work but am trying to post *something* every few days so that you don't forget about me. :-)

Awhile ago, my friend Emma asked if I'd monogram 65 napkins for a friend's dinner party. The easiest way to crank out such a large quantity was to put four napkins in a hoop as shown below. I used a 12x12" but this would work equally well with smaller hoops. We hooped tearaway, drew a couple of lines down the center in each direction and stuck the napkins on with KK3000. I always use KK3000 with my either cutaway or tearaway as I absolutely detest sticky paper. Not only is it expensive, it doesn't provide enough stability on it's own. If you have to add a sheet of tearaway, what is the point?

If you look very, very closely, you can see a tiny placement dot on each napkin. We made a little corner template from paper to make marking a breeze. After sewing the first initial, I simply used my machine's rotate feature to sew the rest. With this method, we were able to embroider 24 napkins with each hooping (my machine has 6 heads). This went very quickly - we started around 10:00 a.m. and were having lunch out a couple of hours later.

Still working......

2006-09-08T10:31:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm still at it. Four of my teams are in a tournament this weekend which, ordinarily, would not be a big deal. But add in many days of delay due to UPS closing in anticipation of tropical storm Ernesto (which turned out to be nothing more than a mild rainstorm) and a holiday weekend and you have me about a week behind on my work. The tackle twill split front logos for one set of uniforms took forever and didn't arrive until late yesterday afternoon. I just bit the bullet and stayed up until 2:00 a.m. sewing everything onto the vests. I did not want to face them today! As you can imagine, I can't wait until I'm back on track and have some time to spend in my sewing room - after I catch up on my sleep.

Fun, interrupted

2006-09-05T13:31:00.000-04:00

It seems that everytime I get really deep into a couple of fun sewing projects I am interrupted by W O R K. :-( It's just such a bummer! Sunday night and yesterday I laid a glass block divider in my husband's restaurant (not only loads of fun, haha, but the mortar sucks every drop of moisture out of your hands). Then, today, it's back to work, work, work. Blech. And, naturally, everyone needs their order yesterday. I need one of those coffee mugs that says "lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part"! :-) Let's face it, I am just down in the mouth today knowing that I will be trapped in my shop day and night for the rest of the week. The only thing that will bring a smile to my face is the thought of watching Project Runway on Wednesday! In the meantime, I'll be watching this wraparound hat logo embroider out about fifty times. I know it makes you want to rush out and start your own embroidery business, doesn't it? Admit, you know it does. ;-)

Hot Patterns Sunshine Tops - Part 3

2006-09-03T16:53:00.000-04:00

Well, my plan to move some of the gathers further up over the bust didn't work as well as I'd hoped. You can see from the Very Bad Bathroom Mirror Photo (I'm sorry, I know it's blurry) that it causes weird wrinkles/folds above the bust. I should have been able to anticipate that. Plan B: I've marked a new gathering area on the neckband and will need to rotate the FBA to a vertical dart and rotate that out at the side seam. I really want to get this just right because I know I will be making this top again and again - it's really pretty.

Hot Patterns Sunshine Tops - Part 2

2006-09-02T11:22:00.000-04:00

I had all but forgotten about these really cute heat transfers I purchased a few months ago from Shop Onion. This silver Blomster print is perfect for adding a little embellishment to the neckband of my Sunshine Top.

I decided to use a partial motif on the side of the band. I placed a Teflon sheet underneath so that the excess wouldn't fuse to my press' silicone pad. If you don't have a Teflon sheet you can put a piece of scrap paper or fabric underneath so that the transfer won't stick to your pressing surface.

Applying the motif is easy! Just fuse at 300F for 10-12 seconds. I'm using a commercial heat press but it's just as easy to apply these transfers with a dry iron set just above wool.

I'm very happy with the placement of this little detail. This pattern is great! It's such a pretty top. I thought I could get away without a full bust adjustment because of all the gathers but I was W R O N G. In fact, if you are full-busted I would recommend starting the gathers further up the neckband to fill in the hollow above the bust a little. I am going to make my FBA and then transfer the dart to that area. Oh well, that's why it's necessary to make a test garment in knit. My final version will be in a rayon/lycra knit. I think I'll cut out and fuse the neck band now and get started on my beading. Woohoo!

Hot Patterns Sunshine Tops

2006-08-29T21:01:00.000-04:00

As soon as I saw this pattern from the new Hot Patterns Weekender Collection, I knew I had to have it! One can't have too many tees here in south Florida but I do get tired of the same old styles. I just love the gathered neckline and the neckband is just begging to be beaded!

I'll be blogging about my embellished version of this top over on The Sewing Divas blog but, before I start on that I want to whip up a quickie version to test the fit. I've traced off a size 10 which is what I used for my Hippy Chick Dress last winter.

The fabric I've chosen for my test is a beautiful, royal blue Austrian cotton knit from Josephine's Dry Goods in Portland. I had picked up a few short lengths of Austrian knits when I was there last, forgetting that they weren't 60" wide. I have just enough to make the cap sleeve version of this top - and I mean JUST enough.

Stay tuned!

Horror of horrors 2

2006-08-28T15:27:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry, I know this has nothing to do with sewing but I just cannot resist showing you this. For the woman who has everything, a pair of white denim shorts custom painted to match your favorite LV bag - the Cerises monogram canvas, in this case. I wonder what the seller would come up with to match the Horror of Horrors bag I posted a few days ago? It boggles the mind. Back to the machines!

My fabric stash!

2006-08-28T10:12:00.000-04:00

I recently took down my www.gigisews.com website - I just have too much going on and hadn't been maintaining it anway so..... However, several people have asked about the picture of my fabric closet so I thought I'd put one up today.

A couple of years ago, Leslie in Austin mentioned that she had rolled all of the fabric in her stash. I thought this was such a great idea that I spent an entire weekend reorganizing and rolling all of my fabric. Rolling makes it easy to see every piece of fabric and to remove a piece without causing an avalanche. Because you can stack the rolls higher than flatfolds, I was able to fit all of the extra fabric from the linen closet into my sewing room closet as well.

As you can see, I try to keep my fabric separated by color. This makes it much easier to find what I'm looking for.

The wire baskets in the center hold linings, ribbings, lingerie fabrics and stretch linings. Like any good sewer, I have a few fabrics still in bags on the floor. :-)

Pool table cover - Final

2006-08-26T18:30:00.000-04:00

Woohoo! It's finished! This is certainly not a project I am anxious to tackle again anytime soon. The sewing was easy enough but trying to control so much (nearly 6 yards) heavy vinyl was very tiring. My shoulders, neck and arms are killing me! In a real workroom, the machine's power stand would be inset into a large work table. I'm not that lucky so I had some of the cover resting on a chair next to me and the rest on my lap.

I wanted the finished cover to have plenty of ease - this is just a large cat bed, after all. ;-) A snug cover would have turned it into a cat trampoline. I somehow miscalculated the length, not allowing enough ease for the center of the cover to lay flat against the table. Rather than remove the sashing strips (ugh) I borrowed yet another idea from my quilting friends: double sashing strips a la the Log Cabin pattern. I simply cut down all four sides and added a second set of strips. The ones on the end are a wee bit wider to make up for my mistake. Not perfect but not bad enough that I'd want to start all over. It's a pool table cover, after all. Besides, none of my friends carry a tape measure with them.

I'm very happy with the way the corners turned out. I used the same technique that I used on my son's tailored bedskirt. I sewed the side pieces on first then added a 9" wide piece underneath. I hemmed the underpiece but left the sides unhemmed to reduce bulk.

I think one of the hardest things about a project like this is figuring out what to do as you go along. I can tell you how much ease I like in a straight skirt (2") or how much ease I like in a pillow cover (-1") but I'm a bit lost when it comes to pool table covers so I had to wing it and really exercise my sewing brain. It will be easier next time. Just let me rest for a few years.

Last, but not least, I have to praise Connie, my wonderful walking-foot machine! I am sooooo glad I bought her. She sailed through this project with flying colors, every stitch as perfect as the last. Mwa!

I was a bit intimidated when I first brought her home. Knowing that the foot could walk right over my finger was a little scary - especially when you take a look at the ginormous needle (I think this one is a 22). After two big projects and a couple of purses, we're old pals.

Horror of horrors

2006-08-25T14:37:00.000-04:00

I want to know what in the heck is going on over at Louis Vuitton. Honestly, I have no words to describe this bag. It's just so.....hideous. It is the antithesis of all that is elegant. I like each of the elements - the monogram canvas, the metallic snake and the leopard - by themselves. Putting them all together in one bag is just plain nauseating and I wish it would stop assaulting me every time I open a fashion magazine. I am terrified of setting foot into the LV boutique lest I come face to face with this beast.

9/6/06: This monstrosity will set you back a cool $7,250 - yes, in American dollars.

Pool table cover - Part 2

2006-08-25T09:05:00.000-04:00

I didn't get as far on the cover yesterday as I had hoped. I spent the morning in the vet's office with a very sick Winnie Pooh - 2nd time this week, sigh. We all know how these things can happen with pets and children. Hopefully, this is nothing serious but we will find out for sure when her blood work comes back today. So, I spent yesterday afternoon and evening rushing to finish my real work and didn't get back to the cover until last night. The top is finished, I just need to add the skirt - if that's what you want to call it. :-)

I really like black purses and shoes with white topstitching. I'm not sure why, I just like that look. I thought it might be a nice way to accent the cover - a way to break up the huge expanse of black. I'm very happy with the way it looks.

Here is the top before adding the sashing strips on the long sides. In the background you can catch a glimpse of my husband's pride and joy, a 1952 Seeburg Select-O-Matic 100 jukebox. It is the jukebox featured in the opening credits of Happy Days and was the first jukebox to play both sides of a record. About 10 years ago, my son and his friend broke two of the mercury glass tubes on the front while playing pool, a sure-fire way to make a grown man cry. Luckily, I was able to find chrome replacement tubes. It's just not the same but then we all have our battle scars, don't we?

Here is what I'm trying to protect. It's no secret that I love ALL shades of red. I think every room needs at least a little bit of red. My husband doesn't mind and my son has happily inherited my love for red so I'm able to indulge myself as much as I want.

I probably won't get this finished today, it being Friday and all. Friday is usually a crazy work day for me so I'll get back to this tomorrow.

Pool table cover - Part 1

2006-08-24T11:26:00.000-04:00

My Hot Patterns Sunshine Top is all ready to be cut out and then, once again, I am distracted by my very demanding house! Way back, in the beginning of June, I had our pool table recovered. At the same time, I ordered a custom cover for the table - naturally, my table would have to be a slightly odd size - none of the ready-made covers will fit. Naturally. Well, here it is August and I'm still waiting for my custom cover. I called the shop two weeks ago. They can't find my order and will call me the next day. I'm still waiting. I am so sick of looking at the white sheets that have been covering the table for two and a half months. You see, we have to keep the table covered because my cat, Kanga, thinks the pool table is a really great bed. I don't have to tell you how difficult it is to remove cat hair from wool felt. I won't even tell you about the little hairball "accident" she had a few years ago. The table needs a cover, period.

While I would much rather have a cover made from a beautiful decorator fabric, I settle on vinyl simply because cat hair won't stick to it and any little spills can be wiped off with a damp cloth. I'm becoming very practical. The less I have to clean the more sewing time I will have. :-) I decide on marine vinyl because it is a nice weight and fairly thick. So, I measure the table. It is 56" wide. Of course, most marine vinyl is 55" wide so I know I will have to do some piecing. Just to make things more difficult and time-consuming, I decide to piece a design rather than just straight seams. Here is what I came up with (very quilt-like and I'm not even a quilter!):

Stay tuned. With a little luck, I will have this sucker finished today!

The nest is empty

2006-08-17T22:43:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm back. My eyes are still puffy and I'm liable to start crying again at any moment but am trying to get back to normal - whatever that is. We worked really hard to get everything moved in and unpacked in a day and a half. I did leave the boys with a to-do list which I hope they'll pay attention to - nothing major, just a few things I didn't get to, like cleaning the freezer. And of course, Jess wants to paint his room and bathroom - he likes color on the walls as much as I do.

When the truck arrived Tuesday morning Jess begged me to please set his bed up right away. I guess he hadn't enjoyed sleeping on the inflatable bed the night before. I have to say that he did a really good job buying his bed linens. He was obviously paying attention when I explained thread count to him. He used this shower curtain as his inspiration for the color scheme.

I didn't make the duvet cover (I didn't iron it either! We had forgotten to buy an ironing board.). I just ran out of time and it was easy to buy one ready-made. I made a tailored bedskirt and the pillows out of Ultrasuede and upholstery-weight microsuede. We tried adding some green on the bed but it was just too much. I'm happy with the way it turned out. It's a nice cozy bed for a boy who loves his sleep. I was hoping he'd need some window treatments so that I could use up the rest of the fabric. Don't ask me why I bought an entire roll of it - I have no idea what my original plan for 20 yards of camel microsuede was. It must have been a good deal. The boys did ask if I'd bring my sewing machine next time and reupholster the dining chairs and bar stools - that would be a good way to use up the rest. Those cushions are currently upholstered in off-white linen-like fabric which should be nice and dirty the next time I see them.

Today I cleaned Jess' room here at home and moved one of my cutting tables in. Once I get my emotions under control I think I'll enjoy working in there. :-)

Moving Day

2006-08-14T08:32:00.000-04:00

I can't believe the day is here. The day that I take my only child to college, seven hours away. While I've been crying at the drop of a hat for the past several weeks, part of me is relieved that the time has come. For several months, my house has been an absolute disaster with extra furniture, boxes and household items everywhere. So, I guess I will cry the seven hours back and then try to enjoy the serenity of home. I suspect that even being allowed to set up my cutting tables in his room won't make me smile for at least a week or two. My best friend's husband suggested that I get another cat and name him Jess. Naturally, my son thinks that is a crazy idea. Yeah, well, that has my name all over it.

Back to Basics

2006-08-13T17:59:00.000-04:00

I've had the blahs lately. You know, sort of like a bad hair day all over, every day. My favorite garments just aren't exciting to me anymore. You've had it too, haven't you? Last night, with both of our husbands working, my best friend and I decided to go to one of our favorite little Italian places for dinner. I was in a red shoe mood so I decided that plain black pants and a black top would be easy. I put on simple silver hoop earrings and grabbed my favorite red bag. When I gave myself a final mirror check I realized that I looked more chic than I had in many months. While none of the individual pieces were spectacular, together they were perfect. I've been concentrating so much on making stand-out pieces that I have neglected the bones of my wardrobe, those go-to pieces that are always right. It's time to get back to basics and fill in the blanks.

Blech

2006-08-13T14:27:00.000-04:00

I am so disgusted with Blogger. The Divas and I seem to constantly have trouble posting images to Blogger. This used to only happen occasionally. Now it's a regular thing and it is keeping us from posting as often as we'd like. As soon as things settle down a bit I am going to be making a move! Stay tuned.

No more flying snips!

2006-08-03T13:24:00.000-04:00

My friend Greg gave me this really strong ceramic magnet to use as a seam guide when he was out of the regular magnetic seam guides. Apparently, he removes them from broken industrial motors. When I wasn't using it as a seam guide, I had pushed it off to the side of the machine bed and discovered an even better use for it: to hold my thread snips! Now, when I sew really fast my snips won't go flying onto the floor. I already added one to my serger and hope to eventually have one on all of my industrials. It goes without saying that a magnet should never be used on a computerized machine, but you already knew that.

New bobbin winder!

2006-08-02T16:09:00.000-04:00

About five years ago, my friend Greg over at Azar's Sewing Center (Davie, FL) made me a stand-alone jumbo bobbin winder for my Brother embroidery machine. For the most part, I use prewound bobbins but it's good to have a bobbin winder for emergencies or when a special color is needed. I don't use it very often so I put it somewhere out of the way and now, naturally, I can't find it. I really need it to wind bobbins for my Consew 206! You are supposed to wind while you're sewing but I'd need duplicate cones of all of my 69 nylon threads in order to do that. A separate winder is the perfect solution!

I mentioned this to Greg when I was in his shop this morning and, voila!, he produced this jumbo bobbin winder. Apparently, he had made it for another customer who never came to pick it up - lucky for me! This one is even better than the original one he'd made. Always trying to improve upon things, that guy!

Many of you may not know that industrial stand-alone winders are very expensive. I paid about $650 for the winder for my 6-head embroidery machine some years back. Prices easily go over $800 today. I paid under $100 for this one. If you're handy you can probably make your own for about $70 worth of parts.

Time flies

2006-08-01T09:13:00.000-04:00

I have a favorite pewter plate on my coffee table. Around the rim it says "Salud, Amor Y Pesetas Y Tiempo Para Disfrutarlas." Translated, it says "health, love and wealth - and the time to enjoy them". It's that last bit that's a toughie but I'm working on it.

I must apologize for posting so little this month. Summer should be a lazy time of year where I accomplish incredible amounts of sewing! Instead, I have been busy working, helping out at the DH's restaurant and trying to get my son ready to head off to college next month. The summer is flying by! That's not to say, dear reader, that I'm not thinking about sewing. Oh no, thoughts of sewing still consume my every waking moment. This is often a problem because it always leads to too many new fabric purchases - or machine purchases. I took the plunge and ordered another coverstitch. This time it's a flatbed - the Kansai Special W8103-D. My dealer things I'm crazy. Now, how to get the machine inside without DH realizing that yet another industrial has joined the family..... Hopefully, it will arrive before DS leaves for school! He'll roll his eyes a bit less than DH. ;-)

I'll be keeping my other coverstitch set up for binding and use the flatbed for all of my hemming. The best part is that I'll be able to use a downturn feller and a beltloop folder on the flatbed. Don't you just love sewing toys?

Will the real Bobby Breslau please stand up?

2006-07-16T12:11:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Pamela, whose comments prompted me to search through my Halston books hoping to find a picture of one of Bobby Breslau's purses. Pamela said...

"I bought the Bobby Breslau Vogue pattern in the 70s when it came out. Vogue had 2 Breslau patterns. Bobby Breslau made handbags for Halston. These were the original bags shown on the runway with Halston fashions. I'm sure I can find a picture or two of the bags in my Halston books. Breslau did the handbags, Elsa Peretti did the jewelry for Halston. To continue Kathleen's point, this bag was not an original design when Michael Kors made it in 2002. I have not yet made the bag ;-) I did just buy some gorgeous red mock croc in leather from an ebay seller, for which I have high hopes. I will be watching your progress!"

I was unable to find any photos of the bags as I quickly thumbed through Halston by Steven Bluttal. As I was nearing the beginning (I tend to thumb through books back to front - weird, I know) of Halston: An American Original by Gross and Rottman, I was feeling a bit discouraged because I couldn't find any bags or even references to Bobby Breslau. Then, I was rewarded with this great photo on the contents page (maybe I should start looking at books front to back for a change):

While I am a great fan of Halston (who truly was an American original!) I somehow did not remember the bags. Perhaps it is because Bobby Breslau did not become as big a Star as Elsa Peretti - a shame, really. I must say I'm a bit disappointed in Michael Kors, though. How can he sit there and criticize Project Runway contestants for allowing themselves to be inspired by other designers when he has blatantly copied them himself? Look at this photo of Michael Kors' bag from Handbags: The Power of the Purse by Anna Johnson. Even the photo styling is reminiscent of Halston! Tsk, tsk.

Bobby Breslau Purses

2006-07-11T10:34:00.000-04:00

Some of you may recall that I have been working on making a copy of this bag (be sure to hit the back button to come back here). I fell madly in love with it after Kathleen wrote about it on Fashion Incubator. Kathleen was generous enough to actually loan me the bag and allow me to take it apart. I started work on my version but haven't had the time to finish it because I've been so busy with other things. So far I have constructed the main pieces but still need to construct the lining before joining the sections. I know I took photos but darned if I can find them right now.

This is the front pocket with a red Ultrasuede lining. The original bag was completely unlined and I wanted to improve upon this.

I intend to finish the raw edges of the leather with a product called Edge Kote.

Well, recently, while trolling Ebay for vintage patterns (I have way too much time to do that while my embroidery machines are running, sigh) I came across this pattern:

While I was unable to see the line drawings or the shapes of the pattern pieces, it looked suspiciously like the DE bag I borrowed from Kathleen. Being overly curious, I bought the pattern and was thrilled when it arrived yesterday. Interestingly, both the pattern pieces and the processes for these two bags are nearly identical right down to the inside pocket into which it is nearly impossible to put one's hand (and I have small hands!). The only difference there is that the pattern's pocket is free-hanging while the DE pocket was topstitched into place.

Based on the price, I'm guessing the pattern dates from the late 1970s. It was designed by Bobby Breslau who, according to Vogue, "designs the softest leather in the world. His BigPouch and family of Little Pouches sensualized the bag world, becoming classics in their own time!" So, which came first - Bobby Breslau or Beth Mitchell?

A forgotten shirt!

2006-07-03T08:59:00.000-04:00

Last week I discovered a Kwik-Sew 2935 camp shirt that I had cut out for my husband last year. Oops! I remember now that I had cut several shirts out and made them all except for this one. The fabric is a very drapey rayon crepe from John Kaldor. I bought this years ago at a time when John Kaldor's gorgeous prints were available locally - something beside the ones printed on cheap polyester for JoAnn's.

To my delight, I discovered that I had already interfaced the collar pieces and the front facing so I decided to go ahead and finish it up before cutting out a new shirt. Embroidering on prints is always tricky. Here I opted for a darker blue that would show up on both the black ground and the light blue leaf. Yes, I know it looks like a tulip but I told my husband they were leaves. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Happy Birthday, Honey - Final

2006-06-29T16:49:00.000-04:00

When I was ironing a couple of Tommy Bahama camp shirts the other day, I noticed that the edgestitching on the facing stopped at the top vs. turning the corner and meeting the collar stitching. I thought I'd give this a try - I'm not sure whether I like it or not. It certainly was easier.

I made an extra thin piece of bias tubing for the button loop. I stitched about 1/8" from the fold of my bias strip and then turned it with a needle and thread after trimming the seam allowances close to the stitching. Just for kicks, I sewed this entire shirt with Mettler Silk-Finish cotton thread. I must say, I really liked it for the topstitching. The thread melds into the fabric so much better than polyester. I'll have to see how it holds up in the construction.

Here's the finished collar area. This is the first time I've added the loop. It's really just decorative since I didn't sew the necessary button under the collar. The pattern (Kwik-Sew 2935) directs you to cut the loop 1.75" long which is just a wee bit too long, in my opinion. I think I'll try 1.5" on the next shirt.

Tone-on-tone embroidery is a big thing with executives these days. Advertising with a whisper. The embroidery looks a little wonky but that's because I had it draped over a pile of fabric on my pressing surface when I took the photograph.

Of course, I made him open it tonight before we went to bed and he loved it! He is wearing it tomorrow to the closing.

Happy Birthday, Honey - Part 2

2006-06-28T22:13:00.000-04:00

Naturally, I am running way behind schedule on my husband's birthday shirts. Something came up yesterday and I was away all day. By the time I came home at 9:30 last night I was ready for nothing more than a small snack and bed. I know better than to start cutting when I'm tired. That meant that I had work to catch up on today so I wasn't able to start cutting until tonight. I only cut out the cream silk. Because I volunteered to help out at the restaurant on Friday, I only have tomorrow to sew and I must do it quickly and in between my other work! At this point, I'll be happy to have one shirt to give him on his special day. I wish I were more like Carolyn and could crank out beautiful things under pressure! And, yes, if you are wondering, that is soil separator cloth that I used to trace my pattern. Every time I use this pattern I am reminded how much I hate soil separator cloth. I can't stand the way it feels and I can't read the notes I've written on the pattern. I really should retrace it onto something else.

Happily, I found some really pretty mother-of-pearl buttons for the cream silk in my button stash. I always try to use mother-of-pearl buttons on my husband's shirts. They seem to be more and more difficult to find and my stash is dwindling. I looked through my entire button stash and couldn't find anything to go with the raisin-colored rayon, never mind anything in mother-of-pearl. I think I have a pretty good button stash but I could be wrong. Maybe I should stop buying fabric and vintage patterns and concentrate on buttons for awhile.

I guess that means settling for some ordinary plastic button from JoAnn's. Maybe I'll get lucky and find something in wood. Better yet, maybe I'll cut the wood buttons off of that orange Tommy Bahama shirt of my husband's that I hate so much. ;-) Button shopping will have to wait until the weekend. I really don't want to waste an hour going to Fabric Hell. You know how it is - I'd have to sit and look through the pattern books and just generally look around to confirm that they have the same old stinky fabric they always do. My mother always said I was a dawdler and she was right (about that anyway).

Lizards!

2006-06-26T15:03:00.000-04:00

I love lizards, they are so cute! I spend some time rescuing them from my cats just about every day. My cats obviously have no regard for how many bugs lizards eat, hmph. Check out this cutie hiding out in my mailbox. He let me take a couple of pictures and then ducked out of sight. He'll probably scare the bejesus out of me when I get the mail this afternoon.

Last Friday, one of my customers pointed this one out to me. He (or she, I don't know how to tell) was just hanging out, sunning himself. No big deal. Except that, by my estimation, he was between 10 and 12 inches long! Imagine the number of enormous bugs this fella needs every day! I can only hope he's lurking around my yard somewhere enjoying all of the bugs that seem to be munching on my pesticide-free plant life. Speaking of which, I've been wanting to buy some ladybugs to keep the aphids under control. Have you noticed that ladybugs are pretty scarce these days? I wonder if lizards eat ladybugs?

Happy Birthday, Honey!

2006-06-26T13:32:00.000-04:00

Friday is my husband's birthday. It also happens to be the day he is closing on the restaurant he's buying. He had mentioned to me that he wanted some nice Tommy Bahama-style camp shirts with the restaurant logo on them. Perfect - a nice birthday present for the man who has everything. After he left for work this morning I searched my stash. I pulled out a cream sueded silk and a denim-blue silk linen. Sadly, I didn't have enough of the blue silk for a camp shirt. Darn, I guess I'll have to use that for myself.

Then, I made the ultimate sacrifice. I hopped into my car and drove to Ultra Fabrics in Pembroke Pines. I was disappointed to see that they are still closed (hurricane damage). Not to be deterred, I drove to Elia's Fabrics in Hialeah. Lots of gorgeous suitings and a ton of polyester silkies. I left empty-handed. On the way back I decided to stop at RM Fabrics in North Miami. It was on the way back to the highway and sometimes I get lucky there. I found this beautiful raisin-colored sueded rayon with a paisley jaquard pattern. Only $6/yd so I bought the whole bolt. I don't know why I do that. I will have to age the leftovers for several years so that DH and I don't accidentally end up matching. Old habits die hard.

Bonus tank top

2006-06-24T16:48:00.000-04:00

I love to wear tank tops around the house so I was thrilled to see that I had just enough of the Pucci-inspired fabric left over to squeeze out a Loes Hinse Tank. This tank top is really easy and fits nicely. I like the fact that my bra doesn't show - even under the arm. To finish the edges I used some ruffled lingerie elastic. There isn't much black in this print but, believe it or not, I didn't have any brown or beige elastic in my stash that didn't look like it belonged on a pair of panties. So, I made due with what I had on hand. I added the flat bow because it just looked like it needed *something*.

Pucci print dress!

2006-06-24T12:07:00.000-04:00

Many of you know about my cutting mishap with this Pucci-inspired fabric. Even decades of experience do not make one immune to silly mistakes! But, thanks to Sherry Doty, who so generously offered me her piece, the dress is now finished! I used the same vintage pattern, Simplicity 6672, that I used for my graduation dress back in May.

The dress will be making it's debut this evening at my father-in-law's birthday birthday bash.

Industrial Sewing Machines

2006-06-21T09:42:00.000-04:00

Let's talk about industrials for a moment. There seems to be a misconception among home sewers that "industrial" means heavy duty. Not so. There are industrial machines for all different types of work. An industrial dressmaking head will no more sew heavy materials and be able to handle heavy nylon thread than whatever home machine you are working on. Nor will a machine intended to handle heavy materials work well if you are making a dress.

Let's compare:

This is an industrial zigzag - a Singer 20U-33. She used to be blue but she had a face lift last year. :-) I use her mainly for uniform work in my embroidery business (sewing on trims, tackle twill numbers, etc.). She also handles home dec projects very well (dust ruffles, draperies, pillows, etc.) and doesn't mind lightweight garment leathers. However, she does not like heavy work, nor does she like heavy thread. Believe me, I tried it *very carefully* last year and ended up breaking the hook.

This is an industrial walking foot machine - a Consew 206RB. She LOVES heavy work! She will sew through bulky layers of leather or awning canvas like a hot knife through butter. Heavy thread? No problem! I use her mainly for sewing heavy leathers but she will handle anything and everything from canvas on up. My friend Sandy uses the same machine in her upholstery business and my friend Sharon uses a similar model (the 226) to make tapestry purses and pressing boards.

What really peeves me are unscrupulous Ebay sellers who list plain old domestic machines as "industrial". Just because it looks like an iron horse doesn't make it industrial and if it is industrial doesn't mean it will handle heavy work. Do your homework - I cannot stress this enough! If you don't know someone who is knowledgeable about the model you are considering, a wealth of information can be found right here on the internet.

Here's a good one. This machine is being sold as an "industrial walking foot". Check out the sticker! ;-) It even uses "industrial thread"! You mean, like cone thread? Wow.

And look! The seller has cleverly disguised the "industrial walking foot" as a plain old zigzag foot. Read further and you'll find that the walking foot is "detachable" - a dead giveaway. Honestly, how do people keep a straight face when they are typing up these listings? Even worse, how do they sleep at night?

The seller says he has sold this machine for nearly $1000 new in the box but you, my dear Ebay buyer, can buy it for just over $100. My local dealer sells this budget-friendly home machine for $99.

Coverstitching over serged seams

2006-06-20T14:02:00.000-04:00

Coverhemming over a bulky serged seam is easy! I've been using this method for years. Don't be afraid to clip close to the seamline - I haven't lost a seam yet. :-)

Before turning up the hem, clip to the seamline at the foldline.

Then, turn the hem seam allowance in the opposite direction of the garment seam allowance before turning up the hem.

This will give you a nice smooth seam to stitch over.

Best of all, you won't have all of those tiny, crooked stitches on either side of the seamline!

Simplicity 4237 Bubble Skirt

2006-06-20T11:08:00.000-04:00

The bubble skirt is finished! See all of my pattern alterations The Sewing Divas blog!

Block fusing

2006-06-17T16:56:00.000-04:00

I have been block fusing my interfacing for years - ever since I bought my first press about ten years ago. Six years ago, I purchased an industrial heat press for my business and became spoiled by it's large 16x20 fusing area. You certainly don't need a press for fusing but it does make the job easier and faster.

Why block fuse? I think it's easier, faster and more accurate. No more fiddling with wiggly facing pieces and comparing them to the pattern to make sure they haven't been stretched or distorted. I also always hate cutting out the interfacing pieces, blech. Additionally, you don't have to worry about whether the interfacing shrunk during the fusing process.

To begin, I lay a Teflon sheet over my pressing surface. If my interfacing is a little larger than my fabric I don't have to worry about getting the glue on my silicone pad.

Next, I lay the fabric face down on the Teflon sheet making sure the fabric is on grain. The rectangular surface helps me line everything up. I then lay the interfacing glue side down onto the fabric and mist the interfacing lightly with water.

Lastly, I cover the interfacing with another Teflon sheet and close the press for 10 seconds. Once the fabric has cooled, I turn the fabric over and repeat this process.

Then, I am ready to cut!

Hmmm. Bubble skirt?

2006-06-17T13:15:00.000-04:00

I've never been a big fan of the bubble, or pouf, skirt. Maybe it brings back memories of bad '80s fashion for me. But then, I saw this dress on The Sartorialist.

I never would have thought to make a jersey bubble skirt. I like it! I'm not sure if it will like me but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway. I bought this Simplicity pattern and pulled some rayon jersey out of my stash. I'll let you know how it goes!

Frogs!

2006-06-14T16:14:00.000-04:00

Now, you probably think this post is about making lovely knotted frogs for use as closures. Not so! When I was watering the potted plant in my courtyard today, I noticed a few little specks of soil bouncing around the inner rim. When I looked closer, I realized that they weren't bits of soil at all - they were the teeniest little frogs I have ever seen! To give you an idea of how small they were, that white ball is a piece of Perlite. Teeny, teeny, tiny! Preemies, even! Okay, back to sewing.

UFO Central

2006-06-12T14:59:00.000-04:00

If you dare tempt the Sewing Fates (as I did yesterday) by beginning a new project while piles of UFOs await completion you will be punished. You will make a big cutting error and the adorable Pucci-print dress you envisioned wearing all summer will never become a reality. Trust me. After said mistake, I had two choices 1) shut off the iron and take a nap or 2) get right back on the horse and finish one of those UFOs. I bravely chose option #2. I had known what this beautiful rayon/lycra knit from Textile Studios would become from the moment it arrived: a wrap top (Onion 5032) to wear with jeans. Why it took me so long to finish, I have no idea but here it is - finally. One to-do crossed off the list!

Maybe the Fates will feel that I have sufficiently redeemed myself and will allow some more of that brown Pucciesque rayon/lycra to appear.

A New Treasure

2006-06-10T13:14:00.000-04:00

I recently scored this lovely vintage Claire McCardell pattern on Ebay. I really like the style so I might actually make this one. I will carefully copy each piece as the paper is very delicate. For now, I've popped it directly into an acid free bag for safekeeping. It looks to be from the late '40s or early '50s.

While we're discussing Ebay, I'd like to piggyback onto Erin's Dress A Day web rant. I like to check Ebay often for new vintage patterns. Lately, this has become a very frustrating task. Maybe my patience is simply wearing thin, maybe not. Here goes:

*Get rid of all the extraneous graphics. All I want to see is a decent picture and a brief description along with your terms. I don't want to have to search for them. If there are too many graphics and your page takes too long to load even on my high-speed connection I'll be hitting the Back button.

*Please list the bust measurement in the title. Size means nothing when it comes to vintage patterns. "1950s evening gown B32" tells me everything I need to know - "1950s evening gown size 14" requires further investigation which I might, or might not, have time for.

*Please add a gallery photo - it's only $.35. There are many hundreds of new vintage patterns listed every day. Most of us skip right over the ones without a gallery photo.

*Erin said it and I'll say it again: spelling counts. I will bid to the death for a Claire McCardell pattern but if you misspell her name I'll never even see your auction.

*No music or sound of any kind. It can't be said often enough. There's nothing worse than having the life scared out of you when you're trolling for patterns in the wee hours. Sleeping husbands don't like it either. :-O

*Try to end your auction at a normal hour - sometime before midnight EST is good. I've been known to stay up until midnight to ensure winning a desirable pattern but 3:00 a.m. is a bit much, even for me.

Pretty Blouses and Beautiful Fabric

2006-06-08T15:57:00.000-04:00

Last week I ordered some beautiful white and ivory Sea Island cottons from Michael's Fabrics. The samples he sent me were so silky, so heavenly, that I could not resist. I figured I'd make myself some nice basic shirts. Until I saw this beautiful blouse at Basset Mode. Isn't it gorgeous? It's fresh and feminine and would pair equally well with a skirt or jeans. Then, I remembered my small stash of French laces and Swiss embroideries and knew that I could use them to make something similar. The sheer stripes will be replaced by laces and I will embellish the plain fabric with embroidery, pintucking and perhaps some puffing. Yet, because of the sophisticated chevron design I will not end up looking like a cupcake.

Another New Dress - Final

2006-06-04T18:13:00.000-04:00

I had the house to myself today so I was finally able to finish up this dress! First, here is a close-up of the button and loop detail I added at the center front. The buttons are vintage mother-of-pearl. I think they are going to want to face whichever direction suits them so I'll just have to deal with that. I originally wanted to use covered buttons (covered in the main fabric) but I couldn't find any small enough.

I decided to extend the front band around to the back on this version since I was using contrasting fabrics. I think it was worth the extra effort.

As you can see, I decided to use the main fabric for the hem band and use more uncorded piping to accent the seam. The more I thought about it, the more I thought I didn't need that horizontal cut at the hemline. I'm short enough as it is. :-)

Here's a closeup of the bodice. I'm a little annoyed with myself. I ended up having to let out the bodice 3/8" for extra length over the bust (different fabric, different fit) and didn't think about the fact that I'd need to add an extra button and loop. By the time I noticed my mistake it would have required many hours of reverse sewing to correct so I decided to leave it as it is. Hopefully, no one will notice.

Another New Dress - Part 2

2006-06-02T14:42:00.000-04:00

As you can see, work on the dress hasn't come very far. I've had a busy work week with very little time to sew. I didn't make much progress on Memorial Day either! However, I am determined to finish it up this weekend as I'm feeling guilty about the many UFOs in my sewing room. Yet, I just keep starting new projects because that's more fun than trying to remember where I was on a project I stopped 6 months ago, sigh. Must. Get. Organized!

Anyway, I wanted to take advantage of the coordinating fabrics I chose for the project. Yet, I didn't want to give the dress too much of a bohemian look with lots of pattern blocking. Instead of using the contrast for the midriff inset I decided to use 1/8" uncorded piping in the seam instead. I think it's a very nice, subtle detail, don't you? I'm still on the fence about the hem bands. I have cut them out of the main fabric with the intention of simply piping the seam but now I'm wondering if I should use the contrast fabric instead? Decisions, decisions. I might have to try both before I make a commitment.

In this second photo you can just barely see the buttonloops I added at the center front. I have some lovely vintage pearl buttons that will be added shortly.

I Love Ricky!

2006-06-01T21:54:00.000-04:00

My sadness over losing the Desi Arnaz apron auction didn't last long! Last week, the same seller listed another copy and, you guessed it, tonight I am the lucky winner! Woohoo! Ricky and Lucy - together again.

A few people have asked me if I intend to make these patterns up. Hmmmm, not unless I can persuade my darling husband to barbeque in a shirt and tie. Me? Well, I don't cook much. I intend to frame copies of the envelopes and then tuck the patterns themselves into acid free bags for safekeeping.

Decorative Elastic Finish

2006-06-01T09:17:00.000-04:00

Now that so many of you have coverstitch machines, I thought I'd rerun this tutorial from 2001. This is a very easy and neat (yes, I love my sewing to be neat and tidy!) way to finish a knit. I'd originally titled this the Picot Elastic Finish but there are so many types of decorative elastic available today that I felt it necessary to change the title. We normally think of this finish as being used in lingerie but it works equally well on the necklines and armholes of street clothes. Here I've used a ruffled elastic to finish the edges of the Loes Hinse Tank. Not only does it look nice it's also very quick and easy!

The first thing you'll want to do is check the seam allowances. They should be equal to the width of your elastic (not counting the decorative edge). If your elastic has a very wide decorative edge, you might consider trimming the neckline down. Otherwise, the finished opening will be a bit smaller - not really a problem on a deep neckline but it could be uncomfortable on a jewel neck or at the underarm.

Next, you'll need to sew up one shoulder seam - I usually sew up the right side first. Then you will serge the elastic to the edge right sides together. It isn't necessary to stretch the elastic. Instead, apply it in a 1:1 ratio. When you turn the elastic inside you will be turning a smaller circle (the cut edge) into a larger one (the body of the garment) so gaping will not be a problem.

Then, simply turn the elastic to the inside and coverstitch along the edge from the right side.
Lastly, you will sew up the remaining shoulder seam. I also like to tack the seam allowance down with a few straight stitches to keep it in place.

The finished product:

If you are finishing armholes on a sleeveless garment you will go ahead and do that now while the side seams are unsewn.

Another new dress!

2006-05-27T18:58:00.000-04:00

While going through my stash the other day I found a treasure:

These are beautiful, high-quality rayons from Doncaster. A few years ago, I was teaching a week-long fitting workshop at Bernina Says Sew in the Charlotte, NC area with my former teaching partner and friend, Emma Seabrooke. The manager of the shop raved about the Tanner Outlet in Rutherfordton so, naturally, we had to go there. We were so anxious to get there that we ate fast food (I never eat fast food) in the car instead of stopping for lunch! Aside from Doncaster clothing, jewelry and accessories, the shop also sold past-season fabric ends. The fabrics were exquisite and we ended up buying quite a lot.

So, these two fabrics will become another McCall's 5137. I will be using the small print for the neck band and for narrow piping at the waist and hem band. I will use the large print for the main sections - I didn't want it to be too busy. The fabric has a heavy drape and is thick enough that I can probably get away without a slip - always a bonus in my humid climate.

Collar on stand - Part 2

2006-05-25T10:47:00.000-04:00

Today we are going to finish up the band. Pin the outer band onto the inner band, right sides together. As you can see in the photograph, I have carefully tucked the front edge of the shirt up into the bands. This will allow me to stitch around for a nice neat front edge. I'm normally not big on pinning but, in this case, it helps to keep the layers in position.

Here is where your accuracy in attaching the inner band will pay off. I begin my stitching about 3/4" in from the front edge (or as much as the fabric will allow - sometimes more, sometimes a little less) and pivot exactly where my previous stitching ends.

Always check to make sure you haven't accidentally caught anything you shouldn't have in your stitching before trimming.

I simply cut across the corner and then trim the curve with pinking shears. When using 1/4" seam allowances, it isn't necessary to do any additional trimming.

The front edge is nice and neat from the outside.

And from the inside.

The last step is to edge stitch around the band, closing up the remaining neck edge at the same time.

That's it! This entire process, with practice, should take you no more than a few minutes and will give you a great result every time. I hope you'll give it a try.

Collar on Stand - Part 1

2006-05-24T09:20:00.000-04:00

I published this tutorial on my GigiSews.com site a few years ago and thought that perhaps it was time to revisit the collar on stand. So many sewers seem to have trouble with this (especially the stand/band) but it's actually quite easy. I recommend you use 1/4" seam allowances in the collar, stand and neck edge of the garment. You can use 3/8" but I find 1/4" so easy to sew with a patchwork or 1/4" foot. The main thing is NOT to use 5/8" seam allowances. If you are new to shirtmaking, I really recommend that you try a Kwik-Sew pattern to start. Kwik-Sew always includes separate under- and upper-collar pieces so that you can educate yourself on the differences between the two. This will make it easier to modify patterns that only include one collar pattern piece later on. I will show you my super-easy cheater method next week!

Interfacing: I like to use fusible interfacing on both collar and stand pieces. My favorite interfacing is Palmer/Pletsch Sheer. It is lightweight yet crisp and bonds extremely well. If you are making a dress shirt and desire a very stiff collar you may want to use something like ShirTailor. I'm not fond of an overly stiff collar and prefer to use collar stays instead. This is a matter of personal preference.

Collar construction: Complete the collar. Go ahead and topstitch the edges and baste the neck edges together at 1/8" (you don't want to have to remove any visible stitching later).

Step 1 The first step is to attach the inner band to the garment using (in this case) a 1/4" seam allowance.

Notice that I have stopped and started exactly at the shirt front edge - this is
imperative. Do not stop one stitch short or sew one stitch too many as this will be your pivot point when attaching the outer band. It is more important to stop exactly at the front edge than it is to have an exact 1/4" seam allowance.

Step 2: Attach the completed collar to the inner band using an 1/8" seam. Again, you'll want to use the 1/8" seam to avoid having to remove any stitching later. Use a regular stitch length to hold the collar securely. Note that the upper collar will be against the inner band.

Tune in tomorrow for more!

Gwen Stefani breaks finger!

2006-05-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Kathleen Fasanella over at Fashion Incubator for alerting us this story. Apparently, Gwen broke her finger while sewing samples for her new line. While I don't always like her style, no one can argue that she is a modern style icon - and she knows how to sew!

I'm so glad I sew!

2006-05-22T10:58:00.000-04:00

I seem to say that at least once a day - don't you? How cute is this little evening bag? It's like an adorable little wrist corsage that can also hold your lipstick and keys. Best of all, hands-free! If you have a wad of cash you are itching to get rid of, you can buy this little Bea Valdez creation for a mere $2200 at Barneys. But, I know you won't. Instead, you'll gather up about $25 worth of supplies (or finally use up some of those scraps you've been saving) and make your own. Then you'll spend the $2175 you saved on fabric and patterns. Smart girl!

Heart sick, just plain heart sick

2006-05-15T12:14:00.000-04:00

Imagine my delight at finding yet two more vintage I Love Lucy patterns on Ebay last week! Not that I'll ever sew them but the Lucy apron is my size and the Desi apron was my husband's size - destiny! I love the fact that Desi is going to barbecue in a shirt and tie. As luck would have it, I was unable to be home last Thursday night when the auctions were scheduled to end. I put my highest bids in and crossed my fingers. Happily, I won the Lucy apron for less than half of my highest bid. Imagine how sad I was upon discovering that I lost the matching Desi apron by one bid. Yes, it's my fault. I should have put a higher bid in but I never thought it would go as high as it did. I honestly thought Lucy's apron would go for more - silly me! I was so upset that I couldn't even enjoy winning the Lucy apron because Lucy without Desi....well, it's just wrong. Now I will have to spend the rest of my life searching for the Desi apron.

Have pity on me, if you have a Desi apron that you'd be interested in selling to a desperate, crazy collector, please contact me! Lucy misses him.

Dresses!

2006-05-15T10:39:00.000-04:00

Aside from Simplicity/New Look, I rarely look at The Big-4 (or Big-2, whatever you prefer) patterns anymore. However, when Erin over at Dress A Day posted this pattern last week I couldn't resist buying it.

It's eerily similar to a vintage Vogue Nina Ricci pattern I bought last week. Which, BTW, I see Erin bought as well! A pretty dress is a pretty dress.

My one concern is that the gathering below the midriff band will be too much for me. I'm not small-waisted so I may have to reduce the fullness a bit. I have quite a few nice rayons and silks in my stash so I'm thinking of making the McCall's (the Vogue pattern hasn't arrived yet) dress to wear to a brunch on Sunday. I think the secret to this style is using very drapey and light-weight fabric. I like the tie because it will make the dress somewhat adjustable through my weight-loss journey.

Not back in the sewing room yet....

2006-05-11T17:35:00.000-04:00

I know, I know. Can you stand one more vintage pattern? Last-minute graduation stuff is taking up all of my time so hang in there. I'll get to the sewing room soon, I promise!

A few months ago I had treated myself to an Elsa Schiaparelli book from Amazon. I received notice this week that they would not be able to fulfill the order. What better way to ease my disappointment than to buy this fabulous uncut (and in my size!) Schiaparelli pattern from the 1950s? This is the most I've ever paid for a pattern but Phyllis assures me it was a bargain. If I ever hope to make this for myself I'll need an industrial-strength waist cincher, that's for sure.

A Sewing Treasure

2006-05-10T10:35:00.000-04:00

Last week I noticed this book for sale on Ebay. The seller had posted beautiful photos of the inside of the book (like the one shown below), several of which caught my eye. As is my luck, it caught the eye of a few other bidders as well.

Before I bid on Ebay books I always hop over to Amazon.com first. Often I will find the same book for less as I did here. This book, as you can see, is titled clothing construction. The authors are Evelyn Mansfield (formerly of Michigan State) and Ethel Lucas (of Framingham State).

I don't often get overly excited about sewing books but this little gem is truly a treasure trove of techniques. Loaded - and I mean loaded - with photographs, clothing construction covers a lot of ground. For example, Chapter 1 covers sewing equipment and setting up a work space. Chapter 2 contains lovely photographs of various machine and hand stitches. Chapter 3 goes into pattern selection, general fitting principles and fitting a pattern - including tissue fitting. Would you like to know how to sew a padded slot seam? Or maybe you'd like to make curved tucks on a collar. How about covering weights to control the drape of a cowl neck? It's all in there! There are seventeen chapters over nearly 400 pages with photos too numerous to count. This is truly a wonderful addition to the library of any sewing fanatic, beginner or advanced. I notice there are still four copies available at Amazon....

UPDATE: I take that back - there are no more copies left! Wow, you guys are quick.

Clothing Construction, 2nd edition
(c) 1974 Houghton Mifflin Company
ISBN 0-395-16728-0

Happy Mother's Day to me!

2006-05-08T11:24:00.000-04:00

You probably don't know that I am a big I Love Lucy fan. I started watching ILL when I was about 4 years old (it was already in syndication then). Later I watched The Lucy & Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy but nothing can come close to the original. When my son was small, he was shocked that no one else in his kindergarten class knew about Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel and their hysterical antics.

One of my favorite episodes is #63 entitled Lucy Wants New Furniture (June 1, 1953). Ricky finds out that Lucy has purchased new furniture without his permission and refuses (my, how times have changed) to allow her to go to the hair dresser and buy a new dress for an upcoming event. What's a girl to do but give herself a home permanent and make her own dress on a rented machine? That's what I'd do! Well, maybe I'd skip the home permanent.

Anyway, when I spotted this 50 year old pattern on Ebay I had to buy it. I know it's quite tattered and I may have paid too much considering the condition (at least my DH thinks so) but it was impossible to resist.

The Big Night

2006-05-07T08:34:00.000-04:00

Here is the finished garment on prom night. My son was the only boy not wearing a tie - he certainly enjoys being unique. All the kids were calling him John Travolta and he humored them with a quick Saturday Night Fever pose or two. His date's Chanel-inspired dress was made by her grandmother. I wish I had taken some close-ups of the gorgeous beaded and sequined lace used in the skirt. I like the way the lace with white underskirt goes so well with the pattern of the shirt fabric. That's it for this project. On to my graduation dress!

Dress rehearsal

2006-05-06T12:52:00.000-04:00

Please excuse my Mountain Man - he's refused to shave, cut his hair (or wash his uniform) until baseball season was over. I'm not 100% happy with the sleeves. I suspected as much going in - I even made sure I'd have enough for a recut. My son has not been home much and by the time I decided they needed recutting it was too late. You can see that the sleeve cap needs more height so I'll make that change next time. But, bless him, he thinks the shirt is perfect just as it is.

The fabric is a wonderful, silky cotton with just a touch of lycra. It is from Ascher Studios and was a pleasure to work with. Year before last, Fashion Fabrics Club had many gorgeous prints from Ascher at an irresistible price so, naturally, I bought all of the ones that appealed to me. Top-quality cottons are not always easy to come by!

Finished collar

2006-05-06T12:45:00.000-04:00

You can see how the collar stays and additional fabric in the undercollar points (from the patch described below) give a nice appearance to the collar - no more curling collar tips! I'm pleased with the way this turned out. I used Palmer/Pletsch Sheer interfacing on both collars and bands. The end result is crisp without being boardy. I've had excellent results with this interfacing over the years. I only wish it were available by the bolt.

Collar stays

2006-05-05T08:47:00.000-04:00

My vintage pattern calls for buttonholes in the under collar to accommodate the collar stays. I really don't like that idea. Instead I like to use what I refer to as the patch method. It is neat, easy and adds more body and weight to the points of the collar - especially helpful in a large collar such as this. What I do is fold a piece of the fashion fabric in half on grain. I then place it across the under collar with the fold at the stay opening, trimming away any excess around the collar. To reduce some of the bulk in the very tip of the point I trim about 3/4" across the point from the underlayer only. Do not trim anything from the upper layer. If you do, it will show later. After stitching the channels for the stays, the under collar is ready to be sewn to the upper collar.

Neck Sizes

2006-05-04T09:29:00.000-04:00

When I taught shirt-making I was often asked how to change the neck size of a pattern - usually how to increase the size. We are so used to simply adding on to a pattern in order to grade it up yet that is exactly the opposite of what must be done to increase the neck size. If you were to simply add on to the neck edge it would become smaller as you can see from the pattern here. In order to increase the neck size you must make the opening larger by removing material. Little or nothing is removed at the back neck edge as neck size does not increase in that area. Of course, the easiest thing to do is buy a pattern that has cutting lines for various neck sizes like Kwik-Sew 2777 that is shown here. However, that doesn't always fit in with our plans, does it? If you make a lot of shirts you can cheat a bit by making templates from a pattern such as this. It works and it's easy to do.

Once you've made the neck opening larger you will need to increase the length of the stand and collar. I like to walk the neck edge along the stand to see how much extra length I'll need. On my son's shirt I needed an extra 2" so I slashed the stand in four places and added 1/2" at each slash. I knew I'd need 2" in the collar as well but I walked the collar along the stand just to be sure. A typical shirt collar runs from center front to center front but you'll want to check your pattern in case it's different from the norm.

My Son's Prom Shirt

2006-05-03T10:04:00.000-04:00

My son wants a 1970s-style shirt to wear to the prom. I found a couple of vintage patterns on Ebay. The one pictured here is the one we've decided to use as we both like the lines and fit. Unfortunately, it isn't his size - he's a 38 with a 16 1/2 neck - so I'm grading it up. I've done the tissue-fitting and am taking time off today to make the alterations and cut a quick muslin. He will be home from practice around 7:00 tonight so hopefully I can cut the shirt out tonight and sew it up tomorrow. Prom is on Saturday night and he has a game on Friday night - oh, and then there's WORK - so I don't have much free time. But I'm not worried. Once I have the fit down, it'll only take a couple of hours to make the shirt. Groovy, huh?

Worth staying up until midnight for!

2006-05-02T13:13:00.000-04:00

I'm a little less than fresh today because I was up late bidding on this *gorgeous* vintage Pucci pattern on Ebay. Happily, I won the auction for less than half of my maximum bid! Yes, I've been buying a lot of vintage patterns lately but when you see one this good it cannot be passed up. I prefer to buy patterns that are, or are close to, my size. Unfortunately, this pattern is not even close - it's a 16. But, I didn't want to risk never finding one in my size so I went for it. Isn't it a beauty?