Okay so the cutter/tracer "Question of the Day" was quite popular! *LOL* Wow - I didn't realize how much this matters to us sewists! I got everything from a 3 word reply to several paragraphs ~ finely worded of course! I learned a few things - like I have two sets of mothers & daughters who read my blog. That some people trace off even their "Big 4" patterns and the materials you use to trace patterns with is wide-ranging! Personally I'm gonna get me over to Pearl's Art Supplies and see if I can find a roll of the tracing paper that was recommended.
I know there are a lot of comments but some contain some great information in them...so if you haven't read them try to make some time...it is well worth it! And yes Cindy, I do read every single comment that anyone posts - some more than once! *LOL*
DB#2
If you won one of the prizes from the Blogoversary Give-Away ~ they were mailed from the Post Office today! Carla - you ended up with the new February Burda Style magazine because my lovely daughter (who should be reading my blog and obviously isn't!) found the second January magazine and traced a piece or two from it. Sharon, my friendly neighborhood postal person said that your package should be to you in about a week...everyone else should receive theirs in the next couple of days. Now if I've owed you anything, anything AT ALL...your package was included in the great post-off today! *shew* Glad that's done! *smile*
DB#3
It's freezing here on the East Coast - temps in the teens (and no Shannon I'm not using the metric system!) but more than anything I want to make a dress. Oh the torture of it all! *LOL* I think its because all of the spring catalogues are starting to make their annual appearance in my mailbox and I'm dreaming of flowy soft dresses for spring ~ which is no where in sight!
DB#4
Booked our flights and hotel room for vacation! I leave February 9th and am beyond excited!!!
DB#5
Michelle Obama wore a plum colored Isaac Mizrahi dress to the State of the Union address on Wednesday. I thought it was lovely but some others haven't been so kind! What did you think? And please could we show a little respect in our answers...thanks!
Finally I will be sewing this weekend...it's too damn cold to do anything else! And since my darling baby boy has learned a new trick...I present to you Danny standing up and taking his first steps...
It's a whole new world now!
...as always, more later!
The baby is adorable!
ReplyDeleteAnd on the sewing end...when I do trace, I use freezer paper.
Interesting dress, but not sure about the topstitching on the shoulders around the armscyes, color doesn't seem to match. Not sure I love it, though.
ReplyDeleteOh and your grandson is so cute.
ReplyDeleteOMG! He's soooo cute and so grown up already!!!
ReplyDeleteI thought that Michelle looked great. I loved seeing Issac's reaction on his video blog to her wearing his dress.
ReplyDeleteHe is getting to be a big boy, totally handsome.
What I liked about the dress: luscious colors and OMG, sleves!! There was nothing I disliked about the dress, but I don't think it took very good advantage of Michelle's best features. She's an absolutely stunning person and if I'd been designing that dress for her, I'd have given the top more 'importance' if you know what I mean. Something that would have worked, I think, would have been if he'd done the top with a v-neck opening with a wing collar - that would have lifted it a bit.
ReplyDeleteIf I were designing that dress for me(but then, I'm 5'2" and need all the 'importance' I can get), I'd have done the top with a bit of extension at the shoulder seam and put in some small shoulder pads to balance things out a bit and square things up, but Michelle is probably not a shoulder pads person.
Thanks for the info about Pearl's (I haven't read the comments). Michelle's dress: love the color, but the dress itself not so much. The higher waist is not that flattering, and the 2 fabrics don't compliment each other. The tightness of the bodice seems to be fighting with the stiffness of the skirt.
ReplyDeleteYour baby is the cutest!!
Your grandson is adorable. My youngest is just a month of so older if I remember correctly, and it's such a fun age.
ReplyDeleteI liked both the top and bottom of Mrs. Obama's dress, but the fabrics weren't complementary, and the elements of the dress didn't seem to go together. The top would have been better attached to a more fitted skirt, while the bottom could have used a top with a little more oomph, or at least a slightly lower neckline. As is, it felt a little matronly for such a vibrant woman.
I loved the color of the dress but thought it inappropriate for the occasion and not particularly flattering. She's a beautiful woman but she wears some darned unflattering clothes. I do think she could dress with a little more respect for the occasion. She's the First Lady at the State of the Union - why can't she wear a stylish suit?
ReplyDeleteLoved the color and style of Michelle's dress. However, the puckering at the bustline was distracting. This was crying out for an FBA. In fact, on one side, the puckers were almost forming suggested darts!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the world of the vertical, Little Prince!
ReplyDeleteI like Michelle O's style. Seriously. If the dress had a lower waist and was a tad broader in the shoulders, I think she could have knocked it out of the park. I bet she was wearing a jacket with it at one point... That might have helped, too.
OMG! Your grandson is adorable. Getting so big already! Time to tie everything down.
ReplyDeleteThe baby is beautiful! He must be a joy. As far as Michelle O's dress--I think she looks fabulous in anything. She is a woman that knows her style, and I appreciate that she didn't wear a corporate suit.
ReplyDeleteBaby boy is just adorable. Not that you don't know that. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for the dress, I loved the color on her, but I'm with a few others in that I've seen her wear more flattering and better-fitting styles. For me, though, the novelty still hasn't worn off - I love seeing a First Lady out there in colors, in beautiful clothes (whether or not my taste) - basically, in something other than "tasteful" bland dresses with big chunky pearls. She always looks good.
And she shouldn't have gotten more space than your grandson - totally handsome in his striped footies and about to take over the apartment. Too cute.
In a sea of dark suits, Mrs. O stands out. Love the colors but not crazy about them together. The dress has nice features if you looked at them individually. The sleeves/shoulders of the dress doesn't seem to fit. Not every outfit is going to be a hit. oh well.
ReplyDeleteOh, that baby is adorable ~ but growing up so fast.
ReplyDeleteSince you asked ~ I thought Mrs. Obama's dress was beautiful ~ as is she. I don't find it comfortable to pick apart someone else's clothing - though there are elements of it I like better than others.
On tracing or cutting - I want to read all the comments (that is one way I learn great tips) but just no time in the next couple days to get to it ~ but I will. For me, I do both. I only trace when I feel I need to - I prefer to cut if at all possible. I even do both on some patterns - part traced and part pattern tissue.
I loved Mrs. Obama's dress- style and color. I agree with Cindy about the 'suggested darts', but this was not a fashion shoot, and sometimes when we move around our clothes don't follow perfectly. I'm very grateful nobody photographed me at the seminar I gave today. I was wearing my favourite dress (home sewn, of course) and I won't guarantee that every angle at every moment would have looked perfect. Mae
ReplyDeleteI hear you on the desire to start spring sewing. Since I am starting winter sewing so late into the season, I think I may just skip winter and get a head start on spring right now. But then, I have a (metric) ton of wools that needs to be sewn up - ah, the indecision!
ReplyDeleteMrs. O's dress had a great colour, a great style and an interesting mix of fabrics, but it seemed a bit "arm-pitty". They way the top bunch up in her pits looked un-com-for-ta-ble!
I thought it was very suitable for a serious occasion. Not too "eye-grabby", sedate and modest, but very modern, smart and feminine. The top half might have been a bit improved in the darting, but that might just be because of the way she was standing. I thought the pearls would have been better shorter, but the white did give a "lift" and reflect her lovely pearly-whites (of which I am very jealous!)
ReplyDeleteAnd your grandson is a real delight.
Hatty
An adorable little boy!
ReplyDeleteI like her dress. Then again, I like everything she wears. She always looks amazing. (What must it be like to choose clothes when you are tall, slim and athletic? I'll never know! LOL)
People over here in Europe adore her. When she comes to visit she is favourably compared with Carla Bruni and Princess Letizia of Spain in the newspapers. She is a fantastic ambassador for American style and design. And being an American abroad, it's nice to be able to bask in her reflected glory- to put my chin up a little higher and think "yea, that's our first lady!"
I love the color of Mrs. O's dress, but I'm not wild about the style. It looks like the waist is riding up on her, just like when she wears that wide black belt which I don't think is really flattering to her. She's so lovely, I hate it when she doesn't look at gorgeous and you know she can!
ReplyDeleteThe dress just does not look like a designer dress. I agree with others that the colors were a bit mismatched and it did grab in all the wrong places but it's not her fault.Time will tell whether it is a hit or miss.
ReplyDeleteYour grandson is an absolute doll!!!
Your grandson is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteIt is freezing here too. Enjoy your week end sewing!
Michelle Obama? She could wear a sack and still look great. I love the dress on her.
ReplyDeleteThe baby has grown like a weed! Your life will not be the same now, nor your sewing room! It's a struggle to keep your things out of reach.
ReplyDeleteI was not crazy about Michcle's dress. She has worn some others that were beautiful and looked terrific on her but this was not one of them.
I think the First Lady is always smashing in whatever she wears. She is a beautiful, brown, and carries herself with grace and elegance in whatever she wears. I adore her. =)
ReplyDeleteWhat a photogenic little guy: Big wide smile – big bright eyes! And walking now – big trouble!!! LOL
ReplyDeleteI loved the color of Michelle O's dress. But the waist was too high and awkward for a tall woman. And the fullness of the skirt was not flattering. It made her look fat- which she is not. I would have trimmed the top with some of the skirt fabric to tie it together better. And slimmed down the skirt a bit.
ReplyDeleteI use doctor's exam table paper to trace. Though like you- I dread tracing. I would rather cut apart something than trace it. It is time consuming and I am always afraid I will miss a notch or detail when tracing. Even with a ruler, I can't get my lines as straight as I like.
Little Danny is adorable. Time to rearrange the sewing room and put things out of his reach, or just keep the door closed. lol
ReplyDeleteI don't care for Michele Obama's dress one bit. She is a stunning looking woman, but sometimes the wardrobe choices are way off, and this dress is one of them. I agree 100% with Vicki W. Quite a few times I have felt ashamed about her choice of clothing. When she chooses a sheath dress or dress with matching coat, she looks her best.
Tracing vs. cutting--did I not respond to this? Cutting is definitely my preference. So many times, tracing just seems like an unnecessary extra step. I trace, but reluctantly, when I have to.
ReplyDeleteLittle man is one of the most adorable babies I've ever seen! What a cutie.
The little prince is just adorable, and SO accomplished!
ReplyDeleteRE: Mrs. Obama's dress-many people have mentioned that the colors didn't match. Remember very often (and we know this as sewers) fabrics that match in "real life" do not photograph like they do match.
As far as her choices, whatever she wears, she's gorgeous and an example for us all to follow. As long as she's happy, I'm happy! Frankly, I've never even noticed what First Lady's wear until now. Hmmm...I wonder why? ;-)
And as sewers, we could help a little with the fitting of her sloping, rounded shoulders. I have those too, unfortunately, not the arms :-)
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ReplyDeleteI loved Michelle Obama's dress. She always looks wonderful as far as I'm concerend
ReplyDeleteIt started snowing here. I am so mad!! I thought we were all done with the snow. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteHe, is SO STINKING CUTE.
I thought MO's dress was kind of plain and a bit boring. I also didn't care for the color matching too much. I think I was expecting something more interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe Little Prince just gets cuter and cuter! I can't believe he is standing up already. You'll be chasing after him before you know it!
Mrs O's dress was kind of boring and I don't think that it was all that flattering.
ReplyDeleteThe prince on the other hand is very cute.
About tracing paper, something I use a lot of because of work, I've found better prices on line at National Drafting even with shipping. I don't use the better vellum for patterns, but rolls of 24" sketch paper. or as I affectionately call it, trash. It's more than wide enough in my experience and works fine for tracing. If I want to trace a good copy, I might use heavier weight vellum of which there are two weights btw. For work I buy the heavier.
Little Danny is just darlin'. Those eyes of his could melt anyone's heart!
ReplyDeleteMs. O looks great in all that she wears and I love her sense of style. HOWEVER, I have noticed over the past couple of weeks, her eyebrows are different, very overplucked and drawn. She is too pretty to need this done to her face. JMHO. Michelle, you are naturally gorgeous. Leave the eyebrows alone.
The little prince is so cute.
ReplyDeleteMrs O looked beautiful and I love the color on her. I agree with a previous comment regarding the waist. The waistline on the dress should be at lease 1-2 inches lower. She is a modern first lady who loves color. The sugestion that boring and matronly looking 2-piece suit was more appropriate for the occasion was
ridiculous. Mrs O is definetely a style icon.
Lol
ReplyDeleteTell your daughter she needs to post of picture of what she makes since she stole my prize.
Cute baby by the way..
Happy Sewing
Michele makes any dress look good!
ReplyDeleteAdorable baby!
I was disappointed with this dress. The top seemed more casual and a little to snug. I also thought the waist was too high on her. but the skirt portion was formal enough. I'm not convinced that a suit is more appropriate as some others thought. It's nice seeing a first lady in things other than suits all the time.
ReplyDeleteYour grandson is a adorable!!
I'm a tracer. I like to alter as I trace using the pivot and slide method ala Nancy Zieman. I use Swedish Tracing Paper.
Lori
Look at that lovely boy!
ReplyDeleteI thought Mrs O's dress was lovely, and the colour was good on her. The thing is, I only saw her in one picture, and she was standing next to three people who were shorter than she (or on a lower step? I don't know). With the combination of that, the 3/4 sleeves, and the high waist, it gave me the impression that she was a giant in Liliput. Had any one of those things been proportional, I think it would have been fine. So perhaps my critique is of the set up? :/
Let's see, I trace and cut - but mostly trace. Depends on what pattern I'm using. I usually trace onto tissue because I rarely use the same pattern twice, even Jalie because it is rarely the same size twice. Anything that I want to be permanent gets traced to freezer paper.
ReplyDeleteNow, that little baby is just adorable! How do you stand all that cuteness?
Goodness, it doesn't seem all that long ago you were making the Dreaming of Spring dress.
ReplyDeleteMrs O's dress is lovely, although personally I like it when her hair is styled off her face a little more.
Thanks for the inspiration!
I thought the First Lady's dress was lovely. My favorite part of it, it has pockets! Yeah, seems like a crazy favorite but I am a practical girl and I LOVE when high fashion and practical functionality marry. Note: You can see it has pockets in the picture of the President kissing her on the cheek - maybe before or after the speech.
ReplyDeleteI liked the dress, but not the fit. It made her look awkward.
ReplyDeleteYour grandson, on the other hand, is absolutely adorable.
Your grandson is such a bright-eyed cutie!
ReplyDeleteAs to the dress - I loved the color and cut. Regarding the fit - it could have been better, it looks like it might be a size too small? I agree that it could have used an FBA, and that it looks tight under the arms.
I do like most of her style choices, it's probably the rare person who's never worn something that wasn't perfectly fitted. I also have to wonder if some of her clothes deemed "unflattering" is the result of the totally crappy selection tall women have available to us. The first family buys their clothes, or on occasion, a designer might loan them an outfit. I doubt custom made clothes are in the budget. I would suggest that those who complain about the way her clothes fit first sit down with a few catalogs and just take inventory of what's available for petite vs. tall. I can guarantee that petite has far more options.
Sorry... not my favorite of her dresses. She has worn far better!
ReplyDeleteYour little guy is going to be walking.... a.k.a. "running" soon!
Our youngest grand has started walking too... cute!
The dress is a poor fit on Michelle. The bodice color and the skirt color do not appear to go together well, but since the skirt may be a dupioni silk, the bodice color might be in the silk threads. The lighting wasn't complementary.
ReplyDeleteI also think she either needs shorter sleeves or longer ones. The sleeves look awkward.
Your grandson is so adorable. You must be so proud of him!
I like the shape, and LOVE the color of the dress, but it looks... it kind of looks like I personally sewed the pieces together. Which is not a compliment, exactly, because my skills are lacking.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a massive Obama fan (I'm Canadian, and we just don't "get" the idea of liking politicians, any politicians) but I greatly appreciate Michelle's fashion sense.
I also think she's an incredibly handsome woman, one of a very few celebrities who could probably put on a burlap sack and make it appear as though it's haute couture.
I liked MO's dress, but my first thought was "where's the jacket?". I thought it needed a short, boxy jacket, maybe short sleeves, like the Michael Kors suits she has 3 of. But the pockets were GREAT! I never make anything without a pocket somewhere -- I wouldn't buy it off the rack without pockets; why would I make it that way?
ReplyDeleteLove the pic of your grandbaby! Cherish these days; they'll be gone before you know it.
How cute is he?! I just want to pinch his little cheeks!
ReplyDeleteAs for Michelle's dress, it was okay, but I think she was worn other dresses that have been better suited for her. However, I'm still thrilled that we have a lady in the White House that loves color and fashion designers and has her own sense of style. It's refreshing and puts a smile on my face whenever I see her or her adorable little girls.
What a cutie-pie!
ReplyDeleteNot my favorite style and fit, but I loved the color and that Mrs O wore a dress rather than a suit.
This weekend I was inspired by all the "cutters" out there and *gulp* cut into a few Big 4 patterns. It was so much quicker than tracing!
How precious is that boy?? (ps, I'm WAY behind reading blogs, and you've been so chatty! haha!! But this is the first comment I'm making because look at his chubby cheeks!! Don't you just want to nom nom nom on them??)
ReplyDeleteBaby Boy is getting soooo big. He is beautiful. Love those shoes.
ReplyDeleteThe dress color is ok but it is very ill-fitted and somehow the style seems too 'young' for Mme Obama, if there is such a term. Would be interesting to know who manages her wardrobe!!!! Her dresses rarely have the correct proportions for her figure, most of them are designed with the intention of making her seem shorter. WHY WHY WHY? Always 'chopping' her figure in what appears to be the wrong place. WHY?
ReplyDeleteI think it might be time to step up and offer the First Lady my sewing services.
Little Prince is ADORABLE! But you knew that anyway!
ReplyDeleteI thought the color of Mrs Obama's dress was beautiful and looked great on her, wondered if the reason the waist looks so high is because of her height. At 5'9", I often find RTW dresses never fit at the waist, usually they are 2-3" above my waist.
I am so glad I found your blog. Finally someone I can relate to. Thank you from one not a size 0 person. I look forward to reading you each day.
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