Blog Rolls

I know a lot of readers follow their favorite blogs on Bloglovin and Feedly reading them on their smartphones. But me, I'm old school.  Even though I have a Bloglovin account and even an app on my iPad, I still love blog rolls.

What?  What you say? See it's simple...I click over to one of my favorite bloggers from my own blog roll and I can end up down a rabbit hole...reading blogs that I've forgotten about (sorry bloggers) or didn't realize existed (yeah new sewists) or just haven't visited in awhile.

But I do this from my iPad or my computer where it's easy to follow the links. I have a smartphone (why can't they just be cellphones again like they use to?!) and I use it to look up things with my apps but I just can't get into reading blogs on it. I know this makes me old and fuddy duddy but I don't care! *LOL*

I love blogs and I love blog rolls.  So here are my top three blog rolls in no particular order and yes, these pics were taken on my iPad cause I'm rolling like that today!

Shams - Communing with Fabric

From Shams blog roll I get a lot of the arty sewists...people who invest time in their garments and create art.  Seriously, A-R-T! I love their creative point of view and what they have to say when they sew. When I'm needing some creative stimulation, I'm headed to Shams' blog!

Debbie - Stitches and Seams

We all know Debbie as the Coverstitch Queen. Some of the best tutorials out there...but have you taken a look at her blog roll?  It's international and deep (why is there a rap song now playing over and over in my head)! There are sewists blogs on there from everywhere! Don't know what to sew? Need some inspiration? Head on over to Debbie's blog and check out her blog roll!

Nakisha - Sew Crafty Chemist

For a woman who only started sewing a couple of years ago, my girl jumped in with both feet and immersed herself in the sewing blogosphere.  Her blog roll is deep and has some blogs that neither Debbie nor Shams has.  However, with Kisha's blog roll, I really end up blog hopping - one blog takes me here - another blog takes me there until hours later I've been baptized in sewing makes and my creative mind is on fire!

Now I know that reading blogs on your smartphones also makes it harder to comment but this is my one woman sewing crusade - seriously you know you need to stop and take a moment and say something to someone!  Not just be a thief in the night, sneaking in and out of blog windows with no trace that you were there but a blog stat.  Sewing conversation is what this blogging community was built on and I'd like for it to come back - not be a by-product of the "like it" and move on society...chile this ain't facebook. 

I'm thrilled, seriously this is how shallow I actually am, thrilled when someone I know reads my blog on their phone, stops and leaves a comment! I try and do the same for my fellow bloggers. I know the comments are down on everyone's blogs basically due to the smartphone phenomena but can we try to buck this trend...remember that sometimes our fellow sewists need a word of encouragement...a pat on the back...a thoughtful suggestion. Those comments make us all better!

Okay back to blog rolls...seriously if you have some time follow one of the sewists named above or your own favorite sewists blog roll...you'll be surprised at how wonderful it is and how inspired you'll be when you're done!

...as always more later!

The New Vogue Patterns for Fall 2015

Honestly I'm as excited as the next sewist when a new pattern offering appears from BMV - but especially for the new Vogue Patterns. I long ago stopped doing reviews of the new pattern selections. However, my life has changed so the patterns I would normally purchase have changed too.

Taking that into account, here are the patterns that I put into my shopping cart to await a sale.

Vogue 1465

Vogue 9128

Vogue 9132

I'm looking at buying more separates patterns instead of the dress patterns I normally flock to...but there was this one jumper pattern that I thought I could incorporate into my new "business casual" wardrobe so this one went into the shopping bag too.

Vogue 9122 

front & back views

My reasoning ~
I really like the skirt pattern especially since it can be sewn with color blocking, pattern blocking or in a single color. This will be a great pattern for all three seasons (spring, summer, fall). Skirts will be a huge part of my business wardrobe going into the fall and I think this will make a wonderful addition to my closet.

The Donna Karan topper is the draw to the first pattern. It will be great as fall outerwear and during the winter as jacket over a turtleneck and jeans or slacks. A classy casual look that I can see in a sweatery/ponte fabric with pleather accents and/or sleeves.

I know the top is probably similar to a lot of the peplum-y tops that have been featured in pattern offerings in the past, but I wasn't buying top patterns then. This one is kinda different and I'm looking for separates that I can make my own with a lot of opportunities to play with colors, prints and fabrications.

There are also a few patterns from the last McCalls offering that are also in the shopping bag for the next sale. So what patterns did you like?  Or was there nothing in this offering for you?

...as always more later!

Random Thoughts when I should be sewing...

I've been blogging for ten years and boy has it changed in that time. I have to admit that I miss the conversations that we sewing bloggers use to have...the ideas exchanged...the knowledge exchanged and that we shared so much more than just sewing.

Where is the nostalgia coming from? I had to rumble through blog postings to find something I posted three years ago. Not only has blogging changed but my own blog is different in tone and looks. I guess it's growth but it made me kind of sad to see some of the changes that have occurred in the sewing blogging community.

* * * * *

I've been sewing like crazy. Vacay starts nexts Saturday so I need to have things made and packed by Thursday evening. I'm so in love with McCalls 6559 I don't know what to do.  I've made 2 more, have 2 more cut out and have fabric for another 2. 

The only thing different about these dresses are the prints I've used and the color of the cardigan worn over them.  But talk about comfortable! OMG! And they are so easy to wear and pack. 

I may get to share some of the new ones with you before I leave on vacay and I may not. Gotta concentrate on making that pack date. If not I will try to get some pictures of them in "exotic vacation locations!" *LOL*

Here though is a picture of the haul I picked up from Metro Textiles this afternoon...

Yeah I've got maxidresses on the brain!

* * * * * 

Finally the air conditioning is blasting and it's hot outside so why can I only think of fall sewing!  All of those awesome pleather pieces I've been collecting are calling my name. I also really want to try my hand at making a couple of shirts using some of those shirt patterns and shirting fabric I've collected.

Now that the clothing shackles have been removed and I'm getting used to being free...I'm getting a better idea of what image I want to project to the world.  

I think I'm gonna have some fun now!

* * * * * 

This last thought is funny to put in a post where I show some fabric I just bought but since it was purchased with a gift certificate and will be sewn right away...

All of the sewing I've been doing lately has come from fabric from the collection. Most of the things I'm thinking of sewing for fall is from fabric from the collection. I'm so grateful for the collection, I don't know what to do! I know this is hard for non-stashers to understand but knowing the fabric is there waiting for me to create with it offers a sense of security that has been missing this year.

I probably won't start sewing fall when I return from vacation. There are a few other things that I want to make, that have nothing to do with maxi skirts or maxi dresses. But I'm sure that by the end of August, I will be sewing fall even if I can't wear it until later!  At least I will be ready...especially since I will need to do another closet cull at that time!

...as always more later! 

It's Simply a Skirt

I'm a sewing snob. I'm just going to admit it. In my own sewing I like a variety of techniques, I like garments lined with intricate pieces as part of the garment. Trying to interpret that for my new working reality has made my head hurt...seriously!

I recently bought a couple of cardigans from QVC ~ my kryptonite, right up there with Fabric Mart ~ and I wanted a simple skirt to go with them.  A simple yellow ponte skirt...where of course the fabric for said skirt resided in the fabric collection. But I've been rebelling against making this skirt because it's elementary and very basic.  I mean I've only been sewing these types of garments as palette cleansers.

But as we all know life changes...and in this instance...professionally for me it is for the better. I've arrived at a place where I've had a good pout about my changing wardrobe but I was so out of sorts because I wasn't sewing that I had to do something. Yes, painting the fabric is presenting a creative challenge but I've realized that it's baby steps to figuring this new work wardrobe out and I need to just sew!

With that said, I'm going to sew some skirts, probably a lot of skirts...and I'm going to make them from my new TNT patterns...which means that if you are here looking for new patterns or new techniques...they are lacking now.  Maybe they will come back...maybe they won't...who knows. 

After that long behind intro here is the first skirt made from a yellow ponte...

I stumbled onto this "Sew an Easy Skirt" tutorial from The Creating In The Gap blog. Summertime is a great time to make quick and easy skirts especially if you've got an active summer planned but need to have a little sewing in there to keep things in balance.

This is my "outfit" for work now although these pictures are a little spiffier than I normally look.  I've worn my hair down just twice.  It's usually in a french braid or a pony tail braided. I've worn heels twice - my first day and once last week. I miss heels! *LOL*  And I usually have lip gloss on ~ no bright red lips anymore ~ I've seriously stepped through the looking glass!

One more shot of my simple skirt + cardigan + tank top! 

I'm thinking about making a few maxi skirts with some shorter cardigans worn over them to take this "outfit" to the next level! But before that some more maxi dresses. Yes, I pulled three more pieces of fabric from the collection to make up a couple more maxi dresses!

...as always more later!