Yeah, I Said It! - Sewing News has reached the local level

Everyone knows that I LOVE sewing! And recently there have been several articles in the news magazines (Time) and segments on the national morning news shows on the resurgence of sewing. Well that news has now filtered down to the local level because about three weeks ago I was interviewed for a sewing article in my local area newspaper. It was really interesting because the author of the article found me through my blog! Too kewl, huh!

Because I like to share...the article is listed below:

The Times of Trenton Archive
COPYRIGHT (c) The Times of Trenton 2007

Millions of sewing enthusiasts are finding fun, friends and fulfillment as they stitch away
By NORA O'DOWD
STAFF WRITER

The way Elizabeth Anderson sees it, "If everyone in the world sewed, it would be a much better place."

While it's unlikely that everyone will pick up needle and thread, each day more and more people are joining the estimated 35 million stitchers in the United States.

Classes at area sewing centers such as the ones Anderson and her husband own are bustling, while dedicated seamstresses are blogging about their latest projects. Teens look forward to their sessions on streamlined machines that bear as much resemblance to those cranky old black Singers as PT Cruisers do to Model T's.

Experts chalk up the surge in sewing to various reasons: the influence of home-makeover programs and shows such as "Project Runway"; an urge for self-expression; a surefire way to stretch a wardrobe.

"It's part of the do-it-yourself craze," says Karen Koza of the Home Sewing Association, a national nonprofit group that bills itself as "the authority on all things sewing."

Sewers, "young and old, want to look like their contemporaries, but also stand out," Koza says.

That's an aim Pat O'Brien, a sewing instructor with Stony Brook Sewing and Vacuum Super Stores owned by Elizabeth and Howard Anderson, knows all about.

"Kids now want to stand out, they want to personalize their stuff," she says on a break between classes at the bustling store in the Hamilton Marketplace. "When I was a kid, all we wanted to do was blend in, make sure we were all wearing the same thing."

It was a fact demonstrated yet again at the beginning of the school year when her two teenage daughters got rave reviews for the fabric-hemmed skirts they'd fashioned from old jeans.

"Sewing skipped a generation," says O'Brien. "My generation."

As a teenager in the '70s, O'Brien was taught to sew by her mother. But she was reluctant to wear any of the clothes she made for fear of being seen as poor or, worse yet, different.

" 'What, you can't afford to buy your clothes?'" was a typical reaction to her homemade ensembles, O'Brien recalls.

The women's movement then relegated sewing to a quaint domestic science soon expelled from schools' curricula.

"As the baby boomers became mothers and grandmothers, retiring from the work force, they've turned to sewing as a creative outlet," continues O'Brien. "And their daughters have become interested. But there's no one to teach them." That's where O'Brien and thousands of other sewing instructors across the country come in.

At the Stony Brook centers, classes run the gamut from quilting to embroidery to home decorating.

A recent class was devoted to making panels for quilts that will be raffled to raise money for breast cancer research. The buzz of activity suggested a hive; questions ("Do we stitch the binding on or quilt first?"), comments ("There's a dog hair in my quilt!") and encouragement ("Just like that, that's it!") ricocheted around the quilt-paneled room.

Some of those quilts are works of art: Two, placed side by side, materialized from different interpretations of the same pattern. One shows gardens of demure and diminutive roses while the other is an explosion of bright insistent flowers. Some fan out their colors in peacock fashion; another uses the copper hue of new pennies and the brown of old ones.

Lisa Dekovitch, one of O'Brien's students, describes the joy of translating colors and fabrics she loves "into something that everyone can enjoy as much as I do.

"Quilts know no age limits, everyone from infants to the elderly loves to be comforted by them. I love mixing different fabrics and textures together and making it a `Lisa quilt.'

"A part of me is thrilled that I possibly could make something that could still be loved many years from now," says Dekovitch of Bordentown.

But quilting is just one aspect of the needlework being done by men, women and children.

Teens gravitate toward the "Make It You" line, says Elizabeth Anderson. That includes patterns for bags, belts and pillows in candy-color fabrics and sparkling accessories.

"Sewing now is for entertainment," she says. "Maybe you won't be able to compete with the outfits at the store, but it's a creative way of expressing yourself . . . it's doing something creative for your soul."

Once a technique is learned, it can be applied to other projects.

"You can translate the techniques of quilting onto garments, home decorating . . . it's not restricted to one area. There's a blurring of the lines," says Anderson.

Classes are a give and take, chimes in O'Brien. "Students ask for projects requiring specific skills. Some are afraid at first, but I tell them, `If you can turn on the machine and sew a straight line, you can learn.'"

All agree that sewing machine innovations have hastened the revived interest.

At the Stony Brook center in Hamilton, pale machines proceed along a shelf like a sleek train. They're computerized, portable and second nature to a generation that thrives on technology.

Older sewers may be a bit intimidated at first by the variety of options, such as pushing a button to accomplish a buttonhole, but once they see the results, they're sold.

"The technology has helped tremendously," says Koza of the Home Sewing Association. "The new machines are fun to use."

Anderson talks of struggling with treadle machines, while O'Brien recalls tensions - never being able to get the right setting on the machine and the resulting tensions with her mother as teacher.

"All that headache stuff is gone now," says Howard Anderson of the sleek machines, which can cost anywhere from $79 to $7,000.

Barry Yellen, manager of the American Sewing Center in Princeton, says he has noticed a lot of first-time sewers visiting his shop in the last three years. "More people are taking lessons, and the classes with younger people are growing," he says.

Sewing classes also are offered at area schools, whether as part of the curriculum or as an afterschool activity.

In the Ewing Township School District, for example, students can get a taste of sewing in middle school then take more in-depth courses at the high school, according to Brian Bittings, a district supervisor.

"The kids love it," says Bittings of the high school courses on designing contemporary clothing and apparel design and construction.

Both elective classes are well attended, says Bittings, and a few of the students are boys.

Then there is Sew Trendy, created as a partnership between the Home Sewing Association and the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Inc. It's intended to involve select high schools, including many in New Jersey, and their communities in a yearlong sewing and design project, says Koza.

Sewing as they reap
For Carolyn Norman of Somerset, sewing has been a passion for most of her 47 years. Home-ec classes were complemented with instruction at home from her grandmother. By the time she was 11, Norman had learned to sew. "I sew everything!" she says, including her wedding dress, maternity clothes, prom dresses for her daughters, school clothes. "Everything!"

Only one of her three daughters sews, and very few of her friends are interested in sewing. Working as an executive assistant in New York, she leaves for work at 8 a.m. and does not get home until 7 or 8 in the evening.

With no time for a sewing group, Norman treasures her virtual connections.

She keeps a sewing blog illustrated with photos of finished projects and regularly converses with other sewers online.

Like crowded pin cushions, the Web sites are bristling with advice, patterns, questions and answers. There is solidarity in sewing.

"This is really a solitary thing, but you can log onto that board and talk to anyone, around the world, anytime. They have the same sensibility, and it really fosters a community," says Norman.

That sense of community is something the Andersons and O'Brien have noticed about those who sign up for classes at their stores.

"Sewing groups are like the old-fashioned quilting bees, it's a way to connect people of different backgrounds. People who never would have met otherwise are going out to lunch together after class," says O'Brien. "Some are coming to class even if they are not going to sew." Howard Anderson puts it this way: "There's no backyard fence anymore. It's the backyard fence."

Karen Sowney, another student of O'Brien's, talks about gaining expertise with every class until she was able to make a very special gift. "The first quilt that I made was a `memory' quilt for my 84-year-old mother with pictures of our family, which she absolutely treasures," says Sowney of Burlington Township.

The positive energy of sewing may be an antidote for the doldrums.

"I was very depressed last winter when my friend suggested that we take a quilting class together." says Mary Fowlie of Mount Laurel. "That may be one of the best decisions that I ever made. Not only did I learn how to quilt, but it's hard to stay depressed when you're making something lovely. Quilting has helped me so much that I convinced my daughter to try it and she loves it as well. And I've made some very nice new friends."

Koza of the HSA recognizes both the experience of Norman and the camaraderie of O'Brien's students.

"One of the best things about sewing is that it can be as social as you want, and as solitary as you want," she says.

And whether it's a vest passed for admiration from person to person in a sewing circle or a picture of an stunning outfit posted on MySpace, the creativity comes across loud and clear.


Hope you enjoyed the article - Happy Sewing!

Chapter Two Suit Completed

I have finished the Chapter Two suit which means two more SWAP pieces finished too! I usually don't hop around in my sewing projects. Normally I conceive a project and work on it until its completed and I can wear it out the door. But this time, even though I am pretty far along into the boiled wool/glen plaid pantsuit (Chapter One Suit) and actually did some more work on it last night, I really had an urge to move onto Chapter Two.

And to let you know, this is very similar to how I read a novel....just when the story starts to get really intense, I skip to the back of the book and read the ending. Yeah, I know its kinda sad but knowing how the story ends allows me to calm down and enjoy the minute details of the story otherwise I skip right over them in my hurry to find out what happens. I had reached some challenges in the Chapter One suit and since all the pieces of Chapter Two were sitting there waiting and I had started to dream about them....I moved onto Chapter Two.

The Chapter Two pantsuit is a stand alone outfit and also meets two of my requirements for my Dress SWAP. I used what is fast becoming a very wonderful TNT pattern: Vogue 7944 which it saddens me to say is now "out of print" but still available if you move quickly on Vogue's Pattern Site.

The pattern description listed on the back of the pattern is: MISSES’/MISSES’ PETITE JACKETS AND PANTS: Unlined long sleeve jacket has topstitched collar and front opening edges. View B has slits at sides. Pants have waist facing and back zipper closure.

I used five yards of black wool crepe from Fabric Mart to construct these two pieces. 2.5 yards of the fabric was felted slightly by washing and drying it two times. This piece was used for the jacket. The fabric had a real sweatery feel after going through the felting process so I opted not to line it and instead finished all the seams with black Seams Great. My thought was that by using this tailored jacket pattern in a softer fabric that it would give the resulting pantsuit a softer look...a slight twist on the typical corporate black suit.

The Seams Great idea was wonderful in theory but a little more interesting in real life application. The felted wool crepe needed a lot of steam to make the seams lay flat. All of that steam, of course, melted the Seams Great. So I needed to use two silk organza press cloths to get the steam that I needed without damaging the Seams Great that was used as a seam finishing. That challenge aside, the pattern advises you to topstitch the collar and front jacket openings. Since I was opting for a sweater type look, I nixed the topstitching which meant I used my clapper alot to achieve a flat collar and front opening things topstitching definitely assist in achieving.

Because I did not manipulate the fabric used for the pants - the wool crepe is sleek and smooth. I made my regular TNT pants adding a lining and the resulting pantsuit has an interesting look. The jacket fabric is slightly darker and blacker because of the felting process and the pants are a shade lighter but it is a kewl and different look - well at least to me!

I am heading back into my sewing room to work on my black wool crepe version of the Tamotsu dress which I am lining in a lightweight gray sueded silk. I am also changing the sleeves from short sleeves to full length sleeves. Here is a picture of my SWAP so far:

And a picture of the Chapter One suit in progress....

I hope to have it completed soon. BTW, the reason I am not posting pictures of me wearing my SWAP garments is because I am leaving that for the final presentation! Hope you had a productive sewing weekend also!

President's Day Weekend

A three day weekend....Yes!!!!! It is Saturday afternoon and the errands have been done, bills paid and other life intruding on my creative process tasks accomplished so I am off to sew! Three days (well 2.5 now) at home to finish working on the Chapter One suit and the Chapter Two suit (yeah, that will be another post!) but suffice it to say that I have two suits in varied states of construction that I should be able to finish up this weekend.

I also want to make a black wool crepe version of my Tamosotu dress which will finish off one more required element of my dress SWAP. I can tell I am going to be sewing like a fiend at the end of the SWAP competition this year because I have been working very slowly on completing these pieces.

The two pieces of fabric that I purchased from Fabric Mart for more suits ~ five yards of a brown/wine wool crepe (which is no longer on the site) and five yards of a herringbone 100% worsted wool crepe arrived yesterday. These are great cuts of fabric - medium weight with a little heft to them...in colors that no one else is queuing up in the office. I am starting to stand out because I am in corporate gear just not navy, black or grey. Mission accomplished!

So I am off to sew! Hope you enjoy your President's Day weekend also and if you get a chance hit up the local brick's 'n mortar fabric stores and enjoy the sales!!!!

What Is Your Trademark?

Clothing designers have them...certain details that are always present in their collections. Details like how they cut the fabric or a type of fabric that appears in many of their collections, specific colors they use, or the way they fit a garment. Sewers have them too...fabric types that you gravitate towards, certain pieces that you make more often than others, or seaming details that you use repeatedly.

My sewing trademark would be sleeve detailing. I pay particular attention to my sleeves so that I can hide a figure challenge ~ notice that I did not call it a flaw! I do certain things to sleeves to make them work for me...short sleeves are cut a certain length to camouflage but still give a flair to the garment or its cut on the bias to add a little more space to the bicep area without changing the overall shape of the sleeve. Jacket and cardigan sleeves get particular attention because you want to have a well-fitted garment and the sleeve treatment if done improperly can definitely shout, "made with loving hands at home." Not only do I take extra time to measure, fit and adjust sleeve width but I usually add some sort of a seaming detail to give the finished sleeve a slimmer effect.

But this is my trademark...you can see these features in almost every sleeve I make on almost every garment I construct. So what would be your sewing trademark? What detail do you constantly add to most of your garments? What sets them apart as a "fill in your name" original? Or have you ever given it much thought? Examine your garments and see what sewing, cutting or fitting detail they all share and realize that you have a trademark too!

A Revelation

It kinda hit me this weekend, I mean really hit me...that 90% of my wardrobe is made by my own two hands.

As you know I have been struggling with forming a suitable corporate wardrobe after years of working in a "business casual" atmosphere. But on the East Coast this last week the temperatures dropped into the single digits and I was forced to reach into the back corners of my closet to find really warm clothing. And back there, I discovered a treasure trove of tailored jackets.

See my closet is organized by pieces ~ all jackets, skirts, pants, blouses etc. are hung together. Its been this way for years because it "allowed" me the freedom to mix and match pieces which stretched my wardrobe. When I found those jackets (made in a few tailoring classes with the amazing Colleen Jones!) I realized how "deep" my closet actually is and how many pieces I have made.

Now this might not seem like a big deal but lately I've felt as if I wasn't being as productive sewing-wise as I would like to be. Some of this is due to life changes, i.e., the new job and some of this is due to other changes but mostly I have just felt pressured to complete "suitable" outfits quickly. And we all know how hard it is to produce an awesome, high-quality garment under pressure. However, I have had an epiphany...I have reached a turning point. After putting together some new outfits using the long forgotten pieces in the back of my closet, I am realizing the depth of my wardrobe as well as how successful I have been in making a well-rounded and cohesive wardrobe.

I can step back now, bask in my accomplishments and breathe. But more importantly I can enjoy the process. I know I talk about enjoying the journey alot but if you aren't enjoying the process, how long will you continue to sew? It is way tooo easy to clothe yourself by buying ready to wear. It's everywhere and in every price range...

My revelation is this...that over the years I have made many wonderful pieces of clothing and that they do reside in my closet. Also these pieces were done in periods of creative freedom that held no stress or pressure to create and that I enjoyed the process ~ that is why the jackets have so many pretty details. So that is what I am going to strive for in 2007 ~ the ability to create garments that stretch my sewing skills and give me a greater creative outlet and more satisfaction.

What are you looking for creatively in 2007?

Its Time to Restock

I don't know about anyone else but late January/early February always finds me restocking my sewing notions. When I sit down to sew, I like to have everything on hand. I hate to run out of thread or hooks 'n eyes, etc. in the middle of sewing a garment....anything that stops the project just annoys the heck out of me. So once a year, I restock.

I keep lists of notions that have been used during the year and place large orders to restock them. What do I buy in bulk and keep on hand? Elastics in all sizes, thread - both for my sewing machine and serger, interfacing, silk organza, needles - both for the sewing machine and hand needles, zippers, and shoulder pads to name a few things.

I restock from places like Atlanta Thread and Supply, Home Sew, Newark Dressmaker's Supply, Nancy's Notions, Thai Silks, and Joann's. Carefully going through my notion supply, I make lists of everything that is low and then I just start ordering. Most of my restocking is done through mail order but I do purchase some goods from Steinlauf and Stoller in NYC.

What do I replace? Thread from Atlanta Thread & Supply - they sell Gutterman Thread for $2.95 for 1100 yards; Maxi-Lock serger thread is $1.99 ~ though I buy my basic colors in the 5,000 yard cones...don't need to reorder as often. I buy elastics from Home Sew and Newark Dressmaker's Supply in 25 or 50 yard rolls. Home Sew also has a great selection of shoes/hats/purses for 18" dolls. Silk Organza is purchased from Thai Silks in three colors in 20 yard lengths. From Nancy's Notions ~ things like snaps, interesting notions, etc. mostly whatever interests me from her catalogue. Steinlauf and Stoller offer gridded pattern paper, zippers in all sizes and rayon hem tape in every color under the sun!

I do this religiously at the beginning of the year because it allows me to sew without worry the rest of the year. So do you restock? Or do you purchase notions as needed? Do you purchase online? Or do you run out to Joann's or Hancock's? How do you keep your notions stashed?

Randomness From Fall 2007 Fashion Week

Below are a few pictures of garments that caught my eye while trolling through the websites featuring pics of Fashion Week Fall 2007....

I like this from Jason Wu's Collection. Look at the glen plaid fabric that he used and how he matched the plaid! I could definitely rock this next fall ~ well an "interpreted" version of it!

And this one from Diane Von Furstenberg made me think - yeap should buy a few yards of that wool doubleknit from Fashion Fabrics Club that is on sale this week for $16.95. Wool doubleknit is going to be soooooo hot next fall!

I am not a huge Betsy Johnson fan but I could see this one toned down (smaller collar & bow - shorter length jacket) with a cute pencil skirt as a suit for fall...

Loved, loved, loved how the pinstripes were manipulated in this very classic suit from Bill Blass! I really liked so many pieces in the Bill Blass Collection ~ see it here.


I am probably one of the few people who were disappointed in the Carolina Herrara collection...nothing just really floated my boat. But then again I am eyeing the collections differently this year...with more of a corporate slant so the Carolina Herrara collection had a nice ladies that lunch flavor but it just didn't do much for me!


And what is with Michael Kors...all the models had long straight hair aka the '70s and I definitely saw shades of Laura Bennett's Project Runway creations in there!

And this from Lela Rose is my Oscar dress pick ~ well if I were going!

I am off to sew...real clothes for a real body! Hope you are enjoying fashion week...check it out at www.style.com and Mercedes Benz Fall 2007 Fashion Week's Official Spot!

A Tale of Five Suits - Chapter One

In my continuing quest to revamp my wardrobe...ain't this getting to be a tired old song...I am making suits. Now this would be a much easier task if I just took one pattern and picked out five pieces of fabric and made the same suit, over and over and over again. But no, I can't be that common...I have to have different jackets, details and stylings so that each suit is an occasion unto itself!

I was originally going to title this post..."I dreamt a dream of you!" Because I literally fell asleep on the bus one morning and woke up with this outfit all worked out in my mind. It really came into being when I got home from work and found that the fabrics in my collection actually matched and all the trims were on hand. Well, not quite...but isn't that always the case. In the dream, I saw a shawl collared jacket made from a Brooks Brothers Boiled Wool in chocolate brown that I just happened to get a piece of from Fabric Mart last year. The pants were made from a brown/black/tan worsted wool glen plaid that I picked up in Paron's 50% off store when it was a separate entity on 40th Street. Wow! I need to take a minute here...I miss that store sooooo much! And underneath the jacket was a SW Mission Tank in a dark chocolate sueded silk - again from La Fabric Mart!

I also saw the shawl collar trimmed in a black foldover braid with these black well-shaped buttons with a brown bead inside. I am dreaming with some detail here, folks! After searching through my extensive pattern stash I find a shawl collared jacket that will fit on the 2.5 yards of 45" wide boiled wool OOP Butterick 4265 published in 1995 and the pattern description says:

Loose-fitting, unlined, above-hip jacket has collar, slightly extended shoulders, shoulder pads, flaps and long sleeves.

After an afternoon of pattern alterations that included narrowing the shoulders, lengthening the body of the jacket by two inches, changing the sleeves, and adding a lining to the jacket, OOP Butterick 4265 is just the "inspiration" for my shawl collared jacket! The jacket is not quite ready for prime time yet...the lining still needs to be inserted and a host of finishing details added but I am happy with it so far.

I want to close with a picture of my sleeve alterations. It is rare that I pull a pattern out of the envelope and there is enough space in the biceps for my bodacious arms. The easiest method that I have learned to add space to the biceps without changing the sleeve cap or the diameter of the hem is from Cynthia Guffy and her book, "Cynthia's Precision Measuring & Pattern Alterations for Bodice, Skirt, Jacket."

Her method has you draw a line across the bicep from side seam to side seam, and then draw another from the bicep to the bottom of the seam line on the sleeve cap. Next you slash through the sleeve seam allowance below the underarm seam and up to but not through the cap seam allowance. After that swing out half the desired amount on each side. Finally re-align the side seams to the bottom of the sleeve. That's it and it works everytime! I get perfect fitting sleeves without altering the sleeve cap or making the seam hem wider. Hopefully you can see from the picture how you slash and add to the side seams.

Next time I will have more on the jacket and pants! I am hoping to get four workable pieces out of this grouping so that I can do a little mixing and matching but still look "Corporate Chic!"

Sewing Randomness

Just wanted to share a few sewing thoughts that have been floating through my mind today:

1. Look what I found....

Why is this so special? Well, I keep my patterns in letter size expandable folders but they have a plain front. This version has lines and boxes where I can record information pertinent to the pattern. Now when I pull a pattern to use, at a glance I can tell how many times I have made it, any corrections to the pattern and if I really wanted to I can include a swatch of the fabric! This is so much better than my current system of listing all of this information on a piece of paper and including it in the folder. Now to order a box of these to keep ready in the sewing area.

2. New Pattern

I was flipping through the Nancy's Notions catalog and saw that they were selling Silhouette's Dana pattern.

There was even a sample one made up in a coral jersey knit. Then I remembered that not only did I have the pattern but I had three pieces of fabric purchased from Fabric.com to make this pattern. Yes, I know that three pieces is a bit much but the fabric was only $1.99 per yard and you know that you can't purchase just one piece of fabric for $3.98 when you have to justify the shipping and handling charges! So I bought the fabric in lavendar, pink and an ivory color. Now, I think I can actually use the ivory version in my SWAP.

3. More SWAP News

I haven't sewn much on my SWAP since I finished the initial three pieces but I do have a three-day weekend coming up soon and I think I can knock out two or three of the dresses then. And I have found a piece of lightweight rayon in an "explosive" red & purple print that I want to use as the lining for my second jacket...and maybe one more SW Mission Tank if there is enough left over after making the lining. I can see the finished pieces in my mind so it was lovely to find a fabric in my collection that looked like what I was "seeing" and not to have to go and scourge the internet looking for it! Here is a picture of the two pieces together:

4. Monthly Totals

I did really well this month in the fabric department. I only purchased two metres of a brown/pink pinstripe from Timmel Fabrics. I bought this additional piece to match a piece I already owned from Julie. The original piece was obtained to make a pair of lined pants to match a pink sweater set in my closet. However, since I am now dressing Corporate Chic, I decided that a jacket would look good with the pants...so two more metres made it across the border to my sewing area. And at least the pants have been cut out and the jacket will be next! These pieces didn't even make it to the fabric closet! Yes!!! Also the pink fabric from the first section will be the first Dana top that I will attempt to go with the pantsuit. Not bad....

I will end the month with six garments made. Not a bad start to 2007 but I would like to make 100 garments this year. I mean why not! It is not like I don't own the fabric, notions, trims, patterns, etc. to accomplish this goal...and the 100 pieces don't necessarily have to go into my wardrobe! I would just really like to see if I could do it...y'know! So I figured it out that I would need to make 8.33 garments per month. I am 2.33 garments short this month but it's a goal...not something that I am going to beat myself up over because I do own six new pieces that all except for one piece came from the fabric collection! Which is another one of my sewing goals for 2007 ~ try to sew from the collection more!

Quilts of Gees Bend Posts on Artisans Square

This discussion reminded me.....Since childhood, sewing, quilting and painting have been the ways, that I return to sitting in my heart in silence, total presence in the moment, listening to whatever might arise from within. The final product didn't matter as much to me as the process of working in silence, doing my best. When I would put on one of my jackets, I would notice an energy of love in it. It would feel like a hug. Wanting to know the truth about it, I would ask anyone who complimented me on my jacket, if they would like to try it on. If they said "Yes." I would watch and listen, to see their reaction. They would comment that "something in it felt so good" We are in the habit of looking and judging with the body's eyes. If you close your eyes and just lay your hand on something, listening, you may discover that you can feel the love with which something was made, the essence of the maker.

Written by Akshara on Artisan's Square

You can read more of the discussion here

You can read the article from The Smithsonian Magazine here that started the folder

I have to tell you I rarely venture into some folders on Artisan's Square...quilting being one of them because I just can't get to cutting up little pieces of fabric and putting them back together. This is not to say that it is not art and that others shouldn't do it, it's just not for me. I stumbled across the Gees Bend Folder and started to read because I have read articles about the Gees Bend Quilts before. The posts in the folder are very opinionated & emotional, but the words above made me break down and cry.

I want to say a few things about the discussion and these words...and I will try not to ramble. First, I am going to admit upfront that my perspective is from that of a Black woman which is totally dissimilar from other people living in America...it has to be because I have had different experiences...even everyday events occur differently for my family than they do for any other ethnic or non-ethnic family in America.

Second, it enrages me when others belittle art. And it infuriates me when we who create belittle our own creativity and doesn't recognize that it is a form of art! Even if you buy a kit for a quilt, a dress or an apron from Joann's and use the kit exactly as it was sold to you...you have still created something and it is still ART! I mean we call little children's drawings art. Why can't the thing that you have labored over and poured your heart and soul into be art, also!?!

Dictionary.com defines art as:

art–noun
1. the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.
2. the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria; works of art collectively, as paintings, sculptures, or drawings: a museum of art; an art collection.
3. a field, genre, or category of art: Dance is an art.
4. the fine arts collectively, often excluding architecture: art and architecture.
5. any field using the skills or techniques of art: advertising art; industrial art.
6. (in printed matter) illustrative or decorative material: Is there any art with the copy for this story?
7. the principles or methods governing any craft or branch of learning: the art of baking; the art of selling.
8. the craft or trade using these principles or methods.
9. skill in conducting any human activity: a master at the art of conversation.
10. a branch of learning or university study, esp. one of the fine arts or the humanities, as music, philosophy, or literature.

And third, I absolutely hate when people put down poor black people for whatever reason. Damn, we were poor and hated for so long that it is no wonder that we are amazed and filled with pride anytime there is some recognition for anything that we have achieved or accomplished. I didn't post to that folder because I didn't want to start anything but again the insensitivity of others is so demeaning. Maybe you don't think it is art. Maybe you don't think that the quilts of Gees Bend are anything special...maybe your grandma did make something like them...but and here is my great big but...these women prevailed when everything was against them. They loved, they laughed, they cared for their families when the world made it extremely hard for them to do so! And even legislated against them doing so. I am not saying that everything in that folder was negative - please do not walk away with that! I am just saying that once again maybe we should edit our thoughts before we post them before the entire internet world! God, I am starting to sound like the thought police! And I don't mean to!

Look my grandmother who taught me to sew made quilts for warmth for her family. They were "utility quilts" ~ made from the scraps of worn out clothing, pieces of fabric left over from items she had made and even old quilts that were worn out. She kept a basket full of these pieces and used them when it was time to make a new quilt. When she died my family rescued the few quilts that were left. My mother keeps them wrapped up in her linen closet treasuring what she has left of her mother. Those Gees Bend Quilts are treasures and art too. Because they represent a period of history in America. Because they represent the hopes and dreams of a people and mostly because they represent preserverance when everything directed at these women should have made them fail.

Yes, I am emotional about the subject. And yes, I will defend my people with every breathe in my body. I am proud to be a black woman living in America. I am proud of the things my people have accomplished in a nation where at every turn we were bullied, lynched, legislated against, hated for the color of our skin, and in some places even now still hated for those reasons. But we have preserved, we have accomplished, we have contributed and continue to do so! And I will speak out about it. Don't wanna read it ~ move on! Cause today I am having my say!

But mostly I want all of us to think about the words of Akshara:

If you close your eyes and lay your hands on something, listening you may discover that you can feel the love with which something was made, the essence of the maker...

Feel the love, people! That's all I am asking....

Look what came in the mail...

Or as a subtitle, "My Continuing Quest to Remake my Wardrobe into Corporate Chic!"

This Tamotsu Pattern ~ Vogue 2770:

Pattern Description:

Misses'/Misses' Petite jacket, Top, Skirt and Pants - lined jacket has princess seams, front buttonhole and button, front darts and two piece sleeves. Lined top has princess seams, concealed buttonhole and button closures and contrast bind. Mid-knee lined skirt has front slit (not!), darts, back zipper and shaped waistband 1/2" below normal waistline. Topstitching detail at center front and waistband. Unlined pants have fly zipper, sice vents and shaped waistband 1/2" below normal waistline with topstitching detail.

I bought this pattern for the jacket and the top. Two really cute elements that I can work with. The skirt and the pants are a no-go with the waistband on both starting 1/2" below the normal waistline?!!!! Who are they kidding ~ in this plus size body that means fat hanging loose and free in the breeze - I don't think so! Click on the hyperlink to see the back of the jacket! With all those seams there are a lot of fitting opportunities - where I can give the jacket the appearance of being closely fitted without it actually being so. I think this pattern will work for three of the four seasons - since I am sticking with alot of my already sewn summer gear!

This Wardrobe Pattern - Vogue 2939:

Pattern Description:
Misses' Jacket, Skirt, Dress, Shirt and Pants ~ semi-fitted, lined jacket has darts, pleats in front, princess seams in back, long sleeves with pleats, shoulder pads, fabric loop and button closure. Shirt and dress have darts, notched collar, two-piece long sleeves with slit (ooohhhlalala!), topstitching and snap closures. Semi-fitting straight skirt, below mid-knee has front princess seams, back pleats and side zipper. Straight pants have darts, faced waist and mock fly closure.

I like this pattern for the blouse, the dress and the skirt. I am not sure that the jacket would work for me...those folds in the front at the abdomen sort of say...."looky looky she has a big fat stomach!" Nah, not the look I am going for! However, I do like the seaming detail on the back of this jacket so I might work with those folds, maybe I can just tape them close and make a muslin up and see how that works...but it is really the blouse/dress that has me smiling. I already know what fabric I want to use for both pieces! They will be spring/summer/fall additions, since I just can't manage a dress when the temps are 30 degrees or less. I love the details on the skirt, princess seams in the front, pleats in the back - you can get them coming and going! These three pieces can be workhorses in my new Corporate Chic wardrobe!

And finally this "Five Easy Pieces" pattern ~ Vogue 8137:


Pattern Description:

Misses'/Misses' Petite Jacket, Top, Dress, Skirt and Pants ~ lined long sleeve jacket has patch pockets (I don't think so!) topstitching and optional purchased belt. Unlined sleeveless top and dress have topstitched neckline and princess seams. Top has separating zipper ~ whyyy? Straight skirt and pants have back zipper closings. Skirt has back slit.

I am a dress girl! Have been since well probably since my mama first put me in one. I love how dresses make me feel like a woman so I probably have way more dress patterns than I will ever sew! But I just loved the seasonlessness of this dress & jacket combo - in linen it's great for corporate meetings in spring and summer...just take the jacket off when I hit the street. In fall made up in a nice wool doubleknit it will be classy & elegant and allow me to look pulled together with minimal effort which is necessary at 5:30 in the morning!

So this is what came in the mail...my youngest daughter has taken to calling these things, patterns, fabric swatches, magazines ~ just about anything related to sewing: "Fabric Porn!" She says that I get this look on my face that is almost like rapture. So she will say, "What fabric porn came today!" Children...you had to teach them to talk 'cause you got tired of trying to intrepret the different cries but sometimes....

Anyway, sewing dreams arrived today so I am off to gaze at them lovingly, to plan and to dream. Did anything good come in the mail for you today?

"A Moment of Reflection...."

In this week's issue of, Newsweek (January 22nd) the last article in the magazine is by Anna Quindlen and it is called, "Write for Your Life." The article is about the movie, "Freedom Writers," and how writing in journals affected the students lives.

While reading the article I thought about all the different types of creative blogs there are in the blogsphere. I have been to so many of them in the last couple of days because of the "Tag Your It!" game. Reading about what is closest to all of these women's hearts - their craft, their art, their passion - and also reading just enough personal details to flesh the individual out even more has been enlightening.

There is something else in Anna Quindlen's article that really touched me. It was used to describe how family members felt about loved ones lost in the Twin Towers....

"Wouldn't all of us love to have a journal, a memoir, a letter from those we have loved and lost? Shouldn't all of us leave a bit of that behind."

So all these bits that we write in our blogs, pictures we take, links to photo sites, etc. can someday become treasured memories for our family and friends. It gave me pause...but it also
encouraged me...we are all writing living memoirs about the things that we are so passionate about! I plan to keep writing, to keep sharing and to keep adding to this "living testimony!"

I hope you will stay around for the journey....

The Joy of Sewing TNT Patterns

I have three tenets of sewing:

1. 1. Planning is key
2. 2. Assemble all of the key ingredients before you start - then all you have to do is sew!
3. 3. Must use TNT patterns

I am in awe of people who use a new pattern for each garment ~ never or rarely revisiting a pattern! To me it is amazing that they take the time to fit each pattern and then put it away.

Of course I am the exact opposite. I "love" the journey of working with a pattern and making it mine. I love exploring the possibilities of a pattern. How fabric affects the drape of the garment and its final outcome. How by adding or subtracting seams you can change the silhoutte and look of the garment. I love working with a pattern until I understand it inside and out....And then there is the laziness factor...yes, I will cop to that! It just seems that after I have gone to the trouble of altering a pattern that I should get as much use out of it as I possibly can.

To me it's like a cook...most cooks don't make a meal or a dish just once. No, they prepare it again and again, adding ingredients...subtracting ingredients essentially making the dish their own. And a great cook or chef usually becomes known for a certain style of cooking or particular type of dish. How about a woodworker? Doesn't he or she use different types of wood (i.e. fabrics) but ends up preferring to use one type over another and then making several pieces (patterns) from it again and again? Truly, there are only so many ways to interpret and build a table and chairs!

This is how I feel about a pattern. A new adventure awaits me when I pull those pieces from the envelope. And as I make it again and again an intimacy develops. I KNOW what the pattern can be and I want to experience all of the versions I can before I come to the end of the journey.

The photos are of my latest TNT pattern obsession - The Sewing Workshop Mission Tank. I have made this tank about 10-15 times. I have included pictures throughout the post where the fabric is key, where I have lined it, I have used it as part of an evening ensemble and pieced the silk duppioni, I added seams to the front and back and my latest rendition where I just embellished it. It looks different every time and that is why I like working with TNT patterns...it allows me to design something and then just sew!

If you have not taken this journey, why not try it? Why not take the next pattern and dream? If you open your mind to the possibilities, the boredom factor will disappear! Maybe as you work with it a couple of times, you will experience the same joy that I have experienced. We sewists are always looking for a challenge so I am issuing one. Take a pattern that you have used once and then make it at least four more times. Change it up by using different fabric, try some trim or embellishment, add or subtract some seams...but most importantly enjoy the journey! You just might learn something new about yourself and your sewing and in the process develop your own set of TNT patterns!

This is so me!!!!!

Your Birthdate: May 30

You have the type of personality that people either love or hate. You're opinionated, dramatic, intense, and very outspoken. And some people can't get enough of you - they're totally addicted. Others, well, they wish you were a little more reserved. Your strength: Your flair Your weakness: If you think it, you say it Your power color: Scarlet red Your power symbol: Inverted triangle Your power month: March

I have been tagged...

I was going to write something today about TNT patterns but I have been tagged by Mardel of Purls and Murmurs so instead I am going to answer the five questions and toss it off to someone else...

Let's see five things that I have not already divulged on my blog....

1. I am the firstborn in my family carrying with it all the hopes, dreams and pitfalls of being the firstborn. I have a brother and sister who are supremely confident and sometimes at family gatherings I am glad that I am the firstborn. It is something that neither of them can boast about!
2. I have a beautiful first soprano voice. I have sung in concert choirs, opera ensembles, church choirs and in my younger days did a little community theatre. My youngest use to ask me to sing "Oklahoma!" for her friends because none of them could believe that I could hold the high notes that long.
3. I am secretly (well secretly no more!) addicted to Joan Rivers Classic Collections Jewelry. I have not yet quite attained the status of QVC junkie ~ though I am not sure the UPS man thought that around Christmas time! Hey easy-pay is a wonderous thing and I never had to leave the house! But I digress...Joan Rivers Jewelry just does it for me. I especially love the interchangeable pieces and when she was doing pearls seriously, I was breathless, breathless I tell you watching the shows. I own enough of this that on any given day, I could have accessorized an outfit with at least one piece of my Joan Rivers Jewelry!
4. With my second child I was pregnant with twins...however, I lost one and carried one to full term....and boy is she a handful all by herself...can't imagine if there had been two of her!
5. I frequently change the lyrics of songs to things I like better. Drives my kids crazy. Jay Z has this song with the hook that goes, "Show me what you got pretty lady!" and I sing it, "SEW me what you got pretty lady...go on and sew something, sew something!" LOL! Makes my kids absolutely nuts!

And since we are daisy chaining, here is a picture of my pincushion too!

So Erica, Sharon, Gaylen, Marji, and Wendy consider yourself tagged! So show me what you got sewing ladies!!!!! *big grin*

Back to regularly scheduling sewing chat tomorrow! TGIF!!!!

Six Pieces and counting....

Okay this is a little bit of a brag...but for a girl who couldn't buy a sewing vowel late last year to have made six new pieces ~ this is AMAZING! Or as Liana of "Sew Intriguing" fame said the other day - my sewing mojo is back!

Now flow with me here ~ I need to list these pieces...

1. Brown poly blend unlined jacket - that matches SWAP pieces from last year!
2. Silk paisley Sewing Workshop Mission Tank - TNT pattern - I love the versatility of this piece.
3. SW Mission Tank in white sandwashed silk w/battenburg insert - see there it is again!
4. Black lined wool crepe pants made from another TNT pattern
5. Black/white/gray sweaterknit jacket with black lace trim - egads! yet another TNT pattern!
6. "Cashmere Dreams" this is a collection of garments that I have made and am still working on from a wool/cashmere blend that I bought way too many yards of from FM last year.

Do you realize that if I stopped sewing right now that I would have more pieces than there are weeks in the month! Yippee! So if you will please pardon this brief interruption for braggidicco, I will get back to serious sewing chatting soon! Just need a minute to bask in my accomplishments! *smile*

Maybe my next post should be, "The Joy of Sewing a TNT Pattern!"

My Version of a St. John's Knits Jacket

It's Monday and I want to update my blog before the day gets any further along. I finished three SWAP pieces - a sweater jacket using fabric from EOS, my TNT SW Mission Tank from a sandwashed sueded silk from Fabric Mart and a pair of TNT lined black crepe pants - fabric also from Fabric Mart.

Here is a picture of all three pieces together:

The reason that I am calling the jacket, my version of a St. John's Jacket, is that it is made from a sweater knit using Vogue Pattern 2285. I think this is an out-of-print pattern now but I used a modified version of it last summer for the eyelet Coldwater Creek knock-off jacket. However, since this is a knit the pieces had to be sewn together using bigger seams which were serged off after fitting to have a neater inside appearance. I also used fur hooks on the inside of the jacket as closures where the original had no closures.

Finally there is the trim....last year I wanted to knock off a Dolce & Gabbana black & white plaid skirt with a huge lace/ribbon/pearl trim detail at the hem of the skirt. I didn't get around to making the skirt and this year the embellishment looked dated to me. Problem was that I had already spent time combining the elements to make the lace/ribbon/pearl trim - what to do? I cut it apart and used it on the jacket.

This is a close-up of the final trim application. More shots can be seen in my Yahoo photo album. But believe me there was much trial and tribulation to get to this point. The center of the lace without the pearls was finally added to the front of the jacket because it wasn't as gaudy as the trim with the pearls. And due to my new corporate environment - it would have just been too over the top. I think even this trim is pushing it but...hey, I just got to be me! There is also a lace trim on the sleeves which was the edge of the original lace trim.

Here is a picture of the tank by itself.

The sueded sandwashed silk was purchased from Fabric Mart last year. I think it was the last piece that they had and boy am I glad that I bought three yards of this. The tank took 1.25 yards and I embellished it with a battenburg lace insert that I got from Daytona Trimmings. I also added three pearl beads to it to give the lace insert a little punch. I am using the remaining piece of this fabric for one of the four dresses I have to make for the Dress SWAP. Here is a detailed picture of the battenburg lace insert:

The pants are made from black wool crepe also purchased from Fabric Mart - I think I buy 10 yards at the beginning of every fall season now...in my quest to own five pair of black lined pants for winter - never seem to get them made every year...up to three pair this year with this new pair! Maybe this year will be the year that I make the five pair!

The name of my SWAP is "Corporate Chic!" (Thanks again Mardel!) It is clothing made to wear in my new corporate environment. It probably should be called Corporate Embellishment Chic since I think almost every piece in my plan has some type of embellishment, trim or interesting buttons added to it - well except for the pants! Again, this is part of my need to be "me" in my new environment.

More pics can can be seen in my Yahoo album - Corporate Chic! I promise I will add pictures of me in the outfit later, I just want to get a pair of pants completed for another outfit (not SWAP related) to wear to work this week!

Happy Belated Birthday to me!

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my blog and I meant to post about it here but somehow life just got in the way.... I am working on that since it is one my goals this year...to remember to plan time to sew even when my life is challenging! But I digress!

On January 8, 2006 I made my first blog entry. I remember feeling a little nervous but I was looking for a place where I could just ramble on about what I was sewing, my love of fabric, and how much sewing factors into my life.

Along the way I shared some of my triumphs - making my daughter's prom dress, creating a couple of SWAPs...and my disappointments - my other daughter's refusal to wear the pants outfit I made her...*sigh* and the one hit wonder dress. I have even discussed some of the finer points of sewing - like quality sewing, my love of binding and my overexuberance at a good fabric sale! *LOL*

But mostly what has made this year so memorable and remarkable is the number of people who read and commented on my blog. I read every comment and tried to respond to any questions asked. I so appreciate the time that everyone takes out of their busy lives to stop by and see what I have made or what is making me speak out today! I know that one of the truest blessings of this forum is when someone takes time out of their day to agree or disagree with something that I have written about or to give a compliment on a garment/outfit or pair of shoes *smile* that I have posted a picture of....I think that was a "dangling" something!

So thank you for sharing your thoughts, sharing your time and stopping by to stop and read awhile. It means more to me than you will ever know! Hopefully 2007 will bring even more amazing sewing adventures!

Corporate Dressing

Several posts back I promised photos of some of the garments I made during the last few months of 2006. Everything lately coming out of my sewing studio is corporate dressing. I have to admit to being a little baffled by how to interpret my style into "Corporate Dressing." I am just not a solid color kinda girl! So in no particular order here they are:

Vogue Pattern 2688

Dress made from a taupish brown tropical wool from Fabric Mart. I added a lining to the dress and the interesting part of this dress to me is the ribbon trim. A shot of the ribbon trim on the back of the dress:

Burda 8630

A straight dress with an interesting dart detailing at the neckline and a good basic for layering underneath jackets and sweaters. I made a matching cardigan from my Burda TNT pattern using the black rayon knit from Metro Textiles purchased during fabric shopping with Ann (Gorgeous Things) and Barbara (Cat Fur Studio). Please excuse the shoe boxes in the photos. I brought them home from my old job and haven't gotten them all moved to my new job yet!

The dress by itself. I probably will make this dress again because it is a great foundational piece.

TNT Jacket and Skirt

This the suit that I interviewed in. It was made from a wool glen plaid purchased at Fikret Fabrics in the NYC garment district for an amazing price of $5 per yard. The jacket is a TNT blouse pattern that I have used as a jacket before and the skirt is TNT also. Both pieces are lined and even though it was a great interview outfit...it is not a favorite.

To view close-ups of sewing details, check out my photo album at Yahoo.com.

And of course, I must leave you with a picture of a great pair of shoes....

Scrap Happy...

Am I the only one who purchases more fabric than they need for a project and then when the garment is finished, there are loads of scraps left over?

So my new dilemmia becomes, "What do I do with the remaining scraps?" Now if there is a yard or more left that's easy...just refold and re-label and back into the fabric closet it goes to wait for another garment opportunity. But it's those 1/4 yard pieces or really long and narrow two yard pieces that cause me the most anguish.

I know that I should throw them out but just as my hand is hovering over the garbage can, something makes me pull it back! I start imaging all the possibilities ~ piecing them together to make a funky *fill in the blank* piece that will make everyone ooohhh and aaahhh! Or an interesting piece of piping or embellishment, shoulder pad covers, applique...the possibilities seem endless. So I draw my hand back and leave the scraps in a heap at the bottom of my cutting table to be dealt with later.

Now you would think that I would use the tightest cutting layout possible to avoid these situations. But noooooo, why would I do that when I have yards and yards of fabric, and I can use the extra to make sure the grain is straight, that the plaids match or the pattern repeats are just the way that I want them! Not at any point when I am cutting out the garment do I consider what am I going to do with the scraps!!!

So at the end of making a garment, I am left facing the scraps....yet again. What do you do? How do you handle excess scraps? Do you store them or do you toss them? If you save them, how much do you save? And what do you do with them later? Or are you one of *those* people who only purchase enough fabric to make the garment?

Are you scrap happy?

I am wearing suits now...

Today as I stood in the kitchen of my job listening to a colleague talk about wearing "corporate" clothing and how it is always black, gray, navy or dark brown. I heard "blah, blah, blah" because I was thinking, "I can't believe it has come to this that I have to wear bland corporate garments. Me, who adores color!"

I was wearing this.....

And it is as bland as I can get! I finished the jacket and tank top yesterday but for some reason could not get the pictures to download. So another day and another try....

The jacket is a shortened version of Vogue 7944. This is the description of the jacket from the pattern envelope:

Misses/Misses' Petite Jackets and Pants, unlined, long sleeve jacket has topstitched collar and front opening edges. View B has slits at sides.

Size Range: 10-24 (I, of course, used a size 24).

I purchased this pattern just for the jacket. My original intent was to make a lining pattern for the jacket but this weekend I wanted something tailored but quick for my first version. So this version is unlined. I flat measured the pattern pieces before cutting them out. I also double checked the dart palcement and the bust points. I am finding that if I do that everytime, I have a greater success with the finished garment ~ making my first version a very wearable muslin.

There were several things that I really liked about the pattern while I was making it...the front facings are not really large and floppy and there is no back facing. You clip and turn the collar piece under and handstitch it. This a very clean look in the back of the jacket and will make lining the next version very easy. I did have to make my usual adjustments to the shoulder seam. I also changed the sleeve from being a one part sleeve to a two part sleeve with a seam down the center and topstitched it. After I made this change, I realize that I do this alot to jacket sleeves not only for better fit but also because it gives the sleeve a slimmer appearance. Another trick that I use for my sleeves is that I try to cut them on the bias (when fabric allows) to give them a little extra stretch/give across my bodacious biceps.

I used 2.25 yards of a brown poly blend that was left over from last year's SWAP. The skirt and pants were made during that SWAP but work perfectly with this jacket. Wallah ~ two new suit looks for the new corporate atmosphere.

This is a very basic jacket pattern that I will make several more times in slightly different incarnations. I can see it with more seaming detail in the back and possibly a small back belt. Changing the length will also change the feel of the jacket and I am even thinking of trying it in a medium weight stable knit with a matching straight skirt sort of like a St. John's suit.

The shell is from the Sewing Workshop Mission Tank top.

I have made this top several times (about 10-20) and have altered the pattern so much that it fits perfectly now no matter what type of fabric I lay it on. It glides perfectly over my breasts without any puckering in the armholes, it lays flat over my abdomen without any pulling and with or without side slits at the hemline it rests perfectly over my hips. It has a great neckline to showcase jewelry and shows just enough fabric when a jacket is buttoned. I have made it in a knit fabric, linen, silk and a wool/cashmere blend. It just works! And that is why it is a staple in my wardrobe. I have even included a version in a sandwashed silk for my next SWAP.

So here is item #1 and #2 from my 2007 sewing! I promise more corporate clothing to come and none of it will be bland! *LOL*

And here is a picture of my shoes! Anne Klein gotta love 'em!

Its the Last Day of 2006!!!!

It's the last day of 2006 and I am spending it sewing! And this as Martha Stewart would say, "Is A Good Thing!"

I am suppose to be working on SWAP pieces but instead I am making a jacket from a brown poly blend that I used in last year's SWAP and a shell from this great silk paisley that I found in Fabric Garden (yes, it is really the name of the fabric store!) on 39th Street across from Daytona Trimmings.


I know that I am suppose to be working on SWAP pieces but the urge to have a new pantsuit to start the work week with was too strong...also the silk paisley jumped out at me at the fabric store and demanded to come home with me. I only purchased a yard and a half and it will look great with the jacket, pants, skirt combination. Another driving force is that the pants and skirt are already in my wardrobe, whereas, all the SWAP pieces will be new wardrobe additions.

The jacket pattern that I am using is Vogue 7944.


And the shell is from

Sewing Workshop Mission Jacket and Tank pattern. I have made this tank over and over because it just works so well under everything.

I will definitely have pics tomorrow since instead of going out with other adults I have a house full of teenage girls who are celebrating New Year's here this year! I guess it is my turn since they have been elsewhere the last two years. So I will usher in 2007 at my sewing machine, while Dick Clark's Rocking New Year's Eve special plays, listening to the sound of my daughter and her friends. I am very blessed!

Happy New Year!

The next to last day of the year

It's the next to last day of the year and its time to review the sewing goals that I made for 2006. I am going to start with actual achievements because it is always better to go with the positive instead of the negative!

*I did complete and add to my wardrobe about 50 new garments.

*I did make a beautiful (if I must say so myself) prom dress for my daughter.

*I did make some absolutely amazing American Girl Doll Dresses for a friend. Need to do this again soon!

*And I did complete 54 items this year. If I run into my sewing area and add the buttons and hem to a cardigan before midnight tomorrow, that could be 56 items!

*I did spend a lot of quality time investing in my creative side this year! Major days, nights and weekends were spent in the company of my sewing machine.

But on the negative ~ I still have waaayyy to much fabric and at times this year I have been totally unrepentant about purchasing more. I guess that controlling my fabric collection is a ongoing goal that will roll into the New Year.

But all in all, 2006 was a good sewing year for me...I hope it was for you too! And if I get those buttons on the cardigan and it hemmed, I will get back at you. Otherwise, I am on to SWAP sewing as my first projects of 2007.

And I am wishing you and yours a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!!! Keep on sewing...Keep on dreaming...Keep on creating!

And this is why I am NOT fabric shopping!

See this is my shame....I am sure that some of you are thinking what?! that is just one Rubbermaid bin of fabric. But what you are missing...is that it is one Rubbermaid bin full of fabric outside of a walk-in closet that is full to overflowing with some of the prettiest, most awesomish (okay maybe that's not a word! ~ but you know what I mean) fabric. Oh and that does not include the two piles that are laying on my cutting table with about six cuts of fabric apiece. Oops, forgot the pile of fabric that is laying by the side of my bookcase...see I got "fabric issues."

And why is it that every internet fabric site that I subscribe to is sending out these mailers where everything is 10/20/30% off, free shipping, extraordinary markdowns on pieces that at previous prices, I turned my nose up at! What is it about the word "SALE" that suddenly opens a floodgate of creativity and makes me want to run for my credit card. I mean really do I need another piece of fabric? Would I truly lose my mind if I didn't purchase that really awesome piece of fabric that is just screaming out my name?

No to all of the above! So I am resolved that until I start to produce more garments, I am NOT buying fabric. However, I am calling Fabric Mart and signing up for the Sample Cut Club of 2007. I need that monthly fix of those little brown envelopes bringing to me dreams and visions of wonderous and amazing garments to be made. That's not really fabric shopping is it?!

I am finally getting around to sharing some of the four items I have made in the last three months! Can you believe that?! Four items in three months...I use to construct that many garments in a three day weekend...something is truly wrong with this picture...and I must work to get my life back in focus! *smile*

A simple, lined straight skirt that took me two weekends to make! Two! But at least this fabric is not sitting in a pile...it is a wearable garment! So now that I have shared my shame with you and pledged not to purchase more until I sew more....do you believe me?

Here are my SWAP fabrics

Just wanted to share a picture of my SWAP fabrics. That's them just six pieces of fabric ~ granted there is some serious yardage to most of the pieces - the black wool crepe is 10 yards by itself! And the fabrics don't seem to be saying much just laying there on the table, but with a little imagination, a lot of trim options and some "keep it simple" pieces from TNT patterns for my Dress SWAP. I think this just might turn out to be a great "Get Dressed Early in the Morning Without Much Thought Wardrobe!"

Since Christmas and the New Year are rapidly approaching and there will be several three day weekends, I am planning on spending some quality time with my sewing machine and my SWAP list. I have to! One just for plain old sanity's sake and two because I think my sewing machine is giving me the evil eye every time I walk by it! I think it misses our quality time together! *smile*

And just for record keeping ~ here is the list of my SWAP fabrics:

10 yards of black wool crepe
2 yards of a black/white plaid
4.5 metres of red wool crepe (qualifying purchase from Timmel Fabrics)
3 yards of a white sandwashed sueded silk
3 yards of a black/white/red glen plaid
2.5 yards of a black wool/silk jersey

As a quick reminder a Dress SWAP consists of 4 dresses, two jackets, two bottoms, and three tops. I have a list of trims that I am looking for and will hit up Daytona Trims next week when its finally slow at work and then hopefully the sewing magic will begin!

My Qualifying Fabric has arrived!

Saturday the postman rang the door bright and early - too bright and early since I was still in my nightgown and there was no one else home - so nothing to do but pat my hair down and answer the door! In his hands was my package from Timmel Fabrics - holding the gorgeous red wool crepe that I bought as my entry fee into the contest. A fine piece of wool crepe that is mediumweight and will make great accent pieces!

Also included in the package was 2.5 metres of a polyester brown and pink pinstripe that I saw on Julie's website that I had her include in the bundle. And as always when a new package of fabric arrives - there is the allure of wanting to work with that piece! Does anyone else experience this? The new piece tumbles out of the package with all of its hopes and dreams attached to it and you can "hear" it speaking so clearly that you have to work hard to mentally focus on the task at hand and not to run off to your sewing room clutching the new piece frantically looking for a pattern to make the dream a reality! I didn't succumb this time but it's not to say that I haven't done so in the past! *smile*

So as soon as I get some more batteries for the digital camera I will take a photo of all of my fabrics and post it here. My fabrics consist only of black, white and red colors. As Julie posted on Stitchers Guild a couple of days ago, "keep it simple" and I have decided to follow her advice. Also, my new position requires a different type of clothing requirement than the previous one and you will definitely be able to see the difference in the two SWAPs.

I did work on the pants some this weekend...not much. The weather and the amount of time I am spending at work has conspired against me and much to my dismay, I am experiencing cold symptoms!

Last thing ~ thanks for the SWAP names....keep them coming! I like the "New York Times" suggestion. Just wondering how to work the black, red & white in or if I even need it?! Another thought was Black/White & Red Graphics? Again any and all suggestions will definitely be considered!

A Little Swap Sewing

The SWAP contest's (sponsored by Julie of Timmel Fabrics) official start date was December 1st. However, due to work issues this is the first that I have actually thought about sewing any of my pieces. Since I have my plan set and most of my fabrics in hand, I am going to start on a piece or two this weekend. I will probably go with something easy like the lined wool crepe pants especially since they are being made from a TNT pattern and have been made from this fabric type before...but aren't those everyone's famous last words! *smile*

I am still looking for a catchy phrase for my SWAP ~ any and all suggestions are welcome! My color scheme is black, white and red in work separates and I am doing the dress SWAP. My only thought was, "Black/White and Red All Over" and it just is not doing it for me. So if you have a catchy or not so catchy phrase please share. I definitely am interested in your ideas!

I am doing all my SWAP updates on my blog so stay tuned to this blog network - for SWAP sewing all the time! *giggle!*

10 Sewing Things I know to be True

I was reading an article by Nora Ephron and she wrote about things that she wished she had known when she was younger. A few of them I definitely agreed with and wished I had also known earlier in my life. Of course this got me to thinking about sewing challenges...so I have listed below 10 sewing related things I know to be true. You may or may not agree with my list but they are true to me!

1. I will always need to rip something out in the middle of a project...no matter how many times I have used a pattern.

2. Somewhere, someway, somehow, I will make a mistake either in measuring, cutting out the fabric or in my fabric choice...and I will need to make a change and/or be flexible to get a finished garment!

3. That in the middle of sewing a seam I will a. run out of bobbin thread; b. break a needle; c. run out of thread and not have any more on hand in that color!

4. That the minute I purchase a piece of fabric online that I have put off buying - it will be marked down or it will go on sale.

5. That the pattern that I traveled to *fill in the blank of a fabric chain store* to purchase in one of their extraordinary cheap pattern sales will not be in the pattern cabinet! Never fails!

6. That if I don't purchase five yards of a fabric I can guarantee you that is the one piece of fabric that I will then want to make multiple garments from ~ never fails!

7. I will never have the right zipper for a garment in the size or color I need if I don't think about it before I begin to sew the garment!

8. That if I try to sew on a deadline one of two things will happen - I will not get it finished in time or if I do I will hate it! Rare is the garment that works that is made in a hurry!

9. That I can't go one day without thinking about something sewing related.

And finally

10. That sewing is like breathing...I must do both to exist!

What sewing things do you know to be true?