My Top Ten Sewing Blogs

The other night I was reading through my bloglovin' list...which had gotten quite full...and I found these two posts by Madalynne, Best Sewing Blogs 2014 - Part One and Part Two.  It's an interesting list but what caught my attention was that she typed into Google the simplest key words for finding a sewing blog, "best sewing blogs."  From that exercise, Madalynne went on to email every blogger on her blog roll (over a hundred) to gather their lists of "the best of" categories she created.  If you click on the links above you can see the final list.

I went to bed that night but that list kept coming back to me because it's a wonderful list full of talented, young sewists.  It's the perfect list for the new sewist, the young and hip sewist, or the returning to sewing sewist but what if you are a more advanced sewist?  What if you've moved past learning to sew and are looking for more?  What if you've been at this a minute and you've seen the various cycles come and go in the sewing community? Seen pattern makers and patterns come and go?  Styles change? Even the way you sew change? Where do you go to advance to the next level?  Do you wait for the community you're presently following to take you there or do you step out on your own and look for more?

Sometimes when I'm traveling through the vast sewing blogland, it can seem segmented...like the newer/just learning/rediscovering sewing sewists are in one group and the sewist who has been sewing for years in another one. Lately I've felt there needs to be a bridge between those two segments bringing us all together because we're all really in love with the same thing - the art of taking a flat piece of fabric and turning it into a three dimensional garment.  Whether we refashion it, we make a vintage garment, we sew for children or our homes, we sew the latest fashions or we sew amazing art to wear garments, we are all passionate about the same thing - creating using needle, thread and fabric.

So to totally riff off Madalynne, I've listed ten sewing blogs that make me a better sewist.  Please realize that this is my list and I'm going to give you the opportunity to tell me yours at the end of this post.

MY Top Ten Sewing Blogs~
Here are my ten.  Ten women who inspire me.  Ten women who make me think about my sewing journey and how to improve and continue to grow.  Ten amazing sewing women:

1. SunnyGal Studio Sewing
First choice hands down.  I've learned so much from Beth lately that it has me rethinking how I sew. I highly encourage you to visit her blog to take your sewing to the next level!

2. Ann of Gorgeous Things
The Pressinatrix...need I say more! Okay I will ~ seriously pressing is so important to a great finished garment and Ann has you totally covered there.

3. Rolling in Cloth
Claudine sews out of the box, amazingly, awesome garments. She sews what I'd like to wear but can't because of my workplace. Her journeys are always fun and interesting.

4. Frabjous Couture
Marina IS a couture sewist. She drafts and sews "the couture" way. I learn so much from her and now she's talking about hand embroidery...be still my heart!

5. A Challenging Sew
I've just found Leisa's blog in the last six months and I'm fascinated with her Little French Jackets, the sew-along and now her Marfy adventures, it all makes me want to sew better!

6. SewPassionista by Diana
Diana has amazing tutorials and she sews for her retired/casual lifestyle which is the opposite of mine. However, she makes wonderful pieces that are thoughtful well sewn garments.

7. Sigrid - sewing projects
Sigrid sews the most awesome lingerie.  I have no desire to sew lingerie but I always have my nose pressed up against the glass - figuratively - when she posts a new lingerie make.  Also, she is a thoughtful sewist and I love to read about her journeys.

8. Couture et Tricot
I want to be Tany when I grow up.  Her sewing and tailoring skills are extraordinary.  She took a short break to have her son but she is back and turning out jaw-dropping garments.  Definitely check her out!

9. The Mahogany Stylist
Cennetta always says I inspire her but I learn so much from her. Her pattern alterations are awesome and easy to follow.  Now she's blogging for the Mood Sewing Network so expect some seriously fantastical garments come your way!

10. Sew Melodic
Melody is my new blog crush but the girl brings it. The detail and work she puts into her garments, the pattern alterations she makes and the fact that she's a little bit vintage and a little bit current...awesome!


The Art to Wear Stitchers ~
I have one other sewing blogger list to share.  It's a smaller list but their sewing is different and original.  It's out of the box and they sew from the patterns that aren't widely shared on the popular blogs...but people these women bring it!  I call these the Art to Wear Stitchers and they are:

1.  Communing with Fabric
Shams sews, dyes, uses unusual closures and loves Style Arc patterns.  Her garments make me look at the sewing process differently.  I love her style even though its so different from mine.

2.  A Fool for Fabric
Margy sews these amazing garments that have an artistic slant. Her latest garment a studded jacket was just a feast for the eyes and a wonderful learning experience.  I always look at patterns differently after she uses them.

3.  Myrna Giesbrecht
Myrna's blog is really about the journey and the process.  How do you get there?  What choices do you make? How do to this better? It's always an interesting read.

4.  Marcy Tilton
The Queen of Art to Wear sewists.  Her blog is an orgy of garments that use unusual fabrics, different sewing techniques and those Vogue patterns that she designs.


Fashion Bloggers ~
I follow three and only three true fashion bloggers.  I like them because they are concise, to the point and give me 3 or 4 good pictures of their outfits. I'm not hammered over the head with their looks.  These are the three I follow...

Atlantic Pacific

9 to 5 Chic

The Classy Cubicle

Your choices ~
Now if you've made it this far, here is your opportunity to tell me what blogs you like. What are your go to blogs - the ones you can't do without!?!  

Here's the criteria ~ 

• Please do not list a blog that's already been included in this post.  
• Also there's no need to list mine, I mean you're here reading so obviously you like mine.  
• List your top five with the designation if they are a sewing blog, a fashion blog, vintage, art to wear or other by using the letter designation below.  

                              S - sewing blog

                              F - fashion blog

                              V - vintage

                              A - Art to Wear

                              O - other

You have until Friday, February 21st to submit your choices.  I will close the comments that evening, compile the list and The Top Ten Viewer Choice blogs will be posted here on Sunday, February 23rd. All of the lists will be added to a page at the top of my blog for everyone to peruse again and again. 

I hope you'll participate.  It will really be interesting to see what a cross section of bloggers think are their go to sewing blogs.  Remember we are building bridges...joining our sewing community together...celebrating the uniqueness of each and every one of us! Okay with the rah rah said, get those typing fingers ready and comment! *LOL*


...as always more later!

Snow Day

It's 11:46 am EST and this is how it looks out my living room window...

...so this is where I'll be spending the rest of the day!

There must be two feet of snow on the ground already (fresh snow and old snow combined), the snow piles in the parking lot are starting to get ominous because they are so high.  I am so over snow and winter and am promising not to b*tch this summer when the 100 degree temps and humidity sets in.

I will be in the sewing cave until they dig me out!

...as always more later!

Painted Wool Herringbone Pieces ~ The Skirt

I purchased this fabric years and years ago from Textile Studios which is now out of the fabric business. Some of my sewing sheros bought fabric from them and made amazing garments and of course I wanted in on the amazingness! It is a painted wool herringbone that can be used on either side.  I bought five yards of this lusciousness.

I know that I said that I wanted to sew sheath dresses in solid colors to work with the multitude of cardigans that I own.  But this piece started to call my name...and it's interesting because it's not like I touched it recently...it was just buried in my creative subconscious...moved itself to the forefront and demanded to be used.

So a sheath dress was of course the first choice and since I've been sewing dress, skirt & pants combos...I went with the dress and a different TNT skirt pattern than I've used for the previously makes. 

The skirt's inspiration is once again from Pinterest.  It is a designer skirt by Preen.

Fabric will provide the embellishment/interest for my version and I'm going to use piping instead of zippers. Cause as much as I like that look, it doesn't work for my lifestyle.  I'm also losing the pockets because while they look great on the skirt above, I know they won't work well on my body.

Pattern ~
TNT skirt pattern last made here

Notions ~
9" invisible zipper
black piping
satin lining last used here
brown rayon seam tape
fusible jiffy waistband interfacing

Construction ~
One of the first things you should know about my skirt pattern is that the front piece is always cut larger than the back piece to accommodate the fullness in the front of my body. I think it's important to realize that we are not symmetrical beings...sometimes it's one side of our body that is longer/bigger/shorter than the other. In my case my front is larger than my back so my patterns have been adjusted for that fact.

The second thing is that I used both sides of the fabric to accomplish "the look" of the inspiration skirt. 

I added black piping to both sides of the front panel to replace the zippers used in the inspiration skirt.

I added a vent to the back of the skirt.

My waistband is slim - about an inch wide - because wider waistbands tend to cut into my flesh making them uncomfortable to wear. It's also cut using the painted side of the fabric. 

There are two black buttons on the waistband to keep the skirt closed.  I like buttons so much better than hooks and eyes or snaps.  I ditched those other closures years ago and have never looked back.

The lining in this skirt is the heavier satin lining that I used in the plaid pants.  The painted wool herringbone is a course wool and a lighter weight lining wouldn't have worked as well with the fabric. This is a personal choice developed from my prior experience using this type of fabric. Garments made from it always wear better and are more comfortable when I use a more substantial lining.

I've become obsessed with finishing seams with rayon seam binding. Instead of just leaving edges serge finished, I've been folding seam binding in half and stitching it onto the edges.  I really like how finished this makes the inside of a garment look.

Finally, hand stitching is an important aspect of this garment.  The lining is hand stitched to the zipper tape.  The waistband is hand stitched to the skirt and of course the hem is hand stitched down.

If you're interested in making your own version of this skirt, try Simplicity 1541. It has the elements of my TNT skirt and will work well to emulate the Preen skirt. The pattern is available in sizes 8-24.

A pic or two of me wearing the skirt with a RTW cardigan...

In my 20s & 30s, I use to sew a skirt in an hour or less.  The skirts were never lined and everything was machine stitched.  I was actually proud of that fact and bragged about it a lot. Of course that was decades ago, and my skirts take almost a day to complete now with all of the sewing techniques that I add to the construction.  But the process makes me happy and the extra work insures that the garment lasts for years.  After all of the work that I've put into this skirt's construction, I definitely want it to last.

The dress from this fabric is almost finished and I've decided to make a vest with the leftover piece.  I went back and forth several times ~ vest or a jacket with pleather sleeves.  As much as I wanted to make the jacket, it really doesn't fit my lifestyle...but a vest....well I haven't sewn one of those in years. So the vest with this skirt and a black turtleneck will work really well in my corporate environment.

A Parting Shot ~
I've had these shoes for over a decade and they are still going strong!

...as always more later!

Notes from The Sewing Cave...

I'm still sewing away.  I mean what else is there to do?  Every day I trudge to and from the bus headed to work past piles of snow, in the freezing cold, and in darkness.  It's dark in the morning...and dark in the evening.  It's enough to make me want to become a hermit...but then where would I wear all of these new makes?!

+ + + + +

I just want to take a moment and thank everyone who left congratulations on the birth of little Sammi. I'm thrilled to have another granddaughter! Hopefully I will have someone from this crop of grandchildren to pass this passion of mine onto!

+ + + + +

Also, thanks to everyone who wrote such thoughtful and amazing comments to my last post, "Are You the Sewist You Want to Be?"

Here are a few responses that I really enjoyed ~
The day that I become the sewist that I want to be will probably be my last day sewing.  I am really enjoying the journey to get there!

by Sara Mayo

Yes, I am the seamstress I want to be.  I spend time sewing or doing sewing-related things every day.  I learn from each project and put those lessons to good use in subsequent projects.  I am not interested in pushing myself for the sake of pushing myself.  Instead, I learn new techniques as my projects require them.  The point is to have fun and make wearable clothes - I do both and love it.

by Alexandra

I am definitely still learning and needing to improve my sewing skills.  That doesn't mean I am unhappy with my current level, just that I recognize I have more to learn.

by Tammy R.

For me, there are two questions.  What do I want to do more of and what don't I want to do?  Sometimes we can feel a pressure to know/do a certain thing when really it's of absolutely no interest and/or doesn't suit our personality or life style.  Tailoring comes to mind for me.  Not.Interested.  My focus remains fit, technique and individualization but there are ways I can take those up a notch too.  Am I having fun is a good measure.

by Myrna

All of the answers to the question were fascinating!  It was also interesting to see how many of us want to step our game up in 2014 and almost every one of those responses talked about taking the journey and enjoying the trip!  

As part of my blogging this year, I will be asking a question like this every month.  I enjoy the conversations, the new perspectives that are shared and the fact that sewists I haven't heard from before feel confident to express their opinions...that mean's a lot to me!

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My sewing this year will be willy nilly.  I'm really enjoying the freedom of just sewing what I want when I want. To that end, I don't know if I will actually make any more pieces in the Crazy 8 wardrobe. At times, I feel like continuing and then at other times, I just want to sew whatever...and lately whatever is winning out.

I know there will be at least two more "boring" solid colored sheath dresses coming up. I wasn't going to make any more but every time I have some downtime to think about my sewing, I keep coming back to the fact that I really want both a pink and a purple sheath dress. Those will be up right after I finish the pieces that I'm currently working on using this fabric...

The majority of the fabric in my collection is in 4 or 5 yard cuts.  It makes it really easy to cut several garments from one piece especially if the piece is wide (61"-64").  This cut has yielded a skirt, a dress and a vest.  I'm really enjoying the process and will have more to share soon.  I hope you are enjoying your sewing journeys too!

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One more quick note ~
Can I give a quick shout out to my girl, Oonaballoona, for winning the first challenge at Project Sewn.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that my other girl, Lauren/Lladybird, is no longer in the competition which stinks because I admire her sewing so much.  That's the thing about a competition though, someone always has to go home.  If you're not following along, I highly encourage you to surf on over to Project Sewn and catch up. Some awesome sewists (and a few I call friends!) are sewing a different theme every week.


...as always more later!

Are You the Sewist You Want to Be?

I've spent some quality time in my sewing cave over the last few weeks.  We are coming off the holiday season which meant that I've had a few vacation days and a snow day too.  I normally spend quality time in my sewing cave but even more so this year due to the inclement weather we've been having.

When I'm in the cave engrossed in a project my mind goes to all things sewing.  I think about garments I want to make.  I work out construction sequences...and I go over things I've read in blogland...especially after reading this post by Beth (SunnyGal Studio Sewing), where I always learn something new.

What I learned from that post, caused me to ponder on this fact..."Am I the Sewist I Want to Be?"  I believe that I sew well.  I'm not a tailoring expert and in no way do I believe that I'm an advanced sewist.  I know quite a few sewing techniques and am proficient in a few.  But am I where I want to be? Have I taken my sewing to the next level or am I content to sew where I am? Finally, do I desire to learn more?  

I mean for the basic sewing that I've done for the last couple of weeks, I haven't needed any wonderful new techniques.  I've used fabric that I like to use and sewn a bunch of garments based upon my experience and preference. I've satisfied the need to create and be creative but have I stretched myself?

It got me to thinking...what kind of sewist am I?  Am I truly the sewist I want to be?  If not, how can I get there?  Am I willing to do what it takes to get to the next level?

So I'm posing these questions to you as the Question of the Day.  I've made my determinations and will share them with you here as I work them out.  But I was wondering if other sewists think about these things?  

Are you the sewist that you want to be?  Talk back to me...


...as always more later!

All My Linings...

It's wintertime here...seriously cold, seriously snowing...seriously winter!  I spent a lot of the last holiday weekend sewing with wools.  When I sew with a wool I always add a lining.  For several reasons ~ to prolong the life of the garment, to make sure the wool doesn't irritate or scratch and sometimes to add warmth and weight to a garment.

Because of that I've been digging deep into my linings stash...well also I need to refresh my bemberg lining stash...it's that time of the year again. However, that need is allowing me to be a little adventurous with linings that I'm kinda loving.  You know you don't need to add only a rayon bemberg or solid silk colored lining to a garment...sometimes adding a print or a stripe to the inside of your garment really makes it fun & interesting!

For the several of the recently completed garments I've used polyester charmeuses that have been stashed f-o-r-e-v-e-r from Fabric Mart...

...don't they just give the inside of the garments a funky and fresh kinda feel?!

Then after rambling through the lining drawers, I found a silk batiste that I'd been hoarding to use with one of the Liberty of London prints that I bought from fabric.com several years ago.  At first I put it back thinking, need to save this, but then I thought I can always order more, right?  So it went into the maize colored wool crepe dress.

Warmth is another concern...especially this winter...so I've taken some of my satin linings and added them to my pants.  Not only does this mean that the underlining in the pants are silkier and easier to slide on and off but the heavier satin adds warmth to the pants.  I can take a lighter weight wool that I love and add a slightly heavier lining to it and get a great wearing warmer pair of pants than normal.

(used in the gray pinstriped pants)

(heavy satin lining used in the faded plaid pants)

So when you're thinking about lining a garment, think outside the box.  Don't just grab a solid colored rayon bemberg or silk, try something different to add some spice to your garment.  However, can I also add a warning to this...please make sure that the fabric you choose to line/underline with will withstand your day to day wearing and won't pull or wear out.  Personally I don't use china silk in my pants for this reason - it's shelf life is just too short for the amount of time I put into sewing my garments.  I also shy away from georgettes or other flimsy fabrics because I prefer a fabric with a shiny hand to assist with making the garment easier to slide on and off your body.

If you're unsure about what fabrics to use to line a garment, Claire Shaeffer's, Fabric Sewing Guide - 2nd Edition, has an entire section on lining techniques, as well as, a very detailed and well explained listing of lining fabrics. Personally I believe this book should be in every sewist's bookcase because it's a wonderful resource.

However, if you've never added any funkiness to the inside of your garment, I highly recommend that you give it a try!

Finally, when I was rooting around in my lining drawers, I found loads of 3/4 yard and 1 yard scraps that I haven't been able to let go of...does anyone else have these?  I've been wondering what I should do with them?  They are too big to throw away so I packed them back up but I'm thinking I should come up with a use for them.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

...as always, more later!

Pinterest Inspiration

...or continuing along with the sheath dress quest...I saw this dress online at Talbot's and loved it.

Then found this one on Pinterest where the seaming drew my attention...

which when added to the basic sheath style of the Talbot's dress...throwing my TNT dress pattern into the mix...and this is what I ended up with...

Some stats:
Fabric ~
Midweight wool crepe from Fabric Mart

Notions ~
beige invisible zipper
silk batiste lining from Farmhouse Fabrics
beige rayon seam binding
beige cotton bias binding 

Construction Details:
I made a few alterations to my TNT dress pattern to get to my vision for the dress.
  
The first alteration I made was to add a center front seam. The was done by sewing right sides together. Pressing the seam open.  Then folding & pressing the excess under and topstitching the seam down on both sides.

The second change to my TNT pattern is that I sewed the center back and center side seams right sides together.  I flipped it over and pressed the seam flat.  Then pressed it to the side.

Finally I topstitched it flat.

I was trying to emulate the seaming that I liked in my inspiration dresses and I believe I was more successful with the seaming in the back than the front.

The dress was then sewn as I normally do.  I added an ivory silk batiste lining because I'm out of ivory rayon bemberg lining and of course I added lace trim to the lining's hemline.  I kinda like the wool/silk combo that the dress fabric and the lining fabric form.

...and the armholes were stitched with the bias binding finish...

A few more pics of how I will wear the dress with an Isaac Mizrahi blazer and cardigan in real life...

With three strand pearl necklace and Nine West heels

With Heidi Daus cross necklace and matching earrings

This is my first finished garment of February! I've already started working on my next piece...more basics but with a twist.

Finally there's been a lot of Barbie sewing in the blogosphere lately.  I saw this on Yahoo ~ Barbie has put her Malibu dreamhouse on the market. The listing is here. Let me know if anyone is considering purchasing it...I'd like to come by and visit! I will even bring my sewing machine to stitch up a few designer dresses for my girl, Barbie.

...as always more later!

Sewing Totals for January 2014

January is normally a good sewing month for me.  Usually I take several vacation days at the beginning of the month and there is a three day holiday (Martin Luther King Day) that allows additional sewing time.  This month I even gained a snow day.  It didn't hurt that I only sewed basics this month...no complicated designer knock-off...no new pattern to figure out...just regular ole simple sewing. So nine garments made it from flat fold fabric into my closet.  

Two lined dresses... 

Three pairs of pants... 

A Pantsuit...

Technically only the tunic top was completed 

in January...the pants were finished in Dec.

The plaid and leather skirt...

and a flared skirt, plus a long straight skirt...

I used 13.5 yards of fabric...loads of pretty linings and a little piping to get these new basics into my wardrobe.  I also had two pretty good photo shots with my camera & tripod. Now all I have to do is learn how to work the remote with it.  I'm finally comfortable goofing around the house with the camera/timer/tripod set-up but I will need to get a lot better so that when spring comes, I can slip in and out of the house quickly with everything!

February will have more of the same type of sewing. Although I'd like to work on a few more pieces from the Crazy 8 wardrobe...talk about dragging out a sewing project! *LOL*  There's another three day weekend in February so I'm looking forward to more quality time in the sewing cave.

Anyway here's to my sewing adventures in February...hopefully they will be as creatively fulfilling as my January ones were.

...as always more later!

Human Error and an Update

I want to start this post with the Human Error portion...

Last week I posted that I would have to take my sewing machine back to my sewing machine dealer because it was jamming.  Well it hit me that maybe I should give them a call to see if my machine was still under warranty since it was just a year old.  

I spoke to the store proprietor and he told me to sit in front of my machine and follow his instructions.  Of course, I was at work when I called but I wrote down what he said and went home to try it.  He was confident that this would make the machine work and said that if I wanted to bring it in to be looked at that he would do that. He also said that he wouldn't charge me unless a part was involved then I would need to pay for the part.  

I moved the 8900 back into place.  Followed the instructions and of course the machine worked.  Basically I was doing something wrong and he told me how to correct it.  My sewing machine is working fine...it was just HUMAN ERROR.

The moral of this tale ~ is that a good sewing machine dealer is worth their weight in gold!!!

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I know I mentioned earlier this month that my daughter (my personal photographer) was nearing the end of a very difficult pregnancy.  Well her third child was born yesterday morning at 8:58am, after a labor and delivery that was very hard.
  
This is Samantha Meghan who weighed 7lbs, 9 oz. and is 19" long.  They are calling her Sammi...

...and of course here I am the proud Nana holding my second granddaughter! She looks exactly like her mother did when she was born.

My daughter says that this is the last child for them and I believe her.  This one was so hard to bring into the world and they are now outnumbered three children to two parents.

...as always more later!