To go with what you sew: Cynthia Rowley edition

CR has some really neat patterns! Her frocks are so adorable and chic, Simplicity should be really be happy to have her around! But if you didn't know it, she's creating a unique empire of out of the box necessities. Summer is basically over, but these wedges caught my eye:





Need a cute dress idea? I really like this dress, and the front flap is such a great idea + the border! Insane! Although black, brown, or gold might work better as a border color when the weather transitions. Buy the clutch or sew the clutch? There's a pattern for that too!


But wait there's more! Pretty tools with an HLT basic gift ettitque clause: Ok to buy for yourself, never ok for a that's it here's your gift unless explicitly expressed:


Wow! diapers! A pretty addition to any baby shower gift basket, especially if there's an outfit to match!


More fabulousness from CR at:
Check out her website for all the details and Fall 2010 stuff!


That's all readers!


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Black & White on the Red Carpet

Hello readers! What a week it's been! I'm halfway thru a dress that I won't be able to finish until next week, unfortunately! But I'm putting the finishing touches on my early fall wardrobe plans. A nice mix of new pieces and older pieces! Anyway, I'm looking forward to more dinners, birthday parties and family gatherings this weekend. I'll be lucky to finish anything new, but I'll show you what I'm wearing!

It's amazing the amount of time these shows take, from beginning to end. I've only seen snippets, but a certain trend caught my eye. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving the bright colors, and there was one print that did make me swoon, but these stood out:

























That's all!


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This might entice you, McCalls pattern sale!

Readers, I received this email very early today! If you're a BMV member this is the Vogue sale for you!, especially if you shop before noon.


But that's not all, it's probably a good time for me come a member, that's on sale too! I'm very tempted to bite on this low risk deal. For my own cost analysis, I'll need to but at least 10 Vogue patterns on sale per year, and I do hope I can get a deal on some great OOPs! So this could happen!


They also rolled out their winter patterns early for McCalls, but I don't think I'll fall for these quite yet... FYI-There's a lot of shoulder power. These are my top 6!

M6201, Made-for-you







M6200





M6202, Laura Ashley blouse





M6208, sweater cardigan





M6206 jacket





M6211, Palmer Pletsch





I do hope I get some sewing done this week! That's all!



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MSG & Anna Sui

I've missed the whole season...But that's ok...I was busy!


Season finale on the...


10 pm today!

From their website:
MAN SHOPS GLOBE

Claiming he has the "greatest job in the world," Keith Johnson invites viewers along on an international treasure hunt on the Sundance Channel original series, MAN SHOPS GLOBE. In out-of-the-way antique shops, private dealerships and craft stalls, Johnson looks for one-of-a-kind home furnishings and accessories.

In each half-hour program, Keith travels to a new country in search of fantastic and unusual decorative objects, furniture, and textiles. He also seeks out the world's best artists and crafts people. MAN SHOPS GLOBE follows Johnson, who travels six months of the year, to ends-of-the-earth excursions, from flea markets in Paris to remote villages in India and obscure art studios in Turkey.(Mr. Johnson is employed by Anthropologie, as far as I know.)





Readers, I'm setting the DVR again! But this time I'm very interested to hear the Anna Sui perspective on things (she is on the finale show!). She has done some great patterns with Vogue over the years (like my sweet ruffle blouse), so I'm curious to see what her other domestic interest are! In case you didn't know!

That's all!


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Blood, Sweat & T-shirts: an inside look where cheap clothing comes from.

From the Planet Green Network....



These are the kids on the show!

Readers, I got lucky and found a little cable gem! It's a story of six UK kids that love to shop for cheap clothing, then travel to India and get a rewind experience of where the garments come from. Spoiled to the core, this docu-reality series leads them through the sweatshop way of living in India.

PAUSE









I had to do a mental closet check of where I shop. For most collage students and kids in their early 20s love to shop at that popular forever store for clothing, I know I did. And honestly, I'll still hunt there for belts especially, because they actually fit me. Now I shop as high quality as I can afford. But what if it comes from the same place?

PLAY








The Indian tailors get paid about 10 cents for garments that sell for 15-20 dollars. In one particular episode the youth sleep in a sweatshop and must complete a quotient of garments for the day. They make the kids (self centered ones from the UK) sew! It's cute to see them struggle on the machines!

PAUSE

I want an industrial sewing machine!

PLAY








Once they are finished, they must present their garments for inspection. After bringing in the bag of blouses the youth understand how much hard work goes into each piece, over and over, so thousands of people in another country can wear the same blouse. Out of their goal of 36, only 15 were completed correctly. The average wage for the tailors is 5 pounds for 400 garments!

PAUSE

It's a bit reality show but with a heavier dose of reality than show, but very watchable with a dash of ignorance. Maybe after sewing consistently for a couple of years, I've come to appreciate my skills, but I'm not doing 400 garments per year either!

Another thought favorite readers, where does our cheap fabric come from? I often take a quick iPhone pic of the fabric label for my records and I don't recall seeing where the fabric was made. Are we sewing ourselves into an un-green situation?

This show airs at various times, so check your listings! I recommend at least 1 episode to jet the gist. Their are 4 one hour shows. I do hope that you can watch at least 1 episode.

I'd really love to hear your thought and insight!








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Dress Update: HLT pattern 103, Distorted Plank dress

Here she is so far!








First, I'd like to say that my form and I don't share the same bust size, and I did not pull out the strapless for the photo. To tired. I'm pretty much finished with the front piece. At the bust line there are 3 pleats that are stitched closed until the high waist line. My plan is to edge stitch the pleats so they hold a crisp line, but still add a little movement. You can see my pins still holding them in place.








I added non-symmetric horizontal and vertical bust darts. They aren't symmetric because of the diagonal pleats at the bustline but they work.









This is the lower front portion of the dress.

So my goal with this fabric was to attempt to distort the lines with pleats and darts. I've mostly achieved that in the front, but the back panel...with the curves and all...I have more work to do, as I don't want 2 stereotypical back darts. My idea of diagonal darts, does pose an interesting situation of bias-ness that's not usually encountered.

I started this project wanting a jumpstart back into sewing, and it's done the trick! For those of you wondering. I've used no books for the drape/draft of this project. That may be very obvi to some! Just an idea and my experience. It's an unknown adventure, without a pretty picture to guide me, I'm making it work as I go!




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Look Ma, No Pattern!

Ok, readers! I've made some head way with the black and cream print! Surprisingly,I'm draping and it's going pretty well, considering I have absolutely no training in doing so! The shape is quite straight forward with a hint of detail, nothing to complicated. So at some point tomorrow I'll show you my progress, finished or not. Thanks for stopping by!


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Another Microwave Sunday! And Museum Photos!

Except this time I have no idea what's going to come out!



I'd like to sew up some summer fabric, especially since it's still steaming hot around here. And I'd hate to make the fabric wait till next year.... But lately, it's been really difficult to make up my mind; Thai or Indian, curly or straight, Bare Essentials or Lancome, flip-flops or ballet flats, cotton or rayon Lycra, Draft it myself or Vogue it?! It's giving me a headache!

So I'm going into my space today feeling optimistic and indecisive! Due to my travels I haven't sewed a thing since V1190! Sad. And I'm feeling a bit out of sync. Post hiatus, I like to do a warm up tank top or cardigan. Maybe that's where I'll start, but I'm also feeling like a dress...long or short? Who knows?

Well, while in NYC I did a bit of American couture browsing at Oscar de la Renta. Readers, I wasn't picking anything up for my next event, just visiting one of my favorite artist work in a simply stated gallery, museum like, except touching is allowed. Little did I know that DH was photographing me while I was swooned and sugar plums danced in my head! Inspiring!










There are no simple dresses here. Every item had thousands of details. Embroidery so finely done it looks like a print. Beadwork so finely finished, fabrics from the finest mills. This was way better than the MET, for me!

Until later!




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