I Am Honored...

to have received the coveted Liebster Blog Award from KC at The Sewcratic Method.

Thank you, KC!!!!
Since the creation of this award the available blogs with less than 200 followers are quickly disapearing as everyone immediately clicks over to check them out, so instead of searching for blogs that haven't received it yet, I am bestowing it on the most recent blogs that I have found.* The 5 blogs I chose to award are:

Girl meets wolf
Experiments and Accidents
Cloth Habit
The Muslinette
Sown Brooklyn

Congratulations everyone! Keep sewing and we will keep reading!



Before I even published this email about the Leibster, Diane of The Blue Gardenia gave me the Very Versatile Blogger award! Thank you so much!

My list of 15 bloggers again consists of recent discoveries:

Closet Case Files
Cloth Habit
Experiments and Accidents
Four Square Walls
Girl Meets Wolf
Lucky Lucille
Madalynne
Sewin' Steady
Sown Brooklyn
The Muslinette
DaughterFish
threadsquare
Toferet's Empty Bobbin
True Bias
Zilredloh


* When I discover a new blog, that means I also pretty much read all of their old posts too. So, yes, I've been very busy!

I Must Be A Real Sewing Blogger Now...

if I wasn't one before, I just got myself a part-time job at a fabric store!

How much of a stereotype am I?

I will be working some weekend hours at Quilting Adventures at Willow Lawn.

Yes. It is a fabric store and yes, that could be dangerous. They carry the greats, like Moda, Alexander Henry, Amy Butler, some gorgeous Kaffe Fasset, Kokka, However, they are in the process of phasing out their garment fabric so I should be okay. Unless, of course I get hooked on making quilts (see below).

As part of my training I am required to take a beginner quilt class in order to be familiar with the process. I will be making a Four Patch quilt. So, expect to see trial color and pattern fabric combinations here when the time comes.

So Chic, So Attainable

Yes, Project Runway and I have had issues over the years and I now only experience the series through recaps on Tom & Lorenzo. But sometimes, they have picked actually talented designers to highlight on their show. One such contestant was Laura Bennett from Season 3 way back when the show was on Bravo.

Flipping through the pages of her new book, Handmade Chic: Fashionable Projects That Look High-End, Not Homespun, I was amazed at what she was able to accomplish. This book allows you to make extremely lush and high end-looking accessories with a crafty mind on a thrifty budget. Using real or synthetic leather to craft luxe looking accessories and bags with metal hardware to recycling thrift store real mink shawls and coats (or you could buy synthetic fur instead) to make gorgeous fur items, including a to-die-for mink pullover that evokes images of the 1960s. Come on, just picture it with a headband, cigarette pants, and black ballet flats.

Believe it or not, every one of these is a project in the book!

The instructions are simple, so simple, but the results are amazing, right? If you are crafty, stylish, and lust over high-end accessories but have a much lower budget to play with, this is your book.

Images: Rodale Books

A Vow of No Sewing

Yes.

This is not an excuse but a conscious decision - I have a paper due on Monday and a final exam on May 7. Most decidedly, there will be no sewing until next week and then only minimal amounts. I will dole out the sewing minutes like a miser.

However, I have reserved the right to pop into the blog if something noteworthy comes up...

Mapping the Crazy C-curve

Okay, I made my first attempt at mapping my c-curve with my new flexible ruler. At the end of my first attempt I was looking at a amoeba-like oval shape. In fact, once I placed it on paper I couldn't remember which side was front or back. Now, if you've seen pictures of me, you would have noticed that there is a definite difference between the front and back of my body, one is fairly flat while the other is...not. This this ruler seems to me to be a bit TOO flexible for my needs. Perhaps I shouldn't have bought the cheapest I could find? However, the company is known for their drafting tools.

Of course, I will try again.

The first pair of pants I will be making are ones I've made years ago, Vogue 9745 from their 1980-90 Vogue Elements collection (I love these patterns!). They look very similar to the pants in this photo, Vogue 8751, but with a shorter waistband. This is how I want them to fit.

What I hope to do is transfer my soon-to-be-found personal c-curve to the pants and make them up with a one-inch seam allowance. I will construct them from the inside out so I can pin and adjust the fit of the sides after I adjust that c-curve section. Well, that's the plan. So, let's see what I get done this weekend.

Image: The McCall Pattern Company

No Time For A Real Post...

Here are some random thoughts:

• I bought a 24 inch flexible curve ruler at Office Depot just for making pants!
  


• Does anyone know where to get scalloped shears instead of pinking shears? They are supposed to be the best at thwarting unraveling fabric seams.
  


• Too many projects, can't focus. Are you feeling the same way?
  


• Just how many sew-alongs are actually going on right now? Mad Men Dress Challenge, OWOP, Handmade Wardrobe, Sew Colette, etc.
  


• Have you checked out the block/sloper drafting series over at Madalynne? So excited to try them out.
  


• Wouldn't it be fabulous if everyone felt this way? (Say goodbye, trolls!)
  


• Who else is scared about Blogger's upcoming new look?!