Miami Architecture

My host outside the Versace mansion.

I wish I had more pictures. But of course, the one the day I saw the most beautiful things, the camera was on the other side of Miami Beach, up nine floors, in the condo. My host was gracious enough to bring me back the next day to catch some of the images.

Enjoy.

Miami coming soon

Photos from Miami!
Like this one of the Versace mansion.

A stitch in time...

I have decided to do some sewing.

Most of the sewing I have done in the last few years has been for housewares. Pillows, bookcase curtains to cover the clutter, slipcovers for my computer monitor, keyboard, and headboard. In addition, I also made, if you can call it sewing, bulletin board covers.

 




Now I am getting an itch to make more clothes.

When I was in college, I made the half of the wardrobe that I did not get at thrift/vintage stores or swaps with friends.


These were pretty elaborate things, a wool cocoon-like coat (see below), a slinky red gown with orange lining, a sweetheart neckline tea-length dress made of baby blue brocade fabric. I had a rockabilly red polka-dot dress, a Parisian themed outfit, a revamped black leather jacket that I cropped and elasticized at the back, and quite a few wasp-waited 50'’s dresses (these I bought).

Let us just say I had a very schizophrenic wardrobe back then. Any era or style that caught my fancy was represented. But then again, I had my mother make me Issey Miyake outfits from Vogue patterns when I was in Junior High school! Can you believe that? I actually wore that whole ensemble below in 8th grade!
 

I still wear the cocoon coat for special occasions. I made it in a silky chocolate brown wool and never put the shoulder pads in so it looks more like a 1930's cocoon wrap coat than anything.

So I just joined the SewRetro blog community, a group of retro-minded sewing enthusiasts like me. This months project is to make a back-to-school/fall wardrobe staple. One of the members listed these new Simplicity Retro patterns.



I might try my hand at one of these, along with the dress I'm finishing from the Target Ipanema fabric.

I was way too late

Guess what? I missed out on getting another Ipanema tablecloth from Target. Why oh why did I keep putting it off?

I checked the clearance shelves at two stores and NONE of that line was to be found, not even a table napkin. The tablecloth was never even offered through the website. So that's that.

So I have a little under three yards of this 60 inch fabric. The dress I had decided on calls for 1 5/8 yards of 60 inch fabric, so it is still a go. In addition, I want to make a matching purse and another Heather Bailey headband to go with it. The headband could come from the scraps easily and the clutch purse would only take half a yard.


However, it most definitely will not be finished by the end of the month for the SewRetro group. I just finished my last test today and now I have to study for my final written and oral exams in Spanish on Friday. (Don't you just love the accelerated schedule of a 5-week long semester course?) Later on that day I will be on my way to sunny Miami for a much needed vacation until Monday. So I will have to catch up with the group on the August project.

What do you think I should do?

I picked this tablecloth up two months ago at Target because I loved the pattern from their almost-gone Ipanema line. But now that I have it at home, I'm not sure what to do with it. I thought about:

1. using it for my first reupholstering experiment on the loveseat...sooo needs something
2. making napkins from it by adding trim and other fabrics like these at Anthropologie
3. making a dress from the fabric, maybe something like McCall's 4502
4. or buying more fabric and making Butterick 4790? But how much more, since the dress wants 4 yards just for the contrast part?
5. or just using it as a table cloth for the small dining table.

I'm still not sure. Any ideas?

What I do know is that today I'm running out to buy another one, just in case I do figure it out.

Here are some more views of the print and the Ipanema line. If you want some though you better hurry!