The work continues

The shirt is going great. It actually fits! Going with a 10 instead of a 12 was definitely the way to go. I have to hand sew the collar to the shirt, insert the sleeves, hem the bottom and make buttonholes, but otherwise, I have a good idea that it will look good and fit well.

Here are inspiration pics from around the blogs of other talented sewer versions of Simplicity 4077, here, here, here, and a another view from the pattern here and here. If this really works out, I might have my first TNT shirt pattern. What a relief that would be.

Now I'm going to Jo-Ann's and Hancock Fabrics to look at possible buttons to finish this up. I think I can afford some buttons.

Note: Sorry, I can't seem to get any decent pictures taken.

Guess what I'm doing again...

I actually did some sewing these last two weeks. Of course, again, not as much as I planned.

I have three pairs of pants (new ones from a year or so ago!) that haven't been worn because they needed to be hemmed. Hopefully, I will get this done soon. Pants and skirts I already have; tops and sweaters I need, so I had never made these alterations a priority since I didn't have enough stuff to wear on top.

So the two things I already started working on were tops. One was this shirt, which I had to totally re-fit and try something different with. I still need to redo the neck facing and hem the bottom at a different length. I really wish I had made a muslin before I started on this one. However, I am planning on making a muslin for the dress version because I would love to make a few of that type of sheath dress.

View D

The other top is this pattern, Simplicity 4077. I took a chance, measured the flat pattern, checked the pattern's listed wearing ease, and then cut out a smaller size than I normally would have. Hopefully I won't have the fitting nightmare I had with the other shirt above. Once I have pictures, I'll be sure to show you.

What does this say about the USA?

Seen in the November issue of Men's Vogue (read because Daniel Craig was on the cover!)

Designer Michael Bierut's was commissioned by the magazine to create a new USA pin. His goal was to create a new "politically neutral" pin to show national pride but without the controversy of flag pins. However, I feel this is probably even more controversial. What do you think?



What do you see when you look at that?

Now?

Is that national pride or just glorification of avarice and a lack of self-awareness? Or at the least, a very different message that we sent the other countries of the world with the election of our next President?

In the article, they mentioned that his first idea was to attach pin backs to U.S. minted pennies, so perhaps the message was intentional?

If you wish to purchase the pin, you better hurry! Only five thousand of Bierut's pins were put on sale for $10 each. The proceeds benefit an admirable organization called Puppies Behind Bars, that trains inmates to raise puppies to become service dogs for the disabled (including Iraq War veterans) and explosive detection canines for law enforcement.

Photo: Richard Pierce

Mad Men: Rachel and her closet

Rachel Menken

Rachel is a woman working in a man's world on a completely different level than Joan or Peggy. She's at the top and determined to stay there, well, at least until she "falls in love." But in the mean time, in no way does that mean she sacrifices the fact that she is an extremely attractive woman. Her brains and beauty come as a package deal. That was clear to me the moment I saw her in her purple Chanel suit and double-strand of pearls. No sex-less gray suit and glasses for her.

The Mai Tai dress with matching stole, lipstick, and nail polish. I wonder if Menken's has an in-store beauty parlor? At this point she was under the impression that Don was single.


It's a far cry from the outfit Rachel chose to wear when she greeted Don for a tour of her empire, a few episodes earlier. I was pretty disappointed with this outfit because it caused her to blend in with the surroundings. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was shot through with metallic (maybe Lurex?) gold threads. It caught the light every now and then and looked expensive.

How about that extremely bold color and that hat? What else could scream "I am a woman" louder than that ensemble? Fortunately, it also happens to be what she is wearing when she bumps into Don, now that she knows he is married. Therefore, you can say it also works as a "Look, lust, but don't touch" outfit.

The "Chanel" woman in you can be found on vintage pattern sites with search terms like JackieO and wiggledress.

Vogue 5766, Advance 9516, Vogue 5102, Vogue 4206, and
Vogue 5548 (just the last look)

This necklace is a wrap

Every time I see a wrapped-bead necklace, I'm intrigued. I first saw one a few years ago, then again on Banana Republic's website, then there was a free pattern from Amy Butler (see below), and now tutorials to make them can be found all over the web.

Here are four tutorials I found that approximate the look:

A. A video tutorial shown on Martha Stewart.com using small wooden balls.

B. Amy Butler offers a free "Fabric Necklace" pattern in a .pdf here.

C: This method eliminates the tying action and uses beads on the outside of the fabric too.

D. Two versions, here and here, use several different fabric prints and Styrofoam or wooden balls to construct separate beads that look somewhat similar to a necklace seen in fashion magazines last year.

Photos: The Museum Shop for the Art Institute of Chicago, Marc Jacob for Louis Vuitton.