Is It Spring Yet??

Tropical breezes, heat and a drink
with an umbrella are needed for this
fabric.

That’s what went through my mind when I found this fabric in the remnant bin a few days ago.  

Actually what happened is that I squealed and the guy in the store told me I was a naughty girl out shopping for fabric when most people were in watching what was happening in Japan.  Great, nice guilt trip dude!

But seriously, I scored almost 4 yards of this polished cotton, Robert Kaufman fabric.  I love the combination of turquoise and brown – really one of my favorites. 

Now I need a special dress pattern for this.  I am thinking 50’s but may have to go a little smaller on the skirt since I do only have almost 4 yards.

I do love remnant bins.  They can be overwhelming but the treasures.  With this purchase, I also picked up a teeny bit more than a yard of purple velvet and about 4 yards of a lavender cotton that I need for a lining material.  All this for $6.  This place charges by the pound.  Yes, gotta love those remnant bins.

Oooo Shiny …..Pretty

There I was perusing a local thrift shop which rarely has anything vintage in nature. It really is a thrift shop with used modern clothes.  But there in the back of the handbag section sat this pretty little bag.

I had to have it!  I love the opalescence of the color.  I figure this is from the mid-1960’s though I could be wrong.  Don’t care, it was shiny and pretty and it is now mine!

Looking Down on a Mountain of Fabric

Work has been too consuming this week.  I have not been getting out in time to sew.  So, all I have is a zipper 1/2 basted into the skirt.

Why oh why does work get in the way of the things I want to do?  Oh yeah, that’s just life.

In other news, some pictures of  only some of the fabric I purchased.  I had a lot of trouble with picture taking, especially with blues and greens.  I am leaving out the blues because not one picture showed the correct color.  I had a furry over-seer of all the fabric

The velvet is a stretch and a green and way nicer than this picture looks.  I think I ended up with 6 yards of this.  Though I will not be using it until probably next June.  I have a plan.

These plaids will make nice skirts.  I love the blue and yellow stripe in the one.

This is black and gold and shimmery but it looks like yick in this photo.  It really is much nicer.

Just a Taste

Here is the fabric for the skirt:

Actually, this picture does not do it justice but camera problems forced me to go with this one!

Also, here is another fabric that I am going to start cutting into this week.  It will be for the bodice of a gown for one of the upcoming balls.  It is an embroidered white silk dupioni.

This time of the year is known as ball season so a girl needs some options.  Unfortunately, this was just a remnant of maybe 3 yards.  I purchased this a long time ago for a ridiculously low price.  Now I need to get some plain white silk dupioni this weekend for the skirt.

If only work did not get in the way of sewing.

Inspiration?

I may not have any desire to sew but I am at least looking for inspiration.

Take a look at this website and see if you are not inspired!  I know I am.  If you enlarge the picture you will see that even thogh the magazine is French, there are English tranlations on the page!  Major score

2 skirt patterns are winding their way to my house sometime next week.  They are for some of the wools I bought in my fall buying spree.  Here is one of them:

Is it not yummy!  Is it enough to get me out of this slump?

Saturday Purchases

So what if it was 100 degrees outside, I was shopping for fall/winter fabrics.

Well mostly.   The navy gauze I also purchased does not really fall into that category.  The navy color does remind me of fall but maybe that is just because of all those years in that dreadful uniform.  No picture because in the pictures the navy looked like a medium blue.  Why is it so very hard to photograph blues?

These are yummy fall fabrics perfect for a Chanel type jacket.  What shall I do with these?  They are nice for skirts.  Hmmm the possiblities

Maybe tomorrow a picture of my favorite from Saturday.

Class

I am taking my first ever sewing class and it starts tomorrow night!  I am more than a little nervous about this since I have not taken a class since I finished my post graduate degree a very long long time ago and vowed never to take any more classes again.  A vow I have maintained up till now.  So starting tomorrow and for 3 hours every session, I will be in a classroom setting.  Ugh.

Something I failed to notice when I signed up for the class is that a tailoring project would be assigned.  Hmmmm, I wonder if I can make it a vintage tailoring project?  Just a thought because I don’t think a modern pattern would hold my interest for very long!

Kelli:  Thanks, I will have to tell you I was shocked with the ease (no pun intended) the sleeves went in.  You will get there too! Because if I can, you can!! 

Brain:  You are so sweet…thanks as I hang my head in embarrassment and dig the toe of my shoe in the ground.

Because I didn’t get a chance to share pictures last night before sleep overtook me: let me present the sleeves on the dress:

Pictures of the Butterick Dress

I was finally update the pictures of the Butterick Dress but in case no one wants to go backwards to find them......here they are:

2 up close pictures of the bodice with the dreaded facings

Eye Candy

Since I didn’t have time to either sew or post last night – really need to get the dumb taxes finished before the 15th! – I thought I would share some eye candy. This is the skirt of last year’s Halloween costume.

No you don’t get to the see the whole thing….yet. May need to use it for future eyecandy posts!!

As you can see, these photos pre-date the acquisition of the dressforms