Biased About Bias

Just popping in on a quick break from my coat to preview the Ms Style Book that I just received in the mail last Thursday.

I haven't gone through it all yet, but as usual there is a lot of inspiration/eye candy. This one in particular caught my eye. On its face it looks like a plain jane sheath, good for throwing on at the last minute with some nice heels and a handbag and heading out to work on those "I don't have anything to wear and I'm late" days. But look at the draft! Very interesting! Straight grain for the left panel, bias for the middle panel, and cross grain for the right panel. I can see some really cool effects with a subtly (or not-so-subtly) textured woven. Of course, a plaid or stripe or symmetrical print would really pop.

Back to the coat muslin...

Processed: BWOF 11-2007-132A - Plaid Skirt

I'm just going to go ahead and call this one a done deal! It needs a good final press and I still have the hem to do, but its a wrap! Since its cut on the bias, I need to let it hang for a few days (or weeks) before I hem it. The instructions call for a satin-stitched hem/lettuce edge. I've worked up a few samples, but I'm not quite happy with them. I think I need to add some sort of wash-or iron-away stabilizer at the edge to hold the stitch. I also want to use a rayon or poly embroidery thread for added effect (read, "make a trip to JoAnn's" — at least thread is on sale through 6/21).

Down & dirty: This is BWOF 11-07-132A; a bias cut, A-line skirt with a wide contoured yoke (on the straight grain) and darts both front and back. I added extra room for my hips and abdomen and cut 1-inch just-in-case seam allowances. Burda and I both made it up in plaid, but it has enough shape & interest to be very nice in a plain fabric or a print. There is plenty of opportunity for topstitching, fabric piecing/chevron effects, or other embellishments.

Despite the time it took me to cut out and put this together, construction was quite easy. It is a skirt after all. The pattern is drafted so that the yoke is 7 pieces — 3 in front and 2 for each side of the back. I didn't want to mess with matching plaids across the yoke and I usually don't wear my blouses/tops tucked in, so I lined up and traced all the bits together to make 1 piece for the front and 1 for each of the back sides. As it turned out, I did need the fitting lines the original pieced yoke offered because I had to take in the darts in the front & extend them through my now 1-piece yoke. I also had to release the darts in the back, but couldn't carry that up through the yoke because I didn't have a seam allowance at that point. I was able to utilize the back center seam to tweak the fit of the waist and high hip.

On the lining, I skipped making the darts and sewed in soft pleats instead. I also fused my interfacing to the yoke lining pieces, rather than the fashion fabric, because I didn't want any bubbling.

Kudos to me: I think this is the best invisible zipper I've ever sewn! Invisible zips are easy with my handy-dandy #35 invisible zipper foot for my Bernina, but I always have trouble getting the first few stitches of the seam just below the bottom of the zip to lay right. This time it was easy-peasy. New/couture technique: I thread traced all of the seam lines. I did it to practice the technique on a garment without too many seams, but primarily to help with matching the plaid as the side & back seams. I don't think this is a techniques I'll use very often as it was labor-intensive, but it will be used if I ever get to the point of making a finely tailored garment. Despite finally figuring out during the making that this is not quite an "even" plaid and my waist-hip-abdomen fitting-on-the-fly, the plaid matching came out okay, IMO.Changes for next time? A tilted waist and/or sway back alteration? Move the back zipper to the side? Something for the high hip fluff? Something for the high, wide to low, less-wide booty? Does FFRP have a (Mercedes) "V-boot" alteration??? LOL!

Do You Swim?

I do. I love the water (oceans, rivers, pools, Jacuzzi, bathtubs, but not lakes - yech!). I'm a lazy athlete, so I thought I would pump up my pool time this summer by actually doing some swim workouts. I tried to remember some of the ones my coach made me do as a 'tween/'teen, but I guess my memory is getting more faulty the further away I get from those years. Thank goodness for the internet! Check out swimplan.com for free, customized swimming workouts. All you have to do is register, enter some of your swim stats, your pool length, and click on a few options and it will spit out a swimming program designed to match your needs. I have used a couple of them on and off for the past month as part of my cross-training effort, and I have to say that I feel that I am having a lot more fun with my lap swimming. No boring laps for me anymore! I only have two types of strokes in my repertoire that I use with any regularity. But Swimplan allows you to select strokes, equipment (bands, fins, boards, paddles), pace (slow, beginner, intermediate, master, etc.), and duration of your program. All of the plans include a warm up, build up, core, and warm down component. Depending on the options you choose, your personalized program will also include various intensity levels from easy to aerobic to endurance to sprint. Again, I'm a lazy athlete so none of my programs to date have included a "sprint." LOL! Check it out and build your own personalized swim workout. NAYY -- its just fun!

Just Coa[s]ting Along

I learned my lesson from the teal basketweave wool blend that I bought sight unseen and feel unfelt and ordered some swatches. So now the coat has gone from teal to tangerine. I purchased the gorgeous wool/cashmere blend coating in Bright Orange from Ann at Gorgeous Fabrics. And the creamy yellow diamond silk jacquard for the lining from Denver Fabrics.

I'm calling it a "burnt orange" since this is Longhorn country out here — University of Texas (Austin) Longhorns that is. I'm not an alum, but plenty of family and friends are. Burnt orange and white were my high school colors and the Longhorn was our mascot, so I think I have sufficient connection to co-opt the theme for my coat. Besides, when you wear this color in Texas, everyone assumes that affiliation anyway.

I also ordered some backup periwinkle wool/nylon flannel coating and an ivory silk jacquard from the same places, in case I really flub on the coat.

As for materials & supplies ...

• pattern (and back up patterns) - check!


• fashion fabric (and backup fabric) - check!


• lining fabric (2 options) - check!


• heavyweight muslin - check!


• underlining - still pondering (truthfully, waiting to see what others come up with)


• beeswax - check!


• hand sewing needles (betweens) - check!


• assorted hams & pressing tools (from stash) - check!


• matching thread - check!


• silk thread - check!


• gravity feed iron - check! (oh...wait...that wasn't on Marji's list)

This weekend, I'll be tracing off the pattern and figuring out any necessary tweaks to the flat pattern. I might also get the muslin cut out and sewn up, but I'm not sure yet. It is graduation and wedding season around here and I have 4 commitments this weekend alone!

Talk about Maxi!

photo credit: Vlisco

Wow! Now that's what I call maxi! Maxi sundresses are all the rage for this summer. I've been looking for a pattern that would work on a plus size and hope to use one of the African prints that is in my stash from my last trip "home". I'm still waiting for my June BWOF to show up in my mailbox, but from the preview on the website, I think this one or this one may be good starting points.

I'm In Love All Over Again!

Didn't get much chance to sew this weekend as it was my Dad's birthday. But in anticipation of possibly having to sew nice, consistent buttonholes on my coat for The Great Coat Sew-Along I dusted off SistahB's cousin and got in about an hour's worth of sewing on my plaid skirt. It was a real pleasure to sit down in front of this powerhouse and run a few seams after I reacquainted myself with all her bells & whistles.

My 1630 has been in storage for about 18 months now and I had thought about selling her because I don't really take advantage of her full potential. But how could I give up a machine that boasts over 200 stitch possibilities, including 12 sideways motion stitches, and 8 buttonhole styles?!?! Not to talk about how smoothly she operates and her beautiful stitches (though SistahB has her beat on the straight stitch, hands down).

Oh well! I guess I'll have to give up something else to pay for the new gutters for the house (maybe the gym membership??? I certainly don't use that often enough either!).

Secret Weapon for Summer Skin & a Recipe

If you've never heard: "d*mn, guuurrrrlll, you sure is ashy!" stop reading now & return to your regularly scheduled sewing/crafting project! LOL! Now that summer is here and we're all baring a bit more flesh, here's my secret for smashing summer skin (and its great for combating winter chap, too):
Sweet almond oil is odorless and not sticky or oily at all! No need to go all fancy with it, just pick it up on the oil/shortening aisle of your favorite well-stocked grocery store (e.g., Whole Foods, Central Market, Sprouts, etc.).

I use it in a number of ways, but mostly I just mix a few drops with my favorite body cream du jour and rub it in to my skin after a shower. You can use it stratight on your skin, but I like to incorporate the scent of my body cream, so I mix them. I also have been known to take a handful of sea salt, douse it with a splash of almond oil and rub the paste into my skin, paying particular attention to rough heels, knees, and elbows before jumping into the shower — voila! homemade salt scrub. The paste is also good for a quick mani/pedi if you don't have time to make an appointment with your favorite nail care professional. Remove old polish. Grab a handful of sea salt/epsom salts and a dash of almond oil. Rub it into your hands or feet, especially the cuticle area. Rinse with some mild hand soap, pat dry and rub in your favorite hand lotion (or more almond oil). You can swipe on a coat or two of clear polish if you like (but, swab the lotion/oil off of your nails with some polish remover first). Instant revitalization for tired looking hands and feet! Its also great for massages and can be used as a light hair oil. Of course, you can cook with it, too! It can take high heat and is great for sauteeing veggies.

One of my favorite bath salt recipes includes almond oil:

Homemade Bath Salts
Ingredients

• 1 cup Epsom salts
• 1/2 cup sea salt, optional (you can do all epsom or sea salt or a mix)
• 3-5 drops essential oil(s) of your choice (e.g., lavendar, bergamont, rose, jasmine, lemon, etc.)
• 1-2 T almond oil (you can use mineral oil, olive oil, etc., as long as it won't go rancid)
• dried herbs/flowers of your choice, optional (e.g., rosemary, lavendar, dried lemon/orange peel)

Instructions

• In a glass or metal bowl (don't use plastic or wood, they absorb odors), toss the salts, essential oil, and almond oil until well mixed. Using your hands to mix is the best method.
• Add additional essential oil and almond oil to suit your taste. The salts should be slightly shiny and on the translucent side when well mixed.
• Toss in dried herbs/flowers for a pleasing look.
• Dispense mixed salts into glass storage containers with tight-fitting, airtight lids.
• Run some bath water and Enjoy!

I store my bath salts in old wide-mouth mason jars I found while thrifting a few years ago. They have glass tops held on with a wire spring mechanism. Very cool! I recycle the scoops from powder detergent or drink mixes to use with my bath salts. I also have a scoop that is a sea shell from a potpourri gift I got years and years ago! LOL! Again, the bath salts can be used as above with some extra almond oil or coconut oil (expensive!) to make a body scrub or do a quickie mani/pedi touch up.

If you are not allergic to nuts, you should try out sweet almond oil sometime.

Yves Saint Laurent, 1936-2008: The Close of A Stylish Era

"Yves didn't like the word fashion that much, he liked style. ... What will be missing in the world of fashion is a total respect of the human being, of the woman."

— Lulu de la Falaise, Saint Laurent's studio assistant and a close friend for more than 30 years (source).

Studio Movie Grill: Great Concept, Poor Execution

Nice Concept
So my girlfriends and I went to a local Studio Movie Grill to watch SITC, have dinner and imbibe some adult bevs. SITC was excellent, the plot was ON POINT!!!, The fashion was ... FABULICIOUS (well, except Samantha's wardrobe! WTF???). Problem was Studio Movie Grill (SMG). SMG supposedly resolves the age old dilemma of "dinner before movie?" or "dinner after movie?" by allowing you to have dinner with the movie! They have a full dinner menu (American grill, anyway) and a full service bar. For SITC, they even put on "signature" drinks such as Carrie's Cosmo, Miranda's Strawberry Mojito, etc. Nice concept.

Horrific Execution
We got to SMG about 45 minutes before showtime (7:35 pm) and found that the movie was already seating (before the 7:00 pm show!). No problem. We got two great tables adjacent to each other. Other groups weren't so lucky. If you didn't get a table, your group was relegated to sitting in a row, shoulder-to-shoulder at a table height bar-like thing. Not so conducive to a "group" event, IMHO. Apparently, SMG had actually added 1 or 2 extra chairs to each row to increase the theatre's capacity (isn't that a fire code violation?). Those folks really were shoulder-to-shoulder!

While we were waiting, we ordered our adult bevs, popcorn, and a couple of other appetizers to start and began to peruse the menu. The waiter so kindly offered to bring us water "just in case." Thank goodness, because 30 minutes later all we had was water! The popcorn (drenched in un-ordered butter) showed up 15 minutes later (after the previews had started). At this point, the movie had started so we decided to go ahead and order food for fear of starvation.

hroughout the movie, the waiter for our area kept standing up in front of us while helping other customers. When we asked him to squat or kneel down, he replied snottily, "I'm just trying to do my job!" Of course, this was after we just witnessed him squat down to serve the ladies a few tables down from us! You got to figure on some noise/distraction at a place that serves dinner during the movie, but come on! I'm absolutely sure that those waiters are trained to squat, kneel, crawl, whisper, use mental telepathy, anything to minimize the disruption!!!

We finally got our food about one hour into the movie. And two of our group never got their signature drinks! Again, thank goodness for the "just in case" water! I didn't wait around to speak to the manager, but the head waiter for our theatre comp'd our appetizers and the dinners of those whose drinks never arrived. Even so, I'm planning a strongly worded letter to the management of that SMG location and to SMG corporate headquarters!

Blanket? Or Coat?

I took an informal poll of LilBro, DBF, and myself:

• blanket - 3


• coat - 0

Congratulations! It's a blanket! I bought this fabric from fabric.com for Vogue V2935, a short jacket by Sandra Betzina, that I intend to make during The Great Coat Sew-Along based on the online description that it was a wool blend coating and the pictured fabric "swatch" (see my earlier post here). Fabric.com described it as a "heavyweight coating" with a "wonderful texture" that would give your "coats and jackets extra appeal." Further, and this is where I really should have paid extra attention, "it's also appropriate for throws, pillows, and blankets!"

To fabric.com's credit, it is a wonderfully luscious fabric. Lively color, great drape & very soft and warm -- I'm actually contemplating straightening & binding or fringing the edges to make a couple of throws, rather than returning the yardage. It is just not what I imagined from looking at the online swatch. The texture of the basketweave is a bit ... umm ... more pronounced than I bargained for. I really don't want to use my backup options from stash, so it is back to the fabric drawing board. This time, I've ordered swatches!

Thread Tracing, My Way

BWOF 11-2007-132A has been on my table for the past few weeks. Because it is a plaid cut on the bias, I decided to cut it out in a single layer and attempt to actually match up the plaid at the seams, unlike Burda. I also decided that thread tracing the seamlines would be the best way to accomplish that feat, while allowing me try a new or couture technique.

Some folks thread trace with hand basting; others actually make a gazillion tailor's tacks! I went with the former, somewhat sloppy, hand-stitched basting approach. I also got a bit lazy on the yoke pieces and just traced the corners. I'm not sure how well this will work out in the sewing, but anything I do to the yoke will be much better than Burda did, IMHO.

After thread tracing by hand, I realized that I

actually have a tailor tacking foot for SistahB! I will have to try out her machine-made tailor tacks sometime soon. They look pretty cool. I hope they are as handy as they look! And as soon as I find some the elusive Bernina "magic needles," I will be able to machine baste, too. Woo hoo! Right now I just use the longest stitch length to baste up my muslins.

Woohoo! I got tickets!

Igbo Girls' Night is on tonight! A group of my Igbo girlfriends try to get together about 3 or 4 times a year to hang out. We all originate from different states in Igboland, and ordinarily we wouldn't have had a chance to meet and known each other except for fate. All of our parents immigrated to the U.S. from Nigeria during the early '70s and at some point ended up in the north Texas area. Well, as you can imagine, there weren't too many Igbos in Texas at that time, so the few families that were here clung to, helped, and socialized with each other. We girls "grew up" together as "cousins," though we don't share a drop of common blood! As life would have it, we all went our separate ways -- to college, to travel, to married life -- but eventually we all ended up back here in the Dallas area. So now we get together and have fun, talk about living a neo-African life in America, and boys (of course).

So tonight, for Igbo Girls' Night, I got us tickets to see Sex in the City at Studio Movie Grill. Studio Movie Grill is a great place for dinner & a movie -- they have a full-service dinner menu and serve adult beverages. I tried to get these tickets a few weeks ago, but all the showings were sold out. Fortunately, the Dallas location scheduled a couple of extra showings for opening night, so we are in!!! This is especially exciting because 2 years ago when one of us got married we threw a Sex in the City bridal shower for her. We stayed up all night drinking Cosmos, giggling at her haul of sexy wedding night lingerie, and watching the first 5 seasons of the show.

I found my cahones ...

And have signed up to join Marji et al on The Great Coat Sew-Along and make either this* ...




or this* ...





or this* ...

with this* ...
I'm leaning toward the Sandra Betzina because I think it won't need too much alteration and it is a style I'll get a lot of wear out of. I also like the second Vogue precisely because its such an impractical coat (in terms of fending off the cold around neck & shoulders). I don't really need a heavy wool coat down here in Texas. Every time I reach into the coat closet for the vacuum, I'm reminded of the cherry red felted wool jacket and the winter white cashmere blend car coat that I bought in London last Spring which I only managed to wear twice each this past Winter. But, I love coats and I just can't pass up the valuable learning experience Marji is so generously offering at TGCSA. So "hold on to your cahones," 'cause I'm in!

*all photos courtesy of named pattern companies & fabric.com

Notion Emotion

***ETA: I took another look at my new Professional Sewing Gauge while I was sewing this weekend and see that it actually is not scaled for Metric. Rather, it is scaled for 1/32nds and 1/64ths inch (English system). The conversion chart on the back is also English system to decimal equivalents. Sorry for the confusion; however, it still is the best English system sewing gauge I've used! end ETA***

Cidell over at Miss Celie's Pants complained about her (useless) sewing gauge, which, of course, got me thinking about my (useless) sewing gauge! Mine is long gone -- I tossed the last one after I melted the little moveable gauge do-hickey with the iron. Instead, I've been using this Dritz measuring gauge thingy which is double-sided and marked to allow you to make 14 different length measurments. The measurements range from 1/4 inch to 2 inches with about 10 or 12 of the standard English system measurements in between.

Then, a few weeks ago I came across this professional gauge at Sew Exciting Fashion Sewing Supply. I think I'm in LUV! It is so accurate! It is calibrated in 1/64th inch and millimeters and has a English-Metric conversion chart on the back. It is entirely stainless steel -- no chance of melting or bending out of shape with use. Most importantly, the sliding gauge thingy really holds it setting without moving. Between the extremely accurate 1/64th inch markings and the amazingly steady sliding gauge thingy, you can be certain your hems, topstitching, collar points, etc. will match up precisely when sewing with this seam gauge!

$50 Pattern Binge (not incl. shipping & sundry other items)

I have a few Neue Mode patterns in stash, but have only tried one years ago in a semi-tailored jacket class I took (the jacket was a disaster on the inside, but I tried a lot of new techniques & I wore it to work with pride that season). I recently heard through the online grapevine that Neue Mode was going out of business, so I rushed on over to mynotions.com to see if there were any patterns I absolutely needed. Of course, I ran across the $1 pattern page and was in hog heaven!


I mostly picked up basics, but also got quite a handful that I thought had interesting details, reminded me of current trends, or just caught my eye!

Here's the breakdown of a few choice ones:

The shirtdress ....



and a good platform for working up the Safari look (view B1), both of which are tres chic right now.

I call these "Basics with a Twist." I think that dress (or some variation thereof) out of a nice wool or suiting-weight blend would be a great way to mix up the Fall/Winter wardrobe a bit. I don't know if the trousers would be right for my figure, but interesting look at the waist, I thought. And the skirt seems pretty versatile.

A few had interesting design/style lines:

I like the variation on the princess seams -- you get the long, slenderizing line, but a bit of interest at the waist/upper hip.

The overblouse/waistcoat got me on this one! Plus, lucky for me plenty of seams for achieving the perfect fit.

I also picked up a few men's patterns in anticipation of the day when DBF gets tired of being my measuring, pinning, fitting assistant and personal cheerleader and figures out that he could get something tangible out of my hobby, too!

The World Is Watching ...

I just got this in an email from an old friend in Scotland. This is apparently a float at a recent parade in Germany. Whatever your affiliation, make sure you vote come November!

Processed: She wants more ...

Well I finished the nightgown in time to give it to my Mom for Mother's Day today. I made Simplicity 4048 and my Mom just loved it! I knew she would like it because this type of gown is her favorite -- as my DBF says "the more lace the better." In her younger days while in nursing school, my Mom would keep any extra money (after paying school fees) that her Dad sent to her and head to Marks & Spencer to buy a nice cotton gown, an embroidered handkerchief, or yet another pair of knit cotton eyelet panties. Nowadays, anyone who travels to England must bring back something for her from Marks & Spencer (though I was there last year and found that the quality has really gone downhill, IMHO). I wish you could have seen the expression on her face when she opened the gift, but she didn't want to be posted on my blog. It was a priceless, precious moment, though.

I made a combo of view B & C, but left off the 7inch ruffle at the bottom since my Mom is only 5'4" and this gown "as is" was long on me at 5'9". The fabric is a lovely 100% cotton batiste with white-on-white embroidery of flowers & vines that I found at Hobby Lobby. I guess I wasn't paying attention when the lady cut it (or when I pre-washed it), because as I was pressing it prior to cutting out the gown I found that the fabric was joined (off-grain) right in the middle of my yardage! Not to worry, the front & back pieces fit nicely on one end of the goods, while the yoke pieces fit on the other end (after I straightened the grain). I also ended up with a good 1.25 yards left over (so maybe the cutting lady did notice the join & gave me extra to accommodate for it).

The gown was easy to put together, except for the fiddly construction bits here and there. Attaching the yoke was the most difficult part as it required quite a bit of precise sewing to look right. I had to clip the inside corners of the yoke to within a hair of their little lives in order to get a sharp corner when I turned it right side out. In fact, I had to go in and clip some more to get rid of the ugly puckers. Topstitching everything down also helped -- its a nightgown after all, so I didn't feel too bad about the remaining puckers.

"good" corner (l); "bad" corner (r)

One of my sewing goals is to use/learn a new-to-me or couture technique in each project I complete. I really stretched this time and used a number of techniques. I interfaced the yoke with silk organza -- everything else I tried just seemed too stiff to be comfortable in a nightgown. I kept every last scrap of that organza after cutting out the yoke -- that stuff is expensive.

I was even able to use a tiny scrap to stabilize the areas where I joined the lace to itself at the shoulder and hem.

I used French seams on this gown. I even French seamed the shoulders, though I realized much later that the shoulder seams would be totally encased by the yoke facing. Oh well, it was good practice.

I made my own bias binding for the armhole facings from the fashion fabric. The pattern suggests purchased bias binding. I bought some, but it was uhhggg. After making my own binding, I promptly attached it incorrectly, but decided to forgo the "ribbit" stitch and "make it work." Thankfully, the lace mostly covers it and provides a pretty distraction from the sewing snafus.

I went out on my own with the embellishment. I started with just lace around the yoke per view A, but it was just blah and a bit overkill at the same time. Then I tried lace just on the outer edge of the yoke, but that look lacked pizzaz. So, I added a strip of jacquardy-satiny looking ribbon and topstitched the neck edge of the yoke. Then I repeated the lace/ribbon trim combo at the hem. For the hem, I attached the ribbon to the lace before sewing it to the hem that I had already double-folded, pressed & machine basted down.
After pressing the gown one last time, I didn't like how the cotton lace curled up and knew that it would curl even worse after a few wearings & launderings. So I eventually went back to bartack the corners of the yoke and do some additional topstitching on the armholes.

All in all, a great Mother's Day gift which was well-received. Even my Dad was impressed! I guess I have to review this one on PatternReview now (hi SewShy!). LOL!

Ssshhhh....don't tell Mom!

Plans for a Mother's day giftie. Fingers crossed it will be done by Sunday brunch after church.

What gives? Life's UFOs...

Well, I didn't get much done on the sewing front this past week. I spent most of the week dealing with the ethics committee and end-of-life decision questions at the hospital at which I work. Its not the patients, but their families, that really have divergent views that we (the hospital administration & attorneys) are called upon to help referee. Surprisingly, our patients are quite prepared for this stage in life on paper, but tend to fail to adequately communicate their wants to their family members and friends.

*** BEGIN PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT***

Okay, let me put on my hospital lawyer hat for a moment and remind you all out there in blogland how important it is to plan for health care decisions before a crisis occurs! You don't have to be suffering from a terminal condition to make your wishes known and document them in writing. In fact, it is better if you make those decisions long before, God willing, they are ever needed. And once you make those decisions, please, please, please have candid discussions (plural) with your family and friends about it -- make sure they understand YOUR wishes despite their own thoughts/biases about what is best for you. If you don't have an advance directive/living will, check out Caring Connections for your state-specific advance planning documents, or speak to your personal lawyer of choice.

***END PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT***

So back to sewing ... I did manage to retrieve my dress form from my parents' garage. Its a size 10; I am not. I hope with a lot of padding, some muslin, and a fitting shell, that I can get "Iyagogo" to resemble my shape and be a boon to my attempts at fitting myself. My name, "Nneka," means "Mother is great/superior" in Igbo; "Iya" means "Mother" in Yoruba (one of the other main Nigerian languages); and a girl who takes after, is named after, or reincarnates (if you believe in reincarnation) her grandmother is often called Iyagogo. I haven't decided yet what method to use to pad Iyagogo out, but I'm contemplating either: (1) a duct or paper tape double a la Threads that I can put over the dress form with some kind of stuffing between the form and my double; or (2) creating a tight princess seamed shell based on my measurements and pad that out like Kay Y and Agnes on PatternReview.com did. Oh, I see that I commented on Agnes' review back in '06, so I better get cracking on this one!

I also found this ECI dress at a Dillard's clearance sale a few weeks ago for $15, marked down from $125!

I LUV the fabric. Its 100% rayon jersey cutout embroidery. It is buttah-soft & very drapey. The neck is done in beautiful silk organza and its lined in nylon. It is *supposed* to be a dress, but it is waaaay too short for decency's sake IMHO, so I'll wear it with jeans. But, as I said, I'm in love with the fabric, so I think I need to find something similar for my stash. Have any of you seen it out there in fabric land? Preferably online?

Well, that's it for now. The classic white shirt is still on my list, but I think I need some instant gratification projects this week.

A Few Good Things

I've been slavin' over my classic white shirt for a while (and am a bit fed up with it), and have found a few things I like to have around that make tracing, altering, and redrafting a bit easier. Some are old friends and some are new finds.

The Curve and Square Ruler (CSR) to mark seam lines. It is marked in both English and Metric system and has a French curve, a square, a straight edge, buttonhole guides, and handy slots along the straight and curved edges to mark 1-inch (like the "just in case" seams on my classic white shirt), 5/8-inch, & 1/4-inch seam allowances. The curved edge is perfect for tracing and marking seam lines along armhole, hip, and neckline curves. The CSR even gives you the points on the ruler that match those curves, for example, the hip curve is from 0 to 9 inches. I also have a random collection of Fairgate curves and rulers, but this one is the most handy.

A Calibrated Flexible Curve to measure and mark curved seams, such as crotch curves and princess lines. I ordered mine through a “big box” office supply store and its 24 inches long. There are longer flexible curves available that would probably be even more useful for longer design lines. I guess I'll probably use it to measure the darned armhole on that classic white shirt if I ever get that far.

Swedish Tracing Paper (STP) and Bienfang No. 106 for tracing off patterns. I like the fact that, if I sew desire, I can actually baste the STP pattern together and try it on for fit. Ballpoint pens, lead pencils, colored pencils, and crayons make clean lines on STP with no bleed through. And it cuts like a dream with regular paper scissors. STP can be pricey, so if I know I will be making a lot of alterations to the original pattern , I will use Bienfang No.106 white tracing paper and reserve the STP for the final draft. An added bonus is that scraps of both STP and Bienfang paper can be used as a great tear-away/cut-away stabilizer for delicate seams and embroidery projects. I got my last 5 rolls of STP from Debbie Cook's coop, but you can get it from a number of places online, including directly from Birch Street Clothing . Bienfang No. 106 is available from Mister Art and also comes in canary. I hear canary is easier on the eyes, just what I'll need after going cross-eyed with the classic white shirt alterations.


A Utensil Caddy for pattern weights, smaller rulers (there's my CSR), colored pens & pencils, rotary cutters & scissors, and other marking tools. The caddy is handy because I can carry it around with me to wherever I'm working. I got this one at Walmart at the end of last summer. And I just bought another one because it matched my other one. You can find it in the "summer/outdoor living" section. I also saw them at Joann's and I'm sure the Container Store, Linens 'N Things, Crate & Barrel, and the like will have other versions. I don't have a plan for my new one yet, but I'm sure it will come in handy!

Finally, I just picked up this Gridded Template Plastic in the quilting notions at Joann's the other day when the notions were 50% off. I've been using it essentially as an extra-wide ruler for pattern alterations (primarily on the classic white shirt). I slash my pattern and slip the gridded plastic under it. It allows me to line up my pattern evenly along the total length of the slash. Then I slip in the extra tissue to fill in the open, slashed area and tape everything down. My cutting mat has a 1 inch grid printed on it, but gridded template plastic let me fine tune my alterations down to 1/4 inch.