October links roundup

01Nov09

Sew Mama Sew has just wrapped up a month of scrap-busting projects contributed by readers. There are scores and scores of clever and cute projects included.

New free pattern from BurdaStyle: the A-plus A line skirt

Three tutorials: photographing your projects from CRAFT, using prong Western snaps from Sew Mama Sew, and how to make root beer with dry ice. We did the latter in college chem class once, and ‘poured’ the leftover dry ice underneath the door of the hapless humanities class borrowing a classroom down the hall. Kinda freaked them out until they heard us cackling in the hallway.

I’m taking a break from craft blogging for November, since I’m taking part in NaNoWriMo. See you in December (probably with a load of projects I sewed while procrastinating from writing!).


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Craft history blogs

22Oct09

FYI, Erin @ A Dress A Day has named next Thursday, October 28, as this year’s International Wear a Dress Day. It’s getting cooler here, but I just bought some new tights, so I should be ready to go.

If you’re a history geek like me, you may be interested in two blogs I’ve learned about recently. I think that looking at the history of something ‘everyday’ like cooking or sewing can tell you more about the past than any number of military battles or official documents.

The first is Unsung Sewing Patterns, and the author discusses vintage sewing patterns – but not the designer or glamorous ones you usually find at vintage sale – practical patterns like aprons and work shirts and pinafores. Her analysis of the patterns is engrossing.

And the second is Four Pounds Flour, which talks about historic recipes and tries them out. Earlier this year I was at a living history museum in South Carolina and picked up a reproduction copy of The American Frugal Housewife (subtitle: Dedicated to Those Who are Not Ashamed of Economy) by Lydia Child, originally published in 1829. It’s kind of a combination of cookbook, advice book on housewifery, and a collection of tips and advice. Some of it is very applicable today, and some of it will just make you say “what?”, but it’s very interesting to read. I hope to try some of its advice and recipes out and share them on the blog.


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Weekend linkdump

27Sep09

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Unpopular Opinions

27Sep09

I enjoy watching how trends move across the sewing web-iverse. A few weeks ago everyone fawned over the new Three Graces knit top pattern from Hot Patterns and rushed off to buy it posthaste. Now people are starting to sew it and post reviews, and several with non-model bodies have remarked on problems. In my opinion it doesn’t look flattering on anyone who isn’t tall and very slender; there’s just too much bulk and drapeyness all over the place, even in a lightweight knit. I tend to feel the same about that cardi-wrap/cozy thing that so many are sewing right now. (And while I’m confessing unpopular opinions, I will admit that I think slinky knit is yucky, and I don’t like the look of classic Chanel jackets.)

I’m participating in the autumn collection sew-along at Stitcher’s Guild (is it Stitcher’s or Stitchers’?). It originated from a wardrobe plan that Elizabeth (ejvc) developed as a simplified, seasonal and modular response to the original SWAP plan. The idea is that you sew a capsule of 6 items each season, and if you stick with the same basic colors, by the end of a year you will have a complete coordinated wardrobe. It’s lighter on bottoms and heavier on tops and layering items than the original SWAP. The autumn portion calls for:
Skirt or trousers (neutral)
3 blouses/tops (1 to match, 2 to complement)
1 Layering top/cardigan (to match skirt/trousers)
Jacket (co-ordinating neutral)

I plan to sew mine in a color scheme of grays, ivory and rose pink, sticking with knits for everything except the skirt. I’ve cut out my first few pieces and purchased a cream sweater knit cardigan that I think that I will use for the layering top slot.

I went to Artistry in Fashion, a local designer sale event, on Saturday. This year they had a new event, a trunk show from pattern designers Decades of Style, Loes Hinse and La Fred. It was lovely to see the patterns made up and on people, as well as hear the designers’ comments on each pattern. The presence of the pattern folks and their associated items made the event a lot more relevant to sewers; most of the rest of the items were finished garments and accessories, and mostly in the wearable-art vein, which is not really my style. I admit I did do some damage with the fabric and patterns as well as a few buttons from the button lady. I *really* need to get back on the stash control bandwagon – some personal stress has manifested itself in buying fabric and clothes recently, unfortunately.


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More Fall trends

21Sep09

So since I posted the Chico’s list of fall trends I figure I should balance it out with something a little more youth-focused. Here’s what Anthropologie has listed under fall essentials:

Statement jacket

Stovepipes

A touch of sparkle

Pencil skirt

A dress, any dress

Textured bag

Tailored shirt

Transitional sweater

Rugged boots

Slouchy pants

I’m on board for all of them save the stovepipes and slouchy pants. I think I’ll leave the voluminous pants to the super-skinny trend worshippers, thanks.


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Fall trends

18Sep09

I’m by no means a slavish follower of trends, but I do like to be generally aware of what’s happening in clothing design – not so much in designer collections, but more in RTW and on the street. Shades of purple seem to be the hot color in the stores for fall, which is totally OK with me – although I can’t wear the burgundy that is also everywhere. There’s still a lot of 60s retro influence happening, a la Mad Men. Seeing all the lovely day dresses make me both happy and sad: happy because for years it was impossible to find a dress unless it was for a dressy event, and sad, because I know the waist will be too high on me and look ridiculous (and the top be too big or the bottom too tight). So far I’ve concentrated my sewing on separates and knit dresses, since that’s what I wear most of the time, but I want to start working on fitting some woven dresses, as it’s unlikely I can find RTW equivalents that fit.

Here’s the ‘Love It’ list featured in a recent mailing from Chico’s, and my thoughts on them:

The Red and the Black

I never wear red, but I do try to get the same look with fuschia and black, or teal and black. It’s a classic fall look, but it can look too harsh on some people.

Pretty Tweeds

By tweeds they seem to actually mean boucle – or maybe boucle tweed – the stuff that has a lot of loft and texture, a la Chanel-type suits. I dig the less lofty classic Harris-esque tweed more; I think that boucle jackets are still a bit aging to anyone under 40. (Side note, U-Handblog mentioned that Harris Tweed has a web shop. I’m not a big wool person, but even I am tempted by gorgeous wool hand-woven in the Scottish Hebrides for only 25 euros a meter.)

Spectacular Sparkle

The New Vest

The ‘new vest’ looks a lot like the old vest, as far as I can tell. I’m always a fan of waistcoat-style vests.

The Ultimate Fit Pant

This appears to be a medium-rise fly front flat-front pant, with fairly slim straight legs. Nothing earth-shattering, and it’s impossible to see how it’ll look on most of us from the size 2 models.

Long Over Lean

Nancy Ericson’s been talking up this silhouette on Stitchers’ Guild. I generally like it; it lets those of us with less svelte silhouettes wear slim pants successfully, but with the weather here I need to be able to take off some of my layers if necessary. I think you have to keep everything restrained; if the top is too voluminous, it’s very 80s in a bad way.

Bold Golds & Statement Silvers

Knockout Knits

Apparently Chico’s is coming out with a new knit called “tricotette”. Anything’s better than slinky, I say.

A Glamorous Turtleneck

Aviator Blues

A Chic Scarf

Animal Anything!

Not really my thing, but I appreciate the gals that can rock this look. I tried on a zebra-print cardigan recently and thought I just looked silly.


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Linktastic weekend

13Sep09

The daily style blog Fashion for Nerds recently featured a guest post from Already Pretty. I immediately subscribed to her feed and read many of her past posts. Sally’s a funny, insightful writer, and her aesthetic is similar to mine (few prints, fitted simple silhouettes, not a lot of fussiness). Check her out if you’re looking for some more wardrobe inspiration. The other wardrobe & style blogs I subscribe to: Fab Finds Under $50, What I Wore Today, Academichic, Wardrobe 911, YouLookFab, A Dress a Day, and Urban Weeds.


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The Garden Review

07Sep09

Apparently last weekend was National Canning Weekend. Here it was too hot to even think about cooking, let alone canning. A few weeks ago I did put up tomatoes and chili sauce along with a bit of strawberry-rhubarb jam. My tomatoes have not done that well this year; the weather has been too variable for them. We’ve had many night temps cold enough to retard setting fruit, but then we’ve had occasional really hot days that have made it hard to keep up with the watering. As it turns out I haven’t minded much, since I set out 4 plants – one yellow slicer and one red slicer in the ground, a red plum in a hanging tomato grower, and one yellow cherry in a container – which, even with two of them growing smaller fruit, is plenty of tomatoes for one and a half people (my hubby is not a huge fan of tomatoes; he’ll eat them in recipes but doesn’t like them in salads or on sandwiches). Next year I think I’ll just plant one yellow slicer (yellow tomatoes are my favorite eating tomatoes and the heirloom yellow ones in the stores are ridiculously pricey), one plum for canning and cooking, and maybe one grape something. The hanging tomato dealie was a miserable failure, at least where I had it hung – it was too exposed to the sun and weather, and it was impossible for me to keep it sufficiently watered. If I try using it again I would use soil mixed with a lot more moisture-retaining granules than I used this year.

My cucumbers haven’t done that well this year, although I think some of that is my fault; I let some of the fruits grow too big before picking them. Most of the problem was that I usually eat cucumbers in a greek salad with peppers, and my bell peppers were a near-complete failure this year. I can only assume the kind I planted really didn’t like growing in a container, or maybe it was the weather, since they prefer heat too. I’m tempted to go back to growing zucchini next year instead, since I’ve never had problems with them.

I don’t know if I’ll try to do anything this fall – I might try again to grow lettuce and spinach once it cools down, but usually the snails get to most of mine quickly. It looks like our apple tree will have another good harvest this year. Last year I didn’t can any applesauce or apple butter at all, and my apple-ish reserves are almost gone.


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Linktastic

22Aug09

The preview of the fall women’s issue of Ottobre Design is up on their website (click on the far right magazine cover). Some I like; some I don’t. The coats, undergarments and sportswear look useful.

The fall ‘09 color report from Pantone.

Two free downloadable patterns from Hot Patterns and fabric.com: Sumatra Bag and Shining Star Vest.

Some tutorials:


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Fall inspirations from Boden, part 4

21Aug09

For the last installment – pintucks, ruffles, origami folding and all that jazz:

Pintuck Tunic – pintucked panel in a knit

Merino Ruffle Henley – tuxedo pleats on a sweater

Merino Ruffle Tunic – more tuxedo pleats, in a contrasting fabric this time

Classic Velvet Blazer – interesting ruched trim along the collar, hem and cuffs

Ruffle Cardigan – pleat detail along a cardigan neckline

Satin Trim Top – pintucks on the collar and ribbon on the front

Frilly Flower Top – gathered ruffle plus some fabric flowers


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