Sew Perfect for Every Body!

I am very determine to open my online store with enough item so that I do not open it and sell the one item and them close it all in the same day.   Silly thought, pretty good nightmare.   I am still deciding what I will put in my store.  Most will be handmade by me and some items will be  up cycled.  One of the items that I have been working on that will be in my online store are  Satin Sleep Caps…. I have made some along with a travel bag to store them in .  I really like the way they look and I am sure I should bring enough money to finally get my computer.   Well that is the short term goal at this point.   I started making these when my hairdresser asked If I could make some so that when a client is finished late in the day she would have them in stock to sell.    That sent me to my sewing machine. I took apart an sleep cap that I purchase at the store and decided to use it as a pattern for the...

I made this dress some week ago but I never gave the story. I have nothing new to show so here is the story behind this dress. I searched for 2 hours in my fabric closet because I as determine that I would not have a room that looked like the police has just searched it and left it for me to clean up . At the very bottom of the closet was this fabric that I knew that I had but forgotten. I decided this would be perfect for a graduation party that was semi-formal. It has been hot all that week and I wanted the dress to be comfortable. Butterick 3516 I love this pattern but this was my first time making it. I also changed my mind about making this dress because I knew the fitting this would be a challenge. I did not change my mind this time and fitting it was a challenge. The bodice was interfaced with a fusiable medium weight interfacing. Which was much to heavy for the lightweight cotton fabric. But it worked perfectly for the bust area. I got it to fit just right. The stiffness tu...

Recently our family has been dealing with the sudden death of my husband cousin. He did not go to the hospital for regular check ups. He did not like going to the doctor office for any reason. He did when he went into a diabetic coma and his body just shut down. So no one is sure how long he blood sugar was over 500 but finally it was just to much for his body and he died. My husband who has been diagnose as a diabetic promised that he is going to do everything he is suppose to do to keep everything under control. But I know after a couple weeks that would pass and he would continue down the same path as usual. He was not able to get a whole life insurance policy because his blood sugar was high and unstable. Today was the day he stop caring and went back to his bad habits. This more his meter read 230. That was first thing in the morning, not having breakfast. He takes his meds with Orange Juice and 3 hours later is suprise when the meter read 200. He took a nap and said he...

Unnecessarily Cool by T. B. This is the name of my niece’s line of clothing she wants to design. She is working on the logo and we will be getting together in the next week or so to choose fabrics and colors. She is still trying to figure out who her models are going to be. I talked her down to 5 models with each model having 2 outfits. I thought her fashion show could be at my house. My living room is rectangular in shape and there would be enough room for the family to watch the fashion show. Our family total about 20 people. Afterward we could have some light food afterward. I would create a scrapbook of the whole event and that would be it. I called my sister to see what she thought my ideas and to set up a schedule for us to get together regularly to accomplish this. Before I could tell her my ideas for the fashion show she told me hers. She was going to rent a center near her home. Create flyers so T could pass them out to her school mates and friends so they could...

My niece, T has decided that she is a fashion designer. Her mother wants to encourage her so she asked me to make some of her designs. The first couple of her fashion designs were much too old for her. She is 11 years old she thinks she is 21 so there is the problem. I told her that she need to designs clothes for her age group. Look at the way her friends dress and they clothing her mother allow her to wear and then design fashions in this manner. She should think of where they would wear the clothing; School, Kenny wood, the mall, movies or just hanging our with her friends. She said she would try. Friday she showed me a notebook with some fashion designs in it and they were perfect for her. She did a great job so we will make these designs for her to wear. Saturday I received a text from her mother saying she wanted to do a fashion show of T’s designs. She is currently working on more fashions and a name for us to launch her line of clothing. She has 10 friends who wi...

I am often asked when did I start sewing. I felt like I have been sewing forever so I really did not have an answer for them. Most times I would just say I was 14 years old. Turns out I was right. Sister Gladys O Christian was a close friend of my mother's. She was at least 20 to 25 years older than my mother so we treated her like a grandmother. She probably was the one who got my mother to teach me to sew. She visited us just about everyday. I remember making a yellow pant suit. When I finished I proudly show it to her and she inspected each and every seam and then she had me model it for her. It fit great and I really loved that suit. She told me that I did a very good job. The next day she came to the house with a book I was not at home at the time but she left it for me. Inside she wrote To Lavon From Sister Gladys O Christian November 21, 1976. I had completely forgot that until I found this book again. I remember going to her apartment in the senior building and ...

Here is the before picture. You can see how big the armhole is and although it may not be clear the dress just hangs on me. I started my reconstruction of the dress by removing the side seams stitching and based on my measurement resewed the seams with a 1 ½ inch seam allowance on both sides. Checked the fit again and it felt so much better. I could not find the right color ribbon in my notions to give the dress the empire waist look so I just decided to put that on hold. One day I may add that ribbon. Here is the after picture courtesy of hubby who did not want to take the picture! Just looking at the pictures you really cannot see a difference in the way it fits but it does feel better and the little designers like it. A friend at work saw this outfit and asked if I had made the blouse. This picture was also taken by an unwilling hubby. I said that I did and she ask if she could borrow the pattern so her stepmother could make one for her. I told her I would bring it to her on Monday....

I started not to write this blog because I have no picture to show. Well I have a picture but I cannot find my Cord to connect to the computer. So I wore my completed pants and shirt to work today. It was very comfortable and one person said she really liked my shirt or blouse. That made me feel good. I will have to make the pants longer next time. The lenght I have in this pair is a little shorter that I would like it. Tonight I have gathered all the summer knit fabric. I will have lots of dresses and weekend wear by saturday. Have a good night. Pictures tomorrow if I can find that cord.

My blog has no true message. No true subject. I have come to accept that it will be just as confusing as my mind is. I appreciate when someone reads it. I love it when someone comments on it. When I received my socks I was happy. When I read the note she included with the socks I did feel warm and fuzzy. That someone I did not know trusted me with what she and her family was currently dealing with that will be life altering regardless of the outcome. She immediately went into my prayers. Her not did not give her blog so I will just have to watch and search for it. I was sitting here tonight with 3 things on my mind. First I check the calendar for I cannot count how many times. My last cycle was extremely weird. I had the D & C the polyp was successfully removed with no complications and I came back to the office within 2 weeks and I was told by my doctor all was well and that my cycle should start within 15 days. That was December 31. It was also the day some idiot going to fast hi...

I have lots of idea for fabric print in my head and I actually attempted to put the designs on the computer so that I could print them on fabric. So looked wonderful on paper and not so great on the computer. So I decided to paint those designs so I could have a better image on the computer. I did not do that just yet. So I search and search for a design that I had worked on at least 3 years before I knew Spoonflower existed. I found the picture and scanned it into the computer and came up with the above design. I used Paint.net to get it to look like this and submitted it for a sample from Spoonflower.com. The background is black and the picture is small and repeats in a half brick pattern. I love it and its going to be fun changing the picture to get so many more prints. Before the end of April I will be getting some yards of this and you will love what I make. I am taking my samples to work to show to W. She always looking for way to use the picture and designs that she makes...

Some people are just short. My husband is tall,inseam 34 inches. My brother in law is short, inseam 23 inches. When men dress pants are not hemmed the inseam is anywhere between the measurement of 34 to 36 you just measure, cut and sew if the man is tall. If the man is short you must measure cut and taper and then sew. If you do not taper the width of the leg of the pants then the pants when worn look like full leg pants. Great for women, not so much for men and it makes them look shorter. Men's dress pants have a taper to them so when making adjustments for short men you must remember to taper the pantlegs. If you forget and complete the pants without tapering them then you will be removing the hand sewn hem, then taper the pants to the correct width and resew the hem by hand. This took 2 hours too long. Grief!

This skirt is my polyester double knit. I love the way it looks on me and today I received several complements on it. I call the print firework flowers. This should have been my polyester double knit red plaid skirt. But I have 55 different spools of thread and the only one with the right color red has this much thread on it. Cannot complete the skirt with that and I am too lazy, tired, disgusted to go to the store and buy more. When every I buy thread I buy 3 spool per project because I know will use it all in time. I have brick red but cannot bring myself to use it. In my mind the fire engine red is the best color to use to complete this skirt. So I am going to work my creating a projects to do list and draw some designs. I finally place an order for some swatches of fabric for the designs that I submitted to sunflower. I check the mail every day. I did complete my apron and pot holders that match the kitchen curtains. The maid forgot to wash ALL the dishes. I do not like this pi...

The skirt I was working on yesterday looks good. I am very pleased with what I accomplished. I used the sloper that I created enabled me to create this pencil skirt so that it fits exactly as I want it to fit. The fabric is a double knit polyester that looks good and will keep me warm in the winter. Which is the reason I used this material. I have several pieces of this material that was gifted to me. I took them because the prints are retro but I love them. The color is black white and yellow. I still have some hand sewing to complete on the waistband and the hemline. I should have that done over the weekend and will have pictures on saturday. I am also in the process of making a second pencil skirt in a red and white plaid print. This fabric is also a double knit polyester. When I cut this fabric I almost forgot to add the seam allowances . If I continue on this current sewing trend, by the end of this month I should have all the polyester of yester years sewn and ready to ...

I have completed my drafted pattern of my skirt and it fits wonderfully. I did not have much to change on the completed skirt. I had to add and dart in the back for the waist to fit better but that was about it. The fit is comfortable and its the right length. Why am I amazed that it turned out so well. Usually I take the time to do all the measurements and still have lots of changes to make. With the aid of Fashion-era.com I was able to complete drafting the pattern and creating the skirt in about 1 and 1/2 hours. Now I will sketch some skirt ideas for myself. But tomorrow I will make several Pencil skirts with turtleneck sweaters or shirts. I should have pictures by Sunday afternoon. Good night I actually work up enough energy to sleep tonight.

The falling snow prevented me from going to the fabric sale. Stephanie was not going to drive for an hour in the snow. My guess is that her husband perferred that she did not do so. Acutally if Rose would have just said we could go later, like after the snow stopped that we all would be shopping right now. This is my snow tracks going to get the mail The front of my apartment. It looks pretty good covered in snow. I don't even bother to use these steps when they are covered. No snow plow just yet. Hope they have not run out of salt! I did clean off the drive way. Now its time to nap!

Everyone has a weakness. Mine is well known amongst all my friends. Fabric! Last night after a long day at work I receieved a phone call from a friend who has not talked to me in 6 months. She called to say that Stephanie and Jackie and I were invited to come to her sister's house who is having a fabric sale. Top quality fabrics for a really reasonable price. What was I doing Friday? Do I have to go to work? My addiction to acquiring new fabric is strong and I have called off work for less that what this invitation now put before me. I had already made arrangement to have lunch with my youngest sister Friday afternoon. Now just the thought a getting new fabric I have a hard time remembering my sister. " Just come by my house around 10:30 and we will all ride with Stephanie. My sister lives about an hour away. So will we see you?" First reaction Yes! But I did not say anything at first. " Sound great I would love to do that but I am not sure that I can get to your hou...

You know the phrase if you don't use it you will lose it. I need some sewing exercises. When I was sewing everyday I could make a dress without the aid of a paper pattern. I was able to see a designer dress and then decide that It should be mine and then make the dress for myself. I had stopped doing this not really sure why. So I need to get some exercises done so that I can cure my atorphy. Fashion-Era is a great website and excellent tool. I discovered this website 2 years ago when I was researching fashion styles through the years. Would you believe it has directions for making a sloper? A sloper is the American term for basic pattern block. I have made them in the past so its time for an update. This will be my exercise for February. I need to create sloper for myself and get back to designing my own clothing.

Last night after going to deliver the last of Avon for this campaign and visiting father in law who was on so much pain meds that I doubt he will remember that I was there, I went through my bag of scrap fabric. This bag is a cargo bag I got while driving as a courier. It stands about 4 ft high when filled. As I started going through it all the memories of what was created with the fabric came pouring back into my mind. The V- neck sleeveless shirt that I just completed. I could not for the life of me explain why I did not look here when I needed fabric to correct the error in cutting our the necktie. So many T-shirts. So many skirts, pants and things that just did not work, fit or look right. Gifts for new born children, barbie doll clothes that the little designers had to create with my help. Gifts for friends and family. After about 45 minutes I put them all back in the bag. I am thinking of a quilt, a crazy quilt because none of these fabric go together but it should be ...

Today I was reading H&M magazine, which I was able to get from the H & M Store at the Ross Park Mall. It was free so I grabbed a copy. There is an article title Dress for Success. After reading the article it should be about Power Dressing. It starts out talking about the year 1988, Dallas and Dynasty was on TV, remember the shoulder pads on those suits and gowns? Power Dressing in the 1980 meant slim jackets with broad showers, pencil skirts, tight and high-high heels with pointy toes. One example of a power dresser was Margaret Thatcher. She ruled Britain with an Iron hand; I loved the suits she wore. 2008 Winter RTW from the catwalk Power dressing is very much on display. The article mentions the trendsetter Maison Martin Margiela. I prefer the look of Akris. This is power dressing to me without the football shoulder pads. I think Akris is more in line with Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle which are also mentioned in the article. Of course we must not forget the women of t...