Bubblegum 4 Breakfast

Season's Greetings

2010-12-20T18:45:00.000-08:00

Just back from NYC and below is the only photo I have to show for it; Cartier's lovely gift-wrapped building.

My apologies for such a long absence. It's been a very busy time and I'm looking forward to a week of Christmas calm with the family.

I missed DD's skating recital... but the DVD and photos showed me all I need to know, she has worked so hard and improved so much and I'm very proud of her. The dress she's wearing is a Jalie pattern, I made it a few months ago from fabric bought at Spandex House on my last NYC visit.

Thank you to all for visiting and commenting, and thank you to those who continue to write blogposts, it's always inspiring.

I wish you

A Merry Christmas - A Happy Holiday

A Prosperous and Happy New Year

La Roux-Look What You Do!

2010-11-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is the jacket after
a weekend of Halloween partying...

DD got me to hurry up and finish the jacket- something I DON'T like! The result is never what I want, and this time was no different. The lining and vent seams are not to my normal standards but what can you do? She wanted to wear it Friday before Halloween so I sewed till my fingers bled- literally. Good thing this jacket is cotton and washable!

I never had time to finish the buttonholes before she started wearing it and when she came home and I looked at that collar... That's it! I thought. Why bother. She'd been spraying her hair red to look like La Roux.

But then I started scrubbing, using a nail brush, cold, then hot, water and lots of soap. Nearly all came out, but I see the jacket is still dirty in some places. What, did she roll in a pile a dirt?... Teenagers...

Here are some shots from today after finishing the buttonholes and buttons. My gravity feed iron water tank came crashing down from the ceiling on Friday while I was in a frenzy to the finish line, but isn't that always how it goes. Anyway, that's why the pressing is not happening at the moment.

The original jacket by
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac

La Roux must have made a patch on the lower left front pocket, covering up the green with a black and white scribble paint. I painted a white pocket using Jacquard fabric paint. Because this is a fitted jacket whereas the original is straight cut, I had to use some trickery to get a balanced angular effect. The lower pockets are cut straight parallel to center front and the corners are not at 90 degree angle to one another. I shaped it on the form to get the best effect.

Likewise, the rectangles on the side/back had to undergo a little "optical illusion" as well. I used Steam A Seam to temporary bond in place and then hand stitched.

Below is how I did all the binding, curtesy of Roberta Carr, of course! She doesn't mention Steam A Seam but I'm sure she'd approve of cutting corners once in a while, don't you think?

ClaireOKC asked if I've taken any classes with Roberta Carr:

I wish! Her book is a treasure-trove of helpful information and I can only imagine how wonderful she must have been in person.

Sleeve vent

Working vent

The pattern I used was BurdaStyle 11-2009-119, doubt a review would be very useful. Can't even remember what changes I made... DD is very happy, people wanted to know where she got her jacket, and everyone knew who she was dressed up as. Guess La Roux is a big deal. And now, thanks to a good scrubbing, she can continue to wear it. Just don't let anyone look too closely at the finishes!!!

Mondrian

2010-10-19T14:28:00.000-07:00

What I'm working on...

DD loves La Roux's style so she asked me if I could make her the Mondrian inspired jacket she wears in the music video "Bulletproof". She wants to wear it for Halloween so I could easily have made a simple version but I really like the jacket and Mondrian, the artist, so I'm making a fitted version she can enjoy past the one day holiday :-)

I'm using BurdaStyle 11-2009-119, and it's been pretty painless so far. Roberta Carr has excellent instructions on binding and I'll post on that later. It's all cotton except for the yellow pocket, which is a stretch vinyl.

Hello again

2010-10-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

That was quite a long break. We spent the last 7 weeks in NYC but I still got a few garments made, one of which is a complete wadder. It just goes to show that having a dressform is crucial whenever you delve into untested territory. It doesn't hurt to have a little space around you too, and a large mirror...

I have a Brother Innovis 450 that the hotel stores for me, and so far I'm pretty pleased with its performance, although the buttonholes were not great. But tell me which machine has that feature down cold! Should have looked up Lindsay T's place cause we're staying smack in Midtown and it takes me minutes to get to anywhere.

I have grown to love New York City. It's so immediate; you step outside and, BAM! Life hits you, whether you like it or not :-) Highly recommended if you happen to be a bit of a recluse, like I have become over the years. I especially enjoy West Village, such a wonderful, vibrant community. The one thing I do miss when I'm there is the excellent Mexican food that you get here in Los Angeles. I mean, it's excellent no matter where you buy it; taco truck, strip mall, restaurant... The best food I had in NYC came from the carts. One in particular, just around the corner from the hotel: Kwik Meal. Sooo good- and that green sauce, spicy and flavorful... On the other hand, the more expensive restaurants have, so far, not impressed me. Maybe it's due to the high turnover here in LA and the extreme competition. It could also be that the fusion cuisine that dominates the LA dining scene has jaded my taste buds; I'm craving small firework explosions with every bite.

Okay, that was a lot of non-sewing related info. Nuff. Let's see if I can remember what I made:

BurdaStyle 08-2010-123

I made these in a metallic peach stretch fabric, pretty wild,

will wear with long loose shirt, clogs or sleek heels

Used riri zippers, LOVE THEM- the zippers I mean!

Ok, the pants are pretty cool too... But they run BIG!

I took in inches and inches due to the very stretchy fabric.

And I also eliminated the horizontal leg seam.

BurdaStyle 08-2010-121 (the wadder)

I used gray silk chiffon, both solid and leopard print,

the fabric is lovely, the dress is a tent.

I saved it in hopes of making something else. We're talkin'

yards and yards here...

BurdaStyle 08-2010-126

Yes!!!! This is an awesome vest! I'm turning myself into Annie Hall!

I'll try and post pictures of the finished items soon, in the meantime, here are some construction shots of the vest. The fabric is a beautiful fine wool suiting from Mood.

That's it for now.

Oh almost forgot: I'm still waiting to hear from the Silk Winner: A Sewn Wardrobe. I left you a message, please contact me at bjorum at mac dot com so I can send you the fabric. If I don't hear from you within a week I will do another drawing from the comment pool.

Silk Winner

2010-08-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

A lot of you wanted this piece, a total of 48 comments, although sewsincere and rosemarie refrained from entering, so the random numbers went from 1 to 46:

Which means: A SEWN WARDROBE is the winner, congratulations!!!

Please email me where to ship bjorum at mac dot com

Here are a couple of shots from the house on the beach in Laguna. I could sit on the patio and watch my DD run in and out of the ocean or dig for sand crabs... and the life guard was right beneath... Needless to say it was the most relaxing vacation I ever had since becoming a mom 17 years ago. Dolphins and whales, a giant tree growing into the house, nature is awesome.

Still at the beach...

2010-08-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

... So the drawing will have to wait just a bit longer. I don't have internetservice, typing this on my iPhone. The weather in Laguna is fantastic and I don't want to leave. We're staying right on the beach and I feel like a new person, completely rejuvenated.

Balmain

2010-08-11T20:34:00.000-07:00

Yes I'm finally finishing up the review, and you my dearest will of course have first dibs on the photos :)

DH came home with a brand new camera and boy is it good; Canon EOS 7D... And I got a remote control so now I can take pictures in all kinds of places.

As you can see I had to add a design detail... the sleeves were waaay to long after hanging on the form so long (remember I cut them on bias). I shortened them in two different places and added some fabric DH brought home from Moods.

If I only had a waist like this...

And here I am... This first one is how I like to wear it, open and casual- except I normally wear clogs not sky-high platforms...

The black jeans I wore to the Tonys. And the platforms. Boy was it a long show...

My hair looked way better at the Tonys :)

Notice the remote, and also the black bag- it's a shoe bag,
this was before I actually put them on...

Now I don't feel so guilty :) The pictures is the hard part I and I dread taking them. Next will be the review. I'm posting some more pictures on Flickr, mostly construction photos here's the link

Flickr

Silk Giveaway

2010-08-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

I told you :)

This piece has been in my stash for a year or more; a gorgeous European silk metallic constructed of two layers.

Two layers held together with gold metallic thread

The drape is wonderful yet it is perfect for more structured garments as well. I bought this to make a Chanel style suit, something inspired by Chanel's Spring '09 couture collection.

If you have a Pantone chart, the color is close to Pantone Winter White 11-0507 TPX or Cloud Cream 12-0804 TPX.

And that's why I'm giving it away. It has a warm tone which is a no-no for me. This is a generous 3 yards, 52" wide, plenty to make a stunning outfit cause there's no matching involved. And, you could pair it with silk chiffon as it appears the Chanel suit above has done on the sleeves. I'd even insert silk charmeuse in the front slit on skirt :)
On the other hand, if you're unfamiliar with silk, this fabric is not difficult to work with and could be a great project for a basic suit or jacket, and it won't cost you a dime :), well, almost. I'd still recommend you buy silk thread and silk lining...

The fabric can be used on both sides to create a design effect

If this is a color you can wear or you want to make something for someone special, leave me a comment on this post. I won't be back until August 22 so let's make the drawing Monday August 23.

Silk

2010-08-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

Here I am in the latest silk creation, Burda Tunic 02-2009110 and Burda skirt 03-2010-105.

Side zipper and re-beading to complete design

Both fabrics were bought at B&J Fabrics in NYC. The black is silk chiffon with three types of beads: black round and rectangular, and silver rectangular. The tunic is in a super lush silk charmeuse. I made it a bit looser this time to accommodate movement- yes, I wear this when I choreograph :) it has such wonderful drape. I also lengthened it 1".

I had very little of the beaded fabric( $$$ ) so I couldn't make a complete match on the sides, although the left side (see above) comes pretty close. But since this design isn't too obvious I just created new design lines by re-beading. Also, I never wear ANYTHING tucked in anymore so I don't have to worry about the upper part. The skirt also ended up a lot shorter and sits on the hips. I wanted to take more photos, but my camera fell off the tripod! Yes it broke, well the flash broke, so DH is off to get a new one. Did you know we've been married for nearly 18 years? That's a LIFETIME here in Hollyweird...

I did manage to take photos BEFORE the accident so below you can see some of the work I did.

Daisy asked where I buy my silk fabrics:

The plain white and black I buy mostly from Dharma Trading, and some from the Silk Connection.

Katy mentioned Thai Silks and I buy from them too, they have some lovely prints. Then locally, I have F&S Fabrics five minutes away and Moods is about ten minutes... yes, I know, I have it goood...

I have several pieces in my stash and some I don't think I'll use (wrong colors for me), so watch out :) There will be another giveaway muy pronto! We're taking a little break from the hustle and bustle to spend time on the beach in Laguna, and then we're off to NYC.

And to the last giveaway winners; thank you, I received your mailing addresses and the magnifiers will ship tomorrow.

Giveaway Winners

2010-08-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

There were 40 comments but one was a double post and one was from a previous satisfied winner, Bunny, :) so the random number went from 1 to 38:

FIRST WINNER:

SEWSINCERE

SECOND WINNER:

MELISSA

Congratulations to you both! Let me know where to ship. bjorum at mac dot com

And thank you everyone; I loved reading how magnifiers would aid you in the sewing room -and, like Melissa, how you could use them for other things as well. I use them when my little one gets a splinter or anything else that is tiny, just like the dermatologist wears a similar contraption during an examination. I wish you all could have one right this minute, but at least I'll keep giving them away, so don't despair!

I also started thinking about something else I buy in bulk: SILK! I often buy it by the bolt; charmeuse. crepe, chiffon, organza... black or white. You know I like to dye, so the white is very handy :) But black is my favorite color and I use it constantly.

Any interest in a giveaway? Wish you had some silk for a project you've got lined up?

Magnifiers and silk; two items I cannot live without :)

Giveaway

2010-08-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

It's about time for another Magnifier Giveaway don't you think?

Save those precious eyes!

You have this fabric to thank, it inspired me to share the love :)

Cutting/picking/threading black thread on black fabric is a lot easier when wearing magnifiers

I'm giving away two. Any country and continent, preferably on planet Earth :), just leave a comment on this post and you're in. Random drawing will be this Friday, August 6th.

Dropped shoulder tunic

2010-07-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

Another version of one my favorite tops, this time with dropped shoulders, pleated sleeves and contrast details:

Silk tunic BWOF 02-2009-110

This charmeuse print was bought at B&J Fabrics while in NYC, which is also where I bought the metallic tweed for the jacket. The contrast is cut from a vintage piece I had in my stash; black silk chiffon and silver metallic stripes. I made a modesty panel for the front, I think Catbird was the one who thought to do that on her recent gorgeous version of this tunic. Thank you, such an excellent idea! I also closed the bottom part of the top even more than my earlier versions.

Below are pages taken from one of my favorite books,

Dress Design, Draping and Pattern making,

Marion S. Hillhouse & Evelyn A. Mansfield

FIRST PAGE SECOND PAGE

My altered pattern

I made an earlier top using this same technique, the link below

Build A Blouse

The details on this tunic is not very easy to see in pictures but I really like it in person. Very understated. I'm planning a black and silver skirt (also from B&J).

It's so much fun adding details. Do you have any favorites to share?

RTW Sleeve Lining

2010-07-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

I'm sure there are better photos of this process somewhere on the web. The main trick is in the very beginning: The SA have to be folded in and pinned in place so you know where to line up the hem and lining. Once you pull that sleeve out it can get awfully confusing without it. This example is with a zipped vent but the rest is exactly the same. I also want to say that Kathleen Fasanella's book explains exactly how to draft/construct the lining, so if you don't already own a copy it is so worth the money just for that alone. It's the only way I do linings. (Except for Chanel style jackets.)

PART ONE

PART TWO

PART THREE

I'm glad to be back to blogging and thank you all for the nice comments on the jacket. I was in the process of writing the review when I realized that this sleeve construction is very hard to describe without pictures. Thank goodness for Blogland and Adobe Photoshop! I'll probably be back with a few more, but I've also signed up with Flickr. iWeb changed format so now I can't get direct links to jpg's- what a shame! Mac, I love thee but that was very NOT COOL! Many of my links on PR don't work, but I'll get to them- someday!

Burda 07-2010-118 Peplum Jacket

2010-07-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

This jacket has made many people's "must sew" list, including mine...

I bought this fabric in NYC, it's a metallic tweed. Hard to work with mainly because the pressing is so sensitive. I made a few (well, many) mistakes, but they're all avoidable if you keep your head on straight. The right pressing cloth, very little heat and of course, pressing from wrong side whenever possible is a must, which made this jacket not exactly the ideal choice. That peplum needs to be pressed so I cheated, some... :) I added 1" to the length of the jacket.

As you can see the lining is pretty bright! I dyed silk charmeuse light green. The peplum lining hangs free from side seam to side seam. I cut a facing for the peplum hem because this fabric refuses to be manipulated and shrunk. Also made a hidden pocket in the lining.

I also made a zipper pull out of pearls and crystals;

The jacket is part of an ensemble; the blouse I already reviewed on PR, and the skirt is done. Just have to get pictures of me wearing it all. And the Balmain as well... the review of that jacket is finally written.

Hope the summer is going well for everyone. Here in LA it's been heating up the last couple of days. Not that I notice that much, mostly in air conditioned room, sewing and dancing. I try not to sew when I dance, or dance when I sew...

Balmain update

2010-05-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

An update on the Balmain just to PROVE I am actually working on it!

The collar is beaded and in the process of being hand stitched to the neckline. I have to hand sew it on because the rhinestone chain goes all the way to the seam line and I'm not taking any chances of the machine needle hitting one of those. I'm using a thick Gütermann polyester thread, which also was used for all the beading. Those silver gray pearls next to the rhinestone chain are 3 or 4 mm, can't remember, and were beaded on two-three at a time. Most of what you see came from FireMountainGem.

Below is a picture to show how I attached part of the sleeve to the shoulder before the beadwork. You can also see some of the hair canvas that is used to support the beading.

The bottom of the sleeve: Everything is beaded except the last loop, which will be done after the underarm seam is closed. If you look closely you can see the beaded rope I found in NYC (and cat hair! those cutie pies OWN my grainboard, it's their Pride Rock). I chose to use the rope instead of the larger pearls because it's lightweight; the sleeve is cut on bias so extra weight truly drags it down.

Well that was the update. Thank you so much for the nice comments on the much-delayed pictures of the Dior coat. I'm thankful I actually wrote the review last year, but now I'm fearful of how I'll write a review of the Balmain... Hopefully the pictures I've taken will refresh my memory. Not that it matters much, I mean, who's gonna want to make this, it's been more than a year since the original came out! Yes- one year almost to the day since DH showed me a pic in the LA Times...
I'm such a slowpoke!

Dior Coat- it's been done since forevah!!

2010-05-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

Better late than never. At least that what I've heard... Remember this coat? Maybe not, and I won't blame you. I had to go back and see when I last posted about it. That would be December 29. And it was done way before that. Ha. It's been worn, NYC was a perfect match. Got my boots there too and love love.

Open gets the most wear, but it was good to close it

on those chilly windy days.

Some close-up details: Double collar, single welt pocket, chest flap. And of course, the exquisite workmanship of Warren at A1 Pleating: belt and buttons.

Like the lining? Silk charmeuse in ombre, gray to purple.

Here's the link to the post about the pin tucks, which also shows the original Dior inspiration coat:

Using grainboard for pin tucks

Btw; I can't be the only one having trouble with the new blogger formatting? The photo thing is driving me nuts. And the preview is so bad! Hey Blogger/Google, get together with Mac, they know how to do it, just check out their iWeb :))

Thanks for all the encouragements on how to wear the Balmain; I'm inspired!!! I'm in the process of beading the collar, which means the lining is not far behind :)) Thanks sooo much, it's the push I needed.

My Elna

2010-05-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

Allison asked to know more about the machine bound buttonholes. I just discovered this option myself, and it's a very simple thing; the machine stitches a rectangle automatically, no pivots needed. It's a great feature, and if your machine can stitch sideways, i'st very likely it has this option. The picture below shows my machine, Elna Xquisit II, and the bound buttonhole option.

For those of you who've read my posts for a while, you know how much I love bound :)) Bound buttonholes, bound (welt) pockets... It's just a nice finish IMO, and, although I love my machine, it only has 4 feed dogs, so regular buttonholes don't always come out the way I want them to. I feel more in control when I use bound.

This was the first time I made them on the sleeves- had to pick them for a Chanel-style quilted lining jacket cause I always want to make things more complicated than they deserve to be. And this jacket is totally undeserving. I love the fabric but it's bulky. DD wanted a shawl collar, but it is better suited for straight and collarless. But she's young, NYC is calling in the fall... yada yada. Jeez I feel old!!!

I'm not inspired by anything at the moment. Lots of beautiful fabric in my stash and yet... I'm finishing this jacket, then maybe the Balmain (for those who are visiting for the first time, here's one of the last pictures I posted: Balmain). I've done most of the shoulders and the outline on the sleeves, and it's SO bling I will have to wear a shawl over it or something or I'll be liable for a lawsuit from people suffering permanent retina damage... Some people posted comments about WHERE I could wear it. I honestly don't know. Maybe while gardening to scare off the crows. Only I don't garden. Everything I touch meets a fast and furious death... If you have any suggestions please share :))

And btw, remember last year when I tried to figure out/find the trim (see this post) that looks like a beaded rope? Well, I found it at M&J Trimmings while in NYC... It would have eliminated a TON of work, and the jacket wouldn't have been so heavy. Oh well...

Chanel construction

2010-05-05T17:10:00.000-07:00

A few pictures of the process so far. It's the same as my other Chanel inspired jackets, but a very different fabric. A lot of extra steam pressing on this one due to the bulky wool boucle. I also cut off some of the taffeta strips in the SA.

Same pattern I used for my first Chanel: BWOF 01-2008-127. Well sorta... I kept the muslin from DD's recent Chanel (04-2008-120), and that was a time saver. I simply traced out her size in the shawl collar piece and added it to the muslin; length was added as well. I tested buttonholes and went with my usual bound, using the silk from the lining (crepe) and silk organza for the facing. And I also just discovered that the machine has a bound buttonhole option- DUH!!! THAT IS SOOOO EASY! I even made bound buttonholes on the sleeves, which was a little tricky due to the quilted lining. Think I took some pictures so will post them if I did.

I'm in the process of setting in the sleeves, and it's not hard because there isn't much matching to speak of. And; I used Roberta Carr's method to gather and shape the sleeve cap. That is just an awesome technique, try it! See this post on my coat.

Okay, at least I'm back to posting about sewing :)) Thank you for all congrats!

omg

2010-05-04T12:06:00.001-07:00

We slept late (DH and I like to create at night), and woke up to a ton of faxes, emails and phone messages...

Million Dollar Quartet has received three Tony nominations!

So... you know what this means right? More fabric shopping NYC ;)

------------

PS; the Chanel jacket is for DD, and yes, I DESERVE another one for myself :) I might make it in black.

Metal trim could be an option (if I can find the right one).

The fabric is from Parons in NYC.

Chanel moderne

2010-04-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

... or something like that. This fabric just screams modern to me. Actually, as it hangs on the dress form sans sleeves, the term bullet-proof vest comes to mind...

It's a loose, bulky wool boucle with black taffeta strips stitched on top. My trim choices have gone out the window at this point so back to square one. Which means; more shopping for me :) There can not be anything frilly about this jacket, the trim will be selected after I attach the sleeves and test pockets. The good news is I'm starting to get the hang of the Chanel construction technique, everything is moving along at a brisk pace. Could there be one for moi in the near future?

Giveaway Winners

2010-04-23T13:51:00.001-07:00

The two winners are: Mae and Bunny :) Congratulations!

Please email me where to send the magnifiers - bjorum at mac dot com

Thank you for the warm welcome back. I've started another Chanel project with fabric I bought at Parons. I was meaning to make something for myself but I HAD to have this fabric even though the color is not right for me... so another one for DD. The only way I can justify it is that she's wearing the heck out of the first one... and, that just working with this exquisite fabric and the Chanel technique is a reward in and of itself. The Balmain is being worked on in between, the beading is time consuming so frequent breaks are required :))

Still Standing

2010-04-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

I love NYC, I love Broadway. But I'm glad to be home.

The Balmain isn't done, but I did find SOME time to work on it. I also found time to SHOP... Our hotel was just a few blocks from the garment district, just dreamy. DH made friends with everyone at M & J Trimming, and also with the owner at Mood Fabrics, - we had to ship boxes home... Think it's a good thing we don't reside in NYC...

The weather was all over the place. Freezing (all the cashmere in the world couldn't keep me warm), and then a heatwave (95). DD returned from the Rockefeller Center ice rink stating she should have brought her bathing suit cause it had turned into a pool :))

And now I think it's time for a giveaway:

There were so many entries for the last magnifiers, so this time I'm giving away TWO :) All countries welcome as always.

Just leave me a comment on this post and I will add your name in the random drawing, to be done on Friday, April 23.

I hope to get back to sewing soon. It's been a long two months and DH and I will only get busier in the coming months, but I need it BAD in order to keep my sanity. I still need to unpack, though...

NYC

2010-02-18T15:52:00.000-08:00

I'm leaving bright and early tomorrow and will be in NYC for a while. Staying in Times Square and DH (who's already there) is loving it, being back where he spent some of his younger days :) I'm taking the Balmain and beads with me, hopefully to finish. I already did the lining and facing buttonholes, so think I can manage the rest without a machine. The unfinished jacket will be going in the carry-on, I'm taking no chances :))

I hope to be able to post and catch up with everyone while there, but I can't be sure. And now I have to pack...

Skating For Real

2010-02-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

DD has become crazy about figure skating. She's taking three classes a week and an additional strength/flexibility/balance class. That last one is HARD, it's one-on-one with a professional gymnast, sweat is pouring down DD's face... does that ever make me happy :)) Never has she been this determined, so of course I'm doing what any sewing-able mom would do: make outfits :) It's quite a change from couture, and I'm still figuring out best applications for all the stretchy stuff; as you know knit is not my forte. I have a serger but I've begun to use the sewing machine instead, following Jalie's instructions. It's much more accurate and simpler, not to mention less threading!

This first one is stretch velvet in neon pink and black/gold burnout velvet- and not stretch. The pattern I used is Jalie 2790. It comes with a straight skirt, but since the black wasn't stretch, I made a circular skirt and attached the black to a strip of the pink velvet. Also made the flounce narrower.

Balmain standing guard...

I used a super soft nude bamboo fabric for the back, still need to buy a closure for the neck.

DD just returned from the rink in her white Jalie 2797: A great soft spandex in a modern pattern, nude netting and clear elastic. She's also wearing a long tee in the same nude bamboo, no pattern just a rub-off of a tight fitting tee. I added some rhinestones to the sweetheart neckline.

I've made many more, just haven't had a chance to takes pictures. The long sleeve nude bamboo tee solved a couple of problems:

1. Nothing will itch :)

2. It keeps her warm without compromising style :)

So now this mommy can plow ahead, style, glamour and GLITZ ! As long as it will stre-ee-etch!!

This pair of Magnifiers...

2010-02-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

... will go to:

Daisy!

Please email me at bjorum at mac dot com.

You are all so deserving, thank you for telling me what you could use a pair of magnifiers for. I love reading those mini stories, it's like peeking into everyone's sewing room, and in one case; kitchen :)) I'm using mine for all sorts of things other than sewing:

excellent for removing splinters

checking your child's eye for stray eyelash or the likes

checking for lice- yikes! (so far so good though)

... and how about reading that fine print on all sorts of contracts :))... Not so fine anymore, that's for sure :))

More giveaways soon, maybe even while I'm in NYC. Nancy K, we should definitely try to get together as well. Grace, I'm not sure how much, if any, of April will be spent there, but I'll let you know.

Giveaway & Progress

2010-02-01T12:26:00.000-08:00

It's only fitting that this giveaway will be the amazing MAGNIFIERS from FireMountainGems :))

First of all, several of you posted your wish for this- thank you to all who posted, and keep them coming, post your wishes for giveaway here.

Secondly, my pair- which I'm still wearing as I type- is now my best friend more than ever, guiding my tired eyes through the beading. I have also placed several additional pairs in my basket at FireMountain, so rest assured, you will have plenty of opportunity to win :))

This pair's drawing will be Friday, February 5th, so leave a comment on this post if you'd like to be included. All countries welcome :))

*And Nancy W asked a while back if you can wear your glasses with the magnifier:

Yes, absolutely!

Below are pictures of the progress. First up, the paper pattern is pinned on the shoulder and thread traced.

The shoulders traced. I changed the angle of the sides later, tracing another line, more like the chalk line you see in the picture.

Here's the outline beading, and also the two curved silver beads and some stones. It will be filled entirely with pearls and beads, but not until all the outlining is done.

I hope to get this done in time for New York, but that may well be wishful thinking... If I don't, then I'll bring it with me and sew the rest of the jacket by hand!! I'm running out of the octagon rhinestones I use for the outline, so I have to pick up another batch at Berger Beads today or tomorrow. Wish me luck :))

----

And also, something I had been meaning to answer about my Etro-esque coat: Yes, I think someone could possibly wear it with black, or golden tones, but that someone is not me. It's due to the colors in the coat: Every single one of them is wrong on me, so black draws the attention to that fact in a bad way, and golden tones are another big no-no for my coloring, so that's like putting bad on bad... White is the only way I can pull it off, and believe me, I wish it wasn't so.

Heart Balmain Again!

2010-01-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

A joyous moment was had by me just minutes ago: I tried the jacket on with the sleeves basted in and I LOVE it! If I can get all the beading done and still be as excited as I am now- with all the thread and loose ends etc, I'm going to wear the heck out of this jacket. And I'll wear it grunge style, with a long tee underneath, tight pants and clogs :))

The sleeves are cut on bias, and boy are they flattering. And comfortable. And slender :)) You can see in the picture I'm chalking the beading lines to see the right placement. The sleeves have yet to be machine stitched, which will be done only to the point of the beading. Then I will undo the underarm seam and the rest of the armhole, stabilize the beading area with hair canvas and get to work.

Below is a the lining fabric I ordered from Sawyer Brook, think its kinda cool with the unusual cross pattern, which will tie to the crosses on the front.

And keep posting your wishes for giveaway: I've already learned something new: Anne LO wants a Simflex expanding sewing gauge which looks awesome btw, I want it too :))

And yes, Lindsay T, I will try my best to get together with you when I'm in NYC, how fun!!!

Christina, your Kai's went out today :))

Kai giveaway

2010-01-24T12:47:00.000-08:00

1. Janie said...

2. Dana said...

3. Bunny said...

4. Tamara said...

5. Cindy said...

6. Faye Lewis said...

7. Christina said...

8. Cisa said...

9. Sew4Fun said...

10. Lori said...

11. Digs said...

12. AllisonC said...

13. Brenda said...

14. Maricou said...

15. Jenny said...

16. Anne LO said...

17. Elaray said...

18. sharon said...

19. Lachlan said...

20. gwensews said...

21. The Slapdash Sewist said...

22. Daisy said...

23. okie2thfairy said...

24. Brooke said...

25. mjb said...

26. fittingtips said...

27. nlncmjd said...

28. Rose said...

29. Susan said...

30. Joyce in NC said...

31. Natalie said...

32. Ann's Fashion Studio said...

33. Mama Sewing said...

34. HeathersSphere said...

35. Me! said...

36. Kathi said...

37. jillnjosh said...

And the winner is Christina, Assorted Notions! Congratulations!

I am so happy to hear from so many new readers, and thank you everyone for your encouraging comments on the Balmain jacket.

I am going to NYC in February so I hope to have the jacket finished by then. There won't be any sewing going on during my stay of nearly 2 months, but maybe I'll write a few posts about the experience of MDQ on Broadway. If you happen to walk by the Nederlander Theater and have a camera ready, I'd love to see the outside- I heard the poster is already up :))

And there will be many more giveaways. It's a very selfish thing; I love them. It's wonderful to share with people who understand and appreciate the same things I do :)) I'd love to hear what's on top of your wish list. I'll do another Kai giveaway for sure, but what else would you just love to have?

Rainy Day Giveaway

2010-01-21T15:20:00.000-08:00

What a weather! I actually stepped in a puddle, it's years and years since that happened to me...

As promised, here is another giveaway:

A brand new pair of Kai 7205, 8" Professional Shears.

I've had mine since November 2008 and adore them, so it's my duty to share the love :)) If you would like to be part of the drawing leave me a comment on this post. It looks like I'll have to go out of town next week so I'll do the Random Number Generator Sunday, January 24, that way I hopefully can get them shipped before I leave. There are no rules but it would be nice if you've left me a comment in the past or that you read my blog once in a while ;) International is of course welcome, and I'll pay for shipping.

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And now, on a different subject and yet another promise I made...

Balmain shell on the scale,

1 lbs 14 1/4 oz

It's heavy, and it's just the shell. And it's been hanging on my mannequin for what seems like ages.

It's what happens when you let a project linger: The drive, the inspiration diminishes with every tick-tock... and there's been a whole bunch of tick-tocks. Let's see, I got the inspiration back in May 2009, did my first post on July 3rd, and last post on October 8th. The shell and front beading was done, and my nemesis, the sleeve was discussed.

You, my dear readers, have continued to nudge me, and, believe it or not, I'm grateful for that. So...

The sleeve is done; I'm completing all loose ends of backstay etc, and have decided not to fret about perfection. If I'm going to finish this before MJ becomes someone one has to to look up on Wikipedia, I will have to take the bull by the horn.

The sleeve is full length, cut on bias, and looks pretty good. The shoulders are not as wide as I initially settled on, but still wide enough to give that "cut edge", which is very flattering on someone with next-to-nothing waist, I look like I actually have a nice one!

I will set in the sleeve, but only partly, leaving the underarm seam open to facilitate the beading. Another trip downtown must be had very shortly to complete the jacket. But I'm on it, it will be completed. And I thank you.

Modern Madness Coat

2010-01-17T17:34:00.000-08:00

Or something like that :)) I just returned from Chicago- waaay to cold!!!- and went right back to sewing. The coat only needed the buttons, but I also finished the white shirt I'm wearing.

I like but don't love. It's a bit too big and the colors are not me, but I'll wear it with white. The pattern is good so I'll use it again, with some tweaking, especially the sleeves. I need sleeves to look slender (probably cause I truly dislike my arms). Ottoman fabric is hard to work with, at least this one was, but that won't stop me if the right one comes along ;)

I've been reading what you're all up to, just not commenting cause although I love my iPhone, I don't like typing on it too much. It was a hectic time in Chicago, and it hasn't let up since returning to LA, but I'm squeezing in as much sewing as I can to stay reasonably sane... I also ordered some more goodies, so look for another giveaway soon :))

You won't believe this...

2010-01-07T12:11:00.000-08:00

... But it is the truth nonetheless- if there's ONE thing I want friends (and foes) to know about me, it's that I'm honest. I used the Random Number Generator, each participant was given a number based on the order of comments- I skipped over badmomgoodmom since she opted out.

And the winner is... Cidell! The self professed buckle/belt kit hoarder :)) You won it fair and square, Cidell, so don't come and tell me you shouldn't have. And for all my readers, there will be more of the same in the very near future, obviously there's a need for this kit and if I was a better organizer I'd contact the manufacturer and urge them to become a sponsor on Pattern Review or something.

Bound Buttonholes

2010-01-05T13:46:00.000-08:00

Since I had more construction photos of this coat, I decided- being on a roll and all that :)), another mini tut was in order. Must be tons of great info on this in cyberspace, but here it is for what it's worth;

The Very Incomplete Bound Buttonhole Tutorial

And notice on the side bar of my blog: I have put a picture of the Magnifiers that are glued to my head on a daily basis. Lindsay T used them while constructing a gorgeous, boned, strapless dress- What I Learned, Part 1. I have an extra pair... maybe another giveaway in the future? :)) Seriously, I couldn't sew without them, and I mean it. You may not believe me, but once you've tried these you'll never go back, they are a blessing.

Slashed pockets with welts

2010-01-04T12:31:00.001-08:00

The coat I'm making for DD, BWOF 09-2009-146, has slashed pockets with welts, and I realized I've never done this exact style before so I took some pictures during construction. It's not much different than other welts I've done, but maybe the pictures can be helpful, especially to someone who runs away like Speedy Gonzales from anything that says slash!

My advise to newbies in regards to welts:

*Take your time to prepare.

*Cut everything with exact seam allowance.

*Mark all seam lines and start/stop points.

*Baste pieces together by hand along the exact lines before machine stitching

*Cut to the exact points- no more, no less

-it is helpful to use a magnifier for the last one:))

If you do this, the welts will be successful. It is so worth taking this extra time to prepare. The reward- besides fab pockets- is that you will embrace welts and include them whenever you can. And those 3 - 4 dots BWOF patterns? All yours, baby :))

Happy Slashing!

Belt & Buckle Kit

2010-01-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

They're baaack!

The belt and buckle kit is now being manufactured by a company called Maxant, right here in the US. I bought a stand-alone buckle kit as well which I will use for youngest daughter's coat. International Silks and Woolens carry them in 4 sizes but 2 were out of stock, so they promised to call me when they arrive.

It's not a big thing to give away, but I thought some of you may have a hard time finding it, so:

Leave a message if you would like to be included in the drawing of this belt and buckle kit (The one on the right in the picture.) It has good instructions on the back, and I'll take pictures of the assembly of the buckle- it looks pretty straight forward; adhesive backing with exact cutout and slits to the corners. I'll pay for shipping, and let's make the drawing Thursday January 7th.

Happy New Year!

Chanel

2009-12-28T13:07:00.000-08:00

Coco Chanel before 1914

Her profile as exquisite as the clothes she designed. All images are taken from the book I received for Christmas:

CHANEL, Collections and Creations

by Daniele Bott.

I love this book. The photos are gorgeous and there is so much good information. I'm also a sucker for bold quotations, which this book has in spades. One of my faves below:

Now I never need to make excuses, Coco paved the way. Brilliant!

A photo worth a thousand words

(or yards of fabric):

This is next on my list; a quilted lining in grids, isn't it magnificent!

How would you like to powder

you nose with little beauty?

Buttons. Priceless.

An illustration by Karl Lagerfeld.

Bring this one along for

your next manicure :))

The Camellia:

'There are a hundred ways

to wear a flower.'

I'm fascinated and spellbound. Chanel speaks to my soul. Next year I'm diving head first into all aspects, every detail. I want to be bold, fearless, put on my magnifiers and sew, sew, sew. I will buy fine sharp hand needles and silk thread in bulk.

-----------------

The coatdress was a success- thank you for your comments and maybe your crossed fingers that it would fit :)) DD is 16.... just cut her own hair short... and dyed it jet black... Okay then. A picture could come later. Or not. And I thought it was hard to get myself in front of a camera. I will take a picture of the gray coat very soon. Remember the Dior coat? Never worn it, still has some basting threads in it, but it's done. Even have a review ready. Maybe DH will buy me some gray boots... we like to do our personal shopping after Christmas :))

I hope you all had a peaceful Christmas/holiday.

Must Be Dreaming...

2009-12-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

... About spring :))

This coat dress happened because the fabric I ordered was not as chartreuse as I thought, more like a spring green. Which does not work for me. Chartreuse is a finicky color and I should have known better. Maybe I'll post a picture later with all the fabrics I now have labeled chartreuse, if I take the picture in natural light it will show how different they all are- ranging from spring green to mustard!

I've wanted to make this coat dress for DD ever since it first came out, BWOF 02-2008-117. She has the perfect figure for it; small upper body and waist, swayback and full hips. The fabric, from Fabric Mart, is silk shantung and the lining is silk chiffon and charmeuse; here's a link, they still have some left:

Cache silk at Fabric Mart

No shoulder pads so it can be worn both ways.

This is not a difficult pattern, but because I lined it- and I wanted her to be able to wear it both ways- I had to change a few things. Most importantly: I used casings instead of shirring elastic at the waist. Quite tricky, but the final result is good. Of course, I haven't tried it on her yet, so we shall see, it will go under the tree. I also didn't have fusible batting, so I used regular, which takes a little extra effort- the walking foot came in handy here. A lot of thread was used for this project :))

Speaking of thread... I left loose tails at each end of each topstitching, which then was woven into each seam... yes, that's a lot of work, but it looks much better this way.

The snaps were covered with fabric and carefully stitched on in the same formation; itsy bitsy details but for me worth the extra work.

The label is on the outside.

And about my coat: It's done just need to attach the buttons, and slipstitch the lining side seam closed. I'm not in love with it but it will work over white jeans. Next time I'll cut a 36, this coat is roomier than I thought it would be.

To all my readers:

Have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Holiday!!!

Thank you for visiting, I so appreciate it.

Hugs and love,

Birgitte

What A Display!

2009-12-14T13:49:00.000-08:00

Look closely... This is a window display... for a clothing store! I took this picture in late November on Robertson Boulevard, you know that celebrity/paparazzi crowded couple of blocks in West Hollywood. These are all vintage machines, and the display covers a few more windows. I had to go in and check, but they were not for sale :( On second thought, maybe a good thing?...

Lapel and Buttonholes

2009-12-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

Two firsts for me:

A lapel roll

Triangular bound buttonholes.

And of course both techniques came from Roberta Carr :))

The lapel roll is constructed using cotton cording and hair canvas. I couldn't find the very thick cording so I used many thinner ones instead. Not perfect but it works. I held my powerful gravity iron upright and added plenty of steam and then let it cool off.

The triangular buttonholes were surprisingly easy. I used the same silk charmeuse I'm using for lining and they look pretty good and tie in with the angular design of both the fabric and the coat. And the fabric markers arrived and, although not completely fixing the problem, reduces it a bit.

Below is the facing buttonhole which I just did as a regular rectangle.

Thank you Digs for that fabulous explanation on ottoman fabric. Here's the page Ottoman fabric at TextileGlossery.com

I didn't know this resource existed so a double thank you for that.

And Nancy; so happy the sleeves on your fabulous jacket worked out!

The Other Coat

2009-12-09T10:56:00.000-08:00

You may remember I was quite enthused about the coat in Burda's December issue, and I had just the right fabric waiting in the stash. This is a designer ottoman bought at Moods a few months ago, it came in panels and I bought two and got a partial one thrown in because it had been swatched. The colors are so not me, but the design is, so I decided what the heck... Think I can only wear this with white or I'll look awful :)) Or maybe I'll give it away...

Yes, that's a fire! I have a fireplace in my room :))

I'm using Roberta Carr's instruction on gathering the sleeve cap. She says to create your own notches by measuring down 2" from top of cap and draw a line out to each side. The new notches are always quite a bit up from where the pattern has them, but I've now done this many times and it works. The cap looks much better this way (when you follow the rest of her instructions of course.) The black in the below photo is a lightweight interfacing that I used on the entire coat.

Now; the problem.

I've never worked (or studied close up) ottoman fabric before so I don't know if this is standard, but in my case the back and the fill threads (which gives those lines) are white. The outside threads are very delicate and separate by the stitching, you can see in the below pictures.

The lapel...

The collar stand... This was the first (and only!) topstitching I did. I placed an order at DharmaTrading for fabric markers and hopefully that will solve the problem.

This is a GREAT PATTERN! BWOF 12-2009-126. So sleek, slightly fitted, a side panel so no side seams, perfectly placed pockets. Collar stand. I made a lapel roll and will use that to steam the lapels in place.

It is SO COLD here in Los Angeles!!! I've already put my cashmere coat to good use, and I'll be making a coat for youngest DD as well, in fuchsia lambswool from fabric.com. They have some great deals over there so check it out :))

A Peek at "Baby It's You!"

2009-12-02T09:49:00.000-08:00

Pasadena Playhouse has posted a preview video of "Baby It's You!", which has been extended by the way :)) The audience response has been amazing and the playhouse is seeing a wealth of new patrons, many of which have never been to a theater before. We got some very mixed reviews after opening night, and I can't blame the critics. The show was not ready; we had sound issues, and the performers needed time to settle into this new- and very big- space. Like DH said in one interview, "This show has a lot of moving parts..."

But settled in they have, and we get bopping heads, laughter, a few tears, and standing ovations. I still plan to interview our costume designer, but in the meantime, check out the video to see some of the costumes :))

Baby It's You! preview, Pasadena Playhouse

The Coat (or, what's left of it)

2009-12-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

I made so many mistakes, so in the end, what was supposed to be a regular black coat, is now a jacket/coat with lace inserts, and the nap runs the wrong way...

BWOF 11-2009-114

The fabric is a black cashmere I got on sale at Fabric Mart back in March, the lining is silk charmeuse.

I interfaced the entire coat with lightweight fusible and interfaced the hems with hair canvas. The pattern is very easy and quick (if you actually pay attention to naps and such...) and the coat is roomy enough to wear heavy stuff underneath.

Top- Skirt- Coat

2009-11-30T15:55:00.000-08:00

Well, the coat still needs buttons. The top is another tunic, using BWOF pattern 02-2009-110.

This fabric was gifted to me by none other than Richard, the owner of F & S Fabrics. Think I could possibly be one of his best customers? :)) He is a sweetheart, like everyone at that store. Love them all. It is a silk charmeuse printed in panels and no one could quite figure out how to put it together. The panels had words printed next to them, like "Tie band", "Front", etc. but no directions, or a picture of the garment came with the bolt. It was a little tricky to get the layout right, and I had to patch one sleeve at the bottom, and also take in the front pleat by 3".

FRONT

BACK

Next up, the Big Bird skirt :)) I bought this last year as part of the mini wardrobe plan. That plan ended up a mini-mini-plan, I never got around to the skirt...

But I always liked the fun fabric so I took the easy route and made it as a simple pencil skirt, the same pattern I used for the Gucci knockoff: 07-2008-127. I lined it with silk charmeuse... what else, right! I also made this skirt in leftover houndstooth, the same fabric I used for the Chanel trim. Maybe I'll get a picture of that later; it's more of a mini cause I had very little left. But I'm thinking that the tunic would be a wild pairing with that skirt- notice the dash of houndstooth in the silk print ;)

DH just brought me buttons for the coat so I'll finish that off tonight I hope. It's a simple loose coat, nothing special. But it's warm, and that is something I can appreciate right now. When we go to Pasadena in the evening it's really cold, at least for LA, it's in the forties sometimes.

The coat I'm planning to make (as I mentioned in the last post) is a designer (forgot which one) ottoman, really interesting pattern, and not something I ordinarily would pick. But gotta be wild occasionally :)) And yes; the pattern drawing is missing a bust dart- what's with that?...

And I know, I know... several of you keep nudging me to complete the Balmain... And I will. I have to attack the sleeve; my nemesis. That's what's holding me back, just for now. Promise. It will need my full attention, and that's not possible at present. Right now I keep sewing because it's keeps me sane (and I like some new clothes to wear :)

A Coat with Lapels!

2009-11-25T12:40:00.000-08:00

BWOF 12-2009-126

Just a quick post to show my excitement- BWOF finally has a coat pattern with lapels! I have about two years worth of issues, and this is first time they included this (at least in regular sizes.)

Lindsay T: About the Etro coat... yea, see, remember :) I wanna make one too, and this pattern is perfect!

The Baby Has Arrived

2009-11-13T12:19:00.000-08:00

The day of Opening Night...

It's been a long and winding road getting here, but- and I know this sounds cliche, but it's the truth, nonetheless- it has been worth every twist and turn. We began readings of this show many years ago, in a small 33 seat "hole in the wall" theater called the Empty Stage. We would invite friends and business colleagues and eventually, investors. DH began his career as a stage actor, but then spent more than thirty years writing, directing and producing movies, so the whole concept of live theater and "how it's done" was new, and- very often, full of misinformation.

One thing I should mention is that DH is not your typical "artist". He is an extremely smart business man as well; something he learned the hard way. Hollywood is ruthless, it's either sink or swim. The fact that we are here today, with a show that went from a workshop at a 99 seat theater straight to a 650 seat, is greatly due to his ability to combine art and commerce. One rarely survive without the other. And as long as you keep your head on straight and don't loose your integrity, it's doable and highly rewarding.

This past month has been an outstanding experience. Sheldon Epps (Artistic Director) and Stephen Eich (Executive Director) along with staff and crew, are a unique bunch of people, I tell you! The smooth, collaborative spirit that has prevailed this entire production is astounding and I feel so fortunate to be part of it.

Thank you!!!

And to all my loyal blogger friends: Thank you for still stopping by in spite of a very off-topic period of posts. I miss being able to get into the sewing projects I have planned, but hopefully it won't be much longer. The only sewing related aspects of my life recently has been collaborating with our fantastic costume designer, Lizz Wolf. Maybe I should do an interview with her? You all will LOVE the costumes- out of this world fabulous!

I'm leaving you with a few links in case you're interested to know more about the production:

Baby It's You! Facebook Page

Baby It's You Pasadena Playhouse

So very tired...

2009-11-02T17:31:00.000-08:00

Tech week is past half-time, and I'm pretty exhausted. Me and everyone else. The high octane mind power paired with stop and go motion is an experience like nothing else I've done. This is a big show in a big theater; projections, set, sound, costume, everything is big, and DH and I are doing our best to ensure the story and performers are equally big.

There is nothing I rather be doing in this world, theater is magical, and so are the people. Pasadena Playhouse Artistic Director, Sheldon Epps, is fantastic. He has created a home-away-from-home for us, and the collaboration within all departments is second to none.

Tech rehearsal- bring a flashlight :)

So, not much sewing going on. We've been staying at a hotel for the past few days to avoid the 45 minute schlep back and forth, a major deal when you work 12 hour shifts. I did get a LBD nearly finished but it still needs buttons and hemming. Maybe I'll get that done in time for the preview opening this Friday. The Balmain jacket has to wait, I just can't wrap my head around anything complicated right now.

Chunks Of Randomness

2009-10-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

Oscar de la Renta, glass pearl ribbon necklace

I've spent a small fortune. On supplies. And I'm not a jewelry maker. Cindy Ann warned me, but did I listen? Oh no... Three days were spent adding items to my cart at Firemountain Gems. You know, it's really Balmain's fault!! All that research into sparkle- you know how I love sparkle! So I guess I'll be making jewelry now. And - hopefully- so will DD 1. Like the title suggests, randomness will be involved on ALL levels. I'm a structured creature (no news to those of you who've been reading the blog/ reviews for a while) but I like to break it up in the accessory department.

The picture represents the idea not the product. I don't want to knockoff anything, just study and be inspired. Kinda like how I learned to sew. Time will tell if it will work this time. But at least I know how to use a magnifier :))

Off to rehearsal...

This Is Heavy

2009-10-08T18:04:00.000-07:00

Think I can build some muscle wearing this :)) Should have weighed the front before attaching but will do before sleeves and the rest of the trim is done so you all can get a good laugh. :)) I'm almost done with the back stay, and then it will be on to the sleeves. Marji suggested to cut them on bias and I think that can work; they will look slender that way without compromising comfort. But some form of support has to be applied at the upper sleeve where all the trim will go and at the bottom sleeve as well. I'm also pondering if I should make the facings in canvas. That's what the original jacket is made from- something I found out too late. I'm using double wool crepe and live in Los Angeles :) Very clever, Birgitte!!

I'm also thinking about the sleeve length. If I do a cropped sleeve I'll be breaking the rules of proper design: jacket and sleeve hem should not be on the same line because it will make you look boxy. Me not like boxy! Also; being wool, isn't it nice to actually have a warm arm not just a warm body? What do you all think?

Thank you for all the nice comments. DD was SO enjoying them :))

Lindsay T; she couldn't believe her eyes when you mentioned Blair Waldorf!!! She thought that was soo cool!

Gry; Yes, I know exactly what you are referring to when it comes to Casual Scandia!! Thankfully, things are quite different here in Los Angeles, and DD dresses up a lot.

Cindy Ann; your "wild applause" made her burst out laughing!!

Rachel; the jacket is 04-2008-120, skirt is 01-2008-127, and blouse is 08-2009-103 with flounce from 117 from same issue. All Burda World Of Fashion Magazine.

Trena; you would be perfect in this- make it!! You and DD have very similar shape.

Uta; Yes, she wears these glasses when she's not putting in her contacts. Can't see a thing without them :))

Ms. Wintour's Assistant

2009-10-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

My little girl isn't so little anymore. But she's still adorable, and thankfully, as sweet she always was.

A quick photo shoot before the sunset. She loves the whole shebang and so do I. It was also fun to make and not too much work. Not that I'm promising her another suit in the near future!

I'm back to the Balmain! Finished the front trim the day before yesterday and the shell was put together today. It's getting colder so I'm eager to get it done, can probably wear it to one of the functions at the theater, maybe even the opening but I'm not sure. It will look best with a pair of bleached jeans like they showed on the runway. Jeans and opening?? Like I said, not sure.

That Was Easy :))

2009-10-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

Especially if you actually post something instead of hitting the return key... lol.

What I meant to say was: The Cuffs and neck froth were fast and easy to make. There.

Below are a few details of the construction.

I promise promise :)) I will get pictures of DD in all this Chanel extravaganza, but between her butterfly lifestyle and my Monk-like personality, getting a photo shoot set up is, to put it mildly, a tad difficult. :)) But it will be done. The reviews are written as well, so no more excuses!

:))

Neck Froth Lift-Off

2009-10-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

DD is well again, thank you for all your kind thoughts. It was not the flue, just a cold. She's wearing her suit and blouse to Dress Up Friday at school today :)) Yes Nancy, she's back home and is going to a school in the Valley. I think she's very happy about that; last night she went to the dress form and hugged her new suit and then me. Nothing like a few years away to make you appreciate what you have :))

Neck froth:

I figured out, after some tinkering, that the edges of the pleats need to be ironed out to create the froth- gotta have that cappuccino look :)) The picture shows the top edges ironed and is just a test to see how much needs to be gathered and chopped off. The lace is also pleated (ready made from Mood) and the black strip is duchess satin left over from my Gucci skirt.

And the brooch. Isn't it gorgeous? I found it on RubyLane.com. If you haven't already checked out that site, do it. They have so many wonderful things, the majority of which is antique or vintage.

And thank you Marji; Fortuny pleats is the correct name for these pleats. Here are a few tidbits taken from Wikipedia:

Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo (1871-1949), Spanish fashion designer, famous for the Delphos gown; a gown based on the ancient Grecian style. He is also remembered for his brightly colored pleated gowns.

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I appreciate all your comments on the last post; thank you.

HOLLYWOOD: GET A GRIP

2009-10-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

This is an unusual post and I apologize in advance. But I have to speak my mind because I am simply enraged.

Certain people of the Hollywood elite has apparently decided that a crime is not a crime when the person charged is a talented member of their inner circle.

In yesterday's Los Angeles Times, Steve Lopez wrote a piece, which included part of the 13 year-old girl's testimony.

Read it.

It will make your heart drop.

That is, if you have a heart.

And maybe, a daughter.

Flounc-ing Around

2009-09-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

The flounce on BWOF from 08-2009-117, as done in the pattern, is too wide out on the shoulder so I'm playing with the neck pleat to make it fall more toward the center, along the button band. I'm using a stretch silk charmeuse, flat side out. The flounce edges was hand rolled, and I see that the left and right flounce move differently at the bottom edge so I must have done something wrong.

The bodice is BWOF 08-2009-103. I had to let out some of the front dart because it's very fitted, which is somewhat odd because the back is not. I'll chop off quite a bit of the length as well.

Just got the call from school that oldest DD has flue symptoms... :(

Inside The Suit

2009-09-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

The suit is finally done but DD is out shopping (what else?). Here's the inside:

And a construction shot of the skirt:

The quilted lining worked great on the skirt so I'm most definitely going to do that when I make my own Chanel suit :)

Next up will be the blouse. I'm going to try to use the ruffle from BWOF 08-2009-117 with bodice from 103 from the same issue. But first I have to clean up the mess- threads and strands of boucle/ribbon everywhere!

Nice and hot here in LA, around 85 degrees. Not complaining cause this penguin actually LOVES heat :))

Neck Froth

2009-09-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

What do you call this? A scarf, a neck muffler...?

When I saw Chanel's delicious neck ornamentation, a frothy cappuccino was what popped in my mind. And of course, I had to have it. It will be for DD to wear with her almost-finished jacket :)) After visiting all the usual suspects without any luck, I bought some off white silk chiffon and took it down to Warren and Jan at A-1 Pleating. Btw, Warren worked as head of the costume department at the Pasadena Playhouse in the sixties! Needless to say he's pretty excited about our show going there. And he and Jan will be at the opening party :))

These are tiny pleats, I forgot to ask what they're called. As you can see the fabric is sandwiched between two layers of brown paper. I didn't want to take it out until I'm ready to go to work, just a tiny peek and it looks super.

And Vicky; I'm waiting.... :)) Maybe you want a cappuccino too :))

I'm also planning on making separate cuffs. A bit a urban chic; when she takes off the jacket she'll have a sleeveless silk top with cuffs :))

And thank you for all the thoughts on the sleeve.

Nancy K, I remove most of the ease, usually by slashing and overlapping. In this case, the sleeve has the added third seam from top of shoulder straight down the grain which is where the majority of the ease got eliminated. Then I drape it on to make it fit and also match the pattern in the fabric. The armhole was changed first, scooping out in front. This must be done when you try on the muslin; test by reaching the arm forward and draw a line where the arm and body meets, then adjust to make a pleasing, yet functional, seam.

Gry, that's it; three variables in the sleeve and only two measurements from the armhole, it's bound to be tricky!

But I think I solved it - at least for this jacket. The sleeves are done and ready to be attached by hand. I think DD will look very cute in this jacket, and they have dress-up Fridays every week at school so she'll have ample opportunity to wear it :))

The Sleeve

2009-09-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

It is always what I dread. The Sleeve. It IS the hardest thing to draft/construct well. And it IS what makes or breaks a garment. Looking at the sleeve chapter in Draping for Apparel Design, by Helen Joseph- Armstrong, I got dizzy staring at all the numbers, and then got that sinking feeling I had back in algebra class... How can I possibly wrap my head around all this, I just want a well fitted sleeve, jeez!!

I should mention that this is not the first time. In fact, the sleeve was what catapulted me into the arms of Fashion Incubator and its owner, the very smart Kathleen Fasanella (if you're reading this Kathleen; I miss you too). And this is the post I found:

Sleeve cap ease

When you study her drawing of how a sleeve cap will look if it is drafted to function with a real arm as opposed to a static dress form, it makes a lot of sense, at least it does to me. The scooping out of the front armhole and the added bulge in the sleeve cap is what makes us able to move our arms forward without all the pulling.

So that's where I'm at. Back to the draping board. I started with the original sleeve that came with the pattern and have now scooped the armhole front, added sleeve cap bulge etc. Since this is for DD, I will have to baste it in and test- at her highness convenience of course- and take it from there.

And thank you JoanneM of Miss Muslin for the link to the frilly blouses :)) As soon as I'm done with the jacket and skirt (yes it will be a full suit), a blouse will be next. I'm considering quilting the lining to the skirt- very curious how it will look and function. It's an above-the-knee, straight skirt with front side slit. Anyone tried this?

Chanel, the Speedy Way

2009-09-12T15:43:00.000-07:00

This time I'm doing things a little faster and it's mainly because of the fabric I chose. It is so thin and lightweight and made up of mostly ribbon yarn, making it impossible to deal with without fusing it first- and I fused the entire piece before I cut. This one is for DD, who just turned 16 :)) She's not a die-hard preppy anymore, but she is so excited about this. The fabric is from Mood in Los Angeles. It's really a great store with so much to choose from, but I dislike that they never have a clue about the fiber content or where it came from.

Below is the pattern I'm using:

BWOF 04-2008-120

I obviously omitted the collar, and also the slanted front. It will have three quarter length sleeves and pockets.

I had decided not to use fringe this time around but I couldn't find the right trim. So, I bought some B & W hounds tooth, cut strips on the bias and added the only trim I could find that worked. I wanted it to be controlled (aka not my usual frilly fiesta :)) so it's pressed down and cut short-short.

The lining is quilted on as usual; Lindsay T, it isn't hard and doesn't take a lot of time AND since you got the magnifiers, threading the needle for hand stitching the lining seams in place will be a piece of cake ;)

This is my third Chanel style project and it is true that it gets easier with practice. I haven't needed too look up anything so far, it's all in the memory bank.

I'm tempted to make myself another one, but that will have to wait until the Balmain jacket is done.

DD also wants a ruffle blouse. I've been looking around for something like what Chanel is showing in their fall collection but no luck so far. If anyone has any ideas please share :))

Goodbye Laguna, Hello "Baby It's You"

2009-09-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

Sunset at Three Arch Bay, Laguna Beach

Sisters

We're back from a wonderful- way too short- trip to Laguna Beach. We all love that place so much it's always hard to say goodbye. This time, however, we had urgent matters to attend to so no time to dwell on paradise lost:

The news broke today so I can happily announce that our musical, "Baby It's You", is going to the Pasadena Playhouse.

Here are some links to press releases from today:

We will have the first performance on November 6th, with the official press opening on November 13. This is just so cool :)) That theater is awesome, the most beautiful theater in Los Angeles. And the stage is HUGE; I'm so excited to be working with a Broadway set designer, possibilities are endless and my mind is swirling with ideas. Better watch out or I'll get dizzy!

Also, our costume designer is fah-bu-lous!!! Lizz Wolff did both our shows at the Coast Playhouse, and she and I clicked the moment we met. She has a perfect sense of color, texture, glamour, time period, and she's only done TV and movies before which actually was a big plus. Sometimes it's better not to know everything about theater because you can easily become entrenched in how it is "supposed" to be done versus having that freedom that comes with a bit of blissful ignorance :)) You all know what I mean right? Kinda like sewing isn't it!

And finally, thank you for all your well wishes and for your kind comments on the shirt. I will still be sewing (can't keep my sanity if I don't) and am presently working on a Chanel jacket for oldest DD. Cindy, if I don't get around to signing up for the Chanel sew-along just know that you inspired me, so thank you. I did my Chanel jacket last year, and, just like now, it got started when I returned form Laguna. It's something about that ocean air I think :))

Art Show Opening Blouse

2009-09-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

Another break. But I AM working on the Balmain it's just so darn hot here right now. This blouse was made in a couple of days and I love it. So easy and soft to wear yet it has some structure which my body sorely needs. If you are a rectangle I think you should make it right now ;)

A few pictures of the inside. It is very easy to make just be sure to mark all the lines and info on the pattern for the hidden button placket so you can refer back during construction. I used the magnifier I wrote about in my last post to clearly see the close stitching I had to do (matching the stitching line on the tuck exactly over the pleat stitching.)

And it is official: Million Dollar Quartet is going to Broadway in the spring :)) And I'm expecting to make an announcement regarding Baby It's You any minute. We're taking a quick vacation to Laguna Beach so I probably won't be posting for a week or so.

Be Like Edna

2009-08-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

You know you love her. Edna Mode. The über fabulous designer from The Incredibles.

That spunky woman wants to see EVERYTHING.

And she does.

And, finally, I do too.

Kathleen asked to know more about the magnifier I mentioned in my last post.

I was graced with perfect vision- until a few year ago. All of a sudden ingredients, instructions, news papers... everything seemed to conspire against me. I finally surrendered to a pair of reading glasses. That's close to a year ago (I think). I got +1 and +1.25, but it's getting a lot worse. And how do I know that? Because my arms aren't long enough to thread the needle that's how ;) So when it came time to do the beadwork on the Balmain jacket I knew it was time to be like Edna.

I was shopping at Fire Mountain Gems website for pearls and crystals and decided to look for a magnifier while I was at it. I picked this one because it has the three-in-one feature, was lightweight and inexpensive ($8.81). If you click on the link below it will take you directly to the product:

Magnifier at Fire Mountain Gems

Here's a picture of the magnifier with some more details.

It's truly quite amazing, and Kathleen, I think it will work great for the purpose you stated in your comment. I had left faint marks on the velveteen with a watercolor pencil which I could not find without the magnifier. I don't have to be close either, just about regular distance, so it doesn't cause any strain on the back or neck. I'm sure this could be a variable due to each person's eyesight, but still be workable for most. And since it's so lightweight I can wear it all day long. Which I do. There's always something that needs a closer inspection for this Bubblegum Monk ;)

Back From A Break

2009-08-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

Not from sewing, just from the Balmain. When I realized that the Top 10 Challenge over on Pattern Review had changed to include ALL top 10 years, I had to join in the fun :)) As most of you probably have realized by now I'm not a Knit kinda gal and the 2008 Top 10 wasn't much else. I received the OOP Simplicity 4698 last Tuesday and plugged away to meet the deadline; with 40 minutes to spare :)) Needless to say I didn't get to take good pictures but I made it and that's what counts isn't it ;)

Recognize the fabric? It's leftovers from my Bluemarine coat knockoff :))

I had less than 2 yards but made it without compromising the nap.

I also rediscovered why I love BWOF so much: I can cut the pattern without SA, making tissue fitting a breeze. AND I can make my own SA; why the heck do they have that Giant SA at neck and lapel- and the sleeve cap!! My goodness, talk about making things difficult! The closer you are to the seam the easier it is to be accurate.

I made a couple of changes to the pattern:

Bound buttonholes

Welt pockets (the pocket bags are very shallow due to the jacket length but they'll hold some change, gum, kleenex etc)

Hidden pocket in lining with piping (I used Kenneth King's method, and this one is deep enough to hold my iPhone plus)

I also cut a hem facing. The original hem is only 1 1/2" which includes SA, and since I was in a hurry I forgot to make adjustments before I cut. I just don't like narrow hems, it's my opinion it makes the garment less "classy".

I lined the entire jacket as well.

I will, eventually, post a picture of me wearing it. It fits good and is just what I needed; a simple black jacket to throw on over a tee and jeans. It's really been busy around here; my father arrived Saturday from Norway, and the show is in the the midst of negotiations for a major move-over within the next month. If all goes well I'll have to fly east next spring...

And what have we here?...

My new best friend that's who :) Bought at FireMountainGems. I got this magnifier for the Balmain project and I tell you; it's more or less permanently attached to my head at this point. Working with any kind of details can strain the best set of eyes and mine are not the best anymore that's for sure. And working with black is truly tiresome so these babies has proven to be my savior. DH calls me his little jeweler; I greet people at the door forgetting they're on top of my head...

It's Time

2009-08-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

For trim, that is. I cut the jacket after thread tracing all seams, cut and shaped the front interfacings, then basted it all together. The fit is good, so I took off the right front, made bound buttonholes and machine basted the trim lines. It looks real messy but that's just chalk marks which rubs off easily. I'll do the crosses first, then the crystals/pearls, and the center twisted pearls last.

I followed the directions in Classic Tailoring Techniques, by Cabrera/Meyers to make the front canvas and shoulder reinforcement.

Ferido Is Splendido

2009-07-30T15:12:00.000-07:00

Okay the title is lame, I'm no jewelry maker so what do I know :))

After searching high and low for some oblong, curved shape with rhinestones in a pave setting, I decided it was time for some DIY. That's how I found Ferido Formula x1. It is super easy to use (no heat setting, just let it dry), and it can be shaped into nearly anything. And the really cool part is that you can embellish it with no additional glue. It comes in different colors, even silver, but I chose black after reading about it on a few blogs. It is very hard to make something look like real metal when it's not, and since the jacket is black it works out okay.

I have my eye on some long sterling silver beads that I might substitue for the navette crystals in the first picture, and I have shapes and sizes of Swarovski Hematite crystals to play with as well.

delaido wondered how heavy the finished jacket will be... :))

Pretty heavy. The one embellishment on the front (incl. fabric/canvas) is 3.5 oz.

Bunny asked if I could do all the beading in the flat.

I think I can do the front that way. I tested a bound buttonhole and it works fine, which means I don't need to attach the facing first. I don't think the shoulders and upper sleeves though. And not the collar unless I hand stitch it to the jacket afterwards, which I may do.

Els had a great idea to use some old nylons as cover for the shoulder pads- Thanks!

I updated my last post to include the info of the moldable felt.

Now, it's 1 day left for the Knockoff contest on PatternReview :))) Then I discovered there's a new one starting August 1: The Embellieshment Contest... Maybe I can make that one? I haven't cut the fabric yet... ;)

And about tickets to our shows Million Dollar Quartet and Baby It's You:

We no longer have house seats to give away for MDQ, which means; I have to place my own flat behind in that seat to be able to use it!)

BIY is a different matter because DH has complete control. BUT it's a very small theater and the run also benefits LA's BEST After School Program, giving a large percentage to that charity. That said, I will do my best to squeeze you in :)) My usual seat is now on the stairs in the aisle which doesn't bother me one bit- its' a hoot to have the house packet with people rockin' out! As an added bonus: You don't have to go on any celebrity sighting bus tours, plenty of 'em right here - and they're all very much ALIVE :))

How 'Bout Them Shoulders

2009-07-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

"... Some pads have really stiff coverings, just the thing

to have when making shoulders that will clear off

shelves in the department stores as you walk by!..."

Kenneth King, "Cool Couture"

Mr. King, now see what you've done! :)

A few days ago DH and I went to a tailoring supply store in Culver City and there I found something quite amazing. I can't recall what it's called but maybe some of my readers will know. It's a "moldable" felt and looks like thick fused batting. When heat is applied, the fibers are transformed into something very stiff and is set permanently in whatever shape you created. How cool is that!

Edited on July 29: It's called Fosshape, here is a link (this is the same store that I bought from in Culver City)

Richard The Thread

After making a quick test on a small piece, I attached a mold, made by sewing together some regular batting and stuffing it with fiber fill, to the shoulder/arm.

Next, I used a tailored pad, trimmed at sides, and inserted it, basting it down the shoulder seam.

These are SOLID pads! I think they will hold up and I will cover them with something, maybe a thin layer of batting. I may have to trim the edges but that will have to wait until after the shell is put together. The things we learn... :))

Front Trim In Progress

2009-07-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

One full test done, except buttonhole. If I make a regular buttonhole, the facing will have to be attached before adding the trim. Could be cumbersome (lots of manipulation needed, as I found out, only using a small swatch). Thoughts of handling a whole jacket while doing the beadwork frightens me! Especially the front because the lines have to be so straight (Monk speaking). Maybe I can do the front before attaching it to the sides? The shoulders and sleeves will have to be done after construction. OMG I can hardly wait- Ouch!!

I'm now thinking a bound buttonhole will be the easiest, bypassing the need for facing attachment.

The lines are basted for accurate placement. I will see how easily they can be removed, I used silk thread but should have increased the length. My machine only goes to 5mm; so wish it went to 7.

Below is a closer picture to show the different color pearls: The lightest and darkest gray are both 6mm Swarovski, the two medium gray I don't know, but it's very good quality.

Close look at the cross. I used the mixed bag posted last time. It works fine but I got a little carried away with the amount; the left side has too many and thereby "leaning" over the beaded outline. The sew on crystals are from Beads & More in downtown LA.

If any of my dear readers are heading my way (Los Angeles) during the month of August, let me know! Baby It's You is, if I may say so myself, pretty darn good :))

Wadding and Washers

2009-07-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you know, it feels like things are looking up. The cotton wadding arrived today, along with the second order of washers. The washers are from McMaster-Carr and do they ever ship fast! Thank you for the encouragement, I needed it, I was almost paralyzed there for a sec.

And Nancy, I didn't know about cotton wadding either, just wanted some after reading about the shoulder pad in Classic Tailoring Techniques :)) I got some on eBay and it looks and feels like something that can work for this jacket. Els was kind enough to offer some pictures of the inside of shoulder pads she has so, as always, it's all a process. (Els, I sent you an email so if you didn't receive it please let me know at bjorum at mac dot com)

The eBay seller also has a website; UpholsteryTradeSupplies.com. Below is a picture with some more info.

The washers will work great I think. The stainless steel ones are more grayish compared to the zinc plated, so mixing them up is probably a good thing. They are not heavy which is good because the pearls and stones add PLENTY of weight.

I cut another large swatch so I can test the scale and position of the cross in relation to the pearls and crystals. Gives me something to do while watching TV ;)

I updated the link to Baby It's You. It opens for previews tomorrow :))

So Bogged Down In Details

2009-07-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

Cause and effect: The jacket is Cause, I am the Effect!

It was bound to happen with so much detail involved. But it seems I'm encountering an unusual amount of not enough, not the right color, not the right size, etc. etc... And it's not just the trim. As I'm trying to duplicate- or somewhat duplicate- the shoulder pad from the Chanel video, just trying to track down real cotton wadding (or felt) took FOREVER. I think I got the right stuff on eBay, but it's not here yet so can't be sure. I'm thinking cotton wadding will be best because it needs to be in place, structured, and not susceptible to the weight of the trim or fabric.

And the cross: Here are tiny washers DH found at the lumberyard. The not enough comes into play here, so I'm hoping I get the same thing when the online order arrives. I also used snaps in different sizes.

I have to stop obsessing so much!!! Just make the jacket already!

And Off To Town She Went

2009-07-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

... and shlepped around for a good five hours. Uhhhh boy, there sure are a lot of junk to sort through to get to the good stuff. I even heard a shopkeeper say to a customer, "No, we only carry the cheap stuff, all c**p." :)) And he meant it.

So for quality trim, I found only two places:

Beads & More

800 S. Maple, Suite A

Los Angeles, CA90014

and

Berger Specialty Co

413 E. Eight St.

Los Angeles, CA 90014

I went into Michael Levine but they have a very limited selection and nothing that could work for me.

I couldn't find a single thing to replicate that rope-pearl-beaded thing so I'm now going to let that go and use other means to achieve a similar effect. Below is a sample I did last night with rhinestones I got. The light colored pearls are not the same quality as the darker ones- no luck with Swarovski pearls downtown so I'm ordering them online. There is a HUGE difference is shine and finish, like with most things; you get what you pay for. But the sew on Swarovski crystals are simply too expensive to be used alone on all that trim so I'm playing with combinations of other elements.

The rondelles are good quality but not Swarovski and therefor less expensive. I got those at Beads & More and the owner was very helpful. The sew on rounded rectangle is from Berger Specialty Co., and again I received first rate service. I bought 1 gross (144), and they ARE expensive so I'm trying to keep the amount down. However, if I used the above combination I will need at least 2 more... So I'm playing around.

I got other trimmings as well but that will have to wait.

Off to the theater- the tech is working great (you all know theater people are night owls right? rehearsal usually don't start until the afternoon and ends around midnight :))

Thank you Els for the link to the Chanel video, that looks like a perfect way to do the shoulder pad. Now if I can only find that kind of batting, it looks like something that can be molded/stretched into shape? Any suggestions? Wish I could see it done from start to finish...

Anne, you amaze me. Thank you.

Hugs to all who read or comment on this Balmain journey, I soooo appreciate it.

A Lot To Contemplate

2009-07-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

Lots more information- thanks to Nancy K and and the lovely nearly afloat Marji- my mind spinning, racing, jumping. Oh my. There's a reason we call it blissful ignorance :)) I'm about to venture downtown in a few minutes to see if I can get some of the trim, so this is just a quick post to thank you- I received the Kenneth King book, Nancy, and I'll probably get the Schaeffer one too. Marji, I wish I knew the McQueen you're talking about so I could look for the trim, but I'll most likely have to make the trip again soon so keep looking for a picture :))

And JoanneM I have not taken any classes. I use the internet A LOT, and have a personality that likes to figure out how things work :)) High interest- or passion- is, I believe, the way to learn anything, and that includes doing it, doing it, doing it :))

Baby It's You is moving along; we pushed the preview to next week due to some cast changes. Never boring, I tell you :))

Baby It's You

2009-07-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

Yes, very much so.

What was I thinking, planning the Balmain knockoff in the middle of tech rehearsal???....

The second staging of our musical Baby It's You begins previews on July 18 so our days are looong! Lots of fun of course, but tech rehearsals can be grueling. We have added a whole bunch of goodies (movies, slides, lights, wardrobe, sound, choreography, scenes, some cast replacements...) But, as I was watching it last night, I actually cried. That's what live theater can do to you ;) We have such talent on and off the stage that every piece of hard work is priceless. It lifts you up into a state of spiritual awareness, like you're riding on some magical cloud where possibilities are endless.

Somehow I did manage to make a test shoulder pad. We'll see if it works when the jacket fabric is cut but for now it looks good. I will use a sleeve head of course, and like Nancy K mentioned, some kind of interfacing on the sleeve cap.

The main points of the shoulder/sleeve for me are:

straight line (none-sloping) shoulder

extended shoulder

slender look of shoulder

slender sleeve

The increased height of the shoulder will have quite an impact on the sleeve cap and yet I have to be careful not to add too much ease or the sleeve will be too full.

QUESTION:

Nancy K mentioned that Kenneth King may be using mohair in the sleeve cap (she also made me get his latest book- thanks for enabling me, Nancy :)) While I'm waiting on my Amazon order I also bought some mohair on eBay. But I'm really confused... Please look at the picture and let me know if this is the kind of mohair I should be using. To me it looks like a velour or velvet, upholstery weight. My only previous connection to mohair is yarn, which always is fuzzy. This fabric seems way too substantial and overpowering for the wool crepe...

And for the stay in the back; I have no idea what I should use. Would hair canvas do the trick, and should it be on bias or straight? Any and all insight is appreciated.

Trim: The bulk pearls I ordered were not the right color/gloss :( I think my sample, which I bought at a local source, must be Swarovski crystal pearls due the the wonderful shine. I just may have to use my connections in the costume world to track down some of this trim... I don't like to take advantage of people so I'll have to come up with some kind of exchange. As long as that does NOT include sewing/mending for other people I'm willing and able :))

And Lindsay T; your idea is great if not doable :) I would have loved to be part of the NYC workshop and get hands-on help from experts. I hope you will share the experience with lots of pictures and info.

Balmain part 2: First construction thoughts

2009-07-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

When I bought the book Classic Tailoring Techniques, by Cabrera/Meyers, some time ago I didn't have any particular project in mind. But I had been making a few jackets and was hungry for more information. Nancy K, you may remember I posted a question on the PatternReview boards about what book to buy, and your insightful answer gave me the push I needed. Thank you.

This jacket, as patsijean pointed out in her comment, will need lots of support due to all the heavy embellishments. When I found the fabric I was so relieved because it truly needs support inside and out. The double wool crepe is quite substantial and will hold up well. I picked a medium firm hair canvas as interfacing and believe it will get the job done. I may have to add an extra layer under each trim section, and will test first to be sure.

In the book there is no mention - I think- of any interfacing in the sleeve itself, which is normal, but this jacket is not normal :)) This is where couture enters the picture. In couture you have to think on your feet and constantly readjust as the project unfolds. Which is something I love to do :))

Hence; I'm not pushing for a July 31 deadline. I'm taking my time and will be enjoying it all the way.

I'm using BWOF (what else!) 02-2008-105 as a start off point. It's so well drafted I only did minimal changes (except for shoulder/sleeve of course.) I will do a separate post, maybe several, on the muslin.

Balmain part 1: Front trim placement

2009-07-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

Before I begin, let me not forget to thank you for your support. This is a big undertaking, and I'm not expecting to finish this jacket by July 31. I will try to document the entire journey as much as possible, and, although your comments are always greatly appreciated, please do not feel you need to do so because I'll most likely be posting a whole lot :)) It will be helpful to me (as the rest of this post already has proven), and hopefully some of what I learn can be useful to others as well. Claudine and Nancy K asked for shoulder pad and sleeve construction photos and I will absolutely post on that. The muslin is not complete and the sleeve will be the last part of the construction, when the body and armhole/shoulder pad is set in stone.

The muslin bodice is at a point of a good fit, so I needed to see where the trim placement would be in relation to the length of the jacket and also the angle.

I started by measuring down 1/2" from the top edge. Each trim measures a total of 1 1/4" wide (hopefully this will work with the pearls and rhinestones). In the above picture it looks like the distance between the top trim and the second trim is less than the rest, so I went with a 1 1/4" distance there, and then 1 1/2" distance between the rest.

And here is the part about documenting being helpful :))

Studying the pictures side by side, I could see that the Balmain was slanting more, so I moved the slanting point down about 3/8". The result can be seen below.

I have tested 6mm glass pearls which work great and ordered them online in bulk :)) I have also ordered some sew-on rhinestones and rhinestone banding to test sizes. I looked up washers online and there are some small 2 and 3mm ones that might work. The one thing now seems to be the tiny pearl beaded rope. I found something at F & S Fabrics, but it wasn't the right color. I wonder maybe Int. Silks and Wools or Mood might have it. If all else fails I just have to schlep downtown... not exactly my fave thing to do. But I really want that rope! It adds a great dimension due to its raised surface.

Knock- Knock...

2009-07-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

HELLO!

Okay then.

I saw a picture in LA Times on May 17. Actually, DH saw it first :)) He's very savvy that man. Soooo, I've been collecting pictures and info. Turns out there was a lot of hoopla surrounding this jacket and the celebs that wore it. It sold out on Net a Porter within 24 hours (three total at a charming $14.000 a pop).

Then MJ passed away. A lot of people likened the jacket to his trademark style, which I get. But, it's also a lot more feminine. I found a blog where the guy (yes, another savvy man) keenly observed how the shoulder pads are shaped to give the illusion of the shoulders of a very waif-like woman (in other words; runway-skinny, anorexic shoulders.) A far cry from the eighties and "Dynasty".

The muslin is taking shape, I'm using BWOF 02-2008-105 as a start-off point. The sleeve/shoulder in the Balmain collection is quite unique; here's another of his jackets on Rhianna:

I'm studying the trim as much as I can from the pictures.

Edited to add link to close-up of trim:

Crystals and pearls

Looks like pearls, rhinestones and some kind of gemstone like onyx. There's also a silver chain within the twisted pearls. And a bunch of something resembling washers! I'm not sure how close I will get to all this but I'm giving it my best shot.

If you have some suggestions for the trim, I'm all ears. I can't seem to locate the silver colored tiny pearl trim you can see next to the crystals, and also those crystal-encrusted curved thingies that lie over the black gemstones. Planning to go to the hardware store to look at washers, but they may just be too heavy.

I got some superb double crepe wool which I think will work perfect. It's heavy enough yet has a natural give, which is good due to the close-fitted design. I'm using a stretch charmeuse for lining.

Hollywood Bling-Bling

2009-06-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

All girls love some bling (myself included) and DD got a good dose of it yesterday. These two pieces came together very quickly and that's good cause I want to get going on a jacket I'm planning. More on that later.

First up: BWOF 06-2008-134

Hollywood Glamour Blouse

This was made by sewing the dupioni and sequins as one. I washed the silk first so it's soft and enclosed all seams. It's best worn layered due to the structure.

Here's the link to the sequined fabric (the dupioni color sold out I think)

Second up: BWOF 05-2008-137

Disco Shorts

These were requested by DD upon seeing the fabric and I think she showed great innovation here. It's a knit metallic, very soft with great drape. It doesn't stretch much though, which is a bit misleading on Fabric.com's website. I had originally bought it for a skating outfit but don't think it would work unless you only use it for details like a skirt or part of the bodice.

Link to disco stretch fabric

Photo shoots are so fun when I'm behind the camera :)) I need to sew for her more cause she just loves modeling for me! I'll share some more shots before heading over to post the reviews. I'm entering the contest on PatternReview which I actually hadn't planned on doing. But then I read the reason for having this contest: To encourage those of us who sew for children to post reviews. I so agree with that, and I'm guilty of not doing it too often. Btw, thank you Trena for managing the contest. I used your slapdash philosophy on the blouse as you will see on the crooked lines inside :))

Love these buttons from F & S Fabrics

Michael Jackson

2009-06-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

I got the news while grocery shopping. DH called me. That's life; trivial meets momentous. Driving home, as helicopters hovered overhead, I suddenly realized he had taken his last breath just a few blocks away from me. That's life in LA; Star buses on sightseeing every day of the year. Guess the tourists got their monies worth this time.

I never met Michael Jackson. Like millions of others, I came of age listening and dancing to his music. Far away in a cold country where daytime darkness transformed the large window into a mirror, I lost myself to the beat, feeling every move as if my cells could duplicate his intentions. I never idolized him, just reveled in his enormous talent.

Regardless of what comes out about his life, this is the bottom line for me:

His music, his dance, came from the heart.

RIP Michael, I'm forever grateful.

More Savile Row than Hugh Hefner

2009-06-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

And that's a good thing :)) My dad turns 80 on June 24 and this Dressing Gown will be my gift. It's been a wonderful trip down memory lane this past week as I locked myself in my room to sew. He's been an extraordinary father and I have learned so much from him. It's also bittersweet; just a few days ago he called to tell me he had sold our summer house...

It was too much maintenance to keep up with and I can't blame him. The winters in Norway are harsh so every year painting and other fixes has to be dealt with. And of course the boats. The house is on an island which makes it even more complicated. But it sure is spectacular and I bet the new owners will adore it as well.

My dad is a traditional, conservative man, very well traveled, who speaks the Queen's English :)) I chose to add his initials to a chest pocket, which I made by scanning the patch pocket and downsizing to 60%. I used silk thread since I didn't have the deep blue in the rayon, but I actually like it; works well with the fabric.

And the fabric: Lush woven cashmere with silk charmeuse lining and piping. Below is a picture of the embroidery on left facing:

To my

dear father

From Birgitte

Here is a mini tut on making lined patched pockets with curved corners:

And this is the pattern I used, vintage Simplicity from eBay :)) I really like the Raglan sleeves, they are so well drafted. I added the lining and used a lightweight hair canvas in the hem.
It will ship tomorrow and I'm crossing my fingers it fits. Before I started this project I did a google search and found the below link that made me feel real good- the price I mean :))

Cashmere Gown

Also; apologies for not leaving comments lately; I hope to make up for it soon.

Tunic

2009-06-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

A comfortable silk tunic for summer :)) This is my very first one and all I can say is; what took me so long? BWOF 02-2209-110, silk charmeuse from Thai Silks. I made a few alterations as you will see below, but it was pretty easy to make.
Imogen, what do you think?

(for anyone just visiting my blog; Imogen is an image consultant and her blog inspired me to try the empire style due to my H-shape [Rectangle])

Question for Imogen: I am an H, right? Vicky commented that she thought she was a pear and it turned out she's an X... I know the shirtwaist dress looks fine on me, but I'm wondering if it's due to the wide belt which almost reaches up to give an empire effect?

Okay, below are the pictures if you want to see the alterations/construction. I'm off to post a review. And I have more finished garments, jeez this backlog of reviews!! Shame on me :)) I'm also hurrying to make a cashmere robe for my dad who is turning 80. My dad and DH have birthdays 1 day apart... hmmm :))

And Anne; you are funny! Like you, English is not my first language, but that's beside the point. It's your thought process :)) Just love it so please keep on writing, here, there and everywhere :))

My New Waist ;)

2009-06-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, just a quick post while I'm coming up for air. So much sewing going on so no time for blogging. Guess that's what happens when you work on several projects at once. DD has now acquired quite a few new skating outfits and more are on the way. I hope to post pictures and write reviews eventually.

And for myself; it's all about Empire, and how I love thee!! It works magic on my waist-less self, how can I ever thank you enough, Imogen! I have finished one dress and the second is almost done. Then there will be reviews and pictures... sigh. I just dread taking those pictures, but I will I will. Promise. In the meantime, here's a glance at the styles and fabrics:

The turquoise is a Giorgio Armani stretch, absolutely unbeliveable. The color/shine/texture defies description. The print is a European silk charmeuse, also exquisite.

And Anne was wondering if my gray coat had become a UFO and was sleeping with her denim DKNY jacket... LOL, you're so funny, just love your writing. Now go finish that book will you!! My coat is done and hanging in my room where I can look at it and feel guilty that I didn't take any pictures and posted a review. I actually really like it, although, after reading that we rectangles should avoid all waist details, I'll probably never close that gorgeous belt. But, it's hanging on the side so I can pretend I can close it if I want to ;-) Ah the games we play...

And I will post a review.

But the trashcan got a precious gift the other day; my vintage jacket. It was not meant to be. Marji asked me a while back (sorry I forgot to answer, Marji!) if it was the fabric or the color I wasn't thrilled with.

See this post for more info

A bit of both I guess, but mostly the color. It was absolutely impossible to match as well, and it didn't look good with ANY OTHER color! It was also the wrong texture for the jacket; too crisp. I may try the suit again, but then I will alter the jacket and make it more shaped.

I did get a very nice email from NY Fashion Center Fabrics where they apologized for the long shipping time and gave me a discount on my next order. How did they know I was a bit, shall we say, unsatisfied? I didn't write or call them, so I'm very impressed. Which means I will be ordering from them again :))

Too Much Of A Good Thing?

2009-05-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit overwhelmed by having plenty; plenty of fabrics, plenty of ideas, plenty of new found knowledge. I'll start with fabrics:

Mother's Day and birthday came and went, and with them came a whole bunch of fabric. Exquisite fabric. Fabric I've only dared to glance at. Yup, DH is priceless. And his wallet seemingly bottomless :)) I'm going to post photos of them all eventually.

Below is a picture of fabrics that I bought on my birthday. They're not for me. Did you guess? They're for DD #2. Crazy. I know. Silk charmeuse for blouse with scarf, sequined fabric for skirt. Now I'm thinking DD #1 would like this as well. We shall see.

Ideas:

Being in possession of such incredible fabric certainly gets the juices flowing, but since they're so intricate (lace, beads, sequins, feathers) they require careful planning, and I'm not up to the task at the moment. I just received Susan Khalje's Bridal Couture and will hopefully find many tips on handling these kinds of fabrics. In the meantime; I got one fabric that was plain and just the perfect color:

Remember this dress?

It's the same color, which happens to suit me perfectly. So, I'm doing some draping. I want a cowl neck but nothing else, just a simple dress. Below is my initial test.

And finally; knowledge.

I was browsing the boards over on PatternReview the other day and stumbled upon the thread Sewing for rectangle shape and of course, being a rectangle myself, had to check it out. There I found a most amazing link: Inside Out Style, a blog by Imogen Lamport who is an Image Consultant based in Melbourne. Below is the link to the H Shape:

Body Shapes Explained - H Shape (rectangle)

It made everything so clear and I will refer back to her anytime I'm in doubt. What really changed my viewpoint was the fact that us rectangles are born this way; our hips and ribs are closer together and therefore, no matter how thin we get, there's never going to be a real waist definition. On the plus side; we usually, because of this, have longer legs :)) So, understanding how we're put together allows us to choose styles/patterns that really work to our advantage.

On a final note: I'm almost done with the vintage Cardin jacket. After reading about the H shape it may turn out the jacket is too boxy for me, we shall see. It's a one color suit with a fitted skirt so that may help but the fabric is very stiff. So far I'm not in love with it but it was fun to learn how the collar is done :))

Here's a link to the post about the pattern:

Cardin

This Is It!

2009-05-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

Think I've found a TNT dress, and it was a breeze to put together:

BWOF 02-2009-105

Fabrics and buttons from F & S. Fabrics, belt from Bloomies :)) I used sleeves from style 106.

Here's a close-up of the silver detail in the fabric- always a bit of sparkle, even when I don't look for it...

I'm also busy sewing skating dresses for DD. She just started and is totally in love with it, which makes this mom very happy. She used to do gymnastics but I got so scared I had to stop going. She's completely fearless and a bit of a klutz... you do the math. When she falls on the ice she's wearing kneepads, and the distance from her to the ice is not that great :)) Not yet anyway. We'll see how I feel if she advances and starts jumping and twirling at full speed...

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Thank you for all the nice comments on the other dress. And rest assured, the shoes will be worn with caution. I'm not the klutz in the family (see above), and take my heels very seriously :))

All over the place...

2009-04-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

That's where I've been, sewing wise. DD's jacket, a dress for her as well, BWOF 11-2008-111, which is almost done. And this dress that I decided it was time to make.

Check out my shoes and nails - gotta bring the dress little more into the summer :))

And about the fabric from NY Fashion Center; it arrived the day before yesterday. Almost one month... I'm not sure I love it either. The color is more fuchsia than carmine. It's called silk zibeline and is very crisp, similar to duchess satin but with more of a twill weave. I think it will work for the vintage suit, but now I have plenty of time to decide :)) Bye bye contest, maybe next year.

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Thank you for all your praise of DD's jacket. She loves it and will send me a picture of her wearing it. If you go back and read the comments you will find that she actually left me one -a first for her. So proud of you, darling :)) She told me she's even linking to my blog from her Facebook page...

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And the coat... well it's still missing two buttonholes. I'm planning to take it to Warren's - the coat is too nice to fool with a silly buttonhole lever!

It's 96 Degrees Outside

2009-04-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

... and here I am with a black jacket. And a coat. Well, the coat is nearly finished, just not very inspired with all this heat going on. The jacket is for oldest DD who's at boarding school. Sure hope it fits; we never did get around to making a muslin. It's made with stretch cotton and silk so I think it will be okay. I used BWOF 8-2008-115 and made very few adjustments, but I did have to deal with the fact that the pattern is for non-fraying wool with raw edge finishes, which of course I couldn't do with the cotton. It looks okay but LOVES cat hair (and thread and anything else that cares to show up).

The peplum and back belt is an interesting feature I think.

The lining is pretty wild.

I like the little details on this pattern, like the sleeve darts...

... and the vents with sleeve bands that go toward the front. I attached the band to the back sleeve seam, whereas the pattern has the band attached by buttons and no vent.

Hope it's preppy enough for my "gossip girl" fashionista...
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Okay, so I made a muslin of the vintage Pierre Cardin suit but I'm still waiting for the fabric. NY Fashion Center usually are quite fast but this time it's been two+ weeks :( They sent me an email more than a week after I ordered and said it would be delayed, which I think was kinda late to notify me. If the fabric is fabulous, I'll forgive and forget. If not, there won't be any more orders from me.

But the suit is gorgeous so I'll probably make it even without a contest :))

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And thank you for the lovely comments on Warren and Jan's work. I'll be sure to show him when I go down there again. :))

A 1 Is A +

2009-04-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

Ah what master he is, Warren. Here are some close-ups of the belt and buttons he and Jan made for me. Just amazing.

The buckle is a vintage Art Deco rhinestone I bought from Ruby Lane (just got lucky when I did a Google image search.) When I brought it down to A 1 Pleating, Warren's keen eye saw there was a missing rhinestone which I did not know- they're itsy bitsy ones. He found one and replaced it. That's how he is. Professional. They sure don't make'em like that anymore, do they...

The belt is backed with sueded leather. The buttons are backed with china silk- not exactly your standard Dritz version :)) I tell you; it's hard to show just how exquisite everything is by a simple photo. I will never try to make a belt or covered button again- unless I'm down at Warren's of course. I wouldn't mind learning how it's done. Bet he has some awesome tools :))

Someone Just Got Lucky :))

2009-04-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

I used Math Goodies Custom Random Number Generator by assigning everyone a number according to their comment (thank you Lindsay) :

1. Vicky

2. Lindsay

3. Lori

4. Ann

5. Trena

6. Anne

7. MaryPat R

(Grace asked not to be included)

And here's a screenshot of the result:

So it's 1: Vicky! Congratulations, you can contact me at your convenience; bjorum at mac dot com.

Thank you everyone for participating, I'll probably do this particular giveaway again soon since it's for an important cause. We need to do our share to keep people like Warren and Jan in business.

A-1 Pleating Co.

2009-04-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

I just returned from A-1 Pleating Co. in its new location. Warren's new shop- like his old, is located in the alley behind W. Third Street. And again, he occupies that "Harry Potter" space, this time 8318 1/4- just love those fraction numbers :)) We spent some time chatting and he's a wealth of information. I'm encouraging him to put up a website and he's promising to do so.

Here's his new address:

A-1 Pleating Co.

8318 1/4 W. Third Street

Los Angeles, Ca 90048

Warren's cell: 213 674-4555

Warren in front of the driveway entrance

The tiny space is still in a state of "we just moved", with everything stacked on tables and leaning against the walls.

The main entrance

Jan and Warren

It was so nice to see Warren and his assistant, Jan, again. Warren has been in business since the early sixties and may be the only one left who provides some of these services, like the custom belts and buttons. He has clients from New York, which tells me that this is indeed a dying specialty. He told me that when he first came out to Los Angeles, the downtown garment district was full of shops like his... and now, not a single one is left :(

I promised to spread the word and I'm more than happy to do so. His work is so first rate that even the most finicky customer won't find a thing to complain about :))

I ordered my belt and buttons and they will be done next week. So while I wait...

It's a good time for a giveaway!

This time I'm giving away Warren's services :)) This is your chance to have that fabulous custom belt made to go with your suit/coat/dress/skirt/pants, or, custom buttons (I'm having mine made with the fabric and an insert), or pleats! Any pleat you need- go check your patterns, or look for inspiration on the web. But don't forget to leave me a comment first :))

There are two rules:

1. You have to post a review of A-1 Pleating Co. on Pattern Review after you receive your item, and

2. You must have left me a comment in the last 6 months.

All my overseas friends are of course included as always!

I will do the drawing at the end of the week. And I'd love to use the "random" tool some of you used in your drawings, please let me know where I find that one :))

Here are my reviews where I used his services:

BWOF 09-2007-122 Blouse-Jacket (Wish I had a better picture of the belt but DD has taken the entire suit to boarding school!)

BWOF 09-2007-123 Skirt

11-2007-108 Skirt

Do I Have Time?

2009-04-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

... For vintage, that is. The contest on Pattern Review has already begun and I'm still working on my coat. I truly dislike starting another project before having completed the current one but I might just make an exception. I found these two patterns on Vintage Fashion Library and they arrived today. The one on the left is copyrighted 1930, and the one on the right 1958. It's an exclusive design for McCall's by Pierre Cardin. Just adore that collar!

As you will see below, the front and collar is one piece. Such a nifty little detail, me like nifty little details :)) Also love the art deco dress of course, perfect for my rectangle.

Here's the coat at the moment; one sleeve basted on, the lining stitched and waiting to be attached. I'm going to have Warren down at A 1 Pleating make the belt; he did a superb job with the pleats and belt on my first BWOF project. I may have him make buttons as well.

If you're ever in need of these kind of services, he takes orders across the country. You simply mail him the fabric with instructions and he sends it back when it's done. The work usually takes about 1 week. Here's the current address, he will be moving a few blocks down in a couple of weeks:

A 1 Pleating Custom Belts & Buttons

8426 1/2 W 3rd Street

Los Angeles, CA 90048

(323) 653-5557

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Thank you all for Happy Birthday's last week. She had a fantastic time, watching our show with good friend Iris (DD to Bad Mom Good Mom, Grace). The actors brought her up on stage in the end which made for one truly Happy Birthday :))

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And another thank you for answering my question about the silk shantung fabric. Now I know that my previous thought about this fabric was wrong; that it's drapey and not crisp, like dupioni.

Happy Birthday My Baby

2009-03-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

A Fashion Cake for you, my darling :)) You amaze me every single day.

Photo taken from thosecakechicks.com

From this...

... to this...

All our love,

Mom, dad and sis.

Is This Really Silk Shantung?

2009-03-20T19:24:00.003-07:00

That's what the label said but look at the picture to see how it drapes! I thought shantung was similar to dupioni... It does have a few tiny slubs which makes for a great texture, but it's quite light and so soft. Anyone knows what this might be?

I interfaced the entire body with a very fine woven fusible and also added silk organza underlining. I get a techno vibe from this coat which is fine by me :)) It's also very straight cut, another plus for my body type.
I'm not getting much done at the moment. This week was packed with rehearsals and new material, and weekends are the busiest since that's when we're running the show. Not complaining though :)) It's a lot of fun putting up a show, just wish I could get to my tools a little more often. Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend!

Sharing the Love

2009-03-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

I was nominated for this super cute award by Lori, Sigrid, Ann and Dana; Thank You! I love all your blogs, in fact, I love too many blogs and hence my feed is getting out of control :) What to do... Well, if that's the worst of my problems, YAY, lucky me :))

Here are the rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received your award.

This award has been granted to a good portion of my sewing sistahs so I'm using this opportunity to share the love with blogs I recently added/discovered.

Rosanne of She's Sew Unusual: She is expecting so head on over and congratulate!

Gry of From the Stash: She's moving from Copenhagen to Oxford, another congrats is in order!

Jenni of Sew YLD: She JUST started a blog, many of you already know her from Pattern Review under the name Yorkshire Lass. Please go and welcome her!

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And to answer a couple of questions from last post:

RachelMM would like to know where I found my gravity feed iron:

I bought it online from CleanerSupply, here's a direct link

Naomoto Iron

It's fantastic, and so is their costumer service. When it turned out the water tank was faulty, they shipped a new one within days.

I go a lot of information over on Pattern Review from reading the boards, and here's a link where you'll find the info on exactly how to install the hook in the ceiling. I printed it out and gave it to the guy who did the work for me:

Scroll down to neither's (John's) post

Rosanne wanted to know how I found my inspiration coat:

I've been using the yoox website as an inspiration destination for a long time. They carry many high-end items from a myriad of designers and their search feature makes it so easy. I usually pick a main category, then search by HIGH PRICE FIRST :)) That's when you get the good stuff! When I find something I like, I bookmark that item so it will be there to view in close-up even after it sold. Here's an example:

Bluemarine Coat on yoox (that I knocked off last year)

So make sure you bookmark!

Using the Grainboard 4 Pintucks

2009-03-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Lori, Sigrid, Ann, and Dana for nominating me for the Sisterhood Award, I will do a separate post on that. It's been really busy in my life lately...

Still very excited about my grainboard :)) I've been putting it to use the last couple of days. First to trace and cut patterns, then to cut a muslin, and finally for pintucks.

Here are a few more followups to questions about the grainboard:

Joanne asks : But where to store it? On top of the cutting table? On top of the cutting mat that sits on the cutting table? No accidental cuts on the grain muslin?

And Sew A Beginner asks: Can you use rotary cutters on the grainboard?

I've been storing the grainboard on the cutting table, but when I need to move it, it will easily lean up against the wall. I have a cutting mat to use with the rotary cutter- which I only use to cut quilt blocks and bias. I never use a rotary cutter for anything else. With scissors you have complete control, which is a must in couture. The scissors will not cut into the grainboard because the surface is pulled very tight, but you can not use a rotary cutter on the grainboard. I don't quilt much, and now I will use the grainboard for bias strips as well, so the rotary cutter and mat won't be of much use.

And thank you Katy for alerting me to the faulty Baby It's You link. The website is under construction and will hopefully be up and running soon.

Ann said: I have a spaceboard (51"x33")which I bought years ago. I love mine too and always use it.

I also use mine to draft patterns on, and to trace patterns. If you use a tracing wheel to trace, it perforates the paper underneath nicely and you just follow this to cut out your pattern pieces.
Found a picture here:
http://www.yarn-store.com/blocking-supplies.html

Thank you Ann for the info on your spaceboard. I have a question for you: Is it a hard surface or can you pin into it? I usually trace patterns with a marker- I buy large rolls of the cheap tracing paper from the art supply store and just place it over the pattern.

Edit to update:

Ann answered; yes, you can pin into the spaceboard, and she included a link to photos of how she uses it. I thought this to be so helpful, I asked if I could post the link here. She kindly agreed. Thanks Ann!

Spaceboard photos

So in conclusion; if you don't have the time/space/interest- fill in the rest:)- for a grainboard, a spaceboard is a great alternative.

Okay time for the pintucks part :))

Here's my inspiration coat. This is a bad picture, go to yoox where you can zoom in : Christian Dior Coat.

And this is the pattern I'm using, BWOF 1-2009-115

As it turns out I like the pattern so much I think I'm keeping most of the details and then add the pintuck section, pockets, belt/cuff straps and the button spacing. I might add pintucks on the yoke as well as inside on the upper facing and the under collar. The double collar is really cool- you can flip one up. I also like that it's very relaxed, not so fitted. I mostly wear my jackets and coats open. Here's the muslin.

Okay the pintucks. I need them to be really even and straight and the grainboard is FABULOUS for this. My new gravity feed iron doesn't hurt either :)) I'm using the walking foot and 3mm stitch length. The fabric is a silk shantung (at least that was what the label said), but it's really soft and drapey. I fuse-interfaced for the pintucks but think I'll use silk organza underlining for the coat.

What are you all sewing/dreaming about? It's time for another giveaway, I need some ideas :))