Hello again

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. 

Pants To Go-Go

BWOF January 2008, style 110. These are sooooo comfortable. And, imo, stylish to boot. And into/over the boot. And over the shoe. Open or closed. Get how much I like these? The cotton/lycra fabric is very stretchy- and attracts cat hair and everything else like a giant magnet. But who cares, I'll just carry one of those roller-thingies in my purse. I didn't have to make major adjustments (see photos below, in no particular order), but the thing here is the yoke. Gotta be precise, mark and stabilize seams and points. I beaded the front zippers to add the "sparkle" and also attached my label in silver thread on the back waistband. I'm hoping these will go well with the YSL blouse, which I have finished draping. The fabric arrived a few days ago, and is washed and ready to be cut .

And look how they work with my coat :-)

Hugs and thank you to those who voted for me, it is greatly appreciated. We are going through a 'growing pain' period- those with past and present teenagers may know what I'm talking about. Nuff said. Sewing -and you- keep me sane.