Two blogs I read all the time are Just Bento (about that very subject) and her sister blog Just Hungry (about Japanese food and culture generally.)  Both are written by Maki, Japanese woman with a finely tuned palate and a deep love of food and culture. If [...]]]>

Used with permission of Just Hungry

Two blogs I read all the time are Just Bento (about that very subject) and her sister blog Just Hungry (about Japanese food and culture generally.)  Both are written by Maki, Japanese woman with a finely tuned palate and a deep love of food and culture. If you really want the down low on what Japan is like from the inside follow her blogs.  She was recently back home and did a blog tour of the country, and in Kyoto took us to many places off the beaten track such as tiny little stores that sell artisan sewing notions like these animal pins, which are the essence of kawaii (a Japanese love of cuteness that lasts long after childhood. ) The link to her blog post has many more wonderful photos as well as an examination of hand sewing needles that reads like treatise on samurai swords, and I say without a trace of irony.  I want to go to Japan!

This is my ideal summer look – I love everything on this page!  Well, not the ankle-tie espadrilles, but that’s an easy substitution.  I think I’ll use this as the inspiration for my summer sewing.

Normally we don’t travel over Thanksgiving, but this year we’ll be with John’s family in Bucks County and we also have en engagement party that weekend for a cousin of mine.    Its an afternoon event so no need for a cocktail dress. That part of Pennsylvania is really beautiful and it will be [...]]]>

Normally we don’t travel over Thanksgiving, but this year we’ll be with John’s family in Bucks County and we also have en engagement party that weekend for a cousin of mine.    Its an afternoon event so no need for a cocktail dress. That part of Pennsylvania is really beautiful and it will be great place to spend the holiday.  So up right now it Burda #121 from the 12/2008 issue.  Believe it or not, I found at nice stretch poly brown & blue plaid at Jo-Ann’s (!) that is just what I was looking for.  The fabric coordinates with my Michael Kors pumps and I’ll add some textured hose in dark brown too.  Last weekend I made a muslin and I should be able whip this together pretty fast.  I like the bias layout in Burda’s original so I’ll use that for this plaid.

P.S. – Did you notice the plaid doesn’t match in Burda’s fashion photo?  I think this happened because the bodice pieces were not cut single layer.

 About a week ago I turned out a prototype of this top.  It was okay, but it needed more design and embellishment work.  My original inspiration was a post Gigi did a while back on the fabulous Blumarine top on the right.  The coolest thing about this design is that it’s made from two very similar, yet different, fabrics.  Compare the sleeve fabric and the bodice fabric; they [...]]]>

 About a week ago I turned out a prototype of this top.  It was okay, but it needed more design and embellishment work.  My original inspiration was a post Gigi did a while back on the fabulous Blumarine top on the right.  The coolest thing about this design is that it’s made from two very similar, yet different, fabrics.  Compare the sleeve fabric and the bodice fabric; they are not quite the same.  I just love that idea, and adapted it here; both fabrics are a white, black and grey floral but one has a crinkly texture with Jacobean carnations, vines and thistles while the second is a smooth knit  with more naturalistic lilies and dogwood blossoms.  The smooth knit also has large areas of black, so I used one of those motifs for the bib.  The first version had no binding, and this posed a problem because the differences between the two fabric were blurred.  The smooth knit is also a natural white and the crinkle knit is bright white so I had to minimize that difference. Black binding solved the problem.

 Ann has a stunning lightweight matte jersey on Gorgeous Fabrics that she recommends as a binding; that’s what I’ve used here and it was definitelythe right choice (yes she is a close friend but trust me this is one terrific black knit. Actually – all three fabrics are from her.)  The black binding has a beautiful crepey RTW texture that is superior to the common-as-dirt black leotard knits you see at Jo-Ann’s.  It’s also very heavy and drapey like slinky, and it was what this top needed to separate the different patterns. 

DD didn’t like the bow front version, and wasn’t crazy for buttons, but when I suggested grommets instead that appealed to her edgey taste.  Gigi again has done an excellent tutorial on using grommets.

I made a few slight design and construction changes:

• The center front contrast piece below the bib was removed because there was a lot happening with the fabrics to begin with and a contrast piece didn’t add anything.
• 3 inches were added to the length at DD’s request – she likes her tops long
• The trickiest part of this pattern is attaching the bib and the bib binding because there are four layers of fabric to contend with.  So after the binding was made I machine tacked it to the bodice in four places, and then pinned the bib and ran the whole thing through the serger. That worked well and nothing slipped out of place.

Amy of Spiderlily Patternsdid a great job drafting this pattern; it went together beautifully.  The pattern envelope shows three variations, but I think there are several more in there just waiting to bring out your inner fashion designer.  A long sleeve version would be adorable too; I may make that for myself.

Now back to that Rucci dress…

For the past new years I’ve been building a collection of  costume jewelry and I want to spread the news that (1) costume doesn’t mean ugly, and (2) costume doesn’t need to mean cheaply made.

I’m not a huge fan of [...]]]>

For the past new years I’ve been building a collection of  costume jewelry and I want to spread the news that (1) costume doesn’t mean ugly, and (2) costume doesn’t need to mean cheaply made.

I’m not a huge fan of fine jewelry; mostly because the pieces I do like are way out of my price range, and the pieces that are in my price range are kind of twee and bland for my taste.  Give me costume any day!

The necklace above is a foray into faux tortoise; it’s a Liz Claiborne piece from Macy’s.  I do wish it were a bit longer,  but that’s easy to change because I can go to A.C. Moore and just buy chain to make an extender.  The resin and Swarovski crystal bangles are Kenneth Jay Lane and are brand new on QVC.com  – aren’t they fabulous?  I really want them and they also come in clear and black in addition to faux tortoise and black.  I may also look for a nice silver chain necklace with big links to wear with this; I like to double up necklaces.

 I wear my faux Chanel jacket all the time with these pieces; the pearls came from the Store Who Shall Not Be Named, the Voldemort of Retail.  This strand is 48 inches long, perfect for doubling up.  The glass pearls are nice and heavy, and each is individually knotted.  The black & silver necklace was made by RivkasMom on Etsy, and it’s made from a gunmetal chain,  lava rock beads, and the beads are embellished with Swarovski crystals.

Somestimes I wear just the pearls along with this brooch; it’s Monet from about 2-3 years ago.

The necklace on the jacket below I found about 2 years ago in Filene’s Basement; I love the bold colors,  and the way it nicely fills in a neckline.  The brooch is 20 years old at least, I think it’s Catherine Stein but it’s unmarked and I forgot who made it long ago.

I’m always on the look out for cool costume pieces, and good sources include Etsy.com, QVC.com, as well as discounters like TJ Maxx and Marshall’s.  Costume jewelry gets marked down pretty fast, and you can get some great deals.  The most expensive piece here was $60.

Now that I have a proper dress form, I can show you one of my prize pieces of fashion.  This coat belonged to my grandmother; she bought it from a department store called Pomeroy’s in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania sometime in the late 1950′s.  The coat has a Pomeroy’s store label, and the fabric label reads Cashmere “400″, 100% [...]]]>

Now that I have a proper dress form, I can show you one of my prize pieces of fashion.  This coat belonged to my grandmother; she bought it from a department store called Pomeroy’s in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania sometime in the late 1950′s.  The coat has a Pomeroy’s store label, and the fabric label reads Cashmere “400″, 100% Virgin Cashmere, Country Tweeds” and is ink-stamped with a 6-digit registration number.

During the 50′s better department stores had made-to-order clothing departments, and I think that’s where this coat came from.  It’s really beautiful and has many interesting features that I thought you’d like to see. The lining is mushroom grey beige silk crepe.  The coat wraps across the front and closes with a large self fabric button on the front and ties with a matching petersham ribbon on the inside.

Much to my delight, a while ago I found the inspiration for this coat: the back of the coat, and especially the gathered detail on the yoke, is identical to a Balenciaga dress from 1957 found on page 542 of Fashion: A History from the 18th to th 20th Century.  Interestingly, the Balenciaga dress originally came with a matching coat according to the caption, and evidently, like my coat, the front of the dress wraps across the front and attaches with a self fabric button as well.

I wear this coat a few times a year and it fits me perfectly.  It’s in excellent condition too, which is a testament to its fine construction. They really don’t make them like this anymore do they?

One thing interesting about this skirt [...]]]> I’m sure like most of you; I’m not a huge fan of bubble skirts for a host of obvious reasons. But the spring 2008 Armani Prive collection has several that are a tad different from what we usually see, and I think they are also much more flattering. Here are my faves:

One thing interesting about this skirt on all three designs is the separate hem band along the bottom, and of course I had to see if I could replicate it! The first step was to find some detail photos, and these two of the pinstripe design were really helpful:

Notice the side seam, and also the pinstripes tell us that this skirt is bias cut. So we know for this style there are two side seams on both the skirt and the hem band. I drafted a quick pattern for my daughters 18 inch doll dress form:

Nothing fancy, just a basic A-line shape. I drafted the skirt on the straight grain, although most in the Armani collection appear to be on the bias. There are also a few tulip skirt shapes here and there. The hem bands appear to have fashion fabric facings on the tailored designs, and I’m beginning to think there are also fashion fabric hem band facings on the dress silks.

Oh and I think Mary 9821 is perfect for the jacket on the tweed suit – all you need to do is change the center front closure to the Armani curved lapped front, lower the neckline, add the petal edges at the bottom of the princess seams, flair the sleeves at the wrist, and build out those classic YSL-style shoulders.

This Armani collection is inspiring and very beautiful, so definitely check it out on Style.com and also see the video on The Thoughtful Dresser.  It’s an utterly wearable collection that any of us could see in our wardrobes (well, maybe without the funky embellishment!)

A rich history of Spanish court dress, ecclesiastical clothing, and matador costume is infused into Paco’s work, [...]]]> Here on Sewing Divas, we are big fans of Paco Peralta, a fashion designer based in Barcelona.  Paco is a master of his art, and his designs embody that wonderful Spanish flair for tailoring we all know from modern masters such as Balenciaga. 

A rich history of Spanish court dress, ecclesiastical clothing, and matador costume is infused into Paco’s work, along with modern influences from Armani and Ralph Rucci.  The end result is truly special.  On his blog Paco shares his work and technique; he is generous with his knowledge and I have learned much from him in a very short time.  His vidoes even have a musical soundtrack! His blog is in Spanish, but he has thoughtfully added a handy Google translator that works in several languages.  His sister Isabel does his fabulous photpgraphy and videos, and we sewists can learn a lot from her as well when it comes to lighting and styling our projects.

We have a link to Paco on our blogroll, and if you have not yet checked him out please do so! 

My favorite tools are always the ones I make myself.  I [...]]]> My mother sent me these vintage needle booklets for Christmas – aren’t they wonderful?  She said in her note that she found them at a “second hand sale” and as soon as I opened them I felt an immediate and powerful connection to the sewist who used them.

My favorite tools are always the ones I make myself.  I made the needle book below a few years ago when I was going through a bit of OCD while trying to embroider a proper bullion rose.  

The “cover” is filled with two pieces of plastic canvas zigzagged round the edges, then trimmed.  I added flannel pages and stitched a center “binding” between the pieces of plastic canvas.   I have a collection of vintage needles I that like to use for embroidery and hand sewing, so I store them in this booklet.

I have this fantasy that the woman who made the vintage needle books was just as pleased as I was when she finished hers.  The fronts and back are two colors of wool felt, and the pages are white flannel.  The butterfly is missing one antenna, but the simple silk floss embellishment is still bright.  The flower basket is embellished with posies stitched from french knots and lazy daisy stitches for leaves.  The handle of the basket folds down to show the needles.  Based on the shapes and colors I’d say both date from the late 1930′s to mid 1940′s.  I love the imagery from this era because it reminds me of my grandmother and my great aunts.

I doubt I’ll take the needles out – I’d rather leave them just as they are, as they were, the last time the unkown maker touched them.   A sewing moment frozen in time; a tangible link to the past and a respite from modern life.