Radiance of the Seas

Just in from our cruise to Mexico. It was fabulous. We sailed aboard the spectacular Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas. If you have never dreamed that a cruise could be an exciting excursion, you are wrong. You should plan yours NOW. This was only my second cruise. The first was last year on Carnival. That cruise was nice, but Royal Caribbean is about two notches above that. I think the consumer appeal is different: Carnival is for a younger crowd with children while Royal Caribbean is for the fun loving mature crowd without the kiddies.



My favorite cousin named Katrina here at the Windjammer dining facility shortly after boarding.




Six of the nine ladies travelling in our group in Mexico.




The beautiful ocean is a site to behold. God's creations are awesome!

That's about it for now. Later I will post more on the trip and what I wore (made by me).

Happy Sewing!
C

Haute Couture Club of Chicago - MIA

I'm coming up for air from all the work and church activities. Two months in a row I have missed my Haute Couture Club meeting. GRRR! Come November 6th I'll be there with bells on. Last week I received my 2010-11 directory, membership and Vogues discount cards in the mail. Thank you, Lelia.

Then I looked through my club notebook to refresh my memory on upcoming events. There are lots of fun creative activities planned for this year. Some centered around the 2011 Spring Fashion show (Hollywood). Sometimes I wish I could take a month off work (with pay, of course) to just do me and create stuff. Don't you? wink, wink. It's not like I don't have the time. I earn five weeks vacation per year and every year I risk losing some of it.

Oh well, I plan to participate in as many club activities as I possibly can. For those of you who are interested, here are the links to club sites. If you are in the Chicagoland, consider becoming a member. It's a great source of inspiration and information. Each meeting, the room is filled with beautiful, creative and talented women who are delighted to share skills and sewing experiences.


Haute Couture Club of Chicago

Facebook

Club Blog

Happy Creating, Beautiful Ones!
C

Still Here: Doing Everything But Sewing and Blogging

Sewing and blogging are at an all time low. But I'll be back at it soon.

Things to Come this Fall:

What I Sewed Last Summer
LBD - Two cut and ready to sew.
The Pants I Love to Make - TNT M5818
Gaucho Pants - B4861
Something from BWOF for my sister


My DD has started her own little blog showcasing her custom made jewelry.

That's all for now.

Happy Creating!
C

Beautiful Blogger Award - Thanks Victoria!

The fabulous Victoria have me a Beautiful Blogger Award. Thanks much!

Man, oh man! I've had hardly any time for sewing or blogging. Argh! Argh! I should have posted this entry two weeks ago. I'll be glad when things settle down so I can enjoy my crafts again. Work is busy, busy. We are in the process of "proving the worth" of the application (yet again). I'm demo'ing and demo'ing then compiling stats and other information. Jesus! I guess it's necessary in this current economy.

I'm supposed to tell ten things about myself. It's going to be brief. Then give ten other fabulous sewing sistas a Beautiful Blogger Award.

Ten things:
1. I work in IT for a major research university.
2. I've worked for the university for 27 years. Academia is a good place to work if you want a free education. And your children get discounts too. wink, wink.
3. I'm the eldest of four daughters; I only have one DD.
4. I'm a proud member of the Haute Couture Club of Chicago. I've missed the first two meetings of this season due to church activities.
5. Vacation is near, I can't wait; I'll be cruising to Mexico.
6. I'm very fortunate to have a close knit family. Me and my sisters enjoy each others company. We are the best of friends. Joy.
7. Can you say, Daddy's girl? That's me. I lost my dad in 2006. Everyday I think of him.
8. Divorced almost seven years. If you can live with the "imperfections", don't do it. Everyone loses. Remember 90 percent of "stuff" is little. Only 10 percent is serious business.
9. I'm a little bit on the nerdy side. Love science.
10. Turner Classic Movie is my number one cable station. I have almost zero tolerance for reality TV.

Now the best part, Here are eleven, not ten fabulous sewing bloggers who I would like to present with the Beautiful Blogger Award.


Tany's Blog
Sigrid's Sewing Projects
Pamela's Off the Cuff Style
Kim's Kouture
Narcissaqtipie's Sewl Sista #1
A Sewn Wardrobe
Sewn by Alviana
Amber's Obsessed with Pink
Audrey's Sewtawdry
Sew Passionista by Diana
Summerset's Pins and Needles

Happy Sewing,
C

My Dress - Women & Men's Conference 2010 B5520

First, to those of you who continue to visit and comment on my blog, thank you so much. I really appreciate your visits, your kind words, and encouragement. My blogging activity has declined to a low 5 percent comparatively speaking. I'll be back on it soon. I've got a lot of catching up to do.

Victoria nominated me for a Beautiful Blogger Award. Thanks much! So I'll post my ten things about me and will nominate some fabulous stichin' sisters.

Finally, I'm able to write a review of my W&M Conference dress. Anyway, here's my review of Butterick 5520.


Pattern Description: MISSES'/MISSES' PETITE DRESS: Close-fitting, tapered, above mid-knee length, lined dresses A, B, C have two-piece raglan sleeves, back zipper and back slit. A, B: contrast cap sleeves. B, C: peplum. C: above wrist length sleeves.

Pattern Sizing: 8 to 22.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Pretty much. I made the simplest form of this dress, view A.

Were the instructions easy to follow? There was nothing difficult in them. Pretty easy. I also forget to talk about my method for attaching the lining to the back slit. Instruction 33 in this case. I never match the lower circles. To eliminate the "plucker" at the slit, I move the circle of the lining about a 1/4 inch above the circle on the skirt of the dress. Then sew the lining to the dress/skirt. The slit looks smooth.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like everything about it. No dislikes.

Fabric Used: Dutchess (matte) satin and rayon/cotton blend Brocade.



Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I made a few changes:

Installed an invisible zipper.
Added a few inches to the length of the skirt
FBA
Prominent Shoulder and Sway back adjustments
Eliminated the shoulder pads. I didn't think I needed them.
I made a belt with bow.

BTW- Oops, not the best picture this time and the sleeve is tucked in a little.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, I plan to make a "winter" version, long sleeve. Yes, I do recommend it to others.

Conclusion: This is an easy dress pattern that is fashionable. If this is a style of dress that is appealing to you, try it. That's it, that's all.

Happy Sewing!
C

The Viking Gems - Designer Topaz

When a sewing machines is called a gem stone, is that enough to make you pause? Well I paused for several moments to hear and see what the Husqvarna Viking dealer had to say about the Viking gems. Last week, I had an opportunity to preview the Viking Designer Topaz 200, 300 and the Ruby. These beautiful machine are as pricey as the name sake, ranging from $2,500 to $5,500.

For months, I've been needing a new sewing machine and for years I have wanted an embroidery machine. The brilliant sparkle and fire of these stones left me wanting, no, needing to own one of them. What beauty. what features. Who could ask for more? I want one.

After leaving the store still on cloud nine, I thought, "Be reasonable. That is, too much money to pay for a sewing machine. There are five things I need in the same price range." Today I still want it. That is the Topaz 300. Do any of you own a Viking gem?

For those of you who want to know more about the "Gems", here is a link to the site: Explore the Topaz.

Happy Sewing!
C

Little Lady in White - S2588

Sunday was the climax of our Annual Men and Women's Conference, "An Image to Uphold", Genesis 1:26. My little lady gave the morning service welcome address. The women dressed in white or off white. I made DD's dress using S2588. If you recall, I used the same pattern for her Easter dress back in April. The only difference is I used the flared skirt instead. The dress looked a little plain without some type of embellishment. So I added a wide belt with a floral accent.

This dress is made of monece polyester satin from Fishman's Fabric. This fabric is easy to handle. I used a sharp needle (size 12).

Here is the process for making flowers.









Next, I post my review of B5520.