V1216 - Asymmetrical Jacket

I really like the design of this jacket. The back has a dramatic affect. The center back piece is triangle shape that starts at the base of the neck. There are side slits (right side has buttons and left side has buttonholes). I didn't do a FBA, because there is enough style ease to compensate. This jacket reminds me of a poncho shawl combo with sleeves.

This photo was taken at the garment review on March 26, 2011. I call this the upside down jacket because the sleeve design appears to be upside down. When I put it on, it almost feels like I'm putting it on upside down. Chuckle, chuckle.

Anyway, Sandra Young was the inspiration for making this piece for the show. And I'm glad I did. It went together with no problems. It's very comfortable and stylish. Something a little different to add to the wardrobe.

Review:

Vogue 1216

Featured in - Dr. Zhivago segment

Pattern Description: MISSES' JACKET AND PANTS: Very loose-fitting, unlined jacket has patch pockets, extended side back cut-in-one with turn back collar, sleeves are turned back (forming cuffs), wrong side will show. Pull-on pants have unfinished straight leg and elastic waist casing, above ankle length.

Pattern Sizing: sizes 10-22; I used size 14.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Pretty easy to follow. No problems.

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

Fabric Used: Boiled Wool from Mood Fabric. This online fabric store has beautiful fabric. Check it out.


Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I added two inches to the length.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes. My sister would like one. Yes. I do recommend this pattern.

Conclusion: This is an easy pattern to sew. It only took me about three hours to sew it together. Easy pattern, great style.

BWOF 10-2010-128 - My First Garment on the Runway

This is the first of several reviews of the Haute Couture Fashion show 2011 garments made by yours truly. First, I'd like to say it was wonderful participating in the fashion show this year. It allowed me the opportunity to experience the formal steps involved in getting my creation on the runway.




Last fall, my sister and I sat down to look at possible fashion show outfits. This Burda dress was one choice we thought would be great for the show. It had incredible lines and gave me a chance to use something from my many, many BWOF magazines. I started on the dress in January.

My first challenge with this garment was tracing all of those pieces. Man o man. This step took a lot of time. The second challenge arose when it didn't fit. Burda magazine patterns run are larger than the big four. Ie., McCalls 12 is Burda 10. Finally, I tried tracing a smaller size and re-cutting the pieces of the dress. Here is the review.

Featured in - Out of Africa segment

Pattern Description: funnel neck knit dress with side panels and flared sleeves.

Pattern Sizing: sizing 72 - 88. You know BWOF has some special sizes for tall or petite pattern. The size I eventually selected was equivalent to size 10.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, but the sides in the magazine appeared to be more tapered at the waist. I think Rosy said that Burda probably had the dress pinned at the back to give the tapered silhouette.


Were the instructions easy to follow? Well, the instructions were typical Burda instructions. Several bloggers helped me with interpreting the instructions. Thank you, guys! See this post for details.

More details can be found here.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? Sis, DD and I liked everything about it. The style of the dress and the two-tone, two textures. I can't say I have any dislikes. I had a little trouble with sizing and construction of the two textures, but no real quarrel with the dress.

Fabric Used: Faux suede and a stable knit from Hancock. Both fabrics handled well.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I didn't have to alter any of the pattern pieces, which was nice. The only change I made was using faux suede instead of leather.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes. My daughter and sister want would like this dress in another color. And instead of faux suede, they want leather.

Conclusion: This is a very unique dress that will definitely get a lot of attention. It looks complicated, but it was easy to sew once I got past the challenges. It’s a great look. Try it.



Here is my flickr set on this project.

Haute Couture Club Fashion Show 2011 - Big Success!

I'm back! The fashion show was outstanding! Hooray for Hollywood was our theme this year. The segments included: Out of Africa, Wall Street, Dr. Zhivago, Going My Way, American Beauty, Around The World in 80 Days, My Fair Lady, Some Like It Hot, Devil Wears Prada, Breakfast at Tiffany (LBD's), The Time Machine, and The Red Carpet.

The spectators were excited and awed by the designs. With more than 90 garments in the lineup the creative ladies really strutted their stuff down the runway with pride. There was a little bit of everything, from classic sophistication to Nouveau riche chic. All in all a great show.




What made this show extra special for me was Ann, Liana, Kay, Nancy , and Patti Ferguson were there. It was wonderful to have these special ladies in the house. Jackie Hamb was also in attendance accompanied by her daughters. Sadly, I didn't have a chance to chat with her.

I thank you all for coming to the show. Next year... Yes I'm already thinking about next year. I'm encouraging you to attend. You'll like it. wink, wink. While in Chicago, take a look around. It's beautiful. There are countless restaurants, museums, clubs, and theatres to enjoy. Some of them are even free on certain days, so make it a mini vacation.

Now I can start to review my fashion show garments. I had a total of eight, six new and two I made before 2011.

Stay Tuned!

Happy Sewing,
C

After the Fashion Show - A Few Things For Me

I'm get ready to make some for me. Fabric and patterns are selected and organized. I really like the color trend for this spring. My new wardrobe will include blue, fuscia, putty, charcoal, lime green, and red for starters. Here are a few things I plan to sew:



This beautiful marine blue silk (New Rainbow Fabrics) was selected for view B of Simplicity 2338.

Fuscia is very popular this year and one of my favorite colors. So I making Simplicity 2337 out of this nice lightweight wool (New Rainbow Fabrics).

I wanted something mint green, but only found some lime green fabric that I liked. Both fabrics are cotton/linen blends from JoAnn's Home Dec department. I've already preshrunk them. They have a soft hand, really nice fabric. I'm making the dress and jacket of Butterick 5471.

Using the same Butterick pattern, I plan to make three pairs of slacks and one jacket from the fabric below (Vogue Fabrics, poly/wool blend). The color may not display well. All are pinstriped: putty and cream, heather grey and grey, and charcoal and tan.

This bright red wool comes from New Rainbow Fabrics on Roosevelt. I'm making the dress from Vogue 1100.

I have several more things on the list for spring and summer. I don't know how much I will finish, but this is the start of my spring/summer wardrobe.

Happy Sewing!

C

Stylish Blogger Award

Two fabulous ladies gave me an award. Thank you Faye and Myra. Both ladies make awesome, inspiring garments. In the tradition of accepting an award, I'm supposed to tell something about myself (7 things) and share the award with other "Stylish" bloggers (15).

About me:

I think my blog says a lot about me, especially the things I love to do and make.

1. I'm a follower of Christ. My faith is very important to me. God is...

2. Family and friends... What can I say? I love my people and respect our differences. That's what makes us interesting.

3. Sewing is my number one hobby. I love it. Sewing is in my roots. I started sewing at 10. During the past years, I've seen a tremendous improvement in my skill and technique.

4. Travelling is fun. I like visiting different lands and experiencing their cultures.

5. I live a full life. I stay busy, sometimes too busy. I'm a hard worker and passionate about the things that I do. In the words of my dad, "I'd rather wear out than rust out."

6. I love science. The earth, the land, the trees, the people and the animals are interesting. I love learning about the composition of things, how they work, etc. Yep, I'm a little nerdy.

And...

7. Cooking... I love preparing and sharing food. It is the catalyst for so many of our social events. It's so fun to share good food with friends and family.

Those are my seven things. Now to share this award with the beautiful ones. Not sure if the award has been shared with all my favorite bloggers. It's okay to give it to people who have already received it. So here goes:

Ms. Rhonda Buss, Rhonda's Creative Life
A Sewn Wardrobe
Ms. Gwen, All My Seams
Ms. Allison, Allison.C Sewing Gallery
Ms. Kimberlee Brown, Kopy Kat-Kim
Ms. Linda, Danville Girl
Ms. Amanda S., Amanda's Adventures In Sewing
Ms. Carolyn Norman, Diary of a Sewing Fanatic
Ms. Diana, Diana Sew Passionista by Diana
Ms. Erica B., Erica B.'s - DIY Style!
Ms. Ann Steeves, Gorgeous Things Blog
Ms. Nancy K., Nancy K. Sews
Ms Summerset, Pins and Needles
Ms. Audrey, Sew Tawdry
Ms. Sheila Powell, Sheilaz-CTK


and of course, my DD:

Ms. Lauren, Mahogany Blossoms

That's was so hard. Because there are many, many more "Stylish Bloggers" that I love to read and provide a great source of inspiration for me.

Happy Sewing!
Cennetta

Haute Couture Club - Fashion Show Garment Review

On Saturday, my sister, daughter and I met with the garment review committee for the Haute Couture Club Fashion show. The review consisted of photos (front, back and side), completion of a form, and a critique of the garment. The judges were very thorough paying close attention to the seams, hem and alignment of focus points in the garment. It was great having someone else take a close look at the clothes I made. Photographed is my sister wearing a dress made using B5277. The fabric is silk dupioni. The dress was simple so I wanted to add some special detail to it. I hand picked to zipper and added seed beads. Also, DD made the broach (not shown)for a touch of jewelry.

Now I have a few minor changes on some of the garments. And I need to sew garment #7; then bring it to the final review later this month.

That's all for now.

Happy Sewing!
C

PS - Rhonda Buss was having her garments reviewed as well. Man-o-man! She has some FABULOUS outfits.

Spreading It Thin - Update on Fashion Show Activities

My, my, my!! Spreading it thin is how I have been living lately.

I'm almost finished with the five "new" dresses for the fashion show. Tomorrow is the garment review. We have to bring in the garments, shoes, and other accessories. If someone is modeling the garment other than the sewist, they must come too. The session includes putting on the outfit and taking a picture. So that means my sister and daughter will also come.

I had planned to make a jacket as well, but I ordered the fabric too late. I'm still waiting for it. I hope it comes today.

My sister said, "You should stop posting about the progress of the fashion show garments. Everyone will see your entries." So I haven't posted any updates. I have finished the Burda dress and two LBD's. The red and black dress for DD is almost done. The black and purple mylar dot dress is nearly done as well.

In the midst of the fashion show garments, I have managed to get three client projects. The first is a dress for Ms. Paulette Bell; the muslin is done and fitted, but I can't think about it until I get the show clothes done. Also I have two vests for another client. On top of that, I need to call a few people who want clergy robes. ..., Oh yeah, my cousin asked me to make her a coat, like the black simplicity coat I made winter 2009.

Last week I started feeling a little selfish because I haven't sewn anything for myself. Spring is coming and I still have several things cut for winter that I don't want to leave undone. But spring is coming! I picked up my Cadena magazine last week. It's loaded with inspiration. I already know that I will make something coral, mint green, and yellow.

So this post only has one photo. The back of the Burda dress.

Happy Sewing!
C