Style and Substance - A Peaceful Coexistence!

In today's Washington Post Jeanne McManus offers up her thoughts about the "politics of fashion". Here are a couple of excerpts:

"The clothes she wears are a means of self-expression. So why can't we appreciate that particular form of her expression as well as her many others?"

"The first lady is a composite; she is not getting attention solely for her clothes. To give Michelle Obama her due, can't we acknowledge that by mentioning her speech and, in the same breath, noting the smart white collar and cuffs on the outfit she wore to the Education Department.

Click on Ms Obama's photo to read the entire piece.

Next Up! The Pressure is On!

If I post it --- I will sew it!!!

Here's my latest challenge from my American Sewing Guild crew - I asked my ASG crew to choose a design for me to complete this season from four looks that I offered up. This is the inspiration they chose (I love Michael):

The fabric and the pattern are below. The original design features a cap sleeved vest/jacket. I decided that I would get much more wear from a cap sleeved dress with a sleeveless vest - - artistic license???? The original pattern I chose was McCall's 5466. Good fortune was tracking with me last week. Just before I was about to cut out the garment I happened upon "The Slapdash Sewist" and saw this post "McCall's 5466 Pleat Neck Buyer Beware" ! Talk about good karma!



I'm still searching for the vest pattern. And, oh yea, divine intervention for a pristine welt pocket!!!

Tonight I am diving into the project with a 'muslin' from this robin's egg blue herringbone tweed that I purchased in NYC three years ago. I bought FIVE yards of this fabric - what was I thinking????




Okay then - - - - take a seat and start to sew - D*$& it!

2009 – The Year of the Dress

Not certain why but I am loving wearing dresses to work lately. I sort of went through the Katharine Hepburn period the last 2 years with lots of slacks and sweaters and jackets. I think the turn came when I purchased a great JCrew dress on sale – a sort of retro 1950’s style cotton voile dress that lots of folks commented on and that I really love to wear! And with Michelle Obama in the house - there is dress inspiration EVERYWHERE!

So, the search for the dress patterns began! A couple of wonderful friends gave me some terrific vintage patterns that I promise to use soon; however, the problem with vintage patterns is that the cut of the patterns is very different from current patterns and I will have to spend a fair amount of time “altering and muslining” those garments!

So enter McCall’s 5576. - - - my, Lauren’s and Barb’s love of Michael Kors steered me there! Here we are in Nicaragua - Lauren is wearing the MK blouse that was worn by all of us at some point during the trip!!!

The pattern turned out to be a great purchase. It's the same pattern I used for my OBAMA MAMA dress – except, for the Obama creation, I omitted the zipper and I used a smaller sized pattern --- it fit wonderfully.



But I digress! Here's the finished product – on the dress form and live in person!

The fabric is a medium to heavy weight knit - a wonderful hand and really easy to work with!

The yoke is Dupioni silk. I love that fabric!

The sleeves are lined! Instant volume and stature and sooooo easy!


I have a couple of additional cuts of fabric that will definitely have a second life as this dress!

Eden Couture – Me of Little Faith!

Here's a shout out to Mariangela and her team at Eden Couture.

Mariangela, a friend of my friend Linda – one of my G-burg pals, used to live in DC where she was a stylist at the Four Seasons. She was transplanted to NYC/No. NJ and started Eden Couture. I’ll let you take a look at her website – Eden Couture – to better explain her approach to fashion, design and marketing (although having just re-looked at the site I will say that the garments that she brought to DC were much more stylish than some of the ones she has on the website - hopefully she'll include some of the cute samples she brought with her to DC in her on-line collection). A Palisades couple hosted one of her design events, so (for Linda) I went - plus I needed a new white blouse anyway (I really am not a big fan of sewing blouses - Grrr). Mariangela arrived and carried in about 40 samples (in sizes from 4 to 12). The scoop – you try on a garment, you like it, she takes a ton of measurements, and her team makes you a custom garment fit to your measurements - all reasonably priced - VOILE! Too good to be true? Honestly, I admit to having that thought! So with blind faith (and knowing that Linda wouldn't steer me wrong!) I chose two garments, was measured, wrote a check and waited!

And then they arrived - a well fitting white dress blouse with great ruching details on the cuffs and collar and a linen tunic to die for!!!


This ruching is a design element that I will definitely use on blouses I construct or refashion.



By the way, my friend Gina purchased a jacket and a white tunic and is equally pleased with her garments!!!

Thanks Mariangela and good luck Eden Couture!

I Need a New Pair of Pants – So I Took the Plunge!!!

I love wide leg pants, always have/forever – even when they are not in style! Sigh! So when the wide-legged window opened I jumped through and stitched up a pair with Vogue 8131 using a lightweight men’s suiting in a grey Glen plaid. The fabric is a great color and weight. I have, and will continue to, get a lot of wear out of these slacks!

I like the finished product – they fit well with nearly zero adjustments to the pattern, are WIDE, and have a unique element at the cuff. My only issue is that they have a HIGH waist and WIDE waistband – which are both totally acceptable design elements but you need to be a size (-)1 to pull off that look! Otherwise I love these slacks!

The fabric was great to work with and the plaids lined up beautifully

High waist and wide waistband!

I love the BIG DEEP cuff detailing!

The Longest Gestation Coat in the History of Sewing.....

Last November (I cannot believe it was that long ago!) I posted a desperate appeal to my fellow sewists to help me shake a seemingly terminal case of sewist's block (Rescue Me From A Bad Case of Designer’s Block!). I finally finished the garment THIS September and have worn it all season long. The design/pattern (Vogue 1064) that Alisa suggested was spot on and I have gotten a lot of compliments on the garment - primarily because of the FABULOUS needle-felted wool from Mood Fabrics in NYC!

Good things really do come to those who wait (or are REALLY late)!!!!!

Lining details

You Da Mom!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

The most important woman in my life turns 86 today! WOOOOO HOOOO!!

Alas, what do you give a woman who has everything? Faced with that reality and a pledge to try to make as many gifts as possible this year (and beyond) I headed into my sewing room to think! And sitting there on top of one of my many " stacks of stuff" was a beautiful hank of hand-dyed and handspun wool that my mom had gifted to me last summer after she and my niece, E, visited the artisan's farm and studio! Voile - the makings of a heartfully-made gift! Hope you enjoy the pillow, Mom - I loved making it for you!!!!

Mom (showing off her daughter's latest creation), Edie Rokus (another incredible woman - - the one who taught me to sew), and me during a visit to Edie's house in Virginia!

The gift - a knitted panel made from hand-dyed and spun wool backed with a beautiful violet/blue and gold iridescent velvet - yummy.

The wool and tools!

The blocked square panel.

I interfaced the wool panel to reduce stretching and wear-and-tear.

Attaching the velvet backing. I love, love, love velvet but it is sometimes pesky to work with!

All finished and ready to be packed up for the trip south with XXOO!!!

I'm a Katharine and I am so HAPPY

I am procrastinating before I get started on my long overdue Guild challenge garment so I took Gorgeous Things Ann's suggestion and took this two question quiz to check my "icon alignment"....

Looks like I know where my wardrobe is headed - just when I thought it was going to be a Michelle Obama dress year!!!!

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Katharine!

You are a Katharine -- "I am happy and open to new things"

Katharines are energetic, lively, and optimistic. They want to contribute to the world.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Give me companionship, affection, and freedom.
• * Engage with me in stimulating conversation and laughter.
• * Appreciate my grand visions and listen to my stories.
• * Don't try to change my style. Accept me the way I am.
• * Be responsible for youself. I dislike clingy or needy people.
• * Don't tell me what to do.

What I Like About Being a Katharine

• * being optimistic and not letting life's troubles get me down
• * being spontaneous and free-spirited
• * being outspoken and outrageous. It's part of the fun.
• * being generous and trying to make the world a better place
• * having the guts to take risks and to try exciting adventures
• * having such varied interests and abilities

What's Hard About Being a Katharine

• * not having enough time to do all the things I want
• * not completing things I start
• * not being able to profit from the benefits that come from specializing; not making a commitment to a career
• * having a tendency to be ungrounded; getting lost in plans or fantasies
• * feeling confined when I'm in a one-to-one relationship

Katharines as Children Often

• * are action oriented and adventuresome
• * drum up excitement
• * prefer being with other children to being alone
• * finesse their way around adults
• * dream of the freedom they'll have when they grow up

Katharines as Parents

• * are often enthusiastic and generous
• * want their children to be exposed to many adventures in life
• * may be too busy with their own activities to be attentive

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

The Inaugural Dress

OH - BAMA!!!

Well, I think it's fitting that my first post, after a VERY long drought, is to celebrate the Inauguration!

I don't have much time to write as we are headed to the concert (with 750,00 of our closest friends!) but I wanted to share the dress (although my spouse continues to call it a costume!) that I made for J & J's "unofficial inaugural gala"!

I re-fashioned it from a XXXL commemorative T-shirt - using some dupioni silk that I had in my fabric stash for the yoke and sleeves. McCall's pattern - M5576 was my base pattern and tweaked it as I worked!

A great way to start an historic weekend!!!



YES WE CAN!!!