A Visit to Portland OR

Last weekend, I headed up to Portland for a meet up with several delightful ladies for a weekend of fashion, food, and fun! I really needed a break and this getaway really hit the spot for me

First up, some shopping. Georgene and I headed off to the Pendleton Woolen Mill Store, the one with actual fabrics, located at 8500 SE McLoughlin Blvd. We both did a lot of damage to our wallets there! Following are some of the goodies I picked up.

Silk prints,

cotton shirting,

a remnant of Pendleton's signature wool,

and notions. Clockwise are felt binding, faux suede binding, and denim piping.

The fabrics were precut and discounted from the prices on the labels. In addition, I picked up a scarf that you'll see later. Definitely worth the taxi fare.

After Pendleton, we met with the rest of the group as they were finishing lunch at Habibi, a Lebanese place. I shared a few bites and it was fabulous, yum!

After, some of us headed to saysay, a nearby boutique. I picked up a pair of tights (which I forgot to photograph--trust me, they're cute!). I also got a wonderful handbag that can be worn two ways. Here's the bag all together.

The inner bag can also be worn by itself with a shoulder strap.

The scarf in the above pictures is the cotton scarf I got at Pendleton. I love the Pacific Northwest Native American design of hummingbirds.

But we weren't done yet! Off to Nordstrom Rack, where we had to look at (and buy) shoes. These are the ones I got. This pair was marked "Brookline" on the tag, a brand I'm not familiar with, but I did like the Fluvog/Tsubo look. They are also surprisingly comfortable.

The other pair is Bernie Mev, which I've liked since seeing Shams' pair last year in Santa Fe. Very light and comfortable. All those strips are elastic. 

After a brief respite at our home away from home, Hotel DeLuxe, we headed out for an Italian dinner at Piattino in the Pearl District. I think we overwhelmed the place, but we had a great time as you can see. Mardel, Liana, Jan, me, Rosie, Ann, Margy, Patti, Shams, and Georgene.

Saturday and breakfast at Cheryl's on 12th.  A hearty, delicicious breakfast and lots of coffee prepared us for our journey into fashion at ...

the Portland Art Museum! We arrived before it opened and had some time to explore the sculpture garden. Margy and Shams with a sculpture that matched their ensembles.

And then the doors opened for the show,

The exhibit was a very comprehensive review of Italian fashion, with several galleries over 2 floors. Alas, no photos allowed inside, but the catalog arrived Saturday (yay!).

Of course, more shopping around after the museum. We all wound up at the Button Emporium, since pretty much all of us sew. It's a very well stocked place, but it made me realize that I already have a lot of buttons. I really couldn't choose and left without buying, although I did like browsing.

Jan and I broke off from the group when we noticed a "boutique" Goodwill nearby (838 10th Avenue). I bought an Eileen Fisher cardigan and a dupioni top from Chico's. I liked the concept and hope Albuquerque will open one of these soon. Yes, the items are a bit more expensive, but worth not having to hunt through racks and racks of clothes to find one nice thing.

After changing for dinner, we headed to Josephine's. It's a re-boot of the the venerable Portland fabric store that closed in 2013. The new store is in D Street Village and has a well-curated selection of fabrics. Below are Liana and Margy checking out the goods.

I bought a yard of Liberty Tana Lawn cotton that I fell in love with. Now I know why people go nuts for it. This print is called "Anna's Garden."

Next up, dinner at PokPok, a Thai restaurant. It's very popular but somehow Shams managed to get reservations for us! Here's Jan, me, Georgene, Ann, Patti, Mardel, and Liana.

Mardel and Liana again, Rosie, Shams, and Margy's(?) hand.

Interesting food and delicious drinks.

Since Ann, Georgene, Shams, and Rosie were leaving on Sunday, we did a show and tell after dinner with all our goodies. The front part of this pile is mine (yikes).

We had a farewell breakfast Sunday morning at the hotel's restaurant, Gracie's. Mardel, Liana, Jan and I went to Knit Purl. I didn't get anything since I'm "World's Slowest Knitter" and had already bought so much stuff, but it was a lovely store. Afterwards, we had dessert at Petunia's. I admit that I didn't have high hopes for a vegan and gluten free bakery, but the food was remarkably good! I had pie, a sliver of Mardel's cake, and a spoonful of Jan's mac and cheese.

We took in a movie since Dior and I was showing locally. It's a documentary of Raf Simon's first collection for the House of Dior, and quite good. We all appreciated that so much attention was given to the staff who make those beautiful couture garments.

One last meal, back at the hotel since we were all pretty tired at this point. Thanks Driftwood Lounge for having wonderful burgers and other items that we could make a meal of. And here we are: me, Margy, Mardel, Liana, Jan, and Patti!

Thanks to Patti and Shams for "herding cats" and putting this weekend together! And thanks to all who attended--Ann, Georgene, Jan, Liana, Rosie, Mardel, Margy, and Patti! I loved being with each and every one of you.

Other posts about our Portland weekend--Shams (here), Margy (here), and Mardel (here and here).

The SewWest Closet

I'm trying to catch up with some garment pictures on me for a change. I'd like you to have some idea of my style and how I put things together, as well as the latest items hot of the machine. Until I come up with something better, I'm labeling those posts as "The SewWest Closet." Not very original but it is what it is

DH got me a new tripod round Christmas, which I accessorized with a camera phone mount and a bluetooth remote shutter. So yes, now I'm taking blog photos with my iPhone. I play around with my photos after the fact on my laptop or in Instagram. But until I break down and get a "good" camera, that's what I'm doing.

I still have my point and shoot but I got it just before bluetooth became common. So it's not so good for selfies, even with a tripod. It has its place because it still does a good job with still shots and macros.

The first of the series will be up soon, so keep an eye out for it. I may also go back and label some of my older posts as well--no promises but that's the plan.

This and That

I'm in between major projects right now, but still keeping busy in the Cave.

DH talked me into alterations and mending on a couple pairs of his motorcycle pants. One pair done, and one to go. The alterations consist of adding some room by adding a wedge of fabric to the center back (both are the same style). Mending is fixing a zipper on one and replacing the hook fastener on the other. Only for my husband!

I cut out a couple more pairs of the TNT pajama pants (McCall's 2476)  late last year and have sewed up both of them as of this weekend.  Here's the pattern, which is out of print, I think. However, there are lots of pajama patterns out there and all of them are similar.

Here's a photo of the latest ones. Yes, folded. You know what pajama pants look like, so this is more to show the prints.

I used "quilter's" cotton for these, which is a nice weight for lounging and sleeping. I used to make flannel ones, but they're too warm to sleep in. These sew up pretty quickly because I've made so many. Instant gratification and a good way to use some of the wilder cotton prints I have. I think both of these came from Nob Hill Fabrics. If you're visiting Albuquerque and looking for souvenir fabrics to take home, Liz's store is a good one to look into. 

I also just completed a crochet project. I don't pull out the hooks often, but it's nice to make something from time to time. Plus, I can work on it while hanging out at home without having to be in the Cave. I learned how when I was in junior high with guidance from my grandma and one of my teachers (thank you Mrs. Penn!). This latest project is a scarf that I found on the Moogly blog, called the Chevron Lace Infinity Scarf. The yarn is just Red Heart, but I loved the Monet color scheme when I saw it. The photo below shows it looped twice around the neck.

I'm pretty happy with how it came out although I found the instructions a little hard to follow. I'm thinking about making the matching fingerless mitts too (so I guess the pattern wasn't that hard to follow!).

One of my latest projects is the result of the Ugly Fabric Challenge sponsored by the ASG chapter here in Albuquerque. My fabric is a beige stretch cotton bottom weight. Let's just say it's not my best color.

There's a lot of it, so I'll be muslining pants and attempting to compete one "real" pair.  I'm currently trying to narrow down the patterns I've pulled from my collection. Any leftover fabric after the challenge will be used for the First Day of School project that we've done for the past couple of years. The fabric is heavy enough for kids' pants.

Another of my latest projects is also related to ASG. We are one of the sponsoring guilds of the biannual Fiber Arts Fiesta, so we need to make some little goodies for a charity fundraiser at the event. I have been going through my Pinterest and the pattern collection to come up with some ideas for quick and cute things to make. I know, charity sewing, but my "selfish sewist" goal is to use up many of the scraps that are taking over my sewing space.

Two Weekends, Three Skirts

I've been on a bit of a roll for the last couple of weekends and now I have something to show for it. I always enjoy wearing skirts when the weather gets warm. Although it has been a rainy and cool Memorial Day weekend, temperatures will be rising soon! Sorry for all the hanger shots--it's unseasonably cold and dreary today so I was in no mood to pose outside or even fool with the dress form on the patio. Hopefully later.

Skirt 1: 

This one is made from an old Sewing Workshop favorite, the Sandra Betzina Wrap Skirt. I've made several versions of this skirt in the past, and surprisingly, it's still in print.

The original skirt is quite long, so I shortened it several inches. One thing I like about this pattern is how it isn't a true wrap. The front (called Skirt Left Front on the pattern piece) and back are attached at both side seams; the wrap front (called Skirt Right Front) is actually an overlay. As a result, this skirt is much less risky to wear out in the wind. Here's what the front pattern piece looks like:

Here's how it looks when sewn:

The fabric is a poly matte jersey from Fashion Fabrics Club that's been in the stash for several years. I had enough left for another Kwik Sew 2565 T-shirt. It's all cut out and ready to be sewn, so then I'll have separates that I can mix and match with other pieces in my wardrobe.

Skirt 2:

This is another old favorite, the LJ Designs Asymmetrical Skirt. I've made several of these in the past, but I had put it away for quite a while. It's still available through the website.

This is another long skirt, even with the shorter pattern piece I used this time. The pattern is one panel that is cut into eight gores. The version I made results in a scalloped edge, which results if you cut 4 gores with the pattern facing up and four with the pattern facing down. I'm not sure if you can really see the scallop in the picture above, so here's another shot with the hem spread out:

There's also a sawtooth edged version that results if you cut all the gores with the pattern piece right side up. Here's what the pattern piece looks like:

The fabric is a red print crinkle rayon that came to me free via Material Girls. I received an entire bolt at March's meeting. I decided on a gored skirt to break up the print because it is quite vivid, not quite as much as in the photos, but still...I have more but may re-donate it. It's pretty memorable and I don't see making a top out of it.

Skirt 3:

The last skirt is Simplicity 2416, a newer pattern that I made last fall out of some Kaffe Fassett rayon. I checked the Simplicity website just now, and it's also still in print.

The view I made is the four gore skirt with an overlay (the light green version illustrated in the top row of the envelope). The print I used is a wild rayon challis that I found at Fabric Mart last year. Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fanatic made a dress out of it which you can see on her site.

Unfortunately, my piece had flaws in the weave that I didn't fully notice until the gores were cut out, so the skirt has a few. On the plus side, the overlay had not been cut when I discovered the flaws, so it got cut from a good section which covers most of them. The rest were on a busy area of the print so I used some Fray Block and hoped for the best. I do like the print, which is the only reason I didn't toss the whole thing out. Annoying, and I'll be more observant of anything I buy from there in the future.

Fiberly Train to Santa Fe, Part One

If you read Facebook, you probably already know that I was in Santa Fe last weekend with several wonderful women (and my DH, who joined us for some of our activities). Some I already knew in real life, others I felt like I knew from the world of blogging.

The first to arrive was Sharon (or shams as she is known on her blog, Communing with Fabric). She arrived on Wednesday due to a scheduling glitch and spent the night at Casa DaQ. What a delight to finally meet her in person! I took her to the airport on Thursday so she could meet her roommate (Margy of A Fool for Fabric) and arrange for their rental car. But of course, we had to fabric shop first! We stopped by Nob Hill Fabrics and found some wonderful fabrics.

I'll leave it to Sharon to post her finds, but here are mine:

On the left, devore silk chiffon. On the right, a colorful linen print.

The historical La Fonda on the Plaza was our hotel for the weekend. I'm happy to report that the recent renovations have not spoiled its charm. The rooms are are still lovely, but upgraded. The most obvious changes were the new bathrooms, closet space, and carpet. The concierge told me that the rooms were taken back to the studs during renovations; you would never know. My room was on the 5th floor with a view of the Loretto Chapel next door:

Loretto Chapel

Once we got settled in, we headed over to Santa Fe Fabrics (twice!) for more fabric shopping. It's a smallish store but has a wonderful selection of fabric. Here I am with Liana of the Sew Intriguing blog, working out one of the store's samples:

I picked out a couple more selections while there:

On the left, a soft cotton print. On the right, fleece

Our group arrived at various times. Sharon, Margy, Liana,  Jan (no blog), and I arrived on Thursday. Patti (no blog), Ann (owner of Gorgeous Fabrics and its blog), and DH arrived on Friday. We window shopped around the Plaza and had a late lunch at the Thunderbird Grill. It's located on the second floor of its building with a great view of the Plaza and the Cathedral:

A view of the Plaza from the Thunderbird's balcony

That evening, off to the Coyote Cafe. Very fancy!

Saturday, we were mostly on our own. More shopping and dining. Back to Santa Fe Fabrics, with a detour to the Outlet Mall with Liana and Jan.  And lunch at Osteria d'Assisi for a delicious Italian repast:

From left: Liana, Sharon, Ann, Margy, me, and Jan 

In the evening, we visited the Cantina at La Casa Sena for a delicious dinner and entertainment. The staff performs Broadway show tunes in between waiting tables. What fun! We headed back to the hotel to hang out at the La Fiesta Lounge, its venerable bar. We spent the rest of the evening chatting and enjoying each other's company.

Sisters from Different Mothers: me. Liana, Patti, Ann, Sharon, Margy, and Jan

Ann, Sharon, Margy, and Jan

Me and Liana

What a special time for all of us.

And that takes us through Saturday, but I'll post more on the rest of the weekend later.

Sewing for Mary Bridge

I did some charitable sewing recently for a project Rhonda Buss is putting together. She kindly featured my contribution on her blog recently. Here are some pictures that I took while packing up the pillowcases. Most of the fabrics are either leftovers from previous projects (see if you recognize any!). I supplemented them with fabrics from the stash. 

Face it, most of us have too much fabric anyway so this was an excellent opportunity to cull out some fabrics that were unlikely to be sewn up anytime soon. I estimate I used up around 17 yards for all of these.

This is the second time I've made pillowcases for charity. The last time was a service project for the ASG Conference that was held in Albuquerque a few years ago.

Rhonda still needs a few more pillowcases to reach her goal, so if you'd like a quick and easy sewing project for a good cause, consider making a few. Here's a link to more information.