Fabrics for the BIG Project, Plus Others

The fabrics from Gorgeous Fabrics came yesterday, and they are indeed gorgeous! These are the wedding dress fabrics, first the mesh:



and this is the ivory twill. Not much to see in a photo but it really is beautiful.



The color is lighter in real life.

Duchesse asked how the fabrics will be combined in the dress. I haven't read the instructions all the way through, but my first impression is that they are basically layered together and treated as one fabric during construction. That means I need more ivory silk in a lining weight, oh well.

Of course, I saw some other pretties that I had to have. The next two have nothing to do with the wedding, I just thought they were too nice to pass up. Both are silk chiffon.

The ecru and lavender is actually a border print with a gradient band of lavender along one selvedge. It's very sheer so I'm not exactly how I'll use it, but I do love it.


This one is cheerful and pretty, not as sheer as the other one.

First Day of Spring

...and we had snow! The sun is peeking out, so hopefully things will return to normal soon. I'm looking forward to wearing some of these soon. Can you tell I'm suffering from spring fever?

6pm.com (Zappo's outlet site) recently had a sale on Clarks, which are a favorite brand since they fit me so well. So I splurged on 3 pair. I also got a pair of Bandolino sandals (second from left). They're the same as a pair I bought last year except brown instead of black. I'm really looking forward to the weather warming up a little more so I can wear my new goodies! Clarks has really stepped up its game with regard to styling over the past couple of years, so these are both comfortable and cute! The Bandolinos, not so much, although they're ok. Basically, they're clogs. The straps are adjustable, a bonus for my narrow feet.

I've been suffering a little bit with spring hayfever, so I'm planning on taking it easy this weekend. After the last 2 weekends, I'm happy to be at home with no real agenda. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I have enough energy to work in the sewing room. I recently got Louise Cutting's new pattern, Hearts a Flutter, and I really want to give the shell top a try:

I'm not sure that the overblouse will work for me and my lifestyle, but I can always use a good shell!

More Vera Wang

The rest of the Vera Wang fabric I ordered arrived on Tuesday. More beautiful, interesting and surprising fabrics.


The amber brocade is another large scale floral print. The fabric itself is similar to the lavender floral I got in the previous shipment. On first glance, it reminded me of 1970's fiberglass drapes, but it's growing on me. I'm thinking of making a pencil skirt from it.


The other brocade I got was the one Vera used for this skirt. I love it! The colors are gorgeous and rich, and the fabric softened and texturized after a trip through the washer and dryer (cold water wash and delicate dry cyle). Originally, I planned for this to be a skirt, but I've changed my mind. I think it would make a great little jacket.



I'd describe the fabric above as a jacquard taffeta. The circles are woven into the fabric. It washed and dried fine, but it does seem fairly water resistant. So it's going to be used with this pattern, the view with the hood:



This green is a stretch twill that will be perfect for pants and/or a skirt.



This fabric was the bulk of the order. It's a knit poly/lycra. I realize it doesn't look like much but it will be perfect as a lining for those tissue knits that are just a bit too sheer.

There was one last piece I didn't grab a picture of so that one will have to wait until I can photograph it. It may be my favorite of all, a "chiffon" with abstract blue flowers.

Vera Wang Fabrics (her loss is my gain)

Like many of my online friends on the sewing boards, I recently fell prey to the Fabric.com clearance of Vera Wang fabrics at $1.95 a yard. The first box arrived on Wednesday, and the second box will come later this week. I must have lost my mind because I have no room for all of it! Time to get busy, I guess.

This fabric became available due to the recent economic collapse. Remember the chaos in retail in 2008? High end stores dropped prices to 75% off before Christmas and cancelled as many orders as they could. Vera Wang's Lavender Label was one of the lines impacted. Most of her Fall 2008 and Resort 2009 collections did not get produced, and the fabrics were eventually liquidated as a result.

In June 2009, they showed up on-line, and I bought several pieces then--the more mainstream ones. Good stuff with prices in the $10 per yard range.

With the latest clearance, I bought some of the more "signature" pieces. I did an online search and found how they were used in the collections. Some of the fabrics are so unique I wasn't sure what they could be used for--lavender brocade with giant flowers, anyone?


photos courtesy Vera Wang.

Yep, that's one of the selections I bought. I'm not planning any line-by-line re-creations of Ms. Wang's looks, but now at least I have a clue. And that brocade with the giant flowers is growing on me.

Of course, that's just one of many, but I didn't think to save pictures of them all from Fabric.com. But I also got some of that navy fabric that's peeking out in the second photo, as well as some cobalt wool boucle that Ms. Wang made into this:

photo courtesy Style.com

Also tropical weight Ebony stretch wool, baltic blue matte jersey, and a non-VW print jersey. The next box has more brocades, chiffon, and dark green twill.

I am Enabled

Recently I learned that fabrics from the Fall 2009 Vera Wang Lavender Label Collection were available on Fabric.com. Another sign of the economy. Apparently many of the orders from this collection were cancelled after fabrics were already purchased and delivered. Fabric.com bought up the entire lot and is basically liquidating it all.

Of course, we sewists jumped on this opportunity, burning up message boards and blogs with the story, and firing up our plastic. And I was one of them, although I've already got way too much yardage. As the packages have arrived, there have been varying degrees of satisfaction with the quality. Eek! What would my order look like? I've been eagerly waiting for that package, wondering what my response would be...

Today the box came. And I love them. My order is relatively small (17 yards!) compared with some, 4 relatively conservative pieces--wool suitings and a double knit. Navy, charcoal, and a lavender "wild card" piece. My plan is to use them for work clothes.


Textured Wool Blend Suiting This photo is overexposed to show the texture, but the actual color of the wool is dark navy. Soft yet substantial, gorgeous.


Stretch Double Knit Suiting Not your mother's poly double knit. Very substantial for use as a bottom layer. The weight reminds me of ski pants.


Charcoal wool twill suiting. OMG, this is absolutely lovely.



Lavender Grid Wool Suiting The picture doesn't do this justice. A lovely wool suiting with a beautiful hand. The texture is smooth not raised as it appears in the photo.

I can tell that these will be a joy to sew. I'm tempted to go back and get more, but really, I have way too much fabric already and these are colors that will go with items already in my collection. Well, maybe not the lavender grid, but certainly everything else.

The quality is excellent for the price. The wools were $9.74 per yard and the PDK was $4.54 per yard. The widths are wide as well.

Photos courtesy of Fabric.com

Miscellany

I've continued to work on the pillowcases for Ronald McDonald House. I'm up to 19 now, and have used up over 26 yards of fabric. Here are the ones I've made since the last group:


I think that'll be it for pillowcases. I run through just about all the cottons that are appropriate for children, and I don't want to buy fabric especially for the project. It's been a great way to use up some fabrics, but it hasn't made much of a dent in my fabric collection. That wasn't really the purpose anyway.

I also got a couple of packages yesterday. One was from Textile Studios. Unfortunately, Marsha has decided to close down the fabric part of her business due to the economy, so this is my final order. I got two of the four that I wanted, but they're the two I wanted the most:



The gray floral is matte jersey from Ann Klein and the navy is rayon with a silky texture from Canvasbacks. I'm looking forward to making something from them. The quality is great, as always.

The other package came from DF. He was in New Jersey recently visiting his Mom, and one of his relatives gave him this custom made platter:


It's now decorating my kitchen. What a nice gesture!

Springtime has finally arrived in New Mexico. It has been an unusually cold spring, but I noticed that the cacti have started to bloom again. I actually noticed the first blooms on this one April 15, but didn't have a chance to take a picture until now.

Christmas Report

For the most part, this was a relaxing Christmas. I stayed at home this year--after the snow issues of 2006 and the plumbing issues of 2007, I decided not to risk a third year of Christmas Travel Fun. I did take 3 days of vacation in addition to the holiday--Friday was my only work day this week! Well, someone had to be in the office since the company was officially open. Things were extremely slow at the office, even though I did end up with 2 sales calls, one at my office the other at his.

I spent my mini-vacay mostly hanging out at home and running a Christmas-related errand or two. Like Monday. DF's main gift had arrived and was ready for installation: he bought winter tires and rims for my car. The Blizzaks are supposed to enable me to stop on ice, which is a regular feature of winter weather here in the high desert. I realize this is a thoughtful gift, but just a wee bit too practical.

The other gift was for both of us--he ordered wild Alaska salmon, shrimp, and king crab from FishEx. Yum. Through no fault of theirs, the fish was not delivered timely. FedEx had it on the truck on Christmas Eve but neglected to drop it off at my house. So, we are waiting for the replacement order to arrive on Tuesday. I was able to salvage the king salmon and the scallops (FishEx substituted them for the shrimp) and we'll eat them soon, but the crab got pitched.

My sister and brother-in-law sent some tops, all of which fit. My favorite is the Ralph Lauren silk/cashmere sweater on the right of the picture below. I love printed sweater knits, and this one is a subtle gray/olive/plum paisley. I wore it to work on Friday.



DF had to work at the hospital on Christmas Day, so I had the day to myself to sleep in and putter about the house. I actually did something sewing-related, cutting out a couple of patterns that I'm planning to start sewing up this weekend (more on that in other posts). For dinner, I made roast beef with roasted vegetables and my grandmother's heirloom Cranberry Salad recipe. Believe it or not, this was the first time I'd ever made roast beef!! I used the NY Times Cookbook's instructions as my guide, with added references to some other recipes I had pulled from the Food Network.


Of course, I've been shopping. I mean, if DF's going to be practical, someone has to provide the fun stuff. And that would be me.

• Another box arrived from FabricMart this week with some awesome winter fabrics: double faced wool jersey, shearling, double faced taffeta and fleece. (Can you tell that lately I have a fascination with double faced fabrics?) I also picked up a lovely piece of merino wool jersey and a black and white boucle. Darn those box specials they keep inserting with each order! They are too tempting.





• I allowed myself to be led astray by Talbot's and got a gray paisley wrap skirt. Actually I got two of them to test for fit, so one is going back. I'm still having post-traumatic stress over the last store visit, so I shopped on the internet. I'm not sure if I'll return the second skirt to the store or UPS it back. Here's what it looks like:
  
  



• My hairdresser was having a jewelry sale at her salon, so I got the silver bear fetish necklace I've been eyeing for the last few visits. At $20, I had to have it. This is a beautiful piece, heavy with a lot of detail:





• Oh yeah, I also succumbed to J.Jill while at the office yesterday. Several pairs of jeans and a couple of sweaters are on their way. At an additional 40% off of already marked-down merchandise, hmm, well, I do wear jeans a lot...Yes, I'm rationalizing. But really, I'm going to slow down with the shopping. In 2009.

Customer Service

Edited to add: photo of the J.Jill jacket. I found a picture I could scan in.

I recently had 2 very different customer service experiences involving exchanges at 2 different yet related stores that reminded me of Deja Pseu's recent post on shopping.

Often I'll order goods from a store's website and return it at my local brick-and-mortar store. Nothing at all wrong with that--it's allowed by store policy and often results in increased sales when the customer is physically present and can see the other pretties they have.



Last week, a leather tote bag I'd ordered from Talbot's was delivered. Lovely bag...just very pink. What the heck was I thinking??? Since I would be in the neighborhood, I decided to take it to the local Talbot's for an exchange. The sales associate was very polite but gave me a massive hassle about it.

• First, she told me that there was a price difference between the pink bag and the red bag I wanted. Well, there was no price difference. None. They were new inventory, the same style, just different colors. Not only was each and every color of this bag the same price, the website also had a 30% off sale going, which was reflected in the price I had paid. Shouldn't she have known that?




• Second, that particular evening featured a special in-store event for customers. Everything at 30% off. I knew this, because I had received an e-vite. Nope, it was a "private event" by invitation only, according to her. I advised her that I had been invited and she asked who had invited me. "Talbot's," I said, "I received an e-vite." She gave me the gimlet eye like I was lying...until, finally, another associate told her this was correct. Mind you, there is 30% off signage all over the store, so how private could the sale be? So she decided to "do me a favor" and give me 30% off on the red bag even though the sale had "officially" not yet started. Umm hmmm. It was like, 5:55 pm and the event ran from 6:00-8:00 pm.
  

Like I said, very polite, yet I felt totally run through the mill by this treatment. So much so, that after taking the tote to my car and returning to the store for the "private event", I let myself be poached by another associate for 2 additional items I decided to buy. Too bad, sweetie! That's what you get for being a tool. And you'll never wait on me again if I can help it.

I'm still appalled. And I thought Talbot's was famously customer-centric. It will make me reluctant to exchange at the store again, or really, to even shop there. I guess I'll stick to the website.



By contrast, I recently exchanged another item at Talbot's sister label, J.Jill. I had ordered a suede jacket at a deep discount in my usual size. It fit like a glove, maybe too much so. I should have ordered a Small and a Medium. Anyway, since I wanted the option of wearing it with sweaters and after the holidays, I went to the local store to see if they had a Medium. Again, the associate was unfailingly polite, but this time she was also extremely helpful! No Medium jacket at the store. I explained that it had been purchased online, so off we went to the concierge station, aka the PC. Nope, none in the warehouse either. Then she did a search of all J.Jill stores in the entire US and located one in New Hampshire! She called, and a Medium is now on its way to me. Plus, the shipping fee is only $5.95 with delivery direct to my home. I know this was a bit of a hassle for her, but I felt very well taken care of.

Even though I generally don't like the J.Jill line as well as Talbot's, I'll definitely shop their brick-and-mortar store again. If you had told me that J.Jill would have superior customer service, I wouldn't have believed it. But there you are.

I've Found a Dress

After doing a ton of brick-and-mortar and internet shopping, I've finally come up with a dress to wear to the wedding next month. This one is from Talbot's, looks great on me, and it has the right combination of formality and festivity. FYI, it also comes in black (I bought the hot pink version). Talbot's is having one of its periodic seasonal clearance sales right now--some good deals over there.

More re: eBay

Still feeling a little bit frenzied with eBay, but it's abated a little with the completion of the Threads collection. Yes! I have all of them now, mine all mine.

To be honest, I think some of the enthusiasm over the early issues is a bit misplaced. Yes, there are some wonderful articles. But there are clunkers as well. I don't weave and I'm the world's slowest knitter, so those kind of articles don't help me much. So here's my take: there's no such thing as a Golden Age. OK, so I'm being a sewing heretic. But there you are. No Golden Age. Not for Threads, probably not for anything else. So be careful of nostalgia.

I'm still happy to have them all, though. It's cool to have an entire set of anything, especially when the collection has so much utility. Yep, I still think so, even though I've just declared the Golden Age to be a myth.

Another recent win arrived yesterday:

I was looking through the pattern selections on eBay and discovered a listing of 42 contemporary patterns from lessalt. In case you're a Stitcher's Guild member, that's the same lessalt (Leslie) as on that board. Knowing her tastes and size from Stitcher's Guild, I bid and won the collection. What a pleasant surprise when the box arrived yesterday! There were even more patterns than advertised. Leslie had discovered that one of the patterns in the collection was cut, so she added a dozen more to make up for it!!! Amazing!

It's been fun to go through them all and decide which ones are keepers. Obviously in an assortment this large, there will be some that are duplicates or otherwise just don't suit a person's taste. However, I'm keeping most of them--46 at this point.

Stage 2 of eBay will be starting pretty soon, and I'll start selling items once I open a separate checking account. IMO, it's a better practice not to co-mingle money. Initially, I'll put up excess sewing things like patterns, magazines, and books, then venture out into other items as I get the hang of it. Maybe I can clear out some of my excess and even make a little money. I'll let you all know once I'm set up.

eBay Can Take Over Your Life

It all started innocently enough with the purchase of the Rowenta steam generator iron. Then I needed to get a gift for a prospective customer, so I got him a replica of the NASCAR my company sponsors (he's a big fan of NASCAR racing).


Then patterns. I had a particular set of Calvin Klein blouses in mind. I already have it, but I bought it a long time ago--before I knew to buy the pattern by the upper bust or shoulder width (depending on what method you use). I know I could, in theory, scale it down. But I know myself. It's not something I'd ever actually do, or it would have been done by now.




I haven't gotten that one yet (waiting for an 8 or 10 to turn up). But, 2 other Calvins and a Ralph Lauren have found their way to Casa Flan.







And now, Threads. Yep, the holy grail of Threads Magazine fanatics: to have a complete set. I'm very close thanks to some recent wins.





I think the next step will be to sell some things...

The King is Dead, Long Live the King

I mentioned in a previous post that my Bernina steam generator had died and gone to appliance heaven after many years of loyal service. Last night, its replacement was waiting on the porch when I got home from work. The new steam generator is a Rowenta that I picked up on eBay. I'm very happy with the dealer. The iron came new in its factory packaging, then it was repacked with additional padding in another sturdy box, and shipped via FedEx Home. I mention this because he charges a substantial shipping fee ($19.95) that some of the previous buyers commented on. However, I'd rather pay a bit more and have it arrive in pristine condition. I still saved money over retail.

Oh honey, this baby is suh-weeet!! It did a wonderful job on its debut, nicely pressing some brown rayon challis that I'm making a new Loes Hinse Tango skirt from. I was so psyched about the freshly pressed fabric that I laid out and cut out all the pieces for the skirt last night. Cutting is not my favorite aspect of sewing!

I like the design of it, too. It has that cool moderne European look

This morning I put Rowenta to work again, and it did a lovely job freshening up a cashmere sweater so I could wear it to work. I think I have a new best friend in the sewing room.

Fabric Mart

I received my first order from Fabric Mart on Friday (11/30)--I couldn't believe how much they were able to cram into one small box! I meant to post on this sooner, since many of us sewing bloggers have succumbed to the siren call of "Anna Sui Silk Blowout." It's only fair to share, right?

Yes, there are 3 colorways of the same crysanthemum print Anna Sui fabric. And I'd ordered a fourth, the blue, but it was sold out. I also like the paisley, and would have gotten other colorways of it as well, if they had been available. All of them are so beautiful in real life! I bought it for lining (per Shannon's suggestion), but some of it may need to be used for something else, matching tops perhaps? I got 4 yards of each, so there's plenty.

This is a really unusual poly/wool blend, both shiny and fuzzy. I'm thinking that it would be perfect for a Sewing Workshop jacket. 4 yards of this one, too.

Nice basic wool. I don't know if I'd call it spruce as they do on the site, but it's a nice color that I'd describe as more of a sage green. Yep, 4 yards.

These two are tie silks. Love the black jacquard, not so much the other one. But that's ok, it will get used. These were also bought for linings, but then again, the black is so fabulous that it may become a little black dress instead. 5 yards of each, because the fabric is narrow.

An Unexpected Surprise

I received an e-mail from Nancy Erickson yesterday, regarding the double-faced taffeta that I whined about last week. I turns out that she unearthed a missing bolt in her studio, so I will be getting a cut of it after all! It should arrive before the San Francisco trip. Wheee!

My Internet Shopping Habit is Becoming Embarrassing

Why, you may ask? Because I was inundated by everything I've recently ordered on the internet today. That consists of an envelope from Vogue patterns, a box from Hot Patterns, and another box from Nancy Erickson. And that was the mail.

Then something possessed me to check the front porch, where UPS had delivered a large box with my latest shoe order from SmartBargains.

Now don't get me wrong. I like everything that came today. And I can afford it. But it's a whole lot of stuff. This. Must. Stop.

Anyway, here are a few pictures of today's haul:

Here are the patterns. The HotPatterns consist of Miss Moneypenny Pussycat Blouse, Wong-Singh-Jones Mandarin Wrap Blouse, Deco Vibe Metro Blouse, Artful Dodger Cape Jacket, Miss Moneypenny Sheer Decadence Blouse, and Deco Vibe Cosmopolitan Dresses. The Vogue is 8425, a set of high-waisted skirts.

All of the HotPatterns are ones I've been wanting for a while, having seen some the garments produced by Ann of Gorgeous Things and Gigi of Behind the Seams. I can credit (or blame) them for the Artful Dodger Cape Jacket and the Cosmopolitan Dresses, but honestly, it's on me. Those blouses are TDF!

Even though I'm short-waisted, I'll try to figure out a way to make that Vogue work. That waistband may need to be shortened a bit, and I'm thinking a tone-on-tone approach might be best to avoid cutting myself in half.

The fabrics from Fashion Sewing Group:

Unfortunately, the fabulous double faced green taffeta didn't make the order. After being told that I'd receive some, the packing slip said it was sold out. Oh well! I can't get too upset. The fabrics I received are wonderful. The gray plaid will probably become a wrap skirt. The gray boucle will at least be a jacket, but hopefully a suit. I bought 3 yards of it.


The pattern tissue in the photo is pattern 1945, which was part of a special by Nancy. I don't have the original pattern, so the tissue is all I've got. Hopefully, I can work it out--the price was right (free) and this is known as an excellent jacket pattern.


And the shoes from SmartBargains.

Last winter, I wrecked my cute black kitten heeled boots due to a slip on the ice, and I've been looking for a basic black replacement boot ever since. You'd think it wouldn't be that hard, but so many boots have "hooker heels", and I wanted something at least semi-practical. These seem like they'll fit the bill, and the cost was reasonable at $49.99. And they're leather.

The shoes are by Kenneth Cole Reaction. Aren't they fun? There are 3 other colorways on the site: gray/black/yellow, black, and navy/fuschia/cream. I wear so many plain clothes in these shades. The shoes should be a nice accent to an otherwise dull ensemble.

Decorative Dressmaking Has Arrived!

I got a pleasant surprise in the mail yesterday, my very own copy of "Decorative Dressmaking" by Sue Thompson! Carolyn of diaryofasewingfanatic posted about this book, saying it was one of her favorite sewing books. That was a good enough recommendation for me!

I ordered my copy through Amazon and was very pleased with the seller, lbluvsbooks. The book is a hardcover former library book from the Hawthorne, NJ public library. The condition is very good and worth the $19.98 (including shipping) I paid for it.

Each chapter focuses on a specific decorative technique such as flounces, stripes, piping, topstitching, pintucks, applique, bands and bindings, pleats and tucks, ruching, or faggoting. The text in each chapter discusses topics like how to alter a basic pattern, fabrics to use, pitfalls to avoid, etc. There are also many sketches and illustrations that provide inspiration and ideas for using the technique. Historic drawings and photos are used throughout, showing how the techniques were used in the past.

Each chapter ends with a sewing project that makes use of the technique. Although the garments are very 1980's, which makes sense because this book has a 1985 copyright. So keep this in mind when looking at the illustrations. However, the concepts are still strong and have stood the test of time. They could easily be adapted to a 21st century project with a little tweaking here and there.

I'm sure I'll enjoy having this book in my sewing library and will refer to it often. Using decorative techniques is a great way to spice up TNT patterns and make them into something special.

As a companion book, I'll also recommend "Make It Your Own: Personalizing Patterns for Creative Design" by Lori Bottom and Ronda Chaney, which is out of print but available at online bookstores like Amazon. There were several listings there, starting at $0.15 (yes, that's fifteen cents!). Although the subject matter is the same as "Decorative Dressmaking," its approach is different with an emphasis on the various parts of a garment, such as collars, sleeves, and necklines.

Hello, my name is Nancy and I'm a collector...

I was going to say shoeaholic, but that wouldn't account for the clothes, the stash, the patterns, the books, etc. So collector will have to do!

My first order of shoes came from SmartBargains yesterday, and are they nice! Dark red slingbacks, on a shapely but not too high of a heel.

I also made a quick visit to TJ Maxx on the way back from a client's yesterday. I was looking for a some shorts and casual pants, seeing as I haven't been able to sew lately. I did find one pair of nice Columbia shorts. But...I also found more shoes on clearance.

The Anne Klein slingbacks were only $20. They're made of black logo design fabric--little tone on tone "AK"s. Too bad the lion motif isn't used anymore, that was one of the coolest designs ever. Sure, they're probably from a couple of seasons ago, but I can live with that considering that this brand normally runs $80/pair. These are great shoes for the banking business, a very classic design with a reasonable heel.

The other pair is by Rampage and harder to describe. The front is strappy like a sandal, but the heel section is enclosed like a shoe. And they're flats but have a teeny little kitten heel. They cost all of $10, so it was hard to go wrong.

Another pair came from from SmartBargains this evening, like I need more shoes. Ooooh, but these are fierce:

If I wanted to be serious, I'd probably find some deep seated reason from my childhood (the orthopedic shoes my mother insisted I wear, for example). But for now, I'll just say that they're pretty and fun and buying them doesn't hurt anybody. Sooner or later, I'll have to wear "comfort shoes" but not yet!

Oh, and I did do something sewing-related last night. I hemmed a pair of pants to wear to the office. For all the procrastinating I do, you'd think alterations were a big deal. They're not, but they don't provide a lot of creative joy either.