Vogue Fabrics Haul

Really, I had fully intended not to buy any fabric while in Chicago. I have more than enough. But then I heard the siren song of Vogue Fabrics in Evanston, IL. The mothership of the company. I weakened, and I bought.

Honestly I could have done worse. I tried to keep the choices interesting and different. And I also kept in mind that Vogue Fabrics has a website.

I bought a couple of cottons. The lavender print is lady superheroes, which will be perfect for some pajama pants. This was actually the most expensive fabric I got at $11.99 per yard. The multicolor print is Paris inspired and there is a black border along the lower edge. $7.99 a yard.

I also got a variety of other fabrics. The print on the left with the portraits from Old Master paintings is actually a stretch denim. The other side is perfectly usable textured blue. $7.99 per yard. The green is a drapey rayon. I am a sucker for script on fabric. $6.99 a yard. The black, cream and blue is an ITY knit for a possible dress.  $6.99 a yard.

Random Thoughts

I've been trying to put together a "real" post for a while but nothing has come together yet. In the meantime, here's another edition of Random Thoughts.

• I've worn the new T and like it very much. Sorry, no pictures yet. But it passes the wear test.
• I did spend a weekend in Chicago with a great group of friends! A wonderful girls' weekend featuring the Haute Couture Club's annual fashion show and a visit to the Ebony Fashion Fair exhibit at the Chicago History Museum. 
• I didn't plan to fabric shop, but it was impossible to resist the lure of Vogue Fabrics in Evanston. More on that soon.
• Material Girls was last weekend. Much tracing and cutting of patterns. It's nice doing sewing related things with a group. We all work on our own projects, but it's a nice opportunity for conversation. I got some advice on what size to sew for the First Day of School project from one of the ladies. She sews for her little nieces in Puerto Rico. As a result, I cut a darling little peasant top out of a fabric remnant that's ready to sew up. Should be quick and fun. I'm planning on making some linen pants to go with, so some little girl will have an outfit. 
• I experimented with a free HotPatterns download from Fabric.com yesterday. It's almost complete but I still can't tell if it's going to fit and exactly what it's going to look like. A try-on with the proper underpinnings is in order.
• I submitted my entries to Fiber Arts Fiesta on Thursday. Interesting moment--the sewing competition is run by a long-time ASG friend. There was some confusion when I walked in because she couldn't find my name on her sheet. Well, she was looking for my former name! Yes, and we see each other pretty often and she knew I was married. Too funny!
• DH and I are getting ready for a trip to the Tri-States next week for his college reunion. Other than that, we're still planning out some of the details (we're staying with family so that makes it easy). We will be seeing a Broadway play--we have tickets for the Motown show. 
• Time to get up, more sewing today. I am hoping to sew up new pair of TSW Hudson pants for our vacation. 

June is Here

...but what happened to May? Another month in a blur of activities.

Since returning from a weekend in Chicago, I've been sewing some. Since several other bloggers have already posted great photos and comments, I will provide a round up with links instead of a full-blown blog post that would just repeat what everyone else already said. As they say, "stay tuned."

I've also done some sewing so I'll be sharing what I made, hopefully very soon.

Summer is here in the Southwest, and we have been spending a lot of time outdoors. We are in the process of getting furnishings so we can enjoy our expanded space. DH bought us a swing. I had my doubts about it. But it's really quite comfortable and a pleasant place to hang out.

I will like it better when it's level, but it's still workable in the meantime. I'm also planning on adding a couple more pillows and some side tables for better functionality.

We have a hammock on order for the eastern side yard, and I have been tasked with buying some furniture for the western side yard. It's the side that's also my view from the Sewing Cave, so it's gonna be on me if I don't get it right. No pressure or anything (ha ha)!

Vogue 1250

I realize this DKNY dress has made the rounds of the sewing world, but now it's my turn!

I needed something new to wear to the Haute Couture Club of Chicago's annual fashion show and RTW just would not do. And I also wanted to use fabric from fellow attendee Ann's fabric business, Gorgeous Fabrics. But, I was also running short of time--what to do?

That's when I remembered a piece of black and cream jersey I'd bought from Ann several years ago that's been aging in the stash. Then I started sorting through my patterns for knitwear, and this one looked perfect.

The pattern pieces are really odd and construction is different. Making it was a little like putting a puzzle together. But it went together beautifully! I was able to get the dress about 95% done on a Sunday afternoon, followed by hemming on the night before I left for Chicago!

Here is the finished dress:

I really enjoyed wearing it at the show. This is a great "go to" dress for many occasions so I'll be making this pattern again!

Chicago Fabric Shopping

As previously noted, we visited two fabulous fabric stores during the Chicago Weekend. Or at least I was there for two stores, as the early arrivals and late departures got to visit a second location of Vogue Fabrics and a Chicagoland outpost of JoAnn's.

At any rate, here are my spoils from our Saturday expedition. The first two selections are from Fishman's:

 Cotton by Michael Miller. Love this design!

Cotton batiste. Ann spotted this one and I couldn't resist those colors!

I also bought some chartruese cross-weave silk dupioni for the long-delayed vestment project, but that's nothing new. On to Vogue Fabrics:

Wool and cotton blend challis-type

Wool gauze, an Anna Sui print. Yes, safety pins!

Cotton retro-style print. Louise Cutting brought this fabric (in pink) around to the sewing expeditions a few years ago.

So what am I going to make with this? As usual, I don't buy for a particular project but I do keep a general idea in mind. 

• The Italian print is crying out to be a shirt of some kind.
• The floral batiste will likely be a little summer blouse or tank top.
• Same with the green, gray and white bow print.
• The scribble print could be a shirt-jacket or even a skirt. The weight would be fine either way.
• The wool gauze safety pin print will probably be a TSW Now Shirt.

I would be in real trouble if I lived in Chicago. On the other hand, maybe not. Perhaps I'd let the stores hold my stash instead of bringing it home. Still thinking of some of the ones I left behind, but I can always come back...

Chicago Weekend

I spent last weekend in the company of several sewists I knew through the internet--Ann, Kay (and husband Don), Liana, and our host Patti (and husband Norm). We also had the opportunity to spend time with Chicago sewist and blogger Cennetta.

I arrived Friday afternoon from Albuquerque. Patti met me at the airport and escorted me to Evanston on the train. From there, the weekend became a whirlwind of activity. As soon as I checked in and dropped my bags at the room, we were off to dinner at Addis Abeba. The cuisine was a new experience for me, since I'd never had Ethiopian food before. It was delicious and I'll definitely try it again!

Saturday, we went in search of fabrics, with stops at Fishman's and Vogue Fabrics. After making our purchases, we headed to Manny's. OMG, massive deli sandwiches! We each divided one and they were still enormous. Cennetta joined us for the morning, and it was so nice getting to know her.

  Ann, Liana and Kay

 

 Liana and Kay

 Cennetta and Ann

Thanks Fishman's and Vogue! Of course, I got some fabric, and I'll be posting the pieces later on. It must be wonderful to have access to such great sewing resources.

We headed downtown for the afternoon and an architectural tour through the Chicago Architectural Foundation.  This was the perfect way to see many landmark buildings up close and learn why they were significant. Our docent, Harry, was very knowledgable and energetic, obviously loving what he does. Here's Harry with the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower in the background:

And then Tapas Barcelona for dinner, another new dining experience that I'd like to repeat! I just hope there's a tapas place in Albuquerque that I can go to--you'd think so, but various Mexican venues rule the day here. But I digress. We continued our evening with cocktails and conversation at the hotel's lounge.

The next morning, we set off to experience the Haute Couture Club of Chicago's annual extravaganza at the Merchandise Mart. Cennetta joined our table for lunch and had several ensembles in the fashion show. Patti also introduced us to Rhonda Buss, another sewing fashionista who appeared numerous times in the show. Lots of talent in that group!

I brought my luggage to the show and cabbed it to Midway with minimal drama. Gotta love these big city cabbies--they get it done.

It was all over too soon, but it was a wonderful time. I enjoyed being with each and every one who could come. Thanks Patti, for organizing our visit and schlepping us about. And another thank you to her husband, Norm, who also spent a lot of time driving us around and listening to a lot of sewing chatter. I'm sorry that Linda was unable to make it, but hopefully next time.