Sewing Blogs: Spread the Love 5

Hello wonderful readers! I still don't have a finished object to show you, but there have been some awesome things popping up in the blogosphere.

• Rachel, from Shoes and Sewing, made this awesome Anthro knockoff dress. 
• The Girl with the Star Spangled Heart made this amazing skirt.
• Molly, from Molly's Sewing and Garage Sale Adventures, made this dress to wear to interviews. I think I am going to need to pick up that pattern one day, and hope my turns out half as fabulously!
• Evie, from La Couturiere Dimanche, made a super cute full skirted shirt dress and is working on a truly amazing wool skirt suit from a 50's pattern. 
• Dixie, from Dixie DIY, made the perfect summer tank top.
• Lastly, from Couture Allure, is the most fabulous coat I have ever laid my eyes on. Finding similar fabric that isn't quilting cotton would most likely be an impossible task, sadly.

There you have it ladies and gentlemen, a small sampling of all the wonderful things to behold in the world of sewing blogs. I am off to make myself work on my dress. I really want to wear it, but for some reason I don't have any mojo to make it. What have you all been working? I'd love to know.

Happy Sewing!

The Creeper and the Dress

Interesting title, huh? Allow me to explain why I felt the need to write a blog post with said title.

Today, I needed to buy some groceries and a new hairdryer ( my fourth one in about a year, but that's another story entirely.) Since I only wanted to go to one place, I decided to go to Wal-mart. I fixed my hair, put on some makeup, slipped on a dress (a Lisette passport dress to be exact), and drove to the store. I was about 2/3 of the way finished with shopping when a man, probably in his late 50's, walked into the same aisle that I was in. I was just minding my own business looking at the granola bar options when he decided it was acceptable to come up to me, rub my back, and tell me he thought my dress was pretty. This was not a pat on the back like you're trying to get someone's attention, this was a full on rub my back. Disgusting!!

I was taken aback that he did that and didn't really know what to do. I moved away from him the best that I could and he wen on his way, presumably to touch other people who don't want his grubby hands all over them. Unfortunately, this is not the first time something like this has happened. Last summer, I want to an auction where a 60 something man repeatedly put his vile, sweaty, repulsive arm around me. This behavior is neither acceptable, not flattering! However, on the drive home I had some time to think of some things. First, I was debating ways to sterilize my dress, and secondly I wondered if the fact I was wearing a dress had anything to do with his obnoxious behavior?

It seems that every time I wear a dress out in public, as opposed to pants, I get more unwanted stares from men, particularly those in the 50 and up crowd. If the dress is vintage or has any hint of retro-ness about it, it is almost a guarantee that  even more men will cast their creeper eyes your way. Want to wear red lipstick with your retro dress? Be prepared for gawking. Creepers love dresses! Ever worn a pencil skirt, sweater, pantyhose, and heels into a convenience store? If you have you most certainly know what I'm talking about.

Now, it's not really the staring by men old enough to be my grandpa that bothers me. Men are men, and men will look, but when they feel that somehow they have the right to touch that's when it becomes a problem. Just because I am 40 years your junior does not mean you have somehow "earned" the right to rub my back or touch my hair. I am not a touchy feel-y person in any way, and I especially don't want strangers to touch me.

It seems that men of a certain age harbor some sense of nostalgia about the past, and when they see a woman dressed in a dress or heels, they recall those fond memories of a time gone by. The reason that I say this is that when I wear jeans there doesn't seem to be as much rude attention by the coffee and suspenders crowd. I think part of the problem could be contributed to the area where I live. Virginia is firmly in the Bible Belt, and the part that I live in is even more reluctant to change and believe the ways of the past are the only good and acceptable ways. The notions that a woman should be in a knee length skirt, barefoot, and pregnant are still held by a lot of people in this area. It stands to reason that if you believe that above notions, then you still hold to the belief that you can put your hands all over women whenever you so choose.

So, I guess the bottom line is, it doesn't matter how you were raised or what your beliefs are or how old you are, don't put your hands on me. If I am wearing a retro dress and it makes you think of times gone by, good for you, I don't really care if you look at me, but don't touch. If you really like my dress that much, a simple compliment without any physical touch will get your point across. I get it, you don't see many women wearing dresses, skirts, heels, or pantyhose, you like it, and you wish more women dressed like that. What you don't seem to get, creeper, is that just because I am dressed that way does not mean I hold to the beliefs of the past, and next time you do it, I won't be a "meek and gentle spirit" like you think I should be, and I will call you out on it. You have been warned!

So, readers, have you had to deal with any creepers lately? Do you find yourself getting more unwanted attention from old men when you wear a dress or heels? How about something vintage or retro? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Wanted: Drill Sergeant or Equally Bossy Person to Kickstart Sewing Mojo

My sewing blog has been missing one important thing lately: finished object posts. The reason? I haven't been sewing at all. So, in order to remedy this problem I need the services of a drill sergeant, or at least someone who can yell like one.You duties will include the following:

• Holding me accountable for new sewing purchases when I have yet to sew what I already have,
• Forcing me to search for pins and needles I drop in the floor instead of leaving them for the vacuum, or someone's foot. ( Me feet seem to have immunity, but the very first step someone else takes near my sewing machine, their feet seem to find the pins.)
• Reminding me that fabric and thread do not bind themselves together without my help. You will need to repeat this every 10 to 15 minutes or as needed to get me motivated. 
• Provide consistent reminders that reading about what others have sewn does not, and never will be, a substitute for actually sewing, and will yield no tangible results.
• You will also be responsible for flipping over the records I listen to while sewing, unless you'd like to hear Elton John's Tiny Dancer four times in a row. Please be aware the record player has a slight ailment and will only work at full blast. Please bring ear plugs or a tool kit to fix the speakers.
• Since I hate taking self portraits,you will also need to photograph my finished creations. Consider these pictures proof of how well you do your job.

Compensation:

• Joy in your heart knowing you're helping get a seamstress back on track.
• All the empty thread spools you can carry home. ( I think you can blow bubbles with these.)
• All the vintage patterns you'd like to borrow, and I might even let you keep one per week.
• One weekly trip to Joann. ( You will be responsible for your own spending money.)
• All the homemade baked goodies you can eat. 

Please send me your resume and cover letter to be considered for this position. Recordings of your ability to bark out sewing orders will be accepted as substitutes for resumes. Good luck to all applicants!

Cherished Collections: My Pyrex and Fire King Collection!

When I saw Casey's call for a blog tour to showcase personal collections I knew that I wanted to be part of it. In light of this, I have decided to deviate from the usual sewing posts and show all of you wonderful readers my collection of vintage Pyrex and Fire King. I don't have hundreds of pieces, only about 15, but I love each one of them dearly. All the pieces that I own have been bought at estate sales and thrift stores, and more than a few pieces have required a labor of love to get clean. Vintage Pyrex and Fire King dishes are available on Ebay in a great abundance, but personally, I prefer the "hunt and capture" approach of buying them "in the wild", as I call it.
 When it comes to kitchenware my heart definitely belongs to mid-century pieces, but I have a soft spot for the 70's as well. I love the bright colors represented in many pieces from the 50's and 60's, but it is hard to resist the harvest golds, avocado greens, and burnt oranges from the ever eclectic 70s. In case you're wondering, I do use all of the pieces I have, though I have finally learned that putting them into the dishwasher is a definite no-no; you must hand wash these babies, just like a perfect little 50's housewife. Honestly, I don't worry about breaking them. I am definitely not a "save the good china" kind of girl.
If you haven't already, hop on over to Elegant Musings and check out all the other lovely collections. You won't regret it, I promise!!

Pyrex I'd love to find some more of the smaller bowls to go with this.

I love Pyrex mixing bowls. These are from the 70s.

50's Fire King

I

This is my absolute favorite piece!!

7 Things to be Thankful for as a Modern Seamstress

Hello my lovely readers! When sewing it seems it can be all too easy to get caught up in the things that are going wrong. I am all too guilty of complaining about things when I sew. Sometimes, I need to take a step back, remind myself that sewing is a hobby-which should be fun- and then restart my journey into whatever task was giving me a fit. So, here are some things that I am thankful for as a modern seamstress.

1. We sew because we want to, not because we have to. I would venture to guess that the majority of us who sew, at least in the modernized world, do so because we enjoy it. Sewing is a hobby;something that we find pleasure and happiness in. In times gone by, women sewed because they had to. I can't imagine being solely responsible for clothing my family of 12 children while only being armed with a treadle and a few hand sewing needles. I'm thankful that sewing is now a hobby, not a necessity.

2. Modern Irons. Sure, from time to time, we all complain about the job that our iron is doing.They don't get hot enough, they don't give us enough steam, they spit on our fabric, those misbehaving little irons are always doing something to earn our wrath. We forget that about a hundred years ago, seamstresses had to build a fire just to heat up their irons! I cannot imagine having to build a fire to heat up what was essentially a chunk of cast iron, grab a potholder, and then ferociously press before my iron cooled back down. While my iron might be a cheapo one from Wal-mart, at least I can plug it into the wall for heat and it steams.

3. Access to the world of sewing blogs and other sewing websites. Sewing related sites are such an invaluable resource for the modern seamstress. I think it is reasonable to say that there is more sewing information available to the modern seamstresses than any seamstress of years past. If a particular sewing technique has you stumped there is about a 99% chance that you'll be able to find an answer to your problem on the internet. There are also boards, such as Pattern Review, where many lovely and experienced seamstresses are more than willing to answer any questions you might have. The world of sewing blogs is just a big happy family that I am quite thankful to be part of!

4. Access to Sewing Patterns. Prior to Ebeneezer Butterick, most seamstresses just made their own patterns for their clothing. If I had to draft all of my own patterns from scratch, I can assure you that I would not sew. Patterns are easy to obtain in today's world. Most of us can waltz into our local store, flip through a pattern catalog, and walk out of the store with a whole handful of goodies. If vintage patterns are more your cup of tea, there are an overwhelming number of online resources to help you acquire what you desire. Since we're living in the digital age you can also peruse sites such as Burdastyle, click print, and one roll of tape later you'll have a pattern. So, as a modern seamstress, I am thankful to have access to commercial patterns.

5.Modern Sewing Machines. Now, when I say modern sewing machines, I really mean machines made in the last 70 years or so. I love that my sewing machine is powered by the outlet in the wall, not my own foot. I like the zig-zag function, reverse, and perhaps the best thing of all is the one step buttonholer. Modern machines features little luxuries that seamstresses could only dream about a hundred years ago. So, I am thankful that my sewing machine is powered by electricity, and makes my buttonholes for me.

6. Access to fabric and sewing supplies. Before the crowds erupt into protest exclaiming that the only sewing store they have access to is Joann's, allow me to explain myself. While in the recent past there may have been many more local options for obtaining sewing goodies, your choices pretty much stopped there. Sure, mail order catalogs such as Sears did offer some fabric choices, but many times the pictures were in black and white. Today, there are quite a few online resources for acquiring whatever fabric or sewing notion tickles your fancy. Shopping online may not be the quickest option, or the cheapest in many cases, but you can rest assured that you can acquire most any sewing item your little heart might desire.So, I am thankful that I can acquire sewing supplies, even if it requires patience while waiting for the goodies to arrive in my mailbox.

7. Most stigmas related to sewing are gone. If you're of a certain age, under 30 or so in my opinion, and you sew you are certainly not the norm, but you're not a complete oddity either. In past times it was possible that you would be labeled as poor if you or your mother sewed your clothing. Being able to purchase one's clothing at a department store was, at one time in American history, somewhat of a statement of one's socioeconomic status. Just one look at a handful of sewing blogs will yield a diverse mix of people of differing ages, races, religions, genders, and economic backgrounds. No one would ever dream of reading a sewing blog, and then think to themselves, "gee, I'm glad I can afford to buy clothes".  (At least I hope they don't think this.) So, I am thankful that modern seamstresses can sew as the please without having various labels slapped on them.

So, there you have it; a list of things I am thankful for as a modern seamstress. I'd love to hear from you readers. What are you thankful for as a modern seamstress?

Defining My Style Part One: Assessing What I Already Own

In a perfect world I would just ditch every single piece of clothing I already own, hire a stylist, and build a new wardrobe. I don't live in a perfect world. So, instead I decided to take matters into my own hands and assess what is already in my closet. There are some pieces in there that I truly love and wear often, and there are others that never seem to see the light of day. So, here is what lies in my closet*:

(*Does not include clothes in drawers, such as camis, clothes that are only worn around the house or to clean and such.)

• 10 pairs of jeans
• 3 pairs dress pans
• 2 pairs of jean shorts
• 6 pull-over sweaters
• 12 cardigans
• 3 coats
• 28 skirts
• 65 knit tops
• 35 woven tops
• 27 dresses
• 18 jackets
• 1 playsuit

I was shocked that I own 65 knit tops! I actually prefer wearing woven tops over knits tops, but apparently I forget that helpful tidbit of information when I shop. A woven top helps me to feel more put together, especially when paired with a cute cardigan or jacket. So, one of my goals for finding my style is to find woven tops that work well for me.

Overall, going through each article of clothing really reaffirmed for me that my wardrobe lacks continuity and a cohesive theme. One things that immediately jumps out to me is that I want to "age" my wardrobe a little bit. I want a style that is a bit more grown-up and professional. I should probably ditch all clothes I still own from high school if I am serious about achieving this. 

So, readers, what clothing items exude professionalism to you? Do any of you have a style that is professional, feminine, and retro all at the same time? If so, do you have any tips for me? Look for some more upcoming posts about my journey to discover what exactly my style is.

How Does One Define Their Own Style?

Hello my wonderful readers! I have been thinking a bit lately about my own sense of style. After much Aristotle like pondering, I came to the conclusion that I have no defined sense of style whatsoever. I tend to wear what I want and when I want to, while blissfully ignoring the fact that many times I may be horribly inappropriately dressed for the weather. ( As in, I wear ballet flats and open toed heels all year, even when snow is on the ground.) 

Since taking up the hobby of sewing I have begun to realize that I at least need to have some grasp on what my style is. It makes no sense to spend days stitching together a dress that doesn't work for me. My closet is a smorgasbord of anything and everything you can imagine, and some things you wish you didn't. I've got to get my act together! I want to dress like a grown up!


Let me elaborate on the problem a bit more. Here is what I like and/or deem acceptable to wear:

• Flowy, Pencil, and A-line skirts
• Anything by Kate Spade
• Anything by Lily Pulitzer
• Anything with polka dots
• Dresses from the 50's
• Dresses form the 60s
• Anything Joan Rivers hawks on QVC
• Anything Dita von Tesse wears
• Tacky 80's sequined sweaters
• Only lady pencil skirts complete with elastic insets
• Anything with a bow
• Sleek shift dresses
• Anything and everything sold by Modcloth
• 99% of what I see others making in the sewing blogosphere
• Everything with a vintage union made label
• Everything worn on Mad Men
• Everything on the clearance rack
• Anything made with Pendelton wool
• Anything that seems to tickle my fancy for a milisecond

Gosh, that is a lot of things, which don't seem to many similarities. Just like in math I think I need to pull out the common denominator and then examine what's left.

There are a few things though that I know that I don't like.

• Acid wash jeans
• Skinny jeans
• Neon orange and yellow
• Anything with a huge logo or saying across it ( Small embroidered logos are acceptable.)
• Leggings and Jeggings 
• Fluffy, 3 inch thick shoulder pads
• Faux snakeskin print
• Anything sold by Abercrombie, Hollister, American Eagle, Pac Sun, and Hot Topic
• Shoes that look like they're worn by pirates or pilgrims
• Crewneck T-shirts
• Denim jumpers
• Anything with a skull print
• Anything with cartoon characters
• Hoodies
• Faux fur

Just as a note, please don't read into the things that I don't like too much. I am simply saying I don't like to wear these things myself, but in no way do I believe that the things I don't like are bad for everybody. 

Now, comes the tricky part. I need to sort through all of those and determine what I truly like and what image I want to portray via my wardrobe. Off the top of my head I would assert that I want a wardrobe that is not too casual, timeless, coordinated, feminine, and perhaps some vintage tastefully thrown in the mix. However, let me state, I will not be giving up my 60's mod sheath dress with brightly colored flowers even if it may fall into the "I need to be an artist to wear something this eclectic" category.

So, readers, over the next few weeks expect to see some posts about my journey into defining my style. There may be laughs, tears, and Dove chocolate binges along the way, but in the end I will conquer my wardrobe!

But, readers, I can't do this without you! Do you have a defined sense of style or are you firmly in the category in which I firmly stand? If you have a defined style, how long did it take you to figure out what you truly like. I'll take all the tips and ideas that anyone wants to share!