McCall’s patterns are on sale for $1.99 September 25-27

My youngest and my sister’s brut of a dog, Hugo. This was after they both spent a time chasing each other around the yard! I am absolutely amazed at the size of Hugo’s head compared to my son’s! Unbelievable mellow personality…a gentle giant! Just watch out for those jowls…they hold lots of doggy slime!

   Simplicity patterns are on sale September 7 thru 13th for $1.99

   Butterick patterns are on sale September 18 thru 20th for $1.99

What I found underneath was paneling that had been painted white (well-kinda painted). I think it may have been painted more as a primer for the wallpaper application. The picture below actually makes the existing paint look nice…but it’s really NOT!

So…coming up with a color scheme…had an idea of what I wanted, with pieces I’ve acquired over the years.  I love cobalt blue, I love colored glass. Working with these colors in mind, the walls now having a “country-ish” look after stripping-I found fabric for curtains at Joann Fabrics (that being the only fabric store in area, aside from a couple small quilting shops, and having not found anything online-hard to believe with ALL the fabric websites!). I also found accent/trim fabric in a totally different location in the store-it matches perfectly!  I think I want the walls to be an orange-yellow color…something different above the counters, just haven’t gotten quite that far yet…maybe a “tile” effect of some sort.

Now just need to find some hens…roosters…chicken wire-and some yellow or amber colored glass to add to my collection!

So, especially when I’m combination patterns for a bridal gown…the neckine of one…the waist detail of another, I try to find the cheapest avenue for pattern purchases. I have gotten many good deals off ebay, and also found etsy.com, a wonderful place to visit! I purchased a $25.00 Vera Wang Vogue bridal original collection for $10.00 there! Another great place for pattern sales is Joann Fabrics-they often have $1.99 sales. Like through tomorrow, McCall’s patterns are on sale. Butterick patterns are on sale August 21-23.

So when patterns regularly, as the ones I bought today, are $14.95 and $16.95…a HUGE savings at $1.99! I tend to go to the pattern websites when I know a particular one is going on sale, make an extensive list, just in case the pattern or a size is out…limit of 10…but that’s alot of patterns to be had!

As if I need more…

In my quest for information, I found and purchased the CD book, BIRTH OF A BUSTIER-by Kenneth King, from PatternReview.com and it has some very valuable information regarding the construction of strapless garments! Since I have made a couple of strapless wedding gowns, I thought it might be an useful purchase and it turned out to be one of the best investments! I highly recommend it!

 There is only one fabric store in my surrounding area, that being Joann Fabrics, and they don’t carry some of the notions I really needed. I have found many use resources on-line to order the majority of the notions. And so, I’ve had a small package awaiting me every day since Wednesday, when I’ve come home from work. Unfortunately, the one item I really want hasn’t arrived yet…the bra cups! On Friday, there was a package-I jokingly said to my 16 year old daughter that it might be Mary’s “boobs”…she replied the package wasn’t big enough! She has my warped sense of humor…and Mary, being a good friend, also with the same warped humor got a laugh too, when I told her! Package turned out to be the hook and eye tape!

I am starting the corselette tonight. From some researching, I’m going to use buckram for stabilizer-that bit of insight coming from Summerset here . I think for the boning, a combination of springsteel -from an article at Fabrics.net-”They offer the best support and are a definite for larger busted women.” and the “regular” boning available at Joann Fabrics. Anyone out there had an experience with the springsteel? This is my first experience using it, all the research I did, it was ranked up there for “staying” power!

Mary wanted to know if I could design the gown so that she wouldn’t need to wear a strapless bra. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to find DD bra cups-but found them here-But still not going to guarantee they’ll “do the job”! I’ll do a trial run and see how they work out…

Any day spent sewing, is a good day.  ~Author Unknown

The only place where housework comes before needlework is in the dictionary.  ~Mary Kurtz

The sewing machine joins what the scissors have cut asunder, plus whatever else comes in its path.  ~Mason Cooley

Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern; it will come out a rose by and by.  Life is like that – one stitch at a time taken patiently and the pattern will come out all right like the embroidery.  ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

She who dies with the most fabric is not sewing fast enough. ~Author Unknown

Really I don’t dislike to cook, but what you cook is eaten so quickly.  When you sew, you have something that will last to show for your efforts.  ~Elizabeth Travis Johnson

Having had bought the gown years before she and her fiance decided to marry…well, it had gotten abit too small! The skirt was an easy fix…it had two large pleats near the back seam, simple enough to let out. The top, however, was abit more of a challenge! It was 3-4 inches too small across the bust and about two inches at the waist. What I ended up doing was removing the zipper from the back and placing it at a side seam. Then I put in a satin panel, made a couple narrow strips that I applied white metal grommets to…made it to look like corset lacing. It turned out beautiful and fit perfect! I’ve still not gotten in touch with her to get some pictures of the alterations.

But one of the things I noticed and will apply to the gown I’m constructing now…was the waiststay. This particular had a wide (2-3″) piece of very heavy elastic and a 3-4 hook back bra closure! It was sewn from the front side seams of the bodice. I did find some great heavy, wide elastic at lylefabrics.com.

I would love to go into a bridal shop and just look over the wedding gowns. See how different techiques and applications are applied. A good example is this waiststay…most readings I came across, used grosgrain ribbon. I think with the gown being strapless and for a DD cup, the elastic will do a better job keeping the gown where it needs to stay!

By the age of 13, I actually had my first full time summer babysitting job, for an infant across the street from my house. At $2.00 an hour, around 40 hours a week, with a few Friday and Saturday nights thrown in…well that’s alot of money for a thirteen year old!

And so my journey begins! I no longer had to endure my mother’s choice of patterns and fabric! My mom taught me some basic skills, but from there I picked it up on my own. Of course, the usual Home Ec courses in high school…and a wonderful teacher, Mrs. Sally Harms! In my junior and senior year I took the Fashion and Design course at the local BOCES vocational school. There I completely fell in love with sewing.  Both 11th and 12th grade there was competition through VICA, where both years I placed first. My senior year I was able to go onto state competition, placed first there also. Unfortunately, there was no Fashion and Design at the national level.

My senior year I applied and was accepted at FIT…and here’s where I made the biggest mistake of my life and will probably forever kick myself in the butt for it! I let myself be talked out of going by the boyfriend (and future husband until 13 years later when he had an affair with my brother’s wife…but that’s a whole other story!! HA!) at the time-because we were “so in love” (insert gagging reflex here)…

SSSOOOOOOOO…here I am. I have done a whole lot of seamstress work over the years. Little jobs as simple as repairing zippers, shortening pants and dresses. And then everything from wedding gowns to a carbon copy of an old Wrangler jean jacket (it had belonged to a customer’s father, had found it in the barn, tattered beyond hope) to slipcovers to drapery…even upholstery…

It is a constant learning experience. I’ve been looking at some of the online courses available, like at PatternReview.com. When I can find some time…maybe!