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Los Olivos, California, United States
You can reach me at fool4fabric (at) gmail (dot) com

Sunday, June 26, 2016

YAY FOR SEWING MOJO!

The sewing mojo chez Houtz has been strong lately! I made another Paris Piece,
a very textured silver tunic to go with many of my already-sewn jackets.




The pattern is my old friend B5526, with added pockets and a stand-up ruffled collar. Shams from Communing with Fabric chose the fabric for me, a textured synthetic from Fabrix several years ago.




It enhances many of the fabrics in my Paris Wardrobe-to-be, so I made it so that I could use it as a layer, as well as on its own.

Here it is under the Minoru









I'm very pleased with it!  Here is a peek at the new hanging rack I got to put the Paris wardrobe possibilities on...more on this later.




After I finished that, I went to work on my "Franken Pant" pattern, which is 
Marcy Tilton's V8929 plus my custom pattern from Lynda Maynard. I'm trying to get the combined patterns (that's the Franken part) to the point that I can cut them out, serge all the edges and sew them together in a day. The first one was a wadder, the second ok, but meh...and here's the third one in a stretch cotton from someone on Etsy...


o

It gets better every time! While I was doing all this sewing, I listened to the
final two books of Stephen King's Mr. Mercedes trilogy, Finders Keepers and End of Watch.  They're pretty good...I've not been a Stephen King  fan in the past, but I enjoyed Mr. Mercedes so I decided to follow through on the last two. After those, I started Barkskins, Annie Proulx's new book. It's loooooong and fabulous. I'm about ⅔ finished. All these audio books are available on Audible Books.

Before I bring you up to date on the puppies (I know some of you are mostly interested in them....!) here's a RTW outfit from Sun Kim that I had to have...




I've already worn it several times and I love it!

Our beloved housekeeper gifted me with this awesome charm "bracelet" for my birthday...her sister made it and I'm so touched by it!


It's a spool of thread, a button, a dress form, a measuring tape, a thimble and a pair of scissors with a rose. Love it!

And one more thing...there were quite a few questions after my last post about  my raincoat...here are some answers...

I didn't line it or add inside pockets as I wanted it to be as lightweight as possible.
I did not shorten it.
The top in "the wineglass picture" was the top of this Alembika outfit that I bought in Oregon


...

The sheer sleeves belong to my "Sleevey Wonder"!

And HERE are the latest pictures of the puppies...(they are English Cocker Spaniels, blue roan, and we're only getting ONE although Dave has been wondering if we should get TWO
NO I said...




..

I have a very cute video of them tussling with each other, yipping and GROWLING...
I'll try to up load it.

Well, I tried twice and I couldn't get it to work... 

I'm headed over to Patti's Visible Monday...come see us!

TTYL
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43 comments:

  1. So much to love in this post, Margy! I love what you did with that textured silver fabric. What a fun, dramatic collar!

    How touching is that handmade gift of a sewing charm bracelet?

    And that Sun Kim outfit... LOVE IT! I also love those cute puppies! Maybe Dave is right... maybe you need TWO! :)

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    1. I thought you were my friend...no friend would encourage TWO puppies...Thanks again for finding this fabric for me!

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    2. I used to love to see but haven't for many years. Enjoyed your comments. If I were to start sewing again, what sewing machine would you recommend?

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  2. Maybe you need two puppies? How darling they are. Love your creations as always, esp the top + trousers look. Thanks for linking, xo

    -Patti
    http://notdeadyetstyle.com

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  3. Love your style, and the puppies are adorable :)

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  4. Such a beautiful tunic! That collar would be the epitome of a "face framing collar". Looks gorgeous.

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    1. Thanks so much, Irene...I love face framing collars so I have to make them!

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  5. The tunic and the new pants are awesome! Can't wait to see what you finally decide to take to Paris with you.

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    1. Thanks, Carolyn...I think I'll have to do a lot of culling...

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  6. These are all fabulous pieces-the touches of silver in this Paris wardrobe are very wonderful. You must be getting excited as the date draws nearer.

    What cute puppies! Are you choosing a girl or boy?

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    1. Thanks, Mary...I love the silver, too.
      We're getting a boy...the puppies are ALL boys!

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  7. Your fabric choices are just so spot on. You truly have a great eye. Love the ruffled collar on your shirt..will have to search for a tutorial and blatantly copy you! Love the puppies!! Who doesn't?

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    1. Thanks, Fran G....the ruffled collar is easy...just use a lot of interfacing if you don't want it floppy.

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  8. ooh lovely. And it goes so well with everything else (of course!).

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  9. Replies
    1. Thanks, Lisa, layering is the only way to travel!

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  10. What brand is the clothes rack. Is it steady and sturdy? I would like one for the sewing room. I always like two. Ours are always together. Have a great trip and fun getting ready. As always you share such great ideas.

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    1. Hi, RanchHouse...The rack is a ZRack 61"x 22"x69", very steady and sturdy, I got it at Wawak when it was on special.

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  11. Your talent is amazing! I don't sew clothing for myself anymore, but I sew a LOT! It's so inspiring to see your lovely results. Love hearing about your book selections, too.

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    1. Thanks, Mary Kath! Sewing and reading are right at the top of my "things I love" list!

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  12. that silver tunic is so cool - i would have been baffled by that fabric. And I love the bracelet - so cute.

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    1. Thank you, Beth...the fabric was surprisingly easy to sew.

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  13. Such a joyful post! I heard an interview with Annie Proulx on BBC about Barkskins which sounds intriguing. She mentioned there are a lot of characters - has this made the Audible version (my preferred "reading" method) challenging to follow? Best, Shari

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  14. Such a joyful post! I heard an interview with Annie Proulx on BBC about Barkskins which sounds intriguing. She mentioned there are a lot of characters - has this made the Audible version (my preferred "reading" method) challenging to follow? Best, Shari

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    1. Thanks, Shari...I was aware there is a pdf file to help keep track of the characters, but I haven't felt the need of it...

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    2. Thanks Margy for the pdf tip!

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  15. Margie, I'd love to go on the Paris trip just to see what you show up wearing every morning! What a wardrobe you've created. Fantastic silver piece, who would have thought it would be so versatile! Wonderful post!

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    1. Thanks, Gayle...I think there's a spot left on the tour...why not come along?

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  16. You don't need to go to Paris to find style and elegance......

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  17. All fabulous looks, but that Sun Kim outfit is really magnificent! You have such amazing style!

    Shelbee
    www.shelbeeontheedge.com

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  18. I love reading your blog, and seeing what you create. You make fabulous styling decisions, and wear your clothes with panache.

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    1. Thank you, Diane...what a lovely thing to say!

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  19. I think you will be the most stylish lady in Paris. What a beautiful collection .

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  20. From Lurker Land: I so appreciate the time and thought you put into your posts. I find encouragement in your continual reflections. Thanks for sharing. From a some-time-age DOL.

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    1. Thank you, Cordell! I recognize your name from the GThread group!

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  21. Love all the creativity!! The new silver piece is lovely and so versatile. I also have a "Sleevy Wonder" piece and it works really well. Now I want to make my own. :-)

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    1. Thanks, Jean! I LOVE my sleevy wonder! Genius!

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