MAKING A STORYBOARD...AND CATCHING UP!

Since I last posted, I drove up to Redwood City to attend another AIF, Artistry in Fashion. This is my 3rd time in 4 years...it's always fun to see friends, make new friends, see fashion shows and shop the Vendors. There are usually several blog readers who introduce themselves to me...I love that!

Here are Shams, from Communing with Fabric, and Ronda Chaney, Program Coordinator of the Cãnada College Fashion Design Department; she is responsible for this wonderful event.

Friends Dorothy, Ann and Barbara, all models in the Fashion Show, in their outfits...

and here, in their "real" clothes.

and here they are with Shams. As always, I walked away with some special things from the wonderful vendors.

I decided to stop sewing new things and start putting together my travel wardrobe for Portugal; we leave in 2 ½ weeks, so this is none too soon.

As I was accumulating items for consideration, I happened to have all my red footwear on the floor in my closet, and I was amazed to find I have so many
red shoes!

Red is truly a neutral for me...

Also, as I was choosing what to pull out of my closet, I took advantage of the chance to rearrange my tee shirts and turtlenecks, moving them from hangers to drawers. MicMac took advantage, too... (Marie Kondo would be so proud of me...

I decided to try a new way of "storyboarding" my travel wardrobe, so I thought I'd share with you how I begin. I took pictures of each article of clothing that might potentially make it to the final cut. I hung a white sheet on a pole and hung the clothing item on a clothesline in the foreground. For instance:

This is my latest "Trifecta" pant, in a black bengaline with silver stripes from Marcy Tilton.
After a little Photoshopping, I had this to add to my possibilities:

After all the photographing and Photoshopping, I made a file of all the pants

all the vests

and all the tunics

I do this for coats and jackets, tee shirts, and accessories. When I am finished, I put them all together and begin the culling (I know, TMI, what can I say, I'm a geek...)

Speaking of accessories, I am breaking in these gorgeous Stuart Weitzman boots as I write...

With that lug sole, they should be great for Lisbon's cobblestone hills. They are supremely comfortable.

My friend Joan had a complete knee replacement a few days ago...I went to visit her earlier today.

A couple of friends had just given her this enormous goofy hair bow...which I of course had to try

The necklace I'm wearing here is one of my "finds" from AIF...it is made from

the balls in a roll-on deodorant bottle...that makes it even more "special"!

Joan's beautiful sister is taking care of her...

    "Nurse Linda"

That's all for now...TTYL!

ADDITIONS TO MY FALL WARDROBE...

Despite being temporarily slowed down by a traveling cold, I've been productive in the studio and online, adding to my fall wardrobe.

In an interesting and mostly successful trifecta, I combined V8929, V1034 (OOP) and my custom pant pattern by Lynda Maynard, and made a pair of jeans in a beautiful red/black denim from Silhouette Patterns.

I need to change the waistband to a contoured one and take a few tucks in the back leg, but I'm pretty pleased with them. I am pairing then here with a TNT
B5954, a tunic in a pretty paisley in red, gray and black from Fabric.com.

I made the same tunic (can you tell I like it?) in a cozy sweater knit with polkadots from Marcy Tilton, this time without the cowl collar and with a contrasting neck binding.

Paddywack approves...AND matches!

I couldn't resist a long sweater jacket from Orvis in a black and gray houndstooth...

And, a fun, funky short pullover taffeta vest with a wire collar from Sun Kim,
a division of Comfy.

So, that's what I've been up to! I'm off to Artistry in Fashion next weekend, to

see old friends and meet up with new ones, and, just maybe, do a little shopping...

TTYL

MOB, DECONSTRUCTED...AND SOME NOSTALGIC NOTEBOOKS...

I promised to share my MOB details and decisions...so here they are!

The jacket pattern is V2607 by Guy Laroche, which I made last year...

The fabric is "Sun and Shadow", a gorgeous French silk brocade from Marcy Tilton...

When I saw this, I knew I had to have it for my MOB jacket...it was WAY out of my comfort zone on color, but I had to have it anyway! It is a lightweight fabric, and much more complex than photos show; it has some interesting reddish "splotches"  which are hard to show...

and of course, the wonderful silver circles which made it possible for me to wear it!

I asked Pam Erny, AKA The Queen of Interfacing,of Fashion Sewing Supply, what she would recommend for this fabric/pattern duo. Pam is the epitome of good customer service...she recommended using her Pro-Sheer Elegance Light 

to interline the entire jacket; this was used instead of silk organza. It provided the perfect weight to "beef up" the lightweight silk brocade; then I used her 

DISPARATE DOINGS...

It's continued to be HOT (105℉) here, it makes my studio uncomfortable to be in, especially in the afternoon. But that hasn't stopped me...

I made a jacket from TNT M5433 (OOP) using a gorgeous brocade from Emma One Sock.

I snatched up this fabric as soon as I saw it...MY COLORS!

I lined it in a gorgeous red silk charmeuse (because I can...one of the many reasons I sew) 

 and paired it with some special buttons AND some of my beloved Indian jewelry

I also made the denim ankle pants (my custom Lynda Maynard pattern) in an
off-black denim from Marcy Tilton.

I had the distinct pleasure of hosting two darling 10-year-old twins (and their mother) who are both taking sewing lessons here in the valley. They had heard about my 
"Star Blogger" turn in Vogue Pattern Magazine and wanted to visit my studio and see what I do and where I do it.! I set them loose and let them wander around, inspect some of the clothes I've made, check out my inspiration wall,

and ask me any questions they wanted. It was so much fun! Thrilling to see young girls interested in sewing. I hope it's a trend!

This is the very brief season when fresh figs are in the market...so I took advantage of it and made Chicken with Roasted Figs

Oh, so good....

and (be still my heart/stomach) Halloumi with Honey-Grilled Figs

and with that, I leave you for now!

TTYL

WARM AND COSY AT 90°F

We here in central/southern California are in the middle of a heat wave...it will reach 98° in my area by Friday. And, September and October are historically our hottest months. So, why am I sewing fall clothes? Because:

1. I LOVE fall clothes. It's my favorite fashion season.
2. It is my way of being in denial about the climate I live in.
3. Yummy fall fashions are on the runway.
4. Gorgeous fall fabrics are in my go-to fabric sources.
5. I am going to Portugal in late October, and am hoping the weather will be cool enough there to wear my fall clothes.
6. Yada,yada,yada

Here is a new pattern from Marcy Tilton, V9140, 

I made it in a double-sided ponte knit, gray with black dots on one side, plain gray on the other. The fabric is also from Marcy. I cut front facings and welts from solid black ponte, and trimmed the front and sleeves with a trimming I love.

The fabric is not that heavy, so IF WE EVER GET ANOTHER WINTER, I will be able to wear it here, as well.

Back to the studio...

TTYL

KEITH AND ME!

Another fruitful week in my studio...my sewing mojo is strong!

A potential travel wardrobe vest...done in a wonderful knit ponte from Marcy Tilton (sold out, unfortunately). She calls it "Keith Haring"

and I think you can see why I snapped it up! MY colors! I made it up as a vest in Sandra Betzina's new Vogue pattern, V1425.

I'm very happy with it...the fabric is wonderful and the pattern is interesting.

The cute little purse came from the shop at the Portland Art museum.

I can wear it with gray AND red, and it's a perfect weight for my taste.

 Close up of the fabric...

I had to take these pictures EARLY in the morning, as it's supposed to get close to 100 degrees today; not the time to be so covered up!

Back to the studio I go!

TTYL

STRIPES!

I've been blissfully busy in the studio lately, summer travel over, no houseguests  expected in the near future, leaving me free to do what I love: dream, create, sew and "putter". 

I've wanted to duplicate the striped pants on the pattern cover of V8929 for a long time...I've made the pattern half a dozen or more times, but not in the stripe as shown on the envelope

Both pattern and fabric are from Marcy Tilton. So I finally did!

(Unfortunately, stripes DO emphasize tummy curves...) but the pants are fun and comfortable and Paddywack loves them!

Then, with potential candidates for a travel wardrobe in mind, I made V1453,
by Sandra Betzina.

I decided I wanted a more body-conscious fit, so I darted front and back and recut the side seams, to make this:

I made it out of black taffeta and trimmed it with black and silver striped silk dupioni...I didn't really mean to be so matchy-matchy, but, oh well!

The pockets are cute and practical on this vest...

So, I'm in the middle of doing one of my favorite things...making a travel wardrobe. We are going to Portugal in October.

TTYL!