Not-So-Haute Couture

An image website recommended by Flylady : MissusSmartyPants.com the know-it-all of style

Thank you for my Pantone shopping color guide . I love it, I love it, I LOVE it!

Some finished projects to add to the NSHC Collection: Butterick/Unique B4609 shirt (blue/white stripe Butterick/Unique B4609 shirt (pink/black stripe) After these pictures were taken I shortened the sleeves 2" by taking a tuck at the cuff line. The next iteration will have extended shoulders by 3/4", raised armscye and shortened sleeves from the get-go A bunch o' customized t-shirts. I scored a great buy at Old Navy @ $4.99 each. Shortened bottoms and sleeves.

Thanks Rusty Bobbin, for this terrific tutorial for One-Strip Sleeve Placket I can't wait to try this!

Purse organizer pockets using this tutorial from Craftster.org Mine's 42" long (this was for a tote and I wanted to get everything in) and the same finishe height as the one in the tutorial.

Is it me, or is this badly drafted? Notice that the pockets match. And nothing else. Not the top, not the bottom, not the armscye curve. I attempted to make the side panel fit by taking what I hoped would be stylish tucks at the seamline. It doesn't look so good in this picture but it looked sorta okay in real life. I might've pulled off stylish tucks, but look at that low armscye! No way will that fit! I've had to raise the armscye on every single top pattern I've purchased from Unique. And another thing--I don't have a picture for this, but the center front was too long. Just like when I've done a full bust adjustment on a pattern and the extra length added by that adjustment made the center front waayy too long--I guess because I'm big-busted and short-waisted. That sort of frustrating alteration that leads to another alteration is exactly why I decided to try custom patterns like Unique, but apparently even they didn't get it right on this one. My ot...

My 'Completed Sewing Projects' link has been revamped. It hadn't been updated in a few months and when I checked the web page it was all wonky--photos weren't lining up with project descriptions, etc. So I created a new blog, The Not So Haute Couture Collection , to journal my finished projects.

A place to buy tencel Silk Road Fabrics - High quality silk, linen, cotton, wool and tencel fabrics and buttons for home decoration and sewing

Here it is Monday with a progress report on Friday's to-do list: Finish blue pants (attach waistband & hem) These were a ULE-- U nwearable L earning E xperience, aka 'wadder', as in wadded up and thrown away. Very much a bummer. The problem was the too-high rise, the too-baggy back thighs all combined with the fabric choice. See, in order to eliminate the bagginess, the back waist needed to be pulled up, but pulling the backwaist up enough to correct the fit threw the fit off in other places--for instance, the side seam was pulled toward the back. Then, too, this fabric was a heavier stretch twill; very denim-like and I found myself wanting to fit them much closer than a drapier fabric. But these were meant to be office slacks, not jeans. It was a learning experience that was reinforced when I sewed the exact same pattern in a drapier poly blend in black and I was able to fit them to a wearable state without ruining the design. Finish blue striped shirt (hem/buttons/but...

The 1st Butterick/Unique B4609 shirt (pink/black stripe) is done, the 2nd (blue/white stripe) shirt is waiting for buttons which are waiting for the hem. I've got some pants and a jacket to work on after these are finished, but I'm coming back to this pattern when I start my SWAP. All I have to do for a perfect fit is to extend the shoulder width a wee bit, tweak the forward shoulder alteration and raise the armscye a tiny bit more. I want to play with this pattern--maybe try different collar styles or a straight hem instead of a curved one. The pants (1 pair black to wear with shirt 1 and 1 pair blue to wear with shirt 2) are coming along. I'm having rise issues. I have to pull the pants waaayyy up in the back to get rid of back-thigh bagginess and pulling them that far up destroys the fit in the back waist. I think it may be the fabric, which is a fairly heavy blue stretch twill. I'll finish these and start on the black poly pants. I'll be interested to see how th...

Clothing site--great ideas for wardrobe planning: French Rags

Dig this! It's my wardrobe plan story board! My inner brat kept me up past my bedtime to do this. Next I'll play with colors! Right now I need my beauty sleep.

Up until recently, I could take Project Runway or leave it. I'm not a particular fan of reality shows, although I have been known to plan my evenings around episodes of Dancing with the Stars . But Manolo offers amusing Project Runway commentary , so when I was flipping through channels and saw the show, that's where I landed. And boy, am I glad I did. I had been in a sewing lull, you see, with several garments cut out and waiting, as well as 2 cotton french-cuff blouses in process and I had had to actually force myself to sew because dang it, I need the clothes! But what's this? Grown people, interesting people, with artistic talent, actually sewing? On television? Actually making clothes? Why, how delightful! How inspiring! It made me want to sew again! And I did! One of the shirts is finished and looks really good. The other is 2/3 done and then I will start on the coordinating pants that are already cut out. And as a special bonus, Kathy Griffin the D-List was on afte...