Not-So-Haute Couture

Last May I posted the beginnings of a wardrobe plan using line drawings of patterns I had bought from Unique: But those patterns are too big for me now, so I started a new wardrobe story board. I'm not nearly ready to start sewing a planned wardrobe, but I had fun doing the new draft story board:

My mother's sewing machine. It was a Christmas present in 1957 from her future in-laws. She used it to sew her wedding gown. My first sewing machine. A Singer Genie that I got for Christmas when I was about 11; around 1972 After the Genie above, my husband bought me a sewing machine from JC Penney (he meant well), which I used for a number of years before it was STOLEN (!) during a move. For awhile a had no sewing machine at all--I felt lost! Then someone gave me this Singer Stretch and Sew (aka cuss and sew). Now I have 3 machines: a Viking, a mini Singer that used to be my sister's (she got it when I got the Genie) and this serger: First Serger: White 2000ATS

Gosh I love SWAP* contests! Timmel Fabrics' 2007 SWAP contest photos . I've lost 60 pounds and am in need of clothes that fit! I have 27 pounds still to lose to reach my goal of 150, but I don't want to wait to start sewing. When I made my Easter skirt I was pleasantly surprised at how little (compared to 60 pounds ago) fabric I needed to use. A week or two later I was back in my sewing room looking through my patterns to find something else to make only to discover that all of the patterns I wanted to use were TOO BIG!!!!! Funny--I've been giving away clothes as I shrunk out of them but never gave a thought to my sewing patterns. I tossed my Unique patterns (I will get re-scanned when I make my goal weight and try them again) and set aside a bunch more, including a handful of Vogue's Today's Fit patterns. I really liked this one and this one and will replace them with the correct size. I spent the rest of that afternoon measuring myself and comparing

A site to watch--patterns aren't available yet: Go-Pattern

I sewed! I actually sewed! I got this pretty accordian pleated "broomstick" fabric at my first (and only, so far) BABES gathering (BABES is a group of sistah sewists from the bay area who have Pattern Review in common: I've wanted to make it into a skirt for Easter for 2 years and I finally did! Here it is: I've lost 58 pounds over the past 10 months and this is the first thing I've sewed since I started my diet (Atkins). To go with the skirt I bought a knit top (in the misses department, not the Women's department!) and to complete the outfit my sweet girls gave me a gift certificate for a pedicure so I have matching toenails!