My Colors!!

Today I received my colors from StyleMakeovers.com.  I'm a "clear winter."  I can't wait to go shopping with my swatch book in hand.





A full swatch set is about $60 from most sellers.  I opted for this $25 version instead.  The swatches are smaller but the carrying case is handy.

Wish List Sewing References

Classic Tailoring Techniques: A Construction Guide for Men's Wear by Roberto Cabrera

Designer Bead Embroidery: 150 Patterns and Complete Techniques by Kenneth D. King

Draping for Apparel Design by Helen Joseph-Armstrong

Full Busted? Sew Clothes that Fit DVD

Jackets for Real People by Alto, Neall & Palmer

Making Your Own Dress Patterns by Adele Margolis

Singer Instructions for Art Embroidery and Lace Work

Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket (similar to Singer's old Tailoring book)

The Fashion Designer's Directory of Shape and Style: Over 500 Mix-and-Match Elements for Creative Clothing Design

On My Shelf

Adventures with Polarfleece: A Sewing Expedition by Nancy Cornwell

Altering Women's Ready-to-Wear by Mary Roehr

Altering Men's Ready-to-Wear by Mary Roehr

Bridal Couture by Susan Khalje

The Business of Teaching Sewing by Pati Palmer and Marcy Miller

Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire Shaeffer

Couture: The Art of Fine Sewing by Roberta Carr

Customize Your Sewing Patterns for a Perfect Fit by Mary Morris & Sally McCann

De-Mystifying Fit by Lynda Maynard

Dress Cutting: Instructions and Illustrations for Sewing 26 Vintage 1930s Fashions by Margaret Ralston

Easy Guide to Sergiing Fine Fabrics by Kitty Benton

Easy Guide to Sewing Jackets by Cecelia Podolak

Easy Guide to Sewing Linings by Connie Long

Easy Guide to Sewing Pants by Lynn MacIntyre

Easy Guide to Sewing Skirts by Marcy Tilton

Easy Guide to Sewing Tops & T-shirts by Marcy Tilton

Encyclopedia of Sewing Machine Techniques by Nancy Bednar & JoAnn Pugh-Gannon

Fabric Sewing Guide by Claire Shaeffer

Fashion Sewing for Everyone by Adele Margolis

Fashionable Clothing from the Sears Catalogs: Mid-1930s by Tammy Ward

Fashions of the Thirties: 476 Authentic Copyright-free Illustrations by Carol Belanger Grafton

Fine Machine Sewing by Carol Laflin Ahles

Fit for Real People: Sew Great Clothes Using ANY Pattern by Pati Palmer & Marta Alto

Fit for Real People: Basics DVD

Fitting & Pattern Alteration: A Multi-Method Approach to the Art of Style Selection, Fitting, and Alteration by E. Liechty, J. Rasband, and D. Pottberg-Steineckert

Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-57 by Claire Wilcox

High-Fashion Sewing Secrets from the World's Best Designers by Claire Shaeffer

How to Make Sewing Patterns by Donald McCunn

Jackets for Real People DVD

Learn to Sew a Shirt or Blouse DVD

Linen and Cotton: Classic Sewing Techniques for Great Results by Susan Khalje

Little Black Dress: How to Make the Perfect One for You by Simon Henry

Make Your Own Patterns: An Easy Step-By-Step Guide to Making Over 60 Dressmaking Patterns

Making Trousers for Men & Women: A Multimedia Sewing Workshop by David Page Coffin

More Fabric Savvy by Sandra Betzina

More Polarfleece Adventures by Nancy Cornwell

Mother Pletsch's Painless Sewing: With Pretty Pati's Perfect Pattern Primer by Pati Palmer & Susan Pletsch

The Moulage by Kenneth King

Pants for Real People: Fit and Sew for Any Body by Pati Palmer & Marta Alto

Pants for Real People: Fitting Techniques DVD

Pants for Real People: Sewing Techniques DVD

Pattern Making: Drafting 1930s Lingerie, Blouses, Skirts & Sportswear Fashions by Gertrude Mason

Perfect Fusing DVD

Power Sewing Step by Step by Sandra Betzina

Reader's Digest New Complete Guide to Sewing

Sew to Success: How to Make Money in a Home-Based Sewing Business by Kathleen Spike

Sewing Stitch & Textile Bible by Lorna Knight

Sewing...Good to Great: It's in the details DVD


Sewing with Knits by Connie Long

Shirtmaking: Developing Skills for Fine Sewing by David Page Coffin

Shirtmaking Techniques DVD

Simplicity's Simply the Best Sewing Book

Singer Complete Photo Guide to Sewing

Singer Sewing Reference Library:

1. Sewing Essentials
2. Sewing for the Home
3. Clothing Care & Repair
4. Sewing for Style
5. Sewing Specialty Fabrics
6. Sewing Activewear
7. The Perfect Fit
8. Timesaving Sewing
9. More Sewing for the Home
10. Tailoring
11. Sewing for Children
12. Sewing with an Overlock
13. 101 Sewing Secrets
14. Sewing Pants that Fit
15. Quilting by Machine
16. Decorative Machine Stitching
17. Creative Sewing Ideas
18. Sewing Lingerie
19. Sewing Projects for the Home
20. Sewing with Knits
21. Sewing for Special Occasions
22. Sewing Update 1988
23. Sewing Update No. 2
24. Creating Fashion Accessories
25. Embellished Quilted Projects
26. Quilt Projects by Machine
27. Quick & Easy Decorating Projects
28. Halloween Costumes
29. More Creative Sewing Ideas
30. Quilted Projects & Garments
31. Upholstery Basics
32. Sewing for the Holidays
33. Holiday Projects
34. Window Treatments
35. Quick & Easy Sewing Projects

The Sewing Machine Attachment Handbook by Charlene Phillips

Threads Magazine Archive 1985-2009

Trouser Draft by Kenneth King

Vogue Sewing

My Sewing Pattern Stash

To keep me from buying duplicates like I did today...

KWIK SEW



SIMPLICITY



BUTTERICK



VOGUE



NEW LOOK



MCCALLS



BURDA

Polonaise inspiration

So what is a polonaise?

From Encyclopedia Britannica, Fashion Era, and the pattern company, Buckaroo Bobbins:

This item of clothing has changed in appearance and function over the years.  It originally began as a coatlike dress worn by Polish women in 1770s and 1780s.  As you can tell from the pattern above, the bodice is fitted and the dress has 2 skirts.  A full skirt is connected to the fitted bodice and is draped in such a way to create 3 "loops."  This is usually accomplished by draping the skirt from the waist and pulled up at the sides in back.  The theory behind this draping technique was maids would pick up the sides of their skirt and tuck them into their pockets to allow them to complete their work easily.  The underskirt is sometimes called a petticoat but it is often decorated and displayed prominently.  The polonaise was revived in the 1870s and 1880s.  The top skirt was very full in the rear and supported by a bustle, which sometimes looks like a crescent moon-shaped pillow situated over the rear.  The full sides of the skirt are called paniers.  The bodice is worn snugly over a corset or if you are a "loose" woman, no corset! (Shh, don't tell Nancy.) 

Fabric Hunting
Nancy's polonaise sent me on a hunt for fine fabrics in some of the lesser known fabric stores in Memphis.  Sure, we've got Hancock's and JoAnn's but I need fine cottons and silks.  We have TONS of home dec shops around here but very little in the way of fashion fabrics.  An inexpensive option for silks would be to order from Thai Silks but Nancy doesn't want to mess with ordering fabric sight unseen.  This is a worry as we need 11-15 yards for the polonaise and skirt.  How often do you see 11 or more yards on a bolt in the store?  The Memphis Yellow Pages that was recently delivered to my door was useful for once.  Lace Cottage and A Frayed Knot sells fabrics for heirloom sewing, smocking, etc.  More expensive than ordering online but the prices are fair and they both sell Fabric Finders, which is almost always 60-inches wide!

I trekked out to A Frayed Knot last week.  For all those in Memphis looking for fine cottons, you don't want to skip this place.  I didn't get to meet the owner because she had just stepped out but her husband was very helpful.  You won't find this gem of a store in a shopping center.  It occupies the back of the house but it is packed full of goodies from floor to ceiling.  I found some great hand sewing needles that you can't find locally.  I also found some Wash Away Wonder Tape, also hard to come by.  Almost every bolt in her store is 60-inches wide and tons of yardage per bolt.  Most of the nice cottons are $10-$15/yard.  Some of the fine batistes were $20+/yard and all the silks start at $25/yard.

I liked Lace Cottage but don't see myself buying anything but an occasional trim from there.  The fabrics are about $5 more per yard than A Frayed Knot.  Also, they don't have as many fabrics.  All their trims are hidden away in books but they do have quite a selection of lace trims (those are the only ones I asked to see).  Again, the trims are pricey in my opinion; $6-$10/yard for most.  I didn't see any sewing notions laying around either.

Nancy wants a blue, just about any blue for her polonaise dress.  I was thinking of using a darker, solid blue until I found THE fabric.  A light blue with 1/2-inch stripes of a darker blue just spoke to me.  It hadn't even occurred to me use stripes but after a quick internet search of "striped polonaise dress," I was convinced.

My favorite example of a striped polonaise is from ModeHistorique.
Here are a few other examples: 

• Stahlroses Robe a la Polonaise by HistoricCostume 
• c. 1789 robe a la polonaise from a private collection 
• Green striped polonaise at Tayloropolis

The skirt will be a darker blue.  I would love to play with changing the direction of the stripes on the sleeves and on the finished edge of the polonaise.



I'm a little stuck on the buttons.  There are 36-48 shank buttons, depending on which neckline you use.  I'm leaning towards the V-neck.



I'd like to use something a little dressy but I can't find an example to get an idea.  Picking out buttons has always been really tough for me.  All the button examples I could find are covered buttons and there are only 10-20 of them.

Examples:

• Frocks of Ages Victorian dress
• Christine Hall polonaise
• Colonial polonaise on Etsy

The gathered scallop detail (on the skirt over the pleated edge, along the Basque waist, and along the gathered edge in the leg-of-mutton sleeves) is actually a hand-basted scallop of self-fabric that is attached later.  I think the sleeves and waist should have the striped scallops but I also think the striped scallops might be a nice contrast on the skirt.  I can't find an example of that but linked below is a pic of a similar skirt with pleated edge in matching fabric.

Victorian 1882 Silk Wedding Gown

There are a ton of notions for this dress.  Thankfully, Nancy is purchasing a bustle.  One less thing to make. 



This dress linked below is the only good example of a polonaise dress with lace but it's a bit difficult to see the lace.  (Check out her other dresses.  Very pretty!)
JulieGale.net Polonaise Dress c. 1880

Hmm....  Lots to think about.

Dreaming of Bernina

If money were no object, I'd buy the Bernina Aurora 440 QE. No, I don't quilt but this machine has everything.

• Speed control with a sliding button
• Separate motor for the bobbin winder
• Large, already filled with goodies, accessory box that is easy to remove
• Clear slide on table with easy-to-read seam guides
• Excellent lighting, which supposedly illuminates all the way around the needle
• You can select stitches by numbered buttons and a card with a better illustration of the stitches is included
• One reviewer said the manual is VERY helpful, unlike the vague Singer sewing manuals
• It will tell you when to oil the machine and when to get it serviced
• Stitch regulator so you can create consistent stitches with free-motion
• Will sew through anything
• Tested great with Consumer Reports and tons of great reviews
• There is a lever you can push with your right knee that will lift and lower the presser foot so you don't have to move your hands
• Comes with all but the overlock presser foot
• You can manually adjust the upper thread tension
• One reviewer says you can use several different brands of needles.  One of my Singers will only take Singer needles.

I'm dying to go try one out but I can't purchase right now so why torment myself.

FYI...



This machine scored great on everything, while many machines in the review have trouble sewing one or more types of fabrics.  I think that's what impresses me the most...sews through anything reliably.  DH almost had a heart attack when I told him the price.  Guess I'm saving my fun money for quite some time before I can afford this baby.

This brochure is helpful with understanding some of the features.
Bernina 430/440 brochure

Two weeks! Two weeks!

Where are all my "Money Pit" fans?!!

I read somewhere that people either saw "The Money Pit" and loved it or they never saw it at all. In other words, no one who has seen this movie can hate it.  I tend to agree.



As you can gather from the trailer, this movie is centered around the renovation of a house that should have been condemned. My favorite quote from the movie is...

[Walter has missed a meeting with the permit man, who got steamed and left]
Curly: If he ever does come back, you call me and we'll finish the job.
Walter: When I do get the permits, how long will the job take?
Curly: Two weeks.
Walter: Two weeks? Two weeks?
Curly: You sound like a parakeet there. "Two weeks! Two weeks!"
Walter: Well, two weeks. It- it's amazing.
Curly: Amazing nothing. It'll be a regular miracle.
(from IMDB)

Throughout the rest of the movie when something else breaks on the house, Tom Hanks' character (Walter) has to call yet another contractor who promises to be done with the work in two weeks.


This isn't a post about one of my favorite movies. This is a warning about future posts about...THE DRESS.

Last year I discovered Susan Khalje's book, Bridal Couture, while making my wedding dress. I then discovered her couture sewing workshops. Having no time or money, I couldn't attend one of these workshops to get some much needed help with sewing my dress. I did alright with my limited sewing knowledge and skills but I still wanted to learn some fine dressmaking skills. DH initially protested about the $995 USD price tag but quickly changed his tune. "It'll make you happy to go to this class and you deserve this for yourself." (I know, he's a keeper.)

With such a significant upfront investment, choosing a worthy project to learn couture sewing techniques was absolutely necessary.  One of my co-workers participates in western reenactments.  She showed me a polonaise dress pattern that she wanted to make.  This dress is perfect for my class project!  It just about has it all...boning, tons of buttons, pleating, bustle, lace and ribbon details, and petticoat.


(further information here)

So what does the dress have to do with The Money Pit?

I know there's no way I can finish this dress in a month or two.  It's going to be a ton of work and I don't have tons of time.  I already told my co-worker that there was no way I could have it done by the end of the summer.  So when will it be done?  Two weeks.  And when she asks about the dress two weeks later, it'll be two more weeks.  Two weeks, two weeks, two weeks.....

Thankfully she's in no hurry to get the dress done...because I'm going to need another two weeks.  Anyway, you've been warned that there will be tons of posts in the future about the progress (or lack of progress) on THE DRESS.

Enjoy a classic Money Pit clip!

What's your season? What's your shape?

This post started out as a review of a Palmer/Pletsch DVD, "Looking Good." Watching the DVD sent me on a quest to find my colors. It also got me thinking about where we get our fashion advice from. I'm a huge fan of "What Not to Wear" with Stacy and Clinton. They do an amazing job of cleaning up everyday people. (If it wouldn't be so embarrassing, I'd volunteer for the show in a heartbeat.) As I look at my bookshelves, I see a ton of sewing books next to some beauty and style books that don't get much use (the beauty & style books, that is). I think I've given up in the past. Now that I'm focusing on making flattering garments, I flipped through these books again.

If you've never done some introspection with regards to finding your best, most flattering looks, than this DVD (and accompanying book) might be helpful.  



This DVD is pretty basic.  It talks about colors and briefly goes over the gold-silver test.  There are some great examples of sewing pattern pictures where models are best dressed in their colors and those where they aren't.  What cracked me up is 2 McCall's patterns come to mind as blah and those are 2 of the "wrong color" examples she used.  The instructor also goes over the 5 basic body types and a very generic what to wear/not wear.  She then starts talking about visually appealing lines, shoulder pads, and supportive undergarments...and that's when I fell asleep.  Like I said, pretty basic.  One thing she does really well is give you lots of picture examples on real women and models of what to do and what not to do.  I didn't find it helpful enough to guide me in a shopping excursion.  Maybe that's why there is a book to go with the DVD.

I was intrigued by the color analysis, which she only says "get a professional one done."  I've never had one done and will never pay for one.  I did find a reasonably decent color analysis using the 12-season system here.  Basically you are warm or cool, then pick a season and then pick 1 of 3 variations of the season (light, clear, deep).  I'm a clear winter (cool).



Though I've never tried wearing yellows, I will say I tend to wear most of the colors above. I also wear tons of pinks and reds. I've noticed lately that the pinks/reds aren't as flattering on me as I once thought. This color analysis reveals that I have quite a few fabrics in my stash that aren't the best for me and I'll have to be creative in how I use them. Anyway, good to know. I'll keep this info handy next time I start buying fabrics for no apparent reason.

This brings me to what's flattering and how to fill your closet with an interchangeable wardrobe. I'm no fashionista but I can tell what looks crappy. (I choose to ignore that fact when I'm in a mood. Much like when my husbands asks, "Does this go together?" and I respond, "No." He was just confirming that it looked bad but he'll wear it anyway.) I have 2 books on my shelves that just about cover what I need to know.



I like the show and their book is pretty helpful. They cover men's and women's styling. For women they talk about curvy, extra curvy, top heavy, bottom heavy, extra in the middle and straight body types. They further break it down by petite, average and tall. For men they cover tummies, barrel chests, athletic builds, and small frames; again by the 3 height categories. Each body type is dressed in a day, evening and work look. You do have to read the whole book because there are little gems everywhere. TONS of pictures in this book.



This book is different from other style books because they don't focus solely on body types, just how to make certain style of garments work. What style and length of coat will work with long, straight skirts compared with long, full skirts? This seems like "duh" to some people but I found it very helpful with all the great visuals they use to show why one coat won't work for all garments. They give a great breakdown of what basics you need in each category, including shoes, purses, undergarments and outerwear. For example...

PANTS
You're totally covered if you have

• 3 pairs of winter work pants (tropical wool, etc.)
• 3 pairs of summer work pants
• 2 pairs of all-season weekend pants
• 1 pair of lightweight evening pants

If you never wear skirts, add

• more winter work pants
• a pair of fun pants
• more summer work pants
• a pair of velvet or satin evening pants

Then they demonstrate how to wear the same pair of pants for day or evening, summer or winter, and work or casual (numerous examples). Some nice information about finding the right fit for each particular garment is also included.  In addition, which garments to splurge on and which are okay to bargain shop for.

The only beauty book still on my shelves is by InStyle.  I haven't done too much with this one but I will say my eyebrows are fantastic thanks to this gem of a book.  I get compliments on my eyebrows all the time.  This is basically a DIY salon book.  I really liked the step by step instructions for applying eyeliner and eyeshadow.  This book covers hair, skin, makeup, and body care but nothing about nails.



I haven't read all the fashion and beauty books out there but these are a few of my favorites.

Wish List Patterns

I need a sewing patterns wish list that I can access anywhere to keep me from buying duplicates.  Since "Big Brother" blocks all the photo sharing websites, I'll keep this list here on my blog.  Feel free to peruse...but don't buy them before I do!



Burda 8275
Kwik Sew 3167
Kwik Sew 3813
McCall's 5180 OOP
McCall's 5242 OOP
McCall's 5269 OOP
McCall's 5535 OOP
McCall's 6120
McCall's 6130
McCall's 6171
New Look 6599
New Look 6823
Vogue 8118 OOP
Vogue 8666

Attention Threads magazine subscribers!

Kudos to Ann from Gorgeous Fabrics for alerting everyone to this scam.  In case you don't read her blog (seriously? check it out!), here is the info:

Please do not pay billing or renewal notices from:
Publishers Billing Exchange in La Habra, CA
Publishers Billing Association in Las Vegas, NV
Magazine Billing Network in Reno, NV
Subscription Billing, LLC in Tarrytown, NY
Publisher's Distribution Services, Inc in Brea, CA
National Magazine Services, Inc in Elmsford, NY

The official Taunton Press notice is here.

Updates

Not getting any sewing done this week. I had my surgery yesterday. Between the drugs and not being able to eat, I don't have much energy. I did get a few things resolved however. I got my refunds from SmartFlix and Denver Fabrics. I worked on fitting the cover for my Uniquely You dressform last weekend but it didn't go well. The boobs on the cover are weird. There are two parallel horizontal long darts from one bust point to the other. When I fit the bust to my own, I end up with pointy boobs because of the extra seams from the horizontal darts. The cover also does not come close to covering my hips. I estimate the sizing on the cover is smaller than stated by 2 inches in the hips. I didn't check the bust or waist as those were plenty big for me. It's funny but I could almost get away with not fitting a cover to the dress form. The bust and waist on the dressform are both 1 inch larger than me. The hips are 2 inches too small. I haven't checked to see where the bust falls in relation to my own. I figure a little bit of padding on the hips and a tight bra would just about fix the form.





I've decided to follow the lead of others that have bought this form. Some reviews I found on PatternReview indicated that they used an electric knife to trim down the form. Others salvaged the zipper from the cover that came with the form and then made their own cover. I'm not going to cut into my form but I will make my own cover. A fitted dress shell is all you need. It will be easier to start from scratch than to fit the cover that came with it. The inseams on the cover all face the inside so when you pin, you are pinching from the right side and then have to transfer the markings. This is not how I sew because I always make mistakes when I alter that way. I ended up with pointy boobs that were flattened above the bust point and a bit too tight below the bust point. The back panels ended up giving me a "shelf" butt. The front princess seams ended up wonky as well. Not to mention that the hip area was not wide enough to cover me to begin with. DH was a good sport though. I hope he's up for fitting me again this weekend....

I'm going to spend the rest of the day mimicking my cat.



Happy Friday!

Cat in the sewing room

This is a totally random post but it's Friday and the sun is out and the birds are chirping.

We own 2 cats.  The fat, older one is a bully and kinda moody.  She's my favorite.  She squeaks at me and always greets me at the door.  The younger one is a skinny runt that I refer to as the "junkyard kitty."  She is a noisy little lap cat.  She was supposed to be my cat but she doesn't like me.  The older cat, that we call "Tubby" is DH's cat, but she bites him.  So basically his cat is mine and my cat is his. 

Since we got the second cat, Tubby has been keeping to herself a lot.  She doesn't like Junkyard Kitty any more than I do.  One thing I've noticed over the last year though is Tubby will come out from hiding when I sew.  I like that it's just the 2 of us.  It's like our bonding time. 

It starts with the paper patterns.  The moment I start pulling out the sheets, Tubby comes to investigate.  I lay the sheets on the dining room table to figure out which pieces I need.  Here comes Tubby, up onto the dining room table, walking all over the paper.  As I cut the pieces out, I ball up the scraps and toss them to her.  She bats them around for awhile and then comes back to lay on my pattern paper.  When I iron the pieces flat, she weaves around my legs rubbing her big belly on me. 

Time to tissue fit.  I can only imagine how crazy this looks to her.  I've got half a pant on and it's made out of paper.  The only thing keeping it together is a ton of pins, which are stabbing me in the crotch and waist.  I wander from bathroom to bathroom trying to get good light and a better view of my tush in my paper pants.  She, of course, follows me; stopping to sniff the dirty laundry basket, door jam, trash can, tub, and all the pins falling off my paper pants.  The paper pants don't fit my tush, naturally, so it's time to add more paper.

Back to the dining room table to tape more paper on the pattern.  She's back up on the table, sniffing everything in sight.  Just for giggles, I put a piece of tape on her paw once.  (Don't judge me.)  I only did it once because I felt a little guilty but it was darn funny watching her try to get the tape off.  Anyway, the taping is now done so the walking paper pant parade begins again.

Back to the dining room table to lay out fabric and cut.  Now this is when I fuss at her.  She eventually gives up trying to get on the table and just sits on a chair watching me.  I toss the fabric scraps onto a pile for her to lay on.  It's like a magnet.  Works every time.

I think the rest of the sewing process is a little boring for her.  No new paper or fabric scraps.  No space on the sewing table for her to lay down.  She usually sits next to my chair with a "Mother, may I?" look on her face as she very politely asks to get up on the table.  I redirect her to the bed 2 feet away.  Then she just sits and supervises.  She's a crappy supervisor though.  I catch her napping and licking her butt quite a bit.  Really inappropriate behavior.  I still praise her grooming marathon though every time I get up to iron a seam.  Her reward for a hard day of supervising is a good face brushing.  She loves to be brushed but her favorite part is when you brush up her cheeks towards her ears.  Is that weird?  I've never seen a cat ram it's face into a wire grooming brush before. 

What I left out of this random story is the pinning of fabric on my body before I sew the seams.  That's where DH grudgingly helps me.  He got fed up with it and insisted I buy a dressform.  I don't know what he was complaining about though.  He has gotten quite good at pin-fitting me.  Now that I have the cover for my Uniquely You dressform, a marathon fitting session will start this weekend.  He's griping already but I keep reminding him that the dressform will take the place of him.  (When I re-read that statement, it just doesn't sound right. ha, ha)  Here's hoping I have some finished dressform news to report by Sunday.

By the way, the cats' names aren't really Tubby and Junkyard Kitty.  Misha is the sewing supervisor and Millie is the runt.  They came from the shelters with those names.  I don't have kids so I'll bore you with cat photos instead.

This is my sweet baby, Misha. In addition to laying on my patterns and fabric, she enjoys shopping bags...



Open drawers...



Christmas tree skirts...



And paper bags.



This is Millie, the noisy lap cat, getting her "Welcome to the family" bath.



Misha didn't like Millie much when we brought her home.



Glasses of water are not safe in our home.



She had a problem with eating too fast when we first got her. I got tired of cleaning up vomit so I took the vet's suggestion to spread out her food in a dish. (I improvised.) The dingbat sat on her food.



She's also afraid of the vacuum cleaner.



Happy Easter!

Sale Alert: Connie Crawford, Fabric Depot, and JoAnn's

It's Friday, which means payday for some of you.  Here's where you should spend your money this weekend.

Today is the 25% off total purchase at JoAnn's Fabric Stores.  Coupons are in the sales flyer or in your email if you are on the list.  I believe Simplicity patterns are also $0.99 through the weekend.  Not that any of us need more patterns but that's never stopped me.

Hancock's has $0.99 Butterick patterns this weekend.

Fabric Depot is offering 30% off everything not already on sale.

Fashion Patterns by Coni is offering 20% off any DVDs, Patternmaking Made Easy book, or any pattern from her website (coupon code: APRIL20PERCENT).  I think this offer is only good for the email subscribers so you might need to register before using this coupon code.  It expires at the end of April.

I didn't get paid today but apparently I have $800,000 USD waiting for me in the form of a check to be delivered by UPS.  I only need to pay $150 to Stephen Efe to claim my money.  I'll get right on that.  SPAM!!!!!!!

Happy shopping!

Palmer & Pletsch videos are my new best friends!

I recently bought the Palmer & Pletsch "Pants for Real People" fitting and sewing DVDs.  L-O-V-E them!  I'm a visual learner and the books are good but I was having a little trouble visualizing some of the fitting instructions.  There's something about the use of "real" women in these videos that appeals to me.  I've watched some other videos and it really irks me when they bring out the perfectly proportioned woman to demonstrate fitting issues.  I have the Connie Crawford "Custom Bodice" DVD and she uses 2 models.  One is a young girl with perky parts that fit the pattern perfectly.  She had to make up stuff to correct or "fit" to the model.

Last week I popped the "Pants for Real People" fitting DVD in with hopes of seeing some real fitting going on.  It was great.  Pati Palmer walks out in a leotard and tights and demonstrates how to fit yourself.  Every lump and bulge is there.  No Spanx to smooth things out.  Finally, a real fitting.  What is even more amazing is how awesome her pants looked.  I keep seeing these "What Not to Wear" and "How Do I Look" shows that preach wide, straight leg pants with flat fronts for women with hips or bellies, etc.  Pati Palmer made a tapered leg, double pleated-front trouser and a another tapered leg fitted pant and they looked amazing.  She's not obese but she seriously looked 10 pounds leaner after putting on her finished pants.  She was very picky about the fit too but it paid off.  At one point she commented about a "little pillow" showing on her left hip and how she would hide that.  Hey, I've got "little pillows" everywhere and I just figured they would always be obvious because I'm overweight.  Nope.  There are tricks to hide these under a well-fitting pant.  These little subtle fit adjustments aren't so easily explained in the accompanying text but the DVD makes it all clear. 

I haven't finished the "Pants for Real People" sewing DVD but I learned something within the first 5 minutes of the DVD.  I've never had a great looking invisible zipper.  Marta Alto cleared it up for me in one simple step and she didn't use an invisible zipper foot.  Plus she's a bit silly so she's fun to watch.

If you're an accomplished sewer and never have the same little fitting and sewing problems over and over again, then these DVDs aren't for you.  If you learned how to sew from reading books and just trying to figure it out for yourself, you will have nothing but "a-ha!" moments while watching these DVDs.  A cheap investment for my sewing with huge payoffs.  Highly recommend!

This is why Denver Fabrics/Fashion Fabrics Club doesn't deserve your business...

I ordered 22 yards of fabric from Denver Fabrics on March 5th.  I received a notice of shipment containing only a tracking number for FedEx SmartPost.  This package was shipped March 10th.  After two very frustrating phone calls with FedEx, I discovered that the wrong delivery zip code was put on the package and it was returned to Denver Fabrics.  They just received the package back yesterday.  I called Denver Fabrics to resolve the situation.  A rude and impatient woman answered the phone.  She said I entered 6 digits for the delivery zip code and that the shipping information is automatically entered onto the shipping label.  So I politely asked if there was any system in place for resolving shipping information that was obviously wrong.  She cut me off and stated: "If you didn't catch it, why should we?"  Seriously?  That's how you speak to your customers?  My billing and shipping information is the same but they don't look at either apparently.  I tried to ask a few more questions so I could understand their process but she didn't care to let me speak.  So let me sum up my several Denver Fabrics shopping experiences for you so you know what you're getting yourself into when you order from them.

1. Fabrics are packed into boxes or plastic mailers without a plastic bag to protect them.
2. Customer service hours are limited (9am-4pm CST, Monday - Friday only).
3. They don't return emails.
4. They don't return phone messages.
5. The customer service reps are rude.
6. You don't receive an order confirmation (at the end of your order or in an email).  This would have been very helpful in catching the zip code error.
7. There are no labels on the fabrics when they are delivered to you.
8. It usually takes them at least 3 days to process your order.  Much longer if you have a large order.
9. Apparently they don't contact you with questions regarding your order.
10. They run out of fabrics in your order frequently.  Sometimes you get an email or phone call to alert you and sometimes you just get a note in your package.

This is all very disappointing because they have a large selection of affordable fabrics and I like all the information they provide on their fabrics (care, fiber content, close-up swatches that are pretty accurate, suggested uses, etc.).

I liked Denver Fabrics because their selection of silks, wools and jerseys was better than Fabric.com but I don't get any attitude from Fabric.com.  They are super fast, super affordable, and super helpful.  Oh, well.  Lesson learned.  If you have any great sources for silks, wools and jerseys, please let me know.