What to do about the hair

This weekend I need to get the final test of a tee done and start on drafting a cardigan. I have some lovely fabrics coming (I love ordering fabrics online, it's like Christmas when the box arrives in the mail). In the meantime the design board is getting crowded with fall looks. I love the change of the season but I never get started early enough. Living in Florida doesn't help either with only a few cold months out of the year.


I am in need of a hairstyle or haircut, so I am looking for a style that my naturally wavy-mind-of-it's-own hair can handle. Something that is easy to manage and looks nice while growing out my just above shoulder length hair. HELP!!













The first picture is one that I know would be so easy. Styling instructions would be go to bed, sleep and wake in morning, do not brush your ready to go! Second picture I love this style, but I would have to have my scalp and hair removed and get transplants for strait hair. Third picture, whats with the cutesy look on her face?? Love it BUT on me it might just look like a soccer mom and I would need to purchase some Mom Jeans. (photos are from Hair-Styles.org )

I will continue the quest.................... In the mean time it's gonna be a busy day, work and then off to the school for a open house and PTA meeting.

Outfit Obsessions

There is a slight delay in the fitted tee-shirt, I have become obsessed with this skirt by Antonio Melani. This weekend while walking in the mall I spotted it hanging in Dillards. Beautiful skirt with satin details and lovely silver threads that create the pattern in the skirt body (you really have to see this skirt in person to admire the subtle details). I ran strait to Jo-Ann's for fabrics, picking up some polyester suiting in a gray tweed and black, perfect to try out the color block details on. Although I did not want to invoke the dressiness of the silver threads, I do want to create the feeling that I get from his design. So on the design wall she goes!



This evening I was reading What I wore Today and found a look I would love to copy (you HAVE to check out her blog!!), the vest Kasmira is wearing is from Forever 21. So cute unbuttoned and over a splash of color - 'You Go Girl'. KASMIRA SO OWNS THIS LOOK!!!
Add something else to the design board. Now my only worries are, can someone my size and my age pull off this look?? A 40 something with the middle-age fluff, or will I look like a waitress -- heck at least I can give it a try...

So as they say this is 'def-on-radar' for me this fall.

Surfing at the office

At lunch today I was surfing and doing the usual blog reading and Mary posted a cute Wordle , and you know I had to do it too.......

Goes to show you I have been working on fitting issues lately. Get your own wordle

5 Tee-Shirts down and how many to go??

I have been on a quest to get a tee-shirt pattern to fit me. My measurements are very wonkie, as I am different sizes all over. I did the dumb thing and went through 4 different patterns to see if I could alter them to fit me. So on Saturday I began this journey........

I tried New Look 6813, fitted a raglan sleeve. After doing a FBA for raglan, I used some bright pink cotton knit and it still fit tight in the bust area even with the FBA and very wide in the neck. Not a pretty look!! I threw it to the way-side, questioning myself as to why did I choose a raglan sleeve to begin with. This pattern will have to wait for tweaking - I need a true basic tee.

Next up was LaFred's Tia Tee, cute and sassy top. I did not do a FBA on this top as it had a dart drafted into the pattern. I sewed it up to my measurements but without the vertical darts on front and back waist. It was good except the bust darts are way below where they should be on me. (the dart could be moved, but...) The shoulders are drop shoulders, I have narrow shoulders and a large bust which this look ends up very sloppy on. I placed this pattern on the pile to tweak late on.

Then to try and cheer myself up I pulled out Simplicity 4076 wrap top (yes, I know its not a basic tee). Did a FBA for wrap tops on the top using my upper bust measurement. I came out good but I must have messed up when doing the extra bit of the FBA for wrap tops because it was a tad big and one of the two front pieces is bigger and it sits funny.

"Ok, lets try a Burda now" I say with a smile, Burda 8244. I border on the plus size so I thought why not. I measured (Burda's are drafted for a C cup, I think that's what I have been told) and used the full bust measurement and used a size 22 (get a clue here Kira!! I measure a 16 in the upper bust). It sewed up beautiful, has a bust dart and it's a basic tee. I tried it on and it was way to big! I took up a whopping 1" fold (2" total removed from front and 2" from back). The arm scye was way too big and left a lot of fabric between the bust and underarm. What went wrong? I have not a clue - duh the size was to big! All fabric removed and the neck is out of whack, yes I could redraft it, but I am delirious at this point.

I took a break, had some tea and a thought came to me: I love the back of Simplicity 4076, it fit great from the back with the exception of adding a swayback adjustment. The wrap top fit somewhat good in the front but the addition of the FBA made it baggie/loose and off keel to match by my mistake, on the plus the arm scye was good on me. What if I used the front of Burda for the neck and the arm scye from the Simplicity and morf it into the front of a basic tee??

Using the very last of my pattern ease I did a ruff draft from the Burda and Simplicity by matching center fronts of the unaltered Burda front over the unaltered Simplicity wrap front (the side that is not gathered). I redrew the arm scye, shoulder and side seams of the Simplicity but leaving the Burda neck alone and no bust dart. Sewed this in some more of the Pepto explosion fabric and it came out "OK" ! Now we are getting somewhere. Just need to do a swayback adjustment in the back and the fit check fit without the bust dart.

Somehow in all of this I am learning something, what it is yet I don't know. But at least I have a beginings of the basic tee, and lots of wierd shaped pepto colored rags.

(sorry, no photos of this adventure as of yet, and there very well might not be as most of then are to bad to wear out of the house, but more to come on the franken-tee)

What Does a Chameleon Have in Common with a Tee Shirt ?

Like the amazing color changing chameleon a TNT (tried and true) basic tee shirt pattern can be changed to fit any fashion situation from comfort to dressy.

A basic crew neck style shirt can be altered into so much more than the boring old tee. As long as the fit is good and your fabric choice is appropriate, so many alterations can be made to the pattern to create a totally new design. So you can become the fashion designer! (tee from Coldwater Creek)

A cool cardigan out of a fantastic print by altering the center front to wear over a tank or shell. (example from J.Jill)

To make a basic twin-set, extra width can be added to the sleeve of cardigan draft to fit over a short sleeved version of the same basic pattern. (set from J.Jill)

After sewing up the pattern, embellishments can be added as embroidery to create a hip look. (at Johnny Was)

Or a very classy and elegant top like this one by Louis Dell'Olio at QVC using rhinestones.

For a fun look, slash the pattern and spread to create gathers in an area of the top. (here a cute top by Three Dots)

These are really just a few basic changes. Add a collar, change the neckline, add puffy sleeves or go wild and add all kinds of changes. This is one of the fun areas of sewing, once you've got the good fitting basic tee have fun being the designer.

The Jenny Bag

A great little purse with a unique shape, tutorial from Lola... again (Jana Nielson) with a down loadable PDF pattern.


The purse is small, but has a cute shape. I enlarged the pattern to make it a slight bit larger (more below). One outside pocket and roomie inside even for its size. My purse measures about 15" wide x 7" tall x 4" deep, with a strap drop of 11" (from the top of the handles to the top of the purse when worn on the shoulder, or how do you measure a strap drop?).

It has a unusual shape that looks cute and carefree, but polished at the same time.

The tutorial is wonderful! Pictures explain each step in detail. Even the tricky part on the bottom of the bag was made easy by her tutorial.

I love the shape and size. Its not a big bag, but holds everything I need for the day at work. It has a wider bottom than the opening, so the bag has an illusion that is would not hold much. I have a small note pad and pen (for sewing ideas on the go), compact/makeup, wallet, cell phone, tissues, pack of gum and chapstick in my purse and could fit a bit more. I love how she came up with the pattern draft to create the unique shape!! I have no dislikes at all.

I used Amy Butler's Belle fabrics love the wild colors and neat prints, fusible fleece in the body of the bag, heavy fusible interfacing in the handles, and magnetic snaps (one in the pocket and one in the bag opening).

When printing out the pattern it looked a bit small for me so I thought why not make it bigger. I work in an office where we have a copier (thanks to my boss) I was able to enlarge the pattern. I enlarged it by 29% (129% size ratio on the copier), I used 29% only because that was one of the default settings. I Changed the size of the outsize pocket just a bit bigger and did not stitch in the center of the pocket, wanted this to be my cell phone pocket.

I will sew this again. I have some black and white fabric (similar to this) that I will over dye with purple to make a fall purse. I recommend this pattern because of the great tutorial with pictures.
Cute style and the best part it's FREE!!