Not-A-Fashion-Blog Friday: You Look Fab

Although I would never claim to know a lot about fashion, I read a lot of fashion blogs and think about body image, apparel, and personal style on a daily basis.  Occasionally on Fridays I highlight something "fashionable" that's caught my attention.

----------

One of my favorite fashion bloggers is Angie from You Look Fab.  Her short hair and sharp, minimalist style appeal to me and she's based out of Seattle so she gets the Great Grey that is the Pacific Northwest for too many months out of the year.  While she isn't my body type, she is among the few fashion bloggers who are well out of their twenties and have a more mature fashion sensibility.

While her personal style appeals to me, I like other features of her site as well.  She partners with Nordstrom and highlights good clothes that I could actually buy (on the half yearly sales).  She weeds through the trends and recommends which ones are actually wearable, by whom, and how to style them.  And then there's  a forum where women post outfit photos of themselves and ask each other for help.  Don't you sometimes wish you could have someone give you an honest critique of what you're wearing?  I haven't tried it, but apparently if you send your photo to the forum, you'll get it.

Most of all, I love her Mom-On-The-Go Flop Proof formulas.  For you mama-readers (and you know who you are, my dears) who have talked to me about wanting to look a bit more polished than a tee shirt and yoga pants, I give you Angie's formulas.

For example this is Fall Formula #1:

Jeans + embellished / graphic T + new look cardigan + ballet flats

Here's an artsy take and a more refined/modern version of the same formula.

Here's my personal weekend favorite:

Skinny jeans + long sleeved T + scarf + tall boots

Did that get your attention?  To see links to all the Flop-Proof Formulas, click here.

And if you want a little personal style exercise, read Five Adjectives to Define Your Style  and the comments following the post. 

Here are my five adjectives:
clean-lined, modern, bold, practical, creative

Hmmm....still needs some work....

Your turn.  How 'bout you take a stab at it in the comments section below?!

Made: End-Of-Summer Bag

 

(image sources linked via Pinterest)

This summer I was loving some tote bags I saw on the internet that appeared to be made out of rag rugs.  Now I'm far too cheap to buy something that I think I can DIY myself so I bought a small cotton rug at IKEA (remember this haul?)  and built my own bag.  Of course, by the time I made it, it was the end of summer and so it only got to go on one trip to the beach and a week or two of going to work with me before it got replaced by my cold weather tote bag (made by my MIL).  But I imagine it will survive many future trips to the coast and the pool in the coming summers.





One IKEA cotton rug
Two yards cotton webbing
Denim scraps for binding and inner pocket

 Now I'm inspired to try to replicate a bag like one of these for fall:

(once again, image sources linked via Pinterest)

Got 'em!

IMG_9767_edited-1, a photo by ndmiller on Flickr.

I made it to Joann's this weekend and scored my $1.99 Simplicity patterns. You'd think that 4 patterns at $1.99 would lead to a roughly $8.00 tab at the check-out. Not so. Not so. Because I had to check out the Lisette fabrics too and of course the D. S. Quilts fabrics. Even with my 40% off coupon my tab was....well, let's just say a lot more than $8.00.

It's tough week over here. As everyone knows by now, funding for education is in huge crisis. This week it's hitting the teachers in my district particularly hard as we prepare to close a school for next year and two more schools the following year. While my own job appears to be safe for the time being, I am surrounded by teachers who are really unhappy to have to change schools, classrooms, or positions for next school year. A few will lose their jobs or be reduced to part time. It is heavy.

This would also be the week the Sprout has decided to wake up screaming bloody murder in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. I swim my way up through the layers of deepest sleep, pad over to her crib, find her pacifier, and attempt to comfort her. Sometimes she is so distraught that we end up going downstairs and getting a drink or walking about a bit. Usually by the time she is calmed down and falling back to sleep I have just gained maximum alertness and then I have trouble getting back to sleep.

The combination of emotional and physical weariness means I'm laying low this week in the blogging world and in the crafting world.

"All will be well and all will be well and all manner of all will be well" as my friend Cris reminded me of the words of Julian of Norwich this week.

-------

On a happier note, Susan and Daniela shipped their first 30 quilts to Japan this week as part of the Quilts for Quake Survivors' project. I couldn't be prouder of all the sewists and quilters who've risen up to contribute to this project.

February Challenge #3

Oh, I've saved the best blog challenge for last! Have you heard about Colette Patterns? Sarai Mitnick runs this great vintage-inspired pattern company here in Portland. Reading her blog is an education in the history of fashion and the craft of sewing.

She's hosting a Spring Palette Challenge.

"The idea is very simple. You choose an inspiring palette for Spring, then you sew a tiny wardrobe based on that palette. You choose the color palette, the number of colors, and the pieces you sew. The palette can be based around fabrics you already have (so you can use what you have), or you can do something new. The challenge will be 10 weeks long (now through the end of March). Here’s how we’ll structure it:

• Week One: Define your challenge. Gather inspiration, make inspiration boards, review fabric choices, pick your palette, and decide how many garments you’d like to sew from the palette.
• Week Two: Plan your projects. Choose your patterns, sketch out your ideas, and make a plan.
• Weeks Three through Ten: Sew! Make your mini Spring wardrobe, and share your progress with everyone else."

Doesn't that sound like fun? Unfortunately I am currently without a sewing space in my house and my family is getting tired of my stealing the dining room table all the time. Hopefully, I'll get some "studio" space back soon. Or at least one spot where I can leave a giant mess and nobody cares!

I've had fun thinking about what my color palette would be. Every day on my drive to work I think about the palette of the world around me. The soft grey fog rising up out of the Willamette River. The lush greens of the firs and pines. The soft purple-brown deciduous trees as they're just starting to bud. And little hints of chartreuse where new growth is starting to poke through. My spring palette would look a little something like this:


(Thanks to Little Pink Weeble for sharing this photo on Flickr)

What colors are you loving for spring? I know some of you are in the depths of winter in the Midwest, so dream a little. What do you want to wear when it starts to warm up outside?

February Challenge #2

As I said in the last post, there are some great February Challenges out there on the internets.

I've been reading a lot of fashion blogs lately. By fashion blogs, I mean normal women who dress well and blog about it. One of my favorites, Kendi Everyday, is hosting a 30 for 30 Challenge. Basically, the idea is to choose 30 items from your closet and remix only those 30 items to make 30 distinct outfits for the month.

Yikes! Personally, I have a hard enough time getting dressed every morning without having to work out a permutation (and then try to get a good photo of that outfit and blog it too). And I'm not sure I even own 30 decent items to remix. So no challenge for me this time around but I am going to watch with fascination. And awe. Perhaps I'll be braver the next time she hosts a 30 for 30 Challenge and try it myself.

If you're curious, you can see Kendi's photos from the Fall 30 for 30 Challenge here. And yes, Kendi is beautiful and stylish and has a husband who is a professional photographer. I want to hate her. Except that she is drop-dead funny on a daily basis.

How do YOU decide how to dress each day? I'm working on this these days--trying to look pulled together and a bit creative every day. I'd love to know how you do it. Do you plan ahead or just grab the next clean thing in your closet every morning?

Japanese Sewing Class, Part 3

Now for the technical sew-y part about this dress: Despite the fact that I added 4 inches to this dress over the largest Japanese size and did the most ridiculously tiny rolled hem, this dress is only JUST long enough to wear by itself. My husband thinks it looks great (as he should :) but I intend to wear it with leggings or tights and boots and layer a cardigan or jacket over it this fall.

When I added the length, I initially just added it to the skirt but, as you can see there is a back bodice piece and then the skirt is attached. When I stitched the skirt to the bodice it was hilariously high. I appeared to have a skirt coming out of my bra line! It wasn't so hilarious when I had to rip it all out and recut a longer bodice (by two inches). I also ended up extending the front pleats (or are they darts?) by two inches and moving the bust dart down two inches. Doggone tiny tiny tiny Japanese women!

I was a little fearful that this full tunic would have the dread pregnant effect. It is pretty loose but overall I am pleased with how it turned out and I feel comfortable wearing it. I even wore it out on a (rare) date with the Wise and Bearded One the other night. He obligingly took these photos.

Japanese Sewing Class, Part 2

Here it is! Stylish Dress Book (#1) Dress E which is the same dress on the front cover. I learned a lot about sewing from Japanese sewing books with this dress.

First of all, why didn't I hear about using Swedish Tracing Paper before? This stuff is amazing! It's sort of halfway between tissue paper and a thin interfacing fabric. You can see through it enough to trace off a pattern. It cuts up nicely and is more sturdy than tissue paper. In fact, I've been told you can even baste pieces together if you're not sure whether the pattern will fit correctly.

Secondly, I learned how to add seam allowances to the Japanese patterns and how to determine sizing.

And that brings me to the third fact I learned: Japanese women are tiny, tiny, tiny. I'll admit that a bit of swearing occurred when trying to figure out how to make the largest Japanese size (probably a US size 8 or 10) fit me (size 12/14). Fortunately most of the Stylish Dress Books are meant to have ample ease so an exact fit isn't necessary.

Apparently Blogger and my laptop are fighting a death duel this week so I am attempting to post from Flickr instead. My apologies if this looks a little goofy. I mean, I know the PICTURE looks a little goofy--that's me trying to pose and I don't like that side of a camera lens very well--but the actual post might look a little goofy too.

Japanese Sewing Class: Love!

I am in love with Modern Domestic! I took my first class there over the past three weeks--a class on sewing with Japanese pattern books--and it was fabulous. For those non-Portlanders, Modern Domestic is sewing studio/workroom with really great sewing machines, sergers, irons, etc. for your use. It's always fun to meet other people who share your interests, especially relatively arcane ones like an interest in Japanese sewing books. The class was relaxed and friendly but there was a certain amount of intensity as everyone worked to draft their patterns, cut, stitch and steam while still trying to find a bit of time to chat.



I loved this tunic dress that Daniela had in the window as a sample, so I made a very similar one but I don't have any good pictures of me in it yet. The Wise and Bearded One is working late these days on a deadline so I'll try to get him to take one of me over the weekend.

It's late and I know I won't be able to write articulately so I'm just going to post some photos here for now.





>

Of course, a little saki helps ease the Japanese sewing along....

Thoughts/Links for the Week

Wow, I thought I would have so much more time to blog over the summer with school out of session. Guess I was wrong! Where do all those full-time mommy bloggers find the time??!! I spend every minute chasing the Sprout, cleaning up after the Sprout, or trying to get food on the table before the Sprout melts down. And when she's sleeping I'm doing laundry, dishes, gardening, catching up on email, etc.

My saving grace is that my wonderful sitter, Naomi, has the Sprout on Wednesdays so I can have a bit of time to go into the office, meet a friend for lunch, sew, get a haircut, go grocery shopping, etc. Thank God for Naomi!

Here's some random thoughts and links I don't want to lose:
--I just learned that I have to take a class to maintain my teacher's license. I'm thinking that a quicky on-line course might be the way to go so I could wrap it up before school starts in September. Blechh!!!
--I'm taking a Japanese Sewing class at Bolt on Wednesday nights. I'm totally stoked about it. Wish I had more time to sew (see above).
--Check out the cutest sewing studio ever!
--Posey Gets Cozy found this inspiring line of French children's clothes and patterns: Nils & Happy to See You
--I want to make this gingham dress. Do you see a theme here?! I want more time to sew and craft, please and thank you.
--I went for a bike ride on the Johnson Creek Corridor Monday pulling the Sprout in the Chariot (I love that thing!) and I saw the raspberries were ripening. Must pick berries soon!

Now I will shut up about wanting to sew and actually go sew for a little bit. Love and sunshine to you!

Made: Built by Wendy Top

Although I haven't been posting, I have been sewing in fits and starts around here. Here's a project I finished in May (yeah, I'm a little behind with posts).

I have a girl crush on Built by Wendy's Wendy Mullins. I love her "modern fit, classic style". This shirt is Simplicity 4111 that I bought a long time ago on the cheap-pattern days at Joann's. I had this Denyse Schmidt fabric that I'd been hording that I decided to finally cut into. Here's how it turned out:



I now know that I need at least an additional inch in length in the upper bodice piece. It balloons out more than it should because it doesn't fit my bust correctly. I like the rest of the pattern well enough to sew it again sometime with more length in the bodice. I suppose I should actually READ the pattern reviews before I dive in.

I had some leftover fabric so, of course, I had to make the Sprout some clothes too. This is Indietute's Toddler Peasant Shirt and the skirt is so lazy, it's not even quite a Lazy Day's Skirt.

Summer 2010

Oh. My. Goodness. I can't believe it is July already. Really I feel like this is my first week of summer. I know that school let out June 18 (really late this year) and then we had one quick week of scrambling and packing before we left to visit our families in Indiana for a week. And whoooshh! Here we are in July and I feel like my summer is just beginning.

Since I live on the academic calendar, summer is when I make my version of New Year's resolutions. Here's my admittedly-ambitious list for this summer:

-Paint living room trim
-Clean and organize office/studio
-Deep clean the basement (where the dogs reside, ick!)
-Learn to sew from Japanese sewing books
-Learn to sew knit children's clothes (already making progress on this, stay tuned)
-A secret art project that I've been mulling around for a while--you'll see it if it turns out
-Continue purging/organizing my wardrobe, including the search for a Uniform Dress
-Find and perfect a great black bean burger recipe
-Eat more fruits and veg (green smoothies, baby!)
-Lose 15 pounds (There, I said it. Now I have to do it)
-Exercise 45 minutes at least 4 days per week
-Sign up to run a 5k
-Get back into biking and sign up for some longer group rides (50 miles or more)
-Create play space for Silvie on our property--swing, sand box or table, and a teepee are what I have in mind
-Build our community by having friends over and getting more involved in church community

Alrighty, then. Commence summer!

--------------

If you have any recommendations for favorite healthy food, please comment. I'm especially looking for quick-prep summer food. Thank you.

Consciously-Considered Clothing, Part 2

Consciously-Consider Clothing, Purchase #1: Trench Coat

As I was taking a critical look at my wardrobe this spring I noted a near-fatal error for a person in the Pacific Northwest---no stylish coat for rainy days. Sure, I have my allotment of fleece jackets and vests. And, yes, I have some warmer winter coats that are water repellant. But I didn't have a nice-looking coat for these rainy spring days.

Keeping in mind my new intention to buy carefully-constructed, classic clothing, I started nosing around the internets for a trench coat. I figured that, at 36, I should buy a big girl coat for once. No more cheap little one-season wonders.

After some searching I ended up at Lands' End's Canvas store. I really love what they're doing here. Totally classic, American-cool clothes. Traditional with just a tiny twist here and there to keep it modern. I bought the Heritage Trench Coat in light khaki. It won't let me paste the photo here so you'll have to follow the link or just believe me when I say that it is a truly classic trench coat. I've already gotten a lot of wear out of this baby since it's been raining for the last 40 days and 40 nights. Noah, where's that ark?

Consciously-Considered Clothing Purchase #2: Running Shoes

Another (uncomfortable) realization was that I am so dissatisfied with my current wardrobe because it is not fitting me well due to some pounds in the mid-section. Sigh. I've never been a slender girl but right now....it's bad. I did really well losing all of my pregnancy weight, plus some, while breastfeeding. But when I chose to transition the Sprout wholly to a bottle at 10 months,I didn't chose to decrease the amount I was eating proportionally. So....well, you know what happens.

I've had a few people ask me when my baby is due. Embarrassed silence.

Rather than moving on to more "fun" purchases, the next purchase really had to be replacing my old running shoes that had been sitting on the back porch for the last two years gathering dust. A trip to the local running store set me up with these Saucony ProGrid Guide 3 shoes. Now I'm working on fitting in a long walk or a jog as many days of the week as I can.

If you see a slightly-round woman pushing a double jogging stroller and accompanied by a large Weimaraner on one side and a neurotic German Shorthaired Pointer on the other, huffing and puffing around Southeast Portland....yup, that'll be me.

_____________________

Thanks for the encouraging comments on the first Consciously-Considered Clothing post, both in the comments and in person.

Please comment below with your current favorite way to exercise and what gear you've found essential and worth the purchase price. I need ideas!

Consciously-Considered Clothing, part 1

I've been thinking about clothes a LOT recently...thinking about them so much that I've written several imaginary blog posts about them in my head.

I've been thinking about clothes so much because:

1) It's that no-longer-winter-but-still-not-warm-enough-to-wear-summer-clothes time in Portland. Yes, STILL. We have had innumerable grey, rainy days. I have such a hard time dressing in this weather. It can be in the 40s when I leave for work in the morning, hang out in the 50s most of the day and then suddenly warm up into the 70's if the sun comes out. Layering is a must.
2) I really haven't purchased much in the way of clothes in the last two years. First, I was pregnant and bought just enough maternity clothes to get by. Then I was post-pregnant with a small baby in tow and not able to do much shopping. And then the Wise and Bearded One was laid off for almost six months and we made no nonessential purchases. My clothes need a spruce up.
3) We live in a 1930s house. Those of you who live in houses from that period or before need no further explanation. For those of you who live in homes with spacious closets, you probably don't get it. The challenge is for all the clothes for two adults to fit in one 2x6 foot closet and one chest of drawers. In some ways I welcome this constraint. Although I can store off-season clothes in a closet in our office, I don't have the space to hold onto a large wardrobe of clothes, This forces me to edit, edit, edit.

I edited again this spring. Three bags of clothes donated or put on the re-fashion pile. As I was editing I noted what clothes I kept and what I purged. I got rid of clothes that were ill-fitting or poorly made--I noticed a lot of these were impulse buys from Target or the clearance rack at a better store. They were separates that never found a match or they were of poor quality fabric and construction.

I also noted the clothes that I wear the most. I'll talk about my winter "uniform" in another post, but let me say there is definitely a formula to the clothes I prefer. It is clear that I gravitate toward basic, neutral pieces that are constructed from better fabrics. The clothes that I have spent a bit more on are usually worth it. And these are NOT impulse buys.

All this to say, that I want to be much more conscious in my clothing purchases in the next few months. I want to wear clothes that are classic, well-constructed and worth the money that I have paid for them. I would love to wear more clothes that reflect my values--natural, organic textiles, fairly-paid labor, hand-made or recycled. I am not opposed to paying well for items that I know I will wear for several years. For example, I paid a pretty penny for my Frye boots (pictured above) several years ago and I wear them at least 40 times each year. They get better every year, and I think they will last me ten years at the minimum ($200 divided by 400 wears= $.50/wear).

If you've stuck with this post all the way to the end, I'd love to hear what items in your closet are worn the most frequently and you feel are worth the money you spent on them. Do tell!

I hope to build a series of "Consciously-Considered Clothing" posts. I'll share my thoughts about building a casual/professional woman's wardrobe and I'd love to have your input as well.

Stylish Little Girls

I don't want this to become a mama-blog. There are lots of blogs out there doing that with more style than I'll ever be able to manage. But once in a while a kid-focused post just keeps sneaking through.

I have been seeing so much great kids clothing out on the internets and I've been collecting links.

Here are a few of my favorites:
--Bonpoint outfits, via Black Eiffel, oh-la-la
--Maan kids, poppy colors
--Neige, simple shapes and colors
--Noro, also via Black Eiffel, polka dots, stripes and checks, I'm in love

Since my clothing philosophy does not include spending top dollar on imported European clothing for my daughter to wear for six months or less, I'm not likely to order from any of these shops.

But I am inspired by Elsie Marley's Amazing Kid's Clothes Week to think that I could sew some stylish little girl clothes for the Sprout this summer.

(Oh, summer, come soon, please, please, please!)

Made: Spring Pinafore

This full-time working mama thing is sort of kicking my tail these days. Six weeks until the end of the school year means six frantic weeks of IEP meetings and touring parents around different programs and dealing with issues that have simmered all year and are now coming to a boil. It is busy.

And the Sprout. The Sprout is clingy these days and needing her mama. That keeps me busy too. Somedays I feel overwhelmed and think I need more STAFF around here. Then I am reminded and flooded with gratitude for my husband who takes on cooking and dishes on a regular basis around here and my fabulous sitter who takes care of the Sprout as if she is her own. I am blessed in the midst of this busy-ness.

I do want to blog a bit to remind myself that I have been carving out moments to be creative and to MAKE. This is a picture of a little pinafore I made the Sprout right before her first birthday party. I love that Alexander Henry fabric. It makes me smile. I made my own pattern by tracing off another little jumper she had. I am inordinately proud that I now feel confident enough in my own pattern-making and sewing abilities to tackle these absolutely-simplest-ever types of children's clothes. Perhaps more complex projects are in store?! Six weeks from now?!

Links for the Week

Some things I'm loving right now:
--This guy makes cool stuff for his kids and he's an artist and lives in Portland.
--Must make this for the Sprout: The 90 Minute Shirt
--I believe a person's bookshelf is a biographical sketch. Jane Mount does too.
--This TED talk about optical illusions (via Simply Robin) boggles my mind. Some day I hope to study color theory more thoroughly.
--Continuing my map obsession, Cara sent me a link to these great rugs.

Here's hoping you're having a great week!

I'M hoping to get some crafting done. If I could just keep myself from collapsing onto the couch at the end of the day....

Forties Fashion

I love clothes. I don't think I'm a particularly good dresser but that's a reflection of the amount of time and money I have to put into fashion (not much, not much at all). Along with my Project Runway daydreams and my adventures in patternmaking, I've been inspired lately by the fashions of the 1940s. I think this started with seeing Julie and Julia on the big screen---big, brassy Julia Child with impeccibly dressed Parisians in the 30s and 40s.

Then I saw a whole spread in Lucky magazine of 40's style. I've loved menswear-inspired trousers--one of my wardrobe staples for work. But I've recently taken a liking to the fiercely-tailored jackets, pencil skirts, sweater sets, and saucy heels that are inspired by the forties.

And then, the Wise and Bearded One were invited to a party with a 1940s theme and a request for the guests to wear "flirty forties" apparel. Fuel for my obsession. Here's a page from my "inspiration journal"---basically a sloppy notebook where I jot down ideas and tape, glue or staple all sorts of random things that I like.

Like many of my interests and obsessions, I have no idea where this one will lead, but I thought you might like having a peek at it.

--------------------

Random, but somewhat related:

--Here are some Scandinavian paper dolls that I think are just forties fabulous!
--Polyvore is a site that I could waste hours upon. Sort like an adult version of paper dolls. You get to put together fabulous outfits for absolutely free.
--Archival Clothing is a blog I recently happened upon that celebrates classic clothing styles, timeless designs and handcrafted perfection.
--Harvey Faircloth makes "standup modern classics". I would like to have one of everything they make, please.

Design-It-Yourself Clothes

I am currently obsessing over this book. I saw it at Borders a couple of weeks ago and was intrigued. Then I remembered that my mother-in-law had given me an Amazon gift certificate for my birthday, and I miraculously had not spent it yet. A quick trip to Amazon for the book and Amy Karol's killer gift labels, and I'm in business. Maybe.

I've hated sewing clothes ever since I HAD to in high school home economics classes that resulted in several hideously ill-fitted items. I hated the fabric choices available. I hated the patterns. And I hated spending so much time on a project only to have it turn out so very, very wrong.

The last couple of years I've been slowly turning the corner. With Fabric Depot, Mill End, Bolt, and Cool Cottons all within easy driving distance, I have thousands of great fabric options at my disposal (Yes, thousands, it can be a bit overwhelming). And I've come to like great fabric made from natural fibers. Give me cotton, silk and wool any day over the synthetic fabrics used in the mass-produced clothes in my price range.

But I still have a hard time with patterns. I can go into the store with an idea in my head and end up completely frustrated that I can't find a pattern to match the idea. Or I can find a pattern but it seems exorbitantly expensive for tissue paper on which is printed a pattern that may or may not fit my body.

Enter Do-It-Yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplified by Cal Patch. I am so stoked about this book! If it works the way I think it will, I'll be able to think up a simple silhouette in my head, draft a pattern on my own, and sew a garment that is uniquely fitted to my body. So far, I read most of the book which was pleasant and easy-to-understand. I sweet-talked the Wise and Bearded One into measuring me 18 different ways, and I've drawn up my first simple skirt pattern.

I'd be in my studio sewing up my prototype skirt this very minute if it weren't next door to my lightly-sleeping daughter. Hopefully I'll get to tackle it tomorrow.

So if you're a latent fashionista, a Project Runway devotee, or simply tired of crappy cheap clothes, this might be the answer. I'll let you know how it works out for me. I have high hopes, friends. High hopes.

P.S. You can get a taste of the book over on this tutorial on Etsy.