Monday Morning Inspiration/Combining Prints

Over on Instagram, Sewover 50 has a little challenge going for the month of March entitled, #SO50PATTERNMIXING 

When I read about the challenge, I thought that it would be a lot of fun to participate. A while back, I found this fun little dress at the resale shop. I absolutely loved the mix of patterns, and the overall design.  

I did wear it as 1 of my outfit of the day pieces, and paired it with a pair of tights that I did make. So although I didn't make the dress, at least I made the tights!!! :) But, I thought the dress was really quite inspirational, especially for any type of scrap busting one might like to do.   

So, here are my plans for my pattern mixing piece.

There's a wonderful band out of North Carolina called Fireside Collective. Like all performers, they have really had a difficult go of it this past year. I bought a few t-shirts, and various things in order to try and help out a bit. Whenever I buy a t-shirt, I always like to get an X-large as I cut them down and make them into something that's not just something without any fit. Sadly, my camera did not do justice to the colors, but it's a lovely green with blues, and purples in the logo.   

I made the mountainscape t-shirt last summer. It's fine, but crazy me, when I attached the neckband, I wasn't paying attention, and the center back seam is at center front. Yes, I could take it off and reposition it, but I really like how the colors work with the Fireside Collective t-shirt, so it's getting cut up. 

I needed a few more pieces to mix in, so I headed over to the resale shop. Again, my camera did not pick up the colors, but the 3 pieces that I chose really do work quite well with the Fireside Collective t-shirt, and the mountainscape t-shirt.   

We'll see how this all turns out :/ At the very least, I think it will be fun to arrange the pieces, and just play around a bit!

Wishing you a lovely, lovely week!!!

BTW, the new blog that I am writing for the American Opera Society of Chicago is going quite well. If by chance you would like to check it out, you can find all of the posts that I've done thus far HERE. 

Rhonda

Monday Morning Inspiration/International Women's Day

When I sat down to do my writing this morning, I tore the page off my daily calendar and saw that it's International Women's Day. For some, the day will mean nothing. For others, it's a day to participate in a march. For me, it's a day to reflect, and to think about the women who came before me. None of them wrote a great piece of literature, found a cure for a disease, or held a political office. But, they were heroes in their own right. I wrote the piece below in 2012, the morning before I went to vote. I hope that you will enjoy it.

     

A Voice Where One Did Not Exist

A few years before my great aunt died, she gave me this picture.

It's an incredible piece of family history as pictured here in the front row is my great-great-great grandmother and grandfather. On the right hand side of the picture, is my great-great grandfather and grandmother(her eyes have been scratched out. At some point in time, a child got hold of this picture and drew all over the back and scratched out the eyes of my great-great grandmother.) In her lap is my great grandmother and in the lap of her sister is the twin sister of my great grandmother. This photograph was taken in 1886.

Faces from the past, strangers, and yet, my family.

As I look at this woman, my ancestor, I think of what her life was like. It was a hard life. She would have risen early, cooked on a wood stove, which meant the stove had to be stoked prior to cooking. No turning a knob and instantly having a flame. Eggs would be gathered, chickens fed, the cow milked, and all before breakfast was cooked. Her life was a busy life, taking care of a home, sewing, cooking, raising children and all without any of the luxuries that I now take for granted. What her eyes tell me though, is that this was all done as she had no other choice. No choice and more importantly, no voice. 

 

I know more about my great-great grandmother. What a joy to be able to see what my great-great grandfather looked like. He looks to have been a good man. The couple went on to have two more children, another daughter and a son. Sadly, my great-great grandfather died when the children were still quite young. At that time, a woman could not own land in Florida, but she could in Texas, as long as she was not married. In pursuit of a better life for her family, this woman who had been left alone with four young children, packed her wagon, tied the cow to the back, and set off for Texas. What an incredibly brave woman. There were no conveniences along the way. They had to walk as the wagon carried their belongings. Nights were spent under the stars, all of their food cooked on a campfire. When it rained, they were wet. It was a very difficult journey. They did make it to Texas and she and all of her children lived out their lives there. My great-great grandmother died in 1961 at the age of 96.

At the time of this picture, there are three generations of women who had no voice, no rights, only obligations. 

Today, I will vote. My right to vote is very important to me. It's important to ensure the future of the women who are yet to come, and it's important as a sign of respect for all those who came before me who had no voice. As I walk into the polling place today, I will think of my great-great grandmother. Each step I take will be dedicated to all the steps she took to pursue a better life for her family. As I cast my vote, I will thank her for the life I have, the voice I have, the rights I have. 

           _________________________________________

The picture below is of my great grandmother, the same woman who was being held by her mother in the family picture above. Although you can't see me, I am there. She was making breakfast, and I was standing beside her, talking. The photograph was taken as she looked down to reply to me. This picture hangs in my kitchen. Alongside the picture is the spoon that she cooked with. It's quite worn, but such a treasure to me. 

So many of us tend to get caught up in the idea that the women who have really made a mark in this world are those who have fought, marched, bucked the system. While they are important, I think it's also important to remember those who came before us, who took chances, and created a better life for their families. Had my great-great grandmother not taken the chance to walk to Texas with her family, I would not be here today. 

I hope that you will take sometime today to reflect on all those who came before you, who struggled and paved the path for your life. 

Monday Morning Inspiration/Purpose

A very late Happy New Year!

When our world as we knew it seemed to end last year, I had my moments of shock, and then I decided to focus on what I could do, and not on what I couldn't. As it turned out, I had a spectacular year. Yes, there were moments that were especially difficult. Some of you may remember that a friend of mine died on May 6th(not from COVID), and I am the executor of her estate. Trying to get anything accomplished was so very difficult with all the COVID restrictions. There was one moment when I felt that I just could not do it. But, I allowed myself the moment, then grabbed my boot straps, and figured out ways to accomplish what needed to be done. I'm not finished yet, but close.

Although I had a wonderful year, I have questioned my life, and have had moments where I have felt great despair. Maybe you have as well. I came across this, and it spoke to me in such a profound way, so, for my first post of this new year, I thought I would share it. I hope that it will touch you as it has me :)

"What is my purpose in life?" I asked the void.

"What if I told you that you fulfilled it when you took an extra hour to talk to that kid about his life?" said the voice.

"Or, when you paid for that young couple in the restaurant? Or, when you saved that dog in traffic? Or, when you tied your father's shoes for him?"

"Your problem is that you equate your purpose with goal-based achievements. The universe isn't interested in your achievements...

Just Your Heart.

When you choose to act out of kindness, compassion, and love, you are already aligned with your true purpose."       

Monday Morning Inspiration/Too Cool To Sweat

It's a rainy, gray, quite cool day in Chicago this morning. I so love days like this. Feels like the universe has given me a blanket to snuggle into. 

I recently shared that I was having a problem with getting pictures from my phone onto the blog. Well, low and behold, one day, everything just came through, like magic. It all seems to be working just fine at this point. I think there are mean little trolls that live in "the internet cloud" who just enjoy having a little fun with us. I think that once they had their fun with me, they released my pictures ;) Whatever, I'm just happy to have it all working once again!

Last week, I shared the romper I made using the Ellie and Mac pattern. I loved it so much that I made another in brown. For those of you who are following my shoe collection...I even bought a new pair of booties to wear with the outfit. You'll see them soon :) I'm typically not a person to wear sweatpants and sweatshirts, but this pattern made me a new convert.

With the thought of wanting some sweatshirt inspiration, something a little less ordinary, I began to look, and found some fun ideas.

Adding a placket down center front, and doing lace up ties really takes this sweatshirt beyond typical.  

I love the idea of a wrapped/overlapped front. Adding the ties with a ring closure makes it all the more special.

Here's another example where they played with the an asymmetrical design.

With this sweatshirt dress, a simple ribbon belt was stitched on and a ring used to keep it all together. Gives the piece a waist definition without any pattern work.  

A more complicated design, but I so love the tie at the neckline. This would work best with a sweater knit rather than an actual piece of sweatshirt knit.

With this top, the band was cut off the bottom, and an asymmetrical casing sewn in. So easy to do, and eye catching.  

Basically the same design as the top above, just done in a sweater knit.

I LOVE this piece! The curved hemline, and the ties, so cute!!! 

Another top with an overlay, and a side tie. 

I think this is my favorite. I love that the pants have a fly front. As for the top, the wrap around aspect is fabulous!

Here the waistline is accented, but not at all fitted. I also like the small bell-shaped cuff.

Another favorite. This is a take on a piece I did for a Fabulous Free Pattern Friday post that you can see HERE. With this, the back section is cut away and then slashed and spread apart. A tutorial for this will be up soon.

I hope this has spurred your imagination, and maybe inspired you to make your casual wear a little more fashion forward :)

Have a wonderful week!

And keep sewing!!!

Rhonda 

Monday Morning Inspiration

 Whenever I travel, I love finding unique stores, be it boutiques, or fabric stores. My curiosity has given me the chance to meet some of the most interesting people. A number of years ago, I met a very unique woman who had the most fabulous boutique in Galveston, Texas. She had such a great eye for designers who were cutting edge. Many of the designers that she carried in her store were from Austin, Texas, of all places! Something that no one would think to go to Galveston to purchase would be tights. After all, it can be ungodly hot there. But, this owner who became a friend told me how she loved tights and that they had given her the opportunity to once again wear a mini skirt. I bought a number of pairs of tights from her, as I love them too!!!

I literally have a drawer full of tights. Yes, a bit of an addiction I guess. But, I so love fabulous and unique tights. They can elevate a simple garment, give interest to a solid color garment, and change the feel from funky to sexy with just the change of the tights. And then, there's just the utilitarian aspect of keeping my legs warm in winter. Regardless of the weather, I still love wearing skirts. 

Now, with all of that said, finding tights can be a bit difficult. I was walking down Michigan Ave. here in Chicago. Walked past Neiman's, and saw a fabulous pair of tights on a mannequin. I went in, asked where the hosiery department was. For the life of me, I think it must exist in an alternate universe as I could not find it. I then went to Bloomingdale's. They had tights, but just simple, run of the mill tights. I asked a friend who works for Neiman's about the tights that were featured in the window. She told me that one would think that if they are displaying it in the window that it would be sold in the store. But no!!! Crazy!

Thankfully, there are online shops that carry fabulous, fun tights.

I love the idea of adding a pop of color with a basic outfit. Mustard is BIG this fall. 

Flowers are always fun. The pair above and the pair below were originally sold at Mod Cloth. Sadly, neither pair is currently available, but you can find some interesting tights HERE. 

 

This pair screams fall to me. I think they would be great with a corduroy skirt. This pair was sold on the Anthropology website. Nothing there at the moment, but maybe when fall is in full swing, they'll have something.

Tights that tell a fairy tale. These are actually leggings, but still fun. How cute would these be with a solid black skirt or dress?!! You can find them on Etsy HERE. 

 

In the same vein as the leggings above, I love the trailing flowers, birds, and butterflies.

 

Velvet tights. I actually made a pair last winter and I lived in them!

Lace tights won't keep your legs warm, but here's a situation where a pair of tights can take an outfit from ho hum, to drop dead sexy!  

I added this pair of antique Edwardian tights just for the ooo and ahh factor. They were actually silk, and hand embroidered!!! Absolutely lovely!   

So, a question for you.

Do you know of a great, footed tight pattern? I have 2, but sadly, neither are available. I have looked, but didn't find any patterns. A thought just occurred to me, maybe Jalie. I'll check that out. But, in the meantime, if you know of a great footed tight pattern, please let me know. 

Sadly, my Galveston friend has died. She had breast cancer. Fought a very courageous fight, and she finally succumbed to the disease. But, every time I pull on a pair of tights, I think of her, and I think that makes her smile :)

If you've given up on wearing skirts, and or dresses, go get a pair of tights. Give 'em a try ;)

Have a wonderful week!

Rhonda

Monday Morning Inspiration/Casual Inspiration for at Home Wear

Over the weekend, I talked to a friend. It was great to reconnect. During the course of the conversation, she commented on my recipe posts, and asked if I will be getting back to them. I also received another note from someone who has followed the blog for quite sometime. She told me how much she enjoys the blog, and how much she has missed my "regular" posts. An apology is in order. I've been cooking, a LOT!!! And too, I still look for inspiration. It's just that I haven't been sharing. 

This past week, I thought of 2 of my favorite designers, and wondered if there would be a spring collection. Since the collections are typically done a year in advance, I hoped that there would be, and thankfully, there is a spring collection for both Carolina Herrera and Maria Pinto(a Chicago based designer).

As I looked through their collections, what inspired me the most were pieces that would translate into everyday wear. Things that I will enjoy whether I'm out and about...or not.

This palazzo pant from Carolina Herrera reminded me so much of the Winslow Culottes from Helen's Closet. 
   

This tiered evening skirt is not something most of us would wear at home, but it reminded me of the Phoebe Maxi from Pattern Union.     

This fabulous little dress screams spring, and works beautifully with flats or sandals. Love the appliqued flowers along the bottom. 

For something rather fresh, this mix of plaids is quite fun!

How could one not be happy with the mix of polka dots???

Maria Pinto has incorporated mesh into her collection, and I LOVE it!!! A mesh dress over a pair of tights and a tank, such fun!

Here she used the mesh on the back of a jacket. Would look super cute with a fun print tank underneath.

I'm really loving knee length shorts. The picture on the right shows how easy the outfit can be to wear in a more casual manner. 

This asymmetrical skirt is so flirty. The lantern sleeve turns what would be a rather boring t-shirt into something much more interesting. You can find my tutorial on the lantern sleeve HERE.

Nothing could be more simple to throw on than a lightweight denim dress with a center front zipper. The pockets make it all the better for keeping your cell phone handy. 

I hope that a few of the pieces have inspired you. I can't wait to get into the studio and pump out a few new pieces! 

If you know of patterns that closely resemble some of the pieces I've shared, let me know in the comments, and I will share them on the blog.

Wishing you a lovely week :)

Rhonda

Monday Morning Inspiration/Connection

Life lessons always seem to be learned in difficult times.

Twice in my life my mouth has been wired shut. The first time was so that my bones could heal from a tumor being removed from my jaw. The second was after the reconstructive surgery that was needed to rebuild my face from the damage that the tumor and the removal of it had caused. All of my meals had to be liquid. During that period of time, I could smell food as it cooked, and although the food had been liquefied, I could taste. But what I learned was that the joy of eating actually comes from being able to chew food. As time went on, I ate less and less, I simply lost the desire to eat. 

Over the last 2 weeks, I've learned that so much of the human experience of  joy comes from being with others, sharing experiences. I miss that I cannot invite friends for dinner, sit in a packed theater and watch a movie, get together with my sewing friends, go to a restaurant, and the list goes on. Thankfully, we do have the internet which gives us the opportunity to connect. A diferent connection, but connection  nonetheless. 

I receive a wonderful newsletter from an organization called CrossRoads. Here's a little about them and their mission;

Travel with us on ClothRoads to a world of authentic textile culture. Here you’ll find folk and collectible textiles, accessories, fabric, and fiber art materials from many corners of the globe, along with fascinating stories of indigenous artisans and ancient techniques used in traditional and modern ways.
From the rivers of India to the mountaintops of Peru, we go directly to villages and cooperatives to bring you these textile stories and the work of skilled artisans who are dyeing, weaving, spinning, printing and embroidering some of world’s most beautiful objects. When you purchase from ClothRoads, you help us to build and develop new markets that allow artisans and communities, especially women and girls, to flourish.

In their most recent newsletter, rather than link to galleries and museum exhibitions, CrossRoads linked to some wonderful videos that I thought you too might enjoy.

The first is about a silk marbling technique that is being used for Hermes scarves.

This wonderful clip is about Abdelkader Ouazzani, Morocco's last Brocade weaver.

Have you ever wondered what happens to our cast off clothing? I saw this piece a while back and found it to be fascinating. It is 13 minutes well spent.



And finally, a full length movie, but well worth your time.

In the remote Andean highlands of Peru, Victoriano Arisapana cares for the woven footbridge that has stretched over the gorge for hundreds of years. The secrets of this bridge, the only one left from the ancient Incan empire, have been passed down by the men of Victoriano's family for 300 years. Victoriano is the Bridge Master, the one who has inherited the sacred task of weaving the bridge and of making the sacrificial offerings to the mountain spirits each year. But his sons are drawn to life in the city and his daughter is prohibited from this male-only tradition. When she goes missing a week before the start of 9th grade, this Andean farmer must confront an uncertain future, caught between preserving family tradition and losing his children to a world of change.

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thebridgemastersdaughter

This is a rental, but only $3.99.   

Although we are unable to be together in person, I think this is a wonderful time to discover others and enrich our minds. And then, when this is all over, and we can once again come together, we'll have so much more to share. 
If you would like to receive the ClothRoads newsletter, you can find the signup HERE. 
Rhonda 

Monday Morning Inspiration/Silver Screen to Mainstream

After so many months of not blogging as I would like, it has been difficult for me to get back in the groove :( Great intentions, but... 
Let's see what this week holds, fingers crossed :)

This past week I did something completely new for me, I took a weaving class! A few weeks ago, I taught 2 classes at the Michigan League of Handweavers Conference. I had a blast. I taught an all day class on seam finishes and stabilizing fabric. I also taught a class on working with rectangles to create lovely garments. Handweaving is something I've known about, but had not really been exposed to. The more I talked to the ladies, the more intrigued I became. The thought of being able to create my own fabric, wow!!!, the possibilities!!!

When I got home, I googled weaving guilds in the Chicago area and I was pleasantly surprised when the The Chicago Weaving School popped up. The school is only about 2 miles from my house. I knew it was there, but had completely forgotten about it. As I looked through the list of classes, I saw that there was a 2 hour introductory class. That sounded like a great way to get a taste, and decide if I would like to pursue it further. Last Wednesday evening I attended the class, and here's what I made!

I just love it! The woven portion is just a little over 24"long. Not long enough for a scarf, I could make it into a bag, but I have decided to just use it on my dining room table. That way I get to look at it everyday :)

So, guess what?!! I signed up for the 4 week class. The class meets once a week on Monday's from 10-2, so 4 hours. I can't wait to see what I do over the 4 week period!!! If that goes well, there is an 8 week class :/ 

This past week, I also went with a friend to the Chicago History Museum to see their current exhibit, Silver Screen to Mainstream: American Fashion in the 1930s and 40s. What a lovely exhibit! It's rather small, especially in comparison to the Dior exhibit. What I loved is that I really absorbed what I saw since it wasn't so overwhelming. The exhibit will be up until January 21, 2020, so if by chance you are going to be in Chicago over the holidays, by all means, see the exhibit! And by the way, the museum is free on Tuesdays!!!   

I always love sharing what I have enjoyed, so I thought I would share a few of the pieces that I especially found interesting.

I loved this gown! 

Such a lovely back. While I was viewing the exhibit, there was a group of ladies who were talking about prom dresses of today, and how the young women could take a little inspiration from these lovely pieces. My prom dress actually looked a lot like this this gown.

The belt is just amazing!

Another gorgeous piece.

The rhinestone pins at the neckline are just the perfect touch.

Such a simple and yet, intricate piece. 

So beautifully embroidered.

This gown made me think of the Dior gown that was designed for Nicole Kidman. I wonder if this is where the inspiration came from??? 

Simply elegant.

The cut and construction of this whimsical dress is beautiful.

And I loved how they copied the print with the pins on the belt!

Love the pleating on the sleeves.

There was a section of "house dresses." I loved how they took a pattern, made it up, and then turned it inside out.  

Here's the pattern that was used.

This gown was by far my favorite of the entire collection.

So simple, and yet intricate.

The back.

You can see in the picture below how the front was sewn to the opposite side of the dress. I would love to do this!!!

I'm off to my studio. I am going to spend an hour cleaning before I allow myself to dig into a new project. Sadly, I let my goal of cleaning my studio slip by. But, I am coming back to it, and that's a good thing :)

Have a wonderfully productive week!

Rhonda