It's Official...

...my favorite new pattern is Vogue 1296!  I simply love this top's pleated collar and the skirt's godet.








Hey, do you remember when I wrote about the "Dare to Flare" article in January Vouge magazine?  I just realized this top includes that peplum design which is supposed to be hot this spring.  Even more reason to love this pattern!!

(Side note - my daughter has a theory on why peplums are coming back; girls realized that being "skinny" is over-rated and started eating again, but then realized they got a little extra cushion around the middle.  So, the peplum covers up the muffin-top!  Hmm...interesting theory.)   






Excuse me, but, ummm... I have to go to.  Gotta confirm when JoAnn is having their next $3.99 Vogue pattern sale.

Be blessed!!

Aisha



P.S.  Oh noooooo!!  The Vogue sale ends tomorrow!!!  So much for that 15-hour hibernation I had planned for Saturday.

Sick Days

I picked up some "bug" which has caused me to stay home for 2 days now.  I won't go into gory details about it, but suffice it to say I'm feeling pretty bad.  Hopefully, I'll be able to return to work tomorrow.  Believe me - I'd rather be at work than home sick any day!!

In between popping Motrin like peanuts and NyQuil-induced naps, I went online and discovered some interesting sewing-related blogs that I'd like to follow.  Here are the ones I've added to my homepage.  Enjoy!

• Sewaholic
• A Dress a Day
• Diary of a Sewing Fanatic
• Hungry Zombie Couture
• Amanda's Adventures in Sewing

Also, the eBay merchant from whom I purchased the wrong-sized Vogue 8305 agreed to swap patterns with me.  I mailed back the original pattern last week, and should expect the replacement soon.  Thank you, Debbie, for being so understanding.  I really, really appreciate it!!

Be blessed!!

Aisha

Marc Bouwer Inspiration

I'm a little behind in my TV watching, but I finally saw Monday's "Wendy Williams Show" and I absolutely LOOOOOVED the Marc Bouwer dress she wore, particularly the blouson sleeves.  Now, here's another current style which reminds me of an earlier era - particularly the early 1970s.  Although I was a very, very young child, I remember the "puff" sleeves which were extremely popular at the time.

(Dress details)

So, I've added this to my sewing "Wish List" and am on the search for a pattern that can be easily modified to replicate this dress.  I did see a couple of "costume" patterns which may fit the bill.  Anyway...

Be blessed!!

Aisha

What a Dunderhead!

I really, really dislike making mistakes, and it seems to me that I'm prone to making them when I don't pay attention and simply READ!!  I recently took a business trip to Houston for training, and while the information I learned was extremely helpful and everyone in class was wonderful to work with, I encountered issues making my travel arrangements simply because I didn't read the instructions provided to me prior to the training.  You'd think my lesson was learned, right?

I finally received my Vogue 8305 pattern in the mail - YAAAAAY!! - but then I noticed the pattern I purchased is too big - AAAAAW!  I just sent a message to the eBay seller to find out if we can do an exchange.  I hope she's agreeable, because I'm really looking forward to making this dress.  If she says no, then I'll simply have to channel Tim Gunn and "make it work"!

I'll keep you posted.

Be blessed!!

Aisha

Everthing Old...

I recently purchased the January 2012 copy of Vogue (really nice article on Meryl Streep - check it out when you get a chance)...

...and according to them, peplums on jackets and tops will be big this spring.

While these pages illustrated some very dramatic peplum designs, I couldn't help but be reminded of the 1980s styling which featured this design element.  So, I scanned through my inventory of patterns, and here are a few examples I found...

This is a recent Vogue pattern, but it still employs the peplum design element.

So clearly fashion does repeats itself and, with some modification, these patterns could be used to duplicate the dramatic peplums shown by Vogue.  However, there is always a twist that gives a fresh take on the current fashion craze when compared to that of its predecessors.

Be blessed!!

Aisha


P.S. I'm still waiting to receive Vogue 8305 in the mail.

...like The Good Wife

I'm sure most of you will agree that there never seems to be enough time in the day to do all the things you HAVE to do, much less the things you WANT to do.  One of the casualties of my time deficiency has been my television viewing.  I am a huge T.V. fan, as proofed by my list of 73 series recordings on my DVR.  (I really should weed through this list, especially since some of these shows are now cancelled.)  But, I often find I have to forgo watching some of my favorite programs until a more convenient time.  Thank goodness for On Demand because I was able to get through the entire season of "Boardwalk Empire" and "Dexter", and catch the most recent episodes of "The Good Wife" over the Christmas break.

I've always been a fan of asymmetrical styling, so it really caught my eye when the Good Wife lead character, portrayed by Julianna Margulies, wore a black mock-wrap knit dress.

I went online to get a better look at the dress's details, and fell in love with its styling which included "leather" elbow patches and zippered sleeve vent.

"leather" elbow patches

zippered sleeve vent

So, I launched a search for a pattern similar in styling, and remembered reading a pattern review about 2 years ago for Vogue 8305.  This pattern includes a mock wrap dress and top, a jacket with shaped fronts which can be wrapped, and pants with shaped waistband and hemline vent. 



Unfortunately for me, this pattern is out-of-print, and would cost me approximately $30 if I bought it directly from Vogue Patterns.  I shared with you how much I LOVE a pattern sale, so the thought of paying full price for this pattern caused me to hyperventilate.  I was, however, able to find it on eBay for about half the price - still more than I'm used to paying, but I can live with this price.  So, it's my goal to make my version of the Good Wife dress by January 31st - once I find the time (wink).

Also, I bought these platforms by Market at DSW today - on sale, of course!!  Oh my, but they are lovely, and I can so see wearing them with this dress.  I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Be blessed!!

Aisha