My Spring and Summer Recap

Hey there!  It's been a while, right?  How have you been?  If memory serves correctly, the last time we "talked", I was sharing with you with the process I used to create my pattern storage boxes.  Yeah...I still gotta finish that lesson, don't I?  Let me know if you're still interested in how I assemble and finish them...I'd be glad to share the remaining steps in the process with you.

If you recall, I was still at home recovering from surgery in January.  Well, I returned to my full-time job at the end of February and almost immediately began a busy travel schedule for work.  Between March and August, I've made multiple trips to Jackson, MS as well as Charleston, SC, Chicago and Alpharetta, GA.

Traveling for work can be grueling, and the worst part is time spent away from family and favorite activities which make life enjoyable.  So, what made me feel better about the sacrifices?  FOOD!  I ate quite well, thanks in part to the meal per diem allowance Comcast provides to travelling employees.

While in Jackson, MS, I dined multiple times at Drago's Seafood Restaurant.  This small chain of restaurants started in Louisiana, with the Jackson location being its third.  In fact, the Jackson spot had recently celebrated its grand opening prior to my visit.  They offer an excellent menu of fresh seafood choices, and easily the best cheesecake I've ever had.

Drago's in Jackson, MS

Making Storage Beautiful - Pt. 4: To Seal or Not to Seal...

...that is the question!

Welcome to this fourth post on creating pattern storage boxes.  I shared with you in an earlier post that I've tried a variety of storage methods for my pattern collection, and I honestly feel the current method I've employed is working the best for me.  The boxes I'm creating are very sturdy and durable while protecting my patterns from dust and light exposure, and will coordinate beautifully with my Sewing Room's planned decor.

Making Storage Beautiful - Part 3: Decorative Paper Prep

Welcome to this third post detailing my steps in creating pattern storage boxes.  In the first two posts, I shared with you the design inspiration for my boxes and the steps involved with the resizing and surface preparation of the cartons being used.  In this post, I will share with you the steps for creating and preparing the papers to decorate the storage box and maintain its continuous decorative pattern.

The tools and supplies you'll need are:

Another Denim Repair

I've been busy working on clothing repairs for the past couple of days, with a desire to seriously pared down the number of items sitting in the Repair Basket in my Sewing Room.  This basket has a tendency to grow and I am admittedly slothful about clearing these items out, as evidenced from a picture I took in 2012.

I'm happy to say the basket is not as full now as it was then, partly because I've also been purging items that were not worth the effort of repairing.  One such item could easily be my daughter's favorite pair of Levi's.  Instead, I spent time today repairing them.

Making Storage Beautiful - Part 2: The Foundation

The first, and arguable most important, stage in creating my pattern storage boxes is in the gathering and preparation of materials.  I've found through trial-and-error that the quality of the end product depends on this work, and reminds me of a well-known saying that's attributed to Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield:

"Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well."

Pictured are the tools and supplies I used from start to finish, but let's begin with a list of those materials needed during this stage of the process:

Making Storage Beautiful - Part 1: The Inspiration

It's no secret I've been a neglectful blogger, with no published posts between May 2013 and January 2015.  But while my documentation and sharing has been scarce, I have moderated and replied to comments left on various past posts as well as follow my other favorite bloggers.  I've also spent time in my Sewing Room doing...stuff.  Most of my creative energies have been spent making my space organized, visually appealing and creatively inspiring.  On that note, I'd like to share with you the detailed process I follow in making my pattern storage boxes.

Don't You Wanna Put Your Name On It?

I truly enjoy garment construction and love it when a garment's interior is as beautiful as its exterior.   I often examine ready-to-wear garments to figure out the short-cuts the industry uses and try to incorporate them into my garment construction.  Additionally, I continue building my skills to include more advanced couture techniques.  In fact, my blog name, Sew Couture, identifies what I'm working towards - haute couture construction.  Incorporating high-end techniques during construction truly separates "hand made" garments from "home made" ones and differentiates professional from amateur.  That level of detail and professionalism is what I'm working towards, and has moved me to begin labeling my work.

I am actively following 70 different blogs which cover a variety of interests, but the majority of them are sewing-focused and managed by wonderfully creative women who also love sewing, sharing their knowledge and the fruits of their labor.  A number of them also label their work.

Cennetta Burwell - The Mahogany Stylist

Mimi Goodwin - Mimi G. Style

Karen Ways - Sew Many Ways

Breakfast with Omar, Donna and Jen

In May 2013, I shared with you all my "discovery" of InStyle magazine the prior year, and my appreciate for its goal of covering fashion.  I've since subscribed to the magazine but I find my normal "life" schedule doesn't always afford the opportunity to sit down and flip through each issue - whether by paper or digital.  As a result, I sometimes have to "catch up" on multiple back issues.  This was the case when February arrived last week and I realized I had not yet looked at December and January.

So, this morning while eating my Honey Nut Cheerios (nod to Omar Little), I caught up on all three, marking those pages I wanted to keep for inspiration.

Stash Additions

I have to admit my expectations regarding my post-operative activity level was extremely optimistic, to say the least.  My surgery was on Monday last week, and I expected to be home Tuesday and ready to piddle around in my Sewing Room by Thursday or Friday, at the latest.  In fact, I remember telling my friend, Denise, that I had to get in my final bid on an eBay auction I was watching which ended around 9:45pm that Monday night.  "My surgery is robotic and the hospital has WiFi, so I should be feeling well enough to go online and submit my bid."  I still remember her laughing at me.

Two weeks later, not only did I miss all of my target days and auction deadlines - and I don't even care that I did - but I've had little energy to do much more than surf the internet, watch TV, shower and make my bed (sometimes).  However, prior to surgery, I did win auctions for two separate lots of sewing patterns and I just now feel energetic enough to examine them and share with you what I received.  I'm hoping to have energy tomorrow to actually catalog them, add to my stash and outline my process for you.

Donna Karan Dead Ringer

Tomorrow will mark 14 post-op days, and this evening I am feeling a wee bit "tender" in the abdominal and pelvic area.  Clearly, I'm not ready to run any marathons.  So, this Super Bowl Sunday, I am relaxing, surfing the internet, pinning images on Pinterest and catching up on Facebook.  I'm also researching Vogue and McCall's patterns as JoAnn Fabrics is having a sale on both next weekend.

I've created an online account on McCall's website so I could utilize its Wish List feature, and one pattern I've often added and deleted from this list is Vogue 1361.