by Dave | Apr 9, 2016 | Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab
Where are the Newsletters?
I am really feeling bad about my subscribers. I feel like the newsletter programs out there just do not do the job. I have a suspicion they use our subscribers as their new spam list. If this is happening, please understand I have nothing to do with that.
One program I used, sent out two emails. It was months before my husband told me he wasn’t getting emails. This site thrives on visitors. I guess my subscribers must follow my Facebook or million other social media networks. My numbers did not begin to drop until this week. WOW!
Again, I am working as hard and fast as I can to fix this issue. If you need anything at all please contact me at lucyssewinglab@gmail.com.
I would love to give you the names of the plugin I used, but that is just not good business. I assure you Lucy Lou is working day and night to fix this problem. I hope, like you, my subscribers the problem is fixed soon. ENJOY some sewing!
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by Dave | Mar 29, 2016 | Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab
I sew therefore I refuse to pay for ready to wear! So, I’ve been working on a few Anthropologie and Victoria’s Secret hacks. Anthro has some of the best fashion out there. They must, everyone is trying to hack it. Well, I jumped on the bandwagon too, why? The styles are really pretty straightforward and pretty easy to duplicate on the cheap. Thank you again Anthropologie. 🙂 
This is a perfect example! Let me break it down for you, it’s a yard of fabric, folded in half, with side seams and a v neck. There are several tutorials out there. It’s made out of rayon spandex jersey. Which can be found here for about $6 or $7 a yard.
Anthro seems to have a love affair with peplum tops. Just do a pinterest search. I found this one 
I love it! It’s too early here for tank tops so I’m working on a short sleeve version out of knit. I’ll hopeful finish it today and post the finished product and some hints on how to do it. For a little teaser….hint number one is find a bodice pattern you love and make it fit you perfectly! From there the options are endless!
One of the new trends for 2016 is a high cut bra. The lace shows through the top of your tank. Check it out. They are calling it the new eyelash lace collection. The bonus here is you can make your own tank to display this sexy bra on the cheap. I found some free patterns at Sew City. They seem to be the Victoria’s Secret of the sewing world. I imagine these can be created for under $10. ENJOY!
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by Dave | Mar 20, 2016 | Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab
Happy Anniversary Lucy! Look how far you’ve come from your first, now removed blog post. Content is missing, but overall, I still love the photo.
Sewing with knits, published just a day later gained a great deal of popularity. 
Excitement for me grew as people began to respond to my blogs. Growth in popularity, users and subscribers catapulted me into challenging myself to post increasingly informative blogs. The topics were varied. Capsule Wardrobe drew great interest, close to 200 hits in just a little over six weeks.
I covered fashion, sewing, style, and sewing with two broken arms. That was hard! The more serious I became about sewing, the more you loved the blog. Subscribers increased quickly. Another favorite blog about muslins was a Huge hit. 
Muslins are so important but such a pain in the butt to do the sewing for one dress two times, ya know? It’s worth it though, I encourage everyone to make muslins before making the garment.
You went MAD about Mad Men fashion and so did I! Mad about Mad Men remained the top post for a long time. You can search to catch the blogs or you can visit the first one here.
Lucy’s Sewing Lab
Lucy’s took on several “looks” before she came up with the perfect fit. But I think I’ve found it. It’s not easy deciding who you want to be, you know?
BEST OF LISTS
I had best of lists. 
Finding a machine is here
I have a photo journal page, Lucy’s Photo Journal and added my own Pinterest and more! I look forward to the next year, it will bring many new changes I hope you like. 
There is a link to all archives on the left of my home page. ENJOY!
by Dave | Mar 7, 2016 | Beginner Tips, Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab, Tools and Technique
Color Theory (history of fashion)
Not the most entertaining part of creating apparel, but the most crucial when designing and sewing garments.[envira-gallery id="2923"]
[envira-gallery slug="primary-colors"]
- Can you believe the first color wheel was invented by associating each color with a note one a musical scale? This was accomplished by Newton.
- 100 years later psychological studies began on the effects on colors.
- Goethe divided the psychological effects of colors into two groups.
*Plus side (red, orange, yellow) colors producing cheerfulness and excitement
*Minus side (green, violet, blue) colors of weakness and unsettled feelings.
THE REAL DEAL (COLOR RULES)
- Any two colors opposite each other are harmonious.
- Colors spaced around the wheel forming a triangle, or rectangle are also harmonious.
- Color schemes——also known as harmonies remain so no matter what the rotation angle is.
BASIC COLOR SCHEMES[envira-gallery id=”2926″]
- Monochromatic Color Scheme-The use of color tints and saturations of one color.
- Analogous Color Scheme– This color scheme uses colors next to each other with one color ore dominate to enhance the color scheme.
- Complementary Color Scheme- One of the most used schemes, the colors are opposite each other on the wheel. This scheme is used best with a cool color with a warm color.
- Split Complementary Color Scheme- Uses three colors. One color is chosen as well as the two adjacent to the first color, providing a high contrast.
Triadic Color Scheme
The triadic color scheme uses three colors equally spaced around the color wheel. The triadic scheme is not as contrasting as the complementary scheme, but it looks more balanced and harmonious.
Tetradic (Double Complementary) Color Scheme
The tetradic (double complementary) scheme is the most varied because it uses two complementary color pairs. This scheme is hard to harmonize; if all four hues are used in equal amounts, the scheme may look unbalanced, so you should choose a color to be dominant or subdue the colors.
http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-theory-basics.html
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by Dave | Feb 21, 2016 | Beginner Tips, Blog, Fashion, Inspiration, Lucy's Sewing Lab
Welcome to Fall 2016 Pantone Colors. These colors are so versatile, I love them! You have vibrancy with New Riverside (shades of blue), Spicy Mustard (shades of yellow), New Bodacious (shades of pink), and Meadow Lush (shades of green). Actually they are each their own new shade of blue, yellow, pink, and green. I love them! They can be worn alone and make a statement, or paired with other colors to further define their vibrancy.
Potter’s Clay is one of my personal favorites! I love this color and will gladly mix it with Spicy Mustard, Taupe, and Sharkskin. This color is very versatile and lends itself to a neutral as much as a color that can stand on it’s own.
Dusty Cedar can be as romantic as business. Mixed with Sharkskin and black screams business. While mixing Dusty Cedar with Warm Red and Warm Taupe can lead to an exciting night out on the town, Fall 2016 Pantone has hit the nail on the head once again!
Warm Taupe, I have to admit is one of my favorites. I am biased to shades of brown though. Potter’s Clay would make this 2016 Pantone color pop. It can be mixed with all the colors, a few at a time or all at once. This color can also stand alone. It reminds me of the naked dress from Sex and the City. Airy Blue is a fall version of serenity. This color would look great mixed with lush meadow’s vibrancy as well as aurora red for a punch of confidence
The color combinations with Fall 2016 Pantone’s colors is spectacular! Stock up now. I know a few local stores already selling these colors which is perfect for warmer climates. What do you think of the selection? How will you use it? ENJOY!
by Dave | Feb 20, 2016 | Beginner Tips, Blog, Experimentation, Fashion, Inspiration, Lucy's Sewing Lab, Tools and Technique
Fashion hacks are my favorite sewing inspiration. Do you specifically shop for fashion in pattern catalogs or on pattern sites? I found myself really wondering if these things are really in fashion or just look good to other seamstresses. I started about a year ago shopping in fashion magazines and stores for hacks. I didn’t want to look cool to the sewing community, I wanted to look cool!
Free People Fashion Hacks
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[envira-gallery slug="freepeople-lace-up"]This is one [envira-gallery id=”2855″]of the better descriptions. It not only lists the fabric but also the exact fabric content and points out the seaming around the bust as well as details about the hem we cannot see. Thanks for the help needed on our own fashion hack. 🙂
This dress! [envira-gallery id=”2853″]I cannot wait to make. Do you see the simplicity of the lines? The photo boasts, “Made in suede!” Easy peasy!
We all need casual I don’t care clothing in the warmer months, right? Here’s another of my favorite fashion hacks.[envira-gallery id=”2851″]This is a Raglan top with a wide neckline. They have Shirred the neckline, but you could get a similar look with elastic. I would hem the neckline. Then sew the elastic directly to the hem. Encasing the elastic would take away some of the free spirit. If you want to know how to shir, Seamingly Kitten has a great tutorial. Basically you need elastic thread.
By Gum By Golly is a really hip seamstress. [envira-gallery id=”2849″]She sews like I sew, a lot of self drafting. In case you haven’t heard, the turtleneck is making a comeback! She nails it and gives great instructions to make your own. WHO WHAT WEAR is featuring dark denim. I’ve had dark denim [envira-gallery id=”2847″]in and out of my stash for over a year now and I just bought quite a lot of some very lightweight dark denim at Hancock Fabrics. I love the look of this dress they featured. It’s essentially your favorite tee-shirt, nipped at the waist, and made longer.
