by Dave | Jun 26, 2015 | Blog, Fashion, Lucy's Sewing Lab
Sew….I started wondering who came up with this Capsule wardrobe stuff? Surely it’s not new. Nothing really is in the fashion world. Capsule’s of all varieties came from England. Doesn’t everything come from there? America even came from England. lol Seams as though, a lady named Susie Faux was living in London in the 70’s and opened a new shop, London’s West End. The idea was that everything for a total look was in the same store. Kind of like our malls today. But not really, because it was all in the same store. That’s cool! No running from place to place, using up excess gas and time. The American Capsule was the brainchild of Donna Karan! One of my all time faves! Simplicity is key here, she is the creator of the simple American wardrobe.
In the 80’s, Donna Karan developed a clothing concept based on seven, only SEVEN pieces! I remember this so well. I believe this is where my love of BLACK originated. The woman always looks amazing, head to toe comfy black coordinates. I knew at that moment, I would dress like her. She opened up her portion of the fashion show with her models all dressed in black bodysuits and pants. They added pieces to create wearable wardrobes. She wanted wardrobes for women who hate shopping and don’t have time anyway.
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This brings us to the wardrobe capsule resurgence today. It seems to be a thing. Everyone is doing it, each for their own reason. I’m “studying” the concept. I’m checking it out, but have not followed the steps in order, or maybe not at all. It’s actually a method of self analysis. What do I look best wearing? What shape am I? What is my skin coloring? I really think this is a great concept. I think everyone should clean out their closets, but for me, It’s more important to wear what makes me feel good. If you are sincerely interested in following or learning more about the capsule, this is a great website and includes links to more websites.
I believe confidence is the most important accessory. If you follow a capsule’s recommendations on shape, coloring, and all the other aspects they may not reflect your personality. You may be uncomfortable wearing the suggested colors and shapes. The clothes don’t make the person, the personality makes the person. I like the basic concept here. But, you are dressing yourself so ENJOY!
by Dave | Jun 20, 2015 | Blog, Fashion, Lucy's Sewing Lab
It’s pretty hard to define the difference between style or fashion. Of the cuff, I would say I am definitely more stylish than fashionable. I have a look I’ve developed over the years. I know what works and what doesn’t for me. Mostly I recycle the same style, season after season.
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Style emphasizes what you believe to be your best features and mitigates the less favored. Everything about your style shows even those who do not know you a little about you and your personality. My hair is naturally curly and I love it’s care free attitude, I’m a free spirit. Looking good and feeling good are so important and help you enjoy life more. Imagine the last time someone made you wear something you really didn’t like. Dress codes at work are a great example of this. For me, when someone tells me the clothes I can and cannot wear, I immediately find ways to walk the line between good and evil. It’s strange, but true: when enough people expect a certain behavior from you, there’s a strong subconscious pull for you to do what they expect. Call me crazy, but I would rather people like me for who they perceive me to be, in my own style. It’s a shame when people like you or are drawn to you simply because you seem to dress the part. Especially when the “part” is no where near who you are.
Consider actors in their acting role. Carrie Bradshaw, has style, crazy over the top, this is who I am, style. Jess, from New Girl, has style too. [envira-gallery id=”959″]
[envira-gallery slug=”carrie-bradshaw”] It’s not like Carrie’s at all, it’s more of the school girl, innocent look. Both women you notice them, and can base your opinion of them by what you see and be correct. Phoebe, from friends, has style, you know by looking at her she’s a free spirit.
When I think of fashion, I think of the Kardashians. [envira-gallery id=”956″]
[envira-gallery slug=”kardashians”] They change with the wind. You can find an article about it here. Lady Gaga is another person without style in my opinion. We are all wondering what will she look like next? It doesn’t really matter if you have style or are fashionable to anyone except you. Whoever you are, I hope you find enjoyment in what you wear.
ENJOY
![Choosing a Sewing Machine]()
by Dave | Jun 18, 2015 | Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab, Tools and Technique
Choosing a sewing machine is a very trying experience. Who can you ask that will give you their honest opinion and not just hope for a sell? I asked around, different people had different ideas. The best advice was to visit Amazon and read the reviews. Then, make up my mind from there. I was pretty sure I wanted the best bang for my buck! What that entailed, I did not know.
When I first decided to sew again I was so baffled on how to choose a sewing machine. The first one I picked, I think I loved because of the wonderful memories of my mom and I sewing on the machine.
Seriously, look at it! It’s so pretty! It’s newfangled and has a computer, that’s pretty cool. But, it looks like the one I remember. My husband even said I could buy it, I was working then. So I could buy it. Then I got cold feet. The machine was $232, what if I hated sewing? Could I waste that much money? Looking back, I really wish I would have bought that one. Maybe one day.
There are so many choices out there. I studied Amazon for days. I would settle on one and find one similar but cheaper. No way was I ever going to buy one of those old clunky 1970 machines. I wanted the brightest and best. I knew a little about stitches. After all, my machine needed a zig zag, a buttonhole, and a zipper foot. Beyond that, everything was gravy.
The first machine I purchased after beginning sewing again (30 years later) was a Singer Brilliance. It is a wonderful computerized machine. Not bad for $145 compared to the Heritage I really wanted. lol All the bells and whistles. I loved it. I sewed my little heart out while the memories of how to actually sew returned to my creaky brain. It struggled and I abused it with 1-2inch layers of fabric when I was making 10 blankets for Christmas. I sewed knit on it, sweatshirt material, pretty much everything I could get my hands on I tried sewing.
The second machine I purchased was the Singer Heavy Duty machine. I picked this one for two reasons. I have and old (1970s) PFAFF machine that needs repairs. It was my grandma’s and I really wanted to fix it. It’s so solid, and makes me drool with the craftsmanship. But, more than that machine, I love to sew. Hence, the new machine. Plus, the price was amazing! A heavy duty Singer that stitches 1100 stitches per minute and has 32 stitch choices? The biggest deciding factor was the price, at that time this machine, made of metal was $134 and Amazon showed me saving $125! What a deal. I was in heaven. I wanted more than anything to sew denim. Now way was my Brilliance going to do that, plus my Brilliance was slow.
These are my experiences, but if you would like an in-depth video on the topic, check this one out. There is more to buying a machine than looks and price. Educate yourself through the internet and Facebook groups. Most of all ENJOY!
by Dave | Jun 13, 2015 | Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab, Reviews
I’ve been ultra busy! Sew much going on here, remodeling the hubby’s music studio, my sewing studio, and living in total CHAOS! Sew, I haven’t done a review in awhile. I have been studying like mad though. This sewing business is something else. It seems the less you know the more you sew. Seriously! When I did not know about fitting, altering, adjusting, and sew on and sew on, I mass produced clothing. Yeah, I really did. I’m kinda embarrassed to say, some of that clothing I gave as presents. People loved the presents though! It must not have been that bad, right? I think they are just super nice people and didn’t want to tell me. haha!
While I’ve been, not blogging, I’ve been reading a lot of other blogs! Earlier this year, I posted my list of best sewing blogs. They are still great blogs. I’ve exposed myself to so many more now, and that was just March! WOW…it really is mind boggling, the quality of sewing blogs. Lately, I’ve become obsessed with the perfect fit and vintage everything sewing. It reminds me so much of growing up and sitting next to my grandma while she sewed. I recently found a book, the exact book she had in her sewing room. Amazon has some of the vintage books in electronic format.
This Simplicity book is the one I am really interested in now. It just brings me warm fuzzies!
While surfing the web, is surfing still a thing? Anyway, I found the most extensive list so far for Sewing blogs as rated by the blogger. Madalynne has her list of sewing blogs in cool categories. [envira-gallery id="883"]
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I love it! There are categories for most inspirational, best bra maker, funniest, best tutorials, and tons more! I love that her list is so extensive. I could spend a few months working my way through that list. Not to shortchange her, because her own blog is spectacular! While you are surfing sewing blogs or Amazon for vintage goodies, ENJOY!
by Dave | Jun 7, 2015 | Blog, Fitting, Lucy's Sewing Lab
WOW! What a different world sewing is when you begin to use muslins. I never had any idea they were so helpful. I thought they were a pain in the bootie. Seriously, who wants to sew the same garment twice? No one has that much time, do they? Essentially, without realizing it, I was sewing the same garment twice, three times, maybe four just to get the right fit. UGH what a waste of money! Muslins should be the first commandment of sewing. I have no idea why they don’t teach you this in home ec. Well, my home ec class didn’t teach me this.
I recently sewed my first dress muslin. No biggie right? Then I had the nerve to post it in a Facebook group and ask their opinions. Yeah…that was a true eyeopener. In a good way though, seriously. I learned quite a bit. My most important critique was of the photo itself. I had no idea the picture really mattered.
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Guess, what? It REALLY matters. I’ve given you a graphic to look at for proof. These were all comments after I posted. Well, except the part about not smiling. I figured that out on my own. If you smile, people think you believe you created a masterpiece or something. Not true, I smile. I smile, all. the. time. I did not wear the proper bra, this severely altered the look of the fit. I couldn’t find mine, it was late at night. My hands are on my hips for obvious reasons. Hands on your hips make you look thinner. This is a no no, because of my hands being on my hips it hides the true fit of the dress. Oh, and I also did not press the dress. I really did not care, but as you can see it makes a huge difference. The skirt kinda looks wonky. I’ll cover the adjustments suggested in another post. While you are sewing, whatever it is you are sewing, ENJOY!
by Dave | Jun 4, 2015 | Blog, Lucy's Sewing Lab, Studio
The most fun I have had remodeling my studio is the decorating part. Let's admit it, wall decor is expensive! Plus, I couldn't really find what I wanted to use. What's a girl to do who wants studio decor on the cheap? Of course, make her own! What? I want something cool, not homemade! One day while surfing my groups on Facebook, I saw where someone had sewn a retro pattern. DING, DING, DING! I could purchase retro patterns on Ebay! Not really so cheap. Pretty cheap, but I wanted cheaper!
Shazam! I can use the pictures of the patterns. Hmmmm…..time for a visit to Pinterest. I created a pretty good size board.
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Then, I saved the images I wanted to print. You can do this by right clicking and select save image. Next, I imported them into my Walgreens account.
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They have a great deal on 4×5 prints. The Dollar Tree is my one stop shop for picture frames for my studio decor on the cheap.
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These turned out really good and look amazing in my Studio.
I think next I’ll use Vogue magazine covers and create 8×10 photos too! [envira-gallery id="827"]
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Whatever you do, or however you decorate, ENJOY!
by Dave | May 30, 2015 | Blog, Fitting, Lucy's Sewing Lab
I’ve been surfing the net lately looking at perfect fitting patterns. Muslin is always the answer. Don’t you just hate that? In order to attain the perfect fit, one must sew twice. UGH! Well, I at least try, sometimes, to use a fabric I may want to wear? Usually not though. I’ve wasted so much fabric not making muslins that now I am not about to sew new patterns without making a muslin first.
Okay, so, in my wonderful internet adventures I have discovered some really good sewing sites. One in particular, from the UK has a great solution to fit. This site uses a pretty no nonsense approach, basically, if it doesn’t fit, fix it! I love it!! It’s such common sense, if you are short, make it shorter. If you are tall, make it longer. If you are big, make it bigger and if the fit is too big, make it smaller.
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Those are the easy adjustments. For those of us that have bodies not conforming to the ideals of pattern companies, Craftsy has an entire section on fit. The tutorials they have are easy enough for a beginner to follow. Crafty has a wonderful perfect fit tutorial about fitting the pattern before the first cut. That is something I can use for sure! I cannot imagine the time I would save! Right now, their tutorials are half off as well. I hope no matter what you do while sewing, you ENJOY!
by Dave | May 30, 2015 | Blog, Experimentation, Lucy's Sewing Lab
I know, I said I would finish this the next day. I am sorry I didn’t make it back to do that. I was working on some sewing of my own. Yes, I used my sewing hacks. I always hem everything before assembling! Honestly, the method I mentioned of putting sleeves into shirts….why would I use any other method? When it works, why fix it? So, we have knits and fitting left to discuss don’t we?
Well, I thought I was much more experienced in these two topics prior to a few searches on the internet. As I’ve mentioned before, I cut my sewing needles on knits in the 80’s. I grew up in the country and didn’t want to waste my precious money on the 30 minute drive to the store to buy cool clothes for a Saturday night, Wednesday, Monday, any night! At that time the cut up tee-shirt look was in full force. Sewing a knit dress with the back cut down to there was not really a big deal. Plus, it didn’t use much fabric either. LOL [envira-gallery id="792"]
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The first hack I learned was knit does not ravel! Yay! Wooo hoooo……it’s like Christmas everyday! You do not have to hem it unless it’s the look you want. Casual dresses and tops can stand on their own, without hemming. The leopard print top above isn’t hemmed anywhere, neckline, sleeves, or bottom. It is a rayon blend, so that helps. Knits with more spandex tend to curl. If that works with your look, more power to you! Save time!
Fitting hacks are a whole new ballgame. I worked super hard on making a full bootie (butt) adjustment. Beginners luck, it worked perfectly! Then, I could not make it work again for anything! I found a great tutorial on the internet. The seam alteration method, basically the extra fabric is added on the top seam. It really does work, I am sure I was just concentrating too hard the second time I did it. Because, the first time worked like a charm.
The most useful hack I’ve found for pants fitting is to use a different pattern. Not all patterns fit each individual body type. Well, whether, you are making dresses, t shirts, or pants please make sure you ENJOY!
by Dave | May 25, 2015 | Blog, Experimentation, Lucy's Sewing Lab
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What are some special sewing hacks you’ve learned? My most important ones are the ones I taught myself. Seriously, every time I sew I learn something new. That’s how much I mess up. lol We can never learn so much about sewing that there is nothing more to learn. That’s why the pattern companies keep making patterns. The amount of knowledge is endless and more is being discovered daily.
My first week returning to sewing, I wanted to make a GAP like tee shirt. I found the perfect pattern, except for the sleeves. I did not know how to do an inset sleeve. I have no idea how I escaped learning this. I really wanted that shirt though. So, I followed the pattern. I actually did it, on the first try! Then, I searched for other methods. The best sewing hack I learned is how to sew the sleeve into the garment flat. No inset required. Just match all the dots, notches, and whatever else, then sew it to the shirt. Next sew the sleeve together and the side seam. You cannot tell the difference and it takes less than 1/2 the time. There’s a really good tutorial here.
Scissors are quite possibly one of the more expensive mainstays required for sewing. I bought my first pair in a sewing kit. I honestly thought they would be awesome because they were new. Yeah, they were great, until I could buy some better ones about a week later. Never use your fabric scissors on paper or anything else other than fabric. It really dulls them. Once they are dull, you don’t have to buy a brand new pair. You don’t even have to buy a sharpener. Nope! Use this sewing hack,cut through several layers of foil. Works like a charm!
You will appreciate this thread sewing hack. Thread really annoys me. Probably one of my biggest pet peeves. That stuff is required for sewing. Buying off brand thread really does not pay off in the long run. I promise Coats and Clark is the only one I use. I have purchased other threads and nothing is more frustrating than having it break every few seconds. UGGGHHHHHH! Although, not having a color to match your project is pretty bad. And it never happens to me anymore. Why? I use 50 shades of grey! Really only about three or four shades, but unless you are topstitching, grey is the perfect color. 🙂
I have severe ADD and by the time I finish making something, I am done. I hate doing hems. So, I found a way around that. Sew the hems in all sleeves and bottoms before sewing anything else. Then when you finish construction, your garment is also finished.
I know, the chalkboard says knits and fitting but I am sure you are tired of reading, so that will have to wait till tomorrow. Until then, ENJOY!
by Dave | May 22, 2015 | Blog
I realize this is a holiday weekend and it’s not celebrating sewing. But I know everyone loves sewing freebies and sales! I friend I have was kind enough to post the sewing sales for us. Yay! Less time searching and more time spending!
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The best round up of sales I have seen this far is found here thank you so much, Frougiefashionista!
If you don’t want to leave your house or spend money the nice people at McCalls Blog have gifted us with some great coloring books. I don’t know about you, but I color on my patterns before I sew anyway, but these are reusable and can be printed as many times as you have ink! The Butterick one is awesome, and at the end of the post there are also links for the McCalls and Vogue coloring books. [envira-gallery id="775"]
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Also, Workroom Social has partnered with McCalls for “Fashion Sewing + You: Becoming the Designer” and produced tons of free video tutorials. I don’t know about you, but this is enough to keep me happily, inexpensively busy over the weekend.
ENJOY!
