Sew Distracted

Turquoise Cozy

Theresa asked that I wear my new shoes to knitting group yesterday, and I obliged although I usually have a personal rule about wearing the same pair of shoes two days in a row.  Besides, it gave me another chance to play dress up in the closets and I haven't gotten any new sewing to show you despite my best intentions.

 

Actually the exercise was quite productive because I figured out a way to wear a garment that I have loved in theory but hadn't yet figured out how to incorporate into my actual working wardrobe.  

 

I'm talking about this lovely turquoise sweater of course.  The color is obviously fabulous for me so it always seems a shame that I haven't worn it more.  It is one of those long DKNY wrap sweaters called a cozy and this one was a "summer" weight as it is a linen knit.  The problem was that I never found a way to wrap it that I liked, that didn't look matronly or just downright awful.  Now this could have been partly that I was 30, or 20, or 10 pounds heavier, and admittedly I didn't try it out this summer as it was too humid for even linen sweaters.  But it is a perfect weight to wear now as well.  

 

This wasn't really the look I planned.  It happened because I was standing in front of the mirror holding two corners and saying "now what do I do" and I happened to think this worked very nicely.  It does work very nicely.  

 

After wearing it half a day, and looking at the photos, I wondered how the outfit would look with a belt, and since I don't own an appropriate belt at the moment, I thought I would just do a little coloring in Photoshop to see how it looked.  I am actually a bit surprised at how much more defined it makes my waist, which I think makes me look thinner.  But I am as yet undecided about how I feel about this as I rather like the long flowing look as well.  Not that I should ever turn down the illusion of an actual waist, mind you.  Certainly looking for a belt will expand my options.

 

The other pieces that got rescued from oblivion was the pendant and pair of matching earrings.  They don't match exactly, and they were not purchased at the same time, but they do work well together.  

 

G gave me the pendant first, and several years later I saw the earrings in the estate case of a local jeweler and subsequently pointed them out to him.  I actually like and wear the earrings far more than I wear the pendant, and was thinking of eliminating the pendant from my jewelry box, but wearing it yesterday made me think about it a little more and the decision has been delayed.

 

I see that the length of the omega that I wear with the pendant competes with the neckline of the tee I was wearing yesterday.  I love that particular neckline on tees, but it obviously works best with a longer necklace (or no necklace) and if I want to wear something shorter I need some scoop neck tees, of which I have very few at the moment and none in gray or black.  This will obviously have to be corrected.  

 

I am also seriously considering looking for a more distinctive chain, or getting the pendant put on a strand of beads, in which case I might actually wear it more.  It certainly bears looking into. 

Avril, final photo

Here is the modeling shot of Avril.  Although fall may be just around the corner it does not feel particularly autumnal outdoors today.

 

The sweater fits well enough, certainly better than RTW, but it is not my favorite of all the things I have ever knit.  I could have knit it a little longer.  This is a length that I frequently wear, and which usually looks good, but the bulky knit at this length is not as much of a success.

 

I also knit most of the body of this sweater last fall, before I started my now standard alterations, namely adding one inch extra length at the center front over the bustline and decreasing one inch from the center back at the waist.  Now that I know how much better sweaters fit with these alterations I find I am less happy with "standard" fit and find myself wanting to tug and pull just a bit.  I'll try to restrain myself because I don't want to reknit this and it is perfectly acceptable.

 

I also don't know why the bottom band curls out.  That I'll have to look at further, although it is not something I notice while I am wearing the sweater as much as when I look at the pictures.

 

 

Another garment from my previous sewing life

We went out to a concert this weekend and I had a few panicky moments in the morning when I realized that we were having a lovely spring day and I had little in my closet that I could wear other than cooler weather clothes, jeans, and tees.  I really do need to finish sewing that skirt and move onto some summer clothes.  I just have too many projects up in the air right now and everything is in a state of chaos.

I did remember that there is a closet I haven't gone through yet, and I found two dresses that fit, although one is more suitable for next fall, and the other was too somber/dressy for the weekend's events.  I can't complain about finding a good looking dress that fits though, and hopefully I will be wearing it soon.

 I also found a silk top I had made many years ago, and which worked perfectly for the casual-weekend-a-little-dressed-but-fun look I was hoping for.

 

This little top is very simple:  a boxy cut, blue gray silk chiffon with a bit of crinkle lined with navy silk charmeuse.  The cowl neckline is unlined and the sleeves are 3/4 length.   It was inspired by some pieces by Zoran I had studied at Neiman Marcus in San Francisco.  The fabric came from B&J fabrics in NYC.

 The seams are all sewn with a very narrow overlock stitch and are turned to the outside.  Looking at the seaming now, I don't believe I could do anything this fine without a lot of practice.  If anything should inspire me to practice, practice, practice, this top should do the trick. I do recall that it took me several trial runs to get the seams perfect without shredding the chiffon and I had a lot more practice sewing silk and chiffon in those days, although not necessarily as much experience using the Serge.

 The seams on the charmeuse are done the same way, and are also sewn with the seam on the outside of the fabric.

When I made this top I usually wore it for dressy occasions with a pair of charmeuse or silk crepe pants, but that look would have been a little dressier than I was aiming for this weekend.  I realized however that the top was the perfect color, and light enough to wear with the Elm Design dress and a pair of skinny, dark wash jeans and flats.

 By the time I figured out what I was wearing I didn't have time for photos, and it was dark by the time we were home, so you will have to settle for the POTF version of the outfit.

It was perfect for a moderately cool spring day with mixed sun and clouds and temperatures around the 70-degree mark.  We did a little furniture shopping, and had extra time to wander around Beacon before our concert, stopping in a few galleries and stores, and grabbing a soda at a small cafe where we could sit at a table by the sidewalk for some fine people-watching.

 My outfit provided plenty of interest so I kept the jewelry simple, wearing only my wedding band, everyday black watch, and these fun oxidized silver sea-fan hoop earrings by Annette Ferdinandsen.

New Dress: Elm Design

 I'm running behind this week.  I have things to share, but am also having trouble with sciatica and a lot of pain in my arthritic hip, the one that was injured several years ago when I fell down the stairs.   I don't know why both are acting up now when they've been quite for a long while now.  The weather?  Does the general inflammation from my gluten reaction last week allow an opening for other things to flare up?  

Right now though, sitting, bending, and moving are all difficult and standing or lying down are only slightly better.

I'll merely share the other Elm piece I picked up in Chatham a couple of weeks ago.

It is really a simple rayon knit dress.  Actually two dresses sewn together at the shoulders, the inner dress has a deep ruffle, and the outer dress has nice pockets.  

When I purchased the dress I tried it on over jeans, and this is basically the way I intend to wear it most of the time.  It does look nice also as a dress, with bare legs and this is how G likes it best.  Come hot weather I may or may not wear it that way.  I am not yet convinced that it is not a little too short for a woman in her 50's, what with the ruffle and the bare legs, although it might work well with leggings and ballet flats.

I do really like this with the jeans.  The jeans are a little long for these particular boots, but it rained all weekend and these are my waterproof boots, as opposed to the heels I usually wear with these jeans. And unlike my previous attempt at a long tunic over pants, this is a look I love and will actually wear, in fact, have worn a good bit already.  Perhaps it is the layering opportunities afforded by the sleeveless dress as opposed to the sleeves of the Eileen Fisher.  Perhaps it is just that it has just a little more shape.  Perhaps I have just gotten wiser with time.

As to that Eileen Fisher dress, it became a nightgown, and one I still wear.  G particularly likes the way it slips seductively off the shoulder as I move.

A little spring shopping

 One of the things G always wanted to do in retirement was just get in the car and explore. He wanted  to just be able to drive around the back roads of our little county but also go further and take day trips not just in the Hudson Valley but around New England.  

Unfortunately, retirement did not turn out quite the way we planned.  He no longer drives, and although I don't mind driving, his ability to cope with uncertainty and changes in routine is not what it once was.  But we do, occasionally, get out to explore.

Saturday was one of those occasions.  It was such a lovely, sunny, warm day, the daffodils were blooming and the trees are all budding out, a trifle early I might add.  We decided to drive up to the little town of Chatham, roughly 40 minutes north of us. 

Granted, I had an ulterior motive as there was a little boutique in town I wanted to check out.  But first we walked up and down Main street and looked into other stores.  I happened to find a parking space right next to a yarn shop, and since G's mom had been a knitwear designer he always likes to look at yarn with me.  Then we went to the bookstore and a toy store, poked our head in a few little cafes, and finally settled down in the boutique.    

As you can see from the photo above, we did not come out empty handed.  I am wearing a skirt made by a company called Elm.  The clothes are designed in Iceland and made in Peru and they have very interesting and intriguing cuts, or at least this was true of the clothes I saw.  

 I basically tried this skirt on because I couldn't imagine how it would fit or look on the body judging by how it looked on the hanger.  It is a combination of fabrics, a rayon/lycra knit on one side, and a crisp cotton on the other, with rather odd looking puckers and gathers.    You can see the construction of the skirt somewhat here.  I apologize for the washed out color, but I tried to lighten the photo enough so that you could see some detail.  This is the front of the skirt.

Frankly I thought it was a little weird, and was pretty sure I wouldn't like it or ever wear it.  Well, I thought that until I put it on.  I loved it, and as you can see I came home with it.  G was not so certain, but although I will listen to his advice when I am not so certain myself, I had no doubts about this skirt.  I have, simply put, never worn anything like it.  I feel crisp and cool with it on and I think it will be a mainstay of my summer wardrobe.  

 I need a few different tops to wear with it; things I don't necessarily have in my wardrobe right now.  But these things should not be difficult.

I also got a dress which I think can be worn alone in the hot summer months, or layered in spring and fall and I will try to show you that soon.  There were several other things I tried: a giant raincoat, and a very fitted little top with a pleated peplum all around the hips which I have to admit shocked me because it looked so good.  Even my spouse was trying to get me to bring that piece home but I just couldn't do it.  I felt like a little girl playing ballerina, like I was wearing a costume, and I just wasn't willing to go quite that far.

A Nerd Let Loose in the Closet

Ever since Linda over at the Thoughtful Dresser, and Phyllis at The Sewing Divas posted about Touch Closet, I have been obsessed.  I have been trying to work out a useful way to catalog the closet and store pictures of outfits and this was perfect.  I downloaded it immediately after reading Linda's post.

Frivolous, I know, but I am such an obsessive nerd, and I tend to think of everything in outfits, even everyday things like jeans.  In my head there is this conversation that runs something like "this top goes with those jeans but not with these, but if I want to wear these jeans, which tops do I like?"  I buy fabric in outfits too, even when I buy online, I am thinking that some piece or another is perfect to go with some other mythical outfit that is floating around in my head.

So I have been spending my time photographing garments, and fiddling with Photoshop and learning to do new things, and uploading garments to my new "closet" and making outfits.  So much fun. 

Now that I have gotten started, and worked out a few details, this will hopefully not eat up so much of my time.  I have two alteration projects to finish for G and then my sewing time is mine again to use or fritter away at will.

I still manage to get dressed

We once had a receptionist who was a great and efficient worker, but she had some chronic health conditions.  I could tell she was having a bad day when I walked into the office and she was sitting at her desk in full professional makeup.  She had once been a model and her way of coping with physical distress was to go out of her way to mask the trouble and appear as pulled together and polished as possible.  Once you got to know her it was pretty easy to determine how she felt by how much or how little makeup she appeared to be wearing.

Which brings me to a question.  How do you present yourself to the world when you feel particularly miserable?  Do you fall apart and just run around in sweats, or do you put out an extra effort to look "better than your best"?

I ask because I am currently suffering through a case of hives and there are days when I frankly don't want to get out of my jammies, much less face the world.  I do manage to dress and go out but I have noticed a couple of things about what I will accept and what I will not do:

I try to make-up but only emphasizing the best and downplaying the worst.  Since I don't have pancake makeup there is no point in trying to hide the hives on those days they invade my face; best to try and distract the eye by emphasizing something else.

Clothing is more difficult.  Everything itches.  Bras are hell, but at the same time I don't feel I can go out without a bra.  There are very few women in their 50's or older who can truly look fabulous and pulled together without a bra of some sort, and I am not one of them, especially if one goes for more fitted or tailored clothes.  

Of course there are some wardrobe styles that are probably more suitable to "hives dressing".  Consider Eskander (shown here courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus respectively)

Here is clothing that would gently skim the body, causing less distress to sensitive skin and hiding the presence or lack thereof any supporting garments.

Another contender might be Issey Miyake, another master of clothing that hints at the body underneath.  Perfect camouflage for those less than perfect body image days.  With the right accessories and attitude, one could still look pulled together.  

(Miyake photos courtesy of Elle.com)

Unfortunately these garments don't grace my wardrobe although there are certainly patterns along the Eskander vein, and older MIyake patters also fit in this ethic.  So I could of course make them.  It might even be a good idea to have a camouflage garment or two, but hopefully the current plague will not last long enough to warrant much in the way of protective clothing. 

Nonetheless I am grateful for my collection of turtlenecks as they hide a multitude of sins and eruptions while offering options for protective cover in the form of layering.

It really is too bad that the IRS is unlikely to agree that a new wardrobe would be a justified medical expense.

Rediscovering some old favorites and a new combination

Let's see, when last I posted semi-regularly on this blog I was fretting about clothes that fit and clothes that didn't fit.  That situation hasn't really changed much.  I am  much the same size as before and I still haven't gone through my closets in any organized fashion. Things that fit still cohabit with things that are either too big (the larger pile) or too small (the smaller pile) and there is still much sorting out to do.  There is a growing pile of things I need to do "something" about.

All in all I would say things are normal.

What I have come to terms with is the fact that I love to look at fashion magazines and pictures of clothes and I love shopping but I am not interested in being "in fashion".  And although I love looking at fashion magazines, I love it for looking at the clothes as objects but not necessarily as something I must have.  The clothes I wear are things that I love in and of themselves, and because I love them for themselves I will wear them.  And if something is perfect it is perfect. -- it cannot be knocked off.  This is perhaps part of the reason why I am not interested in making all my own clothes.  I love shopping and looking.  I love finding the perfect thing, be it simple or complex, expensive or inexpensive.  Now I also recognize that few things live up to that image of "perfect" as it exists in my mind, so there is plenty of room for snoop-shopping and inspiration gathering and the making of clothes that are my own interpretations of those inspiration garments

I don't exactly know where I am going with this except that I want to explore what I buy, what I make, what inspires me and how and why I make the choices I do.  Probably this is all boring self-indulgent stuff, but then what is a blog but a place to explore all these random thoughts running around my brain?  In the end it comes back to sewing, and even though I don't want to sew everything, the idea that I don't have to sew everything is somewhat liberating and allows me to hold those things I do make, that turn out to be perfect in their own ways, in a special place.

Take this photo, taken in the afternoon on Christmas Eve, with the old camera.  

The pleated skirt.  This is a pleated Pendleton skirt that is a few years old (3-4). I tried it on in early December and it was too big.  I hemmed and hawed a bit, because I have several pleated skirts that just don't seem to be me -- but they are longer, lower calf length, and I don't think I will be keeping them although I may repurpose the fabric.  

This skirt however is different.  The length, just at the bottom of the knee is flattering, and I absolutely love the shades of blue and olive in this skirt.  So although I was not completely certain about the style, I took it up anyway.  I still have lingering doubts that it is too preppy, but I do actually like this outfit and these pieces have given me new ideas about the skirt and perhaps new ways to wear it that I hadn't considered before.  If I do grow tired of the skirt I can always use the fabric for something else. In fact I love the fabric so much that I bought more of the fabric when Ann first posted it over at Gorgeous Fabrics in case I decided not to save the skirt or I wanted to make a dress or something. I have no trouble with having more of this fabric in my stash.  I love plaids, or more exactly I often love the idea of plaids but rarely find a plaid fabric that I actually love.  For me this one is a must have, and I am surprised there is still a small piece left, but then it is not really typical plaid colors.

The turtleneck is a soft blue-green which matches the skirt pretty closely.  It is from J Crew and is at least 10 years old, probably older. It had been retired for a few years as it had become a little too snug.  I have a collection of turtlenecks in all the variations of shades of soft to medium blue-green, and all about this size, so I am happy to be able to wear them again as they are among my favorite colors.  

The flat teal boots I bought at Zappos a couple of years ago, after having them on my wish list for a while and watching the price steadily go down.   In the end I am glad I got them; they are long enough to go up over my knee if I turn the cuff up, and I wear this color a lot.  I did not plan on wearing them with this skirt, that just worked out, but it plays perfectly into my theory that if you buy and make things you really love, the combinations will become evident.

A few accessories for the transition from summer into fall

Thank you for the advice on the bias slip.  I am going to go ahead and make it.  I have wanted to copy this slip for some time so there is no doubt that I will use it, and my opportunity for that quick project is now passed anyway.

The cutting table was occupied yesterday while I sewed up a sweater. Although I didn't spend all the assembly time in my sewing room, just when I was sewing in the sleeves, when I needed a large flat surface, I may have exhausted my allotment of personal project time for a day or two.   

Anyway things are a little more scattered today and the CO is a little more agitated so it is best to lay low and out of the sewing room for now.

Since sewing progress is slow, I have decided to entertain you with a few accessories that have been making my heart sing now that the weather has turned cooler. 

I picked up the two long gauzy cotton (or whatever they are as I took the tags off) scarves on sale at Macy's over the summer.  As the weather has turned cooler they have proven to be the perfect thing to wear with a simple sweater or tee and jeans.  It is not quite time for woolens yet and these bridge the season perfectly.

It wasn't long ago that I would have said the long gauzy scarf was just not me, and I would have denied that I have any inclinations toward the romantic/boho/gypsy whatever you want to call it style.  But I think I was just deluding myself.  Anyone who is familiar with my penchant for large statement jewelry, sometimes of the ethnic variety, would probably have had to stifle their laughter to hear me talk about conservative my clothing choices were.  

Not this year.  As I have mentioned before I have been letting myself go and embracing my style this year with little regard for other's opinions.  

The horn necklace is another recent acquisition, procured in a late night pity party.  It is huge.  It is also very me and the day it arrived it pretty much came out of the box and went right around my neck.   Although I love big statement necklaces, really big beads are often difficult because I can't get them to lie right around my neck, or I can't just can't get them to work in actual outfits.  But this one has been just perfect for me, sitting just right on my neck and making friends with many other garments in my closet.

It was said that she never met a turtleneck that she didn't like

I have finally sorted through the entire sweater collection and the turtleneck collection.  Despite the overabundance of certain color families -- I seem to have a deep-seated need to purchase every shade of blue-green turtleneck I can find -- there are actually gaps.

Next up: finding something to actually wear.