Well....

Peace....


I've been to Fine Fabrics 3 times since I 1st said I was going.

I have an official stash.

That is all....

Peace

M6920 - My Easter Dress

Peace,

Well! I must have spoken this into existence.... I had last Thursday off. Some Jehovah's Witnesses were knocking very aggressively on my front door (I assume they were JD's they ran off before we could catch them) and knocked the glass loose from the door. No matter how we rigged the door, the glass would become dislodged with pressure. We cannot live in a house that opens like that. Our landlord said he could ONLY come on Thursday to fix it... so... BOOM! I got my Easter dress finished amid all the other stuff I had to do. On a side note... I beg to win the Mega Millions all the time, but me mentioning that I needed an extra day to get isht done causes my door to fall in. It just doesn't seem fair....

Behold.... M6920


Pattern: Misses'/Miss Petite/Women's/Women's Petite Dresses Version B

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the envelope?:Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow?: Yes

How long did it take from start to finish?: about 3 hours

What did you like/dislike about the pattern? Cup sized options

Fabric used?: Floral rayon

Pattern alterations or design changes made?:
I lengthened it about 4 inches. I am concerned with how gaping the front is. But it is not quite obscene... unless you are seated and folks are looking down at you.

Would you sew it again?: Yes. Sleeveless in denim

Would you recommend it to others?:Do it

Conclusion: I like this dress. It's not my absolute favorite. But it does everything I asked it to do.


Here is the thing... I look old. And old in this dress. This dress looked old ladyish hanging from the door. It is the fabric I think. But I'm 44 not 24. I'm supposed to look 44 (maybe 34?... please!!!). And it it happening to everybody. Taraji P. Henson looks amazing but she also doesn't look young. Jada Pinkett-Smith is another beautiful woman. Woman, not a young lady. Halle Berry still has men falling at her feet... but she looks maybe not exactly her age, but you can tell she's older than Beyonce'. Even J.Lo with her amazing attributes is old. These women are all my contemporaries. There is nothing wrong with age... that is the standard answer.... but I do mourn the loss, albeit slow loss, but loss nonetheless, of my youth. I'm Just Saying....

Yet another reason I don't smile in pics.


Peace.

Lace Skirt and Self Hate

Peace....

Last year, I ordered the prettiest Kelly green lace form an online supplier. I've been scared to cut it. I even asked y'all for advice. For 1 year that lace has been sitting in my sewing room punking me and talking trash to my face. This weekend I got even.

Behold.... B5760! My TNT skirt pattern. (It's funny because Carolyn uses this pattern for the cardigan. I made a wadder when I tried it. Go figure. Different strokes)


This skirt brought up some stuff for me....I was telling a “friend” that I had made a kelly green lace skirt. (I cannot stop looking at because it is so pretty!!!!) She asked me if I lined it. Of course I lined it. I work in a dentist office and not a strip club. She asked what color the lining was. That's a weird question. I still don't understand her motivation for asking. But I said, “brown.” She asked, “Why did you choose brown?” I said, “Because I'm brown.” She then told me.... that I should have lined it in beige and that my skirt would look dirty. Woooooooow!!!!!!That's a level of self hate I'm not used to. But maybe I should be...

I don't wear white bras. At this junction, I don't even own white bras anymore. Ever since I started buying my own bras, I have made the conscious choice to purchase bras that couldn't be detected under my clothes. I'm dark skinned. So I own mostly black, but some navy, some emerald green, etc. but all dark. When I know that I'm purchasing bras and will have to try them on, I wear a white shirt just to make sure you can't see it. My mother and I were bra shopping and she wanted to buy bras for me. My boobs are not ordinary, so I have to shop at specialty stores. At this particular store on this particular day, they only had white bras in my size. I didn't want them. My mother says, “But they fit.” I said, “I don't wear white bras.” She said, “Everyone wears white bras.” I said, “I don't.” Even the dark skinned sales lady said that she preferred the darker colors. My mother refused to understand. But I refused to bras. And that reminded me of.....

When I got married, I had a bra made. (yes you can to that). I had a black bra made. When I brought it home, my mother bitched because I had it made in black and not white. I countered that you would be able to see a white bra though my dress. And she said not if I wore a slip. That interaction brought back to mind this one....

I used to usher. On the 1st Sunday all the ushers wore their “usher whites.” I always wore Black underthings so that you couldn't see them underneath my whites. The head usher took me aside and asked why I didn't wear white under my whites. I said because you'd see them. She said not if you wore a white slip. She then said my whites looked dingy. I asked what about these white tights. She told me there was nothing I could do about them. And she made us wear these thick assed tights too. Not plain white hose, but tights. She said it would look better. What she meant is the color of our legs wouldn't seep through.

What's with this self hate dark people???? I know in this culture white people are seen as the default, so I expect foolishness from them... but not from us. We are supposed to know that everything that's for them doesn't always apply to us. I don't wear “nude” pantyhose. They are too light. I wear coffee. I don't wear nude shoes, because on me, they are beige. I will wear bronze or copper shoes with everything, though. I don't wash my hair everyday. I know to try on makeup before I purchase it because it may just disappear into my skin. I should own stock in Palmers cocoa butter because I use it like that. I know that “ashy” is a real thing. And guess what... I... Don't... Look.... Dingy! When I wear dark foundation garments. I don't see white as the pinnacle of any damn thing.

But if you do.... stay the hell away from me. I'm having a good time. I own all of this.


Peace

Easter is Coming

Peace!

I don't Usually do this over here. This my my sewing blog. But there are some things about me that influence sewing for me. 3/4ths. I'm a 5%er. I freely and willingly adhere to the 14:14. It's all me and it's all good. So I'm a do something on this Blog that I normally save for my righteous blog. I'm going to Build....

When I was a child, my mother taught me that there was a time and a place for everything under the sun. She taught that there was such a thing as appropriateness And what separates the civilized from the savages is their actions. That just because you could do something, didn't mean you should. What she was striving to instill is what I call the “Appropriate Rituals.”

You just don't wear white, open toes, shorts, etc. before Easter and/or after Labor Day. You just DON'T!!!There is a trend happening where people want to do whatever they want to do whenever they want to do it. They do it with food. You can buy tomatoes year round. Those tomatoes are not tomatoes anymore. They are grafted or genetically modified. Weak boned and weak blooded. Not only is that dangerous, it's not natural. And when you fool with stuff that isn't natural you get sick. Where do you think auto immune diseases come from?

The circumference of the planet Earth is 24,896 miles; approximately 25,000 miles. My Cee on the word circumference is that it implies a limitation. Limits are not bad. Limits give guidance. And when did guidance become a bad thing. When we have limits to direct our behavior, it shifts us from savage, or jungle to civilized and righteous.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught his people that they should bathe daily. Imagine having to be told that? But back in the day folks bathed on Saturday evenings (all in the same water) so they could be ready to meet the mystery god on Sunday morning. Folks also had those hard labor jobs of working outside all week. Imagine how funky they were on Thursdays? And yet and still they needed to be given the rule and regulation that they should bathe daily. Well damn!

When I was a child, we looked forward to Easter for all the perks that comes with. A new outfit and we can wear white all over. You could always wear a white shirt, but now you can add on the pants, purse and the shoes. I can wear sandals that show my toes. I can start the shift to enjoy summer! Easter comes at different times every year. If you do that year round then you can't really enjoy it, because you don't appreciate it. Without limits you have nothing to look forward to.

My spring prep look like this:
-I swap clothes in the trunk for the clothes in the closet
-I get a pedicure – I only get 2/year. One in the spring to open the toes and 1 in the fall to close up shop. I do my own toes the rest of the summer
-I use different nail polish colors in spring than I do in the fall
-I have different colors for my face
-I use different products in the spring/summer because my face has different needs
-And I change things in my house to reflect the change in seasons. Everything gets brighter. I Spring clean, change the door wreath, the comforters and the curtains.

Now living in Ga, we get warmer days sooner than I did when I lived in NJ. That doesn't mean a thing. A friend of mine was telling me she already wore her sandals. And I asked her why? Did she not have any other shoes? She said she wasn't as old timey as I am. OK. I'll take that action. But then I asked her if she wore boots in August. She looked at me like I was crazy. It's the same premise people. There is a time and place for everything.

And why specifically do folks want to were white year round? Winter white was created to fill that gap. No one wears velvet year round. Folks only wear that Christmas plaid around Christmas. Folks don't wear evening dresses to the office and when they go to the opera they don't wear jeans. Folks don't wear overalls to a job interview. Folks know that some shit is inappropriate. But they are lobbying to be free to wear white whenever?

Well, I'm not the fashion police. But you wear white before Easter... Know that I'm judging you. And also know that your grandmother is turning over in her grave.


Peace

Suede Jacket Repair

Peace Y'all,

I had sooooooo much to do this weekend and sewing was a HIGH priority. I got very little of it done... I know it be's like that sometimes, but this weekend was not the weekend for me to be lazy. I have so much sewing to do. And I have to work next Friday. I have a ton of for-other-people repairs, A top that I have to make for a friend, a baby quilt that really should have gone in the mail last month, and I haven't done any sewing for myself.... including an Easter dress for me!. But Serenity... you don't go to church. Why do you need a new Easter dress? Because I have had a new dress every Easter since 1971. that's why. I'm not dropping the ball on my watch. I just might have to take Thursday off to finish everything on time. Otherwise I will be sewing while sleepy and that never works out well for me. I tend to make poor... really poor... detrimental poor decisions when I'm sleepy. And that's why I don't usually sew after work.

There were a few things that I did get done this weekend. I went to Fine fabrics... Again (1st mistake). That place is effing AMAZEBALLS. Here is the thing.... There is an old building with a sign that is vacant. And near the road there is another sign that says the store is closed. These are big signs. Anyone would think the store was closed. But up the street the store re-emerges. I went with a friend (2nd mistake) I bought notions on this visit and just a smidge of fabric. I was having buyers remorse about not getting something that I wanted last week. And I found a 3 yard remnant (that's what FF called it) that will become that friend's top. I'm sold on FF. I'm not shopping anywhere else for fabric and notions. Hanging with a friend had me out all day. When I got home I was tired and took a nap (3rd mistake). Unfortunately, my naps are hours long. When I awoke, it was 9:30 pm. I just couldn't let the day go to hell like that. So.... I made some kitchen curtains that I have been meaning to make since last year. (The curtains that were hanging were my xmas curtains. That might not have been so bad if they weren't my xmas curtains form 2013). I don't love them. I made them sleepy. I have enough fabric to remake it. I probably could pick these out. Probably not.

The one thing I got to that I am happy that I got to was this suede coat repair. I bought this suede coat maybe a decade ago from Newport News... so you know it was cheap. The suede is so lite and fragile. It tore like it was made of paper towel. When I looked inside the hole it seemed that it was interfaced. I'm not familiar with suede garment construction but that seems cheap to me. I considered either machine or hand stitching the repair but if it tears so easily, putting in a line of stitches seems like making a perforation for more tearing. I didn't pay a lot for it, but I still want to keep it. Lite (aka cheap) suede is on trend this season, after all. So I used iron on patches to force the torn edges together. I covered the suede with a paper towel to protect it while ironing. It seems to have worked. But I haven't really worn the jacket. It's rainy here and I didn't Soctchguard the suede. The torn spots are now together. I have stichwitchery of it tears again.

This is where the tears wear


This is it all repaired. I couldn't get the top tear close as I wanted. And you can see the blue from the patch leaking out. But I don't think it's horrible. Especially considering that there isn't a gaping hole any more.

What do you think? Any advice?

What's on your sewing table for Easter?



Peace

Stashes

Peace.

I haven't posted in a while. Not because I haven't been sewing... I have... for other people but not so much for me. It's not that I don't have plans to sew for me, but the other people thing takes precedence. It seems like other people refuse to get a garment to you unless they need it the next day. But... I did want to ask y'all a question....

Stashes??? I don't really have one of fabric. I will purchase patterns... on sale... like crazy. But not fabric. How do you know how much fabric to buy if you aren't making something specific? I'm not saying I don't have fabric. I do. But it's only a drawer full. I have more fabric in the quilt pile which is my extra fabric after a project. My so-called stash is me changing my mind or not getting to something. I see y'all with shelves and shelves of fabric. Y'all are making me feel inadequate. I want to go into a fabric store and buy all fabric I like. But when I try that, I'm at a loss because I don't know how much to ask for. And then the notions? Should I buy some? Especially when I don't know what I'm making!

My process is as thus... (1) I get inspired. (2) I decide on a pattern (3) I buy the fabric and notions necessary for the garment. And (4) I make said garment. How do you get a stash from that???

Now if you don't mind, I'm a need for y'all to answer quickly. I'm going to the fabric store this weekend on a full paycheck. I don't know when that will happen again. And I'm a want to buy UP the store. So tell me the hows and why you have a stash because I WANT ONE TOO!!!! When you're buying random amounts of fabric just because you like it, how do you know how much to buy??? How do you know what the fabric wants to be?


Peace!

M6988

Peace.

Funny story..... my God is such a boy. Snips and snails and puppy dog tails... No female influence whatsoever. The only female in the house was mother and I swear she hid from all her men. We were in the store and I decided to buy some pantyhose. I don't wear pantyhose often. And I usually buy them in bulk at the Hanes outlet. One of their big bags will last a year or more. I don't wear pantyhose like that. Plus those hose last for multiple wearings and stands up to washing. I ran out a few months ago and have been meaning to take that long assed drive... But I don't want to.

Walgreens didn't have “coffee” which is my color. But they had other colors... one of which was “suntan.” My mother wears suntan. She's not suntan. But it looked darker in the package. Can someone tell me when pantyhose got so expensive??? I was standing there considering the colors for over 5 minutes. I guess that was his limit. He told me to get the suntan because it was a fine match (plus they were on sale) and we left. OK. When I pulled them out of the bag this morning, I giggled. They were too light, but they were all I had. It's gonna be 60* even with rain. I'm not wearing boots with this dress and it's too February for bare legs. So.... I have “old lady legs!”

Additionally funny is the 7 never saw a woman.... in his entire 46 years....put on control top pantyhose. I usually dress in my closet, but the closet chair is full of clothes that need folding so I had to sit on the bed. The look of confusion combined with curiosity was priceless. He was like, “Why are you jumping around like that?” "Are they the right size?" "They look like they hurt!" "Wow... Where did your hips go?" "Can you pee in those things?" This man needed sisters!

I made this dress over the King holiday in service to me. I needed a new all-weather mourning dress. My last one was neither all weather or long enough. Oooh! I sound old! Maybe I am. Folks don't plan for funerals. And when one comes up you have to scramble to be appropriate. You don't want to look too sexy because that's disrespectful; but you always want to look nice and stylish without looking old. Folks don't get it's possible to have all the options. This is the dress I will use for non-family funerals that don't occur during the summer. (I will wear better pantyhose) If a family member croaks in the summer I'm wearing this dress... Bare legged... With open toed shoes... I'm the Black sheep so they expect it. It's also good for events wear I have to wear a black dress. I just had a founder's day event with my sorority and no appropriate all Black dress to wear. This dress works for so many occasions.

I had a plethora of doubts about the length. I googled the hell out of this pattern and no one seemed to be concerned about the length. Only Erica B talked about length but she's tall! It looks short on the envelope. I prefer for a dress to be midi. I don't care for my knees plus I have clothing restrictions. I'm 5'3. That's neither tall or short. I didn't want to muslin up the entire dress because I'm starting to run out of muslin fabric. (I sound so lazy) I bought the muslin fabric 4 years ago. A local fabric store was going out of business and was selling entire bolts of fabric for $2.99, so I bought a ton. Now I'm down to less than ½ a roll. I tissue fit and estimated the length all seemed to be fine. The dress stopped above my knew but there is a peblum at the bottom (Is that what you call them at the bottom?) which would make it longer. I swear you can't judge a pattern until you make it. More praise for TNTs.

I. Love. This. Dress!!!!!!

It's skims but isn't tight. It's the perfect length to maintain 3/4th without looking out of place. The short sleeved version the sleeves aren't too short. The collar is neither too high or low. My favorite part is the dress came with cup options. So I didn't have to do a FBA. I cut the D and sewed it straight out of the package. I just love everything about this dress.

There was a snafu.... I didn't get enough fabric for the dress. In hindsight, I was looking at version A, but planning for sleeves. So I ran out. I had some other black knit remnants but they didn't match. The remnant are ribbed. I ended up going out to buy more fabric but I ended up at a different store. The original store is an hour away. I only go over there when I plan to buy in bulk when they are having a sale. I was fortunate to find fabric that matched the dress. And it was on sale too. So even though I made a boo boo it worked out.





Pattern:
M6988, there is no exact version that I did. A with short sleeves, D with a peblum. Take your pick

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the envelope?:
Yes!!!

Were the instructions easy to follow?:
Absolutely

How long did it take from start to finish?:
I cut and sewed it in a sitting (except the sleeves). Came together really fast. I only watched 1 Blaxploitation movie

What did you like/dislike about the pattern?
Cup size Options!

Fabric used?:
Black stretch knit

Pattern alterations or design changes made?:
Added short sleeves

Would you sew it again?:
Yes!!!!

Would you recommend it to others?:
No. I don't want folks looking like me

Conclusion:
TNT pattern. I'm going to make one in most colors.