It's cold!

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area we are blessed with a great climate. However, the cold weather has now started and as usual, it has taken me completely by surprise from a clothes point of view. I really need a new jacket. One that is not too formal but not too casual either. Looking in my wardrobe there doesn't seem to be any choice between a suit jacket or a hooded sweatshirt! Not good. I have plenty of heavy winter coats and ski jackets, but nothing that can be worn over a light sweater or a cardigan. I can see a new project coming here. Time to shop my pattern and fabric stash!

Pantone's Fall Colours

I'm a great fan of  Pantone and when the Fall 2011 colours were announced I was thrilled. I knew that the 2011 colour Honeysuckle would be included but when I saw the others I felt as if I had hit the jackpot. Have a look at them! Simply gorgeous! If you want to know more look here. 

True Style?

Trying to find my style and having a bit of fun while doing it, I stumbled across Shoedazzle and immediately decided to test myself. Very funny! I came out as a "Refined, cultered classic. Ha-ha! Me who far too often just pull on some jeans and a T-shirt before I head out the door?

I'm competing!

Back in October I made made a great skirt. It has become my favourite skirt and it has been on my sewing to-do list since then. So when PatternReview's  contest "One Pattern Many Looks" came around, I knew what to  make. I love the way this skirt fits and could do with having several. I don't have to spend time on fitting and I can therefore concentrate completely on making the skirts look different from each other. I'm almost done with the first one. I have made it in a dark chocolate brown bottom weight with a bit of stretch. Just need to put the zipper in and hem it. I've also decided to limit myself to using fabrics from my stash (which gives me lots of choice!).

The Prom Dress

My daughter is a Senior in high school and next to a wedding dress in terms of importance I think the prom dress has an obvious place. In order to save the mother-daughter relationship we decided to buy the dress. Hours and hours were spent looking and trying on dresses. It is ironic that on the first day of looking she found the dress we ended up buying! However, as true shoppers we looked and tried on probably 50 others. I was hoping we would find something just as nice but less expensive and my daughter was hoping for something even more beautiful............  But the water melon-coloured silk chiffon dress was meant to be. So that is what we ended up getting. My only sewing involvement was hemming it and removing the padding from the bodice to create a more sculptured look instead of the "uni-boob" effect. So although I didn't sew the dress myself, my sewing skills were still used. She looked stunning and I couldn't have been prouder!