Happy New Year

Wishing all you fabulous bloggers a Joy-Filled and Wonderful New Year. I look forward to seeing what you're all up to in 2010 and hopefully I'll have some good stuff to share too.

A gloomy day

I'm trying to imagine myself wearing this outfit. The coat appears to be one or two sizes too small because I can't button the buttons. I have to use a contraption from the hardware store to keep the coat closed so that my cute Springtime dress doesn't get rained on. I hang my head low because I'm feeling like a fashion flop.

A 50's look

This blast from the past reminds me of a skirt I made when I was in high school. It was a real challenge to make a neat hem on that plaid circular skirt...lots of gathers and steam to draw up the fullness. This was a very typical outfit for girls in my high school class to wear. We thought we looked pretty cool and sophisticated!

A cute aubergine sweater

Really like this cute sweater with ruffled front from Banana Republic. Thought I'd check it out on my next visit to Corte Madera. Apparently, every Tuesday there's a 10% discount on all merchandise.

If you love kitties

My sewing mentor and friend who inspires me and so many others

A good basic dress

This pattern (McCall's 5752) has been featured on many sewing blogs out there. It looks like a terrific basic dress for any age group. Many of the women who sewed this up wore it with Spanx.

A true fashion icon

Is the fashion industry in trouble?

Just wanted to post two photos from last night's Emmy awards show. Okay, while I thought the show was an absolute bore, the "gowns" made me weep for the fashion industry. The presidential concoction looks like a bedspread that was wrapped around the young woman's body, and the blue garment just looks like the "designer" forgot to fit or finish it. Can't we do better given all the design schools and resources available these days?

Hmmm

Can anyone guess who's wearing this uber-belt? Difficult to imagine how the poor girl can breathe while her entire midsection is girded with a band of steel.

Virtual fashion design

Marie Claire has a terrific website. Check out the Virtual Model (under the Fashion tab) and have fun mixing and matching fashions and accessories, adding cool backgrounds, and developing ideas for a wardrobe. The finished "looks" can be e-mailed to friends. There are also some fun video clips on the website for my favorite show Project Runway.

A cute tee shirt pattern

I've discovered that quite a few sewing bloggers are devoted fans of Burda patterns and the Burda magazine (which I never see at my local book/magazine vendor.) I have several older Burda patterns in my collection but haven't sewn any of them. This cute tee shirt pattern from the latest Burda collection is something I'd definitely like to try. I like the combination of knit for the body and a sheer woven fabric for the sleeve in View A.

The eye of the camera

My daughter snapped this photo of moi standing before an Impressionist painting at the Louvre Museum about ten years ago. There's a story to be told here, don't you think? First, the woman on the left seems to be gazing at me rather than the painting. It's as though I have stepped outside the perimeter of the 19th c. frame and have become another character in Renoir's scene for her to contemplate. And what am I focusing on? I don't think I'm posing for the camera, but there's definitely something on my mind.

Literature and fashion

Here's one of my favorite people (Tim Gunn) sharing his love of reading. This photo reminds me that so much of our great literature is steeped in fashion. Just think of literary characters such as Scarlett O'Hara, Emma Bovary, Princess Leia, Don Quixote, Anna Karenina to name just a few and you'll certainly conjure up images of their unique fashion style. Designers often turn to literature for inspiration and I wonder what works of contemporary fiction inspire them today.

Unflattering pants and shorts

It puzzles me that attractive women dress themselves in get-ups that are absolutely unflattering to the body and make them look like boys. Mrs. Cruise might take some fashion lessons from her daughter. And I think Michelle might consider more seriously that she represents a great nation now and is seen as a role model. These looks are unacceptable for a woman in her position.

a charming video

Ribbons galore

Here is another wonderful resource to be found in San Francisco: The Ribbonerie at 3695 Sacramento Street (between Locust and Spruce.) As you can see from the photo they have a fantastic array of ribbons and lots of unique decorative pieces. Sacramento Street has ample parking (free and metered) and it's just a terrific neighborhood for walkers and window-shoppers. Be sure to check out all the upscale boutiques on Sacramento Street as well as the shops and eateries in Laurel Village around the corner on California Street.

A glimmer of hope

I'm finding it extremely difficult to feel fashionable or even attractive these days. Whenever I look in a mirror I see this unrecognizable older woman looking back at me. However, when I see attractive young women like Katie who spend a fortune on fashion, hair and make-up and still end up looking a mess, it somehow gives me a glimmer of hope.

A return to the past

I love these Fall 2009 Chanel creations that remind me of Anna Karenina and Lara from Doctor Zhivago. Can't you just imagine Larissa Feodorovna Guishar (that's Lara's maiden name) on the arm of the vile Viktor Komarovsky in this seductive fur trimmed gown? And this understated wool reefer coat could certainly have cloaked the desperate Anna in her final scene at the train station. I wonder if the designer was reading either of these classics when he was dreaming up these fashions. It's just lovely to see a return to classic looks and elegant poses.

Tee-Hee

This whole first lady fashion thing is a hoot. Here's a photo that needs no explanation. Even her husband has to snicker now and then at the ridiculous get-ups. Do you suppose they have mirrors in the White House? I wonder.

Stylish looks

I guess you think I've been really mean with regards to the first lady and her wardrobe. So, here are three looks that I think hit the mark for being stylish and age-appropriate.

Church outfits

Mon Dieu, let's all say a fashion prayer for our first lady. I'm just at a loss for words. I would recommend a chic and simple black sheath rather than this get-up. Pleeeeze, whoever is concocting these ridiculous outfits, won't you stop already!

Punitive fashion

Who picks out these outfits? Our First Lady looks like she's strapped into a straightjacket. I'm embarrassed for her.

More Memory Lane

I'm still tripping down Memory Lane. Here I am in my late 20's and wearing a floral silk-blend dress that is floor-length and fully lined. This was the first garment I made under the tutelage of Sandra Betzina. She was just beginning her highly successful multi-media sewing career at that time and I feel so lucky to have met her. We still stay in touch after all these years and she continues to inspire me with her talent and loving personality.

Youthful photos

Here are some photos from my youth. I'm around eleven years old and am happily at work on my mother's sewing machine in the first photo. The second photo shows a proud young Susan who can't believe she actually finished the garment. The stylish sheath was fabricated in a lovely orange floral polished cotton. It was a Vogue pattern and I managed to do the whole project on my own with the help of my handy Singer Sewing Book. I still have several editions of that old classic in my library today and love those dressmakers' details from the 40's and 50's that are so much a part of that book.

The passing of icons

Two stars went dim in the universe last Thursday. Farrah was a fellow Aquarian so I always felt a kind of kinship with her. And Michael was just a phenom. They'll both be missed.

A perfect pattern from the 40's

I just couldn't resist this DuBarry "perfect pattern" from the 40's. While the outfit is very girlie and cute, I don't think such teeny waists would work these days for girls or women. I suppose just too much rich food and frappucinos. Sitting at the computer for long periods doesn't help either. It's so important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and I'm going to try to incorporate healthy habits into my daily life as much as possible. I'd sure like to be able to wear skirts with waistbands again.

My junior high skirt pattern

Every now and then I find vintage patterns at thrift stores for very little money. These two remind me of my junior high sewing classes. I made a straight skirt in blue wool (lined) and the picture on the right looks like the pattern I used back in 1959.

Colorful Hats

This wonderful hat reminds me of the early 60's when my mother opened a small dress shop in the Richmond district of San Francisco. She knew nothing about running a business but was newly divorced (quite scandalous at the time, or so I thought) and needed a job. Unfortunately, she had no business plan and bought her inventory based on what she thought looked cute. After she invested in racks, hangars, shelving, and a neon sign, there was little or no capital available to buy merchandise. She was forced to buy manufacturers' end of the season garments which were cheap but not very saleable. Hats were also very inexpensive and she bought lots of colorful straw hats like the one pictured here. Needless to say, my mother's dress shop didn't survive even a year. I wonder if any of my mother's hats are still around?

Oops!

Ooh la la! Another fashion faux pas...this time in London. What do we call this ensemble in fashion terms? I'd describe this as an outfit designed for tweens. However, it's simply ridiculous on the wife of our president. Perhaps she ran out of things to wear and had to borrow something from one of her girls.

A night on the town

OK, it looks like I'm picking on the first lady. Didn't flapper dresses go out with the Roaring Twenties? By the end of the date, the couple doesn't look very happy.

A few fashion blunders

Does Michelle have a fashion stylist, I wonder? The mint green skirt is too tight, the cardigan is a mishmash of what looks like manufacturers' leftovers, and the dog walking outfit is just plain boring. Sorry, I don't mean to sound picky. It's just that she's always compared to Jackie O and I'm not seeing that here.

A favorite red dress

This was a dress I made back in the early 80's. The fabric was a red wool crepe similar in color to the drawing on the pattern envelope. I have an old photo which I'll upload soon along with all the other photos that I've promised to post.

A Smile for St. Patrick's Day

We're all having a good time on St. Patrick's Day!

Spring is in the air

I'm hard at work on my fabric inventory, but still feel the need to take time out and enjoy the gorgeous weather we've been having here lately. Here are some luscious flowers from the Monterey area.

Fabric stash

I gather from a lot of sewing blogs out there that many of you have issues with fabric stashes. My collection has been in progress for more than thirty years and I am often conflicted about the rationale behind having so much fabric. Okay, I'm a dressmaker, dollmaker, quilter, etc., etc., and need lots of choices. However, when I get in the mood to make something, I am completely overwhelmed by too many choices. So, I decided there has to be some order to this chaos. I have begun the process of taking inventory. While it may or may not improve the situation, at least I'll have a better idea of what's in my personal fabric store. I'm using 3"x4" Avery adhesive labels which I place on the wrong side of the fabric, and then trim just slightly within the edges of the label in order to prevent raveling. All available information gets recorded on the label itself: length and width of the fabric, manufacturer, date, title of fabric, etc.. This has been a time consuming process, but surprisingly a lot of fun. I'm discovering lots of goodies in my collection and am excited to play with my "fabric cards" and create new artistic possibilities.

Classic Hollywood

This is my idea of Hollywood glam at its best. Classic beauty in every sense of the word and the fit of Kate's dress is impeccable. Designed by the House of Yves St. Laurent.

There's a current exhibition of Yves St. Laurent at the DeYoung Museum here in San Francisco. It's one of the most extensive fashion retrospectives I've seen in years. An impressive number of pieces that represent every decade of St. Laurent's career.

Celebrity blog

Jane Fonda was on the Today Show this morning and mentioned her new blog. I haven't checked out any celebrity blogs before now, so it was kind of reassuring to discover that even the stars like to engage in this blog business. I liked these photos of her. She must have a really good sense of humor. Today is my 62nd birthday, and I am in awe of how fabulous Jane looks in her 70's. Thank you Jane for giving me hope that all things are possible at all ages!

Art Project

Here is a photo of an art project I did back in the 80's when I was an interior design student at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. The assignment was to take a work of art (famous or not) and replicate it using only pages from magazines. I chose Picasso's 1932 The Dream (Marie-Therese) and I think I was able to capture the essence of the original painting. It was a fun project, but I remember it took a lot of magazines and quite a bit of time to find just the right colors.

I just checked the Susan in Stitches blog and she's all right. That's very good news!