A Stitch in Time - Basic Hand Stitches -Purple Friday Thought

In September of 2011, I decided to take a fashion sewing class.  I have been asked hundreds of times why?  Basically, people ask me what do I think I will do with this information?  Fashion and Style is really a big change for me because I always had more academic pursuits in the way of education.  My answer was very simple.....I just wanted to see what it was like in the fashion curriculum.  Maybe it was watching Project Runway that got me thinking about it.  I have sewn in the past.  My mother taught me to sew. We took sewing classes together at a local church and at John Wanamaker's Department (JW) in Philadelphia.  JW  had a sewing class on weekend in the tower of the store.  My mother believed in education and modeled that behavior for her family.

Old JW did their own alterations for their customers and had several industrial sewing machines.  I enjoyed those classes because I spent quality time with my mother.  We had to travel downtown to 13th and Market Streets on bus and elevated train.  I learned to travel around the city from these weekend trips with my mother.  Mom passed away a few years ago and I had stopped sewing long before she died.  I had to work, advance my education with graduate work, take care of a  family, and  participate in church activities. I just did not have time in those days.  Over the summer of 2011, Mom had been on my mind (we all know how memories can just crop up) and it just seem right to take the first level sewing class at the local community college.... Baltimore City Community College.

My teacher, Miss Jean, is a fashion industry professional and graduate educator in fashion.  She taught us so many wonderful stitches and how to fit a garment.  She took us on field trips to the fabric store and a textile trade show.  The class average age was 18 to  60 years. I gave away fabric and it helped to decrease my stash.  Many young people do not have jobs and they were hard press to buy fabric for the samples. Times are really hard on our young.  One young lady said "I can not wait to get a job and be rich like you".  To her I seem rich because I could afford the tools for the class.  It was really nice to take a class with young people.  It opened my eyes to the fact that advertisers have it wrong.  It is not the young that have the money in this economy. Young people have the potential to make money, but it is the mature folks(like me) that spend their money.

Anyway, I completed a muslin sloper (a sloper is any pattern without seam allowance) and a fashion fabric dress with interfacing, elastic waist, and matching cape.  All the little things Mom and I learned at our classes many moons ago, kept coming back. I remembered how to baste a zipper into a skirt.  If you had asked me in August, I would have had a glazed look on my face.

 I now know, now, why I took the class.....it was as if I had Mom back every Monday and Wednesday from 9 to 12 noon.  It has started me on a new journey in fabric, fashion, and sewing.

Miss Jean started us on basic hand sewing as it is the basis for High Fashion Sewing.  She would show us a stitch and we would practice it. Once she approved of our use and construction then we added the stitch to our fashion sewing scrapbook - portfolio.  I completed a portfolio of over 30 stitches (hand and machine) with elements of basic garments (sleeves, zippers - all types, neck line interfacing, and embellishments.  I would find a video from YouTube that showed me the hand stitch and watched it to help me do it correctly.  I will post many of ones that I found helpful.  Just a few of my thoughts on Purple Friday!

Common Stitches

Back stitch - Hand Sewing	Backstitch

Back-stitch, whipstitch, hemming stitch, and inside blind- stitch are the four most commonly used hand stitches for sewing, joining edges or hemming. Reference: http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Sewing/Howtos/Hand+Sewing.htm

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

When was the last time your visited a museum?  Did you know that museums have fabric exhibits and fashion collections?  For instance, you do not have to leave home and you can visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York via the Internet.  You can spend many happy hours visiting the fashion collections or looking at vintage fabric.  Enjoy an online tour the next time your need a new muse.  

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Feathered Hanging

Date: 7th–8th century

• The blue-and yellow-feathered textiles were made of macaw feathers, and it is presumed that they were used to decorate the walls of large compounds or courts on special occasions. A group of feathered hangings, to which this one belongs, were accidentally discovered in the early 1940s, when a large cache of ninety-six of them was reported in a find near the Ocoña River in southern Peru. The textiles had been rolled and placed in large decorated ceramic jars that were more than three feet high.  

  
  

  The feathered textiles of Peru are among the most luxurious textile products of the ancient world. Each feather is individually sewn to a cotton base-fabric, and the surfaces are thus built up to a soft, downy skin of radiant color. The feathers of tropical birds, from the Amazon jungles in eastern Peru, made the most brilliantly colored textiles, and the intense blues, greens, reds, and yellows were highly prized. 

Reference:  The Metropolitan Museum of Art, (2012) - Textile Collection, http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/50005258 retrieved 1/16/2012

Color of the Year - 2012

According to Pantone, the fashion industry color experts, Tangerine/Orange is the color of the year 2012.  So everyone get ready for more orange color fashions in the Spring and Fall of 2012.  Look for cruise wear to highlight this color as well.

Pantone January 2012 online newsletter

Just a thought for the Day!

Happy Purple Friday -Go Ravens

Baltimore Ravens

Let me say this really fast.....I am not a sports watcher. Sports (no matter which one) makes me sleepy. Sport programs are the best sleeping pill I know. To look at me, you would know that sports does not figure highly in my life.  So, for me to wish the Baltimore Ravens good luck is something really special. I join the fun and fan community spirit because it is inspirational to see everyone dressed in their Raven shirts, jackets, and hats. Love for the  Baltimore Ravens ----knows no boundaries. Everyone is a buddy and a fan when you are wearing your Ravens gear on Purple Friday.  Truthfully, I think I have a love affair with the color Purple.  Purple was the first color that a male said looked good on me.  My mother was in a club that was known as the Purple House.  I own a Purple Coach purse ( I don't see many people with that purse).  I actually have a love affair with Coach purses, but we will discuss that little addiction on another day.

Purple -

Purple is the color of good judgment. It is the color of people seeking spiritual fulfillment. It is said if you surround yourself with purple you will have peace of mind. Purple is a good color to use in meditation. Purple has been used to symbolize magic and mystery, as well as royalty. Being the combination of red and blue, the warmest and coolest colors, purple is believed to be the ideal color. Most children love the color purple. Purple is the color most favored by artists. Friday's color is purple. Reference:   Emily Gems - Blog. (2011). Color Purple Meaning. Retrieved January 13, 2012, from Emily Gems - Joyful crystals and gemstones Web Site: http:/crystal-cure.com/purple.html

My daughter is a serious Lady Raven. She has Raven hats, gloves, purses, shirts, earrings, and etc. Her serious interest in the team has inspired me to go along for the ride. Our city goes mad for the Ravens. There is a little story behind why the Ravens are so supported. I will not take up your time with the story, but "Google or Wikipedia" the Baltimore Colts and  Baltimore Ravens to find out the back story. Everyone is happily anticipating the game on Sunday. The whole city seems happier! I wish we could have this type of community spirit every day. Just a few of my thoughts!  Have a Happy Purple Friday!

Working From Home

Working from home is not a easy thing to do.  A person that works from home must be disciplined in getting their tasks done, doing the laundry,  and --- well dusting the furniture.  Working from home does not mean that you have large amount of downtime.  One must still complete all activities of daily living like dinner, time for hobbies, and family time. My days past so fast since I started working from home. My days never went this fast when I had to take public transportation to and from work. I have worked from home for about 3 years.  I no longer work for others at home. I work for myself.  It is a risk, but so far it has been paying off.

I have developed a routine in the mornings.  I refuse to get up early.  I hated getting up early when I had to go out to work so I treat myself to a daily "lie in" until 9:00 am.  Then in my PJs I warm up the computer, brush my teeth, drink a 1/2 cup of juice, and get started on what every task I have to do online work.  I finish my online work by 12 noon and I wash up for the day.  I get out the food that needs to defrosted for dinner  and run any errands outside the house.  I return between 2 and 3  pm on most days then I return to my computer for email checks and any research that I need to conduct.  I have described a typical day.  On days that I have attend a class, meeting, workshop, or have a doctor's appointment --things are different, but the goal is that I must get my online work done no matter what.

I have dabbled in many hobbies while at home.  These hobbies have turned into profit making ventures.  Recently, I took a couple of fashion classes.  In one class, I learned how to make hand stitches.  Funny, I thought hand stitching would be very easy, but I was wrong.  Hand stitching takes a time to master.  But, one is very happy with the result. One of the first seams we learned on the sewing machine was the "French Seam".  The teacher showed us in class, but I needed more help so I found this video on "YouTube"  it is pretty good.  The first hand stitch we learned was the blind hem.  Again, I had to find a video to help me with this stitch.  I began to use class instruction and the online videos as my tools for learning in the fashion classes.  The fashion classes have been a real boost to my sewing and crafting confidence.  I hope the new found confidence will result in a more financially secure future working for myself at home.  Just a few of my thoughts for the day!

Happy New Year!

Well Happy New Year All:

My goal is to start the New Year like it is the first day of school.  I want to keep the excitement of re-shaping my days and weeks.  I stopped making resolutions ages ago.  I set a few goals each year and try to get them done before December 31.  In 2011, my goal was to re-learn how to sew.  I had a Mother's Day weekend sewing circle sponsored by Singer.  It was a hit, but I felt something was missing in my own skills. I signed up for fashion classes at local community college.  I went to two family  reunions over the summer.

 I kept all of my doctor's appointments and kept my weight down.  I lost weight, but gain two pounds, but I  lost those by December 31st.  So, no extreme weight lost or weight gain in 2011.  I would say that 2011 was slow for the first  half of the year, but the last half was crazy fast.  I was taking two Fashion classes, my sister had surgery with a complication, and the holidays were rolling in fast.

My last goal for the year was to make a dress and create 13 gifts for an assistant living facility.  I got concern that I would not get everything done by December 31st, but I did.  I have posted the dress for you to see.  I was able to make fleece lap blankets for the assistant living facility.

 I was so rushed that I forgot to take a picture.  Everyone loved the lap blankets.  My goals for 2012 are very simple.  I want to take a vacation with my family.  Last year, we took separate vacations.  I want to continue taking Fashion classes.  I really enjoyed those classes.  I want to create a new gift for next year to give to the assistant living facility.  I working on options now.  Just a few of my thoughts!

This is a back view of the dress.