My Thoughts

Goodbye 2014 Hello 2015

Posted on Dec 24, 2014 | 0 comments

There were only 5 “tootsie rolls” under the tree last night. This morning there was a 6th. It is for me! … and I thought they forgot!

What is under the Christmas tree you ask?  Looks maybe like “tootsie rolls”?  Well yes, that’s what we call them, but no, they are not candy.  Inside each tissue paper roll are pajamas!  Those who have been reading  Sewlikeinparis for the last year are familiar with this oddity but for you new comers, I’ll give you a brief synopsis!  I’ve carried on a family tradition that my mother did for me when I was growing up.  Every year on Christmas Eve, the “tootsie rolls” are the one present my children get to unwrap and wear for all the evening festivities!  It’s gotten even more fun now that they’ve grown up… we party down in our pajamas!  In past years, we’ve had guests who have spent Christmas with us knowing that if they stayed, they would have to play along in this strange tribal custom.  They were good sports and discovered that it was actually a pretty fun thing to do and had a really good time!  Friends and neighbors who drop in for a hot tottie have grown use to seeing all of us in our bed clothes and look forward to seeing what the trend and styles are for the year!

To make the girls pajamas, I used the Vogue 7837 pattern.

There was a bit of mixing pattern styles, as well as some recreating to end up with the kind of  tops I made.  I did this by using the pieces for the teddy, except when cutting out the front and back, instead of cutting the pieces on the bias, I cut them on the grain at 22″ in length.  They turned out the same as shown in the top left corner, only they had the empire bodice of the teddy.  Also, I cut the back pattern piece leaving in the flare of the back center seam which would have been part of the seat of the teddy.  Leaving it this way gave a nice shape to the back and allowed it to drape nicely over the derriere!  At least on me!  We’ll see when the girls put on theirs!  The pants I sewed just as the pattern directions instructed.

Here they are finished…

For my daughter who really likes Cheetah anything!

and…

for my daughter-in-law who loves the color Red!

I did do one thing when making the bodice that wasn’t part of the pattern design.  I cut a second set of bodice sides and sewed them onto the shoulders in the same way when making a man’s shirt with a yoke.  This way the bodice part was double thickness which ensured a bit more privacy.

A bit of warning when making the top though… I struggled with how to bring the two bodice sides to meet the center of the point at the top of the bottom front section after I had already sewn on the lace.  Each top turned out slightly different because I never really did figure it out!

The boys were next… I have two sons and our herd has grown to include my daughter’s boyfriend which meant I still had to sew three pair of mens pajamas!  It was at this point that I decided that even though it would have been nice to make them shirts that matched the pants… it wasn’t going to happen!  Time has been flying just way too fast this year!  What they got were t-shirts that I purchased from various sources but matched nicely with the pants.  Hey!  They were cool t-shirts.  They had personal sayings on them to not only match the fabric of their pants but also their individual personalities!    The pattern I used was McCall’s 4244.

For the most part, making these pants was pretty cut and dry, though after three times of trying to feed the elastic into the top casing, I got really really pissed (sorry but that’s what I was) … removed all the seams and then folded down the top of the waist 2 inches plus an extra  1/8 of an inch for good measure.  I  did surge the seam allowance of  the top of the waist so I wouldn’t have to mess with folding it under 1/4 of an inch.   Then I re-sewed the casings as follows:

From top to bottom: 

5/8 inch, 3/4 inch, and then 5/8 inch. 

Obviously not sure yet how they will fit the guys but I checked the crotch lengths on some of their ready-to-wear pants and the pajamas are almost identical so I don’t think there will be a problem.  I doubt they will notice anyway, not with all the celebrating that will be going on!  😛

Here they are…  This first pair are for my oldest son who makes hard cider and beer!

The second pair is for my younger son who likes to drink beer!

and the third pair are for my latest adopted son who likes to drink beer after he plays hockey!

Not sure if we will get in a photoshoot on Christmas Eve but if we do, I’ll certainly share the moment here on Sewlikeinparis!

And there you have it.  We’ve almost reached the end of 2014 and what a year it’s been!  As I look back over the last 12 months, I have to say its been crazy fun!  Have made a lot of new friends, have had lots of adventures, and got to spend some wonderful days with my family.  The only thing on my Christmas list that I’m asking the big guy in the red suit for is a healthier me in 2015.  I have spent a good deal of this year ill due to an unexpected exposure to Mononucleosis sometime back in March of this year.  I discovered I am not as invincible as I thought I was!

Ending on that note…if you are so willing, please raise your glass and have toast with me!  Together we will say goodbye to 2014 and the next time we meet it will be 2015!  Cheers!  Enjoy the rest of this holiday season and see you next year!

Salut!  Jessica

An “Enjoying Life Moment”

Posted on Mar 19, 2013 | 0 comments

Today’s post is going to be about nothing!  Well – not nothing, but instead of the usual sewing  discussions or the occasional rant, I decided to get off the merry-go-round and take a moment to talk about what I like to do when I choose to just enjoy life.  I would like to think that this activity is very French and so I think appropriate for this little blog site sitting in the middle of  a big blog world!

On the menu today…

Yes, you got it.  Cheese, crackers, grapes, macadamia nuts AND wine!  Wine that I made.  So there…also shared a little something more about myself – besides being a sewing artist, I am also a winemaker!

It’s been a wonderful day.  Have not cleaned my house like I should have but instead spent quality time with my daughter.  I could be sewing the buttons on the sweater, McCalls 6708, that I just finished or start sewing together the pieces that have been cut for the Simplicity 1797 dress, but hey… I need to take a brief time out, sip my glass of wine, snack on my cheese plate and just chill-lax!

Since I am writing about enjoying the moment, this may be a good time to mention the book that my son Jared surprised me with several days ago…

No…no major gift giving event.  He got it for me because he knows I love books, especially when they are about Coco Chanel.  I have had such a fascination with this woman.  Within the pages are some gorgeous pictures as well as some more tidbits that I didn’t know.

There are several dresses shown in the book that were done in the 50’s and 60’s that I love and have attempted to take pictures of to share with you.

The bodice fits the body like a glove and the full skirt flares out dramatically from the hips with horizontal layers of ruffles.

A cocktail dress made in black lace. It is boned and strapless with a trumpet-shaped skirt and triple flounce.

Coca said “Dress women in black or white at a ball.  They will catch the eye”.   Hmm.. maybe I better quit enjoying life, try to find a ball to attend and start sewing a gown!  First I need to finish my cheese and wine though!

Salut!  Jessica

What’s Wrong with Home-Made

Posted on Mar 1, 2013 | 0 comments

Today is going to be a rant day.   The rant of course is me saying exactly what I feel in no uncertain terms and which my children lovingly refer to as me getting up on my soap box!

The subject of my rant…the bad rap that the term “home-made” is getting.

It seems like “home-made” is okay sometimes but other times not.  For instance, it is generally accepted that home-made  food is better than fast food (and better for you!).  Then there are home-made  gifts that for many people are more personal and meaningful than store bought gifts. But with clothes…well that’s another story.  It appears  that home-made  is taking a bad rap where clothes are concerned.  Apparently clothes should look store bought, not home-made.   Oh Snap!…I think we have been duped big time on this one and didn’t see it coming!

I have recently realized just how much of a victim I am in this evil marketing plot and how deeply I fell into it.  I will spend countless hours meticulously making a garment so that it doesn’t look homemade.  I have even actually been told that what I have sewn “doesn’t look home-made” and experienced a sense of relief.  I can’t believe that I missed it!  That I tossed “home-made” out the window without a second thought, to instead basque in the knowing that I sewed something that looked “store-bought!”  I am a horrible person!

(I have now stepped up onto my soap box)

Ahem…

I know there are others who have fallen into this same trap; very experienced sewers with good intentions who generously share their ideas, tips, etc. on how to sew something so that it doesn’t look home-made.  Unfortunately  I think they have been duped too and they haven’t realized it!  It’s like we are all receiving a subliminal message…the words being spoken by a mesmerizing voice that says “you should be buying your clothes – they are better than what you make”.

(ooh – starting to warm up now on this cozy little soap box)

So then… can we deduce that if something doesn’t look good enough to the eye of the beholder, then it looks  “home-made“? Awwh…see what I am saying.

And think about this… “distressed jeans”.  I absolutely hate ripped up and holy jeans and will not apologize for saying it!  They were probably beautiful jeans before they were violated with distress!  Would you say they look home-made or would you say they look ruined?  Definitely ruined of course!

(Okay…now we are getting somewhere.  I am on my tippy toes right now, standing tall on my soap box and going for the finish line!)

After a brief examination of this poor defenseless adjective, I think “home-made”  is being used out of context and so is not guilty of its charges.  If  something looks like crap or doesn’t meet one’s expectations, it has nothing to do with “home-made”.  It has to do with skill level, but the skill will grow if  the creative mind is not ruined by unkind words.   “Home-made” is a wonderful way of doing anything and we need to remind ourselves of this.  And remember that before there were factories, there were people like you and I  who learned to sew because… it was a very important and useful thing to be able to do.

There is nothing more gratifying and rewarding than lovingly cutting out pattern pieces from beautiful fabric and transposing them into something that we can wear.  It gives one a wonderful sense of accomplishment.   As to the quality…well we know that it has nothing to do with  “home-made“.   The quality is only the level of ability of the sewer who can only get better and better.  🙂

So my friends…lets take back what is rightfully ours!  Sew to your heart’s content, and realize that you are a clothing designer, an artist, a dress-maker, a tailor, a seamstress, a sewer who is creating what was once created in the home, performing an art that has always belonged to us, the at-home sewers who are fabulous people who create and design “home-made “ clothes.  Salut!

Coco Chanel – Thank you for the little black dress!

Posted on Jan 28, 2013 | 1 comment

I have a fascination with Mademoiselle Coco Chanel that seems to keep growing. I can’t claim I developed this interest all by myself though… it was partially kindled by my son, Jared, who dubbed me “Coco” a few years back because of my on-going sewing projects. I didn’t even know he knew who she was! I proudly accepted my nickname but realized that I needed to know something about this woman so I began doing my homework.

Coco was born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel in Saumar France on August 19, 1883 to an unmarried laundry woman in a workhouse in the Loire Valley.  Considering that this went against the grain of society in that era, Coco tried to disguise her past.  She changed her year of birth, changed the story of her youth as well as various other things which has made it difficult for those that want to tell her story to get it straight.

As the story goes, her mother died when she was 6, leaving her father with five children, some of which he farmed out to relatives.  He sent Coco to the orphanage of the Catholic monastery of Aubazine and it was there that she learned to sew.   At 18 she left the orphanage and at this point is where it truly begins…  Her journey that one day takes her to the top of a fashion empire.  Interestingly, she did not immediately start with the designing of clothes; it was hats that caught her fancy.

I am no Coco nor would I dare compare myself to such an amazing woman, but for some reason I feel an understanding or a connection to her.  Maybe it is her passion that I identify with…I don’t know, but whatever the reason, I have found myself wanting to know everything I can so I have spent a lot of time surfing the web for anything Coco Chanel.  I have ordered several books from Amazon and have recently watched several movies about her.  Three autobiography movies have been done, each telling basically the same story though there are some subtle differences between them.

The most recent…

Coco Avant (before) Chanel was filmed in France in 2009

Audrey Tautou did a beautiful job at playing the part of Coco in her early life as Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel.  You learn how she got her nickname and watch her journey towards becoming the fashion icon of today.  I enjoyed the film immensely, though it would have been even better if there were sub-titles since it is all in French.   I streamed it and for some reason (who knows!) I was not given an option for sub-titles so I had to follow the story with my eyes, leaving my ears to trail behind, hanging onto a few French words here and there that I knew.  Yes, I watched a 111 minute movie all in French with no sub-titles!  Either you will think I am very dedicated or crazy, but that’s okay.  It’s all for Coco!

The second movie I watched was…

Stop for a moment and Take a breath

Posted on Jan 20, 2013 | 0 comments

This is a fairy figurine that I purchased several years ago because it reminded me of my baby girl who is just about all grown up!  But this fairy also reminds me of other things too which is why she sits on my night stand next to my bed.  She is there to remind me to slow down, to remember to take care of myself and to reflect on the things that truly matter to me…So for this moment my readers, I need to set aside sewing, stop and take a breath and share some thoughts with you.

I have spent the last 4 months birthing this blog.  Yes birthing, because while I have been so excited to do this project, it has been a bit laboring.  I am my geek squad that developed this site as well as the writer/author and the sewing artist who is suppose to be sewing so I have something to blog about!  I am certain things will smooth out soon, but be patient with me as I work through the bugs.

As for why I decided to create this site – well…I think it was several things.  For one, I’ve really been inspired by other fellow bloggers.  There are some wonderful sites on the internet, beautifully done and that provide a wealth of sewing information.

Then…the other reason – a good friend of mine, Gina, feels that I should teach sewing classes.  I adore her confidence in my abilities but wish that I could feel as sure.  It occurred to me after mulling her suggestion around a bit that maybe a blog site would be a good starting place to entertain this notion.  Only time will tell and because I love adventures, I will press on and see where I end up!

I look forward to the months and seasons to come and maybe at some point in the future we will find a way to come together in Paris as sewing artists, to share our creative thoughts and abilities of sewing over a wonderful glass of wine!  Okay…break is over and time to get back to work!  “Tata for Now!”