Lace for Everyday - Add A Motif - New York Sewing Inspiration

A lace motif would be fun to add to a plain woven or knit top or dress. Front, back or both? I never saw the front of this dress, so I don't actually know! This piece coordinates with the white tee worn underneath.

I found quite a lot of this type of pieces by searching on ...Victorian Trim Bodice Applique Motif Sew On

Lace for Everyday - Flared Skirt Enhanced - New York Sewing Inspiration

I saw several appealing everyday style, lace enhanced garments on a recent trip to see my daughter in New York. I have a number of projects on my sewing table, and I just don't want to forgot this outfit I saw on the streets of Manhattan (next spring perhaps?)  A simple dark flared skirt with a lace overlay, paired with the kind of sleeveless tee that I often wear. This would be a great project for testing lace sewing skills.

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Web Resources: 15 basic skirt styles http://www.ebay.com/gds/15-Essential-Skirt-Styles-You-Should-Have-in-Your-Wardrobe-/10000000177628604/g.html

Lace For Everyday - Simple Top Enhanced - New York Sewing Inspiration

So many great things I'm inspired to sew - thought I have plenty on my sewing plate right now.... Here's another simple everyday garment that could well inspire my future sewing - spotted on the subway on my recent trip to New York. A simple sleeveless top - fitted or unfitted. This young woman's top is cut higher than her waistline, but I think I'd cut it right at the waistline, with a beautiful scallop-edged lace band. This very simple style would look good over any basic shorts, skirt, or pants. Note the armscye is also trimmed with a thin lace trim.

Black Cloche Straw - My New Everyday Downton Abbey Hat

Inspiration for my new black straw cloche
came from several of  the Downton Abbey hats I've pinned on my
Hats and Other Millinery board

This is one of three hats I made in a fantastic 3-day hat blocking workshop in Wayne Wichern's Burlingame studio. earlier in the month. I've got a tiny bit more sewing to finish off the trim on one other, and will be posting about that, and the other I made, soon in this blog (when I score some cute photos - which is always such a challenge!)

When I pin different hats on my " Hats and Other Millinery" board on Pinterest, I often notice people saying that they wished they had reasons to wear hats, or that hats looked right with the clothes they actually wear as modern folks. I like making hats that actually do fit in with my life style. This black straw cloche has already gone on a number of walks with me and I loved wearing it. Yup, I still put on my SPF 50 sunscreen too!

This cloche, and one of the other hats I made at Wayne's, are definitely inspired by ones I saw on Downton Abbey. I brought photos from my pinterest board into class with me and Wayne helped me pick out hat blocks from his collection of nearly 1,000 vintage hat forms, to find similarly styled blocks. For my third hat I chose a combination of two blocks to create a classic fedora. All three hats are absolutely practical for my modern day life, and will be heading out on many walks with me, just like the ones that Sybil, Mary and Edith wore daily at Downton Abbey.

This is the second class I've taken with Wayne. I blogged about the first one which I took at Cañada College last year, in my post, Matters Millinery. Am I planning more visits with Wayne? Oh yes! He has open labs for folks who've taken these three day labs, and I already have hopes of making a 30's inspired visor in a colorful wool.

Wayne Wichern''s studio is in Burlingame is in the San Francisco Bay Area - on the Penninsula near the San Francisco Airport. Classes like Wayne's aren't a typical activity in most areas. If I lived outside the area, I'd consider setting aside funds to take a mini vacation for one of these workshops. He usually teaches them once a month. You can email him to discuss integrating one of his classes into your schedule. And let me know if you're coming!

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Web Resources

Matters Millinery http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/09/matters-millinery-making-my-own-hats.html

My "Hats and Other Millinery" board on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/hats-and-other-millinary/

Wayne's Workshop Schedule - Burlingame CA (San Mateo County, San Francisco Bay Area) http://www.waynewichernmillinery.com