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.

Ench By Sew-34:Sewing with the Flow - Fairy Inspired

This month’s show is Fairy Inspired… Fairy Gardens that is– where my sewing (like my gardening)  knows,  It’s the Story that makes it.

Listening Option 1: Download from iTunes
Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes

Listening Option 2: Direct Download/Listen on the Web
 LISTEN RIGHT ON THE WEB (while sewing perhaps?)   by Clicking on this Link 
(http://traffic.libsyn.com/enchantedbysewing/CastFINALJuly2015SewFlowFairiesFairyGarden.mp3)

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Enchanted by Sewing IS, An  EXTENSION OF my regular sewing blog - Me Encanta Coser, which,  roughly translated means, Enchanted By Sewing 

My blog is written in English. The name celebrates the historical and modern use of the beautiful Spanish Language in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, where I live

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 I was feeling pretty serious about my sewing when I got back into town last month. I was thinking that any day I’d get on with some serious pattern drafting work.

Well, I haven’t! As a matter of fact whenever I thought about doing intense pattern work – either drafting or pattern alteration – I just found something else to do. And, as this has been an unusually busy summer for me, both professionally and personally, it was easy to put sewing off.

Finally I just quit worry about what I’d planned to do, and responded to materials and projects that were singing out to me from the bins over my machine. And I was, once more, reminded of Lori Van Monnans’s advice to ‘sew forth now’.

Sometimes you just gotta sew. By just responding to what I had on hand, I was working on getting in some summer garment essentials. They were essential because there items I really use at this time of year, and also essential to my happiness. It doesn’ t always matter whether I’m carrying through on garments I blue sky about. What matters is that I respond to my essential need to sew because, sewing enchants me.

In this month’s show

1) Recent summer essential sewing – Journaling about what’s useful additions I’ve sewn for my summer armoire.

Lucy Locket's Mobile Pocket Bag - http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2015/06/lucky-lockets-mobile-device-pocket-bag.html

A new Tapestry Cap - http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2015/06/replacing-my-tapestry-cap.html

Enchanted by Sewing(Aug 2014) Capping Off Summer - Creating a simple pattern for, and sewing a cap http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/08/ench-by-sew-023-capping-off-summer.html

-Singing the Blues Tee - Pattern drafted from my moulage http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2015/07/sewing-summer-essentials-singing-blues.html

- Rose Embellished Straight Skirt - Pattern drafted from my sloper http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2015/06/terminado-rose-embellished-straight.html

2) Technicos: Techniques I used to complete My Rose Embellished Denim Straight Skirt – Sloper to Pattern, and embellishment techniques

Enchanted By Sewing Show (May 2015) Parlez Vous French Pattern Drafting ?http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2015/05/ench-by-sew-32-parlez-vous-french.html

3) Fairy Gardens Inspire My Sewing
Whether gardening or sewing – it’s the story that makes the creation

Postcard from California - How to Invite Fairies to Live in your Garden - A Fairy Garden Tutorial http://postcardfromcalifornia.blogspot.com/2015/07/how-to-invite-fairies-to-live-in-your.html


Postcard from California - There are Fairies at the Bottom of My Garden - CA patio garden that is
http://www.postcardfromcalifornia.blogspot.com/2015/07/how-to-introduce-fairy-to-california.html

Both these Disney Garden books inspire my theme gardening style. I like the tabbed-cookbook style of DISNEY'S GARDENING WITH MICKEY when I want to quickly review the steps for creating a hanging basket or well illustrated how-tos for small topiaries. (There's lots of good info for larger topiaries and garden sculpting as well - I just haven't tried it out) In addition, there is good gardening (yard or pots) basic techniques as well as many recommendations for plants that work well for specific themes and temperatures. I highly recommend it, because I have used it a lot over a period of several years.

I also turn regularly to my Secrets of Disney's Glorious Gardens book. It has a lot of similar techniques and information as DISNEY'S GARDENING WITH MICKEY and it also has lovely, lovely photos that inspire me. So when I want to sit down and just get ideas for themes or gardening styles, I pour through the photos in this book.
                

Wegman's Nursery in Redwood City has regular Fairy Garden Classes! http://www.wegmansnursery.com

Fairy magic is definitely adding a little more enchantment to my life, when it comes to gardening.

And ….It’s also given me a better understanding of how to keep my sewing enchanting.

Gypsy Skirt is Also NOT the Assignment - More Historic Draping

Instead of thinking - work with the circle-
I was thinking...
"A gypsy's life is gay and free not cares have we!*"

Remember my other two in-class draping projects that focused on draping a full fabric circle? 

The jacket one was the right way - The Gallant** way. (OK, I journaled about that project first, but it was actually my last creation. The one where I finally figured out what was being asked for). The first two were my Regency Romance bodice novel cover inspiration and this gal. 

Both were Goofus style, and oh so fun! 

The jacket was fun too, but controlled fun.

Yes, this skirt  was another one that my teacher indicated was not at all what she was looking for!

The problem? I just loved it. I loved it as much as the Regency Romance novel cover bodice.

Once more, I incorporate a little twisted rose at the side. I love those. 

Clumps, my teacher said. "You really like those clumps. Work with the circle. Let it flow."

Flow? The gypsy needs her skirt out of the way.

She studied the tiers I'd pinned so carefully into asymmetric lines. "Don't fight the circle."

I'm not fighting it. I'm giving it character! No self respecting gypsy wants her skirt to just fall from her hips. She wants style. 

Yup, I finally figured it out and got on with my jacket. It helped a lot when I remembered how inspired I'd been,  sitting and listening to Sandy Ericson talk about Madeline Vionnet's work as a fabric technician. (See  "Vionnet and Ericson Inspired my Circular Work (Draping)"  

And along the way.... I had an awfully good time!

Not taking my sewing designs too seriously is the kind of thing that keeps me..

Enchanted by Sewing!

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Inspired by the work of Madeline Vionnet, Sandy Ericson creates beautiful fashions 

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/10/to-drape-or-not-to-drape-no-question.html

* Do you know the "Gypsy's Life" song?

It's a jolly little tune I learned as a kid

“A gypsy’s life is gay and free, no cares have we.

 No taxes need a gypsy pay, no wealth has he. 

What care we for castles high, o’er our heads is the bright blue sky. 

Never a hurry and never a worry, a life that’s free.” 

** Remember Gallant in  Highlights magazine ? That's right the magazine you read in the dentists office as a kid. He's the little boy who always pays attention and does things 

right the first time. Goofus was the sluff off kid who didn't do things right and always suffered the consequences.

Hint - We are supposed to want to be Gallant. But sometimes he is just a bit much.

Vintage Threads: I want Bobbie Joe's Sleeve

Bobbie Joe was my favorite sister at the Shady Rest
And that girl knew how to dress too!

 You can still find the show "Petticoat Junction" on the golden oldies t.v. channels. Bea's three beautiful daughters - Betty Joe, Billie Joe and Bobbie Joe were shown at the beginning of the show, modestly peeping over the top of the local water tower where they had clearly been bathing, divested of their big fluffy petticoats, which hung over the side of the big water-holding container.

The gals, who lived a nice quiet life with their mother and uncle at their home and hotel"The Shady Rest",  represented the last of their kind. Back in the 'midst of the wild sixties, they still wore bouffant skirts and held out for marriage while young women in the rest of the country was going to H-E-Double HockeySticks in a hand basket, as a number of our elderly neighbors and relations were only too glad to explain to us. 

Well it's not really hard to know the rules when you live in a town called "Hooterville".

OK, I still like the sisters. They aren't over-done or saccharine sweet. And, watching the old shows again, I find they've held up pretty well over the decades. Bobbie Joe was always my favorite of the three. She also went to college, at a time when that was still in question for a lot of young American women.

Their clothing style has held up well too. This is just one example I've caught. I've seen similar bubble edged sleeves over the past couple of years in modern times, but I'm not sure if I've seen this kind of join on the side. It certainly inspires me when I'm planning to sew a sleeve in a  future blouse or jacket.

Shake out your petticoat and I'll meet you at the water tower for a quick swim, OK sister?