All things EARTH...

[Sailor_Sally]

Anita , That hat is sooooo cute !

 

Margaret , I love the short leopard jacket & I rarely like leopard .

 

Laurie , Feel better soon !

[MJC]

Fab hat, Anita! Your whole outfit is working it. I really like your new(ish) glasses, too.

[laurspag]

I forgot to comment on that leopard print jacket. I love that. I really do like be animal prints, but I'm not sure they do anything for me. That doesn't stop me from trying!

 

Margaret, how do you like that brand of nail polish? My manicure never last. Melody, I know you have said you love it. I'm looking for something that can last a whole cruise...even a short cruise. I liked a few of those colors.

 

I'm wondering what color I should do my nails for my February cruise.

 

Anita, your hat came out great. It looks wonderful with the scarf. I love it when accessories pull a whole outfit together.

 

I can't say I've ever worn hats much, but I've always wanted to. At this time of the year, flat silky hair ends up a static mess. Maybe I can find something to try though.

 

I think that brown has trouble competing with other colors when it comes to certain styles. Maybe because we don't think of brown as a formal color. I can see that outfit in a wine color or a midnight blue. A deep forest green, or you can go the opposite direction such as winter white. There are non black options to that for sure.

[awhfy]

Laurie I really like Vinylux nail polish. I can get at least 2 weeks from it (that's doing Aqua classes 3 times a week. The gold would be great for your cruise. Remember you need to use their top coat too. Melody

[MJC]

Laurie, I'm not a good one to ask about nail polish. I can't get anything to last more than 4 days. My nails are soft, and I think when they bend they crack the polish, and before you know it the corners chip off. On a cruise I can get them to last a week because I'm not typing and doing housework. Otherwise I do not live a polish-friendly life. That said, my two favorites so far are the Vinylux that Melody recommends, and the Sally Hansen gel polish.

 

Here are some things I like from Chadwicks recent catalog:

 

https://www.chadwicks.com/product/printed-floral-sheath-dress.do?from=Search&cx=0

 

I think this indigo color looks like periwinkle:

 

https://www.chadwicks.com/product/ruched-solid-swimsuit.do?from=Search&cx=0

 

If I were a FIRE I'd want this lime floral dress:

 

https://www.chadwicks.com/product/pretty-in-paisley-twill-sheath-dress.do?from=Search&cx=0

[MJC]

Coldwater Creek has a lot of periwinkle for spring:

 

http://www.coldwatercreek.com/search?q=periwinkle

[Anita Latte]

I thought that red Ralph Lauren dress reminded me of something! Check out this Vogue Pattern by Rebecca Taylor:

 

http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v1424-products-48997.php?page_id=854

 

I thought it was beautiful before...totally caught my eye. The Ralph Lauren dress is very different. The neckline is similar but the RL dress seems to literally be in two layers and there is a cut out on the side of the body on the top layer... I just love the neckline treatment so I like the pattern just as well.

 

Thanks for all the compliments on my hat!

 

Did anyone else notice these awesome culottes on the Vivienne Files several days ago?

 

https://www.net-a-porter.com/us/en/product/562195?cm_mmc=LinkshareUS-_-J84DHJLQkR4-_-Custom-_-LinkBuilder&siteID=J84DHJLQkR4-8d0IC9lMDL338l3kcYRMug

 

I think they are pretty fabulous!!

 

It is for this kind of thing that I want to hone my sewing skills. Because that is way out of budget for one...and also, too lovely a fabric for the everyday use that I would want them for. I want a pair in a more laundry friendly fabric.

 

Fortunately, I have a some animal print fabric that I think will work for these culottes. I found a Butterick Pattern that is similar in the body of the culottes but with a very different waistband. So I'll be marrying patterns together and doing some improvising to get this to be what I want it to be.

 

I might have to make a muslin first. Fabric which I also happen to have!

 

Anyway...I'm in like with these culottes. Love the functionality of pants but truly having the look of a skirt.

 

The Butterick Patterns will be on sale after Feb 4, so I can't start my project until then.

[awhfy]

Anita, I always liked Butterick patterns. Your hat is mega cute. I've been crocheting hats lately, one of the girls in my Aqua Zumba class is having a baby in a couple of weeks & it's a girl, so I'm having fun making hats. DGD asked me to help her crochet a hat & scarf for herself & her American Girl doll. She's making the scarves & I'm making matching hats. Melody

[Anita Latte]

The portability of crocheting (or knitting too) is very appealing. My Grandmas taught me all the different arts...so I do know how to do basic crocheting and knitting too. I know it wouldn't take anything to pick it up again...I had a friend that was trying to teach herself how to knit and she was showing me...and I was watching her and it just looked so awkward...I didn't know how to instruct her but I could take her needles and get my hands on it and get into the rhythm of the stitches.

 

I think about taking up one or the other again, just to be able to have something portable, since sewing is so NOT portable. There is a group of ladies that have a knitting circle at our local Mom and Pop Coffee Shop. There is a meeting room there and there is a whole group that gets together and works on their projects over coffee. I think that is the coolest thing.

 

Social handwork.

 

Quilting can be social. But many people machine quilt now, so even that isn't as much of an option.

 

Looking through my supplies, I still have several different sized crochet hooks and one set of circle knitting needles.

 

I'm not starting anything new until I finish working with whatever materials I currently have on hand though.

 

I'd love to see your work. Some people call them crafts, but in our family, it has always been considered more of an art than a craft, and definitely is considered a bit of work. :)

[laurspag]

I have crocheted for years, but I stopped a few years back due to carpal tunnel syndrome. I mostly made hats, scarves and mittens for distribution through a church. I made some things for my girls when they were little too. I loved making baby afghans and sweaters. And booties.. loved those!

 

I always wanted to learn to knit, but never did.

 

The downside for me when it comes to things I can do sitting down is my dogs. Hey, if my lap is available, it must be for them, right? My dog Harvey will take one of his little paws and push things off, even.

 

I would love to get back into these things when I have more time.

 

I think I purchased all the main brands of patterns over the years - Simplicity, Butterick, McCalls...but I remember that Vogue patterns didn't go on sale much so I didn't buy them as often. Wasn't there another brand that came out later?

 

 

 

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[Anita Latte]

Hey Everyone,

 

Wanted to share my latest sewing creation. I made this for Mom; she and I have similar needs for packing jewelry. That is, we need something that would work well for earrings, rings, bracelets, and chain necklaces. We don't have many, if any, statement necklaces like Laurie.

 

I found this:

 

 

on this blog:

 

http://yoshimitheflyingsquirrel.blogspot.com/2010/02/accessory-carrying-sachet.html

 

And then I found these instructions for a similar one:

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3a1nL9oIoMSMDRkNWJkNjUtNzRhZC00MzEzLWFlYWQtNTViNTlmMDRmMmU0/view?hl=en_GB&pref=2&pli=1

 

And I was able to come up with a design that was just slightly bigger and had more "pockets".

 

 

 

The roll folds up to slightly bigger than 4 by 3 inches. The elastic bands are used to wrap up the wallet and keep it shut.

 

[awhfy]

Anita, that's awesome! I have 4 statement necklaces that have made the cut for our next cruise. I have a folder with 2 snap holders in it that they can lay flat in & not get tangled. This case you made would be great for everything else!

[Sailor_Sally]

Anita , I love that jewelry holder . I especially love the material you used .

[laurspag]

What a fun idea! You really have me wanting to sew again, or crochet. One of the other reasons I stopped, in addition to time constraints, was that I was unhappy with the fabric and pattern options for clothing. Plus my girls were getting older. I'm now thinking about the other things that I could be making. You must be having a lot of fun with this.

 

Maybe you will come across ideas for statement necklaces that you could share.

 

Right now, I've been using a combination of things for the larger necklaces, but I really want something different. I have drawstring pouches and some different sizes of jewelry gift boxes.

 

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk

[Anita Latte]

So I want to share this one thing that I've learned while diving into this whole sewing world.

 

Most clothing is manufactured to fit a B-cup bra size.

 

If you are NOT a B-cup, then you will likely find fit issues with tops and dresses. Styles and sizes can be tweaked to accommodate your particular size relative to a B-cup...but most clothing will require alteration to fit as intended.

 

I finally have an explanation for why every shirt in my wardrobe is a knit fabric.

[laurspag]

It's funny that you mention that, Anita. My daughters and I were talking one day about outfits. Steph showed me an outfit on Pinterest that she thought would work for me. I tried to recreate that look, and I had the worst time. I cannot wear a button down shirt. I try hard to, but they end up big all over in order to accommodate the girls, and they still do that funny gap thing at the bustline.

 

You are right, there are a lot of limitations. I wouldn't say I wear all knits, mostly because that doesn't work well with my work wardrobe. But it explains why I always wear something over a shirt - because it's ill fitting. I have sleeveless shells, as they are referred to, and there is that gap in the armpit...

 

I have often thought that with the right pattern and fabric, I could create something perfect. I may give it a try, if I'm out near the fabric store. The last time I was there, it seemed to be loaded up with quilting things, not fabric I would make clothing out of. But I haven't really looked around in quite some time.

 

I spent some time this morning looking at my outfits again. I think I have everything settled, jewelry included. sometimes, I'm surprised how much stuff there is to pack. I am always wondering how people pack so light. But you know, I've cut back since the first cruise, where I ran out of clean clothes. I think part of it is understanding better about the climate and what to bring to begin with. But I have a daytime outfit for each day, and a dress for dinner each night. Two bathing suits with coverups, pajamas (3 pair - they get re-worn), underclothes...then I like to have a cooler weather outfit, just in case. Mostly, it's the ivory flood length jeans that I brought on the last cruise. There are two tops, so I can wear one with those if I need to, and one other in case something gets dirty mid day. All the tops and bottom can be mixed. There is a lightweight knit cardigan and a workout outfit.

 

I always pay close attention to the weather in all the ports. If Tampa is cool, for example, I will adjust the outfit accordingly.

 

I got to thinking a lot about my jewelry too. I have two newer jewelry rolls I got through AAA. They had a special one month and I grabbed them. They aren't all that great for statement necklaces. And then I realized that I can safely put my jewelry into these, I just can't roll them back up. You know what, they are much easier to just keep flat, and put in between clothes or whatever. I had to use both of them. :o:o

 

But one thing I realize when going through all these things and talking to my husband is that it is who I am...we all have different ways of doing things. I could bring less jewelry, and still have the same amount of luggage to bring. I'm happier with my jewelry, it's part of my personality. I had such a great time this morning pairing my sister's necklaces with my outfits. Having something that belonged to Sharon with me on a cruise, or wearing to work or wherever...that feels really good.

 

I did move sandals around a lot and try to see what I could do to narrow down the shoes. I'm thinking I should wear my sneakers - they're a slip on by Skechers - on the plane because it isn't sandal weather around here! They slip on, so it's good for airport security. And although they aren't the best sneakers for the gym, they are perfectly suitable for one workout mid-week.

 

I did decide against those sandals for my boarding outfit...they are plenty comfortable, but I was only going to wear them once, and I was trying to narrow down the amount I was bringing.

 

Then I was looking at the sandals for the aqua dress. Boy, I love the ones I had paired with that. The truth is, those have always been uncomfortable and they never seem to last on my feet long. So I tried an experiment, and put them on while sorting through my clothes and everything. I started to get a blister on my big toe. They cut in funny there.

 

So, they didn't make the cut. I'm wearing the same sandals with both the formal night dress and that dress now. That really is a good thing, but I wanted to wear those in the worst way...

 

I need to take a deep breath, and just donate them. I've been able to wear them on two occasions, and both times, I had blisters. If I see new sandals, I don't get them because I have those and say I don't need them. It's time to let go. So, the trusty old Anne Klein gold sandals are going and will be worn with both of those dresses. I will look for a replacement for the others, so that I have the ability to wear something different with my formal or cocktail dresses. (I have these coppery looking sandals - love them. But they didn't go with my outfits this time)

 

For the other three dinner outfits, I'm bringing one pair of sandals that goes with all of them.

 

And then I have two pair of daytime sandals to wear for all 5 days of the cruise plus the day in tampa.

 

I ordered my husband a pair of shorts and three button down casual shirts today. He has two pairs of shorts that fit. That's it. And while he has a handful of long sleeved dress shirts for work and casual, I found two short sleeved shirts that fit. He has another that is a bit big, but not awful. He will likely wear his Syracuse polo shirt(s) since he loves to do that on a cruise. So he will be okay.

 

I had his sports jacket taken in, and it's still too big. But I watched to see how she was pinning it to figure out what she was going to do, and I think I'm going to tackle it myself. Cross your fingers! It's just that if I had to pay her again, it wouldn't be worth it. Well, I should rephrase that. I know how much these can cost new, but particular jacket I got for a song and dance about 4 years ago. It's a Ralph Lauren I paid $50.00 for.

[Anita Latte]

Laurie, patterns are also drafted with a B-cup in mind. If you pursue the idea, you have to make an adjustment to the pattern to accommodate your shape. I have to read more about it still, but you make what has been written as an FBA (full bust adjustment) to the front panels of whatever pattern you are using.

 

What I still have to learn, is how to properly pick your pattern size if you are bigger than a B-cup, because I would think that you wouldn't necessarily pick the measurement that matches the bust...maybe somewhere else on the body and then adjust the pattern. Otherwise, that measurement would include a bigger back and everything...arm holes would be too big, etc.

 

I'll share more when I learn more if you are interested.

 

I've decided that I would benefit from wearing more structured tops, so I'm going to be learning how to do this in earnest, especially since learning how ready made will be such a struggle. It helps to understand this because trying on clothing and finding clothing that is flattering can be hard enough...I greatly appreciate learning this so that I don't have one more thing to get frustrated about regarding my current shape. KWIM?

 

All your packing sounds like you are already in a vacation state of mind!

[laurspag]

I remember my mom making adjustments to patterns, but that was a long time ago. She used to tell me that you can take the darts in, and take the side seams in on the pattern itself. So I am guessing she was buying a bigger sized pattern.

 

I am in packing mode, lol. Mostly, it's because I started early in order to see what I had that fit, and what did not. Also, my summer clothes are in storage under the bed, so I made room in the closet on a shelf area in order to keep things out.

 

I'm a little goofy in this sense, but I iron all my shorts and tops as well as dresses and my husband's clothing. I do this because I find I can fold things much nicer, and they stay neater. I was thinking about how people roll clothing, or how you reorganized things and how they fit into your dresser...I think that I should try this, but before I even pack. In other words, roll or fold the clothing special, and see what happens if I pile them in the corner of the loveseat. A test run, if you will.

 

Did you know there is a store that runs special sizes according to your cup size? It's called Pepperberry. I've lurked there a number of times, but it is a little pricey so I've never purchased from them. I might try it sometime, and see how it is.

[awhfy]

I have one button down shirt! It's a tuxedo shirt that has knit fabric (about 3" worth) from the armhole to the hem; absolutely perfect fit, never gaps & you don't notice the ribbed knit even without a jacket or sweater. I bought it at Burlington Coat Factory about 5 years ago. I've never seen it again...if I do I'll buy it.

 

My aunt was a dressmaker - she always added 1-2" on the front side of her patterns & her clothing items always fit without gaps. I wish I had her talent (she made skating & dance competition costumes as well as regular clothing). Melody

[Anita Latte]

Melody! That's a brilliant idea with the knit fabric under the arm! I think that would be extremely helpful for fitting a button down shirt!

 

Laurie, taking a pattern in with darts does mean that she was altering a bigger pattern down. Adding inches to the pattern, like Melody mentioned, is what I have been reading about so that the finished garment still looks just like the original design.

 

I think I've figured out somewhat logically how to pick a pattern size to alter. If I take my rib cage measurement (under bust) and then just pretend that I am a B-cup, use that number to pick out the right size. Then I would do the adjustment to the front panel of that pattern size.

 

I think patterns are still based on the old fashioned bra size calculator, so take your rib cage measurement and add 6 inches to figure out which size pattern to use based on the bust measurement. Then you have to add however many inches to the pattern for the delta between your own cup size and a B-cup.

 

I think that idea with the knit fabric under the arm will help me with another pattern I was hoping to do! I don't think I have enough fabric to really do the pattern and I was trying to figure out how to make it all work. I think that I can mix a knit in with it and then have enough fabric. Oooo. Very exciting!

[laurspag]

Anita, I would imagine that with putting the knit insert on the shirt, you could also create a wonderful color block effect. I know most people will say black, but seeing that you are creating this and have a choice of color, it would be great to find a ribbed knit in a darker earth tone.

 

I can envision a brick red shirt, with a deep chocolate brown knit insert, and then wearing it with brown jeans or pants...if you can find something that is a good match, you can also try the effect that Melody's shirt has, which is tonal so that it really isn't noticeable.

 

One thing I have done is, when I get a button down shirt that is almost right in fit, I sometimes just sew down the front placket from a certain point down. This will work with stretchy fabrics. It doesn't happen often though. I usually end up with something too big near the waist area.

 

I often think about some of our regulars here that we haven't heard from in a while. Hopefully, everyone is doing well!

 

I think I may have mentioned it before, but my husband and I are looking at taking a cruise to Alaska in July or August of 2017. I think this is a once in a lifetime thing. Even though there will be over a year between the cruise this June and the Alaska cruise, I'm not sure yet if it will work. We are putting new siding on our home this year, and have other things we are taking care of. Time will tell!

 

If we hold off on Alaska due to the cost (cruise fare isn't horrible, but air fare and excursion are - we'd be sailing from the west coast again) I'm thinking of looking for something different. It will be to celebrate our anniversary. The Pacific coastal cruise for my 50th anniversary was wonderful. For my husband's 50th birthday, we took a trip to the Grand Canyon. It's nice to do once in a lifetime things to commemorate a special occasion.

 

Do any of your watch Aerial America? I forget what channel it's on, but they do a narrated view from above of each state. It's a neat way to get an idea of what places you wan to visit. Also, the music is very beautiful. I don't hear the best, but one day my husband had the show on and we were working on putting away our Christmas things, and it was playing in the background. Very soothing and beautiful.

[MJC]

Laurie, when is your cruise? Didn't February arrive quickly? I am happy I can now say that I cruise next month!

 

I have had a clutzy month. Last week I tripped over the area rug and stubbed my middle toe on the DR table, and it's broken. :( Yesterday, when I put my bag in the overhead compartment, I pulled something in my elbow and now I have to go to the doctor (it's very painful). Just when I finally thought my pulled hamstring was on the mend I gave myself new things to deal with. Fortunately, it's my right arm -- I'm a lefty.

 

Help me choose. Here is my new green dress with some jewelry choices:

 

Green enamel on brown cord:

 

 

Brown glass-like beads:

 

 

Multi-strand seed beads in shades of green and brown:

 

 

 

I have a shawl that will go nicely with this dress too, but I don't think I'll take it on the cruise. It's a bit bulky:

 

Edited February 2, 2016 by MJC

[MJC]

I have no idea why that last photo won't rotate. :confused: I'm too tired to figure it out at this point.

[awhfy]

Margaret sorry about the owies! I like the long beads & 3d picture best. Love the shawl!

 

I was going to start putting outfits together for Hawaii today, but spent the day shoveling [emoji30][emoji300]️. Just looked outside & it looks as though we never shoveled [emoji30][emoji30][emoji300]️[emoji300]️. About 25" & still snowing like mad. Melody

[Sailor_Sally]

Margaret , Hope you heal soon . As for the picture I like the multi strand necklace with the dress .I also like the other choices just not as much .