can't touch this!

You know who's fault it is that McCall's is bringing these pants back, don't you?


I mean, I wouldn't exactly call MC Hammer a fashion icon. So I'm blaming McDreamy, that's who.

(gratuitous McDreamy photo)

If he hadn't gotten all famous on that tv show, his first hit movie, Can't Buy Me Love wouldn't be rerunning itself into the ground on cable.


And if you were a child of the 80s like me, you worshipped Cindy Mancini. She had more wardrobe changes than a Cher performance. And I wanted them all. MC Hammer pants included.

It didn't matter that it looked like you were wearing a soggy diaper and had really limited range of motion.


Cindy Mancini was the fashion icon of 1987 (at least in my school.) And what Cindy wore, we wore. God bless us.

Good thing there's that whole "if you wore the trend once you can't wear it again" rule huh. Or I might be tempted to try this one again.

(gotcha! bwahahaha!!!)

fashionability

Is that a word?

I got an email from Old Navy a couple of days ago, that they had several new spring styles in their plus line. While I have trouble wearing a plus size in a top as rule, my booty definitely classifies. Just look at what I found when I clicked the handy link provided!


Now, all you other bootylicious girls out there know how difficult it is to find cute, trendy clothes, am I right? Not to mention, it's even more rare to see said cute, trendy, larger size clothes on an actual bootylicious model. It gets more and more difficult to judge what's going to look good and what won't, because I seriously have no perspective left.

I guess that's what a media saturation of superthin women has done to me.

That might have made Old Navy's incredibley cute spring line so appealing! Many styles feature a real, live woman with real, live curves wearing them! She's even built rather like moi, which helps me tremendously in visualizing what might be a look I want to try. Like this cute shirt-waisty dress:


Or this cute sundress:


This green knit sundress is awfully cute too.


And I love this print sundress too (I think it's the same as the pink above, but looks completely different in a print!)

I haven't really been into the "maxi dress" thing because I figured I wasn't thin enough to pull it off. But this is seriously cute. The website even has a few with a scarf/wrap and accessories that makes it even more appealing.


And this outfit is super chic. I have to admit I bought this one. Me. In white pants! (Note to self: buy Tide to Go pen.)


Another darling sundress:



And swimwear! On a body with hips!! Whoa!


I'm quite happy with Old Navy's collection. There are a ton of other cute styles I'm not showing here.

Even more fun than buying the clothes (for me anyway) is looking at the design features of the garments I really like, so I can compare to patterns I have/want. There are several styles here in this post that I wouldn't necessarily have thought would be flattering to me currently. And even though I'm not a 6 ft tall model, I'm willing to give some of these a try.

All you bootyfull girls should join me. ;)

fit

to be tied, that is. I've been working on Simplicity 3745 a little here and there. This is how far I've gotten:


You'll have to ignore my not-quite-finished Duct Tape Double. I only did the front & around my hip area, and a bit of shoulder. I did it alone one weekend, because I don't have a "tape-r". It has been a real lifesaver in fitting bodices! My back isn't terribly hard to fit, so one day I realized...I don't have to do the entire torso! I can get a lot of use out of an accurate front half!! I ran out of duct tape before I got the neck & the shoulders finished.

So back to the dress... the skirt is also stitched together & pleated & ready to attach to the bodice/band section. I'm sort of stalled because the V front gave me fits (horrid, horrid directions and a terribly messy method of doing the neck band.) You can see at the left top in the picture below that the V is just a little "wonky".


I used the presserfoot with the little blad to do my topstitching. It was perfect every where except right there at the bottom left of the CF!!! @!#$%! Right this second, I'm not interested in picking it out and redoing the topstitching. I can technically attach the skirt & redo that part later, so that's the current plan. If I can find the will to, that is.

I had another good mail day!! I got my Nancy Zieman book & DVD, so I can't wait to get started on that (Fitting with Confidence).

Speaking of fit...Now don't laugh, but I also got these Dance Off dvd's. I'm trying to incorporate some more exercise into my week, and I bore easily. Lu has already done the hiphop one, she was so excited, she grabbed that sucker and was off. I was cleaning the kitchen so only got to watch bits and pieces but it looks like fun!!


I also ordered one of these:
And this Pilates video:
I'm hoping with 10 minute segments, even I can find time to fit this in! I haven't gotten to play much on the ball tonight either, the kids have both commandeered it. I think it's safe to say it won't hurt them!

oscar

Oscar night arrivals...a running commentary.

I am totally in love with Taraji P Henson's hair! (the dress is gorgeous too.)


Philip Seymour Hoffman showed up to the Oscars in a black knit beanie. WTH?


I think Kate Winslet's dress is my favorite.


Or maybe Ann Hathaway's.


Amy Adams looks fabulous! That simple red silhouette topped with a heavy green & gold & various other stone necklace really speaks to me. I would totally do something like that. You know, in my next life when I get to walk the red carpet.


Twilight hottie alert!


Diane Lane never ages.


hehe at Tim Gunn gushing at Angie & Brad.

I'm rooting for Ann Hathaway & Robert Downey Jr, although Heath Ledger is a shoe-in for supporting actor.


Hugh Jackman is like super hot.


And we're off! See ya on the flip side!

My Girl

Lu & I had a girl's day out today. Here we are exhausted and recuperating in our jammies, bad lighting and all.


We went to Victoria's Secret (she wouldn't let me shop for cute undies for her. "Moo-oom!") No, we were after my favorite scent...Pink.

**Note that a sales lady at a different VS told me a few months ago I was too old to wear it. WTH? I didn't realize fragrances had an age limit. Now, had I been shopping for Bonne Bell lipsmackers in Root Beer, I might have understood. But hell's bells. If it smells good on me (it absolutely does) and it doesn't give me a headache, then who is some middle-aged saleslady to tell me what scent to wear?? **

(Oh, and I bought the big bottle.)

Then we were off to Claire's (a preteen's dream shop! )for earrings.(mine were only slightly more subtle than these.) Lu got tinkly gold bangles.

Next, Barnes & Noble (can't wait to thumb through this!)
We lunched on tacos. Of course.

Then it was Best Buy for Lu


Me


and the G-man.


Last, Cato for some ballerina flats in black.
Not a bad day at all.

SWAP

I am sadly addicted to the internet. I've been out of DSL service since Tuesday! God Bless my DSL repair dude!!

Tuesday was a wonderful mail day at my house!! I got the BEST package from Gaylen. She had graciously offered to send an Amy Butler Sun Surf Halter pattern my way when she was finished with it. Of course who am I to refuse free patterns??

When I opened the mailbox the package rattled a bit, so I knew I had a surprise inside! Woot! Look at the goodies Gaylen stuck in with my new pattern:


My package included little cuts of quilting cottons, some conversation hearts for my sweet tooth, some glittery heart confetti (fun!) and this adorable stitched card that Gaylen made! Not to menion, the Sun Surf halter pattern! Here are the prints:


And here's the pattern. I can't wait to trace this off for Lu & me! Thank you Gaylen!!


I also participated in the My Vintage Heart SWAP this year and received my swap package Monday! It was FULL of yummy red, pink and heart-y goodness! Here's a peek of what was included by my wonderful SWAP partner, Leslie at Junkgirl Studio:


There's so much in my package! And it was all obviously chosen special for me, because it's PERFECT! There were little sewing & seamstress touches here and there including an adorable vintage skirt pattern:


There was also this handmade heart journal, papered in gorgeous scrap papers, vintage wallpaper and pattern sheets:


AND...it would be hard to choose a favorite, but I especially am in love with this heart-shaped vintage candy box (decorated by leslie) and filled with buttons, ribbons and other notions:


Thank you SO much Leslie! You were the best SWAP partner ever! For more pictures, I made a Flickr Album here.

It's Friday peeps!

ball

That was her first word, you know.

Last game of the season!

I actually started a project today! You know, seeing as it was my last day of freedom until Spring Break (for all intents and purposes) and I was all exhausted from the major house cleaning I did this morning. THEN the mojo hits. Of course.

I started Simplicity 3745, the contrast band version with sleeves:


I'm using these two prints, the ovals I've had in stash for quite a while (ask Shannon, we bought them the same weekend. In different states. This happens alot as we SHARE A BRAIN!) Shannon has a different colorway (mint?) The blue print I've had in stash quite a while too (Shannon has the pink version. I wasn't kidding about the brain thing.) The ovals are the main dress, the blue print will be the contrast bands & hem.


I also tried something new...the pivot & slide for method of altering my bodice piece. I cut out the tissue in size 18. I want to wear this over a turtleneck while it's cool, and I also want to omit the zipper. I would normally start with a 16 in the bodice. After I tissue fit, I discovered the size 18 fit everywhere except I needed about 1/2 inch length over the bust, and I needed about 3/4 inch in width across the front.

I added the length first, adding it at the bottom of the bodice piece as per Nancy Zieman's pivot & slide directions. I don't have Fitting Finesse (Nancy Z's book) which details this technique, so I went to her website to watch her videos. I used the pivot/slide to add 1" at the side seam. That was a bit extra, but there's gathering under the bust, so I have some play room if it's too wide. Here's what my altered tissue looked like (the blue lines were the original tracing, the black line is the added length)


Here's a closer shot so you can see the different lines (the pink is the final trace after the pivot).


I really liked this method because it preserves the original tissue. No slashing/spreading/taping. I often look at my altered patterns & know without a doubt that there's no going back on those alterations. ( if I lost weight--in my dreamland with Keanu--for example.) In fact, I've avoided altering a couple of patterns because I don't want to lose the original design.

Oh, and yes, of course I do know I could just trace. But I'm lazy.

In other words, I have several patterns I love but have never made up because I don't want to potentially "ruin" them in alterations. So I think I might enjoy the pivot/slide method. We'll know more in a bit if this works as an alteration technique for me, but the tissue fit went really well!

And yes, of course I do know that I have to trace to use this method. It's tracing with a purpose. That's WAY different. Honest.

If you're interested in the pivot/slide, here's the link to Nancy's online shows: Sewing With Nancy. I watched the Knit series, which featured a basic tutorial on the pivot/slide.

Since I am interested in learning more about this fitting technique, I ordered Nancy's new book & DVD set, Pattern Fitting with Confidence.


I can't wait for it to get here! I need me some good sewing related reading/watching material. (And WHEN is Project Runway ever going to return??)

I'll be honest, I had never caught onto the Nancy Zieman wagon. Her tv show often features anything but fashion sewing, which is my main sewing goal. Nancy just wasn't one I had ever been interested in enough to try her books. I kind of thought she was more of a crafty, quilter type person, not a fitting expert.

And, let's face it. There are FFRP people, and there are Sandra Betzina Fast Fit people, and there Palmer/Pletsch people, obscure pricey out of print manual people, etc etc. Sometimes they all fail to mesh on the various sewing boards. There are lots of people who will argue their method is the best method because X Y or Z until your head spins round like Linda Blair! In the end though, if it works for you, isn't that what matters?

I'm excited to get the book here so I can read it, and try her pants fitting method. That's the real holy grail, am I right?

And with that...my mini break is over. There's still an hour or so before I have to rally the troops to bath/teethbrushing/bed...so if I hurry, I might get a couple of seams sewn.