Oh Yes, I Was There...

I spent the last few days in New York City doing business. I felt well enough after my last chemo (still doing the Snoopy dance) that I planned the trip. BTW, if you are thinking of going to New York, hotel rates are still pretty reasonable right now. But I sensed an uptick in the numbers of folks visiting. So hopefully we're emerging from the recession just a bit, and if so, the hotel rates are going to start to climb.

Back to the story at hand. Last week, my darlings, Tom and Lorenzo called me and asked if I could make it to a Project Runway finale party at the fabulous Laura Bennett's house? I could have been still tethered to the IV and I would have found a way to get my sorry carcass down there. The good news is that I felt pretty good after the last round, so I was able to go. I'll make just a couple of comments and then get to the good stuff. First - Seth Anthony is an absolute sweetie. He is genuinely nice. Last night, he was a little antsy. In 20/20 hindsight, of course, it's because he knew he had won (yay!!!) but couldn't say anything. He also had his entire family with him. There were about 60 or 70 people at the party, and Laura was an incredibly gracious host. There were a ton of Project Runway alumni/ae there. Emmett was my date, since DH wasn't able to make it. It was a great time, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate the one-week anniversary of the end of my chemotherapy!

Enough yammering - here are pictures:

 Our gracious hostess and one of her boys

Tom and Lorenzo with Seth Aaron

 Emmett and Laura

Tom and Dave (one of my fellow Bitter Kittens)

Althea and Emmett - aka "Muir Woods"

Althea, Emmett and the fabulous Malan

Kevin Christiana

Althea and Anthony (he is so funny!)

Laura introducing the show

SA with his family as they announce his win

Talking with TLo after the win. 

Me and Kevin

The last time I saw Kevin was at a fundraiser for the Faulkner Hospital Breast Care Center - shortly before my own diagnosis. How ironic, eh? Kevin is such a sweetheart. Next time he comes to Boston we're going to get together. Or next time I get to New York. Love that man.

A great time was had by all. You can read the complete story over at Tom and Lorenzo's Blog

Back to the sewing room this weekend. Have a great one!

Cancer, Chemo and What I Wore Part 2

 Fabulosity abounds, even during tough times...

Today was my second treatment. The leadup to it was nowhere near as excruciating as the first one. I knew what to expect. I still slept pretty poorly last night and I'm paying the price, but it'll be okay.

But before I tell you about that, let me tell you about the wig buying experience I had this week! My hair started falling out two weeks to the day after my first treatment. That's pretty much the norm. It wasn't so bad the first day, it got a little more the second day, and by Saturday, the night of DH's gig at Foxwoods, it was really bad. I had to be very careful styling it to make sure I didn't pull it out. I had told DH that I would be happy to shave it off after Saturday, but I wanted to still have it that night. It lasted, no problem.

By Monday, I felt like Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree

Thank you, Charles Shulz!

Everywhere I went, I left a trail. You wouldn't lose me in a forest. By Tuesday I had had enough. The hospital recommended someone who works closely with them. I scoped out wig styles online with Phyllis' help and picked out a few styles to show her. My friend Lisa, who is a hair stylist, came with me for support and advice. When the lady came out, I watched her size me up, in a couple of different ways, and I got a bad impression. She had me sit down in the chair. My hair was wrapped in a scarf, so she said, "Let's see what we've got to work with." I took off the scarf, dropping needles, er, hair all over as I did. She did a quick look.

"Okay, you've got your hair still so we'll match the color to it."

"No - I want to change it up. This is too dark. I want lighter. I was even thinking strawberry blonde."

"Oh no. You're not going strawberry blonde."

I looked at Lisa; Lisa looked at me and the communication was obvious. This was going to be trouble. The wig lady pulled out a wig and put it on me.

"This is perfect for you. The color, the cut, everything."

Now, I was not about to just say yes to the first wig I saw. I wanted to try on every style and every color and see what suited me. I'll just say, she wasn't really wild about that. And I had Lisa take pictures with my phone so we could send them to Emmett for his BFAM approval. Here are the rejects first:

Ann tries out for Bravo's new show "Real Housewives of Lexington, MA"

Wig lady was all, "That looks great on you."
I was all, "No, it just isn't fabulous enough."
Lisa was laughing

This was the next one she put on me:

Clearly the look on my face is "You have GOT to be kidding." Emmett called me immediately and said, "Ann, you look like you just got f*cked in a hayloft. NO."
I couldn't get it off fast enough.

I tried on wig after wig after wig. Nothing suited. Wig lady was getting agitated and I was getting snarkier by the moment at her. Not a good combination. Finally she pulled out the first wig I tried on:

Much better, and close to my pre-cancerous hair.

Then she pulled out this one, which I think could be totally fun!

Wigs.com has it in stock, so I think I'll order it from them. Keep DH guessing who he's coming home to, you know?

Okay, so back to What I Wore
As I mentioned, today was round 2 of 4. I'm halfway done, babies!!!! Once again it wasn't bad, but this one really wore me out. I was exhausted when I got home.

Barbara, my hairstylist, trimmed and styled my wig so it's much much better. I wore full-on makeup, which, as a silver lining, is much easier to apply when you are bald. Do a perfect job, pop on the wig, style with your fingers and you are ready to go! I wore my Orange Vogue Dress. Note that the bracelet length sleeves are the perfect length for IV sticks. I put a lot of thought into that, babies! And check this out. I bought myself an absolutely fabulous pair of Giuseppe Zanotti shoes from Rue La La.

Fierce times call for Fierce Shoes. And these are surprisingly comfortable. There's lots of room in the toe box, and the heels, while 3 1/2 inches, are mitigated by a hidden 1/2 inch platform. Love. Them! Here's a picture of the whole schmeer, taken by DH when he came to join me for lunch.

Yep, I sit at chemo and enter orders and fabrics. How mundane, eh? But at least I looked good! All the nurses and staff were coming in to see what I was wearing and they all wanted to steal my shoes. My oncologist wants me to make her my dress, but in black. Even the patients were saying nice things about the way I was dressed! If you have to go through something sucky like this, at least do it with style.

Parting Shot: One Last Pic of the Ladies

The ladies sent Larry a picture of all of them together in the Green Room before the show. I think they all look fab!

Emmett was in Town Last Night!

Actually, he's been here since Wednesday. He's doing work with Gretta Luxe in Copley Place. If you're in Boston today, he'll be there from 1-7 doing a trunk show. Go say hi!

Last night, he was a judge for an event to benefit the Faulkner-Sagoff Center, one of the premier breast care centers in the Boston area. They did a gala benefit, the highlight of which was a Project Runway-style show by students at the School of Fashion Design in Boston. Kevin Christiana, another Project Runway alum (season 4) was also a judge. It was a lot of fun, and it raised a lot of money for the center. But enough of me talking, let's see pictures!

Emmett, me and Kevin. Emmett is really tall and makes cropping photos an adventure.

But, it can be done!
I'm wearing one of Emmett's dresses, of course.

Courtney, Emmett's able bodied (and really sweet) assistant.

Me and my BFAM

Check out the centerpieces!

I got to take one like this home. Kewl!

The runway show was a lot of fun. 5 seniors from the School of Fashion Design presented mini collections which were critiqued by a panel of four judges. All five contestants were incredibly talented, but the gal who won did a really superb job and was, as the judges described her, visionary. Here she is with her finale piece.
Here are a couple of other pieces from the collections:


There were also pieces displayed around the reception area. This was one that Courtney and I particularly liked.
The evening was a resounding success. It raised lots of money for a good cause. Emmett, Courtney and Kevin were fabulous and fun. All in all, a very successful evening!

Pattern Review - Simplicity 3503

I was so inspired by Erica B's and Cindy's recent Maxi-dress renditions of this pattern, and I always loved the version that Cidell did last year. I wanted to make one for myself, but I wasn't sure about the longevity of the Maxi dress trend. So I called my BFAM, Emmett. The conversation went something like this.

"Emmett, what do you think? Can I get away with a maxi dress this year? Or will I be hopelessly two seasons ago?"

"No Ann, you're fine for this summer. They are still very in. Go for it. Now how are my fabrics [for Sewing Hope] selling?"

So cool! I got the go-ahead and I had the pattern and fabric ready to go. And away we went!

Pattern Description: Dresses in two lengths with neckline and sleeve variations. I made View A, the long, cap sleeved version.

Sizing: 6-22. This runs big. Go down at least one size from your norm. I made a 14 but cut it down to a 12, and I could still take it in at the waist.

Fabric Used: The fabric I used is the same as the classic (and long gone) Bold Boho Chic from last year, but in a different colorway.
For the lining, I used White Tricot Knit from Gorgeous Fabrics.

Needle/Notions Used: Size 75/11 Stretch needle, fusible tricot interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply, thread.

Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes, but I made some changes to the structure (see below)

How were the instructions? I didn't use them. I have heard they leave out a few steps, so I'll try to check them later and let you know.

Construction Notes: I basted, then serged all the major seams. Also, I stabilized the shoulder seams with fusible tricot.
I was very concerned with the placement of the patterns. It was brought to mind for me recently in a picture of a paisley silk gown where the paisley motifs sit right over the wearer's boobs. Not a good look. Gigi is always inspiring with her motif placement, so I kept chanting, "What would Gigi do?" and tried to be very thoughtful about where the motifs hit on the body.

Any changes? Yeah, a few. I liked the neckline, but Simplicity's original design had the bodice front and back criss-cross at the centers. The original design was lower cut than I wanted for a hang around on the deck dress, so I changed the bodice to have the pieces meet with a CF and CB seam . I raised the neckline so I don't show quite as much decolletage. Here you can see the change to the bodice front:
I then made my usual FBA.

Simplicity has incorporated a weird construction technique in this pattern. They (and the rest of the Big 4 are doing this these days too) have you line the front, but not the back. They then have you turn and stitch the hems on the back neckline and back half of the armhole before attaching the front to the back. IMO, that's a pretty boneheaded way to do it. It's just as easy (easier, actually) to cut lining pieces from the back bodice and line the whole thing. That's what I did.
I understitched the neckline and the sleeves, leaving the side seams and the bodice bottoms open so I could turn the top. I treated those seams like they were underlining and simply serged them. I've seen a lot of RTW constructed this way. Here's the lining at the neckline:
And here it is at the sleeves
It's actually not completely finished. I have to run it through the coverstitch to hem it, but I'll do that this afternoon.

Here it is from the front
And here's the back:

Likes/Dislikes: Love this style. I think it's flattering on a whole lot of body types. Do keep in mind that it runs really big, so go down at least one size.

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? Yes and yes. I will probably make this in the shorter version for summer. Maybe in a rayon jersey for kicking around.

Conclusion: Great style. I'm pretty pleased with how my print layouts turned out - as always, there are a few things I would change, but nothing drastic. I'll get a picture of me in it, but probably not for a week or so. I'm planning to wear it to a dance comp that DS the younger is participating in. That is a really exciting story that I will tell later!

Happy sewing!

None

That's how much sewing I have done since last week. This weekend was jammed with activity. I spent Thursday and Friday in New York meeting with vendors. I got to spend some serious time with Emmett and with Chloe. I also got to spend Friday afternoon with the wonderful Barbara of Cat Fur Studio. I had such a great time with her! Being the evil enabler that I am, I dragged her to Lace Star. And we found a fantastic wig shop on 37th that we both fell in love with! I came home on Friday night and turned around and drove to Connecticut on Saturday for my godson's first communion. Then on Sunday I sang at the confirmation at my church. I ran from that to my neighbor's surprise 50th birthday party. Today I am exhausted.

But the good news is that I got some really cool fabrics for Gorgeous Fabrics that I'll be putting up today and tomorrow. I'm still waiting for my Marfy patterns :( I'm hoping those will arrive this week. I'd like to get working on them to use as some examples for my Saturday Series classes.

Speaking of which, for anyone in the Boston area who may be interested, the Saturday Series starts this weekend. It's a four week series of 2 hour classes that go from 10 to noon on Saturdays. There are still openings. If you're interested, drop me a note at Ann "at" Gorgeousfabrics "dot" com and I'll send you the sign up information.

Hopefully I'll get to do some sewing this week.
Happy Monday!

Emmet Event Alert!

Emmett is hosting an event this Thursday, folks! If you are in the New York area, stop by. He's hosting a networking party with members of BNI Manhattan Chapter 55. It looks like it will be fun, have fabulous fashion, and be a great networking opportunity. So if you are in the area, stop by from 6-9 on Thursday!

I Have to Show You This Fabric

I have to show this one off. This is one of Emmett's fabrics for Sewing Hope. I LOVE this so much. It's a georgette that is embroidered with self-fabric ribbons all over. It is so fabulous! Really I'm showing it off for purely selfish reasons. I want someone to buy it so I don't! C'mon - it's for a great cause and all the proceeds from the sale of these fabrics benefit Sewing Hope. It's sold as one piece. It's 60 inches wide and I listed it as 2 1/2 yards, but it is really 2 1/2 yards full, with about another half yard that has a chunk taken out of it.

Thanks Allyn!
Happy sewing!

Weekend Recap and an Expo Lament

I hope you all had a great weekend! I didn't get any sewing done, because I spent Saturday working as an Ambassador at the Sewing and Craft Expo in Worcester, MA. Then Sunday we decided to take the kids to Newport RI and spend the day.

I have to tell you, I was really saddened by the state of the Sewing and Craft Expo. Considering that sewing seems to be undergoing a resurgence, it was so disappointing to see what is going on at the Expo. Mind you, I only had a day there, so perhaps there were things that I missed, but I don't think so. There were far fewer vendors there this year than in years past. And there was a lot of non-sewing stuff (massagers, basement finishing). On the plus side, I did get to meet Jennifer Stern of J. Stern Designs. She is delightful, and she gave me a gift of her latest patterns. I'll be reviewing them (with all appropriate disclaimers) soon, I hope.

I was the ambassador, which translates roughly into "ticket taker and classroom assistant" for three classes. One class was taught by Peggy Sagers. I love Peggy. She's no-nonsense, opinionated and outspoken. Hmmmm - who does she remind me of? Her class was about debunking common sewing myths. While I didn't agree with everything she said, I certainly agreed with most of it.

The other two classes were more craft oriented. Anyone who knows me knows that I tend to cast a gimlet eye at "craft" and many of the purveyors thereof. So it was an interesting lesson in self-restraint to sit through these classes. One was about machine embroidery. I know many of you love it, but I find machine embroidery to be a complete waste of thread. Sorry. That's how I feel. The other class was about easy embellishment techniques. Okay - "easy" and "embellishment techniques" do not belong in the same sentence in my universe. If you are going to embellish something, it should be spectacular. Needle felting, fabric paints and cutesy appliqué? Sorry, not my bag. Don't get offended. I'm just saying it isn't for me. I feel the same way about free jazz, NASCAR and body piercings. I'd never tell someone else not to partake, but I school my facial expressions to keep them very bland, and make my grocery list in my head the entire time.

What I did enjoy about these classes was the unbridled enthusiasm of both the instructors. They brought the same sense of joy to their seminars that I try to bring to my garment sewing classes. And that's what you're paying for, right? The expertise and enthusiasm of the teacher. That was what kept me from running screaming from the room when they pulled out the refashioned, embroidered sweatshirts. Those have no place in ANY universe. Ever.

Sunday was fun. We packed the kids up early and headed to Newport, RI to spend the day. If you haven't been to Newport and get the chance, I really recommend it. At the turn of the last century, it was the summer playground for the robber barons and New York society. My sons had never been there. We wanted to go to see the Doris Duke exhibit, Shop Like an Heiress at Rough Point, her Newport estate. Unfortunately, the estate was closed for a private event, so we went to Rosecliff instead. Rosecliff is most famous for being used as a setting for the 1974 Robert Redford film, "The Great Gatsby". It was simply stunning. I had been there as a kid, but not in recent years. We picked a lovely day to visit. After taking the tour of the mansion, we went walking along the Cliff Walk, then headed into town for lunch and puttering about. Newport is built on a beautiful sheltered harbor, and the weather was warm enough that we didn't need our jackets. On the way home, we stopped for dinner at Phyllis' house. Most excellent salmon, Phyllis!

All in all, it was a lovely weekend. I'm waiting for my Marfys, so I am going to start working on the new Jalie Faux Wrap Top. It's all cut out. I'll review it once I have it finished.

Parting Shot: The boys and me at Rosecliff. I think it's time to change my hair color. Stay tuned for that one...

Oh and see the handbag? It's an Emmett McCarthy.

Happy sewing!

Where Has the Time Gone? Update and a Tip for Stretch Fabrics

Man, it's been busy, and the Holy Week Marathon is just starting! Yesterday I sang the second reading at the Palm Sunday service, then I had to boot out of there to catch a train. I'm a baaaaad Catholic. But it was for a good cause. Sewing Hope's event was last night. I'll post pictures and do a post about it later, but I wanted to show one picture.
Me and my Brother by Another Mother. It was a great time, and it raised a lot for Sewing Hope. Like I say, stay tuned and I'll post all about it.

Now for a great tip, courtesy of Emmett. How many people have noticed that when you sew a garment from stretch fabric, that after wearing it for a few hours, it "grows"? C'mon, raise your hands. Mine's up in the air. Yep, it's that pesky "Damn this Lycra" love/hate thing.

It's a well-known problem and there's an easy cure. Let your fabric breathe on the cutting table for at least 8 hours and preferably 24 before laying out your pattern and cutting. Do that and, ta daa! Your jeans' "growth" will be stunted. I mentioned this to my old cut/sew guy, and he agreed. "We get asked to let stretch fabrics lay on the table overnight before we start cutting. It keeps them from stretching out too much with body heat."

Talk about an Aha moment! So try it next time you work with a stretch fabric. Lay it out (preferably in a single layer) for 24 hours before cutting. You'll find it makes a world of difference in the wearing. I'm looking forward to not having to cinch a belt around my stretch denims halfway through the day.

Happy sewing!

Sewing Hope - a Great Organization!

Photo credit: Sewing Hope

I had the pleasure to talk with Tara Hawks, Director of Sewing Hope. This is a great charity that empowers women in Africa to learn skills that help then earn a living for themselves and their families. Let me just state up front that I have no personal affiliation with Sewing Hope, but I was blown away by the work they are doing. So after speaking with Tara, I asked her if I could interview her for my blog. And here you go!

First up, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? You have a pretty interesting professional background.
I came to New York about 8 years ago. I studied costuming in school in North Carolina. I started out here making ballet and Broadway costumes, then I worked in men’s tailoring at the costume shop at the Metropolitan Opera. I also worked as a freelancer between seasons. I did some film work, including costuming on American Gangster and John Adams, as well as some things that never got released.

For the last two years, I’ve been working on the TV show Gossip Girl, doing tailoring and alterations for the show. That’s been fun and it’s really enabled me to do work on Sewing Hope.

Tell us a little about Sewing Hope?
Fount of Mercy works to care for orphans and vulnerable children by partnering with African orphanages. Many of the women who are a part of Fount's vocational training program, Sewing Hope, have children who must live in these orphanages because they can't afford to care for them on their own. By teaching these women to sew, we are building families and communities. They, and we, work with organizations in the local villages to provide vocational training. The needs of these people and programs are really pretty basic. A little money goes a very long way.

Fount of Mercy and Sewing Hope work with the grassroots organizations in Africa to support what they are already doing. We work with three organizations that have year-round training programs for the women. They teach sewing classes one or two times per week all year. We support them by providing continuing education and certification for the teachers, by providing machines and supplies. It’s worth noting that we buy all the supplies and machines locally, to try to support businesses in Africa. We don’t import anything ourselves.

How did you become involved in Sewing Hope?
I had dinner with the founders of Fount of Mercy, and they were telling me about their work. It really struck a chord with me. Since I’m in the garment industry, I felt it was something that I could help with. So two years ago I went to Uganda with them. I was one of nine people: there were also teachers, a nurse, a financial expert and another designer. I founded Sewing Hope as one program under Fount of Mercy's umbrella. It’s such a great experience!

Sewing Hope has an impressive list of accomplishments: training teachers, establishing curricula, paying for salaries and supplies. What are the plans for the coming year?
We are going to continue with training programs for teachers and for the women. Last year we taught a bag class, how to make fabric flowers and fashion drawing. It has really helped the women communicate their ideas, and it’s been very rewarding to do.

This year they have asked to learn basic patternmaking. They are interested in using local textiles to make western style clothing, and they want some basic patternmaking training for that. Things like skirts, tops – there’s a huge tourist trade in Uganda, and they would like to make things that they can sell to the tourists. Things that are made with local materials, but in western styles. They are also very interested in what they call “design machines”. These are treadle operated embroidery machines. I’m looking for suppliers of these types of machines right now.

In the future we’d like to teach beading, knitting, embellishment. We’ve also received requests for a classroom building with tables and space for the women to work. I also want to work with the local textile factories to supply fabric scraps or work for the women we train. I also have a goal to teach a class on reusable resources and repurposing. Fabrics are very expensive there, so I think this class would be really useful.

You’re holding an event on April 5 to raise awareness and funds. Can you tell us more about that?
Sure. Every time I go to Uganda, I bring back a suitcase filled with local textiles. I invite designers to design an outfit inspired by the fabric, Africa and these women. This year, we’re going to have professional models wearing the designs of 15 different designers. The models will be set in vignettes that highlight the cross-cultural aspects and appeal of sewing. It’s going to be really fun and very inspiring!

The event is going to take place at
China 1 Antique Restaurant and Lounge
50 Avenue B
New York City

Tickets are $75 per person. There will be an open bar from 7-9. Then at 10, there will be an after-party to benefit Sewing Hope. Tickets for that are $5, and the restaurant will be transformed into a French-Pop style dance club. It’s going to be a great time!

It is definitely going to be a great time. But it’s only one way that Sewing Hope raises awareness and funds for these great programs. For those who can’t make it to the event, how can people find out more about, or contribute to Sewing Hope?
You can find out all about Sewing Hope and make donations through our website, www.sewinghope.net. And to find out more about Fount of Mercy’s other programs, see www.fountofmercy.com.

Well Tara, this is a great organization. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me about it. Folks, if you are in the New York area on April 5th, I encourage you to come to this great event. And do check out Sewing Hope. Thanks again Tara.

Thanks Ann, and thanks for putting us on your blog and helping raise awareness.

So there you go folks. Do check this out. It's a great organization with a great focus, and it really does make a difference in people's lives.

Happy sewing!

Emmett is Showing On QVC at 6:00 Eastern Today!

Okay, my dears, Emmett is going to be on QVC today at 6:00 PM (eastern) selling his fabulous handbags! See the red one over there? He has it in cobalt blue, and it has my name all over it. I'm trying to expand outward from my usual greens/browns, so this should be quite a change. Plus, it won't match anything in my wardrobe. Ergo, it will go with everything!

He asked me to tell you to call in! He wants to talk to people who know fashion, so call in to QVC, tell him I sent you, and buy a bag!

Happy sewing and shopping!