Cooler than You: Stupid Things I Say and Do

A pencil.  A pencil skirt.  Most women love a good one.  Why? They go from night to day, have a sleek design and look, invoke images of authority, maturity (without being ancient), professional, sleek, and even sexy.  A good pencil can go so many different ways. So today you have a study . . .a study of two pencils.  I had just bought the lovely By Hand London Charlotte pattern, and my Mom came out of her sewing room with a stack of patterns (I was visiting them on that trip a few weeks back).  I certainly wasn't going to tell her no, and even though I just ordered the Charlotte I'm all for trying out a couple of patterns before declaring unadulterated love for one. Simplicity 9084 vs. Charlotte. Simplicity 9084, printed in 1994 .  Sewed by me, from a houndtooth wool blend I got when my Mom and I invaded the Mood of the South, AKA Mary Jos . Ripple insisted on being in the side view.   Yes, I have no shoes on.  I'm i...

So, my friend Tanfer and I went on our yearly lunch date.  This year we perused downtown Huntington, NY (it's about halfway between me and her parents on the eastern part of Long Island . . . me in NYC, of course).  As we perused, we saw button downs, the marker of the coming fall season (this was in July).  Then, then , we saw the price.   200 dollars.  That's US dollars for a shirt.  OMG, is an understatement.   What made them 200 bones? The second fabric used for the button band and collar stand.  Yes, an accent color is the only reason we could fathom for the outrageous price.  So, me in my standard glory began plotting.  My mind began turning, I made mental notes, and when I got home I took note of my inventory.   Yes, a button down shirt had not been done by me and my mad sewing machine skills since-- ahem --high school.  Yes.  For real.  Okay, there was my Tunic from this past winter , but that is not a b...

Button downs.  They are a classic staple.  A wardrobe go to.  Yet, they can cause nausea, disdain, and outright hatred in the form of spewing four lettered bombs deprecating anyone in earshot.  Why? The gape.  The gape of the stomach, making a tent like flutter occur.  Or . . . every woman's favorite  the boob gape.  Yea.  It's a thin line if I'd   rather show off the boobage or look like a balloon. For years I've avoided them, as I can't find one that will button around the double Ds.  Or, even worse, I find ones that button around the chest but  it is so loose up top that I end of looking like a DDDDD .  I shit you not.  Of course, you can always wear a tank underneath or a cami . . . but, seriously with a pencil skirt I often just want a clean line and look.  Well, since I am making my own clothes and not bad at it I decided to finally give the Grainline Studio Archer pattern a shot.  And, so I set out...

A few weeks ago I finished my first pair of Lakeside PJs .  This was also my first Grainline Studio pattern.  Indeed.  I should tell you now, in all fairness and honesty, that I am totally converted !  I've been lusting after the Archer for awhile now . . . and well, I have {ahem} four fabrics screaming to be Archers.  Up on que: a wearable muslin.  But, on with PJs in the meantime.  Then on Instagram someone asked what I thought of these, and I'm late posting.  Sorry Bubala_jo . Since I already told you I made them a few weeks ago, you know I am behind on blogging . . . but you should also know I kinda, accidentally forgot to prewash the fabric.  Soooooooooooo, that worked to my advantage and the PJs shrunk enough to be perfect .  I sewed the 14 and the 18, and next round I'll just make the top a 12 and the bottoms a 16.  When mine shrunk they went to a perfect fit.  I had sized up, as I was worried the patterns would be for...