There is a common complaint here in Calgary around this time of year…”it’s too cold outside, it gets dark too early and it is just really depressing”.  Clearly these people aren’t sewers!!!  I must argue – what better conditions for a productive sewing month!!  February in Calgary is typically pretty cold and although we get tons of sunshine, it’s still too chilly to venture outside much (unless you are skiing or snowboarding).  So, continuing on with my New Year’s Resolution to sew more, I am currently pulling together my February “Must Sew” list.  Topping my favorites list are the following things:

For our upcoming cruise and Caribbean vacation, this dress for my lovely 14 year old daughter for the cruise formal night

Spring is coming (albeit slowly) so I am anxious to make a couple of ‘springy’ things such as a knock-off of this skirt I found on the Nordstrom site

A spring jacket with ¾ length sleeves such as this New Look one

Perhaps a coordinating dress for my new jacket (above) from this New Look Pattern (I like the purple/fushia one)

And a pair of baby doll pajamas from a vintage pattern I bought from ebay.  Okay so maybe I’m a little old for babydoll pj’s but who cares!  My kids think they are “neat” and my husband thinks they are cute and no one else needs to know (except my PR friends!)…right?

So while everyone is cuddling up under their warm duvet’s watching movies and sipping hot tea, I will be thinking of you as I work away in my sewing room, getting ready for spring!!

Deb

January 2008

Welcome to 2008!  A new year and a new start for so many!!  What are your resolutions this year?  Besides the standard “I’m going to eat better, exercise more and be a nicer person”, my resolution for 2008 is to dedicate the year to my passion – sewing!  This will be the year that I finally overcome my fitting woes and push myself to go beyond my level of sewing and fashion comfort.  I love so much of what I see on the runway and in magazines but I’m always convinced that I’m too old, too short or too pudgy to “get away with those things”.  Well no more.  This year I’m going to experiment with some of my vintage (and not so vintage) favorites, colors and fabric designs!!  Hope you all check back to see how I’m doing in that regard. 

Okay, so this week I found Toya’s website Inspirational Wednesday and I spent so much time going back and listening to her pod casts.  I was positively thrilled to see some of my sewing ‘favorites’ like Erica B; Christina Sonja and Cidell.  I found it really inspiring to listen to these women and hear that they are no different from me in that no one can get away without making pattern alterations, everyone feels like there is still something to learn or improve at and no one is working out of a huge sewing studio with thousands of dollars in equipment.  If you have even the slightest interest in sewing and fashion, I highly recommend you take in this audio snack! 

Now, because of a comment that Toya made on one of her pod casts, I had to check out Donna Karen’s 2008 Spring line and OMG I’m loving Donna Karen’s collection!

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Rarely do designers have a collection that any woman in any city can wear at any office or party, but Donna Karen hit it this time around!  Her entire collection is so stunning.  Her pick of neutral tones mixed with full skirts and fitted tops are just a dream!  I also love her wide waist belts but being a woman who is very short in the torso, I’ll never be able to pull that off….hang on, what about that resolution!  There may be a Donna Karen knock off in my near future – stay tuned!