For Whom Do I Dress?

The last 3 weeks have been interesting to say the least. When the call came for businesses to close, and everyone to stay at home, it seemed a little surreal. A friend of mine even commented that it felt like the movie, "On The Beach." But once reality began to take hold, I like everyone, felt a little out of sorts. Daily routines have been interrupted, there's no where to go except the grocery store, pharmacy, maybe a hardware store, and even those should be visited the least amount possible. Last week I had to pick up a prescription. As I was getting ready, it suddenly occurred to me that I was actually excited about going to the pharmacy. I got dressed, put on my makeup...even earrings!!! Here something that has always been considered an errand was now an outing! As I thought a little more about it, I asked myself, "for whom do I dress?" Is it just for others, for myself, or a combination of the two? I think for most of us it's the latter. We like to look nice, but we also want to present ourselves to the world in the best possible manner. 

As the day wore on, I noticed that I felt so much better about myself. It really didn't matter that the only person that would see me, other than those that I encountered on my quick trip to the pharmacy, would be my husband. Dressing was important for me. So, I decided that this would not be a one day event. I would get up, shower, dress, and put my makeup on just as if I had somewhere to go, and document it :)

Here are the last 3 days;

On Sunday I dressed as if I would be going to church. It made the entire day special. I'm wearing the Sumekko dress from Pattern Union. I added flanges to the armholes, and made an infinity scarf from my leftover fabric to give the dress a cowl collar look. Underneath I am wearing the Londa's Terrific "T" from Londa's Creative Threads.  

Monday's choice was the free Monroe Turtleneck pattern from Tessuti Fabrics, and the Barb Pant from Style Arc patterns. This is the first top I have made using the Monroe Turtleneck pattern. I really like the pattern. The Barb pants, I've made quite a few. They are quick to make, and easy to pull on. You can find a link to get the Barb Pant pattern for free HERE.     

Today I decided to wear one of my favorite outfits, the Molly Tee from Pattern Union, and my cargo pants that I blogged about HERE. 

Here's a better picture of the outfit. I just love how the outfit came together :) I always feel great when I put this on! 

So, what have you been doing? Are you getting dressed, or staying in your pajamas? 

I will be posting my pictures on Instagram and using #Idressforme It would be great if you would join me!

Rhonda  

A Few Fashion Show Pics

I'm so excited!!! We're supposed to have our first truly warm day here in Chicago, 77 degrees. Rain is in the forecast...again :/ Oh well, the blooming trees, tulips, and daffodils have all been spectacular.

I met a friend for lunch yesterday. She took a few pictures of some of my pieces that I had in the annual Haute Couture Club of Chicago fashion show. Our professional pictures have not yet come back, so until then, I thought I would share my friend's pictures just to give you an idea of the day. More will come :)

This is the Style Arc Grace Trans-Seasonal Jacket that I shared with you HERE. I wore the jacket with my Closet Case Patterns Ginger Jeans. The bag is my Poppins Bag. I also made a coordinating umbrella. 

I made an umbrella last year, and loved how it turned out. You can see that post HERE. Now that I have a new bag, I thought a matching umbrella would be nice too. 

I lined the umbrella with a remnant that picked up all the colors in the bag.

I made this jacket some time ago. It is the Sewaholic Robson Coat. The coat was made for the Sews News sew along. You can see all of those posts HERE. I had not finished putting in the buttonholes, and the jacket had languished in the closet for all this time. So, I decided to get it out, finish it, and put it in the show. I have since worn it 3 times!!!  

This dress was made last December. It's the Pattern Union Sumekko Dress. I blogged about it HERE. Absolutely love this pattern. It only has 1 seam!!! The pattern comes with 3 different stencils that you can then use to paint on your fabric. I have that on my list for this summer.

Once the professional pictures have been made available, I'll share my complete collection of garments that I had in the show. If by chance you would like to attend the show, it's always the 1st Sunday of  May, so mark your calendars for next year!

Having a closet of wonderful me made outfits is just the best! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Rhonda

New Pattern Release With So Many Options

 As I was getting the pictures together to share the new Sumekko dress pattern from Pattern Union, it occurred to me that this would be a fabulous group project. Sewing can be such an isolating craft. I know that when I have the opportunity to get together with a group of friends and have a creativity day, it's just the best!

I had the opportunity to test out the Sumekko dress pattern, and I loved it. In case you missed it, you can see it HERE.

What's unique about this pattern is the stenciling option. There are 4 stencils that you can choose from, all included in the stencil pattern.

The first 3 options are shown on Sarah. 

I love the thistle version pictured below on Sue from Fadanista. 

Sarah has made the pattern available with options. If you would like the Sumekko dress without the option of the stencils, you can find it HERE. The pattern offers the option of darts or no darts.

If you have a pattern that you love and would just like the stencil pattern, you can find that HERE. 

If you would like the Sumekko dress pattern as well as the stencils, you can find that HERE. 

Sarah just released a new pattern, and what a great pattern for those of us who need a last minute gift! It's the Sobi Belt. A fun little belt that is reversible...and quite forgiving. So if you don't have the waist measurement of your gift recipient, no problem!!!

As soon as I get mine made, I will post it. I can't wait to makeup a few. It's also a wonderful way to use up some scraps that are just too lovely to throw out. 

The dress and belt are available as PDF patterns. I so LOVE PDF patterns. No driving to the store, no waiting for a package to arrive, just print and go! I call it instant gratification :) Now, if only the sewing part could be as fast!

Hope you have fun with the pattern!
  Rhonda

A New Gown for a Gala/A New Pattern From Pattern Union

The highlight of the holiday season, for me, is the American Opera Society of Chicago's Holiday Gala. It's held at The Fortnightly, and it is simply an enchanting evening. Pictured below is Whitney Morrison, an incredibly lovely, and talented woman. So...you know what that means :), I needed a new dress. Yeah right...I "needed" a new dress ;)   

About a month ago, I shared with you 2 free patterns from Pattern Union, the Maisie Dress, and the Phoebe Jumpsuit. That prompted me to begin following Sarah on Instagram. She posted a request for pattern testers for a new pattern, and I thought, "oh, why not?" She promptly sent me a note with all the particulars, and the time frame worked for me, so I agreed to test the pattern.

The pattern is the Sumekko Dress. I was surprised to see that it only has 1 seam. How great is that?!! It has the option of no darts, 2 darts, or a more fitted version with 4 darts, so you can easily customize the fit.  

Another special aspect of the dress is that it comes with 4 fabulous stencils. I haven't had a chance to try them out yet, but I can't wait to get my hands dirty :) My only difficulty is choosing which one to try first. 

Since I "needed" a new dress for the gala, and I also needed to get my test pattern made up, I decided to combine the 2.

I loved how the dress has a slight racer back.

The pattern is intended for a jersey knit. I used a knit, but a much heavier knit. I wanted something with sparkle, and this piece has lots of sparkle, and I already had it in my "collection." To give it just a bit more pizzazz, I added the beaded motifs to the neckline, and then added the rhinestones as well. I had both, so nothing was purchased. But, I really wished that I had some larger rhinestones to mix in with the smaller. This is something I am planning to add.   

If I had worn flat shoes, the hem length would have been fine, but I wanted to wear heels, so I added the lace to the bottom of the dress. I loved how it just seemed to finish it off.   

The pattern has not been released yet, but Sarah is planning to release it later this week. You can find Pattern Union HERE. 

The pattern has so many possibilities. You can make it a casual garment, or dress it up for a gala event. Then, there's the opportunity to really make it special with the 4 stencils. You could cut it off and make a tank as well as a knee length dress. So, a pattern that is well worth adding to your collection.

Have a wonderful day!
Hope you have time to do something fun. I'm on my way to see the dentist :/ 
 Rhonda