The Wednesday Showcase

So many of you enjoyed the Summer Bucket list that I posted yesterday. I'm glad that you did. It's such a great reminder to write things down and make them happen, even the simplest things like going to a special place for ice cream :) Margies is a bit of a Chicago institution. The store originally opened in 1921.

A few years ago, the second location opened maybe about a mile from my house...but I have yet to go. Thanks to my little bucket list writing friend, I will be going soon :) They are known for their ice cream confections that come in a clam shell that's as big as your head!!! Smaller sizes are available! 

They also make their own candy. It's a family owned business that has been around for almost 100 years. Now that's amazing! If by chance you are ever in Chicago, by all means, head to Margies! There's a cute story on their website about people who have ventured in, The Beatles, and even Al Capone! A group of men wearing long black coats walked in one day and requested the booth where the Fab Four (the Beatles) had sat. The waitress was a little leery, turns out, they were the Rolling Stones! 

My Wednesday Showcase posts have been a bit few and far between. I know so many of you enjoy these posts, so slowly but surely, I am getting back on the proverbial horse :)

Today I would like to introduce you to a lovely, and especially elegant lady, Irene of Irene's Studio. She lives in Ontario, Canada where she primarily makes clothes for herself, sometimes things for the home. Like many of us, she prefers not to sew for others, but sometimes...that just happens! I think Irene has been following my blog from just about the beginning, so this post is a long time coming. 

Everything Irene does is amazingly beautiful, and she pays close attention to detail. Pay close attention to the picture in the top right hand corner below. The stripes, plaid, triangles are matched perfectly across the garment. Her bound buttonholes are in the lower right hand picture. They are so well done that they are difficult to see!!!

This was a cute story. Irene made the lovely linen tunic on the left, had scraps, so since it was linen, decided to make tea towels. She had the watermelon motifs on another piece of fabric, so thought it would really dress up her towels. With that, the questions began, should she hand applique, machine applique, or fuse? She almost drove herself crazy. Believe it or not,she actually hand appliqued the watermelon pieces to her towels. In the far right picture, you can see just how beautifully they are made. Just amazing!  

This is one woman who can use a scrap! Love the stripe top on the left. She then took the scraps and used them for sleeves with the black fabric, and finally used the very last bit for a cowl scarf.

Here's another example of her creativity with scraps. That top on the right is killer!!!

A simple sheath dress can be the most elegant garment in your wardrobe, and this is a perfect example. She had originally intended to wear this dress for Easter, but it was too cold, so she saved it for Pentecost Sunday. Hey, the Holy Spirit loves a pretty dress too!!! Love the side pleat, and the hand picked lapped zipper, the perfect couture detail. 

I think it's always fun to see patterns made up. Irene took Vogue 7806 and basically made the exact same jacket as is on the cover. Except...she wanted an especially warm jacket so she underlined it in wool. Check out her lovely catch stitched seams.

Finally, when there's a dog in the story, I just can't resist. 
Irene's story about this gown;

Being eaten by this guy;

Appeared in the August/September 2017/Issue 192 of Threads magazine. The picture of the gown above is after it has been saved from the jaws of her pooch :/ You can see her post on how she repaired the gown HERE. 

No long after Miss Little Bit came to live with us, I had the reconstructive surgery done on my face and jaw. She was especially attached to me from the very beginning, so I was quite worried about leaving her. Once I got back home, she was my constant companion, slept with me, sat with me, would not leave my side, except to eat. One Sunday morning, my husband fed her, I stayed in bed. He shut the door to our bedroom before he left for church. She was so anxious about not being able to get to me that she chewed the back of the rocker on my favorite rocking chair. When my husband got back home, there was a little pile of saw dust on the floor. How could I be upset?!! I had originally thought that I would just sand and stain it, but it's still there. It's become a sweet reminder of all the joy she brought into my life. As upsetting as a destroyed wedding gown must have been initially, I bet it's one of Irene's sweetest memories of her dog :)    

I hope you'll check out Irene's Studio. I think you will love getting to know her.
Rhonda

The Wednesday Showcase

Still trying to get back on track :/

Last Saturday I had the best time as I had the opportunity to spend the day teaching sleeve design. It is such a treat to look out at everyone and see a glimmer of "I got it!" I began the class with my my motto, "everything's easy, you just have to know how to to it." The best part of the day was having people come up and say, "it really is easy. I can do this!" Success!!! :)

Since I'm still trying to get my steam engine rolling, I will only do 1 showcase today, but I know you are going to love getting to know this special lady. Her name is Sally, and you can find her blog, Cashmere Sally HERE. I had the opportunity to meet Sally back in March when she came to the Haute Couture meeting. She told me that many have said that they have a hard time finding her blog. She blogs through the Bloglovin' site, so it's not the typical Blogger or Word Press setup. But, I have made it easy, so once again, just click HERE and you will find all of Sally's wonderful sewing inspiration. 

Sally loves great fabrics, beautiful colors, and fun designs.
I love the Kantha jacket she is wearing below.

I was blown away by the workmanship Sally did on this vest!

Sally used the Saf-T-Pockets T-Shirt Trifecta to create these amazing pieces.
 

Just love how the fleece scarf takes the top...over the top!!!

 
When I met Sally, she was wearing this fabulous jacket. She used Vogue 9275 to create this throw it on and go piece. You can check out her post on this jacket HERE.

I so enjoyed getting to know Sally. She is fun, energetic, and so inspirational. I think that you will also love getting to know her :)

Wishing you a fabulous day! 
Our electricity is supposed to be turned off at some point. I have a feeling it will happen when I am right in the middle of something important ;)

Rhonda

A Special Wednesday Showcase/A Tribute

Last Saturday, March 24, 2018, a beautiful, creative part of our worldwide sewing community left this earth, Lorraine of Spotty Dog Social Club. 

I originally "met" her not long after she began blogging. She had begun to follow my blog, and so I did a Wednesday Showcase post, introducing her to all who did not yet know her. In her bio she says that she loves knitting, sewing, her dogs, and her husband, but I'm sure the order should have been changed a bit :).

Over the years, although her style changed, she grew more and more beautiful. Truly the mark of a well lived life. She discovered the patterns of Tina Givens and truly found her unique style. 

Her knitting was something to be envied. 

She also took some of the most beautiful pictures, which were not just pictures, but works of art.

In her quilting, you can see her lovely sense of humor, and her love for all things fun.

She took pride in her work, and wasn't ashamed to admit when she thought the work of her hands was spectacular.

Her love of all things lovely was even expressed in the most intimate of attire.  

Lorraine loved making pajamas, as well as making gifts for Christmas. Great care was given to even the tiniest details, like her sweet labels. 

There are few pictures I love more than those of a girl and her dog. This is Lorraine the day she adopted her sweet dog Nico, who incidentally, got them thrown out of their first day of doggie training!!! Nico, not Lorraine ;)

As I scrolled through her blog, I noticed that in so many of her pictures, Lorraine is looking up. Maybe in some way she knew. In her husband's tribute to her, on the day of her passing, he says, "Tonight there is a new star in the sky, brighter and more beautiful than any other." 

I hope that you will take some time to scroll through Lorraine's blog. I think that you will be inspired by her life, her work, and her beauty. While she left us far too soon, her life was truly an exquisite work of art.
Rhonda 

The Wednesday Showcase

Good Morning All :)
It's a bright, sunny day here in Chicago. Not too chilly, 30 degrees, and getting above freezing a little later today.   

I began the day with a task that made me just a little nervous. The vet who did the second surgery on Gracie told me that I could easily take the stitches out of her ear and remove the stays :/ I decided that rather than take it all out at once, I would just clip the stitches and then work on taking the stays off tomorrow. Well, best laid plans...I clipped the stitches and low and behold, the stay on the back side of her ear popped right up. The stay on the inside of her ear simply fell out. Over and done! Her ear looks amazing and I can see that she is thrilled to have all of that off, and...fingers crossed, over for good. Now I can add veterinarian assistant to my list of abilities ;) Probably not!!!

Last week I introduced you to Wendy of Fashion Over Fifty. She was our featured speaker at the Haute Couture Club of Chicago's Holiday Luncheon. I thought that you might like to take a look at the post she did. You can find it HERE. 

I also thought that I would highlight a few events of the day;

Wendy, on the right in the picture below is our membership chair, membership chair extraordinaire I might add. This year we recognized our long time members with a corsage. Oddly enough, a corsage never seems to go out of style :)
This sweet lady has been a member for over 50 years. And she is not the only one. There are more!!! From the look on her face, you can see just how touched she was to be remembered.

BTW, Wendy blogs at The Couture Counsellor. She's a lawyer by day, and an avid sewist by night. I introduced her to all of you sometime back, but if by chance you missed it, or have not checked out her blog, by all means do so, as I really think you'll enjoy getting to know her.  

        
This is sweet Miss Melba. She is a tiny little woman, but a fireball. She absolutely loves beautiful, well made garments. The coat she is wearing below is one that she made quite a few years ago, and it still looks brand new! I think it is such a wonderful testament to classic, well made garments that have been made using good quality fabric. They last!!! And, they never go out of style. She's a woman after my own heart...no boring linings in her clothes ;)
  

Andrea is another who loves great fabrics. The jacket she is holding is lined in a Dolce and Gabbana silk charmeuse. Absolutely stunning. I'm not sure where she purchased the fabric, maybe while on a vacation. She purchased the silk charmeuse to line the jacket, and the embroidered fabric for a dress. She had just a few bits left over, and of course wanted to use each and every scrap, so she made the shirt she is wearing below. The embroidery was used for the front panels of the shirt, and the silk chameuse for the collar and cuffs. She said that the dress won't be worn all that often, but now that she's made the shirt, she'll get lots of wear out of the jacket. Such a great use of her fabric! 

     

Back in September, we kicked off our year with our very own member, Miss Cennetta of The Mahogany Stylist who did a wonderful presentation on shirt making. Below are a few of her inspiring makes.

One of the things we enjoy doing at the Haute Couture Club is encouraging all to sew. We challenged the members to make shirts, and here are a few of the lovely makes...

The party was so much fun. The shirt challenge was quite the success. We had a wonderful show and tell time. The ladies really pulled out all the stops with their lovely makes. Just such an inspiring day. We even inspired Wendy of Fashion Over Fifty to learn to sew!!!

If by chance you are anywhere near Chicago on May 6, 2018, we would love to have you attend our annual fashion show. It's such an inspiring day. Great to see women who not only make their clothes, but value quality.

If you would like to check out our newsletter, Tailored Tales, you can find HERE.

Happy Wednesday!

Rhonda

The Wednesday Showcase/Simply Spectacular Sleeves

I am a happy girl this morning, the heatwave has broken, the air conditioner is off, and my doors and windows have flung open!!! It's going to be a glorious day :) 

There was a commercial some time ago, I have no idea what it was for, so obviously, not a successful commercial. Anyway, the husband came to his wife and told her that he had seen everything there was to see on the internet. You know, now that I think about it, I think the commercial was for a high speed internet connection. Remember the days when it took FOREEEVER for anything to download...and we were actually excited when a picture would finally come through? ;) 

As we all know, the internet is bigger than any of us could ever exhaust. That's one of the reasons that I do enjoy putting together the Wednesday Showcase posts. I well remember the days that no one read my blog, and how frustrating it was. So all the more that I like to try and share a little internet joy with others and showcase what others are doing.

This morning the post is just a little different, as I have already showcased Cennetta of The Mahogany Stylist. I also did an interview with her as I thought you would enjoy hearing about her blogging journey. You can see it HERE. 

One of the many things I love about Cennetta is that she has a thirst for learning. She recently did a post about her upcoming plans which included this array of sleeves from my Sleeves On Saturdays series.

At this point. she has completed 2, the draped cowl sleeve and the shirred wrist sleeve. 

Her first endeavor was the sleeve below. You can see her post HERE. The velvet makes for an excellent choice of fabrics as it has such a lovely drape.
  

This was her second. Stunning!

Here she shows her drafting process. I had told her that she could get a deeper drape by spreading the sleeve more. If you look closely, she added to the sides of the cap. This will give more volume, but in order to get a deeper drape, the sleeve will need to be spread more.  

I think she did a wonderful job. I have not seen her tops yet, but hopefully I will soon. I have a feeling that her sister is going to try and nab them ;) It's a wonderful compliment when someone will actually beg for the clothes that you've made!!!

Cennetta has also made the shirred wrist sleeve. She has not posted it on her blog yet, but you can see it HERE and HERE on Instagram.   

If by chance you are coming to the Original Sewing and Quilting Expo in Schaumburg or Fredricksburg, I will be doing a sleeve lecture on Friday morning in Schaumburg and on Friday afternoon October 6, 2017 in Fredricksburg.  

In the meantime, pop over to Cennetta's blog, say hi and see all the wonderful things she is up to. 

The Wednesday Showcase

We have a light rain falling this morning here in Chicago. Just love mornings like this. It's as if peace is being poured out over the city :)

You aren't just seeing things, it's an actual Wednesday Showcase post! 

If you don't know Elizabeth from Elizabeth Made This, you are in for a real treat!!! In her bio, she says that she sews everything that isn't nailed down. This is not an exaggeration as you will see in just a moment. A mother to 4 young children, I don't know how she finds time for anything!!!, she not only loves to sew, but she also enjoys opera. A girl after my own heart :)

As I scrolled through her blog, I found this post where she took an old caftan and turned it into this super cute jacket. 

I just have to show you another picture of this great jacket!!! You can read more about it HERE. Love the double collar. 

Now here's the proof of her sewing everything that's not nailed down. She reupholstered this chair and made the foot stool. Be sure to check out the original chair. She did an amazing job!

Elizabeth even finds time to sew for her 3 boys. She's not just mom, she's SUPERMOM! While this is a cute picture...

I think this one is more appropriate ;)

As I said, there is a 4th little child, and this time, it was a girl :) Such a sweet Mommy and Me picture. What a lucky little girl, having a mom that loves to sew. I see lots of great outfits in her future. BTW, the super cute skirt that Elizabeth is wearing was made using the DG Addison skirt pattern. You can read her post HERE. 

I know you are going to love getting to know Elizabeth. For those of you who are on Pattern Review, you can find her HERE.

Well, that was fun :)
I hope to be back next week with my usual 2 fabulous bloggers.
Have a wonderful, peace filled day.
Rhonda  

A Very Special Wednesday Showcase

It's hard to believe that another hurricane is barreling its way through the Caribbean with its destination set on the United States. As horrific as Hurricane Harvey proved to be to Texas, this one has the potential to be far worse, a category 5 storm with winds of 180 miles per hour. At this point, it looks like it will bring high winds and a storm surge to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, but spare the islands from a direct hit. The same can't be said for the Bahamas and it looks like when it hits Florida, it will turn and make it's way up the entire state. At this point, other than pray, there's nothing that we can do until it's all over.

A few days ago, I clicked on my Instagram account, and saw the most generous act of kindness. A year or so ago(maybe 2), I introduced you to Kyle of Vacuuming The Lawn. Many of you may know her from Pattern Review. She did this super cute bag...

Which won the 2016 Handbag Contest.  

Well, Kyle put her excellent bag making skills to work once again, and created this so, so sweet bag.

BTW, Kyle is also an excellent embroiderer. She combined both of her skills for this beautiful creation. The bag is now on her Instagram account where she is offering it as a contest to raise money for the Houston Food Bank. The highest bidder will win the bag. You can read all about it HERE. 

The contest will run through Thursday, September 7, 2017. In my opinion, the bag is priceless, but it's not about the value of the bag, it's about an opportunity to give.  So place your bids!!!

Now, everyone knows that I love a picture of a girl and her dog :)

I would like to introduce you to Brenda of Flatter Patter, a lovely woman with a unique mission. She had breast cancer and has decided not to have reconstructive surgery. Her mission is to create a robust blog site for sewists who want to create garments that will fit a post-mastectomy flat body.   

Even if you have not had breast cancer, this is a woman that you will want to know. Such a generous and kind woman, she has said that she will match the winning bid for Kyle's bag. Amazing! What I hope to see is the bid going quite high and Brenda not being held to that commitment. 

By all means, pop over to Brenda's blog and say hello. I know she will enjoy meeting you :) 

And now, a little something that just may bring a tear to your eyes. I receive some of the loveliest emails. So many of you share an accomplishment that you've made, maybe your story. And there are times that someone will forward some little something that they think I will enjoy. The link to the video below came last night. It's only 5 minutes long and I think it will be your best spent 5 minutes of the day. PLEASE WATCH!



I've received so many messages from those of you who would like to participate in the Little Dresses For Texas campaign that my friend Andrea is sponsoring, and I thank you. There are some who don't like the idea of sending any type of hard goods to the region, and I understand. Please know that the little dresses that Andrea is collecting are going to a private group who has the ability to make sure that the dresses will go to little girls who would love to have something new and lovely to wear. 

This post touches my heart in so many ways. When I lived in Houston, I worked for the Baptist Mission Center which served the poorest of the poor. I have spent the night with children where I listened to mice run across the floor and roaches fly across the room. Yes, roaches can fly! Of all the experiences I had while working for the mission center, the one that I remember and cherish was the day that I just happened to turn around and a little boy was standing and watching as I prepared the van to go and pick up the weekly bread donation. It was a cold day for Houston and the child was dressed in a thin cotton skirt. Shocked, I asked, "aren't you cold?" He shook his head yes. I took him by the hand and prayed that I could find a coat in the donations of clothes. I did. From that moment on, whenever I saw little Oscar, he would beam. A simple coat on a cold day, a few minutes of my time for which I was repeatedly paid with a smile worth more than gold.

There is great need in this world, spiritual as well as material. Find what touches your heart, and it will be the right thing.         

Coming Up This Week

Something rather fun is going to happen tomorrow night, Tuesday, September 5, 2017. At least, I hope it's going to be fun!!! 

In case you haven't heard, there's a fun internet sewing show called That Sewing Blab which airs each and every Tuesday evening at 7:30 eastern time, 6:30 central. It's an hour long program that showcases sewing bloggers. Their aim is to educate and entertain.  

The program is held on Crowdcast and it gives you the opportunity to actually participate! 

The hosts of the show are Dawn Pengelly and Myra Rentmeester. Dawn lives in Ontario, Canada and Myra in Tampa, Florida which is a little like living at opposite ends of the world! But they have found a way to come together and bring our sewing world together as well. 

When not working on That Sewing Blab, you can find Dawn on her blog, Dueling Designs. She loves to sew, but she always enjoys patternmaking, so be sure to check her blog. 

Myra also hosts a blog and I love the title, Simple Inspirations. She's been sewing since she was 13 years old, so only a year or two ;) She entitled her blog Simple Inspirations because it's the simple things of life that inspire her. Lovely. 

So...the BIG REVEAL!!!!!
Yep, that's me :)
I am going to be the guest on tomorrow night's show. 

I'm a little nervous as I have no idea what I'll be asked :/ And then there's the opportunity for you to ask questions as well. Another :/ But I am sure that regardless of what I'm asked, it will be fun!

If you would like to come by and see the show, you can find it HERE. If for some reason that link does not work, you can always go to their website and click on the "watch the show" button. You can find their website HERE.  

If you are unable to tune in tomorrow night, the show will go up on Youtube. As soon as that link is up, I'll let you know.

Have a wonderful week!
Hope to see you tomorrow night!!!
Rhonda

The Wednesday Showcase

Today will mark the end of a very special time of my life. For the past 6 years, I have been the president of the American Opera Society of Chicago. I remember running up the stairs to my very first board meeting as president. As my shoes hit each stair, the thoughts in my head seemed to get louder and louder telling me that this was far more than I was capable of. But I continued to climb and head toward my fear. 

In the over 90 year history of the organization, I am the first to serve for 6 years. There have been wonderful moments, and events have happened to cause me to lose sleep, many nights sleep at that. But, I persevered. I learned to gracefully deal with some very strong women, and I learned when it was best to just be quiet. I have learned that it is important to run towards what scares you because in the end, not only will you be stronger and wiser, but you will also learn that you are capable of so more than you could imagine when you began.  

For today's Wednesday Showcase, I would like to introduce you to someone new, and reintroduce you to a couple of fabulous ladies that we met some time ago.

First, our new introduction is Annette from a Sewful Life. What a fun and lovely lady! She believes in the power of making, the joy it brings us and the restorative power it can have in our lives. Annette began sewing at the age of 3, and could not imagine her life without this wonderful creative outlet.

As I scrolled through her blog, I especially liked how she plans out her projects. She purchased a Curvy Sketchbook from Cashmerette and she actually uses it!!!

Absolutely love the shark teeth picture!!! Annette went to Hawaii and took along her easy to wear Me Made Wardrobe.

Look who this is with Annette...Rhonda Pierce!!! Annette lives near Seattle so it's easy for her to get to the expo in Puyallup. She and Rhonda modeled the hats for one of the many fashion shows that you will find there.

Annette is helping to lead a sew and serve group at her church. They make baby blankets for a local mission center. You can read all about what they are doing and find more opportunities on her post HERE.

Annette is very new to the blogging world, she just began this past March, so be sure to pop over and give her a very warm welcome!

There's a very talented lady who sews beautifully and lives in France. Her name is Jacqueline and sadly, she no longer blogs. But, I just had to share one of her newest makes. She made this raincoat out of a plastic tablecloth. So cute and what a fun idea! 

Jacqueline is part of a great group of ladies on Facebook, La Couture & Ses Blogs. You might like to check them out :)

I showcased Pauline of Sew You Think You Can Knock Off some time ago. She loves to recreate designer garments, and does so beautifully. She also loves stripes.

On Monday, I posted this picture of a beautifully mitered striped dress,

Here's Pauline's real life version. Simply fabulous!!! You can read her post HERE.

Another fun stripe make.

Love the use of the vertical and horizontal stripes.

You will also find Pauline on Instagram. Be sure to check her out as I know you'll be inspired!

Have a wonderful day!
Rhonda