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