Creating With Friends

 A while back, Cennetta Burwell of The Mahogany Stylist and I teamed up to make cargo pants. We had so much fun!!! And then the added benefit...we got new pants!!!

We have both enjoyed our cargo pants so much that we decided to team up again and do not only a new pair of cargo pants, but a cargo jacket as well. We chose the Kelly Anorak from Closet Core Patterns.

 

My jacket is cut and ready to go. Cennetta and I are using the same fabric for our jackets, so we'll be twins ;) The fabric is a lovely stretch twill, so it should make for a fabulous spring jacket. 

Once we get our jackets completed, we will be making the cargo pants from Iconic Patterns. 

We love the look of the pant. Can't wait to get these made up!

If you have never collaborated with a friend on a sewing project, I encourage you to do so. If nothing more, you both hold each other accountable!!! 

We should have made a little progress on our jackets by next week, so stay tuned!!!

Monday Morning Inspiration/Combining Prints

Over on Instagram, Sewover 50 has a little challenge going for the month of March entitled, #SO50PATTERNMIXING 

When I read about the challenge, I thought that it would be a lot of fun to participate. A while back, I found this fun little dress at the resale shop. I absolutely loved the mix of patterns, and the overall design.  

I did wear it as 1 of my outfit of the day pieces, and paired it with a pair of tights that I did make. So although I didn't make the dress, at least I made the tights!!! :) But, I thought the dress was really quite inspirational, especially for any type of scrap busting one might like to do.   

So, here are my plans for my pattern mixing piece.

There's a wonderful band out of North Carolina called Fireside Collective. Like all performers, they have really had a difficult go of it this past year. I bought a few t-shirts, and various things in order to try and help out a bit. Whenever I buy a t-shirt, I always like to get an X-large as I cut them down and make them into something that's not just something without any fit. Sadly, my camera did not do justice to the colors, but it's a lovely green with blues, and purples in the logo.   

I made the mountainscape t-shirt last summer. It's fine, but crazy me, when I attached the neckband, I wasn't paying attention, and the center back seam is at center front. Yes, I could take it off and reposition it, but I really like how the colors work with the Fireside Collective t-shirt, so it's getting cut up. 

I needed a few more pieces to mix in, so I headed over to the resale shop. Again, my camera did not pick up the colors, but the 3 pieces that I chose really do work quite well with the Fireside Collective t-shirt, and the mountainscape t-shirt.   

We'll see how this all turns out :/ At the very least, I think it will be fun to arrange the pieces, and just play around a bit!

Wishing you a lovely, lovely week!!!

BTW, the new blog that I am writing for the American Opera Society of Chicago is going quite well. If by chance you would like to check it out, you can find all of the posts that I've done thus far HERE. 

Rhonda

Sunday Night Reflections

 

Fun with Fashion/Just Letting It Happen

One of the best things about being able to sew is being able to create a truly unique garment. A few years ago, I went to the Lincoln Park Zoo Ball in Chicago. It is an absolutely spectacular event, and they raise huge amounts of money for the zoo. I think it's 1 of only 3 zoos in the United States that's still free. Anyway, I was shocked that evening as 4, yes 4!!! women had on the exact same gown. Talk about horror of horrors!!! Well, in the overall scope of things, if this is your worst horror, it really isn't all that bad ;), but I'm sure those ladies were not happy :/

I purchased the fun faces in the dark fabric that I used for the skirt below some time ago from Mood Fabrics. Once I had the fabric, I thought it would make a fun skirt. I can't remember how much I purchased, but it wasn't a lot, so I ended up piecing it a tiny bit on the side seam at the waist. Who's going to ever see that, right?!! The piecing ended up disappearing into the folds of the gathers, so no one will ever be the wiser...except you!!!  

Once I got the skirt together, it felt a little short, so I purchased the black cotton to make a border along the hem. I cut it on the bias and it worked out perfectly, except that it felt a little stark. What to do? As I looked at the fabric, what jumped out at me were the eyelashes on the faces. Hmmm...why not embroider eyelashes on the border? I decided to keep them somewhat free form, and form a scallop like design. I'm quite happy with the outcome :)

I felt that the skirt needed a lining, and in my quest to try and use what I have, I decided to use the animal print silk. I decided that if it wasn't the best, hey it's lining!!! But, once I got it together, I liked it so much that I decided to do a matching blouse.     

Since I used ALL of my fabric to make the skirt, and had nothing left for a waistband, I decided to just do a fold over elastic. 

For the blouse, I had this pattern, and I really liked the sleeves. It's a nice basic pattern.

I decided that I wanted a cummerbund type of a detail, so I cut 2 very long strips, and put a layer of fusi-knit inside to give the silk a little stability. The ends of the strips were cut on an angle and attached at the side seam so that they could wrap around the waist.

And here's the final result!

Here's a little video to give you an idea of how the outfit moves.

This outfit was definitely a piece that evolved. It was not planned out from the beginning, but I think that's part of the fun of creating, just let it happen :)

Wishing you a creatively wonderful day :)

 Rhonda

Monday Morning Inspiration/International Women's Day

When I sat down to do my writing this morning, I tore the page off my daily calendar and saw that it's International Women's Day. For some, the day will mean nothing. For others, it's a day to participate in a march. For me, it's a day to reflect, and to think about the women who came before me. None of them wrote a great piece of literature, found a cure for a disease, or held a political office. But, they were heroes in their own right. I wrote the piece below in 2012, the morning before I went to vote. I hope that you will enjoy it.

     

A Voice Where One Did Not Exist

A few years before my great aunt died, she gave me this picture.

It's an incredible piece of family history as pictured here in the front row is my great-great-great grandmother and grandfather. On the right hand side of the picture, is my great-great grandfather and grandmother(her eyes have been scratched out. At some point in time, a child got hold of this picture and drew all over the back and scratched out the eyes of my great-great grandmother.) In her lap is my great grandmother and in the lap of her sister is the twin sister of my great grandmother. This photograph was taken in 1886.

Faces from the past, strangers, and yet, my family.

As I look at this woman, my ancestor, I think of what her life was like. It was a hard life. She would have risen early, cooked on a wood stove, which meant the stove had to be stoked prior to cooking. No turning a knob and instantly having a flame. Eggs would be gathered, chickens fed, the cow milked, and all before breakfast was cooked. Her life was a busy life, taking care of a home, sewing, cooking, raising children and all without any of the luxuries that I now take for granted. What her eyes tell me though, is that this was all done as she had no other choice. No choice and more importantly, no voice. 

 

I know more about my great-great grandmother. What a joy to be able to see what my great-great grandfather looked like. He looks to have been a good man. The couple went on to have two more children, another daughter and a son. Sadly, my great-great grandfather died when the children were still quite young. At that time, a woman could not own land in Florida, but she could in Texas, as long as she was not married. In pursuit of a better life for her family, this woman who had been left alone with four young children, packed her wagon, tied the cow to the back, and set off for Texas. What an incredibly brave woman. There were no conveniences along the way. They had to walk as the wagon carried their belongings. Nights were spent under the stars, all of their food cooked on a campfire. When it rained, they were wet. It was a very difficult journey. They did make it to Texas and she and all of her children lived out their lives there. My great-great grandmother died in 1961 at the age of 96.

At the time of this picture, there are three generations of women who had no voice, no rights, only obligations. 

Today, I will vote. My right to vote is very important to me. It's important to ensure the future of the women who are yet to come, and it's important as a sign of respect for all those who came before me who had no voice. As I walk into the polling place today, I will think of my great-great grandmother. Each step I take will be dedicated to all the steps she took to pursue a better life for her family. As I cast my vote, I will thank her for the life I have, the voice I have, the rights I have. 

           _________________________________________

The picture below is of my great grandmother, the same woman who was being held by her mother in the family picture above. Although you can't see me, I am there. She was making breakfast, and I was standing beside her, talking. The photograph was taken as she looked down to reply to me. This picture hangs in my kitchen. Alongside the picture is the spoon that she cooked with. It's quite worn, but such a treasure to me. 

So many of us tend to get caught up in the idea that the women who have really made a mark in this world are those who have fought, marched, bucked the system. While they are important, I think it's also important to remember those who came before us, who took chances, and created a better life for their families. Had my great-great grandmother not taken the chance to walk to Texas with her family, I would not be here today. 

I hope that you will take sometime today to reflect on all those who came before you, who struggled and paved the path for your life.