Monday Morning Inspiration/Put a Stripe In It!

Simple joys, simple gifts.

Last Saturday marked 9 weeks since little Mr. Berkley came to live with us. What a joy he has been. I don't think I've stopped smiling in the last 9 weeks! He has brought so much joy into our home, and without doing anything more than just being himself. 

This morning as I drank my tea, I sat and enjoyed watching he and Gracie race from 1 end of the house to the other. One chased the other, and when they came to the wall, they turned and the other was in the lead. Hilarious! Then they would stop, breathe heavily for a moment, and then off they would go again. Berkley has brought Gracie back to life, warmed my heart, and put a smile back on my face. I'll never know, but I think it's his way of simply saying thank you. 

I call this picture, "Before and After Rhonda" :)
On the left is the picture I saw on the internet prior to adopting Berkley. He's dirty, and now that I know him, I can see that he is afraid. On the right...pure joy!

It's interesting how athletic wear has permeated every aspect of today's fashion. It's no longer relegated to just the gym, you see athletic inspired details in pants, tops, dresses, jackets, and coats. An athletic stripe is a perfect detail to add interest and elongate the body.
         
I recently came across this picture and fell in love! I love the little flounce on the back of the top, the stripe that curves across the back and then radiates into the stripe on the pant. The only change I would make would be to eliminate the stripe around the bottom of the pant. 

Another soft, flowy top with a athlesure inspired pant. 

The stripe that runs down the pant leg is repeated simply in the band on the sleeve. 

This ensemble is from Addias.  

I love how the stripe curves across the back of the jacket and then elongates the body by bringing the eye down to the stripe in the pant.

This piece is just so lovely. The soft ruffle that is sewn into the stripe on the blouse and then brought into the pant. 

This piece makes me long for a cool day. The stripe runs down the sleeve and then down into the pant. Love the play on color blocking too.

Love the echo of the stripe in the duster, and then in the pant.

Here the stripe has been added to a dress. Although it's a rather wide stripe, it blends in so beautifully with the plaid in the main fabric. 

There are so many aspects of our lives that on the surface can seem simple, watching dogs run, a cup of tea on a cool rainy day, or even an outfit that makes us feel great each and every time we slip into it. 
May you find a simple joy, a simple gift in your day :)

Rhonda

Monday Morning Inspiration/Sadu Fabrics Inspire Beautiful Garments

Good Morning!

It's that time of year when we all get a little crazy. I am doing my utmost best to keep my days as stress free as possible. A little decorating later today. I have orders for the pickles that I make, so that's on the to do list, but...I plan on getting in some walks and at least 1 yoga class this week. 

A few days ago, the video below was posted on Facebook and I was so inspired. You may have seen it, but if you haven't, by all means, take a look. It's just a little over 2 minutes long, so it won't take any time at all. Absolutely love how the traditional Sadu fabrics of the Bedouin women have been used in such a lovely, modern, and yet, respectful manner. 



The designer, Katya Kovtunovich in and surrounded by her designs.

I love the inspiration of the stripes. Just a touch on this little black dress.

Fabulous pencil skirt design.

Love the pants. 

My favorite piece of all. Such a fun use of the stripes.

 

Katya's story is really quite interesting. Her parents felt that although her dream was to be a fashion designer, she should pursue something that would give her a better chance at success. She became a writer for Vogue magazine, but ultimately pursued her dream. You can read her story HERE. It's a little long, but well worth the time.   

Have a wonderful start to your week!
And remember to do something nice for yourself :)
Rhonda

Thrifty Thursday Ideas

I had such a lovely day yesterday. So many took the time to congratulate me on a great presidency with the American Opera Society of Chicago, and voiced that they were sad to see me step down. Really nice. Good for the soul :) 

Some asked what I would do now. I love the movie Working Girl and I jokingly used a line from the movie, "Oh, I think I'll redecorate the country house, go to Europe for a while ;)" What I'll actually be doing is continuing to talk to all of you through the blog on a regular basis, continue working on the new Sewbussted interview series (BTW, a new one will be up tomorrow!!!), working in my garden, and a couple of other things that I'm just not ready to talk about. 

Change is good as it allows us to take a new direction. One of my projects requires a considerable amount of research and reading, which I'm loving, but it takes time. So, I'm happy to have my mind a little freer in the months to come :).  

Now that warmer weather has finally hit Chicago, I'm wanting some fresh new pieces for spring/summer wear. What I REALLY need are some new pajamas. I received the new issue of Sew News recently and they have a simple, but cute pair in the issue and even better, it's a free download!

The pajamas are intended to be made from a woven fabric. They recommend crepe de chine, but any light weight woven would be fine. I have not made up the pattern yet, so I can't vouch for the drafting or fit, but with something so simple,  especially drawstring pants and an easy tank, I think you'll be safe to give it a try. I've downloaded the pattern, so I should have it made up soon. You can find the FREE PATTERN HERE. 

This must be a stripe kind of a week for me! Another super cute pattern that is a free download in the current issue of Sew News is this linen striped top.

I really like the front yoke and the interest that is added with the stripes. This pattern could easily be lengthened and made into an easy to wear summer shift dress. 

The instructions in the magazine are quite detailed, so if you've never ventured into the stripe world, you'll be sure to have a successful garment. You can find the FREE PATTERN DOWNLOAD HERE. If you think you would like to have 1 or both of the patterns, be sure to download them now as they will no longer be free after July 31, 2017!

A few days ago, Sewingelle of He Cooks...She Sews posted this sweet picture of she and her daughter on Mother's Day. I think her daughter is one of the luckiest girls in the entire world as her mom makes the most fabulous wardrobe for her.

Sewingelle commented that since the dress is black, it's a little difficult to see the style lines, but she likes it so much that she intends to make another for herself. 

 

Now, here's the good news!!!

The exact same pattern is on the cover of the current issue of Sew News, and..... 

You can get the pattern for 20% off when you enter the code, PocketDress20 at checkout, WOOHOO!!!

You can find the pattern HERE at BurdaStyle. 

This dress was made in a scuba knit, so it gives the dress a different look from the soft stretch velvet that Sewingelle used for her daughter's dress.  

Free patterns and a discount, I think that makes for a pretty good day!

Have a great one!
Rhonda

Monday Morning Inspiration/Spring Stripes

Happy Monday Everyone!!!

Did ya miss me?...naaaa ;)
I've been missing in action for about 10 days. Just a lot on my plate, so I decided to be good to myself and just not put too much pressure on myself. What pushed me over the edge was a phone call from my dermatologist. He had taken a sample for a biopsy. When he called with the results, he said that it wasn't good and that he had scheduled me for surgery. While I feel that he is an excellent doctor, his bedside manner can be a little lacking, and as it turns out, it really wasn't so grim. I have an incision with 16 stitches on my right shoulder blade. Initially it was quite painful, not only the incision, but due to where it is, I feel every movement of my arm. But it's much better now. And even better, the sun is shining and we're expecting temps in the 80s, so a great day is ahead!

Do you ever get an idea about something you would like to eat, and then can't get it off your mind until you put the first bite in your mouth? I do, and I'm the same way about something I would like to wear. A little over a week ago, I purchased a pair of black and white striped shoes. I think I need to see about getting another pair as I have worn them at least 3 times in the last week and a half, and I'm wearing them today! Now I want a pair of easy black and white striped pants. Just something floaty and easy to wear. I have a piece of  black and white striped poly, so the pants will soon be in my wardrobe...like...today! 

As you can see, at the moment I am obsessed with stripes. For me, stripes scream spring/summer, and I am ready for the freshness of the season. So here's a few fun pieces that I found and thought you might like too! 

This is just a simple a-line dress with raglan sleeves made interesting with the manipulation of the stripes. 

This dress is eye catching due to the large stripes, but also because of the small stripes in the yoke. Take note that the neckline, armholes and hem are finished with a simple black binding.

The mitered waistline on this little dress is amazing!

 A simple dress that could be recreated with some mitering.

Love this breezy dress. It's been made all the more dramatic with the bias neckline binding and the horizontal stripe around the hem.

A simple black and white bordered scarf  would make this dramatic, but super easy dress.

Adding a pop of color grounds the stripes.

While this is not a stripe, it feels like a stripe. A simple piece of black trim was sewn on top of the princessline seam, and then accented with a second piece of trim. So pretty.

Again, not a traditional stripe, but fun color blocking.

This is just so pretty. 

And a few fun ideas for tops.

I thought I would leave you with this today...

Wishing you a wonderful week!

Rhonda

Monday Morning Inspiration/Black and White Stripes For Spring

Yesterday was an amazing day here in Chicago, bright, sunny, and warm. There was no way that I could stay indoors! We could have worked in the garden, but my husband has already taken care of the winter clean-up, and it's a bit too early to start planting. So, we threw the dogs in the car and took off for one of my favorite hiking destinations. It was so wonderful to be out in the woods, listening to the birds and even the frogs sing about the fact that spring is on its way. 

When the temperatures begin to turn, of course I begin to think about bright colors, but one combination that just screams spring to me is black and white stripes. They seem fresh and playful, like my spirit :)

The picture below is one that I have saved for quite some time. As I looked at it again, I realized that not only do I love the jacket, I really like the pop of color. 

A pop of color with a black and white stripe, really makes the entire outfit come to life.

Stripes of course lend themselves to so many possibilities for play. I love the idea of taking a simple t-shirt pattern, cutting it apart and playing with the stripes. The dress below would also be cute as a top or shorter dress.  

I love both of the suits below. The manipulation of stripes would make either of these suits look great on any figure.

I love how the simple play of the stripes on both pieces below catches the eye.

Don't be afraid of a little pattern play.

For those of us who sew, something that will immediately catch our attention are unmatched patterns. But look how the intentional unmatching of the stripes adds interest.

Add a little fun  to the yoke of a top.

There's a lot going on in this dress. Personally, I would tone it down a bit, but some great ideas nonetheless.

And finally, I love the stripes going around the body on this super cute pair of pants. Take note of the waistband, the stripes are vertical which draws the attention away from the horizontal stripes, but accents them beautifully as well.

So wherever you are, I hope that you are experiencing some lovely weather that feeds your soul. But if not, throw on some stripes and I bet they'll make you smile. Well, as long as they aren't prison stripes!!!!! Just a joke ;)

Have a wonderful week!

Rhonda