Monday Morning Inspiration/Not Your Grandmother's Lace Part 2

Last Friday I received an email from Mood Fabrics showcasing a piece of red lace and a red polka dotted tulle. The dress below was the inspiration piece, and I was in love. If you are wondering...yep, I bought the fabric!!! HERE'S a link to the lace, and HERE's a link to the polka dot tulle. After all, misery loves company :)

I really don't care for the top of the dress, but I love the skirt. As it turns out, this is a piece from Valentino's 2017 Resort Collection, so I just had to take a look. What I found were some really beautiful lace pieces.    

I wouldn't wear the skirt without a slip or lining, but I think it's really pretty.

Another beautiful piece, and it looks wonderful paired with the coat.

Here again, I need a lining, but I do like the dress. The collection gains its inspiration from Cuba.

Love this little top below and the lace insets in the skirt.

The embroidered tulle is amazing.

Not a fan of a sheer dress, but I do like the print of the lace paired with the jacket.

Look at this amazing piece of lace!

Love the fitted lace top paired with the full skirt.

There are a number of pieces in the collection that have a wonderful tribal feel. 

Check out this amazing embroidered tulle skirt.

If you have a lot of lace strips that you don't know what to do with, combine them and make a circular skirt!

All of the pieces above are from the Valentino 2017 Resort Collection. By all means check it out. I only pulled out the lace pieces. There are some beautifully draped pieces in the collection as well. You can see the entire collection HERE at Vogue.com. 

The pieces below are also rather interesting. They are from the Red Valentino 2017 Resort Collection. It has a similar, but then again quite different feel.

The Haute Couture Club of Chicago will have a lace challenge at our March meeting. I'm really looking forward to seeing what everyone creates. 

As it turns out, lace is HUGE for resort as well as spring this year. I can't wait for my lace and tulle to arrive!

Have a wonderful week!
Rhonda

Sunday Night Reflections

The Wednesday Showcase

Happy Wednesday Everyone! 

Well, it has been quite a week as I've been to the emergency room twice. Once is bad enough, but twice is not nice. The nasty cold I've been dealing with for far too long turned into a rather awful and quite painful sinus infection. Due to the tumor I had, and the resulting reconstructive surgery, I have lots of scar tissue in my sinuses, making the whole situation just that much more fun ;) The second trip was just a stupid thing. I was moving a piece of furniture that had a metal brace under a drawer. I hit it just right and sliced my finger open. This is one situation where I hope things don't come in 3's!!!!

Now on to something a little more fun :)

I am so happy to see that Erin of Sie macht has her blog up and running. I had hoped to showcase her blog last week, but she was in the process of preparing a shiny new blog. So it's up, and I think you are going to really enjoy meeting her!

Erin is the mother of 2. She lives near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, such a beautiful state. Her life has had quite the transformation over the last few years. You can read all about it HERE on her about page. 

Erin is absolutely adorable. She has quite the passion for sewing. You can find a fun and informative new post each and every Thursday. The picture above is from a post she did on researching sewing tables. It's a very informative post, so if you are thinking about a new table, by all means, check out her information. 

She made up the Erin Skirt and the Molly Top from Sew Over It and loved both. It goes without saying that she looks super cute in both :)

Erin has also been doing a little quilting. Hey, she does live in Wisconsin where a quilt is not only decorative, but necessary! Just check out the picture below.

Erin took a blogging break...for FOUR years!!! She came back last March, so by all means, I hope that you will pop over and give her a great big warm welcome back!

Next up is Joyce of School of Custom Clothing and Alterations. Her blog and website are not only informative, but a fabulous resource!

Joyce has a passion for fit, tailoring, and even alterations. Below is a picture of an article she did for Thread's magazine. The article was written 10 years ago, but she says that the logic remains as true today as it was then. You can find her entire article HERE. If this all seems somewhat familiar, you're right. A few weeks back, I showcased Tomasa of Sew Much Fashion. The class that she took to create her amazingly fitted pants block was from Joyce's book on creating a Pant Block.

On her blog, you'll also find info on designing pockets.

This is a woman who actually love's, not likes, to alter clothing. You can find out why HERE.

Joyce is a wonderful resource. She has a such a passion for sewing and fitting. If you would like to find out a little more about her, just click HERE. I think you'll be so happy that you did :)

Hope your week is going well. Mine can only improve from this point forward, at least that's what I'm hoping for :)

Rhonda

Monday Morning Inspiration/Stella McCartney Resort 2017

Terri of Virginia's Daughter posted some pictures on Instagram that caught my attention. The pieces that she posted were from the Stella McCartney 2017 resort collection. Since I liked them, I thought you might too :)

Love the lines of this dress.

Another sweet dress. 

This is over-sized, but the it still looks fun to wear.

Nice mix of stripes and polka dots.

Love the shape of this skirt.

I like the jacket, but I really want some of that dog fabric! 

Another soft and easy piece. The neckline is so interesting. 

I like the jacket and even the sleeves, but thought the pants were a little...well, I'm not so sure.  

Then I saw this suit, and thought, well, maybe. I doubt that I will do it, but the look has grown on me.

All of the images were found at Vogue. There are a number of lace pieces as well as some gauze pieces that seem lighter than air. I tried to find a fashion show, but no luck this time. So check out the link. I think it's a fun collection, one of my favorites from Stella McCartney.

Hope you enjoy the pieces as much as I did!

Maybe the motto for this week should be to give something that initially seems a little strange a try :)
Have a wonderful week!
Rhonda

Sunday Night Reflections

Making The Indulgent A Little Healthier/Gloriously Green Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese has ALWAYS been a favorite of mine. Truth be told, I usually dreaded dinner as a child. There was always some vegetable that I was going to have to choke down. Believe it or not, I hated vegetables!!! Funny how life can take a complete 180 degree turn :) But, I could take just about anything if I saw that macaroni and cheese was on the table.

A few years ago, I started making a macaroni and cheese dish with roasted cauliflower. I have friends who always request it if they are coming for dinner. Well, I think I have a new favorite! This one is made with spinach and it's REALLY, REALLY good.

Gloriously Green Macaroni and Cheese 

Ingredients; 

1 12 oz. pkg elbow macaroni, whole grain if possible
16 oz. spinach chopped fine
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons corn starch
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk beverage
2 cups white sharp cheddar cheese shredded 
1/2 cup Romano Cheese shredded
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence
1 cup bread crumbs for topping
salt and pepper to taste

1. Begin by boiling a large pot of water and cooking elbow macaroni per directions on box.
2. Heat olive oil in pan and saute spinach with garlic until spinach has wilted. Set aside.
3.Melt butter in heavy sauce pan. Slowly stir in corn starch with a wire whisk. Add milk. I used a coconut milk beverage. If you would like, you may always use regular milk. Stir milk into butter/corn starch mixture. Stirring continuously, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes.
4. Add sauteed spinach and garlic to the sauce and stir well.
5. Add shredded sharp white cheddar to sauce/spinach mixture and stir until all cheese has melted.
6. Add dry mustard and Herbs de Provence.

7. Once elbow macaroni has cooked, drain and rinse in cool water to stop the cooking.
8. Pour spinach sauce over macaroni and stir well. Pour into a greased baking dish. 
9. For a crispy topping, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and combine with 1 cup of fresh bread crumbs. I added 1/2 cup of shredded Romano cheese and 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper. 
10. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until topping has browned.
     

Serve and enjoy!!!

This makes a wonderful main course dish, just add a side salad. Leftovers keep well...if you have any ;)

A quick note on the cheese that I like to use...
There's a wonderful creamery in Wisconsin called Union Star whose cheese I love. 

They do have a mail order business and you can find the cheese HERE. You may think that one cheese is just as good as another. You'll change your mind if you ever try the Union Star cheese!

Hope you enjoy the macaroni and cheese as much as we did. I'm at a point now that I don't think I'll ever eat macaroni and cheese the old fashion way again! 

Sewbussted's Material Witness Episode 2/The Fabric Nook

I just could not be more excited!!! The second episode of Sewbussted's Material Witness is up and it was so much fun to do. I think...I hope...you'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

In the preliminary video, I shared that I wanted to combine flying and interviews. I did not fly to this location. Granby, Colorado is nestled in the Rocky Mountains. I have had a little mountain flying instruction, but only a little. Flying in the mountains, especially the Rocky Mountains, is quite different from flying at lower altitudes in a small airplane. 

The Fabric Nook is owned by a lovely lady, Tina Holley. In my opinion, her store is truly the gem of not only the town, but the entire county.   

The store has a very interesting history, which you'll hear in the video, and I think you'll enjoy meeting a sewist with a rich history all her own. 



What I love most about Tina's story is that she stepped out, and took a chance at her dream. Once she made that step, she has not looked back, and her excitement is contagious!  

We mentioned the original wood floors. As you walk through the store, you can't help but feel the history.

The Fabric Nook is the ONLY place where you can find a zipper in the entire county.

We also mentioned that Tina participated in the Row By Row Quilting Experience. Below is a picture of "Through The Aspen." A few kits are still available and if by chance you would like to order one, you can find the Fabric Nook HERE. Just scroll down and you'll find the kit! 

Thanks so much for stopping by. With each video, I've learned a little more. I'm excited for the next!!!

If you ever find yourself in Colorado, by all means, stop by and see Tina. She'll be so happy to meet you, and she'll make you feel right at home :)