Travel/Show Update

Novi is over - and it was super! Thanks to all of you who visited my booth, made a purchase, and also those who selected my classes, and took in my fashion show!

Eeeks - I am sure thankful for microphones! The last day my voice all but disappeared.

Helper Vickii has taken me back to my memories of my Grandma - by urging me to put Vicks Vaporub - under my nose and on the soles of my feet! At least I can breath through my nose - and that is unreal for me when I have a cold!



Garmin failed me today - did not 'recalculate' when we were on I-75 south and she was saying we were fine on I-80 East. Oh well.....



Especially thrilled with how well my new 'baby' Creative Jacket Journey was received. Anxious for feedback to come in - so as you watch it - please let me know!



Sold out of so many of my KITS for my Creative Sweatshirt Jackets - I went all over the Novi show buying more goodies and will try to find the energy to make some more when a few supplies arrive from dear hubby at home via UPS.



My old High School buddy Vickii and I are having a ball - and wow was I thankful for Carole's help.



All propped up in a Hampton enjoying Dancing with the Stars! LOVE the outfits - one of the most fun parts - and then hubby and I 'dance' a bit ourselves...
WILL try to figure out how to get those photos of the Passion for Fashion Contest out of my camera and into my laptop - when I feel better!

American Sewing Expo - Novi excitement

Wow! Novi American Sewing Expo just concluded its first day - and while I hardly have a voice left - it has been a GREAT day!
Tomorrow is the Passion for Fashion event - a Project Runway spinn off. Sew - at the end of the day - we get to sit and watch the contestant designers show their garments and then await the judges determination. Honestly, I forget the exact 'challenge' - but they each have a model car on display at their work area that they were given, as the 'inspiration' for their garment. Truly a very creative challenge.
I'll be sure to take photos tomorrow night to share - along with my 2 cents worth!

It was especially fun to see a customer from my old shop days at the show, and in one of my classes! Hi Cheryl - and I'm not sure I'm spelling your name correctly!

What a treat when women can escape into their creative 'world' in such a huge 'candy store' as this - and often with friends who share the love of sewing with them! Seems many have gift-making on the brain - an indication of the giving spirit of sewers!~!!

YEAH - Creative Jacket Journey has arrived!

http://www.londas-sewing.com/Creative-Jacket-Journey-DVD-CAT-p25333.html
Yea! The 'labor' is over and 'she' is here! All 1020 copies of her! Many already shipped out to all who were kind enough to pre-order.
I'm tickled to death and so appreciative of everyone's confidence AND especially my friend Gloria's help with the DVD as a wonderfully creative and inquisitive 'student' and my son Jeff's awesome technical editing!
Anxious to hear reviews................

Sine you found this DVD on my BLOG - SAVE$ when you purchase - click on link below:
http://www.londas-sewing.com/Creative-Jacket-Journey-DVD-CAT-p25333.html

Wisdom for the day

My grandson started kindergarten this year, and the first day he came home talking about a Bully being mean to him!

Heard a very good program from the archives of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk today - can't recommend these 2 highly enough... Healing the Wounded Spirit - parts I and II.
Here is a link:
http://www.myfamilytalk.com/Broadcast/
Have any and all children of any school age listen to these!

Then also heard this while I was in the car - Forgiveness is the decision to lift the barrier and let others back into our lives. The discussion was about marriage - and how sometimes a partner will seemingly 'demand' forgiveness. Impossible - one can request forgiveness, but can't force it.

More Fall Fashion Finds - Pant Focus and Londa's How-To's

I could do these jeans - or change a less expensive pair to look like these! All I need is my Discharge Paste and a sponge brush to take away color on the thighs (But honestly, WHY would I want to make my thigh area a lighter color and attract attention there???) Now - perhaps down the inseams and the side seams - then attack the stitching with a Topstitching needle and new thread. White is pretty daring in my book though. I still prefer the Topaz Jeans Stitch Thread. I always keep it handy to do jean alteration work.





Pant legs seem to be narrow - pegged, slim..... yuck! Won't last - then you'll be back for more flattering straight and boot leg silhouettes next year - that's my prediction! Meanwhile, it does seem though that there are LOTS of pant options. In the In Style Magazine, I found ads from
Levi - new Curve ID pairs - for whatever shape your behind is in...and offered in skinny, staight and boot cut. Go to levi.com.

Then a fold-out ad from GAP caught my eye as well -0 offering black pants in slim cropped, modern boot, boy fit, true straight, really skinny and curvy options. THAT ad will get me into the store! The silhouettes were really, really well shown.

BEWARE OF SLANTED MIRRORS in the stores! Always check out the mirrors - in the show room and in the dressing room...if the lower portion stands out from the wall more than the top - the mirror is purposely placed that way to make you look - OH - at least 10 lb. thinner! Can I get glasses for everyone to do that for my body every day - ALL the time please?

Fall Fashion Finds + Londa's thoughts and How-To's

OK - I've been browsing...through Fashion Magazines and mailers that have caught my eye.
I learned from Sandra Betzina years ago to just scan through magazines looking for the common ideas - and here is what I've come up with for Fall Fashion Trends for 2010

• Big Bulky Tops - Chunk Knits - paired with straight, slim skinny bottoms (WHO looks good in skinny bottoms, is what I wanna know - I'll keep my boot cut and straight leg pant style, thank you!) Anyway - here's some photos...

At least it seems the skiinny pants are usually black, and focus is near the face with cowls, jewelry, etc.

• Ruffles, Ruffles, Ruffles - EVERYWHERE - from on coats to jackets to boots to purses...here's the proof - and most of the time these are circular ruffles - so you just cut circles, cut into the center, cut a smaller circle, stay stitch the inner circle edge, clip to stay stitching to make what is round be straight - and stitch them in - on - whatever. FUN!
  

Personally - I think the ruffle - which extends and turns into the flower on the lapel - is just too cute, but I'd put it on the other lapel, and forget the belt, and carry through the black onto the braid or topstitching on the lapel...but that's just me.

Ruffled purses are cute - but not gathering attention at MY hips, thank you! Lovely to look at - not sure about attractiveness as carried though - and last? You try - not me.

ss above The aqua teal dress above to the left appears to have circular ruffles stitched into the side seams - OK if you're skinny - otherwise - how about at the shoulder seams to create a wider shoulder therefore skinnier bottom? Do LUV that color on the red head model though!
Look closely at the plaid black and white jacket - pairing a sheer polka dot ruffle on top of what appears to be a fringed self fabric trim.

While the other photos have used ruffles right INTO the construction seams, it appears the ruffles on this purple vest are added as embellishment. For this wide and full - allow at least 3 times length it will cover, and perhaps get out the serger to finish the edges first - THEN dig out that RUFFLER gadget which, though ancient, actually works AMAZINGLY well - giving the pleated effect you see here. Note the white blouse - I Blogged on that earlier ....

• • Large face-framing collars on coats, jackets, etc..... ala my Chosen
  pattern for jackets made from sweatshirts! I LOVE this white collar - and you'll see it and some different versions of it on a new pattern of mine next year!
  

• Check out the HUGE lapel on this coat! Get out that topstitching needle, and even play with 2 heavy threads in the Schmetz Double Eye Needle!
  OR the Topstitching Needle. Remember - Schmetz needles are 25% off at my website!
  

  • 

• Zippers Zippers Zippers!!! See them
  

up the edge of this double-breasted jacket and extending into the lapel - I love it! I'm personally amazed at the amount of sewing that is going into these garments! At least we can appreciate it all - and decide what makes sense to sew - and what make sense to BUY!

Can't wait to try to figure out how to take some zipper by the inch and turn it into this spectacular zipper flower necklace - below, upper right photo!


Note then too the zipper insert piping type application on the dress to the left. Personally - for most of us, I'd stick zipper piping into some flattering VERTICAL lines..... I'm fighting Blogger today - why is this underlining? onto another post for more photos and comments..... Please COMMENT - share what YOU THINK!!!

Pattern Publication Process... Proceeding

Finally - have the cover for the new, revised Refined Too™ pattern! Hard at work today on all the images for the albums that go with it. Durn it if they hadn't all but disappeared in my Picasa Albums I thought I had all DONE! Do you notice- my body is in the jackets - that took a 3 hour session at the photographer's last week. Of course, I think I look heavy - even my son commented as such. But it was easier than pinning, stuffing, etc. the arms on a mannequin. Let me know if you like this change!

Pretty much, this pattern thing is like birthing a baby - but more about that in my Video E-mail I want to get to today!

ON target with this one now - need about 2 more proofs of the contents with my printer then they can go to press.

Talented webmaster son has to do his magic on the Talking Oral directions....

Sew.... hopefully by the middle of next week for the 'Birthday'!

Wisdom for life from another Christian novel

I love to read - almost as much as I love to sew. Christian fiction, Christian historical fiction - both favorites of mine. Last night (1 am) I finished Though None Go With Me by Jerry B. Jenkins.
Even on my Kindle - it is possible to highlight spots to 'save' them for reference in the future - so that is what I did, and then journaled about them this morning - marking and adding notes in my Bible as well. Two places stood out to me in the novel about a very Christian woman whose life went from bad to worse and then worser yet. I won't tell the events and ruin it for you...but one thing is that her husband comes down with what is apparently Alzheimers - and this is a long time ago, before it was understood - and barely identified. The beautiful way she stands by him through many years was inspiring - and helped me understand my Dad's devotion to my mother as they go through the same experience.


The novel is full of scripture for life that the main character, Elisabeth, had committed to memory - and though most of them were familiar, I certainly can't quote chapter and verse. Computer to the rescue - all you need to do is google for the phrase in the scripture and the location in the Bible comes up!

Ephesians 2:8 - "For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." Of this, the father of Elisabeth, as written by Jerry Jenkins writes - explains: "We're saved by grace of God. Living godly is noble. But don't do it for any reason other than to thank God for the gift of grace, otherwise you're still trying to earn his favor." That's worth 'chewing on' for a spell...

Psalms 37: 3-5 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass."
True for you? Elisabeth responds, "I don't want to understand the mysteries of heaven! I just want God to make sense one time!" Ben answers, "It's clear he does not give us whatever we desire, so either we are not truly delighting ourselves in Him or we misinterpret the phrase 'give you the desires of your heart."
Consider this possibility Ben goes on, "That the phrase, 'he will give you the desires of your heart' means that he will TELL you what the desires of your heart should BE.
In other words, delight yourself in him and he will tell you WHAT to desire. "

All that is enough for me to try to get into the marrow of my bones as I work today...I hope it is helpful for you as well.

Oh - and in googling, I find that "Though None Go With Me" is a Hallmark Channel movie with Cheryl Ladd. I've pushed that to #1 in my Netflix list...I'll let you know how 'true' to the book the movie is.

Also - regarding Jerry J. Jenkins (one of the authors of Left Behind series), some things of interest....

• a new movie, just released... here is what Jerry states at his Blog:

Jenkins Entertainment’s latest feature film, directed by my son Dallas, is opening around the country in the next several days.

To find out if it will be showing near you, click here: http://thewhatifmovie.com/theaters-3

It’s funny, heartwarming, moving, and we feel our best effort to date. When we want to be heard politically we vote at the polls, but if we want our voices heard in Hollywood, we have to vote at the box office. That’s why I will be buying tickets to my own movie when it opens in Colorado Springs.

What If… stars Kevin Sorbo (Hercules), John Ratzenberger (Cheers, Toy Story), Debby Ryan (Suite Life on Deck), and Kristy Swanson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

Trust me, this is a picture you can bring your friends to without reservation or embarrassment. I guarantee it’s not cheesy or typical Christian movie fare.

To see a quick sample, click on the above site and then click on “Downloads” and look for the video trailers.

And here’s the best part: if What If… is not yet scheduled for your area, you can help bring it there. Again, click on the above site, then Click on “Join Our Team” and see the many ways you can help.

What If… is already getting rave reviews, and I’d love to hear from you after you’ve seen it. Most important, let’s let Hollywood know the audience for faith-based films like this is vast and eager for more.

• and his new novel - re-written from years ago, called The Last Operative, he states...

"In the original version—and this one—I took what I considered a thoroughly innovative approach by attempting to make each speaker obvious without attributing any dialogue to anyone. Let me know whether you think it works."

Sounds neat to me. I always hate reading the 'He said", etc. when I read - especially as I read out loud to my grandson. If he's paying attention, he knows who says what - so I just leave it out. That's what I think Jerry is saying he has done in this book. It's next on my list to have mysteriously float through the air into my Kindle!