Your age by Chocolate Math

This only works yet this year - and though not fashion related - it is certainly seems "Female" related! At least in my book...

1.Pick the number of times a week you would like to have chocolate (more than once, but less than 10)
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)
3. Add 5
4. Multiply it by 50 (I'll wait while you get the calculator!)
5. If you have already had your birthday this year, add 1755...if you haven't, add 1754.
6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
You should have a 3 digit number.
The first digit of this was your original number (how many times you want to have chocolate each week).
The next 2 numbers are YOUR AGE!
Londa

Project Runway - Bravo TV

Treat yourself to enjoying Project Runway...
I love, love, love this 'reality' TV. What a great escape. The new (2nd) series started Wednesday night - and you should have seen what these designers created from 6 yards of muslin! The following hour, it went on for the first challenge - which was to design something representative of their work using ONLY what they were wearing! What fun!!! Find it at 9 pm CST on Bravo Network (and repeating at various times on Bravo). Do tune in - here is a link to info http://www.tv.com/project-unway/show/26278/summary.html

Comment - with your prediction of the winner! My vote is for the tall guy with the ponytail - sorry, I forget his name - who did the aqua muslin dress that won. My heart wants the self-taught 'older' gal - equal to the "Wendy" of last season - to win though.
So..... what do YOU think?

Great catalog for snoop shopping online

Go check out: www.softsurroundings.com for some great different, top quality fabric in clothing. A bit different from the norm - I had kept this catalog from last year in my 'idea file' - and will be trying one of these wraps with armscalled a Fichu - in a back THREADS article out of that new wonderful neutral tapestry fabric I just uploaded onto my site!
Can't wait to give it a try...

This picture shows the shaped back seam and interesting sleeve hem and the shaped side seam of this jacket. A bit of a challenge - even for 'seasoned' seamstresses. Has anyone else tried this pattern, I'm wondering???
from Londa's design room

Front of my combined fabrics Rio Jacket by Diane Ericson/Revisions. That is 4 ply silk crepe on the front (not stencilled, but rather a 'panel' fabric that came that way). Black doupionni sleeves, and reversible little rayon tweed in black and white. Other side was used on the back.
from Londa's design room

Zoom in on the T shirt hem - I can see this LONGER (for us mid age and over!) with the Charles Chang Lima Black Bow Lace out of any of the Slinky or Cotton/Lycra Knits - could be fun! Ane you thought that jacket was too small??? Maybe not! Observation: the photographer must have been on the floor shooting up! Though her legs are surely long - the viewpoint of this picture is surely contrived to make skinny look even skinnier...
from Londa's design room

I really like this one! In fact, I'm going to do it from the Italian Wool I have at www.londas-sewing.com that is purple and teal - doing the neckline ruffle and peplum ruffle of the reverse side of the garment. Not sure about the belt...
from Londa's design room

Note that ruffled blouse underneath... The ruffling iappears to be a heavy velvet tube - shirred down the center and applied down front, around neck, at cuffs, and on pocket - almost a Chanel look. I like this one!
from Londa's design room

Now this one I like! I say intriguing blouses - all very feminine over and over again in the fall issue of In Style Magazine. This one in silk - could be a wardrobe basic - hopefully with proper undergarments!
from Londa's design room

Unsuspected, non-traditional interpretations of fabric and style - what I see over and over in the fashion magazines right now. Wool in a tailored jacket - with lots of feminine details. Band with upper fuffle at waist, then a gathered - probably single layer peplum to the jacket - same theme repeated at the very long sleeves - and a large, ruffled collar - all with the sheer, tiered skirt of silk chiffon. Caption said: "traditional jacket has loosened up, pairinig as easily with jeans as skirts, or whatever you like."
from Londa's design room

How's this for a combination? I really don't like it - nor would I do it myself - though look closely at the skirt construction - strips of what is surely silk charmeuse stitched to a sheer underlayer - edges undoubtedly left to fray - or perhaps bias so limited fraying...
from Londa's design room

Flowers - roses seen everywhere - the feminine influence
from Londa's design room

Fashionable? ?? Not me!
from Londa's design room

Let's Chatter about Pants

Good-Fitting Pants!
The reason many sew - or start to sew, I do believe.
As I type, I'm wearing a pair of those jeans - and you don't want a description of how far the back is scooping down and what it is revealing as I sit here! I finally made some belts of old ties (pictures coming soon) to pull them in and keep them up! Enough said...

My favorite pants patterns are:
Oxford Pant from Loes Hinse - I'm not a pocket person, so I forgo the pockets, and put on the elastic as she says, BUT do NOT stitch down all around creating that casing look - rather I stitch in the ditch vertically at each side seam, and CF and CB. It looks quite nice that way - and there isn't much fullness at the waist - because there are darts in it to control the fullness.
The legs are straight, but not too full - or skinny. Even my 23 year old daughter likes these!

SoHo Pant from Textile Studio - my favorite skinny pant - again with elastic, but this one has a side zipper - which I always use an invisible zipper for. Little vents at the side seams look good too.

One Seam Pants from Cutting Line Designs - formerly known as the $1700 Pant. I took this class from Louise way back when she was adapting a Burda One Seam Pant Pattern, then taught it to MANY gals at my shop both lecture demo format, and workshop. Many who hadn't sewn in years came to this workshop (4 hours) and left wearing a great pair of pants. We were both always SEW happy! Do need a soft fabric though. Slinky knit is great - though you MUST stay the crotch, and compare it to the pattern before proceeding with the waist treatment - to make sure that crotch length didn't grow while sewing!

Chime in here - what are YOUR favorite pant pattern(s) and why?????
If you can't post - Comment - it is because you aren't a member of this Blog.
All you need to do is email me that you'd like to be - londasews@insightbb.com and then accept the invitation when it comes to you.

This should be a lively discussion.

I have a deal going out in my Newsletter today - FREE Pant Comparison Chart on many of the independent pattern company's pant patterns with purchase of ANY pant pattern from my site - through September 13.

Sewing hugs,
Londa