tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62478363068789550492024-02-07T03:02:14.100-08:00science nerd goes domestica science geek's adventures in domesticityAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-55882057684891265612011-12-06T15:52:00.000-08:002011-12-06T15:52:45.397-08:00Loot! From Eddie's Quilting BeeWhen the sewing bug first bit, I lucked out when I discovered that I live so close to Eddie's Quilting Bee. Yes, they are geared more towards quilting, but they have been expanding their fabric selection to lure in (garment-sewing) suckers like me.<br />
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I live in Palo Alto, CA, yes, <i>that</i> Palo Alto, where Stanford is, Facebook, Hewlett-Packard, etc., but it's not exactly the place where you'll find Mood Fabrics à la Project Runway. It's the 'burbs. The closest thing we have to Mood is Britex Fabric, the famously expensive fabric store in San Francisco. I thought I was SOL until I discovered Eddie's secret stash of fashion fabrics.<br />
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The story goes like this: a San Francisco fabric store by the name of Edward's (ironic, no?) went out of business some 30 years ago and someone has been holding on to all the leftover fabric. Eddie purchased the whole lot of vintage fabric and it is now available for purchase at his store at ridiculously low prices. I bought beautiful coating wool for $9.99/yard. <i>Say what?!</i> This is my favorite place to buy fabric right now. One of the gals at the cutting counter routinely recognizes me when I come in for a fabric fix. That's embarrassing. There is also a growing selection of new bolts of fabric.<br />
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Anyways, check out some of my recent acquisitions! I'm really excited to get started on projects with these lovelies.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5iFJOlQea8p2WJaRmXYLftjoWXluYEXaUxFFI9ooZQAcmlOpKhGmSlW_36aYFtd0b80-NK_WHLXAP7HGIZ1eC7_ncAkefqoTtcGH8Qc3gTwKd5Nr-mi3j3BhtDA1vImjhyE-4oAxBxs/s1600/IMG_0458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5iFJOlQea8p2WJaRmXYLftjoWXluYEXaUxFFI9ooZQAcmlOpKhGmSlW_36aYFtd0b80-NK_WHLXAP7HGIZ1eC7_ncAkefqoTtcGH8Qc3gTwKd5Nr-mi3j3BhtDA1vImjhyE-4oAxBxs/s320/IMG_0458.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Floral cotton for a spring/summer dress</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2uHy9LJIyzOucQKQtoPSGXbgby-kegItOYA6FT-3yUApBim9kOLT2l8NPAd_3j59Bv-jXc8V7gonZMNZFXqa_JqzTvkJUfxRnNtWhH-Rmw3ClQUG_ccHuwqWaf6vXRo0a9LcqrPZSBo/s1600/IMG_0460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2uHy9LJIyzOucQKQtoPSGXbgby-kegItOYA6FT-3yUApBim9kOLT2l8NPAd_3j59Bv-jXc8V7gonZMNZFXqa_JqzTvkJUfxRnNtWhH-Rmw3ClQUG_ccHuwqWaf6vXRo0a9LcqrPZSBo/s320/IMG_0460.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">For a blouse (it's more emerald in person)</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGTwyETVBgfZLPSf39mw8l3HiaAve7Ws2bI9_oWH24VigRkmDXKs_XUASSFYPE1hgfRfcw7qNT055CITES1pjmfqHzZEXDIlQaRqKQPD0VNQ7Onr5Cqes3Y7rfjhDxDACoBGbgFewYt8/s1600/IMG_0462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGTwyETVBgfZLPSf39mw8l3HiaAve7Ws2bI9_oWH24VigRkmDXKs_XUASSFYPE1hgfRfcw7qNT055CITES1pjmfqHzZEXDIlQaRqKQPD0VNQ7Onr5Cqes3Y7rfjhDxDACoBGbgFewYt8/s320/IMG_0462.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Gonna make this into a scarf!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSZDAjKrBfvJjqQdYyaoQc62vunJwQiXr3VFe1GeIdIfZP4rWAWbmwqxhFL0P_42x_DTsyfDpNuxAW8LHFyWhhp52-Mbs3WBXCQzrU6i7ragf_MC-4Rr7fjcixdawAcF8rlJwVASBcPA/s1600/IMG_0463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSZDAjKrBfvJjqQdYyaoQc62vunJwQiXr3VFe1GeIdIfZP4rWAWbmwqxhFL0P_42x_DTsyfDpNuxAW8LHFyWhhp52-Mbs3WBXCQzrU6i7ragf_MC-4Rr7fjcixdawAcF8rlJwVASBcPA/s320/IMG_0463.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Swiss cotton...need to find the right dress pattern since there is only 2.25 yards</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXKn0a698gmQUs-pQKM2gJyLu4kL3KzfyEXRQputEFS7ve1ZRRVuq-rcepYZqqH6vzJUzHCTgRvkIFDhtU4NxYepTxVThVSrDYGFNfE4yewDif3cysadxMQwtonMciHrTaTweBBMEWdY/s1600/IMG_0464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXKn0a698gmQUs-pQKM2gJyLu4kL3KzfyEXRQputEFS7ve1ZRRVuq-rcepYZqqH6vzJUzHCTgRvkIFDhtU4NxYepTxVThVSrDYGFNfE4yewDif3cysadxMQwtonMciHrTaTweBBMEWdY/s320/IMG_0464.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wool for a cropped coat. I have fantastic pistachio green silk crepe to line it :)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKJoxt0B__y8GW-KeGCUZFwx5SbTfVKazrNYeHrggil6vLn_p3ykchHdaj4q98LZ7aa2V3GNFOeuXU3ZrlQqyIyeYoZxeF43I8UpnM_ichEM4h9priyQMutP4PGHGehf_fAtnm4E41KI/s1600/IMG_0461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKJoxt0B__y8GW-KeGCUZFwx5SbTfVKazrNYeHrggil6vLn_p3ykchHdaj4q98LZ7aa2V3GNFOeuXU3ZrlQqyIyeYoZxeF43I8UpnM_ichEM4h9priyQMutP4PGHGehf_fAtnm4E41KI/s320/IMG_0461.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">For a flowy blouse (sorry it's blurry!)</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPT1d3hoZe7xnv6C6DLr8uZJd4E8MIIxCwV-2HMYaDehG8jX_uXGQ6O7i8Qx_QoFNTbjHyEdA6AhEvMBmAfnAV7acEoVRWHSaEDe_95-zdKl0pCksHYIOwWaJrABTg5tRSTxW6hi9QlaA/s1600/IMG_0457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPT1d3hoZe7xnv6C6DLr8uZJd4E8MIIxCwV-2HMYaDehG8jX_uXGQ6O7i8Qx_QoFNTbjHyEdA6AhEvMBmAfnAV7acEoVRWHSaEDe_95-zdKl0pCksHYIOwWaJrABTg5tRSTxW6hi9QlaA/s320/IMG_0457.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Skirt wool</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpFzE0zaH6I8DOp5CzN_vZco6hip7a4kjTWyyruXrqEyOTEbvs-vJtAQFSS2xVv_dc81ywU4AuX4bWj-5G8bwA2cm5b8n14pQ7KXaTDQZk5v5E7uILTChb3Wd8oDRTrsuQ5VYzIfCi_Q/s1600/IMG_0456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpFzE0zaH6I8DOp5CzN_vZco6hip7a4kjTWyyruXrqEyOTEbvs-vJtAQFSS2xVv_dc81ywU4AuX4bWj-5G8bwA2cm5b8n14pQ7KXaTDQZk5v5E7uILTChb3Wd8oDRTrsuQ5VYzIfCi_Q/s320/IMG_0456.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Gorgeous, albeit spendy, vintage lace. $80/yard now, regular $150/yard in 1970</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If the photo quality is kinda bad, that's because these are all iPhone photos. I just didn't have the time to re-take the pictures with my DSLR.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Can't wait to see my wardrobe start to take shape!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">xx</div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-85430104948985832292011-12-04T12:51:00.000-08:002011-12-04T14:22:20.522-08:00Christmas Dress: DONE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My Christmas dress is finally done! I'm so excited! This is the first dress I have ever made and I had a lot of fun putting it together.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9wMQ7mVd-wRGRJEN6iwV8NSmsnG4_1Olwf4JImeCvSqRpotYlI9PMztnfyp2qCxshE10ke0cLvrUAUpK9bWAIIb70JSJKzJi1X6oZMVPRU0RB9pS7GVtOldRPSN6sLIKIh6OF1pB7eM/s1600/IMG_1570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9wMQ7mVd-wRGRJEN6iwV8NSmsnG4_1Olwf4JImeCvSqRpotYlI9PMztnfyp2qCxshE10ke0cLvrUAUpK9bWAIIb70JSJKzJi1X6oZMVPRU0RB9pS7GVtOldRPSN6sLIKIh6OF1pB7eM/s320/IMG_1570.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Front of dress on my new dress form, Betty (get it? my sewing machine's name is Peggy? *cough, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Mad Men, cough*)</span></div><br />
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I used Vogue pattern 8766 and had no problems assembling the dress. The instructions were very clear and easy to follow, even with the few adjustments that I made. My waist and hip measurements were more on par with a size 14 and my bust/shoulder along the lines of a size 12, so I cut the pattern accordingly.<br />
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After assembling the bodice I tried it on and found it was waaaaay too tight across my tummy. I removed the front darts and put smaller ones in their place. After attaching the skirt to the bodice and installing the zipper, I tried it on again for fitting. Apparently I am very high waisted (basically where my ribcage ends), so I ended up taking the dress in about 1.5" where <i>my</i> waist is. I evened out the skirt with dressmaker's shears before hemming it (hemmed the lining about 1.5" shorter than the lace). I finished the raw edge of the sleeves with bias tape before hemming it because the lace is really unbearably itchy on my skin. Lastly I installed a hook and bar above the zipper.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQO__rKIRE_mFJulYD-vk-DxyJdFEH5oJeqDznUb43fccDlw7GcBHjnr4Bq-34kSQJ2wLX-TneToGh35H3FGrYscQb5NJVFvjxlotZB5x6wZRMfY3UtbfHL0Yjzk_5GcrxKxa-D_ccIM/s1600/IMG_1568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQO__rKIRE_mFJulYD-vk-DxyJdFEH5oJeqDznUb43fccDlw7GcBHjnr4Bq-34kSQJ2wLX-TneToGh35H3FGrYscQb5NJVFvjxlotZB5x6wZRMfY3UtbfHL0Yjzk_5GcrxKxa-D_ccIM/s320/IMG_1568.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Closeup. Sleeves were lined and cropped.</span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS37tY0yxyuM_URQP4Iaj0ZexjSl8kK_PbwssmuSmwJeeWh0kBCVDtqThgh8NyPs-gifkkHEI9GAycsq7zTbzThw-LeU7HFl9ghY42duQhDce1F5-L50aOni1IHu2-um00GSH9pcnLT8U/s1600/IMG_1572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS37tY0yxyuM_URQP4Iaj0ZexjSl8kK_PbwssmuSmwJeeWh0kBCVDtqThgh8NyPs-gifkkHEI9GAycsq7zTbzThw-LeU7HFl9ghY42duQhDce1F5-L50aOni1IHu2-um00GSH9pcnLT8U/s320/IMG_1572.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Back of dress on Betty (her new nickname is "Big Butt Betty" after fiddling with the sizing dials)</span></div><br />
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After all that I thought I was done, but then I decided to treat the hem of the skirt with trimming from the lace border. It just looked more finished when I pinned a test swatch. I cut enough of the border to cover the circumference of the skirt. I attached the trim with a small zigzag stitch to prevent the raw edge of the trim from unraveling; the stitching is discrete enough that no one will notice...except maybe me because I tend to be a perfectionist like that.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3SdogKYsXFjpg8YrRKHOV03RbbSFzrWpFN9_2ANE6Bcwoe7IeLF6qa60tFJrqf6vordoHCT_wZSMPa-389UdUfEuGf3FHBlGkS8UOHttNsA0aJhwi_6o-BX8rHJikDYQYnUcpt6TRks/s1600/IMG_1569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3SdogKYsXFjpg8YrRKHOV03RbbSFzrWpFN9_2ANE6Bcwoe7IeLF6qa60tFJrqf6vordoHCT_wZSMPa-389UdUfEuGf3FHBlGkS8UOHttNsA0aJhwi_6o-BX8rHJikDYQYnUcpt6TRks/s320/IMG_1569.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Lace border trim</span></div><br />
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Overall the pattern worked well for me and I loved the fabrics that I used (vintage lace and silk/cotton blend lining). I finished just about all the seams with bias tape which is something I had never tried but was pleased with the results. I can definitely see myself using this pattern again in the future.<br />
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Yay! I can't wait to wear my dress!<br />
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xxAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-64603722897909303102011-12-02T12:29:00.000-08:002011-12-02T12:29:00.519-08:00Prettiest Wrapping Paper EverHaving grown up in a family that appreciates aesthetics (my grandfather is a retired master carpenter, uncle is an architect, sister studied graphic design), I really love quality goods with great design. Which is exactly why I have a crush on really cool paper.<br />
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Sometimes if I find I have time to kill over the weekend, I might wander into Paper Source and check out what they have in stock (Paper Source also happens to be next door to Sur La Table *drool*). I love their gift wrap, cards, envelopes, etc. because they are made well and have clean lines. So of course when I found out one of my friends at work was getting married, you betcha I went to PS to buy gift wrap. It's not necessarily the cheapest, but seriously, how many times is a close friend going to get married? ...I hope the answer is only once...<br />
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My colleagues and I pitched in to buy the bride a Le Creuset pot, so I needed the prettiest paper I could find. I chose PS's <a href="http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/item/Marigolds-Wrapping-Paper/3106.001/464818.html">Marigolds Wrapping Paper</a>. I added a little raffia accent and was thrilled with the result. Paper Source gift wrap is heavy and creases nicely, unlike most of the crap you will find in stores these days. Oh, and since it's so thick, I wasn't concerned about the LC logo showing through the paper. Not bad considering the pot packaging is orange, white, and black.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdnD1vcILisfywnEFSQ9_IMYP4M0u6vgdtuAzNWQ4aEd8OK0GpPbZEkrZWVDtbI3letdn4wkyAdX0UrDgecD3eZyrLEvf0ApDdb-TzPcORaypPInos9CJZA-cgMigOU9-MwNA9APxGrI/s1600/IMG_3647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdnD1vcILisfywnEFSQ9_IMYP4M0u6vgdtuAzNWQ4aEd8OK0GpPbZEkrZWVDtbI3letdn4wkyAdX0UrDgecD3eZyrLEvf0ApDdb-TzPcORaypPInos9CJZA-cgMigOU9-MwNA9APxGrI/s320/IMG_3647.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you have the cash and want to make a gift extra special, I recommend Paper Source gift wrap. You can also buy single sheets of various handmade papers from all over the world.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">xx</div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-40650652499841808342011-11-29T11:45:00.000-08:002011-11-29T11:54:17.757-08:00Decorative Stitching: Corded NecklineMy obsession with "Mad Men" combined with the plethora of vintage sewing blogs on the web has really piqued my interest in vintage sewing techniques and details. One of those techniques is to use cording.<br />
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I've seen a couple of examples of corded garments, but I found one I'd really love to try at <a href="http://www.coletterie.com/inspiration/vintage-details-a-corded-neckline">Coletterie</a>. It's simple but it adds a lot of visual interest.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMnsV7r6PAgaRWfTeBVeEuDRU8VeapmXzspYO34HPgZ9lOhZh4J-CBQfxW1rXAkUdo3GWB03Rvp73-0XvESYdBQt7IJF2p5HCiuGkfDe2B3Q5WUlacrbZeUKMSJi3uYvj24woKSsCQB8/s1600/corded-neckline-large-500x666.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMnsV7r6PAgaRWfTeBVeEuDRU8VeapmXzspYO34HPgZ9lOhZh4J-CBQfxW1rXAkUdo3GWB03Rvp73-0XvESYdBQt7IJF2p5HCiuGkfDe2B3Q5WUlacrbZeUKMSJi3uYvj24woKSsCQB8/s320/corded-neckline-large-500x666.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPYnVIGgygT6j3Y0mxndyod50ZAeimWQeWXd17ygDHPmrswiluLlt13xlP31Ipsu7aK2k4-D5UUR525uj3Id__SrYdYlUQ0oLd5WPrz-GLolb6l0C0jS5Q_FjXh-2eRyk0K-R5o1zdRE/s1600/corded-neckline-close-500x666.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPYnVIGgygT6j3Y0mxndyod50ZAeimWQeWXd17ygDHPmrswiluLlt13xlP31Ipsu7aK2k4-D5UUR525uj3Id__SrYdYlUQ0oLd5WPrz-GLolb6l0C0jS5Q_FjXh-2eRyk0K-R5o1zdRE/s320/corded-neckline-close-500x666.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I swear I saw a Bernina video a few months ago about cording, but I can't seem to find it. So instead, I found an equally informative <a href="http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/5025/bobbin-work-when-threads-are-too-thick-for-the-needle">article</a> from "Threads" magazine that explains how to stitch cording by winding it onto your bobbin. I'd love to try this kind of cording on a dress, so I'm going to keep this up my sleeve until I have the right project to try it on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">xx</div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-53016639132960526412011-11-28T11:00:00.000-08:002011-12-01T19:19:18.247-08:00Ordered: OttLite Task Lamp & Dritz Dress Form!Hooray! I took advantage of Joann's online Black Friday and ordered a couple items that I've been needing.<br />
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Anyone who is into sewing/crafting/etc. knows you need a good light source to get the job done. I have always admired the OttLite lamps and I finally got to the point where my meager Ikea lighting just wasn't making the cut (har, har, get it?! okay, yeah, not that funny...). Thankfully Joann's had some terrific Black Friday deals online, including an OttLite Task Lamp for $19.99, down from the regular $89.99 price tag. At some 77% off I just couldn't pass it up.<br />
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</div>I also go a dress form. Oh. My. God. I've been reading all sorts of reviews and decided to give the Dritz Simple Fit dress form a try. I really wanted to buy the Fabulous Fit dress from, but at $400, I couldn't justify the price even though it had good reviews. The Dritz model I ordered is newer so there weren't many reviews. Reviews for similar models complained about how the stand was unstable, but it looks like the Simple Fit model has an updated base. I checked the return policy, so if it ends up being a disaster, I'll just bite the bullet and pay for the return shipping.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPVrWRZs7ViaZp576k-2-ttD8aIQD8FeJkDGCTrDd3X-1T3tiiU3AR7_eq05_yp1bEyCvajF-8lbNWSrwMmWRfreRTneWW2Hl9QbuMQl7kXObgT5DVL45Go9_BswsB5mrUcLEBsTPFng/s1600/xprd10958965_z.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPVrWRZs7ViaZp576k-2-ttD8aIQD8FeJkDGCTrDd3X-1T3tiiU3AR7_eq05_yp1bEyCvajF-8lbNWSrwMmWRfreRTneWW2Hl9QbuMQl7kXObgT5DVL45Go9_BswsB5mrUcLEBsTPFng/s320/xprd10958965_z.jpeg" width="282" /></a></div><br />
*If* the dress form looks like it will work well for my purposes, I'll probably order the Fabulous Fit fitting system to help mold the form into an Angela-shape. Dress forms are always going to be imperfect unless you pay to have a custom form made.<br />
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I can't wait until my goodies arrive so I can put them to work. Yay!<br />
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xxAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-58733826306524799012011-11-23T08:24:00.000-08:002011-11-24T11:58:41.545-08:00Color, Pattern & Texture InspirationsI've been playing around with my camera and iPhoto quite a bit and captured some pictures that I find inspirational in terms of color, pattern, and texture. I'd love to use these as a sewing guide some time in the future.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSRYaBUX5EB7NaRJAENnRfTpA0w-WljpoVGZQFMzPwyLp0Liql0_E9NojTt6Tzv500aF8v1CLgHTIpUHYglJKrtSKTfJgn4Hji9uw16HzSY3vFrNL3atoQTocg3cyWMPBPek2S1iR5x0/s1600/IMG_0130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSRYaBUX5EB7NaRJAENnRfTpA0w-WljpoVGZQFMzPwyLp0Liql0_E9NojTt6Tzv500aF8v1CLgHTIpUHYglJKrtSKTfJgn4Hji9uw16HzSY3vFrNL3atoQTocg3cyWMPBPek2S1iR5x0/s320/IMG_0130.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNLXN3MNKlTMWCJyW8r4OCRc5epitUTakPpiaNPVy-wGRld2NHsU3Mc3p02LQ4mqPCaev6dyCrJd9C0GOdfjTUhpdlzoYm52clijq2dvuLViTSf6ubA7_joePqUpU5SbHehfqS2xBHk4/s1600/IMG_1479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNLXN3MNKlTMWCJyW8r4OCRc5epitUTakPpiaNPVy-wGRld2NHsU3Mc3p02LQ4mqPCaev6dyCrJd9C0GOdfjTUhpdlzoYm52clijq2dvuLViTSf6ubA7_joePqUpU5SbHehfqS2xBHk4/s320/IMG_1479.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrS1Xxd-0qREgE42WE2ZAgBW5krMrBlbfyabE-X1llHEaMRAs8Q71iqG1LHwwaepa1xX77Ofqf_cnzuM7tv-7ZHWG2ve9oPBhHqpTj3nvl76oc9bJPwyYyBuxmIHEh5yU7eL55noI1GlI/s1600/IMG_0525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrS1Xxd-0qREgE42WE2ZAgBW5krMrBlbfyabE-X1llHEaMRAs8Q71iqG1LHwwaepa1xX77Ofqf_cnzuM7tv-7ZHWG2ve9oPBhHqpTj3nvl76oc9bJPwyYyBuxmIHEh5yU7eL55noI1GlI/s320/IMG_0525.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJqUynv-SEEQ1waU15VmNdpqFXjmk8lEHI5XOZcxq-JCOPV70hiL0x3rvZbWKO6pfJgryfo4BpjEpBM8IsLQSZGeXJa1r3ZB1jASmY7y1TAqnSbsC_eh5ScP5l5QTLgQIFFcTjQ3tHpA/s1600/IMG_0624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJqUynv-SEEQ1waU15VmNdpqFXjmk8lEHI5XOZcxq-JCOPV70hiL0x3rvZbWKO6pfJgryfo4BpjEpBM8IsLQSZGeXJa1r3ZB1jASmY7y1TAqnSbsC_eh5ScP5l5QTLgQIFFcTjQ3tHpA/s320/IMG_0624.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cGpQQKCCEEo/Tq3yW6guLtI/AAAAAAAAAZY/5MW1bB8hdKI/s1600/IMG_0709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cGpQQKCCEEo/Tq3yW6guLtI/AAAAAAAAAZY/5MW1bB8hdKI/s320/IMG_0709.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I think this is my favorite picture from the whole trip. It's currently my desktop.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1P3n8LRQD5dDJj5B3t6KFUcGyNZX1nzHFqVNuPiLRFxYFTCNFJTz2Tz3p5VttDmQveJZUIWHNZw6zifIfIMqPPSBGhrfi33nu4_ap1MpOrb8FcGEe0zSye25xp-0kv1LyRZQ3SnDHMU/s1600/IMG_0751+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1P3n8LRQD5dDJj5B3t6KFUcGyNZX1nzHFqVNuPiLRFxYFTCNFJTz2Tz3p5VttDmQveJZUIWHNZw6zifIfIMqPPSBGhrfi33nu4_ap1MpOrb8FcGEe0zSye25xp-0kv1LyRZQ3SnDHMU/s320/IMG_0751+2.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedqMK7zgTjW1pHLk8soKRbwZ_Q4v9ZGI3E_xgBaJ5gfYbUCX93oHPsjfJvTmbS-xYIE7E3wqthO9Fs1kD4ovf1rCNHLPfmrwDHHYzg4ygEk_pb-pVURbmPaCo-LKZWkKWw0tgWCHceMo/s1600/IMG_0757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedqMK7zgTjW1pHLk8soKRbwZ_Q4v9ZGI3E_xgBaJ5gfYbUCX93oHPsjfJvTmbS-xYIE7E3wqthO9Fs1kD4ovf1rCNHLPfmrwDHHYzg4ygEk_pb-pVURbmPaCo-LKZWkKWw0tgWCHceMo/s320/IMG_0757.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVdIJCzWvZV4tF0g4FW-3CHBHB8R-TS71imuKDObo_5qiAckQl9dxTbVTy2146uDFx4xoKTc9Va8qRv6p38C_7TgQWpGWwPLSdzmJ8pU4Vzh2S_jWwzxe7tnK_GrwouI4ngf3nIA0vYg/s1600/IMG_0912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVdIJCzWvZV4tF0g4FW-3CHBHB8R-TS71imuKDObo_5qiAckQl9dxTbVTy2146uDFx4xoKTc9Va8qRv6p38C_7TgQWpGWwPLSdzmJ8pU4Vzh2S_jWwzxe7tnK_GrwouI4ngf3nIA0vYg/s320/IMG_0912.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kY5Rwf1yqWIGm85hf-c7IcVRcb_JQbehxSWgIOWudqIPHW-Vei7rs3oySD5oD-F8s1MD9EsNXPPJ13riCbJKcdzZvfUzzVI5jdYfSuwWwaqvuxtx1HvtbKwou_A3lAvJkY0QRPlteRw/s1600/IMG_0933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kY5Rwf1yqWIGm85hf-c7IcVRcb_JQbehxSWgIOWudqIPHW-Vei7rs3oySD5oD-F8s1MD9EsNXPPJ13riCbJKcdzZvfUzzVI5jdYfSuwWwaqvuxtx1HvtbKwou_A3lAvJkY0QRPlteRw/s320/IMG_0933.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvjcg_VFkjqqau9nb-kG6GLx9-CEwfivEYjHFhQ-yR48ojeZTqxTTqFj6aUe-ioLKzmxlKMW69qeKrNmDNVxT1A_UZ6LWFZAEsfXfFAP9b9nBEH7ESgwaEaEOoeUmFlukMCwF-6b9o4Y/s1600/IMG_0976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvjcg_VFkjqqau9nb-kG6GLx9-CEwfivEYjHFhQ-yR48ojeZTqxTTqFj6aUe-ioLKzmxlKMW69qeKrNmDNVxT1A_UZ6LWFZAEsfXfFAP9b9nBEH7ESgwaEaEOoeUmFlukMCwF-6b9o4Y/s320/IMG_0976.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4s143MTrPkfQq1GlFw3YcgOyQ9oZ2ucMARsVoR0BaHqowXVOJXeLRTI-SwxEQoPIuK2q81H2IK_ymMJ_IKKid3q586_WM1VEVTRppYoOlSrpbaqt7OK1EE6quoz97x-CD8_PdmcNf3EU/s1600/IMG_1151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4s143MTrPkfQq1GlFw3YcgOyQ9oZ2ucMARsVoR0BaHqowXVOJXeLRTI-SwxEQoPIuK2q81H2IK_ymMJ_IKKid3q586_WM1VEVTRppYoOlSrpbaqt7OK1EE6quoz97x-CD8_PdmcNf3EU/s320/IMG_1151.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfEgQFntP2a0dkb3Lc9812DFWB_6PLpBeNXv1a8wTKSSsX1ZVdb0aalDjznFvPhH21_6Qc2dv3n9ObAAbsQUimj3HPspW_jS0ZqL6eB-w_rbtrG0PuC8N4UxQa06kj3ySNAGztsdnkxM0/s1600/IMG_1167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfEgQFntP2a0dkb3Lc9812DFWB_6PLpBeNXv1a8wTKSSsX1ZVdb0aalDjznFvPhH21_6Qc2dv3n9ObAAbsQUimj3HPspW_jS0ZqL6eB-w_rbtrG0PuC8N4UxQa06kj3ySNAGztsdnkxM0/s320/IMG_1167.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaBNGWH5_10a2x-1fAbRCjIPUsbWY1tIz3hE-_x0HJi1GzoioyiLGJXLfB7X8A6z9mhJ0v1MSCdIW5LyymlWGzA2xuuoTzC2_18FLvBmfz9jjnkH5fhuokrKy9Yz0J0DgwIp-SjhJ4-8/s1600/IMG_1371_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaBNGWH5_10a2x-1fAbRCjIPUsbWY1tIz3hE-_x0HJi1GzoioyiLGJXLfB7X8A6z9mhJ0v1MSCdIW5LyymlWGzA2xuuoTzC2_18FLvBmfz9jjnkH5fhuokrKy9Yz0J0DgwIp-SjhJ4-8/s320/IMG_1371_2.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All but the top two photos were taken in Iran. I really need to scout out more SF Bay Area locales for photo ops.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">xx</div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-87516454271961578002011-11-22T09:14:00.000-08:002011-11-22T09:14:31.970-08:00Progress: Christmas Party Dress<div class="MsoNormal">My dress is almost done, but with the short week because of Thanksgiving, I doubt I’ll have time to finish it until the weekend. Nonetheless, I am very happy with how it’s going!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After assembling the bodice I discovered I had to make some alterations to the vertical darts. I consider myself to be a fairly slender person and I did compensate for my less-than-hourglass figure by cutting the waist and hip a size larger, but it was still far too tight in the waist! To fix the problem I removed the darts and replaced them with narrower ones.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3raEfT7-och1wffpIRxTWW0-TJyy4NWcGMV4_1_3Aqp5gchUiWeFwPUo-s6Dv6bj8HjsMmpi3VGxpYY1Mtc1EMNguKlms1EUStV0iY9ZVd6xWDhwTIrjHSO3BmUxQ6GuqGUv2DmtzphM/s1600/IMG_1516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3raEfT7-och1wffpIRxTWW0-TJyy4NWcGMV4_1_3Aqp5gchUiWeFwPUo-s6Dv6bj8HjsMmpi3VGxpYY1Mtc1EMNguKlms1EUStV0iY9ZVd6xWDhwTIrjHSO3BmUxQ6GuqGUv2DmtzphM/s320/IMG_1516.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Chalk outline = original dart per pattern</span> <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ojZaMc1PlpVxro7c1SlB2GnzVW7e7avSmEHvdsfcX8BhI9IAPlYy_46WoaRfPVsiUWfmTj0QfGM-AWgE-_v_ck7UgF0zozOQgcMNeSe2vdoKL3rg8lnWkvJ8Sv5H-bo7J-EoVwNR-eQ/s1600/IMG_1517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ojZaMc1PlpVxro7c1SlB2GnzVW7e7avSmEHvdsfcX8BhI9IAPlYy_46WoaRfPVsiUWfmTj0QfGM-AWgE-_v_ck7UgF0zozOQgcMNeSe2vdoKL3rg8lnWkvJ8Sv5H-bo7J-EoVwNR-eQ/s320/IMG_1517.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Assembled bodice with adjusted darts</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I also needed to make some adjustments to the seams on my dress. The lace on my dress is made of synthetic material, so it’s pretty darn scratchy on my ridiculously skin. To avoid any problems, I finished all the seams with bias tape. Not only does the tape help stop the itchies, it also helps prevent the silk fibers from fraying because we all know what a huge mess that turns into about 0.2 seconds after cutting out all the pattern pieces. I wanted to get a crazy-obnoxious color bias tape (magenta!), but Joann’s didn’t have the colors I wanted in the width I wanted, so I settled for lavender.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5idRCzX19vzE5I67iO46hmD0Mw5VpdpV_BbZg8MmMmOpwfmLCRWYYcj_6E1h8EjJCaruQDIUMjDVwH3YPdLJtFjTFqtiA95q4hvC1H3e6jj6qEe9BV9mR0Ik2HrRGfMETIsahi1b0LY/s1600/IMG_1536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5idRCzX19vzE5I67iO46hmD0Mw5VpdpV_BbZg8MmMmOpwfmLCRWYYcj_6E1h8EjJCaruQDIUMjDVwH3YPdLJtFjTFqtiA95q4hvC1H3e6jj6qEe9BV9mR0Ik2HrRGfMETIsahi1b0LY/s320/IMG_1536.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Scratchy seams!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqmwnc6b-rWcCMIucd_ClZT1HeI69-shRdeqKnXTxClM9pjHrsWrZ_oVMvjca5J4CklShH64Mq5PRZFO6rxVXp2Kc3nnmJGksQS1TMTstESrq-8Gk0umMSN08ud2uTf1dfRTPD998y-Y/s1600/IMG_1538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqmwnc6b-rWcCMIucd_ClZT1HeI69-shRdeqKnXTxClM9pjHrsWrZ_oVMvjca5J4CklShH64Mq5PRZFO6rxVXp2Kc3nnmJGksQS1TMTstESrq-8Gk0umMSN08ud2uTf1dfRTPD998y-Y/s320/IMG_1538.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Seams with lavender bias tape (note my iPhone on the left playing Mad Men)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I finally have the skirt attached to the bodice, and am left with sleeves, a zipper, and hemming to complete. Hooray! I’m so happy it’s turning out well! There are sequins all over the house and I’m sure it will shed more during the party, but I don’t care because it’s going to be so purdy. Yes, purdy. Unfortunately pictures with flash just don't do the dress justice.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJXxQXvz_hYb0ojFhTHblamSahdbournrGVsVtnK_utnktgm3t3NBEhM2pbTFfEUYN3M6oECxVSnErgdq_OVVQV0o7azbaT7tmclgzqFnOTqbTBFe_S1z1aQBbjdTBbxuCcsMmHcsj-I/s1600/IMG_1540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJXxQXvz_hYb0ojFhTHblamSahdbournrGVsVtnK_utnktgm3t3NBEhM2pbTFfEUYN3M6oECxVSnErgdq_OVVQV0o7azbaT7tmclgzqFnOTqbTBFe_S1z1aQBbjdTBbxuCcsMmHcsj-I/s320/IMG_1540.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzFdA6cHCGo4cWJ7aO6aZ_DksTIkI45Eu5nqr_qw1ygveD-Kec73Npfe2HAMlTQLRq4zKXiDBDjb56eqE2bJht4ihJC96Me8BcHSHvo_agBJyt70EA_QpJ-_cCYsQa326mBR4NcYPV0c/s1600/IMG_1542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzFdA6cHCGo4cWJ7aO6aZ_DksTIkI45Eu5nqr_qw1ygveD-Kec73Npfe2HAMlTQLRq4zKXiDBDjb56eqE2bJht4ihJC96Me8BcHSHvo_agBJyt70EA_QpJ-_cCYsQa326mBR4NcYPV0c/s320/IMG_1542.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Left: front of dress. Right: back of dress sans zipper.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I hope to have a final product to share within the week!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: 12pt;">xx</span>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-25373135194617161732011-11-21T10:27:00.000-08:002011-11-21T10:30:22.804-08:00Iran Souvenirs: Tchotchkes for the Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I decided to share some pictures of the souvenirs I brought back from Iran. They had such great stuff at the bazaars that I had a horrible time choosing what to buy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Because the United States embargo on Iran, I could not use travelers' checks, credit cards, or debit cards. Strictly cash only. Since the Iranian rial is so weak against the US dollar, I wasn't too worried about running out of money before the trip ended. I stowed $1000 cash in my money belt and boy was it more than I ever needed. I bought a ton of stuff, used a chunk of it for tips for our drivers and tour guides, and I still had several hundred leftover when I was done. Iran is an incredibly safe country, and the only time I felt slightly unsafe was being corralled through "airport security", which basically is where, in my case, women elbowed each other to get themselves and their possessions through the scanners first.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are some of my finds from Esfahan...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJwyuaGOR-MqWj-4ZLkBWmPaLqeniiG9kPeO2XolriZNFy6ofVRzyTU2YRnWnhZxBfWWrN1AeVKMOMyKoSYVeRKBjPkuuPO4hCRn_RuQKabSZPPmYqv5QGpRs4DCKRnWOW4mErHZtKXQ8/s1600/IMG_1554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJwyuaGOR-MqWj-4ZLkBWmPaLqeniiG9kPeO2XolriZNFy6ofVRzyTU2YRnWnhZxBfWWrN1AeVKMOMyKoSYVeRKBjPkuuPO4hCRn_RuQKabSZPPmYqv5QGpRs4DCKRnWOW4mErHZtKXQ8/s320/IMG_1554.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This is an enameled copper dish, about $10. Iran is known for its miniaturist painting, i.e. pictures and designs painted with teeny tiny brushes containing only a few hairs. The man who owned this shop allowed me to try painting an item he was working on, but I think I did a horrible job! He asked me how hard I thought it was, and I admitted it was very difficult. Bowl is for my mom.</span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5qse7oENo2Mo71r06nED3eSODjylJtGTvfL7i4ugvf_o1PccIzXiHTZ6Zct2iLNrTQgx_r7Cjw69ALJjy-k6Q4ao6wZTTOn79H3tOoER3A4JoRlMFbUb0kThcw4oa5n2kwV9mcIT2n4/s1600/IMG_1556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5qse7oENo2Mo71r06nED3eSODjylJtGTvfL7i4ugvf_o1PccIzXiHTZ6Zct2iLNrTQgx_r7Cjw69ALJjy-k6Q4ao6wZTTOn79H3tOoER3A4JoRlMFbUb0kThcw4oa5n2kwV9mcIT2n4/s320/IMG_1556.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Turquoise! These 6 pieces cost me $250, including the 10% I negotiated down. The four round ones on the bottom are for earrings (pair for me and a pair for my mom). The one of the top left is for my sister, and the top right is mine; these two will be made into pendants.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisyg5Y8TSYNiym16NUTHS7T9SHy18YIF3eqsj_7FXfY0A_QnuIs92E578-DG27p6P-FeZuhuifAFvCqRcJRsQEWKE4uWpIr0j_ZXkZ9ZuGEBvS8-Ec7OrOq8N81xxUVw6C2_VsItZqDls/s1600/IMG_1552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisyg5Y8TSYNiym16NUTHS7T9SHy18YIF3eqsj_7FXfY0A_QnuIs92E578-DG27p6P-FeZuhuifAFvCqRcJRsQEWKE4uWpIr0j_ZXkZ9ZuGEBvS8-Ec7OrOq8N81xxUVw6C2_VsItZqDls/s320/IMG_1552.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Camel bone boxes painted by a miniaturist student. My box is on the top, sister's is on the bottom.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsl98EGSwl3G2FJwVLS9QSjZ4gBaPx88fHaNuNdzS6xYQbHzrbSO5QBRQhDaL3cOLH14smxpPAOlp7_b4gaA8APqkMGiYVikyY_1kv7cScOhVAwpMf4gjLacLN0D2i1THdLurLOzIkluk/s1600/IMG_1551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsl98EGSwl3G2FJwVLS9QSjZ4gBaPx88fHaNuNdzS6xYQbHzrbSO5QBRQhDaL3cOLH14smxpPAOlp7_b4gaA8APqkMGiYVikyY_1kv7cScOhVAwpMf4gjLacLN0D2i1THdLurLOzIkluk/s320/IMG_1551.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">What the inside looks like. I still can't believe it's made out of camel bone! $50 for both.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wZbkUeIsrAyn0IQtwe3uZj5ZHsG4kr0hToIRFvcFUWmidYGL4WQJRCoEsQes1wMu5wuN03ovC3ZS4TUZTFdtdEqeGcyg8Zfkzvs9CA8YWf5XxLtMymmgeZhWwpT5mpw6RXRwnRJo1Zo/s1600/IMG_1549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wZbkUeIsrAyn0IQtwe3uZj5ZHsG4kr0hToIRFvcFUWmidYGL4WQJRCoEsQes1wMu5wuN03ovC3ZS4TUZTFdtdEqeGcyg8Zfkzvs9CA8YWf5XxLtMymmgeZhWwpT5mpw6RXRwnRJo1Zo/s320/IMG_1549.JPG" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">My "apothecary" jar. Enameled copper by the same artist as the bowl.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJG3qzb0UlFsbpKgaKYwdUZZTRnjt9BASnlSeBWKMa5qUp8eppcuFnpSOZ9Al63UQird6bgkq__Fmq_6NjbEd8UathmPEU3ZWlnf7hYJNKf3G8VTQvrlGte6d1vFM6iuDLek_OMo7Tm1o/s1600/IMG_1550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJG3qzb0UlFsbpKgaKYwdUZZTRnjt9BASnlSeBWKMa5qUp8eppcuFnpSOZ9Al63UQird6bgkq__Fmq_6NjbEd8UathmPEU3ZWlnf7hYJNKf3G8VTQvrlGte6d1vFM6iuDLek_OMo7Tm1o/s320/IMG_1550.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Inside the jar. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This cost</span> about $15.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3z8BpEymUvcda8uNBT5rffNI6LPM0M0QSpq44uKTmlRrJkn2IOK5RdIFMAZmpgWDa7DPHjzXDsh7qQvj-8xvdBxNVcblzPDxgcoGiQlZByJKovlKYUT4csMQ__AATWCJ68kXveAaSEeM/s1600/IMG_1558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3z8BpEymUvcda8uNBT5rffNI6LPM0M0QSpq44uKTmlRrJkn2IOK5RdIFMAZmpgWDa7DPHjzXDsh7qQvj-8xvdBxNVcblzPDxgcoGiQlZByJKovlKYUT4csMQ__AATWCJ68kXveAaSEeM/s320/IMG_1558.JPG" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And the p</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 38px;">ièce de résistance: my copper lantern. These things are <i>everywhere</i>. Solid copper and hand forged. Cost: $35.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A couple of notes!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>Bargaining in Iranian bazaars is not the same kind of bargaining we see at garage sales here in the States. Americans are used to automatically offering half price, but this is totally unacceptable to Iranian merchants. Standard discounts are usually no more than 10%. Depending on whether or not I was buying multiple items, I adjusted my offer accordingly, and I was never declined. A nice thing is that all merchants generally accept USD.</li>
<li>Turquoise is cheaper in Iran because of the exchange rate and the plentiful supply of quality stones, but they are not dirt cheap. On the upside, they are <i>actual</i> turquoise stones. The majority of turquoise in the US, as I have learned, is reconstituted. Because turquoise is so fragile and the layer of stone so thin, it's hard to get good pieces. In the States it's a common practice to take inferior stones, crush them, then mold them into a desirable shape. I may have been able to get cheaper stones at home, but they more than likely would have been artificial. I purchased my turquoise from a reputable jeweler. Also: jewels/stones are usually purchased separate of a setting. Labor is cheap in Iran, so most Iranians have their jewelry custom made. I unfortunately wasn't in any city long enough to get my stones set.</li>
</ul><div>These are only some of my souvenirs, so I'll have to take pictures of the rest.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Hope you enjoyed looking!</div><div><br />
</div><div>xx</div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-8763584233183053832011-11-18T12:22:00.000-08:002011-11-18T12:22:26.597-08:00Sewing Inspiration: Betty DraperI am kind of obsessed with the AMC television show, "Mad Men". Like seriously. I currently have season 4 on my iPhone and I watch it while I'm on my elliptical machine.<br />
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All kidding aside, "Mad Men" has fantastic costuming and is great inspiration for sewing ideas. I admit I dislike Betty Draper as a person, but I love her clothes. Here's my Betty Draper inspiration wall...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqB1JuM9gUIFLx33HhOjodJ5Sr_UetFSdv5cTYkLgwYUiFmKDNl1jp0bEMkxTe2RL7oixbxs65akZ8D0YgJEkLYI_8TiO2aENOHg-Yk5jBZr3aemuZMy56KFZmrekA9hXaF1hLGMCP9ug/s1600/6a00d83451c76a69e2010537090fb2970b.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqB1JuM9gUIFLx33HhOjodJ5Sr_UetFSdv5cTYkLgwYUiFmKDNl1jp0bEMkxTe2RL7oixbxs65akZ8D0YgJEkLYI_8TiO2aENOHg-Yk5jBZr3aemuZMy56KFZmrekA9hXaF1hLGMCP9ug/s320/6a00d83451c76a69e2010537090fb2970b.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Season 2</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6zcxD_PW0g7H28mdmR4i6yvR40jJcze4gvYR2X1a4umoPY4UaSQMET4Lm8mJlF8wbtL5a-wgrWsW8N-j_xa9BntDXFdo14wzfvc478C-3cnf9j-iFfHeLcmj16IFLBOzJJYA8lk7CgY/s1600/january_jones_as_betty_draper_mad_men.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6zcxD_PW0g7H28mdmR4i6yvR40jJcze4gvYR2X1a4umoPY4UaSQMET4Lm8mJlF8wbtL5a-wgrWsW8N-j_xa9BntDXFdo14wzfvc478C-3cnf9j-iFfHeLcmj16IFLBOzJJYA8lk7CgY/s320/january_jones_as_betty_draper_mad_men.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Season 1?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJkQJeNSLObcP9DeGj-xadfjxDnhRG9Kg7Z4_mckMBY4nb2gpAOnhC2DIJhNZCx1B9m8MDfxIEQ8-8uh44eCrTk3uu0u-uV3TdoO9ZrBSuGI2tuWjlJzmXk2j443glwlDjcaiSjk_wXU/s1600/januaryjones_rom.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJkQJeNSLObcP9DeGj-xadfjxDnhRG9Kg7Z4_mckMBY4nb2gpAOnhC2DIJhNZCx1B9m8MDfxIEQ8-8uh44eCrTk3uu0u-uV3TdoO9ZrBSuGI2tuWjlJzmXk2j443glwlDjcaiSjk_wXU/s320/januaryjones_rom.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Season 3</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDmVp5dhvVFb2T7gsgsqqdgouBuq5pu5TZtJhFlgR6R94bWv9x8zviDEVbR76gJ35P-VZ4Z_4VqKqFPmFjfHIMNcExNsr15I0kyFZWOynJTmEnH1IMGEv8wwP5wzdbQK_6SM6AvZCRy0/s1600/mad+men5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDmVp5dhvVFb2T7gsgsqqdgouBuq5pu5TZtJhFlgR6R94bWv9x8zviDEVbR76gJ35P-VZ4Z_4VqKqFPmFjfHIMNcExNsr15I0kyFZWOynJTmEnH1IMGEv8wwP5wzdbQK_6SM6AvZCRy0/s320/mad+men5.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Season ??</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtE-1nM3pg9I3aXg7brq-pT1xjtlzSi0a0Tez8lkc_mpUxfusRKyKb0j-yt1-obIRNVeMf06gBGu5Em4fEUqovcsDrLQLW7e3a9dNMQBNmwCn4uaKxbaD-VWatXPBH9Nfm-UWxaJr7iI/s1600/Mad%252BMen%252BMad%252BStyle%252BBetty%252BDraper%252BSeason%252B2%252BEpisode%252B6%252B1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtE-1nM3pg9I3aXg7brq-pT1xjtlzSi0a0Tez8lkc_mpUxfusRKyKb0j-yt1-obIRNVeMf06gBGu5Em4fEUqovcsDrLQLW7e3a9dNMQBNmwCn4uaKxbaD-VWatXPBH9Nfm-UWxaJr7iI/s320/Mad%252BMen%252BMad%252BStyle%252BBetty%252BDraper%252BSeason%252B2%252BEpisode%252B6%252B1.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Season 2</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The only major problems I find with these silhouettes are (a) you need a petticoat of some sort to add volume to the skirts, and (b) you need a bullet bra to properly fill out the bust. I read a fantastic <a href="http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/2011/10/trends-and-politics-of-bra-shape.html">article</a> over at Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing on bullet bras vs. t-shirt bras. It was both funny and informative.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">xx</div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-77905755244124565842011-11-17T14:10:00.000-08:002011-11-17T14:10:00.664-08:00Hot Patterns Wong-Singh-Jones Marrakesh Drawstring PantsUm. I might not know where to start. Well, I most definitely know you don't start with the instructions. Because there barely are any.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyk0ppLlOE7GozmWREANT6jTCGRGR40nUen_NBObuL2M_Yh4M6zRbrfVjUm-2rhgiBgrkK99nIjHHWdon_86T5OcnbfYBJycU1Mmo1GNCigWghVgj9G512eOFoBPg4gc3pEPtWa8jAWr8/s1600/ref%253Ddp_image_0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyk0ppLlOE7GozmWREANT6jTCGRGR40nUen_NBObuL2M_Yh4M6zRbrfVjUm-2rhgiBgrkK99nIjHHWdon_86T5OcnbfYBJycU1Mmo1GNCigWghVgj9G512eOFoBPg4gc3pEPtWa8jAWr8/s1600/ref%253Ddp_image_0.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
I'm pretty new to the world of sewing, but I'm always up for a challenge. Maybe it stems from my teacher's pet days, or maybe it's because I'm incredibly stubborn and refuse to give up. I figured drawstring pants would be a great place to start when it comes to pants. They're not incredibly fitted, and there are fewer seams.<br />
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I needed a pair of loose, comfortable pants to wear in Iran because I knew it was going to be hot. I found slub linen on sale at Joann's and got to work on my pants. Or at least I tried.<br />
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The instructions are incredibly confusing and are not ideal for someone with very little experience. With broad statements like "attach waistband", unless you have done one before, you probably won't know how it's supposed to work. Also, I was not a fan of the approximations of how much fabric I would need. I don't want to be told, "You'll need about 2 yards of fabric", because it depends on the type of fabric, the pattern, if there's a nap, if you are making super big pants, the width of the fabric, etc. I am paying you, the pattern manufacturer, to tell me how to make these pants, so can't you at least give me proper instructions? I almost feel like someone who didn't know how to sew wrote the instructions. That bad.<br />
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In the end, the pants turned out okay, and just okay. They were too tight on my butt, so I had to make some adjustments for that, and the zipper is a bit wonky because the instructions are really terrible (I got to the point where I had to pull out a pair of my jeans to figure out how they had been assembled). The concept of the pants is nice, but execution-wise, I need to re-design the assembly process.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBYBQCeRDbUg8HSMcEQcsy_3_vVvWX7klvOfZGmeGgtY_beFRWhqxrACnJP1LCCdDATPDNDCi74gX3Dxql3rV0LOci9dM1ys-OwqEwhVawN2bmpecqxeHLYiOG9f1W-X2GlPdSAWmJDU/s1600/IMG_0343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBYBQCeRDbUg8HSMcEQcsy_3_vVvWX7klvOfZGmeGgtY_beFRWhqxrACnJP1LCCdDATPDNDCi74gX3Dxql3rV0LOci9dM1ys-OwqEwhVawN2bmpecqxeHLYiOG9f1W-X2GlPdSAWmJDU/s320/IMG_0343.jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6RY5cglk2H_B1XVrFfjoXfaDnSasbp-XYXOtM_yJE6ZPDaukc5FE9BklXiHI14PIksPwNV75yw8teheP4V1LQeK1i1jyBjMhFx3QJ18MJo1VmFaP9rJ0S7c90iLEG_mYQxn-6O5Dkgo/s1600/IMG_0345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6RY5cglk2H_B1XVrFfjoXfaDnSasbp-XYXOtM_yJE6ZPDaukc5FE9BklXiHI14PIksPwNV75yw8teheP4V1LQeK1i1jyBjMhFx3QJ18MJo1VmFaP9rJ0S7c90iLEG_mYQxn-6O5Dkgo/s320/IMG_0345.jpg" width="202" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Pants before I attached the waistband: crazy zipper, prominent pockets, and "pilates bedonkadonk" before I adjusted the seat</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The pants worked out great for my trip: they were comfortable, breathed nicely, and dried quickly, especially when given how low the humidity is in Iran. I'm glad I chose a slub fabric because it needed zero ironing, even though it is indeed linen. I've worn the pants a few times at home, but since the weather has cooled off, I haven't been wearing them. I'll be keeping them for at least another season. Perhaps I'll make another pair of pants in the future, but only after I've had some practice with a different pants pattern.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNC8cxt5t2CPXdqovxXmbtr5WnYCAgxhIsI2L4Iy5rO30kA27edEhLDq34GBI4lH55sZ7Ur0Q-t0BKWfsXtKDWtHMj9oS0K8prkQpTb2EbtQqU6LMoYEZEWdtB9MauyVrOSIWBdGWNlA/s1600/IMG_1175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNC8cxt5t2CPXdqovxXmbtr5WnYCAgxhIsI2L4Iy5rO30kA27edEhLDq34GBI4lH55sZ7Ur0Q-t0BKWfsXtKDWtHMj9oS0K8prkQpTb2EbtQqU6LMoYEZEWdtB9MauyVrOSIWBdGWNlA/s320/IMG_1175.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Persian culture has a thing for unibrows. And for some reason my pants look incredibly short here.</span></div><br />
I would only recommend this pattern if you are particularly masochistic, or you have a decent amount of pant sewing experience under your belt (pun intended).<br />
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xxAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-2982507632979355982011-11-16T07:41:00.000-08:002011-11-16T07:41:00.876-08:00Simplicity tunicIt's time to catch up on completed sewing projects!<br />
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I sewed Simplicity top 2255 before I went on vacation. I needed a top that would reach my elbows, cover my pelvis, and was loose-fitting.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRqiUxV4p4wJX5ZffwFtaJ-mALIi7VHTnkg1G-zBeeeocnbOZ5WmdqsYcp3V9fkSHgM6VBY10OPbvt4DBPXPQ44uX70ehR4TsYZGt8xryD8MTpgb9M9KOoZtqR1zsTo2k-o-EjyxkD3w/s1600/2255.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRqiUxV4p4wJX5ZffwFtaJ-mALIi7VHTnkg1G-zBeeeocnbOZ5WmdqsYcp3V9fkSHgM6VBY10OPbvt4DBPXPQ44uX70ehR4TsYZGt8xryD8MTpgb9M9KOoZtqR1zsTo2k-o-EjyxkD3w/s320/2255.jpeg" width="222" /></a></div><br />
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It ended up being a terrific garment to wear in Iran, and it's still fashionable enough that I would be more than happy to wear it at home since I could roll up the sleeves with the nifty tabs.<br />
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The pattern was easy enough to follow, though it could have used some clarifications when assembling the placket. I usually like to zone out a little bit while I'm sewing, so if you aren't careful, you might not notice that the instructions didn't tell you to copy placket assembly to the other half of the shirt front. Whoops! It's not a big deal, and if you have half an ounce of common sense, you can figure it out.<br />
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I chose a Liberty of London Tana Lawn fabric. It was quite spendy at over $20/yard, but it has such a tight weave that I know I won't have any problems with the fabric failing. I had been eyeing similar lawn shirts at JCrew, but I couldn't bring to spend upwards of $80 for a skimpy shirt with low-quality cotton fabric.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObRFzWEz1ByKKS25tAIeICRg74HYI8FkbZI4mhPGXpSXbxDwHWY4YACRt44DNhTomle61Cq2HTO3JUUzgxhoX8ZoZP27K_Fc9fMeGNCLlKHxcRy9wfUXRnDU4kGluFiF9DvqlzEuznF8/s1600/IMG_0327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObRFzWEz1ByKKS25tAIeICRg74HYI8FkbZI4mhPGXpSXbxDwHWY4YACRt44DNhTomle61Cq2HTO3JUUzgxhoX8ZoZP27K_Fc9fMeGNCLlKHxcRy9wfUXRnDU4kGluFiF9DvqlzEuznF8/s320/IMG_0327.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLcLxjTV3SOScJ2XA6e9uLzIJSonpMFfcnfBXb2_H0tsM-JrZ4qBEIgnkbland6FrEOic_50q6gaR9i_SAeTCv_54pCHBPf6QxXcvZIJDHKfCu93gZyG7uIq8Ds80bYFo7BZk01jzBVM/s1600/IMG_0328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLcLxjTV3SOScJ2XA6e9uLzIJSonpMFfcnfBXb2_H0tsM-JrZ4qBEIgnkbland6FrEOic_50q6gaR9i_SAeTCv_54pCHBPf6QxXcvZIJDHKfCu93gZyG7uIq8Ds80bYFo7BZk01jzBVM/s320/IMG_0328.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The two above photos are of me at my house.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9ptmkcNNjM0z3beGEiR_ofLfaUO0vrMkGs1Y2pH9ip3_ZjtKlk_SZ6gtZzjKyW7NGV62IR4Uxc65bTiHYBeFdK1NBg38qYbYquH5_qd-VyNd-vgzzGVrUBGgHxju-l1sdjl_Yzy98uA/s1600/IMG_1021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9ptmkcNNjM0z3beGEiR_ofLfaUO0vrMkGs1Y2pH9ip3_ZjtKlk_SZ6gtZzjKyW7NGV62IR4Uxc65bTiHYBeFdK1NBg38qYbYquH5_qd-VyNd-vgzzGVrUBGgHxju-l1sdjl_Yzy98uA/s320/IMG_1021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ta-da! Muslim-friendly clothing! This photo is of me at the Friday Mosque complex in Esfahan, Iran.</div><br />
All in all, I love the results and I would recommend this pattern to a friend.<br />
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xxAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-54386197199047892382011-11-15T14:27:00.000-08:002011-11-15T17:59:32.877-08:00Christmas DressI've already begun construction on my party dress! I was fortunate enough to snag some vintage lace for CHEAP and get some nice silk/cotton blend fabric from a local silk shop for lining. Check out my lace!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorDXMk9Ej4sM9dNHID5EvNLwnN__NAwUrM0SBLvAXQNREve7G9n_EnxCnYf08GT76OICWOAkDZkwfc8OSb4IcE8464Rgjfh8i-pLM-tYDRN0Nl-y2dz32j94vqo50ixST7Q_P5NbUy3Y/s1600/IMG_0443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorDXMk9Ej4sM9dNHID5EvNLwnN__NAwUrM0SBLvAXQNREve7G9n_EnxCnYf08GT76OICWOAkDZkwfc8OSb4IcE8464Rgjfh8i-pLM-tYDRN0Nl-y2dz32j94vqo50ixST7Q_P5NbUy3Y/s320/IMG_0443.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm pretty sure it's polyester (boo) but I'm not too picky with lace. Silk lace is ridonculously expensive, and I surely was not prepared to spend over $100 per yard on a material I have never worked with previously. This lace will be more than fine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was flip-flopping on a dress pattern for about a week. But after mulling it over and talking to some girlfriends, I decided on Vogue pattern 8766:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1j41zBd9gnpv4ACZyE8kk27zge2HLS_jIwbnzpAargJNYQ4Drzahmg-NtaAdf6JuIdNoZGRr2ebbVeF-QLgziolJq8BkMTMY4DzS-VIqmlXym-b2sUQtFhXQYAejXglSXTKyxyQ2jx1U/s1600/V8766.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1j41zBd9gnpv4ACZyE8kk27zge2HLS_jIwbnzpAargJNYQ4Drzahmg-NtaAdf6JuIdNoZGRr2ebbVeF-QLgziolJq8BkMTMY4DzS-VIqmlXym-b2sUQtFhXQYAejXglSXTKyxyQ2jx1U/s320/V8766.jpeg" width="303" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>I'm going to change the sleeves a bit. I hate having sleeves that hang just below my elbow because I find myself constantly pulling my sleeves up so I can have full use of my arms. Not good. I am shortening the sleeves a few inches to remedy the problem. I am also going to line the sleeves with my silk/cotton lining. I love the idea of bare arms under the lace, but my lace is brown, my lining is black, and I think nude arms would just look really awkward and incomplete. Polyester silk is kind of scratchy to boot, so I think lined sleeves are a win-win.<br />
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I also adjusted the waist and hip proportions of the pattern. I'm technically classified as an "athletic figure", i.e. I have little to no discernable waist, so I adjusted the pattern accordingly. The pattern is a 6-8-10-12 and my waist/hip is more of a 14 according to the pattern measurements, so I extrapolated a bit to hopefully get a better fit on my bottom half. Before starting pilates I wouldn't have had a problem with the hip measurement, but I can thank all the booty busting exercises for giving me a larger, perkier derriere. (thanks, Drea!)<br />
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I'm not sure about using a ribbon as a sash...it looks a little haphazard to me. I have a feeling I'll like it better without the ribbon, but we'll see.<br />
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I've cut out almost all the pieces; all I have left is the lining for the sleeves.<br />
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I (hand) basted the lace to the lining, per the instructions. I'm an avid Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing reader, so I have been using her sewing tips. My machine can make long stitches, but when basting, you want reeeaaaaallllyyy long stitches so it's easier to pull out the basting later on. Hand basting doesn't take long at all, and it helps give you a very professional result.<br />
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Since all the basting will eventually get pulled out, I used magenta thread just to make it a little easier to see.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3QU5qYK3c2s_s4vjYvtYyapsjAxJuPifU90zExGINFrGflVTpwP156oS7_CU8dZ39hW62Q5CTBVw-fMJZ5KvLn9qmoIo99ETMrmcadxkXLXyp5vLD7X9hY-VwwHlor40WtDCdd9HZxE/s1600/IMG_1506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3QU5qYK3c2s_s4vjYvtYyapsjAxJuPifU90zExGINFrGflVTpwP156oS7_CU8dZ39hW62Q5CTBVw-fMJZ5KvLn9qmoIo99ETMrmcadxkXLXyp5vLD7X9hY-VwwHlor40WtDCdd9HZxE/s320/IMG_1506.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGdSz7Nf3kabeYUipqqdJeTEsRTIpjfCx9hHF4MPbt9shBLeIqsTCI5cTnYiyDgpNo00OnpLHDb25QwMW2hGuIzsEn5PyDzT9_0XgGxiMJvZrD59nZyvJv9Ubh28jFgPE7uM6AHm7k8Q/s1600/IMG_1507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGdSz7Nf3kabeYUipqqdJeTEsRTIpjfCx9hHF4MPbt9shBLeIqsTCI5cTnYiyDgpNo00OnpLHDb25QwMW2hGuIzsEn5PyDzT9_0XgGxiMJvZrD59nZyvJv9Ubh28jFgPE7uM6AHm7k8Q/s320/IMG_1507.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I spent this evening after work doing all the basting, so the next step will be to sew in all the darts, but I'll save that for a different day.<br />
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I'm really amped for the final product. I have a feeling the dress will end up looking really "Mad Men" given the pattern of the dress, but that is more than okay with me. I'm still trying to decide what kind of shoes to wear, but I'll probably just end up wearing my Gentle Souls ballet flats. They're cute and sooooo commmmfortable.<br />
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I also need to make a petticoat because I want a little bit of flounce to the skirt instead of it hanging straight down. I guess that means another trip to the silk shop is in order!<br />
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xxAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-34561238547276768032011-11-14T22:54:00.000-08:002011-11-14T23:38:11.851-08:00Meet Peggy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Shortly before heading out of the country for my month-long vacation, I purchased a new Bernina sewing machine. I bought my machine at our local sewing mecca, Eddie's Quilting Bee in Sunnyvale, CA. I wasn't planning on buying a new machine, but I couldn't pass on the price, especially given that Bernina was discontinuing the model I liked. $3000 later, my new little machine has been humming away like a dream.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZObCte_j66mUqcoaWUmJCrrXvHL6ZLmSFEb0m8MDmetGz1x4Sy_UBm3y6fpjBWAm6umCS-GGtVAiFBKm-teIZTgTgVxJLJbOYuqt_wVV6Kl8F4UcsWGlTzZik4SQmnrctZ8EWDuoaig/s1600/aurora-450_0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZObCte_j66mUqcoaWUmJCrrXvHL6ZLmSFEb0m8MDmetGz1x4Sy_UBm3y6fpjBWAm6umCS-GGtVAiFBKm-teIZTgTgVxJLJbOYuqt_wVV6Kl8F4UcsWGlTzZik4SQmnrctZ8EWDuoaig/s1600/aurora-450_0.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div>Of course I needed to name my machine. She's sassy, she's intelligent, and she can kick butt. I'm quite famously obsessed with "Mad Men", so who else would I name my machine after?!</div><div><br />
</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4tEBfsP-Zi1DZ4S6h7AjJjY448XMuOb0c_0VwF4v6G8muhbiHbO_TYMqbaMOB1OFmVtsvYZhVLC5MIcYDMwJiENpUdsl2FjjDJyrAIbZdqRjxd1rp43PDQECeVYEeqm9jtZwBpvEfWE/s1600/image-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4tEBfsP-Zi1DZ4S6h7AjJjY448XMuOb0c_0VwF4v6G8muhbiHbO_TYMqbaMOB1OFmVtsvYZhVLC5MIcYDMwJiENpUdsl2FjjDJyrAIbZdqRjxd1rp43PDQECeVYEeqm9jtZwBpvEfWE/s320/image-1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Well none other than Peggy Olson! I think it's a pretty terrific fit.<br />
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What I find really funny is that Bernina machines come with a little accessory case. To me, it looks like a Barbie armoir. Seriously. It's the size of Barbie. Has double doors like a real armoir. And it has drawers that would be perfect for all of Barbie's shoes and accessories.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVu5K5G0L5Ar5dJniTiybuxMm4-bicl2v8jGs_KYsmLYi4NLvg57SkqFnW1qy95b6CdhYOJixEMOZ1p4rgIpZX5WlO72EZIBu7lhzAf1LvJPVUnx3wbQG1hEZoNWfRaacBdYl3KXrlXM/s1600/4569929915_a777701d6f.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVu5K5G0L5Ar5dJniTiybuxMm4-bicl2v8jGs_KYsmLYi4NLvg57SkqFnW1qy95b6CdhYOJixEMOZ1p4rgIpZX5WlO72EZIBu7lhzAf1LvJPVUnx3wbQG1hEZoNWfRaacBdYl3KXrlXM/s320/4569929915_a777701d6f.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Barbie closet. For reals.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm still learning all the functions on my machine, but I'm very amazed with its capabilities. It has a hands-free lever you can operate with you leg which will drop the feed dogs while lifting the presser foot. Winding a bobbin is a snap, and with drop-in loading, you save lots of time. I made a wool coat on my machine, and I had no problems with the thickness of the fabric. I could go on and on about all the wonderful things Peggy can do :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My new project is a dress for my company's Christmas party. I don't really "need" a dress, but it's a great excuse to indulge in some fabric shopping and learn some new sewing skills.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's all for now!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">xx</div><br />
</div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-20999071736128898022011-10-15T09:55:00.000-07:002011-10-15T09:55:21.142-07:00Updates, updates!So sorry I have been slacking off with the posts! I was so incredibly busy during the last couple weeks of August and into the beginning of September. Sewing clothes for a trip is definitely a stressful undertaking, but being who I am, I love stressful challenges. Even if I do end up making myself sick with anxiety!<br />
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My trip to Iran and Europe was absolutely AMAZING. I really need to collect all my thoughts and write an article on my Iran experience, so a post on that will be coming some time soon. It completely blew my mind and I can't really sum it up in a few words.<br />
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I am also overdue in posting stuff on my sewing projects. I finished a few but I also had to postpone a couple projects because there was no way I would have time to finish them before my trip. So I need to post on old projects I've finished, finish half-completed projects, and then also get working on new projects for fall/winter 2011.<br />
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I have been home 2 weeks now and it is quite an adjustment. Unpacking still needs to be done, sorting of souvenirs, and of course there are the 1300 photos that I need to go through and edit. And on top of all that, work has been CRAZY and is only going to get more insane in the weeks and months ahead. I am always up for an insane challenge, especially after having spent a month traveling and relaxing. I highly recommend long vacations if you can afford them!<br />
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Lots of stuff coming soon to a blog near you!<br />
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xxAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-15356520622556914622011-08-10T00:06:00.000-07:002011-08-10T00:06:20.338-07:00Five year old passport photos? Check!I have officially sent off my passport to get my Iran visa! So very exciting! Fortunately I did not have to have passport photos of me wearing a hijab, despite everything I had read, so I was able use a five-year-old passport photo copy I made before I studied abroad in college. I FedEx'd my passport and photo and I should get it back in about a week or so with something that looks like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvtDk3r7XdLIsLNoEBApsNnOvlh6cuF4-9Xq6WZCHqhn17mOFo7T_KlyNqI0Z0U5fxnZSZ9Xphq6q1as9KJEaqbXIvKMaU-ZsVp_HQTnpP_CBwZDzDxFyS5fJvWPPV_b5lgOwc2T3CCw/s1600/Iran-VIsa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvtDk3r7XdLIsLNoEBApsNnOvlh6cuF4-9Xq6WZCHqhn17mOFo7T_KlyNqI0Z0U5fxnZSZ9Xphq6q1as9KJEaqbXIvKMaU-ZsVp_HQTnpP_CBwZDzDxFyS5fJvWPPV_b5lgOwc2T3CCw/s320/Iran-VIsa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And of course I'll take a picture of my actual visa and post it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On another note, I'm horribly behind in my sewing. I have had this top hanging around for a few weeks and can't bring myself to finish it:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijB-eo0vsPnvlRU_fbvk76iY5ylFC-aOmIPnrdlXagG6L7LDANUxiVtgusLhZSt4wj3sc81qDa55gbtrdC52r_4Y5Y6B8wH7hRiw1mJZ_rqKWNlwwXsfUOjVmrBPud92hyphenhyphen_HKUzuD5qx4/s1600/IMG_0261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijB-eo0vsPnvlRU_fbvk76iY5ylFC-aOmIPnrdlXagG6L7LDANUxiVtgusLhZSt4wj3sc81qDa55gbtrdC52r_4Y5Y6B8wH7hRiw1mJZ_rqKWNlwwXsfUOjVmrBPud92hyphenhyphen_HKUzuD5qx4/s320/IMG_0261.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>It's a long button-down shirt made of Liberty of London lawn cotton. I loooove the fabric (and I had better at just under $30/yard!), but the pattern on it is so damn busy that you really cannot easily transfer markings to it. Even with tailor's chalk you can barely find markings! Oy. It shall be done soon enough though. P.S. check out my awesome bungee desk chair. Got it at 50% off at the Container Store. It was a floor model. I also got my desk on sale there too...it has a roll-out portion, perfect for when I'm working on projects. It's really similar to the Jay desk from West Elm, but I liked the Container Store's desk hutch better.<br />
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I have also been working on what I thought would be a real beaut:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwFsZc0PQyoaXX-qIFjs2_RdA7nrMjWU-FfrMVFjSlAUMMiFz5MBWxxg2WFH0fPMcLarum0bx42I5HwmWJGAZ35hDJUqJ9_GppQLCefmdSfxT4e14oCIbZ4MHN7BUOPWSvmmL3j5EbRU/s1600/IMG_0282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwFsZc0PQyoaXX-qIFjs2_RdA7nrMjWU-FfrMVFjSlAUMMiFz5MBWxxg2WFH0fPMcLarum0bx42I5HwmWJGAZ35hDJUqJ9_GppQLCefmdSfxT4e14oCIbZ4MHN7BUOPWSvmmL3j5EbRU/s320/IMG_0282.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The fabric I chose is silk, and having not worked with silk before, I had no idea what kind of a nightmare I was getting myself into! The fabric has an awesome border print, but boy is it finicky. I think next time I'm going to steer clear of the lightweight silks. On the upside I'm learning lots of new functions on my sewing machine, like overlock stitching! My silk frays like crazy, and I hate FrayCheck with a passion (read: HUGE DISGUSTING MESS), so overlock stitching has become my new bff on this project.<br />
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Hopefully I will make some actual headway on my sewing projects. Declaring my plans to a public that most likely does not read my blog still somehow motivates me to get it done.<br />
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Cheers!<br />
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xxAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-47921433490120990532011-07-30T21:58:00.000-07:002011-07-30T22:03:13.189-07:00It Makes Me Think of SummerSummer. Warm weather. Long days. And food. Food. Food!<br />
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I love the bounty of the summer harvest. Tomatoes, cucumbers, nectarines, corn, peaches, and more and more tomatoes!<br />
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So what's a girl to do with so much fresh veg? Why make a pasta dish of course! Greek/Mediterranean pasta salads scream of summer, so I eat as much of it as I can when tomatoes are at their peak. First let's take a quick gander at how we should build a foundation for this amazing pasta salad...<br />
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There are so many types of pastas, so how do you choose the right kind? The shape and size of pasta determines what kind of dish and sauce it is supposed to be used for. The more nooks and crannies there are, e.g. gigli (lily-shaped) & quadrefiore, the heavier and meatier the sauce should be---and not particularly ideal for pasta salads. For more dainty noodles like angel hair, sauces should be lighter and probably meatless, which is why it is so deliciously ideal for a coating with fruity olive oil and tossed with chopped tomatoes, basil, and garlic. Short noodles like farfalle and penne are good in pasta salads where the other ingredients in the dish are roughly the same size as the noodle.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFy7anosBHAiy6fPYczOgDiBOViIlMk-NMn1oZ2UKZKKW7VO8Cch6kcLkyU0IaDZqQ16ymBpB-0iZKv1Ulo5Voemw8NBIa34OWhIDfRNK7SNqyin-5pyAyVxvjFVkNJIcJLpX7v-9ei5E/s1600/pasta1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFy7anosBHAiy6fPYczOgDiBOViIlMk-NMn1oZ2UKZKKW7VO8Cch6kcLkyU0IaDZqQ16ymBpB-0iZKv1Ulo5Voemw8NBIa34OWhIDfRNK7SNqyin-5pyAyVxvjFVkNJIcJLpX7v-9ei5E/s320/pasta1.gif" width="185" /></a></div><br />
But if you get lazy, I say angel hair is best because the noodles are so skinny that they cook in about half the time of other pastas. The less time I have to stand over a pot of boiling water fishing out noodles to test for that "al dente" perfection, the better. Once the pasta is cooked, I drain it and immediately drizzle it with olive oil to prevent it from sticking in one giant clump.<br />
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My pasta salads always include tomatoes (I prefer grape tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes), cucumbers (hothouse, English, or Persian), and the best extra virgin olive oil I can get my hands on. I usually try to get feta cheese in there, and generally match my feta to whatever else I'm including in the dish. Imported Greek feta tends to be very briny can be overwhelming when paired with green olives, kalamata olives, or capers. I usually try to get a milder feta such as French, Bulgarian, or domestic feta. Don't get me wrong, I love Greek feta, but I try to dial down the salt content where I can. I mostly just use the feta for the creamy texture it gets with olive oil when it's allowed to warm up to room temp.<br />
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Depending on what else I have, I will toss in some combination of bell peppers, roasted peppers, pepperoncinis, capers, dill, garlic, and lemon juice. It's very forgiving and is a great way to use up random veg you might have lurking in the fridge.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSrPja18zVN7oPy1OCBPS-kuNVfjD3hYY5FUc2bfMxvaDMXm2W37WKjn4OH6CowqdPqXptQN_SotoUubZKRUjA5rkXZTdJLXiLpA9u3AHk_yIp8k9LKakbJtWuUgIuNEnKHr0_G9DjkQ/s1600/IMG_0218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSrPja18zVN7oPy1OCBPS-kuNVfjD3hYY5FUc2bfMxvaDMXm2W37WKjn4OH6CowqdPqXptQN_SotoUubZKRUjA5rkXZTdJLXiLpA9u3AHk_yIp8k9LKakbJtWuUgIuNEnKHr0_G9DjkQ/s320/IMG_0218.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Another recipe I love to indulge in, especially during the summer when our lemon tree is in overdrive, is baking fish with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Most fish fillets bake in about 10 minutes which is great. After I pull the fish out of the oven, I squeeze some lemon juice over it and add chopped dill. For plating, I usually add a couple of slices lemon.<br />
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I love summer food and have even been self-indulgent enough to sneak away at lunch with coworkers to picnic by the bay and watch the planes across the water at SFO.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1x-P0yPz_fIfwtSS_MWjZbWIKix0QGSHPV_RDkteLUYiBauL_SCcpXkTwJQGbK4PbKQYivzC1nxfS4QnOUEYMSKrw3K2iahIAbRoYPsn2FOeQvF1VPR2yLb9hyi08dM8XIsRxVXlvGs/s1600/IMG_0217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1x-P0yPz_fIfwtSS_MWjZbWIKix0QGSHPV_RDkteLUYiBauL_SCcpXkTwJQGbK4PbKQYivzC1nxfS4QnOUEYMSKrw3K2iahIAbRoYPsn2FOeQvF1VPR2yLb9hyi08dM8XIsRxVXlvGs/s320/IMG_0217.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
You'll have to excuse my coworker's gross feet ;) But seriously, nothing makes me think of summer more than pasta salad, delicious baked fish, a side of marinated olives, and nectarines for dessert.<br />
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Mangia!<br />
xxAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-65652867994193561682011-07-27T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-27T00:00:25.243-07:00Muslim athletic wear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm counting down the weeks until I leave for my vacation. September 8th cannot come soon enough! This is what my itinerary looks like:</div><ul><li>Arrive at Imam Khomeini Airport (by myself!) with my hijab and manteau already on, of course</li>
<li>Hang in Tehran for a day</li>
<li>Head to Kerman with a stop in Rayen and Mahan</li>
<li>Kerman for a 'lil while, then go to Yazd</li>
<li>Shiraz (hells yeah) with an excursion to Persepolis (I loooooove ruins) and Isfahan</li>
<li>Go back to Tehran en route to Tabriz (argued to be the original "garden of eden" per historical landmarks) to see the Caspian Sea</li>
<li>Kandovan to check out some crazy rock formations</li>
<li>Anzali</li>
<li>Back to Tehran, again, to fly back to Amsterdam and hang out with my long-time friend Ernst and his girlfriend</li>
<li>Fly over to England to spend time in Norwich (Eastern part of England) to see my bff Aly and her boyfriend, check out my old study abroad alma mater, and re-visit my old haunts. Bell Hotel pub anyone? And who wants to go see "The Inbetweeners" at the cinema?! Maybe clubbing on Prince of Wales Road? Who knows :) Oh, I at least need to make up for my lack of consumption of Früli beer, Strongbow, and Snakebite & Black. Yummy. Oh yeah, and plenty of high tea.</li>
<li>Fly back to Amsterdam to see Ernst and his gf again. Must hit up: Museum Vrolik (creepy medical anomalies pickled in formaldehyde), the Resistance Museum, and eat copious amounts of Turkish pizza, frites, stroopwafels, doner kebabs, and much more.</li>
</ul><div>Iran is going to be pretty darn warm while I'm there, despite the fact that Europe will be freezing. That's going to make for some pretty interesting packing since I'm bound and determined to only bring over one carry-on. That doesn't mean that I'm not going to check bags on the way back; I plan on doing tons of shopping in Iran and Norwich.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Anywho, curiosity got the best of me and I was dying to see what was considered "acceptable" beach and pool-wear in Iran. I'm staying at international hotels (3-5 stars) but I'm pretty sure I have to follow Eastern dress code. Most of the hotels have gyms and pools, and of course pools are great for cardio, but can you imagine me swimming in one of these?? <span id="goog_2034595935"></span><span id="goog_2034595936"></span></div><div><br />
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Let's just say I don't plan on doing any ocean or pool swimming while I'm on vacation. Even the gym clothes women are supposed to wear are pretty ridiculous.<br />
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</div>How are you supposed to run on a treadmill with that on?! I plan on packing my black lululemon leggings, a couple of tanks and sports bras to do plenty of pilates and yoga in my hotel room. I'd likely end up in Evin prison if I wore my workout clothes publicly:<br />
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I'll probably wait on serious cardio workouts until I get to Norwich to use University of East Anglia's Sportspark (and pay their ridiculous drop-in fees). When I was a UEA student I was utterly shocked that Sportspark access was NOT free for students. How are broke-ass students, myself on a full ride, supposed to come up with the pocket money to pay for outlandish gym fees?! By the end of my first week I was crying inside that I was 6,000+ miles away from my beloved and *free* RIMAC gym at UCSD and wouldn't see it for another 12 months. Lucky for me I accidentally lost about 10 pounds that year, probably due the fact that I was absolutely freezing the entire time having spent two years acclimating to La Jolla's sunshine and 72 F year-round weather.<br />
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Cheers!<br />
xx</div><div><br />
</div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6247836306878955049.post-88953431623219624042011-07-17T11:50:00.000-07:002011-07-17T11:50:03.703-07:00Welcome to my blog!Welcome to my blog! I have a few projects in the works that I'm hoping to post very shortly. I have been on a sewing spree lately as I'm preparing for my vacation this fall to...wait for it...wait for it...IRAN! I know, people think I'm either insane or I'm going to end up in Evin prison, but I am going as part of a cultural/historical trip. Anyone who knows me knows I love me some ancient ruins!<br />
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In preparation for Iran, I need to compile my Muslim-friendly, travel-friendly wardrobe. Women must wear loose clothing, i.e. nothing body-hugging; tops or manteaus (kind of a shirtdress-overcoat) that reach at least the mid thigh; upper arms must be covered; absolutely no décolletage showing; and finally, a hijab is required to be worn by women at all times in public places, as dictated by law. The hijab, or head scarf, must cover a woman's hair and neck and is traditionally seen as a symbol of respect for God, but since the Iranian "revolution of values", it has also come to symbolize, by some, oppression and male hegemony. I have been making my way through a long reading list of books on Iran, and it is very interesting to read how widely views vary regarding the dress code, moreover the role of women in society.<br />
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As a side note for friends who may be reading this: I am entering the country as part of a tour group with an approved visa already in my passport, as required by law for all US citizens. All tour groups must be registered with the government, and all participants of said tours are forbidden to talk about politics. All us visitors will be chaperoned at all times to make sure we aren't running amok spying for the CIA. ...The entire Iranian government seems to believe all American citizens are spies for the CIA or outside agents tied to the CIA. It's kind of ridiculous. Thankfully from what I have come to understand, the Iranian public doesn't seem to follow the same mindset as its rulers...<br />
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I have purchased all the sewing patterns I should need *I think* for my vacation clothes. I have already made one top that I have been sporting around work, but I'm not entirely sure I'm going to bring it with me. I have plenty of other options, but I am trying to keep my luggage down to one carry-on bag. Not an easy feat since I'm also going to be stopping over to visit friends in Amsterdam and Norwich, England (vastly differing climates and fashions from Iran) on my way home. I hit up the Nordstrom annual sale yesterday and ordered shoes that I'll be taking on my trip (plus some extras:). I was surprised that on only the second day of the sale they somehow were out of every single shoe size in every color of every shoe I wanted to try. Lame! I guess I should have taken advantage of the pre-sale shopping for Nordstrom cardholders. Oops.<br />
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In summary: expect lots of sewing in the coming weeks as I prepare for my trip!<br />
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Angela<br />
xxAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17429353093334164804noreply@blogger.com0