Hollywood Arts Council Reception With Special Guest Actress Stella Stevens.... Hennessey + Ingalls Art & Architecture Bookstore, Hollywood...... Hope U Are Having A Good Friday.... (:

Deanna-Marie Smith, Rock Riddle and Shauna McClure...   Below: Tom Porter, Stella Stevens, Harrison Held and Brian Boskind



Patti Astor, Stella Stevens and Anita Rosenberg



Nyla and Oscar Arslanian (:

Stella Stevens with a still from the blockbuster hit "The Poseidon Adventure".

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Last nite's Hollywood Arts Council reception featuring special guest actress Stella Stevens was terrific...  I always enjoy talking to Stella....  she's got such great stories about working opposite Hollywood legends like Ernest Borgnine, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis and so many others.....  Too learn more about the good work of the council visit http://www.hollywoodartscouncil.org/     ....HH(:

So sad to hear about the passing of actor Jeff Conaway.  He was a nice guy and a talented performer.  R.I.P.  Jeff Conaway : (

Friday Forties Midriff Madness!

Memorial Day weekend is upon us here in the United States and the unofficial start of the summer season.  Can you think of a better time to whip up a vintage mid-Forties midriff?

I picked up this rather worn gem (Advance 4147) on Etsy and it's one of those early patterns with no ink markings but just perforations.  Once you've sewn a few of these, they start to make sense; all the info is there.  Seam allowances on this pattern are 1/2 inch.



The pattern pieces themselves looked untouched, though they were fragile, as you'd imagine a sixty-five-year-old pattern to be.  Advance wasn't top of the line (it was the J.C. Penny house brand).  A McCall's pattern of the same period will be sturdier as well as printed.

I had a hard time finding the right fabric for this -- I wanted a cotton print with a vintage feel but nothing too dainty.  I ended up with what looks like Tiki bar wallpaper -- palm trees, volcanoes, hibiscus flowers -- a little kitschy but I like it.    Laid out, it's actually quite geometric, as you can see.





I wanted the skirt to be solid, and I remembered that in my muslin fabric stash I had an old gray/blue Wamsutta sateen flat sheet that matched the blues in the floral fabric perfectly. 



The sheet has a rather heavy drape and satiny polish, and made the floral fabric look stiff (and cheap) by comparison.  I decided to tie the two together by cutting the "blouse" from both fabrics and making it reversible.  That way the top and solid skirt will look more matched in terms of drape.

Essentially, I sewed two identical tops and stitched them together along the top and side edges.

Here's how things look as of last night:







I think I'll finish the bottom with right sides together, then pull everything right-side-out through the kimono sleeve, and finally, finish the sleeves with bias trim cut from the sheet.  That way the blue side will be completely blue, and a little blue trim will peek out of the edge of the floral side.

To tie things together further, I may do the skirt button facings in the floral fabric, so some of it can peek through when the skirt is partially unbuttoned.  The shorts will be made entirely of the floral fabric, at least that's how I see it so far.  Cute, right?

Readers, it's time to get to work.

Memorial Day celebrators and others, I wish you all a wonderful weekend.  We'll be here as usual; no rest for the weary.

Have you caught the midriff madness yet?

Beware -- it's catching!

Rodrigo y Gabriela y piratas

(Photo source: Tennessean)

I love the sounds of Rodrigo y Gabriela. If you're not familiar with this Mexican duo from Ireland, they perform badass instrumentals that fall under the category of "acoustic metal."



So when I discovered the other day while browsing through Best Buy's music section that Hans Zimmer--who frequently collaborates with ace guitarists like Johnny Marr, Michael Brook and Heitor Pereira--enlisted Rodrigo y Gabriela as soloists and co-composers on his Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides score, I had to snap up the On Stranger Tides score CD right away.



All five of the On Stranger Tides album tracks that feature Rod y Gab are as excellent as I expected them to be. The highlight is, of course, when they tackle the Captain Jack Sparrow theme with the same gusto they've brought to their covers of Metallica's "Orion" and Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven."

(Photo source: KCRW)

I've added those five On Stranger Tides tracks to rotation during the Fistful of Soundtracks blocks "Assorted Fistful" (check listings) and "New Cue Revue" (Wednesdays at 10-11am and 4-5pm, Fridays at 11am-noon), along with selections from Alexandre Desplat's lush score to Terrence Malick's Cannes audience polarizer/sensation The Tree of Life and Patrick Doyle's epic score to Please Hammer, Do Hurt 'Em.

Reflections on My Second Year of Sewing

Friends, this is the week that, two years ago, I bought my very first sewing machine.  Those of you who've been with me since the beginning know the story; those who don't will find a brief synopsis here.  It's an anniversary I like to acknowledge, taking a moment to reflect on where I've been before moving on. 

First years of anything are bound to be full of excitement -- everything is new, every accomplishment feels huge.  Second years are inevitably less dramatic.  You're still doing many things for the very first time, but many steps are beginning to feel familiar, especially if you're sewing constantly, as I have been, since sewing is the focus of my life right now. 

The last year doesn't break up neatly into quarters as my first year did.  It's more of a single progression, albeit with its inevitable moments of regression.  Shall we take a brief look?

Reflecting on the last twelve months, I see good things and not-so-good things.  A few projects never quite got off the ground (that suit), or fell flat -- or baggy, as the case may be.

This year I decided to leave the drop-crotch pants to others who know how to pull them off.  I think it helps to be a hunky Australian.



This year I have occasionally been accused of stunt sewing.  I won't lie: I'm a showman at heart.  Remember The Ugliest Pattern Ever?





Then there was last fall's BurdaStyle Westminster Fabrics competition tunic dress.  Guess who won the popular vote on BurdaStyle?  Sadly, this was never acknowledged by the sponsor, perhaps uncomfortable with something about my creation.  I've put it behind me.



Then there are those leopard-print velvet pants, still unworn, alas.  I've learned I'm not really a leopard person; I'm shy.



I'm proudest of my wool toggle coat -- but I love my new seersucker pajamas too!



 

Cathy certainly came into her own this last year, with a little help from Maybelline.  Hello, Fresh Face!

 





We've had sew-alongs, and and serge-alongs, and let's not forget the Ken-alongs...





The Male Pattern Boldness chug-along continues too.  Many people think it's hard to blog every day but after a while it's just another morning routine.  A cup of coffee to get things moving and then hope something comes out -- and it does!  Light a match and it's on with the day.

There is still so much to do, though honestly, I couldn't even tell you what I'll be doing tomorrow.  Not buying a new sewing machine, that's for sure...or pretty sure.



And so, my friends, please join me in welcoming Year Three of my (our) sewing adventure.  I hope you'll hang around for the next act as well as the post-curtain Ask the Cast.



Have a great day, everybody -- and thanks for being there!

Feel the Fear...and Serge it Anyway!

So I spent a few hours with my Brother 1034D yesterday.  Readers, I serged, I serged, oh, how I serged!  
By day's end I had a wastepaper basket full of fabric scraps, but I had de-mystified serging -- at least basic serging.  And if I can do it, you can do it -- time permitting, of course. 



Here's what I did:

I re-read the instruction manual.  (Actually, this may have been the first read.)

I dug out the little packet of accessories that came with the Brother and discovered I had a blind hem foot.  I actually put it on the machine and tested it!



I removed the stitch finger -- it took, what, 2 seconds? -- and discovered how the threads now looped around a narrow needle-like protrusion on the face plate (that metal plate beneath the presser foot), creating an altogether different-looking stitch (a narrow overlock or rolled edge stitch) I'd only read about before.







I played with all the various tensions and then successfully restored them to where their original positions!

I changed stitch width, stitch length, and differential feed settings.  I tried loose stitches and tight stitches, long stitches and short stitches.





I oiled it.

I even retracted the upper knife!

I sat down with Serger Secrets and picked up a secret or two.  Following the directions in the book, I made a little V-neck tee muslin out of some stretch polyester (think dancewear) someone sent me a long time ago.  I made a few mistakes, but it basically worked and I think I'm ready to try this with my blue cotton knit.







There are still things I have yet to do, which I hope to get to this week, including:

Change the needle for the first time ever.  (Do you believe I haven't changed the needle (I use the right one only) in nearly a year and a half of serging?  I've never had to.

Try some different quality threads.

Create a successful flatlock stitch (where you serge two pieces of fabric together and then pull them flat, creating a flat seam.

I know, based on yesterday's copious comments, that many of you are true serger-phobes.  All I can say is, schedule in a few hours of quality time with your machine and get to know it.  If you're scared to change the tension settings, write them down first or take a photo of them before making changes.  Nothing is irrevocable.

It's normal to feel anxiety around an unknown machine, but don't let that stop you from using it.  The only way to learn is by doing, making mistakes, and learning from them.  And there are so many instructional videos on YouTube and tutorials on people's blogs. 

Reading your recommendations yesterday, I may pick up an additional serger book myself.  I noticed that you can view a good portion of The New Sewing With a Serger book, from the Singer series, on Amazon, if you "Click to Look Inside."  There are so many popular serger books available and used copies can cost just a few dollars.

I think I'll still be using my serger primarily to finish seam allowances, as many of you do.  But it's nice to know it's there for other things.  Other than t-shirts, men don't wear a whole lot of knits -- or am I missing something? 

Serger-phobes, what's one simple step you could take in the next few days to move forward?  It's time to take that serger out of the box already!

Have a great day, everybody, and happy serging!

PS - I found this 7-part YouTube video to be extremely helpful.  Here's a taste:

Do You Suffer From Serger-phobia?

Friends, I love my little Brother 1034D serger, which I've owned for nearly a year and a half.  It has performed flawlessly, cleanly finishing my seam allowances whether they be chiffon or denim.  But I'll let you in on a secret: these machines scare me.  I am a serger-phobe. 

My introduction to serging was unfortunate.  I purchased a second-hand Eighties-era Huskylock on eBay the summer before last and it was an absolute nightmare to thread (not to mention it came without presser foot, thread stand, or manual).  When I was finally able to get it going -- it took days -- I tried to serge through multiple layers of denim flat-felled seams and jammed the thing.  I must have knocked something out of whack yanking out the stuck fabric because it never worked right again.  Finally, tired of investing hours upon hours on it, I gave up.  I can't quite part with it yet (it sits on a high shelf in a closet) but it's a stinker.

Six months later I treated myself to the serger everyone on Pattern Review seems to love: the Brother 1034D, and boy am I glad I did.  It cost less than $200 refurbished  -- not a whole lot for a serger -- and it has more than earned its keep.  It's (relatively) easy to thread and uses regular sewing machine needles.  The hand wheel turns toward you just like a sewing machine's does (the Huskylock turned the opposite way, grrr....).  And the instructional DVD is posted on YouTube if you ever need to watch it.

But here's the thing: I use my serger for just one task -- finishing seam allowances with a 3-thread stitch (the Brother has a 4-stitch capacity).  I change the differential feed from time to time depending on the fabric, but that's it.  I haven't tried anything more advanced.  I'm scared to try.

The serged seams look great, though, as you can see, I'm not much of a stickler for matching thread to fabric.







Anyway, just yesterday I received an email from a NYC-based reader asking me if I knew someone who could help her learn how to use her late-model Singer serger (I don't -- do you?), and I realized that there are probably a lot of us serger-phobes out there.  There's something about all those thread spools and tension dials, the rapid speed, and the fact that these little monsters will chomp your fabric to bits if given the chance, that makes people afraid of them.

Who hasn't mistakenly fed their serger a piece of a precious garment not meant for serger consumption?  I have! (I try to serge only when I'm at my most alert, and never after a few glasses of wine.  Consider a serger heavy machinery.)



In case you're wondering, I do have what looks to be a wonderful book on serging, Serger Secrets.







I like to look at all the pretty pictures in it but I've never really sat down and read it carefully, or thought about what I could potentially create with my serger.

I also sense there's some snobbery out there about using a serger to finish seams -- like they should all be enclosed through a more traditional method (esp. menswear).  But I must admit I sometimes do serge seams instead of flat-felling them, as I did recently with my pajamas.  I mean honestly: who cares?



I picked up some lightweight blue knit cotton fabric last week, the same day I bought my seersucker, with the intention of making a tee shirt.  And I'm thinking maybe I'll try making most of the shirt on the serger -- it would probably take less than an hour to put together.  But I'm not convinced I have the skills.  Or do I?

Readers, I ask you:

Do you own a serger and, if so, what do you use it for primarily?

Do you mainly just finish seam allowances with it, or do you actually use it to construct your garment, using a 4-thread seam? 

Are you secretly afraid of your serger and what you might make (destroy?) with it?

Serger-phobes and serger-philes, I want to hear from you!