Where are we?

In every "ad" add we see there's someone urging us to want "more". Telling us we "lack" something because we do not have the object or toy they want to sell us. Brainwashing yes, forcing the hand... Definately. Tempting us to "want more" from the cigarette to the smoker. Substances to the substance abuser I mean user. Users to the computer systems which surround us daily. Constantly. Yes you are being tracked to prove to the world you are who you say you are. Login. You have already subscribed once you checked that you read the terms of the aggreement to paste your face on a virtual web page. To keep up with all the hype we just do it with Nike and have it with a smile. Ultimately, complicating, by distracting us we dont even seem to notice. How can we?... were to busy on our devices and errands, meetings, parties, vacations, and more. We are intricately intertwined in the matix of life.

chitter chatter

When I get in to work, I get to what I have to do for the day, I stop thinking about outside for the most part and get done when I have to, to make the day seem less monotonous.

Then I hear the chitter chatter of the hens, what all are you typing.

I shout “ a book.”

Then they all simmer down. Not so interesting anymore, or maybe it’s now time to mind your own business before I make you a character in my story. I laugh to myself at all the different ways the story can unfold.

 

So now on to my review of a pattern I though would work:

 

This is a misses jumper/ dress. The bodice is lined and fitted with angled pleats in the front and back.  

 

The top I cut a size 12 on the bottom a 14 (waist down)

 

Yes it looks like the picture, but it looks better in the picture than it does in person. 

 

Most pieces were easy to assemble even for a beginner, until you get to the angled pleats in the front and back. That’s when the directions do not make putting this puzzle together easy. I felt they could have been written a bit better. 

 

I purchased this pattern because it look like a dress if I made it long enough could be worn to work during the winter months. When I began sewing this pattern it went fast, that is until I got to the skirt. Assembling the angled pleat according to the directions did not work for me and made the skirt back look a tail (purely my opinion).  

 

I used a wool of some sort that I purchased from All About Fabrics. It’s  a grey plaid fabric with red and blue. Not too heavy and not light. For wool it’s not itchy (good) and really soft, pliable and warm. 

 

I didn’t make any huge alterations, I just made the armholes a little smaller 

 

 I might sew it again just to see if it would work in another color. I would not recommend it to a beginner for they would get lost in directions for the skirt.  

 

It’s complete and looks good on the mannequin with a jacket but it’s not what I expected so I will move on to the next project.

 

 

Joss Stone - Back In Style lyrics - Check her out She's very soulful


I remember when we first started
I was all messed up from
The relationship I just parted
I really thought that I used to be
I used to be a strong lady
Somehow my love is fading
Some kind of love low


Trapped in a loveless song
Until you came along

You brought me back in style

You helped my light to shine again
You lift me up so high
You brought me back in style again

Mamma said: baby, don't settle
Your man's gotta know you're an angel
Every day you should feel special
Let no one take that away from you
I said: mamma, you're crazy
See I'm in love with my baby
My head was hard, I see that now

Addicted to feeling wrong
Until you came along

You brought me back in style
You helped my light to shine again
You lift me up so high
You brought me back in style again

I got a brand new groove
I got a brand new tune to sing for you
I got a brand new muse
If you open up I'll let you through

Oh yeah
You brought me back in style
You helped my light to shine again
You lift me up so high
You brought me back in style again

Now I'm back, I'm back in style
You helped my light to shine again
You lift me up so high
You brought me back in style again
Now I'm back, I'm back

Brand new groove
Brand new shoes
Brand new muse
Spread the news
'Cause I'm back in style again
See I'm back
Back in style again

All in a day’z work

Most days consist for work (for a living), right after my son’s football practice, then class at 7:30 pm (3 nights a week). Most days I fall off to sleep without remembering if I had a chance to eat dinner or wind down. Obviously there’s not much time to sit and think, to dog gone busy busy busy all the time! On the weekends I manage to squeeze some time in for sewing, something I’ve always loved to do… Create and express… my form freedom, escape from the mental world into the depths of my sewing room. Where the tunes of soulful music drown out the week’s issues and fill the atmosphere with rhythm, simplicity, patterns and gorgeous fabrics.

My mind comes up with all these fabulous ideas, costumes and outfits, but my person doesn’t have the time to fill all the orders. Well it gives me something to do and I’m not complaining. I’ll jot them down and get started when I can.

V8799 -Jacket

Pattern Description:

Semi lined linen Jacket with elastic in the waist for figure flattery.

Pattern Sizing:

I made a size 14, I like my jackets, where I can move in them and do not feel constrained while moving around.

 

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

Yes and no. Yes the jacket looks similar to the one in the picture however; I made some modifications and adjustment so it would fit me perfectly. Overall the jacket looks and feels great.

 

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Yes the instructions were very easy to follow, but since I changed some things around I kind of had to add in some steps of my own to accommodate the modest changes I made.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like that I did not have to make alot of adjustments to the pattern to fit me and that the instructions did not complication or confuse me while the jacket was under construction.

Fabric Used:

From my fabric stash I chose pink linen. I can’t remember where I got it but I like it now.

Pattern alterations or any design changes I made:

I did not want elastic in the sleeves nor did I want a fully lined jacket, do I didn’t put them in. Only other changes were the contours around the waist to fit lil ole me.

 

Would I sew it again and /or recommend it to others? Yes in a New York minute! I am just thinking of a color to make this jacket in next.

 

Do authors get stage fright?

Put ink to paper is one thing; distribution to the masses is another.

Entering the preliminary stage of “coming out of the closet” whatever your closet holds … It has cocooned you, your thoughts and your emotions. Popping out and diving head first into the outside world… is a unambiguous way to perceive the situation. However once you’ve left your closet you’ve only really entered into another cocoon…closet from which you either stay, retreat back to your prior closet or again venture out of the newly recognized enclosure.

With that said check out a few things I've been working on. Not all the garments have recognized patterns attached to them, some are deviations from original designs.

I introduce a Tom and Linda Platt design I chose from Vogue 1283. i like that its not an regular dress with just two side seams. I like the detail of the gathers.

 I added a bit of eye candy - red rubies to the gathered front sean

On the back I did not add anyembellishments, I just extended the gathers right up the back unlike the pattern said.

I like the fit and the material. I chose a stretch knit cotton of some sort. I know its soft and light and has a nice flow. I will get the details of the fabric if you or anyone else needs it.

Overall I would love to make this dress again but something is telling me to switch it up a bit. Well we'll see!!!

Let's do a lil reading shall we!!!

I keep seeing the commercials for this  movie on tv. My girlfriend said she read the book in school and it was really good. I'mma take a trip to Barnes and Noble this week end and enjoy it over a cup a cocoa. Yes!!! cocoa in the summer. I love going to BN for a few hours to catch up on the new books and an episode of people watching. Oh how I remember my days in Menlo park barnes and noble sitting on the floor checking out all kindz of books! Well its a plan. Barnes and Noble this weekend. Read it let me know what you think. I will surely let you know my opinion.
The Help

This week I got a book from the library. I am not a kindle or any other ebook reader. Props for those who like those gadjects. I am a lil ol skool when it comes to books.Anyway I picked up Cover girls it an older T. D. Jakes book that I am not sure what it's about yet and I am on part 2. There are four main character and their lives and the people around them. Imm just getting into it. Had a few distractions. But so far its good.

Was it meant to be the way it is?

Amy Winehouse... one of those artist you just love cause she's so real. For the music from the heart you can really feel her. This week I played her music for people who have never heard it. The only things they could say was who else died the same age as she did and what the news said. Really news is not what I expected to hear. Music that shakes your soul after listening to it. Tunes and beats that can take you back in the day like Etta James, while keeping you in the present with Jigga. But oh well it's done now and still like before I think  she was an amazing artist who like everyone else in this world... has issues or should I say had issues.  Issues that ultimately got the best of her ehhh but still her work was creative.
Still in the back of my mind I wonder was it meant to be the way it is?
Why is it people pay so much attention to how you died rather than how you lived your life???? Sure Amy's was permeated with subtance issues as well as parts where her talents showed through and she was able to touch the world through her talents.

check it out Back to Black

The world is mine!

Every time there’s a clear night I have the habit of looking up at the stars. I find it funny the distance stars are from Earth… some say light years away.

You see that light! That light in the sky right there!..Up There…Look at it shine! Remember when you were young and you first went to the planetarium? The first time I went it was one of our an elementary school field trips. For some strange reason, parts of it still feels yesterdayish, not all of it though. So, after attendance was taken we loaded onto the buses and left our little school in the Bronx. I still to this day love fieldtrips! Our destination was to the planetarium somewhere downtown. We followed the signs on the Bronx River Parkway toward downtown. We passed the Bronx Zoo… Oh I wanna go there! I thought. After riding and talking with friends I noticed we got off the highway. I already knew one borough from the next so I knew we were in Manhattan by now. We made our way through a few streets and wind up near Central Park. That young all I can remember was… it was near or in Central Park…Now this park seemed to be big as forever. Ohhh!!!! How many streets does this park take up? I thought. What kid you know is not ecstatic by now?! All I’m thinking about is playing, how much fun can I have in a park this big!

I don’t recall getting off the bus or walking into the building so I’ll skip to when we were all seated in the theater. Everybody did their shushes and we were ready to begin. The lights dimmed slowly then paused then from dim slowly to pitch black darkness. For the first half minute, we all were still excited. I heard some utter wows and other shushes. I think I did too. It remained dark. A minute passed until all the noise quieted. Another minute went by. It felt like five minutes went by…The first thoughts of excitement were starting to wearing off. The OMG acronym was all I kept saying while sitting in the plush theater seat clutching the armrest trying to breathe. For whatever reason I don’t know why I was terrified. The narrators deep low voice began to speak real slow and smooth like James Earl Jones. With each word there was a beam of light on the ceiling… I think. Heck, it’s pitch freakin black in there and you couldn’t even see your hand in front of your face no matter how many times you tried and blinked and squinted. I seriously think I’m seeing things at this point. As I listen to the story he tells the beams of light continue and start to make sense. I start to relax. Some stay lit and others later dim going with the movement in his voice. He continues for a few minutes or so the same and his voice is slowly accompanied by soft music. He continues until the ceiling was illuminated by stars and we are looking at Earth from an astronauts view.
It was a view unlike what you've seen in the movies and pictures. There hasn’t been an IMAX or HD screen that has captured that same vivid moment.
What do you see?


The planetarium had closed for a while but has long since been rebuilt to be even better. I would like to revisit this time with the fam.