Burford Designs

Announcement from Grosgrain

This week Kathleen, from Grosgrain, will be offering a glimpse into a new (free) series she plans on offering next month. The series will be called From Semi-Scratch Sewing: Using small patterns to transform your wardrobe.  It will consist of individual patterns to use for thrift store refashions... something that I really love to do.

She will be taking a thrift store find and using a new sleeve or collar or skirt pattern that she has designed to transform the piece into something new and amazing and she will be offering that pattern in PDF for you to use yourself. 

 

This is what Kathleen wrote about her new series, “I really like the concept of taking an already sewn piece because it's a great way for beginners to start in their sewing journey without feeling overwhelmed. AND it's a great way to have a new piece in a much shorter time than sewing from scratch.”

 

She just finished up her latest series, Free Pattern Month, of free tutorials and patterns from guest bloggers and you can see any and or all of them on the sidebar at her Grosgrain Fabulous blog.

 

I know that I will be following along... how about you?

Winter Wear Necessities

With all this snowy and cold weather there are certain articles of clothing and accessories that are necessary for survival.  It’s a good thing to have several different styles depending on what you plan to do.  On work days I have an everyday winter boot that I wear.  When I worked in a dressy office I had snow boots like those pictured below and traded them out for heels once I was in the office.

 

Another necessity for cold weather is having a good coat, or several ood coats.  I have a few stylish wool coats, a nice rain jacket that I bought years ago, and a fleece button up that I wear just about daily.

 

Of course, no matter what I am wearing I have a plethora of scarves to brighten any outfit and to keep me warm.  There are so many varieties of scarves out there.  I like long ones that I can wrap around a couple of times.  One of my favorites is a beautiful ruched teal fabric scarf.

 

My everyday cold weather gloves are just some nice and simple Isotoner ones.  They are great for keeping my hands warm in the rain and snow.  However, on heavy snow days I wear ski gloves.  They are the only ones that keep my hands warm and dry whenever I have to work out in the snow or clean my car off.

 

On Oprah yesterday one of the segments dealt with some great winter wear on Fashion Must Haves for 2011.  I really like Adam Glassman’s choices.  Even if not all of them are in my current price range, I do believe in buying quality items and for boots and winter coats that should last a long time I don’t mind spending a bit extra.

The Slope Side Down Parka from Eddie Bauer is fabulous.  I love the stitching and how the diamond pattern defines the waist and that it comes in a variety of sizes ranging from XS to 3X.

 
The Sorel Cate the Great boots were another favorite of mine and they come in three different color combinations.

 

Now I want new winter wear.

Project Runway Season 8

It is much easier to contain my excitement by writing this, that way you can’t see my Cheshire Cat grin and the fact that I am bouncing in my chair as I type, thank goodness no one is recording me right now.  In just two days Project Runway returns… yippee!

 

There are a few changes to this season and one show change.  Apparently Models of the Runway will not be back this season and I am fine with that, especially since it means that Project Runway is expanding to a ninety (90) minute format… yes, you read that correctly, an hour and a half of ProjRun every week!

 

There are also seventeen (17) designers!  Here is the list (alphabetical by first name since Casanova is simply, Casanova).  I’ve also linked their individual pages at mylifetime.com.

 

A.J. Thouvenot, 26, St. Louis, MO
Andy South, 23, Waipahu, HI
April Johnston, 21, Savannah, GA
Casanova, 33, Astoria, NY
Christopher Collins, 30, San Francisco, CA
Gretchen Jones, 28, Portland, OR
Ivy Higa, 30, New York, NY
Jason Troisi, 33, Greenwich, CT
Kristin Haskins Simms, 39, Philadelphia, PA
McKell Maddox, 29, Layton, UT
Michael Costello, 27, Palm Springs, CA
Michael Drummond, 31, St. Louis, MO
Mondo Guerra, 32, Denver, CO
Nicholas D'Aurizio, 32, New York, NY
Peach Carr, 50, Lake Forest, IL
Sarah Trost, 27, Toluca Lake, CA
Valerie Mayen, 29, Cleveland, OH

 

This year there also seems to be a lot more being offered online as well.  I’ll let this excerpt from Lifetime fill you in on all that is happening and where:

“Lifetime’s digital offerings will represent a robust collection of video content, including extended runway judging, designer and judge video blogs, and more. They will also feature full streaming episodes of the show, available only on myLifetime.com. Also returning for Season 8 are Rate the Runway photo galleries of the show’s fashions, as well as blogs by mentor Tim Gunn and fan-favorite designers from past seasons.

Other return offerings include the 2010 Webby Award–nominated Tim Gunn’s Workroom videos and Designer Portfolios. Tim Gunn’s Workroom will continue to showcase his critiques of the contestants’ garments-in-progress, and the interactive Designer Portfolios will display the designers’ previous work along with sketches made before the show and throughout the season. Roiworld.com’s popular weekly Project Runway dress-up games (which accounted for more than 4.8MM game plays in Season 7) will also return, featuring illustrated versions of the winning designs in an interactive wardrobe.

"Project Runway" enthusiasts can also interact with fellow fans, show insiders and designers by following @projectrunway on Twitter or visiting www.facebook.com/projectrunway for the latest "Project Runway" news and updates.”

 

Easy enough to know where I’ll be on Thursday…

Aunt Tees

One of the things that I busied myself with was altering t-shirts for each of the sisters.  I really only wanted to make shirts for the visiting sisters but begrudgingly made one for everyone so that they could each have a memento of their time together.  I have wanted to mess around with some shirts for a while now and even got a few for me to have personally, but I didn’t want to just go for it on my own shirts so I began with a simple white tee that I had in my “to alter” pile and began the process while I was watching a movie.  I cut, gathered and stitched everything by hand for my first try with this tee

 

I loved how it turned out and decided that my best path to crafting the shirts was to just go for it and let my creativity take over.  I sat down to complete them one afternoon but the power choose not to cooperate (I decided for the sister’s shirts I would do a combination of hand stitching and machine stitching depending on what exactly I was doing with each shirt.)

 

Mommy and I got a great deal on these shirts when we found them on sale at Michael’s in early June.  I picked out specific shirts for each sister choosing colors that I thought would look good on them or that I knew they would really like. 

 

Here is a photo of all of the shirts getting ready to be delivered to the sisters. 

 

One of the sisters is a little more subdued so I made the blue one with the rolled roses and smaller ruffle for her.  The other sisters are a little more outrageous so the colors and adornments got a little crazier, more fun, etc.

 

I did a little extra altering on Mommy’s shirt because she has lost a lot of weight and I like to make sure she is styled well.

 

I’ll share my shirts once I finish them. 

 

Happy Monday!!

Grosgrain Giveaway: The Reporter Frock

Seriously, I just do not understand how Kathleen (from Grosgrain) finds the time to whip up all of these gorgeous frocks, especially when she has three beautiful little girls at home.  I get a lot done during my days and nights but I guess it’s different for me because I’m not making clothes like she does.  I also wonder what her own closet must look like since she gives all of these beauties away on a pretty regular basis.  That would be a great post for her… what’s in her closet (like what she actually had/ keeps).  I just love how generous she is. 

 

This giveaway is for this beautiful frock named The Reporter Frock because Kathleen thought it reminded her of “something a reporter from the 50s or a secretary from Mad Men would wear”.  I concur.

For me, the devil is in the details and I adore the collar and armhole pleating on the top of this dress.

It is so pretty and something that would be fun to wear to work, no matter what your position may be.  Funny enough, I’m working on a little hat that I think is almost an exact match to this olive top.  Of course if I won, I’d beg Kathleen for any scraps she might have (from the blouse part and or the skirt part) to add to my hat.

As with all Grosgrain giveaways, please see the original post and follow the instructions to enter.

Good Luck!

Grosgrain Giveaway: The Naiad Frock Giveaway

When I was a little girl Mommy had a beautiful black negligee that I thought was the prettiest thing in the world.  It was very 1960s (although we were in the 80s when she had it) it was a definite throwback to a different era.  This beautiful frock reminds me of that. (And it doesn’t hurt that Kathleen and the photos (courtesy of her hubby Brian) are absolutely gorgeous.

 

Here’s the 4-1-1 from Kathleen:

 

“The dress is made of fine nylon chiffon, a lot of it, 7 yards to be exact. I gathered the neckline and lower tiers by hand and then I used elastic thread for the fluff at the bottom. It might look like it is see-through but I have sewn a nude colored opaque slip into the dress.

As you can see the dress is sloped to one side. Almost impossible to wear a bra as it dips very low in the back and is one-shouldered. I used packing tape for support (not the best option), but if you used an adhesive bra you might feel better protected. Also, because of its poofy shapelessness I made the dress very short to show off the legs...again please keep in mind that this is NOT an everyday house frock so please no comments about immodesty. I realize, it's showy. Though I should point out....no cleavage:)

 

In Greek mythology, the Naiads (Ναϊάδες from the Greek νάειν, "to flow," and νἃμα, "running water") were a type of nymph who presided over fountains, wells, springs, streams, and brooks.

The Naiad was intimately connected to her body of water and her very existence seems to have depended on it. If a stream dried up, its Naiad expired. The waters over which Naiads presided were thought to be endowed with inspirational, medicinal, or prophetic powers. Thus the Naiads were frequently worshiped by the ancient Greeks in association with divinities of fertility and growth.”

 

As with all Grosgrain giveaways, please see the original post and follow the instructions to enter.

 

Good Luck!

Tulita’s Got a Brand New Dress

Baby Boy just emailed me some great photos of Tulita in her new dresses.  I am very happy to receive these pictures so quickly, especially seeing that they needed to be pressed after their flight back to San Francisco (cramped quarters between Tulita, Drew, their clothes and lots of cords and camera equipment).

 

Baby Boy enjoyed shopping in our neck of the woods because the prices are quite a bit better, particularly when vintage clothing items are involved. 

 

Here is a photo of Marla (the mannequin) and Tulita in their new to them frocks.  I love the green number Marla is wearing… all she needs now are some mod sunglasses, a stewardess bag and some white go-go boots (I guess I now know what I’ll be giving her for her birthday).  Marla is also sporting a new wig (one of two purchased this last weekend).  Her normal hair is very similar to Tulita’s.

This is Marla’s second look, I believe it’s actually a pants set.

Finally, here is Tulita in the wild print dress that Mommy made her.  It is reversible depending on if she wants the buttons up the back or down the front.

I’m glad that Baby Boy and the girls are happy with their new looks.  All of us, including Mommy, are still trying to recuperate from the weekend and need a lot more sleep.  I’ve sketched out plenty of ideas for new outfits but they will have to wait a bit longer since Mommy and I now have tickets to see some of Tulita and Drew’s relatives in Avenue Q this weekend.

Peppermint Stick Holiday Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

Given that it’s a new month and I haven’t written about a Grosgrain giveaway in a while I would let you all know about the current creation and prize from Kathleen.  It’s a beautiful white fitted dress with a ruffle collar, that I am in love with, but I’ll let Kathleen go into more detail for all of you.

The dress is made from a stretch poplin, heavier weight cotton material. The color is crisp, "white as snow" white. It is contrasted by a peppermint striped grosgrain sash that ties at the waist.

 

I wouldn't call it a 'tulip' skirt, more like a 'pencil'. If there was one thing I would change, it would be the length. I would want it to reach past her knees by an inch or two and taper to a point at the hem. But other than that it looked very similar to my original sketch.

 

I added a ruffle to the neckline and ends of the sleeves.  The sleeves are very fitted and shows off a demure arm.  I think my sister would look good in this dress too.  Both Melody, Channy and Abi are very slim and slight.

I'd say this dress looks 'sophisticated' but still 'youthful'. I really like how the sash POPS out from the white color of the dress.

 

I would say this dress would fit a size 2 to 5.

As usual, if you’d like to win this fabulous frock, then simply hop on over to this post on Grosgrain’s blog to find out how.

Double Duty Dare to Design Grosgrain Fabulous Giveaway

Kathleen from Grosgrain Fabulous has two recent posts announcing giveaways for some really cute women’s dresses.  The first one to mention is for her Shabby Apple 'Dare to Design' Limoncello Frock Giveaway!

This is how Kathleen describes her creation “So let me start off by describing the dress. If you look closely at the pictures below you will see that it is a swiss dot-like material.

The top is pintucked with tiny cap sleeves. Peaking out around the neckline are white fabric covered buttons and white button loops. Also, matching yellow lace lines the v-neck front and is echoed in the underskirt peaking out at the bottom.

The bodice is pulled together by a removable creased sash with white piping lining the outside. It ties together in the back and falls down to the bottom of the skirt line.

I designed the sash to taper off at the sides and be widest in the middle to flatter the figure best.

The underskirt is made of tulle so that the skirt opens up into a generous A-line and as I mentioned earlier has a lace lining peaking out at the bottom.”

And if you check out the post you'll notice Kathleen’s equally adorable sister modeling this lovely frock.

Kathleen then moves on to create another design for the contest, this time it’s the Shabby Apple 'Dare to Design' Lawn Frock Giveaway!

A beautiful dress of Kelly green with contrasting white details, this dress is all about the details.  As Kathleen expresses “I really loved the design of the collar. It bears a V-neck trim that attaches to a tiny gathered portion of the front bodice.

Then I ruffle pleated a piece of matching fabric and added on top of the collar. I then added a white piping trimmed piece to keep the two in place.”

Both are fabulous spring dresses.  They would be fun additions to help think of spring as we go through the fall and winter.  As per usual, if you would like a chance to win these beauties just glide on over to the links above.

Goodbye Daylight Saving Time, I’ll Miss You

As the sky gets darker earlier, I have to shift my thoughts into something that I never thought about before I moved to northern Idaho… winterizing.

 

Growing up in California winterizing meant possibly pulling out gloves and a scarf, if I needed to be somewhere early in the morning or later in the evening, other than that my wardrobe didn’t change too much… I wore shorts year round.  Up here it’s all about layers, big boots, sometimes with ice spikes, gloves, scarves, hats, and anything else that will keep me warm and comfortable.  Of course I have a couple of pairs of gloves, okay, I have a ton of different pairs of gloves, what I meant was that there are two distinct types of gloves that I keep with me in the winter.  The first pair is for warmth and style, ones to wear when I’m running errands or to work, etc.  The second pair is my workhorse pair.  These are hearty, durable, giant snow gloves for when I have to shovel, plow, or clean snow off my car, etc.

 

I would love to own a nice gorgeous leather pair like these

(photo courtesy of Coach.com)

but much like my Fred Flintstone feet, my hands are really wide and square so I have never been able to find a glove (without stretch) that fit and I haven’t found a place to get some custom made, plus that would probably be expensive, but it might be worth it if I was able to find a place relatively nearby.  I always let out a little sigh and give a little frown whenever I see an ad with some lovely gloves, usually paired with a fab coat and other oh so stylish accessories.

 

Now my winterizing thoughts weren’t really about winterizing my wardrobe, that just seemed like a better post then making a list of all the chores I need to do before the snow really falls.

Off to make that list though…