Montreal Sewing Blog Meetup

Fabricville - Tissue and Tears

Two-day sale of $1.99 on Simplicity patterns at Fabricville...  Brought my list of 10 patterns.  Two were left ;/
I bought chiffon fabric for scarf A.  That will be a real challenge ;D  It was $5 per piece ;D

It was good to be out.  Fabricville is like a sanctuary to me.  I can browse for hours--no one's going to toss me out.  I dripped tears down my cheek for a few hours.  That's ok...

RHOnda

Easter Fun!!

Purple fingernails!! More fun and less calories than chocolate bunnies ;D Although I hope there'll be a bunny under my bed... How do YOU add fun to Easter celebrations? RHOnda

R & R at MMFA

I, RHOnda, went with my longest-standing Montreal friend (;D) Ruth (R & R) to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts ("MMFA") this week. We have looked forward ALL summer to attending the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit together!

VERY interesting to "do" the Exhibit with my Fine Arts friend... Ruth sees soooo much more detail than I do ;D.

Tomorrow I'll do a comparison of the two (2) fashion designers Ruth and I have experienced together... Yves Saint Laurent vs. Jean Paul Gaultier!!

RHOnda

PS The above t-shirt was on sale sold in the Boutique... $300+ yikes!!

I've Tagged Myself!!

Sooo, Connie BJ of "Couturesmith " was tagged....  and then said, "There, that was fun!  Now it's your turn...  I tag any fellow blogger who was at the PR Weekends in either Philadelphia or Montreal to answer the same questions!
Well, as you'll soon see :/, I am a blogger who was at the Montreal PR Weekend...  (For now, that's a secret, OK!!)
Sooo, off we go...

1.  Which pattern/vintage style have you been thinking about lately? I really LIKE vintage styles ;).  Unfortunately, my "middle" doesn't fit their tiny circumferences well... :(  Did these women not EAT in "those days"??  I do ave an '80's pattern coming in the mail...

As my sweet friend Anne-Marie ("Mahler") would advise, "Pick EITHER the frilly top OR the frilly bottom".  I CAN'T, Anne Marie :0!!  I'm a frilly girl!!  I WILL "petite" the ruffles down to my proportions, though ;)  When I saw this pattern, I GASPED!!  "That's ME/MOI!!" Much more so than the classic/sporty looks I actually R-T-wear...

2.  What is the one place you want to visit that you've never been before?  Oh gosh!!  That's most of the World!!  But especially the quiet villages where one can encounter and share life experiences with the local women ;).


3.  How do you relax?  I withdraw from the maddening "loud" crowd--either to a quieter outside "environ" or to my Sewing Studio! ;)


4.  What is your favourite holiday/vacation?  RHOTO sometimes succeeds in having a "Sabbath Sunday"--a day set aside to BE and not DO.  To relax, snooze, read, visit friends.  A day to set the table with finery, candles and COOK :O.  A day to say, "If it's not done by now (the laundry/ironing!), it can wait for Monday!!"  Sooo, we have the potential to have a favourite holiday/vacation EVERY week!!

5.   What sewing skills do you want to learn/try out?  I've just started learning how to FIT a pattern with my DF "Margaret".  It's FUN!!  I want to learn how to make clothing that not only expresses "moi", but also fits "moi's" figure ;o.

6.  Can you knit?  Crochet?  Other crafting talents?  Well, I TRIED to knit at seven-years old...  (There's a story behind that one!)  Ended up with a triangular square :o!!  Don't have any other "crafting" types of talents... TOny find me quite "crafty" at times, though... ;)


7.  What garment/accessory do you wear most often?   My beautiful marriage rings...  AND gorgeous French lingerie--oh, la la!!  Highly recommended to enhance your... self-esteem!!  Oh, yes...  And Chanel No. 5--daily/nightly.  Not for "special occasions".  LIFE is a special occasion, non??


8.  How much time do you spend reading blogs (per day)?  I check in several times per day to see if one of my "Wonderful Blog Friends" has recently posted.  I DO keep my list of "WBF" down on purpose 'cos there are other websites that attract my attention:  PatternReview.com !!, Facebook, e-mail, the weather forecast...


9.  What is your Motto/Mantra?

I can't be contented with yesterday's glory

I can't live on promises, winter to spring.

Today is my moment; now is my story

I'll laugh and I'll cry and I'll sing.

- "Today", sung by John Denver  *

Sooo, there, that was fun!  Hopefully you enjoyed our cuppa tea together.  Now it's your turn...  I tag my Wonderful Blog Friends to answer the same questions and share about yourselves!!

RHOnda


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp0I5N0yeXE  *


PS  See Sue's TAG on "Sew, Stash, Sew" !!

Buttons, Lace & Ruffle... Oh, My!!

Three versions of a blouse pattern, that is!!  "Margaret"--my wonderful friend of PatternReview.com fame--is coming over Monday (like usual!!).  She's going to help me fit this pattern.  Margaret has a master's in fashion design and is "most interested in the technical aspects"!! ;)
And THEN, I'll actually own a blouse!!  'Cos Ready-to-Wear ("RTW") blouses with teeny shoulders and medium-sized bodies are v-e-r-y difficult to find!!
I'm very excited!!  Eventually, I'd like to make a "plain, buttoned" blouse--to match a tiered skirt I'm finishing.  (That will give me co-ordinates AND a "dress", eh.)  Also, a ruffled version WITH sleeves.  (I'm ALLERGIC to sleeveless :O Ahhhh choooo).  And a pretty blouse with lace and pearl buttons--just because I'm a "girly girl".
Is it Monday yet?? ;)


UPDATE:  It's Monday!!  Margaret and I worked together on this pattern.  Made a 1st muslin; tackled some issues.  A second muslin is needed for the zillion other fitting issues we "discovered"... Fitting is FUN!!  Especially when done with a dear friend <3...

RHOnda

Black Leggings - Old Fashioned or Jealous??

So, RHOTO goes to Concordia University, eh... FULL of young(er) people!! And, THIS is the "it" look this winter... Black leggings. Beggin' for a skirt or pants on top, ME THINKS!! 'Cos the bum area isn't covered at

all. Very cheeky look :). 'See some very perky, young firm buns (the jealous part??), but am not comfortable with this "nothing to guess about" look.

AND, I wonder, if it wasn't winter--that is C-O-L-D--would these gals just be a-wearin' only this??

Personally (although this particular outfit isn't "moi"), I'd prefer a legging interpretation something like this:

Whatdoyathink?? Old fashioned or jealous??

Smaller-Sized Clothing

You may have read in previous blog articles that RHOnda is seriously engaged in a dietary/weight-loss program. Well, RHOTO's happy to announce that she has reached the mid-point of this project. And, she is encouraged to stay on course and reach her goal. 'Cos today she wore smaller-sized clothing, both inside and outside.

In these endeavors RHOnda has the full support of TOny, who does not need to diet :(. At the end of this project, RHOnda will have to raid the various clothing stores. So, our bank accounts will also be thinned. But, it is worth it!! Besides, we have saved lots of $$ on the chocolate cakes, and the ice creams and the pastries we have not been taking.

TOny

If you haven't today, do drop by and say "hello" to Liana at Sew Intriguing (see right bar). Her post is "Sad Times", and I'm sure she will appreciate your visit...

RHOnda

Foks is Here!! Already!!

'Arrived during breakfast!! RHOTO, Tiger and gang all LOVE him!! "TOny, take a picture!! I'll put my jacket over my nightgown".

Soooo cute!! I (RHOnda) don't have a sophisticated bone in my body, but I do LOVE to play and have fun with accessories!! If YOU want your very own Foks (available in different colours and 2 lengths), just visit sweet Celina in Polland!! http://www.celapiu.pl/

RHOnda

PS Just ordered two (2) more Foks!! A long, black gift for a wonderful lady and a short, black one for moi (TOny's idea!)... ;)

Foks Pounce Upon MTL!!

"You put your faux suede on,
You add one shorty Foks scarf,
You say, "Merci BEAUCOUP" to Anne,
And you go--tres chic--Downtown!!"

(thinly disguised "Hokey Pokey", well-known at Polish weddings ;). )

These Foks are oh-so-chic!! 'Remember all the sophistocated ladies wearing these dead animals wrapped around their necks?? And those beady eyes?? Uwwww!!

RHOTO looked at this wonderful Etsy catalog together... TOny liked the camouflage Foks best ;). Good, as I just couldn't decide!! So, my faux suede, beige fall jacket will have "such a playful finish" Foks, as per the sweet supplier, Celena. THIS Foks has charcoal grey, honey brown and green wool. (My capsule colours are black, brown and red.)

Please go to Le Mani D'oro on the side board for more information. THANKS, Anne!! ;) ;) xo You are oh-so-stylish and a "fun enabler", too!!

RHOnda

"Our" Liana in THREADS Magazine

We PatternReview.com members have known for a long time how talented "Liana"* is--with her Marfy outfits AND beautifully covered shoes. Well, now she's gone international--appearing in the current issue of "Threads" magazine. My copy is on its way... I CAN'T WAIT to see this article!! Aren't Liana's shoes GORGEOUS!! Congratulations, Gal!!

RHOnda

* See Liana's "Sew Intriguing" Blog on sideline...

Chanel Sewing Pin!!

I, RHOnda, went "window shopping" today... Was HAPPY to discover that Chanel is "la mode"/"in style" this spring. Not that I have ever cared about what's "in" fashion... But, now maybe I'll buy a scarf or pin "knock off" that I will enjoy for decades...
I was also enjoying the http://www.chanel.com/ website today. What a FUN surprise to see the brooch at left!! A sewing pin!! Complete with scissors, needle & "thread" pearls!! 'Twould be a REAL surprise to see how much that wee brooch $$$, eh!! But, I can enjoy looking at something without having to own it ;).
So, out come my double- and long strands of pearls!! It's really FUN to live in an international/cosmopolitan city like Montreal!! ANYthing goes!! Yippy!! (Wonder how French gals say, "Yippy"??)

RHOnda

French Chic

Oooh, La, La!! French Chic, Mahler-style. I LOVE it!! You can see more of Anne's beautiful creations on her blog: http://imanidoro.blogspot.com/. Also, there's a great write-up--Marler-style again--of the featured skirt on http://www.patternreview.com/
(Don't tell Anne, but I'm her imaginary Fan Club President, eh!!)

Now, this love affair with French Chic is not a fly-by-night relationship for me... I have read and studied Coco Chanel (see below) since I was a teen-ager. I enjoy looking at her boutique items in Holt Renfrew's very upscale store. (Coco's life is not to be emulated, though. But her No. 5 perfume is No. 1 for me!! Tee! Hee!)

I also have a "French Chic - How to Dress Like a Frenchwoman" manual that is one (1) of my very favourite books. Written in 1988, it's advice and eye candy still hold true... French Chic is classic, classy and always a good investment, eh!!

This English gal is gleefully adding more "esprit" to my soul, day by day!!

RHOnda

"Big Girls Wear Three's"

I was soooo excited to find these shoes on line. Maybe there's more than one adult--"Moi"--who wears a size 3 Children's shoe, eh!! * (Or maybe Youth are looking more grown up these days?) ANY WAY, I think these shoes look really nice... They have a real heel!! AND, there's no What's-Her-Name-Montana or Barbie on the side!! ;)
Now I'm wondering... Has anyone ever had any experience with ShoeBuy.com ??

RHonda

* No, size 3 Children's does not = size 5 Women's. The 3 is wider, as in "I have a square foot" ;) :(