Records s s s s s s

Well, it's official...Austin has broken the record for most days over 100. And it looks like we're going to have alot more. Would someone like to pay my electric bill? It is also record breaking!!!

I'm fantasizing that I'm at the beach - any one will do - with my chair on the edge of the water so the waves creep over my toes and then run away. Smell the salty sea breeze. Watch the lacy froth swirling around me. Heavenly!

Well, a girl can dream, can't she?

Corduroy Colors

I thought I'd show you the lush corduroys I've been working with to make the new jumpers. I love them (both the corduroy and the jumper). Colors and patterns are meshing well. Spirited clothes for my Annarella Girls. Colorful clothes for toddlers to 3rd graders. Great for back to school. Can you tell I'm excited by this new design and the new fabrics?

Here is the latest jumper unsder construction. If you look close you can see the bright aqua bodice. The background of the corduroy is a rich purple. Love the play of shades of blues, greens, and reds in the leaves and flowers. Ruffle will be butterflies and flowers. Fun, fun.

Another garden of flowers - pinks, greens and blues on a chocolate brown background. I'm thinking I'll pick up the pinks in the fabrics for the bodice and ruffle.

A little bit quieter but with bright colors, I haven't decided what cotton prints I'll use for bodice and ruffle. Should I go bright or quiet?

For all the other coerduroy prints I chose bright colors or bold graphics. This one is more muted. I paired it with the softer aquas. I'll post a pic soon. I love it.

This black and white houndstooth corduroy was used in my first sample. Look two or 3 posts back to see it on Ava for its trial run. Next jumper will use this fabric and accent it with a deep pink. Little girls love pinks.

All these jumpers look great with a sleeved tee. Collar or not. And leggings! Love leggings for comfort, warmth and modesty.

Coloring Outside the Lines

A series of colorful clothes.

Not sure if all the mixes are succesful.

Probably will rework some of the combos.

Trying for a softer touch with some.

No apology for the bright romper.

Can you guess which one I christened "when little house on the prairie meets Rosanna Dana?"

Project Runway

Helping me get through our endless summer are my 3 favorite reality shows. I love "Design Star" on HGTV and "The Next Network Food Star" on the Food Channel. But my favorite is "Project Runway" on Lifetime. I awoke this morning with a smile as I remembered that Thursday night I got to see Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn. (As I write this it does seem to be a little pathetic. What a small life I lead.)

This is season 9. The designers are, as always, quirky and bitchy, but this batch seem very talented. As they judges eliminate the weakest, there are 5 or 6 who are very strong contenders. It should be a fun season.

If you've missed the start of Project Runway, you can see episodes at this link. Its good reality TV. (I know many of you think that is an oxymoron.)

The Birth of a New Design II

Here it is! The new corduroy jumper being tried by sweet Ava. I'm pleased with the way it fits. She normally wears a size 5, so this being a size 6 is a bit large. The proportions of bodice and ruffle fit the length of the skirt. Not too fussy or frilly so the wearer is overwhelmed, but not too tailored. After all a princess must be able to twirl. Over all I'm vey pleased.

Doesn't it look cute over a solid knit shirt? I found it at Target. It is a simple look. Ava said she was very pleased with it. The remaining question is - pocket or no pocket. I like the simplicity without, but what girl doesn't like a pocket?

Now I'm ready to construct the next one. I've got a few great pieces of corduroy I'm itching to sew up. Sizes will be 3-8. I'll suprise you with a pocket or not.

Hooray!!!

Birth of a New Design

I've been working on a corduroy jumper. Today I was ready to talk about it, but I can't upload my pics. Very disappointed. Maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow when I'll have my first sample on a live model. Wish me luck!!!!

UPDATE. An hour later and the photos are available. Hooray and off I go.

I've been drooling over the new print corduroys that have been around for a couple of years. Yes, I'm slow. Wasn't sure how I wanted to use them. After my print explosion of last week, an idea began to nibble in my mind. I wanted a garment which had a bit less mix of color and print, but I didn't want to lose the funkiness and boldness completely. I think I am on the road to a new design. Let me know what you think.

Here is my first try. I love the white and black houndstooth patterned corduroy. I've used it in cotton 2-3 years ago. So I drew up an idea of a jumper, (I'm so bad as a sketcher!), with the corduroy used for the skirt. Made my notes for size of pattern pieces. Then it's onto accent fabric choices.

After I pull a bunch of cotton print fabrics from my stash, I arrange them around my base corduroy. In this case I begin to eliminate what does not give me the splash of color that I'm looking for against the black and white. Just two pops of brightness in bodice and ruffle. (I'm still thinking about a pocket.)

Here is the finished jumper. I have a shirt and leggings hanging with it all ready to take to Mama Ds house for her daughter,Ava, to try on. This is the final check to see if I have the proportions between straps, bodice, skirt and ruffle pleasing. Also feedback on the ease of putting on and wearing. Will it be comfortable to sit in, run in twirl in? Will Ava think it is fun but beautiful?

I'll be back tomorrow with more photos and some answers to my questions. I hope?

Good Things

Went to see The Help on Thursday AM. I was looking for a break in my routine. My regular readers will remember that I had some problems with sewing last week. I decided that I needed to do something different from my usual to regenerate my spirit. So I went solo to the early show. Wow! It was good. Acting was superb! It honored the book I would go see it again. And I can't remember the last time I've thought that.

I found it thought provoking. Among my early experiences was a year my family spent living in a small town in Alabama. At the impressionable age of 12 I was very aware of the "separate but equal education" policy. It was so obvious that the "colored" schools did not have the funding of the "white" school. When we went to the movies, there was a separate section for "colored." It didn't make sense to me. Everything was separate, but certainly not equal.

I thought "The Help" did capture this mentality very well. Those who needed to feel superior to those that looked different from them. The growing fear of losing their sequestered white world
as the seeds of integration were given light. Rabid fear which drove folks into doing, supporting foolish policies and practices. (With not a big jump I could trace an analogy to the present day political climate, but I won't beat you over the head with my words. I trust many of you see what I see.)

We've come a long way from the days of segregation, but there is still much progress to make. We all need to get better at accepting and respecting those who look different from us, worship differently from us, live differently from us. We have much to learn from each other, but we must have open minds and listen. There are worthy ideas on each side of the issues, and we need to use our energies to mesh these ideas into solutions for the problems we face instead of fighting with each other.

Well, I didn't really mean to be so preachy on this Monday morning, but The Help while entertaining does lead to some healthy discussion. Go see it.