Mirroring Suzy Bee Sews - Life So Strange It Should Be Fiction

I finished Overdressed (link goes to Goodreads; the cover photo above is linked to Amazon) over the weekend.  The author explores various angles of our addiction to cheap clothes:  the poor quality of clothing, the enormous waste generated by throwaway items and the (lack of) secondary market for used clothing, the loss of American (and most first world) textile jobs and production capacity, and the pressure on third-world garment-makers to keep worker wages as low as possible.  It was a good complement to Deluxe:  How Luxury Lost its Luster (and actually cites Deluxe).   By the end of the book, the author is a convert to "slow clothing" over fast fashion:  fewer good quality pieces produced by well-paid workers in the U.S.  She even learns to sew.  She thinks if we could all just realize how poorly made fast fashion is, we'd all see the light on good-quality, more expensive clothing (which can end up with a *lower* cost per wear than fast ...

Before anyone gets all excited:  I am not in the market for a wedding dress. However, this girl was (link goes to the video, in case it didn't embed properly).  She ended up with "Eva" from the Enzoani 2010 Collection The website's description of the dress is:  Venice lace, modified mermaid silhouette with strapless sweetheart neckline. Organza layered ruched bust with Swarovski crystal applique. Scalloped hemline with detachable train. The lining/under-fabric was diagnosed as polyester, but the lace would sell at retail for about $150-165/yard, and was fully backed with and sewn to a netting.  It's worth a click on the link (annoying flash website so you have to scroll through to Eva) to see the ruching detail on the bust and the applique.  All in all, a very nice dress and the bride looks beautiful in her photos and videos. She paid about $2700.  She goes to B&J Fabrics in New York and gets an estimate of about $1200 retail/$600 whol...

After seeing the horror that was the back of my Burda 10-2011-123 wrap dress (left), I decided to devote some time to rescuing it.  To me, going back to a project that is done is like mending:  soooo much worse than just starting from scratch.  So it took a lot of self-prodding to get back into it. As drafted, the dress has released darts in front and back.  To improve the back fit, I made the darts wider and closed them up at top and bottom.  I experimented with closing the front darts as well, but it didn't add anything.  Adjusting the side seams wasn't effective either.  I also wore my silk slip to ensure it flowed smoothly over my tights.  The back fit is vastly improved, as you can see above, although it still does not look 100% great with a belt . I also hand-stitched the two ends of the removed ties together to make a self belt.  The bow looks much better when tied on the same side as the flounce, though I opted for the obi when I wo...

As an single professional woman in my mid(ish)-30s, I am contractually obligated to love Tina Fey and 30 Rock.  I dutifully fulfill these obligations.  But truly, 30 Rock is an awesome show.  Last week's episode--available for free on Hulu as of this writing--was about Leap Day and it was hilarious.  I highly recommend a view. In Liz Lemon's world, Leap Day is a big national holiday with a parade in every town, an old man who emerges from the sea every four years to throw candy in exchange for children's tears, and--of course--particular colors that everyone wears that day with St. Patrick's Day pinching type consequences for those who fail to do so.  I had to get in on the action, if only to pretend that I am friends with Liz Lemon. Leap Day's colors are yellow and blue.  I don't have anything that combines those two colors but given how many clothes I have, ahem, there is enough yellow and blue in the wardrobe to last me a lifetime of Leap Days (though i...

The Stats Number of completed garments:  64 (excluding some miscellany) Woven dresses:  12 Knit dresses:  10 Woven tops:  5 Knit tops:  10 Skirts:  7 Coats:  1 Sweaters/Shrugs:  4 Shorts:  1 Pants:  2 (jungle pants, though; they hardly count as pants) Sport tops:  4 Hats:  2 Nighties:  2 Slips:  2 Rain gear:  pants, pullover, spats, mitts, and 2 helmet covers Number of pattern reviews written:  44.  I had been aiming to hit 250 reviews, but only made it to 243.  If I had reviewed everything I made I think I would have made it, but only just.  After 243 patterns reviewed (and hundreds made before I discovered PR), I have actually started repeating some! Number of items sewn for others:  5.  I made two tops and a skirt for my mom and two pairs of boxers for the boyfriend.  How's that for selfish seamstressing?!?! Proudest Project:  N...