Tuesday, March 30, 2010

On my mind...sewing progress and turbans

Currently making:
 
 Skirt 111B from Burda 4-2010 in rust poplin


Trousers 111 (muslin!) from Burda 11-2009 also in rust poplin

Dress 113 from Burda 8-2009 in navy dotted chiffon

Last but not least, I am putting the finishing (hand-sewn) touches on a dress made from floaty navy chiffon.  It will make a nice addition to my nautical spring wardrobe, if I can just make myself finish it.  The challenge of this pattern is that it was designed in an awful crushed velvet, so I've had to make a few tweaks here and there to create the dress in chiffon.  Once I hand stitch the hem and insert elastic at the waist, it will be ready to wear with a sweet slip.

Currently dreaming about...turbans!

Follow the links above to see more vintage goodness.  I really love catparty's interpretation of the 1940's 'housewife' turban.  Oh how I long for a proper topper!  So perfect for keeping hair out of your eyes while sewing-- or while working on airplanes ;)

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Now for a break from our regularly scheduled sewing...

I finally feel like I am recovered from jet lag and the daylight savings time change.  For the past week the most I have managed in the evenings is preparing and eating diner before sleep sneaks up on me.  Needless to say, I have not gotten much sewing in at all.  Since I don't have any new projects to share, I thought I might share a bit of my non-sewing life.  The reason for my jet lag is that my beau and I took a short trip to California last week.  The sunshine offered such a nice respite from the wild winter we've been having in DC.  We had so many fun times on our little vacation-- here are my most favorite:

LA's Union Station - I pass through Union Station each time I fly into LA.  The architecture in the main hall is very lovely (and hard to photograph!) but I also love the facade and the well manicured courtyards.



CBS Seafood - We stopped here for a dim sum lunch upon our arrival in L.A.  The hostess was very kind and seated us at a corner table-- the better to stash our bulky bags in!  I had not had dim sum for several years, so this lunch was quite a treat.


[Shrimp dumplings and chinese broccoli]


[Egg tarts]

Joshua Tree National Park  - Even though it was raining the day we visited, the panoramic views  were fantastic.  Really, words alone can't do it justice.  I'm hoping to return again for an overnight visit.



Disneyland - We also spent a day at a very different type of park, and took in very different sights there -- everything from singing pirates to dancing animatronic animals.  It's true, I really am a child at heart, and still get excited about the teacup ride, also known as Mad Tea Party.


On our last day of vacation, we headed into LA for some serious sight-seeing.  So serious I forgot to take photos.  Here's where we went:

FIDM Museum - Checked out costumes from recent Hollywood productions.  I was especially excited to see some outfits from Amelia and some figures from Coraline.  Both movies that are on my list to see!

Michael Levine  - Did some fabric shopping here, but kept control of myself, as there were plenty of other stops planned for that day.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art - Here we took in Magritte's Ceci n'est pas une pipe.  There were also some very dedicated docents on hand to help bring the collections to life for visitors.  I was surprised to find myself enjoying the Pre-Columbian collection, but learning the stories behind pieces always draws me in.

Petersen Automotive Museum - Ok, I'm not a huge car fan, but my beau is.  We stopped in here, as it was conveniently located near LACMA, and I must say it was quite fun.  If you are fascinated by history you will enjoy Petersen.  I especially recommend one of the current exhibits called "What Were They Thinking"  If you're in LA before July 5 you should check it out.

Whew...well that was my vacation, in a nutshell.  I hope at least some of this post has been informative, if not entertaining.  And I promise my next post will include sewing projects!