Hi readers!  It’s amazing how long I’ve hung around in the sewing community.  Some things which were new many years ago are now reintroduced to a new audience.  Then again, there are revelations (sewing and otherwise) which make me happy and excited to gain that new knowledge.  Today, I have thoughts and links to share instead of a finished wardrobe item or a sewing technique or something.  Actually, it’s quite fun to write these “just-my-thoughts” and “look-what-I-found” posts. Read all the way down….

1. Results of the #VogueCouchCouture Challenge See more entries in this Vogue article!

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I knew it. The fashion pundits at Vogue must be hanging out in the sewing community. They have never shown an interest (on purpose or they were totally unaware) in the fact that their readers and online followers might include seamstresses and “crafters.  Remember two posts ago? I shared Vogue’s DIY challenge to all who wanted to recreate a look from the Haute Couture – any season – the #VogueCouchCouture.  Results are in, and impressive in some entries and purposefully hilarious in others.  Go take a look at the full Vogue article.  Pictured in the topmost picture is Heidi Klum in her entry, and two talented seamstress/crafters.

2. Nothing’s New

I have inhabited the general sewing community so long that when brand new exciting stuff shows up in 2021, in print or online, it’s the exact same stuff I saw a decade ago. Case in point: this magazine feature on painted rayon lace. I bought my kit many years ago from a company called Sara’s Bloom and never used it even though it popped up in my thoughts occasionally – “oh yeah, I must do something with that”. Here’s a blog post about the company and the owner from 2008 – whatever happened to Sara’s Bloom?  Time flew and I’m now ready to use this kit. Thank you for nudging me, dear magazine people and the author of this article. I still want to know what happened to the Sara’s Bloom Company.

3. YouTube Inspiration

I’m now a YouTube rat.  Interesting things pop up in my feed, and I lap it up.  One recent channel features the cutest, folksy applique. A project like this is in my 2021 plans. Take a look at Handy Mum Lin‘s video – starts and ends with a kitty and a bit of garden inspiration before diving into the sewing, I am totally not throwing away tiny scraps.

4. Alexander Dumas article from MessyNessyChic

Then some historically hidden things land in my social media feeds and blow me away. Just found out that French 19^th century author Alexander Dumas (The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo) was Black – well, biracial in today’s vernacular – with a white French-nobleman father and mother from what is now known as Haiti. How many more Black historical figures are hidden from the world? Thank God for scholars of “deep history”.  The Dumas info landed in my email and twitter feeds from Messy Nessy Chic.  Subscribe to her free email newsletter, friends; she unearths the most amazing things.

5. What’s up With the Weird Garment Names?

Fashion people, what the hell is wrong with you?  Why rename perfectly standard clothing with stupid names? Is it going to kill you to say “shirt-jacket” instead of “shacket”?  This mis-naming of fashion items is just, just…. (insert profanity). The above image from Who What Wear. Please read nice things they’re saying about the “shacket”. It’s a chic style, but it has to be renamed…..

6. “Sewing for the Life I Lead Now”

I recently heard an haute-couture-sewing friend say “sew for the life you want to lead”.  This is in the same vein as “dress for the job you aspire to”.  Excellent ideas both.  I, however, must “sew for the life I have now”.  That should explain my interest in a full wardrobe of day-pajamas and night-pajamas – at least for another year or so.  Did you see my previous pj post?

Those are the thoughts and stuff for now. Stay safe, friends!

Samina