I was reading my daily newsfeed when my eye caught a familiar phrase “Excellent Blog” in the title of today’s post at A Don’s Life by Mary Beard.

The little award has a life of its own, landing on TheTimes Online Literary Supplement.

How fitting that its journey has woven together so many brilliant aspects of our modern cultural life! The communities I had traced so far where

Kayla at ProjectMommy started this award ring in January and it’s wound it’s way through blog communities interested in child rearing, homeschooling, literary arts, and spiritual life, to name a few, landing here in the sewing community just lately.

From Excellent Blog posted at The Stitchery Apr 2

I love the image of a weaving that all this linking provides us. I feel a little less isolated in my fiberworld.

Posted by Mary Beth at The Stitchery

The best laid plans…bite the dust. I have had pneumonia for the past number of days and have slipped into disappear mode again, like Alice down the rabbit hole. Antibiotics are slowly pulling me back to ground level. Looks like the new Preschool Director arrived just in time as I have been a-bed for the past week.

A Flanged Shoulder perked up my ears: I rarely see one.

Diesel wrap front denim jacket in cotton/elastine for $167.

I don’t like the jacket. I do find the use of a shoulder flange interesting: it allows for more room when the arms are stretched forward (as seen in the 1940’s hunting jackets and in biker’s jackets) while allowing for a closer fit through the back. A shoulder flange is a hidden pleat.

Most importantly to a figure with slooped and/or narrow shoulders it squares and extends the top line of the silhouette.

The study in this design element began in 2006 at the old Sewing Divas Blogspot and at Pattern Review where I tried to save a completely wrong-for-me dropped shoulder, square block (also called a menswear block) style smock

While my “save” on a lowly smock worked by taking a tuck in the shoulder making a funky replication of the flanged shoulder,

the flange should, in my view, be relatively unseen from the front and only seen from the back when the arms are extended. Like this lovely

Pendleton 49er Jacket Click on the link to see if it is still offered in your size.

I’ve searched high and low this day for more garments with this detail and alas, even the menswear sites were completely void of it.

A discussion of the 49er style jacket and Robyn’s (Blue Mooney) fabulous rendition of it can be found here at Stitcher’s Guild.

Susan Lazear’s company Cochenille offers a CD (Easy 7 Series : Jackets BKCD-0114 $24.00) that includes the shoulder flange as one of the basic shapes

that can be created for knitting or sewing using the Garment Designer software. I don’t own Garment Designer, but I really and truly should. I know I’d like it and use it, esp with the knitting machines.

Here’s a diagram of the back shoulder pleat with an underarm gusset from a pixy I found a few years ago. I can no longer find it’s original source.

It is a shirt from a menswear company and the design just fascinates me. I knew I should have overruled HusPartner at the time and bought it for him right then.

Some of the best laid plans…

Stolen again! Edited to add: Posted by Mary Beth at The Stitchery

Edited 4/17 to add a link to Sheila Paine’s book…
http://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/new/spring08/551394.htm
It looks so good!

Have you ever bought wonderful items made locally as you traveled around to different locales? I have and usually for not much money.

Be sure to read through the auction enticements down to the good stuff at the bottom. I think I might try to find her new book. I do love a good fabric story!

Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Traditional textiles sale
A vivid selection of traditional textiles from across the globe comes up for sale in Newbury, Berkshire, on 22 April, says Katrina Burroughs

Est. £150-£200: A woman’s green velvet coat (chapan) with a red cotton lining

Est. £150-£200: A woman’s huipil from San Juan Sacatepequez, a village north of Guatemala City

Est. £100-£150: A man’s black cotton scarf with Swati-type embroidery from Sherakot

The collector, Sheila Paine, is a writer whose travelling tales have been told in numerous guidebooks, and newspapers including the Sunday Times and The Independent.

Her hoard of embroideries, running to 216 lots, bears witness to 20 years of journeying through Afghanistan, India and Pakistan, central Asia, eastern Europe, central America and North Africa.

Often, on her travels, Paine would photograph needleworkers at work, and several of the lots are accompanied by fascinating photos of women patiently stitching the ancient patterns.

To Western eyes, these images appear both exotic and anachronistic, but Paine’s writing reveals that such traditional handicrafts are still flourishing, even in areas of the world where we hear of little but tragedy and chaos.

On one trip to Afghanistan, she describes with delight the elegantly embroidered gun covers owned by the Mujahadin who smuggled her into the country (see lot 76).

Est. £100-£150: Women’s masks from Minab and Gorbedan

Paine is a master storyteller

Many lots come with an amusing or faintly alarming anecdote attached. It is well worth getting hold of a copy of the catalogue for the sheer entertainment of discovering how Paine recruited local friends (waving at a random man in Hungary, because he reminded her of Richard Burton) and secured rooms for the night (slapping her bloodied sandals on the counter of a recalcitrant Bulgarian concierge).

Stories aside, many of the pieces, once mounted and framed, will make vibrant artworks, perfect for cheering up the chilly white interior walls Londoners tend to favour. And, with estimates starting at £150, most items fall well within the most modest ‘artworks’ budget.

Est. £200-£300: An embroidered and fringed panel, probably part of a man’s apron

So what’s on offer?

A small section of pieces from Guatemala and Mexico marking Paine’s 1991 bus trip around central America includes some of the most gorgeous, bold, graphic designs. A huipil (blouse worn by Mayan momen) from San Juan Sacatepequez, a village north of Guatemala City, in purple and yellow striped cotton, embroidered with traditional motifs of birds (lot is expected to fetch £150 to £200.

From Hungary comes a man’s black cotton apron featuring a deep band of silk embroidered flowers in yellow, white, red and green, and a black fringe (lot 34). This will be sold together with another embroidered panel featuring a long blue, red and green silk fringe (est. £200-£300).

Paine brought several beautiful pieces back from trips to Iran; most powerful - from a European woman’s perspective at least - are a small group of face masks of the type worn by married women. There are a few in modest black but others are unexpectedly, flamboyantly colourful: one is in indigo and gold painted fabric; another indigo and gold with green and gold and ties; yet another is a startling crimson (lot 66, £100-£150).

22 April, The Sheila Paine Embroidery Collection , Donnington Priory Salerooms, Donnington, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE; 01635 553553.

If you can’t make it to Newbury, you can leave a commission bid by email at www.dnfa.com.

Paine’s latest book is our now: Embroidered Textiles: A World Guide to Traditional Patterns (Thames & Hudson).

WooHoo, what a ride 2008 has been so far! I am dazed by the number of trips around the country and the changes life has brought. I have yet to unpack from my last trip and let’s not look around the house. Someday I’ll get the condition of my private life back. Soon, soon…

This last trip was to Detroit and happily I was able to meet Melody of FashionistaFabrics.com. You might “know” Melody from her reviews at PatternReview.com. Melody also has a blog, crazedsewer where she details a seemingly ordinary sewist’s life, but don’t let that fool you! Modesty is a quality of this elegant lady.

Have you ever heard the old fashioned term “well-bred”? Melody is that, exactly. She’s good to others and to herself. She has grace and good manners, not to mention great beauty, like she has taken a long drink of wisdom and let it fill her completely and she shines with it.

I don’t want to gush, I want to share this sense of true fashion, not glitz-y, good for one season cuteness, but a deep truth: beauty is as beauty does. Melody just exudes a sense of top quality.

That all identifies her fabrics as well! Yes, I was drawn into the FashionistaFabrics area like a moth to flame…and found that each and every piece was such good quality I had to make a quick mental double check of the pricing at which the fabrics have been offered at her online store.

Some swatches that came home with me:

Click for Brown Tweed description at FashionistaFabrics.com

Here’s a tasty French Spring Green boucle

Yes, I, fabric junkie of the universe, was so overwhelmed I couldn’t decide which piece would come home with me, it was more than the kid in the candy store, it was a sense that I really didn’t want to buy a fabric that would go into the stash: I wanted an immediate plan of action for anything that would come home with me. I could have easily bought yardage from each bolt. Easily made this woman work hard, easily filled that 20′ trailer we were towing.

I will be buying this wool Rose Challis as soon as I can get to The Stitchery and find the pattern. Now, don’t you all run out and order this without saving some for me!

I have been dreaming of this red for a while and here it is!

I am thinking a tunic (tunic patterns at VoguePatterns.com) because I can wear it almost all seasons and to work, the school and around town. I have worn this tunic reviewed at Pattern Review in 2006 for the past few years and every time I get compliments. Now it needs to be altered to a smaller size.

The Rose Challis would also be great as a dress but then it would hang in the closet much more than a tunic. Whatever this wool challis will become it will be a garment that will look fresh and unwrinkled and top quality for years to come.

I just have to share: Our little preschool has a new Director! She accepted the job last night and will come onboard full time on April 14th, with unannounced dropins to meet and greet during the intervening days.

Why should you care about this?

Well, because I should actually get my garment sewing and knitting life back and be able to show you completed work.

New Director was HusPartner’s first choice when he was hiring last September but for personal family reasons she chose to continue on as a teacher of the 3-4 year old class at her current school.

But she didn’t forget Best Beginnings and the road not taken. When HusPartner called, she was ready. She was the Director for many years at a another little preschool so she knows how and what to do.

When she heard all the jobs I was doing for the school she actually asked what the first Director had been doing all day. Seems I was not only the Administrator but doing most of the Director’s job as well.

No wonder I’ve been overwhelmed.

I simply let HusPartner take the primary role of Adminsitrator at the school for the past 2 months. Even though he wrote up the old Director was almost daily (insubordination, failure to follow instructions, etc, etc) she was finally given 2 week’s notice on Monday the 31st for telling a staff they must not speak to us, the owners, about anything. I won’t go into all the details but it involved a serious health violation, lying, and disregard of school regulations.

Gag orders on employees? Not in our world. We obviously tolerate a lot and still work to correct the behaviors. Would you work for someone who told you you couldn’t try to solve problems?

Why would the old Director, who had been given the job of her dreams, the money to bring it to pass, mess it up so pointedly? I can’t even imagine the driving force behind this trainwreck. Every day I hear more awful things about myself from the staff. The point was to keep them scared of me so they wouldn’t take me into their confidence, I guess. It failed. But I must admit to feeling a pain in my heart at the things I have been heaing. Oh well, I’m glad the staff feel comfortable enough with me to tell me.

A new day is coming. I am just now getting used to the thought of returning to sewing and knitting. Do I see summer right around the corner? I’ve had my nose to the grindstone so long I hardly know what my heart desires.

Oh, and even better: No tumor!!! This information has taken a back seat to all the school’s chaos and crises. Can I really be cancer free??? Wow, the richness of these many blessings!!!

Posted by Mary Beth at The Stitchery

Kayla at ProjectMommy started this award ring in January and it’s wound it’s way through blog communities interested in child rearing, homeschooling, literary arts, and spiritual life, to name a few, landing here in the sewing community just lately. Summerset of Pins and Needles nominated The Stitchery as part of her duties. As grantees we are charged as follows:

By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you have to award it to 10 more people who’s blog’s you find Excellent Award worthy. You can give it to as many people as you want but please award at least 10. Thank you out there for having such great blogs and being such great friends! You deserve this! Feel free to award people who have already been awarded…

I pass this badge along to friends old and new to me and for many different reasons. Good thing duplicate nominations are OK!

“How to Get the Badge”: I don’t know how. I stole it by clicking on it and save it as a picture to my computer. Sorry if I’ve done it wrong!

Fiona of Glass of Fashion

Lisa of Sew Random

Sigrid of Sigrids Sewing

Alex of Studio Alexandra

Melody of crazed sewer

Tany of Couture ET Tricot

Paco of Paco Peralta

Maria Elena of El Baul De Las Costureras (The Fashion Trunk)

Lorna of Newmans Needle

Ana Carina of Os Meus Projectos de Moda (My Fashion Projects)

And good thing WordPress allows a blogroll to share here. I don’t have much time for reading but when I do I check out my friends using that handy thing.

I used to keep a huge list of sewing, knitting, design, and science blogs at Bloglines but once I got time to open that site and saw all the unread posts listed there, I was just too overwhelmed and deleted many of my subscriptions. I am down to what I can focus enough to add here so the list is not complete by any means!

There’s plenty more wonderful sites to visit but online life is a luxurystrong

Posted by Mary Beth at The Stitchery

Thanks to the good friends we make when sharing in cyberspace Vicki at HongKongShopper blog is the winner of the DVD Fitting set with the “most votes in the comment section” Yay!!! The hours she’s put in on her fitting shells and her diligent posts about it for the past number of months have paid off in an unexpected way, eh? Sewists are so kind and generous, I know these DVDs will make the rounds of those who need them.

Meanwhile, back at The Stitchery, I have hardly even been there. I’ve had the most frustrating week trying to finish up the commercial sewing. I did so want to have something fashionable, made by me, to post here by today but noooooo, the preschool has again taken up almost a full 40 hours. Ouch!!! I’ve been bit in the backside again. I guess all new businesses require lots of extra time as “par for the course” but this is too much “par” for me (she said with a grimace). I can never even guess all the problems this school will present in one day.

How do I quit this job???? I’m smart, I should be able to get out from under this extra load. I’m dying to get back to sewing up the fabrics bought at Silk Roads in Austin, TX, and Textile Fabrics in Nashville, TN, earlier this year.

I so wanted to get to play with this Eva Dress pattern this winter

B30-7186 Ladies’ Blouses, circa 1934

Now here it is Spring already in the northern hemisphere.

And I just found out this weekend that I have a sales conference next weekend in Huntsville, Alabama. It would be wonderful if I could have time to catch up with Sew Random’s Lisa but these trips don’t usually allow for getting away from the booth and out on the town.

Fashion does make the woman, puleeze don’t think it don’t!!! What about that Carla Bruni?

Searching Telegraph.co.uk produces major headlines re the lovely, and hopefully reformed, M’me Sarkosy.

Have you ever seen flats bring a country to it’s feet so fast???? Never! A demure presence, a beret that looks like a Jackie Kennedy O pillbox … a little sleeze … Cherchez la femme!

OK, I received this box set of 4 DVDs this weekend and have watched each one.

They are full of good info for someone wanting to perfect the fit of home sewn garments and who is using commercial patterns.

I’ve benefitted from advice freely given by so many different people over the years and now I simply want to pay it forward.

I’d like to pass on these tapes on to a person who has recently returned to home sewing and is finding that they want better fit from their patterns than they are getting now. I hate to be frustrated, don’t you?

Sorry, I cannot ship for free to locations outside of the continental US but still, even with having to pay the shipping via the US Postal Service, it’s a great deal for anyone who might be a frustrated returning sewist.

But I need help deciding who is recently returned to sewing and frustrated with FBAs and gapping armscyes.

So I’d like to try something. Think this will work OK? I hope so…here’s the plan…

Post a comment below, voting for your favorite recipient, telling a little about their recent return to home garment sewing and the person with the most “votes” in the comments will be the lucky recipient. In the case of a tie there will be a run-off so let everyone know to be sure to watch for the results. You can vote for yourself and get your friends to vote for you, too.

Then all you’d have to do is email me where I can contact you and/or your “nominee” and the correct postal address and make arrangments to pay for shipping if it is necessary.

Remember these are DVDs, not tapes.

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This “write-in” contest will end on Friday, March 28 at midnight central standard time.

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Posted at The Stitchery by Mary Beth
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I have diligently, but disgruntingly, studied the issues of Scrapping that my friend Alexandra pointed me toward in an attempt to solve the theft problems that have lately sprung up here at The Stitchery.

I added the Creative Commons license (much, I assume, to the dismay of those who use feed burners to keep up with posts and edits of posts here). I will also add the opening line above to each of my new posts. Scrapers will now pick up that referring link and the reader can link back to The Stitchery from whence it came without me having to figure out the editing of an RSS feed.

That took a lot of time I really don’t want to donate to this blog and it took me once again into the forbidden regions of WordPress.com’s prohibition against javascript. I don’t want to add anything fancy like the ability to edit the CSS of this humble blog’s template, I prefer to remain a KISS girl (Keep It Simple, Stooopid) and not a big hit magnet in cyberspace. I don’t care about my “authority” rating on technorati, etc. Bloggers who have a reputation to build or income to make know what I am talking about. Others, who don’t have these priorities, probably don’t want to know about them. I have too many real-time lives to lead to make cyberspace my home. I am a shimmering cyber-hider.

So KISS! I send KISSES out to all; glittering cyber-celebraties and shimmering cyber-hiders.

I’ve put in my time at being a good cyber-citizen today. Let the villains know that they will not outlast me, I intend to be writing, very sporadically, for a lot longer than theives have the patience for. For I have decided that blogging is just a creative outlet, a journal for me and my friends, nothing more, nothing less. And I am going to assume I will have the capacity to write for quite a few more years.

Blogging behavior out of the way I can now get down to blogging. I only have a short time left today.

Aging. Being Of A Certain Age. Middle life and beyond. Baby boomer.

I have ventured into the subject here and in private emails and rarely find anyone willing to discuss being over 55 and the issues we face. It seems to be a banned topic, something that makes people, especially fashion involved woman, very uncomfortable. Notice I didn’t write my own age?

I will turn 58 in a few months. I like myself much more, have learned so much in the past few years, and no longer have that unpredicatible predator, menopause, in pursuit. I see where it’s important to not look my age, not feel my age, not discuss my age. No one wants to read about it, think about it, really see it.

There’s even bedding that fights wrinkles while we sleep: Cupron - copper infused fabrics Press Release here

But it happens to us all, those of us lucky enough to live long enough.

To paraphrase someone (I can’t remember whom exactly) Aging is not for Sissies!

My favorite people are my age and older. I love the grace and intelligence of The Wisdom Set

Anyone reading here have a favorite Wisdom Set personage they would love to share?

So should I expect theft from this blog just because I write the word “canxxx” in my latest Easter post about the importance of renewal and the art of the fashion chic?

Some stoooppid site has stolen The Stitchery’s humble musings and put it up as info on skin canxxx. Go figure!! I left a comment requesting that this entry be removed and have received no response.

Skin Canxxx Information
Skin Canxxx Resource
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Easter Rising: ReDoing, ReNewing, ReThinking, ReTurning
I’m back home after traveling to sales conferences. Since the beginning of February I have joined my HusPartner in 4 to 6 day long road trips, packing our trusty Excursion to the ceiling with educational materials and classroom furniture, to Austin, TX; Myrtle Beach, SC; Washington, DC; and Cincinnati, OH; with a few free weekends in between. It’s been fun and now I get 3 weekends home until the next trip, this time up to Detroit, MI. Our little Westie, Gaely GoLightly, was with us for all

Original post by Steve Shickles Who is this???

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 20th, 2008 at 11:38 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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My Comment (even tho the site says there are no comments and that this one is awaiting moderation)

March 21st, 2008 at 2:48 am
This is not a post about skin canxxx. This post was taken from my blog about fashion redos and sewing. I am a canxxx survivor.

I don’t know who Steve Shickles is or why this person needs to steal my writing.

Delete this theft of my work from your so-called blog and do us canxxx survivors the favor of not cluttering up cyberspace with incorrect, misleading information!!!

Try having canxxx and searching the internet for information, just try it when you’re so sick you can barely read, and then remove this piece of junk blog. You’ll want to!

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Eeeesch, those with canxxx have to put up with enough, including full body poisoning and the sudden need to put all your affairs in order…I’m bothered by the theft, sure enough, but am more outraged about the very existence of this blog.

So, this is addressed to those much more informed than I am in affairs of the internet: what do I do about this? Is there anything I can do?