Happy Anniversary!

In celebration of Jen's site MOMSPatterns being up & running for three solid years, she's running a Happy Anniversary To MOMS Sale (combined with a Labor Day sale) through the weekend! Save 25% on by using coupon code 'yayjen' until Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at midnight EST.

Jen's also just moved another 50 patterns to the Sale Section which has patterns priced from $1-$5. AND she's still adding 30-40 patterns every day for you to choose from. (And she offers combined & discounted shipping for multiple purchases.) Happy Anniversary!

Lisa at the Vintage Fashion Librarian is giving away a Mood Fabrics bag (of Project Runway fame)! Very spiffy.

Sorry for the light posting folks, but in addition to moving across the country for my internet startup, I *just* finished (the first draft, anyway, I expect my awesome editors to add some of their awesome to it) of The Secret Lives of Dresses novel, due out next year from Grand Central (in the US) and Hodder (in the UK). Whew!

Your (New) Slip Is Showing

Janine over at VintageHem proposed a giveaway, and since it involved 1) really pretty slips and 2) no actual work on my part, I agreed. Here's the deal: in order to win one of their lovely slips with fancy hems, go to the VintageHem blog and leave a comment on today's post (the one about THIS CONTEST). That's it. They'll pick a winner at random.

(Full disclosure: Janine has offered me a slip, too, for doing this. I will report back on it in this space.)

Here's a closer look at the style of slip they're giving away, "Have a Ball":




I am always looking for new slips. (When I manage to go shopping in an actual store, I usually look for knee socks, tights, slips, colored leather gloves, cardigan sweaters, and penny loafers, not necessarily in that order.) I made some myself last year that I wore to death, and after that I bought some slippery nylon ones at Kohl's six months ago that are okay, but not great. (For some reason, mid-range department stores are the only places I can find slips these days. They're not at the low end [Target] or at the high [Saks, Lord&Taylor, Neiman's] -- at least, not at prices I think are reasonable. And I'm not talking about those human sausage casings they call "shapewear," either.) The Vintage Hem slips seem reasonably priced for decorative slips -- they run about $30.

Oh, and just in case you don't have it marked on your calendar, this is the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament weekend. Check in tomorrow to see this year's puzzle dress. (Hint: Duro Jr.!)

Deco Vibe: You Can Has?

This is the new HotPatterns Deco Vibe dress, and I'm really feeling it -- can't you see the Duroesque nature of the short version that's front and center? That kind of louche, qiana-flavored 1970s attitude is becoming ever more attractive as we head into a sweater-wearing, oil-crisis-flavored 1970s deflationary malaise ... and Jeremy from HotPatterns offered me a copy of this pattern, too!

The thing is -- as much as I love the feel of this pattern, I'm just not up to it. I don't have a slinky bone in my body (forget the oxymoronicness of "slinky bone": you know what I mean). And you can't put pockets in this one, and I know I'd put that gorgeous grey clutch handbag (in my head it's suede, of course) down to pick up my cell phone or a Diet Coke and it would be gone forever, with my car keys in it.

So instead of hoarding the pattern to myself, and taking it out every once in a while to double-check that yeah, I'm still not slinky, I'm going to give the pattern (when it comes) to one of you. One you slinky goddesses out there, or one of you who can fake "slinky goddess" when this pattern hums a few bars. What do you have to do to get it?

You have to add a link to one of your favorite online fabric stores to the Vintage Pattern Wiki's new Favorite Fabric Stores page! I've put one link in there so far (just the first one I could type the URL of off the top of my head, which, frankly, is frightening) as a model. I'll look at the page history next Friday and choose one person who has added a link to get the pattern -- so if you want to win, it helps to be logged in to the wiki, so I know who's who!

I would prefer that people add links ONLY to stores that sell fabric, notions, or trim online, not to stores that will mail-order if you email and ask. (We can sort those out later ... or maybe this will be an incentive for them to get all the way online!) If it gets long, go ahead and add categories: knits, quilting, buttons, etc. Feel free to add a little note about the link, but please, just a few words -- if we start seeing spammy or overly-marketing-y disquisitions, I WILL go in with my Avenging Editor hat on and clean it right up. (The Avenging Editor hat looks like something Rosalind Russell would wear: jaunty, with a little feather, tilted slightly to one side, and firmly pinned in place so that you can slug a reporter while wearing it and have it not come off. It SO hurts your dignity if your hat falls off when you're hitting someone.)

Anyway: back to the contest! If every tenth person who reads this blog adds just one link ... let's just say there probably aren't that many online fabric stores in the world. Have fun!

Free to a Good Home

So, who wants a sewing machine? I'm giving one away ... This Singer Stylist 834 was the first machine I bought for myself, with my own money (actually, with the first real paycheck I ever got!) ... I'm trying not to be sentimental about this (because I really need to get rid of some STUFF) but I *would* like it to go to a good home. So instead of Freecycling or Craigslisting it, I thought I'd try here first.

It's FREE, but there are a few caveats:

-- the timing's off, so it needs a visit to the repair shop before you'll be able to use it. Luckily, the sticker on the machine will tell you where to go. Last time I took it in, the tuneup cost $80.

-- you have to be able to pick it up, here in Chicago ... I won't ship it. This sucker's HEAVY. It does, however, have a carrying case. You have to pick it up before July 15 -- I've given myself two weeks to give this away.

-- I think I have the manual. Somewhere. I'll try to dig it up. I also have some extra feet for it, but heaven only knows WHICH feet, and WHERE. They will also be the target of some sewing-room archaeology.

I made a lot of clothes with this machine, and I think it's still good for a couple years' more sewing, if you don't do anything rough (like making jeans or canvas bags). It's simple to use (even without the manual) and friendly for beginners.

If you want this machine, email me (the email address is over there, on the right, towards the bottom of this page) and we'll work out the details.

In addition: I am selling my serger. (I really don't use it, and I'd rather use that space for more fabric or as a spot for the Singer Red-Eye machine, instead.) Serger status: sold.

Also: does anyone do any crafting with circuit boards? I just came across a stash of old etherlink cards ... if you want 'em, email me. Those are really light, so I'm happy to ship them. Now, like my innocence, circuit boards gone.

Sew U: Home Stretch

Little, Brown sent me a copy of Sew U: Home Stretch to review (and two more to give away!) and I've just had a chance to sit down and take a look.

Although I think this book is not especially geared to my personal aesthetic (I lived through the 1980s the first time, thanks) the tips for sewing knits seem incredibly helpful. There's a real guerrilla, make-do tone; although a serger is suggested, you can make most of the knit projects in this book with your regular sewing machine. AND the book includes patterns!

I'm seriously tempted to start making my own t-shirts (or at least shorten the ones I buy online) now that I've read this book. Then they would finally all be the right length!

On to the giveaways: I'll give away the two copies to two people selected at random from those who've made recent changes at the Vintage Pattern Wiki by Friday night, CDT, June 20. (You don't have to join/log in to add to the wiki in general, but if you want to win a book you have to so that I can find you!) Not sure how to participate? here are the original instructions.

Also, Jenny added a Fauxlero category! Go forth and upload and tag, please.

If you're not into knits you might be interested in the first Sew U book, which I reviewed here.