Too long

Hi,

It has been too long! I feel bad. Mainly because I have been falling off my resolution's wagon. I haven't done any sewing in 4 weeks. :-( My excuse: "Finishing the web app".

I was sooooo close. For weeks now I felt like I was really close to finishing the beta version and uploading it to the web.

Then SXSW came... (bringing all sorts of disruptions)

Then I hit a few bad coding days...

And then I hit some really tough coding days that culminated with a long exchange with Heroku support that ended with "your app is too big".

I should have noticed that when my computer was running really slow and that some processes would take all night to run. I just thought: "hey, I can fix this later, once the app is up and running". Well, turns out I can't.

A part of me is somewhat relieved, because it means I am forced to rethink the whole concept and make it smarter. Another part of me is feeling like a failure. Actually no, not a failure. Just like I started running a race thinking it was the half-marathon I trained for and realizing it is more of an ultra-marathon.

So, I will keep on running.

Love,

Sam


Images from Shutterstock

Resolution week 8 - And great news!

Hi,


I know, I know - I am a week behind schedule. Actually, I did sew last week, but just didn't post. I have been really busy with some other things going that I am really excited about: the launch of my new website! The New Outfit Project! Yay!

Go check it out and sign up! (you can also see it inside the blog under the tab Map My Style). The private beta should go live by the end of the month. Fingers crossed.

For last week's sewing project, I did something simple using some leftover silk: Pajama Pants!

I had gone looking for some good and comfortable pajama pants for winter and all I could find was polyester. Polyester? #justsayno

Also, I was so excited about oxblood last year, that I might have gone a little over board and bought too much fabric in this color. Although I love it, I didn't want another top or dress in silk oxblood, so pajamas seemed like a good way to go.

I user the same pattern for the pants I made here and here, added about 1/2" on each seam, ignored the darts and made a casing for the ribbon at the waist. Finished it all with french seams.

On another note, SXSW is finally upon us. Living in downtown Austin is great, but there are two major SXSW hubs in our block making it party central 'til the wee hours. I will be attending a few events, but only those that are free.

Also, I am linking up with Casual Fridays - nothing more casual than pajamas! Visit the site and see what other bloggers have been up to.

Love,

Sam

Resolution - Week 7

Hi,

For this week I decided to do a chambray shirt. I thought it would be a good addition to my closet and a good way to dress down the brocade pants I made a few weeks back.

Luckily I had some denim chambray in my stash and pattern from Burda Magazine (Feb 2013) for a shirt.

I must admit this is not my favorite project this year. The "boyfriend shirt" is really oversized. Even using the same size I used for the peplum top and taking an inch off from each side it is still huge. I am still thinking if I want to fix it some more or not.

What do you think? Also, what project should I work on next? Suggestions?

Linking up with Casual Fridays at Two Thirty Five designs.

Love,

Sam

WIWW - Chilling out

Hi,

I really wanted to wear something comfortable and chill yesterday, with my sore legs and feet. Nothing fussy and definitely no heels!

Old jeans, a comfy cardigan, and sneakers it was!

Please, take a look at this project a friend of mine is working on. If you like hiking and other outdoors sports, you know where she is coming from. The video is hilarious! Check it out!

Also, I am linking up with The Pleated Poppy for another WIWW. There are so many cool blogs there, go see what is new!

Love,

Sam

Half-Marathon Highlights

Hi,

Tired doesn't even begin to describe how I feel today. Two days after running the Austin Half Marathon and getting a massage and I can barely move. Sleeping last night proved difficult and uncomfortable and I am really hoping the soreness will start to subside today.

As I mentioned before, my training for this even was not great. Between my struggling to get into a nice routine of training and working at home and the Christmas holidays, I didn't log in as many miles as I should have before the race. More importantly, I didn't do any hill training and did I pay for it! Mind you this is my third race and it seems like every time has been a first.

That being said, I finished! Yay! I survived! And I have a medal to prove it!

Here are few highlights for me:

1. The crowds! Everybody is so friendly and the spectators have amazing energy! It really helps to read "This hill is your b*tch" next to a dancing vegetable at mile 11ish when everything hurts and all you want to do is give up.  

2. Meeting up with Josh at mile 8 to get a kiss, snacks, and to get rid of my gloves, hat, and bottle. #love!

3. Going to Moonshine with friends for brunch afterwards.

4. Getting a massage and a pedi the next day.

Check out a few pictures!

Before:

After:

And later that afternoon:

Love,

Sam

Resolution - Week 6

Hi,

I was really happy with the jacket from last week's resolution project, so I decided to adapt the pattern for another project - this cute cropped velvet jacket. All I did was add a notch collar.

This took a little bit of work, but I only had to adapt the front piece (creating the notch collar extension and changing the shoulder seam), the back piece (for the shoulder piece), and add a collar piece. I followed the instructions from my Patternmaking Book.

The fabric is still from my purchase at Mood last September. I am starting to run out of the marvelous fabric that I bought there. :-( It is a lovely cotton velvet with a silk charmeuse lining.

  

  

I was really happy to see that some collections shown this week at NYFW for Fall 2013 showed some great velvet pieces.

Check out these images (from style.com) of th Zac Posen show earlier this week:




This Sunday I will run the Austin Livestrong Half-Marathon. I am getting a little scared. My training was erratic at best. Hoping to make it to the end.

Today I am linking up with Casual Fridays - go check out some other great blogs!

Love,

Sam

Resolution - Weeks 4 and 5

Hi,

Last week I skipped on my resolution to complete a new sewing project each week. And I felt terrible. It wasn't even February and I was already missing on the resolution?


GIFSoup

So I decided to complete two projects this week to get back on track.

It feels great! And I am really happy at how the two projects turned out. I made a jacket and another peplum top. Both were Burda magazine patterns and Mood fabrics that I had used in other projects (here and here).

 

 

                     


It always amazes me how long it actually takes to get the patterns ready and to cut the fabric. In theory, it sounds so easy but it takes for-e-ver. Well, sewing does too, but it is more fun that tracing, adding seam allowances and cutting...

Sewing these past couple of days really got me in the mind to sew and I am already excited about upcoming projects.

How are your resolutions coming along?

I am linking up with two thirty five designs for Casual Fridays. Go check out some other cool blogs.

Love,

Sam

WIWW - Black and White

Hi,

Yesterday was a gorgeous day here in Austin. The sky looked amazing and the weather was just the right amount of warm.

Working out has been really challenging. After my last long (9 miles) I was a wreck - I couldn't eat or drink water - all I wanted was to go back to bed. The following workouts were not that much better. So now I am starting to worry for the half-marathon race in 10 days. Yikes! Any tips?

 

My body has been so tired that I decided to wear something simple and easy: black and white. These pants are really comfortable. I added a pink lip just for fun.

And checkout the Pleated Poppy for more bloggers doing WIWW.

Love,

Sam

Resolution -Week 3 - Brocade Pants

Hi,

When I saw the brocade trend coming on for Fall, I was really intrigued. It seems tough to pull off, and very unforgiving. But I decided to give it a try as a sewing project.

I picked up the fabric at Mood, in September. It is a cotton mix brocade with some oxblood colors. It is probably one of the easiest fabrics I have ever sewn with: it is stable - no stretching, no puckering, no slipping. A little fraying, for sure, but not terrible.

The pattern was the same one I used for the oxblood pants. Please don't stare too close to the midriff... Between my seam allowances going more towards 5/8" than 1/2" and the holiday overindulgences and laziness and the fabric being s stiff, they turned out a little tight.

Well, let's just call it motivation.

Anyway, they are tough to pull off. I was actually struggling to figure out what to pair them with and I actually like J.Crew's idea of a boxy sweater on top. I was actually thinking a nice a chambray shirt, to really tone everything down. I guess it is because Austin has been blessed with really hot weather. Seriously - high 70s!!! So I am really not thinking about boxy sweaters here.

BTW, Austinites, you are welcome! Feel free to indulge in the hot weather in January while the rest of the country shovels snow thanks to me and my new pair of boots!

So, what do you suggest as a pairing for these pants?

Linking up with Casual Friday today on Two Thirty Five Designs.

Love,

Sam

WIWW - Late Edition - Soft and Sweet

Hi,

There are some days when the mental chatter in my head seams like a character from "The Great Debater" - so persuasive...

This morning was particularly bad, as I was trying to get out of be around 5:30 to workout. Seriously, the conversation in my head kept going on even after I had put on my workout clothes. Ms. Chatter (let's call her that and keep PG) insisted on pointing out every little muscle pain, the great workouts from the previous days, the declining number on the scale. Sweet Ms. Chatter could not fail to remind me how comfortable the bed was and how bad I had slept the night before.

me - hanging on to the bed for dear life

It was a true battle of wills, as I tried to remain positive against all of Ms. Chatter's attacks. I could have just gone on the negative and remind Ms. Chatter that I have signed up for a half-marathon that will take place in less than 4 weeks for which I have not trained enough. I could also have pointed out all the imperfections of the my body and the over-indulgences from the long weekend. I think I might have.

But as I battle Ms. Chatter for about 30 minutes, I managed to get dressed, put on running shoes, eat, grab the water bottle, and show up at the gym at 6:10. VICTORY! Well, sorta...

Anyway... After the great victory against Ms. Chatter, I also won against Mr. Ruby - more on him on another post. So I figured I really deserved a nice cup of coffee, some sparkle, and a cute little bow.

Today, I am linking up with the Pleated Poppy - for WIWW. Go check it out!

Love,

Sam

Resolutions - Week 2 - Inverted Pleat Skirt

Hi!

This week I made a skirt with a center front inverted pleat. I used some wool I got from Mood and a pattern from Burda Magazine. It was pretty easy to do and it reminds me of a skirt I used to have. The wool was really fun to work with. Good thing I have more of it left!

I love this look because it is so feminine and fun. I can't wait to make a skirt like this in a more summery fabric for spring. 

Here are a few options for you to choose from:



Today I am linking up with Two Thirty Five Designs for Casual Friday, head over there and check out some more cool blogs and have a great weekend!

Love,

Sam