I got the BEST gift for Christmas!!!!

Let me just say it's the BEST gift because it's one that's been on my list for a few years. Actually it was on my list so long I forgot about it---you know one of those gotta have items hanging out in the back of your mind. Only recently I remembered and began an actively search for it. I'm been on "organizational rampage"---purging, streamlining and organizing my home and businesses. Anyhow it's a hard item to track down for cheap or used. Not too many out there and they come available once every blue moon. Ok, I guess I should stop talking in code. You already probably guessed it from the pictures. I finally got a HUGE file cabinet to keep all of my patterns in!!!!!

I'm SOOOOO ecstatic. I had what I like to call a "God Wink" moment---you know those moments where you know it's more than a coincidence and that God really blessed you. It just so happen I was out of town for Christmas vacay and had been perusing my local FB sales groups. I was actually trying to find a mattress for my daughters bed but was scouting for file cabinet too. I'd been doing so fervently over the last couple of months and had resigned myself to the idea that I was just going to have to purchase one brand new for the tune of around $300 or so. Not idea for me but I was willing to save up for it. I needed to get my sewing studio extra organized and having one spot to keep my patterns would free up space in my studio since I had patterns stashed in several places and that was sorta becoming a nuisance. I have about 500+ patterns---after a downsize last year and I was eager to get them organized. To make a long story short I couldn't believe my eyes when I ran across a local woman selling two, not one but two Hon lateral file cabinets for the cheap price of $225. I literally did a double take. Not only were these professional grade file cabinets but they retail at $400+ each and she was practically giving them away. I noticed the post was made 18 hours previously and I was nervous someone had already bought them. I sent her an inbox message and waited twirling my thumbs. She got back with me the next day, saying they were available and that she would hold them for me until I made it back in town. I was so appreciative. THANK GOD! He's so SWEET!  Just what I needed!!! The lady was so sweet we ended up striking up a conversation and she asked me what I did for a living. When I told her I was a professional sewer and what I needed the file cabinets for she giggled. Turns out she's an artist and sews and she'd bought the file cabinets for the same reason------to store sewing patterns. What are the odds???? Never a coincidence when God gets involved LOLLLLL! And turns out they're so big I only need one file cabinet so if someone would like to purchase the other just let me know. It's definitely for sale!

Ok, here are the pics. Forgive poor cell phone quality! However, the excitement is REAL LOLLLL!

 The cabinet is about 3 ft wide, 19" deep and 65" tall. It's almost as tall as me. I had planned to put this outside of my sewing room but it ended up being too big for the space. I had to place right outside kitchen door in garage. My Hubby assured me they'd be fine and the humid south wouldn't destroy them or destroy the file cabinet. I hope not. I'll be honest, I had a bit of separation anxiety knowing all 400+ of my kids   wouldn't be in the house LOLLLLLL. I'm cool now!

5 glorious shelves!!!

 Feels like I'm looking through patterns at the fabric store LOLLL!

 More Smiles......

 Still very happy......LOL

 Each drawer can hold 5 rows of patterns and bought 45-50 each row! That's 225-250 each drawer! I put in all my patterns and still have space! I don't amass patterns as fast as I used to. I'm more discriminate now. Has to be something unique to make me buy.

 Top shelf pulls out and I keep my Vogues here. Not even full. The other 4 compartments are drawers that pull out.

 Big View. That's alot of patterns per drawer which is what I love. They are all in one place and I won't forget what I have now. I can just thumb through and see. I've already categorized them (dresses, special occasion, pants, etc) which makes things so much easier.

See all drawers aren't full yet!

Back in the day you may recall I used the binder and brown envelope system. 

I'd separate the pattern content---file outer envelope in binder sheet protector in binder for easy viewing and place pattern pieces and guide sheet in separate mini brown envelopes. Well I'm doing away with that system now  since I have the file cabinet so in my free time I'll be reuniting the envelopes with their contents. Maybe I can pay my kid to do this LOL! Anyhow, I'm delighted to have my patterns in one place! Well I'm off to finish organizing my studio and house. FYI---I have a few posts to get in before Jan so be on the lookout for a new post every day or so! I have Ballet costumes and Wedding garments to show--I finally have some pictures to share!!! YAYYYYY! Happy Sewing!!!

The Turquoise Sequin "Sweet 16" Mermaid Gown

Howdy!!!!! The last couple of months have been all about client work. Nonstop client work. 75+ hour/week client work. But I survived YAYYYYY! God kept me sane LOLLLL!  I still have wedding garments to post in addition to Nutcracker ballet costumes---just waiting on photos. But I do have something to finally post. I recently had the honor of creating Ms. K's Sweet 16 gown. She had her celebration this past weekend and her gown received rave reviews. I had so much fun making this one and her and her Mom were the sweetest clients.  Here are some pics I was given and gown details. Apologies I'm guessing the venue was a bit dark. The dress is a vivid turquoise. Pics of fabric below too. She looked so lovely! The dress was very classy and turned out great.  I look forward to making my daughter a special gown for her Sweet 16. Thankfully she's only 9 and I've got plenty of time. Don't want to rush LOLLLLL. Deets below.....

This turquoise sequin spandex was ordered from spandexhouse.com I believe. It was so lovely. Just the right weight and stretch. Very beautiful! A beautiful gown always starts with beautiful fabric!

I used McCalls pattern 7047. I've used it before to create a similar gown. I taped the bodice and skirt together so there would be no waist seam and it would be all one piece.  I did end up whacking this up a little bit to create the mermaid look. Alot of sewers will cut the gown a the knees and make the mermaid piece separately and attach. I flared the pattern to create the effect. She didn't want the dramatic mermaid which technically given the weight of the fabric would be difficult to pull off without some structural support. But here's a pic of my adjustments. You can see the back cutout on far right piece. Ms. K a little athletic so I had to extend her shoulder a bit. I added to bottom with flare as you can see. Only 3 pieces.

I did quick sample to make sure back was ok. My sample was using similar stretch knit I had around the house and didn't include bottom flare but ended at the knees. I always usually do a sample. The actual turquoise sequin fabric was $22/yard so if I'd went ahead and cut the back out too deep and they didn't like it there would be no way to fix. Hence why I always do a sample. Plus it helps me figure out logistical stuff like length and any other changes before making the real thing. We decided she didn't want too dramatic of a train so that initial idea was nixed.  From the sample I made the full gown including flare. Easy to sew together. The back was perfect. I still ended up taking it in a great deal. But that was just a minor tweak. I'm always cautious when making "back out" dresses. The worst thing is a saggy back hole. To prevent I usually end up pulling back shoulder (nearest to neck) up a little bit and sewing it slightly higher than front neck. It helps remove any slack. Even after the fitting there was just a tad bit so I sewed the neck shoulder seams deeper for both front and back.

Aside from that it was easy peasy. I would note that I didn't finish any of the seams. I just folded up and stitched down. I never use my serger to sew anything with sequins. Just doesn't seem like a good idea and I want to avoid any issues with impairing my machine.  Had I wanted to be super fancy I guess I could have used a seam binding but it truly wasn't necessary. The seams were spandex so they won't ravel or fray. Plus the sequins weren't too itchy (I know cuz I tried the gown on myself LOLLLLL) so it was good to go. I have to admit it was fairly heavy. Sequins have a bit of weight to them.

I also contemplated adding 2" horsehair braiding to the hem. I was nervous the gown didn't have enough wow factor with a flat hem but it really did so I'm happy we nixed that idea. I'm always interacting with my client to make sure we add the perfect elements to make their gowns special!

I was EXTREMELY happy with this dress and so was my client. When my clients are happy of course I am. It was a much easier project then my last too which was nice. I LOVE making fancy dresses! Always fun!!!! Let me know what you think about the dress ......and have you been working on any fancy dresses too?

Red Animal Print Peplum Top--Simplicity 1488

Yesterday in between all of my client sewing I received a lovely invite (thanks BLJ) to attend "The Red Shoe" event, a wonderful event put on by a friend as a surprise appreciation for Husband's. Couples. One of the event requirements was to wear a pair of RED SHOES. I have a red pair of Mary Jane's (very demure and unsexy) so I opted to buy some pumps instead. The day of the event I whipped up this top to go with the outfit. I can actually say it was WAY quicker to sew this one up ( less than 1.5 hours)--- way less time to run out and try and find something. It's times like this I greatly appreciated the gift and talent of sewing. I used Simplity Sew Simple 1488--I think I've made this before. It went together FAST! And of course you KNOW how I feel about peplums. They are my WEAKNESS!!!!  I'm starting to think I'm gonna end up with a closet full of them LOL! Anyway I've had this red rayon one way stretch animal print knit in my stash for ages so it was great to put it to use. I LOVE the way the top came out and we had a FANTASTIC time at the event. My Hubby is my #1 fan so it was nice to really show him how much I appreciate him. As an entrepreneur trying to run 3 businesses I can't tell you how taxing & demanding that is at times. But he always supports me and helps me hold things together. It was so nice to celebrate him and other Hubby's at the event!!!

(The honoree! So nice to do something for someone who does so much but asks for so little in return. This guy's my rock and I thank God for him!!!!)

Someone Needs You!!!

 For some reason or another many of us forget this from time to time. Even me! I was recently reminded when I stumbled upon this recent song clip of a man singing on a NY subway platform. The song he belted out was "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers. This has always been my FAVORITE love song!!! Always!!!

 I'd never found anyone who could touch the Righteous Brother's version until Mike Yung, the gentleman in the video, gave his rendition. This video has taken off over the internet and thousands of people,now fans were so touch by his singing. This video is only 2:20 but it's impact and reach has more than multiplied. On Facebook it's been viewed more than 15 million times. People were so moved, myself included. It's amazing how what may seem like so little has meant so much.

I got to thinking. What if he hadn't sung that day?  What if he never filmed it? Better yet what if he never decided to share his talent with others. What if he thought it was no big deal and wouldn't impact anyone so he kept it to himself? I hope you see where I'm going with this. He had talent and he used it! And it's impact had a rippling effect.  It's no different for you or me. No I can't sing like Mike Yung but I have my own unique talents. I SEW! And that's a Superpower! Believe it or not sewing was something I used to consider not to be so unique or special but I've come to look at things differently. No one can do exactly what I can the way I can. That's not to say no one is more talented. Absolutely not, there's way more talented people out there. But there's only ONE ME and there's only ONE YOU! And it's that uniqueness that sets us apart and validates our importance. Oftentimes even I forget this. I'm glad for the reminder!

So the next time you're tempted to shrug off your talents as unimportant---DON'T! The next time you think your insignificant- DON'T! The next time you think your contribution won't mean much of anything---DON'T!  Don't undermine your gifts or talents! Don't keep that goodness to yourself. You never know who you may influence. Even if you influence one person it's worth it! By being yourself, operating in your God given gifts you have the potential to impact so many! Remember someone needs you! Thanks Mike Yung for the reminder! Keep on singing!

BTW, let's stay connected! I plan to increase my blog postings. But you can find me on Instagram- VictoriaBaylor or TailoredSeamsbyVictoria and I'm on Periscope - 10,000 Hours of Sewing  and of course on Facebook - tenthousandhoursofsewing

Want to learn about pattern manipulations....check out Dawn over at Duelling Designs!

I've had alot of work going on but I have thoroughly enjoyed catching up on watching Dawn's pattern manipulation lessons over at her Duelling Designs periscope TV channel HERE. I've been studying patternmaking throughout the years and have a load of textbooks on the subject, worked personally with a Draper but I've enjoyed the added bonus of having someone to demonstrate the principals to you via video. She's EXTREMELY knowledgeable and passionate on the subject. It helps that she has a great teaching voice and always gives concise and thorough information. On top of that she's one of the sweetest people on the planet and her and her husband (aka camera man) make a great duo in producing and directing the episodes. So if you haven't checked out Dawn please do. She's got design challenges, hosts The Sewing Blab with Alethia Hudson and a bunch of great sewing related happenings! You can check out her website here http://duellingdesigns.com  Enjoy!

Review: The Blue Burnout Assymetrical Top NL 6453

My style is very  uncomplicated which is why I LOVE this top! I whipped this together in just a few short hours. It's Newlook 6453 and it was love at first sight!  I love the fit and drape of this top. Besides that the burnout fabric I had in my stash was the perfect weight for this project. It's lightweight and sheer. Unfortunately you can't see the burnout design in this photo since I'm wearing a dark shirt underneath but would easily show up with a lighter one. This sewed together easily. I made view A in pattern size 10. I normally make the 12 but since I didn't want alot of ease I downsized. I like loose tops but I don't want to feel as if I'm swimming in them! I could have a dozen of these tops in my wardrobe. Makes for easy and effortless style which I'm all about. I paired this top with light denim jeans, animal print peep toe heels and a hanging necklace.

 (Full view)

 (lots of flare)

 (Fabric upclose)

(Fabric up close)

This was a fun top to make and wear! Now I just need to find more fabric to make more :)

Reviews: Mother Daughter Colorful Matching Tunics and the Janome Mod 100

School started this week so this past weekend I thought it would be great to take my daughter out for some Mother/Daughter bonding. A friend of mine was putting on a fashion show so I immediately thought that would be the perfect event for us. I mean we both love fashion and have our own distinct styles. To sweeten the deal we thought it would be cute to dress alike for the event. So with a full work week and very limited time I pulled out 2 patterns--- New Look 0558 for my daughter and Simplicity 0347 for myself. The designs were pretty straight forward and I allowed my multicolor jersey fabric to do all of the "talking". I bought a ton of this fabric at Fine Fabrics in Atlanta a couple of years back for a project and am just now using it. It's bright and lively but I like that.

I whipped these 2 tops together SO fast! I can thank my new and trust Janome Mod 100 for her help! I'm delighted to partner with Janome in getting the word out about how great this machine is! This machine is awesome and "purred like a kitten" so to speak with use. It's fast stitching and ease of use helped make these 2 tops come together fast! Plus it's new cool design and coloration was just as cool as the fabric I was sewing! I really love this machine! It's reliable yet fun and stylish!

I'd been wanting to make Simplicity 0347 for quite sometime.  It's a lovely top and I love the dolman sleeves and plunging neckline. Due to the vivid color I styled the outfit simply. At the last minute I couldn't track down my favorite geometrical shaped gray earring (I was distraught over this ya'll) so I settled for some black hanging loops and decided not to wear a necklace. If I'd been thinking straight I would have made this top just a bit longer to transform it into a dress to wear with strappy black heels. Since I didn't I paired with black legging and strapped platforms.

I changed up NewLook 0058 to make it into a short dress/long tunic so my daughter would have some versatility in wearing it. Again, due to the busy print I decided against adding any other details to it. Although a cute hanging beaded black necklace would've been really cute. Either way she loved it and she got lots of compliments. Here she is modeling it.....

Here's a snap of us after the fashion show with Stephanie from Jasee'O Design and Company--who put on the fashion show to display her summer camp student's work! Photo courtesy of Savannahnow.com

After the show we went for pizza....and it was good!

That was a fun Mother/Daughter outing! Never really need a reason to dress up with my daughter but it's always great when we do!!!!

Thanks to Janome for sponsoring this post. The reviews of the Janome Mod were all my own and 100% genuine!

One Day Course Sale!!!! 50% Off---TODAY ONLY!

I'm in my sewing lab with some great projects in the works that I will be posting about really soon so please stay tuned. If you're not already be sure to follow me over on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Ten-Thousand-Hours-of-Sewing-317366778299713/

I did get this little inbox announcement today and was eager to share. Most of you know I'm a BurdaStyle instructor and have produced an awesome pants fitting course with BS--Perfecting the Art of Pants Fitting: Construction the Easy Way! Well it's on sale TODAY ONLY for 50% off. That's the cheapest I've ever seen!!! I'm so excited to share this with you. Everyone who takes this course thoroughly enjoy it! I share ALL of my pants making insights and tips. So many sewers struggle with making pants and this course is designed to get you over the hump. There are other courses on sale as well so be sure to use the code in the photo toward the featured one's. Remember your sewing skills are only as good as what you've learned and applied. I know my course will help you get even further and perfect your skills. Enjoy!!!

Code: SUMMERSALE50
Course Link: HERE

What to do when your dress ends up on "Life Support"?????

Ok, I find myself in a little predicament but that's ok, predicaments happen when you sew! I have been wanting a shirt dress for quite some time now! So I sewed up this dress on last week using this lovely, flowy floral fabric in my stash which I grabbed from Hancock's months ago (pre-closing announcement). I was trying to find a suitable pattern and opted to go with McCall 6885, a great shirt dress pattern that's technically intended for a slightly rigid fabric such as a cotton although crepe is listed as a recommended fabric. I used this pattern nonetheless since it has the basic shape I was going for. Long story short I ran into some "fit" complications. I tried the dress on and it seems I'm going to have to do some special modifications to make it look the way I want to, some not necessarily recommended in the pattern but as a sewing professional I feel inclined to do. And hence my dress is currently on "life support"............you know that weird place of either turning out really good or ending up as a failed garment.

What's so funny is that yearsssssss ago when I was a newbie sewer a situation like this would've sent me into a "tail spin". My first line of action would've been to toss the dress out entirely. I would've panicked, gotten frustrated and gotten frustrated to the point where I'd threaten to give up sewing LOLLLL---well that last part only lasted a minute and I was back to sewing LOLLLLL! And trust me , although I'm way more experienced now, I still may be prone to toss something nowadays if it doesn't turn out exactly as intended and isn't worth the effort. But it's nice to be at a place where I know how to make modifications in my sewing that can transform clothes to my liking. Situations like these don't frustrate me and I recognize my options.

In Short, here's what I've learned about how to handle a garment on "Life Support"......

1. Don't panic---when does it ever help??? LOL
2. Evaluate the garment's "stats"--- is there a strong heartbeat or a flatline? Does it seem like something you can save or not? If a flatline then let it go, toss it out and work on something else. If a heartbeat---or the possibility that you can make it work then proceed to do so. Put it on "life support" and do everything you can to save it! It's in these time that you find your true creativity and test your ingenuity in clothing construction/design! I've had my best ideas in these moments!!!
3a. Proudly wear your garment if the save is successful!!! You deserve to! You fought for it and made it work---CONGRATS!!!!
3b. If not then it's ok to take your garment off life support. You gave it your best shot but sometimes you can't save every problematic garment! Learn the lessons and move on. They will make you a BETTER sewer! It's that simple and technically that's the best part!

 So I'm going to do my best to "save" this dress! I've got some great ideas in mind and not much is needed to correct the fit. Of course I originally intended to add a tie belt (not pictured) and will make some other changes. We'll see how it look. If all goes well I'll be delighted and will post soon! So my question for you is how do you deal with your garments that end up on "life support"---do you usually toss them out or work to fix the problems???

The Green/White Geometric Print Wrap Dress!

I have ALWAYS wanted a wrap dress in a geometric print ever since the day I saw one of my friends wearing one years ago! So I was all too thrilled to stumble upon this Myfabricsdesign.com print! You know I LOVE color!!! The green color seemed like it would be the perfect shade for my skin tone and it was. Plus I love that it was a knit with a little sheen to it- it made the fabric very suitable for a semi-formal affair. My Hubby's 20th High School Reunion was coming up so I knew that this fabric as a wrap dress would be PERFECT! So I sewed this up just 2 days before we left. The pattern is Butterick 5454 and it is a staple. I've made the dress at least 3 times before. Sorry I have a bit of an obsession with wrap dresses. You know you do too! LOL!

Front view: Classic wrap. I've made variations with a collar and some other design elements. I opted for the simpler design here. There are pleats in the skirt as well as the shoulder line. That's all the added flare I needed. I paired with hanging earings--they're actually clear with a little tan and crystals in them. I wanted accessories in that color green but didn't get a chance to go accessory hunting. I wasn't going to do stark white since I don't like that color direcly on my skin. In the end I kept it simple and paired it with my cute, white strappy sandals. 

 Back View. I did my normal pattern adjustment. I shortened the center back about 1 inch, grading it to nothing at the sides. I'm a bit shortwaisted. I also shortened the sleeves a tad.

Here's the fabric. It has a little bit of sheen to it, not obvious in this pic. It's sorta visible in the above photos.

 Me and the Hubs. We didn't match but I liked that we coordinated. He wore a deep burgundy shirt and dark gray pants! In my world color means EVERYTHING! It can either make or break an outfit. It's a major part of one's fashion formula! Heck,  I LOVE color so much that I offer Color Consults to my clients! Gotta spread the Gospel LOLLLL!

We hit the floor for some slow jams! I left the fast stuff for the guy who decided to dance shirtless twirling his shirt his over his head. Boy was that entertaining LOLLL!

I had a great time with these guys! 

Also, I keep meaning to post but I wanted to promote our sewing show for those who don't sew. Gentleman Jim who is a Master Tailor (back in the day he made clothes for such famous folk as James Brown, Jackie Robins, Duke Ellington, etc.) and myself, a Professional Dressmaker with over 12 years of experience have joined forces to bring sewer and informative show! We cover everything from hands on tutorials to handling success and challenges. This month we've dedicated our shows to the Sewing Entrepreneur! Here are a few below. New Show's every Thursday! Check us out!!! Also, feel free to join our Facebook page HERE to stay in the loop on what we've got going on :)

Fabric sponsored by Myfabricsdesign.com. My fabric opinion is honestly my own!