Choir Sundays 08 #19

This month's colors:blue jeans w/green, yellow or orange tops


Jacket: Sewing Workshop's Thai Coat, in a wildly printed cotton twill purchased from Vogue Fabrics at last years' Atlanta Expo. This really is walking right on the edge...maybe even over the edge...of Too Wild for Choir, but I *did* make it for choir last year and I've got to wear it at least once a year to justify it hanging in the closet. And it is fun to wear... ;)

Top: Vogue 2925 top again; it's about the only orange thing I've got that looks even close to ok on me.

The jeans are Lees and are almost too long, even with the taller shoes. These don't have much flare; I may take up the hem just a wee bit one of these days.

I probably won't have choir posts for the next two weeks; we've got some celebrations coming up that will pull us out of choir (more on that later...)

Tomorrow: Pirate Costumes at Pow-Wow... ;)

Choir Sundays 08 #18

This month's colors: Yellow, orange or green tops w/blue jeans

Jacket: Vogue 8398, from embroidered rayon/linen purchased at JoAnn's in Cool Springs, Tn, last month. I've still got a yard an a half left; I'll get something for DD from it. I had to make the jacket, after I saw how well it matched the

Top: Vogue 2925, from modal/lycra that's been in the stash for a couple of years. Looks like they were made for each other, no?

(same ol' Lee dark rinse jeans...)
Yeah, I had the sewing machine humming yesterday! Hopefully that got the bee out of my bonnet and I can refocus on the remaining pirate items. ;)

Choir Sundays 08 #17

I realized this week that this is sort of my version of the 'I wear what I sew' post ;)

Around the house, I'm likely to be in shorts/jeans and a t-shirt from some event, but when I go out, I'm usually in something I made. Today is no different!

This month's colors blue jeans w/either green, orange or yellow.

Vacation season is upon us; I thought about waiting for next week to see if we had a few more folks in the choir, but decided to just post what we had ;)...

Jacket Vogue 8045, from fairly hefty denim that had been in the stash for several years when I made it 3 years ago.
Top: shell from modified Loes Hinse City Dress, made from a green/white/taupe rayon crinkle print. Very cool (as in temperature... ;)

These are Gloria Vanderbilt straight leg jeans; today was the bi-monthly visitor's luncheon and I was on my feet a LOT... no heels today!

Choir Sundays 2008 #16

This month's colors: Either orange, light yellow or muted green tops w/blue jeans.

We had a slight mixup with our camera and I didn't get a picture of the whole choir; next week! (Someone said that the colors reminded them of Baskin Robin's sherbet case...)

But me...
Tops Vogue 7998 and modified Loes Hinse City Dress, both from a green crinkle poly voile I found on the dollar table at Wal-Mart. The shell top is lined w/grey Hugo Boss rayon lining from Michael. This set has had much more fashion-staying power than I ever thought when I made it 3 years ago!

The same dark wash Lee jeans...those fit well and could easily turn up on most every post this summer.

I've got on the second pair of new sandals...I promise, I'll do a 'new shoes' post next week! ;)

Choir Sundays 2008 # 15

This Month's Colors: Jeans w/black and/or white
Top: Hot Patterns Cadeau T, black/white strip rayon/lycra jersey knit

RTW Lee dark wash flared leg jeans

New sandals w/a bit of heel... ;)

We do not yet know what we'll be wearing in June; I'm expecting it'll be a repeat color...

OH! We found out this morning that our entire Sunday morning services, including the worship, are now streamed live on the web; you can click on the sidebar link for details if you're on the 'Net between 8:30 AM and about 12:30 PM Sundays US Central Daylight time... (which is 6 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time, I think...)

Choir Sundays 2008 #14

We've officially gone to 'Summer Casual' in choir, even though we've got a week before Memorial Day. From now 'till August (or maybe even September), we'll be wearing 'Jeans And...' for choir.

This month we're wearing 'Jeans w/Black and White'. And folks are starting to have fun with my monthly photographs...


As for me, I wore my Lee jeans w/ the Vogue 2945 top, made from the white-ovals-on-black rayon/lycra jersey I got from Hancock's.

I really need taller shoes w/these jeans; they work good w/my 2" heeled boots, but I don't have any pretty summery shoes w/heels that I could stand to wear for the amount of time we stand in choir. That's on my list...

Choir Sunday 2008 #13

This month's colors: Black and white w/jeans

Jacket: The latest project, McCall's 5529 in the black/white jaquard check. The sash is an Ultrasuede wrap that I made in...1994?

Top: Jalie 965 tank top , in black rayon/lycra jersey from EOS.

The jeans are RTW Gloria Vanderbilt's...

I forgot to take the camera w/me to church to get a photo of the choir; I'll try and remember next week.

I'm not sure if I'm going to do these posts through the summer; we'll be in 'casual mode' and wearing jeans along w/whatever the designated colors are. I'll see how it goes....


(I'll report on the trip to Nashville tomorrow....)

Choir Sundays 08 #12...and the 'Pause' button

First, The Choir Sunday: It's a new month...

This month's colors: Black w/either purple or lavender










Jacket: Textile Studios Florence Jacket, from textured wool crepe

Top: Christine Jonson Basewear 2 sleeveless turtleneck, from a black/purple/lavender rayon/lycra print jersey;

Pants: Black wool gabardine Loes Hinse Oxford Pants

And...the Pause Button....

For some time now, I've been feeling rather restless with the time consumed by the internet. I spend too much time checking and rechecking for comments, opinions, looking for sewing inspiration...nothing bad, you understand, but seriously out of balance. I've been confronted again with a question of priority this morning and I realize the time has come for me to take a bit of an Internet hiatus. Oh, I'll still check email, but I'm going to be taking a break from the blogs and boards for a little while. Time to do a little refocusing.

I'm not sure how long I'll be gone (maybe the rest of the month?) or what might change when I come back, but I don't want my cyber friends worrying...this is not a bad thing. It's a growth thing.

If you need to get in touch, you can reach me at tig77lw 'at' yahoo dotcom.

Thanks to all of you who have traveled with me on this journey so far...I value your friendship very much.

Choir Sundays 08 #11

This Month's colors: Black w/muted green
Top: Simplicity 4528 tunic, from rayon/Tencel jacquard. I ended up shortening the top 3", and I think it looks much better.

Pants: La Fred's Daphne pant, substantially altered (I added pockets and a waistband, and put the zipper in the pocket). This is just what I wanted this pattern for...skinny pants under a tunic.

Next month: Purple!!! (or lavender). I have purple fabric; who knows if I'll get a purple thing cut and sewn...

Choir Sundays 08 #10 : Resurrection Sunday

Today, being Easter Sunday, our church services were held at the Civic Center; all three campuses of our church came together for one service. We combined all the choirs/worship teams from the three campuses with Master's Commission, and ended up with about 70 - 80 people in the choir. So it was split into two. The guys were to wear light yellow with black, the ladies were supposed to wear a color JC Penny calls 'Ocean Teal'...most ladies just went with turquoise. But it all blends.

Me, I wore the black poly herringbone Loes Hinse Bistro jacket again, and the hot-off the sewing machine Simplicity 4076 scoop-neck top, in the required 'Ocean Teal' knit, and the also *finally finished* Loes Hinse Oxford pants, from the tropical weight wool pinstripe that had been waiting for elastic for 2 weeks. The pinstripes are really, really fine and don't show up, but with the final tweaks I made to this pattern I think I've got it fitting just about perfect now. Yay!

Just as an aside, the service today was incredible... wish you all could've been there. ;)

Choir Sundays 08 #9

This Month's Choir Colors: muted green w/ black

Jacket: The herringbone-weave Bistro Jacket by Loes Hinse

Top: The hot-off-the-sewing machine Jalie 2682 sleeveless top in the martini-olive jersey knit I got from Gorgeous Fabric's last sale. This was much nicer rayon jersey than the black and white stuff I got at Hancock's...it got along much better with my machines. I got tons of compliments on it today; you can bet I'll be making that pattern up again soon.

Pants: Modified Loes Hinse Oxford Pant. I altered the legs of the pattern a bit to make them slightly boot-cut looking. I've tweaked the fit on the pattern since I made these; I want to make up another pair (I've got some cotton/lycra black/white stripe cotton that may end up there) with the tweaks added. The fabric is a very nice RPL that I got from Emma OneSock absolutely ages ago...but then, I made those pants absolutely ages ago, too.

Next week we'll be dressed differently for Easter; I'm hoping to get choir photos, too.

Choir Sundays 08 #8

This month's colors: sage or moss green and black

















Top:Vogue 7281, in a green-on-green jacquard from Hancock's.

Pants:Sewing Workshop Plaza Pants, made from a poly microfiber. These pants are going on 4 years old and are really needing to be replaced...just gotta find suitable fabric.

Choir Sunday 08 #7

This Month's Colors: Black and white

Vest:Out-of-Print Simplicity 5919, made from a poly stretch lace in 2002. It's a little small, but I still wear it anyway ;).

Blouse: Really out-of-Print Mcall's pattern from a creamy poly jacquard. I made this blouse in the days before Pattern Review (I'm guessing 1995?), so I can't even link to a review for it. But I still have the pattern; one of these days I'll make it again and review it w/a scan of the envelope.

Pants: The Loes Hinse Oxford/European pants morph. They're a little on the snug side at the moment,too, but I can get away with it with a longish vest. There's a black Ultrasuede sash over the pants waistband, but it doesn't show in the photo.

My Sweet Baboo calls this my 'Paul Revere and the Raiders outfit.' I guess it does sort of have a 70's rock look to it. :D

Choir Sundays 08 #6

This month's colors: Black and white

Jacket:Vogue 8043 Today's Fit, from a wool blend boucle

Top:Textile Studio 'Monaco Shell' funnel neck, from creamy white poly/lycra slinky

Pants:Loes Hinse Designs 'Oxford Pants' from black wool gabardine. I do love those pants!

Believe it or not, that outfit was borderline Too Hot in choir this morning; the sanctuary was unusually warm for some reason. I guess the thermostats weren't set to compensate for the warm muggy weather we've had this weekend, and when you fill up the room w/people...well, it got warm. Rather.

Choir Sundays 08 #5

This Month's Colors: Black and white


The bad thing about hopping down between songs in the pre-service practice is that everyone is fellowshipping instead of being all sharp and choir-y looking. But you can get an idea of how the whole colors thing works,right?


Since we were also serving at our periodic information lunch for folks who have recently visited the church, I didn't go real dressy today. In fact, I went for 1)comfortable and 2) washable.
Top: Kwik Sew 2900 from a tweedy knit of undetermined content that I inherited from my grandmother. This shirt has been hanging in my closet since 2002. I didn't like the low armholes when I made it, but for some reason I keep wearing it and wearing it and wearing it...
Pants:New Look 6101, from black rayon blend "4-way' double knit from EmmaOneSock.



I caught DS in the hallway; he's got a backpack slung on his back, not a back brace or anything like that. He's determined to dance his little heart out when they do the dance at the International Master's Commission Conference Friday. Wish I could see it...

Choir Sundays 08 #4

Well, we have a huge ministry team off doing street ministry/building projects in New Orleans this weekend, so our choir was, um, not a really good representation of this month's colors today. I'll get a full choir shot next week ;).

But this month's colors are black and white, and I'm wearing the shirt I finished Friday (see yesterday's post ;) ), and the black poly herringbone suit that consists of Loes Hinse's Bistro Jacket and a morphed version of Loes Hinse's European Pants and Oxford Pants

I don't know when I'll get a shot at a personal project again...probably not this week...so it kinda helped to wear a new top this morning. ;)

Choir Sundays # 3 2008

This month's colors: Royal Blue and Black

Top: Vogue 2945, from Gorgeous Thing's royal blue stretch velvet

Pants: same ol' same ol' Vogue 7881 pants from the unbelievable Wal-mart dollar-a-yard black cotton twill.

I really wanted to get the Chopin Blouse in time to wear this month...ah, well, such are the best laid plans o' mice and men (and many sewing enthusiasts...)

Choir Sundays - 2008 #2

This month's colors: Royal blue and black


Dress (yes! I finished! Details tomorrow) Sewing Workshop Cityscapes Dress from royal blue stretch velvet

A Disclaimer Just to Satisfy my Conscience After a particularly moving service (actually, two of them) this morning, it feels very superficial to be writing about what I wore. So I'm just mentioning...just in case someone reading this doesn't know...that there is a lot more to life and church than sewing and clothes. However, because this is a *sewing* blog, that's what gets reported on here. I'm actually considering starting a second blog to talk about Life Issues and Bible Study Lessons and things of Deep and Eternal value...but I'm not sure I've got time to really do it right. Maybe someday. Meantime, I'll just throw in an occasional musing about The Bigger Picture into this blog, which is really about just one little life facet, not the whole gem. ;)

We now resume our regularly scheduled program already in progress... :D

Return of Choir Sundays

This month's colors: Black with Royal Blue

Once again, a rehearsal photo. Obviously, the baby in red and the green coat that was worn because the sanctuary started out cold would be gone when we start service, but the young fellow front and center is one of the Master's Commission students from Iceland, and that's probably the closest he had to royal blue and black in his closet! Master's students rotate singing along with the choir, both to boost our numbers and to have experience as part of the worship team, so they generally have less stringent dress codes (I'm noticing that several of the black garments look sort of red/brown...must be that blue light special again). It just so happened that DS of the Rolling Eyes was part of the choir supplement this morning, too...he's in the middle in the blue shirt, black tie and, um, fauxhawk hair do. Ya gotta love those teenagers....

I did get a couple of royal blue things cut out yesterday; maybe I'll wear one of them next week. Meantime, I've got on the Vogue 8043 tweed jacket from SWAP '06, the Textile Studios Monaco Funnel Neck Shell, in a textured slinky, and the old faithful black cotton twill Vogue 7881 pants.

I discovered something: acetate/Lycra slinky has a shelf life. The texture on the shell has broken down considerably from what it was when I made it. It's still wearable, but I can really tell that it ain't what it used to be. Pity...it's a great color!