OOTDs: Festive Sparkle. And Some Plaid!

Hey, all!  I finally finished some of the recent stuff I needed to get done, including a sewing project using stretch velvet, so I can get back to posting.  I am trying here!  Maybe one day I can get back to the more regular posting I did prior to 2015.  We'll see.  :-)

The velvet dress was sewn up for the Fabric Mart blog, and it is very timely for the festive season, so if you are a sewer, or like velvet, definitely check it out.  I feel a bit like a female Oscar statue wearing it.  (In other words, I love it!)

Onto some festive sparkle!

Day: Thursday, December 25, 2015.

Where:  Christmas Dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) The salt content alone would have filled an ocean (based on how fat my fingers and toes felt at the end of dinner), but dang if this outfit wasn't super easy to wear all night.  I love J. Crew for making this plaid skirt with an elastic waistband.  Now I will never tuck anything into it, but that bothers me not one bit.

Outfit Details: Sweater, Boden; Skirt, J. Crew; Shoes, J. Crew; Necklace, Madewell (they still make it, find it here).

Anecdote of the Day: Does salt make any of you all swell up the way it does me?  Maybe it's because I try really hard not to eat too many items that have it in overabundance, but when I do eat it in copious amounts, I feel it.  I hate all those cooking show comments that say "there's not enough salt, wah wah wah."  I'm always like, "dude, really, do you want to be pickled from the inside out?"

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Monday, December 7, 2015.

Where:  Meetings and writing lesson plans.  Boring.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Again, elastic waistbands to the rescue.  These Boden pants are in ridiculous deep discount, and because normally Boden pants are just crap on me, I figured these pair would be sent back.  But because they run large, and they have room for a booty, I find them ridiculously comfortable one size down from my normal Boden size.  Yes.

Outfit Details: Sweater, Boden; Pants, Boden (Jessica Jogger here, out of stock right now, but pops back); Shoes, Boden; Necklace, Boden; Sunglasses, Ray-Ban (here, they are the Meteor style).

Anecdote of the Day: I take so long to write lesson plans.  Secret--I never had to write lesson plans formally before this. I just had them written down so that the administrators could see them if they walked in the room.  I did finally write them down for a long-term sub when I was set to have CW, but that was during a frenzy of nesting, so I hardly remember it being a pain (and I did the full year for him, too, lol).  I think I may write too much, but my assistant principal seems to like it.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Wednesday, December 23, 2015.

Where:  Picking up the turkey from Whole Foods.

Ease of Wear: (4.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) The Oona skirt features an elastic waistband.  Really, I should just retitle this post "Elastic Festive."  That sounds like a song.  Hmmm.

Outfit Details: Top, J. Crew; Cardigan, Ann Taylor; Skirt, Boden (Oona Skirt here, but this color has long since sold out, but the Tamara Top features the same fabric); Shoes, J. Crew.

Anecdote of the Day: The turkey has to be ordered in advance, it costs way too much money, but man, it's a good bird.  I went in and heard people crowing that Whole Foods had sold out of the turkeys, so I felt good that I had ordered in advance, regardless of how silly my family thinks I am for doing so.  :-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Wednesday, December 2, 2015.

Where:  I don't remember!  Maybe Winesday since it was a Wednesday?  I know it was raining, lol.

Ease of Wear: (4.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Turner pants feature an elastic waistband.  And the Zoe coat is warm!  Hey!

Outfit Details: Top, J. Crew (here in stripe); Pants, J. Crew (no longer available in poly, but they have them in wool here); Coat, Boden (Zoe Coat here, review here); Scarf, J. Crew; Shoes, J. Crew.

Anecdote of the Day: Got nothing.  It was raining.  I was warm.  :-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Have a great day, everyone.  Glad I have some time to get some ootds here.  Now off to go visit some of my favorite blogs!  :-)

Made by Me Files: The Perfect Pant (McCalls 6930/6711) and a Leftover Jacket (Vogue 8910).

It's been a long while since I wrote up any of my sewing projects!  I have quite a few projects I have sewn up, I just lost my steam to write over the last month, and both of these got left behind. 

First up I will write about my "perfect pant" pattern, which is a mash-up of McCall's 6930 and 6711.  I will then finish up this post with a very *brief* review of a bias cut jacket I made, Vogue 8910.

Evidence of country--horse.

I made these pants up before I left for Mississippi, as I spied this fabric at Joann's, and knew that its color and pattern would work well with this sweater jacket I made specifically for the trip.  I also knew that having a good pair of well-fitting pants in a stretchy cotton sateen is a wonderful idea for any trip (especially ones that involve sitting in cars for hours driving to get to places--Mr. Dina is from the country, you all).
 

Since I had made up some pretty decent fitting pants back when I was in the Fashion Challenge for Fabric Mart using McCall's 6711, and I had read that the block that McCall's uses for all of its pants patterns stay the same, I knew I would probably be okay picking out another McCall's pattern for pants and having it work for my lower half.  (I also had lost some weight from the challenge and the plaid pants I had originally made fit me even better so I figured a new pair would probably be the same.)

I loved the back zip and pockets from McCall's 6711, so I knew I wanted my new pair to have the same thing, but I also knew I wanted a traditional waistband.  Well, the only pattern I saw that had those three things were McCall's 6930, but that pattern is for capris and shorts.  Sigh.

But then, ding!, I realized I could mash-up the top portion of McCall's 6930 with the longer, slimmer leg of McCall's 6711, and have a perfect pair of pants for me.  Yes!

I did check to make sure that the McCall's 6930 crotch curve matched the McCall's 6711, and without fail, it was a near match, barring a slight style difference to accommodate a waistband and lower rise.  So I proceeded to get my shears out and get to cutting.

Like all cotton sateen I have worked with in the past, this fabric was no exception to the "easy to cut, easy to sew" rule.  I love cotton sateen so much.  And provided the sateen is in a print with some stretch, the fabric shows very few wrinkles making it perfect for anyone who travels or moves about a lot.

It isn't especially thick, but for my purposes it is a good all-weather pant.  I felt fine in these in the 75 degree weather we had the day I wore them in Mississippi (December 1, thankyouverymuch), but I also felt warm enough when I wore them recently in more *typical* winter weather (last photo of this review).

Side view shows that the crotch curve works for my particular lower half well.  I love that it both fits my longer and larger bottom, but also works with my flatter front yet slight front thigh bump.  Woo.  I thought only Burda allowed for us to have proper curves.  LOL.

I cut the size 14, btw, the same size I cut for 6711.  My measurements fit the 16 better, but in my experience McCall's runs about one size big across the board (I should wear a 12 up top but always cut a 10).

I wish I had a darker colored grey invisible zip laying around, but I seem to only buy the REALLY long zippers from G Street, and forget to buy the shorter ones, too.  (I like to have zippers laying around, I cannot tell you how many times I have needed one and was very glad I didn't have to trudge out to the store in the middle of a project to get one.)  G Street, btw, has the *best* notions department, at least the one at Seven Corners here in Northern Virginia.  I feel very lucky to have all the YKK zippers in every color, size, and function at the ready and only a few miles from my house.  The same can be said of their elastics, ribbons, buttons, shoulder pads, snaps, etc.  So much choice!

Anyhow, I never seem to have troubles unzipping from the back, but I guess I probably am alone in this.  I really just don't like front zips, except in jeans.  I always feel like the zip on the front feels weird and it bothers me.  Obviously I get over it as most pants are constructed that way, but for me, as a sewer, I will always prefer to put my zips somewhere else than in the front.

Okay so above is how I wore the pants recently here in Virginia.  The weather wasn't stupid cold, but it was only in the 50s that day, so I knew I would have to wear it with the sweater jacket that I had originally planned to wear with it in Mississippi.  (For all that talk about wearing the jacket on my trip, I only had the chance to wear it once--it was just that warm...THE WHOLE TIME.)

Above is Vogue 8910.  I actually wrote up two reviews of this jacket, one at the Fabric Mart blog (has a ton of photos, too), and the review at Pattern Review. 

Since I have clearly said a lot about it over there, I will just encourage you to check out those reviews instead of recreating the wheel here.  I just know that some of you need to see a photo of what you will be looking at to have a reason to get up and go over there.  ;-)

I know this sounds crazy, especially since it is my first jacket and it is really nice and took ME FLIPPING FOREVER to do, but I haven't even worn it out in real life yet.  I finished this jacket on December 11, took these photos and wrote the Fabric Mart blog post on the afternoon of December 12, and later that night found out that my friend, W., had died.  I feel like this jacket is just such a reminder of his death, and all the pain and confusion I felt thereafter, and I can't bring myself to wear it. 

Thing is, he was a huge fan of my sewing and even joked with me that he would wear one of my creations one day and show off his legs for me in it (I guess I was to make him either shorts or a kilt, lol?).  He supported me during the contest and considering he is a rough around the edges, burly and bearded, LUMBERJACK, the fact that he got into it so much means either he was hiding a secret fashionista side or he really just wanted to be a great friend.  I am guessing the latter.  ;-)

I know he would want me to wear it, and I guess I will, I just need to get past my mental block to do so.  I think I will figure it out, it just seems like such a shame to have this creation of mine sitting on the sidelines since I feel vulnerable wearing it.

Okay, that's all from me for today.  There will be one more creation of mine at the Fabric Mart blog tomorrow, so definitely check it out!  I really like that creation (and their is a mini one in there, too), and unlike the jacket above, I have actually worn that one for real.  

OOTDs: So Far in Mississippi...

Hey, all!

It's been a long while since I have had an ootd posts, so I thought I should at least publish what I have worn so far on the trip.  Since I am here for a few more days, this is part one of this post...part two will likely be published when I get home.

Since I am short on time (lots of family get-togethering is on the schedule), I am going to only mention items or things of interest that need to be said.  For the most part, you all have seen these items before on the blog since most of them are items I have had for years.  If something is new or can still be purchased, I will briefly review them and link to them.  ;-)

Okay, onto the outfits...

It was warm that day, probably in the mid-70s.  All I did was head to Wal-Mart with my girl, CW, to pick out some presents for her brothers.

Those kicks are from the J. Crew collaboration with Nike (called the Nike Vintage Collection Waffle Racer Sneakers).  Aren't they cool?  Mr. Dina loves them.  He may just decide to kick his white tennis shoes to the curb in favor of these waffle-soled wonders.  Sadly it appears I can't get his size in these green ones (all sold out...I barely managed to grab them in a men's size 8--that's a women's size 9.5).  It looks like I might be able to grab the navy in his size.  Hmmm...

The scarf is handmade.  It is a very easy pattern to sew up, thanks to this tutorial by Simplicity.  Highly recommend it if you are a newbie to sewing and are looking for an easy first pattern OR if you have a need for a quick present to make.  I used roughly 5/8 yard of this cotton jersey to make it.  (I will do a more in-depth review of this item in my next "made by me" file.)

Here we are at the Superdome.  Mr. Dina wanted to go to the Saints store when it wasn't super crowded.

CW's dress wass in the Boden end of season sale, but it is gone.  I will update the post with its link if it comes back.  :-)  I can see why it sold out, the owl applique on this version is so cute!

Here I am standing in front of an abandoned factory really close to Mardi Gras world.  Very cool location, if a bit somber.  I have never lived in a place where factories are a normal thing (DC area has very little industrial history, so no factories there), so I have a thing for factories.  I think they are beautiful structures, especially the ones from long ago enough that they had smokestacks and detailed brickwork.

Two of these pieces are newer, the cable knit pocket sweater from J. Crew (size small, fits a bit loose, but it runs short, so I erred on the size of sizing up--gigiofca did a great in-depth review of it here) and the Wool Bistro Crop in tartan from Boden.  The tartan wool bistro crop pants have been popular, but have not sold out, so you can still find them in the sale section.  They sold well enough, though, that Boden didn't feel it necessary to bring the price down on them a ton.  I find they fit a bit big, since I normally wear these in a size 10 L, and chose to buy the 8 L.  Barring a tiny bit of pinching at the waist (which I alleviated by doing the whole rubberband trick), they fit very well, especially in the hips and thighs, which is where I carry my weight.

We were heading to church on Christmas Eve, but I was told it was fairly casual, so I chose pants rather than a dress.  There were a lot of casual outfits, I was still dressier than 90% of the folks there.

The pocket of the cable pocket sweater.  I ABSOLUTELY love these pockets.

Saw Anchorman 2 with Mr. Dina yesterday.  Because I am crazy and literal, I chose to wear shoes that match my tee exactly (Dublin Green if I recall the J. Crew color correctly) and to wear shoes that would have fit right in the Anchorman movie. 

Best line from the Anchorman 2 movie?  Upon someone commenting on Christina Applegate's bottom, she turns to Will Ferrel and asks, "why don't you talk to that man who said that?"  Will Ferrel responded with, "your butt is like the north star, wise men follow it."  Hahahahaha.  Next time I feel down about my bottom, I truly hope Mr. Dina says that phrase to me.

They have even more horses in the field behind the house.  Years ago there were one or two, now there are at least four horses, plus a donkey (!!!) and a pony.  I am 100% freaked out by horses (really bad accident with one ten years ago), but I appreciate how beautiful they are.

I don't buy much from Stella & Dot, but every once in a blue moon, I will grab something from them.  I just recently acquired the Mesa necklace for a song ($35, I believe).  Both my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law are in love and will probably be getting their own Mesa necklaces, too.  (Which I now discover they can't, since they are all sold out.  Darn.  I might suggest they try the Dakota necklace instead, which sort of resembles the Mesa.)

I believe that although you shouldn't look like you have stumbled out of bed when boarding a plane, I truly believe that dressing up to the nines is a ridiculous proposition in this era of cattle car plane travel, so I always go super comfy. 

Bummer about the sweater, btw, it has TWO holes, one in the cuff hem, and one below the v in the neckline.  J. Crew, drat!

And that's it!

I hope you all have a great night!

Remember, if you have a desire to grab something from the Boden sale, you can get free shipping right now.  You can use the link below, but if you are having any issues, remember to use the code USSH.  ;-)
Our Christmas gift to you- free standard shipping from 12/25 through 12/28!

OOTDs: Retro Boden.

To kickoff the beginning of this blog's new (monthly, likely, based on my time constraints) feature called the Retro Boden Roundup, I am showing off two of my own recent retro Boden outfits of late.  :)

If you would like to join in the frivolity, please do send me a photo (if you don't have a blog) or a link to your blog where you posted the outfit.  (E-mail is dinagideon AT aim DOT com.)

If you are one of the blogs I regularly feature over here in the Boden Weekly Review Roundup, I have combed through your last month's posts (back to January 1, 2013) and found all the older Boden outfits, so you all don't need to e-mail me, you all are covered.  :)

Day: Saturday, February 2, 2013. (Groundhog Day!)

Where: Sewing Class.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Very comfortable, but I am docking a half point because I got really hot in the sweater dress.  It isn't the fault of the "flattering knitted dress," but since I can control what I wear and not the building's temperature, it is all on me and my poor decision making skills.  :)

The Sheepskin Lined Boots also helped me overheat, so while they are great for climates that are really really cold, if you are in a climate that has many warm winter days, only wear them on days when there is a real guarantee of cold. 

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I really like how this outfit looks overall.  The individual pieces are not necessarily the most fashion forward, but together, I think it makes for a fairly cool look, at least in my world. 

This dress is from the fall of 2009.  I have worn it many times on this blog, but this is the first time I feel like I have styled it well.  I think wearing it with darker tights and wedge boots helps.

Anecdote from the day:  Cutting patterns is so hard.  I keep thinking while doing it, "it is just pinning and cutting," but because I don't want to make any mistakes, at all, I take so long in making the initial cuts, and then spend many minutes carefully concentrating on the rest of the process.  My stepmom says I am being too careful, that sewing should feel easier, but I am definitely not there yet.

The groundhog did not see his shadow, so it looks like no more winter for us.  I think the boots and sweater dress will be going bye-bye to the storage room soon.  Of course, the groundhog saw his shadow last year, and I barely wore any winter coats because it was so warm, so I am beginning to get suspicious of my favorite festive rodent.

Day: Friday, January 25, 2013.

Where: From what I recall, nowhere special.  I definitely took Rex and CW to the Little Gym for their class, so there's that.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) The tunic, leggings, and snood are really comfortable, warm, and easy.  The Matt Bernson booties are also all of those things, but since they have the tiniest cone heel, they help keep the outfit from being 100% easy to wear.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Again, styling helps, but because the "merino ruffle tunic" has a very bold and in your face pattern printed on it, the look is either "love or hate."

I have worn this tunic so many times on this blog, but the first time I wore it I think I styled it well. 

Anecdote from the day:  Well, since I barely remember what I did that day, no real anecdotes, but I do know it was cold if I was wearing this particular combo.  I can also tell you that the Little Gym is fabulous, and they love Rex's overabundance of personality and spirit.  I remember really enjoying the boys in my classes (way back when I was a teacher full-time) with a lot of energy, but since I see so many people who prefer kids like CW (you know, docile, demure, sweet, etc.), I guess I have forgotten that there are people who think all kids are great, regardless of demeanor.  Because like adults, kids all have different personalities, and being able to have all three of my kids at a place where all of their personalities are celebrated is truly awesome.  :)

Okay, that's it!  I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday, and if you feel so inclined to join in on the retro Boden reminiscing, do send me an e-mail, please! 

OOTDs: Celebrating Grey.

Day: Wednesday, January 30, 2013.

Where: Winesday at Whole Foods.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) This Garnet Hill Cap Sleeve Lace Dress is so comfortable, it felt like wearing a nightgown out.  Of course since it isn't a nightgown, it was absolutely appropriate for going out.  ;)  If you like this dress, I bought it in a size 6, which fit very well, if a squidge too big in the bust and waist, but I wouldn't have sized down to a 4 since there are no zippers which means the extra room is necessary for getting on and off the head and shoulders.

It was also very warm that night, so that Anthro "Decorating Committee" cardigan was all I needed for warmth.  (Since that day, though, we have returned to winter, with the highs in the 30s to prove it.)

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Definitely a twee girly outfit, but for some of us, this is cool.  LOL.  But for a lot of you, it isn't.  I am not going to split hairs here, but will give it a 3.

Anecdote from the day night:  These Winesday nights are my saving grace for the week.  I spend so much energy running around from one toddler friendly thing to the next that I seriously forget that I am an adult sometimes.  Being able to really get my drink on (and not have to drive, either, thanks, bro!) helps me feel my age again, and in a good way, not a "oh, look at the new wrinkle" kind of way.

One of the wine samples from that night was from a $25 bottle of wine from Tuscany. It was really  good.  I did not bring that bottle home, though.  The small little taste I had will have to suffice for now.

Day: Thursday, January 31, 2013.

Where: Preschool Run and Little Gym with Angus.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Boots are kind of a pain in the butt to get on and off at the Little Gym, so I am downgrading the comfort from a 4, but if I hadn't had to take the boots off, this would have been a 4, hands down.

The J. Crew factory puffin sweater I have on here is a teeny bit itchy, probably due to the fact that part of it is made from acrylic and rabbit hair, but a cami helped with that.

BTW, I did not have Angus wear his Puffin tee from Boden, but next time, I promise.  Why not sort of match your infant?  Ha.

Cool Factor: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Well, I sort of look like a brightly colored, critter-loving girl who rides horses.  I am sure such a thing exists in Virginia's horse country.  People in that part of my lovely state are a bit eccentric, right?

Not in any way, shape, or form is this a cool look, though.  Sorry, Miss Havisham*.

*I have always imagined that somewhere in horse country that there is a wizened old lady just getting mustier and mustier at her grand brick estate.  (Either that or that there are four kids, trapped in an attic by a narcissistic mother and a sociopath grandmother.)

Anecdote from the day:  My dad picked up CW from preschool, so I was able to bring Angus straight home from the Little Gym.  Having just one small child for one small part of the day made me feel insanely relaxed.  I even took a long hot bath while he took his nap.  Luxury!

Day: Wednesday, January 30, 2013.

Where: Harris Teeter for lots and lots of groceries.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Ain't gonna lie to you all, that skirt is maternity.  ;)  It doesn't look that way because of the shape, but the large elastic band at the top of the skirt definitely proves it.  That is why the darling little fox "silk keyhole" top from Lands' End Canvas is only sort of tucked in (bloused out, just like I did it when I was ten, back in the 80s!).

This was from the same day as the Winesday outing (first outfit), so it was very warm, in the upper 60s.  I ended up having to take off the boucle peplum jacket, so I could have left that at home.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  If I didn't admit to the skirt being maternity, I probably could give this a 4, but I did admit it, so 1/2 point deduction.

I made up for it, sort of, by wearing the darling little Pade Vavra birdie/cuckoo clock necklace and the peplum jacket.  Foxes are probably on their way out...unless of course you are an eccentric living in Virginia's horse country.

Anecdote from the day:  Harris Teeter sees me way too much.  Those of you with kids...do you find you go to the grocery store twice a week because your kids eat their school snacks on the sly, empty the box, and then return said empty box to the cabinet?  I have lost count of how often this has happened.  And it's not like I am away from the kids in the house enough to not see them eating, they must be doing it when I dare to sneak away, and you know, do all sorts of crazy things, like going to the bathroom, or putting the laundry in the wash.  Sigh.

Day: Saturday, January 26, 2013.

Where: First Class of Sewing One.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Yummy warm cashmere on top, stretchy denim leggings and shearling lined boots on the bottom.  This is daytime comfy at its finest.

The sheepskin lined boots were on my radar for months, but even as much I LOOOOOOVE Boden, I couldn't afford the original price of $298.  (Ouch.)  Once they dipped down to $119, I could afford them.  Since I bought them (size 40, so down one size from my usual 41), I have worn them a lot, as it has been cold enough most days to justify it.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I think the cashmere snood is the coolest bit, but it is obvious that I am trying to stay comfy, so I doubt this would be considered cool.  I bet cool often means "fashion can be painful, deal with it," and since I felt no pain, points off. ;)

Anecdote from the day:  This was the day I discovered my Singer machine was BROKEN.  This was also the day that the *really cute* guy at the small appliance shop (in my neighborhood--one of the last type of shops like this in the country) said he could fix it for, oh, the exact cost of the machine originally.  So I bid adorable man "goodbye," and got home to find the highest rated sewing machine on Amazon.  I spent more than I wanted (albeit it had free shipping and no taxes), but wow, what a difference.  Sewing is now a huge pleasure, and because I don't have to use a foot pedal, Miss "Clumsy and Uncoordinated" me can actually sew with a reasonable amount of skill.  LOL.

I am currently working on a very easy short tunic that I hope to have done by next weekend.  I am using this Liberty fabric from B & J for the project. 

Okay, all, that's it for now. 

P.S. If you are a Boden fan, they have restarted their "Spring Trim" promo today.  This will last for one week and all items in the trim are 15% off.  With the sidebar coupon, the total off is 28% and has free shipping.  You can find the women's deals here.