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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

A Daisy Dozen, Pillowcases That Is

The pillowcases are beginning to pour in. Maybe I should say fly in since they are coming form so many directions!
Today I have a dozen from Daisy and as all of the pillowcases have been, hers are lovely. 
 Baseball print,
 the peace dove,
and look how cute these are.
A goose with it's wing in a sling, 
 an anteater with a crutch,
 and a rhino with a bandage.
Last but not least, how perfect, daises from Daisy!
Thank you Daisy for your lovely contribution. With Daisy's addition, that puts us at 276. I have so many coming in, so next week there will be a number of pillowcase posts. I think that everyone should be featured for their generosity.
In the off chance that you do not know about the project, I am collecting 900 handmade pillowcases for the Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma, Washington. I have committed to making 200 of the 900, so I actually need 700 donated cases. Each child who is admitted to the hospital is given the opportunity to choose a pillowcase for their own. How lovely for them to be able to rest their head on a pillowcase made with love. At this point we are well on our way to the half way mark of 450 pillowcases. I should be able to do the big hanging of the 450 the week of August 12th. I couldn't get through the video I did for the first 100 without crying. I'm going to be a basket case over 450!!!!! I'm so excited about reaching this point and I thank everyone who has helped. It means the world.
If you would like to make a few or even just one, here is a link to the simplified instructions that I did,   http://www.rhondabuss.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-simplified-pillowcase-instructions.html. And if you would like to see the previous posts that I've done, including the celebration of the first 100, you can find all the posts here,  http://www.rhondabuss.blogspot.com/search/label/Mary%20Bridge.



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Monday, July 29, 2013

Monday Morning Inspiration

Happy Monday Everyone! and welcome to a new week. Today's post is once again a look at the Valentino fabric books that I have. The drawings are from the 1989 Spring/Summer catalog, Primavera Estate. The 80's are coming to a close and I see that yes the shoulders are still quite large and padded, but the style is becoming much closer to the body. There are a number of great design details and I love the flippy little skirts.  
Notice the button detail on the hem of the skirt above.
The floral peep-a-boo lining and the bias waistband on the jacket above.
The shirt tail hem on a short boxy jacket.
Red plaid and fishnet hose!!



Dresses made for dancing!

And dresses for ladies who lunch.



I have one last book to share and then we'll move on.
Have a wonderful day and may you have an inspired week :)
Rhonda




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Sunday, July 28, 2013

Sunday Night Reflections

Love suffers long, and is kind; love envies not; love vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Love never fails.
                                                1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Husband of 57 Years Stops at Nothing to Save His Wife's Life from ourprecioussavior on GodTube.



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Friday, July 26, 2013

Fabulous Free Pattern Friday, A Repeat

Quite a few people have asked to see me in this dress that I posted here,  http://rhondabuss.blogspot.com/2012/10/fabulous-free-pattern-friday_19.html. It's The Caught In A Wave dress.
I had promised the  pictures some time ago and I'm just getting around to posting them.



 
The neckline opening is basically in the center so you can see in the picture below that one side will be shorter than the other.


The dress is really quite versatile as it can be worn for a cocktail occasion to a beach cover-up.
 It also looks quite nice without the tie.
 Mine is fairly short, so I wear it with tights or flat sandals.
The dress has been pinned quite a bit on Pinterest. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer.



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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The Mary Bridge Pillowcase Project Gains Momentum

I am extremely excited to announce that we have officially hit 260 pillowcases!!!! Isn't that just amazing?!! A little over a week ago I received a message from Wendy. She said that she had made 63+ pillowcases and was ready to send them to me. I just couldn't believe what I read. Well, there were 66 in the box to be exact.
 The cases are so delightful. There are alien prints,
musical notes paired with quilting patterns,

whimsical mushrooms,


 fireworks and bright colors,
 beautiful mountain scenes,

 and animals with fins!
I love the words on this border, "simple gifts." Doesn't it seem that the simplest gifts can have the deepest meaning?
Thank you Wendy for such a generous contribution.
I think that within a few weeks we will hit the half way mark of 450 pillowcases. When we do, I will once again hang all the pillowcases and celebrate our success.
If you would like to participate, there is plenty of time, just email me at sewbussted@yahoo.com. You can find a link to the simplified pillowcase instructions that I did here,  http://www.rhondabuss.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-simplified-pillowcase-instructions.html.
If you would like to learn more about this project, here is a link to the previous posts that have been done, http://www.rhondabuss.blogspot.com/search/label/Mary%20Bridge
In order to reach the goal of 900 pillowcases, I need lots of help and no contribution is too small.
Thank you Wendy for such a mighty effort. I'm truly at a loss for words.
Rhonda



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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Cracking The Shell

A few weeks ago, Sew Sister of http://eastgatehill.blogspot.com/2013/07/sewing-in-70s.html did a very interesting post that spurred me to do a lot of thinking. This is the comment that touched off so many thoughts, 
"Do you call the 70's vintage? There aren't  too many photos of me in clothes I made myself. I used to hate people asking me did I sew my outfit? I always pretended I didn't. Before I wore my sewn clothes I always washed them so they they looked worn...Crazy really, but I think I equated home sewn clothes with being poor 'you couldn't afford to buy shop bought ones' also I hated the attention!"

I have sewn since I was a child. By the time I was five years old, my grandmother had an embroidery needle in my hand, and quite honestly, I loved it. Actually, I loved being with her, so it really didn't matter what I was doing, but needlework did come easily to me.
My mother did do some sewing for me when she could, but, most of my clothes were passed along to me, or came from a barrel at the mission center. I remember very few of my clothes, a piece here or there. The pieces I remember the most were the garments that I absolutely hated having to wear. Either they didn't fit, they were too long, or, at least in my mind, ugly. 
By the time I was a teenager, I had mastered sewing enough that I could make my clothes. To pay for fabric, I babysat(to the tune of $1.00 an hour!!!!, oh the good ol' days), or I knitted scarf, hat and mitten sets. As long as I was able to cover the cost of my yarn and have a few extra dollars, I felt like I was doing pretty good. Looking back, I probably made about ten cents an hour on those sets, but it helped me to afford what I really wanted. I cut grass and I also sold greeting cards door to door. Like Sew Sister, I too equated my sewing as just being too poor to afford the clothes that the other girls could go out and buy. Rather than tell the world that I made what I was wearing, I preferred to just keep that information to myself. The other girls at school knew that I sewed as we all took Home Ec classes together and sadly there were times  when I was talked about and laughed at. My feelings were deeply hurt. Today we would call it being bullied. My feelings of insecurity though started many years before I was able to do that much sewing. I think, I hope, that parents mean well with statements that they make to their children, but it can so easily happen that a statement made in haste can cause years of damage to a creative soul. 
Fast forward many years, I met and married my husband. We had wanted to start a family right away, but sadly, I miscarried. I was so very depressed. My husband asked what I would really like to do. That was easy, I had always wanted to have the opportunity to go to design school. He said, "so you will." I was in heaven. I graduated at the top of my class and won quite a few awards and scholarships. After I graduated, I worked for a dress manufacturer as an assistant designer. From there I did costume design work and taught. I spent time working in the costume department at the Chicago History Museum and ultimately designed and made wedding gowns for about twelve years. All along, I would rarely tell anyone that I sewed. Clients were referred to me by a friend who worked at a high end fabric store and then by past clients.  My husband and I would attend a party and from time to time someone would comment on how much they liked what I was wearing and my response was always a simple thank you, nothing more. My husband would ask me why I wouldn't say that I had made my garment. I just couldn't. By this time I could afford to buy my clothes, I just preferred to make them, but old ghosts die very hard and shells can become quite thick.  
A few years ago at the insistence of the acupuncturist that I see, I opened my blog. I have said before that when I started I had absolutely no idea what I was doing or what I wanted to write about. It didn't take long for very old dreams to rise back to the surface. Then a friend of mine encouraged me to enter a contest. She felt that I had the ability to win. That was the Passion For Fashion Contest held by the American Sewing Expo. Not only did I not win, I wasn't even in the top six. I felt like a failure(old ghosts) and cried through every mile of my five hour drive home. There was no way I was going to put myself through that again. But then one day, a lovely lady who follows this blog sent a message and although these are not the words she used, the essence was, "I believe in you." I shared this with my acupuncturist and she encouraged me to give it another try. As the time grew closer and closer, I felt more and more like backing out. The thought of, "what if you fail again?" ran over and over through my mind. Along side that thought ran, "but what if you win?" But what if you win won the battle and I once again tried, and once again, I didn't win, nor did I place in the top three, but in my heart I won the best award and that was the audience choice award. When I drove home, I didn't know that I had won this award, but I was in a better and stronger place. Yes, I wished I had been recognized, but I didn't shed tears :) I knew that I had done my best and a few of those old ghosts took their leave. 
Since then I've grown stronger and dared to try. A few days ago I was catching up on some old magazines and I came across this ad in the Sew News magazine,
and the thought hit me, "you were the winner!" Rather than the winner just being a face that is unknown to me....it's my face!!! Incredible!! And once again, it wouldn't have happened without such an incredible out pouring of help from all of you. 
And then there was this, 
That's my garment!!!! It all seems so surreal. I took a chance and dared to try once again, and look what happened!! Actually, so much more has happened but I just can't share it with you quite yet. Soon though, soon :)
Once again, I decided to take a chance. I sent in a garment for the preliminary judging and I was chosen as one of the twelve finalist for this year's Passion For Fashion Contest. If I'm honest, yes, thoughts that I refuse to give a voice to have made their way into my mind. But when they do, I quickly voice over them with something positive.
Me Made May had a very interesting affect on me in many ways. The day that I wore this dress, it was
to attend a luncheon. I was asked, "whose dress is this?" I knew full well what she meant and quite honestly I was shocked that she would think that it was a designer piece. I replied, "it's mine."  She replied, "oh Rhonda, I know it's your dress, but who is the designer?" And I quietly replied, "me." This lady went on to tell I think, just about everyone there that day that I had designed and made my dress. No bullying, no ugly remarks, just awe. And a few more ghosts took their leave.
I've learned that a thick shell may seem to protect us, but in the end, a seed can only grow if the shell is removed. Thank you to all of you who have been a part of cracking the shell.
Rhonda



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Monday, July 22, 2013

Monday Morning Inspiration

Good Morning Everyone!
I thought I would continue to share the Valentino books for a couple more weeks. I find the pictures so lovely to look at and from the comments I've received, a number of you do as well. This week the pictures are from the Autumn 1989/90 fabric catalog. If you take a look back at last week's pictures, you'll see that although still quite lovely, the illustrations are a bit different. Actually, these are some of my favorites. For those of you in the United States who have been melting in the heat, the clothes are going to look just a little too warm, or maybe they'll help you dream of cooler days!!  I love the voluminous coats, the sweeping action of all of the garments and the wonderful mixing of patterns.   





Nice detail on the blouse pictured below.

I absolutely adore the outfit pictured above. Once again, I so wish that you could feel the fabric. The picture just does not do it justice.

I included the fabric from this dress as the picture does not represent it all that well.


Take a look at the glorious quilting on the fabric for the skirt as well as the jacket.



And finally, the lovely silks used for this gown. The lace is just exquisite although my picture once again does not show just how lovely it is. One day we'll be able to feel things over the internet. We will. Remember, there was a time that some of us could not imagine being able to have so much information at our finger tips!!
It's nice that some things change!!
Wishing you a glorious day full of exquisite experiences!
Rhonda




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