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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Burda 09-2007-120, Tie Neck Blouse

Burda 09-2007-120 Thumbnail

Several years ago, I think in 2006, I answered an ad on Craigslist for fabric.  It was a woman who ran a vintage store.  At one point, they had made tote bags to sell but she had apparently burned out on making tote bags.  She had collected a *lot* of fabric to that end (ah, how I know about collecting fabric).  Most of it was junk and/or not to my taste, but I picked out a few pieces.  The prize length was this groovy 1970s turquoise and green print.  There were 2 yards of very narrow fabric, and I could never find the perfect pattern.

After my pants muslin disaster, I needed a trusty old faithful project.  Plus, January is the Pattern Review stash contest, which I like to use as a challenge for sewing up older pieces.  So I made a skirt (to be revealed soon).  But then I realized that I only had a couple tops to match it.  So I went stash diving and came up with this prized vintage fabric, that I had actually forgotten about, I admit.

MARC BY MARC JACOBS Top - Hot Dot Print, $228.00

In considering patterns I found Burda 09-2007-120.  At first I was torn because the pussybow blouse has been having a looong moment and I didn't want to make something instantly out of style.  The trend is still going strong, as you can see in these two pieces from Bloomingdales, but I just knew I would give it the kiss of death.

Rachel Zoe Long Sleeve Plunge Tie Collar Blouse $295.00

But the more I thought about it, I realized that the fashion aberration is actually when the pussyblow blouse is *out* of style.  It was standard office wear for women from the 50s through the 80s in various incarnations.  It was only the 90s through early '00s that it was out of fashion, though admittedly it was desperately so during those decades.  I don't have a classic example in my wardrobe (only two high-neck side-tie variations, Burda 02-2008-119 and McCall 5708) so I decided to take the plunge.

The pattern is drafted for jerseys.  It looked to be drafted with enough ease to work in a woven, possibly with a zipper under the arm, but I wanted to test it out first before cutting into my precious fabric.  I ordered the cotton floral paisley lawn from Fabric.com in May 2010 and was extremely disappointed when it arrived.  I thought the paisleys were small, but they are huge!  Also, I thought the color scheme would be more on the orange/yellow/red side, but instead the most prominent colors are Christmas red and green. So I figured no great loss if the cotton lawn version didn't work out, and the fabric would be out of stash either way.

Turn Under Center Front (Inside)

The reviews flagged two things.  First, the neckline is way way WAY low, even for Burda.  I raised it an inch, which was about perfect for the cotton lawn version but not quite enough for the lighter-weight vintage fabric (it's some sort of semi-sheer nylon).

The second thing is that everyone mentioned the directions for the tie neckline are extremely confusing.  So I didn't even bother to read them and just did it my way.

First, I clipped into the seam allowance at the markings on either side of center front and turned and stitched down the fabric to finish that short edge, as seen at left.  Here's what it looks like on the outside.

Stitch Tie Ends, Stopping 2.5 inches Before Collar
Next, I sewed the tie to the wrong side of the neckline, gathering where marked.  In this version, I discovered that the gathering was too concentrated to be flattering to my bust and increased the area over which the gathers are spread (marking the new spot on the front pattern) for the vintage fabric version.

When I am doing any kind of binding, waistband, or other finish like this I always sew to the wrong side first.  Then I turn to the right side and topstitch.  SO much easier than trying to catch the underside of fabric while stitching in the ditch, and quicker than hand-stitching. You have to be ok with a topstitch look, though.

Once the tie was sewn to the wrong side of the neckline, I finished the free ends of the tie by folding  right sides together and sewing to within an inch and a half of the neckline, then turning and pressing the tie.  The picture at right shows the tie sewn to the wrong side of the neckline and the tie ends finished.

Fold Collar Over to Front and pin

Next, press under the remaining free edge of the tie, which be will folded over to the right side of the neckline.

Fold the tie over to the right side and pin in place, making sure that your pressed-under edge overlaps the stitch line from sewing to the wrong side, so that first stitch line will be hidden.

Topstitch in place, close to the edge.

Hand Stitch Gap in Tie

The last step is to close the little gap left in the tie with some hand-stitching.  In hindsight, I probably could have sewn the free end of the tie all the way up to the neckline and still been able to turn it easily enough.  But a couple inches of hand-stitching never killed anyone.

For the cotton version I cut the tie as drafted, but it is too short to tie into a bow. On the vintage version, I cut the tie on the cross-grain (due to limited fabric) and cut it as long as possible, an addition of 10 inches to the length. It is good for tying a bow.

Pin Sleeve Lining

Cap Sleeve BindingI used the same method to bind the edges of the cap sleeve.  To make the puffy sleeve, I pinned the sleeve pattern in place and then just sort of extended it at the sleeve cap and the bicep.  Not very scientific but it worked.

I cut bias strips for the edges and pressed them into double folds.  I lined up one cut edge of the bias strip right side against wrong side on the inside hem of the sleeve.  Stitched in place, the folded the other end over to the front, the pressed edge overlapping the first line of stitching.  Topstitch.

Elastic Thread on Inside Ruching
With my wearable muslin, I found that although the pattern had been drafted for jersey it definitely had plenty of ease to be sewn in a non-stretch woven, and did not need any kind of closure.

In fact, it was a little too roomy.  Because the cotton lawn is meant to be a Spring/Summer top, I knew the volume could not be controlled with belting.  A belt in summer is like strapping a mini-sauna around your waist.  The sweat is horrifying.  So I ruched a couple of rows with elastic thread in the bobbin at waist level over the side seam.  LOVE elastic thread ruching.  So incredibly easy.  Much easier than actual fitting, lol, and much less sweaty.

Sleeve-Full Bicep Alteration
Before I set the cap sleeve into the lawn version, I cut a sleeve muslin of the long sleeve.  This was the one area where the drafting for jersey was a problem, as I found it very constrictive.

I did a full bicep adjustment by splitting the sleeve up the center to the sleeve cap, leaving a hinge.  I spread this open, and then cut from the sleeve seam to the split at the bicep level, leaving a hinge at the center split.  On these hinges, I rotated the lower part of the sleeve so that the original hem width was preserved, and then filled in the spreads with tissue paper. There is plenty of room in the final sleeve, though I could have used a slightly larger broad back adjustment for a fuller range of motion through the arms.

French Seams

For the cotton lawn version, I underlined with cotton batiste.  With the vintage version, I didn't want to lose the flow of the fabric.  I lined it with a lightweight silk (china silk or habitoi weight) that has been in stash for who knows how long--I bought it based on a painted silk dress project shown on Craftster (lost in the mists of time) that involved stringing a length of silk into a clothesline and using watered down paint to let it drip down in lines,  knowing that I don't actually have anywhere to do silk painting like that!  There's a limit to what I'm willing to do to my bathtub.

Lining Attached at Neck and Armscye

I sewed the center back, shoulder, and side seams of the fashion fabric and lining with French seams.  At the armscye and neckline I joined the two layers and treated them as one.  Paco just did a great tutorial on special seaming for transparent fabrics (UPDATE:  Paco kindly published my English translation for the post it is in Spanish, but the photos are helpful even if you don't speak the language), but I didn't do anything fancy at the armscye, just serged.

Vintage Front

Paisley Side
I am very happy with both versions of the blouse.  The giant paisley fabric is cuter made up than it was as yardage--though it kills me to make a Spring blouse before I can wear it!

In sewing up the vintage fabric, I realized that it is quite fragile and stained.  I think it may have been kitchen curtains--there are several large grease/glue spots that I can't get out.  So I was saving this precious fabric for years when really the resulting blouse won't last very long.

I considered cutting it single layer and then didn't but should have, as you can see at the CB seam.  Oops.

Love the style of the blouse and am wondering how many versions of it I can get away with.

All photos are here and the pattern review is here.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Pants. This is Why I Do Not Make Them.

Although I prefer skirts and dresses, there are times in the winter where I wish I had a pair of nice-looking, professional, trouser-y pants.  I am SO glad to have discovered Levi's 512s, which fit my body perfectly, so I don't need to worry about jeans.  But dress pants?  They do not exist.

Everyone loves the Burda crotch, and Burda fits me well in general, so I figured how hard could it be?  I traced off 02-2010-102 and blithely set to it.

Muslin 1-Front
V.1 Front
Muslin 1-Back
V.1 Back

V.1  Out of the envelope (with larger SAs, to increase size to about 40 at the hip).  There was no way I was going to document the original front fit before I let out the CF seam and cut open the front waistband at CF to release it.  Horrible.  I do not have a pants body.  Smile does not even begin to describe it.  More like grimace.

The back is a wrinkled mess.

Muslin 2-Front
V.2 Front

Muslin 2-Back
V.2 Back

V.2  Saddlebag width increase; lengthen back crotch by 3/8"; add more room at CF seam for belly; knock knee adjustment to square off inseam from crotch as shown on Debbie Cook's blog.  Front smile lines continue and little appreciable change to back--the wrinkles may be slightly less deep but they are the same shape.  It is odd how doing a HUGE adjustment with the knock knee (in the case of the back crotch, moving the inseam 2 inches toward the inside) can have no effect whatsoever.

Muslin 2 Front with 3 Back
V.2 Front on V.3 Back

Muslin 3 Back on Muslin 2 Front
V.3 Back on V.2 Front

V.3.0  Added huge wedge to back by cutting from knee up through dart and spreading; same front as V.2.  The additional booty room does allow the wrinkles to relax a bit, but the much larger back is folding over the front at the inseam.

Muslin 3-Front
V.3 Front

Muslin 3-Back
V.3 Back

V.3.1, in addition to back wedge, increased front crotch length slightly; shortened waistline by 1/2" at CF, tapering to nothing at side seam.  This helps eliminate the front smile lines.  No appreciable effect on back.

Muslin 3-Back with Shortened Crotch
V.3.2 Back

V.3.2:  took up the back crotch by taking a horizontal dart, which lifted out the diagonal wrinkling on the legs

Muslin 4-Front
V.4 Front
Muslin 4-Back
V.4 Back

V.4  Further increase to front crotch length; removed back width wedge; shortened back crotch seam at about mid-butt; kept original length of CF crotch (too high to be attractive, I think).  Some wrinkling is reappearing at center front.  (I had eaten some cookies by this point, I'm not gonna lie.)

Muslin 4-Back with Shortened Crotch
V.4.1 Back

V.4.1:  even more length pinned out of back crotch.  It seems to help but the center back waist is now pulled down and there is still some wad of kleenex at the back crotch.  In addition, the more the back is shortened, the more the smile reappears at the front crotch.

At this point I was SO FRUSTRATED.  I decided to approach it from another angle and tried on all the pants in my closet.  All but one had the smile line at the bottom of the front crotch.

RTW Pants 1 Front
RTW Pants 1 Front
RTW Pants 1 Back
RTW Pants 1 Back

The best fitting crotch is on a hideous, unflattering pair of pants.  I think it has to do with the high waist and narrowish legs, but they are awful pants.  However, no smile.  Interestingly, the crotch intersection is way, way up front, slightly more than two inches below the zipper--totally the opposite of what I've been doing to the pants pattern (shortening the back crotch and extending the front).  There are some strange folds on the front inseam right at the crotch, though, that appear to be a bit...how to put delicately?... a la Georgia O'Keeffe.  This may be a result of the forward crotch.  Because of the shape, I think they are worse than a smile. (Sorry the photo is so terrible, they are a rich, matte black and I do not have enough photo wizardry to make them very visible.)

The back fit exhibits the diagonal folds present on all my pants coming from upper outseam and heading toward lower inseam.

RTW Pants 2 Front
RTW Pants 2 Front
RTW Pants 2 Front Lifted
RTW Pants 2 Front with "lengthened" front crotch

The other pants have the smile line at the bottom of front crotch.  Tugging the center front upward eliminates the smile (indicating more length needed on front crotch???).

RTW Pants 2 Back
RTW Pants 2 Back
RTW Pants 2-Fisheye Under Booty
RTW Pants 2 Back with fisheye dart under booty

Back view shows the same diagonal folding from upper outer thigh toward lower inner thigh.  Pinching out a fish-eye dart under the booty straightens out the leg wrinkles.

The whole mess can be seen here.

I think I may have to give pants a rest.  I have 3 decent-looking pairs in the closet (got rid of the rest, except the hideous ones with the fitting crotch as a curiousity), though they are not the classy trousers I envision but fitted at the booty, as you can see in these examples.  They are not wool and are not lined, but they are better than my muslin, which does not necessarily seem to be getting better, only different.

Pants!  Ugh!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Frankenpatterning the Perfect Knit Wrap Dress

Wrap Dress Thumbnail

I have tried several knit wrap dress patterns in my quest for the perfect one. I've gone from the horrible disaster that was Butterick 3078 to the ok-but-not-great of Vogue 8379 to almost there with Butterick 5454 last year. My two main issues with B5454 were the Pleat to Nowhere in the shoulder and the slightly skimpy overlap on the front skirt.

When I bought this lovely and expensive (for me) silk jersey ($12/yd) from Michael's Fabrics last year I was determined to make it into a high-quality well-fitting DVF-style wrap dress to last the ages.  And so I called upon all my past wrap dresses (no seance needed) and took the best parts from each to create: The Perfect Knit Wrap Dress.

I would like to thank the following patterns for contributing:
Butterick 5454: Bodice and Tie
Butterick 5451: Skirt
Vogue 8379: Sleeve, Cuff, and Collar

The last one, B5451, is not a knit pattern. This is the one I made in the double-sided acetate polka dot fabric and hated the fit of so much that I gave away the pattern. The only good thing about the pattern is the generous and secure front wrap. Ding ding ding! So I had to rebuy the pattern when Joann had Buttericks on sale. The skirt is a fabric hog, but it would take a gale-force wind to expose you under it. At the same time, the side seams are cut almost on grain, unlike the circle skirt of V8379, which is much more flattering to my saddlebags than 8379's bias.

Collar and Shoulder Gather Closeup

I kept my original broad back and small bust adjustments on the bodice. As I planned last time I made it, I converted the Pleat to Nowhere at the shoulder into gathers. The gathers still kind of open up into nowhere (I have been actively avoiding a sloping shoulder alteration, but I know I need to start doing it eventually), but I like them a lot better than the pleat.

I ended up adding darts to the back bodice, because it seemed a little gapey when I tried on the bodice without the skirt.  The fit conforms to the shape of my back.

To fit the skirt onto the bodice, I matched the centers and side seams, and then did inverted pleats in front and a dart in back with the excess fabric.

Tie Opening

Because silk jersey is lightweight and somewhat flimsy, I reinforced the tie opening in the seam allowance with lightweight interfacing.

Cuff Inside and Topstitching

I fused the collar and cuffs with tricot interfacing to give them body without crispness.  I considered fusing only one half of the collar but ended up doing both the upper and lower, which seemed the better choice.

To keep the cuff's seam allowance in place, I topstitched with a twin needle.

Collar Topstitching

I cut the collar on the fold of the fabric. It took some major origami to fit my pattern pieces onto this quite narrow fabric and the shape I ended up with to cut the collar out of worked well on the fold.  I did not lay the fold on the seamline, but on the cut line, thinking I would end up sewing the seam.  But I liked it on the fold, and it does not seem to large.

Vogue 8379 has a facing to finish the neckline, but when I made the pattern I found the facing just too thick, especially at the shoulders.  So I just turned the neckline edges under and topstitched with a twin needle, enclosing clear elastic.  I finished the wrap portion of the skirt and the hem the same way, minus the clear elastic.

Wrap Dress Front .Rain Boots

I used the tie pattern from B5454.  In my first version of B5454, I had limited fabric and had to improvise the tie, which ended up shorter than I'd like.  This time I used the pattern piece and it turns out that as drafted it is still shorter than I'd like.  I like the width and both ends are slanted, which fits the bodice well.  But next time I'll lengthen by about 8 inches.  I like to be able to tie a bow.

I am very happy with this combination of patterns.  The front wrap is very snug with no gape, the skirt has a large overlap, and the collar and cuffs add a nice touch to the look.  I will turn to this combination again the next time I want this look.  However, I will stick with the B5454 sleeve if I am not doing a cuff--the Vogue sleeve has more ease and was difficult to set in.

Just so I don't mislead you into thinking I am an actual glamourpuss, I actually wore this dress with the rainboots on the right. It was pouring!

All photos are here and the pattern review is here.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Vogue 1020, Side Gather Dress in Directional Stripes

Vogue 1020 Thumbnail

A while back I helped Cidell work on her sewing basement and in return took home a few goodies she was culling out of her fabric collection.  Among them was this striped knit.

I have a whole Pinterest board on directional stripes, but never find any striped fabric that I like.  This is a great knit--beefy, with good recovery.  I like patterns that play with the direction of the stripes without using seaming, just the pattern drafting, as in this T by Alexander Wang ($140).

Ribbon Stay at Side Gather

 Vogue 1020 seemed like a good pattern choice for the experiment.  I had been wanting to make it again, as it is my winter "date night" dress and I was getting a little sick of the first version.

Mindful of my experience with the fit the first time around--way too tight, way too much belly--I cut it in a larger size at the waist this time, using the size 12 marking, the largest size on my pattern.  Unfortunately, it is still way too tight with way too much belly, and I don't like this version any more than the last one.  :-/

Last time I made this dress I gathered and stayed  both side seams before sewing them together, which did not work well.  My side seam was gathered more than it should have been (despite cutting my stays to the gather length provided by the pattern instructions).  This time I sewed the side seams together and then gathered, as per the pattern instruction.  Rather than use the instructions' stay length, I gathered it while wearing until the hem was straight and then stitched on a ribbon to keep it in place.

Picot Elastic Neckline
I did my now-usual picot elastic finish at the neckline.  I am sure I will eventually get sick of this, but it is much more enjoyable to put in than clear elastic and I think the look is cute.

Striped Front

I think I am giving up on this pattern as a dress.  It just doesn't suit my body shape (and/or the dysmorphic body shape in my mind; also keep in mind that I am totally sucking in for these photos).  However, I think it would make an awesome sleeveless tee in sailor stripes for summer, so I am keeping my eyes open for a suitable stripe.

All photos are here and the pattern review is here.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Burda 06-2010-126, 1930s Old Hollywood Glamour Evening Gown

Burda 06-2010-126 Thumbnail

One of our PR Weekend DC events (in addition to cake!) was visiting Exquisite Fabrics, which has to move out of the creepy Georgetown mall after only a couple of years because the mall's developer plans to renovate it, hopefully to make it less creepy.  Exquisite has not yet found a new space, but they are open through January 2012.  In the many years I'd visited it periodically, I had only bought one piece of fabric at Exquisite because much of it is high end (and high dollar) and I don't share enough taste with their buyer to spend the money.  They carry a huge selection of wool in all colors, and the one piece I bought was to match a wool jacket purchased at a thrift store--found the perfect piece.  Anyway, for their moving sale most things are 50% off, so I went bargain hunting.

Joan Crawford
When I found a roll of Fortuny pleated fabric in gray with subtle purple effects, I fell in love.  The owner at Exquisite told me it was from Mary McFadden's warehouse.  It was originally $60/yd, on sale for $30/yd.  It was in two pieces, one about 1 1/4 yards and the other 2/3 yard.  I bought the larger piece, thinking it would make a beautiful skirt.  Then I got it home, and started thinking about the wedding I would be attending on New Year's Eve.  I hadn't come up with an idea yet and suddenly had a vision of 1930s old Hollywood glamour and knew I needed the rest of that fabric.

Jean Harlow
The boyfriend works in Georgetown, so on Monday I called Exquisite to see if the 2/3 yard piece of fabric was still there.  My heart was pounding!  I really wanted to make my vision into a reality but the piece I had was not large enough.  They answered the phone.  The fabric was still there.  They put it aside for me.  I called the boyfriend several times to remind him to pick it up after work.  Mission accomplished.  So happy!  The next time I saw him we were off to South Carolina for Thanksgiving.  I'm not going to lie to you, I put the fabric in my suitcase and took it with me so I could caress it occasionally. At about $75 for fabric and supplies, this is one of my most expensive projects ever.  But I think it was worth it (and looks like more than a $75 dress).

Next step was to find a pattern.  I wanted a triangle top front and back, but of course I purged all the sundresses out of my pattern collection because of my fear of sunburn (over the summer I realized that I want at least one strappy dress for evenings).  I went through my Burdas and came up with Burda 06-2010-126, which has the requisite triangle top, and a midriff band, which is flattering for me.

I wasn't into the shoulder ruffle, but the shoulder line is the marked gather line so it was easy enough to leave off the extra ruffle bit.

Front Bodice Pattern with SBA

I started by muslining the bodice.  Well, I was hoping the muslin could become the lining, but I had to change it significantly enough that it was just a muslin.  Before cutting the muslin I shortened the diagonal neckline and narrowed the gather area on the front bodice for a small bust adjustment.

After muslining, I took another tuck in the diagonal front neckline to shorten it further.

The muslin revealed the armscye to be uncomfortably high.  This is unusual on a BWOF pattern for me.  I lowered the armscye about 1/2 inch.

I also found the shoulder too tall at the shoulder edge.  This might have something to do with the gathered design, but I gathered my shoulder as well, just without the standing ruffle.  I had to shorten the shoulder about 1/2 inch at the shoulder, tapering to nothing at the neck (this also influenced how much I had to lower the armscye).

Then it was time to make the terrifying first cut into my most-expensive-ever and totally-irreplaceable fabric.  I pinned the pattern in place and walked away a few times before taking a deep breath and cutting.

Hand Stitch Midriff to Underlining
Of course, I did make a mistake!  I combined the midriff pieces so that it would be a single length of fabric with a CB seam.  I also changed the shape--the original shape was narrower at the top and wider at the bottom.  I am shaped wider at the ribcage and narrower in the waist, as are most people, so the design was a little odd.  I cut the midriff on the fold, and it turned out I didn't have the fabric laid out perfectly on the underside of the fold, and the pleats started wandering downward at the CB seam on one side.  Ugh!!!!

As it turns out, I had to fix that anyway.  For the midriff, I cut my usual size 34 at the ribcage to 36 at the waist.  It fit in the muslin, but somehow in the real fabric I found it *much* too small.  I added a squidge over an inch at each side using fabric insets.  I was so upset to have to interrupt my smooth  line, but it had to be done, and it allowed me to re-cut that wandering, off grain side (didn't have enough fabric to re-cut the entire midriff).

I underlined the midriff with lightweight lining fabric.  The weight of the skirt was hanging from it and it had to be stabilized.  I hand-stitched in the ditch at the side inset seamlines to keep the midriff fabric in place.

Mark Stitch Line on Skirt

I was not 100% sure how I was going to do the skirt when I started the project.  I figured I'd get the bodice done and then drape the skirt in place.  I figured I would need to do some side-seam shaping.  But while making the bodice, I saw that the pleated fabric gathered unexpectedly well, so when it came time for the skirt I just used the entire large piece of fabric.

I did not want to cut off the upper selvage as the fabric frays weirdly (more like fuzzes), even after being serged.  So I determined the skirt length (based on my shoes--I wore heels, OMG--Born Divinity, which is as comfortable as a heel that high can possibly be, which is to say, not very unless you are sitting down), which turned out to be 3 inches shorter than the manufactured width of the fabric.  I chalk-marked the skirt seamline and put my gathering stitches in above the chalk-line.  Then gathered and stitched to the midriff along the marked line.

I was so relieved with how easy this was, because I had been really sweating the timing.  I *planned* to have loads of time over the holiday, as I had two days off work after I returned from Texas.  Well, those days just evaporated and it got to the point where I had about 10 hours of available time before the wedding (assuming I sewed up to the moment I needed to leave) to finish the bodice, drape the skirt, and do miles of hand-sewing.  I had budgeted 1.5 hours for the skirt and it only took about 40 minutes.  Once it was on I breathed a sigh of relief that I would actually finish in time!

Hand-Picked Zipper
After the skirt was on it was time for the hand-picked zipper.  I use invisible zippers almost exclusively, and have completely lost my ability to install a regular zipper by machine.  After the last disastrous attempt, I decided that any time I need to put in a regular zipper, I will just do it by hand.  It's faster and nicer looking in the long run.  I didn't want to attempt to get an invisible zipper past the heavy seam at the midriff, so hand-picked zipper it was.

I started doing a beaded hand-picked zipper, but sadly it just looked like a total non-sequitor on this dress.  So I ripped out the beads and started over.  I had a couple of false starts, but eventually got the zipper in and looking pretty good.  The prick-stitching is practically invisible in this fabric, so all my hard work can't be seen!

After that hand stitching was done, it was on to hand-stitching the edges of the walking slit.  Although I *could* walk in the dress if the CB seam was sewn all the way down, I did have some restricted motion so I went with a slit.  I used the selvage as the hem.

Midriff lining

Next I needed to hand-sew the midriff lining in place over the skirt/midriff seam.  This had been on my schedule as a "dress can be worn without this" item, but I ended up having loads of time in the end.  So it was properly finished on the inside.  I used a lightweight but color-matching lining for the bodice in because I thought I would twist the shoulders, and a nicer but non-matching lining at the midriff.

My original vision was to twist the shoulder straps before sewing the side seams, as I did several years ago on the Vogue 8386 I'm wearing in my profile photo.  Unfortunately, the fabric was just too thick for it to look nice.  I needed to have re-drafted the bodice to have a thin strap, rather than a thick gathered one.  Alas.  So I gathered the shoulders (by hand).

The final step was embellishment.  This is always a mine field for me because I do not trust my eye.  I have a magpie instinct to pile on the shiny and the frilly.  When I was buying the fabric, the owner at Exquisite had said it was a great purchase because you can use every inch of it.  He demonstrated by folding a bit of the fabric with the pleats running vertically and then fanning out the pleats.  I was suitably impressed.

Making Flowers:  Hand Gather

So I took my scraps and made them into flowers, using a sort of modified yoyo technique.  First, I cut rectangles of fabric, with the pleats running down the short side.

I took them to the serger and finished all the edges, due to the fuzzy fraying.

Next, I sewed the edges together, with the pleats running parallel to the edges, to make tubes.

Making Flowers:  Pull Gather Thread

Then folded them in half, wrong sides together (with the seam along the inside), and did a running stitch by hand around the edges.

Pull the running stitch tight and knot in place, and then open out the flower.  Voila!

Making Flowers:  Decorate Centers with Beads

I bought some purple ribbon flowers in Dallas while visiting the fabric stores there.  I put the dress on my paper tape double and pinned the self-fabric and purple flowers cascading over the neckline on one side.  When I tried the dress on I couldn't tell if it was cute or 70s bridesmaid.  I unpinned all the flowers and started over, but just couldn't find anything I like.  Then as sort of a joke I put two big flowers on my shoulders and oddly, it totally worked.  Who would have guessed?  They are "upside down"--cupping the shoulders. I covered the messy middles with sparkly beads.

Beaded Midriff

 My last embellishment was to sprinkle (and by "sprinkle" I mean individually hand sew) small, very subtle smoky glass beads in the pleats of the midriff.  I'm not sure if they show at all to anyone not specifically looking for them, but my hope is that they randomly catch the light on occasion.  I like them, at any rate.

I could not believe how smoothly this went!  I had time to put my hair up in pincurls, make my dangle earrings, and even take a nap--which turned out to be very smart as we were out until 4:30 am that night!!!

I was entirely thrilled with the way the dress came out.  I felt that it captured my inspiration without being costumey and I felt utterly glamorous after an initial panic with my hair (when I took out the bobby pins the curls stuck straight to my head and I looked more Little Orphan Annie than movie star--combing, weighing down with clips, and using the curling iron as a straightener finally took care of it).  The fit is good and it was comfortable to wear and move in.

I wasn't the only person in a full length dress, thank goodness, and several guests gave me really nice compliments.  The bride told me I looked like a movie star, which was so sweet.

I LOVED wearing this dress.  It was my first true evening gown.  Now I need another occasion to wear it!

All photos are here and the pattern review is here.


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Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP, License: N/A, Created: 2018:01:04 20:39:39

Adam Rippon performs during the men’s short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Adam Rippon is going to South Korea, to fulfill a dream.

The United States Olympic figure skater from Clarks Summit hasn’t gotten there alone, though. With some help, he might not have to be in Pyeongchang alone, either.

A family friend established an effort on the popular fundraising and crowd sourcing website Youcaring recently, hoping to raise money to bolster Rippon’s support system once he begins competing in the men’s competition

Feb. 15. The drive raised a shade more than $8,500 of its $20,000 goal as of Monday afternoon, with every penny dedicated to sending as many of Rippon’s five siblings — three brothers and two sisters — to the South Korea games as possible.

“I want to do all I can to get a few ‘Bonus Rippons’ to Korea so that Adam, 28, has a solid support system in place to join his mother in Pyeongchang,” wrote Bryan McIntyre, a friend and former classmate of Rippon’s younger brother Brady. “I was shocked to discover that traveling to and staying near the venue for the Winter Olympics is so expensive even in the most modest accommodations.”

At first, the Rippon family was reticent to back a fundraising effort like this, hoping they could scratch together enough money on their own for brothers Tyler, Brady and Sawyer and sisters Dagny and Jordan to cheer him on in Pyeongchang. But two things became increasingly obvious: One is that budgetary issues would be a concern. The other is that the more people an athlete has around him at the Olympics, the

Adam’s mother Kelly Rippon — the only member of the family currently scheduled to be with Adam overseas — said airfare could cost as much as $1,500 per ticket to Pyeongchang, not to mention the cost of travel around the venues, decent hotel accommodations and ticket prices for the skating competitions that could cost up to $500 each, ultimately priced the entire family out of the experience.

“The USOC gives a grant to the athlete that they in turn share to offset expenses,” Kelly said. “Adam transferred the entire grant to me, and, even though it is a generous amount, it falls short of the cost.”

That’s where McIntyre came in.

He convinced the family to give the fundraising through social media platforms a try, and as the donations came in, the Rippons began to realize they were getting something perhaps more valuable than money.

“On the page, we can see the individual names of people we’ve grown up knowing and who have known Adam through his skating. Just to see that specific gesture come to fruition, that’s a great feeling,” younger brother Brady said. “It makes this moment feel even better, this sense of pride we feel for Adam, because rather than it just be an athletic achievement, we’re seeing these people come and support him, which has shown us the impact he has had on people personally. It has been great to see the NEPA community support Adam the way it has, and I think he gets a real sense of pride from the overwhelming support we’ve received so far.”

Since Adam Rippon began competing at the senior level, it has been a rare occasion where any of his siblings have been able to watch him compete. When Brady watched him in the annual Skate America competition in Lake Placid, New York, in November, it marked the first time Adam had a sibling in the stands cheering him on.

If the next time is the first time for some or all of the rest of the “Bonus Rippons,” the Olympics would be a dream come true for more than just Adam.

“For us, it obviously is a very special thing, to have the opportunity to go to the Olympics in and of itself,” Brady said. “But to do it to support Adam, who we’ve seen the whole progression of his career, and to just be there for him in that moment, it would be incredible.”

To contribute to the campaign for the Rippon siblings, visit

Contact the writer:;

570-348-9100, x5368

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Sunday, March 14, 2010

Shark Without His Fin : What is Cruelty

A shark without his fins are like human without limbs
they can't monouver their swimming movements,
just like human, with arms severed.............

Is drinking shark fin soup a culture ? a want, a status symbol, or a bloody cruelty ?

Watch the videos produced by well known Film director Ang Lee, &

After the fins are cut away from the shark, they are thrown back into the sea, and most of them, sank to the sea bed, dying

a bowl of soup on the table versus live shark with fins cut away from his body, twitching in shocks on land, or left to dying on the sea bed.

is there a choice to be made when ordering food ?

Film Director's Ang Lee 's Against Cruelty 's Against Cruelty

Against Cruelty

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Monday, May 15, 2017

Absurdity In Gun Control

The anti-gun fools are constantly working to come up with more plausible reasons to control legal access to guns. Their most recent one is to say that, “thugs who are killed while breaking into somebody's home are being denied their right to a fair trial.” It's absurd, but they don't know it. They think it's genius. Also his right to a fair trial only arises if he is ARRESTED for breaking into this guy's home. Not when he threatens the life, and very existence of the homeowner and his family. The fact that those thugs are violating the homeowner's right to be “secure in their property and papers” is ignored, as is that homeowner's right to life, which is threatened by this thug's action in breaking into his home. This is a typical twisting of things the anti-gun fools are best known for. (The Blaze)

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Guest Designer Erika Taylor

Hello everyone and happy Monday. I am so excited to be a Guest Designer again for Unity Stamp Co. Out of all my stamps (and believe me I have WAY TOO MANY), My Unity stamps are my favorites to use. From whimsical to shabby chic and everything in between, you can always find something that you'll love.

I'm Erika Taylor and I'm a Unity Junkie!!! That is the first step I think ADMITTANCE lol. Today I have a great little album to share with you using a butterfly set from Unity that I absolutely adore. The Butterfly Beauty stamp set has 4 large butterfly stamps that are perfect for albums, layouts and mixed media. For this album, I used a glassine bag to emboss on and Wow Embossing Powders in Ultra High Clear Matte. I dusted it while still hot, with glitter, to give it a little extra sparkle.

I adore using Ultra High embossing powders and shaping a stamped image to create dimension and this butterfly was perfect for that.

 The tag is from Susan Weckessers paper line and the message is so true. Live to Create, Create to Live.

Here is the finished album. I love the softness the butterfly adds to the shabby chic look. If you haven't picked up this set in the Unity Store, You really need to grab it. You will be so happy you did.

Thanks so much for stopping by the Unity blog today and Thanks for all your support and comments. I so enjoy hearing what you have to say and sharing your thoughts about creating.

Until next time
Erika Taylor


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Friday, July 1, 2011

NOTD - Rubi Shoes Nail Polish (by Cotton On) in Grape ..

Hello Ladies,

I have yet another NOTD , this one's by Rubi Shoes from Cotton on group.

I have to admit that I picked this because of the color and the price.This retails for AUD $ 4.95 but I bought it for $2 at sale. The product is sheer as a first coat and buildable with 2-3 coats. The pic above is with 2 coats.

I didn't like the nail polish and would not be repurchasing this.It is definitely not a bad try for the price if you really like some color in their range. This chipped of the second day only and it has a horrible/strong smell which gets on to you.

Have you ever tried Rubi Shoes for nail paints and how was your experience? Which is your fav nail polish at the moment ?

  1. thanks so much for the lovely mail. happy to follow u back :). really nice blog. Love the nail color....too bad the quality is not good. Keep up the good work!

  2. @bhumika : thanks :) ya love the color (only) ..lols!!

  3. lovely color........

Welcome to my blog ! Hope you enjoyed reading 'The Vanity Bag Diaries'. Leave a comment and let me know you were here :)


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Thursday, September 27, 2012

Seeing Our Castles in Spain: A Trip to Barcelona

Having already told you about our experience at High Rockabilly, I thought I would break up the rest of our trip to Barcelona into a couple more posts.  At first I couldn't determine if a travelogue was appropriate for the blog because, to be perfectly honest, Barcelona isn't particularly wacky tacky, as we have come to define it.  After sifting through our photos, however, I came to realize that there is wacky tacky to be found in any part of the world, especially if we bring a little with us wherever we go.  WARNING: Be prepared for plenty of pictures!!!

If you're already making this face, now would
 be a good time to close this page.

Barcelona blew every expectation I had of the city out of the water.  I refuse to elaborate too much further because my misinformed surprise at the realities of Barcelona's culture could potentially be construed as offensive - unintentionally, of course.  Okay, one little thing...maybe two.  I live in Southern California, so close to the border with Mexico in fact, that my exposure to Mexican culture is quite ordinary, routine even.  I was more than a little surprised to travel so far yet still see representations of Mexico by way of both people and the six-and-a-half-foot-tall, fiberglass form of Mexican superstar, Cantinflas.

Albeit a one-handed version
No matter how hard I tried, he ignored my
colloquial request to "put 'er there, pardner."

Cantinflas - in the flesh

It was probably wrong to travel to a country with so many prejudicial expectations, but my imagination is always running in overdrive, so I couldn't help but construct a lengthy narrative of my whole trip before I even buckled my safety belt on the plane.  I have limited experience traveling abroad, but I have plenty of international contacts (trust me), and the general consensus is that Americans are fat - by very definition it seems.  It is hard to argue the point when I am so clearly "American" (ah, the joys of being a stereotype).  Given the mild disdain that I had so cleverly inferred from this characterization of my fellow countrymen, I was truly caught off guard to see quite a few portly Europeans.  Even more surprised after the amount of walking and stair climbing that is required of Barcelonians (?).  Truly, our Barcelona trip can be summed up in one photo...

This photo was taken from the landing at the top of the stairs of our "hotel."
With no elevator, this was our everyday Everest - not really a bad thing
 considering that I found my favorite place in the entire city on our first day...

It was like being called home when I first set my eyes on La Colmena Bomboneria.
Calafell, the locale of High Rockabilly, although a short distance from Barcelona,
felt like an isolated beach town.  It was great for seaside relaxation, but having
 traveled several thousand miles, I was hoping for something a little less familiar,
something a little more European!!!  The marble entry, the glass cases full of
delicious treats, the back-painted, gold lettering - I found my European happy place
in La Colmena.  Did we go every single day and sometimes twice a day?
 I defy you to prove it.

Strangely, it has always been a goal of mine to try real macarons...
sometimes it's the easy goals that are the most elusive.
 I've come close a couple times, but I'm glad I saved myself for Europe!

One thing I didn't want to ask was, "How many macarons is
it polite to eat in one sitting?"  I wanted one of each and then
an immediate refill.  We ate more than macarons though;
 there was the dark chocolate disk filled with citron and roasted
 nuts, chocolate horns filled with chocolate mousse, layered
 hazelnut chocolates, oh, and those rice krispie/citron chocolate clusters.
Mmmmmmmm Mmmmmmmm!!!!
  I wasn't such a huge fan of Spanish cuisine, so I filled up on candy!!!

Okay, so I was doing nothing to defeat the stereotype.
Really, I have been trying to eat a little better lately,
but I was on vacation, right?  Right?!  RIGHT?!?!
Ketchup is our national condiment, so why in the heck don't
 we have ketchup-flavored chips?  They are DELICIOUS!!!
(If we do have them, don't tell me, I'm just
getting over the withdrawals)

While we were indulging our appetites, we were drawn to a rare site in Barcelona, a vintage store.

The proprietress at Le Swing Vintage was so painfully chic that I assumed
she was going to be mean (always a corollary in my mind).  She was actually
 very friendly and had a great store.

I've been told before that European vintage is even more outrageously priced than
American vintage.  The prices at Le Swing didn't seem terrible but, with the
 exchange rate not working in our favor, we left the shop empty handed.

Most of the store was subterranean.  It looks like the this person is caught
in the middle.

 With too many hurdles to jump through, I thought it was
impossible to bring this bench/ottoman home - first, it
wasn't for sale, second, I didn't have room in my carry-on.
In retrospect, I feel like I could have made an offer and
unscrewed the legs.  BUMMER, that would have been a
great souvenir.

Some of the best money that we spent was on the Barcelona Bus Tour (a definite recommendation if you find yourself in Barcelona).  The buses run frequently and riders can get on and off the bus at stops all over the city to explore landmarks, museums, markets, and various points of interest.

Almost every bus was completely full - until we got on...

One of our favorite stops was MNAC, the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.

MNAC was built for the 1929 International Exposition.
After climbing about 8,026 steps, we finally made it inside...only to climb
 up two more flights just to get to the galleries!  Good thing I invested in that NOS
Thighmaster and the Buns of Steel videos I found at my neighbor's garage sale.

Fortunately, photos were allowed inside MNAC so we could capture some of the masterpieces.  One gallery in particular seemed to have a very obvious focus, namely death.

A sweet, little baby standing on a skull.

A life-size, bronze figure of a woman who had recently
 stabbed herself in the heart - seductively.

A gored matador

Having a definite taste for the macabre, we indulged in one my favorite pastimes by making the next stop on our bus tour Barcelona's oldest cemetery.

The sleep from which she would never wake.

The weather during our entire trip was hot and extremely humid.
  Of course, on our last day, Gabriel tooted his horn and heralded
 in the most ideal weather possible.  The literal translation of the latin is,
"Suckers, we did this on purpose so it would be harder to go home."

Seriously, the weather was so beautiful that it made
 the angels weep.

So technically, we weren't supposed to be taking pictures in the
 cemetery; I guess they didn't want us disturbing the residents.
We were feeling pretty lucky that we hadn't gotten caught
 until, from out of nowhere, a mangey black cat crossed our path....

The theme continued as we naively disembarked the bus again to check out a local market where the foul odor of death hung heavy in the air.

Not, I repeat NOT, rubber chickens.
Why wouldn't they just have the heads already removed.
What does one do with the head when one gets the foul fowl home anyway?

We unintentionally made like Elmer Fudd and went wabbit hunting.
Yep, those are rabbits.  File this under "things you'll never see in an
American market."

Given all of the death, artistic and otherwise, we were convinced that vegan was the way to go - for dinner at least.  We ended up at Cat Bar in Barri Gotic, Barcelona's Gothic quarter (my favorite part of town).

Our meal of a green burger (a spinach patty with
 marinated zucchini), beautifully prepared potato
 wedges with avocado dipping sauce, and a salad of
mixed, spring greens ended up being our favorite meal
of the entire trip.

Everybody left Cat Bar "feline" fine.
A British couple we met had already eaten there two nights
 in a row and vowed to be back the next night as well.

Beyond vegan food, Europeans definitely get at least two things right,
 sunglasses and shoes.  I was particularly taken by the frames in the
 foreground.  Since I already rock the specs, I never wear sunglasses
 because I'm too lazy to switch back and forth.

La Manual Alpargatera is one of the oldest makers of espadrilles in Barcelona.
Celebrities of every ilk have purchased the shoes that are still handmade onsite.

Mary stands before a wall of espadrilles.
 Overcome by the romance of hemp-soled shoes, we each got a pair,
 but I'm not sure that I am confident enough to show you what I got.
The shopkeeper assured me that they were super-hip and extremely
 masculine, but once I got them home and stuffed my feet into them,
I was feeling like anything but a He-Man.

Inexplicably, they don't make this style in adult sizes!
I know plenty of American girls who would take these in any size.

Espadrilles are the official shoe of Catalunya, or something; we created fun facts like this based on our observations during Catalan Independence Day.  Yep, we were lucky enough to be there on the day that just about every resident of Barcelona took to the streets to declare their symbolic independence from Spain and Marco's regime.

A traditional, military-style espadrille

We set out with no plan and immediately ran into historical recreationists
 taking part in the day's festivities, parades, and protests.

My favorite was the little drummer, girl.

Mary informed me that, rather than a parade leading the way to a Southern-style
barbecue restaurant, this was more likely an anti-police/government protest.
 Boy, was I getting homesick for American food!

Despite news reports around the world (we received a few concerned facebook messages), everything seemed pretty peaceful and we were fearful of neither the protests nor the demonstrations.  It was hard to distinguish a protestor from a reveler anyhow as everyone was draped in some version of the Catalan flag.  We thought about getting a flag to join in the fun, but they were 10 euros apiece.  We settled for the free balloons and the independence themed posters that were being handed out on every corner.

Not meaning to be disrespectful, I folded our poster into a festive paper hat for Mary.
We were the subject of staring the entire time we wer in Barcelona anyway, but once
 Mary donned the hat,  all bets were off and Barcelona Stare-fest 2012 was on!!!
  People stared, pointed, laughed, scowled, whispered, looked confused, and asked for photos.
It was like they had never seen a giant, American woman carrying a guitar, wearing
 vintage-style clothing and a paper hat before.

This photo also shows Mary demonstrating the hundreds of fountains all over town
 that supplied,and continue to supply, usable drinking water for the residents
 of Barcelona (and yes, we took a picture with every single one that we saw).

The government-sanctioned, Independence Day festivities culminated in a grand ceremony at the beautiful central park, Parc de la Ciutadella.

This piece of civic art/architecture/statuary
in the park had me in awe.

Yes, we have Hollywood, we have Disneyland, but we don't
have anything  like this!  EUROPE!!!

Everyone was on hand including dignitaries, local politicians, and Barcelona's biggest celebrities, the Castellers, or as I referred to them, the "people stackers."

This was the third demonstration of stacking that we had seen and we had only been in town about twenty four hours.  Every souvenir item that we saw referenced the people stackers - usually as the center panel of a tea towel or tablecloth.  The residents of Barcelona get so worked up by the stacking of people that suddenly, without warning, they can - and will - break out into the national anthem.

"Els Segadors" - The Catalan National Anthem

Oddly enough, until that moment, this was some of the only music we had heard in Barcelona.  I had expected (wished for) gypsy guitars and flamenco dancers and folk music and Euro pop, but we got a lot of silence and a bit of American Top 40 when we wandered into retail shops.  Convinced that we would set Barcelona's world on fire with our music, we set to busking.  We picked a pretty well traversed area in front of our favorite Gothic cathedral,  the Catedral de Barcelona, and started singing.  I guess other countries don't appreciate American roots music and western swing as much as we thought they would.

Do you see the single euro in the guitar case?
Yeah, that was me "priming the pump."  It worked like a charm...we left with one euro.
We sang and played our hearts out.
We ran through our entire songbook twice and we still went over
like a lead balloon.  We were beginning to think that the absence of
music was culturally significant to Barcelona.  I almost thought that
 they hated music, until....

 We heard the call of jazz, real, live JAZZ!
The New Orleans Ragamuffins
(many more videos of this group can be seen on youtube)

It was not only music to our ears, but our hearts and souls as well. After five solid days of rockabilly followed by deafening silence, we needed to hear something sweet.  The NORs got our toes tapping and before we knew it, we were dancing in the street.  Given the dumbfounded gazes and the frantic searches for cameras, one might have thought that aliens had landed, but it was just two giant weirdos dancing in the streets of Barcelona - and having a great time.  Mary bought their CD, and while we could could have listened to them for hours, before too long, they closed the lid on the piano and rolled it away.  But Jazz wasn't to be the only offering on the day's program...

B-Boys? Acrobats? Rogue, street performers who literally disappear at the
sight of Barcelona PD? All of the above.

It is a well known fact that it takes exactly two to tango.
After the jazz and B-Boy routines, we kept meandering and stumbled across
this tango-playing duo.  I probably don't have to tell you, but
People who had seen us dancing to the New Orleans Ragamuffins (and
 then to the tango music) asked us if we were paid performers.  I wish!
I told them we were just music-starved, American tourists!!!

The rest of these photos (yes, there's more) are less of chronological narrative (actually very little of this post has been in chronological order but how you know that unless you paying very close attention to costume changes) and more a representation of what I deem to be funny - wacky tacky, even - pictures from our adventures around Barcelona.

There were a few moments when I knew I was in Europe.
One of those moments came when I peeked around a corner to
 see this picturesque view of a narrow lane lined with iron balconies,
hanging plants, laundry on the line and an entire family lobbing
 obscenities at a woman on one of those balconies as she
hurled them right back.  At first I thought, "No, that child didn't
 just call that woman a prostitute in front of her parents.  Surely
 their tone is elevated because they are communicating from
in the alley."  As different as the Spanish spoken in Mexico and
California might be from the Spanish/Catalan spoken in Barcelona,
 some words do indeed translate exactly.

Bar Choco Chiqui
 I couldn't find the actual bar, but the old iron sign was pretty
 cool and I wanted some choco chiqui - real bad.

Get a load of those knockers!!!
These antique doors were covered with graffiti.  I think Europeans see so much history around every corner that it doesn't always occur to them how special it all is.  Case in point, shortly after seeing this cool hardware, we saw trashmen picking up a door with all of the hardware intact that was a least three centuries old, and chucking it in the back of their trash-compacting truck.  Have they never heard of architectural salvage?  If we were smart we would go back to Europe on trash digging trips; In California, that "trash" would easily have been worth thousands of dollars!

There was a lot of old and new side by side and I loved it.
  In Southern California we are only just starting to recognize
 our history - such as it is.  Usually, when something gets old we
 tear it down and start over.  I like the idea of breathing new
life into history with humongous coat-hanger art installations!
Similar examples abound all over the city.

Pictures on the moon seem to be all the rage, so Mr. Tiny perched
 himself on this pint-sized moon as delicately as he could.
Unfortunately, by the time I got up, it was completely steamrolled.

We tried to tell them all about American Soda...
Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Cherry Coke, Diet Cherry Coke,
Coca-Cola Classic, Coke with Lime, Pepsi, Diet Pepsi,
Pepsi Max, Pepsi Next, Pepsi One, Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper, Sprite,
 Diet Sprite, Sierra Mist, Diet Sierra Mist, Orange Crush, Fresca, Squirt...
we would have kept going but I thought the hostess' body
language indicated a slight lack of interest.  So much for
cross-cultural communication and understanding!

I despise politics, but as it is closing in on election time here is the US,
 I encourage you exercise your right to vote - for the leader of British Africa???

I love colored light!

I think my real depression set in once they removed The Skyway
from Disneyland.  I was beside myself with joy when, on our way
 up to an old castle/fort, we got to ride in the aerial gondolas.  I was
 trying to get everyone to catch the spirit of excitement but the
 French couple next to me was not having any of it.

Mary, sunbathing at the top of Montjuic, the old castle turned fort.

What?  You're telling me you never pretend to be the Big Bad Wolf?!

A tower in Barcelona's old, industrial section
emblazoned with the word "Kisses."

A GIANT shrimp...
alright, so maybe it's a lobster, but that wouldn't be a hilarious oxymoron.

TA DA!!! A really cool magic store.

I just like this one...that is all.

The display window for a hip clothing store showed us once and for all that
 BVD's are for decorative purposes only - the exception being for use as
a Baby Bjorn for your cat.

Mary made a bunch of new friends while we were there and
 they all went for a really fun ride on an imaginary boat.

This was one our favorite places in Barcelona, the Catedral de Barcelona.
At night it is majestic and spooky; during the day, one can take a tour
and visit the rooftop for 360-degree views of the city.

I really thought this made for a dramatic photo.
  Obviously, as the statue is only lit from one side, the huge shadow
 being cast is intentional.  I wonder if the novelty wears off around 3am
for the residents of this hotel.

Speaking of hotels, this was the entrance to our "hotel."
The beautiful iron and glass entry, the marble wainscoting,
and classical mosaic all spoke to a stately turn of the Century
 building...let's just say the years have not been kind.

Mary and the lady who ran our "hotel."
 You're right, I do keep putting "hotel" in quotation marks, because this
place was no hotel; it made us jealous of the folks staying at a
 Bakersfield Motel 6.  We spent the first hour in the room
simultaneously afraid to touch anything or sit down and totally
 overcome by hysterical laughter.  Nevertheless, the price was
 low (relative to other hotels), the staff was very nice, the
location was great, and we never had any major issues.  In fact,
this little lady (short even when not standing next to a giant)
 filled our backpacks with breakfast pastries on the morning that
 we left so we would have sustenance on the plane.

Heavyhearted, we hopped a cab to the airport for our LONG journey home.  Mary bought many a souvenir, so to make sure her baggage would fall under the maximum weight, I loaded up my suitcase to capacity.  I'll give you one guess as to whose bag was overweight...they say that luggage and their owners start to look alike after awhile. Wouldn't you know that I, the one who packed light and was entirely ready the night before, had to kneel on the cold floor of the airport and sift through my dirty clothes as I layered on shirts, put on two belts, and played Sophie's Choice with my shoes so we could make it back home without the 100 euro surchage!  The nice agent at the Lufthansa desk instructed me to remove 4 kilos from my bag.  Embarrassed, I had to politely ask her what a "kilo" was (blast you American public school education!!!).  The pitying look she gave me quickly turned to scorn when I told her that the only thing Americans measure in kilos is cocaine.  In the end, we redistributed things among the luggage and made it home safe and sound, but not before a heartbreaking layover in Germany.

Here is Mr. Tiny trying to convince himself that a pretzel in
the terminal at the Munich airport is the same as getting to
go to Oktoberfest.  I was really trying not to be too sad that
my only time in Germany was a 45-minute layover...

Spain is a marvel and it really turned all of my expectations on their ear; I guess one can only glean so much cultural information from watching Disney's Ferdinand the Bull and the occasional Esteban infomercial.  Honestly, despite what the song says, I saw castles rising in Spain, that I NEVER would have seen through my windowpane.  In fact, I saw Spanish birds with feathers of blue AND green that had never been waiting for me before.  After a couple weeks of being home, however, I guess it is true that my happiness lies, right under my eyes, back in my own backyard!

"Back In Your Own Backyard" - Russ Columbo

Can you believe that this is not even half of what we saw in just over three days?  Stay tuned for the final post of our Spanish adventure featuring the King of Barcelona's wacky tacky scene, Antoni Gaudi!

p.s. Do I win some kind of prize for the longest, most-boring post in the history of blogger???

Cheers & Hasta Luego!

Mr. Tiny


text:
The Foodyssey.

February 3, 2010 · Posted in Travel · 9 Comments
Sing in me, O Muse,
Of the man of many hungers,
Who wandered full many days
After he had sacked
The sacred citadels of Parma, Bologna & Modena.
Many were the foods
In whose cities he saw
and whose stomachs he learned,
aye, and many the woes he suffered
in his heart upon the return to America…

It is almost impossible to begin this post because the events that transpired cannot adequately be put into words.  No amount of language, hyperbole, or linguistic trick can describe how you feel as you sample delicacies prepared in restaurants older than your country.  To taste gourmets foods in the lands of their origin.  And so I will attempt, with the help of my muse, to describe the bounty one encounters on a trip through Emilia-Romagna.

Our travelers start the journey in Parma, home to parmigiano-reggiano and prosciutto.  Almost immediately upon exiting the train station you can smell a salumeria.  You have to love a city that smells of cured meats.  On your way into the city center, you will encounter two gastronomias that resemble dueling vendors trying to outdo one another with the beauty and deliciousness of their wares.

Here is Gastronomia Garibaldi.  Note the legs of prosciutto hung lovingly on the walls, better alone than any Christmas stocking could ever hope to be.  This is what pigs in the USA long to be.

Across the street we have Salumi & Formaggi (meat and cheese).  What a great name.  Those are in fact gigantic wheels of parmigiano-reggiano.  You know in Duck Tales how Scrooge McDuck dives into piles of money?  If I could I would dive into piles of cheese and cured meats.

After finding our hotel, we ventured out in search of the perfect dinner.  We got sidetracked, as you do here, by the cutest wine and cheese bar I’ve ever seen.  It was about a foot wider than the bar itself, so we shuffled past and upstairs, where they kept books about wine making and terroir and how to properly butcher pigs and meats and…you get the idea.

Do you see that cheese on the plate?  Take a good look because you can’t get it anywhere else.  They make it somewhere (I suspect it’s a secret, magic cave of deliciosity) nearby and it tastes almost like a brie.  With honey.  Don’t let me forget that.  See, I adore honey and so now I’ve got cheese and meat and honey and red wine and my tastebuds feel like Odysseys strapped to the ship’s mast as he passes the Sirens…wanting just a little more of the temptation…just a little bit more.

So do we indulge in this temptation?  In Italy, the correct answer is and always has been yes.

Trattoria del Tribunale.

Why not start with cheese?  Because if you call this just cheese you deserved to be shackled to a donkey and mocked.  This is somewhere between cheese and ambrosia.  By itself it is a meal, and the perfect blend of saltiness and nuttiness in the cheeses in Parma is unrivaled.  It’s change your life, walk out in traffic because it can’t get any better than this good.

And we hadn’t even had dinner yet!  So I’m skipping on the picture of risotto because I can’t figure out how to take a picture that doesn’t look like oatmeal.  You know, just porcini mushroom risotto with fresh grated…what do you think we grated on it?  Right then.  As you do.

This beautiful creation was a braised beef stew that fell apart before you ever touched it with your fork.  I think there was polenta but frankly I’m not sure.

The next day we did some…stuff?  And then ate again.  There’s a few churches and whatnot.  But come on, we’re here to eat.  So we did.

It’s a good thing Italy wasn’t on the way back from Troy, or Odysseys never would have made it home.  Homemade torteloni stuffed with fresh herbs and ricotta cheese in a sage butter sauce.  Jenni had to restrain me at this point.

I’ve been around the world eating delicious food.  I’ve eaten at Alinea, twice.  Il Mulino, twice.  Been to restaurants owned by Batali, Emeril, Wolfgang (the good ones, not the crap ones), lived in Rome for six months, had duck at an incredible restaurant in Paris, eaten amazing pastas all over southern Italy and had breakfast so good I almost cried at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon.  I know what good food is.

And then.

And then I went to Bologna.

Bologna, the capital of Emilia Romagna, therefore the food capital of Italy, and therefore you probably won’t find a city more responsible for such an incredible array of excellent food products in the world.  Dinner was in the student district where a very surly hostess tried to sit us right next to two people in an EMPTY restaurant.  She literally pulled the other half of their table away and wanted us to sit next to them.  In an empty room.  When we asked to move it was like we punched her cat or something.  It was all okay when these dishes arrived:

Tagliatelle con ragu on top, and rigatoni al forno on the bottom.  The tagliatelle was excellent, but just a warm up to the rigatoni.  Mushrooms, sausage, and a slightly sweet, acidic cream sauce that blended so smoothly with the spice in the dish.  Of course, fresh grated Parm cheese on top.

THAT dinner proved to be nothing but a teaser for tomorrow’s lunch.

Osteria dei Poeti.  An old wine cellar beneath a palazzo serving pasta “fatto a mano” – made by hand.  This tagliatelle con ragu…it’s not an exaggeration to say it changed my life.  The meat has actually been braising since the late 1600’s.  The pasta itself is delicate and at the same time perfectly hearty.  But it’s the sauce that works its magic on you as soon as you smell it.  On a cold day, when you’re freezing, it warms you all over with the power of a fire, warm blanket, hot chocolate, chicken noodle soup AND pasta all in one.  Then it tucks you in, serves you warm milk and cookies, and reads you a bedtime story.

The picture doesn’t do it justice and neither do my words.  I have found my last meal.  That’s all there is too it.

For dinner we tried a more modern restaurant in Bologna.  (In Italy modern is like 1700 and beyond but this was really modern)  Expecting to be disappointed somewhat we were just wowed again.  Jenni ordered stuffed pasta with pumpkin and bacon, smothered in a balsamic reduction that had hints of chocolate.  I ordered papardelle “fatto a mano” with porcini mushrooms and bacon (of course).

Our traveler’s last stop was Modena, home to Ferrari and aceto-balsamico, commonly called balsamic vinegar in the US.  Like Champagne, it can ONLY come from Modena or it’s not real aceto-balsamico.  The goal:  find real balsamic and bring back spoils for the uninitiated to try.  The result: lunch like you’ve never eaten.

My friend Francesca Amadei recommended this restaurant to us which, for security purposes, shall remain nameless.  She told me it was “familiar” and that Ada the owner/chef/waitress/everything would tell stories and poke fun at us and whatnot.  What actually occurred was beyond all expectation.

It really is this woman’s house, and there are maybe 15 spots.  If you’re late, get out.  Vegetarian?  Sorry, get out.  Don’t eat pork?  Um, you’re in Emilia Romagna.  GET OUT!  Lunch was 4 primi piatti, 1 secondo, 2 dolci, caffe, vino, and three or four sides, I can’t remember.  All through lunch Ada herself was serving, clearing, cooking, and regaling us with stories of her lewd past.  She is truly a one-woman show in and of herself, and is more than reason to go.  If you can find it.  I’m not telling where it is.

1.1 Orecchiette con pomodori – the roasted tomatoes bursted with a sweetness that could make Willy Wonka himself blush.

1.2 Sage and Rosemary Tortoloni stuffed with ricotta.  The pasta was dark green and tasted of sage and rosemary.  The best pasta itself I’ve ever had.

1.3 Lasagna Bolognese

1.4 Tortellini in brodo

2 Braised pork shank with roasted vegetables – do I really have to explain again that braising is the best way to cook anything, and pork is the best thing to cook, so when you braise pork…well…if Michelangelo sculpted food he would have sculpted braised pork, that’s for sure.

At the end….

At the end of the meal she asked us and one other table where we were from.  Chicago and Boston.  The entire restaurant erupts – everyone had family, friends, or worked or lived in one of those two cities.  Instantly we were all friends.  As you bask in the warmth of the kitchen, the warmth of the food, and the warmth of new friends, you realize you’re living la dolce vita, just like they say you should.

As you stumble back out onto the street, eyes adjusting to the light because it took you three hours to eat lunch, you can’t help but want to stay, to throw everything else out the window and just LIVE, here, now, delicious, full, amazing life the way it was intended to be.

As Homer had two stories so too will we – our next trip goes to Mantova for a home cooked meal that redefines lunch yet again.

A dopo tutti…


text:
Cleon declares war on Virgil and the Destroyers.
Level A
Succeeded by The Best
Warlord Cleon
Warchief Vermin

"Roots" is the first flashback level in The Warriors (video game). The level explains how Cleon and Vermin left the Destroyers to found The Warriors after being set up by the Destroyers' leader Virgil.

[edit] Level summary

Cleon and Vermin are discussing the Destroyers' leader Virgil when Lemmy appears, informing them that Virgil wishes to speak to them. Virgil has set up a drugs deal with the Satans Mothers MC and wants Cleon and Vermin to be there. Virgil sends Cleon and Vermin to collect the drugs from LC, promising to meet them at Tack's Warehouse at midnight, before the deal takes place.

Cleon and Vermin arrive at LC's shack, although before they collect the drugs they must break up a stakeout, as the cops Harrison and Garrison are tracking LC's movements. After committing several crimes and distracting the cops, the stakeout is broken up. Cleon and Vermin collect the drugs from LC and make their way to Tack's Warehouse, although Virgil has still not appeared by midnight, so Cleon and Vermin attempt to complete the deal themselves. However, it transpires that the drugs the Destroyers are offering are fake, and Cleon and Vermin are chased into the warehouse by the Satans Mothers. It becomes apparent that Cleon and Vermin have been set up by Virgil, although they have more to worry about as they must escape from the warehouse complex. Even though Cleon and Vermin are able to escape, they are then confronted by Spider and Tiny, the leaders of the Satans Mothers. Cleon and Vermin are able to defeat Spider and Tiny, before returning to the Destroyers' hangout.

At the hangout, Virgil mockingly asks them how the deal went. When Cleon and Vermin respond angrily, Virgil reveals that he believes Cleon has been trying to take over the Destroyers. Cleon accuses Virgil of being paranoid, before declaring war on Virgil and the Destroyers as he and Vermin leave.

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Characters

[edit] Gangs

[edit] Locations

[edit] Behind the scenes

"Roots" has a high score goal of 9000. Reaching this goal unlocks 18 soldiers and one arena for use in Rumble Mode.

Last edited by on 2 September 2013 at 14:44
This page has been accessed 275 times.


text:
Daily Briefing

10 things you need to know today: March 1, 2016

Harold Maass
Reuters/ Gary Cameron
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Clinton and Trump head into Super Tuesday with big leads

The presidential frontrunners, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, head into the March 1 Super Tuesday primaries with big leads over their rivals. Clinton leads Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont 55 percent to 38 percent in a CNN/ORC poll released Monday. Trump had the support of 49 percent of Republican and GOP-leaning voters nationally, widening his already huge lead over his nearest rival, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, to 30 percentage points. Establishment Republicans fear that if Trump dominates the states voting Tuesday, as expected, his march to the nomination will be unstoppable. [CNN, Bloomberg]

Navy SEAL receives Medal of Honor for rescue mission

President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor on Monday to Navy SEAL Edward Byers for his role in the rescue of an American doctor who was being held as a hostage in Afghanistan. Byers, 36, used his own body to shield the doctor, Dilip Joseph, during a firefight. Byers was the 11th living service member to receive the military's highest honor for valor for actions in Afghanistan. [Reuters]

Hecklers disrupt Trump rally in Virginia

Hecklers, some belonging to the Black Lives Matter movement, disrupted a Donald Trump rally in Virginia on Monday. Trump said, "Are you from Mexico?" and supporters chanted, "All lives matter," as dozens of black protesters were being escorted out. A Time magazine photographer who stepped out of the press pen to photograph the protesters was choked and pushed to the ground by a Secret Service agent. The fracas came a day after Trump was swamped with criticism for failing to clearly repudiate white supremacists' support. [Time, Reuters]

Last set of Hillary Clinton's emails released

The State Department on Monday released the last batch of Hillary Clinton's 30,000 emails from a private server she used while serving as President Obama's secretary of state. The final set of about 1,700 emails included 23 retroactively deemed "Secret," bringing the total under that classification to 65. There were no new messages withheld as "Top Secret," the most sensitive classification, although spy agencies had pushed for the designation on a message regarding North Korean ballistic missile testing. Clinton and her aides have disputed the "Top Secret" designations, noting the messages were not deemed classified when they were sent. [Politico, The New York Times]

Teen charged with shooting two students at Ohio school

Police arrested a 14-year-old male student for allegedly shooting two other teen students in the cafeteria of a Butler County, Ohio, school on Monday. The suspect was identified as James Austin Hancock. He was charged with two counts of attempted murder, as well as assault, inducing panic, and making terroristic threats. The victims were in stable condition and their wounds were not life-threatening. Two other students were injured by shrapnel. [Cincinnati Enquirer]

Judge says Apple can't be forced to unlock iPhone in drug case

A federal judge in New York on Monday rejected a request by the federal government to force Apple to unlock an iPhone in a drug case. The ruling involves a phone seized by DEA agents in a drug trafficking investigation, and is unrelated to Apple's fight against the FBI's effort to make Apple help hack into an iPhone used by one of the killers in the San Bernardino massacre. [Engadget]

Justice Thomas speaks during oral arguments

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas spoke from the bench on Monday, asking a question for the first time in 10 years. The case involves a federal law depriving people convicted of domestic violence of the right to own guns. Thomas asked Justice Department lawyer Ilana Eisenstein if there are any other instances where law-breakers can have a constitutional right suspended, setting off a discussion that lasted several minutes. [Chicago Tribune]

Migrants protest effort to dismantle part of Calais camp

Migrants clashed with French riot police on Monday at a makeshift refugee village known as the Jungle, as bulldozers moved in to raze some of the shanties in the camp. Some of the shacks were set on fire, and about 150 refugees threw stones at police and vehicles. About 3,700 people live in the camp, and as many as 1,000 stand to be evicted as the French government tries to move them. Many are hoping to travel from Calais to the U.K. [RFI]

Actor George Kennedy dies at 91

Actor George Kennedy, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Cool Hand Luke in 1968, died Sunday from a heart condition, an Idaho coroner confirmed Monday. He was 91. Kennedy's health had reportedly been failing since his wife's death a year ago and he had been in hospice care for a month. The burly actor also was known for his roles in The Dirty Dozen, the Airport movies, The Naked Gun, and the CBS drama Dallas. [The Wrap]

Oscars draw third lowest ratings ever

The 2016 Academy Awards telecast, hosted by comedian Chris Rock, drew 34.3 million viewers, the third lowest ratings since Nielsen started tracking viewership in the mid-1970s. The preliminary ratings figures, reported Monday, were down 6 percent from the 2015 ceremony, and the lowest in eight years. Industry analysts said several factors were at play, including a lack of box-office hits among best-picture nominees and the possibility that some viewers tuned out due to the lack of non-white acting nominees. [Los Angeles Times, The New York Times]

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text: As Superstorm Sandy tore through New York City on Monday night, a transformer at a Con Edison plant on 14th Street exploded in a series of bright bursts of light that eerily resembled a scene from an apocalyptic movie. (Watch the video below.) The blast shut down power for tens of thousands of customers in the borough of Manhattan. Michael Bloomberg says it may take days before electricity is finally restored. No injuries were caused by the blast, says Pix11 in New York, but observers were more than a little freaked out. "There was an explosion about 5 minutes ago and I could see blue sparks coming from the plant!" emailed Pix11 viewer Mario Camilla. "The plant is dark and smoke stacks are not lit up!" The explosion reportedly may have been caused by flooding or flying debris. See for yourself:


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