I Won...UPDATE

A Rowenta Pressure Iron and Steamer in the Sewing With Nancy 25th Anniversary Contest! I placed second in the Fashion category, quite an honor as the first place winner was none other than Eve Kovacs, a very talented and accomplished designer who has won many contests.

Congratulations to all of the participants!

All of the winners can be seen in the Summer issue of ASG Notions magazine.

I won....Something?

Yes, it's true. Nancy's Notions called again to congratulate me -- I was a winner in the 25th Anniversary Contest! Wow, what an honor.

Now of course you will want to know where I placed and what I won? The truth is I have NO idea! And they aren't telling.

Since I couldn't spring for a last minute ticket to Beaver Dam, WI to go to the Expo and see the display of the winning entries, it looks like I am just going to have to wait and see what my 'Prize' is when it comes in the mail! OK, that is one way to do it, LOL. But it would have been so much less torturous to just TELL me, instead of being reticent with the information and only saying that I had "Placed in the top 5" Arrrggg! The suspense is killing me!

So, Dear blog readers, if any of you happened to be at the Expo on May 1-3 and saw the display, do put me out of my misery and just tell me already ;-)

Nancy's Notions Called...

And Valerie's Butterfly Garden is going on a trip to Beaver Dam, WI!

I was just notified that VBG was chosen as a finalist in the Nancy's Notions 25th Anniversary Contest! I understand that there were over 350 entries in the five categories and that it is now down to @90. Whew, pretty stiff competition! I am just thrilled to have made it this far and with those kind of odds, I have no delusions of grandeur ;-)

I actually sent the photos in on a bit of a whim and almost missed the deadline. Maybe procrastination is part of my "creative process?" lol

Wish me luck!

It fits so well, but I've made it before...

I am currently working on my second version of this Simplicity Khaliah Ali Pattern #3804 View E. The first one I made in a wonderful Chico's type Low-pile burnout stretch velvet. In that one I left off the cuff piece for a great 3/4 length sleeve.

Like many artists, I find duplication to be less than inspiring nor very creative. In order to utilize a pattern that I know fits me great, without reinventing the wheel, I decided to make it more interesting and challenging by trying some new techniques.

After reading about slot seams in Threads, on PatternReview and seeing the gorgeous skirt Ann did, I have been wanting to try this technique myself. I also just got a new gadget I have been dying to try out. It is the "Crop-a-dile" eyelet and punch kit. While I have always loved the look of eyelet's, I HATE cutting and setting them! This little gem is supposed to make my life a lot easier, we shall see...

I thought why not combine a slot seam with eyelet's and make this shirt lace-up the center front? I will use the slot seam technique to add a wide underlay for the lacing.

In this version, I am using a lush charcoal wool jersey (very slightly felted) from Londa's.

The lacing, cuffs and facings that will roll to the front and become faux piping, will all be made from black stretch velvet. Since I didn't have any black stretch velvet in the stash, I am recycling a shirt that is waaay too big and has never been worn. Perfect!

Pictures coming soon.

Valerie's Butterfly Garden

I was quite amazed and honored to have my garment chosen as the 2007 Grand Prize Winner in the Simplicity/ASG Creativity Contest -- Most Creative Use of Fabric and/or Trim Category.

This was the first time I had entered a contest like this, or for that matter, made a piece of art-to-wear, so this was especially gratifying.

All of the winning garments can been seen on both the Simplicity and ASG websites. I highly recommend a look, some amazingly creative work!

I have had numerous requests for photos, so at the bottom of the page is the main photo and inspiration for the piece. I have also included a slide show with commentary on the construction process.

I would love to hear what you think, so drop me a note!