Two garments in June - Not Bad!

So last year I started this sew along - One Garment a Month which is REALLY working for me. It's made sewing fun for me once again and it has kept me on track and I find myself look forward to each month. And since I fell off the wagon in May, I decided to make two things this month.

My first finished project this month is this favorite bib-front shirt (01-2008-108), this time in hanky weight linen from Fabric.com.



I loved playing with the wing needle!



This is also as close as it gets for my only white shirt.

Full Review on PatternReview

My second garment for this month is this fun and flirty skirt from my favorite knit skirt pattern, kwik sew 3032



Seriously, I've lost count of how many skirts I've made from this pattern. It sure has served me well. And it's so quick to make too. Since the fabric has white background, I decided to line it with silk weight powerdry which I bought from a coop years ago. If you can get your hands on it, go for it. It's good stuff! Feels like butter against the skin.

Needless to say I am feeling pretty proud of myself this month :) Up next, the trench! wish me luck.

Rain Rain Go Away....

All this RAIN! I think my plants are dying because of too much water! But what the heck... I am EXCITED about my FIRST Trench Coat. A few months ago I never thought I'd need a trench coat. But now, I can't imagine my life without it. At the PR Weekend Portland, I tried on some fabulous trenches and now I want one of my own!



This one actually belongs to Leslie, but I fell in love with it, so had to try it on. I think I pulled it off :)

And look at the fabric I scored from Mill End in Portland!



It's a little too bright but that's exactly what I need to get over the gloomy rainy days here in New England.

I also bought a Buckle from Pacific Trimming on my recent trip to NYC.


So what else do I need? Ah yes, the pattern...

Remember the coat I made back in October/November last year?

Well that pattern also has a trench version!



And Stacey's review convinced me, that is the right pattern for my first trench.

See, I believe in setting myself up for success anytime I try something new. So for my first trench I want to keep things simple. So while this pattern may not have the traditional details like Leslie's version, at least it has enough to pass as a trench.

Plus I know this pattern works for me so no fitting involved!

I am contemplating whether or not to make it knee length or mid thigh... decisions decisions.

I've spent a good part of this morning reading all trench coat reviews and I like the idea of putting in lining just in the sleeves like Leslie (loohoo) did on her Burberry trench. So I shamelessly e-mailed Cidell to help me find the same burberry lining! Fingers crossed!

So there you have it. Now that we have a record of this trench, I HAVE to make it :) This will be my July project. And you know what's going to happen don't you? The minute it's ready to wear, the rain is going to STOP!

A Fun Summer Day

Saturday was so nice and you guys, we have like 15 such days in the whole year so it was important that we made the most of it and boy we really did. I opened up yelp to see what's going on and found the Cambridge River Festival. We took the train from Alewife and an hour later we were walking under the sun, clear skies amidst hundreds of people enjoying the fair.

They had closed off Memorial drive and the festival was all along the Charles River. There were tons of artists selling jewelery, hand blown glass, clothing and what not. It was just so much fun. There was even a blacksmith! Lots of fun activities for kids and adults. We made our own soap at Mrs Meyers :)

On one of the stages they had a dance competition which was really fun!


Gagan enjoyed the music more


There were tons of artists




This one vendor was selling custom made clothing so I obviously had to check it out. Their specialty was linen. I must admit, I wanted to buy each and every one of their pieces but the sewer in me prevented me from doing so. But as I was hovering over this one really pretty linen skirt the guy in the booth says "This is really nice. It's lined with.... Lining". When he paused after lined with, I almost wanted to say "Rayon?" "Bemberg?", "Ambiance?"... :) I am a nerd, yes I am. But at least he was making an effort. I could see how uncomfortable he was trying to sell clothing which he had no idea about :) Gotta love the effort though.

It was really nice to just get out and walk around, soak in everything the city had to offer and not have a plan. There were lots of food carts, so we had our fill and on our way back I spotted a Vintage Store. How cool!!





I promised Gagan that I would only go in there for a quick peek and I did keep my promise. I saw the store was jam packed with clothing (looked like they had real vintage stuff). I asked the owner if I could take a few photos for my blog and promised to come back. I loved the jewelry in there. The prices were totally affordable. I am very excited to go back there with a few friends to check it out. Hmm.. maybe it's time to plan a PR Day Boston.

And since I am always on the look out for bulk bin stores, and Harvard Co-op was right there, we stopped there for a quick bite to eat and I found the Teff flour (to make Ingeras) I'd been looking for.

All I can say is that I came back very inspired and VERY HAPPY. So, my advice, make the most of summer wherever you are!

For the Love of Color

I am trying to be good about blogging so here are my thoughts for today.

How far are you willing to go for the love of a color?

Me, I am not sure. I am usually pretty good about restraining myself and distinguishing NEED From WANT. But when it comes to color, hmmm...

I love TEAL. I really do. So whenever I see something teal (it doesn't have to be fabric), I feel that I must get it. Simply because it's not a common color like red, black or blue. The other day I saw a wallet and it was teal. I wanted to get it, but I didn't.

And then of course there is the question of whether or not it's weird in that color. For example, are you willing to get a teal rolling pin? Or how about teal lipstick?

Up until a few weeks ago I used to think Teal nail polish is weird, and now I don't want to wear anything BUT that color :) So, should I acquire everything teal? Is there a price point at which you decide to walk away? Am I the only one who even wants to know this :)

PR Weekend and more...

I am notorious for not updating my blog. Its not that I don't want to. It's just that I don't give it the priority I should. May was really busy too with the PR Weekend, and then the PatternReview book and now that summer's here (sort of), I am busy working in my garden. So I'll try to make this short. I really don't want to go into the newsletter mode I generally do when I write the PatternReview newsletter :)

So this is what I've been up to in the last month or so.

May 15th - 17th
PR Weekend Portland

Highlights for ME
Meeting so many of you, I spend hours every day with.



Chatting with old friends from previous PR Weekends


Getting hooked on to NAIL POLISH!





making a lot of new friends


And having a blast in the school bus.


Seriously, one shouldn't be allowed to have this much fun. I've written a more detailed report on PatternReview, so you can read it here.

Fun with my Niece
May 17th - 20th I was in San Jose, CA to spend some time with my cousin and my favorite (only) niece. Anusha, my 5 yo niece reminds me so much of myself when I was little. Not that I remember my childhood but I do remember being full of energy, vivacious and a handful and she is just like that. Whenever I go there, we have a ball. I shared my love of nail polish with her. She is only FIVE but she loved it. Cidell gave me this really cool blue nail polish.



So that's May for ya. In June, I got busy with my garden. And it doesn't look half bad, if I may say so myself. I'd better drop my gym membership. Its been months since I went and I'd rather spend time gardening than go to the gym. Actually I'd rather do anything than go to the gym :(

My Garden Photos

On the sewing front, I haven't made much progress since the skirt I sewed for PR Weekend which was worth every second I spent on it. I SIMPLY LOVE IT. This is also my May garment for One a Month Sew Along.



My Review Burda 8407 on PatternReview.com

On the sewing machine is another quick skirt from Kwik Sew 3032 and I am planning to make the Jalie Pants after that.

I must now go back to browsing more nail polish colors. I just can't get enough of it. Thanks to Cidell!

Joys of Being in India Part IV - Shopping in Delhi

Whenever we go, Gagan and I try to take a day off just for ourselves and this is when we explore the markets. The first market we went to is in the town called "Lajpat Nagar", named after one of the famous leaders of India - Lala Lajpat Rai. This market caters to everyone. There is even a mini mall there. I go there for FABRIC! So like I mentioned before, I didn't have time to go to the wholesale Fabric Market, but this was good enough. Some stores haggle as well :)

I didn't look like a tourist so people were pretty surprised when I was taking photos of everything! So enjoy my friends, these are for you. Flickr has complete descriptions of each photo, so if you click on them you'll be taken there.





These were a little too loud for my taste but I just wanted to show you the different styles of salwar kameezes.

And HELLO, what do we have here? A TRIM SHOP!





And then some shopping in a FABRIC STORE!


Gagan likes to bring back candy and snacks from there. And this shop has really good quality dried fruits and nuts in bulk bins. You tell them what you want and they'll weigh and package it right in front of you! Did I mention that we are FOODIES!



Too much? Or too little ;-)


Only in India can you find MASALA CASHEWS!



From Lajpat Nagar we went to a slightly more "Polished" Market, which is more a hang out place for younger crowds. You can tell by the stores here. Most of the American and European brands are here. Retail is very competitive in India which is why they didn't let me take photos here! This is all I could get without anyone objecting. I must mention that Delhi is very brand conscious! People don't like to wear anything if it doesn't have a label on it :) I don't get it... but it's the way it is. When I buy gifts for my friends and family back there, I only buy brands they would like :)



HANDBAGS!




It was getting late and we still had some time before dinner so I decided to have a snack in the market. Momos are north eastern street food. They are basically steamed dumplings. Momos themselves are bland but its the sauce they are served with which is REALLY SPICY! How spicy? You'll find out soon...


Wait for it...

And there you go... OMG!!!


Gagan stayed away from it after seeing my reaction ;)

All this in just one day. Quite a feat don't you think?

My mother in law got me some fabric from Rajasthan - the most beautiful place in India. So while I was there, I decided to get the outfit stitched. Yes, there are tailors everywhere. That's why nobody sews at home. You can even pay them to come to your house for a whole day and get anything stitched! I went to a boutique close to the house where my in-laws live. The lady who manages the boutique is also a designer. She is quite a talented woman.

The concept of patterns is foreign to them. They do sewing the "REAL WAY" i.e. from measurements! So I stood patiently while she took my measurements and 24 hours later, she had this gorgeous outfit ready for me! I'll have to take a photo later and post it here.






The next few days I took a break from playing tourist and decided to kick back and enjoy my family. There were numerous hours spent chatting with my mom, dreaming of new baby outfits for my new nephew/niece. I shared some of my joys and sorrows with Dadima and in her lap I found comfort and relief I'd been craving for my whole life. Among other things, she is strength personified, never gives up on anything, anyone, including me :)

I also hung out with my BFF - Jugnu. She has been my friend since high school and is my source for what's in and out in the Indian fashion scene :)


And here's my mother-in-law, another pillar of strength and wisdom. I can talk with her for hours! The shop owner was quite the photographer!


Thank you for letting me share my trip to India with you. You know what made this trip even more fun for me? Besides the news that I am going to become an Aunt in December? Well, its because I got to re-live it with you and because I took the time to explore the simple things which I otherwise take for granted. So my advice, enjoy the time you have with your family, doing the little things they love. It's what life is all about! It's what we go back for. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. Live for Today!

More photos in my Flickr Album

The Joys of being in India - Part III DELHI

OK, so now I am back in Delhi - The capitol of India. This is my territory :) I grew up here.


Why is Delhi not a vacation for me? Well for starters, because you can't really call a place where you grew up a vacation spot :) Both Gagan and I have large families and extended families ALL of them settled in Delhi. Have you seen the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"? Well it's sort of that AND MORE! Everyone is in everyone's life and nothing is ever a secret. It is impossible to have a small gathering. We just don't do it.

Which is why, when we found out that my sister in law is pregnant, my father decided to celebrate in a big way. He was already psyched that I was there and on top of that, he was going to become a grandfather. Now, before we go any further, there is something else you should know about India. Religion is it's backbone. From affluent to the poor, everyone bows to the "big guy" in their own way weather it's a happy day or a sad one. It's what keeps Indians grounded and safe. And it's customary to dress up whenever you are praying, as a token of respect. So my dad organized this big ceremony at home where you chant the holy "Ramayana" non stop for 24 hours. Yes, even at night. We all took turns reading it. Because it was day 5 of my trip, my throat was already hoarse from all the talking so I gave up only after reading for about an hour or so. We had over 100 people in the house who came to pray with us.





You remember my husband's grandmother - Dadima - my favorite! She wanted us to go to this famous temple 3 hours away from Delhi. She has been asking us to go for the last 5 years and this year Gagan and I decided to go. Unfortuntely she was not well enough to accompany us but Gagan's parents went. It was a really fun drive out to the country. We packed some sandwiches and decided to picnic on the way. On our way back we even bought some onions from a farm stand! My father in law is really adventurous. He wanted to get there sooner so instead of taking the highway, he followed a map and discovered the back roads. Of course this was not before we got lost a few times. But we still got there much sooner than anyone else. All thanks to my FIL! We won't talk about the useless map though ;-)

That's Gagan, trying to figure out where we were! The big map was no help either.


We finally get there. That's the temple in the back. Because it's so hot there, I only wear cottons when I go there. I was super comfortable in this salwar kameez.




The wish tree!


In my next post, I'll talk about my shopping experience in Delhi... Stay tuned.