This brings me to another point. Over the Christmas break, I got caught up on some blog reading and such and found this completely awesome interview done with Sallieoh. I love Sallieoh’s style and sartorial penchant and this particular response really rang true to me:

“I often find that anything too sweet or girly just doesn’t look quite right on me. As much as I love demure little peter pan collars and bows and puffed sleeves and dainty little prints on others – it just looks all wrong on me. Like I’m a 40 year old, hard-living, street-walking woman playing the Lolita. Just kidding. Not really.

I think it took me a little while to figure out that a vintage or rockabilly look was not my friend – which was a bit of a letdown because I generally love the look on others. But once I figured it out it was like a huge liberation! I don’t have to dress that way! I can dress alllll these other ways!

I think this is also where knowing your own body comes into play too. There are certain silhouettes that just aren’t particularly becoming on me. I’m so over trying to beat myself into somebody else’s shape so I can wear a certain type of clothing (if that makes sense) I’d rather just skip the drama and focus on what I know is flattering. And usually it involves something that doesn’t make me feel bad about my 3pm chocolate fix or my love of bread.”

I’ve been kind of grappling with this one for awhile, but I too have found that a lot of vintage and rockabilly styles just aren’t my style. I too love the look on others and really wish I felt like I was comfortable in my own skin when I wear stuff like that, but I’m not. I too look silly in peter pan collars and puffy sleeves and bows (I know this from many failed muslins and personal makes that just never get worn). I feel its interesting to point these things out because for quite awhile there (like the past year and a half), I kind of just felt like I was trying to impersonate someone else’s version of personal style instead of embracing my own. This also led to a general feeling of…. less. Like I was somehow less because I couldn’t do my hair in a victory roll (I have seriously fine/thin hair and when I do any type of updo it looks like I have no hair left!) or wear poufy skirts without looking like I was in costume. And no, this is not what I think of when I see someone else wearing these types of styles, its just a problem I have with how it looks on me.

And you know what? That’s OK, because as Sallieoh says – “I can dress allllll these other ways!” And I can and I intend to.

Whewwwwwwww! I am soooooo glad that is all off my chest now!

You guys, I’m seriously diggin my new cut. I know the pixie cut isn’t for everybody, but for me, its solved like a ton of issues with my hair. For starters the fine/thin issue. Leena, a lady I work with, even told me that my hair just looked too thin for long hair – she totally approves of my spontaneous haircut! I feel like a rockstar! Yay! And now, I feel like I’m in my own skin – Thanks Sallieoh! You are a total enabler and inspiration!

Cheers everyone! Here’s to my new do and a new year full of personal style journeys!

As the year is starting to wind down and we’re right upon Thanksgiving here in the U.S. I just have to spill my guts a little bit. I usually don’t do holiday posts, but I’ve been feeling compelled to say somethings and what better time than the holiday season? 2012 has been a very big year for me. I can’t believe how marvelously my shop is doing – all thanks to you, my wonderful readers and partners in sewing crimes! You have no idea how much it means to me that you read my blog and purchase items from my shop (and yes, I’m tearing up just a little bit thinking about it too). Thank you so much! My life is so enriched by the community I feel here and I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that and wish you all a very happy holiday season ahead with much joy and hope and love! You are all true kindred spirits and I can only hope that I get to meet each and every one of you one day.

This brings me to gratitude point #2 which is to say, that I owe so much to my man. I don’t talk about him enough, but Shawn (my husband) is my right hand man. If it weren’t for him I would not be able to have done any of the things I’ve done in the past few years. He’s worked a full-time crummy job for a really long time and he’s done it not only to keep us afloat but, to give me a little push in the direction of my dreams. He truly believes in me and he puts up with my antics and craziness and still, he even loves me. This year, we both decided that he should go back to school, which he started this fall. Yet, he still works his crummy job part-time whilst cramming in school full-time. He’s had a pretty rough go this first semester back, but all in all, he’s done some pretty incredible stuff all the while helping keep me, my small business and my spirits afloat. He totally deserves a coat! A huge chunk of gratitude and my heart go out to him this year – gosh I love him so! Gush, gush!

May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving (if indeed, you celebrate and if not, a very Merry Holiday season ahead)! Health, happiness and the opportunity to be surrounded by those you love be yours!

xoxo,
Sunni

This fall has been one of the most grueling seasons of my life. Have you ever had that feeling where you dread the next phone call, or your email tells you “You’ve got mail!”  and you cringe or if one more person asks you to do one more thing you’re going to fall in a heap right there in front of them and start crying because you absolutely do not have the ability or willpower to say no? OK, Okay I’m exaggerating, but only by a little bit. Ha ha! This week, I walked into my sewing room and just had to let you have a peak. It’s disastrous.

Friends, I can’t work in disaster. Well, actually I can, but I have a very hard time with it. I hate being disorganized. I hate feeling like my time is always running out and I hate coming home and feeling so “ugh….” when I look into my sewing room. How about you? Anyway, the funny thing is, this is actually a confession, prompted by none other than Jen at Grainline.

I, Sunni Standing, love to start projects and not actually finish them. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE starting/scheming sewing projects. In fact, all this crap all over my sewing room is evidence of project scheming and no follow through. Its a big reason I’m feeling a little burned out these days. Since September, I’ve schemed and started thinking about, pulling out/purchasing fabric and patterns for:
a Chanel sweater jacket knock off
20 two seam tops, all with differing variations
More Renfrew t-shirts
Jeans
an aqua wool circle skirt
a chartreuse wool pencil skirt
2 Liberty of London button-up shirts with snaps
a coat or two
a grey pencil skirt and another plaid pencil skirt
flannel pajamas
pinstripe cropped pants
black stretch cropped pants
the Anise & Juniper
a knit jacket & a regular jacket (fabric still to be determined)

This is only to name a few because there are more and I just can’t quite remember all of them right now. Ha ha ha! Some of these projects are actually cut and half done and sitting in a half done pile along with several other projects – my UFO’s. The even sadder part: I kept thinking that the only reason I wasn’t getting anything done – on top of a very full schedule – was because I didn’t have time. But the reason I didn’t have any time was because all I kept doing was scheming about new projects and creating a huge mess in my sewing room that looked really overwhelming. So after I took these photos, I set about putting everything into its place. I put all of my sewing patterns away – all of them! Now I know where all of them are! Yay! I put all fabric away. I did some much needed cleaning up and a bit of reorganization. I also decided something.

It’s time I embrace working on only one project at a time. Weird thing is, its actually liberating and surprisingly, it really works. Yesterday I got some much needed work on the Mister’s winter coat done. More to come on that front, but there’s a photo of the proof above. A really funny thing occurred to me too – this is the whole reason why I instituted the Everyday Wardrobe idea! The Game Plan is about this very thing – not overwhelming yourself with too many projects at one time. Pick one sewing project that goes with one article of clothing in your closet to work on. Crazy right?

So, are you a project schemer or a project finisher? Do you have a problem of working on or scheming up too many projects at one time? Does your sewing room/corner resemble mine?

Keep calm, organize and sew on!
Sunni

My husband and I have had long exhaustive (believe me when I say exhaustive) discussions on going back to school for one thing or another. Mr. S and I both have music degrees. We’re both great appreciators of the art and at one point or another it was all we ate, drank and slept. Times changed when we graduated and found that the job market doesn’t really cater to musicians (at least the kind we want to be) – as I’m sure it is with many other subjects taught in colleges and universities the world over. Needless to say, after a time when college was done, I found myself extremely unhappy with my lot. I was a trained musician and all I could get for a job was secretarial work. And so it goes.

Anyway, a year or two ago, I was rather taken with the idea of going back to school and getting a degree in Family and Consumer Science with an emphasis in sewing. Friends, I wanted to be a Home Ec teacher. Yup. I would still love that job. I would love to teach students at the high school level and have subjects such as tailoring, costuming, pattern drafting and fashion design taught. I would totally be one of those teachers that would get completely geeked out about adding more sewing intensive courses to the course catalog each year. I mean, I’m sure there’s more to it than that, but still, do ya get where I’m coming from?

So, I started looking around at my local universities and colleges to see where this program was offered and I hate to be the one to say it, but these programs are seriously dying out. Like there is but one university here in Utah in which you can get the FACS degree with an emphasis in sewing and to that university I cannot go because I’m not of a certain religious affiliation. Oh, there are other universities in the state of Utah that have the FACS degree, but they don’t even offer a single sewing course. That would be completely silly for someone like me who actually only wants the sewing part.

At the time I was so taken with this idea of going back to school, I did a national search to see where this particular degree was offered and let’s just say, this is a degree that is in seriously short supply these days. This makes me sad. Also makes me wonder, seriously wonder why this degree is starting to die out. What do you think? What’s going on in your neck of the woods and have you ever looked into getting this type of degree for yourself? Any home ec teachers out there – what do you think? What is the deal with colleges and universities getting rid of this program? What can we do about it? Anything?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Let’s discuss!

xoxo,
Sunni

Tonight will be my first official night teaching a class. I’m so excited I could cry – well to be totally truthful, I screamed when I was asked which was by email so at least I wasn’t freaking anyone out. Crazy enough, I’ll be teaching at the little local fabric shop that I always talk about – Yellow Bird Fabrics. I know, I know. This is totally crazy! My first few courses are being offered multiple times this month and include some topics I’m rather keen on – Beltmaking and Drafting and Building the Perfect Pencil Skirt. I’m very excited to spread my passion onto others in person. I do it all the time here on the blog, but being in the presence of someone is truly exhilarating and being in the presence of fellow sewers is almost more than I think I can handle (meant totally in a good way)! Anyway, if you live here in the Salt Lake City, Utah area, hop on over to the Yellow Bird Fabrics blog and have a gander at the classes I’m teaching – as well as a couple of other courses taught by a cutie named Sheridan!

xoxo,
Sunni

Friends, I have to be honest and say that I’ve allowed my sewing jive to slide lately. I’ve been more than a little down about certain things in my life. If I had to lay claim to the biggest offender on that list, I would definitely say that working with middle school students has not been my cup of tea. Thing is, I only work with the “bad” kids. The other day, there was a sweet little volunteer at the school helping out in a spanish class. I was talking to her a little bit and saying that I never really get to know any of the really good kids, because I mostly deal with the bad ones. Then she said, “But they aren’t really bad are they? There’s no such thing as a bad kid.” Sad to say, but in my mind, its a very good thing this sweet young lady doesn’t work at the school.

I think the hardest thing for me, in this middle school situation, is that I feel as if I’ve been transported back to my middle school years. How in the world do kids make it everyday? With the criticism that they get from their peers, its seriously no wonder there are such problems with self-esteem and even suicide. Being an adult, I’m expected to have just “gone through that” and therefore, the insults and rude banter that are slung at me everyday, aren’t supposed to leave a mark. But I’ll tell ya plain, they do. To be frank, this whole thing has sent me into a bit of a depression – a medium-small bit. The bright bit is that school is out in 3 short weeks – though I’ll admit, that seems like an eternity away when I think of some of those rotten kids I have to face everyday.

Over the weekend, I finally got to the point where I feel that I really need to get back on board with those things that make me happy and forget about my school woes. And of course, one thing that makes me really happy is sewing!  Yay! Normally I don’t discuss personal matters here on my blog, but I’ve decided to throw caution to the wind today and bare a little of my soul and what I’ve been feeling lately. Its been a time for me to re-examine what’s really important in my life and though I wouldn’t consider sewing a wardrobe as the most important thing in life, having an outlet for creative ingenuity is. It’s also been a time to remember what some of my goals this year started out as being. I seem to recall something about finishing 3 garments per month (fail!) and I seem to be remembering something about a wrap dress.

Just trying to keep a chin up and a smile on my face. Tell me, what do you do when you get down and out?

Waffling,
Sunni

At first I thought, “No. Fashion is not a necessity.” But as I’ve thought about it more and more, I’m not so sure that saying “No” is quite right. My first thought about saying “yes” dealt with matters of attraction. What I mean is, the way in which you attract a mate/companion. Initially, you have to admit, it is based on appearance. Whether someone is attractive to you and not to someone else, is, of course, personal taste, and that’s what makes it so exciting. Right? Now, you might be thinking, “This is rather silly. Who cares about attraction?” Well if you are attracting a mate, who is of the opposite sex, and then you get married, based off of that initial attraction plus getting to know each other and falling in love, then its possible that you’ll have children. Having children is a big deal, at least in my book. If nothing else, it means the survival of our species – and I do realize that many have varying views on the survival of our species (even the overpopulation of our species), which is a discussion for another time. Still, the point being that fashion and attraction levels of who we are and how we wear things links into our chemistry in such a way that it can hardly be ignored and is perhaps a platform for saying that there might be a little more to fashion and necessity than what immediately meets the eye. What do you think?

A favorite blogger of mine – Kristin – has this posted in her profile:
“Form/Function. Line/Curve. Safe/Risk. Art/Craft. Body/Mind. Fashion intersects these. It’s how we express what is popular in what is personal. It’s where intellect debates sex; where soft and hard duke it out. So much mystery underpins beautiful things. So much confidence rests upon them. Discuss.”

I don’t know what its like where you live, but where I live and have grown up fashion and style are considered to be much less worthy pursuits than what is more widely recognized as intellectual arts. I believe, there is so much more to fashion than just saying its for those who take an interest in beautiful things and its definitely not for the silly, superficial or dumb. As Kristin states, so much confidence rests upon them. Truer words could not be spoken. It’s not easy being green  – possibly meaning its not as easy as you might think to stand out in a crowd, to wear bright colors, to always be the “well-dressed” one. Crazy enough, I feel that these thoughts give fashion a necessity, at least in my life. It’s necessary for me to be creative and at this moment in life, fashion presents itself in a most appealing way to me, intertwining with my passion for sewing in such a way I cannot ignore it. Rather, I feed on it.

I ask you, “Is fashion a necessity?” Discuss.

xoxo,
Sunni

January 2011
The Trouser Sewalong!! It’s hard to believe that was only a year ago – time seems to have just slipped right by. But it truly has been one full year since this month long endeavor. Trousers – easy peasy! Now look who’s wearing the pants!

February 2011
This was a seriously big month for me! I announced my decision to go full-time at my small business. Plus I got some fabulous red patent leather shoes on sale for Valentines.

March 2011
I made my Buttercream Bow Blouse especially for a sweet guest post over on No Big Deal. From there I showed you how to make Handworked Buttonholes. I must say, I love the buttonhole stitch and I do believe that it ranks right up there with a catch stitch for me.

April 2011
My Birthday month! Yay! My little online shop was in full swing – where I changed names to A Fashionable Stitch. I also debuted my wrist pincushions (which reminds me that I need to work on updating these in the shop this week!). I also participated in the Sew Weekly’s Common Thread series where I debuted my Modern Geisha dress.

May 2011
During this month I made the HUGE switch from The Cupcake Goddess to A Fashionable Stitch – which if you’re interested, drop me an email and I’ll give you my two cents on this rotten subject! That was hard, but we got through it. To celebrate this huge move, I hosted the Ginger Sewalong! Lovely friends – Sarai, Tasia, Casey and Gertie – played along and you all made some wonderful Ginger skirts! I’m so proud of you too.

June 2011
Seam Finishing Week happened this month! Yay! And there were some fun discussions on vintage sewing materials and sewing spaces and organization.

July 2011
Mr. S and I traveled up Ogden Canyon to Pineview Reservoir where I debuted my Retro Romper! I love that little romper. Makes a great date night outfit to the drive-in too.

August 2011
I aired my Beltmaking series! Mr. S put together some “Sewing Sounds.” I quickly sewed up the Lonsdale and have decided that it has the most perfect skirt in existence as I’ve used it a few more times since then for other sewing projects.

September 2011
I flew to New York and helped put together the BurdaStyle ebook! And I met Casey from Elegant Musings – what a doll! She gave me a bound buttonholer which I’m determined to use quite soon! Plus I made up my clever little Clovers – which are such a hit! Love those little pants!

October 2011
Another favorite month! I mapped out my ideas for a coat – which I’m going to start working on soon! Eeek! We had a wonderful discussion on tissue fitting too. Mr. S and I started our move to a new place and most unfortunately my Grandma died. That’s been hard – really hard – but I’m so happy that I have such a wonderful memories of this great lady! I also made my way to Florida, met Gertie and stitched up my very first knit!

November 2011
This month did seem somewhat like a wash for me as we were still recovering from our move here and my Grandma’s death. Exciting things still happened though! Colette Patterns debuted their book and I was so excited to be apart of the blog tour! Yay! Plus there was excellent discussion on this wonderful method for cutting slippery fabrics and Grosgrain vs. Petersham.

December 2011
I debuted my Blanket Skirt and my Petersham Waistband Tutorial. Also finally got around to refashioning my vented lining tutorial. And though there aren’t any posts of my holiday madness, I’m happy to say that I had a wonderful holiday season enjoyed with Mr. S, buttered rum, and delightful excursions here and there. I hope you did too!

Happy New Year Dearharts!

xoxo,
Sunni

I helped out in the BurdaStyle classroom for the most part. I did things like cut fabric and such while Gertie taught and showed us her fabulous moves! She was great! And I got to touch and feel a few of her handmade garments, plus chat with her and get to know her a bit. She’s such an amazing girl! Drop dead gorgeous too! She has such a knack for teaching and her classes were specifically tailored to her tastes in sewing, which I loved because it was great to see her in her element and really giving us tried and tested information. She’s such a rockstar. Jealous…

I got to meet several bloggers including Lavender (she’s super sweet & I saw her Rooibos and it’s just lovely!), Sadie (who has amazing glasses and hair), Stephanie (who lives here, Yay! and is so wonderfully nice) and Katie (who’s just gorgeous and is a doctor to boot). Katie wore a handmade belt which she made from a kit from my shop – I nearly fainted with positive delight. It was fabulously done and she looked like a million bucks – which, in kind, made me feel like a million bucks! Thanks Katie!

And there you go! What a great time! Next I’m off to Orlando for the Southern Womens Show – so if you are by chance going too, come by the BurdaStyle Make & Take Lounge and say hello!

xoxo,
Sunni

image source

Here, at A Fashionable Stitch, its really important that you have a good experience from me. I’m a real person. I want you to feel like you can trust me. I want you to know that your experience with my products is important to me. I also want you to know that I do try to test drive everything that comes out of here and I try to pick the best sewing supplies to go in my shop. As a one man band, its hard to keep on top of emails and requests and even shipping (sometimes impossible) but its really really important to me and I love it too! I love sewing and I want you to love sewing. And as I try to perfect my user experience here for the shop, I would love to know how important customer service is to you.

What do you consider great customer service? Is it important that you know the seller – whether because you read them (like me) or because you actually personally know them? Trust is a bit part, I’m sure. I’m constantly surprised by the number of customers that I have who keep coming back and making their purchase with me. That’s a big deal to me. And a seriously huge Thank You to those of you who do! I wouldn’t be in business if not for you!

image source

In closing, I would love to hear about what’s made an experience with an online seller so great. I just bought a handful of embroidery patterns from Sublime Stitching and that was a seriously GREAT experience! I’ll be going back for more (maybe adding a handful of designs to the shop – maybe). Jenny Hart – what a gal huh? And that’s what was even cooler! I knew her name by the end of the transaction. Yup. Love her, her style and what’s she’s done for embroidery.

I would love to hear your thoughts on customer service friends! What keeps you going back to a seller for more? What, in your opinion, is the best way to a customer’s (your) heart? What’s the wrong way?

Have a very happy Wednesday!

xoxo,
Sunni