Winners and Losers on Project Runway

You win some, and you lose some no matter what, and tonight's losers got a double whammy with two designers knocked off the runway. Terri lost it with this ho-hum design that was bad fabric, bad lines, and a bad partner.

Blayne lost too, with this horrific rendition of a Libra costume that reaked with disjointed design and nothing that says haute couture.


I thought for sure that Kenley would be packing up her scissors with this insane idea that she is the designer goddess. Her arrogance and annoying voice coupled with a talk-back attitude was so grating, it was hard to watch.

Joe did a safe design with some gorgeous fabrics that kept him from being thrown off the runway, but not good enough to win.

But the winner was Jerrell with a heavy houndstooth fabric and jacket with rows of trim on the sleeves. Tim Gunn was worried about the fabric, but it proved to be just the ticket for a big win. The designers are going to have to kick it up a notch for me next week, because so far I'm not too excited. How about less drama and more attention to good design?

N.E.E.T. Magazine

N.E.E.T. Magazine has the latest issue up on their site, and it's great to view every page for free without having to make the trip to the local book store to pick it up.

Check out the adorable covered button bracelet by Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretary fame, on page 139. It's been YEars since I made a covered button. This made me go through my sewing stash and look for my little rubber mold and metal buttons to cover with fun fabric. What a great idea for making something memorable with a piece of fabric that you just can't part with, but it's too small to really make anything with.

Thanks Jennifer!

Felt Rings and Purses

Reform School has the most adorable felt purse kits that are meant for kids, but I need one!

The little sparrow purse looks very sweet and fairly simple to do. After I saw these, I thought how cute it would be to make them in other shapes like a daisy or a giant leaf.

They also have gorgeous felt rings in every color of the rainbow. I keep thinking that I need to get busy and make some cute things for Christmas office gifts, and this is a great idea.
My sister-in-law Gail makes beautiful felted purses and it's time to get out the one she made for me last year to go with my fall sweaters. I'm loving the cooler weather here in Tennessee.

Diane Von Furstenberg on Project Runway!

The designers played the big time tonight when Diane Von Furstenberg judged their designs that they created with her fabulous printed and tweed fabrics.

Here's the winner! Love the color, the style and the fit. Leanne did it again with well fitting and tasteful garments.

Kenley did a fabulous chic dress, although I think she could have done more...how about a bolero or a hooded cape?


Blayne's outfit was both cute, flirty and tailored. I would love that in MY closet!

But really, Korto's elegant and wonderfully wearable couture won it for me. She is constant in her design statements as one of the contestants to watch out for!

Sewing Art

Faythe Levine is documenting the rise of DIY and the new wave of art, craft and design. Handmade Nation the book will be released by Princeton Architectural Press in November 2008 and the documentary with the same title will be released in 2009. The art being used to promote the release is fabulous! Check out the zipper, the spools of thread, a box knife, needles, buttons, scissors, thread, and beads.



Speaking of sewing notions, when I saw these on West Elm, I went crazy! We can make these! They are simply wooden boxes painted white, with stenciled icons of scissors, rulers, and a needle and thread. I'm a nut for organizing, and it's almost impossible to walk down the aisle at the discount stores without buying tubs and plastic boxes to hold all my craft stashes. Now I will have the perfect way to cram my sewing stuff into cute boxes that can sit anywhere. Who needs plastic when they can have cute?

Auto Parts Runway

Just thinking about a rubber dress makes me sweat, and the designers on Project Runway tonight were really sweatin' it when they were challenged to make garments from Saturn auto parts. All I could think of was to use upholstery fabric, but these smarties used everything! Leanne won the challenge with this amazing rubber dress. I loved how she took seat belts and cut them in zigzags and frayed them to make the sexy fringe around the bustier.

Suede shined with the crazy creative use of rubber mats for the fitted top, and then used the shiny material for a fringed skirt. I'll bet his fingers were wrecked from pushing a needle through that!

I fell in love with Kenley's flirty peplum made with filters. She's always the girly girl, and her style always makes a statement.

Scott's favorite was Korto's classy coat, designed with seated belts woven into an unbelievable tailored garment that the judges fell in love with. I'll bet it weighed 15 lbs. and the model couldn't mover her arms, but who cares? It's fashion, baybeeee....

Quilts, Friends, & Bloody Marys

Quilts, Friends, and Bloody Marys?
Yes, you read it right. The 2008 American Quilter's Society Quilt Expo was in Nashville this week at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center. Teresa and I took off on Friday afternoon and headed up the highway to see what all the excitement was about.

We were one of the show sponsors with our EZ Quilt Tools by Wrights, and our buddies, Mimi Shimp, Darlene Zimmerman, and Michele Muska worked their little bunnies off at the show. Scott and I hosted a little cocktail party at our house for the girls, because they deserved it after all that hard work. The Bloody Marys were terrific, as Scott served us as our bar tender and made sure that Darlene's drink was a virgin.
*giggle*
We laughed and talked about Darlene signing dozens of autographs, and of course we oohed and ahhed over all of the gorgeous quilts we saw.

I just laughed out loud when I saw this sassy quilt with the high heel shoes. It says, "If the shoe fits, buy it in every color."

This one cracked me up! Check out the iron lady with scissor hands and rotary cutters for hair. Preeeety creative, I have to say.

And this one with the laundry was a hoot! The clothesline is an actual cord, sewn to the quilt. The quilts were all incredible, and there just wasn't enough time to really absorb every quilt. Plus, there was shopping to do! Teresa and I snagged some nice Christmas gifts and loved browsing through all of the fabulous fabrics.

Of course, there's always a rogue bunch of musicians pickin' and grinnin' at the local hangs, and these guys were at the most popular place in the county for barbecue, at Martin's Bar-B-Que.

You won't believe it unless you see it,

but this place is half barbecue joint and half auto repair!

And then there's the gang that hangs out in Nashville, and Chant found out that if she put her head under a hanging lamp, it looked like a hat! This was at the Spaghetti Factory in downtown Nashville with a bunch of peeps from the office.

Howard is looking good, and sporting a happy smile.


I must have had shaky hands when I took this pic of Robyn under the lamp shade. Sorry Robyn!

Okay, I couldn't help it, I had to do the lampshade trick too.
There's nothing like have fun friends in Nashville!

Good Queen Fun!

It was good Queen fun tonight on Project Runway! The queens were clothed in everything from lettuce green to hot pink and radiant red costumes that would catch anyone's hair on fire!


I had a hard time picking out my fave outfit, but I have to say I liked the huge red costume with the removable skirt.

The perky pink sailor jumpsuit was outrageous, with the big belt hiding the candy, but revealing the Ann Margaret personality that sailed down the runway.

But, really, my vote was for the Marilyn va-va-voom with the sparkle farkle and feather boas. Yes! It was too much fun tonight, and it was a blast to see Chris back to strut his stuff as he gave the designers a nudge to strut their desigh-ner muscles.

Woohoo! Project Runway is a hoot! And I'm a fan.

Repurposed Egg Cartons

I've always been fascinated with crafts from repurposed objects. I went nuts when I saw this fairy chain of lights made from recycled egg cartons on Typepad. I've made some pretty neat things from toss aways, but this one is so cool! I like how they punched holes around the edges for a little extra design pizazz.

Coffee Filter Fashion!

I heart Project Runway! Did you see the first episode where they had to go to the grocery store and choose things to make into garments? Oh man! Love, love, loved it. This one did not win, but it won my heart.

The designer took vacuum cleaner bags, flattened them, and dyed them with streaks of color and turned them into a fab skirt. Then, THEN she used coffee filters to design the corset style top.

I got so excited, that I jumped up and made one myself. Don't laugh. It was totally fun, and I gave it to my gal pal Karen Brandon the next day at work. She loved it!

Okay, so after I made my little rendition of coffee filter art, I googled the snot out of the words "coffee filter dress" and found these coolio ideas. This ruffled dress is amazing. Just think of the work, my gosh!

Is this not beautiful? Who would have thought you could create roses out of coffee filters? This certainly is crafting to the inth degree.

Teeheee, look at the kitty. Another coffee filter lover like me.

This dress is not just coffee filters, but newspapers, too. How Fun! Okay, gotta get ready to watch this week's Project Runway. What will they think of next?

The Frist Museum

When was the last time you visited your local museum? Well, I am going to start checking out the Frist Museum in Nashville every time they change the exhibits, because I was thrilled to find out how fabulous it is! The building is an exhibit in and of itself. The Frist Museum is the former main post office right in the middle of downtown Nashville, built in 1933 in classic Art Deco. The spacious exhibition galleries and clerestory windows are astounding with cast aluminum doors and grand staircases. I felt like with a blink, I could have transported back in time to a place where men in Stetsons and women in crinolines strolled on the plank floors.

The Tiffany exhibit was incredible with 40 hand crafted lamps that were built in the early 1900's. The organic and sensuous curves of Art Nouveau style was intriguing in every single lamp as a work of art.

Color field painting as an exhibition completely took me by surprise. I'm a lover of contemporary arts, but these gigantic pieces of color took my breath away with their use of color and technique. I discovered how much impact art can have on your emotions and point of view. I encourage everyone to check out the art that is in your own area, and enjoy a bit of solitude and relaxation while you drink in the beauty.

Cute Show Home

In the neighborhood where we live there are two show homes, and my friend Susan and I just had to check them out while she was here visiting from California. We were pleasantly surprised by some really cute and crafty ideas that I've got to share with you.

The stager for the show homes cleverly took patterns and created framed collages to hang above the bed in the guest/sewing room. She threw in some pin wheels and rulers, other sewing notions. The vintage patterns were absolutely wonderful!

Another great idea was how she hung the curtains with measuring tape. I love this! They are simple linen drapes that have 18 inch lengths of fabric measuring tapes sewn to the top, every 12 inches. Then she tied them to the rod in little bows. How cute, and how fabulous!



I know, this is very predictable, but a nice touch to the entire room. The dress form is draped with more measuring tapes for fun. There was a cute sewing machine on the dresser, but it didn't come out on my camera phone. You get the picture. And I got some great ideas!