New Sewing Project : #SupportSmallBusinesses

The weekend is here! How are you doing?  Are you working on anything this weekend?

I started working on my new sewing project, the #ShirredBlouse.  Since shirring by hand takes awhile, I was hoping to save some time by combining the front & back shoulder panels. This is my first time shirring a project and I stayed up late so I didn’t think through the line designs😬.  This is fine since I am still in the toile stage – thank goodness!  I will redo this to have 2 separate front and back pieces.  Stay tuned for more of this project!

Wearing my #memade checkered skirt
#📸 daughter G

The weather was gorgeous last weekend and I had the opportunity to visit my friend Karen @nommistreet at the Energy Corrider Farmers Market. They are a traveling food truck so when I found out they were in the Katy area, I made sure to catch them. I was not disappointed – their Brussels sprouts are 😋!

Also, while I was at the farmers market, I discovered @suifskincare products. I have been trying to take better care of my skin so I look forward to seeing positive results🤞😁. And for those who love beautiful fabrics, there is always online shops like @sewmuchfabric.  Although it is forecasted to rain today here in Katy, the sun is still shining somewhere in the world 🌎 🌍 so make sure you go out and enjoy your day.

I had purchased some planting seeds to try my hand at gardening again (inspired by my parents). Although predicted to rain tomorrow, I will spend some time out in my covered patio learning how to keep plants alive😆.  I am hoping to grow some edible vegetables. Tips are welcome! Thank you for visiting and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs,

Ann

Youtique Inspired : Camryn & Serena Fabric Flowers

Greetings!

Thank you to everyone who sent in photos of their fabric flowers inspired by my tutorials.  I love seeing them and it inspires me to continue creating.  I know it will also inspire others to create.  Here are fabric flowers custom made for my guests and by you.  Enjoy!

Have a wonderful week!

Hugs!

Ann

ps.  Here are the videos to help you create the flowers:

Fall Sewing Fabrics : Zipper Front Skirt :

 

Greetings!  I hope you are all keeping yourselves warm.  I am enjoying the cooler weather here in Katy, TX.   I am starting a new sewing project that will be perfect for this weather.  It is going to be my Zipper Front Skirt and above is the inspiration board.

I am really excited about this sewing project because of the bold block coloring Rosalind/Sew Much Fabric suggested. Again, I modified my red lace block pattern to create the toile.  I had used the base of this pattern to create my Bathing Suit Cover-up & the Silk A-line skirt.

Below are the fabrics Roz put together for this Fall sewing project & my toile is already fitted.  The fabrics & notions from Sew Much Fabric include:

– Black/White Diamond Woven Cotton : C2726
– Red Faux Leather: PV3559
– Rayon Lining: RL- Valentine Red
– Custom sized zipper
– Gutermann Thread

I am a little nervous because the sewing marks on the faux leather will be permanent. However, I do like challenges😉. There is no do-over once you sew into the leather. You can only take in but there is no letting out 😬. Wish me luck…this will be fun!  Here are the cut fashion fabrics & I will be using leather needles 110/18 to sew;)

What is on your sewing machine?  How is your wardrobe planning?  Thank you for reading & I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  To read about my wardrobe planning journey, click HERE.

Hugs!

Ann

Bishop Sleeve Blouse : Full Sleeve Alteration

Greetings!

I am finally complete with my Fashion Show Outfit series. The video below shows how I sewed the Bishop Sleeve Blouse with a focus on creating a fuller sleeve. I got to wear the blouse to the Runway Houston Fashion Show and also to a birthday celebration.

Here is the video content:
{0:00} Intro
{0:05} Collaboration with Sew Much Fabric
http://stores.smfabric.com/youtique-bridal-and-lifestyle-for-sew-much-fabric/
{0:32} Toile
{0:50} Taking apart the toile
{0:59} Fuller Sleeve Alteration

{2:25} Fashion Fabrics @sewmuchfabric
http://stores.smfabric.com/youtique-bridal-and-lifestyle-for-sew-much-fabric/
{2:31} Cutting the Fashion Fabrics
{2:47} Roz’s text – add 4Inches to bodice hem
{3:09} Darts
{3:40} Sewing it together
{5:42} Attach Sleeves
{6:30} Sleeve hem
{7:54} Fitting #2
{8:10} Accessories – https://youtu.be/RfXfptI9hcM
{8:20} Finishing Touches: hem & lining
{8:53}Open Back

Here are the outfits I put together with the Bishop Sleeve Blouse.  It includes my #memade red lace skirt, checkered skirt, & A-line skirt.  I love how my wardrobe is slowly becoming all #memade:).  So which outfit do you like the best?  Or which one would you wear the most?

Not only did I get to wear the blouse to the fashion show, but I also wore it to celebrate some very special people.  Happy Birthday Stephanie & Julie!

Here are the rest of the series.

Thank you for visiting & I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs!
Ann

Accessories for the Fashion Show Outfit

Greetings!  I hope you are all doing very well.  The weather just dropped down to the 50’s in Katy, TX and I am loving the cold breeze.  If you are from Texas, you know it feels officially winter;). How is the weather where you reside?

This week has been a full week of fittings, sewing, and shopping for accessories.  I had a lot of fun with Roz – Sew Much Fabric.  She is putting my outfit together for the Runway Houston Fashion Show.  Because of my experience with the Blue Asymmetrical Dress, I gave her complete freedom & trust to put this together.

I fell in love with my silk A-line skirt when it was complete.  I was already imagining all the possibilities of how I can wear the skirt.  However, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t feeling the whole outfit when wearing the skirt with the Bishop Sleeve blouse.  It felt plain.  But of course, leave it to Roz to solve the challenge.  Using the accessories I already had, she gave me some inspiration ideas.  So we went shopping….

I spotted a purse that had the colors of my wardrobe & I was drawn to it.  I thought it was fun – my kids called it the pumpkin purse.  Well, this mom is ready to have a little fun with my pumpkin purse – perfect for Fall weather;).  In conclusion, Roz made me fall in love with the outfit by the end of it all.  I am excited to wear it tonight.  For now, I will be putting some outfit ideas together for my lifestyle.  After that, I will prepare for the event tonight by doing my hair & makeup.  If you would like to get up-to-date happenings, feel free to follow me on my Instagram stories.

Fashion Show Outfit

I did have to alter the necklace I purchased.  I will share that in the near future.  Feel free to watch how I DIYed my earrings for my Red Lace outfit below.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs,

Ann Ngo, Youtique Bridal & Lifestyle

Bathing Suit Coverup – Relax Ann! : Butterick 5746

Reminiscing on when I got to take a quick getaway with my family and wore my #memade eyelet coverup😉.  I got to relax and enjoy the slow pace of life for a weekend.

Personally, I easily get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and try to check off as many things as I possibly can in one day.  I tell myself that when my husband graduates, I’ll relax. When I finish saving for my children’s education, I’ll relax. When dinner is made, I’ll relax. When I finish putting my book together, I’ll relax. The list goes on.

I recently had a health scare that made me self reflect (nothing serious). It was a reminder that I will always have a long list of things to complete, but I have to learn to slow down and be in the moment.  Have you ever had to reevaluate your life’s pace?

I decided to take time in the car rider line to do prayer 🙏 and listen to podcasts, read books, or listen to audio books.  If you have any prayer requests, feel free to send them my way😊. So what helps you to be in the moment and relax?

Btw, I highly recommend Butterick 5746 to get your personal fitting pattern. I made my red lace block pattern out of it. In turn, that block pattern allowed me to make my bathing suit coverup. I will now use the skirt portion of my coverup to make my fashion show skirt.

I will also use the red lace block pattern to create a blouse. The possibilities are endless when you get a good fit on your basic block pattern.

I will be attending Runway Houston on Oct 11 in which I will be collaborating with Rosalind at Sew Much Fabric.  I am excited!  Here is my toile for the outfit.

Well, I hope you have a wonderful weekend and get to relax! 🤗😘

Hugs!

Ann

In case you missed it, below is the video for sewing my Bathing Suit Coverup.

Tootsies Summer Soiree : Women of Wardrobe

Greetings!

I hope you are all doing well. I just wanted to share a little about the event I attended this past Wednesday.  First I want to thank Claudia Reimann for the invitation and a special thanks to Kim Henry who welcomed me to the event.  Kim was absolutely lovely!  It was a fun night of great conversations, food, & drinks.  Thank you Kim!

It was my first time at this event and I got to meet some of the most fashionable people around the Houston area.  One of the highlights of my night, along with meeting up with Kim, was I got to personally meet Norm & Donna, the owners of Tootsies.  During my conversation with them, I learned Donna is an Interior Designer and Norm started out in the stock room of Tootsies 20 years ago.  I was intrigued and inspired by his journey to becoming an owner.  To start out in the stock room and work towards becoming an owner means there was a lot of hard work, sweat, tears & perseverance in between (at least in my experience).  I wish I had more time to talk and learn about his journey, but Norm & Donna had another 300 guests to host.  Maybe one day this dreamer (ME;) will get to sit and talk to Norm & Donna and ask all the questions about leaving a legacy.  But in the meantime, thank you Norm & Donna for hosting a beautiful event.

Omar Marcos with Runway Houston

Gail

All Summer Soirée guests received a $25 Tootsies gift card to put toward that evening’s purchases, and Tootsies donated 10 percent of sales back to DFSH.

Here are more lovely ladies I got to meet at the Tootsies Summer Soiree.  Several from the Sugar Land area where I grew up!

Me wearing my #memade dress…project coming soon, Annie, Kim, Martha, Gail, Annette

To learn more about the event, you can visit HoustoniaMag.

This is an annual event so if you live in the Houston area, please follow DFSH & WOW on Instagram to get updates on future events.

 

Thank you for reading & I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs,

Ann

Woman of Wardrobe’s (WOW) mission is to raise funds and awareness for DFSH (Dress For Success Houston) while promoting volunteerism.

Dress For Success Houston’s mission is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and tools to help women thrive in work and life.
https://dfshouston.org

Ruby Red Sailor Short : Wardrobe Planning

My Ruby Red Sailor Short has been a great addition to my wardrobe this summer.  I have plenty of running/exercise shorts but no dressy/casual shorts.  When Roz suggested a sailor-inspired short, I had absolutely no hesitation😁.  I organized an inspiration board via Pinterest to give direction on the design.  However, I fell in love with the Balmain shorts immediately.  I appreciated the details & love the pocket design.

One of my goals is to not buy anymore unnecessary sewing patterns (part of my simplifying journey), but try and work with what I have.  So I drafted my own pattern modifying McCall’s 3892.

It was the same pattern used for my Xmas Party outfit. You can read more about my 70s inspired jumpsuit by visiting clicking: 70’s Xmas Party Outfit.

After studying the sewing lines and the design pieces, I modified the pattern to the style I wanted.  You can watch how I made the pattern below.  I also show the process of how I preshrunk the linen.  You can purchase the Sandra Betzina Fabric Savvy at: https://amzn.to/2XxxIn7

After sewing the Italian Linen Sailor Short, I put a few outfits together.  I think it is time to make a few more shorts because I have been wearing it quite a bit.  You can watch how I sewed the Italian Linen Sailor Short below.

While I was taking apart the toile shorts and laying it out on the beautiful Italian linen, I had time to think about my audience.  You guys are a very thoughtful community! Also, I know my projects can take awhile but yet, you are still following along. You are really patient too! 🤗  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your love & support.  It is very encouraging.  Next editing project in line…my chambray shirt.  What are you sewing for the summer?

Well, I hope you got inspired to create something EXTRAordinary😉.  Have a wonderful week! 😘

Shop Sew Much Fabric: https://stores.smfabric.com/youtique-bridal-and-lifestyle-for-sew-much-fabric/

Hugs!

Ann

Youtique Lifestyle: Wardrobe Planning series is in Collaboration with Sew Much Fabric. This will be an ongoing project throughout 2019. Since I started attending more meetings, events, and wedding shows, I wanted a #memade wardrobe that would take me from the car rider line to a business event. To achieve my goals, I got the help of #stylist & #textile expert Rosalind with Sew Much Fabric. She came to evaluate my closet & sent me the results of my closet evaluation.

You will see a mix of Wardrobe Planning along with Bridal Tutorials, however, there will be a strong focus on Wardobe Planning this year. I hope you join me on this adventure. If you want up-to-date projects, make sure to follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youtiquebri…

Wardrobe Planning Blog post: https://youtiquebridal.wordpress.com/…**********************************************

Shop Beginner Sewing Machines & Supplies: https://youtiquebridal.wordpress.com/2018/09/03/beginner-sewing-machines/

DIY Rhinestone Sash : DIY Guest Angela Li

Greetings!

What makes my day?  When someone is inspired by my tutorial and share what they created.  I recently got a message from Angela Li via Instagram all the way from the Philippines – that will make a Texas girl happy;)

Angela Li was inspired by my DIY Bridal Sash tutorial.  She created a sash for her mother to attend a relative’s wedding.  I had to share what she made and asked her a few  questions in hopes to inspire you to create as well.

 

Interview with : Angela Li, Philippines

1. YB: Which video were you inspired by?  Angela: I got inspiration from your video Bridal diy sash
   

2) YB: Why did you decide to DIY?  Angela:  bec i found the perfect dress within my budget and i want to make it dressier since my mom is attending a wedding of a relative. To add that evening formal look

3) YB: Who and what event were you creating it for?  Angela: wedding of relative
4) YB: General steps you took to create this. Angela: bought the dress, source the rhinestones appliqué since the appliques are not available in the Philippines, I sourced it from China. Also the available ones are specifically for weddings. With front only rhinestones and white sash. Sash is tricky since my dress is colored, this means i will have to find the exact shade Ribbon. Plus i feel that it will move around since my dress is smooth fabric with slim silhouette.
Also mostly in the market is the chunky type of front rhinestones. Or half yard. I want the rhinestones to be all the way to the back. So i sourced it overseas.
Angela shared with us the link she purchased the dress at: https://www.evernew.ca/victoria-wrap-dress-254652?colour=teal+ribbon

5) YB: The pros and cons to create your sash. Angela: – pros, I get the look I wanted.
Cons, creativity in sourcing and technical skill to get it done. I actually sewed it in two lines, one on upper part and another is lower part. For the front with pleats, i actually did not sew the lower part on the pleating as it might affect the movement of the fabric. Also making sure the appliques is aligned.

6) YB: what was your favorite part of the process?  Angela: – conceptualizing, Sourcing and execution.
7) YB: How long did it take you? Angela: it took a while to get the rhinestones but once they are here, its easier since I had it planned out
8) YB: Is there anything else you would like to add?  Angela:  originally I would like the rhinestones to be optional, meaning I can put it on or not go with it as the event dictates. But since that route is tricky and I cannot find a tutorial, I opted to sew it on

Thank you Angela for sending the photos and for answering the questions.  All of this means a lot to me😊 and it makes all the hard work worth it.  I hope Angela inspired you to create.  Well, I hope you have an EXTRAordinary day!

Hugs,

Ann

More Bridal Sash Tutorials

Summer Outfit : Wardrobe Planning

I am ready for summer!  I love the button up skirt and the camisole I sewed for this summer weather.  Roz with Sew Much Fabric did a wonderful job choosing the fabric and skirt style.  It is lightweight, feels good against my skin, and the fabric pattern is fun.

Here are some of the different outfits I put together with items in my closet – recognize the black tee I sewed? So which outfit do you like the best? Are you making anything for the summer?

 

Details…

 

Thank goodness for my #Bernina#sewingmachine. With the press of a few buttons, it creates the buttonholes for me.

Most of you probably notice I sew in pockets every chance I get.

Thank you to Roz for the toile fitting. It can be a challenge to fit myself and I am grateful when someone can help – thank you! 🙏🏽

The sewing video will be coming out in the near future.  Since my family members were taking turns getting sick 🤒 and end-of-the-year school events started, I have fallen behind on my videos😬.  I will be working hard on editing so look out for all the new videos coming soon.

Have an EXTRAordinary weekend and I hope you get inspired to create something EXTRAordinary;)

Hugs!

Ann

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Sewing pattern : #mccalls7906

Shop SewMuchFabric
Black/white cotton eyelash check : C2513
Dove White Cotton Shirting : C2558
Charcoal Flower Button : LP674, LP675

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Youtique Lifestyle: Wardrobe Planning series is in Collaboration with Sew Much Fabric. This will be an ongoing project throughout 2019. Since I started attending more meetings, events, and wedding shows, I wanted a #memade wardrobe that would take me from the car rider line to a business event.  To view more projects, visit:

https://youtiquebridal.wordpress.com/2019/02/04/wardrobe-planning-collaboration-with-sewmuchfabric/

To achieve my goals, I got the help of #stylist & #textile expert Rosalind with Sew Much Fabric. She came to evaluate my closet & sent me the results of my closet evaluation.

In 2019, You will see a mix of Wardrobe Planning along with Bridal Tutorials, however, there will be a strong focus on Wardobe Planning this year. I hope you join me on this adventure.

If you want up-to-date projects, make sure to follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youtiquebri…

Wardrobe Planning Blog post: https://youtiquebridal.wordpress.com/2019/02/04/wardrobe-planning-collaboration-with-sewmuchfabric/…

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Shop Beginner Sewing Machines & Supplies: https://youtiquebridal.wordpress.com/…

 

Happy Valentine’s Day! DIY Earrings for the Red Lace Outfit

Happy Valentine’s Day!

What a great way to conclude my Red Lace Outfit Series since it is also a perfect outfit for Valentines Day:)

I had put together an inspiration board to help give me direction on the earrings I was looking for.  These were all inspired by the Dolce&Gabbana Fall 2013 Fashion Show.

I knew I wanted something gold, big (proportional to me), sparkly, and a touch of pearls.  I had gone to at least 5 different shops and did not find earrings that “felt” right.   So guess what I decided to do? DIY them! I hope you enjoy the process:)

I purchased 3 separate earrings that would bring all the elements together.  They were all gold.  One had the size, the second had pearls, and the last had that touch of sparkle.  I was really happy with the result and got to wear it with my Wedding Guest outfit.

DIY Earrings

Wedding Guest

Did you ever have to create an accessory to match your outfit?  Feel free to share your experience.  Thank you for visiting and I hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

XOXO,
Ann

How to Sew a Welt Pocket (single) : Tuxedo Inspired Dress

 

My Tuxedo Inspired Dress

Inspiration Board – photos via Pinterest

I have been wanting to #sew a tuxedo inspired dress for awhile now.  Because of @Carikim, I was able to bring my imagination to life.  I want to thank Cari for sponsoring this project. If you ever want couture sewing inspiration, I encourage you to visit @carikim Instagram’s page.  My muslin mock ups are usually a mess but I love visiting her IG especially for her pristine and beautiful #muslin work😍.  Thank you Cari for inspiring me and for your support.

This project will have a special focus on the welt pocket I created out of the matte & sheen fabric I sewed the dress with.  I created the welt pocket with a shiny satin fabric contrast to the main body of the dress.  It would also match the lapel and the custom satin buttons.

And here is how I created the single welt pocket.  Have you ever sewn a welt pocket?  Feel free to share your tips and tricks:)

Thank you for visiting & I hope you have an EXTRAordinary day!

Hugs,

Ann