Christine Haynes's Blog, page 18

Mad Men Party Planning

If you're headed to this year's Craftcation Conference as I am, you might want to give your party outfit a bit of thought this year, as the Saturday night party theme is the one and only Mad Men! I wrote a guest post for the Craftcation blog that you can see here to help you prep for the party! I also started a Mad Med Pinterest board to get your inspiration going, so check those out and start planning!

Happy weekend everyone!


Image credit: AMC

Book Blog Tour Continues!

Just a reminder that the book blog tour is continuing this week! Visit the blogs below for their take on the book and for giveaways of all kinds!

Monday, March 10 - Oonaballoona
Tuesday, March 11 - Paunnett
Wednesday, March 12 - Sewaholic
Thursday, March 13 - Lladybird
Friday, March 14 - House of Pinheiro

My Mellowing Wardrobe

With my changing body, I'm thinking ahead to about a month from now when I'm going to want to start sewing real garments for myself again. I've been sewing some things of course, but since my body is still in flux, I'm hoarding my favorite projects for when I know my body has stabilized a bit more. I'm going to give myself until the 90 day mark of my new year's resolution before really making tailored garments; until then, it's elastic and knits for everything!


As I plan for what I want to make for my daily life as well as my upcoming holiday, I find myself really turning my back on my fabric stash. I'm less and less excited about sewing with printed quilt weight fabrics and find my attention turning to more elegant fabric choices as well as more sophisticated prints and solids. I've always loved these kinds of prints, but like many people, I'm easily swayed by a cute vintage floral or cat head print. Perhaps it's my recent desire to quilt that I'm finding myself satisfied using these quilt weight prints in actual quilts, I'm not sure. But whatever it is, my stash for future garments is certainly changing.


I recently looked at my pins on Pinterest and in files on my laptop of garment inspirations (pictured above and below), and found that nearly all of them involved solids, simple prints, and stripes. I will forever love vintage girly, but with the opportunity to basically rebuild my wardrobe, I'm thinking a lot about what I want to spend the time to make for myself to wear. My home and quilts and business identity and loads of other things in my life will forever be vintage girly, but my clothing, perhaps less so.


Why haven't I used more of these kinds of prints and solids in the past? I'm not sure, but I think it's a classic case of being drawn to something time and time again, but then not following through with that aesthetic for myself. I admire them on others, but rarely use them for myself. Do I think it's too simple when the time comes to choose a fabric? Perhaps. But then, I also don't wear really crazy prints either, I usually land somewhere in the middle.


I've started collecting fabrics for future sewing and I was surprised at the trend. Pictured above and below, all of these are from The Fabric Store, and all are non-quilt weight. They are silk, linen, and lightweight cottons. And as for prints, I'm leaning toward subtle textures and graphic elements, more so than novelty prints.


I know there's been a lot of chatter on the web lately about wardrobe building, and honestly, I wasn't even thinking about this kind of thing for myself, until I was faced with a closet full of garments that are getting larger and larger on me with each given day. A problem I welcome with open arms by the way! So now I'm really looking at my stash of fabric and patterns and thinking a lot about what I like to wear and what I want to take the time and money to make for myself.


I have no firm plans yet, and I will post more as I make decisions on what I want to make, so look for those soon! Have you jumped on the wardrobe rebuilding bandwagon? How has that effected your sewing plans?


All garment images from my Pinterest board
All fabric images by me

60 Day Fitness Update, Part 2: Nutrition

Thanks to all of you for your kind comments on yesterday's post on my 60 day fitness update! It's been an amazing journey so far! Since getting heathy is part working out and part eating right, today I'm going to talk about how I'm doing with the food aspect of the resolution. Going to the gym is only going to keep you fit in relation to how well you're eating. And as I said yesterday, I always knew this, but now I know this to be true.

mmm… saladI've always been a healthy eater and have been a vegetarian since my early 20's, which puts me at the 20-year mark of being a vegetarian (with the exception of a 6-month fish binge about 9 years ago). And honestly, since I haven't really been very serious with workouts for a very long time and only got as big as I am, which isn't that big, I credit that completely to my good diet.

Like most people, where I got into trouble was with small "treats" that added up and became habit. Um, hello lady, "treats" are supposed to be treats, not a daily habit! I know, I know. But I'm sure we're all guilty of making the occasional bad choice and then making that choice over and over. I got busy with work and the first thing to go was homemade food. Again, I wasn't eating big macs or anything, but still, I wasn't doing my best and was hardly cooking real food for myself at home.

life changing bread from my new rootsHave you all seen the video about how the key to healthy eating is cooking food for yourself? If not, it's below and it's called "How Cooking Can Change Your Life" and it's spot on. Watch it, it's short, and the animation is hilarious.


I love the line, "these special occasion foods become every day foods, when we let industry cook for us." So true. I think there's an interesting conversation to be had here about nutrition and that's what I'm focusing on for my own health. Not dieting, not sacrificing, but rather filling my body with good nutrients to maximize its potential and to help me feel my best.

So, what have I been eating? Below are my favorites, but of course there are many variations on this because otherwise I'd be super bored and wouldn't be able to properly celebrate birthdays and vacations. And do I still have what I call "snack nights" where I eat hummus, cereal, and popcorn for dinner from time to time? Yes, of course I do. Okay, that being said, here's what I've been eating…

my new addiction - oatmealBreakfast
I pretty much stick to three main things for breakfast: eggs, oatmeal, and smoothies. I have learned to love oatmeal and it is a really convenient item to bring to work to eat while I'm opening up the shop. I can turn on the kettle when I arrive, pour in the water, and eat it quickly while getting things set up.

If I'm eating eggs I usually have them hard boiled with a piece of toast. For toast, while I love a nice piece of French bread, I've also learned to love bread that gives more back in terms of protein and nutrition. I either eat Milton's Healthy Bread, Ezekiel Bread, or I make my own bread using the Life Changing Bread from the blog My New Roots, (which is a blog I highly recommend by the way).

Smoothies are usually bananas, soy milk (I like a low-fat unsweetened variety), and the Trader Joe's vanilla soy power, plus whatever other fruits I have on hand, like strawberries and pineapple.

lentil loaf   -   fruit smoothieLunch
I love having a salad for lunch because I hate having salad for dinner, so it's my opportunity to fit it into the day. Some days I don't have a salad and that's okay, I don't beat myself up about it, but I try most days to make it happen.

The things I usually use for my salad are greens (this varies based on what I have at home), tofu, beets, a cheese I have on hand (usually feta or Romano), cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, and some sort of nut, usually sunflower seeds or walnuts. Sometimes if I didn't have an egg that day for breakfast I might toss one on my salad, and sometimes I'll use a spoonful of hummus on top or a handful of beans too. The key is keeping it fresh and easy to make so it's interesting to eat and not too time consuming in the morning. An easy place to save calories is in the dressing. Since I really don't like most dressings and actually like the taste of the food, I don't use any and save myself those calories.

life changing bread with jam and a bananaDinner
One of my favorite things to have for dinner is lentil loaf. I usually make it every other week since it makes 6 servings and well, if I made it weekly, that's all I'd eat! I pair loaf, or some other "meat" with potatoes and a steamed vegetable. I like a real dinner with "meat" and potatoes but as I wrote above, sometimes I make a dinner of healthy snacks. It all depends on my mood!

If you're into lentils or faux loaf, below this post is the recipe that I use! It's quick, easy, nutritious, and oh so yummy!

Dessert
I don't like "diet" food and I refuse to call what I'm doing a diet. Things like pre-packaged processed food that feel indulgent really aren't as good for you as just a really great well-chosen treat. For example, if I'm desperate for something sweet, I eat a small piece of dark chocolate, which has fewer fat, calories, and cholesterol than those overly processed packets of 100 calorie treats. I mean really, wouldn't you rather have a nice piece of chocolate?! Of course, the trick is to only eat one and not everyday, but rather save them for moments of desperation. Or at least that's what I'm doing!

mmm… chocolateSo, that's what I've been up to! Treating myself from time to time, but being careful and making conscious choices focusing on nutrition. And so far, it seems to be working. I've done more desperate diets before for binge weight loss, but in the end it doesn't work. So I'm being patient and doing it right this time, eating well, building muscle, and burning fat. Nothing fancy, just sticking to it!

Thanks for letting me hijack the blog for some non-sewing chatter and for all the words of encouragement along the way! You all are such a great support! And while all of this change is amazing, I must say that my body is so different now that I'm going to have to start from scratch with muslins and such because everything is in a different place! So weird for someone who really knows their body, for better or worse!

Do you have a favorite food that's also good for you? Or a how about a tip? Please share because I think we all need help in this department! Thanks!


Lentil Loaf (Source unknown - I got this from my mom ages ago)

2 cups water
1 cup lentils
1 T olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 cup quick oats
1 t dried basil
1 t dried parsley
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
8-oz can tomato paste
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 cup BBQ sauce

Cook the lentils
Bring the water to a boil, add the lentils, cover and cook over low heat for 40 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl.
Prepare the onions
Sauté the onion in the oil until tender. About half way from being fully cooked, toss in the basil, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and sauté with the onions.
Mix together
Empty the pan of onions into the bowl with the lentils. Add the oats, tomato paste, and egg and mix by hand until well blended.
Cook it
Place the mixture into a 9" x 5" loaf pan. If not non-stick, pre-treat the pan with oil or spray. Flatten the loaf mixture into the pan and top the loaf with the BBQ sauce. Spread it around evenly. Bake the loaf at 350-degrees for 45 minutes. Let cook for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
Makes 6 servings.

60 Day Fitness Update, Part 1: Exercise

I can't believe I've been at this routine now for 60 days! On one hand it feels like it's been so much longer, but when I do something new and my body aches, I remember that in the grand scheme of things, I'm still pretty new to all this hard work.

Yep, so it's been officially 60 days today that I first set off to tackle my new year's resolution to get fit, get healthier, and hopefully get thinner as a result. It's been a pretty amazing 60 days and I have pushed my body to places I didn't know I could go. As I mentioned in my 30 day fitness update, I have been working with a trainer named Yuichi. What's amazing is that he pushes me to do things that a) I'd never do on my own because I'd crap out if he wasn't there telling me to do it, b) I'd never even know to do a certain workout because it's outside of the basic running/weights/etc kind of stuff I'm familiar with, and c) I'd be afraid that I'd hurt myself if I was doing an exercise that was potentially too hard or dangerous without a spotter.

my Target workout wear - images from TargetHiring him has been the best money I've spent on myself in ages, because when I'm afraid I'm going to hurt myself, or my heart is going to pound out of my chest, or I'm going to fly off the treadmill, I know that he's there watching me and making sure I'm okay and pushing me just the right amount. Yeah, I'm gasping and grunting and he jokes that the other clients probably think he's killing me, but I am pushed right to my limit each and every week which feels amazing and empowering. When you don't have a fitness background and you feel your body reacting, it's hard to know what's okay and what's dangerous. Like I said in my last update, I am so fortunate that my randomly assigned trainer was an ideal fit for me. I trust him, I like him as a person, and I know he has my best interest in mind.

I'm happy to report that as of today, I've officially lost 10 pounds! Any 10 pound weight loss would feel fantastic, but this feels especially amazing since I'm doing it the right way. Last week Yuichi asked me when the last time was that I felt like this, and I honestly had to pause and think about it. About 2 years ago or so, I lost about 10 pounds in a month doing a really intensive juice cleanse. It was a healthy cleanse - juiced fruit and veggies etc, not the honey and cayenne pepper kind of thing - but I eventually gained it back and felt weak and weary. I wasn't working out properly and wasn't strong at all. These 10 pounds are earned with healthy food choices and hard work at the gym, burning fat and building muscle. Totally different. So my answer to his question was honestly, "never." When I was young I was fit by the nature of being young and active, and I've certainly eaten healthy for a very long time, but I've never put the two together to be fit and healthy and strong all at the same time. Better late then never!

Get that makeup off! - images from Drugstore.comIt's also pretty amazing to be able to do things with my body that I've never done before, like kicking and punching! I've literally never thrown a punch before, but now not only do I know how, I punch Yuichi every week. And I kick him too! Seriously, he wears a body pad and I literally kick him! Other fun things appear in the midst of this, like who knew, but not only do I like jumping rope, I'm quite decent at it too! Want a quick boost? Jump rope for 200 reps! That will get your heart rate right up!

So, I'm rambling a bit here, but I do have a point, and that is that anyone can do this. I now understand that it's not rocket science, there's no quick fix, and it's basic math about what you put in your body and what you give in return to your body. I always knew this, but now I know it.

this Shuffle keeps me moving!
How am I making this work for me? Here are a few tips I've learned along the way:

Make yourself a good gym mix! This can be filled with whatever keeps you running! For me, it's a solid mix of Beyonce, LCD Soundsystem, retro disco, and M.I.A. All of these make me want to either kick ass, have sex, or dance my troubles away. Get yourself an easy way to listen to music at the gym. I had an old iPod and arm band that I used for the first month, but then I upgraded to a new iPod Shuffle. Tiny, clips onto my t-shirt, and only $49. Perfection. Have plenty of gym clothes on hand so laundry isn't the excuse you use to not make it there. I bought a bunch of basic yoga-style pants at Target and then stocked up on cheap t-shirts at both Target and thrift stores. Doesn't have to be fancy, unless you're also there to get a date (which I am not)! I know I can sew these items, but again, I didn't want there to be any excuse for not going and I wasn't looking for another project. I wanted to get my goods and go!Pack your bag for the gym every day and keep it in your car. This is not really possible for public transportation urban folks, but since LA is a car town, I drive to work so this works for me. Except for the day I work with Yuichi (which I do on my day off so I have maximum energy), I go to the gym after work. Do I always want to go? No. But I've packed my bag and I've already made it this close to the gym (the gym is by work, not by my home), so what the hell, I might as well go! Though now, I actually like going!Do not exercise on an empty stomach, nor on a full one. Eat a hearty and healthy snack about 1-1.5 hours before hitting the gym so it's into your system before working out. Don't workout in makeup! After work it's important to clean your face before sweating all that crap into your pores! My pal Haley tipped me to the waterless Burt's Bees face wipes, and they have been a dream come true! Wipe the grime off and sweat it out baby. Get a gym buddy. At this point I'd keep going with or without Haley's help, but it has been amazing to talk about our experiences together, encourage each other, give each other tips, and go to the gym together when we can. I'm happy to report that she also clocked in a 10 pound weight loss last week too! Go Haley! Find stuff that you actually like doing, and learn to like sweating and being sore. If you're bored with your routine, change it up! Keep it fresh and keep yourself interested. I'm now at that weird place where I kinda like being a little sore from my workouts. It keeps me in check with my body and aware of what's going on and what I've worked on my body and how hard I've worked it. Also, leaving the gym looking like you just took a shower is a weird and wonderful feeling. (Gross I know, but hey, that's what you gotta do!)Don't be afraid to ask questions. I am really happy that I like the gym I've been going to and everyone that works there is super nice. Find a place that you like and feel comfortable asking the staff for help and assistance with machines, classes, etc. You want to feel cared for and safe and that is their job. Read. I've started reading fitness magazines in both print and on-line (I'm partial to Women's Health and Self) and have started following many fitness boards on Pinterest. It's nice to learn new tips, new workouts, be inspired by others, and keep the interest alive!Hire a trainer if you can afford it. I've set up a plan to meet with Yuichi once a week, which I'm not going to lie, is an expense. But as someone who teaches people one-on-one sometimes, I know roughly what the going rate is for personalized attention, no matter what the skill. So I know that it's worth every penny. If you cannot afford to workout on a weekly basis with someone, book a session once a month to keep your routine fresh and to learn new things. I now have a whole list of things I didn't know how to do before working with Yuichi, but now they are part of my routine and I can do them with or without him. So, what are your tips for keeping motivated and active? Do please share your experiences in the comments! I'd love to learn from each of you and I hope my experiences are inspiring to some of you as well! Tune in tomorrow for Part 2 of my 60 Day Fitness Update: Nutrition!

Book Tour Is On!

Just a happy reminder that the blog tour for my new book, The Complete Photo Guide to Clothing Construction is in full swing!

Already up this week:

a book giveaway and review over at the Colette blog, The Coletterie a pattern and goody giveaway, plus a technique tutorial over at Miss Crayola Creepya fabric, notion, and e-course giveaway at Whipstitch, which also includes a 15 minute Skype interview with me and Deborah! Yeah, we're nutso. 
I also heard today from my publishers that they are giving away a copy of the book and some thread on their blog. Check it out here!

Coming up tomorrow and Friday, stops with Lucky Lucille and Grainline Studio!

Book Winner & Other Goodies to Win!

Are you ready to see who won a copy of my book The Complete Photo Guide to Clothing Construction ? Without further ado, here's the randomly chosen winner…..

veganvixenFebruary 24, 2014 at 12:13 PMThe concept of this book is so intriguing to me as a beginner sewer who wants to learn more about how garments are constructed so I can have the confidence to do more garments from patterns. Thanks for the giveaway, I can be reached at veganvixen08 at gmail dot com.
Congratulations veganvixen! You are the lucky winner! I will send you an email to get your address to send you your new book!

Don't forget that in addition to the book, at the various stops along the tour you can also win some goody packages and patterns! So be sure to visit each stop along the way to see what they are featuring from the book and what you can win at each stop! One spot even includes a video chat with me and the host where details about my next big project are revealed! Yeah, you're gonna want to see that one.

Up for grabs are my Emery Dress pattern, Derby Dress pattern, Chelsea Dress pattern, favorite tools, and all the fabric and vintage notions pictured below.


Below are all the stops of the tour, and I'd like to thank each and every one of these lovely ladies for hosting my book on their blogs! I am so grateful for everyone's support and I hope you all enjoy the stops!

Monday, February 24 - City Stitching with Christine Haynes
Friday, February 28 - Sew L.A.
Monday, March 3 - Coletterie
Tuesday, March 4 - Miss Crayola Creepy
Wednesday, March 5 - Whipstitch
Thursday, March 6 - Lucky Lucille
Friday, March 7 - Grainline
Monday, March 10 - Oonaballoona
Tuesday, March 11 - Paunnett
Wednesday, March 12 - Sewaholic
Thursday, March 13 - Lladybird
Friday, March 14 - House of Pinheiro
Monday, March 17 - Flossie Teacakes
Tuesday, March 18 - The Sew Convert
Wednesday, March 19 - Craftsy
Thursday, March 20 - Sublime Stitching
Friday, March 21 - Sew Stylish

Book Tour Starts & Giveaway Reminder!

Happy Friday everyone! Just a reminder that the first stop on the book blog tour starts today! The lovely Haley wrote the sweetest review of my book for the Sew L.A. Blog. Go check it out! Monday the tour continues with a stop on the Colette Patterns' Coletterie Blog! See the whole schedule here.

And also, a reminder that you have until Sunday night to enter the book giveaway here on my blog! I will announce the winner on Monday so stay tuned! It might be you!


I hope the weekend treats you well and for those of us in LA we are FINALLY getting rain today! My cats are celebrating by begging to stay in bed and/or hiding in my studio shelving :)


See you all here Monday!

Transitional Skirts

I have a rather insane collection of striped tops, all only slightly different from the other. And yet, I've discovered that somehow with a collection of favorite tees, I have almost no skirts or pants. I've had a well documented dislike of pants, but this isn't really the fault of pants, rather that my body has never felt good in pants, so I almost never wear them. As my body changes, I suspect that will change too. I've already planned to buy a new pair of jeans as a reward to myself in the not-too distant future.


But in the meantime, I am really in need of some simple skirts. And as my body is still changing (and thankfully getting smaller!) I wanted bottoms that would change with me. So I set out to find a quick and simple yet flattering skirt to make up, and I didn't have to look far. Shaerie, my boss at Sew L.A., has been hard at work on her own patterns. They are being used mostly for teaching, but they are available on the shop's website as well, for anyone to use! This skirt is her Easiest Skirt pattern. I tried on the shop sample and was happy with the way it looked, so I dug through my stash to make one up as a wearable muslin.


I unearthed this scrap of Robert Kaufman printed chambray with little anchors on it that I had left from sewing a sample for the Kaufman booth last year. Luckily this skirt only takes 1.5 yards, so it's an amazing stash buster! In fact, I've already made a second one out of light blue and white striped shirting I had in my stash too. And not only did it take very little fabric, it only took me an hour to make! So yeah, there will be more of these in my closet soon.


I followed the size medium exactly for this version and found it to be just slightly a bit too full. So for the second version, I made the size medium yoke and the size small lower skirt, so it's less gathered and a little narrower. I also cut an extra 1/2" of elastic off the waist of the second version. Pretty minor changes for a quick and easy skirt.


I know it's hardly complicated, but it's nice to have some simple little projects to whip up that will work on my ever changing body as little pick me ups while I work my ass off (quite literally!) at the gym!


Oh, and thanks again to the lovely Devon for taking my photos again! I think I'm getting slightly less terrible in front of the camera. Slightly. And to leave you… here are some outtakes!

Announcing The Complete Photo Guide to Clothing Construction Blog Tour and Book Giveaway!!!

I am so excited to start getting deep into my new book, The Complete Photo Guide to Clothing Construction! It is officially out now and has some lovely reviews on Amazon already! I am thrilled that it's being well received and hope that when you see it you will love it too!

I have enlisted some amazing helpers to talk about the book from their perspective and each stop has a giveaway of some kind! Some are giving away the book, some are giving away patterns, and other stops are giving away fabric yardage, tools, and vintage notions! So there are many chances to win something awesome as well as to see the book with much closer detail.


In addition to all the amazing giveaways below, I am also giving away a book on this post! I will randomly choose a winner next Monday, so you have until Sunday night to comment below with your reason for wanting the book! Please include your email or I won't be able to contact you if you win!

Visit all these amazing blogs to read their reviews, interviews with me, and to enter all their giveaways!

Monday, February 24 - City Stitching with Christine Haynes
Friday, February 28 - Sew L.A.
Monday, March 3 - Coletterie
Tuesday, March 4 - Miss Crayola Creepy
Wednesday, March 5 - Whipstitch
Thursday, March 6 - Lucky Lucille
Friday, March 7 - Grainline
Monday, March 10 - Oonaballoona
Tuesday, March 11 - Paunnett
Wednesday, March 12 - Sewaholic
Thursday, March 13 - Lladybird
Friday, March 14 - House of Pinheiro
Monday, March 17 - Flossie Teacakes
Tuesday, March 18 - The Sew Convert
Wednesday, March 19 - Craftsy
Thursday, March 20 - Sublime Stitching
Friday, March 21 - Sew Stylish