50th Annual NOGI Awards Gala Dress

On November 5, 2009, I was honored to attend the 50th Annual NOGI Awards Gala in Orlando, Florida.

Dating back to the 1950's, The NOGI is the oldest and most prestigious award in diving. An acronym for "New Orleans Grand Isle Fishing Tournament", which had an underwater division, and where the original statuette was bestowed upon its winners. Originally carved of balsa wood, then cast of polywood, in 2005, the statuette was updated by Wyland, and now is cast of lucite in molds of his making.

In 1993, The Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences (AUAS) was incorporated by the recipients of the past 33 years, and with ongoing sanction and support from the Underwater Society of America, the AUAS administers the NOGI, which each year is awarded to 4 individuals who have made a global impact on the exploration, enjoyment, safety, and preservation of the underwater world, and have distinguished themselves therefor in Arts, Science, Sports and Education and Service. My husband, Master Fin Designer and Underwater Photograph, Bob Evans (NOGI, Sports and Education, 2005) is the current President of the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences, and as such hosts its black tie Gala Awards ceremony. This gives me the opportunity to stretch my sewing ability and make a new gown annually.

What makes this endeavor extra fun is that Martha Watkins Gilkes, President of the Women Divers' Hall of Fame and proprietor of Fantasea Island Divers Scuba in Antigua, sharpens her needles and makes a gown as well. Our annual creation have become a friendly contest of sorts. I have to say, Martha took the night this year! I had anticipated this as much when she called me early in the year to inquire whether the mother of pearl shells completely covering the piece of Chanel couture fabric she found might have been harvested. If so, their impact on the ocean would be adverse, and it would not be appropriate to wear, particularly at this event. It took a bit of digging, but what she and we found is that the shells are harvested from California abalone farms - not far from Fine Fabrics store location!

High Priestess of Humanity

There is a thread running at Artisanssquare about the prospect of living over 100 years, not as an anomaly, but as a sociological norm. I, for one, believe an aging population bulge will increase the sociological force of elders within our society. I also believe that the population increase that will inevitably coincide with this extended life span will accelerate our Earth becoming more species homogeneous. A sad fact is that we are not reading about increased longevity for species other than humans.

That started me thinking about the responsibility we will weld as "Elders Who Live Longer Than Those Before" in a world that is human, which brings us to the question of what it is to be human?

I grappled with answers that have great ethical value -- that of choice, to learn from our choices, to love and care for those whom we love..... To be honest, these qualities are not unique to humanity. There was but one answer I could find that made us uniquely human and that was clothes. We must clothe ourselves to live on Earth.

The Priests and Priestesses of "The Society of Elders Who Live Longer Than Those Before" in the species homogeneous Earth are those who make clothes. Fellow sewers I anoint you today!

A love for sewing is a spiritual awakening! Sew away!

MidSummer Night's Dream

When is MidSummer? According to Wikipedia it is June 24, or the date on the Julian calendar associated with the Summer Solstice celebrations. I always took the designation literally and counted the days between the Summer Solstice, June 21, 2009, and the Autumnal Equinox, September 21, 2009. This literal MidSummer is August 5, 2009.

On this date, I would do my best to gather together my son and some of his neighborhood friends for a night of literary adventure. We would make cookies, dress up, pick a character, and sitting around an antique card table, read from William Shakespeare's play for as long as we could keep still.

This year, I decided that in Santa Barbara MidSummer is September. That is when it is the warmest. In fact, its downright hot! So, let's put on our finery, dance in the garden like nymphs in a MidSummer play.

New dress made using Vogue Pattern 8417. A lesson in how to make something as difficult as it can be. Twisting panels, sewn on the bias using 3-layers of silk chiffon and intricately beaded French Lace supported by a silk organza underlining.

Worn over a silk 4-ply under dress.


Over 150 fashion colors of Silk Chiffon, Silk Organza and Silk 4-ply are available at FineFabrics.com

What Makes a Classic?

Throughout the month of August, Fine Fabrics hosts a collection of lace and silk on loan from the Paris Showroom of Solstiss. 100's of Santa Barbara Fashionistas oh and ah and sigh as they examined each piece. Diverse in style and creative in every aspect, it surprised me when a client pulled out this piece and draped it over a simple navy sheath she brought in with the mission of finding a very special piece of fabric with which to make a coordinating jacket therefor.


It is an absolutely perfect piece! Subtle, lightweight with fluid drape, with colors and design that are without boundary.

A jacket with only shoulder seams and scallops wrapping around the hem, could be made with no more than 1/2 yard more than your bust measurement. Sleeves can be cut as long as you wish with their hem touting the eyelashes of the opposite selvage. The only seams to be sewn are the shoulder and armhole. Finish the neckline and front as you choose, maybe just rolled with a selvage of chiffon sewn within for support. Leave open or close with a cluster of matching beads buttons and loops made using navy silk thread.

A simple jacket made using this lace could be worn to a casual luncheon, as easily as it could be worn to a black tie party. That is what makes for a classic!

It is being hand beaded in France for her now, and expected to arrive in Santa Barbara in October. In the meantime, FineFabrics.com has in stock its sister ground lace in black.


More ideas to come.....

Rows Upon Rows of Ribbons

First shipment of custom fabric procured for clients attending Fine Fabrics 3rd Annual World's Finest Lace Show. This one is a soft cornflower silk, embellished with rows-upon-rows-upon rows of Silk Faille Ribbon sewn onto a soft piece of silk. Dominant color is deep royal. I think this one a must for holiday skirt.

Only limited quantities available.

Wrap Me in Lace and Silk

We're wrapping up Fine Fabrics 3rd Annual World's Finest Lace Show, and I must say this year's show was a huge success. Clients, new and old, came from far and wide, and ooh'd and ahh'd, and let out a sigh as they pondered the creations they might make and wear, and marveled at the intricate hand work, creativity and details exhibited in each piece. Here is a list of the favorites, which we're adding to the collections of FineFabrics.com and are available for immediate delivery beginning mid-September:

A client selection from the Paris Haute Couture Collection from Solstiss Lace. Delicate chantilly ombre lace, light beige at one selvage, traveling through celadon, teal to black on the other selvage. Clients of Fine Fabrics are having made a peasant style blouse, the body of which is black and the hem, teal moving up to the face and nape of the neck in the back. The celadon meets the teal at the raglan seam, moving down to the light beige selvage at the sleeve hem. We love working with clients who have the style sophistication to discover the way to work with these exquisite pieces that can be worn as easily with jeans, as it can with a black velvet skirt.

More ideas to come.....

Solstiss Show Opening

The Santa Barbara Fiber Arts Guild enjoyed a sneak peak of the Paris Haute Couture collection from Solstiss, after enjoying an educational presentation by Jane Burge from SolstissBucol.

100's of guests arrived, most of whom live in Santa Barbara, but others visited from Ohio, Maryland, and Kande Hall and Len Grabiner traveled from the South Bay of Los Angeles to join Fine Fabrics for the opening of its 3rd Annual World's Finest Lace show.

Those are purses made by and using Solstiss lace in the background.


Many brought, or wore their own lace and beaded creations.

Santa Barbara's and Fine Fabrics' resident couture expert, Tim Carty gave draping presentations.

to the pleasing harp music of Signe Wilson.



Yep. That's a 2-pin drape of one of Fine Fabrics most beautiful pieces of embellished Solstiss lace. It dances in the light and coordinates with greens, violets, blues, copper browns as well as it does black.

My morning Masters swim buddies, Susan Dickinson and Gloria Ochoa graced us with the hostess skills and loaned us their French Florists' vase to hold the 50 very tall white Amaryllis cut from my home garden.


Santa Barbara Fashionista favorites will be posted to FineFabrics.com, some to FineFabrics.com prive' (contact susanne @ finefabrics.com for access) throughout the month of August. Both will be updated daily. Fine Fabrics 3rd Annual World's Finest Lace Show is on exhibit through August 31, 2009.