Even More Sweaters!

Three more sweaters from Rainbow Shops purchased on Thursday.  I'll admit these aren't necessarily the best quality construction, but they will do for me during this transition fall/winter just fine, and they're really cute!  Some of the stitching is loose or coming apart on a couple of the sweaters, but an hour's sit-down with a large darning needle and some thin thread will set things to rights.

This sweater was one I posted on my wish list, available at J.C. Penney from Alyx.  I didn't record the price.

This is the Rainbow sweater by Caren Sport, $19.99.  I think it's a fair copy.  I actually like the
roomier sleeves on this version because I'll be wearing a warm turtleneck underneath.

This is the "artist's smock" cardigan I fell in love with when I saw it.  It fits like a dream.
It's a tighter weave and heavier acrylic blend material than the Caren Sport patchwork sweater (above) but
it also has a few areas where a darning needle needs to be applied!  The top part is a creamy beige
color and as you can see, it graduates in bands down to a dark brown border around the bottom.
They're a little hard to see but there are two patch pockets on either side, and two large buttons
close the neck.  The a-line styling is very flattering.  A Rainbow purchase, also by Caren Sport, $19.99.

This is another one of my purchases that doesn't look like much on the hanger, but actually worn
it's very figure flattering.  It will be very cute with a turtleneck underneath and is long enough
to be worn as a sweater dress with tights and boots or worn over slacks as a tunic - I'm not a
leggings or jeggings person.  Rainbow purchase, by DG Sweater Co., $16.99. 

Can you believe those prices!  I'll gladly do a little rescue work on the sweaters because I was able to purchase three of them for less than $60.  Each sweater can be worn either for work with dress slacks or, in the case of the red color block, can be worn as a dress by itself, and will go casually with jeans.  The artist's smock would look great with some corduroy jeans, as would the patchwork sweater. The patchwork sweater and the red color block sweater could - if I get really brave - be adorned with a nice belt in the general area of my reappearing waistline.  What kind?  Something soft that wouldn't dig into me!  Well, we'll see.

Update on those Light Weight Woven Sweaters from Rainbow Shops

I visited Rainbow Shops in the mall downtown today and found the cutest style of sweater!  I just love it.  Haven't been able to find an image of it, it's not included in the Rainbow Shops style book for autumn online. 

It's a sleeveless cardigan style that buttons with two large buttons on a tall collar.  It's a sort of mandarin-style collar is the closest description I can come up with at the moment.  The knit is thick and soft, so probably acrylic (I didn't check the contents labels today, I was short on time).  Other than those two buttons and a hidden button on the backside of the collar to hold it upright in place when the two "showing" buttons are buttoned, that's it for closures.  The sweater is designed in an A-line and is long - ending a few inches above the knee.  It looks rather like an artist's smock.  The best part is that the back of the sweater is a marled look and the front is a sort of knitted ombre look, graduating from a pale beige color on top to a brown color at the hem!  There are two patch pockets in front a few inches above the bottom of the sweater. 

The sweater also comes in a pale grey to black ombre look with a black/grey marled back.  I like both colors very much, but I already have a lot of grey and black in the closet.  Some of the looks won't do for winter - too light-weight - but this sweater will be perfect.  A lighter long-sleeve knit for November and the beginning of December, and a heavy cotton long-sleeve turtleneck for late December and January.  I'll go back tomorrow and try them on - didn't have time today.

Today while I was looking through the Rainbow Shops style book for autumn online, I spied the two light weight knit or woven sweaters that I wrote about back on September 20 (I think).  Those sweaters have garnered many compliments.  This is not how I wear these little sweaters!  I wear them over a long sleeve blouse or turtleneck with dress slacks. I can tell you that they look much better on me than they do on the hanger!  On the left is the multi-colored "poncho" style sweater; on the right is the red/black/white/grey short dolman sleeve sweater.  As you can see, they're also very cute with jeans.

Photos of Some New Stuff!

Goddess, I've turned into a regular material girl :)

First, the items I purchased at my trip to Joann Fabric store on Saturday, 9/17/11.  My goal was to find one or two materials to use to make up vintage McCalls Easy stitch 'n save 9436 (women's jumper dress).  Oh, Robbie Burns was soooooo right when he wrote that the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray!

After hunting around through current patterns I just wasn't finding anything that was ringing my chimes; I'd decided to sew a jumper as my first (and hopefully not last) project since I figured it would be easy.  Well - that's another story...

Suffice to say, I turned to vintage patterns and found lots of possibilities, but hardly any available in the size that will fit my measurements.  I want to start with a way too big pattern and work it down rather than starting with a too small pattern and trying to work it up!  So - this is the pattern I settled on.

I had hoped to get a really nice red plaid for jumper #1, and possibly mix it up a little with red/black/white for jumper #2, but somehow things didn't work out.  I think I got overwhelmed by the selection - and not finding exactly what I had envisioned - and in the end I selected a sedate men's wear plaid in a light brown/camel blended color with a light blue thread running through it:

While I was roaming up and down the aisles eyeing all the cool stuff, I came across this material, and I fell in love with it:

This photo doesn't do it justice!  It's a very trendy snake-skin print in neutral tones with some gold  in it, black, tan, beige.  Semi-shiny and very pretty. 

I have a special project in mind for this material - I'm going to duplicate a "poncho" with "bat-wing sleeves" that I purchased from Macy's recently (as part of my new wardrobe, wooo wooo) in a black light-weight knit and fell in love with the fit and how the sleeves move and how comfy it is.  I think it was an Ana brand top - but don't quote me on that. 

Today I once again visited the mall downtown during my lunch hour and toured the women's clothing section at Boston Store.  I saw a few new items that I went "hmmmmmmm....." over but, all in all, nothing enough of a bargain to tempt me to part with more dollars.  I did see a sweater in a rust color that was very similar in design to the Ann Taylor "wedge v-neck" sweater I wrote about.  It was a lower price too, plus 40% off, but still not reduced enough...



Rainbow purchase #1 - a multi-colored
light-weight knight "poncho" style top.

As I was walking back through the Mall I passed the Rainbow store.  I've passed it many times but I only recently ventured into it about a month ago - I didn't buy anything but I left thinking that there were maybe some things there for me despite it's "urban hip" image.

Today I hit paydirt!  I went into the Rainbow store and came out about 15 minutes later with two sweaters for less than I would have paid for one sweater at Boston Store.  And I'm very happy with them!  They are so cute!

They're light-weight - they're meant for summer/fall wear, but I know I'll be wearing these into December over mock turtlenecks.

I took these photos this evening with the clothes hung upon a light colored door in my manse :)  It looks so tiny!  But it fits!  The colors of Rainbow sweater #1 are beautiful:  turquoise/light blue, rust, beige, a little brown - and an open airy weave that will show the top underneath.

Here's a close-up photo I tried, spread out on the dinette table.  Professional photo NOT.  The colors are almost irridescent, but there is no lurex in this top.  I'm going to wear this to work tomorrow, over a cream scoop neck tank top with my heather taupe slacks (purchases for the St. Louis trip).  The unseasonably cool temperatures we had last week have been replaced by seasonal temperatures and more humidity than we should be experiencing this time of year.  I can tell because my hair is frizzy!  It will be comfortable in the mid 70's forecast for tomorrow and will give me some coverage in the overly air-conditioned air in my office! 

Here is Rainbow sweater #2.  You know, I'd been looking for something in black and red ever since returning a knit top I'd purchased online at Macy's over a week ago.  I loved that top but it was just too small - it just was not flattering, even though it was an XL.  NOT!  This top's material is not the spandex blend knit that I'd purchased at Macy's, but it's colors and pattern are reminiscent of the top I sent back (I've done of a lot of that since shopping for clothes online for the St. Louis trip!):

This photo of the sweater isn't too flattering.  It's made out of a very stretchy light-weight weave/knit with a knitted band around the bottom, the arm cuffs and the neckline and will be perfect over a black, red, grey, or white cami, tank top or mock turtleneck!  I love this versatility.  It's a dolman short sleeve style so can be worn practically year around.  SCORE! 

I plan on wearing this top next week Monday with either a black tank or a black mock turtleneck and the black slacks I bought for the St. Louis trip -- geez, I bought a ton of clothes for that St. Louis trip!  More about that in another post.