Happy Halloween, my friends! There's a couple of holidays for which I'm interested in sewing, and Halloween is one of them! (It's a short list: the other is obviously Christmas.) Last year, I was in London meeting up with sewing friends on Halloween and sewed myself a theme-y blouse for the occasion. I used the same pattern as my recent Bye Bye Birdie blouse, and this year, I've used the pattern again! What can ... Read more »
Sewing
Plaid flannel tie-front topper
Before Mel and I went up to northern Wisconsin for a short vacation earlier this month, I had grand plans for vacation sewing (as you do), but only got a couple of items finished. The first I'm sharing is this flannel topper! I found this great Simplicity pattern from 1949 at an antique mall for just a couple of dollars! I bought it purely for the tie-front topper. I thought it would be great sewn up in a cozy plaid ... Read more »
Bye Bye Birdie blouse
What's blue and tan with birdcages all over? My blouse! And it's another Vintage Pledge item! Sometimes, I really love the terms used to describe various elements of a garment in vintage sewing patterns. Today's treat was Butterick 6223, a pattern from the 1950s, featuring a "small rising collar" for the view I sewed. It's a perfect description—says exactly what it is! This is actually a blouse I've sewn up twice ... Read more »
Slash-neck winner
Before fall hit here, Jennifer Lauren (of Jennifer Lauren Handmade) contacted me about her latest pattern release, the Gable top, a cute 1950s-inspired tee with a slash neck. Little did she know, but it was the exact same type of top I was hoping to try and backwards architect from my favorite Vivien of Holloway slash neck tops, as I hadn't found a similar sewing pattern out there yet. She wondered if I'd be interested in ... Read more »
True bra-making confessions: I finally found a retro bra sewing pattern I like!
It's a Friday confession, my friends. Pull up a chair and a beverage! I've never wanted to sew lingerie. A slip yes (not that I've ever bothered getting to it). But bras and panties, nope. (Incidentally: I cannot stand the term "panties", I call them underwear whenever possible.) In fact, I have to be honest and say that most of the bra making posts and photos I see online have kind of annoyed me. Here's why. I wear ... Read more »
Love Cats: Last things sewn for summer
We've really had kind of an extended summer here. It's late September and I still have roses and a few day lilies (?!!) blooming, and the tomatoes are going crazy. This week, the temperatures have cooled, and so the projects I'm sharing today are assuredly the last things I'll have made for summer this year! Rounding the bend on my third pair of jeans in a row, I hit a wall a few weeks ago. I don't typically stop ... Read more »