Happy belated birthday to me! My birthday was actually last Wednesday, but my site had gremlins that had to get fixed, and then I was busy preparing for a trip (more on that below), and so you're only getting the post I planned for my birthday now. Better late than never. :) As I've done every year for several years, I sewed myself a birthday dress! It's a tradition I've enjoyed keeping up (last year's was ... Read more »
Test
This is just a test post. Feedly hasn't been showing my posts for several months and I tried to work with them and my blog host to get this fixed. I couldn't get final confirmation from Feedly if the changes my blog host made worked, and if Feedly could still 'see' my blog. So I'm posting a test to see if it's finally it's working yet. I'll delete this soon, and sorry if another follows at some point. This is a ... Read more »
Finally, a Rita blouse
Hello my friends! It's been awhile. No long apologies or anything like that—I don't blog as much as I used to. Sometimes it comes in fits and spurts and then sometimes I just can't be bothered to take umpteen photos and cull them and whatnot. Please don't tell me you're disappointed I didn't ever blog about this topic or you wish I posted more or why don't I do tutorials or or or, etc. Yes, people do that. Do not put that ... Read more »
Plaid flannel dress
Last month, I sewed a plaid dress. Not just any plaid dress, but a plaid flannel dress. It's cute, warm, and comfy. What could be more delightful for fall and early winter? This dress is from McCall's 8989, a pattern from the 1950s. The wing collar is annoying to construct... the type where you sew to the seam line on both sides of a seam, and invariably I leave a huge hole or puckers and have to re-do at least ... Read more »
Nancy Drew and the Clue in the Epic Sweater
As the New York Sheep and Wool Festival fast approaches this year, I thought perhaps it was about time I blog about last year's Rhinebeck sweater! Once you see how long this post is, you'll know why I dragged my heels on writing it for a year. ;) I knit the most insane thing I've ever created, and possibly will ever create. It was an epic ode to a childhood love: a fictional character who helped teach me that young ... Read more »
Going strapless
I have long coveted true vintage 1950s strapless sun tops. Bustier tops, bra tops, the whole shebang. While I don't really have many reasons to wear them, I always think they seem like the perfect thing to really jazz up a skirt in the summer, or spring and fall with a bolero on top, or wear for a nicer evening outfit. Original ones are rare to find and typically very pricey, which explains why I own exactly zero. So I ... Read more »
Sewing a holy grail pattern
I found one of my holy grail sewing patterns this year! You'd think a "holy grail" pattern had to be some fancy couture or Polynesian number that sells for over $100 and is super rare at that, but nope. It's a simple sundress pattern, from 1945, Simplicity 2465. Some years back I saw the pattern without the numbers on it in some random image online somewhere, and was never able to put a pattern number to the ... Read more »
Red and cream gingham sundress
I've been really busy this spring and early summer, and blogging just hasn't been on the forefront of my mind lately. I go through periods when I just find the entire process of taking and collating photos complete and utter drudgery. Sure, taking half a dozen photos doesn't seem that annoying, but it usually takes 50 or more to even find just a few I'm happy enough with to post. Thankfully for you, I finally got ... Read more »
Inspiration finally, two years later
I'm back from vacation and I'm INSPIRED! Two years ago, we went through the looong process of transforming a large part of our basement into studio spaces for ourselves. Back then, I did a few posts on it—sharing the dirty 'lil before photos, the planning and build-out phase, and creating my dream cutting table. But I haven't shared anything about it since. The truth is, I absolutely love my sewing and craft space ... Read more »
A birthday dress with a back story
Another birthday, another birthday dress! I'm off on vacation so you get a scheduled post, but it's my birthday today! Hip hip! As I've done every year for 6 years now, I made myself a dress for my birthday. It's possible I'm not actually wearing this dress right now since I'm likely in the mountains hunting down a waterfall as you read this. But this year's birthday dress is one I really love and I'll be wearing it ... Read more »
Overalls of my dreams
While I was making my latest pair of jeans, I hatched another idea that I started working on slowly: a pair of overalls. And boooooy am I ever happy with them! It started like this. I really wanted to try a scooped out front pocket on a pair of 1950s style jeans. I mentioned that dilemma in my last jeans post of doing the slash pockets and some gaping. So while I was in a jeans mood, I wanted to try scooped pockets ... Read more »
I just needed a sweatshirt
Do you ever just drop everything you're working on to sew a quickie project? I almost never do. But I did recently, and can understand why people do it sometimes! In the middle of my latest jeans project I suddenly had the urge to try out a pattern I've been thinking about non-stop since finishing my Carbeth pullover. The cropped shirt in Butterick 7557, from around 1956. Meant to be more of a sweater, or a ... Read more »
1950s-style cuffed jeans (and informal video extravaganza!)
I made more jeans! And then I have some good news, and some bad news relating to that. The bad news is I've been saying since last summer that I was going to do a vintage jeans sew-along. And I... can never get to it. Friends, if you've followed me awhile, and if you've ever read any of my tutorials, they are intense. They can take me weeks to put together just one tutorial. I rarely even do them these days because ... Read more »
Tale of two blouses + a different way to construct a short cut-on sleeve
The latest two items I sewed over at the Mood Sewing Network are these blouses. Two blouses, entirely different fabrics, same pattern. Love/hate results. Okay not quite so strong as love/hate... maybe love/feel-vaguely-underwhelmed-about would be closer. ;) Both of theses blouses are versions of Butterick 6223, one of my tried-and-true 1950s blouse patterns. I've made it a few times at least, but a different view. My ... Read more »
Spring green batwing sleeve bolero
Didn't I tell you I was going on a bolero kick? I wasn't kidding. Here's my most recently completed one, and I have another well under way, and trying to plan another. Sometimes I make a sewing or knitting plan and never execute. But sometimes I do! My second finished bolero of the year is a completely different shape than my first one, and feels like wearing... well, like wearing a chic blanket. It looks chic, but ... Read more »
Perfect 1950s cropped pullover, by way of modern knitwear design
I'm someone who has a pretty distinctive style generally speaking, but there's always room for trying new shapes and lines. And that's something I enjoy doing now and again. It doesn't always work out. Case in point, I made a dress last summer that I loathed as soon as it was done and it taught me I don't like straight dresses with no waistline, but belted at the waist. I've had other fails, too. But many times, it works ... Read more »