Am I….sewing again? After a long dry spell (during which I knitted socks furiously and mended a lot of clothes — but I don’t really count that as ‘sewing’ per se) I’ve actually sewn a garment! I cut the pattern pieces out about 7 months ago and then left them draped over a bannister collecting dust. Literary Sewing Circle to the rescue! Melanie, whose book … Continue reading Literary Sewing Circle: Zadie in Amatka
Oh hai! It’s been a while. You OK? I’m OK. I’m coming up for air after a year of online teaching, and waiting out this third wave and continued stay-at-home orders here in Toronto. The mental load is difficult these days, but this too shall pass. I was just on Bloglovin’ scrolling through my sewing feed for the first time in *forever* and it made … Continue reading Cambria Duster
Hello sewing friend! I miss connecting with you. So I’m throwing a party! While comments on Instagram are one way to connect over sewing, I like the opportunity to have actual conversations with people I can see directly. And since we can’t get together in person, Zoom is the next best thing. Let’s hang out and chat about what we’re sewing (or not sewing, if … Continue reading You’re Invited to a Sewing Party!
I can’t explain why I am so attracted to wrap tops with ties! It’s a compulsion — put a pattern for one in front of my eyes and my lizard-brain kicks into gear, causing a rush of adrenaline, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations. (In my world, apparently, lizard brains have what biologists have identified as exceptionally over-developed Sartorial Cortexes.) See my recent post about … Continue reading A Tale of Two Elmiras
Ahoy! Time for another hare-brained (read: Covid-brained, and therefore scattered and unfocused) blog post from yours truly! I’m here to show off a few Somerset Tops by Maven Patterns. I love a good boatneck — I think it’s such a flattering neckline. And speaking of boats, this happens to be my ‘garment inspired by the book’ for the latest round of the Literary Sewing Circle. … Continue reading Maven Patterns Somerset Top: the perfect boatneck for a Literary Sewing Circle
We have entered the “Why Are You Doing It That Way?” phase of self-isolation. You know, when you and your spouse or partner or housemate are saying things to each other like, “Are you sure the heat needs to be up that high to cook that?” or, “Why are you putting that plate on the bottom rack of the dishwasher?” or, “Shouldn’t you be using … Continue reading An Ilford Jacket for My Long-Suffering Husband
My sewing project of choice lately has been face masks — I’m making them for family and neighbours and enjoying using up all the poor-choice purchases of quilting cotton that I never used for clothing. (Not to add to the mask-making noise that’s out there, but this is the pattern from Craft Passion that I’ve been using for masks and it is really good: it fits … Continue reading Fibre Mood Wallys Blouse
Has something like this ever happened to you? Some scammy website is selling my very own hand-knit skirt! This older blog post of mine about hand-knitted skirts tends to get a lot of traffic, mostly via Pinterest. I have a picture on there of this skirt, among others, that I made back in 2012: Late last year I got an email from a reader who … Continue reading Want to Buy a Bridge in Brooklyn? Great, I’ll Throw in my Hand-Knitted Skirt for Free
Happy Valentine’s Day, my dear sewing friends. Hope you are celebrating love in all its forms, whether it’s love of family, friends, co-workers, pets, romantic partners, shirt dresses, or whatever makes you feel warm and happy. ❤ Speaking of love, big shout out to Alex of Sewrendipity whose sense of style I wish I had one tiny ounce of. I *love* her style. And her … Continue reading Ralph Pink Sahara Shirt Dress
Jeez, I made this in spring last year and forgot to show you! I attended the Pattern Review Weekend in Portland, Oregon — about 100 sewing fanatics met up to chat, learn, go fabric shopping, and have fun. There was a themed sewing contest and since Portland is known as an ideal place to grow roses (you can visit their International Rose Test Garden), the … Continue reading A Rosy Outfit for the City of Roses
Frivolous At Last 