Here’s the ‘before’ picture: just one of my husband’s tees that was no longer useful as-is because the armpits were all crusted up with deodorant after a couple of years of wearing this regularly. Otherwise the material was in ‘very good used condition’, as they say, and I like the geeky audio-theme motifs on the front. My husband is a sound designer and I’m a … Continue reading Upcycling a cast-off T-shirt
This is the top that “crept up” on me: when I finished sewing it, I was sure I didn’t like it and wouldn’t wear it. The only thing that kept me from donating it was that my original plan was to add elastics at the wrist for a bit of a bishop sleeve look, so I kept it in my alterations pile for a while … Continue reading A Simple Scout Tunic
…it’s wrapping yourself in yards of hand-knit gorgeousness! This is the Speckled Fade scarf by Stephen West. (If you haven’t heard of knitwear designer Stephen West, go have a look. He’s the dude that somehow made the words “shawl” and “uber-cool” go together in the same sentence.) It was an endless array of garter stitch (knit every row), which could have been boring, but the … Continue reading If there’s one good thing about winter…
I finally got around to trying a zero-waste sewing pattern! This is the Brumer Wrap Dress by Milan AV-JC. And I’m “on location” in Costa Rica! I made this dress as a beach cover up so naturally it was necessary to get to a beach ASAP in order to test it out. 😉 So what is a zero-waste pattern? In essence, it’s designed to use … Continue reading Zero Waste Sewing: The Brumer Dress by Milan AV-JC
So I get that it’s, like, the end of January, but I wrote this damn post a few weeks ago and didn’t realize I hadn’t hit the publish button! And, this Top 5 is actually a Top 8, because when I originally wrote it, holiday decision fatigue was setting in and, well, if you’re reading this post this late in January, I don’t think you’re … Continue reading Sewing Top 5 Hits: the post I never hit “publish” on
In December of 2017 I signed up for the Ready to Wear (RTW) Fast — no buying any clothes during 2018. There is SO MUCH to be learned from a buying fast, and I highly recommend the challenge to anyone, even non-sewists. First, a disclaimer. I didn’t get through the whole year without buying RTW clothes. I gained weight in the spring and summer and when … Continue reading Reflections on Refraining from Buying Clothes for a Year
This is my finished version of the Jalie Yoko Square Roll-Neck Top — a free pattern! Merci, Jalie! (If you read my last blog post and couldn’t click through to the pattern, the link is definitely working now.) I modified mine by adding 5 inches to the length so I could wear it with leggings and have my butt covered. Another modification: I made the … Continue reading Yoko Convertible Turtleneck Sweater & New Clothes Making Mavens podcast episode
