Good morning! Any time Heidi of Elegance & Elephants asks me if I'd like to try out her patterns, it's an automatic yes. Her designs are comfortable and stylish and the kind of garments that K actually wants to wear. "OH MY GOSH I LOVE IT," is what K said when I presented her the Ponderosa dress. I'm a fan of the chartreuse double-knit combined with the muted bold stripes, and K is a fangirl too. The only part I didn't follow exactly was the neckband attachment. I used my ... Read more
Franklin Dress + Tunic
Happy Friday! There's a new player in the indie pattern circuit, and I was excited to be invited to try out Brooklyn Pattern's brand new offering: The Franklin Dress. Erin, the creator, has such a fascinating background (circus, ballet and opera costume designer!) and because I worked in theater for a while, I feel a kinship with her. The Franklin dress has a vintage-inspired feel with a pleated yoke and puffy sleeves, and it actually reminds me of the many Japanese patterns I've pumped ... Read more
Sewing for Me: Wool Zip-Up Vest
Good morning! Since I'll be sharing a K-sized outfit on Friday this week, I thought I would change up the routine and post this wool vest I made a few days ago. I haven't sewn much with wool, and this fabric is actually a polyester blend full of slubbiness and stretch. I'm not sure if that made it easier or not, but oh, the shedding...don't get me started on the shedding. There is a thin layer of dark grey dust all over my sewing area at the moment, and it's looking rather ... Read more
Monday Outfit: Necessity Sewing
Good morning! For over two years, I've been sewing K an outfit nearly every week. An important lesson from last year was that I failed to make her enough clothes that are appropriate for cooler weather. All my lovely linen creations and flimsy dresses sat unloved as temperatures dipped and poor K suffered through the rainy season (which, as you know in the Pacific Northwest, lasts forever) with nary a waterproof jacket. I decided to rectify the situation this year and got some water-resistant ... Read more
Monday Outfit: The Classic Combo
Good morning! I walked three miles yesterday for K's school fundraising event and now I'm hobbling all over the place. Very out of shape. My fitness level is neither here nor there, and today, I have a semi-homerun of an outfit. Clearly, I'm not a baseball fan. Would that actually be a three-baser? A foul? Who cares, right? I'm back on track with my goal of sewing through this lovely book. This weekend I tackled the "boat neck cut sew" (cut sew is how the Japanese refer to knits) and a pair ... Read more