Happy Friday! Old habits die hard, and I did sew something for myself this week, spurred by the need to create a sample for a class I'm teaching next month. I'm going to be frank -- initially I wasn't crazy about this dress once I sewed it up in this khaki linen-blend (I might have mentioned that I planned to create a slipcover with this fabric, so it's a touch on the heavier side and I have yards and yards and yards of the stuff). I thought, "Oh no! What I have I done? I chose an awful dress to ... Read more
Origami Pocket Tutorial
I can't believe it, I've actually created a tutorial within one year of saying I would! Since several of you seemed interested in how I made the origami pocket for this dress, I went about trying to re-create the pocket yesterday. It required a few tries, but I think I got it. Below, you'll see step-by-step instructions. I didn't serge/zig-zag the edges because they would all be hidden, but it's probably not a bad idea to do so. One other note: in the original pocket, you can see fold ... Read more
Monday Outfit: Roots – An Origami-Inspired Dress
Good morning! Apparently all of Seattle was caught up in football fever yesterday, but I managed to spend the entire day blissfully unaware of this fact (I actually asked someone late in the day, "Is it the Superbowl?" and he looked at me like I was insane. Not a sports fan, I'm afraid...). Instead, I was working on creating this here post, having a grand old time. Let's talk about the Monday outfit, shall we? Heidi of Elegance and Elephants contacted me a few weeks ago and oh-so-generously ... Read more
Sewing for Me: Vogue 8511
So I initially planned on ranting about what an absolute failure this dress was. Then M saw me in it, and made googly eyes, and when I hear words like "Wow, that looks like something from Mad Men!"...Well, I had to revise my plan. It has a lot going for it, this Vogue 8511 dress. I like the grey. Of course I do. It has a bit of shimmer, and could potentially rise to a party occasion if paired with some sparkly accessories. The fabric is maybe some kind of suiting? There's a good amount of ... Read more
Monday Outfit: Koi Top + Grey Stretch Pants
Good morning, friends! I don't know about you, but I'm having a bit of a sewing mojo crisis. I thought I would be all pumped and ready to get cracking on tons of sewing projects with the new year, and in theory I definitely am. Maybe it was seeing the sheer number of clothes I made for K en masse a couple of weeks ago, but I started to hear whispers of "what are you doing?" in the back of my mind. And as I stitched up this absolutely lovely top from this absolutely lovely book in an ... Read more