Few things are as powerfully "awww"-inducing as baby shoes. When I made a pair for my good friend's new baby boy a little while ago, she loved them and I immediately embarked on making girl versions. It's been baby-baby-baby around here and I thought I would be able to whip up a few dozen in a jiffy as potential gifts. That was my first mistake. Whenever I think I can do something quickly, it always takes about a billion times longer. By the time I finished these two pairs, I never wanted to ... Read more
Monday Outfit: A Chic Witch
Good morning! What a weekend. K seems to have recovered nicely and it's been a bonanza of parties: a school Halloween-fest, an extra special birthday celebration with her best friend, a grown-up dinner party at a delicious Moroccan restaurant that I joined at the last minute (I could have done without the belly dancer writhing in my face and the water accidentally poured down my lap, but it was fun nonetheless). I also worked on updating this here blog, and though a few nit-picky aspects are ... Read more
Sewing for Me: Houndstooth Raglan Dress
I sewed from a Japanese pattern book! It feels a bit sacrilegious to be sewing for myself during Kids Clothes Week, but there it is. I'm dead set on getting better at sewing for myself (sizing is still confounding me! Alterations boggle the mind!) and this rigorous weekly schedule is providing much needed practice. The pattern I tried was a very easy one: a short-sleeved shift dress meant to be sewn in wool. I'm not actually certain if this thrifted fabric is indeed wool, but I like the very ... Read more
Baby Shoes – Part 1
Remember when I said I have only one Japanese sewing book for babies? Well, I lied. It wasn't intentional, but it turns out I have four books for tots sewing, though two are so old and not at all like your typical, light-filled, airy Japanese sewing books that I hesitate to include them in the same genre. They were tucked way in the recesses of my craft bookshelf. But I have no excuse for forgetting about this one above (which had been hidden behind some books because it's smaller in size). ... Read more
Monday Outfit: Indigo Pintucks + Mustard Stripes
Good morning, friends! I can always tell when autumn is giving way to winter briskness just before the full chill blast because I start to feel under the weather. We had a festive weekend that included a going away party for a friend (an exciting overseas move), but sadly, I had to cut out early due to the sniffles. But sniffles or no, sewing seems to have become an ingrained activity each weekend, and this was no exception. Let's start with the stripey one, shall we? I'm going ... Read more