A couple of weeks ago, I was sipping my coffee and going through my daily routine, when I nearly fell out of my chair. There, in my inbox, was an email from Liesl of the incomparable Oliver + S, wondering if I would be interested in trying out some of her new patterns for women. I didn't even finish reading and responded "Yes!!!!" I chose the Weekend Getaway pattern to try out first because I absolutely loved all the details: the placket, the back pleat, the 3/4 cuffed sleeves. And ... Read more
Monday Outfit: Little Purple Riding Hood
Good morning! Whoa, I am wiped out...but in that I-worked-out-hard-and-I-feel-good way. The tiredness is not from exercising, but from teaching my first ever sewing class (an all-day workshop!) -- I think the class went well yesterday! A wonderful group of women gathered together and made some seriously adorable tunics. I loved teaching. I really did. I enjoy the whole process: the preparations of materials, structuring the class, connecting with students/participants. I had so much fun! I'll ... Read more
Sewing for Me: Clover Pants + Stripey Batwing Top
I mentioned that I have a stack of Burda magazines last week, and to date, I haven't tried a single pattern from them, though I'm constantly entertained by the extreme level of styling hits and misses. You'd think that someone so used to Japanese patterns would find Burda to be no sweat, but the way they cram those pattern pieces onto one sheet of paper is no joke. I got a sense of what other people must feel like when attempting Japanese patterns without any familiarity with the language. I ... Read more
Monday Outfit: Swedish-ish
Good morning, friends, I hope you had a lovely weekend! The weather was incredible here in Seattle, and we got to enjoy some outdoorsy fun including a birthday party at a farm (well, at least M and K did while I ran errands). I have long been a fan of the Scandinavian design and aesthetic. Say what you will about IKEA, but I think so many of their products look sharp, and I love that they're usually wallet-friendly even if they don't always stand the test of time. When I saw the sweater knit ... Read more
Sewing for Me: Essex Beignet Skirt
Oh my goodness, I am so blown away by all the comments from yesterday's post! Thank you so so so much. I usually try to respond back to all comments the same day, but I got so overwhelmed and quite a bit teary-eyed last night that I had to go straight to bed. I'm now working on responding and I think it's safe to say that I'm not alone in dealing with the pressures of perfection - Someday, I'll have to tell you about one of my jobs that involved airbrushing celebrity photos (thighs were halved! ... Read more