My sewing machine is making funny noises. It started as a soft rattle, but now it sounds like an especially angry jackhammer -- so distressing. It's time to get it serviced, which means I am going to be without a machine for who knows how long. The timing couldn't be worse. But I tried to squeeze out as many projects as I could before sending it out, so that's something. This here is McCall's 6603, view B. The fabric, much like my sister-wife-on-the-compound-dress, is most likely some …
sewing for me
Sewing for Me: District 12 Dress
I'm a little bit obsessed with the Hunger Games these days. I mentioned in passing that I went to see Catching Fire last weekend, and lamented not having the time to create a Katniss-inspired outfit for K. It so happens, as I worked on my own dress, I realized that it sports a rather District 12 vibe. The more I think about it, the more I'm certain I belong in that fictional dystopian world -- at least sartorially. Give me some drab, downtrodden colors and I'm in my element. I made a knit …
Sewing for Me: Turkey Day Tunic
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating this very food-centric holiday! When I lived in Japan for a couple of years, a bunch of ex-pats and I would gather together to re-create Thanksgiving with the works: turkey, yams, pumpkin pie. We had to special order all the ingredients and we doused ourselves in nostalgia as we gorged on astronomically expensive Western food - good times. With my mom here this year, we're going Japanese style all the way and noshing on sushi. K isn't the biggest fan of …
Sewing For Me: Cardi + Knit Infinity Scarf
Well, I have good news and bad news about this week's installment of Sewing for Me, though mostly good. The good: I love this knit cardi pattern. As the envelope promises, this is "sew simple". I used my serger and had a completed project in my hot little hands in less than thirty minutes (once I cut out the pieces - that was a little trickier since the front pieces are ginormous). Even without a serger, it would be a very quick sew. More good: I love the versatility of this cardi. It can be …
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 …