Well...how shall I start this? I've been sitting on this unexpected turn of events for so long, it stopped feeling real a good while ago. Friends, I am publishing a book. There. I wrote it. It feels a tiny bit more real. I bet you think it's going to be a sewing book, but nope. Even better. I am going to be writing and illustrating my very own children's book!!!! When I was a kid, and had to go through the usual rigmarole of answering the question, "What do you want to be when you ... 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
Happy Friday + Randomness
Happy Friday! Above is documentation of K's first kiss, planted on her lips circa Halloween 2007. Frog boy is one of her best friends, and they still play together all the time. A couple of days ago, after getting her braces, K had a few thoughts on smooching: Mama, it's hard to pucker with my braces...I'm gonna have to cut back on kissing. +++ Mama, kissing in front of other people is so gross. Ewwww. When I get married, I'm going to have a giant curtain that drops down when it's ... 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
International Women’s Club
I've been thinking of you, lovely readers of this little blog. As I assembled the post for the Secret Valentine Exchange yesterday, I was struck by a feeling of déjà vu. I dug around the roots of my memories, and realized that almost everything about this blog takes me back to a very particular time in my life: grad school. After teaching English in Japan for a couple of years in my mid-twenties, I knew that I would be a basket case trying to transition back into American society (ironically ... Read more