Happy Friday! I'm finally getting around to posting the Monday outfit today. It's a special one -- a collaboration of sorts. This ultra chic long cardi is the handiwork of the one and only Ba-chan (aka "Grandma" in Japanese, aka my mom). This is a noteworthy garment for many reasons, but mostly because this is perhaps the most restrained creation I have ever seen materialize from my mom's hands. The woman's favorite color is shocking pink, and no embellishment is safe from her clutches. The fact ... Read more
Sewing for Me: Fandango Pullover + Stripey Tee
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 ... Read more
Tolerations
As 2013 dwindles to a close, I've been doing a lot of reflecting as is my habit. For the better part of this last year, there's a particular conversation I had with a friend that has flitted in and out of my mind at regular intervals. It was almost two years ago, this conversation, and it was with a lovely writer friend of mine at a cozy cafe with a distinctly French flair. She, like me, wanted to combat her procrastination tendencies, but unlike me, she took proactive action and hired a life ... Read more
DIY Faux Leather Luggage Tags
As a going away present, I made some luggage tags for a friend some weeks ago. They struck me as good holiday gifts that you can whip up in no time, so I'm putting it out there. My friend was very sweet and complimentary about them, and I think they're quite pretty myself. And did I mention easy to make? The ones I made are about 3.5in x 5.5 inches. I tried out a couple of different methods, and there's a wealth of customization opportunities with these. I liked using ribbon from my stash ... Read more
Switching Things Up: A Quilt
So. When I start posting things from the past, we all know what that means. Take this quilt, for example. I made it three years ago or thereabouts. Possibly the easiest quilt to make as it's two large rectangles sandwiching batting, then stitched with random diagonal lines. I read about this method online somewhere (here, I'm pretty certain). It was a birthday gift for a friend's son, and I was smitten with that Kokka car fabric. The backing is my usual grey linen-blend that is my default fabric ... Read more