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
Chocolate Muffins You Can Feel Good About
Initially, this post was going to bear the title "Healthy Baking And I Are Not Friends". But upon reflection these muffins weren't completely abysmal, unlike my non-life-changing bread from last week. Anyway, this week I tried my hand at a chocolate-zucchini muffin recipe I found via Pinterest. It promised to be gluten-dairy-nut-free, and because I still had quite a lot of gluten-free flour left over from my GF baking blitz earlier this year, it seemed to be the perfect opportunity to use it ... 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
Happy Friday + Randomness
Some of my favorite moments are when I am walking to or from school with K and having aimless, easy conversations. Yesterday, she squeezed my hand and said, "Remember? When my hands and feet were teeny tiny and my legs were so chubby and cute?" I squeezed back and nodded. "Look at me now," she continued, "a mature second grader!" I couldn't agree more. The baby hand and foot castings above are from when K was four months old. My father-in-law was a children's dentist before he retired, ... Read more