Good morning, friends, how is this Labor Day Monday (if you're in the US) treating you so far? Today, I'm excited to share some pattern re-mixing that I've been experimenting with - I think it's a fun one. If you remember, I've made the sewpony's Debbie's Birthday dress quite a few times here and here. It's such a great basic design and views 1 and 2 are darling, but I absolutely love that the modification possibilities are endless. I've been wanting to make a version with sleeves ... Read more
Happy Friday + Five and Ten Designs
Happy Friday, friends! I have a special, unexpected K outfit for you today. A little while ago, Heidi of Elegance & Elephants generously bestowed me the fabulous Five and Ten Designs Volume One ebook. I'm sure you're already familiar with it. Oh, it's so genius: take five basic pattern pieces and make ten (or more if you so choose!) looks from them. This book is so drool-worthy - gorgeous photography, beautiful styling, and of course, wonderful designs by talented designers, Heidi being one ... Read more
Sewing for Me: So-So Tees (it’s about the scarf, really)
Whenever I work on putting these Thursday outfit posts together, I feel very self-conscious and sort of ridiculous as I go through dozens and dozens of pictures of myself. I wish I could be blasé, but I'm really not. It's so very out of character for me to do this. The other night a friend invited me to an event and I ran into someone who told me she reads my blog. I was surprised and turned bright, bright red, and all eyes at the table were on me. Immediately, I thought of these awkward photos ... Read more
Fall Goal: Home Revamp
A while ago, I mentioned that I have a love of mid-century furniture. Much like my fabric dealer, I used to have a mid-century furnishing goods dealer, who was a former schoolteacher turned vintage furniture refurbisher, and he sold his wares out of his cute Craftsman house garage. His prices were incredibly reasonable and the quality of his products was topnotch, so I've purchased quite a few things from him. For example, I got this great walnut credenza for a steal (about $200) and he ... Read more
Dancing Sparrows
This watercolor painting I did was inspired by a Japanese folktale. The story is about an old man married to a less-than-nice woman, and how she maliciously hurts his pet sparrow one day (cuts out its tongue!), causing the sparrow to fly away. When the old man goes in search for the bird, he discovers that the sparrow -- despite its tonguelessness -- can talk, and has a family in the woods that entertain the old man with food, drink and dancing. There is a moral about greed and ... Read more