Happy Friday! Have you ever wondered how I set-up my shots whenever I share my me-made-clothes? You probably haven't, but just in case...I place a mirror on a chair in the spot where I'll be standing, and set the focus using my reflection. I then use a remote that has this awesome ability to shoot consecutively non-stop with a single push of a button. This is the brand I use, which was a bit of an investment, but it has given me zero problems these last two years, which was not the case with my ... Read more
Linen Chambray French Sailor Top
Whenever I sew for myself, I feel like Goldilocks. Too big. Too small. Too long. Too short. Too dowdy. Too racy. Too something, always in search of just right. Don't let these photos fool you, because this unassuming chambray linen top is too, too tight. Look at how loose it is on the model: I used this book, and thank goodness this was a simple top to sew up because it has all sorts of issues, but they're completely fixable. First of all, I can't stretch much in this ... Read more
Baby Steps
Good morning! I have been sewing in the background, but I've also been working on giving my blog a little face lift, figuring out how this whole etsy things works, and just attacking all the outstanding to-do items that have been haunting me for months and months. I'm approaching it all with the baby steps mentality. I know I'll never finish everything, but I decided to start by adding one more item to the startlingly slim offerings in my shop. I've learned that I'm not a big fan of ... Read more
Sashiko Kit Giveaway! [CLOSED]
You, my dear friends, are getting the benefit of all this cleaning/purging/mending/organizing craziness that's going on around here. I've been sorting through my props pile, and came across some lovely Sashiko related items and since I have duplicates of nearly everything, I wanted to offer them up as a giveaway. The image above is an outtake from my upcoming book, Sewing Happiness. I have a Sashiko section that I included, and though this particular image didn't make the cut, I like it a ... Read more
The Niggling Things
Happy leap day! A bonus day is cause for merriment. Or, in my case, cause for tending to the niggling things. In addition to my massive cleaning spree, I've been slogging through the mountainous mending pile that's been accumulating on my ironing board. You know, the usual: holes in socks and jeans, ripped seams, garments that need to be shortened, curtains that need hemming, etc. etc. Remember the navy and black stripey dress? It just never felt quite right, so I hacked a few inches off ... Read more