Is it earth month yet? You can disregard that other “foolish” day associated with April 1; let’s celebrate by doing some sewing. In honor of the beginning of earth month, I completed a long ignored UFO (unfinished object). It started out as a “muslin” for a Sewing Workshop pattern, and it turns out that I… Read More #Earth Month 2016 Post 1: “Muslin” Becomes Wearable.
I love the “finished” look of sport elastic (aka multi-channel elastic) applied to appropriate clothing! One just needs to be mindful of a few things. Where it works: Children’s playwear, adult and kids’ pajama pants, boxers or lounge pants, loose, wide leg flowy women’s pants. If they’re dressy, I hide the waistband with an untucked… Read More Sport Elastic, 3 Ways of Installing
What do you think of “pajama dressing” in public? I mean, out in the street. Celebrities tend to love it as do Sofia Coppola in a Louis Vuitton pajama set, and Selena Gomez (image source), but the rest of us are hugely suspicious. However, I do recall wearing loose silky pants made with a DKNY… Read More Pajama Dressing
So we continue, and finish the jacket from last week, Butterick 6253. I am quite pleased with the finished garment, despite initial misgivings about using leather for sleeves, facings and part of the hood. Quite pleased, despite the fabric stripes not matching themselves and going wherever they want to. I chose the version with unfinished… Read More Fashion Week Sewing, Fall 2016
With this project, I’m reaching out to my inner Manuel Pertegaz, via Katherine Tilton’s Butterick pattern. I am loving the A-shapes in clothing now since they accommodate my pear shape. This Butterick pattern designed by Katherine Tilton has a ruffly look without being sickly sweet. This project became another exercise in dealing with fabric shortage. Materials procurement… Read More Butterick Pattern 6253 – #WIP (groan)
It is done. This summer I am ready to dress up a corner of my home with this paper pieced, water melon motif table runner. Not too bad, right? I’ll keep this a short post so you can just enjoy the pictures. I am thrilled with how the runner looks, and also ecstatic that this… Read More Summer Decor: #Paper Pieced Table Runner Done
Hi everyone! Don’t let the title of this post mislead you. I’m still sewing clothes. I need clothes to wear on a daily basis, you know. I indulged, however, in the type of sewing normally associated with quilting. I paper pieced these watermelons. The process will end in a summery, fresh-looking table runner. Amid this wintry season I… Read More A Break From Garment Sewing: Paper Piecing
The saga continues. At the end of the last post, my first faux fur garment had yet to be hemmed, sides sewn and lined. I plodded along, went through a little bit of ripping out the side seams (which was surprisingly easy, and did not ruin the fur), re-sewing the seams, etc etc. Lessons were… Read More Part Two: Do Not Fear the Faux Fur
I recently decided to make good on a long ignored item on the sewing list: a faux fur vest from this pattern, Simplicity 2285. No fabric is hard to sew if you know how. There are exceptions, of course; it happened to me once. The fabric in question was a weird wiry cloth and… Read More Do Not Fear the Faux Fur Fabric
I am incredulous that until now, I didn’t know about Manuel Pertegaz, a Spanish designer of the 1950s, who – get this – was invited to take over the House of Dior when Christian died in 1957. Pertegaz politely declined. I guess that opened the way for Yves St Laurent and the rest is fashion… Read More Manuel Pertegaz, Fashion Designer, 1917 – 2014
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