Vintage Color Block T-Shirt: Stretch and Sew 309
For a while I have been intrigued by the old Stretch and Sew patterns. I've acquired a few over recent years and then recently I found one at a guild sale that might become my new favorite pattern. I...
View ArticleMyosotis Dress Summer Version in cotton poplin
Whew - here it is, our August heatwave. About 105º F now as I write this at 5pm. We've been a bit fortunate, considering our drought and fire danger that we haven't had many blazing heat waves this...
View ArticleBirthday season - Burda 08/2022 #115 summer version
Each year since I started the blog I have typically made a new dress for my birthday which comes just around Labor Day (our end of summer holiday here in the US). During the pandemic I kept with that...
View ArticleRandom Threads #41: patterns, magazines and a couple of new tops
Time for another Random Threads post, which is where I get to comment, observe and possibly rant on things I've come across in the sewing internet world. My last Random Threads was Oct. of 2021 so it's...
View ArticleBlazer season, vintage Vogue 1193 pattern repeat
Last month I was surveying my fabric stash and noticed this heavy weight cotton sateen that I've had for absolutely ages, and decided it would make a neutral blazer to wear with lots of my various...
View ArticleJust-Patterns Veronica Vest with more jeans
Happy New Year everybody! I have taken an unintentional break from posting here on the blog. Life just got really busy with family and other obligations taking up my time, but I have definitely been...
View ArticleBurda 7169 classic coat in camel wool from Britex
If you read my previous post you saw that I am stuck at home now recovering from a foot surgery. It's going well and I should be back to being out and about in another 1-2 weeks. So I need to continue...
View ArticlePart 2: Burda 7169 classic coat in camel wool from Britex
Time to show the rest of the construction of this coat so I can post the finished look. Here's the first post on this project. Let's skip ahead to some fit refinements as everyone likes to see those. I...
View ArticleCoat completed: Burda 7169 in camel wool from Britex
Finally it's time to show the finished coat. And well past time, as I finished it back in November so Heather could take it on a Thanksgiving trip to the east coast. We took some very quick photos on...
View ArticleSewing, upcoming classes and other projects
So much for my resolution to blog more frequently this year. I'm not sure where the time has gone but I have several completed sewing projects to share in the next month. After our incredibly rainy...
View ArticleCashmerette Auburn Blazer: 2 versions
Did I intend to have 2 months go by since I posted on the blog? No, I think I've just fallen out of the habit but I really wanted to share this pattern and the jackets I made for my friend Heather....
View ArticleUpdate on Fall Classes and a quick summer top
It took a while for our summer weather to arrive after the June gloom, but the "too hot to sew" time has finally arrived. It's been a busy few weeks, there's always plenty of work to do outside, plus...
View ArticleSummer blazer in Bright Blue: Burda 07/2023 # 122
Let's see if I remember how to do this blogging thing! Slight joke there but I have certainly been slow in my posting this year. A lot of other stuff going on and actually less sewing than usual....
View ArticleTatjana Trousers in green wool
Happy New Year! At the end of 2023 I ended up with 2 different pieces of green wool due to a mixup and the wool crepe has become a dress for Heather (will blog soon). So I had a piece of another green...
View ArticleUpcycle Cashmere Sweater
This January I am in a mood to upcycle or at least repurpose a lot of the fabric and garments that I have held onto but not used. I've had an idea to use old cashmere sweaters as fabric and recombine...
View ArticleRemnant Fabrics to coat, Part 1: fitting and details
Looking back I see that I haven't made a new coat for myself since April of 2021 so I feel a tiny bit justified in starting a new one. With the caveat that it is not often coat weather here and when...
View ArticleRemnant Fabrics to Coat: Part 2 Finished Look Burda 6845 coat
What is it about making coats that is so satisfying? I think they are my favorite item to make but I'm starting to think I'm getting to coat maximum - or at least my closet is saying so. But if they...
View ArticleCloning Ready to wear, copying an interesting top
Last year my friend Heather bought a top from Universal Standard which was really perfect for office wear and fit well. I think it came in only two colors so she bought both. One day she showed it to...
View ArticlePurple Pants - two patterns, Leisl + Co Peckham and VikiSews Edna
Did I need two pairs of purple pants? Or any purple pants at all? Not really, But I had some purple fabric in my stash and decided to work out a new pants pattern, the Leisl + Co. Peckham pants. With...
View ArticleRemnants and Ruffles, a Summer Top
Recently I was rummaging through my fabric stash and came across a few small pieces that needed to get off the shelf and into my sewing machine. Whenever I go to Stone Mountain Fabrics in Berkeley my...
View ArticleSewn from Stash: Denim Skirt
Lately I have been trying to use up fabrics that are in my stash, so recently I noticed this remnant of dark denim that I bought at Stone Mountain Fabrics. They have a small remnant shelf and I often...
View ArticleChore Jacket: Burda 03/2023 # 104
This week I have some time to catch up on the blog so here is the first of what I hope will be a few posts on things I made these last few months. Although not in the order that I sewed them. It was a...
View ArticleVogue 8997 dress, two versions
Time for more blogging on things I sewed in this past year. Back in August I taught an online class called "The Fitted Dress". As I was making video content for this class I realized that a simple...
View ArticleZipper pocket Blazer for travel
In October I took a trip to Italy, a place I love and had not been to in quite a few years. Along with brushing up on my Italian all summer I did sew a few items to take on the trip. Top of my sewing...
View ArticleWinter Plaid Jacket: Burdastyle 126 Nov 2023
Right after Christmas it was a gloomy weather weekend, just the time to stay in with a sewing project. However I didn't have anything in mind so I went through my stash of wools and came across this...
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