It's my birthday, and as I've done for the last decade, I sewed myself a birthday dress to mark the occasion! I haven't been that great about keeping up with them all on my blog, but several have made it here, including my very first one, the one I made for my 40th birthday in London, and the one I made for Viva Las Vegas. They're almost always made from vintage sewing patterns, and this year's birthday dress was no ... Read more »
Sewing
Sewing a plaid flannel jumper dress with Butterick B5748
If you've spent any time around my blog or social media, you know I love plaid. And I love sewing plaid. And apparently, I love sewing with Robert Kaufman Mammoth plaid. Because I've made a vintage dress with it, and a vintage tie-front topper, and now, in my latest YouTube video, I sewed a vintage jumper dress with it! I used Butterick B5748, which I wouldn't exactly call a tried and true pattern yet, but it's ... Read more »
Sewing knits: vintage style turtleneck sweater
Late last year, I blogged about a 1950s jumper dress that I sewed and I still really love that dress. It's the perfect thing to layer over a turtleneck when it's chilly. And it's only early early spring, so it's definitely still chilly! All it needed was some quick sewing knits projects. Which... I didn't do. But frankly, continuing to wear that dress a lot (and planning a similar one soon) meant I no longer had an ... Read more »
My 3 favorite handmade vintage coats
If it's one thing I love to sew, it's vintage coats and jackets! Since sewing my very first jacket a decade ago, I've made several. I love the process of slowing down with tailoring techniques, and plotting a major project like a coat. And I Iove to wear them! My latest YouTube video is a little "sew and tell" of my favorite three coats that I've made. Spoiler alert: two of them haven't even all made it to this blog! ... Read more »
Why should you be tracing sewing patterns?
Are you tracing your sewing patterns when you sew? I have for years, and it's one of the keys to my sewing progress (and prowess)! If you search my blog for the words trace or tracing, dozens and dozens of results come up. I trace sewing patterns all the time! Both vintage and modern. But why should you be doing it? As I'm kicking things into gear on YouTube (I've been having way more fun than I expected!), I ... Read more »
How I pattern hack a vintage & modern pattern together & sew a dress!
If you've followed me a long time anywhere on these here interwebs, you know that I love to hack sewing patterns. Hack patterns together, hack them into different cuts and style, you name it, I'll hack it. I knew one of the first things I wanted to do on my new YouTube channel (did you miss my launch?!) was a video where I walked through how I hacked one of my favorite bodices. It's a bit of a tutorial! Quick ... Read more »