Didn't I tell you I was going on a bolero kick? I wasn't kidding. Here's my most recently completed one, and I have another well under way, and trying to plan another. Sometimes I make a sewing or knitting plan and never execute. But sometimes I do! My second finished bolero of the year is a completely different shape than my first one, and feels like wearing... well, like wearing a chic blanket. It looks chic, but ... Read more »
Vintage Wardrobe
Perfect 1950s cropped pullover, by way of modern knitwear design
I'm someone who has a pretty distinctive style generally speaking, but there's always room for trying new shapes and lines. And that's something I enjoy doing now and again. It doesn't always work out. Case in point, I made a dress last summer that I loathed as soon as it was done and it taught me I don't like straight dresses with no waistline, but belted at the waist. I've had other fails, too. But many times, it works ... Read more »
The first of my “Bolero Period”
I'm happy to share some knitting with you today, and it's the first of what I'm going to jokingly refer to as my "Bolero Period". I started this bolero in early November after Rhinebeck, and I only finished knitting it the first week of February. I mean for a small bolero, that's basically ridiculous for me. Granted, I did knit my large red Autumn Leaves scarf in the meantime, but I think that only took me two or three ... Read more »
A dress and a fitting tip that transformed my dressmaking (and the dress)
If you sew a lot of garments, you possibly have one or two fitting tweaks that you're used to doing regularly. It can take some time to get there to know what you need to do, and it may involve some false starts, too. For me, the biggest thing that transformed my sewing—specifically the fit of my dress bodices and blouses—was when I realized I nearly always needed to shorten bodices, especially for vintage patterns. Up ... Read more »
Tiki trousers
I'm excited to share a really fun pair of trousers with you today! I've secretly been working with Spoonflower to share my thoughts on their latest fabric addition, Dogwood Denim™. I'm sure you've heard of them but if not: Spoonflower does print-on-demand, eco-friendly digital printing on fabric. They have thousands of designs to choose from, and a bunch of types of fabric for different applications. When I ... Read more »
A swing jacket that went to London
Maaaaany months ago, I made one of my most favorite things. And I'm just now finally sharing it! Technically, you got a glimpse of this before. When we went to the U.K. in April, I was wearing it in a few of the photos. It was the only jacket I took and it was perfect! (The dress went to the U.K. too and hopefully I'll blog about it soon as well.) Here's one of my favorite photos wearing the jacket on our vacation, in ... Read more »