Friends, it's been a long time coming, but my second knitting pattern is finally released! Meet Nisse. Nisse is a whimsical little stranded hat inspired by folk-and-novelty themed patterns of the 1940s and 1950s. It features little fellows called nisse, tiny household spirits from Scandinavian folklore, but you might know them as gnomes. They’re helpfully harvesting carrots in the garden. This hat is a little ... Read more »
Partnering with Craftsy
Hello everyone! Boy, do I have an exciting announcement to share with you today. I've been hush-hush about this until now, but I've recently teamed up with Craftsy to bring you some pretty awesome content right here on By Gum, By Golly. Yes, Craftsy. I know! Pretty fantastic, right? Over the course of the next several months, I'm going to be writing periodic posts sharing my experiences taking some of Craftsy's ... Read more »
Make do and mend (literally)
Happy Friday! It's a gorgeous one here, and I'm in a great mood because Spring is finally arriving in bits and pieces! Not to mention the fact that I discovered I'd completely forgotten I had the afternoon off work, so I excitedly sat down at my sewing machine to work on my current dress project, another rendition of the pattern I used for my Singin' in the Rain dress. (Thank you for all the lovely comments on it! ... Read more »
Singin’ in the Rain dress
I'm singin' the praises of my latest dress! I know, it's yet another dress. I think I've now made as many dresses this year as in the last two combined. Now that I've found a bodice I really love the fit of and can use as a block, I just can't seem to pull myself away from making dresses. It's seriously been the difference between me never wearing dresses in my closet and me not being able to sew dresses fast enough to ... Read more »
Fox Isle
A few months ago Kate Heppell, editor of British knitting magazine Knit Now (you may recall I was in an issue last winter!), released an adorable Fair Isle hat pattern called Fox Isle. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to knit it up immediately, and that's exactly what I did. Except you're only just seeing it now since I didn't photograph it until the day before most of our snow melted last week. How's that for a ... Read more »
Retrolite love! A Classic Hardware jewelry review
I have an affinity for costume jewelry. And while my tastes can vary, I often tend to lean towards the plastics. The colorful, bold baubles of Bakelite, celluloid, and all manner of vintage and retro plastics in-between. Such fun! I had the immense pleasure of being sent a few such wonderful items from a fantastic American-made jewelry company, Classic Hardware. Artist and designer Karyn Cantor started the line in 1995 ... Read more »
National Park Seminary adventures with Rochelle
Well my friends, we've reached the last post in the adventures of Tasha and Rochelle! I know, bittersweet, isn't it? When we last met I shared my outfit post, and yesterday Rochelle shared hers (she also shared a preview on Friday), and today wraps up our trip with photos from National Park Seminary. Which is an absolutely bizarre and fascinating place, as you can probably already tell by that one single ... Read more »
The pants that were not: seeing success in a different way
Friends, today I'm letting it all hang out. Settle in. Earlier this year, I talked about my wardrobe plans, and assessing what I really wear and what I'd like to wear. One of the things I thought I'd like to incorporate into my wardrobe is close-fitting, ankle-length trousers. And not the the low-rise professional office worker version that lots of modern women wear these days. The high-waisted, out of the 50s and ... Read more »
Knit for Victory finished projects video
Do I have a special treat for you today! It's time to see all the amazing finished Knit for Victory projects! I owe a huge thank you to Rochelle New (and behind-the-scenes, Wil!) for creating this wonderful video for Knit for Victory. Really, it was all them, I had nothing to do with it—so please give them all your thanks! Sit back, relax, and enjoy this parade through 1940s knitting. You'll be amazed and impressed ... Read more »
Shades of orange, turquoise and a new watch
On Sunday, we attended a lovely brunch for Mel's uncle's 75th birthday. It was held in a gorgeous historic building... and of course we took no photos. In my defense, we got a ride and I didn't want to hold up my sister-in-law's family while we stood there taking photos. But you'll take a few photos of my outfit once we got back home anyway, right?? I built my outfit around the fact that I accidentally painted my ... Read more »
A very vintage Valentine dress
A happy early Valentine's Day to you! Actually, we don't usually do much for Valentine's Day. As a couple, Mel and I historically have never made it a big deal as before we were married it was two weeks away from anniversary, so for 10 years we really just never did anything. One thing I've always loved, however, was vintage Valentine ephemera. Just so cute! So when I saw this vintage-inspired fabric with a heart ... Read more »
So I got a little haircut…
Okay, perhaps the post title is a slight understatement. I got a big haircut. Lots of you on Instagram saw this photo yesterday, so here's the blog reveal! Yesterday I paid a visit to my stylist Angelica, the owner of Tigerlilie Salon, a great vintage-themed salon in Chicago. I've essentially had the same hairstyle for a few years now, give or take a few inches of length. While I've been happy with my hair, it ... Read more »
My Knit for Victory Hetty cardigan
I'm back with my second Knit for Victory project! Today is the last day of the challenge, can you believe it? It was actually a fluke that this project was finished before KFV wrapped up. All last week I was sick, and as I was starting to feel better, I started knitting up Andi Satterlund's Hetty cardigan. By the weekend it became apparent I was going to be able to finish it in time, so just under the buzzer I suddenly ... Read more »
My Knit for Victory green bolero
Folks, Knit for Victory has been fantastic, and today I'm happy to share the first of my two finished projects for the knit-along challenge. (Reminder, Friday is the deadline!) You may recall from my bolero inspiration post that I had to change my original knitting plans as my shoulder hasn't been allowing me to knit stranded projects. So I designed something I really wanted in my wardrobe: a little green ... Read more »
Knit for Victory: deadline Friday, plus interview at Jennifer Lauren Vintage!
Wow, can you believe we've finally hit the last week of Knit for Victory? It's been nearly three months of 1940s-inspired knitting! I wanted to post a reminder on the deadline. Knit for Victory wraps up on Friday, January 31st. Rochelle has graciously offered to help put together an amazing slideshow round-up of the finished projects, so make sure your knitting gets included. I've already seen sooo many great finished ... Read more »
1950s wedding guest attire
Saturday, I had the immense pleasure of attending my cousin's wedding in Santa Fe. We flew out for a long weekend and got to see lots of family (lots!), hang out with my dad, his wife and their two cute dogs, eat a ton of fantastic New Mexican food and generally have a ball. You know it's a nice trip when you're eating some of your favorite food and having a margarita within an hour or so of landing! Sadly, I was bad ... Read more »