I'm absolutely ecstatic to introduce you to my newly rebranded site! By Gum, By Golly is now Tasha Could Make That. Friends, I've needed the change for a long time. I've been blogging here since 2010 (much love to those of you who've stuck around that long! ♥) and for a good few years or more, I've been tired of my username. You never think when you pick a username for something that it might be kicking around more ... Read more »
Legendaire pullover – new knitting pattern release
I'm thrilled to announce that I've just released my first sweater knitting pattern! Meet Legendaire, a vintage-inspired pullover. Legendaire gets its inspiration from 1950s vintage batwing-sleeve sweaters. It has a unique style with a modified drop shoulder construction and fitted body, dramatically shaped bracelet-length sleeves, and a boatneck neckline. There are two versions in the pattern! ... Read more »
A new knitting pattern, coming soon…
Hello, friends! Long time no see, and we meet again partway into a new year! Early spring has been very busy for me, including a wonderful trip to Iceland last month, and oh yeah, the reason I'm here: I've been preparing to release my first sweater knitting pattern! Mm hm, you heard me right. I haven't released a knitting pattern since 2016 (Fayne, a lovely plaid-inspired beret, was my last one). In fact, up until ... Read more »
Our great 1950s kitchen renovation reveal
This post is 15 months overdue! Last winter, my dad came to stay with us for 3 months and renovated our kitchen. 15 months later, we still are in love with the results, and I'm finally here to tell you allll about it! Get your beverage of choice, you're gonna be here awhile. This is long. Like, long long. Long long long. I've talked about our kitchen a bit before. Here's the "before" before, when we moved into our ... Read more »
50s topper coat for spring
Ta da! My yellow spring topper from Simplicity 3541 from 1950 is done. And I love it! It was a pretty short project all things considered, taking me about a week to actually sew. Although it probably took another week to make the muslin and get all the pattern pieces ready (I talked about that in my last post). Sometimes I forget how labor intensive the prep is for coats! Lined things have so many pattern pieces and ... Read more »
50s topper coat for spring: the supplies
Back in September, I planned a coat for spring. I ordered the main supplies, but I never got it off the ground. I think mainly because I knew I'd need to make some changes to the pattern and possibly do a muslin, and I put off pulling the pieces out long enough that I talked myself into working on something else and put it to the side. I didn't pick it back up again until I was all set to sew the Charm Patterns swing ... Read more »
A plaid bolero, a dress, and a belt buckle walk into a bar
Sometimes, when lightening strikes in the form of an idea, you have to run with it, if you're able. That was the case with this project. I've been in the middle of knitting a cardigan since December, but then right after Christmas I got an idea in the back of my head for a quick project. Well, relative to a fingering weight cardigan, that is. I wanted to knit a bolero out of some Jill Draper Mini Empire yarn that I ... Read more »
Getting a cardigan right
I have a cardigan for you today! We have a new president and narrowly avoided what felt like the potential end of our democracy! One of those pieces of news is important and one is not, but I'm here to chat about the unimportant one. ;) Before we get rolling, these photos were taken in December so you're just going to have to excuse my Christmas decorations. I took photos of this project at the same time as my flannel ... Read more »
Sildra mittens
Thank you for all the kind comments on my last blog post, and hey guess what, I didn't make you wait over a year for another one! It's nice to know there are folks out there who still want to read this. :) As I said before I do have some posts in me, and here I am again to prove it. Writing is a nice way to distract myself from the world and goodness knows, we need distractions right now, especially this last harrowing ... Read more »
Ho ho hello
I haven't written a post on this blog since April of 2019. Wow have things changed since then. Not as much personally, but the world. You don't need me to recap the open wound of 2020, you were there. In my life, it's been mostly a quiet year, being careful and safe and trying to keep myself occupied throughout the pandemic and the pathetic, negligent handling by the dumpster fire of our thankfully-outgoing wannabee ... Read more »
(Belated) birthday sarong dress
Happy belated birthday to me! My birthday was actually last Wednesday, but my site had gremlins that had to get fixed, and then I was busy preparing for a trip (more on that below), and so you're only getting the post I planned for my birthday now. Better late than never. :) As I've done every year for several years, I sewed myself a birthday dress! It's a tradition I've enjoyed keeping up (last year's was ... Read more »
Test
This is just a test post. Feedly hasn't been showing my posts for several months and I tried to work with them and my blog host to get this fixed. I couldn't get final confirmation from Feedly if the changes my blog host made worked, and if Feedly could still 'see' my blog. So I'm posting a test to see if it's finally it's working yet. I'll delete this soon, and sorry if another follows at some point. This is a ... Read more »
Finally, a Rita blouse
Hello my friends! It's been awhile. No long apologies or anything like that—I don't blog as much as I used to. Sometimes it comes in fits and spurts and then sometimes I just can't be bothered to take umpteen photos and cull them and whatnot. Please don't tell me you're disappointed I didn't ever blog about this topic or you wish I posted more or why don't I do tutorials or or or, etc. Yes, people do that. Do not put that ... Read more »
Plaid flannel dress
Last month, I sewed a plaid dress. Not just any plaid dress, but a plaid flannel dress. It's cute, warm, and comfy. What could be more delightful for fall and early winter? This dress is from McCall's 8989, a pattern from the 1950s. The wing collar is annoying to construct... the type where you sew to the seam line on both sides of a seam, and invariably I leave a huge hole or puckers and have to re-do at least ... Read more »
Nancy Drew and the Clue in the Epic Sweater
As the New York Sheep and Wool Festival fast approaches this year, I thought perhaps it was about time I blog about last year's Rhinebeck sweater! Once you see how long this post is, you'll know why I dragged my heels on writing it for a year. ;) I knit the most insane thing I've ever created, and possibly will ever create. It was an epic ode to a childhood love: a fictional character who helped teach me that young ... Read more »
Going strapless
I have long coveted true vintage 1950s strapless sun tops. Bustier tops, bra tops, the whole shebang. While I don't really have many reasons to wear them, I always think they seem like the perfect thing to really jazz up a skirt in the summer, or spring and fall with a bolero on top, or wear for a nicer evening outfit. Original ones are rare to find and typically very pricey, which explains why I own exactly zero. So I ... Read more »