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Superwoman Mena at The Sew Weekly just announced her plan to make 7 dresses in 7 days from the Colette Patterns catalogue (I don't know why I spell that word the English way and not the "catalog" American way, same goes with dialogue). I figured I'd spread the word because (A) it's a crazy idea, but if anyone can do it, it's Mena (B) to prove that she's making each dress on the day she says she is she's invited readers to vote for the fabric of each dress ahead of time. A little community fun as we watch the madness unfold! Oh, and (C) I may be the only one to notice, but ever since starting this blog in January I have blogged 3 posts each month, what the heck?? May is going to the month I post, dare I say it,  4 posts! Thanks Mena for getting me to post 2 - the countdown begins! But Mena's countdown is far more interesting so head on over and vote ;-)

I was in the middle of working on a self-drafted A-line skirt when... ...Gizmo decided to nap on the lining. I figured I could use the non-cat bed portion of the desk to pin together the fashion fabric when... ...Mr. Darcy decided to mooch in on the rest of the available surface space. Oh well, so maybe I could, I don't know, iron something. That was a good idea until...   ...actually, it was never a good idea. Silvie had been snoozing there - for hours! Unbelievable. But hey, the sewing machine is free! I guess this means I'm supposed to finally get around to altering my sister's pajama pants (see animal print fabric at center right of photo) I had promised to do months and months ago? Those kitties, always knowing what's best...   At least Mr. Darcy looks rather fetching in my hat. A little sly one-eyed seductive look, is it not?

Another dress completed, and just in time for my upcoming vacation! I'm going to be in Florida so the color combination still works even though we're now in the midst of fall here in Virginia. I'm on a wee bit of a roll here, 2 dresses in a week, very satisfying indeed. The dress color is a little washed out in these photos, but scroll to the end to find a detail shot for the true pink color. ...The Basics... Fabric: 2 yards of pink and white striped seersucker from Joann's Pattern: None! Self-drafted, but based on this dress photo  from a class offered at Sew L.A. Details: Straps forming an X in the back made from the fabric's selvege; handmade self-fabric belt Time in Stash: (fabric) a little over 1 month; (pattern) in my imagination for about 4 or 5 months My aunt gave me these 2 yards of fabric from Joann's last month after I told her I liked her seersucker blouse. I knew I wanted to make a dress with it, but most of my patterns call for

I did it! I successfully scared myself into finishing this skirt by today, Sunday! This is my second Beignet Skirt from Colette Patterns and I really loved how it turned out. I paired it with a hat to go with this week's "Hat Trick" challenge over at the Sew Weekly. Sorry for the poor-ish quality photos, I need to invest in a better camera (or steal my sister's!). I call this the Traveling Beignet because the materials are from all over the place! The shell is from New York's Garment District, the bias trim and lining is from Sew L.A. in Los Angeles, the cotton facings are from a Joann's in Connecticut (leftover from a bag I made for my cousin), the buttons are from a Joann's in Burbank, CA, and the lace is from a thrift store here in Virginia. The hat and the (on its way out) top are from my old neighborhood in Brooklyn and the shoes are from Tip Top Shoes on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I can just hear my ol' co-worker in L.A. lecturing me

Hello! It's been awhile (well, only a week). Anyway, thought I'd share this apron I made over a year ago that I included in this week's apron challenge at the Sew Weekly. Kind of cheating, but at least I admitted it was from last year! Whoa, bright day / bright photo The pattern is Kwik Sew 3547 and I used this "1950s Kitchen" fabric from Michael Miller. The pockets, yoke and apron are accented with red bias trim for a little zing. I placed the cuckoo clock at the center of the yoke as a kind of "time to eat!" reference. This pattern is super easy to put together, and makes for a great gift! I think it only uses 1 1/2 yards of fabric and it's nice to pull out a piece of fabric that you wouldn't normally wear otherwise. In the photo above I'm holding a tea canister I picked up from the Pasadena Flea Market when I lived in Los Angeles. It's from the 1950s and is brushed aluminum - I almost have the entire set! I see them all the

Oh, happy day, my high-waisted, wide-leg "Seabee" trousers are finally finished! It all started when I decided to join  The Cupcake Goddess ' Trouser Sew-Along back in January, which finished in February I believe (it's been awhile). I didn't do the official sew-along BurdaStyle pattern. Instead I went with a pattern I already had in my stash, the 1940s Empire Waist Trousers from the Decades of Style Pattern Company  in Berkeley, CA. She updates vintage patterns from the 1910s to the 1950s, so this pattern is a style that would've been sewn up by home seamstresses of the early 1940s! These trousers are so incredibly comfy - I LOVE them!  Please excuse the overcast day. It's the best we can get around here lately. (And, I'm freezing!) I first bought this pattern at the Decades of Style Trunk Show at Sew L.A. in 2009, along with 4 other patterns. This is the first one I've made, which is a real surprise to me! I bought this particular

Let's see, I've accumulated a good amount of patterns and fabric so far. Don't get me wrong, I don't have as many as some, but it's getting to the point where I'm accumulating faster than I can sew and I'm not a fan of this! It's starting to make me feel unproductive. I feel like I can't help it, and that it'll all work itself out because I'll eventually  make stuff from them. I've started to think about basics I'd like to have in my sewn wardrobe, and shorts and t-shirts are two of the things I thought of right away. During the summer, on a lazy day, I like wearing shorts as I lounge around the house. So then I happen to see this Kwik Sew pattern posted on Sew L.A.'s Facebook page, and I love it!  Sailor shorts with buttons, so cute :) I even like the tee she's wearing. Kwik Sew 3854 Right now I just need to stay focused on a few projects and not be distracted by the possibilities of new ones :) Shorts weather isn

I just couldn't pass up this week's theme challenge over at  The Sew Weekly .  You choose a movie that has been nominated for an Academy Award in Costume Design as your inspiration and have the week to complete the look.  The first thing I did was look through the list of nominees and pick out ones I'd seen.  I love old movies, but in the end I settled on Pleasantville .  The idea of making a '50s style dress and doing the black & white/color photo was too fun to pass up!  Plus, I love Pleasantville .  I watched it again the other night and enjoyed the thought-provoking story line. I based my inspiration on the dress Margaret Henderson wears when she and Bud go to Lovers Lane, the scene she changes from black & white to color. Margaret at Lovers Lane So, what's outside of Pleasantville?  Why, this hand-dyed batik print from Bali!  I bought the fabric on a trip to Hawaii and it was such a good price I bought 4+ yards of it - so much that I could a

Here it is! My second Oolong dress, which I affectionately call the Sydney Harbour Dress, or "Hey Ma, I finally finished it!" Yep, after almost 2 months this dress is ready for the holidays. I've also included this in the Sew Weekly's "Free for All" challenge . Hereby Proclaimed: The Sydney Harbour Dress Pattern: Oolong Dress from Colette Patterns Fabric: Slightly over 3 yards (3 meters) of navy Japanese cotton from Tessuti Fabrics in Sydney, Australia(!) Pattern Level: Intermediate Size: 4 Alterations: Raised the waistline 1 1/2"; shortened the hem to above knee length Oh joy of joys, it's thrilling to have a completed project to share with you on the blog! I have been sewing away, but more so Christmas presents and other projects I can't chat about just yet. So, anyway, if you have been reading along with me this year, you'll know I've already tackled this pattern before in the spring. I loved the style and ease of constr

I actually finished this skirt about a month ago in a class I took, but only got around to photographing it recently. It was lots of fun, but there are definitely things I need to jot down for next time so I remember what to do (can't rely on pattern instructions this time!). ...The Basics... Pattern: Self-drafted Straight Skirt with slash pockets Fabric: Alexander Henry "Larkspur" cotton; cotton lining (also used for pockets) Other Goodies: grosgrain to stabilize the waistband, invisible zip at center back with tab hook & eye closure at waistband, lace at inside hem of skirt (from my never-ending thrifted ball of lace!) ...The Back Story... On the lookout for a nice little outing, I decided to sign up for a 2-day class to make my own straight skirt at my local-ish fabric store. There was only one other student in the class - yes! Lots of attention. I didn't even think about brining my own fabric so while I was really happy to have an excuse to b

When I first put together my inspiration board and projects for the Colette Pattern Spring Palette Challenge I planned on making 5 items. Well, there's no way I will be done by the end of March, but I definitely plan to forge ahead and make them! It was great to have this to get me thinking about my next few projects, and I love seeing what everyone has come up with so far. I had a hunch that things would be really busy around here and sewing time would be minimal, but I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things as spring arrives. The good news is I have 2 of the planned dresses almost done (and a pair of pants/trousers  almost  done!).  We should be having sunny days this weekend, the perfect opportunity to take some photos. I also signed up for a fashion drawing and draping class this Sunday, which I'm really excited about! In April I'll be taking a pattern drafting 5-class course so yay! How many !!! can I fit into a paragraph? I've gotten a few emails a

Alrighty, a completed project for the blog! This thing's been lonely for awhile with just a couple of paragraphs to its credit so I'm glad I got something up before the end of the month. Phew. The Beignet skirt from Colette Patterns was made last year when I was still in L.A. enjoying that mild winter. I used cotton canvas for the shell and a green voile for the lining, and with all the concentration in the world made 11 buttonholes for those brown buttons. I was very proud of my Janome, it worked through those with no problem! I love the color and feel of the skirt. Colette patterns are designed with very little ease so it's a good idea to go up a size if you're between sizes. And now for the newest garment in my handmade wardrobe - the Pendrell blouse from Sewaholic Patterns!  I just happened to find Tasia's blog last fall and am very glad I did. She has excellent tutorials and such a great, feminine style. This is her very first pattern; she des