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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