Day and Night Dress Challenge: Transforming a boring dress with Edge and Sparkle

February 22, 2019.Reading time 9 minutes.

I’m so honored to be participating in Elizabeth’s Day/Night Dress Challenge for the third year in a row (here are years one and two.) The Challenge has a great twist this year. Rather than make two new dresses, the idea is to take a dress you’ve made but ignored, and make it more wearable by […]

A Burda top you can make in an afternoon and Dior Exhibit

February 8, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

A Burda top and Dior….a lovely combination, eh? First, the Burda top…..My box of precious fabric bits and lacy remnants is overflowing these days, so I’ve adopted a new ‘tidying up’ rule. If I can’t find a use for a remnant within six months of adding it to the box, it must go. So, I […]

Sew Twists and Ties: the Ruska Knot Dress

January 29, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

When Named Clothing released their book, Breaking the Pattern, I could hardly wait to get my hands on it! I’m not a big fan of sewing books, but the Named Clothing designs really appeal to me (here, here, and here, ). Their modern, pared-down vibe is so contemporary and elegant. So, I asked Santa […]

Burda Style Cocoon Dress

January 18, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

I have to admit it…There was very little forethought behind these two new ‘makes’. I made these cocoon dresses on a whim….merely because I thought they would look pretty good with my new Cocoon coat (here)! Shallow…but true. Now that the 2018 RTW fast is over, I’m feeling quite free. I can sew anything I […]

First Make of the New Year: Sew Over It Cocoon Coat

January 9, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

If you read my post on my sewing ‘Misses’ for 2018, you know that I’ve sworn off wearing or buying fabric with beige and brown tones. Yet, I’m here today with a beige/tan coat, LOL! Well, I had to ignore my new rule, because I had this lovely wool in my stash, and couldn’t pass […]

My #Sewing Top Five Misses 2018

January 3, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

Each year, I enjoy a review of my #Sewing Top Five Misses almost as much as my best top five. I always learn so much from my mistakes. So without further ado, here they are!. Vogue top – Okay, when I made this, I felt pretty clever because I constructed this top from odds and ends […]

My #Sewing Top Five of 2018

December 27, 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

Even though I prefer to look forward, I love doing this retrospective post at the end of every year. Thanks to Gillian of Crafting a Rainbow for inspiring the #SewingTopFive. So here we go…my top five makes for 2018. The layered lace Anthropologie knock off (full post here). I chose this Anthropologie knock […]

An Anthropologie Inspired Burda Top

December 17, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

If you ask me, the November and December issues of Burda Style magazine were so great, they more than justified the hefty price of U.S. subscription. This Anthropologie inspired make is from the November issue, and it’s just one of five patterns that I marke to trace. Yes, I always dread the task of […]

A Gift to Sew: How To Make a Fringed Circle Vest

December 8, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

Sometimes the simplest make gives you the most pleasure. Every time I wear one of these vests, I feel stylish, cozy and comfortable. It’s a simple design that brings compliments and the question….where can I buy that? My love affair with circle vests started several years ago when I was gifted a pattern for one. […]

A Vogue Vintage Jacket in Plaid

November 29, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

Hi all! I’m back from a bit of a holiday break with a plaid jacket, inspired by one I saw in Vogue pattern Magazine. If you’re like me, you look forward to each issue of the Vogue Pattern magazine because there is always something there that will spark an idea for a project. This issue […]