Free Patterns
New Fall Cardigans…
When I was a kid, I used to divide my closet between “summer” and “winter” clothes. Despite living in California, where the seasons were typically pretty mild, I enjoyed having a stark division in my closet, and had strict rules about not wearing “winter” clothes in the summer, and visa versa. Looking back on it,…
Read MoreBirthday Boys!
My twin boys celebrated their 9th birthday this week! In truth, I didn’t even try to get this blog post written in time for their actual birthday, because I knew it wasn’t going to happen- the third week in September is home to no less than 6 birthdays in our immediate family, including my…
Read MoreFalling for Fall: 3 Simple Knit tops to Make the Transition Seamless
It feels like we just wrapped up summer (oh wait…we did! With last week’s blog post!) but with the kids in school and the leaves starting to turn, it’s already time to starting focusing our attention on Fall, and the invigorating sewing opportunities that come with the advent of a new season. Over the past…
Read MoreBack 2 School Blog Tour 2019: Preschool Edition
Hello friends! I’m happy to be back again today (so much more time for blogging now that we’re home!) as part of the Back to School Blog Tour, hosted by Karly of Paisley Roots (be sure to read to the end to enter the giveaway- she’s got some…
Read MoreSummer Road Trip Part IV: Mesa Verde, Alamosa, Denver, and Dinosaur!
Hello again! Today I’m sharing the 4th installment in my Summer Travel Sewing series, covering our visits through Mesa Verde, Denver, and Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado. (missed the first two in this series? Here’s Part I and Part II, and Part III). If you recall my last post, I left off in Monument Valley, roasting in…
Read MoreZip it Up! FREE Zipper Bag Pattern!
I’ve added quite a few firsts to my sewing belt this year- my first jeans, my first capsule wardrobe, first coats (men’s AND women’s!), first bra (yet to be blogged)…there’s a lot to feel proud of! One thing I haven’t attempted yet, though, is to sew a bag. For some reason the idea of sewing…
Read MoreWhen Life Gives You Lemons…(make mommy and me tops!)
I’ve had quite a few sewing “lemons” lately- patterns I was super excited to sew up, that for various reasons turned out completely unwearable. It happens to the best of us, I guess, but I found myself last week in a bit of a rut. Heres the equation, for all you math geeks out there:…
Read MorePortlander Shorts Hack!
Counting how many Portlander pants I have is a bit like asking me how old I am…I’m pretty sure I’m over 35, but unless I do the math, I can’t *quite* remember by how much 😉 That’s totally OK though, because it gives me the freedom to sew a few more pairs- and since I’m…
Read MoreThe Elusive Boatneck!
I love a good boatneck top, and I’ve been eyeing a few of my ready to wear versions lately, thinking about replacing them with handmade as preparation for my ready to wear fast of 2018 (more on that later). However, finding a good boatneck pattern has proved more of a challenge than I anticipated- it…
Read MoreVelvet Crush
I took my family out shopping last weekend, and I kept running into velvet tee shirts- over and over and over. In Old Navy, Target, Gap….they were everywhere. I’m not always one to follow the trends (or let go of them when they’re long past!), but something about the romantic, wintry vibe just resonated with…
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