My Underground Railroad Story: The Patchwork Apron

The things we see with our eyes influence us even when we are not conscious of them. I saw a picture of my grandmother wearing a patchworked apron a few years ago while looking through my grandfather's scrapbooks. The apron was improvised, meaning the pattern was incomplete. Grandma clearly used whatever fabric she had on…

Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do

I've been making. Yes! my crafty fire still burns as bright as ever. I feel like I am in such a whirlwind of ideas at the moment. Inspiration to create new things is flooding me from all directions. I want to do more and more. This year has been filled with unexpected changes both at…

I Still Sew: Cappuccino Dress

I've been meaning to sew for a while now, really. I haven't forgot. Lately my spinning mojo has been in control. There was this one pattern though that was able to snap me out of my spinning trance for a brief moment, the cappuccino dress by Oliver & Co. I caught on to the Portfolio…

I Could Use Another Bag, Maybe Two

I Could Use Another Bag, Maybe Two I'm not much of a fancy, shmancy purse kind of girl. Usually when I carry a  bag it's on one of two occasions. For everyday, I wear a small pouch on a long cord, just large enough to carry  my cell phone, keys, and cards. When I am traveling whether for a…

Sew Almost Victorian

I went to another murder mystery dinner a few weeks ago. As with the first one , I saw it as another excuse to sew.Fumbling through my first year of teaching has got me pretty strapped for playtime these days but I was determined to make my outfit. The theme this year was Victorian. I knew…

Wardrobe Essentials: Japanese Styles for Everyday

It's pretty safe to say that I am on a roll with sewing everyday casual clothes for my wardrobe. I found a blouse on Pintrest from a Japanese sewing book one day and ended up falling in love with the simplicity of the styles. I have found 3 books that I really like so far. Stylish Dress Book:…

Wardrobe Essentials: Make it Easy Simplicity 1620 and Sew Chic

Not too long ago re-making my wardrobe seemed pretty far-fetched. At my rate it would take forever. I got to thinking about what I wear on a daily basis. I realized that most of the patterns in my stash were more tailored than what I would typically choose for an easy, fuss free day. Now this…

Wardrobe Essentials: Summer Maxi and The Little Black Dress

Sewing clothing has got me rethinking my wardrobe lately. I am one of those rare creatures that hates to shop for clothes. I mean seriously I would rather buy plants and craft supplies. There must be some kind of treatment for this condition, right? After looking through my closet I realized a few things. 1. Dang I have a lot of…

Simplicity 1417:A dress fit for a wedding…in Vegas

My sister and brother-in-law recently decided to renew their wedding vows in Las Vegas to celebrate their 10 year anniversary. I thought, well how cool! We would always joke about how they got married at a courthouse in plain clothes. They didn't want to break tradition getting all fancied up. Afterall it worked for my…

My Little JadiBop is Growing Up: McCall’s 6736

My niece Jadin turns 10 years old this month. My goodness. I can't believe my little JadiBop is growing up so fast. We were looking at patterns together a few weeks ago and she talked me into making her a maxi dress with ruffles from McCalls 6736. Seriously, I didn't require and begging. This pattern is too cute! I…