Cher – Butterick 6557 with Hand-Painted Dots

Cher – Butterick 6557 with Hand-Painted Dots

For Halloween 2019, my department at work chose pop music icons. It took me a while to come up with an idea, but I eventually chose Cher from the 1970s, mostly because I liked her dresses. The one I chose is a basic sheath style, …

Failures in Knit Fabrics – Simplicity 1916 and Simplicity 1197

Failures in Knit Fabrics – Simplicity 1916 and Simplicity 1197

In my post about the Double Down Day Dress, I allude to failures of the past. Here is that story. I learned to sew with woven, non-stretch fabric. I always thought that knits were this crazy complicated thing, and I was better off just buying …

Sailor Hats for the Diamond Dolls in White Canvas

Sailor Hats for the Diamond Dolls in White Canvas

I recently made a set of 6 sailor hats for the Denver Diamond Dolls, a vintage dance group that I have joined. The routine was All Aboard! so naturally we needed to look the part. The choreographer specified white and slightly smaller than average size …

Toulouse Sundress – McCall’s 6956 in Orange Cotton

Toulouse Sundress – McCall’s 6956 in Orange Cotton

This sundress is McCall’s 6956, view A. The fabric was a lucky quilting cotton find on the clearance table at Joann’s. I originally got it with a Toulouse (Aristocats) outfit in mind – orange dress with blue bow. While the group outfit/outing never happened, I …

Sunday Lately: Allowing (Teazer to go), Wondering (what to make first), and Contributing (to the Viking group)

Sunday Lately: Allowing (Teazer to go), Wondering (what to make first), and Contributing (to the Viking group)

Welcome to Sunday Lately: Allowing Wondering Contributing Sunday Lately is a weekly linkup, hosted by The Blogger Co-op. We e-hangout every Sunday, sharing a small glimpse into the past week of life in our own worlds. The linkup is at the bottom of this post. You …

Frances Shirt Dress by Sewciety Patterns in Corduroy and Cotton with Fabric Buttons

Frances Shirt Dress by Sewciety Patterns in Corduroy and Cotton with Fabric Buttons

A few months ago I tested the Frances Shirt Dress pattern by Sewciety Patterns. This was the first time I’d had the opportunity to test a pattern and it was an interesting experience. First I read through the instructions, marked a few typos, and then …

Venturing Into the World of Knit Fabric – Double Down Day Dress by Ragamuffin Patterns in French Terry

Venturing Into the World of Knit Fabric – Double Down Day Dress by Ragamuffin Patterns in French Terry

Welcome to Day 3 of the Breaking Ground Blog Tour, hosted by Mahlica Designs. See below for all the other creatives taking part, as well as the giveaway info! I am breaking ground with both the pattern designer and fabric type. This is my first …

How to Hem a Circular Skirt using Bias Binding

How to Hem a Circular Skirt using Bias Binding

I have always done circular hems by: putting in gather threads, measuring and pressing up the hem, pulling up the gathers, turning the raw edge under, pressing and sewing the seam. Quite the rigmarole! I recently found a new method and tried it out on …

Up-cycling: New Flannel Cat Beds from Old Pillows

Up-cycling: New Flannel Cat Beds from Old Pillows

  I replaced my pillows recently, and decided to turn the old ones into cat beds. I used a yard of flannel for each one, sewed three sides of the rectangle to make a ‘bag’ or ‘pillow case’, put the pillow in and topstitched it …