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