Category
Sarah the Sewist
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02.01.10Best of ‘09: Blazers Letterpress ProjectI've spent a lot of time dwelling of how awful 2009 was for us--which is probably not all that healthy, but it was bad at an epic level. However, in my continuing effort to be more positive, I thought I'd take the chance to write about my favorite project of the last year. Amazingly, it wasn't sewing or screenprinting, it was one of my first letterpress projects. I realized I'd never really shared this project with "the World," though all my Portland buddies have seen the results in person. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="I was never able to print this type, ...
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01.04.101949 American Fabrics MagazineI had a meeting over at PNCA, where I'm teaching a few classes this spring, and Josh showed me the library while I was there. He'd recently discovered the most amazing collection of a vintage magazine, American Fabrics. I actually don't know much about this publication, or even whether it's directed at the trade or consumers. But it's fascinating, nonetheless. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Up on a high shelf, there's something pretty awesome hidden in some inauspicious cardboard magazine holders."][/caption] Anyway, the magazine is an extremely cool snapshot of textile--and cultural--trends. I spent a bit of time thumbing through an issue from ...
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12.29.09Twisted Caipirinha!I had the most craptastic commute in the history of commutes tonight. Seriously. I left my work in Vancouver, Washington (just across the river from Portland) at 3:15ish, and didn't get home to our place that's less than a mile south of downtown Portland until around 6:00 p.m. That's something like 13 miles in three hours. I have never experienced anything like it, and our local traffic reporter said that in his 20 years of covering traffic in PDX, he's never seen anything like it. Insanity. Now, in fairness, it did randomly start snowing, which doesn't happen much here. But ...
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07.18.09All in the FamilyIn our family everyone sews. So, Saoirse doesn't actually sew, but she does love hopping up on the chair in front of the sewing machine. But my mom does sew. A couple of Mondays ago, my mom came over and hung and we each made a quick project--the Amy Butler Swing Bag. Oddly, my mom has never ever made a handbag. She had it in her head that it was really hard--and I think they're one of the easiest things to make. She was kind of driving me crazy over the last year talking about how she was going to make a ...
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06.30.09Holy moly! I made a quilt!Yep. Me, Sarah, made a quilt. For years and years I've been adimently anti-quilting. I've had garment sewers' snobbery, I guess. I just couldn't imagine having the patience for all that cutting. And then the sewing all those little squares together. And then the actual quilting part--I couldn't get my head around any of that. Well, on my trip to Pittsburgh for Quilt Market for work, Laurie--founder of the Fabric Shop Network--got me a wonderful quilt kit from Quilt Company (if you're ever in western Pennsylvania, it's definitely a shop worth visiting). Determined to not let my coworker, Mandi, finish ...
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06.26.09Letterpress Project PreviewAs I mentioned in my last post, I didn't get a chance to finish up my project during our letterpress seminar last week. But I did go back on Monday and work on the fronts a bit. This it half of my postcard project. I haven't printed any of the other side yet. I think I mentioned this before, but this project is inspired by a couple of my favorite Portland-y things--the Steel Bridge and the Loretta Lynn-Jack White song, Portland, Oregon. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="418" caption="Photo (c)2006 by Andrew Hall, PortlandBridges.com"][/caption] I created the letterpress using three different techniques, which always ...
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06.19.09Another Day Letterpressing…[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="442" caption="Josh printing for the first time."][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Josh's first printing project--some calling cards for his dad."][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Letterpress gears--this one's on "Tony"--the larger of the Vandercooks at PNCA."][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Josh's type. "][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The type in the corner is six point--so tiny, and so lovely. This is from my project."][/caption] ~Sarah No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
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06.12.09Wanted: Dead or Alive (Size 7)I need these Chuck Taylors. Need. Them. Unfortunately, the Converse website only has them in a size 12.5! And I wear a 7. This is a freaking tragedy. Because they're meant to be my shoes. They're red. They're patchwork. They're Chucks. They're perfect. I've looked high and low online and can't find them. So, if you see them, please, please, puh-lease let me know and send me a link. Otherwise, enjoy the gorgeous canvas shoe eye-candy. Sigh... ~Sarah Related posts:Ten Things I Heart Right Now (And a Few I Don’t) Ten Things I’m Really Loving Right Now… 1.) While I...Comeback Covered Button Jewelry ...
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06.06.09I’m Still Sewing, I Swear!I haven't written a whole lot about sewing projects I've been doing lately. I'm not sure why, probably because some stuff just isn't that interesting to write about. However, one project that I've made recently that I'm just loving is the Buttercup Bag, a swell free pattern from craft blogger Made by Rae. The reason I found this pattern is that when Rachel was in town a couple of months ago, she and I went to Bolt. While I didn't really "need" anything, I couldn't resist two sewing-inspired fat quarters--one in a scissor print, the other in a measuring tape ...
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05.25.09Ten Things I Heart Right Now (And a Few I Don’t)Ten Things I'm Really Loving Right Now... 1.) While I was in Pittsburgh, Josh was able to put heavy-duty grommets (Or are they eyelets? I never know the difference.) in the awesome Trail Blazers-ified Gadsden flag he made me and hung it in our entryway, which is looks totally amazing. Yeah, visiting our house is probably a strange experience for newbies. 2.) When Josh picked me up from the airport, after I'd been in Pittsburgh for over a week, he met me with my favorite burrito from Laughing Planet (tempeh, pinto beans, rice, veggies, salsa verde). Some gals get flowers, I get ...
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05.08.09Support Independent Fabric Shops – Check Out Project 95I've been very fortunate to begin working with The Fabric Shop Network, Inc, the trade association for independent fabric shops. It's been well documented here that Josh and I are passionate about supporting independent businesses, from Bolt to Powells, so this has been an exciting opportunity for me. Sure, just like everyone else, we can't avoid or Costco and Fred Meyer trips, but we try to do our best. One of the most exciting things that I've had the chance to work on with FabShop is Project 95. Project 95 is aimed at growing support for independent fabric shops. Why? ...
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05.04.09Book Review: Weekend Sewing by Heather RossI have been pretty much over-the-moon excited about Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing book for a year--ever since I saw the proofs at an event at Bolt here in Portland when Heather was in town for Quilt Market. Well, it finally hit the shelves, and boy was it worth the wait! I love that Weekend Sewing is a real sewing book. Not to dog on any of the fine sewing books out there, but many of them are definitely geared toward beginner sewers or are more on the quick craft project or learn-to-sew end of the sewing spectrum. Few are actually down ...
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05.02.09Summer of Making Registration + Denyse Schmidt Awesomeness!Hi folks! Registration is now open for the incredible Summer of Making program that the Pacific Northwest College of Art's awesome Continuing Education department is coordinating this summer. These are unique courses, offered in more comprehensive formats than you usually get the opportunity with in craft and DIY courses. The classes run for longer--so you really will get to know the subject matter in a thorough way. I can speak from experience--I came away from my letterpress class (which I'm going to write about soon, but I got a bit derailed by my overly-ambitious project) really feeling confident in that ...
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04.10.09Comeback Covered Button Jewelry Set + Our Favorite Texan Visits PDXI've given up all hope that any of y'all who read this hear blog think that I'm in any way what you'd call, "normal." Just so you know. I figure I'll just keep sharing all my weirdnesses and those of you who enjoy it will stick around, and those of you who don't will head for the hills. Fair enough? So, I've got a couple of random ramblings to share today. We had a great weekend last weekend hanging out with some lovely creative folks who were in town. And we were super-fortunate to have the delightful Rachel staying with us. ...
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04.07.09Coolest Facebook Group EverWell, not really. But I know you want to join the Blazers Craft Posse anyway... ~Sarah Related posts:Comeback Covered Button Jewelry Set + Our Favorite Texan Visits PDX I’ve given up all hope that any of y’all who...More Buttony Goodness No, it hasn’t gotten to be all buttons, all the...I’m Still Sewing, I Swear! I haven’t written a whole lot about sewing projects I’ve... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
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03.21.09More Buttony Goodness[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Some of the original projects from "Button it Up." I got to pick a necklace to wear during the event--I sort of felt like Angelina Jolie borrowing fancy jewelry for the People's Choice Awards."][/caption] No, it hasn't gotten to be all buttons, all the time here, but Josh and I have both been sick with various bugs--again--so we still haven't had much of a chance to do much in the way of projects or photograph a few (now) oldies for Sewer-Sewist. I've also not had a chance to take pictures of my progress on my colossal project ...
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03.11.09Another Reason to Love ButtonsWhat's this? Two posts in one day? Be still my beating heart! (Although the first was definitely "unplanned posting," so I'm not sure if that really counts.) In case my review of Susan's new book didn't give you enough reason to love buttons, here's another--this really charming necklace that the aforementioned Susan dropped off at the house last night. But, before I get into the awesomeness that is this necklace, I have got to say that this is one of the reasons Susan is such a gem--she's always finding or making things for other people--and they're always things that are just ...
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03.09.09Sewing Heritage Sunday – Sew for VictoryFirst things first. Something's been bugging me. Most of you probably read my last post. What you probably didn't read was Ben's post over on BlazersEdge (the most comprehensive and active Trail Blazers blog out there)--because I doubt many of you avidly consume Blazers' news (despite my best attempts to convert you into fans). In that post, Ben references my story about meeting Channing Frye and linked to my post. Wednesday morning--when I saw that post on BlazersEdge--I stupidly thought that he was mocking me. I would like to publicly apologize to Ben for assuming that he was making fun ...
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03.03.09Completely Off TopicIf you're weary of my Trail Blazers posts, you're welcome to stop reading right now--you won't hurt my feelings, I swear. But as you know, I've documented extensively here on this web site about my whole Channing Frye thing. So figure that I owe it to y'all to keep you up-to-date on any breaking news. If you've been paying attention here you know that he's my favorite Blazer not named Brandon Roy, that I was worried that my "Buffet of Goodness" screenprints that I made for Susan and I might be cursed, and that I think it would be awesome ...
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03.02.09Letterpress Class, Part 4: The One Where I Admit to My Classmates That I’m a Bit of a NutIt was inevitable... You know, when you've sort of let people believe you're a relatively normal person, but you know that time is coming when you're going to have to say or do something that will give people a glimpse into the fact that you're a bit weird? You've all had that experience, right? Right? I've mentioned in my previous posts about my totally amazing letterpress class through PNCA Continuing Education that part of the class is coming up with a large project, for which we have to write a proposal. I didn't really this about this when I started the ...
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02.28.09Buy This Book: “Button it Up” by Susan Beal[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Cover of "Button it Up," by my awesome pal Susan. Aside from the fact this is a unique new book, I really love the cover. I am a terrible one for judging a book by its cover, and Taunton did a lovely job with this design--it's very eye-catching and energetic."][/caption] I'm not even going to try to pretend to be unbiased in this review, I'm just going to try to give you a bunch of reasons why you should buy my friend Susan Beal's awesome new book, Button it Up: 80 Amazing Vintage Button Projects. While I've ...
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02.22.09Letterpress Class, Part 3: I Printed Something![caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Locked up type. "][/caption] I'm a little late on posting this, but blame this stupid cold that's now making me very hoarse--ugh. Thursday was my third letterpress class through PNCA's Continuing Education program, and the first one in which I was able to do some printing. We use cylinder/drum-style letterpress printers (named "Tony" and "Ruth," in case you were wondering), that are probably a bit different that a lot of the presses that you see around in specialty stores, which seem to been primarily platen presses. Here's an example of this type of press. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="387" ...
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02.21.09Humor me, please…Please tell you that y'all aren't sick of my crazy Trail Blazers-inspired crafty projects. Please? Even if you're lying, just humor me for a moment. Last week Susan and I went to the Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies game and, prior to the game, went to their first-ever "TweetUp," which basically involved us getting in to watch the team's shoot-around (you can't normally get into the Rose Garden that early), and some chitchat with some Blazers staff and a group photo. The highlight was, obviously, the shoot-around. It's been well-documented here that there's a horrifying lack of Channing Frye gear in ...
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02.13.09Letterpress Class – Week Deux[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Photos of letterpresses and letterpress tools from around flickr. Click through for links to the original images."][/caption] Why I felt the urge to call this post "Week Deux," I cannot explain... Last night was the second installment of my letterpress class through PNCA's Continuing Education Program (and, no, I'm not pushing PNCA just because I'm teaching a class there this summer--it's an awesome place, I swear). We got to fire up the printing presses and play with inks and actually start printing. Well, by "we" I really mean the collective "we," rather than actually "me." You see, when ...
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02.11.09Come Learn with Me!I'm incredibly excited to do a bit of shameless self-promotion today. This summer, the Pacific Northwest College of Art's Continuing Education Department will be hosting an exciting new program specifically geared toward crafters of all varieties--the Summer of Making. The Summer of Making will feature special classes, or unique formats, not normally offered by the school. There are some classes that I am very excited about being taught by some incredibly creative and knowledgeable locals--such as Alicia Paulson, Susan Beal and Diane Gilleland. There will also be a "headliner" from out of town, but I can't tell you who it ...
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02.06.09Letterpress Class – Week 1[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Some of my favorite images of letterpress type from around flickr. The lead and wood type is so beautiful in and of itself. (Click on the photo to get the links to the originals.)"][/caption] I've wanted to try letterpress printing for ages and ages. I remember back when I was a kid we went on a school trip to some historic site or another and someone was printing on a old printing press and thinking it was absolutely amazing. I think it appeals to me much in the same way that sewing and screenprinting does--there's something simultaneously ...
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01.30.09‘Cause That’s What Friends Are For…I have what could be termed, an "eclectic" group of friends. It's actually sort of an interesting phenomena, because--unlike most people, who seem to lots of friends in common with one another--my friends are sort of grouped into various categories of my life. Crafty friends, Blazers fans friends, politics friends, friends I've worked with, friends who knew me when I was a kid. Not very many of them reach across these random delineations--and, actually, not many of them know each other. This is probably a result of my having so many different interests that are not particularly related. (Although, I ...
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01.08.09Buffet of Goodness (AKA The Mysterious Case of the Cursed Hoodie)I have a terrible, sinking feeling that my latest screen printing project may be cursed. Which is truly unfortunate. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="337" caption="This cool hoodie can't be cursed... Can it?"][/caption] Before you continue reading this post, I do want to make an important point: I'm not a Fan Girl. And I'm certainly not a Channing Frye Fan Girl. If I were going to be a Fan Girl of any of the Trail Blazers players, it would have to be Martell Webster. Yes, I know Rudy Fernandez is the flavor of the month, but, for me--if I were to become a Fan ...
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01.05.092008 In Review, Part 1I'm labeling this post "Part 1" in hopes that I can persuade Josh to do a similar post. Right, Josh? I thought I'd do a bit of an informal, unstructured, year in review, highlighting some of my favorite project Josh and I have finished up, some stuff that wasn't so successful, etc... Here we go. Favorite Project by Me, for Me: Amy Butler Sophia Carryall [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="379" caption="The AB Sophia Bag--sans bottom piping."][/caption] Hands-down, the sewing project that I've gotten the most use out of was my Amy Butler Sophia Bag. I love, love, love this bag and carry it more days ...
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12.20.08Just a Little CrazyActually, technically speaking, it's actually a mania. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Rip City, Baby!"][/caption] I promise that it's not turning into all Blazers, all the time here, but I did have to share my latest (and certainly not last) crafty Blazers project. For the ill-fated Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Clippers game, I made fabric bracelets (I was later informed that they're actually referred to as "cuffs" in most circles) for Susan and I to wear to the game. I also wanted to say thank you to Susan for the most bad-ass, awesome gift I've received in a very long time. [caption ...
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12.05.08In search of…Some awesome running pants. Yes, you heard me... Running pants. Yep, I've finally sucked it up and acknowledged that Josh has really gotten super healthy and fit through running and I should really follow suit. It's got a lot of pluses, the biggest of when being that it's 100% free. (We've had gym memberships before and they really get expensive.) Even pricey shoes are relatively cheap for us because we live in the city that's headquarters to both Nike and Adidas, and both companies have amazing outlet stores and warehouse sales (Adidas' sale is my favorite because nothing's over $30, ...
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12.03.08Book Review: Seams to Me by Anna Maria Horner[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Anna Maria Horner's first book, Seams to Me, is exactly what you'd expect from this popular fabric designer. "][/caption] One of the sewing books that I'd really looked forward to much of this year is Anna Maria Horner's Seams to Me: 24 New Reasons to Love Sewing, which was released by Wiley in October. Anna Maria is one of my favorite fabric designers--I love the highly artistic graphics she utilizes in combination with vibrant colors. The result is a rich, bold and distinctive aesthetic that's modern and fresh. When Seams to Me arrived in our mailbox, I ...
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12.01.08More Blazers CraftinessObviously, I'm in need of a cell phone with a better camera, because I've spotted some awesome Trail Blazers craftiness at the last three games and my pictures suck, suck, suck. First, on Monday versus the Sacramento Kings, Susan and I were behind this guy on our way to the Fan Shop: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="This dude cut strips of black, red and white felt and then sewed them to a patch to create a wig fit for a true Blazermaniac."][/caption] Next, the lady sits in the row in front of us, and sewed a great blouse out of Trail Blazers ...
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11.30.08Sewing Heritage Sunday: Boy Sewing[caption id="attachment_308" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="From the Life Picture Collection, by John Pillips, Ohio 1942."][/caption] While I couldn't find out any details about the boy in this picture and why he's sewing, I think this is proof positive that Ohio boys have been sewing for a long, long time. Right, Josh? ~Sarah Original photo link on Google Images. Related posts:Wanted: Dead or Alive (Size 7) I need these Chuck Taylors. Need. Them. Unfortunately, the...I’m Still Sewing, I Swear! I haven’t written a whole lot about sewing projects I’ve...Book Review: Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross I have been pretty much over-the-moon excited about Heather ...
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11.25.08Bingo, Bango, Bongo!That post title doesn't really mean anything, but it's a quote from the great Bill Schonely, the best play-by-play announcer of all time. When someone would do something really awesome, The Schonz would randomly shout, "Bingo, Bango, Bongo!" There were other things, too. Like, "Rip City!" or "Ocean to Ocean..." or "Lickety Brindle up the Middle." I listened to him call Portland Trail Blazers games on the radio my whole life, and no on will ever be as awesome as The Schonz. Seriously, Josh and I saw him walking down the street last year and I literally started hyperventilating. He's ...
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11.23.08Sunday Sewing Heritage: Airplane WingsDid you know that airplanes used to be stitched together, and then epoxied? I had heard mention of it in documentaries and such, but the reality of the construction of aircraft literally from cloth didn't really register with me until I saw these photos of women during World War II sewing together the wings of a plane. There's something quite elegant about it, isn't there? ~Sarah Photos from the Library of Congress image collection. No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
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11.10.08Thirteen Random ThingsFirst, Antoinette tagged me for the "7 Random Things" meme that's making the rounds. Then, Amy at Craft Chi passed along the Kreativ Blogger Award to us as well. That one has, I believe, a "six random things" component. So that makes thirteen, right? Here goes--I'll try not to replicate those that are on my about page: I love magazines, but I almost exclusively read them while soaking the the bathtub. My favorites for bathtub reading: The Atlantic, ReadyMade, Vanity Fair and GQ (yes, I realize it's for men, but, whatever, they have really interesting profiles of people). I also love to read ...
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11.07.08Book Review: French General Home Sewn[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Cover of Kaari Meng's French General Home Sewn, published by Chronicle. "][/caption] Chronicle Books' latest sewing offering, French General Home Sewn: 30 Projects for Every Room in the House, is a unique sewing project book from Kaari Meng, owner of the well-known store in L.A., French General (you can visit her blog here). (I figure it's pretty well-known, since I've actually heard of it.) Part tour of the vintage French aesthetic, part sewing book, this is an appealing book for folks who are Francophiles or fabric collectors, in addition to those looking for unique designs for sewing ...
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10.30.08Election Pennants at Crafty Wonderland[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="A message from an adorable little girl at Crafty Wonderland: "Vote!""][/caption] A couple of weekends ago, I ran the DIY table at Crafty Wonderland here in Portland. If you're not familiar with Crafty Wonderland, it's a monthly crafts fair that's held at the Doug Fir Lounge and is organized by gals from PDX Super Crafty. One of the fun things they do each month is host a free craft activity that anyone can try out, and it's loads of fun. It's sort of funny, because--and I think I've said this before here--I don't think of myself as a ...
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10.14.08We’re Still Here!We both just managed to each have a case of what will now be referred to as "The Worst Flu Ever." First I was sick, and Josh was so wonderful taking care of me, and then I started to get better and Josh got hit with it even worse that I. But we're on the mend, and will hopefully resume our regularly scheduled programming here at Sewer-Sewist shortly. Meanwhile... Before our untimely case of the flu, I was busy being frustrated with my attempt to make this lovely kimono-style robe from a Burda World of Fashion from this spring. It's adorable, right? ...
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09.21.08Sewing Heritage: Stitching Old GloryWe all know (or should, at least) the story of the Betsy Ross Flag, none of us know the story of these ladies and how they came to be sewing American flags at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1909. This photo was taken while the U.S. was still engaged in military action in the Philippines (an extension of the Spanish-American War, although it officially ended in 1902). The Yard was winding down from a huge surge in manufacturing employment due to goods needed by the military, with women engaged in the production of garments and textiles, including the sewing of ...
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09.19.08A Little Late to the Whole Apron ThingBut I guess better late than never. Did y'all know aprons are now cool? And have been for quite some time now? I should have known. I mean, I read both Amy Karol's blog and CraftSanity, both of whom often write about their love of aprons and seem pretty darn cool. So I shoulda known... Anyway, I discovered "the whole apron thing" last week when I realized that I'd managed to get half of our dinner all over myself while I was cooking (Josh usually cooks dinner, but since I have a bit more time on my hands these days, ...
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09.16.08Wear a Dress Week & Another Amy Butler Lotus DressI certainly love the Amy Butler Lotus dress. So much, in fact, that I'd planned on wearing this version in celebration of International Wear a Dress Day/Week. Except, when I got dressed this morning, I decided that I really wanted needed to wear these shoes. Which don't really go with my pink dress. At all. If I didn't happen to have a meeting today and therefore be required to present an illusion of professionalism, I would have just worn the aqua shoes and pink dress and said "to hell with it." So, I pulled out my black stretch twill version (and I've got ...
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09.14.08Sewing Heritage: Women, Sewing & the WPAFolks, it's time for a little sewing history lesson... The Works Progress Administration (rename Work Project Administration in 1939) was created in 1935, and employed millions of people--especially in the rural West and Appalachia and other mountain regions--following the catastrophic downturn of the U.S. economy resulting in the Great Depression. What many people don't know about the WPA is that a sizable number of people put to work during this time were women, around fifteen to twenty percent of WPA-participants. They were considered unemployed heads of household for a variety of reasons, including abandonment or a husband's death or disability--and the ...
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09.07.08Bagged, baby!At long last, the bag I made for our friends from Amy Butler's new book "Little Stitches for Little Ones" arrived in northern New Mexico and I can now share the photos... This one is dubbed the "Modern Nappy Bag" and is really something -- its absolutely enormous! And it certainly doesn't look like your run-of-the-mill diaper bag. I used fabric from Amy Butler's newish line of home decorator weight cotton sateen, August Fields. Some woodgrain fabric of the same weight from Joel Dewberry's Ginseng line looked like it was made to match, so I lined the whole thing and made the ...
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08.26.08InkedI've cooled down a bit on my complicated garment sewing lately, partly because I don't really have anywhere to wear dress, etc, and partly because we're stuck in that weird time of year when I know it's not going to be warm much longer, but don't want to actually admit that I need fall clothes. But I did recently have the opportunity to wear a dress in good weather -- since my hairstylist recently had a lovely wedding on the rooftop of the Ecotrust building in Portland's Pearl District. It was motivation to get the Amy Butler "Lotus" dress that ...
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08.26.08We have a winner!So, I assigned each of your wonderful comments a number (two numbers if you answered both questions or shared the giveaway on your blog, etc), and plunked all those numbers into Randomizer to get the winner of the Alabama Stitch Book. I must say, I am so glad that I didn't do something ridiculous like pick the best comment, because y'all were amazing! Seriously, I'm going to compile your comments into a blog post or two because I was really touched by your reflections on your sewing heritage and was very inspired by your tips for integrating sustainability into your ...
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08.18.08A Giveaway!(Note: Comments are now closed. We will announce the randomly-drawn winner shortly.) But you gotta work for it a little bit. Remember The Alabama Stitch Book that I reviewed back in June? The one that I used to make the skirt that I wore to that get-together with some old friends? Well, the lovely folks at Stewart, Tabori & Chang sent me a copy to review as well, so I have two copies. So, looks like I need to get rid of one of them... I think that whomever gets the copy of this book will really enjoy it. There are lots of ...
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08.15.08Oh so pretty…It's settled. One of us is going to have to learn Japanese. Because all of the goodies that we keep finding at Kinokuniya are getting a bit out of control. This time, and innocent trip to Uwajimaya has resulted in quite the find -- The Pretty Bag Collection. I have such a weakness for bag-making, as you've probably noticed (it's funny, too, because I have only been making bags for a year or so). And this book has some really awesome projects. It's, like many of the Japanese sewing books, brokenn down into thematic sections, this time by fabric type: Silk ...
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08.12.08Book Review: Amy Butler’s Little Stitches for Little OnesAs you probably know, I'm a huge Amy Butler fan. I so appreciate that she has built a brand that has succeeded in encouraging newbies to sew, while also meeting the needs of experienced sewers/sewists. It's a winning combination. One of the things I appreciate most about her new book, Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones: 20 Keepsake Sewing Projects for Baby and Mom, is Amy's acknowledgments on the first page of the book, This book is dedicated to the sewing community at-large. Without your enthusiasm and spirit, the fine craft of sewing would not be as vibrant. I was really ...
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08.10.08Behind the TimesWhew! I'm still trying to catch up blog-wise since our computer crash (we lost 100+ photos through that whole mess). So, we're a bit behind the times with posting some completed projects. My mom's birthday has come and gone once again, and once again, I made her a new bag (the woman used to just have one bag and carry it until it died, so I've taken it upon myself to ensure that she has an appropriate wardrobe of bags for various occasions). Last year, it was the Amy Butler High Street Messenger Bag. This year, it's another Amy Butler pattern ...
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08.05.08Breakthrough!Not only do we have a functional computer again (Public Service Announcement: don't fill your Mac hard drive beyond 70% capacity; just ask Josh & I what happens), but I also managed to let go of some slightly obnoxious perfectionist tendencies I have with regard to sewing. Yep, on my latest project, I had a significant bobbin malfunction (it happens to the best of us, right?) and had some bobbin stitches---yes, the stitches no one really sees---go wonky. And I took a deep breath, fixed what I could, and moved on with life. And, you know what? It looked just find. Kind of ...
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07.08.08Feelin’ StitchyIn my last post, I mentioned that I'm planning on making another Burda shirt for Josh---this time with a bit of monkey embroidery... I usually farm out my embroidery needs to my mom, who's amazing, but since this is a shirt for Josh, I'm thinking that I should do it myself. To give myself a bit of practice (Mom taught me, but she's kind of, er, fanatical about stitch evenness and embroidery perfection, so I've never embraced the craft with a lot of zeal as a result), I'm doing some embroidery on an Amy Butler Lotus Dress (this is my ...
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07.06.08Fashion ForwardI finished Josh's shirt (Burda 7767) late last night (By the way, does anyone else love staying up really, really late and sewing after the world is asleep?) and am 110% thrilled with the result. It's so incredibly fashionable-looking that it could be mistaken for something from the "Rail" section of Nordstrom. And I'm not really one to speak lightly of Nordstrom, but it does have that trendy, funky style that you see in the "young men's" section there... Burda seems to model their patterns' fit on Josh, so once again, I didn't have to make and fitting adjustments. (Burda men's ...
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07.05.08Pintucked PreviewCan I just say, I am so incredibly excited about how the shirt I'm making for Josh is turning out?! Seriously, each time I make something for him I learn so much and really feel like I can justify my "Advanced" skill rating that I gave myself over on Pattern Review. This project not only has pintucks, it's got a banded collar, cuffs, sleeve bands, a narrow hem AND an interesting yoke... Anyway, I'm so thrilled out the progress I'm making I thought I'd give y'all a little preview. Oh, and I found the PERFECT buttons today when we went over ...
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06.24.08Pintucks > PleatsThis is about the only math I remember, the ">" sign, meaning "greater than." (Yes, the world breathes a sigh of relief that I was a liberal arts major and not a rocket scientist.) I cleaned up the horrific mess that was on our, er, dining table (which sees more thread, needles and fabric than plates, cutlery and food)... (I'm thinking the dire situation with our workspace may have been adding to my creative funk caused by my impending unemployment. Just maybe... I'm also thinking it would be a brilliant competition to see who could name the most items in this picture. ...
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06.20.08Not AWOLRosanne was the first of you loyal readers to notice that I haven't been posting much lately and ask what I've been up to sewing- and crafting-wise lately. Josh has certainly been making, and posting, a lot more stuff lately. But I promise, I haven't gone permanently AWOL. In fact, I started what I think will eventually be a really fabulous dress, the HotPatterns Metropolitan Coat Dress (the shorter, short-sleeved version). It's a great dress, huh? I'm making it in another fabulous fabric from Bolt---this one's a smoky blue cotton with a bit of stretch (hooray for stretch!). I think it's European, ...
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06.04.08Book Review: Alabama Stitch BookWhile at The Best Bookstore Ever (aka Powell's here in Portland) this spring, Josh spotted the beautiful Alabama Stitch Book, written by Natalie Chanin of Project Alabama fame. (Josh has a real eye for design and aesthetics, so it caught his eye because it's such an attractive book.) This is the book that inspired the purple skirt I wore to a party with some old friends last weekend. To be completely straight with you, I really bought the Alabama Stitch Book because it was "neat looking." Which it is. It is an absolutely beautifully designed book, from beginning to end. ...
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06.01.08Party OnThis weekend I went to a party for an old friend of mine (like, we went to preschool together, old friend) in celebration her graduation from medical school. I actually got to see a bunch of people that I hadn't seen in ages---including a friend of my who (thanks to Facebook) I recently found out lives down the street from me, a gal that I thought I didn't like but who actually seems pretty cool (funny how we get so much less judgmental as we, er, "mature"), my favorite high school teacher (English) and the German teacher I was terrified ...
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05.27.08Book Review PreviewThis is just a quick preview of a book review I've promised I'm going to write---the fascinating Alabama Stitch Book. I buy a lot of sewing books (and more recently lots of print making books, too), but I hate to review them until I've actually made something out of the book. Looks of books are lovely to look at (such as Amy Butler's In Stitches)---which has lots of merit as inspiration, but it takes a special one to be truly useful (such as Sew What! Skirts). In order to really know if a book is useful, I just need to ...
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05.20.08Cub ReporterKim, over at TrueUp, the stellar newish blog for the fabric-obsessed, has a guest writer for today's post---me! Needless to say, I'm thrilled to be her very first guest contributor. So, scoot on over and check out my outsider's review of the Quilt Market fabric weekend here in Portland. ~Sarah No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
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05.14.08BaggedMy fabulous Amy Butler Sophia Bag---the one that made my fingers bleed---has gotten kinda of dirty. Between taking it on the MAX, leaving it sitting on the floor of my cubicle at work and accidentally kicking it and the general wet grossness of the weather here, it's looking pretty funky. Now, I'm faced with a bit of a problem: how to clean it up. You see, it's interfaced with buckram, which can't be immersed in water because the structure (starch) will dissolve. So, I may have to (break with my hard and fast policy) and get it---gasp---dry cleaned. (I hear ...
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05.04.08SlackerThis may come as a shock to everyone, but I actually finished something for once. It's been ages, and it's not for lack of trying. I have had this pinstriped denim that I got at Bolt quite awhile ago (this fall, maybe?), but had grown way too attached to, and thus was reluctant to cut. It's the same fabric that I used for the elbow patches of my "Not Knitted Sweater." So, sort of on a whim, I decided to just go for it and make another pair of the Hot Patterns Jeanious Jeans, this time with the intention of not ...
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04.16.08Sewist’s BlockYou probably remember my Hot Patterns Jeanious Jeans that I was so gung-ho about... The ones that were looking totally awesome? Well, I finished them up, complete with the hot pink pocket and waistband lining. And some funky pink twin needling on the hem. Pretty fresh, huh? I thought so, too. And they fit great. Seriously, Hot Patterns' fit works really well for me. Anyway, I wore these jeans/trousers to work the day after I finished them. I got a number of compliments on them, including my favorite, You made those didn't you? I can tell because there's hot pink lightning bolts on the ass. I ...
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04.09.08Creative EnergyJosh's screen printing has really piqued my interest. So much so that since he made his first screen, I had this vision in my head of a tree. I couldn't quite get my head around what that tree would look like, but I had been messing around with a bunch of different ideas of trees and being slightly obsessed with looking at tree silhouettes online. Weird, I know. Anyway, I finally found the image that I was looking for---in the wonderful book Neubau Welt. This is the description of the book/CD: My house, my pool, my horse, my Learjet, my Mercedes, ...
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04.02.08Sewn House = Fun HouseAs if the Tacoma News-Tribune telling us that "sewing is the new knitting" wasn't enough, the new-found coolness of sewing is rearing its head in the latest Anthropologie Home catalog. Yep, the retailer that's so great for sewing inspiration (love their styles, hate their pricing, really hate their bizarre fitting) featured a completely stitched together "Fun House" in the pages of their latest catalog. If the Sewer ever neglected to trim his threads like Anthropologie did for this photo-shoot, he'd be in big trouble, but I guess that's artistic license for you. Actually, I just bought The Alabama Stitch Book ...
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03.23.08Not KnittedI used to knit a lot. I taught myself when I was still in college and really, really enjoyed it for a long time. However, about this time last year, I started having pain in my right index finger and wound up with tendinitis. Really, really painful tendinitis. This was shortly after I started my current job and I had a mouse set up that I wasn't used to. In fact, I hadn't used an actually computer mouse (I've used laptops with touch pads for a long time) in ages, and it seems that they don't really agree with me. ...
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02.27.08Back PocketI recently had a moment of weakness and was once again tempted by HotPatterns' sewing patterns that promise high fashion and really long legs (if you've visit the HotPatterns site, you know what I mean). I'd had my eye on a couple of their patterns for a long while (pretty much since my original HotPatterns purchase last year) and finally decided that they're never going to have another sale, and I was going to have to pay full price (long-time readers will know that this is a rare occasion indeed). These were my two picks (great restraint, just two): The "Biker ...
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02.16.08Sewing is an attitude.It's pretty bad when I've written about a project when it's in progress, but totally forget to show y'all the finished garment---oops! I guess my foray into (Simplicity's) Project Runway (patterns) wasn't that memorable. Anyway, I think the photos were, though. So, I think this sign is hilarious. I keep replacing the "Safety is an Attitude" statement on the sign with "Sewing is an Attitude: Think Before You Sew" in my head every time I look at these pictures. Advice I could certainly use sometimes. I actually kind of like this top, although I think it's because of the fabric and not ...
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02.03.08Swell DressedWhen Josh, my mom and I went on our little adventure to beautiful Washougal, Washington last month, I picked up some lovely dusty blue wool from the Pendleton Woolen Mill Store up there. For a whoppin' $1.99 a yard. Pendleton makes some incredibly soft wools, almost silky, and if you can tolerate wool, you don't even have to line garments made with their fabric, as they don't seem to use all the irritating chemicals in their wools that most manufacturers seem to love. I had it in my mind that I'd make a funky short, princess-seamed trench coat with black buttons ...
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01.24.08Mamma Mia!Or, sometimes sewing projects just don't work out for a reason... If you remember, this fall I participated in the Great Trench Coat Sew-Along on Pattern Review, and I mentioned that I had e-mailed the pattern company, Indygo Junction, and let them know that there were a few (minor) issues with the pattern that I had used. I just thought that was being helpful, letting them know that there were some issues, thinking that they'd want this information for future editions of the pattern. They were super-receptive to my input and even sent me a free pattern---the Retro Raglan Jacket---for my ...
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01.20.08Ready for the runway?Well, I guess if I really were a contestant on Project Runway, this top would be ready for the runway... Just use the glue gun on the hem (this never fails to enrage me when they do it on the show---I scream, "Put down the damn glue gun and sew your stupid hem!") and call the unfinished arms an edgy/youthful design element and I'd be ready for Heidi, Nina and Michael... I'm working on a quick project, one of Simplicity's new Project Runway-inspired patterns, this one being number 3535---a lovely top/tunic/dress thingy that's pretty much identical to a style I was ...
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01.15.08I’ve stopped whining…Because my Sophia Bag looks so awesome! Even though it resulted in a serious pin graveyard and some bleeding fingers... It was totally worth it. I covered a lot of my changes in my first entry about this bag. You remember, the post where I whined a lot. But here's the quick recap: I added some handbag feet. I chose the black plastic ones---simply because black worked with my color scheme. They don't have the satisfying click of the metal ones, but they look the way I wanted. I'm surprised Amy didn't include these in the original pattern, because this bag really benefits ...
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01.13.08No Pain, No Gain?from sarah the sewist I spent a lot of this weekend working on Amy Butler's lovely new pattern, the Sophia Bag. However, this pattern has officially kicked my ass. Or at least my fingers. Yep, that's my index finger---one of the many victims of this little project. As of this evening, I have had to stop bleeding on my fingers three times, and suffered a couple of bruised finger tips. I never knew that you finger tips could actually bruise! I believe about half of our pins are now toast as well. Yes, I'm feeling sorry for myself. No, I'm not apologizing for ...
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01.02.08Cool BlueSo it seems that the powers that be at Pantone (the folks who track color trends) have declared that the color for 2008 is "Blue Iris." You know that bluey-purple color of, well, a Japanese Iris (I'll probably embarrass the Sewer here, but I have a soft spot for that particular flower because when we were in college he used to surprise me with Japanese Irises). You can check out the color here in Pantone's news release. While it's a lovely color, I think that this may be a slight overstatement: ...Blue Iris satisfies the need for reassurance in a complex world, ...
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12.31.07Punk Poodle CoatI absolutely love my Burda World of Fashion subscription, and generally go through the routine of getting really excited about seven or so things in the magazine, then get promptly overwhelmed and let it sit and "cure" for awhile so I can get my head around what I want to make. Eventually I make some stuff... But usually not the month it comes out. When December's issue came, there were a ton of patterns that I just loved. The one I didn't really notice was that one that's not even on the web site---the faux fur jacket that they show in ...
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12.02.07Hard to give away…from sarah the sewist As we've mentioned a time or two, we're continuing to work on holiday gifts for everyone, and we're finally starting to feel like we're making some progress. I just finished the gift for Josh's stepmother. It's the Amy Butler Downtown Purse. This pattern came in the mail yesterday---thank you Lisa Lam over at the wonderful site U-Handblog. I had won her monthly bag contest awhile back (for the Amy Butler Messanger Bag I made for my mom's birthday), and had my heart set on the Amy Butler Downtown Purse pattern as my prize... Unfortunately, this particular ...
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11.24.07Rip City Raglanfrom sarah the sewist People who know me, usually know at least this one thing about me---I am a tried and true, dyed-in-the-wool, unwavering Portland Trail Blazers basketball fan. It's a bit embarrassing, because I think that I'm a fairly interesting person with a variety of things that I do and am interested in, but I have actually had someone (my boss, which makes it even worse) introduce me to someone else like this, "I'd like to introduce you to Sarah. She's a huge Trail Blazers fan." No, this didn't make sense in the context of the conversation. So anyway, I've ...
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11.18.07Unzippedfrom sarah the sewist Sometimes things go wrong and you just want to give up. Generally, in sewing, given that it's not really a life and death sort of thing, that's the path I choose. In fact, I have been known to give my husband a pep talk or two about how it's okay to just stop a project that is just not working. He is yet to take my advice, but he hasn't been sewing that long. When I got my August issue of Burda World of Fashion, I was excited about the nice-looking pair of jeans in this ...
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11.13.07A Sewer-Sewist Holiday Gift Guide, Part 1Despite the continued pressures of “buying stuff” we love the holiday season and love giving gifts (and the Sewer loves to get them---lots of childhood issues, that one). In the spirit of the season, we decided to put together a gift guide to handmade or unique gifts. Some of these are Portland-centric, but they’re certainly a great excuse to visit our fabulous city (aside from the lack of a sales tax and not pumping your own gas)---some of these may seem odd for a sewing blog, but we believe in supporting the unique and creative whenever possible. Besides, we know ...
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10.23.07Pretty in Plaidfrom sarah the sewist We've been pretty lazy with our blogging lately... I guess the annoying combination of our digital camera going a bit wonky and the shift key on the laptop not functioning has taken its toll. Nevertheless, sewing has continued. In addition to the Christmas sewing we've been doing, Josh and I both finished up some clothing projects. Awhile back I got this Built by Wendy pattern at one of the Despot's $2 Simplicity pattern sales. I thought that the top pattern would be a handy one to have, especially for cheapo summer tops and the like. However, after making ...
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10.15.07Book Review: The Collection by Gioia Dilibertofrom sarah the sewist Taking a brief break from our regular programming here at Sewer-Sewist… If you're in need of a good read, but don’t want to break away from the sewing completely, take a look at The Collection by Gioia Diliberto. There aren’t a lot of books around that actually feature sewing as a plot device. (In fact, if you can think of any, particularly any that are actually good, let us know, and we'll compile a list.) Not only is sewing central to the plot, it’s truly the catalyst for the story, with the first line in the book being, ...
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10.01.07If it were raining on the moon…from sarah the sewist And I were an astronaut stuck in that lunar rainstorm, I'd have just the thing to wear. You may remember a few months ago that Josh and I scored a serious haul of fabric from Rose City Textiles that was rather eclectic. Basically, it was a bunch of random, slightly sporty stuff that was only a buck a yard. Among that was some lovely satin waterproof stuff of unknown fiber content---I can guarantee that there's absolutely nothing natural. Anyway, I got about eight yards each of brown and blue. The brown is super-classy; the blue, not so much. Anyway, ...
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09.26.07Out of the Trenchesfrom sarah the sewist My Indygo Junction Trench Topper that I was sewing as part of the Great Trench Coat Sew-a-long on Pattern Review is finished and I broke it in by wearing it to work today. I was a little uncomfortable with it just because it's a lot louder than most of my wardrobe, but it worked with dark jeans, a white collared blouse and my black cowboy boots. Someone even told me that it gave off a "vintage cool vibe," which sounds good to me. Not to mention, Josh and I went out to The Screen Door (yum!) for ...
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09.24.07In the Trenches, Part 2from sarah the sewist I'm making good progress on the Indygo Junction Trench Topper that I'm sewing as part of the Trench Coat Sew Along on Pattern Review. It's been fun being motivated by knowing that others are working on similar projects at the same time (and I feel a bit of extra pressure for it to look extra-fabulous); however, this project has had some silly problems. First, the ones that are beyond my control: the sleeve markings are screwy on this trench coat---basically, there's no way to tell which side of the sleeve is the front and which is the back; ...
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09.18.07In the Trenchesfrom sarah the sewist The Pattern Review Great Trench Coat Sew Along has proved just the motivator for me to start planning and working on some fall jacket projects. I'm working on the Indygo Junction Trench Topper in view 1, which is a lovely, princess-seamed (woo-hoo! my fave--I love princess seams!) trench coat. I'm creating a light weight cotton jacket that should serve me well this fall---particularly in my insanely cold office building (my fingers literally turned blue one day and I thought I was having some sort of circulation episode, but it was actually the a/c---I wish I was joking). The ...
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09.13.07Another Burda WoF Skirtfrom sarah the sewist Between my Burda World of Fashion magazine subscription and my Sew What! Skirts book, I will never, ever have to purchase a skirt pattern again. This is a good thing, 'cause I'm cheap and skirt patterns always seem like a waste of money, since I'm probably not going to make a bunch of the same skirt. Pants, yes. Skirts, no. This is the most recent skirt I've made thanks to Burda WoF. This is from their current "Plus" Fashion magazine (see minor rant on their "plus"designation here). It's sort of view "A" and sort of view "B" of ...
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09.05.07Intern’s OttomanThe ottoman for the Best Intern Ever (we wrote about this project on Labor Day) is done. She said she wanted something black, gray and brown, and this Nigella slate imperial fans fit the bill perfectly. This is the fourth Amy Butler Gum Drop Pillow that we've made, so it came together in no time, and was truly a joint effort. We both cut and sewed this one, worked together in the stuffing. Just like the others that we wrote about here and here, this looks great and took a lot of stuffing. Unlike the others, we used some smarts (thanks ...
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09.02.07Very Green Bagfrom sarah the sewist (This is one of those projects that is so not my style. But I know the recipient will love it. The shape of this bag is fabulous, but the fabric... It's just so green. I hate green. And the frogs. For some reason, I have no problem with banana seat bikes, garden gnomes or goldfish on my clothes and accessories, but frogs? Not my thing) I saw this froggy fabric from Heather Ross' new collection for Free Spirit and I new that I just had to make something for my friend (also) Sarah who loves all things green, ...
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08.24.07Love itfrom sarah the sewist I finished the Hot Patterns Plain & Simple Princess Shirt this evening. I can honestly say, I have never, ever been so happy with a blouse pattern. I can really see myself making this one over and over again. I had some issues that I talked about here. But, they were really my own screwy assumptions getting in my way, and once I sorted stuff out, it really made sense and came together. Other boo-boos that were really my own fault---in the battle with the collar, I spaced turning the raw edges of the collar under and ...
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08.19.07Perfect Princess?from sarah the sewist I'm nearing the home stretch on a shirt that may very well be an almost perfect dress shirt (for me). About a month or so ago I sucked it up and bought three Hot Patterns patterns that I'd had my eye on---this was during their buy 2, get 1 free deal. I chose three that I thought would be very good basic wardrobe pieces: Plain & Simple Princess Shirt, Classix Nouveaux Raxor Sharp Pants and the Deco Vibe Cocoon Coat. They're each from a different one of Hot Patterns' (very cleverly-named) lines---so I could get a feeling of ...
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08.09.07No So Charmingfrom sarah the sewist I should have quit while I was ahead. Last weekend I picked up the Betsy Ross Patterns' "Charmed Dress" pattern. It's not really anything that unusual or special, but it seemed like a nice, classic style dress produced by an independent pattern company. I regularly read the designer/owner's blog and really like supporting the independent companies, so I'd wanted to try one of her patterns. This should have been my first clue that this simple, straightforward dress wasn't meant to be. If you could see my face in the photo, you would notice that I'm absolutely perplexed. The pattern pieces ...
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08.07.07A Firstfrom sarah the sewist Since Josh is working on a pretty complicated, involved project at the moment (more on that when he's done), I decided to start (and finish) a simple project... You know, to create some balance in the sewer-sewist sewing world. During the Fabric Depot 30% off sale (which seems to have been running perpetually lately), I picked up the Amy Butler pattern for the Gum Drop Pillows. These things are basically HUGE octagonal puffs. Oddly, this is the first home decorator item I've made in twenty-odd years of sewing. I've racked my brain and I don't think that ...
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08.06.07New Fabricfrom sarah the sewist One pink, one brown. Both Robert Kaufman stretch "Vera" sateen. Had a plan for these, but reconsidering said plan. For some reason pants and a shirt just don't seem interesting enough. Lots of projects to go before I have to commit either of these to a pattern. Both were procured this weekend at Bolt. They also had red. The red was pretty awesome. Related posts:I’m Still Sewing, I Swear! I haven’t written a whole lot about sewing projects I’ve...Support Independent Fabric Shops – Check Out Project 95 I’ve been very fortunate to begin working with The...Comeback Covered Button ...
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08.04.07Two Buck Skirtfrom sarah the sewist Saturday morning I finished (after having started Friday night) what I call my "Organic Yoga Skirt," but what Josh calls "Two-Buck (Not Chuck) Skirt." Which is, of course, way funnier than anything I could name an article of clothing. The fabric is from our Sport Fabric Haul at Rose City Textiles, the smoky blue organic cotton knit that's identical to my favorite JJill sweatshirt. It only took about a yard and a quarter to make this skirt---so I'm thinking I'm going to have a lot of smoky blue in my wardrobe. We have a lot of this stuff. ...
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07.30.07BOOK REVIEW: Sew What! Skirtsfrom sarah the sewist A few months back, I had tendonitis in my right index finger and basically couldn’t do a whole lot involving my hands---including sewing, knitting, opening doors, that sort of thing. Around that time, to compensate for the fact that I was totally and completely bored, I went on a book-buying binge. One of those books has been some fun inspiration and helped me indulge my love of oh-too-cute cotton prints. That book is Sew What! Skirts, which is, as the title indicates, a book of skirt styles that you can create using different techniques that result in a unique ...
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07.27.07Bag Ladyfrom sarah the sewist I've been on a mild bag-making spree, and Josh is proving to be a very valuable adviser in creating extremely cool messenger bags, one for me and one for my mom for her birthday. First, my Will the Wolf Survive? messenger bag: Now maybe the fabric designer wasn't inspired by the Los Lobos song, but it's been on Josh's playlist (you know, the one in his head that he sings out loud since we're the last Gen-Xers in America that don't have an iPod) ever since I bought this fabric.This is one of the the most wonderful fabrics ever, ...
