Hello friends!
It’s been so nice to have a little vacation! We’re really enjoying south-western France. I especially like Bordeaux and Bayonne, both of which are quite charming with lots of beautiful architecture. Here are a few photos of Bayonne, which was really quiet the day we visited. It probably isn’t like this in the summer!
Pinterest Picks
Masterful (and daring) print mixing. Not for the faint of heart.
Some fun-looking mending techniques to add a little color and excitement to clothing in need of some love.
Fueling me this week in France: ice cream, crepes, and good wine.
The cuff below, left, reminds me a little of the cuff detail on our Liesl + Co Gallery Dress + Tunic. Do you know you could make a similar top to the one below, right, using our Liesl + Co Bento Tee or Maritime Tee or, for girls, our Oliver + S Lunch Box Tee for girls? In fact, stay tuned for a tutorial on this one.
This week’s kids’ inspiration is somewhat French in feeling, I think. You could sew a similar style to the skirt and top below, left, using double gauze for a Swingset Skirt and a knit Lunch Box Tee. And the red bow totally makes the outfit below, right.
Weekend Links
I have only a few links for you this week because I’ve been mostly reading books, but here are a few things that have caught my interest lately:
- Who knew Georgia O’Keefe was such a talented seamstress?
- This story just cracked me up. And made me a little hungry!
- I can’t say I had ever heard of a boomwhacker before I saw this video, but these guys are clearly masters at playing them!
- Has anyone tried this sewing machine foot? I looks like it could be really handy!
And next week we’re planning all sorts of fun posts for you! I can hardly wait to show you the skirt I made, and we’ll have another favorite Lisette pattern as well as some of your sewing as well. See you then, and have a wonderful weekend!
Yep, I have that very binding foot (much cheaper than the branded version for my machine and I suspect they’re actually identical). It’s not completely foolproof but it does make it possible to sew binding on in one pass. I haven’t come up with a good strategy for turning corners yet, though – please buy one and figure it out for me!!
Interesting! Can you stop stitching at a 45 degree angle to the corner and then fold the fabric to start stitching the next side? You’d have to re-start for each edge of a quilt, but it seems like it would make sense… I’ll see if I can locate one and let you know what happens.
Just ordered the binding foot, figure it will work either on my Brother or Singer. It will make attaching binding easier and much better looking – I attach it by machine, turn and hand stitch it because doing it all by machine now is really, really ugly. Can’t wait to fool with it!
I too have that binding foot. It works pretty well with heavier weight or stiff fabrics, sewing on a straight edge. It’s difficult to accurately feed soft or lightweight fabrics through the foot. I admit that I don’t use the foot often. And again, those pesky corners. Additionally, the selling price on that website seems high – I think you could fine it elsewhere cheaper, and with international shipping.
That makes a lot of sense, Amy. Thanks for the feedback!
Thanks for the link to the PB&J story. Interesting and amusing. And as someone who doesn’t eat any grain or sugar, I am now jonesing for one 😉
Right? Same here. I haven’t had PB&J in ages, but once you get the idea in your mind…
I found Biarritz to feel much more French while Bayonne seemed more Basque like a town below the Spanish border. Funny , I saw that J Crew top and thought the same thing about using the Bento!
I loved Biarritz and was surprised that it hasn’t been completely taken over by tacky souvenir shops the way so many beach resorts have been. We had some really good meals, found a few great bakeries, and loved the market there.
Thanks for the link to the interesting article about Georgia O’Keefe. I ordered the foot on Amazon since I had a gift card. Here’s hoping it’s a quality item.
Oh yes, the book! I should put it on my wish list. Let me know what you think when it arrives, ok?
My musical claim to fame is having played the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy onstage with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Admittedly I was playing only one note, on a boomwhacker. …And it was a concert for kindergarten kids that involved some teacher/mum participation. Still…. Boomwhacker!
I wish I could have seen that! Great story!