Liesl is busy working on the fall patterns, so she hasn’t been able to pull together her usual Friday roundup of links and inspirational images. But don’t despair! We have a special guest contributor for today’s weekending reading post. Our Liesl + Co. Advisors Circle member Erica recently shared a post on teaching her daughter to sew with Girl on the Go. She is here now with her recommendations for the weekend.
Hello, friends of Liesl!
As a member of the Advisors Circle, I am honored to be able to provide this installment of Weekend Links! As Liesl hunkers down on designing fall patterns for us, my mind is still on planning my spring and summer.
Weekend Pictures
In my home in urban Toronto, spring means we are in the shoulder season of obtaining locally grown, small farm vegetables. I’m running low on tolerance for my kids’ groans over yet another dinner of lentil and squash soup with crusty bread (first world problems…), as our supply of winter root vegetables dwindles. Meanwhile, they are thrilled to see broccoli from the supermarket (shipped from across the globe) on the dinner table. I’m eagerly anticipating the colorful weekly baskets from our favorite local farmer this summer.
Has anyone tried putting gathered flared sleeves on a Playtime Dress/Tunic or School Bus T-shirt, yet? While there isn’t exactly a sleeve like this in the Building Block Book, I’m sure I will work it out from other sleeve tutorials in there. In the meantime, I’m confident I can enlarge Liesl’s bow hair tie pattern for this decorative treatment.
I question if I have enough patience to needlepoint an entire headboard, but I think my younger son would like this one. I love the star outlines.
My elder son asked me the other day when I would be “done” sewing. I explained to him that I’m never done, and that I sew for fun just like he builds LEGO vehicles for fun. He then asked if he could sew with me, too. He does not have much interest in clothes, so I’m starting to collect ideas of sewing projects (like Liesl’s “go fishing” project) he can do beside me. Summer break is just around the corner, after all! His older sister is always ready to tackle a craft project. Maybe some origami hair clips?
Weekend Reading
- I get too much joy from seeing everyone’s sewing creations to quit Facebook, but I did spend a few minutes looking into my privacy settings after reading this.
- Did you ever wonder why boy’s buttons are on the right side and girl’s on the left? The answer is buried in this recent essay on “frock consciousness.” I had never thought before about the empowerment of a pullover.
- One review of Paris Fashion Week last month.
- I think I like to sew for the same reasons I like to cook. Unlike parenting or my professional work, where there is no defined end, there is gratification in completing a sewing project (or meal) from scratch. But, my usually supportive husband sometimes expresses disbelief at my economically inefficient use of time. Why not order-in dinner? Why not just purchase a dress instead of make one? Here is one response.
- Is your sewing space cluttered or clear? I try to maintain the ideal of a clear work space, but during my most productive states, I find I am surrounded in clutter.
- I’m an advocate of avoiding trends, but this one dates back centuries, so is it really a trend?
- Next week, my friend will be discussing her new book, Fashion in European Art, to a sold-out crowd at FIT. Congratulations, Justine, on your publication!
I hope you have sewing projects planned for this weekend! I, myself, will not be doing any sewing this weekend, although I finished a few projects in anticipation of the weekend. I’ll be celebrating my cousin’s wedding as she courageously and joyously blends two families together. I am so happy she has found love again.
Thanks for that PFW review! I saw a row break out on Instagram recently about whether corsets are unfairly maligned and were/are(!?) actually perfectly comfortable…
Interesting choiche of articles. Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to write this post (one my favourites always!) including links to some fabulous articles. Loved that article on fashion, feminism, Virginia Wolf (and several others too) and what clothing means to women throughout the ages.
As a farmer, I hate women’s fashion trends. Yes, I have had to send young women home to put on something that looks like a shoe. And yes, young women have arrived just wearing a corset and jeans. Sorry, not enough sun coverage. Go find a t shirt.
I sew for myself, simply because it’s so hard to find clothes for women who “work in non-office situations”. My costume of choice looks like Japanese field clothes. I’ve eliminated buttons and ties as they catch on things. There’s nothing worse than stalking down a row with a basket of carrots to be whip snaggled by a berry vine and then you find yourself sitting on your rump covered with carrots.
I often go to SF for embroidery classes. I have to take a train, a bus, and walk about 1/2 mile. I never buy shoes that I can’t make that hike in.
I recently made a stroll cape. I needed something water resistant that I could fling on to throw frost covers over tomatoes and snatch seedlings from deluge. The field crew are calling it my barn cape. I of course had to ditch the fancy trims. Sewing and veges go to together. Neither is convenient. Both are zen, enlightening and useful. And yes, my buttons are on the wrong side and have been so for years. I was making matchy matchy shirts for a silly event and that’s when I discovered the whole sexist button thing. I make all mine on the “wrong” side, in 30 years, no one has noticed. So, thanks for the articles.