weekend links

Hello friends!

Have I ever shown you the necklace I inherited from my Grandma? She gave it to me before she passed away last year, and it means so much to me because it was her signature piece. She wore it with everything, so when I think of her I think of her necklace. And when I wear the necklace I think of her. I know it meant a lot to her, just as it does to me. She purchased it with a dear friend of hers (who also became a dear friend of mine); it’s a reproduction of an antique with a lovely chain and a grouping of opals on the slide. At the bottom is my great-grandfather’s watch fob with his initials engraved. Grandma adored her father, so when I wear her necklace I feel connected to my grandma and to my entire family. It’s nice to have, especially now that now that I live so far away. I was thinking about the necklace this week as I shopped for vintage jewelry to replace my wedding ring. I’ve found a trio of rings I plan to wear together, and I think they’ll look nice with my grandma’s necklace. I’m finding my own signature pieces to wear with the one that I inherited. I hope that, together, they’ll become my signature as well.

Pinterest Picks

I think I’ve posted one of these photos before, but I love both of these shirts as inspiration for our Liesl + Co. Classic Shirt ideas. I just happened to find a really great fabric on the sale rack the other day that would work well for this style, so I might give this a try! (Why is it always when you don’t have time to sew that you find the perfect fabric?)

I’m sewing a dress for S right now, and I should have used the Liesl + Co. Terrace Dress because it was really close to what she wanted. Instead, I’m altering my Creativebug caftan. But speaking of the caftan, it would be terrific for this gorgeous summery top, wouldn’t it?

Bonnie Cashin’s designs were so timeless, aren’t they? Both of these would be perfectly suitable for today.

It’s been a big food week at our house; I’ve been cooking for a few special events, and when S saw these sandwich wraps she specially requested them. They’re so easy, we’re bringing them to a picnic on Sunday! Plus: ice cream!

What’s in bloom around you? I’m mostly a grower of herbs, but the peony images that keep popping up on social media are prompting floral thoughts. So pretty!

Rachel mentioned to me that these pins have been really popular on our Pinterest boards, so I thought I’d highlight them here. Cute ideas, right? The Liberty bias-trimmed pocket edge is a clever detail, and that sailor tie could be sewn with the Building Block Dress, also adorable in a Liberty lawn.

Weekend Reading

• Oh, where to begin? I know the royal wedding is long over and has been talked about at length, but those dresses! I thought Meghan’s dresses were absolutely stunning–both of them–and Amal Clooney looked stunning as well. Here’s a little background on the wedding dress. And can we talk about the service itself? I loved it.
• Amazing. Dyeing fabric with snails in Oaxaca.
• Who knew that Oscar de la Renta helped to make Ikat popular?
• Here’s a fascinating job: a fashion psychologist.
• Now that we live in Madrid’s La Latina neighborhood we’re really close to El Rastro. A good friend gave me a full tour a year or two ago, complete with history and a focus on textile and sewing-oriented shops, but I’m excited to go back and check out a few more places thanks to this post.
• We’ve already talked about this, but the New York Times noticed all those quilts in fashion too.
• I miss the New York City Ballet so much. This piece about Justin Peck is making me miss it all the more!
• Here’s a lovely profile of Maira Kalman, whose work I adore.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Will you be joining us for the Oliver + S Cartwheel Wrap Dress sew-along next week? I hope so! It’s going to be a lot of fun.