weekend links

Hello friends!

Have I already told you that S has chosen to play the tuba for music class this year? Let’s just take a moment to give thanks for music teachers all over the world, shall we? Bless them and their ears. I didn’t get permission to post a video S and her tuba-playing friend took during class this week, but I can tell you when I watched it I laughed until I cried! They’re having fun, at least.

Pinterest Picks

I’m so excited that you voted for the Hollywood Trousers as our first fall sew-along, October 22-24! It might even give me an excuse to sew them in white wool like I’ve been wanting. I’ll check in soon with some helpful tips regarding sizing to get you started, OK?

I know Halloween is just around the corner, but who’s thinking about Christmas and holiday sewing? Three words: Fairy Tale Dress. I love the lace overlay on the dress, below left, although the dress pattern itself with no changes is pretty cute if I do say so myself, as evidenced by the dress on the right. S and I might do a slight modification to this style for her this year, making use of a beautiful red wool plaid in my stash.

For many of us in the northern hemisphere autumn means cozy jackets and knits. Here are two images that are inspiring me. Wouldn’t it be fun to sew the Lisette for Butterick B6464 jacket and hand quilt it? And I just loved Rachel’s sleeve-tied dress tutorial the other day.

Two more kids ideas: the Building Block Dress book would lend itself very nicely to the dress below, left, wouldn’t it? And I want to sew a Lunch Box Tee with a kitty that can put its hands into the pockets! Wouldn’t that be cute?

Weekend Reading

• The Met just announced that the big fashion exhibit for next year will be camp. Sounds like fun, which is something we’ve certainly been missing in fashion lately.
• Do you find yourself fighting perfectionism when you sew? Obviously we shouldn’t avoid hobbies because of the stress to be perfect, but it’s always good to strive to improve, right?
• How do we break the fashion fashion habit and embrace sustainability? This article has a few good tips, I think. (I’m constantly surprised at how many people don’t know about the effect fast fashion has on our environment. Maybe you can consider sharing this with a friend or two?)
• The trends for this year’s fashion week (actually, month) weren’t very compelling in my opinion.
• It’s finally starting to feel cool and autumn-y in Madrid, so Broccoli Cheddar Soup this weekend, maybe?
• Followed by Apple Cake if I get really ambitious. We have a huge kitchen in our new apartment and it’s a real pleasure to cook, especially on weekend when we can cook together. (Our kitchen in NYC was quite small, with just a tiny counter, so I’m not taking anything for granted.)
• S and I walked into a Spanish clothing store the other day to see what it was all about and there, front and center, was a sweatshirt that said Madison, Wisconsin on it. (I’m from Madison, so this felt really weird.) Have you noticed the collegiate trend in stores lately? There’s a reason for it.
• This article on obesity is on the longer side but very worth the time to read.
• We took some visiting friends to this sherry bar last week and had such a good time with them! Classic Madrid. I’ll meet you there when you come to visit, OK?

Don’t go too far away because next week we have a whole bunch of things planned for you, including several versions of the new Neighborhood Sweatshirt + Hoodie. You’re going to love them! Have a great weekend. I’ll be thinking of you while I’m sitting in front of the sewing machine, hoping you are doing the same.