Hello friends!
Happy day-after-Valentine’s Day, and happy birthday to my Mom (who I’m pretty sure doesn’t read this blog). I celebrated my own (big) birthday earlier this week, and now I get to claim membership in the ultra-exclusive Old People Club, lucky me!
Meanwhile, last week was so busy I completely forgot to post our usual weekend links so here they are, a week late. I’m in the middle of sewing samples for our spring patterns, doing fittings, and taking photos for the accompanying sew-alongs. It’s not easy when you’ve got two cats “helping” you, let me tell you! It feels a lot like the zoo-keeper in this video. You get one cat out of the way, smooth the wrinkles and arrange the photo, and suddenly the other cat is in your photo frame….
Pinterest Picks
I have a favorite set of Dansk mugs, and one of them cracked many years ago. I’ve been using it as a pencil holder on my desk, but S and I messed around with gold mica powder and ceramic epoxy and tried a little kintsugi the other day and it looks pretty good! I’d like to do it again with a softer gold-colored mica powder (the one I ordered is a bit too copper-y) but it’s relatively easy to do. I hope that, with a little practice, we’ll achieve something similar to these beautiful bowls.
I always start thinking about lighter, less fitted layers when spring approaches, and our Weekend Getaway Blouse and Dress pattern is a nice option for warmer weather. Here are a few of my favorites, sewn by some of you.
I came across these two lovely fabrics while on-line shopping the other day and saved them because they would be gorgeous options for the upcoming Neighborhood Hoodie and Sweatshirt sew-along. We’ll talk more about that on Monday.
Happy belated Valentine’s Day if I haven’t wished it to you already! Also, how fun is this button dispenser?
I love the little details in clothing, and this Claire McCardell pocket is tempting to try with that little clasp pocket. I looked at the various hardware options at the trim store the other day, but didn’t love any of them. Also, even if you’re not going to spend the time hand-beading shirt cuffs like this one, what about using a scrap of contrast or fancy fabric for your Classic Shirt or Recital Shirt? I have some leftover tie silk I might try. I also have some kimono scraps a friend gave me that I think would be lovely.
How about a color-blocked Lazy Days Skirt, or an Everyday Skirt if you’re a grown-up? And you already know how easy it would be to draft and sew a sailor collar with our Building Block Dress book. I love it sewn in these minimalist neutral colors–much less traditional and more Japanese in its approach, I think.
Weekend Reading (and Listening)
- Apparently the BBC has a book of the week. The current book happens to be about sewing and embroidery! Listen here to Threads of Life by Clare Hunter.
- Do you want to treat yourself to something? I love these tips to help you choose wisely.
- I think this is such a good idea. I’d totally pay a little extra for a re-usable package, especially if it looked nice.
- After we discussed trends the other day I enjoyed reading Vogue’s thoughts on incorporating tie dye into your wardrobe this summer.
- We’re in the process of developing more sizes for our Liesl + Co. patterns and hope to release a few of them soon. I love the idea of being more size-inclusive, but it begs the question: how should we distinguish between the two size ranges? I’d rather not call them plus size. Thoughts?
- This is encouraging from a sustainability perspective.
- Want a quick and entertaining review of New York Fashion Week? Here it is.
- It’s great to see more designers emerging from places that aren’t New York, Milan, London, and Paris, like this designer from Senegal who is drawing from her culture and traditions but putting her own spin on them.
- She did have an extraordinary life. RIP, Florence Knoll Bassett.
- If you’re in New York, go see the Frida Kahlo exhibit!
OK? I hope you’re sewing something wonderful this weekend and, in the meantime, planning out your projects for our upcoming sew-alongs! I’ll be back on Monday to talk about the Neighborhood Hoodie and offer you some thoughts and ideas about fabric, sizing, and other random bits. Have a great weekend!