Hi! I reviewed the Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater on Pattern Review. (I’m @csews on PR.) I also blogged about making a reversible Toaster Sweater on my blog and as a guest blogger for Britex Fabrics here. Here’s my pattern review of the Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater… Pattern Description: High-necked sweater with two versions. I made version […]
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Sewing plans for 2017 – updated
Hi! In December I wrote about some of my sewing plans for the new year. Well, plans are always subject to change, right? So far I’ve made two garments in 2017 – a new Chardon skirt (Deer and Doe sewing pattern, not on my list) … … and a Toaster Sweater (on my list). I […]

Making a reversible Toaster Sweater
Hi, I wrote a guest blog post for Britex Fabrics about making a pattern reversible using a double-sided ponte knit fabric. This is an expanded version of that post with a few more photos. I made a reversible Toaster Sweater, version 1. In my Britex post, the photos of the completed top weren’t very good […]

My adjustable-waist skirt – Deer and Doe Chardon
Hi! I’ve made four skirts using the Chardon skirt pattern by French company Deer and Doe: two with a contrast bottom band (a black-and-white Chardon, a linen version) as well as a maxi and knee-length version. This high-waisted skirt has inverted box pleats, which are great for wide hips. You can just cut the size for your waist and not worry […]

StyleArc and Papercut Patterns – two indie sewing patterns
Hi, it was my birthday earlier this month so in January I told my sisters about some international patterns I liked. And my sisters are like my fairy godmothers – they granted my wishes! I got the StyleArc Juliet Woven Shirt, which I have been eying, along with the Imogen Knit Skirt, a free pattern for January. […]

Big Four sewing patterns – a look at spring possibilities
Hi! I’ve been pinning a lot of early spring fashion photos on my @csews Pinterest board “Sewing Inspiration.” Then I waited to see what was in store for Big Four sewing patterns – the Big Four being Butterick, McCalls, Simplicity and Vogue. I meant to post about it last week but went off-topic and wrote […]

The Statue of Liberty is America
Hi, I was going to post about some spring pattern releases but I can’t get Donald Trump’s recent executive order on immigration out of my mind. So that’s why the Statue of Liberty is the focus of this post. Trump’s order limits immigration from seven Muslim countries – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. […]

Clothes moths – and how I (mostly) got rid of them
Last spring my bedroom was infested by clothes moths. I’d never seen so many moths at once. One day dozens of them were just flying around the bedroom! I was shocked. All I could think was, oh, no! what about my wool fabric! My vintage hats! My silk fabric that I’ve been saving for the right […]

More flight attendant uniforms – and astronauts!
I decided to write another post about the Fashion in Flight exhibit on the history of flight attendant uniforms that was on display at the San Francisco International Airport – note the past tense – was. The exhibit closed last Sunday. I feel bad that I didn’t get around to blogging about it until the week before […]

SeamstressTag – Getting to know me
A few weeks ago, Stefanie of Sea of Teal tagged me to participate in #SeamstressTag – a way for other sewists to get to know one another. I’ve been following Stef on Instagram (@seaofteal) for a while now. I enjoy seeing what she makes as well as the beautiful photos of nature and sunsets. And […]

Fashion in Flight at SFO – a history of airline uniforms
The exhibit “Fashion in Flight: A History of Airline Uniform Design,” is currently on display at the SFO Museum in the international terminal of San Francisco International Airport until Sunday, January 8 (go to Departures, Level 3, pre-security). If you live in the Bay Area, it’s worth a trip to the airport to see this free […]

2017 Make Nine – sewing plans for the new year
I don’t usually plan what I’m going to make for the year but I have bought many patterns over the past year, not to mention the scores of patterns that are already in my collection. So I decided to make a list of my #2017MakeNine, which was started by Rochelle of Lucky Lucille last year […]