Michael Models His Liberty Shirt!

Michael's shirt is finished and you can see it on the man himself here!

Maybe it's the warmer winter weather we're experiencing, but I find myself drawn to spring-like pastels these days.  Or maybe it's just because I'm realizing these more muted shades can be very flattering to gray (or graying) hair....

Anyway, I'm very happy with the shirt and so is Michael.

Increasingly this is looking less and less like the winter of neoprene (for better or for worse).

Have a great day, everybody!

First Garment of the New Year!

Happy New Year, everybody!

Peter's Holiday Hijinks + Another Tunic Shirt!

The last week of the year means festivities, friends, family, and sewing fun!

A beautiful knit shirt and I didn't make it!

With the exception of fabric, I don't get offered a lot of freebies.

But I did get an offer recently that sounded interesting.  A company called The Uniform asked if I'd like to sample a shirt they manufacture -- a white knit shirt styled exactly like -- and potentially a substitute for -- a formal men's dress shirt.  I said, sure!

Sewing For Money + Flea Market Finds

Behold my latest shirt, made for a male client.  I love this plaid fabric, which my client actually purchased himself and brought to me, unusual in my business thus far.

The Completed Color-blocked Corduroy Shirt!

The corduroy shirt is finished!

Adventures in Normcore: The Color-blocked Corduroy Shirt

I'm guessing that most of you are familiar with the term "normcore" which, when applied to fashion, basically means ordinary, boring style.  (You can read more about normcore here.)

A Second Stab at the Self-Drafted Blouse (for my Patternmaking class)

OK, so yesterday I swung by the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where I'm taking a patternmaking class, since my Professor holds office hours on Sundays.

Lessons Learned Sewing My First Silk Blouse or "Never trace darts with red carbon paper"

Roughly three years ago, at the Chelsea flea market, I impulsively purchased three yards of lightweight silk taffeta in a gold, beige, and black plaid, at a very good price.

My First African Wax Print Garment!

Monday afternoon I was heading uptown to a meeting and, with half an hour to spare, decided to pop into the hit-or-miss fabric store "It's a Material World" on 39th Street in the Garment District. 

NAME THAT PATTERN - Ho Ho Ho Edition!

Dear readers, it's hard to believe that it's jingle-bell time already -- weren't we just carving pumpkins?

Unusual Black Fabric Project + A New Vintage Sewing Machine!

I've just finished sewing a tunic-style shirt for a male client who wears mainly black (or dark gray) but wanted something a little unusual too.

Peter Models the Black Denim Jacket!

It's finished!

You can see me model my black denim jacket here.

Irons vs. Garment Steamers

Readers, when it comes to sewing tools, I'm pretty old-school.

The Impromptu Black Denim Jacket Project

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that two weeks ago I tried on a very cute Comme des Garcons jacket at Dover Street Market and decided to make something (somewhat) similar.
Here's the jacket.