Sep 30, 2013

The Return of the Daily Ditch or "Get it OUT"



Friends, I know it may seem strange to follow a post about finding treasures in the trash with one about tackling my increasingly overwhelming clutter, but so be it.

Sep 27, 2013

Friday Button Bonanza!



Friends, surely you know by now that I have few qualms about reclaiming others' trash -- provided it looks and smells clean of course!

Sep 26, 2013

Houndstooth in the House -- modeled today at Mood!



You already know I'm a fan of houndstooth, but when are they going to name a pattern after chihuahua teeth?

I'm excited to announce that today you can see how (all) my houndstooth knit projects turned out over on the Mood Sewing Network -- just click here.

Sep 25, 2013

Peter's Paris Original + More Knit Project Planning



Readers, have you ever seen Charade (1963) starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant?

Sep 24, 2013

How to Make a Dog Coat in "Ruffly" an Hour



The houndstooth sweater knit adventures continue -- now for actual hounds!   (I mean chihuahuas.)

Sep 23, 2013

The Dirndl -- YEA or NAY?



Readers, as September winds down, I know many of you are eagerly anticipating Oktoberfest, the 16-day German beer festival that is celebrated in many parts of the world -- I am!

But to be honest, that's not what got me thinking about dirndls today.

Sep 19, 2013

The Vest Is Yet To Come!



Today I made Michael his houndstooth wool knit vest.

Sep 18, 2013

Sep 17, 2013

Testing My Knits + FAKE FUR UPDATE!



No doubt some of you are eager to find out what became of the fake fur throw I bought at the Salvation Army last week but was hesitant to use for fear of bed bugs.

Sep 16, 2013

Monday Knit Picking



Feeling considerably better today, I decided to head uptown and get fabric for my next Mood project, most likely a knit sweater.

Sep 15, 2013

Draping the Blues Away



Readers, I've been battling a cold for the last few days and, as a result, feeling glum, and I needed to do something to lift my spirits today, so I decided to play.

Sep 12, 2013

MPB Book Review! DRAPING: THE COMPLETE COURSE



Readers, do you believe in synchronicity?

If not, how do you explain how it is that the very summer I purchase not one, but two body forms so I can learn draping, Laurence King Publishing releases a brand new, 320-page book entitled "Draping: The Complete Course" authored by Karolyn Kiisel?

Sep 11, 2013

The Subject Was Bed Bugs



A quandary, friends.

Yesterday at the Salvation Army I found a very luxurious-looking fake fur throw, fully lined with cotton twill and measuring approximately 60" x 60".  The price was just $5.99 so I bought it.

Sep 10, 2013

FABULOUS SEWING BOOK ALERT!



Friends, it has been a long time since I wrote about a sewing book (seven months) but don't think I haven't been accumulating sewing books -- I have; I just haven't gotten around to writing about them.  But I recently acquired a book, "Decorative Dressmaking" by Sue Thompson (Rodale Press, 1985), that I had to tell you about.

Sep 9, 2013

Experimenting with Terrycloth Knit (with a-meh-zing results)



Today I experimented with Simplicity 9993, the vintage (Seventies?) men's knit pullover pattern I was thinking of using for a sweater knit project.

Sep 6, 2013

Cathy models the 1920's pajamas & kimono ensemble!



And now Cathy's most recent photo shoot.

What a glorious day to be wearing sleeveless pajamas in public.  Cathy was, as usual, game and glamorous -- a true pro.

Sep 5, 2013

Kimono-palooza -- Live Today at Mood!



Friends, the 1920's lounging pajamas and kimono are finished and can be seen today at the Mood Sewing Network -- just click here.

Sep 3, 2013

The Sew Must Go On



Friends, thank you so much for your many words of sympathy regarding Michael's mother.   They mean a great deal to us.

It is time for me to return to sewing.  Having finished my 1920's cotton lawn kimono, next up were the pajamas, using the vintage Butterick pattern I found this summer at the Chelsea Flea Market (see pic above).