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.