"A Stylish Guide to Classic Sewing" Book Review

Last week I had the pleasure of having lunch with sewing blogger and published author Sarah Gunn, who was visiting NYC from her home in South Carolina.

SAVE THE DATE -- MPB Day WINTER FROLIC 2020!

Readers, I know it's still December.

Oh, Joy: My First Bernina Serger!

Friends, it has happened again!

A New Shirt for Thanksgiving

Readers, it's always nice to have something new to wear for the holidays, don't you agree?

OCTOBER SURPRISE: My vintage Bernina 830 Record!

Readers, just when you thought this month was going to be another run-of-mill October, look what recently landed in my life!

My First-Ever BAG!

Ten years of sewing and I've never made a bag?

Crinkle Cotton Thai Fisherman Pants + Vacation Outfits!

Readers, I'm back from a week's vacation in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and looking forward to getting back to my sewing machines: September is National Sewing Month, after all!

Peter & Michael's Singer Featherweight Shirt Photo Shoot!

Readers, just two weeks ago I stumbled on two very wonderful Robert Kaufman Singer Featherweight quilting cottons.

MPB DAY 2019 -- "The Family That Sews Together, Grows Together!"

Friends, yesterday's MPB Day set new records: the biggest crowd, the best weather, the largest pattern swap, and the cutest guys!

My Bluprint Class, "Sew the Camp Shirt," is LIVE!

Friends, I'm excited to announce that my Bluprint class, "Sew the Camp Shirt," is ready for viewing!

Stars and Stripes Jacket with Gripper Snap Closures

Readers, you may recall that two years ago I made a pair of groovy red, white, and blue pants from some vintage stars and stripes cotton canvas I'd found at the flea market.  (More about those here.)

Cathy Models the 1970 Vogue Dress!

Readers, my cousin Cathy is back!

Sewing a Summer Dress for Cousin Cathy!

As most of you know by now, my cousin Cathy gets annoyed with me if I don't make her at least one new outfit every season.

Definitely Not a Pajama Top!

For his birthday last May, I told my brother I'd like to make him a shirt.

Ten Years of Sewing! (and a Fun Surprise)

Friends, I can hardly believe it, but as of this summer, I've been sewing exactly ten years.

SAVE THE DATE -- MPB DAY, SUMMER 2019!

Friends, the next MPB Day is only eight weeks away -- have you made your outfit yet?

Sewing the "Italian Collar" Vintage Shirt Pattern!

Readers, I don't really know why this style shirt collar was often referred to as "Italian" during its years of popularity in the late 1950's and early 1960's.

Men's Pajamas with Corded Piping

Readers, some of you may recognize this vintage 1930's Advance men's pajama pattern.

Three Fabrics, One Shirt!

Readers, my pattern-mixed shirt is finished!

Experimenting with Pattern Mixing and Hand-loomed Fabrics

There aren't that many perks to being a longtime sewing blogger, but occasionally I'm given the opportunity to sample special fabrics in exchange for sewing something with them.

Reverse-print Wearable Muslin REVEAL!

Readers, this week I whipped up a shirt -- a wearable muslin really -- from a vintage McCalls pattern I've had in my stash for years. 

Men's Work Jacket REVEAL or "Poppies on Parade"

The "Wizard of Oz" poppy-print jacket is finished and all I can say is, I'm out of the woods, I'm out of the dark, I'm out the night!

Oye, Poppy!

Friends, have you ever sewn with fabric that had such a bold pattern that halfway through your project you just couldn't look at it anymore and began to question whether you liked it in the first place?

Modeling the Completed Lemon-print Shirt!

Friends, the shirt is finished!

Poppies and Lemon Blossoms!

Friends, do you remember this lemon print cotton I purchased last August?

I'm Sewing Again!

Readers, I'm back at the sewing machine(s)!

MPB Day WINTER FROLIC -- THE AWARD WINNERS!

Readers, yesterday we frolicked, we frolicked, oh, how we frolicked!

Summer MPB Days are great fun, of course, but there's something about a winter get-together that's cozier.  Especially since not every Garment District fabric store has air-conditioning but they all have heat!

MPB Day Winter Frolic-Eve PREP!

Great news, readers: despite the wintry weather forecast, tomorrow's 2019 MPB Day Winter Frolic is a GO!

The Current State of My Sewing Machine Collection

With the new year, I've decided it's time for a sewing machine inventory!

It's always good to remind yourself what you have, not to mention to vacuum the back of your closets.  So here's what I have as of 2019.  I'll split them into groups: the machines I use most often, the machines I'd like to use but haven't in a while, and everything else.

SAVE THE DATE -- MPB Day WINTER FROLIC 2019!

Happy 2019, friends!

I've decided it's time to host another winter event.  As you know, MPB Day normally takes place in August, but that just seems too far away.  On these gray days, we need bright things to look forward to!