A dress of my own

Embellished!

April 24, 2017

I’ve loved hand embroidery since I was about eight. Lady bugs, hearts and rainbows. Chain stitch, lazy daisy, stem, satin, french knot and worm stitch. It’s an art! So why would I let a machine do it for me now? Take a look! It would’ve taken me a year to do this by hand! To be clear, … More Embellished!

Dresses on vacation

April 19, 2017

I sew for the fun of it, and the challenge. Some of my efforts turn into favorites and others end up in the back of the closet. A handful are on their last hurrah by now, after years of wear and launderings. So I took them on a cruise! This one is just one year old. I never did blog about … More Dresses on vacation

How to make a unique shower curtain

October 25, 2016

A shower curtain is just a 72″ x 72″ square, with 12 button holes across the top. The thing is, fabrics don’t typically come that wide. You have to piece together two lengths – or three if you don’t want a seam down the middle. And you’ll need extra fabric to match up your print at … More How to make a unique shower curtain

Self drafted skirt of many colors

July 17, 2016

Hi all! Well this was one of those weeks. I didn’t manage to finish anything I started. Evidently my brain needs a rest. So to keep the conversation going, let’s take a look at a project from last summer, when I wasn’t blogging. The fabric is a German silk/cotton gauze. One of my buddies at Textile Fabrics … More Self drafted skirt of many colors

Sitting on hidden treasure

October 24, 2016

Hello friends! Long time no chat. The truth is I’m bored with sewing dresses. Gasp! I’m sure the inspiration will come back — I do like the swing and swish of a dress all my own. But for now, any mojo I have going is going in another direction. And as my buddy Collyn says, you get to … More Sitting on hidden treasure

Fab or Flop?

July 11, 2016

One of my friends commented on this post from earlier this summer that I reminded her of a fairy in the woods… Ha! So when I made another loose fitting white dress, I had to go back to the woods to show you. This one is also mind bender to put together, with interesting geometry. I used … More Fab or Flop?

linen remix in watercolors

July 6, 2016

There’s no shortage of heat in Tennessee. The answer, obviously, is more cool dresses, right? I was delighted to find this vibrant lightweight linen at Textile Fabrics in 2014, and again last week in my stack of remnants. I could see it as Pauline Alice’s Malvarosa dress,* but there wasn’t enough fabric. Not to be discouraged, I dug out the pleated skirt and … More linen remix in watercolors

Feeling like a girl

July 1, 2016

I think I may have had this dress when I was in grade school. Or a version of it. I loved it then and I love it now! My mother made me so many pretty dresses — I hope I thanked her enough but I doubt I did. There were corduroy jumpers like these, with print … More Feeling like a girl

Hot day, cool linen

June 26, 2016

There’s a heat advisory today. So after a short walk in the shade, I’m staying inside to tell you about my white linen experiment. I love linen. There is no cooler fabric. And if you look close, the weave and texture are lovely. Linen is made from fibers of the flax plant. Historians say it may … More Hot day, cool linen

All the flare without the fit

June 20, 2016

Hello my friends and fellow dressaholics! It’s summertime and it’s HOT. I like hot more than cold, but I don’t like to have my clothes sticking to me. So I’ve decided to take the fit out of the fit and flare style… And go for breezy! The wheels started turning when I found Spanish designer Pauline … More All the flare without the fit