Making the Party Jacket

Making the Party Jacket

I haven't posted in ages, my apologies. It's a rainy day here on the coast of Maine; so it's a perfect time to recap the making of this most unusual jacket. I knew when I saw this fabric on the Gorgeous Fabrics website that it would be perfect for one of my best and oldest [...]

I’m No “Mountain-man” — The Geek Edition

I’m  No “Mountain-man” — The Geek Edition

Yes, I'm crazy about winter white coats. And if you've been around here long enough, you know that I already have one! Still there's something about them that I can't resist. I also have a fascination with the capote, a traditional handmade coat made from a Hudson Bay blanket. The candy striped ones are my [...]

The Back to School Edition

The Back to School Edition

It's finally happening. After years of lurking on their Blog and Instagram, I'm going to The Tailoring Academy in Macclesfield , UK! I'll be joining four other Americans and one student from France as the "international contingent" for the next 10 months. We'll be the first group to go through the newly created pathway that [...]

Say Hello to Olya

Say Hello to Olya

To be completely honest, I don't really remember when the Olya Shirt by Paper Theory appeared on my sewing "radar". It's not a pattern that appears in any of the menswear feeds that I'm exposed to. I've managed to find ONE example on Instagram where it's worn by a guy. Maybe my experience can change [...]

Belvedere Waistcoat. – Taking a Pattern from Like to Love

Belvedere Waistcoat. – Taking a Pattern from Like to Love

Do you have one of those patterns that you like, but that you're not exactly in love with? The Belvedere Waistcoat is one of those patterns for me. It seems that no matter what I throw at it, all the care and attention to detail I can muster, the end result is still slightly disappointing. [...]

Revisiting my “Maine Uniform”

Revisiting my “Maine Uniform”

I haven't posted anything in ages. To make up for that, this post features two recent makes that begged to be in a single post. You may have seen snippets of each on my Instagram. Together they make what I call the "Maine Uniform". Yup, you guessed it.............A flannel shirt and jeans. The "Maine Uniform" [...]

My Winter of Waistcoats

My Winter of Waistcoats

This past September (it seems SO long ago), Stylemaker Fabrics asked me to participate in their blog tour to highlight their new Fall / Winter fabrics. I ended up making the Belvedere Waistcoat from Thread Theory Designs in a pinwale corduroy. Not to beat a dead horse, but here it is. After this project I [...]

le Hack de Hermès

le Hack de Hermès

When you're a global luxury brand, clearly focused ads are apparently tres passé. Hermès seems to have a whole campaign of these burry ads, so I'm following suit. Behold my most recent Summer shirt... All kidding aside, my Summer sewing almost always revolves around new shirts. What used to be a drawer of polo shirts [...]

Completed at Last! — The Covid 19 Blazer

Completed at Last! — The Covid 19 Blazer

Did you, faithful blog followers, give up on this? Was this going to be the UFO of the pandemic? Truth be told, I totally ran out of steam on this project. Maybe you've been there? As many of you know, I love sewing for a special occasion. One of my nephews was going to be [...]

“Stay at home” clothes for a grown up me!

“Stay at home” clothes for a grown up me!

OK. I'll admit that pajamas haven't been in my wardrobe for a long time. I have but one pair of flannel bottoms that I pull out in the dead of winter. Other than that, it's a bathrobe and my underwear. Hardly glamorous, and not for public viewing! Now that we're all spending a LOT more [...]