For those who are wondering what the hell I'm talking about, MPB Day is a fabric shopping extravaganza in NYC, organized by Peter Lapin of the blog Male Pattern Boldness. Not only is he an amazing talent and all around great guy, his followers are the most fun and creative people one would ever want [...]
I've really got the Athleisure bug, so I immediately launched into a jacket to go with my new sweatpants. I'm using the black and gray "birchbark" looking knit. I'm hoping the combination will be Armani-esque. One can always dream! This is the pattern I used for my "Phony Missoni" jackets of last year. This [...]
It's a done deal. My Missoni knockoff is officially entered over on Pattern Review. You can check it out here. I have to say it was no easy task figuring out how to navigate the PR process on my iPad. After a couple of wrong turns, and what seemed like endless shuffling of my photos [...]
Yay! I finished before the deadline. This post is primarily for other PR contest members who may be interested in some of the construction details. The contest rules don't allow for many photos. I think I can submit only 3 photos, one of which has to be the "inspiration" garment. A little sewing geekery..... Because the [...]
It snowed here most of the day yesterday. So rather than risk a fender bender, or worse, I stayed in and sewed. I'm really making great progress, and feel pretty confident that I'll be able to finish before the deadline. Having made this jacket before is a huge advantage. I'm not exactly sure how these [...]
I should have my head examined! I've gone and entered my first sewing contest at Pattern Review. I've looked at these contests before, but they always strike me as impossible. One Pattern -- Many Looks. Oh, man, I'd be lucky to complete ONE look! Or something like, A Complete Coordinated Wardrobe. Seriously? Anyway, I've decided [...]
Wow, this has taken forever! Not the making...waiting for a chance to get outside and snap some pictures of the finished product. Finally, it stopped raining, I wasn't working and the sun came out. I grabbed my tripod and took advantage of our unseasonably warm, almost spring-like weather. So here it is.... This may not be [...]
I'll admit it. I'm a big time lurker on Laura Mae's blog, Lilacs and Lace. I'm never, in a million years, going to be making a beaded gala ball gown, but I love watching her process. Surely, in a prior life, this woman was one of "Les petites mains" in a Paris couture house. My [...]
The "Chase Crush" Missoni-esque knit that I've chosen for this project is pretty light weight and VERY stretchy. It just doesn't feel substantial enough for a jacket. I had also ordered a dark purple bamboo knit from Vogue Fabrics, thinking that I would use it for Thread Theory's new Finlayson Sweater, but it also feels [...]
I figure that this sweater / blazer will cost somewhere in the $100 range to make. Considerably less than the real deal, but still enough of an investment to deserve the full muslin treatment. A $2 jersey knit sheet from Goodwill turned out to be the perfect muslin material. It looks a little crazy but [...]
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