» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 3 months ago
2023 - The Year in Review
I haven't posted much this year because I haven't sewn much this year. I haven't even purchased a lot of fabric...probably the first year in a long time that I haven't worried about my yardage in/yardage out counts. I just haven't had a great desire to sew or a need. Years and years of sewing so many garments have paid off with a very full wardrobe. So what did I make this year? I started the year with my last make as a Janome Maker. It's the Athena Blouse made from quilting...
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 5 months ago
A Woodland Border Print Simplicity 8687 - Part 1
First, I'd like to say thank you for all of you who still follow my sewing adventures and leave a comment. I so appreciate you! Just one quick thing ~ I know blogger has made logging in more challenging so if you use "Anonymous" would you mind leaving your name at the end of your comment. Thanks again! Now to the actual blog post... I use to write progress posts all the time for my makes. Somewhere in the last couple of years I stopped. I'm changing it up again and going bac...
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 5 months ago
A Different Sewing Focus
I needed to write a " biography " to share my sewing background. I honestly can't remember all of the stuff I've done since it's been awhile. So I googled my name plus Diary of a Sewing Fanatic and EVERYTHING I've done in the last 20 years came up...that was truly a little overwhelming. However this article I wrote in August 2017 really struck me. It was on The Curvy Sewing Collective blog called, " Does Your Pattern Speak to You? Or why I Pattern Hack !" At that time, my sewing w...
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 5 months ago
Hey Y'all Hey...
I'm dropping in to say hey, I'm still alive...just not sewing. I've spent the summer reading. However, as I read the words an author's put on the page and recognize their creativity, my own creative urges are stirring. Maybe it's the seasons changing, or allowing a friend to root through my fabric collection and liberate several yards to take home with her...or even just my creative season changing. But I have an urge to create a few new pieces. One thing I've realized...
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 9 months ago
Slipping into July...
Interestingly someone on Instagram said that I'd abandoned my blog, which I thought was fascinating since I have posted blog posts in 2023. I do try to post monthly, however, if I'm not sewing much there isn't much to share. Especially since I'm slowly stepping back from the sewing community on social media. My blog has primarily always been about my sewing journey. I mean over the years I've thrown in some politics, books, museum trips and sewing/fabric shopping adventures. But sewing ...
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 10 months ago
I'm Reading More Lately
As I've stated in several posts, I'm sewing less. And I'm okay with that because I create as I need now and it's enough. So I've filled the sewing time with reading. If you're only here for the sewing tap out now. Cause I have lots of thoughts about the books I'm reading and how it's different now. I believe the biggest difference is social media. Between BookTok and Bookstagram, I'm finding authors I never knew about. I've also changed the genre I'm reading. I was primarily a true crim...
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 11 months ago
A Blue & White Hope
Last year I was on a real tear to purchase blue & white toile type prints. I ended up buying a blue & white print that was similar to a toile and an actual blue & white toile. I was really proud that I only bought two pieces! I'm even prouder that I'm using one for my next Hope. Of course this is the Hope Dress using the extension pack and it's exactly the same as the funeral dress. As with all remakes, I improve something with the next version. For this one, I shorten...
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 11 months ago
I'm a Fabric Snob
Seriously a snob and if you don't know that you don't know me! LOL! I love fabric and all of it's different fabrications. Now I won't sew it all but I do love it! I also don't like basic fabric or buying fabric that a lot of other sewists use cause who knows when you will see yourself coming or going. I know I have the luxury of snobbiness because I work in NYC and can visit the fabric shops there anytime. While the garment center has changed, it's still a treasure trove of amazing fabrics th...
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 11 months ago
McCall's 7969 in Black & White
I loved my first one and understand why there are so many versions on Instagram and Pattern Review. I'd always planned to make another one and when I found this black/white floral double border print I knew it would be perfect. Especially since lately I've really been in a fabric manipulation mood. Materials ~ 4 yards of the black & white rayon floral double border print purchased from StyleMaker Fabrics in July 2022 which of course is no longer available. Cutting Out ~ As you know the mo...
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 11 months ago
A Follow Up to "My Fabric Collection is my Reti...
I wrote this post, My Fabric Collection is part of my Retirement Fund , back in March 2016. I was about 10 years out from retirement then. I'm now three years away from it. My retirement date is on record at my company that's how close it is. After rereading the post and the comments which are so interesting, I wanted to do an update to this post for a couple of reasons: 1. Covid Covid changed everything in 2020. The way we work. The way we shop. How we live. When the world ...
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 11 months ago
Dueling Wexfords
As I stated in my fabric fail Wexford, I was definitely making the pattern again. While the fabric shred as I wore it, the silhouette held up really well. So I made 2 more unintentionally making them both in the black family. In the first post, I didn't talk about any of the changes I made to the pattern or the size I used. I cut a size 24 and added 1" to the hemline...though I may add another inch for future versions. While I've only used this pattern as a top, I will be making the dre...
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 11 months ago
A Sunflower Katie
For this make, the panel fabric totally drove the idea. I saw this fabric on Julia Allisson Cost's IG account and I knew I had to have some because... Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers. They remind me of my grandmother's garden and the summers I spent on my grandparents farm. BTW, it was my grandmother who taught me how to sew. The fabrics come from Julia's hand painted art. Which means the fabrics are different and unusual and that always excites me. The Pattern: Wh...
» Sigrid - sewing projects 1 year ago
Sewing for my daughter
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 1 year ago
A Funeral Dress
My cousin recently passed away and I realized that I no longer own a proper funeral dress. My lifestyle is so casual now and most funerals during Covid either happened via Zoom or YouTube so I didn't need to be "dressed" to attend a funeral. And if you don't know, a Black funeral is a celebration of life. So not only is the funeral a celebration of the person but people of my generation tend to dress our best. So I needed a dress. I did have enough time to rush order s...
» Sigrid - sewing projects 1 year ago
Burda blouse, April 2021
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 1 year ago
It Feels Like Spring
The clocks have sprung forward an hour. It's light longer and here on the East Coast it's been a relatively mild winter. I, for one, haven't missed the snow piles or the bitterly cold days. So it's with a happy heart that I'm emerging from the darkness of winter and thinking of Spring. My company has updated it's work from home policy and we're now required to be in the office 4 days a month. Since I absolutely HATE carting my laptop back and forth, I'm going to be in the office 2...
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 1 year ago
Floral Pleather & Black Knit Wexford
I've hoarded this pattern since it was introduced for the Cashmerette Club. While it debuted last summer, I always knew I wanted The Wexford for a winter top. It reminds me of my Pembrokes and this white cotton top that I wear all the time. Rambling through the fabric collection, I found this floral pleather that I used in a denim dress in 2016 and some black knit I bought from StyleMaker fabrics in 2021. I've used the black knit before in one of my house dresses. Seems like this ...
» Curvy Sewing Collective 1 year ago
Pattern Club Review: How the Cashmerette Club r...
In my spare time for the past 7 years I have mostly been making costumes for amateur theatre. As there were no scheduled productions for 2022 I really wanted to devote the whole year to sewing myself a new wardrobe. I wanted to use colours and styles that I liked and not be forced to choose from ‘Ready To Wear’ or big name pattern brands whose idea of ‘Curve’ fashion options never really fit that well. I like the colours I like, which are not always the current trend. I wanted a wardrobe of s...
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 1 year ago
I've Been Sewing
My sewing resolution for 2023 is to take my time, create more involved garments, and enjoy the journey more. My reasons are: I don't need a lot of new clothes. I have a few holes that need to be filled but not enough for me to create large amounts of clothing. I want to explore the technique driven side. Not just sewing techniques but fabric manipulation, dyeing, printing, quilting, the techniques that take time and aren't accomplished in a weekend. There have been som...
» Diary of a Sewing Fanatic 1 year ago Do You Jelly Roll???
Let's start out by saying I'm not a quilter. Even though I've made several "quilting" projects, they're not my top must sews. However, I love jelly rolls. The thought of them, how the fabrics play so well together, how they can become so many different things. Whenever I see one, the possibilities of what the new yardage can be inspires me. Especially black & white jelly rolls. So while I'm not a quilter, I was inspired to buy several jelly rolls ...