Someone posted this on Facebook today, and rather than write a lengthy post reply, I figured I'd take up this topic here. Plus, if I cut out one more piece of skating dress fabric tonight I might go insane... Many of you know my skater/daughter has won or placed at nationals more times than I… Continue reading Perspective
Category: Thoughts & Memories
Hand-Dyed Lace and Where Crazy Ideas Begin
**If you're only interested in the hand-dyed lace tutorial and not all my babbling, scroll to where the photos begin!** The process for most of the custom roller skating outfits I make is fairly simple: coach has an idea in March, we settle on a plan in early April, dress is finished by early to… Continue reading Hand-Dyed Lace and Where Crazy Ideas Begin
Scary Season
Scary season is upon me, which isn't exactly as it sounds...it's not scary because of the workload; it's scary because the workload means my shop has become an utter hellhole. There are scraps everywhere. EVERYWHERE. I even devised a new scrap storage system, but it doesn't matter -- just when I get them under control,… Continue reading Scary Season
Trademark — Check!
Not exactly sewing related, but I've had so many requests for this information, and this is really the only place I have to put it. Last March, after spending too many hours working on SEO (search engine optimization) for my company website, I realized there are just too many damn companies that use the name… Continue reading Trademark — Check!
Recent Projects
Wow...I've been gone forever... So much has happened recently...our trademarks were approved and registered (yay!), I finished dozens of pieces for regional and national skating championships, we sunk more money than I care to think about into our fabric business...it's obviously been a crazy summer! And there are lots of changes coming for us this… Continue reading Recent Projects
The Explosion of Home Sewing Enthusiasts
A little off topic today, but here's a Buzzfeed article I recently wrote... Goodbye cyber cafes; hello sewing studios. In Paris, you can rent a sewing machine by the hour to go along with your coffee and croissant. From Redondo Beach, CA to Manchester, England, sewing studios are providing opportunities for people to connect, share,… Continue reading The Explosion of Home Sewing Enthusiasts
So Much Room for Activities!
Well, it's been 18 months, but I think I'm finally finished! We started this garage "renovation lite" project in September 2013. I say "renovation lite" because it didn't involve any destroying of walls, demolition of floors, or anything very exciting or fun. It did involve several trips to Ikea, a lot of curse words (because… Continue reading So Much Room for Activities!
Silence is Golden
Truly golden, as in gold medal. My blog silence over the past three months is due to a ridiculously heavy sewing load, leading up to both the regional and national championships for roller skating, my largest client base by far. I'm not complaining...I had fifteen separate outfits in various stages of completion during one particular… Continue reading Silence is Golden
Fifty Shades of White
I finished this latest creation just in time to enter it in The Monthly Stitch's July challenge, "MonoSewn," where everything had to be black, white, or both. You can read about it here. I knew I wanted a completely white dress, but what I didn't plan on back in November when I decided on this… Continue reading Fifty Shades of White
Monthly Stitch Challenge: Sewing Double
So this really great collective called The Monthly Stitch puts out challenges meant to keep sewists (a new word I learned...maybe it's just an Australian thing, but it sounds better than "sewer," which brings to mind nasty, disgusting things) on their toes and actively learning new things. This month's challenge was "Sewing Double," and, as… Continue reading Monthly Stitch Challenge: Sewing Double
Leave No Stone Unglued 