I ran across this little gadget at Red Stone Glen. Annie, who helpfully watches the shop, enthused about it.
Though Annie’s advice is always excellent, I had my doubts. My sewing room is littered with useless needle threaders. Read more…
More masks, acknowledging the arrival of Covid Delta, and recognizing that we’ll be wearing them for quite a while yet.
Both of these masks are Mr. Noile’s, and both are the Marfy free pattern. Read more…
Mr. Noile has been spending more and more time with his various outdoor cooking devices.
One of our ancient IKEA aprons.
Much nicer than the current version, BTW!
He wears our kitchen aprons when fiddling about in the open air. I am not a fan of this, as I’m fond of our indoor aprons, and they add a nice bit of color in our kitchen. Read more…
A couple of years ago a new deodorant came on the market. It was fabulous! No chemicals, easy to apply, fresh, almost non-existent and natural scent, and it worked. Best of all, the container was refillable. Green all the way!
It was called Myro, and, despite being almost universally loved, it failed spectacularly, due to its propensity to leak all over itself, cabinets, shelves, and anywhere it was placed. Gel all over, ugh.
. . . that’s Draft It Yourself!
This is an easy-to-design, easy-to-make, handy, tote anyone with a little sewing experience can make.
This dress, sewn from Vogue 1250, started out as some kind of cycling garment — you know, bike-into-town with the idea of dressing “less cyclist” and more “townie”.
There’s a dime sewn into a tiny pocket
at the inner center front of the cowl —
a great trick that gives the cowl shape and form.
I guessed that I might not like it much, but thought that fabric was the questionable bit. That wasn’t quite right. Read more…
Weirdly, although I rarely swim, I love making swimming suits, and always have. A long, long time ago, in more innocent and probably kinder times — and times before everyone carried a camera in a phone — the people I knew, some of them family, some friends — swam without suits. No inappropriate comments, no lustful looks, no discomfort. It’s just what we did; it was part of the culture. (Perhaps we all should have been Scandinavians?)
Admittedly, we were at private pools and little-known beaches — and no one drank or otherwise indulged in behavioral excesses, all of which certainly helped to keep the atmosphere relaxed and happy. It was wonderful; there is nothing like moving through water with nothing between you and that marvelous liquid. Read more…
(This is an older, not previously published, review, but I keep thinking about Cennetta’s hats, on The Mahogony Stylist, so I’m following her inspiration!)
The illustration in Vogue’s catalogue, and on the pattern envelope, made this hat look more like a cartoon than something to wear. 
Fortunately, Vogue put a photograph of it on the cover of its late summer catalogue, and wow! it’s dramatic! I tried to talk myself into buying a different pattern (this thing lists at $22.50 — oh, please!), but this was definitely the right pattern. Eventually it went on sale.
This was a quick little fun project: a tiny tote bag for . . . just about anything.
I whipped it up in a lightweight, canvas-like fabric that looks like a basketweave.
Previously: I made three of these tops, including this one, in 2014 — that’s why this is a “legacy” post — and am still wearing them in 2021!
OK, this is the third one of these I’ve made and, yes, I live in them. I wear them all the time. Just like sloppy sweats (or PJs!), but oh, so respectable!
(So relaxed that it has passed out!)
