One of the best things to come out of social media algorithms is how I fit Taproot Magazine‘s customer profile. This magazine really is everything I could want: it’s ad-free, crafty, visually appealing, well-written, and has lots of applications for household waste. It practically is me. In issue 40: Cure, was a small quilt project…
Category: sewing
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Sashiko
Well, I might have fallen in love with a new mending philosophy: Sashiko. I foresee a long, home-bound winter ahead. In preparation, I bought a subscription to Craftsy: partly because I’ve been meaning to and partly because they had a $5 sale for the year, so I could see if I would even use it.…
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moJAVe Masks v2.0
moJAVe masks are cloth masks made in honor of our brother-in-law, whose initials were JAV. He and my brother (his husband) had recently bought a house in Palm Springs (near the Mojave). I chose the symbolism of the desert because is a place of invisible, but undeniable, community. Joe died from Covid-19 on March 30,…
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Another Gertie Swirl
I was planning to help a friend make a Gertie swirl dress yesterday, but I think her day must have gotten away from her, so I started without her. Friday night, I cut and prepped all the pieces. I meant to photograph it, but it was hot, and my place is small; I just didn’t…
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Sweater Fixin’
I found this potentially awesome sweater at Savers a little while back. The thing was that it had these really weird knit long sleeves which didn’t really match anything. It is black (good), with cool embroidery along the upper chest (very good), but wow: who authorized these strange sleeves? I wish I had a photo…
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Sewing Day Part Two
So this morning I finished slashing & spreading the pattern to approximately fit my body. Now for the “muslin” which I’m hoping will fit well enough to wear. I chose a nice green & cream gingham from my pattern stash, but decided to cut the bodice (at least) on the bias. Of course, I don’t have…
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Sewing Day Part One
It’s March First and it’s still snowing. I’d like to be as every other New Englander and complain about it, but I’m just done. Maybe we’re all done. It’s time to adjust to the “new normal” of cold, bitter snow and probably-forever winter weather. So I can’t go outside, and half of our things are…
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Slash & Spread (Part Two)
I am so glad I tried this. Grading the pattern was fairly easy math, and I ended up developing a method that I really like. First I slashed the pattern in 3 parts, then held it together with some scotch tape. Then I used very wide masking tape to join the two pieces together, after…
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Slash & Spread (Part One)
It sounds more revolting than it is. I bought a lovely pattern book a few days ago. It is filled with beautiful, simple, feminine style. And why wouldn’t it be? It’s Japanese! Super great, right? Except all the patterns are drawn for Japanese women, which, if you haven’t noticed, don’t typically fall under the same…
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Second Shirtwaist
Sun, Feb 16, 2014, 1:30p: All pieces cut out, matching thread wound. I did not have enough fabric for this project, so I had to make some very advanced decisions. I decided to contrast some elements with white. Bodice, skirt, sleeves & 1 yoke: Orange with black-outlined white circles, cotton. Collar, sleeve cuffs, bodice and…
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Gertie’s Shirtwaist Dress
So I’ve had Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing since it came out, and I’ve made some really cute things from its patterns. I LOVE shirtwaist dresses, and Gertie’s is especially dorbz, but I was afraid to try it because it looked difficult. I read some pattern reviews, and many people said that it wasn’t…