End of the year already?

After a very busy Christmas week, not to mention the month or so leading up to it, I've been taking the last few days to consciously slow down and take stock - literally. I'm working at reorganizing

Serious Sensitivity

Yesterday's appointment schedule included a consultation with a client who has very particular needs that must be addressed in her garments. She has reactions to any kind of dye in the fabric, and can only wear natural fibers in the colors as they are grown.

Today's news: I am now the mother of a doctor!

Some days the best news in my life comes from family, and this post has absolutely nothing to do with sewing. I am immensely proud of my daughter, Erin, for today she successfully defended her doctoral dissertation! She's an MD/PhD student at Washington University in St. Louis, and with this portion of the program behind her, will be reentering the Medical School in January to finish her studies there. Her Facebook post following her thesis defense reads "Time for celebration, sleep and dance!" Dance joyfully, my daughter!

Retreating! A Sewing Vacation

I'm taking off this weekend for the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, to spend a few days at a sewing retreat. This is, maybe, the 5th year that a group of us have gotten together

Can we afford to NOT buy quality clothing? Book Review - Overdressed

My boss left this book on our lunch table a couple of weeks ago - this isn't an unusual happening, we are a group of ladies who share a love of reading besides the love of fabrics and sewing, so book swap is a regular feature in our warehouse. This one really resonated with me, and I thought it might with many of you also.

ASDP Conference Trip

I spent most of last week at (and traveling to and from) the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals (ASDP) annual conference. One of the roles I juggle in my life is that of VP of Chapter Relations for the organization, so attending conference is part work, part pleasure.

What comes out depends on what goes in! - Draped top in 2 fabrics

 Image from Paco Peralta's blog

I'm a little late to the party, but jumping onto the bandwagon here. I fell in love with the Draped Top pattern by Paco Peralta after seeing it reviewed on Ann's blog. I'm a sucker for cowl necklines and softly sculptured designs, and smaller pattern companies appeal to me right now, so I had to add this to my collection.

Start of New Era

My sewing mojo has been really elusive lately - she's skittish, scurrying out of view after only giving me a glimpse at a time. When most of the time sewing has to be spent doing routine tasks for others, as it is for my dressmaking and alterations business, it's not surprising that there's little energy for creating exciting new garments just for the joy of it. The business has been my focus for so long that it begins to be work, not the lovely interludes of escape sewing used to offer me. (My dh refers to my trips into the studio as going 'down into the dungeon' - it is in the basement, after all...)