My take on the shirt dress

Finally, my shirt dress is done! I originally intended to use this pattern, Simplicity 4171, to knock off a cute corduroy shirt dress I saw in Anthropologie during the winter. Then, spring slowly sprung and my thoughts turned instead to warm weather dresses.

Does anyone recognize the fabric? I am slightly (but not really) scared that when I wear this out in public someone will think, "I have that same fabric on my bed at home." I used sheets that I got on clearance at Target about a month ago. I loved the print and couldn't pass up the price. It's actually a little bit too stiff to be a comfortable sheet in my opinion. It's perfect for this dress though.

The pattern is well drafted and went together easily. I cut my usual smaller size at the top and graded out a few sizes near the hip area. I'm really happy with the fit. I wanted clean lines for this dress so I opted to shorten the three quarter length sleeve rather than use the puffy short sleeve option the pattern comes with. I feel very Boden like wearing this dress, especially when I pair it with my purple mary janes. (That's a good thing.)

I got nothing

Oh, I seem to curse myself whenever I say I will finish something soon. My weekend was unexpectedly busy, filled with spring flings, birthday dinners, shopping, and even cleaning out my closets (I had to justify the shopping somehow). I didn't buy anything I could make easily, instead I bought a whole new wardrobe of basic T-shirts. You have to love the Old Navy clearance section sometimes.


So, I have nothing to show you sewing/crafting wise. Instead, I'll show you some patterns I picked up recently which I may or may not make soon (trying to avoid the curse). I'd like to make the dress above in linen for a cute and simple summer dress.


I love this skirt pattern. I picked up a lot of cotton prints recently which will look great in this design. I love it when I recognize the fabric they use in the design picture.

Enjoying spring

Spring in DC is the most beautiful time of the year. It always amazes me every year when suddenly the leaves are back and everything is green again. Actually, in DC, everything is pink for a little while first. Peter and I (and a couple thousand other people) walked down to the Tidal Basin a few weeks ago to enjoy all the cherry blossoms. The winter really got to me this year and so the blooming trees were the most welcome sight.


Despite my break away from the computer, I still don't have much to show other than stacks of beautiful fabrics waiting to be turned into something. This week I did manage to sew a little on the dress I mentioned in my last post as well as knit more of the Juliet. I'm expecting to finish those this weekend (hoorah!).


Thank you for all the compliments on my bags. I put a lot of love into each and every one of them. Most are still available in the shop.

Now in the shop!

Five Barcelona Bags are now on sale in my etsy shop. Whew, I'm glad to have these done. Next item of business: make myself a new dress!

Shop preview

I hope you all had a great Easter weekend. I spent time a lot of quality time with my sewing machine this weekend.



These beauties and a few more will be available in my etsy shop on Thursday at 9 am est.

Book review Friday - The Knitting Circle

I've had the idea to do a weekly book review on this blog for a while. Between the amount of fiction I read and the craft books I've accumulated, I think I have enough material to last for quite a while. Plus, I'm hoping by revisiting some of the craft books I have, I'll get a little more motivated to actually make something from them instead of just drooling over them. Hey, maybe you will too!


So without further ado, today's book review is the novel, "The Knitting Circle" by Ann Hood. I picked this book up right before my trip to Puerto Rico. I had just finished my second knitting class earlier in the week and had knitting on the brain. However, you do not have to know anything about knitting to enjoy this novel. The story is about a woman who has recently lost her daughter and is struggling through the grief. Knitting helps her heal. We meet several people in this book and learn about how knitting has helped each of them get through troubled times. At times the book can be a bit melodramatic. Everyone who knits has some sort of troubled history in this book, and this is obviously not true in real life. But, overall I really enjoyed this read. I looked forward to moments when I could pick it up again to find out what happened next. It was a quick and easy read that tugged at my heartstrings (yes, I cried a few times). What I enjoyed most about the book was the author's love and appreciation of the craft of knitting. I think a crafter of any medium will appreciate this.

Verdict: Put this book at the top of your spring/summer reading list.

What are you reading these days?

Eye candy

Is it just me, or do you get giddy too looking at all that yummy yarn? It's a gloomy day here in DC, but these colors remind me spring is right around the corner.

In celebration of spring, I'll be listing a few Barcelona bags on etsy in the next week or so. I'm really excited about them! I'll announce the shop opening once I have a better idea of when they'll be ready.