I Made Shoes!!

Earlier this year I attended a The Arizona Sewcial. What is the Arizona Sewcial? Well, it’s where other sewists from the surrounding area gather at a venue, eat yummy food and talk all things sewing related. Of course a ticket must be purchased in order to attend the event. There is a fabric and pattern swap which is ALWAYS super fun. We also got lovely “Swag” bags to take home. Lots of wonderful sponsors donated items to put in the bags for us. One of the things I was most excited for was a discount coupon from A Happy Stitch for her Espadrille Kit. It comes with everything you need to make your own shoes. I ordered it a few days after the Sewcial and it arrived about 3 days later. You would think that as excited as I was to order it, I would have made those shoes as soon as they arrived. Nope. They arrived and  I immediately became intimidated by the thought of making shoes. So I put the kit in the corner of the room, under my sewing table where it became buried under endless scraps of mask fabric. Well, just this week I decided to clean up that corner of my sewing room and low and behold, I found that cute little Espadrille kit. The poor thing had no idea what had transpired in the world outside my house since its arrival! I took it as a sign that I needed to make those shoes ASAP. It was just thing I needed to boost my spirits and give me a fun challenge. Read more “I Made Shoes!!” →

This Ain’t Your Mother’s Muu-muu!

Have you noticed the trend in summer wardrobe lately? Everyone seems to be craving comfort. Caftan’s and Muu-muu’s are everywhere . They seem to be much sexier than your moms old house dress of the 80’s and 90’s though. Either that or my brain just decided to act it’s age.  One pattern that I keep seeing over and over in my Instagram feed is  the McCall’s M7742. It’s darling on almost any body type and it looks so cute and comfy! I guess you could say it’s a new take on the Muu-muu, with a splash of sex appeal. Read more “This Ain’t Your Mother’s Muu-muu!” →

Alter it August Project

I started looking through my closet at all my lovely Memades and realized there were some things I loved but wasn’t wearing. I didn’t know why that was exactly. So I grabbed one of my faves and thought I would alter it this month for Alter It August hosted by @Sewnorth on instagram. Read more “Alter it August Project” →

Mimi G Tiffany Jumpsuit Review

Sometime in 2017 I caught a glimpse of the Mimi G Tiffany Jumpsuit. The Following is the description from her website:

THE TIFFANY Easy to sew pull-on jumpsuit.

It can be made in a ton of fabric and can be styled casual or dressed up.

Size Range: 0-18  This garment has a significant amount of ease.

Sewing Level: Beginner 

Fabric Suggestions: Designed for linens, cotton, rayons, poly blends, knits and more. Read more “Mimi G Tiffany Jumpsuit Review” →

Sew Happy: My Top 4 Love Notion Patterns

I love Independent pdf pattern companies. They are amazing. I actually enjoy printing them and piecing them together too. It’s like a puzzle. My most favorite Indie Company is Love Notions Sewing Patterns. Early this year I became an Ambassador for them, meaning: I get first looks at new patterns coming out, have access to their patterns, receive personal Affiliate Links, write content for their blog among other things. It’s really fun and I feel super blessed to be part of their team. Read more “Sew Happy: My Top 4 Love Notion Patterns” →

The LBD, a Pattern for Every Season

The La Bella Donna…. The Beautiful Woman. One of Love notions most beloved patterns and its no wonder why. You’re gonna feel Beautiful if this figure flattering top. I have made this top so many times. I love the easy construction of it. It uses the same pattern piece for both the front and back and has a simple dolman sleeve to make it very beginner friendly. Check out the line drawings below for all the options.. Plus, there’s a girls pattern too! So you and your mini can match. Read more “The LBD, a Pattern for Every Season” →

This Summer’s Cutest T-shirt

In mid May, right in time for Summer,  I got to test the Iris Pleated Tee by Forget Me Not Pattern. My Friend Heather alerted me to the pattern test and I immediately fell in love with the listing picture. I had never seen sleeves like this before on a t-shirt. I had to know how it was done, especially since it was listed as a beginner friendly pattern. Read more “This Summer’s Cutest T-shirt” →

The Allegro shorts, What took me so long?!

I’ve been a huge Love Notions Pattern fan since early 2018. This was long before I became an Ambassador for them. I discovered the Sabrina Slims pattern and fell in love. I have made almost a dozen pairs of those. You can read more about that pattern here. Another pattern I purchased around the same time I discovered the Sabrinas was the Alegro Bottoms. Here’s some deets on that pattern: Read more “The Allegro shorts, What took me so long?!” →

Summer Of the Jumpsuit- The Sunday Romper by Love…

Anyone who knows me, knows I much prefer dresses and skirts over any other item of clothing ie, Pants = leg prisons!  However, my first make of 2020 was a jump suit.  You can read about it here.   After I made that jumpsuit I started thinking, “Maybe pants weren’t all that bad.” When I got the inside scoop that Love Notions was going to be testing a jumpsuit, I signed up. Let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint! I’m here today to introduce you to Love notions Newest pattern, The Sunday Romper! Read more “Summer Of the Jumpsuit- The Sunday Romper by Love Notions” →

A Letter to my Friends

Dear Friends,

I am by far not one to talk about racism, illness or politics. I am not an expert on any of those things. My expertise is in Hair and sewing. However recent events have shown me that Silence is not an option.

Black Lives Matter. We believe this in our home. Saying it doesn’t mean we matter less, but it starts the conversation. It puts it out there and it needs to be put out there by as many voices as possible. I know that the simple fact that I have to educate myself on racism is a privilege. Luckily there are hundreds of ways to educate yourself. Here are some resources you can go to if you don’t know where to start. I found these on @la_disneybee instagram page

YouTube

 Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire  (also available as a podcast “Unfiltered with James O’Brien” look for the Akala episode)

Why “I’m not racist” is only half the story by Robin DiAngelo | Big Think

 Deconstructing white privilege by Robin DiAngelo

Feelings on racism in Britain – Is Britain Racist?

Podcasts

1619 by the New York Times

Code Switch

The Echo Chamber

Black Gals Livin

Say Your Mind

About Race by Reni Eddo- Lodge

Reports and publications

 the Runnymede trust is an independent race equality think tank who have several publications on racial inequality in the UK.

an Independent review by Baroness McGregor-Smith considering the issues affecting black and minority ethnic (BME) groups in the workplace.

an independent review commissioned by David Lammy MP into the treatment of, and outcomes for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals in the criminal justice system.

Articles

IS “WHITE PRIVILEGE” A USEFUL CONCEPT IN THE CURRENT UK CONTEXT?

White privilege: a primer

10 Habits of Someone Who Doesn’t Know They’re Anti-Black

Race for Justice

UK Charities

Runnymede

Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust

Stand Against racism and inequality (SARI)

UK Black Pride 

Race Equality First

Black Minds Matter

Stand up to Racism 

US Charities

George Floyd Memorial Fund

Minnesota Freedom Fund

Black Visions Collective

Reclaim the Block

Campaign Zero

Unicorn Riot

We have a lot of work to do and it’s going to take a long time. You may feel helpless, like your voice doesn’t matter but it does. “By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.” Alma 37:6 I believe this 100% to be true. Change has to start somewhere so why not with me? Right now. I feel completely inadequate but if I can change just my small family for the better, that will effect generations to come.

So much has changed since March. My youngest son asked a few weeks ago when things were going to get back to normal. This pretty much sums up my feelings on that. We need to take this opportunity we’ve been given and use it for good.

Actress Jennifer Edwards said, “The beauty in life is, while we cannot undo what is done, we can see it, understand it, learn from it and change so that every new moment is spent not in regret, guilt, fear or anger but in wisdom, understanding and love.”

Much Love,

Koe