In one sense, this year was the least productive sewing year I’ve ever had. To be frank, the past few years of sewing for others was really killing it for me. I think I sort of needed some down time – it was really frustrating to want to sew things, but not have the time … More A Year of (minimal) Sewing 2015
Looking back, I have to say that, on the whole, this felt like a rather lackluster year for Burda. Every issue had at least one pattern I really liked, but, honestly, there were very few issue where I wanted to make many of the garments, and most of the things I did want to sew … More A Year in Review: BurdaStyle Magazine 2015
I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to post this, but, I decided it should be done for posterity’s sake. Even more than last year, this has been an up and down season for my skating. It has been highs, lows, and even lower lows. Highlights: Passed my Gold Medal American Team Dance Test. This … More Skating Accomplishments 2015
The end of the year will soon be upon us, which means I’m going to start my week of retrospective posts. This year I read a lot of fairly enjoyable books, a fair number of classics, and quite a few books from long-running series I’ve been following. Here’s a look back at my year in … More Reading Round Up 2015
The early spring McCall’s patterns are here! On the whole the collection is pretty simple – a lot of basic silhouettes, easy to fit knits and boxy tops, with a few party dresses thrown in for good measure. My thinking is that they are trying to entice people who just got sewing machines for the … More New Early Spring McCall’s Patterns
It looks like Burda is continuing the trend of awesome issues into the new year! The magazine has a nice selection of easy to sew loungewear and lovely tailored pieces, as well as a decent Burda Plus section, and some fairly cute kids costumes. First up, the coats and jackets, which are absolutely awesome in … More January 2016 BurdaStyle Magazine
When the preview for the December Burda went up, I was incredibly excited for the new issue. When it arrived, there were two patterns I knew I wanted to make right away – the wrap skirt and the pleated back tunic top. I traced both of them, but the top got sewn together first. … More Pattern Review: BS-12-2015-109A
I don’t quite remember where I heard about Heart in a Box – I think it must have been one of the bookish podcasts I listen to – but I do know that the enthusiastic description was exciting and that I bought it right away. Heart in a Box is the story of a girl named Emma … More Book Review: Heart in a Box
I’ve made Burda Style 06-2011-114A several times before – it has become a TNT pajama pattern for me at this point. When I found out that I would be going to San Diego Comic-Con this past July, I decided I needed some new (and appropriately themed) PJs. This past year I’ve also become something of a … More Not a Pattern Review: TARDIS PJs
Today is the the day I’ve been waiting for for months – the release of Amazon’s series based on The Man in the High Castle! My obsession with this as-yet unreleased series started several months ago… I’ve been listening to the Sword & Laser Podcast for about two and a half years, and it long been apparent that The … More Book Review: The Man in the High Castle
Doctor T Designs 