Sewing fairy godmother

I've mentioned our "sewing fairy godmother" on this blog a few times. She's a very special lady who brightened up a very dark time in our lives by making beautiful clothes for my kids while my husband was recovering from his stroke. I've finally written our story, and today I am sharing it on the Oliver+S blog. Click over to have a read!

10 real-life sewing rooms

I love a good sewing room tour. Since we move so often, I get to set up a new sewing room every few years, and I guess that's why I never tire of reading about other people's sewing spaces. I've rounded up some of my favorites from the Internet - and they're not all picture-perfect Pinterest spaces. In addition to the coveted dedicated sewing room, I've included some small sewing spaces and some shared sewing spaces (which is the category that most of my sewing spaces have fallen into).

Read on for inspiration!

Leopard print Simplicity 1059 dress

I sewed a second Simplicity 1059 dress - a swishy, drapey, dramatic sleeve-y leopard print confection that is really, really hard to photograph.

7 top sewing tools and notions

So let's start by saying that the true top sewing tools you need to start sewing are a needle, thread, scissors and a seam ripper (and fabric, of course). That's it - simple and basic.

But.

There are so many notions and gadgets out there these days, many of them inexpensive, that make sewing easier and just more fun. I thought I'd round up a few of my tried-and-true favorites into this list of top sewing tools. All are easy to find and inexpensive. If I've left out some of your top must-have sewing tools, please comment below! Maybe we can all find a new gizmo to try out.

Peppermint PJ pants

Last month I tested the new Peppermint PJ pants from Blank Slate Patterns.  A new pair of pajama pants has been on my sewing list for two years now. In 2018, one of my sewing goals was to make two new pairs of pajama pants. I made one pair of modified Simplicity 1563 pants (using the same fabric as this pair, actually). I wear those a lot, but I still needed another pair (or two). And that pair does not have pockets, so I jumped at  the chance to make a pair that does.

Z's black velvet frock

While I was making this dress, I couldn't get A Little Princess out of my mind.  It was one of my favorite books as a kid.  Not long into the story, little Sara Crewe is informed that her father is dead so she must wear black.  Sara's only "black frock" is sizes too small, but she is forced to wear it anyway.  Thankfully, that story has a happy ending. And, happily, this particular black frock is just the right size for Z.

Pattern Comparison: Liana Stretch Jeans vs. Ginger Jeans

Sewing your own jeans for the first time is intimidating, and trying to decide which pattern to start with can be one of the stumbling blocks.  I've written this pattern comparison of the Liana Stretch Jeans vs. the Ginger Jeans sewing patterns to help remove one obstacle from your jeans-sewing journey. I've sewn both multiple times and am sharing my detailed thoughts on all aspects of the patterns.