Knitting Projects, Old and Older

I don’t knit as avidly as I used to, largely because I don’t spend so much time travelling and it’s a warmer climate here. But actually, despite it being Texas, it really does get bone-chillingly cold sometimes, and our homes are poorly insulated. The only thing really missing from the North Yorkshire experience is the wind and Read More…

Sewing Jeans Again

This year hasn’t been such a big sewing year for me, largely because I have enough clothes. But last autumn I did set out to make another pair of jeans, since my first pair was so successful and became my favourites. This time I ventured into non-indigo territory. I actually bought undyed fabric and dyed it myself Read More…

Me-Made-May | His & Hers

Today you see a skirt I made last year from a thrifted chambray dress. That was a great refashioning decision – I have worn the skirt incessantly since I made it. I’m also wearing the striped tee that I talked about a couple of posts ago. I let out the neckline elastic and now it sits much Read More…

Me-Made-May | Making Jeans!

Remember how I said I wanted to learn to make jeans? I did it! I am wearing them as I type, and I can tell you I am very happy with how they feel and fit. But it took me a long, long time to finish them! I started with a well-known pattern (among the sewing community): the Ginger Read More…

Me-Made-May | T-shirts

Recently I decided to make a few new tops for the summer, and I wore them all on three days in a row. (The two pairs of shorts you see are both altered/refashioned, so they get a place as me-made. The first was thrifted and I altered the fit and replaced the buttons. The second Read More…

Konmari: Baby Clothes and Diapers

The time is here. I finally tidied the baby clothes, and included cloth diapers as well. Once upon a time, I was pregnant and we moved across the Atlantic. In a largely empty apartment, while we waited for our things to ship, I exercised my desire to organise and decorate in the baby’s bedroom closet. I Read More…

Konmari: Cleaning and Laundry Supplies

Time to clean out the cleaning supplies! First I got out my cleaning supplies from the five different locations where they are stored… This was an interesting exercise because it revealed to me that I’m actually very happy with my cleaning products. Weird, huh? In the last few years, and particularly since moving when I Read More…

Konmari: Clothing Part 2 (What I Learned)

Yesterday I wrote about how I sorted out my clothing using the KonMari method, but today I want to share some thoughts on that process and what I learned from it. One thing I learned was about how much energy I usually expend justifying and rationalising my decisions. I’ve decluttered many times before, and I Read More…

Konmari: Clothes, Part 1 (How It Went)

The first stage of the KonMari process is clothing, which also includes shoes, bags and jewellery. Over two days, I completed this whole category. Today, I’ll share how this process went; and tomorrow, I’ll share a few things I learned. Kondo recommends starting with clothes because it’s an easier category with which to learn the process. I was Read More…

The Fallback Skirt

I made a new skirt recently. It used to be a dress, which I bought at Goodwill because it was breastfeeding-friendly. However, the fit was never perfect, and since then I’ve made another dress I like better. The fabric, however, was a lovely washed-out blue chambray, and the shape of the skirt was just right. So Read More…