I bought some fabric to make two Wiksten Haoris. This will be my first time sewing this jacket and I plan to make the extra small short version for both. One will be Essex Linen in black lined with a horses print also by Robert Kaufman and the other will be that grid print, from Balboa Erin Dollar for Robert Kaufman, lined with Cotton+Steel cotton lawn also in black. I’m not sure now why I bought enough fabric to make two except that I’ve learned that I need to make a pattern several times over to really understand it and as soon as I finish sewing it once I find myself immediately wanting to start again.
I’m also hoping to make a patchwork Willow dress. Can I pull this off? I’m not sure, but I’d like to try. Lauren has this great post about how to create patchwork for garment sewing. I feel like this technique combines quilting and clothing construction in such a neat way and the final result has the potential to be truly incredible (or terrible?). We’ll see.
I also made a Ruffle Sleeve Top from In the Folds for Peppermint Magazine. (This is a free pattern you can download right here.) The sleeves were at the top of my skill level, but I got there and then shirt was too big. Like I was swimming in it. I really thought I took my measurements accurately, but I guess not. So I can’t wear it and I’m not sure what to do with it now. What do you do with things you make but can’t wear? That’s an easy decision with stuffed animals. I just cut them down the center, harvest the stuffing, and throw them out (unless the 8-year-old comes in here and steals them).
I’m teaching two classes in May. Well, one is actually a presentation and not a class. I’ll be speaking to the board of the New England Quilt Museum on May 15, helping them to develop an Instagram strategy. This lovely, small museum is on a cobblestone street in Lowell, Massachusetts, about 45 minutes away from my home. They are looking to develop a social media strategy, specifically for Instagram, and asked if I would help them to understand what exactly that should look like. What an interesting question!
Right now I’m deep in the research stage, looking at comparable small museums in the area as well as quilt museums all over the country to see what kind of content they’re generating for Instagram, Instagram Stories, and IGTV. What are they doing to build community? What hashtags do they use? How are they building excitement for events? I’m enjoying thinking through all of the different challenges and opportunities as I prep my slide deck.
If you have an Etsy shop and live in the Boston area come join me on May 20 at JP Knit & Stitch. It’s a beautiful shop and I’ll be teaching a two-hour evening class on optimizing your Etsy shop. You can register right here. I’d love to meet you!
Hi Abby,
I can totally relate to the statement, “I thought I measured correctly but it still doesn’t fit!”
I’ve been making garments, for my family and myself, since 1980. Most fit pretty well, others not so much. then I discovered a book by Gale Grigg Hazen called “Fantastic Fit for Every Body”. It was so informative, and addresses fitting issues that are just not covered by “taking the usual measurements”. For instance, long waist, short waist, tiny shoulders, wide shoulders, small bust, large bust, curved back, etc. It’s wonderful! And, I highly recommend it to anyone sewing clothing.
Ready to wear clothing and patterns, are designed to look good on a hanger, not on a human. The “fixes” for body type issues found in this book are simple to do and explained very well.
Following the advice given in this book has transformed my garment making.
I hope this helps. I look forward to seeing your other garment projects.
Sincerely,
Diane Worden
The Lookout Mountain Quilter
Hi Diane, Thank you so much for this recommendation. I’ve added this book to my wishlist. I truly appreciate it!