I’ve always had a bit off a weakness for rose prints: especially rose border prints. So, awhile back, when Gertie had a collaboration with Michael Miller and released her “boudoir fabric” – a double border in black Pink rose and feather design – I didn’t even hesitate and scooped up both colorways. The first, was a luscious red and pink version I whipped up into a dirndl skirt. And this black and pink, which I knew would one day be destined for the perfect dress.
Remember back in college when you would hear a band come on the radio, and in true wannabe-hipster fashion you would toss your hair and say haughtily, “Yeah…I was totally into them before they ever became mainstream…” Like there was some sort of badge of honor in appreciating a band before social proof? Well, I swear you guys…I totally started this skirt before The Queens Gambit was ever a thing!
One of my most vivid childhood memories is of autumn. My grandmother had this massive maple tree in her backyard and every fall we would bundle into the car to her house to help her rake the leaves. I remember there were so many that I could stand almost knee deep in what had fallen to the ground. We would spend the afternoon raking them into even greater piles, jumping into the crisp signs of autumn with abandon. I remember moving them one pile at a time over the fence into the wooded area behind her yard.
It’s hard to believe it, but it’s that time of year again. This has been such a strange year in so many respects…but one thing that will never change: time just keeps on moving forward. I barely blinked and here we were, at the dawn of December again.
You know how sometimes there’s a certain phrase or tv show or new app that you’ve never heard of before, and then all of the sudden 5 people tell you about it in one day? Well, I had been navigating my life and circle-skirt-making-mania very pleasantly, until one day I heard about the Cricut. Suddenly, without warning, came the deluge of readers and followers asking me if I had one and the hours upon hours of hand cutting I would save. And with a few simple clicks, I fell down the rabbit hole…
We have most certainly entered a time honored autumnal tradition: Sweater Weather. And I am happy to report, this delightful time of year even occurs in the South. While I love the gentle breeze of Spring and the warm evenings of Summer, there is something about weather that encourages you to bundle up and get cozy (minus the risk of frostbite) that gets me so excited. So, this time of year I inevitably start to scan the horizon for the perfect autumnal sweater.
I can get so committed to my love of appliqué circle skirts, that sometimes I forget how much fun it can be to make a beautiful dress. It always a good idea to flex your creative muscles now and then and step outside of that trusty circle skirt comfort zone. And given how dark and grey the world has seemed lately, it should be no surprise that I turned to the sunniest yellow floral border print I could find….
I make no secret of the fact that I love to create. More and more lately, I’ve released myself of any mental shackles that might feel a bit intimidated by a project, and have adopted a, “why not just try it?” approach to my sewing. Given we have had months of isolation behind us and what looks to be many miles of isolated road stretching in front of us, no time like the present to just give things a shot. Segue to my latest sewing project….
There are some dresses that are befitting a love story. Those who you spot across a crowded internet and fall in breathless, immediate love with. This dress, appropriately named the “Embroidery Dress: Summer Love 1951” captured my heart the moment I clapped eyes on her and is likely to be a love story for the ages…
Truth be told, I hate the rain. Now, don’t get me wrong – I know we need it. Without rain, life as we know it would pretty much not exist. But, I still can’t help but sigh when I wake up and see grey and gloom outside my window. Rain is not a friend to a suede shoe or an appliqué prone to color bleed. So, in the middle of a two week bought of nothing but grey skies and soggy sidewalks, I decided to turn the weather into inspiration.