Readers, Recently Threads magazine’s website asked readers whether they used dress forms and what they liked and disliked about them. The last time I looked there were a dozen enthusiastic responses from sewers who’d adapted commercial forms or made forms from scratch to duplicate the curves of their bodies. These sewers really use their custom […]
Where Labeling Is a Good Thing
Readers, When I worked in bakeries and restaurant kitchens and for years after I left commercial kitchens but still baked at home, I had an imaginary bakery. I never wanted the responsibilities of a real bakery owner; I just enjoyed thinking about… the packaging. The cake boxes. The business cards by the cash register. The […]
Backstage at the Goldstein: Polka Dots
Readers, Image consultant Brenda Kinsel asked a question on her Facebook page May 24 that caught my eye: I’m reading the book Wear This Now. In their list of ten things to toss now, #2 is “Anything with polka dots. Even if they come back in season briefly, they never last, and more often than […]
Project: McCall’s 3830 skirt (2002)
Readers, My 1930s Butterick jacket now has a matching skirt, made from McCall’s 3830. This is the seventh skirt I’ve sewn from this pattern and it was gratifyingly quick to make. The skirt has a faced waist rather than a waistband. The pattern doesn’t call for a lining, but I like linings. I always have […]
Project: Vogue 2461 (1990), Calvin Klein anorak, part 5
Readers, The anorak is done, and it’s time to look it over. First things first: the fit. The sleeves are the right length (I got help shortening and slimming them down), and the hood is the right size. And I like having some waist definition rather than the boxy look of many outdoor jackets. But […]
Project: Vogue 2461 (1990), Calvin Klein anorak, part 4
Readers, I’m suffering from anorak fatigue. Jack calls it “anoraksia nervosa.” Almost every part of this project has taken longer than I imagined. The mystery fabric I’m using is probably cotton with some spandex in it, and it just won’t take a firm press, which has been aggravating. But the good news is I’m closing […]
Project: Vogue 2461 (1990), Calvin Klein anorak, part 3
Readers, Here’s the latest on the anorak: The pattern calls for a 36-inch separating zipper. I didn’t find one to my liking locally, so I ordered one (manufacturer: YKK) from online supplier Sew True. I monkeyed around with eyelets and pliers and grommets and grommet tools…then threw up my hands and did buttonholes for the […]