Pendleton Wool Shirt for Tim

One of my latest shirts for Tim... made last November and worn tons since then!

(You can also see him wearing it in these photos I took of his Akerfeldt Coat)

Plaid Flannel Tarawi Shirt

 'Tis the season for flannel...

Wool Plaid Cameron Shirt

Sometimes your sister drags you to a fabric store and you reap the benefits of accompanying her...

Plaid Linen Cuff Dress

Playing with plaid over here...

Aqua Cameron Shirt

Another Cameron shirt cutie...

Autumn Plaid Flannel Tarawi Shirt

This shirtmaking project is very much autumn inspired... the colors, the style, the plaid, the flannel. 

 It's still hot and humid out, but winter is coming and I'm onto the next season (although I reserve the right to randomly pop up with one more summer dress or boxy top; that's how my creative process works). 

Plaid Linen Roseclair Dress

Wrapstravaganza: can't stop, won't stop.

Birthday Shirts

Birthday boy, having his second pandemic birthday!

Dude Sewing: Blue Times Two, McCall's 6044

I'm beginning to sound like a broken record with this pattern...

Dude Sewing: Simplicity 1021 Flannel Robe

Somebody likes his cozy new robe...!

Plaid Hvar Jacket

I'm a working girl again... cue the Carly Simon, power suits and commuter sneakers!

Plaid Tencel Kalle Tunic

Sometimes a project takes for-eh-ver to come to fruition, and you kick yourself for not having at it earlier!

Testing, testing: Sew DIY Lou Box Dress

I've been mad for plaid since moving to Vermont... no signs of stopping in the new year!

Mammoth Flannel Cheyenne Tunic

It's flannel week at Imagine Gnats!

Plaid McCall's 6044: Now with Sleeve and Yoke Mods!

My husband was green in the face over the classic plaid shirt I made for myself. If it weren't for the oversized buttons and bust darts, I think he might have tried to steal the shirt for himself.

Plaid Linen Elani Tunic

When you like something, you like it...

Liesl + Co. Classic Shirt in Brushed Cotton Plaid

Flexing my plaid matching muscles today!

Phakhaoma Buttonfront Maya

Several months ago I bought a stack of traditional Thai handwoven plaid fabric at Chatuchak market from Nuala-Or. The fabric, a lightweight, loosely woven cotton fabric called "phakhaoma," came pre-cut in this narrow (32"), double-border piece. You can read more about traditional uses for phakhaoma here and check out some Thai artisans trying to revive the fabric with modern options.

Dude Sewing: Juba Shorts for Men

Shorts!  For dudes!

When Rachael at Imagine Gnats released the Juba shorts pattern and it included an option for men's shorts, I decided it was a sign. Must make shorts for Tim. Must continue quest to make men's clothes. Eventually I must master the zip fly.  But for now, baby steps. Casual, tie/elastic waist shorts to start.

I decided to use this fun pre-patchworked fabric I got on clearance at a local store here in Bangkok. Mayhaps not the best choice as it's quite lightweight.  But I forged ahead nonetheless, topstitching the seam allowances down for extra strength.

Sadly, my patchwork shorts for Tim may have to be limited to lounging around the house.  The crotch is super low (although when I look at the photos, it looks normal?). That, combined with the thinness of the fabric, makes me worry that he'll split them up the center seam if he wears them out and about.

I think I might have made a size too big... they're a bit roomy all around.  Or perhaps it's a simple fitting alteration: shortening the length from waist to crotch and then lengthening the legs.  I'm not sure, but I will definitely try making these Juba shorts again, as they have a lot of potential to be a weekend wardrobe staple. Tim's been eyeing the stretch chambray I just got from the Imagine Gnats shop, but he'll have to fight me for it! Juba shorts for me, too?

Until then, please enjoy these photo session outtakes below!!

Google+ decided these photos of Tim making weird faces and strangely grabbing his stomach were GIF-able:

And that this one was "auto-awesome"-worthy... I guess it is automatically awesome when you grow a third arm directly out of your existing forearm... imagine how much sewing I could get done with a third arm!!:

Madras Belcarra Blouse

Why have waited so long to sew up a Sewaholic pattern?  I'm not sure... they're totally geared towards me, a pear shape. I've got a couple in my stash that I haven't dug into yet for various reasons (building up the nerve for the Robson trench coat and waiting for an occasion for the Cambie dress).  But I had no reason to not make up their most recent release and the first Sewaholic pattern to be available in downloadable form (yay!)... the Belcarra blouse!  Love me some instant gratification!  I predict that I won't be able to resist getting more Sewaholic patterns as they become available in PDF form...

Anyway, back to Belcarra:  My Belcarra is View C with the upturned cuffs and chest pocket.  I chose a pretty jewel-toned Madras plaid that I stole from Martha's stash (meaning it probably dates back to the early '80s).  It's super soft and breezy, perfect for the unbearable heat we've been experiencing in Bangkok these days.

I really love the cut of this blouse!  It's relaxed and has no closures or darts, but is still shaped along the side seams so it doesn't look boxy.  Good stuff!  I think this casual, plaid version, but I can imagine it in a fancier fabric for work, too.

I went a size down from what my measurements called for...  I looked at the finished garment measurements and chose the size that gave me 2 inches of wearing ease in the bust for a slightly more fitted look.  It worked out well, I think!

I feel like I did a decent job on the plaid matching, at least horizontally on the side seams... I cut the bodice pieces on a single layer (which also saved fabric and allowed me to fit all the pieces on less than the called-for amount of fabric! Win!).  I considered plaid matching the sleeves, but it was blowing my mind with the 2-pieces raglan sleeves, so I threw up my hands and just focused on getting the sleeves on grain. I'm not mad at it.  I love how the bias cut plaid looks on the pocket and cuffs, too!

My only quibble with the pattern, and it is quite slight, is that I think the pocket placement markings are not right for the larger sizes.  The markings are in the same spot for all sizes.  After sewing mine in the recommended spot, I felt it was too close to the center and looked really odd, so I ended up unpicking it and shifting it over towards the side seam 1.25 inches.

Love my new top... maybe I'll have to sew up another for the Belcarra sewalong?  Perhaps something with contrasting sleeves next time.