Cheerfully Observing Thread

There are so many things to be grateful for this year, including the fact that I can and did have time for sewing despite the business!  Sometimes I get a bit worn from work, and it can become easy to focus on what I don’t have time for instead of realizing how fortunate I am to have so many blessings in my life. Having the time to do my hobbies is one thing I try not to take for granted.  I made this skirt to wear for Thanksgiving this year, and hopefully we won’t have tons of snow that will force me into pants instead for ease and warmth! I decided to make a suede skirt this year (supposedly very trendy) to go with this silk blouse that I’ve owned FOREVER (I think it was a birthday gift from my parents when I was in college - but it’s in perfect shape and still fits!). I always wore it with corduroy pants, but they finally wore out, so I needed a new coordinate. I used Burda pattern #6928(which is discontinued but appears to be easy to still get a copy of), which I’m usually...

 Isn't this a pretty plaid? It’s hard to tell from the pictures, but this wool fabric actually has a lot of deep plumb color in it. I found it a few years back and made it into a shortened version of the skirt in Simplicity retro pattern #2154 (just remember to move the pleat/slit in the back up too so there’s room to walk and sit!). I really like the fit of this pattern - it has a pretty high waist, which works well if you want to tuck your shirt in and/or wear a cardigan with it.  I love wearing wool in the chillier weather because it helps so much with staying warm, but I actually think I’m going to wear a different skirt for Thanksgiving… check in again next week to see what I decide! 

Did you know that Veterans Day was originally known as “Armistice Day?” The First World War ended on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, and was a big cause for celebration after more than four years of fighting. Now it is known as Veterans Day to honor everyone who has served our country over the decades.  This blouse pattern came from Folkwear Patterns #210, “Armistice Blouse,” and I made it out of a polyester/rayon blend, which isn’t very historically accurate, but it drapes beautifully and I wanted it to be warm enough to wear in the cooler fall weather. I added French Cuffs to it, and although they turned out longer than I expected, I decided to just leave them (I like how puffy they make the sleeves).  My grandpa served on the European front during the Second World War, and although he has been gone for almost a decade now, he helped foster my love of history by sharing with me his memories during his time of service and suggesting books to read ...

Now that it’s November, if you plan on making any gifts for the holidays, it’s probably time to get started, if you haven’t already! I try really hard not to save all my gift making and purchasing for the weeks before Christmas - it gets stressful and expensive. I picked up the habit from a friend and an aunt to buy things for people when you see something they’ll love, even if it’s months before a holiday (I keep a list on my phone of what I have gotten so I can keep track). And that goes doubly if I get an inspiration of what to make them! Here are a few ideas to make as gifts, or to give a sewer in your life.  To make:  1. Headbands - the one I am wearing above is quite simple to make.  All you need is a piece of knit fabric that is about 7"x 20", and then sew it into a tube the long way, and then fold it at the raw ends and sew down to make the connection cute. And there are tons of other versions on YouTube!  2. Potholders/Hot pads.  Who doesn’t need cute C...