Cooler than You: Stupid Things I Say and Do

A pencil.  A pencil skirt.  Most women love a good one.  Why? They go from night to day, have a sleek design and look, invoke images of authority, maturity (without being ancient), professional, sleek, and even sexy.  A good pencil can go so many different ways. So today you have a study . . .a study of two pencils.  I had just bought the lovely By Hand London Charlotte pattern, and my Mom came out of her sewing room with a stack of patterns (I was visiting them on that trip a few weeks back).  I certainly wasn't going to tell her no, and even though I just ordered the Charlotte I'm all for trying out a couple of patterns before declaring unadulterated love for one. Simplicity 9084 vs. Charlotte. Simplicity 9084, printed in 1994 .  Sewed by me, from a houndtooth wool blend I got when my Mom and I invaded the Mood of the South, AKA Mary Jos . Ripple insisted on being in the side view.   Yes, I have no shoes on.  I'm i...

A few weeks ago I finished my first pair of Lakeside PJs .  This was also my first Grainline Studio pattern.  Indeed.  I should tell you now, in all fairness and honesty, that I am totally converted !  I've been lusting after the Archer for awhile now . . . and well, I have {ahem} four fabrics screaming to be Archers.  Up on que: a wearable muslin.  But, on with PJs in the meantime.  Then on Instagram someone asked what I thought of these, and I'm late posting.  Sorry Bubala_jo . Since I already told you I made them a few weeks ago, you know I am behind on blogging . . . but you should also know I kinda, accidentally forgot to prewash the fabric.  Soooooooooooo, that worked to my advantage and the PJs shrunk enough to be perfect .  I sewed the 14 and the 18, and next round I'll just make the top a 12 and the bottoms a 16.  When mine shrunk they went to a perfect fit.  I had sized up, as I was worried the patterns would be for...