Mindfully creating a handmade wardrobe

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  • Handmade Wardrobe
    • First Post with African Wax for #SEWWAXLYRICAL
  • About me…
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I just hit publish on a blog post all about my new #axisdress. This very pretty fabric is a natural, textured, and comfortable silk from @thedelhistore and I had such a great experience sewing and fitting this dress. #sewfrosting . P.S. I have problems with my back and elbows but come on, the back of this dress deserves some respect. So does my skin, while we’re on the subject. . . #selflove #sewfrosting2020 #linkinbio👆
#axisdress + red silk = 💃#nastywoman
I’ve had lots of people asking about this skirt since my last post so I’ll be taking a moment to share this hack. You can find this #serendresshack pretty far back in my feed where I mention it briefly. Swipe to the end to see a very quick step-by-step drawing for how I made the pockets. . . . Skirt Back: I used the skirt and waistband pieces of the pattern in the longer length. Wanting more comfort and ease of fit to account for fluctuating weight I decided to add elastic to the back waistband. . To do this I added width the back skirt & waistband pieces, adding a few inches to the width of the skirt at the top (sorry, I can’t remember how much but possibly 4” all together) and grading to nothing at the skirt hem. (The skirt pattern is an a-line shape. . . . Pockets: These were made using two pieces - a main pocket piece and a top pocket piece. Measure the front of your skirt to determine how large you want your pockets and include seam allowances (SA.) Mine are huge! . 1. Cut two large squares and angle the top for the main pocket pieces. 2. The top of the pocket is a long folded rectangle. Press the long edges together. 3. Taking the long folded rectangle, sew it to the angled top of the main pocket, folded edges together and right sides facing. Finish the SA. 4. Press the pocket top away from the main pocket and trim off any excess to square the edges. 5. Press the edges in on the sides and bottom of the pockets. 6. Sew them to the skirt. . . . Hope that helps those who were asking and let me know if you’d like me to add anything else. Xx . . . . . Also pictured #gracepullover #allwellfullmoonbag
From the Blog... . ...A female co-worker once, upon seeing me crocheting between clients, commented on how “domesticated” I looked doing so. I’m not sure I realized at the time how insecure this made me, but I’ve carried around this memory for quite a long time. I was a new mom at the time but I had been a regular crocheter for years at that point. I occasionally sewed, loved to bake, and loved being a mom, but I really didn’t like being called “domesticated.” I still have a problem with that word even though I know first hand the importance of what a mother does day-to-day. Moms/caregivers aren’t giving into the patriarchy, but instead the patriarchy made a very necessary role in society seem unimportant. . Although people may perceive knitting or crocheting as the act of a “house-wife”, I , in fact, find it very empowering and feminist. With my two hands I knit this sweater using wool, a natural fibre, and engaged in a practice that I believe interlinks me to a sisterhood of my ancestors and other knitters. Engaging in needlework is not only for women or femmes, but is definitely feminist. When we knit our own sweater we are choosing to not take part in fast fashion which continues to exploit (mainly) women and our planet. It’s a kind of feminism that is not being capitalized by the fashion industry. . These are my personal views at the moment as a cisgender woman so please don’t be offended if you disagree. I’m also listening to Beirut as I write this so can you really blame me for getting deep?.. . #gracepullover review is up on the blog. Beautiful gifted pattern from @bayronhandmade ❤️❤️ Yarn is #cloudbornfibers superwash merino dk held double. . Also #allwellfullmoonbag pictured, a *free* pattern and more on that to come soon.✌️
1st finished object of 2020❣️ . Wool #tukuhoneysocks and I am in love. Finally blocked and ends woven in. You can find them on my feet. . #strollsockyarn #superwashmerino #tukusocks #dreareneeknits . Project bag is #kikodrawstringbag
My last project of 2019 was HUGE! I sewed a lot of gifts for a lot of lovely people. The red and pink fanny packs were made for my son and niece. There’s an issue with my son’s that I’ll share below. 💔 I had forgotten since making my own that the #fennelfannypack, although small, is not a small project (at least for me.) I do believe this is because my machine isn’t the strongest (Janome New Home dc2013) and does need servicing. Certain steps required some wrestling to get straight stitching lines and zippers just aren’t my fave thing to sew, so by Fanny pack no. 4 I was feeling a bit overloaded. The other bags are made using a free tutorial called the #openwidezipperedpouch offered on Anna Graham’s website, Noodle-head.com. This pouch pattern has become a #triedandtrue. ❤️ . . So Luca wanted a red “belly bag” similar to the one in the show Uncle Grandpa for his birthday (😂🥰) and he LOVES it but the sport zippers I used (thinking this would be an easier zipper for an 8 year old) are terrible! They worked perfectly well before sewing them to the bag, but before finishing the bag I noticed they weren’t closing as smoothly. Both zippers are getting stuck now 😡 and at my husband’s suggestion I put chapstick on them - a camping trick he knew to work for tent zippers. This does offer a temporary fix but doesn’t seem to last. 💔 Does anyone out there know why this happened? I won’t be using sport zippers (especially from Joann) for bags again and I’m planning on making him another one but for now 😴. I should be able to reuse the straps at least.
Looking back on my #topnine2019 makes me feel so many things. Firstly, I’m overwhelmed with the feeling that I have found the most generous and kind community of like-minded people on the internet by sheer serendipity. . It’s nice to look back on the year because, and I know this is silly, but a part of me can’t even believe I *made* all of that! Whoa!! 😂 I honestly feel that I was welcomed into the sewing community in a big way this year and am so extremely grateful for it. My primary focus is being a sahm to three which can feel isolating, and I’m not complaining because having my boys will always be my proudest achievement, but nevertheless it still feels somewhat isolating at times. . When I consider that many of our lifestyle choices as a family greatly differ from other families in our lives, it makes sense that I occasionally feel this isolation really hard. On top of this we live 30+ miles outside of L.A., my home town. I’m an introvert, so making or keeping friends in my life has never been easy. I have difficult relationships with my parents (my father considerably) which may also contribute to some of these feelings. . Regardless, it feels pretty great to reflect on how productive and positive 2019 has been, and I know a large part of the wholesome feeling I have today is because of the connections I’ve made here. Technology has been pretty good to me, providing my own little corner of the internet where I can share my art and my voice, reminding me that I am truly not alone. For this I am deeply grateful. I wish everyone the happiest New Year! (We’ve got a birthday tomorrow!) And to all my IG pals, thanks for helping make this a safe space. ❤️ . . . From left to right: 1. #pinnacletop 2. #peppermintrufflesleevetop + #mndawn 3. #intrepidboilersuit 4. #kalleshirtdress 5. #zadiejumpsuit 6. #zadiejumpsuithack + #persephonepants 7. #fringetophack + #landershorts 8. #wikstenshift 9. #siennamakerjacket
Merry Christmas! 🌲 I hope everyone is having a great holiday with friends and loved ones.❄️ . I’m choosing to share another photo of my Patchwork Jacket, the #nenupharlysimaque (in English, the Water Lily) to let you know that my blog post on how I made it is available to read.📚 . I’m just loving spending time with my family today. We really are happiest together. Sending out the warmest wishes. ❤️
I have bag making fever. 🙋‍♀️ Another one by #indigobirddesign but this time the #kikodrawstringbag . I love this one as a #knittingbag and especially that there are no zippers or stabilizers required. This is the medium size and it’s still pretty small, using very little fabric. I had all of the #fabricscraps, beads, and cord on hand to make this. No pattern pieces required either (they’re optional.) Talk about #instantgratification ❣️

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  • Dresses,  Handmade Wardrobe

    Russian Regina Dress Review

    October 22, 2019 /

    I am finally getting around to writing about a dress I made several weeks ago. The trickiest part in sewing the Regina Dress by Viki Sews is that the directions were completely in Russian! I didn’t let that stop me, though. I hope to share some tips that could help you along if you plan on trying this pattern out yourself...

    read more
    Angie Hook 6 Comments

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    Denim Lisa Dress – A Tessuti Pattern Review

    July 10, 2019

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  • Dresses,  Handmade Wardrobe

    Denim Lisa Dress – A Tessuti Pattern Review

    July 10, 2019 /

    Happy Summer! I sewed up the Lisa Dress by Tessuti Patterns in a super fun tie dye denim. This dress is everything I had hoped for...

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    Angie Hook 0 Comments

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    A Shelby Romper Pattern Review

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    First Post with African Wax for #SEWWAXLYRICAL

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    A Wiksten Shift Pattern Review

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    A Wiksten Shift Pattern Review

    June 20, 2019 /

    My Midi Wiksten Shift Dress I made a dress! This is Wiksten’s new Wiksten Shift pattern and it truly is a wonderful handmade wardrobe addition. I’m a huge fan of the style of this garment. The Wiksten Shift pattern includes several variations including a shorter dress and a top with optional sleeves...

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    A Shelby Romper Pattern Review

    June 15, 2019 /

    There isn't much to say about the newly released pattern by True Bias. I sewed up a Shelby Dress / Romper and I must say, it's really great. Kelli really knows how to bring something new to the sewing community and I'm very grateful for it. This was a really fun and quick to sew. I made myself a Shelby Romper and I'm super excited to share it with you...

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    Angie Hook 2 Comments

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    Denim Lisa Dress – A Tessuti Pattern Review

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    First Post with African Wax for #SEWWAXLYRICAL

    February 11, 2019 /

    By Hand London Anna/Christine Haynes Emery Dress Hack in African Wax Print FTW Heeelllloooooo!!! I’m so excited to be here. I’ve been considering starting a blog for years and what better way to begin this new endeavor than with a super colorful dress! Using blogs as a resource for learning my sewing craft has been invaluable to me. I really hope this can be a space to offer the same kind of support to others. I’d be lying if I said that this wasn’t a challenging task! Daaannngggg, creating a blog is hard! As I’m sure you’ll understand, I am not a very technical minded person (unlike my parter–opposites attract,…

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I just hit publish on a blog post all about my new #axisdress. This very pretty fabric is a natural, textured, and comfortable silk from @thedelhistore and I had such a great experience sewing and fitting this dress. #sewfrosting . P.S. I have problems with my back and elbows but come on, the back of this dress deserves some respect. So does my skin, while we’re on the subject. . . #selflove #sewfrosting2020 #linkinbio👆
#axisdress + red silk = 💃#nastywoman
I’ve had lots of people asking about this skirt since my last post so I’ll be taking a moment to share this hack. You can find this #serendresshack pretty far back in my feed where I mention it briefly. Swipe to the end to see a very quick step-by-step drawing for how I made the pockets. . . . Skirt Back: I used the skirt and waistband pieces of the pattern in the longer length. Wanting more comfort and ease of fit to account for fluctuating weight I decided to add elastic to the back waistband. . To do this I added width the back skirt & waistband pieces, adding a few inches to the width of the skirt at the top (sorry, I can’t remember how much but possibly 4” all together) and grading to nothing at the skirt hem. (The skirt pattern is an a-line shape. . . . Pockets: These were made using two pieces - a main pocket piece and a top pocket piece. Measure the front of your skirt to determine how large you want your pockets and include seam allowances (SA.) Mine are huge! . 1. Cut two large squares and angle the top for the main pocket pieces. 2. The top of the pocket is a long folded rectangle. Press the long edges together. 3. Taking the long folded rectangle, sew it to the angled top of the main pocket, folded edges together and right sides facing. Finish the SA. 4. Press the pocket top away from the main pocket and trim off any excess to square the edges. 5. Press the edges in on the sides and bottom of the pockets. 6. Sew them to the skirt. . . . Hope that helps those who were asking and let me know if you’d like me to add anything else. Xx . . . . . Also pictured #gracepullover #allwellfullmoonbag
From the Blog... . ...A female co-worker once, upon seeing me crocheting between clients, commented on how “domesticated” I looked doing so. I’m not sure I realized at the time how insecure this made me, but I’ve carried around this memory for quite a long time. I was a new mom at the time but I had been a regular crocheter for years at that point. I occasionally sewed, loved to bake, and loved being a mom, but I really didn’t like being called “domesticated.” I still have a problem with that word even though I know first hand the importance of what a mother does day-to-day. Moms/caregivers aren’t giving into the patriarchy, but instead the patriarchy made a very necessary role in society seem unimportant. . Although people may perceive knitting or crocheting as the act of a “house-wife”, I , in fact, find it very empowering and feminist. With my two hands I knit this sweater using wool, a natural fibre, and engaged in a practice that I believe interlinks me to a sisterhood of my ancestors and other knitters. Engaging in needlework is not only for women or femmes, but is definitely feminist. When we knit our own sweater we are choosing to not take part in fast fashion which continues to exploit (mainly) women and our planet. It’s a kind of feminism that is not being capitalized by the fashion industry. . These are my personal views at the moment as a cisgender woman so please don’t be offended if you disagree. I’m also listening to Beirut as I write this so can you really blame me for getting deep?.. . #gracepullover review is up on the blog. Beautiful gifted pattern from @bayronhandmade ❤️❤️ Yarn is #cloudbornfibers superwash merino dk held double. . Also #allwellfullmoonbag pictured, a *free* pattern and more on that to come soon.✌️
1st finished object of 2020❣️ . Wool #tukuhoneysocks and I am in love. Finally blocked and ends woven in. You can find them on my feet. . #strollsockyarn #superwashmerino #tukusocks #dreareneeknits . Project bag is #kikodrawstringbag
My last project of 2019 was HUGE! I sewed a lot of gifts for a lot of lovely people. The red and pink fanny packs were made for my son and niece. There’s an issue with my son’s that I’ll share below. 💔 I had forgotten since making my own that the #fennelfannypack, although small, is not a small project (at least for me.) I do believe this is because my machine isn’t the strongest (Janome New Home dc2013) and does need servicing. Certain steps required some wrestling to get straight stitching lines and zippers just aren’t my fave thing to sew, so by Fanny pack no. 4 I was feeling a bit overloaded. The other bags are made using a free tutorial called the #openwidezipperedpouch offered on Anna Graham’s website, Noodle-head.com. This pouch pattern has become a #triedandtrue. ❤️ . . So Luca wanted a red “belly bag” similar to the one in the show Uncle Grandpa for his birthday (😂🥰) and he LOVES it but the sport zippers I used (thinking this would be an easier zipper for an 8 year old) are terrible! They worked perfectly well before sewing them to the bag, but before finishing the bag I noticed they weren’t closing as smoothly. Both zippers are getting stuck now 😡 and at my husband’s suggestion I put chapstick on them - a camping trick he knew to work for tent zippers. This does offer a temporary fix but doesn’t seem to last. 💔 Does anyone out there know why this happened? I won’t be using sport zippers (especially from Joann) for bags again and I’m planning on making him another one but for now 😴. I should be able to reuse the straps at least.
Looking back on my #topnine2019 makes me feel so many things. Firstly, I’m overwhelmed with the feeling that I have found the most generous and kind community of like-minded people on the internet by sheer serendipity. . It’s nice to look back on the year because, and I know this is silly, but a part of me can’t even believe I *made* all of that! Whoa!! 😂 I honestly feel that I was welcomed into the sewing community in a big way this year and am so extremely grateful for it. My primary focus is being a sahm to three which can feel isolating, and I’m not complaining because having my boys will always be my proudest achievement, but nevertheless it still feels somewhat isolating at times. . When I consider that many of our lifestyle choices as a family greatly differ from other families in our lives, it makes sense that I occasionally feel this isolation really hard. On top of this we live 30+ miles outside of L.A., my home town. I’m an introvert, so making or keeping friends in my life has never been easy. I have difficult relationships with my parents (my father considerably) which may also contribute to some of these feelings. . Regardless, it feels pretty great to reflect on how productive and positive 2019 has been, and I know a large part of the wholesome feeling I have today is because of the connections I’ve made here. Technology has been pretty good to me, providing my own little corner of the internet where I can share my art and my voice, reminding me that I am truly not alone. For this I am deeply grateful. I wish everyone the happiest New Year! (We’ve got a birthday tomorrow!) And to all my IG pals, thanks for helping make this a safe space. ❤️ . . . From left to right: 1. #pinnacletop 2. #peppermintrufflesleevetop + #mndawn 3. #intrepidboilersuit 4. #kalleshirtdress 5. #zadiejumpsuit 6. #zadiejumpsuithack + #persephonepants 7. #fringetophack + #landershorts 8. #wikstenshift 9. #siennamakerjacket
Merry Christmas! 🌲 I hope everyone is having a great holiday with friends and loved ones.❄️ . I’m choosing to share another photo of my Patchwork Jacket, the #nenupharlysimaque (in English, the Water Lily) to let you know that my blog post on how I made it is available to read.📚 . I’m just loving spending time with my family today. We really are happiest together. Sending out the warmest wishes. ❤️
I have bag making fever. 🙋‍♀️ Another one by #indigobirddesign but this time the #kikodrawstringbag . I love this one as a #knittingbag and especially that there are no zippers or stabilizers required. This is the medium size and it’s still pretty small, using very little fabric. I had all of the #fabricscraps, beads, and cord on hand to make this. No pattern pieces required either (they’re optional.) Talk about #instantgratification ❣️
#CARMELLAJUMPSUIT ❄️ . No waist tie this time (see prior photo for different styling) + paired with a #monroeturtleneck and Dr. Martens. Hurray for fall layering! EDITED to say Winter layering! Although it still feels like fall here. . A blog post is finally up on my site with a bunch of photos and sewing info if anyone would like to check it out. Link is in my bio. 💫 . Happy Saturday!! 💙💜💙💜💙
I’ve got a current knitting project in an #origamibentobag 🧶 but cast on a new one yesterday because I’m tired of tiny needles at the moment. . Also wearing very cozy clothes... #intrepidboilersuit #silviacoatigan . . I love that my lotion is photographed behind me. 😄 My hands have been so dry the last few days and I literally can’t knit without it.
I’m completely smitten with the #origamibentobag pattern from @indigobird_design. I even took glamour shots. 💘 . These are floppy and soft. Also, so practical to own and such a good alternative to plastic. . I used a free tutorial to make these but there is a pattern available for purchase as well with multiple size options. They are very speedy and satisfying to sew. I’m excited to try another one of their bag patterns.

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