Featherwale Corduroy Solids are Here!

We love this lightweight, velvety corduroy! Featherwale is easy to sew with and is perfect for cool weather garments. This plush cotton fabric fends off wind gusts and cold drafts for the coziest of things.

We can't wait to make things for fall with this corduroy--but what will we choose?!

Colette's Anise jacket would look adorable in French blue with big white buttons!

Sew Liberated's Ashland would be stunning in drake--the perfect fall dress to pair with favorite boots.

Clever Charlotte's Kestrel Coat for fashionable kids would be too cute in royal with bright yellow buttons.

Colette's Negroni shirt would be cozy-to-the-max in charlie brown with little horn shirt buttons.

Megan Neilsen's Kelly Skirt would be quite proper in khaki with brown leather buttons.

Figgy's Nituna Jacket would be darling in Persimmon with carved wood snowflake and heart buttons.

Yay for fall and yay for...

Cozy,

Outstanding,

Radiant,

Dainty,

Useful,

Regal,

Outdoorsy,

Yummy corduroy!!!!

Jaime Takes a Trip to Tova Town

I recently went Tova crazy! I have loved this shirt since I made my first one last February. It is the perfect fall shirt so as soon as the weather turned cold, I decided to whip up a couple more. The Tova pattern by Wiksten is a flattering, but loose fitting shirt with 3/4 length sleeves. It is an advanced beginner pattern - it will be easy for you if you have experience with gathering.

For my first Tova, I choose this beautiful, limited-edition Liberty of London print. This haberdashery print is very vintage-inspired and pairs perfectly with the Tova pattern. I decided I wanted a more demure look for this top, so I finished it with some sweet little black rose buttons. The result is a feminine top that makes me think of Jane Austen, so naturally I love it.

I took my new shirt out to the brand new Humble Pie Store to try some pie during our photo shoot. The results: cute and delicious!

My second Tova is made out of the new Denyse Schmidt Chicopee Corduroy prints. OMG, I love these corduroy's so much! They are a featherwale which means they have the tiniest wales to make the softest, most velvety corduroy. The fabric is fine enough for garment construction and did great even with all the gathering. The result is a cozy and warm Tova, perfect for crisp fall days. I love closures high on my neck so I added some snaps on the inside of the front placket to make the neckline. Result = perfect!

If you want to make this shirt, but are intimidated, we are offering it as a class this winter! Check out the deets here.

Casablanca Self-Striping Yarn is Here!

New self-striping yarn is here from Cascade! Casablanca is a silk/mohair/wool blend that knits up with a pretty ombre striping action.

We couldn't resist knitting up Dull Roar's Phoncible hat pattern in Casablanca and it turned out great! The pattern uses two skeins, and we used the colors "Peacock" and "Teals".

We love it and hope you do to!

This Skirt is Made for Walking...Sheep

I just made the Kelly Skirt by Megan Neilsen and it's so easy and so cute!

I used a Kokka fabric--a 1970s Americana inspired denim print--that works perfectly with this simple button front skirt pattern. Seven bone buttons give it an adorable old-time finish. It's the perfect skirt for taking my cute friend Marshall the Shetland on a walk!

Adorable new denim skirt? Check. Urban sheep walking? Fun to the max!

Better Know A Crafter: Lindsay Akiyama

Lindsay is ready for wintery weather--she just made one of the most adorable jackets we've ever seen!

Lindsay Akiyama

Tell us about your amazing coat!
I used fabric from Tula Pink's Nightshade collection. I made a pattern to fit the fabric. I was inspired by the pirate girls and wanted to showcase them.

What makes you want to be so crafty?
I have an overdeveloped sense of style, so I like to create things that suit me. I sew, paint and make jewelry.

How did you learn to sew?
My mom made me the most beautiful dresses for every occasion as I grew up. I've been watching her my whole life and have modeled myself after her.

What is your favorite animal?
Octopus.

Thanks Lindsay! Happy sewing!

Green Bee Sewing Patterns are Here!

New patterns are here from Green Bee! Adorable things for grown-ups and girls, these patterns are simple and fashionable. We especially love the cut of the Amelia dress and can't wait to make it!

Jaime + Jess's Transcontinental Skipping Sweater Knit-a-long!

Jess moved to LA back in April. When she called us to order some Road to China Light yarn for a new sweater that I too had my eye on making, I told her we could have a transcontinental knit-a-long! The sweater pattern is the Cap Sleeve Lattice Top from Purlbee. The pattern is available online for free and suggests Madelinetosh dk, but Jess and I were excited to try out our new yarn from Fibre Co. so we both used Road to China Light for ours. You probably know that I am a fan of "rustic" wool yarns so knitting with Road to China Light was like making magic out of air. This sport-weight yarn is a luscious blend of alpaca, silk, cashmere and camel. Holy Smokes! That's a lot of really soft animals to lend their fiber to my sweater!

Practicing my "eye-popping"

I had some gauge issues with this one. Road to China Light has much more drape than the yarn Purlbee called for, so I had to adjust my size a bit to make the top work. The pattern has you knit the sweater in one long rectangle that you then seam on the sides. Jess and I both choose to knit ours in the round, which only required a tiny bit of re-working. This allowed me to try my sweater on as I went to make sure it would fit with my gauge and the stretch of the yarn. I choose colors almost identical to the ones the pattern is done in - Riverstone and Grey Pearl in Road to China Light.

It turned out great. I love the look of this sweater - it is a flattering fit and interesting with the lattice top. Oh, also, it was soo easy! Advanced beginners could easily make this top and it hardly took me any time at all! Love it. It is the softest thing I have ever worn, so you might consider making one if you like to wrap your body in clouds.

Jess's sweater is also a smashing success! She choose the colors Jade and Malachite. It looks amazing and fits her great! It was so awesome that she was able to visit this weekend so our sweaters could meet in person.

Like a perfect picture...

and now we skip!

Transcontinental KAL's are the best!!

aw...friends in sweaters.