Exploring craft, couture, and handmade style
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Writing a Novel is my Ongoing Challenge
Back in my 20s, just a year or so out of school, I found that I already needed a break from my job as a science writer. While I didn’t have the option of taking a real break – as in, quitting my job – I was able to take a mental one by doing…
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Learning How to Reverse Applique the Alabama Chanin Way
I have to admit that, when Alabama Chanin’s unique reverse applique t-shirts gained popularity in the late 2000s, I wasn’t a fan. Unfinished edges (even though cotton jersey doesn’t need to be finished), uneven hand stitching, and exposed thread tails — the details that others found charming went against my tailored style aesthetic. I couldn’t…
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Finding Truth and Imagination in Old Photos
I love looking at old photos, and this is one I’ve seen many times. It remains in my grandmother’s photo album – the one with the blue and green geometric pattern on the cover – because despite my best efforts, it refuses to release from the adhesive-coated page. It’s strange because the other old photos…
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Sailor Style is One of the Most Enduring Looks
Sailor collars, crisp stripes, tie closures, and shiny buttons — sailor style is having a moment and I’m all in! I’ve always been a big fan of sailor collars and nautical style. Perhaps it’s because I grew up in the 1980s, when sailor style was enjoying a resurgence in popularity thanks to Princess Diana. Or…
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A Peplum Moto Jacket Marries Opposites for Edge
A peplum moto jacket seems like an odd combination. After all, moto jackets are tough while peplums are so feminine. But there’s something about marrying the two that somehow works — kind of like how opposites attract! My version has the requisite hardware of a moto jacket — visible zippers in the front and on…
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The Peplum is One of Fashion’s Most Enduring Styles
From dramatic to demure, the peplum makes a statement. It’s a style that’s been around since 500 BC and, despite ups and downs throughout fashion history, continues to fascinate. But it can be a rather divisive style. Today, camps of peplum lovers and haters are either celebrating or bemoaning the fact that the style appears…
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The Moto Jacket is Always Stylish and Forever Cool
The moto jacket — or motorcycle jacket or biker jacket — is one of my fave styles. I love the details, such as the notch collar, exposed metal hardware, bold stitching, shoulder epaulets, and prominent zipper closure. It has a flattering silhouette that just skims the body. When made in traditional black leather, it definitely…
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Wrap up Your Summer in the New Floaty Knit Wrap
The new Floaty Knit Wrap is elegant and as light as air — making it the perfect accessory for summer. Handknit with a luxurious silk, cashmere, and merino wool blend yarn using large knitting needles, the resulting fabric is airy, drapey, and light enough to squish into an already-full beach tote. Just having a Titanic…
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A New Nautical Twist on the Classic Twinset
Fresh off the knitting needles is my take on the classic twinset — a new twist on the nautical look that is super popular this season. The sleeveless shell is a mix of stripes — wide and narrow — that plays on the traditional mariniere look. The cardigan is a solid navy blue but with…
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A New DVF Wrap Dress in an Edgy Floral Print
The DVF Wrap Dress is truly a classic. I just completed a version in a beautiful fuchsia and gray viscose knit fabric and love the result! The Details For this version, I used a stretchy knit fabric as the dress is cut and fit to hug the body in the bodice. This fabric is a…
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The Twinset Turns 90 and is Still New and Cool
Regardless of whether you think the twinset — a knitted shell and matching cardigan — is fashionable or frumpy, it is an iconic style that is 90 years old this year! For my generation, the twinset entered our style consciousness in the early 2000s when J. Crew debuted the style in a splash of bright…
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Fashion Friday: The DVF Wrap Dress is New Again
The DVF wrap dress, designed by Diane von Furstenberg, debuted 50 years ago and remains a classic. Like a peak on a seismograph, its popularity spikes every few years — and somehow always seems new and fresh each time. Image from here I was too young to be in tune with fashion when the original…