I am planning a trip to the beach for the first time in years. Having just thrown out a decade’s old beach tote that was collecting a smell, there was a hole in my arsenal of bags waiting to be filled. I’d been saving a yard of gorgeous printed cotton… Read More »Giant Beach Bag
Renaissance Fairs are back! Two weekends ago on a rainy day, my husband and I made our dog Tovi a Robinhood costume so that this past weekend we could enter her into the pet costume contest at the Robinhood Faire. Our poor sweet dog is very patient with all the… Read More »Robinhood, but it’s my dog.
We all have that drawer in the kitchen that gets a little nuts. A catch-all space to organize annually. I was itching to sew something fast and easy, without any events on the horizon to look forward to (a sad place to be), so I decided to make a little… Read More »Junk Organizer with Pockets
In the past my workplace has hosted departmental gingerbread house decorating contests around the holidays, but this year, no one has been in the office in several months. So instead they sent the gingerbread kits home to us. The rules stipulate that anyone in our households could help, but only… Read More »Gingerbread Cottage
My dog seriously loves pillows. We let her use the human couch pillows, but she is very aware of what things are specifically hers and which things are shared. She loves her beds and pillows and looks so cute using them. After sewing Tovi a new Christmas coat from fleece, I… Read More »Christmas Quilted Bone Pillow
I made Tovi a new winter coat for the holidays and she is being very dramatic about trying it on for the first time; how dare I make her something long and warm, especially with a high collar to keep the wind off her neck! I’m still working my way… Read More »Christmas Coat for the Dog
I have conquered quarantine level: make your own alcohol. My home-brew mead turned out fantastic; way tastier than the cough-syrup served at commercial renaissance fairs. For months of backstory, you can read all these posts: A Mead-Making Journey Home-Brew Mead Round 2 Even More Mead! With Maple! Otherwise, we’re going to jump… Read More »Home-brew Mead Recipe and Results
Even before the engagement, I decided that Jake and I needed our own house standard for Plague Fair. Being a very crafty covid-cohort, several houses in attendance would be carrying them. A standard or war banner is a flag depicting a house-identifier such as a sigil, pattern, symbol or color… Read More »House Allen Banner
Look at this handsome guy. Plague masks are all the rage this year, but they don’t exactly accommodate long beards, at least, not in the traditional raven shape. Good thing we’re not wedded to tradition in this house. A pelican instead! That ballooning neck, a throat like fire, should be… Read More »Jake’s Beard-Bird Plague Doctor Mask
Plague Faire is soon upon us after a solitary Samhain (sow-win). Taking every precaution, the plague can be leveraged for levity this spooky season. To get myself into the Holiday spirit, I’ve finally decided to tackle the obvious; a plague-doctor covid mask. The beak came out bigger than I expected… Read More »Soft Plague Doctor Mask: Covid Edit
I made Jake a formal beard mask to exactly match a suit for a very special occasion. How did I match it exactly? The suit came unhemmed so I had to chop about 5 inches off the bottom of each pant leg for him. This left barely enough fabric to make… Read More »Formal Beard Mask
Remember that eggpron I made for a friend with chickens? I had just a little bit of leftover fabric from that project, so I’m surprising her and her partner with matching chicken masks. I also made Jake and myself some, because there was enough for four masks, and my generosity… Read More »Chicken Masks
With much good fortune I scored a limited-edition black Khadija set from Moresca’s Labor Day Sale. Fair season, and therefore most vendors’ income, has been cancelled this year, leading some vendors to hold never-before-seen online sales. I’ve been waiting for a Khadija belt and cuffs for a few years, but… Read More »Black Moresca Khadija Set
One month ago, Jake and I got engaged (huzzah!). I’ve sewn myself a special mask to signify my new status: white with lace, very bridal. It’s certainly the most polished mask I’ve made; no surged edges here! I was aiming for something that felt formal. While I was at it,… Read More »A Mask of Some Importance and Her Spookie Sister
The mead is bubbling away in its kitchen hideout. I’m mostly in the mead-making phase of ‘don’t touch it for a long time,’ but before I got there, I started one last batch (for now) of maple-syrup mead! This concoction will hopefully be extra sweet. My other three batches I… Read More »Even More Mead! With Maple!
Happy Labor Day, everyone! Today’s post is very on-theme, with a garment about labor. Recently my oldest friend bought a house that came with many chickens and a very fancy coupe. Apparently, it’s rather difficult to carry more than like four eggs at a time, especially if you need to… Read More »Eggpron
Mead-making round 2 is going great. My first batch has been “racked” over to a new jar for further fermenting and I’ve assembled two more half-gallon ferments. This time, we’re making a second batch of blueberry mead, but with cranberries for tannin instead of lime pith, and a mint, cranberry,… Read More »Home-Brew Mead Round 2
Back with more sewing for the highly anticipated Plague Fair 2020. I’ve finished four generic banners and hung them on dowel and twine. Jake notched the dowels for me so that the string has a nice channel to sit in. I’ve also completed another set of duel-sided flag garland; this… Read More »Prepping for Plague Faire Part 2
Who needs another hobby? Not me. But here we are. I’m micro-brewing mead. Blueberry mead, to be specific. You can make mead at home with just water (distilled), honey, and yeast (which naturally occurs in raw honey). It’s one of the oldest alcohols invented, and apparently, hopefully, it’s very difficult to mess… Read More »A Mead-Making Journey
With faire season 2020 cancelled, my social cadre and I are planning our own socially distanced, hygienically responsible backyard fair for the future if our local numbers continue to improve. It will be black-death-themed, of course; our own little plague party, except not in a crowded palace. Time to get… Read More »Prepping for Plague Faire
I’m spending a lot of time outside this season, what with no where else to be. The choices are after all, inside my own house or outside: in the yard, on the trail, at the drive-in, on the water now a bit. But with the sunshine comes radiation, and sunburns… Read More »Tie-Shirt and Vintage Skirt
Everyone is still wearing their masks, correct? Just because Americans are getting fidgety and bored of the corona virus, doesn’t mean the virus is gone. So as you throw caution to the wind and venture out on summer escapes to public places, wear a damn mask. That being said, not… Read More »Mask for Big Beards with Pattern
Another skirt in time for the hot weather and revolution! A circle midi-skirt with free pattern. This skirt is very full, with lots of movement thanks to the lightweight cotton fabric. The length is youthful and flirty, but still mobile and comfortable. I’ve chosen forest green because it’s practical: a… Read More »Circle Midi Skirt with Free Sewing Pattern and A Wish for Social Justice
Today we’re time-traveling. Back 101 years to the last global pandemic and a world torn apart by disease and war. Why go back to such a tumultuous time to sew a garment when we have plenty of troubles here in our own time? Because it is some comfort to me… Read More »1919 Tea Length Skirt with Pattern
Furthering my exploration of neutrals for spring, and practical sewing for the home, I’ve made a cloth storage basket. Because we have a dog, we are frequently in and out of the front door. Because that dog needs various leashes and collars to go out, we tend to leave that… Read More »Cloth Storage Basket
I’m in denial over the cancellation of much of my Renaissance Fair season. This consolatory accessory is a custom bottle holster to re-purpose glass kombucha bottles into faire-bound drink containers. Sewn from a thin and soft faux-leather, this was my second attempt at making such a holster. My first attempt… Read More »Pirate’s Bottle Holster
Happy Friday, everyone! There’s a gorgeous weekend ahead, but many of us still have a lot of time on our hands. Maybe some of you would like to sew now that you’re spending so much time at home. Want to make a headband? It’s really easy. Perfect for beginners who… Read More »How to Sew a Five Minute Twist Headband
Making every effort to romanticize quarantine into a more bearable purgatory, I’ve sewn another apron. This one is a hallmark-style floral apron to go over the homesteading skirts that I am not wearing. Made from yet another remnant of vintage cotton that I scored at a thrift store long ago,… Read More »Floral Homestead Apron
While losing my mind over every activity involving being at home, it felt like a good time to be motivated to make some at-home clothing. Preferably something more sophisticated than sweat pants, but that would not require the removal of said sweat pants to enjoy. Here we find the apron.… Read More »Linen Apron
Oh, I want to leave my house this Beltane! As the weather gets nicer, the event cancellations get more and more disappointing. I miss dressing up, celebrating, and even shopping…Can’t even browse a market for fun anymore. In my mourning, I’ve latched onto the aesthetic of picnics as a hopeful… Read More »Happy Beltane! Shoulder Shopper Bag.
Right now it’s very difficult to look past the day-to-day. Long-term goals are hard to focus on in the stressful short term. As a form of relaxation I’ve returned to a very basic comfort by sketching what I’m thinking about: by sketching a food diary of all the calories helping… Read More »Colorful Food Diary
Easter may have been cancelled this year, but these are eggs I dyed for Ostara, or the first day of Spring. You could dye eggs as well, especially if you’re stuck in quarantine. No children required, though they’d probably enjoy it. You’ll need white eggs, white vinegar, any kind of… Read More »Watercolor Eggs
Posts are out-of-date as soon as they’re published these days….Though still healthy at the time of this writing, I haven’t had much capacity to be creative in all this change and madness. I’m too busy bouncing from one news update to the next, and trying to stay distracted when the… Read More »Washable Cloth Face Masks
Wow, I really love the way that this commission turned out, and I was able to photograph it pretty well considering it is a plus-sized piece on my tiny dress form. What a blast this bustle was to design, pattern, and sew. This is another piece commissioned by the Whip… Read More »Celtic Fae Bustle
Another lower-half accessory crafted for the troupe’s use in our performance at a Celtic Belly-dance Fusion show earlier this month. Part kilt, part high-slit bella skirt, this apron brings Egypt to Ireland in a way that feels very punk-rock apocalypse to me. The design is a simple two-13-inch-wide-pleated-panels secured together… Read More »Celtic Fusion Apron, Punk Rock Apocalypse.
Oh, how the year is flying by! I have another tartan garment to share, sewn for troupe use in our last performance, a Celtic Belly Dance fusion show. This piece was commissioned for a much taller dancer than I, so it doesn’t reach the ground when it’s worn by its… Read More »Celtic Bustle
The troupe has a Celtic-themed belly dance show coming up in March for which we are preparing quite the little dance number. To tie our look together on stage, we ordered 30 yards of the same miscellaneous cotton plaid, from which we will each be making a garment–or rather I… Read More »Celtic Plaid Belly Dance Pants
Functional pouches are a life-saver in costuming. Purses, cell phones, car keys, and wallets do not time-travel well, and can only make the journey when well hidden inside a decorative bag or pouch. For the upcoming Winter Renaissance Faire in Vermont I am planning to wear black leather armor, but… Read More »Re-purposing Army Surplus Bag
Happy New Year, everyone! Welcome to 2020; oh, how time flies. For the first blog post of the new decade, I have made a super slouchy three-quarter sleeve fleece bolero. It’s high collar keeps out the cold, and it’s high sleeves keep my hands free for tasks. A small remnant… Read More »Slouchy Fleece Bolero
After completing my latest quilted hearth stockings project, I still had quite a few quilting strips leftover and a strong urge to continue quilting them together. With gifting-time fast approaching, I decided that my quilting strips would make great doggie bandanas for Tovi and some of her closest friends. Tovi… Read More »Yuletide Doggie Bandanas
It’s that time of year again! That’s right, the spookiest, most haunted season of them all: Yuletide. The season for blood sacrifice, frantically cleaning your home as to not upset the visiting spirits, and of naughty children being dragged off to hell by a cloven-footed beast! To celebrate another year… Read More »Family Hearth Stockings
My fabric stash is an extremely generous place; always filled with things that I didn’t even know that I had. The other day I came across a scrap of white high-pile faux fur that was just wide enough to make a small muff. The piece wasn’t big enough for much… Read More »Faux Fur Muff with Pocket
My female dog has a beard and a mustache, so naturally she is constantly being misgendered. Not that I think she minds, but maybe some pretty bows will help? Buying pre-made collar sliders online is expensive. And they are so small, and use so little fabric! I’m pressed for time… Read More »Collar Sliders
I thought the dog already had a new costume for Halloween this year? Yes. She does. But this idea is just so cute. Give the people what they want. What they want is more dog photos in costume. Earlier this season I sewed Tovi, our almost-two-year-old Belgian Malinois mix a… Read More »Cardinal Dog Costume
What the heck’s a scooptacular? It’s an ice cream party on a farm with animals and vendors and fall things. What completes a fall party? Dancing witches, of course! It just so happens that I belong to a troupe of witches who will trade event coordinators our dance-entertainment for money.… Read More »‘Scooptacular’ Dancing as a Witch
I’ve sewn a new dress for this most magical time of year. Nine-or-so yards of buttery polyester had appeared in my fabric stash. I don’t remember where I got so much of this sage green delight, but many a historical fantasy garment call for such great lengths of fabric. Lengths… Read More »Green Elven Gown
I had dreams of sewing Jake a very traditional Viking tunic. Something long, loose fitting, and functional. When I found several yards of sombrella fabric with a visible weave and stiff hand on clearance, I thought it had the perfect rough look if you ignore it’s forever fade-resistance. Jacob had… Read More »Orange Sensational Viking Long Tunic
I have too many projects in progress at once, and therefore nothing newly finished to show you. So instead, we’ll all have to settle for a quick works-in-progress post. I am making Jake a new tunic and just finished this elaborate neckline last night. It took considerable time to make… Read More »Works in Progress, Fall 2019
Well, the dog is ready for Halloween. A few weeks ago we brought Tovi to the Connecticut Renaissance Faire, and everyone had such kind words to say about her Master Splinter Costume. We won tickets to return to the fair later this season, and I can’t have my pup wearing… Read More »Little Red Riding Hood Dog Costume
Is it October yet? Nevermind. Happy Labor Day, everyone! The unofficial end of summer. Not that I want time to go by any faster, but I am gearing up for fall, starting with an easy little afternoon craft. The Witch’s Dream Catcher consists of two 8″ metal rings wrapped in… Read More »The Witch’s Dream Catcher