Maybe you’ve gotten to know a senior neighbor who doesn’t seem to have any family living nearby, or perhaps your senior acquaintances from church have mentioned feeling lonely and isolated because they live far away from their loved ones. Today, The Sewing Room shares a few ways to lend a hand to seniors who are isolated, from assisting them with decluttering and stress management to helping with financial decisions.
Read MoreThere are big changes afoot in Alameda, CA! and one of them is a complete update to the shop. Over the last 6 months I've been working to give the shop a little overhaul and pretty it up a bit. Another change, sad for many of our customers and friends around town, was the closing of Beverly's, our local big-top of crafting supplies. Fear not, friends, we have what you need now - thread, zippers, buttons, skirt hooks, lots of pretty fabric, sewing needles and more!
Read MoreI've started working on my "Miss Fisher" wardrobe for the Miss Fisher Convention in June. Very exciting! The first step was determining some wardrobe basics. After analyzing her wardrobe in the show (Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries), over all the seasons, I have broken down her DAY outfits to include the following:
Read MoreFor those of you who don't already know, along with teaching sewing and fashion at The Sewing Room, I've designed a collection of Sewing Patterns. It is comprised of 3 hats, 4 dresses, 1 pair of shorts, a blouse, a skirt, 2 tote bags, a vest, a set of aprons, a relaxation kit and 1 jacket - Am I forgetting anything? Most (but not all) of our patterns are made for the "TWEEN" girl, and some are sized for adults as well.
Read MoreAnyone who knows me, knows I LIVE in striped T's. I made the one pictured as a sample for some upcoming classes that I'll be teaching. It has long sleeves, a Bateau neck with a button shoulder/sleeve vents with grosgrain trim and side vents at the bottom opening. It's made from a beautiful navy blue and white synthetic yarn dyed striped (the stripe is knitted into the fabric as opposed to printing on top of the fabric) double knit, purchased from Piedmont Fabric. The gold nautical star buttons and vintage striped rayon grosgrain ribbon at the neck and sleeve vents were acquired from the ReCrafting Co. I made the pattern for this Breton Striped T-Shirt, using my body measurements. I'm fairly happy with the fit. I would only make the armhole and bicep a little smaller to match the slim fit of the body. I'll make those changes on the next one I make up.
Read MoreAs Some of you may or may not know, I've taught an online class about how to run your own Sewing Camps through Pixie Faire (where I sell my doll patterns), for the last two years. I built the course so that other people could have success teaching kids how to sew. And over the last couple of years, I've learned a LOT about the whole process.....
Read MoreI've been looking to finish my own "French (Chanel inspired) Jacket" this year so I turned to an expert for some inspiration and encouragement in doing so. Susan Khalje is THE expert and has been making, teaching how to make and writing about making these Iconic pieces for many years. She is also my own Couture instructor
Read MoreFor me, it usually starts with Fabric. This time, I was lucky enough to be gifted two beautiful pieces of silk from my friend, assistant and fellow fabric-lover, Maria Chenut....
Read MoreAfter I interviewed Sewing Blogger and Hat Enthusiast, Chuleenan Svetvilas, I asked her if she would meet me at Lacis to help with some of my millinery choices. We met inside (where I as already busy picking out boning for my foundation garment) and then did the tour of the Millinery section.
Read MoreTHE SEWING ROOM Instructor Maria Chenut designs powerful costumes for Marin Shakespeare Company's DON QUIXOTE
Read MorePROJECT RUNWAY designer Emily Payne Back in Alameda to Teach Draping Classes
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