24/03/2018

Birthday Suki Robe

I made this Suki Robe (from Helen's Closet) for a dear friend for her birthday waaaay back in January.  I don't often sew for others (thoughts on the phrase "selfish sewing" to come later... spoiler alert - I hate it), but when I do I want to make something special!  I bought this gorgeous floral rayon from Blackbird Fabrics and it has the perfect drape for a breezy robe (have I told you how much I love rayon?  because I LOVE RAYON).  The only tricky part was photographing this one... not the easiest to show off a robe when it's not on a person, and we all know black fabric is notoriously hard to photograph!


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18/03/2018

Sewing Room Overhaul

HOkay, time for some fun stuff!  Back during the Christmas break, I finally got around to painting and redecorating my sewing room.  Since moving into our house, it has been so nice to have my own space, where I can leave things as-is in the middle of a project and keep it all out of the way.  We have a 3-bedroom bungalow (and no kids for the near future) so Matt and I each have our own spaces to do what we wish with.  I don't really have much more to say other than I LOVE THIS ROOM!  What a difference a fresh coat of paint makes.  The gorgeous wood floors really pop and the room just feels that much more inviting.  It was really nice to finally get some of the art I've been hoarding up on the walls too.  SO, first off are the before photos.

From when we first moved in:


To just before I painted:




You guys.... holy crap was it hard work fixing up the walls.  There were lots of holes, and I needed to sand down and wash them all.


I'm actually still not entirely done... I still haven't painted and re-installed the closet door!  It's hanging out in the basement and I'll get to it eventually ;)

And.... now for the finished room!  I re-arranged where the furniture is, and I like the layout much better.



I've had the Kallax shelves for a while now, but moved them from where they were.  I also got a HUGE (selfie) mirror (see above) and a clothing rack for storing UFOs, items to be photographed, as well as some ongoing projects and fabric.  Pretty much everything in this room is from IKEA, aside from the ironing board.










Here's a couple details if you're curious:

Sewing, Blogging, and Body Image

Oh hey!  Been a while, hasn't it?  I promise I've been busy sewing up a storm (like, I have probably 20 garments that are still unblogged?) even if I haven't been so great at updating the blog.  Probably better to follow me over on Instagram, even if I haven't been that great at updating over there either.

When I started this blog, it was going to be the main spot where I would share all of my makes, before finding an absolutely thriving community of sewists on instagram.  I've been finding it easier and quicker to share over there, BUT I do want to get into more of the nitty-gritty details of ym garments on the blog.  

I have been meaning to update this space with all of the things I've been making (I'm not kidding when I say there could very well be nearly 20 things that I've made since my last real update back in the summer) but taking photos of myself has proven to be a bit of a challenge in the winter months for various reasons.  I feel like things have been really busy, even on the weekends, and I honestly couldn't tell you what we've been up to it's been such a blur!  I've also been busy getting the Ottawa Garment Guild up and running, work has been busy and stressful too (the good kind though?).  Winter is tricky because the weather has been crappy and there isn't a great spot outside for me to take photos (*note to self to fix this for next year!).  I still haven't shared with you my Christmas Party dress!  Yeesh!  Even though I've re-done my sewing room (update coming soon) and added better lighting, it's still not easy to catch the tiny window where I get some good natural light coming in - either that or Matt and I are out doing something during this prime photo time!  Aaaand to top that all off, I've been struggling with my body image for a bit and just have not been happy with how I look in photos.  I've gained some weight since changing birth control pills and leaving roller derby (thanks, repetitive strain knee injury) and have not been great with working out regularly.  I also find that I get a serious case of the "winter blues" (have not been officially diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder) and just want to sit on the couch all day in my sweats when I don't have any plans.  It's been frustrating feeling like crap and having a bunch of things I've sewn recently not quite fit the way I want them too.  I know that the online sewing community is amazingly body-positive and supportive no matter what size you are, but taking and sharing photos of myself when I don't feel  (or look) my best just isn't going to happen.

All that being said - we've had a wonderfully sunny weekend here in Ottawa and spring is just around the corner.  I've got a bit of a spring (ha!) in my step now that the days are longer  and brighter AND I made my first pair of jeans!  and they mostly fit!! If that isn't a sewing confidence booster, then I don't know what is.  I have a plan in place for working out more regularly (downloaded this app - love it so far!) and I feel like I'm getting back in control of my work/ life/ sewing schedule.  I'm going to try to get back into the swing of posting regularly on here once I manage to take some photos.  I might even set a posting schedule for myself?! (ahahah probably not).  ANYWAYS - If you made it this far, thanks so much for reading along.  I feel better getting that out there, and feel like I can move on from it a bit.  Now, time to get sewing a second pair of jeans! ;)