Author Archives: Jan

Last weekend the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus (of which I am a member) performed “Porgy & Bess” highlights at Blossom Music Center in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I loved every minute of rehearsal and performance. Northeast Ohio has been inundated with rain, heat and humidity this summer—this is my fifth year here and the worst summer in my experience. So we were all dripping with perspiration while rehearsing and performing on the outdoor stage. Two weeks of sitting in hot rehearsal rooms, culminating with an extra-hot stage, made me want cool clothes! When I stopped at Waechter’s Fine Fabrics … Continue reading →

When I was in Santa Barbara in February, I picked up a bolt end that Marcy Tilton had on her clearance table. It was a cocoa-and-turquoise stripe—good colors for me—in a touchably soft cotton jersey. Ever since I finished the cocoa pants just prior to our vacation trip to France, I’ve been wanting to get this top made to go with the pants. The late-June/early-July weather in Northeast Ohio has been unusually hot and humid, and my wardrobe is low on cool tops. So here’s my cool top. Pattern Description: Marcy Tilton T-shirt, Vogue 8671, View A Pattern Sizing: Misses … Continue reading →

Yesterday I finished another version of Katherine Tilton’s Vogue 8817, View A. I am in love with this top. I think the neckline is one of the most flattering necklines I’ve ever worn. You may remember I made a top out of this pattern/view before the trip to France. The fabric is another Emma One Sock delight that Linda calls “Poster City.” The fabric is a 96% rayon/4% lycra blend that feels like buttah. This print is a little out of the norm for me, and I absolutely love it. Would you believe that, prior to last summer, I didn’t … Continue reading →

For wearable crafters, last month was Me Made May. I wanted to participate, but knew I was spending half of May away from home–eleven days in France and five days in North Carolina. So I participated in a quieter fashion than most. If you’re a regular reader, you know I was obsessively sewing prior to my tour of France. If you scroll backwards through the posts written since the end of January, you’ll see the results of all that activity. While in France, I believe there was only one day I didn’t wear something I had made. And on all … Continue reading →

A few days before leaving for France, I finished a long, flounced halter dress for my granddaughter, Ridley, who would turn 10 at the end of the month. Ridley’s mother’s family has a lot of height genes, so this child was wearing size 9 shoes and girls’ size 14 clothes when she was 9. I believe I”ll be making clothes for her for years to come. As I said in the blog post about the dress construction, I had cut the dress too large, but was able to alter it in such a way that I will be able to … Continue reading →

I was bored early one morning before leaving for France, and started exploring Mood Fabrics’ website while lying in bed, waiting for the Jazzman to wake up. Bad move. I found several things I had to have. This one is called “Bright Multi Geometric Jersey Prints” and is a whole bunch of colors that look good on me. I knew I would use it for one of Marcy Tilton’s or Katherine Tilton’s tops they’ve designed for Vogue Patterns. So I wanted a complementary fabric to bind the neckline. Lookee here! The photo doesn’t do it justice. Look at how look … Continue reading →